The second annual Wizarding Card Championship, hosted by 'Witches and Potions,' is off to a spectacular start. The Daily Prophet has dedicated three full issues to the tournament, and the promise of real Galleons has everyone eager to compete. Many wizards, who weren't previously interested in the game, are now joining in because their friends are playing.
Wizarding society has few leisure activities, and like Quidditch, the game has created its own social circle. Many wizards don't really love Quidditch, they just "like" it because everyone else does. It's a common human trait to follow the crowd. The best part about Wizarding Cards, however, is that unlike Quidditch, which demands physical prowess, this game is simple and can be enjoyed by everyone, young and old. The recent release of the new European Wizarding series of cards has only added to the frenzy, drawing in wizards from all over Europe to compete. This has sent card sales through the roof.
There's more to this than just games, however. As the cards become more popular, prominent wizards are starting to feel left out if their names aren't on one. The spirit of competition and one-upmanship is alive and well. Before, Dudley had to ask famous wizards for their permission to use their likeness. Now, they're showing up at his door, begging to be immortalized on a card. Even Lucius Malfoy, who looks down on almost everyone, paid a visit to the Carrow family. And rumor has it that Minister of Magic Fudge has also been asking about getting his own card. As a result, new expansion packs featuring famous figures from different countries are being printed and added to the game.
The tournament's popularity has even reached Hogwarts, where older students are preparing their decks.
"Dudley," Ron asks during dinner, as he sits down at the Slytherin table with Harry, Hermione, and Neville. He's holding two lamb chops. "The Wizarding Card Championship is starting again. Are you going to join in?"
The friendship between the houses has grown a great deal. The school houses still have their rivalry, but it's not as fierce as it used to be. The Disciplinary Team essentially has a lock on the House Cup, so there's no real competition there. Quidditch is now a friendly rivalry, not an angry one. The school's good atmosphere has managed to correct a lot of the bad habits the students learned at home.
"No, I don't have the time," Dudley replies firmly. He's been busy with his Hamon training, as well as working on the Den Den Mushi and studying spells and ancient runes. He knows he can't be all work and no play, though, so he tells them, "Just have fun playing." He's a firm believer that everyone needs a break.
"What about you, Hermione?" Neville asks.
Hermione shakes her head. "I'm not going either." For Hermione, her idea of a break is to switch from studying spells to studying ancient runes, and then to Transfiguration, and so on. She's not a huge fan of the card game, but she was interested in it because Dudley created it. With him not playing, she has no desire to play either, which is a shame, because she has a powerful deck built with a few hidden cards.
Dudley places a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry can go for us."
Even though Dudley isn't interested in the tournament himself, Harry loves the game and often practices with Draco and Neville. "Here," Dudley says, handing Harry a deck of cards. "This is a deck I put together. I hope it helps you."
Harry's eyes light up when he hears that the deck was custom-made by Dudley, and he immediately takes it and puts it away.
---
Elsewhere, Sirius Black, finally cleared of all charges, is with Remus Lupin. Minister Fudge, after squeezing every last bit of political value from Sirius's story, finally closed the case and declared him innocent.
"Remus, what are Wizarding Cards?" Sirius asks, his curiosity piqued. He's been hearing about the game constantly and wants to know what all the fuss is about.
"It's a very popular card game," Remus explains. He finds the game to be quite enjoyable, as it's easy to pick up, strategic, and has a lot of replay value. The only problem is that he doesn't have enough money for expansion packs and can only play with the basic deck.
Sirius, however, quickly loses interest when he finds out it's a card game. To him, anything that requires a lot of thinking is boring. "I can't believe Harry didn't join the Gryffindor Quidditch team," he says, complaining to Remus. "He doesn't like Quidditch!"
"It's not that strange," Remus replies, trying to get Sirius to understand. He's never been a huge Quidditch fan himself, unlike his friends James Potter and Sirius.
"But James loved it," Sirius says, emphasizing his point and still unable to understand why Harry wouldn't like Quidditch. "What's the fun in anything if you don't like Quidditch?"
"Sirius," Remus says, his voice unusually serious. "James is James, and Harry is Harry. If you want to have a good relationship with your godson, you'll remember that. He looks up to his brother a lot more than he does to James."