Chapter 342: Prominent Seat, Malfoy's Special Contribution
Clang!
A deep, resonant gong sounded.
Millions of red and green lanterns lit up in the trees, illuminating the path to the Quidditch stadium.
Gines led the way, with Aaron and the other two following behind, carrying omnioculars for the match.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at a magnificent, large stadium, capable of holding a hundred thousand spectators.
"Special tickets," a Witch from the Ministry of Magicrespectfully told Gines, "Top floor box, just keep going up and you'll see it; your exclusive seats are there."
Gines simply thanked her, then led the three of them up the stairs.
The crowd gradually dispersed to the stands on the left and right, and their path became wider and wider until they soon reached the highest box.
"Don't tell me those are our exclusive seats?" Aaron looked at the seat number on the ticket, then at the leather sofas in front of dozens of gilded chairs, his face twitching slightly. This was way too conspicuous!
The most exaggerated part was a low cradle next to the sofa, clearly a pet seat prepared for Abey.
"Uh... if nothing unexpected happens, it should be. Fudgesaid he'd make sure we were satisfied," Gines said with an awkward laugh, "I never thought he'd make it this flashy."
"He wants to send a signal to others through this method, a signal of goodwill towards us, a boring little trick," Adriansaid disdainfully, "He'll probably reveal our identities to others after he goes back, so he'll have more advantages in the next Minister for Magic election."
"Politicians!" Leon shrugged, "Among the past Ministers for magic, he can only be considered below average, and he likes to cover things up."
"What a hassle! Let's change seats!" Aaron suggested.
"No need," Adrian said generously, "We don't actively cause trouble, but we're never afraid of it. This time, let's not refuse their kindness."
With that, she sat down on the sofa, placing Abey on the pet seat.
Aaron and Leon exchanged glances, then reluctantly sat on either side of Adrian, while Gines sat next to Aaron.
A hundred thousand Wizard spectators gradually filled the entire venue, and the number of people in the box also slowly increased.
To Aaron's surprise, the Weasley family was also in this box. He had thought Ludo Bagman only gave Arthur regular tickets, but he didn't expect them to be arranged here.
"What a coincidence," Fred and the others sat in the row behind them, "I didn't expect you to be here too."
"I didn't expect *you* to be here," Aaron said very directly, "It seems Mr. Bagman is more prone to abusing his power than I thought."
"This is the only thing that makes us feel relieved," Georgesaid, "If we lose the bet, the ticket price will at least be recouped.
But if we win, we'll find Bagman immediately and make him pay."
"It's better not to," Leon interjected, "Always leave a little room for maneuver; you might meet again someday.
If you win, just ask him to return your principal."
"That's not right!" George frowned slightly, "If we win, with ten times the odds, we'd get over three hundred Galleons."
"On the surface, that's true, but do you really think he has the ability to pay?" Leon said playfully, "Forcing a gambler is unwise, especially during the Quidditch World Cup.
But if you only ask for the principal, he won't refuse you, and he'll even give it to you readily, after all, including Mr. Weasley's, it's less than forty Galleons.
Also, a piece of advice: be polite when asking for money, and it's best to check the coins he gives you."
The twin brothers fell silent for a moment, then reluctantly nodded.
They still had to give face to the investor, and what he said wasn't without reason.
If Ludo Bagman was really that unreliable, not losing money would be considered a gain for them.
"Your seats look different from ours!" Ron looked enviously at the other empty sofas, "Can we switch seats?"
"Ron, stop daydreaming," Arthur said, exasperated, "These seats were specially prepared by Fudge for people who have made special contributions to the Magical World or hold extraordinary status."
"Special contributions? Extraordinary status?" Ron looked bewildered. Aaron and the others were about his age; how did they meet those two criteria?
"Uh... could you please not insult my noble character with your suspicious gaze?" Leon said, a little annoyed, "I admit we're just a group of aspiring youths full of yearning for the future, but this box is prepared for the powerful and influential, and you still got in, didn't you?"
Ron was immediately speechless, and he awkwardly sat back in his original seat.
"Dobby?" Harry looked at a House-elf on the seat in the row behind them, somewhat incredulous.
"I am not Dobby, I am Winky," the House-elf squeaked, her voice slightly harsh. It wasn't hard to tell that this elf was female.
"Sorry, I mistook you for someone else," Harry said apologetically, "You look like you're not feeling well."
"Winky has acrophobia, but Master Barty Crouch is too busy, so he sent me to save him a seat.
Winky wishes to return to Master's tent, but Winky obeys orders, Winky is a very good House-elf."
After speaking, she couldn't help but shiver, burying her head in her loose robes.
"Before the match, the two teams will display their mascots," Hermione said, interested.
"This is the rarest sight," Mr. Weasley said, barely containing his excitement, "They will bring magical creatures from their home countries to perform."
"Magical creatures?" Aaron mused, "Not some powerful and dangerous creatures, I hope!"
"Of course not," Mr. Weasley laughed, "They are specially chosen by the teams to create atmosphere and attract fans; there will be no danger whatsoever."
Over the next half hour, the box gradually filled with people, all of them influential Wizards.
Arthur and Percy shook hands with others again and again. Both father and son were from the Ministry of Magic. Arthur's pleasantries were unavoidable, while Percy hoped to meet more people and leave a good impression on these seniors.
Fudge also led the Minister for Magic of Bulgaria over. He enthusiastically introduced Harry Potter to him, a Wizardwho had narrowly escaped You-Know-Who.
However, perhaps due to the language barrier, Fudge had to point to Harry's scar to make him understand Harry Potter's identity.
Fudge also wanted to introduce Aaron and the other two sitting on the front row sofas. The family power of these three minors was extraordinarily formidable, and with their support, he could serve at least one more term as Minister for Magic.
But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he received three sharp gazes and Gines's smiling eyes, which instantly crushed the idea into dust and threw it to the back of his mind.
"Lucius, you're here," Fudge said, showing a standard smile as he saw the family of three approaching.
"Fudge," Lucius smiled and shook his hand, "This is my wife, Narcissa, and my son, Draco."
"Hello, hello," Fudge nodded, then introduced them to the Minister for Magic of Bulgaria.
After a series of polite greetings, the Malfoy family walked towards the sofas in the front row.
"Aaron," Draco said, somewhat delighted, "Your family also let you come to the Quidditch World Cup."
"Sort of!" Aaron shrugged, "Let me introduce you. This masked person is my sister, Adrian, and this is my childhood friend, Leon."
"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," Draco introduced himself, but his face flushed slightly when he looked at Adrian.
The two nodded, then turned their attention to the stadium.
"Gaius, do you have time after the match?" Lucius asked, a little nervously.
Aaron was stunned for a moment, thinking it was probably because of the prophecy he had Draco pass on.
However, he didn't want to get involved. Reminding Luciusbeforehand was already doing his utmost.
"Next time! This time I'm accompanying my sister, so I don't have time."
Lucius looked at the man and woman beside Aaron, and was surprisingly taken aback.
He could barely guess the identities of these two, and silently sat down in his seat.
"It seems not everyone gives a certain someone face," a sarcastic voice came from behind Lucius.
Hearing this, Lucius turned around, annoyed, and sneered, "So it's you, Arthur.
What did you sell to get these top-box seats? Your belongings surely aren't worth that much, right!"
"That's none of your business. I'm more curious how you managed to get a front-row seat?
Have you made significant contributions to the Magical World, or do you hold an extraordinary status?"
"Arthur," Fudge came over to mediate, "Lucius is a distinguished guest I invited. He donated a large sum to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and also reached a cooperation with Gringotts to set up a retirement fund for Aurors.
This is a great contribution to the Ministry of Magic and even to ordinary Wizards. The Order of Merlin has already awarded him a First Class Order, but Lucius is quite low-key, so few people know about it yet."
Arthur Weasley's eyes widened in surprise. His children next to him, as well as Harry and Hermione, were also deeply surprised.
"Have you changed your ways? Or are you under the Imperio?"
"Arthur," Lucius's lips curled into a sneer, "I know you have an opinion of me, but those are just minor grievances between us. You can't doubt my character because of that, can you!
If you accidentally end up in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries someday, remember to mention my name; it can waive some unnecessary procedures."
Arthur Weasley's mouth twitched slightly. Who was he cursing?
You speak better than you sing; do I still need to doubt your character?
Although he was annoyed, he could only suppress it now. After all, Lucius had two layers of 'gold' on him; if he picked a fight again, he would be disrespecting Fudge, his superior.
"Alright! Thank you, Malfoy, for your contributions to the Magical World."
Lucius immediately broke into a victorious smile. Being able to make Weasley eat humble pie put him in a good mood.
Just then, Ludo Bagman walked into the box, looking exceptionally excited, "Minister, it's time to announce the start of the match."