Hogwarts is My Home (A Harry Potter Fanfiction), Part 4/7

Chapter 3

Everyone walks along the path. I'm bouncing off the walls -- erm -- trees. There's sounds of moving, shouting, and singing.

"I. AM. SO. EXCITED!" I exclaim. By the time we get there, I feel like I'm high on excitement. The stadium looks like solid gold! It's gigantic, and according to Draco, it seats a hundred thousand people. We get inside and show the Ministry witch our tickets.

"Top Box!" she exclaims. "Straight upstairs and as high as you can go!" The stadium stairs are PURPLE! When we get up to the Top Box, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, greets us.

". . . ah, and here's Lucius!" he says.

"Ah, Fudge," Mr. Malfoy says. "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?" Forget me, why don't you?

"And this lovely young lady?" Fudge asks. Wow. The Minister of Magic calling me a lovely young lady? Seems legit.

"This is Draco's friend from school, Ashlyn," Mr. Malfoy says.

"How do you do, how do you do?" Fudge asks, bowing to Mrs. Malfoy. "And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk -- Obalonsk -- Mr. -- well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else -- you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?" Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley look at each other coldly. I give a small wave to Ginny, who is sitting in the front row with the rest of her family, Potter, and Granger.

"Good lord, Arthur," Mr. Malfoy says. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?" Oh no, don't fight here. Luckily, Fudge wasn't listening.

"Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur. He's here as my guest."

"How -- how nice," Mr. Weasley says. Mr. Malfoy nodded at Mr. Weasley. Potter, Weasley, and Granger glare at us. Just then, a man charges into the Box.

"Everyone ready?" he asks. "Minister -- ready to go?"

"Ready when you are, Ludo," Fudge says. Ludo whips out his wand.

"Sonorus!" he says. His voice becomes magically magnified. "Ladies and gentlemen... welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!" The spectators scream and clap. "And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce . . . the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

"Ah, veela," Mr. Malfoy says contentedly. Oh, I remember learning about those in Wizard Studies! About a hundred of them glide out onto the field.

Music started, and the veela began to dance. I glance at Draco. He's staring transfixed at them. If he does anything stupid, I swear, I'll slap him. Potter has his leg over the edge of the stadium. The music stops. Potter looks embarrassed and sits back down. Weasley is frozen in an attitude that looks as though he is about to dive from a springboard. Angry yells fill the stadium, mostly from men.

"And now," Ludo says, "kindly put your wands in the air . . . for the Irish National Team Mascots!" Draco and I cheer.

A green and gold comet zooms into the stadium. It circles the stadium once, then splits into two smaller comets. Each one hurtles toward the goal posts. A rainbow connects the two comets. The rainbow fades and the balls of light reunite. They form a giant shamrock, which flies over the field, dropping gold! I scrape a bunch of it into my money bag. I look up and realize the shamrock is composed of tiny little men with red vests. They're carrying lanterns of either gold or green. Leprechauns!

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome -- the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you -- Dimitrov! Ivanova! Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaaand ― Krum!" Ludo shouts.