Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
*****
To maintain order during the Quidditch World Cup, nearly all high-ranking officials and staff from the Ministry of Magic had been dispatched—many of them hadn't slept in days.
Along the way, he saw Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation; and his friend, Deputy Director Amy, among others.
Virtually all the Ministry's top brass were present, including Lucius Malfoy and those fickle Death Eaters who sided with whoever had the upper hand.
"Perfect. Since they're all here, we can catch them all in one net."
At the same time, the Voldemort disguised by George's Thoughtform led a group of escaped Death Eaters to the marshland outside the stadium.
"Master, shall we storm in now?"
Bellatrix drew her wand, her eyes gleaming not with fear but with excitement.
George glanced around. Except for Wormtail, the other Death Eaters looked just as thrilled as Bellatrix.
This group of Death Eaters, twisted from years of using Dark Magic to kill, had already lost their sanity.
After being locked in Azkaban and tormented daily by Dementors, they were nearly insane—no less unhinged than Voldemort after splitting his soul.
"No. Now is not the time. Wait until the match starts, when everyone is inside the stadium—then we strike.
Remember—no one is to kill without my command. Otherwise, this will be your fate."
As he spoke, he pointed at Wormtail. A flash of green light struck Wormtail, who looked on in disbelief, killing him instantly.
Though half-mad, the Death Eaters' fear of Voldemort was ingrained in their bones. Seeing Wormtail slain on a whim, they all nodded in terrified unison.
Killing one to warn the rest—he wanted complete obedience. And Wormtail, the cowardly turncoat, was the perfect sacrificial example.
He had spent all of last night refining his plan. If everything followed the script, nothing would go wrong.
But it was essential to restrain these deranged Death Eaters—he couldn't risk them going berserk and killing uncontrollably.
At 1:30 PM, over 100,000 witches and wizards from around the world emerged from their tents and queued up to enter the stadium, taking their seats and cheering excitedly.
At 2:00 PM, atop the commentary stand, Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, placed his wand to his throat and cast a Sonorus Charm.
"Sonorus!"
His voice boomed across the entire stadium.
"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome! Welcome to the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!"
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause and cheers.
Thousands of flags fluttered in the sky, accompanied by the chaotic blend of various national anthems.
On the large floating magical scoreboard, the final line of advertisement ("Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans—Every Bite an Adventure!") faded out.
Now displayed: England: 0, Ireland: 0
"All right, enough chatter! Please allow me to introduce... the mascot of the Irish National Team!"
The green section of the stadium instantly roared with excitement as a massive gold-and-green object soared into the arena.
It exploded mid-air into a dazzling display of fireworks, forming a giant shamrock—the iconic symbol of Ireland.
Then, a shower of gold coins rained down into the stands.
A closer look revealed that the shamrock was filled with bearded little men tossing coins from baskets—Leprechauns, the famous Irish mascots.
Though their coins couldn't be used as actual Galleons, that didn't stop the crowd from scrambling for them.
After all, many children didn't know the difference and believed they were real Galleons.
"Now!"
Ludo Bagman's voice rang out like a bell.
"Wands in the air... Let's welcome the mascot of the English National Team!"
A flock of red birds with long, flowing tail feathers soared into the stadium. After circling the arena, they hovered mid-air and began to sing.
Their melodious voices enchanted the entire crowd, calming the chaos caused by the coin scramble.
These were Scarlet Songbirds, renowned for their beautiful voices that soothed the soul—the official mascots of the English team.
Every national Quidditch team had its own mascot. Ireland had Leprechauns, Bulgaria had Veela, Brazil had Curupiras, and Norway had the Selma Lake Monster, among others.
When the Scarlet Songbirds finished singing and exited, the Quidditch players from both teams entered on their broomsticks.
The Irish team wore all green; the English team was dressed in red.
The crowd went wild at the sight of the players, cheering loudly for their favorite teams and athletes.
Among the cheers, George's name stood out as the most popular.
To satisfy the audience, the wizard controlling the magical projection zoomed in for a close-up of George on the screen.
"Next, let's welcome our referee—all the way from Egypt, the beloved Chairman of the International Quidditch Federation—Hassan Mustafa!"
A short, wiry wizard in a pure gold robe that matched the stadium colors marched onto the pitch.
Tucked under one arm was a large wooden trunk, and under the other, his broomstick.
"The match rules are simple."
After sternly reminding both teams of the rules, he kicked open the trunk, releasing the four magical balls.
One bright red Quaffle, two black Bludgers, and the tiny, winged Golden Snitch, which vanished from sight the moment it appeared.
The Snitch was clearly faster than those used in school matches. But since it was made of metal, George always knew its location.
Still, he didn't rush to catch it—not yet. His Thoughtform, disguised as Voldemort, had just infiltrated the stadium to begin phase one of the plan.
"Another goal by Troy! 10–0! Ireland takes the lead!"
Barely twenty minutes into the game, and Ireland had already scored ten points.
No surprise—England wasn't even among the top ten teams in terms of skill. They had no chance of beating powerhouse Ireland.
Their advancement so far had been solely thanks to George catching the Snitch at the last second—and this match would be no different.
"It's raining—the match should end now!"
George, who had been still the entire time, noticed the light drizzle falling from the sky. With a burst of speed, he flew toward the Snitch's hiding place.
His Thoughtform, disguised as Voldemort, had already completed step one. It was time to finish the match and begin step two.
(End of Chapter)