Harry Potters Twin Book Four

Best Match Ever

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message (Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans - A Risk With Every Mouthful!) and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce… the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval.

"I wonder what they've brought," said Mr. Weasley, leaning forward in his seat. "Aaah!" He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes. "Veela!"

"What are veel -?"

But a hundred veela were now gliding out onto the field, and Harry's question was answered for him. Veela were women. Isquinted my eyes but couldn't see the ground close enough. I glanced at Hermione, who had put her Omninoculors on her lap and crossed her arms with a scowl on her face.

"May I?" I asked and plucked it off her lap when she didn't answer, but glared stonely at Ron's bemused expression.

I focused the Omninoculors on the women and realised why Hermione was scowling, and I felt my own features turn into a grimace.

The Veela weren't just women - in fact, these women were flawless. Something that made the jealous monster inside of me roar.

They couldn't be human. I chuckled under my breath. They had to be creatures, no one was that perfect. But if they weren't human - what were they? This puzzled me for a moment while I tried to guess what exactly they could be; what could make their skin shine moon-bright like that, or their white-gold hair fan out behind them without wind… but then the music started, and I stopped worrying about them not being human - in fact, I stopped worrying about them at all.

The veela had started to dance, and when I gave the Omninoculors back to Hermione I noticed the dazed and adoring expressions on each of the boys faces. It was like all that mattered in the world was that they kept watching the veela, as if they stopped dancing, terrible things would happen.

And, to my horror, Ron and Harry got to their feat - both looked scared. Harry stepped over to the edge of the box, as though he were about to jump off.

"Harry, what are you doing?" said Hermione. Me and Ginny shared a apprehensive expression. Veela weren't just creatures, they were monsters. What else would make the boys drool and blubber?

The music stopped, to my relief. And I saw Harry blink. Next to him, Ron was frozen in an attitude that looked as though he were about to dive from a springboard.

Angry yells were filling the stadium. The crowd didn't want the veela to go. I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair. Ron, meanwhile, was absentmindedly shredding the shamrocks on his hat. Mr. Weasley, smiling slightly, leaned over to Ron and tugged the hat out of his hands.

"You'll be wanting that," he said, "once Ireland have had their say."

"Huh?" said Ron, staring openmouthed at the veela, who had now lined up along one side of the field.

Hermione made a loud tutting noise.

She reached up and pulled Harry back into his seat. "Honestly!" she said.

"There better be hot boys for the Irish mascots," I said to Ginny and Hermione under my breath. "Because I find it completely unfair that the boys get their treat."

Hermione looked disgusted but Ginny giggled under her breath.

"And now," roared Ludo Bagman's voice, "kindly put your wands in the air… for the Irish National Team Mascots!"