stonecrandall Page 241
Page 241
Holding the preliminary rounds at Hogwarts not only allows students to watch the games for free, enriching their learning experience, but also...
More importantly, they also expanded and renovated the Quidditch match venue free of charge.
This could also increase Hogwarts' influence.
It's simply killing multiple birds with one stone.
"I discussed it several times with the Department of Magical Sports, and after much reasoning, we finally decided to hold the preliminary rounds at Hogwarts," Ludo said, patting his chest to show off his achievement.
Levin knew the words were directed at him, but he still decided to accept the favor. Regardless of the other man's motives, Ludo Bagman had indeed helped him a great deal in the Quidditch World Cup matter.
Seeing everyone's happy faces, it was almost like they were celebrating ahead of time.
Hamish coughed lightly twice.
As the referee and team leader, he decided to cool down everyone's enthusiasm to prevent them from letting their guard down.
"For Ireland, Hogwarts is practically their home ground. After all, they all graduated from Hogwarts, and most of them played on the Hogwarts pitch during their school years, so they are very familiar with the place."
His words were like a bucket of cold water poured on the players' hearts, serving as a wake-up call.
Yes, there is only one magic school in the entire British Isles, and that is Hogwarts.
No matter which team it is, everyone graduated from Hogwarts, so who can beat whom?
But they didn't realize that even in terms of home crowd popularity, there was a variable within their own team.
On Friday afternoon, the Irish Quidditch national team members, dressed in matching light green robes, flew into Hogwarts on brand-new Firebolts. Their arrival was met with enthusiastic cheers from the young wizards of Hogwarts.
At Hogwarts, news always travels fast, and everyone is already very familiar with the members of the Infernal National Team.
They were still very curious about the Irish football stars.
Simon Finigan and Terry Butt, who are of Irish descent, were particularly excited and kept mentioning the resumes of the Irish football stars.
There are many wizards like Seamus in the castle.
But most of them are students who support the national team of the Yin Kingdom.
In the heart of this magical world, two great teams are about to clash, igniting the hearts of countless wizards.
Levin and Cerira have received unprecedented treatment at Hogwarts these past few days.
In the hearts of the young wizards, he represents not only the national team, but also Hogwarts.
The hottest topic in the castle was the upcoming Quidditch preliminary round, a topic that permeated the air like a burning flame.
"Do you support India or Ireland?"
At Hogwarts, this question is raised extremely frequently during meetings.
Harry was somewhat troubled by this.
He naturally hoped that the Yin Kingdom would win, after all, Levin was a member of the Yin Kingdom's team.
However, he discovered that his friend Ron preferred Ireland and often had heated discussions with Terry, Seamus, and others.
At times like these, the atmosphere between Harry and Ron would become tense.
Unlike Ron, Levin was surprised to find that the people who were kindest to him were actually the Slytherins with whom he had had unpleasant experiences.
After witnessing Levine's incredible passes, these shrewd Slytherins learned their lesson and became unwilling to antagonize him.
On one hand, it's because Levin is incredibly strong and has unlimited potential for the future.
On the other hand, Slytherins value honor, and when foreign powers enter their territory, they instinctively side with Levin, who represents Hogwarts and the Underworld.
Finally, they all received their parents' instructions—to make sure they kept Levin safe.
Jaina Proudmoore's status and influence within the Ministry of Magic rose accordingly.
Even Percy of Gryffindor would run over to cheer Levin on every time he saw him, and apologize for Ron’s support of Ireland and his cold attitude towards Levin.
Time flies like water, and Sunday has arrived in the blink of an eye.
When the young wizards arrived at the Quidditch arena, they could hardly believe their eyes.
The stands, which originally could only accommodate four students, were seemingly expanded overnight into a stadium that could hold thousands of people at the same time.
Rows of seats extend into the sky.
The young wizards were placed in their original positions at each house, while the newly added spaces were reserved for Quidditch enthusiasts who had purchased tickets, players' families and friends, and Ministry of Magic officials.
At the specially designated entrance to the audience passage, many wizards were shouting loudly, eagerly waiting to enter.
The Quidditch arena was buzzing with excitement that day, the air thick with anticipation and passion.
Filch looked serious as he and a wizard from the Ministry of Magic carefully checked each wizard's ticket.
"First-class ticket!" The wizard suddenly became very respectful, and his voice became much lower.
"Top floor private room! Go up from the right all the way to the top floor," she enthusiastically guided us.
“Thank you, Hope,” Gianna Proudmore said gently.
Behind her were Tonks and her parents, who had also been invited to watch Levin's game.
Aiwu ran over excitedly, only to find that her fellow Onyxia was not there.
A staircase covered with a crimson carpet leads to the top-floor private room.
Jaina and her companions climbed the steps with the crowd, which gradually dispersed to the stands on the left and right.
They kept going up until they finally reached the top of the stairs.
Unexpectedly, two people were already in the private room.
"Levin!" Aiwu happily ran from Jaina's arms to Levin, jumping directly onto his head, only to be helplessly pulled down by her master.
"Levin, Shirehong, what are you doing here? How could the coach let you out at a time like this? Did you sneak out?" Mrs. Tonks asked Levin worriedly.
Levin scratched his head sheepishly. Mrs. Tonks was right.
Last night, after learning the box number of Gianna and the others, he had this idea, so he found She-Ra, and the two hit it off immediately.
As soon as they saw Jaina and the others enter the stadium, they immediately transformed into phoenixes, teleported with Ciri to the VIP box, and arrived a little earlier than them.
Even Levin gets nervous before a match, so having a chat with them is just what you need.
Shortly after their arrival, the arrival of another person made their private room even more lively.
"Hi, Director Jaina!" Ludo Bagman came up and waved enthusiastically to Jaina.
“Deputy Director,” Ai Wu corrected quietly from the side.
Ludo was delighted to see Levin and Cirella standing intimately with Jaina; he was finally certain that he had flattered the right person.
"Hello, Ludo, I'm glad you're taking care of them," Jaina said, extending a gesture of goodwill.
Hearing her words, Ludo seemed extremely excited, feeling that his hard work had been recognized.
Levin felt that Gianna was already an excellent politician, possessing a quality that many politicians have: she always knows how to speak to people's hearts.
Even he was able to do this only with the help of psychic abilities.
“Mr. Green and Ms. Ray Allen are very capable, otherwise I wouldn’t have made things easy for them,” Ludo complimented in return. “You know, I used to be a player myself, and in this regard, I only care about results.”
It's as if he's some kind of selfless person.
But it doesn't matter, at least his help was genuine.
"Ludo, are you the commentator today?" Jaina asked casually.
“Of course. This is the first match of the World Cup, and it's being held at Hogwarts, so it has special significance.” Ludo slumped into his chair. “However, the minister clearly doesn't see it that way; he declined my invitation!”
"That's his regret. Matches with you commentating are always exceptionally exciting," Jaina said with a smile.
Jaina was very careful with her words, even in private.
Although he didn't go along with Ludo's words to smear Fudge, he did praise Ludo, which made him laugh especially happily.
More and more people came up, and Levin checked the time and began to say goodbye.
Before leaving, he caught a glimpse of Jaina shaking hands and talking warmly with Lucius Malfoy.
Chapter 263 Yin Gay Lan vs Ireland
Over the next half hour, the box where Jaina was located gradually filled up with people.
People kept coming up to shake Jaina's hand.
Tonks stood by with a smile, showing no sign of impatience.
"I heard there will be a performance by the team mascot before the match, is that right?" Aiwu suddenly looked at Ludo and asked loudly.
"Of course you'll like it." Although she had never seen a talking dragon before, Mian Aiwu was being held in Jaina's arms.
In response to her question, Ludo remained enthusiastic, saying, "Each national team brings some adorable animals from their country, just like you, and they'll put on a show before the competition."
Ludo glanced at his cards, his eyes darting around. "You'll definitely like them. I like them a lot."
Immediately afterwards, the director of the sports department suddenly stood up and looked around.
Aiwu obediently shut his mouth and looked at Ludo with curiosity.
Although he was dressed strangely, I think he's quite interesting.
"Is everyone ready?"
Ludo said her round face shone like a giant spherical piece of cheese.
Upon hearing his words, the people who had been exchanging pleasantries in the private room all took their seats, and the room fell silent.
He then turned his gaze to Ms. Gianna Proudmore, who was currently the most important person in the private room.
Jaina nodded to him, giving him an encouraging smile.
Ludo drew his wand, pointed it to his throat, and said, "[Loud Voice]!"
Then his words resounded like thunder throughout the packed stadium.
His voice echoed above the audience, resounding loudly to every corner of the stands.
"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome! Welcome to the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!"
The audience erupted in cheers and applause.
A green wave rose in the stands—the spectators supporting the Irish team.