"Bulgaria wins!"
Ludo Bagman's face was solemn as he gravely announced, "Krum caught the Golden Snitch… His final flight maneuver was unimaginably brilliant, exhibiting astonishing talent for a Seeker participating in his first World Cup…"
His tone didn't quite match the cheers and applause from the stands, but no one noticed. Only Bagman himself, while using a Sonorus Charm to announce the end of the semi-final, felt a pang of regret.
In the betting pool before the match, he had consistently promoted Bulgaria's high chances of winning, despite privately believing the exact opposite.
Bagman himself was once a professional player, serving the Wimbourne Wasps. Even now, he still enjoyed wearing the Wasps' uniform, and his proudest identity was that of a Quidditch player, not the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports in the Ministry of Magic.
In short, Bagman was very confident in his judgment. He believed that a young player like Krum, only eighteen years old, would surely lack the mental fortitude for such a major match, making his chances in the semi-final low. Yet, they actually won.
Bagman calculated his losses, his head buzzing, and he nearly stumbled while walking down the stairs.
While some rejoiced, others despaired. In a box several floors above, Trelawney was beaming, her mouth unable to close as she tallied her winnings.
She pulled up her wide, colorful scarf to cover her mouth, silently chuckling for a moment before regaining control of her expression. Her eyes unfocused, she said in a wavering voice,
"This is fate's guidance. My inner eye has long foreseen this moment… Ah, let me see, let me see the shadow beneath the moon…"
The people in the box looked at the "great" Seer with reverence. Only one or two looked up at the sun, which had risen above the clouds, a puzzled expression on their faces.
Trelawney spoke whatever came to mind, regardless of whether it was relevant. She had already decided on the outcome; the rest was just improvisation.
"I see… a shattered tower, a great upheaval approaching… I hear the crow's caw, and the black dog's roar…"
Trelawney trembled, extending her thin arm as if reaching for an invisible presence in the air.
The women beside her stared wide-eyed, holding their breath, not daring to disturb her divination.
Suddenly, Trelawney trembled violently, slumping into the armchair, covering her eyes with her hands as if she had seen something unbearable.
After a long while, a round-faced witch quietly asked, "What happened, Professor Trelawney, is it…"
—Is Grindelwald attacking Britain?
She had meant to ask that, but before she could, Trelawney lowered her hands, her gaze sweeping over those around her with pity.
"Poor souls, you will understand one day… Fate never lies…"
"What did you see, Professor?" another older woman asked tremulously.
Trelawney gave a mysterious smile and said, "I saw the end, and I saw the result of the final match…"
A brief silence fell.
She made it sound so serious, like the end of the world was coming, but it was just about the final match?
They all felt a bit speechless, but then they remembered how some people hadn't believed Trelawney before and had missed out on a chance to get rich. So, they decided Trelawney's unique style of expression must have its own logic.
"Do you still want to bet with me?" Trelawney gazed into the distance with an ethereal look, saying, "You may doubt, but fate only favors its true believers…"
The group no longer hesitated, pulling out their money pouches, and the table was soon piled high with Galleons.
...
The crowd surged out of the stadium like a tide. The match, lasting nearly fifteen hours, had left most of the audience who stayed until the end utterly exhausted.
Consequently, many Apparated from the stands. Wade and the others, having had a hot breakfast, were in relatively good spirits, so they stayed in their box a bit longer, waiting for the peak congestion to pass before heading back to camp.
As they descended the stairs, they saw the backs of the Bulgarian team ahead. The once formidable Krum now walked with a noticeable outward splay to his feet, gloomily trailing behind the team, his shoulders a bit slumped.
He looked far from imposing, even a bit deflated, and his walk was listless.
But Harry, with his built-in ten-level idol filter, cheered. He waved excitedly and shouted, "Wade… look, it's Krum!"
Krum… Krum… Krum…
The boy's excited voice echoed in the corridor. All the team members stopped, instinctively turning to look back.
These few people must have just taken some Potions for colds; their faces, which had been pale with cold, were now flushed, and two long streams of smoke were rising from their ears. From their expressions to their eyes, they looked rather silly.
Harry: "…"
Krum nodded at his young fan without speaking, but another player smiled and waved. The group then continued on together.
"Let's go," Sirius said, patting Harry's shoulder.
Harry walked silently for a while. Once they were out of the stadium, he seemed to recover from the earlier shock. He leaned over to Wade, saying with some regret,
"I can't believe I forgot to bring a Quill… Do you think he'd sign something for me if we met again?"
"Who?" Wade asked distractedly, almost automatically.
"Who else? Viktor Krum, of course!" Harry emphasized, "One of the best Seekers in the world!"
"You could exchange autographs with him," Wade suggested half-heartedly. "You're Harry Potter! Maybe he'd want your autograph too!"
"Really?" Harry said, feeling both hopeful and anxious. "But I'm not like him, he's truly talented… and he just walked away without saying a word…"
"Maybe he was in a hurry to rest and didn't get a clear look at your face," Wade said. "Be more confident. When you're his age, you might even join the national team."
Harry immediately fell into a new round of contemplation, muttering words like "Seeker," "Auror," and "World Cup." He was clearly troubled by his future career choices.
Wade, meanwhile, subconsciously glanced at the fur tent. A tall, wild-looking man emerged from it, holding a small tin can.
A large Cauldron was set over a bonfire, and the water inside was already boiling. The man pinched some dark contents from the can and sprinkled them into the Cauldron, seemingly preparing food with great care.
Wade smiled and walked past him.
In the distant forest, giant trees swayed, their leaves rustling, like soft whispers.
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