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Edgar heard the sound and turned his head to look.
He saw Cedric walking up to the hilltop platform from another path, followed by a black-haired Asian girl—Cho Chang.
Cedric had a gentle smile on his face, while Cho's cheeks were slightly flushed, whether from the hike or some other reason.
The two were lightly linking arms, their posture natural and intimate.
"Good morning, Cedric," Edgar greeted warmly, then nodded to Cho. "And Cho. How did you sleep last night? Are you tired from hiking up so early today?"
Cho's face seemed to turn even redder. She gave a somewhat embarrassed smile and replied softly, "It... it was fine."
Lynn saw it clearly from the side, clicked his tongue, and nudged Edgar with his elbow. "Tsk... Edgar, what kind of lousy question is that? Where's your social awareness? How is the girl supposed to answer? 'I slept well' or 'I didn't sleep well'?"
Edgar scratched his head in confusion, completely failing to understand what was wrong with his standard greeting of "how did you sleep."
"Did I... did I ask something wrong?" He looked blankly at William and Ollie. One was adjusting his glasses and looking at the sky, while the other was looking down at the ground, pretending not to hear.
Cedric: "..."
The smile on his face froze for a moment, and the tips of his ears seemed to redden slightly as he gave Lynn a helpless look.
Why hadn't he noticed before that Lynn could be so... smart-alecky?
He coughed dryly and quickly changed the subject. "Are you guys also here to find a Portkey to go to the World Cup?"
Lynn nodded. "Yeah, a dorm group outing. What about you? Are you with your family too?"
"Yeah," Cedric returned to his normal composure. "Me, Cho, and my father. Also, we ran into the Weasleys, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger. We agreed to use the same Portkey together to make it more lively."
"So many people!" Edgar said in surprise. "Are they all behind you?"
Speak of the group, and they arrived.
On another, wider mountain path, a cacophony of footsteps and voices could be heard.
Led by Arthur Weasley, a large group of people climbed up in a grand procession.
In the group, Cedric's father, Amos Diggory, was loudly arguing with Mr. Weasley about something, likely work-related.
Each of them carried bulging bags and appeared out of breath after climbing the mountain.
"Oh! Cedric! You're already here! And Lynn? What a coincidence!" Mr. Weasley wiped away sweat and greeted them warmly.
After a round of lively "good mornings," the significantly larger group joined Lynn and the others in heading toward the box containing the Portkey.
Creak~
The box opened, and Mr. Weasley pulled out a dirty, even slightly moldy old boot for everyone to see.
Looking at the boot, Lynn suddenly felt a foreboding premonition.
"Quick, quick, gather round," Mr. Weasley called out. "Everyone reach out a finger; you just need to touch it."
And so, the large group began to move with difficulty.
Aside from Lynn's group of four, who only carried light luggage, the others had bags like small mountains on their backs. They crowded together, finally managing to huddle around the old boot held by Mr. Weasley.
Everyone strained to reach out a finger to touch the moldy-smelling leather.
"Everyone ready! Three..." Mr. Weasley counted down loudly.
"Two..."
"One!"
Pop!
It felt as if an invisible hook behind his navel had been jerked violently, followed by the familiar spinning sensation.
Damn it! Lynn finally knew where that foreboding premonition came from.
The creator of this Portkey was definitely someone who "loves extreme dynamic experiences and is dedicated to letting users feel the charm of centrifugal force and random tumbling."
"Waaaaah—!"
"Merlin's beard!"
"My breakfast—!"
For Lynn, who had already "experienced" this master's work, it was uncomfortable but manageable.
His feet landed firmly on the grass. Aside from his hair being blown a bit messy and his robes looking slightly disheveled, he stood as steady as a rock.
The others, clearly, were not so "lucky" or "experienced."
"Blargh—!"
"Cough, cough... Blargh—!"
The sounds of retching rose one after another around Lynn.
The moment they landed, Edgar and William collided after losing their balance. Amidst their groans of "Ouch," they nearly plunged their heads directly into a nearby dense thicket.
"Five-oh-seven, from Stoatshead Hill," a toneless voice rang out.
Lynn looked up and saw two male Wizards standing before him, wearing Ministry of Magic uniforms but with expressions gloomier than the dawn sky.
They held parchment and quills, responsible for registering the arrivals.
"Good morning, Basil, Frank," Mr. Weasley said, suppressing his discomfort and forcing a smile. He stepped forward and tossed the boot, which had fulfilled its mission, into an open wooden box nearby.
The box was already piled with many "used" Portkeys: rusty cans, crumpled newspapers, flattened soda cans, burnt-out light bulbs... a motley collection, with the common trait of looking like they belonged in a trash bin.
"Good morning, Arthur," the Wizard named Basil replied weakly, his dark circles making him look like a vengeful spirit.
"You'd better clear the way and get ready; there's another large group coming through from that way soon. It's packed... let me see..."
He flipped through the thick list in his hands. "Weasley... campsite is... about a quarter of a mile ahead, the first field. The manager is Mr. Roberts, he's a Muggle. Remember to comply with the International Statute of Secrecy."
At this point, Lynn stepped forward and took out the tickets Lucius had "kindly sponsored" a while ago.
Before he could even state his name, the Wizard named Frank just glanced at the ticket in his hand, then quickly scanned him, and a smile instantly broke out on his face.
"Respected Mr. Lynn, your campsite... please continue forward, about half a mile. There's a sign on the left side of the road. The manager for that area is Mr. Adolf. I wish you an enjoyable match."
Having said that, without waiting for Lynn's response, his face quickly reverted to that unapproachable expression from before.
Lynn: "..."
Mr. Weasley led the large group toward the first campsite.
The road gradually became more crowded. Wizards from all over the world, dressed in various outfits, chatted excitedly, and the air was filled with a festive clamor.
After about another twenty minutes, a simple wooden cabin appeared by the roadside with a sign: "Campsite Area A - Manager: Roberts."
Through the open door of the cabin, one could faintly see the vast land behind it, which had been treated with a Space-Extension Charm, already densely packed with hundreds of tents.
The Weasleys and the Diggorys stopped here.
Lynn and his companions didn't stop, continuing forward according to the directions.
A while later, a more refined wooden cabin appeared on the left side of the road, bearing the sign "VIP Reserved Area - Manager: Adolf."
This campsite stood in stark contrast to the overcrowded Area A.
The grounds were more open, with lush green grass and well-manicured trees. There were very few tents, widely spaced apart, offering excellent privacy.
Some tents looked incredibly expensive, complete with their own gardens, terraces, and even small fountains.
They easily found their spot—a flat piece of lawn with a good view, next to a small cluster of bushes blooming with magical fluorescent flowers.
Dodo was already there waiting, with the small bags of luggage beside him.
"This is the place, Master," Dodo said in a high-pitched voice, already starting to level the ground with magic. "It's much quieter than that noisy place managed by the Muggle."
"Dodo has already checked; the occupants of the surrounding tents seem decent enough, and the campsite management fee appears to have been prepaid by that Mr. Malfoy. Does Master need Dodo to set up the tent now?"
Lynn nodded. "Set it up. The one with the pool and the observation deck, as we discussed."
Soon, under Dodo's operation, a spacious tent appeared. It didn't look particularly extravagant from the outside, but its interior was expanded via the Undetectable Extension Charm, equipped with a temperature-controlled magical pool, an open-air observation deck, and a comfortable living area.