"I... this..."
Looking into Harry's green eyes, Lupin was at a loss for words.
"Hey, Harry, Vid!"
A cheerful voice interrupted Lupin, and Michael was standing not far away, holding a jug of water: "You're finally here... hold on, I'll just put the water down and come over!"
Michael hurried off, and with this interruption, Lupin found a suitable excuse.
"That man is Barty Crouch... I think you should remember the name."
Harry thought for a moment, frowning: "The one who sent Sirius to prison without a trial."
"That's right." Lupin patted his shoulder and said, "So, you should understand that he doesn't want to see us, and Sirius and I don't want to see him."
Harry nodded gloomily.
Although Harry understood that Sirius being imprisoned in Azkaban for over a decade was largely his own responsibility, it didn't stop Harry from disliking the other Ministry of Magic officials who failed in their duties.
Lupin sighed in relief, looking down at Harry's expression, feeling apologetic, yet filled with worry and confusion inside.
After Sirius brought back some overheard information, they had investigated the Crouch family gravesite and found young male bones in Crouch's wife's grave, but Barty Crouch Jr's grave was empty.
This seemed to confirm their suspicions—
Barty Crouch Jr was indeed not dead and was serving Voldemort.
The truth was: back then, Barty's mother drank Polyjuice Potion to take on her son's appearance and died as Barty Crouch Jr, in exchange for her son leaving prison.
If that was the case, Barty Crouch must have been in on it, perhaps even orchestrating it.
The man once seen as a beacon against darkness had his stance suddenly become ambiguous.
However, after some investigation and probing, Dumbledore concluded that even if Barty Crouch had a moment of weakness in smuggling Barty out of Azkaban, he hadn't completely sided with Voldemort.
In fact, this man recently seemed exhausted, with many thinking his behavior peculiar, sometimes appearing to search for something. Others felt Barty Crouch had given up, seeing no hope in his career.
Of course, Lupin and Sirius weren't concerned about Barty Crouch's position, only about Harry, whom Voldemort had his eyes on.
Compared to James Potter's family who were once similarly targeted, the Order of Phoenix's protection of Harry was now rather rudimentary—
No hiding, no Fidelius Charm, not even allowed to tell Harry the truth, and he was permitted to continue attending crowded events like the Quidditch World Cup.
Though this could be seen as protecting Harry's healthy growth, and Voldemort had only a handful of loyal Death Eaters, unlike the bustling days of the past, Lupin still felt uneasy.
They could only guard Harry with extra caution, lest in a moment of negligence, Harry is taken by Voldemort's people and becomes the Resurrection Blood Pack.
It wasn't long before Michael returned empty-handed, leading Vid and the rest around.
"Even though we came for the World Cup, who really only watches the match?"
Michael said incredulously, "Guys, have you ever seen so many witches and wizards from different countries gathered together? Don't you think seeing these people is more exciting than the Quidditch matches?"
Harry didn't think so, but as Michael led them around, his thoughts unknowingly wavered a bit.
They saw the mascots of the Ireland National Team, wizards that could suddenly transform into cheetahs, and an Eastern wizard with a beautiful Phoenix King Bird.
"Look, I guess they're students from Castelobruxo."
Michael pointed at a group of young wizards gathered together in the distance; they all had brown skin, most with curly hair, dressed in linen robes, wearing open-toed sandals.
"Castelobruxo?" Harry was puzzled.
"I heard it's a magic school in Brazil," Vid said. "Their castle is reportedly made of golden stones, looking like a temple."
It's a pity those students hadn't brought their castle along, so Vid and his companions curiously glanced a few times before moving on.
Passing through layers of tents, they saw a group of young people in similar uniforms.
"Those are Beauxbatons' robes!" Michael gasped, exclaiming: "Merlin! How did I miss them earlier!"
Vid and Harry looked over and immediately understood why Michael was almost drooling.
Some girls in silk robes were chatting on the grass; although each was as delicate as if they had walked out of a painting, one of them was exceptionally beautiful.
The girl had a cascade of silvery hair, porcelain skin glowing like pearls, a graceful figure, and perfect features; her subtle smile held breathtaking allure.
Michael couldn't help but walk towards the girl, only to be pulled back by Vid grabbing his collar.
"What are you doing?" Vid asked.
"I... I wanted to go introduce myself." Michael showed a silly smile as he adjusted his hair. "Do you want to meet her too? To be honest, Vid, in this area, you completely fall short of me."
"Alright, go ahead." Vid said, "Just a reminder, if such a beautiful girl isn't surrounded by admirers by now, there must be a reason."
"I know, most people would feel inferior just seeing her, but I'm different."
Michael said, pulling out a small mirror from his pocket to carefully tidy his wind-blown hair, checked for any dirt on his face, then confidently put the mirror back in his pocket and walked towards the group of girls.
"Do you think Michael will succeed?" Harry asked curiously.
He too was struck by the girl's stunning beauty, but now Harry's mind was filled with Cho Chang, so he didn't lose composure like Michael.
"Who knows?" Vid said, "I'd like to know too."
They watched as Michael walked closer, closer, until he was so close that the girls noticed him.
They watched him with smiling eyes, not speaking, nor driving him away, as if anticipating a good show.
Michael nervously tugged at his cuffs, clearing his throat, just as he was about to speak, something felt off.
A particularly tall shadow loomed over from behind, with immense pressure, like thunderclouds, suffocatingly heavy.
Michael slowly turned around, seeing a woman as tall as Hagrid standing behind him, looking down at him with a cold gaze and a low voice, "Boy, are you lost?"
Michael: "..."
...
When Michael walked back dejectedly, Vid and Harry were struggling to hold back their laughter, their faces red, shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
"Sigh, if you want to laugh, just laugh." Michael pretended to be indifferent, "At least I tried."
The two laughed heartily, with Michael glaring at them with hands on his hips; after a moment, he too burst into laughter.
"By the way, I also found out where the Bulgarian National Team is staying." Michael asked, "Do you want to see Krum? He's said to be possibly the best Seeker in the world!"
"Of course!" Harry's eyes lit up instantly, agreeing without hesitation.
Vid was about to speak when he noticed someone gesturing to him from beside a gray tent in the distance.
His smile paused slightly before speaking, "You guys go ahead, I need to use the bathroom."
Watching the others leave, Vid walked towards the gray tent, noticing a wizard with long, curly hair who greeted him with a warm smile.
"Hasn't it been half a year, Vid?" The wizard smiled, "You never take my calls, I thought you'd forgotten about us!"
"Who asked you to always interrupt when I'm in class?" Vid glanced toward the tent behind him, asking, "Antoine, is Mr. Grindelwald here to watch the match too?"