Chapter 222: Betting on Quidditch
"Ethan, you're finally here. My father still has an empty spot; do you need it?"
"My father has already paid the site fee until the end of the match."
As soon as they approached the area where tents could be set up, Draco came up with his two cronies.
He just had a bitter expression, not looking at all like he was doing it willingly.
"Alright, take me there!"
Ethan thought for a moment and then agreed to Draco's suggestion.
"Follow me, over here!"
Draco immediately stepped forward to lead the way for Ethan.
On this trip, he was forced by his father to wait here every day for Ethan to arrive and then guide him.
Having gone to Crete Island with Ethan once, Lucius only thought about how to cling to his leg.
So, whenever there was even a small opportunity to please Ethan, he wanted to do it.
Now, coming to watch the Quidditch World Cup was a relatively suitable opportunity. Of course, Lucius himself couldn't come forward to greet him.
After all, Ethan was ostensibly a student, and even if he had received a Merlin Order First Class, it wasn't worth the Head of the House of Malfoy personally greeting him; their statuses were completely unequal.
Ethan currently had no intention of exposing himself, so Lucius naturally wouldn't act on his own initiative.
At this moment, he thought of his son, Draco.
As a classmate, what was wrong with Draco going out to greet Ethan?
Moreover, this not only created a good impression but also might bring Ethan and his son closer.
For this reason, during the waiting period for Ethan, Lucius didn't even let Draco play Quidditch; he could only honestly wait there until Ethan arrived.
Arriving at the empty spot Draco pointed to, Ethan looked around. The space between the tents was quite large, and each tent had a family crest.
At a rough glance, about a third of the Sacred Twenty-Eight Families were gathered here.
The Worre Family tent was also here, and Cassandra saw her family's tent, but she showed no intention of moving.
It was as if the tent had nothing to do with her.
So, this was the exclusive area for Great Britainpureblood nobles?
However, since a spot was reserved for him, Ethan wasn't going to be polite. He immediately opened the suitcase packed by Hatch and took out the tent.
Due to magic, there was no need to set it up like Muggles had to.
After opening it, it automatically expanded and rooted itself firmly on the ground.
Ethan directly led Cassandra and the others inside; this was the highest-spec tent.
The space inside, thanks to the Undetectable Extension Charm, was quite large, and the decoration was also very luxurious, with over a dozen rooms to choose from.
After clearing out and arranging some items from the suitcase, Ethan contacted Fleur.
After all, she had sent many messages in the past two days, specifically instructing him to inform her immediately after arriving.
As soon as Ethan sent the message, she replied instantly.
Then she attached a meeting location.
Ethan turned to look at Cassandra and the others, who were still busy tidying up, but after hesitating for a moment, he decided to leave alone.
Arriving at a commercial street specially built for this Quidditch World Cup, Fleur and Gabrielle were already waiting there.
"Brother!"
The moment Gabrielle saw Ethan, her eyes lit up, and she ran over with open arms.
Ethan also hugged her.
Then Gabrielle kissed Ethan's face, a scene that drew the attention of many people around to Ethan.
Some Wizards were itching to draw their wands, casting suspicious or jealous glances at Ethan.
They were probably just waiting for a leader, then they would swarm him.
Although pedophilia was forbidden and a serious crime.
But whether it was Fleur, the beautiful girl, or Gabrielle, the little loli, with their Veela blood, their every expression and smile truly captivated hearts.
Now seeing this beast wanting to catch them all, how could other gentlemen not be angry?
However, since there was no one to lead, these gentlemen were angry but dared not speak.
Ethan completely ignored them, holding Gabrielle and pulling Fleur, and entered the commercial street.
"Madam Apolline, didn't she come with you?"
A loli, a girl, and if a young woman were added, it would be perfect.
"She and a few aunts went out shopping after breakfast. Maybe we'll run into her in here."
Fleur pointed to the commercial street ahead and said helplessly to Ethan.
Her mother had already been shopping for two days and was still so energetic; there was no one like her.
Ethan didn't offer any comments on this.
The Daily Prophet had prominently featured this commercial street and introduced many unique stalls.
Vendors from various countries were here, meaning this street virtually encompassed goods from all regions of the Wizarding World.
Of course, the rent was quite expensive, and there were also high taxes. The British Ministry of Magic had spent so much manpower and resources organizing this Quidditch World Cup; they definitely had to recoup their costs and even make a profit.
Besides earning advertising fees in the stadium, tent site rentals, and opening betting on Quidditch, this commercial street was also a major means of making money.
But even so, vendors from all over were fighting tooth and nail for a stall here.
One must know that 100,000 people were gathered here, a number no single country's Wizards possessed.
Now that so many people were concentrated in such a small area, one can imagine how profitable doing business here would be.
Holding Gabrielle, Ethan indeed found many peculiar trinkets here.
He also bought many items, but most of what he bought were distinctive regional costumes.
Mainly women's clothing; as for men's, Ethan didn't even glance at them.
Then he bought many local specialty foods before taking Fleur back to his tent.
Because Fleur had spent a month with them during last summer vacation.
There was no awkward silence now; the girls were chatting happily on the side.
Ethan, however, was left out by them.
In this case, it actually suited Ethan's wishes.
He directly went out and walked towards the specially set up betting area.
Earlier, Ethan had Gabrielle with him, so it wasn't convenient to go, as she was too young. If it were just Fleur, there would be no problem.
Arriving at the betting area, it was also quite lively.
There were those set up by private Wizards, mainly some pureblood nobles from various countries...
They used their family names, so they still had a certain degree of credibility.
Many Ministries of magic were also involved, and the British Ministry of Magic, due to its home advantage, occupied the central position.
Besides these, the largest scale was the Goblins; this was their happiest time.
Undoubtedly, the Goblin area also gathered the most Wizards.
This was not a betting on Quidditch run by a single Goblin, or Goblins from a particular country or faction, but by the Goblin community as a whole.
With all Goblins backing it, plus the strong financial support of Gringotts, this made them the most attractive.
Ethan even saw Ludo's figure here.
At this critical moment, as the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, he didn't go to preside over the work but instead ran to the casino. He was truly hopeless.
Ethan didn't disturb him for this.
Let him go!
As long as he doesn't end up as a wanted criminal like in the original story, Ethan doesn't care!
"Ethan?"
Hearing a shout from behind, Ethan turned his head in confusion, only to see a swaying mass of people, completely unaware of where the voice came from.
In such a crowded place, no matter how strong Ethan's perception was, it was useless!
Ethan!"
This time, the voice carried a hint of certainty, and Ethan recognized it as George.
Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw George, Fred, and Cedric walking towards him.
"When did you arrive?"
Ethan wasn't surprised to see the Twin and Cedric here.
In the original story, the Twin were involved in the Quidditch World Cup betting and were scammed by Ludo.
Furthermore, all three of them were members of the Hogwarts Quidditch House team, so it was perfectly normal for them to come and watch the Quidditch World Cup.
And when Ethan was in his second year, they all participated in the campus Duelling Tournamentorganized by Lockhart.
It's just that in the original story, they didn't seem to arrive at the beginning, did they?
It seemed like they only stayed for one night.
"We just arrived today. Our Weasley family came with Cedric's family. We got up early and found a Portkey that was a smelly boot to get here."
Speaking of which, George was a bit depressed.
Among the two hundred Portkeys in Great Britain, some were normal and some were scams, and a smelly boot was definitely the scam type.
His father insisted on going to that location, even though there were Portkeys at similar distances.
"I also arrived today."
As for what kind of Portkey he used, it was better not to mention it.
"By the way, can your Weasley family afford full Quidditch tickets?"
In the entire Great Britain Wizarding World, who didn't know the Weasley family was poor?
The Quidditch World Cup ticket prices were not cheap, and even seats that weren't great were highly sought after.
There was no way around it; too many people loved Quidditch.
Europe, America, and half of Asia all had passionate Quidditch enthusiasts, and they weren't stingy about spending this small amount of money.
"George and I put in some money, which we earned last year at the Wizarding Tournament."
Fred also sighed. Other families had their fathers pay, but in their family, the sons paid.
If they hadn't earned nearly two thousand Galleons in the Duelling Tournament, they wouldn't have been able to afford full tickets just from the small business they ran at school.
Chapter 223: Underhanded Dealings
"Which team do you favor this year?"
Ethan had specifically asked Hatch to collect a lot of Quidditch team information so he would have good targets when placing bets.
But Ethan hadn't had time to look at it yet, so asking these three Quidditch enthusiasts now would probably work.
"This year, the Scotland Team is very likely to win the championship."
When Cedric said this, a hint of longing flashed in his eyes.
He planned to join a Quidditch club after graduation.
If he could later be selected for the national team and fight for Great Britain in the next Quidditch World Cup, that would be even better.
And the team he most wanted to join was the ScotlandTeam.
Cedric had even planned his life: from club player to national team, building popularity and value, so that even if he retired in his thirties or forties, he could still work for the Ministry of Magic.
For this, Cedric greatly envied Viktor Krum of the Bulgaria Team.
This guy was only one year older than him, but he had joined a Quidditch club two years ago, then was selected for the national team, and already stood out in the qualifiers, becoming the star player of the Bulgaria Team.
Now, anyone in the Quidditch circle in Europe knew him.
It could be said that he had the script of a chosen one in Quidditch.
It should be noted that Viktor Krum was just eighteen years old.
He definitely had a boundless future.
"Scotland Team, we're also quite optimistic about them. Last year, they should have won the championship, but unfortunately, Seeker Hector Lamont's mistake gave the opposing Seeker an opportunity, and they ultimately lost the championship."
When George said this, he looked regretful.
Their father, Arthur, had taken them to watch that final. The entire match lasted five days.
The Weasley family also watched for five days from the stands, but the Scotland Team still lost the match by thirty points.
This also caused many Quidditch enthusiasts to lose everything they had, as quite a few people in Great Britain supported their national team.
The Quidditch atmosphere in Great Britain was already quite grand, and their strength was naturally not weak.
The Scotland Team was the best among them, and their supporters were countless.
Even though they lost the match by thirty points last year, their supporters were still the most among Great Britain's Quidditch teams.
"The first match about to begin is England Team versus Transylvania Team. Which team do you think has a greater chance of winning?"
Ethan wasn't too familiar with the Scotland Team, but he knew about them being the runner-up last time and the match lasting five days.
This matter had been mentioned quite a bit in newspaper interviews in recent days.
The specific rules of the game were as follows: it was divided into the Quidditch World Cup qualifiers and the finals.
All countries and regions could participate in the qualifiers, divided into sixteen groups, and over two years, each team had to play against every other team in their group.
Moreover, there was a time limit for the qualifiers.
Four hours, regardless of whether the Golden Snitch was caught, the match ended, and the winner was determined by points.
The finals involved the final sixteen teams, and there was no time limit; the match ended when the Golden Snitchwas caught, which is why a match lasted five days last time.
And the finals were a single-elimination tournament; losing one match meant going home. These sixteen teams would receive a ranking based on their qualifier results before the start.
The team with the most points played against the team with the fewest points.
This Quidditch World Cup's finals were held here; the qualifiers had been completed two years prior.
The England Team had the highest points, while the Transylvania Team was at the bottom.
So, the first match about to be held was England Teamversus Transylvania Team.
"That's naturally the England Team. Are you planning to bet on the Transylvania Team?"
Fred looked at Ethan in disbelief.
Although the England Team was not as good as the Scotland Team, getting first place in the qualifiers this time meant they had some skill.
There was no way they could lose to the Transylvania Team, which they had barely heard of.
If Charlie hadn't gone to work at the Dragon Sanctuary in Romania and frequently traveled to the Transylvania region, introducing his work situation to his family,
Otherwise, they still wouldn't know what small, obscure place this was.
"Yes, I'm going to bet on the Transylvania Team."
Ethan looked at the three guys opposite him, who were staring at him in disbelief, and nodded affirmatively.
Ethan wasn't entirely sure of the exact match results.
However, all the Quidditch teams from Great Britainseemed to be struggling this year.
Even though they all made it to the finals, once they started playing, they were worse than each other.
As for the Ireland Team, the Muggle region of Ireland had already become independent.
Although Wizards were classified as a single entity, Ireland had no real allegiance to Great Britain, and they also wanted to follow the Muggle example and become independent.
A significant portion of pure-blood children from Irelandchose to study at Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.
"Ethan, are you sure your head isn't messed up?"
"The difference is obvious to everyone. It's better to bet on the England Team with us!"
George looked at Ethan seriously; he was genuinely thinking of Ethan's well-being.
After all, the difference in strength between these two teams was immediately apparent.
For this Quidditch World Cup, Fred and George planned to make a big splash, at least earning back the money they spent on the full Quidditch World Cup tickets.
This was related to the scale of Weasley's WizardWheezes, which they planned to open after graduation.
"Bet on the match, buy a villa by the sea. Haven't you heard that?"
Hearing the Twin' confident words, Ethan couldn't help but suspect that someone might be manipulating the match results behind the scenes!
Just like Lockhart and Ludo manipulated the HogwartsWizarding Tournament back then, although their earnings weren't much due to Ethan's interference, they did manipulate it.
Now, it was probably the various Ministries of magic and the Goblins together manipulating the entire match.
He should have thought of it earlier; manipulating matches for profit was common in the Muggle world, and it wasn't impossible in the Wizarding World.
As long as the profit was large enough, what wouldn't they dare to do?
As for how the final profits would be distributed, Ethan wasn't sure.
Fortunately, Ethan wasn't planning to make a fortune by buying low in this Quidditch World Cup, otherwise, it was hard to say who would be harvested.
"What's a villa?"
He almost understood what Ethan meant by that phrase, but he truly didn't know what a villa was.
"A type of house in the Muggle world; you could call it a mansion."
"If the England Team is stronger than the Transylvania Team, which is obvious to anyone, and everyone bets on the England Team, but then the Transylvania Teamsuddenly pulls off an upset and wins, who will be the biggest winner?"
"Just like the Hogwarts Wizarding Duelling Tournamentlast year, if I had lost to Cassandra in the end, who do you think would have been the biggest beneficiary?"
Ethan had laid it all out. If they still didn't understand, then they were truly hopeless.
And now, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
The current Minister for magic of the British Ministry of Magic, Fudge, took office in 1990, right after the last Quidditch World Cup ended.
Ethan knew very well what kind of person Fudge was: greedy for power and money.
He even accepted an endorsement for Honeydukes. Manipulating the Quidditch teams in the Great Britainregion was not impossible for him now.
As long as there were Galleons to be made, Fudgewouldn't care about such things.
The Minister for magic's term was limited, so he would definitely try to rake in as much as possible during that time.
Otherwise, it wouldn't explain the Great Britain region's Quidditch teams repeatedly suffering upsets, and only Ireland, which was not as controlled, made it to the end and won the championship.
"I think Ethan is right. Should we also bet on the Transylvania Team?"
George also felt Ethan had a point and immediately looked at Fred.
"767 Hmm!"
Fred hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Their father had often talked about Fudge at home, and if it were him, manipulating the match was not impossible.
"Then I'll still bet on the England Team. I believe in our team."
Cedric continued to stick to his choice.
After all, during the match, the choice of whether to fix the game still lay with the players.
He didn't believe that these players would actually fix the game as Ethan said.
After everyone had decided which team they were going to bet on, they prepared to squeeze into the Goblins' small hut.
Once Ethan and the others entered, the space inside suddenly became spacious.
The tent's interior was extremely large, and there were many Goblin counters, more than enough to serve everyone.
"Cedric, Weasley, Adrian, are you here to bet on Quidditch too?"
As soon as Ludo entered from outside, he saw the four of them and his eyes lit up as he looked over.
Last year, he had finally managed to get some Galleons through the Wizarding Tournament, but before he could even warm them up, Ethan took them all.
With just his salary as a department head, he could only play small games outside, but in the Quidditch World Cup betting, his few Galleons wouldn't even make a splash.
So, to satisfy his gambling addiction and earn some Galleons, he set up business as an agent here.
to help others operate, and of course, the final profit share would be thirty percent.
Relying on his identity as the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports and a former Quidditch star player, Ludo actually managed to trick quite a few suckers.
He had just been strolling around outside, preparing to come in and see if there were any familiar suckers he could trick, when he walked in and saw Ethan and the others.
"That's right, Mr. Bagman, do you want to join us too?"
Cedric went up to Ludo as soon as he saw him; he still admired Ludo quite a bit.
Moreover, Cedric was replicating Ludo's path for his own future.
Chapter 224: Ludo's Trickery
"Hmm, but to be more precise, I'm here to help you all."
"As a former national team Beater and the commentator for this Quidditch World Cup, I've researched all the participating teams in this Quidditch World Cup. I know the winning odds of each team."
"If I help you operate, I can't guarantee ten out of ten, but I'm confident in a seven or eight out of ten winning rate."
"Of course, for the final profit, I'll need to take thirty percent as commission."
Ludo looked at everyone, speaking confidently with his well-prepared speech.
Although Ethan was his boss, it was precisely because of this that Ludo targeted these few people.
Otherwise, how many Galleons could the Weasley and Diggory kids have?
Even if they made a profit from the Wizard Duelling Tournament he organized, it was just that much.
His targets were pureblood nobles who could afford tens of thousands of Galleons.
Not this ordinary family, or a poor family.
And targeting Ethan wasn't about trying to trick Ethan's Galleons.
Ludo was genuinely confident he could win money, and cooperating with Ethan was a win-win choice.
He could satisfy his gambling addiction, allow both himself and his boss to make money, and finally, please his boss—killing multiple birds with one stone!
"No need, I'll do it myself!"
Ethan directly shook his head and refused.
In the original work, Ethan knew Ludo had lost everything, even his underwear.
He even resorted to tricking children out of their money and then reneging on his debts when he lost.
With that level of skill, how could Ethan possibly hand over his Galleons for him to manage?
"Adrian, aren't you going to reconsider?"
Ludo's expression remained normal; after all, he couldn't expose his relationship with Ethan outside.
As a gambler, he was quite fond of his life.
"No need to consider, I'll do it myself!"
Seeing this, Ludo no longer insisted.
So far, quite a few people had entrusted him with their Galleons, and he wasn't really short on funds.
If Ethan didn't want to, then so be it; besides, he really didn't dare to say much more.
So he looked at Fred and the others.
"What about you?"
"Will you do it yourselves, or should I help you operate?"
He hadn't initially thought much of them, but since he was already here, it was just a matter of a word.
It didn't matter if it worked out or not.
"Let's discuss it!"
Fred, somewhat moved, pulled George aside, and Cedricalso joined them.
Like others, they all trusted Ludo's judgment, after all, he was a former Quidditch national team member with several experiences participating in the Quidditch World Cup.
Now, as the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports for the British Ministry of Magic, presiding over this grand tournament, he must know information about the various participating teams and members, and perhaps even some internal gossip.
Having him operate it would definitely be much more accurate than doing it themselves.
Soon, the few of them had agreed.
"Mr. Bagman, these fifteen hundred Galleons are entrusted to you for operation."
The three of them each contributed five hundred Galleons.
The Twin each still had a few hundred on them, after all, aside from their two older brothers who were working and their mother who wasn't very interested in Quidditch, all the other family members' full Quidditch World Cuptickets were bought by the two brothers, which was no small sum.
Cedric had more Galleons, but he didn't plan to bet too much.
Moreover, they weren't planning to put all their hopes on Ludo; they still intended to place some bets themselves.
"Alright, leave this to me~."
Ludo smiled as he took the Galleons.
Even a mosquito's leg is still meat.
Ethan sighed helplessly as he watched their choices.
"Mr. Bagman, after I come out, let's find a place to talk."
Without waiting for Ludo's agreement, Ethan found an empty counter, preparing to place his bet first.
Although there were still a few days until the first match, these bets had already opened when the venue first opened.
On the counter, a table of currently available bets and their odds was posted.
Before the match, one could bet on the semi-finalists and the champion; these bets would close on the day the matches began.
The odds were quite high, although Ethan knew who the four semi-finalists were.
But this was a manipulated match, which meant Ethan dared not bet, or rather, dared not bet large amounts.
The first match was the England Team versus the Transylvania Team.
England Team wins, by less than or equal to one hundred points over the Transylvania Team.
That is, ten Quaffle scores.
Odds: 1.47
By more than one hundred points.
Odds: 2.134
Transylvania Team wins, by less than or equal to one hundred points over the England Team.
Odds: 3.71
By more than one hundred points.
Odds: 6.33
From these odds, one could see how much everyone underestimated the Transylvania Team.
Not only that, Ethan, relying on his keen perception, heard voices that were mostly betting on the England Team.
"Sir, have you made up your mind?"
The Goblin inside the counter looked at Ethan with a smile after he finished reading the table.
"Transylvania Team wins, by more than one hundred points."
"Three hundred thousand Galleons!"
Ethan's voice wasn't loud, but it attracted everyone's attention.
Even Fred and the others, who were with Ethan, widened their eyes.
Although they had just learned which team Ethan was betting on, they didn't expect him to bet so big!
Was this really three hundred thousand Galleons?
Then came the doubt: did Ethan really have that many Galleons?
They knew Ethan was Muggle-born, and all his Galleons were earned by himself.
Could the wizard mailbox and the Baffling Brain Elixirreally be that profitable?
He earned three hundred thousand Galleons in just over two years?
"Alright, sir, please come with me. Three hundred thousand Galleons can be handled in the private box."
This Goblin didn't care what others thought; his mouth instantly twisted into a smile, and he was about to lead Ethan to the private box waiting nearby.
Here, they only handled amounts not exceeding ten thousand.
"Wait, Ethan, bet a little less."
Fred pulled Ethan's Wizard robe, reminding him quietly.
He and George both thought Ethan's previous words made perfect sense: Fudge indeed might be setting up a scheme to make money.
But this wasn't absolute!
If Ethan guessed wrong, those three hundred thousand Galleons would be gone.
Even if Ethan had money, he shouldn't use it this way. Wouldn't it be better to try with ten or twenty thousand first?
"Sir, have you made up your mind? If you have, please come with me quickly."
Upon hearing someone start to persuade Ethan, the Goblin immediately became anxious.
Such a big fish couldn't be let go!
As for whether Ethan could actually produce that many Galleons, Goblins from other countries might not recognize Ethan, but they still believed it was possible, as long as one wasn't crazy, they wouldn't cause trouble here.
During this period, the British Ministry of Magic had been controlling this place quite strictly.
"Don't worry, I'm confident."
Ethan said to Fred, then followed the Goblin into the private box.
After Ethan left, the scene, which had seemed to be paused, seemed to resume.
And it became even noisier, mostly discussing Ethan, the big sucker, with not a few people mocking him.
Others were also gloatingly watching the show, as the mentality of hating the rich existed not only among Muggles but also among Wizards.
Ludo, who had just been beside Ethan, was dumbfounded.
Both Ethan's bet on the Transylvania Team and the three hundred thousand Galleons left him stunned.
He had been thinking about how to persuade Ethan, but he didn't expect him to just walk into the private box like that.
Once a transaction was confirmed, it was virtually impossible to back out at the Goblins' place.
He immediately wanted to rush in and stop Ethan, after all, he had just been right there. If Ethan eventually lost those three hundred thousand Galleons, who knew if he would blame him for not stopping him.
Those who dabbled in the Dark Arts often had twisted minds; this was very likely to happen.
But he had no reason to burst in; just going in like that would probably offend the Goblins.
Their relationship was already good; it wouldn't do to offend the Goblins over this!
Thinking of this, Ludo wished he could slap himself twice.
Why did he have to come over and join the fun when he had nothing to do!
While Ludo was agonizing, Ethan had already walked out, escorted by three Goblins.
After all, it wasn't a very complicated matter. After the Goblins verified the Galleons, they just needed to fill out the pre-prepared magic contract for Ethan.
This magic contract parchment, like the Galleons, had special anti-counterfeiting measures made by Goblins, which others couldn't replicate.
Not just Goblins, but other factions that ran betting operations also had their own anti-counterfeiting methods.
Escorted by the Goblins, Ethan left the tent.
Ethan knew that the staff here, at their level, were not privy to the upper echelons' manipulation of this betting operation.
That's why they were treating him so enthusiastically as a sucker right now. He just wondered what their expressions would be like after he won.
Moreover, the 300,000 Galleons were the result of Ethan's careful consideration.
Ethan currently had a little over 800,000 Galleons on him, so taking out 300,000 was completely insignificant.
Furthermore, with such a large betting pool, even if not all 100,000 Wizards were present, there were still two to three tens of thousands of them.
Excluding the nobles, even if an ordinary Wizard bet a small amount, it would still be a considerably large sum.
Ethan's 300,000, while a lot on its own, would barely make a splash when thrown into this pool.
If the wealthy nobles were added, Ethan's contribution would instantly disappear.
After a few more words with Fred and the others, Ethan directly led Ludo into the forest outside.
"Boss, you were impulsive just now, you..."
Ludo was thinking about how to prevent Ethan from taking his anger out on him if they lost, but he was cut off by Ethan before he could finish.
"I know what you're thinking, it's fine, I won't blame you."
"That's not what I wanted to say. This Quidditch match is very likely similar to the Wizard Duelling Tournament you and Lockhart designed at Hogwarts, where someone is manipulating the results from behind the scenes. You need to be careful."
"I don't want to hear news of you being hunted down by others."
After speaking, Ethan did not linger and turned to leave.
Only Ludo was left stunned in place.
Originally, with Ludo's level as a gambler, he shouldn't have lost so badly. Putting everything else aside, he did have some skill in Quidditch, yet he ended up in that predicament.
It could only mean that all his experience was useless in this Quidditch World Cup.
And Fudge did not bring him along.
Chapter 225: Bet Against the Odds, Villa by the Sea
"Damn it, refund!"
A loud shout attracted everyone's attention, and even from his upper-level box, Ethan could hear the voice from the stands below.
Undoubtedly, this brave soul had cast Sonorus on himself, and he was quite proficient in this magic.
Otherwise, such an astonishing sound would not have erupted.
In fact, less than five minutes into the match, boos had continuously erupted.
The England Team, who knows what they did last night, seemed to be sleepwalking today.
The Keeper didn't block a single ball.
The Chasers didn't even touch the Quaffle for the first ten minutes.
Can you believe this?
They played worse than the Hogwarts school team.
But such open questioning was rare, as there were British Ministry of Magic staff patrolling to maintain order in the stadium.
Shouting out one's dissatisfaction after casting magic on oneself like that was definitely not allowed, and they would likely be invited out for a chat.
"My grandma would play better than you!"
"CNM, this is worse than my eight-year-old grandson!"
...
With that brave soul taking the lead, the audience instantly erupted, each casting Sonorus on themselves and roaring out their dissatisfaction.
Not only in the Great Britain stands, but the sounds from other areas were not much weaker.
These were not all England Team fans; the vast majority of them had placed bets.
Could this outcome satisfy them now?
Seeing the scene, the staff responsible for maintaining order were dumbfounded. Should they still go and talk to the first person who caused the commotion?
If they didn't, it would be dereliction of duty.
If they did, they might be surrounded and beaten by the dissatisfied Wizards.
After a brief three-second thought, the staff responsible for maintaining order decided to retreat.
Since the situation was already like this, dereliction of duty was unavoidable, so why add more trouble? If they were beaten by an angry Wizard, that would be a huge loss.
"You were right, this faking is too obvious."
Penelope said helplessly to Ethan, who was lying on her lap.
So far, the England Team had not scored a single point.
This was the first-place team in the qualifiers.
"Now you know that the Ministry of Magic is also controlled by these shady characters, right?"
Ethan lost interest after watching the match for two minutes; it was clearly fake.
Then he lay on Penelope's lap, with his legs on Nagini, playing with the abyss above his head, passing the time.
After all, these two balls were much more interesting than the ones below.
"This must be Fudge's doing. My dad definitely wasn't involved."
Cassandra, hearing Ethan say this, still retorted with some dissatisfaction.
Although her heart was with Ethan, she couldn't just watch her own father be slandered like this!
"Don't talk about your dad; the other department heads probably don't even know about this."
Even Ludo, the referee and head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, who should have been most likely to collude with Fudge, was excluded.
Not to mention the other department heads.
Especially Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Although she valued family interests highly like other pure-bloods, she was quite upright and valued honor.
If she knew about this, she would definitely make Fudgepay.
Fudge's accomplices were likely some of his confidantes and some outside partners.
While Ethan and the others were chatting, the Quidditchmatch on the field below was coming to an end.
The Transylvania Team's Seeker deliberately waited until the England Team's Chaser scored a goal before catching the Golden Snitch.
The few Transylvania Team players present, although they hadn't received notice, understood what was happening with the other team.
There must have been internal disagreements; some followed the arrangements from above, playing a rigged match.
Others were unwilling but powerless to resist, and knowing they couldn't win, they completely gave up.
This led to the current situation, where a match was almost over, and they hadn't scored a single goal.
They were almost going to be shut out, and if that happened, it would probably set a Quidditch World Cuprecord.
In history, shutouts had occurred in the qualifiers, but such a scenario had never happened in the finals.
Even as the victors, the Transylvania Team didn't want to be recorded in history.
They had played against the England Team in the qualifiers and couldn't beat them at all.
If it was exposed later, they wouldn't have an easy time either.
So they gave them some face, lest they be nailed to the pillar of shame and drag them down, having to feed the other team a goal.
"The winner of this match is the Transylvania Team!"
Ludo, as the referee, quickly announced the result the moment the Golden Snitch was caught.
Looking at the cheering Transylvania Team members and the dejected England Team members leaving the field, Ludo's expression was complex, so much so that he didn't know what to say at that moment.
With Ethan's reminder and the unusual circumstances in this match, he also had some suspicions.
Fortunately, he listened to Ethan and didn't go all-in on the England Team.
Instead, he only took out a small portion of Galleons to bet on the England Team, after all, he still had to listen to the boss a little.
No matter whether the advice he gave was good or bad, you couldn't ignore it.
The reason he still bet on the England Team was that he thought it was unlikely for a rigged match to occur, as he had never encountered such a situation during his continuous participation in several Quidditch World Cups.
Naturally, he didn't believe that the current Quidditch World Cup would turn out that way.
It was also fortunate that Ethan reminded him, otherwise, if he had gone all-in on the England Team this time, his reputation would have been ruined.
Later, probably no one would hand over Galleons to him for management. If he wanted to continue participating in future gambling, he would either have to borrow high-interest loans from Goblins or trick new targets.
As this match ended, Ethan and the others also walked out of the box.
After all, there was only one match that day.
It was simply too uncertain; no one knew how long a match would last, so after the schedule was arranged.
The next match would only be arranged according to the schedule on the day after a match ended.
Arriving in the corridor, many Wizards were also gradually emerging from their boxes.
However, everyone's expressions were not looking good at the moment.
There was no way around it; Fudge was fleecing the money of these wealthy individuals.
"Ethan, you didn't bet on the England Team?"
Harry, seeing Ethan in the crowd, said with some disbelief.
After all, those coming out of the luxury boxes around him were either wearing bitter faces, as if someone owed them millions of Galleons.
Or they were furious, as if they wanted to kill someone.
Only Ethan's group was still smiling, seemingly completely unaffected by the recent match.
"No, I bet on the Transylvania Team."
Ethan shrugged, saying nonchalantly.
"How did you know they would win?"
Harry also stared at Ethan with curiosity.
He knew Ethan wasn't too fond of Quidditch and didn't pay much attention to it.
Yet Ethan's judgment was even better than his own. Although he hadn't gambled, he had been convinced that the England Team would win the championship.
Two days ago, he had extensively analyzed it for Siriusand Lupin, only to be proven wrong today.
"Just a guess. After all, bet against the odds, villa by the sea."
"What's wrong with him?"
Saying this, Ethan pointed to the large black dog accompanying Harry.
It looked listless, as if it had been drained by that female dog.
"He lost 100,000 Galleons."
Harry sighed as he said this.
Although the money wasn't his, watching it just flow away still pained him considerably.
It couldn't be that bad!
Given Sirius's wealth, 100,000 Galleons was just a drop in the bucket!
"Ethan, how much did you win this time?"
As soon as Harry said this, the listless large black dog also raised its head to look at Ethan, clearly very interested in this.
"The Transylvania Team to win by over 100 points, bet 300,000 Galleons."
Upon hearing Ethan's words, the large black dog suddenly slumped to the ground, powerless.
He earned 1.6 million Galleons in one go, 1.6 million...
Sirius was already very playful, so there was no reason for him not to participate in this gambling.
Moreover, he also wanted to make some money through this to save more for Harry.
He had just given Ethan such a large sum, so he had to make it back!
The result was a loss of 100,000 Galleons in the first round.
At the betting counter, there were hardly any Wizards coming to cash in their contracts.
Ethan entered quite easily, not going to the counter but heading directly to the private room.
When he was handling the matters, Ethan learned that the counter outside was not qualified to handle large orders.
Walking into the private room, the expressions of the three Goblins inside changed the moment they saw Ethan.
Although they didn't go to the venue to watch the game, they learned the results through the wizard mailbox.
After all, they needed to be prepared for the payout.
While the England Team losing made them happy, these Goblins, who had previously served Ethan, knew there was still a big order: the one betting on the Transylvania Team.
"What, you don't want to redeem?"
Ethan looked at the Goblins, whose emotions were practically written on their faces, and was quite impolite.
"How could that be!"
"Please present your contract, and we will prepare your Galleon immediately."
The leader of them came to Ethan with a forced smile and said in a fawning manner.
However, his emotions were visible to anyone who wasn't blind.
Not long after, Ethan walked out carrying nearly 1.9 million Galleon.
As for the gambling tax rate, it was tax-exempt during this Quidditch World Cup, as too many countries participated, and the number of people was quite large.
If the local Ministry of Magic could collect a large sum of tax from this, the right to host it would probably be fiercely contested.
Coming outside, Cassandra and the others were also waiting there.
They also participated in this trip, but their amounts were not as large as Ethan's.
Penelope and Hermione had earned some Galleon from the last Wizard Duelling Tournament and did not borrow principal from Ethan again.
"Ethan, next game, which team should we bet on?"
Fred and George, who also ran out from the prize redemption with joyful expressions, came to Ethan excitedly.
Although Ethan didn't play Quidditch, his foresight was truly invincible.
After all, they could only see what was happening on the field, while he could see what was happening outside the field.
Thanks to him, their two hundred Galleon turned into over a thousand this time.
They just didn't know how Ludo was doing.
"The Bulgaria Team!"
The next match was the Bulgaria Team's game.
Ethan knew they made it to the finals.
However, the Bulgaria Team was already a popular favorite to win, and many people favored them, leading to very low odds.
Ethan didn't plan to bet much; a hundred thousand Galleon would be enough to show some support.
Chapter 226: Veela Performance
August 22nd!
The Quidditch World Cup was also coming to an end.
There were only sixteen teams in total, but the competition lasted for such a long time.
The trajectory was the same as in the original work: it was still the Bulgaria Team versus the Ireland Team.
Also, because it was the final, many Wizards who were short on money but loved Quidditch would choose to come and watch this match.
Moreover, the British Ministry of Magic also took the opportunity to introduce standing tickets, which made the number of spectators today exceed one hundred thousand.
Sitting in the private box, Ethan was complaining to Cassandra and the others about Fudge's unsightly greed.
Everyone knew that the advertisements for the final would definitely be the most valuable, but Fudge, you can't run the ads for such a long time!
Ten minutes had passed, and the advertisement still hadn't ended.
Fifty feet high to the right of the three Quidditch hoops on the field, there was a giant blackboard, constantly flashing golden text.
After each display was completed, it would last for thirty seconds, and then an invisible large hand would wipe the golden text clean from the blackboard.
The content of these advertisements was also quite rich.
Cornflowers: Flying brooms for the whole family—safe, reliable, with built-in anti-theft buzzers...
Skourf's All-Purpose Magical Stain Remover: Easily remove stains!
Elegant Wizard Robes: London, Paris, Hogsmeade...
These were the three that had just rotated, and before that, there were Chocolate Frog advertisements, Nimbus series flying broom advertisements, Honeydukesadvertisements, and so on.
Ethan's wizard mailbox and Baffling Brain Elixir did not participate.
After all, their popularity was already quite widespread, and they were exclusive monopolies.
There was no competitive pressure, so they simply didn't need advertising.
Finally, the advertisement ended, and the giant blackboard returned to its original state, as it was the scoreboard.
It was just serving multiple purposes.
Currently displayed:
Bulgaria: 0
Ireland: 0
Then a stage appeared out of thin air above the venue.
The team mascots' performance was about to begin.
There was always this segment before each match, and now it was the turn of the Bulgaria Team and Ireland Team's mascots.
Ludo, who had been with Fudge, now walked onto the host's platform.
On the way, he gave his throat a Sonorus charm.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Quidditch World Cup!"
After casting Sonorus, Ludo's voice was like thunder, resounding throughout the entire stadium dedicated to the match, and echoing continuously above the audience's heads, loudly reaching every corner of the stands.
Compared to the 'refund brother' from the first match, he was by no means inferior.
The audience below erupted in cheers and applause.
Tens of thousands of flags waved simultaneously, accompanied by chaotic national anthems, and the scene was truly lively for a moment.
The main reason was that everyone had heard rumors that the Bulgaria mascot this time would be Veela, how could that not excite people?
"Alright, without further ado, allow me to introduce... the mascot of the Bulgaria National Team!"
As Ludo's words fell, a loud cheer erupted from the right side of the stands, which was the audience section for Bulgarian Wizards.
"Vee... Veela!"
"It really is Veela!"
...
Astonishing shouts rose from various places; even though no Wizard used Sonorus, the sound still spread throughout the entire venue.
Cassandra and the others naturally heard it too.
Then they looked at Fleur and Gabrielle beside them.
After all, both of them had Veela blood, and one was beautiful, the other cute.
But Ethan was different; he didn't look at Fleur and Gabrielle, but instead took out his treasured Omnioculars.
These were not the ordinary ones sold outside; Ethan had specially made them, not only seeing further and clearer.
They also had a recording and playback function, and by adjusting the scale on them, they were so clear that even the other party's fuzz could be seen.
Although Ethan had seen Veela before, it was in Hogsmeade.
While asking Cassandra for a favor, he went alone to the private place Terry had mentioned.
Skin as white as the moon, silver-white hair reaching her waist, a tall figure of at least one meter seventy-five, plus extremely revealing clothing—this was a Veela.
Unfortunately, in that private place, there was only one Veela.
And she definitely wasn't very clean; Ethan only admired her for a bit and wasn't interested.
But at this moment, one hundred Veela came to the arena like models on a runway, and contributed their passionate dance.
Their exquisite beauty, fiery figures, and inherent enchanting mental buff definitely attracted the gaze of ninety percent of the men present.
It could be said that anyone with a normal orientation would inevitably cast their gaze upon them.
It was just that unreasonable.
But there were also a few exceptions, such as taking a potion in advance to avoid this influence.
The host, Ludo, had taken such a potion.
Ethan, using his Omnioculars, also stared at them intently, his mind seeming to stop thinking, only wanting to continue watching, sinking into this beautiful moment.
This cold, ascetic face, combined with their current dance moves, was simply deadly!
As the Veela's dance became faster and faster, the clamor from all directions grew louder and louder.
Ethan, being disturbed, was quite annoyed; couldn't everyone just be a little quieter?
He slightly tilted his Omnioculars, able to see the Veelawhile also seeing the audience opposite.
He then saw many people in a diving posture, preparing to rush onto the field, their eyes filled with a trace of fanaticism.
This action, accompanied by the Veela's exit, directly reached its peak.
Countless Wizards, affected by the Veela's enchantment, let out strange cries to prevent the Veela from leaving and frantically rushed towards the stands, wanting to keep them.
However, when the first guy rushed up, the Veela, who had been as cold as goddesses, suddenly changed their expressions drastically.
A physical change of expression: their faces elongated, becoming bird heads, and scaly wings grew from behind their shoulders, and they breathed fire.
They let out monstrous roars at the guy rushing over.
Seeing such a change, the guy who rushed up also calmed down, turned his head with a look of disinterest, and prepared to return to the stands.
The other Wizards also lost their previous fanaticism; those who were supposed to sit down and watch the game sat down, and those who were supposed to apologize to their girlfriends went to apologize.
With no one to disturb them, these Veela returned to their original appearance; that had just been a protective measure for themselves.
After all, if they turned into that appearance, people wouldn't rush forward.
But Ethan was currently thinking, are there so many Veelain Bulgaria?
A single stage performance, and he could gather a hundred of them.
Ethan had learned that Veela were widely distributed in Europe, but their numbers were also quite rare, and Slytherin had records of capturing Veela in the past.
However, as control became stricter, Veela could no longer be caught now.
Should he have them specially catch some to raise? Putting everything else aside, when he gets a bigger Castle later.
There are quite a few maids in there, and these cold, red-eyed, silver-haired mature women's faces would be perfectly suited for maid outfits.
Moreover, they should be able to control their transformations, otherwise how would half-Veela come to be?
After all, transforming at a critical moment could cause problems.
"They've left the stage, and you're still staring like that, are they really that beautiful?"
Cassandra patted Ethan's back. Although she could manage not to be jealous of Penelope and the others now.
But if he fell for Veela, and such a whole race of them, their numbers were quite large.
Fleur and Gabrielle, being half-Veela, were one thing, but if these were added, it would be a problem if she could even get one turn a year. Thinking of this, Cassandracouldn't remain calm.
"Beautiful, but you're still more beautiful!"
Ethan casually said something flirtatious to dismiss Cassandra, then put away his Omnioculars.
No wonder, Cassandra was so easy to dismiss; once he mastered the method, dealing with her was much easier than with Hermione.
And next, it was the turn of the Ireland Leprechauns' performance.
What the hell is this, is it even worth looking at with a telescope?
"Ethan, Gabrielle and I won't turn into those monsters."
"My mother never changed, and neither did Gabrielle or I."
Fleur and Gabrielle looked at Ethan with worried expressions. Although they didn't use the Omnioculars and couldn't see as clearly as Ethan, they could still tell what was happening on the field.
The moment the Veela transformed, their first thought was whether it would scare Ethan away from them.
After all, the Veela's transformation just now truly startled quite a few people.
"I know you won't transform. I've known for a long time."
Long before they met, Petronella had already told Ethan this.
"Mm!"
Seeing that Ethan truly believed they wouldn't transform, Fleur and Gabrielle finally smiled again.
Just as Ethan and the others were chatting, the IrelandLeprechauns also made their appearance.
Even without looking at the field, Ethan knew this because their movements were quite grand.
A giant green and gold object flew into the stadium, like a large comet.
After circling the venue, it split into two smaller comets, each rushing towards a set of goalposts.
Then, a sudden arched rainbow appeared on the field, connecting the two glowing large spheres.
A gasp of amazement erupted from the crowd, as this performance was unprecedented and quite interesting.
At this point, the Ireland Leprechauns' performance was not yet over. As the rainbow faded, the flashing large spheres connected and merged, forming a giant, dazzling shamrock, which continuously rose into the sky, beginning to hover above the stands.
Finally, some glittering golden things fell from above, like golden raindrops.
Ethan reached out and took one, observing it closely, and determined that it was fake at first glance; the weight was all wrong.
It wasn't as realistic as his own Transfiguration.
But the Wizards below didn't think so. They cheered while noisily scrambling for the Galleons, some even crawling under their seats, and conflicts even broke out.
Ethan was certain now; neither of these teams' mascots was any good.
As the giant shamrock in the sky began to dissipate, the Ireland Leprechauns also began to descend, settling down cross-legged opposite the Veela, ready to watch the match.
This also meant that the final was about to begin.
Under Ludo's introduction, the members of both teams entered the field one by one.
The broomsticks they used were also quite uniform; they were all rockets.
Chapter 227: Quidditch World Cup Final
Amidst the cheers of the entire stadium, the match between the Bulgaria Team and the Ireland Team finally began.
Ethan also uncharacteristically sat up straight to watch this match.
After all, one million Galleons had been wagered on this match.
So far, he had won nearly five million Galleons.
The biggest win was the England Team versus the Transylvania Team match, which alone earned him one million six hundred thousand Galleons.
The subsequent earnings combined were only about double that amount, mainly because of the big loss in the first match, which made other gamblers much more cautious afterward.
And the odds were constantly adjusted based on the live betting funds.
In addition, Ethan didn't bet on every match.
He would only place a small bet when he was confident.
To prevent himself from being exploited, the betting amounts were not too high for Ethan.
Each match was between one hundred thousand and three hundred thousand Galleons.
But even so, Ethan, who practically won every bet, became quite famous at this Quidditch World Cup.
Even The Daily Prophet featured a special interview with Ethan.
This time, the reason for betting one million Galleons was because it was the final match, and also the largest in scale.
Additionally, most people generally favored the Bulgaria Team, as this team was known for its aggressive offense and scoring.
The Seeker, Viktor Krum, was even more famously a prodigious talent.
This also led to higher odds for betting on the Ireland Team.
Moreover, all of Great Britain's teams were off-kilter this year. Although Ireland didn't pay much heed to the British Ministry of Magic, it was currently under Fudge's jurisdiction, and who knew what changes might occur?
This caused many people to be hesitant about betting on them.
If Ethan won this bet, his total earnings from the entire Quidditch World Cup would directly exceed ten million.
This was faster money than anything else; truly worthy of a world-class event.
The Ireland Team's Chaser, Troy, scored the first goal.
It wasn't that Ethan knew this 'Troy,' but rather his name was written on the nameplate on his back.
With Ethan's eyesight, he could naturally see it clearly, though his naked eye certainly wasn't as clear as the Omnioculars.
Having scored the opening goal, the Ireland Teampressed their advantage, scoring two more goals in quick succession.
This turn of events left the spectators confused; which team was known for its aggressive offense?
But since it was just the beginning, everyone remained relatively calm.
After a dangerously close block of the Ireland Team's offense, the Bulgaria Team finally called the first timeout of the match.
They had no choice; if they didn't find a way to stop their offensive, the match would be impossible to play.
After the timeout, the Bulgaria Team's formation did undergo some slight changes.
Ivanova, the Bulgaria Team's Chaser, finally scored their first ten points.
Subsequently, Viktor Krum also used the Wronski Feint to cause the Ireland Team's Seeker, Aidan Lynch, to directly plummet to the ground.
This drew cheers from the vast number of fans, and the stadium was filled with shouts of Viktor Krum's name.
This was the first time this technique had appeared in the entire Quidditch World Cup this year.
Specifically, the Seeker pretends to see the Snitch far below and rapidly dives towards the ground, but just as they are about to hit the ground, they suddenly stop their dive.
This maneuver is intended to make the opposing Seeker imitate them and be unable to brake in time, causing them to crash directly into the ground, resulting in injury, or even forcing them to leave the field in severe cases.
Because this tactic was first used by the Polish Seeker Josef Wronski, the move was named after him.
Although Ethan had read some Quidditch lore, he hadn't paid attention to specific techniques used in such matches.
Moreover, no one had used these techniques in the Hogwarts Quidditch matches.
It was only after Ludo's commentary that Ethan learned about them.
And Ludo also went on to explain several other techniques favored by Quidditch players.
When a player is injured, a timeout is naturally required.
Fortunately, among Wizards, as long as the injury is not particularly severe, or caused by difficult-to-remove Dark Arts, other problems are quite easy to resolve.
Especially external injuries.
At this moment, the Ireland Seeker, Aidan Lynch, simply received a few healing spells and drank a Potion to alleviate his injuries, then continued playing.
However, playing with an injury ultimately had some impact.
In the air, he was toyed with by Viktor Krum several times in a row.
Fortunately, his teammates were strong enough, or perhaps because Aidan Lynch's injury spurred them to an even higher level of combat effectiveness. It was a lady, injured in front of them, which made the other players feel very disgraced.
In a mere fifteen minutes, the Ireland Team scored ten consecutive goals, adding one hundred points to their score.
The Bulgaria Team, at this point, still only had that one goal from Ivanova.
As the match progressed, the tempers between the two sides grew hotter and hotter.
Ethan even saw several subtle fouls during player collisions.
Especially the Bulgaria Team's Beater, who almost hit an Ireland Team Chaser on the head with his bat.
However, he ultimately missed, so it wasn't considered a foul.
But during one instance when the Ireland Team's Chaser, Malone, was clutching the Quaffle and once again rushing towards the goalpost, the Bulgaria Team's Keeper, Zograf, directly charged at her.
He almost knocked her off her broomstick.
This immediately drew boos from the entire stadium for the Bulgaria Team.
By this point in the match, everyone could see that the Bulgaria Team was beyond redemption.
Playing these dirty tricks now only made many Wizards who had bet on the Bulgaria Team even more displeased.
Moreover, Zograf was a standard burly man with a bushy beard, while Malone was a young woman.
Although her looks were average, she had a good figure and quite a few fans, which was another reason for the audience's anger.
At the same time, the referee, Hassan Mostafa, immediately blew his whistle, giving the Bulgaria Keeper, Zograf, a yellow card, and the Ireland Team a penalty shot.
Hassan Mostafa, a Quidditch referee from Egypt.
From his appearance, he was a short, bald, but scrawny Wizard with a large beard.
He was also a highly respected President of the International Quidditch Federation.
But now, he was about to earn another title: veteran pervert.
Because during the penalty shot, Hassan Mostafa was influenced by the Veela, in front of Quidditch fans from all over the world, right there on the Quidditch pitch.
In front of over a hundred thousand people, he stretched and flexed his limbs, displaying his muscles, and excitedly stroked his big beard, posturing flirtatiously towards the Veela.
It was as if he was courting the Veela.
And there was a reason for this; the players of the Ireland Team and Bulgaria Team were furiously battling on the field.
The mascots of the two teams waiting off-field also disliked each other, as only the winning team's mascot would get to go up for the awards ceremony with their players.
So the Leprechauns first provoked the Veela, rising into the air and forming characters to taunt them, which naturally succeeded.
But it also provoked a counterattack from the Veela; although they couldn't fight, dancing in response was perfectly fine.
The result was that both mascots were fine, but Hassan Mostafa, the referee, fell victim.
In front of so many people, he completely lost the dignity of being the President of the International QuidditchFederation.
If he had taken a Potion beforehand, like Ludo, this naturally wouldn't have happened.
Unfortunately, he overestimated his self-control.
Ultimately, an on-field doctor who had taken a Potioncame to Hassan Mostafa, kicked his shin hard several times, which finally brought him back to his senses.
Hassan Mostafa, emerging from the enchantment, was also awkwardly frozen in place. If there was a hole there, he would probably have been delighted to dive straight in and never come out.
Unfortunately, there wasn't, and he had to face this embarrassing scene.
Hassan Mostafa was seen venting his displeasure at the Veela, shouting loudly for them to stop their actions and telling them to go home.
Of course, the Veela were quite indignant. After all, the Leprechauns provoked them first, and whose fault was it that he fell victim? He wasn't the only Wizard on the field.
Everyone else was fine, only he was affected. Whose problem was that, really?
But no matter how displeased they were, the Veelacouldn't fully vent it. They could only transform into bird-headed forms and spew a few streams of fire into the sky.
This only made the Leprechauns opposite them even more excited, forming the words "Hey! Hey! Hey!" in the sky.
At the same time, the two Beaters from the Bulgaria Team also flew to Hassan Mostafa's side to protest.
This made Hassan Mostafa even more furious; the original one-penalty ruling turned into two penalties.
But the result was that the tempers of both sides grew even more intense.
Before, they were only playing rough with various subtle fouls, but now it was open fighting.
Especially the Beaters, who were responsible for protecting their teammates and batting Bludgers away with their bats.
They didn't care whether their bats hit the ball or a person; they just swung at whatever target they encountered.
Moran, the Ireland Team player holding the Quaffle, was the third to suffer a heavy blow; she was hit so hard she almost fell off her broomstick.
If the opponent uses a bludger to hit the Quaffle and knock someone down, that is legal, but hitting someone with one's own body is naturally a violation.
The referee blew his whistle, and the fans in the stadium all pointed at the Bulgaria Team.
Ethan could tell that the Bulgaria Team truly wanted to win; it wasn't an act.
So with this level, did they make it to the finals by relying on dirty tricks or their opponents going easy on them?
On the field, the Bulgaria Team was penalized.
Outside the field, the Ireland Team's mascots, the Leprechauns, started provoking them again. After all, if the opposing players didn't play fair, then they couldn't be blamed for not playing fair either.
One by one, they ascended, forming a giant hand, and made a rude, contemptuous gesture towards the Veela on the opposite side.
The Veela were not good-tempered individuals to begin with. They had just been scolded by Hassan Mostafa and were already brimming with anger; a few sprays simply weren't enough to vent it.
Immediately, they no longer tolerated it. In their rage, their faces stretched and transformed into sharp, long, beaked bird heads, and a pair of long, scaly wings also emerged from their shoulders.
Now it was not an isolated case, but all one hundred Veela had transformed.
And using the flying ability provided by their extended wings, they directly crossed the playing field, went to the Leprechauns' side, and engaged them in a real fight.
The British Ministry of Magic officials could no longer sit still. The personnel maintaining order alone could hardly stop this chaos, as the Veela's individual abilities were still very strong; they were magical creatures capable of casting spells.
Immediately, they no longer bothered to watch the match. Many ran over, preparing to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
Suddenly, the entire stadium was filled with the screams of the Veela, the loud bangs of wands casting spells to prevent conflicts between the Veela and Leprechauns, and the roars of the Bulgarians.
Because right after the penalty shot, the Ireland Teamscored again.
Then, the Ireland Team hit a Bludger again, striking Viktor Krum's nose and making it bleed profusely.
At the same time, Ireland's Seeker suddenly dived down. It was unclear whether he had actually found the Golden Snitch or if he wanted to trick Viktor Krum in the same way.
Even so, Viktor Krum could only bite the bullet and go up.
By now, all dignity was lost. If the opponent caught the Golden Snitch...
This might be comparable to the result of the first match of the opening day between the England Team and the Transylvania Team.
After accelerating, Viktor Krum was parallel to Lynch, and then both simultaneously dived towards the ground.
Just as Lynch fell heavily to the ground for the second time, Viktor Krum had already ascended again, raising his fist high, with a golden glint showing through his fingers.
The scoreboard also began to change.
Bulgaria: 160
Ireland: 170
"The Ireland Team has won!"
Ludo announced the result of the match immediately. Although he naturally supported Ireland more than Bulgaria.
And no one expected that in this match, the Bulgaria Team caught the Golden Snitch, yet still lost the match.
If only the Chasers had been a bit more effective, even ten more points would have led to an overtime match, what a pity!
This action made the audience curse the Bulgaria Teameven more, while also appreciating Viktor Krum more.
After all, the Seeker's task is to obtain the Golden Snitch.
Scoring and protecting teammates are the responsibilities of the Chasers and Beaters.
At the same time, the Leprechauns were no longer in the mood to quarrel with the Veela. One by one, they ascended, scattering their special gold coins, intending to celebrate the Ireland Team's victory.
The Veela, under this blow, also retreated to the side, crestfallen.
Afterward was the Ireland Team's award ceremony, but Ethan no longer had the interest to continue watching.
He directly led Cassandra and the others out of the box, preparing to go to the Goblins to exchange the Galleons they had won this time.