Chapter 153: The Match
We reached the stadium, which had been built in record time, and I grimaced slightly.
"Draco?"
Ruby looked at me with slight surprise.
"Ruby, just look at this... this is..."
I shook my head.
"Daughter, look at how quickly the Black Quarter went up. With all the time they've had since summer began, wizards could have built something sturdier, something more... presentable."
"Well..."
Ruby nodded uncertainly. All of us understood that Summer was telling the truth.
"It's not just about appearances..."
I shook my head.
"...it could have been worse. They could have designed it to look like it might collapse if something hit the stands. That would only thrill the spectators, get their blood pumping. But it's not just... unpresentable. The charm work is mediocre, too..."
I shook my head again.
"Clearly, no master worked here, probably not even a journeyman. Tomorrow, newspapers around the world will be screaming that Britain has no masters capable of such delicate work. And they won't care that the Ministry likely never approached anyone, or that the masters who offered help were brushed off."
I sighed.
"Oh, Draco!"
When we entered the box in the stands, someone called out to me, and as I turned, I put on a smile.
"Rita, glad to see you." I really was glad, but after seeing the stadium, my mood was in the gutter, and Rita noticed it.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No..."
I shook my head.
"...I was simply impressed by the QUALITY of the work done."
I gestured at our surroundings, and she nodded in understanding.
"I suppose if a Master of Charms and Spells reacts to the stands like that, then this isn't a matter of style..."
She looked around critically.
"...sad. Well, never mind..."
She shrugged casually.
"...you will give me an interview, won't you?"
"I will."
I nodded.
"Excellent. I'll talk to a few more sources, and the filth won't be dumped on all of Britain, but specifically on the Ministry of Magic."
Our seats turned out to be next to hers, and as I sat down beside her, I created a zone around us with my wand so no one could listen in.
"I see you've taken to your position as Crown journalist?"
"Oh, it's very profitable, and the fact that articles go through censorship and programs need approval..."
Rita's voice became conspiratorial.
"...I'll tell you a secret: I don't even have to cut anything, since the Crown only cares that I don't say anything bad about it. But even then, if everything can be twisted so it's not the Crown's fault, but the fault of subordinates who've already been punished..."
Rita closed her eyes in satisfaction.
"...and they pay indecently well."
"I'm happy for you."
"Well, perhaps if not for that first television interview of yours, where I seized the initiative from the host, I could never have dreamed of anything like this. But since we're speaking frankly..."
Her eyes indicated she'd noticed the sphere of silence.
"...how bad is everything?"
I sighed.
"Who the hell knows... After Australia, there haven't been any major breaches, but before that, nothing suggested something like that was even possible. So there's no way to predict where or when the next breach will occur."
"Maybe here, too? Right during the match?"
I smiled sadly at her question, watching the leprechauns dance on the field.
"I'll tell you a secret: we have our wands and the Huntsmen's weapons with us, and we're wearing body armor. I won't even mention the potions. What do you think, did we consider a breach might happen here or not?"
Rita went pale and swallowed with effort, her mouth suddenly dry.
"And all I have with me is a wand."
"If anything happens..."
I looked at Rita attentively.
"Fly out of here as quickly as possible. It's not your duty to wave a wand around. Don't you dare linger to gather information. We haven't tested whether Grimm notice Animagi or not."
She quickly nodded.
"All right... I understand you're expecting something bad. And what do you expect from the match?"
Rita decided to change the subject, and I removed the spell that surrounded us.
"From the match? Nothing..."
I shrugged.
"...I'm not exactly a fan. So I'm here only as an escort for the girls."
Meanwhile, instead of leprechauns, Veela began dancing on the field, enchanting men and some women, who rushed toward the railings.
"Damn..."
Yang looked around with a smirk.
"...that's pretty funny."
"It's funny when you're watching from the outside."
Fleur decided to respond to the golden-haired girl's admiring exclamation.
"But when you become the target of such attacks..."
She shook her head.
"...it's very difficult to hold yourself back. If not for the artifacts the Quarter's Veela were supplied with, we'd be afraid to leave the house. Even so, the conditions for us there are much better than in the reservations where my sisters used to live."
"May I count on an interview with you?"
Rita immediately seized on the topic and addressed Fleur.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I would like to hear about how you lived before and how you live now. What satisfies you and what doesn't, in the Black Quarter..."
"Well..."
"...I'll be biased, since Draco is my Mentor, but I think I can talk with the head of the Veela of the Quarter, and she'll either invite you to talk or send someone to you."
"That would be wonderful."
Rita smiled happily.
"And could I also interview the werewolves and the Faunus? I heard that Faunus from the world where the Convergence is happening have settled in your Quarter. I'd be interested to speak with them."
"Blake?"
I looked at the girl, and she glanced at the reporter, frowning slightly.
"Honestly, I don't know if they'll agree. The Faunus who live with us are still suspicious of humans. They've only just begun getting used to the fact that they aren't slaves..."
"Slaves?"
"Yes, on Remnant, Faunus are treated... not very well. They're often forced to work in mines and other dangerous jobs..."
"Perhaps if the others refuse, I could speak with you?"
Blake smiled faintly.
"I don't mind. I can't know everything, but I'll try to give an objective account of how the Faunus lived there and how they've settled here."
"Thank you."
Meanwhile, the Veela stopped dancing, and the Bulgarian and Irish teams were called onto the field. Immediately after the teams were introduced, with Viktor Krum receiving the most applause, the game began.
I was frankly bored, but I watched, assessing the speed and maneuvers more than the game itself.
"The Bulgarians are playing kind of weak,"
Yang said, slightly confused.
"According to my data, they reached the final only thanks to their Seeker. Krum caught the Snitch in every game and secured victory for his team, though there were several matches where they were on the verge of failure. If he'd caught that little golden ball ten seconds later, it would have been a draw. That would mean shots on goal, and in that case, they wouldn't have stood a chance."
Daphne gave a brief explanation.
"And who do you think will win?"
Rita looked at my assistant, who lately had been acting more like Pepper Potts with Stark, meaning she handled absolutely everything I couldn't get to but could delegate to her. Only a few years ago, she had been a simple maid...
"It all depends on how long the game lasts. If the Snitch appears within a couple of hours, Bulgaria stands a chance. If it isn't found for three hours or more, their chances drop sharply. After five hours of play, catching the Snitch won't do them any good."
"An interesting view of Quidditch."
"Our matches at Hogwarts are more interesting than this..."
Daphne pointed toward the field.
"...the result is harder to predict, because the teams don't have a single set tactic and don't rely exclusively on the Seeker. The teams themselves are almost equal in strength. But here..."
She shook her head.
"Hmm..."
Rita was still thinking when Krum shot into the air.
"He's bluffing."
Her assistant had been unequivocal, and Rita looked at her in surprise, but soon everything became clear.
Krum led the opposing team's Seeker straight under a Bludger, and the other boy fell from his broom, while the Bulgarian himself returned to his original position and began scanning the field for the little golden ball.
"Damn, you're a genius!"
Rita looked at Daphne.
"Not at all..."
She shook her head.
"It's just that you haven't been to school games in a long time. Of course, outsiders aren't admitted there, but you could easily start something like a sports column and write about school matches, perhaps even broadcast them. And after only three, you'll understand that this maneuver wasn't even childish. It was nursery-level. It's just that Ireland's Seeker is mediocre."
"Well... I could think about that."
Rita nodded, as Ireland continued scoring points, and it became clear to everyone that the game was effectively one-sided.
"Just look at the face he made!"
Yang laughed merrily while watching the grimace Krum made when another ball flew into his team's goal.
"Well, how else is he supposed to react?"
Weiss shrugged.
"In essence, he's the only effective player on the team. All that's required of his teammates is to stop the opponent from scoring, and they can't even manage that."
"Well... you're probably right..."
Yang nodded at her friend's words.
*** Some Time Later. ***
"Boring..."
Blake sighed.
"You can say that again."
Fleur echoed her friend's sigh.
"Then take a cue from Draco..."
Penny, still watching the match, nodded toward me. I sat there openly reading a book on Healing, not hiding it from anyone.
"I didn't take anything..."
Blake lowered her ears slightly.
"Neither did I... I didn't think the match would be like this... Of course, I'm not a fan, but it's usually interesting to watch, and here..."
Fleur shook her head.
"Then work on your wand movements."
I shrugged.
"Well..."
The girls exchanged looks and, taking out their wands, began twirling them in their fingers, periodically switching them from one hand to the other. Even though I'd given this advice, I didn't raise my eyes from the book.
"Damn... this is the first time I've been in such company."
Rita spoke in a slightly bewildered voice.
"Actually, no, it's not about the company, but the match. It's really surprisingly monotonous, and while the first fifty points were interesting to watch, afterward..."
I glanced toward her and saw her shake her head.
"...it became clear the Bulgarians wouldn't be able to do anything to oppose them."
A whistle rang out across the field, and I tore my gaze away to look at the field while the commentator, who hadn't shut up until now, explained that the Bulgarian Keeper had fouled the attacking Chaser, and now the Irish would take a penalty shot.
"They dug their own grave..."
I shook my head and returned to reading, half-listening as the commentator announced that the Irish had scored...
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