The British Ministry of Magic had truly racked their brains and exhausted every effort to successfully host this Quidditch World Cup final.
Just as Mrs. Weasley had written to Sirius Black in her letter, this was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the British wizarding world.
Because Britain had been without the trophy for a full thirty years.
For a dominant magical country, this was rather embarrassing indeed.
In light of this, the Ministry's approach was simple and straightforward.
Although we can't participate in the competition ourselves, we should at least make this event spectacular and not let wizards from other countries laugh at us—after all, we're at least half the hosts, aren't we?
So, the Ministry came up with a series of measures:
First, they found a deserted marshland as the competition venue and took every precaution to ward off Muggles in the vicinity.
The Ministry had so few personnel that accomplishing just this one task alone had consumed enormous energy.
The last time the Ministry was this busy was last time—when Sirius escaped from prison.
Second, they staggered the arrival times of on-site spectators to the designated location.
This would ensure audiences arrived during off-peak times, reducing crowd flow and reception pressure.
At the same time, they could set ticket prices in a tiered structure—those who bought cheap tickets needed to arrive two to three weeks early.
Third, they arranged different modes of travel.
For instance, having some wizards use Muggle transportation.
But the number of these wizards was limited.
The reason was obvious—they absolutely couldn't have too many wizards riding Muggle buses and trains.
Just looking at the wizards around them, some people's understanding of Muggle daily life was woefully inadequate to a shocking degree.
Not to mention that with such a grand event, wizards were coming from all over the world.
If too many came, who knew what chaos might ensue.
Of course, capable wizards could also use Apparition to travel.
But for this group, they had to clearly designate safe places for them to appear—mainly to ensure they wouldn't be discovered by Muggles.
This point had already been considered when searching for the competition venue.
A forest near the venue was arranged as a landing spot for Apparition, thus ensuring this group could stay away from Muggles.
Finally, for those unwilling or unable to Apparate, they would directly use Portkeys.
These things could transport wizards from one place to another at a specified time.
If needed, they could transport a large group of people at once, making them the most suitable magical transportation method for the current situation.
According to Cornelius Fudge, Britain had deployed a full two hundred Portkeys across the country this time—absolutely a grand undertaking.
After listening to Sirius's introduction, the three nodded their heads.
Clearly, the Ministry had indeed made many preparations this time.
"The nearest Portkey to us is at the Ministry, prepared for Ministry employees. We need to go there now."
Hermione speculated, "That must have been arranged by Fudge—he's very eager to have others see you and Harry appearing at the match together with him."
"Doesn't matter."
Sirius shrugged. "As long as he can get us good seats, I don't mind this little thing."
Soon, two cars arrived at the Ministry one after the other.
Just as Sherlock had deduced, as soon as Harry and Sirius arrived at the Ministry, they received an enthusiastic welcome from Fudge.
When he saw them, his mouth couldn't close.
"Hey, Sirius, Harry, so glad to see you."
"You're glad too early."
"..."
Fudge was taken aback by Sirius's response, but quickly pretended nothing happened and said: "Rest assured, I've arranged everything clearly this time. You just need to follow us!"
After greeting Sirius and Harry, Fudge seemed to notice the others.
Seeing Sherlock and Hermione who came in the same car as Harry and Sirius, he didn't have any particular reaction.
But when he saw Ron, Ginny, and the Weasley twins get out of the other car, his eyes immediately widened.
Fudge looked at their signature red hair in surprise and asked,
"These—these are the Weasley children, how are they with you too?"
Fudge didn't really care much about Arthur Weasley, the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office.
This department was originally a fringe department, receiving treatment far inferior to the Misuse of Magic Office.
Plus, although the Weasley family was one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight pure-blood families, their reputation on that list wasn't very good.
Of course, the most important reason was that the Weasleys were too poor.
Especially compared to other Sacred Twenty-Eight families.
The words Draco Malfoy said when he first met Ron on the train were the entire wizarding world's stereotypical impression of the Weasley family:
Red hair, old robes, too many children to afford.
However, in recent years, with Bill and Charlie graduating and starting work, the Weasley family's situation had improved.
This year even Percy, the third child, had entered the Ministry. For the Weasley family, the most difficult period had passed.
"Why do you think I asked the Ministry for two cars?"
Seeing Fudge's expression, Sirius knew what he was thinking and said irritably:
"Arthur's children are coming with us!"
"Oh—ah—I see, I see—that's good too."
Fudge realized his reaction was somewhat impolite and hastily pulled out a handkerchief, wiping the sweat from his forehead while trying to save face,
"This way, it perfectly demonstrates how I, as Minister of Magic, care for the children of Ministry employees!"
Watching Fudge shamelessly take credit, Sirius couldn't be bothered with him.
When the leadership is corrupt, so are the subordinates—the Ministry's atmosphere had been ruined by Cornelius Fudge, this fellow who became Minister!
At this moment, a Ministry employee walked up to Fudge and said something. Fudge quickly said to Sirius,
"I have some matters to attend to, so I'll go ahead—you there, take them over first!"
After speaking, he gave Harry a friendly smile, nodded to the others, and left with his belly leading the way.
"He seems to have treated us like air," Fred said.
"Not air, 'the Weasley children,'" George said.
"He just didn't expect us to appear here with Uncle Black," Ginny said spiritedly. "He thought we'd be with Dad!"
"Don't mind him."
Sirius said, turning to the Ministry employee Fudge had designated, speaking gently: "Please take us over."
Facing ordinary Ministry staff, Sirius's attitude was much more amiable.
Having just seen Sirius show no respect to the Minister, this Ministry employee had been somewhat worried. Now seeing this attitude, he immediately relaxed and hastily said.
"Follow me, this way please!"
Under his guidance, the group arrived at an empty office.
Surprisingly, the person responsible for receiving them was an old acquaintance.
Arnold Peasegood, Memory Modifier from the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, who considered himself Professor Flitwick's prize student.
He greeted Sherlock and Harry enthusiastically: "Hey, Sherlock, Harry, it's been a while!"
"You know each other?"
Sirius was somewhat surprised.
Harry nodded. "Yes, Mr. Peasegood accompanied us shopping in Diagon Alley last summer and took us to King's Cross Station."
Peasegood then extended his hand to Sirius,
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Black—I'm Arnold Peasegood. The Minister asked me to take you over!"
Since they were acquaintances, Sirius naturally wouldn't say something like "you're glad too early" as he had with Fudge.
He shook hands with Peasegood. "Hello, Peasegood, what's the Portkey this time?"
"It's this!"
Peasegood said, pulling out a moldy old boot from the side: "Let me see, one, two, three, four—seven, eight. Eight of you, the number's just right.
Look, you just need to touch the Portkey, like I'm doing now, extend one finger—"
"I really envy the rest of the family."
As he extended his finger to hook onto the boot like Peasegood, Fred said.
"Bill, Charlie, and Percy have all passed their Apparition tests, so they can sleep in much later."
George patted Fred's shoulder.
"Be grateful, brother. If we were still at the Burrow, we'd definitely have gotten up even earlier.
You know there's no car to pick us up there—we'd have to walk to the top of Stoatshead Hill."
"So, this time we really owe Harry!"
Fred grinned and put his arm around Harry. "We got to benefit too. We'd never ridden in a Ministry car before."
Harry smiled without speaking. It was his first time using a Portkey, and he was involuntarily somewhat nervous.
Sirius noticed his nervousness and said with a smile, "Relax, Harry. This thing is much more comfortable than Apparition."
"Is—is that so?"
"Of course. In some ways, it's even faster than using Floo powder."
Hearing Sirius's words, Harry relaxed a bit.
"Sherlock, aren't you nervous at all?"
Hermione looked at Sherlock's calm expression and couldn't help asking.
At this moment, one of her hands was tightly gripping Sherlock's arm, her whole body trembling slightly, her chest rising and falling continuously.
Clearly, she was very nervous.
Sherlock looked at her with a peculiar expression.
"Why would I be nervous? Didn't Sirius already say this is much easier than Apparition?"
"That's what he said, but—"
Hermione had a fear of heights. At this moment, even her voice was trembling. "I read in books that using a Portkey feels like flying."
"Sherlock, you and Harry are so lucky to have already Side-Along Apparated with adults!"
Ron said with an envious expression. "For you two, traveling by Portkey is nothing anymore."
Ginny was equally nervous. Seeing Sherlock and Hermione nearby, she had a sudden inspiration and also learned from Hermione, tightly gripping Harry's arm.
Harry: ???
'You have three brothers here—why are you holding onto me?'
But considering she might be embarrased Harry didn't voice his questions and even gave her a kind smile.
Ginny was instantly healed by that smile.
Harry, you angel!
At this moment, Peasegood noticed they had finished talking and hooked one hand onto the Portkey while holding a pocket watch in the other, muttering softly: "Good, everyone ready? I'm activating it now. Three—two—one!"
In that instant, it all happened.
Sherlock felt as if a hook behind his navel suddenly jerked forward with irresistible momentum, and his feet left the ground.
He flew up.
Just as Sirius had said, although this feeling was quite unique, it was much more comfortable than using Apparition or Floo powder.
He could even feel Harry and Hermione on either side of him.
Harry's shoulder bumped into his.
Hermione gripped his arm with even greater force than before.
Flying, really flying!
Not only did Hermione feel herself flying, but even Sherlock felt as if he were rushing forward like a gust of wind, unable to see anything clearly before him.
Sherlock found that he wasn't deliberately exerting force, yet his index finger remained tightly stuck to the boot, as if the boot had a magnetic force pulling him along.
He silently calculated the time in his mind. Three and a half seconds later, his feet landed heavily on the ground.
"Ow!"
Hermione cried out and crashed directly into his arms.
Sherlock frowned, took half a step back, and extended both hands to catch and steady her.
Harry wasn't so lucky.
Not only was Ginny holding onto one of his arms, but as soon as his feet made contact with the ground, Ron stumbled and crashed into him, directly knocking him over.
With a thud, the just-used Portkey fell to the ground beside his head.
Harry raised his head and found that only Sirius, Peasegood, and Sherlock were still standing.
Hermione was in Sherlock's arms, so she could barely stand too. Everyone else had fallen to the ground.
"Six-oh-eight, from the Ministry."
A voice spoke.
Harry freed himself from Ron and Ginny's tangle and stood up.
Then he pulled both Ron and Ginny up as well.
"Thank you, Harry."
Ginny said to Harry with a red face. This was her first time having such intimate contact with Harry.
However, Harry didn't pay it much mind. He smiled and nodded, then began observing his surroundings.
"Thank you, Sherlock."
Hermione also quickly extracted herself from Sherlock's embrace.
Her face was flushed red, but she still remembered to thank Sherlock.
Only her voice was very small—only Sherlock could hear it.
However, Sherlock's attention wasn't on this.
Even in the moment he caught Hermione, he was still observing the surrounding situation.
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