Harry Potter and the Obscurus

Chapter 99 Old Stories of the Ministry of Magic

"5:07, Weasel Mountain."

The somber voice in the twilight came from a man holding a large gold pocket watch.

After reporting Harry and his group's arrival time to his colleague, who was carrying a thick stack of parchment, the man picked up the door key from the ground and threw it into a box full of odds and ends.

Good morning, Basil. You look terrible.

“Arthur…”

After recognizing who was in front of him, Basil became even more dejected.

"Some people are just lucky. Not only have they not been on duty for the past few days, but they can also bring their families to watch the World Cup. We've been here all night."

"Um...sorry."

"Alright, alright, let's go."

Basil waved his hand and said:

"Go enjoy your World Cup trip at the camp. I don't have time to chat with you now. A whole bunch of people will be here at 5:15."

Arthur Weasley nodded to Basil and said nothing more. He beckoned to his children, said goodbye to Mr. Amos Diggory, and then directed the group toward the swamp ahead.

After navigating the desolate swamp, it took Harry and his group about forty minutes to reach their campsite. This was far beyond Mo Ran's expectations.

In fact, the scenes from the Ministry of Magic staff recording the time and location of the door key, to getting the tent key from Muggle campmaster Roberts, and then the group seeing a tent so extravagant it resembled a small palace, were all cut by the director of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire".

Mo Ran didn't know if what he saw actually appeared in the Harry Potter novels, but the mother and son he saw on his way here made everyone, including Mr. Weasley, laugh.

"How many times have I told you, Kevin! You're not allowed to touch your dad's wand again! What's this? A slug? Ouch!"

Bang!

"Waaaah! You stomped on the bug! You stomped on the bug!"

The shouts and the little boy's cries carried far, and many wizards who had arrived several days earlier emerged one after another from their tents.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione hardly heard anyone speaking English along the way until they encountered their classmates, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas.

"Harry!"

Simo, who was arranging decorations, stopped what he was doing with a grin and walked over.

"What do you think? This is definitely on par with those Bulgarians, right?"

"of course."

Harry replied.

He supported Krum in his heart, but in the current atmosphere, he couldn't say anything else.

"You don't know, Bulgaria's flags are all so flamboyant, as if that will make them beat Ireland."

Dean Thomas joined in to add, but this only piqued Hermione's interest, and she said:

"Really? Then I'd like to see what the Bulgarians are up to?"

"Let's go take a look together after we find the tent."

Harry said.

......

The Weasleys had arranged two tents, one for the men and the other for the women. While this arrangement was reasonable, it also meant that Harry and Hermione would have virtually no chance to spend time together before heading to the stadium to watch the final match.

About half an hour later, Harry and Ron found the Bulgarian settlement while they were looking for firewood.

Through the white, green, and red flag fluttering in the morning breeze, a very somber face was printed on the posters of all the Bulgarian tents. The man in the picture had thick, bushy eyebrows, and except for the occasional blink or frown, he just stared menacingly at everyone who passed by.

"It's Krum, he's the Bulgarians' only hope for victory."

Ron glanced around and whispered to Harry:

"I didn't say this when Simon and the others were talking, but I'd rather see a fierce final than let Ireland win the championship without any obstacles."

"You mean you want to see Krum lead the Bulgarian team to a miraculous comeback?"

Ron, whose little scheme had been exposed by Harry, coughed twice while covering his mouth:

"Ahem, don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of anyone. I just find stories of individual heroism very exciting. Besides, when you rode the Firebolt and led Gryffindor to a Jedi victory over Slytherin, didn't the students from the other three houses cheer for you?"

Harry chuckled and nudged Ron on the shoulder, saying:

"Stop talking nonsense, don't give me that crap. Let me tell you the truth, Ron, I actually support the Bulgarian team too."

"Oh? You support the Bulgarian team too?"

Upon hearing that Harry was on his side, Ron's entire demeanor changed. He excitedly pulled out two pieces of firewood he had just gathered and began rehearsing Krum's brilliant performance in the game.

"I don't think I'll ever forget the Lansky feint Krum made against Senegal. Even if Joseph Lansky himself were there, he would admit that Krum did it better than him! Seriously, Harry, Krum flew right across the grass with his nose touching the ground!"

Harry didn't deny Ron's comment, but discussing these things amidst countless winks and frowns from Krum made him feel a little strange.

......

"Archie, just listen to me. This is something Muggle women wear. Men really don't wear this. Change it off right now."

"I'm not going to wear it! I just love letting the healthy breeze blow on my butt!"

......

"Mr. Mokrich, it's been a long time!"

"Oh, it's Wimpple. Haven't you gotten rid of those horns growing on your head yet?"

"I've been too busy lately, but thankfully they're not in any trouble. Oh, by the way, where are Mr. Bode and Mr. Crocker? This is a rare opportunity for them to get away from the department and relax."

"I heard there's been some new discovery at Kroc's place, so he can't leave."

(The master of the Fairy Liaison Office of Cuthbert-Mokrich, the vice chairman of the Experimental Spell Committee of Gilbert-Wimpole, Broderick Bode and Thor Crocker are both silences working in the Department of Mysteries)

......

After leaving the Bulgarian area, Harry encountered many interesting people and things along the way. But the most surprising thing was meeting his old classmate Oliver Wood, who had already graduated from Hogwarts, on his way back to the tent.

"Hey! Harry! Over here! I'm here!"

"Hey Wood, long time no see! How's graduation going?"

The two, who had once sweated it out on the same team, gave each other a high-five and bumped shoulders in perfect unison. And looking at Harry, who had grown almost as tall as him, Wood felt genuinely at ease about the future of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

He said:

“Great! Thanks to you, I finally gained some decent match experience before leaving Hogwarts. Last week, a scout from Pudmere United signed me to a backup player contract. Their goalkeeper is getting a bit old, so maybe I'll be a starter soon.”

"Then I'll congratulate you in advance! Oh, by the way, I recently drafted a lineup for our Gryffindor team's new players. If you have time, could you take a look at it for me?"

"No problem! Feel free to write to me with any Quidditch-related questions. As long as I'm not playing a match or lying unconscious in the hospital, I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

The two's conversation gradually attracted some students from other houses in Hogwarts.

Like Wood, Harry, and Ron, those who were willing to spend a lot of time and energy and travel a long distance to watch the finals were basically team members from various houses and Quidditch enthusiasts.

"Hey Harry~"

"Long time no see, Harry."

"You look great, Harry! You played exceptionally well in the finals last semester!"

Amidst the greetings, Mo Ran spotted Cho Chang through Harry's eyes.

As one of the few Chinese characters in the Harry Potter series, this kind-hearted girl with a beautiful appearance and a lively personality was Harry's first love in the original timeline.

However, times have changed. Now Harry has a brown-haired girl in his heart, and there will be no more feelings for Cho.

......

The reunion with old teammates and classmates took a little longer than expected. When Harry and Ron returned to the camp, they found that Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch, two high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Magic, were already gathered around Mr. Weasley discussing matters.

“I’ve told them no less than a hundred times that flying carpets will never replace flying brooms in Britain, and the household vehicle market will not agree to import those things.”

"Find some time to draft an official document defining their carpets as enchanted Muggle handicrafts, so that even if Ali-Bashir comes up with some bad ideas, he can't go against the entire Ministry of Magic's Department for the Prohibition of the Misuse of Muggle Items."

“Let me do it, Mr. Crouch. I’ve already written the document about crucible quality in advance.”

"Stop messing around, Percy."

Mr. Crouch refused without hesitation:

“You are not a member of the Muggle Prohibition Bureau, and you cannot overstep your bounds just because Arthur is your father.”

Upon hearing the name Percy, Fred and George both spat out their tea leaves back into their cups. Seeing his brothers laughing so hard they were almost convulsing, Percy knew he would never forget what happened this morning.

"Also, Ludo."

Unaware that he had mispronounced his name, Mr. Crouch maintained his stern expression and continued:

"The group of Bulgarians you were in charge of before asked us to add twelve more seats to the top-floor suite."

"Huh? Is this what they were talking about?"

Bagman replied, quite unexpectedly:

"I thought they wanted tweezers. My God, these guys' accents are just horrible."

(The words "twelve seats" and "tweezers" are not very similar, which is why Ludo-Backman criticized the Bulgarian accent.)

Barty Crouch, who had been busy for several days, looked down on Ludo Bagman. He straightened his tie and said seriously:

"Don't let your guard down just because the competition is imminent. Have you found Bertha Jorkins, who went missing from your department? Or are you planning to take your understaffed department to work with me on the next, more important event?"

"So they've already signed? They agreed, right? Hahaha, great! I told you long ago, no one can refuse to witness eternal glory. Where is it? Isn't it at...?"

"Ludo!"

Interrupted by Mr. Crouch, Ludo Bagman quickly made a stitching motion in front of his mouth, then turned and waved goodbye to Mr. Weasley:

"See you later, Arthur. Remember to bring the kids in early; you'll be watching the World Cup final with me in the VIP box on the top floor—it'll be an unforgettable experience!"