After his normal workout for the day, Draco approached Dudley, looking a bit sheepish.
"Dudley…"
Dudley didn't say anything, just looked at him, his meaning crystal clear.
Spit it out, get to the point.
Under Dudley's stare, Draco shivered and his words came out much more quickly.
"Well, I got some tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, and I was wondering if…"
He was cut off before he could finish.
Dudley looked at Draco seriously. "You know we're not that interested in Quidditch."
"Just tell me what's really going on."
Even for the World Cup, he didn't have much interest. He'd rather spend the time practicing a few more spells or learning more.
The main reason was simply that Dudley wasn't that into the sport. According to the rules of Quidditch, all you had to do was catch the Golden Snitch to get 150 points and end the game, and Dudley could catch that thing in less than a minute if he wanted to.
What others saw as a lightning-fast, cat-like Snitch was just… meh to Dudley.
It held no real interest for him.
"Actually, it was Pansy and the others who asked me to invite you."
Draco stammered out the truth, then lowered his eyes to look at Dudley. "Everyone really misses you, Dudley."
Misses him?
School was about to start, so they'd be able to see each other all the time anyway.
Seeing Dudley's lack of interest, Draco nervously pushed on.
"They've prepared lots of fancy biscuits and tea, and they're very chewy. I'm sure you'll be satisfied."
"…"
"When does the match start?"
"Monday night."
"Tell everyone else and see what they think."
"You mean… you'll come, Dudley?!" Draco shouted, overjoyed.
A little relaxation was acceptable. After all, he had been studying for most of the holiday, so it wouldn't hurt to take a break. Besides, the Quidditch World Cup only lasted for a few days in total.
And no, Dudley would absolutely not admit that he had run out of his "chew toys."
As expected, everyone agreed. They were all tired from practicing Occlumency, so a little relaxation was definitely necessary.
Monday came quickly, and Dudley and the others arrived at the Quidditch World Cup stadium in Dartmoor, the same place where Harry won the "World's Best Wizarding Card Championship" last term.
Of course, they didn't use a Portkey. That thing was just as unpleasant for the stomach as the Knight Bus.
The Quidditch World Cup is a tournament held every four years, with teams selected from countries all over the world. Just like the Muggle World Cup, Quidditch fans from every corner of the globe would flood in, with an estimated attendance of over a hundred thousand wizards.
The wizard in charge of registration at the Quidditch campsite searched a long, scrolling parchment. "Mr. Malfoy... ah, found it. Walk about a quarter-mile straight ahead, and the first campsite is yours. You're in campsite one, and the groundskeeper is Mr. Payne."
Of course, this "Payne" wasn't the one who would make the world suffer.
Otherwise, the Quidditch World Cup might just turn into an anti-Muggle tournament.
When it came to physically fighting Muggles, Dudley would be second to none.
Their campsite, number one, was a VIP area, which not only required money but also a certain level of status. The wizards staying there were all without exception, rich and powerful.
Hundreds of strangely-shaped tents were scattered throughout the first campsite.
Each of them was enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, making them much bigger on the inside than they looked on the outside.
How extravagant could wizard tents get?
Dudley saw a tent with colorful, exaggerated stripes in front of him, with several live peacocks tied to the entrance. Next to it was a massive tent that looked like a four or five-story palace, with a few alligators and mountain lions tied outside.
The most outlandish tent had a garden in front of it filled with all kinds of flowers, with a fountain spraying seven different colors in the center… but there were two stone lions at the entrance and two red lanterns with the character for "happiness" on the door. It was an odd mix of East and West.
Dudley and the others even saw a tent with a banner that read "Salem Witches' Institute," a magic school located in the United States. You'd think they were there for an exchange program, not for a Quidditch match.
"Look, look! It's Viktor! The Bulgarian Seeker!" Ron yelled excitedly. He was the only one in their group who was actually interested in Quidditch, or rather, the only true Quidditch fan among the six members of the Discipline Squad.
His eyes shone as he pointed to a cluster of tents plastered with the same person's photo.
That area was said to be the gathering place for Bulgarian wizards. The photos were all of the Bulgarian Quidditch star, Viktor Krum.
A strong man with a buzz cut.
Dudley looked at the white, green, and red flags with a strange expression. He didn't care about Viktor, but the thing that made the deepest impression on Dudley about Bulgaria was the flamboyant Fae King who swore and talked about "hot chicks" all the time.
Maybe Dudley was face-blind, but for a moment, he thought Viktor bore a striking resemblance to that Fae King.
He just hoped he wouldn't break out into a spontaneous dance after the match.
Dudley and his friends were using a tent provided by the Malfoy family. While it wasn't as over-the-top as the others, it was still quite ostentatious. The exquisite wooden door frame and silky-smooth tent fabric clearly looked expensive.
Inside, it was even better. If you had to describe it in one word, it would be "rich."
"Mr. Dursley, you're finally here."
As Harry and the others set up their tent, a voice filled with excitement and deep respect came from the side.
They turned to see Crabbe, along with a group of wizards his age.
Crabbe had actually invited Dudley before Draco did, but Dudley hadn't given a firm answer. So, after accepting Draco's invitation, it was only right to let him know.
The wizards with Crabbe all greeted Dudley warmly, their attitudes incredibly enthusiastic. Besides the upperclassmen Dudley had "arranged" for, there were also some who didn't know him.
Dudley smiled and responded to each of them, while also introducing Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Neville. The whole exchange was very friendly and harmonious.
There's a sayingthat goes something like this: "When you succeed and have money and power, you'll find that everyone around you is a 'good person'."
I'm not making this up; there really is a character named Payne in the original book.