Chapter 81: Beauxbatons
With Harry finally reunited with his parents, Dumbledoregave a wave of his hand and granted Harry a few days off so he could spend quality time with his parents.
So James and Lily took Harry back to their home, and Siriusalso went along cheerfully.
Dumbledore intended to give Lupin a few days off as well, but he insisted on teaching the students.
As for Snape, he looked at James with a gloomy expression, then looked at Lily with a gentle expression until they left.
Being able to see Lily resurrected was enough for him.
As for Ariana, she went to the Hog's Head together with Aberforth.
Aberforth even made sweeping modifications to the pub, making it look clean at the very least.
It was said that Ariana would come to Hogwarts to study next year, and during these days, Aberforth would teach Ariana how to use magic.
Hode arrived at the Headmaster's Office, where Dumbledore was wiping away his tears—it was typical of him to be unable to suppress his tears after seeing his younger sister.
"Hode, why are you here?"
"Didn't you want me to get the Goblet of Fire for you? Give me the letter!"
Dumbledore asked with some concern, "You've done so many things today, why don't you rest for a few days? There's no rush for this."
Hode picked his ear and said carelessly, "What's the big deal? It's not tiring at all."
Seeing Hode say this, Dumbledore took out the envelope and handed it to Hode.
"Leaving."
With that, Hode vanished.
France, Beauxbatons.
Hode instantly teleported directly to the main gate of Beauxbatons.
This startled the students who were wandering around nearby.
"Good heavens, how did you get here? Isn't there an Anti-Apparition Jinx in the school?" an upperclassman exclaimed.
"Just a little trick. Could you please go tell Madame Maxime that I've come on the orders of Headmaster Dumbledore?"
Upon hearing this, the student nodded and then ran inside.
After a short while, Madame Maxime came before Hode.
Olympe Maxime, like Hagrid, was a Half-Giant, and their heights were nearly the same.
Hagrid's father was a Wizard, and his mother was a Giant. But Madame Maxime was just the opposite; her father was a Giant, and her mother was a Wizard.
Hode couldn't help but admire her mother—she was truly awesome.
Hode looked up at Madame Maxime, who stood 3.5 meters tall. Although he was only 13 years old and already 1.7 meters tall, he still appeared tiny in front of Madame Maxime.
"Hello, Madame Maxime. My name is Hode, and I've come on the orders of Headmaster Dumbledore to retrieve that item. This is his letter."
As Hode spoke, he took out the letter written by Dumbledore from his pocket.
Madame Maxime took it, glanced at it, and then said,
"I didn't expect Dumbledore to send such a young student to retrieve it. He really is bold!"
"Haha, I suppose so." Hode rubbed his head.
"I'm very curious how you ignored the Anti-Apparition Jinx. Did Dumbledore's Phoenix bring you here?"
"I came here myself."
Madame Maxime looked at Hode, assuming he just didn't want to tell her, and said,
"Come on, I'll take you to get the Goblet of Fire."
Madame Maxime led Hode into the castle.
To be honest, Beauxbatons was indeed better than Hogwarts in terms of decoration style.
Although Hogwarts had a longer history, its artistic style and architectural design were both inferior to Beauxbatons.
The two came to the Headmaster's Office.
Madame Maxime took the Goblet of Fire out of a safe and handed it to Hode.
Hode put the Goblet of Fire into his pocket and was just about to leave when Madame Maxime spoke.
"Guests are always welcome. If you don't have anything pressing, would you like to take a tour of Beauxbatons?"
Hode was slightly stunned, then nodded.
It was also his first time visiting a school other than Hogwarts.
To be honest, having stayed at Hogwarts for three years, the novelty had long worn off, especially since he could see through all of Hogwarts's secret tunnels and rooms.
"Of course, I'd be honored to tour Beauxbatons."
Madame Maxime nodded, then led Hode to find a very beautiful blonde girl and said,
"Fleur, he's a guest from Hogwarts. Take him on a tour of Beauxbatons."
The girl was none other than Fleur Delacour, Beauxbatons's champion in next year's Triwizard Tournament. Hode still had quite an impression of her.
Fleur possessed one-quarter Veela blood, and so did her younger sister Gabrielle.
In the future, she would also marry Bill Weasley, join the Order of the Phoenix, and fight against the Death Eaters.
Even though Bill was mauled and disfigured by Fenrir, Fleur still loved him and married him.
Later, when Harry and the others escaped from Malfoy Manor in their Seventh Year, Fleur and Bill took them in and cared for them.
It could be said that Fleur was truly faultless, living up to the title of Beauxbatons champion.
Hearing Madame Maxime's words, Fleur nodded: "Alright, leave it to me, Professor Maxime."
Shortly after, Madame Maxime left.
"Hello, Hode. My name is Fleur Delacour. I'll show you around our school. Is there any place you'd like to go?"
Even though Fleur, with her Veela blood, was breathtakingly beautiful, Hode remained calm and composed.
He loved Hermione, and Hermione loved him! He would not let down Hermione's feelings. Besides, Fleur was much older than him, so he didn't feel anything.
"Women get old as soon as their umbilical cords are cut!"
"I'd like to check out the Library first, if that's alright?"
"Of course, let's go."
Fleur led Hode toward the Library, introducing the various histories of Beauxbatons along the way.
Arriving at the Library, Hode didn't hesitate.
"Za Warudo! Stop time!"
Hode mobilized his vast divine power and jammed the gears of the world!
Hode instantly teleported to the Restricted Section and quickly looked through it.
Then he found a book that he was very interested in: "Legends of Artifacts".
Hode copied it, put the original in his pocket, and put the copy back on the bookshelf.
Then he returned to his original spot.
"Time starts flowing!"
As soon as his voice fell, Fleur, who had been motionless, spoke: "This is the Library. Would you like to go inside and take a look?"
"No, just taking a casual look around."
Fleur nodded, then took Hode on a general tour around Beauxbatons.
"Alright, I should be heading back to Hogwarts too. Goodbye, Miss Fleur."
Hearing Hode's words, just as Fleur was about to ask how he would leave,
Hode swooshed and vanished into thin air.
"What kind of magic is this?"
Fleur wore a bewildered look, then ran off to find Madame Maxime to ask what magic Hode had just used, wanting to learn it herself.
Madame Maxime: "How should I know? If I knew magicthat could ignore the Anti-Apparition Jinx, I'd want to learn it too."
—Hogwarts Headmaster's Office.
"I'm back. Here's the thing." Hode placed the Goblet of Fireon the desk.
"Thanks, Hode. How is Beauxbatons?" Dumbledore looked at Hode.
"It's a bit prettier than Hogwarts, but that's about it. Their Professors aren't as good as ours, and neither is their Library, but they do have good stuff."
Hode said as he took out the book he had swiped.
"So you even stole someone else's book?"
"How can a scholar's actions be called stealing? This is called pilfering!"
Chapter 82 Harry: "Spare my life! Adoptive father!"
Returning to the suitcase from the Headmaster's Office.
Hermione was lying on the sofa reading a book, and Hodenaturally sat down beside Hermione.
Then he placed Hermione's feet on his lap and began to massage her legs.
"Why are you suddenly so attentive? You're even helping me massage my legs."
"I just purely want to let you relax a bit."
Hermione looked at Hode making a pure and innocent expression, looking like he really wanted to let her relax.
"You couldn't be... Oh~ I see."
Hermione smiled knowingly, then said nothing more, letting Hode massage her randomly.
Finding that Hermione didn't mind, Hode became even bolder.
His hands slowly reached towards Hermione's small feet, and then he took off her socks; Hermione still didn't make a move.
Hode became even bolder, beginning to massage her jade feet.
"So where did you go earlier?"
Hearing Hermione's words startled Hode, who was currently distracted.
After snapping back to his senses, Hode spoke up.
"I made a trip to Beauxbatons, Old Dumbledore gave me a task, asking me to go get something."
"What thing? Can you say?" Hermione was somewhat curious.
"Just the Goblet of Fire."
"The Goblet of Fire?! I remember that's what's needed for the Triwizard Tournament..."
Speaking of this, Hermione seemed to realize something, and asked in surprise.
"So is the Triwizard Tournament going to be restarted?"
Hode nods, "As expected of our Hermione, you're truly smart. Next year, Old Dumbledore will hold the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts."
Hermione immediately sat up, then looked at Hode.
"The Triwizard Tournament is very dangerous, although to you it's probably like playing house. So, are you going to participate?"
Facing Hermione's question, Hode held Hermione in his arms.
"Do you want me to participate?"
"Of course! My man should shine brilliantly!"
"Alright, then let's broaden those yokels' horizons."
Then the two of them leaned closely together, with Hermione looking at the book in her hands.
Meanwhile, Hode took out the book he swiped from Beauxbatons and started reading it.
He originally held a mindset of reference while reading, after all, he didn't think anyone could know what abilities a deity's weapon possessed.
But when he saw the weapon of Thanatos the god of death, he could no longer sit still at all.
Because what was written in the book was extremely similar to what he had seen.
The weapon of Thanatos the god of death, a scythe twice as tall as him.
It can snatch people's souls and govern life and death; it can absorb magic and enslave Wizards.
This weapon was forged from the gathering of countless spirits of heaven and earth at the time of Thanatos's birth, using the roots of the World Tree as its handle.
There were only these few sentences; other intelligence was not explained.
Hode looked for the author's name, but found none. It purely looked like a collection of fairy tales, without any author's information.
Having no author indeed made Hode feel strange, but he still intended to finish reading this book first.
Afterwards, the book described many deities' weapons, although some were very fake, and some seemed real.
After finishing it, Hode put the book into his pocket, then lay down on Hermione's lap.
After noticing this, Hermione held the book in one hand and stroked Hode's head with the other.
"What? Are you tired?"
"Haa—awn, a little."
Hearing this, Hermione put down the book in her hand and began to massage Hode's head.
"You've worked hard today, then let's go to sleep together."
"Together?"
"Together!"
"Let's go."
Hode immediately got up and hugged Hermione, then came into his own room.
The night sky inside the suitcase was still twinkling with stars, most of the animals in the distant forest had also stopped their activities, and only a few nocturnal creatures began quietly foraging.
Everything seemed as peaceful as years gone by; whatever Voldemort or the god of death was, none of it mattered anymore.
The two of them fell asleep peacefully just like that...
In the following days, Hogwarts seemed to carry a bit of festivity.
Lupin was no longer a Werewolf and could concentrate on teaching students knowledge.
Furthermore, after James and Lily were also resurrected, his eyes that had always carried sorrow had vanished, changing back to his once confident, amiable eyes full of light.
The students also learned about Lupin once being a Werewolf, but upon learning that Lupin would no longer turn into a Werewolf, they frequently and curiously asked Lupin about the feeling of turning into a Werewolf.
Snape's change was the most obvious.
Now, no matter when, his face always carried a trace of a smile. Although it wasn't obvious, compared to his previous look of the whole world owing him money, it could be said to be very strange.
And in Potions Class, he actually started adding points to Gryffindor!
As soon as this news came out, it made it to the trending searches of British TikTok.
Countless graduated Gryffindor students couldn't believe it, and even wanted to return to school to attend one of Snape's classes.
But what was most shocking was that Snape actually started washing his hair!
Nowadays Snape's hair was very fresh and flowing. He was no longer that greasy-haired appearance.
According to a Professor who refused to be named, Snapewas in heat because spring had arrived.
This reason received widespread support from the students, and then Lupin suddenly took leave, with Snapeonce again acting as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.
According to Snape's words, it was that Professor Lupinwas suspected of suffering divine retribution, so he needed to be hospitalized for a few days.
And Harry also returned to school.
From the nonstop smile on his face, one could tell that Harry had been having a very good time these past few days.
"Harry, what did you and your parents do these past few days? So happy?"
Several people stayed in the Common Room, and Ronasked curiously.
"I've now moved into my parents' original home, and then we also went traveling to all sorts of places, and my godfather is there too!"
"That's really great, Harry, you'll be able to be together with your parents from now on."
Neville felt happy for his friend.
Harry nods, then looks at Hode.
"Yeah, thank you so much for all of this, Hode."
Meanwhile, Hode was lying on Hermione's lap, waving his hand casually.
"A small matter. If you thank me, I wouldn't mind being your adoptive father either."
Hermione also cooperated and said: "I wouldn't mind being your adoptive mother either." (＾ｖ＾)
Harry: "... Then how about we forget it? Right, I heard Snape washed his hair. True or false?"
Ron immediately replied, "Of course it's true. I think he just refuses to give up and is eyeing your mom, Harry."
Harry also felt it was as Ron said, but soon he wasn't worried anymore.
"It's fine, I've already complained to my mom and dad, saying that Snape always bullies me. My mom will never have a good impression of him!"
Harry akimbo with a strategic and confident look, then continued: "I also have my godfather, and we've agreed to find a chance to give Snape a punch in the eye, so he stops thinking about being like Cao Cao."
Having parents and a godfather, Harry became full of spirit as a whole, a bit like the James of the past, fearing neither heaven nor earth.
Meanwhile, Hode pressed his phone and repeated Harry's bold words from just now.
"Harry, how many likes do you think I can get if I post this out?"
Harry: "Spare my life! Adoptive father!"
Chapter 83: Never Compare Architecture with a Civil Engineering Bro
Made in heaven!
Time flew by.
Soon, the final exams ended.
Several people lay inside the suitcase, looking at their respective grades.
"Hahaha, I'm third this time! I'm going to take this back to show my parents!"
Harry looked cheerfully at his name on the report card.
He had gotten O's in Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, and Potions Class!
Only History, Divination, and Astronomy didn't get full marks, but none of that mattered. He never expected Snape to actually give him an O in Potions Class this time.
And because Snape granted a general amnesty this time, Hermione finally achieved full marks across all subjects, securing the top spot firmly.
Hode was still second, because he also got full marks in History and Astronomy through cheating, and since Hodetook one less subject, he had one less O than Hermione.
Draco was fourth, Ron fifth, and Neville sixth.
Luna was also first in her second year.
The seven-person group was far ahead, delivering a dimensional reduction strike. They were practically Hogwarts' blades, guns, and cannons, the top enforcers.
Draco: "Hmph, you just got lucky, Potter. Next time, I will be the one who wins!"
Harry was long used to Draco's daily routine of talking tough and didn't take it to heart.
Instead, he fantasized about how proud his parents would look when he went back with his report card.
Then he couldn't help laughing.
Draco: What is this guy laughing at?
Seeing Harry grinning foolishly over there, Dracoimmediately turned his head to taunt Ron.
"Hmph, Number Five Weasley, shine my shoes."
Hearing Draco's words, Ron immediately stood up, looking unconvinced.
"You just won against me by sheer dumb luck! If you have the guts, let's have a 1v1 duel!"
"Bring it on! Just to state for the record, you are the challenger."
Ron: Always provoking me (╬￣dish￣)
"OK then, placing bets! The odds for both of them are one to one."
Hode lay on Hermione's legs, used Transfiguration to build a decision stage for the two of them, and then opened the bets.
Harry: "I bet ten Galleons on Ron!"
Harry didn't hesitate, directly choosing his good friend.
Neville: "I'll also bet on Ron... one Galleon."
Luna and Hermione didn't place any bets. Seeing that no one bet on him, Draco immediately pulled out twenty Galleons to back himself.
Then the two began their duel.
"Expelliarmus." × 2
As usual, they started with Expelliarmus for a beam clash.
Their magic canceled each other out, neither side tipping over.
Seeing that they were locked in a stalemate, both of them simultaneously canceled their spells.
"Fiendfyre!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
The two spells began to collide, and in the end, Ron's water release was slightly superior.
However, after being blocked by the Fiendfyre, the power of the Water Dragon Bullet was also reduced significantly.
Draco easily blocked it using Protego Totalum.
Draco: "Sectumsempra!"
Ron: "Earth Style Wall."
Then the two countered each other move for move, neither able to take down the other.
Finally, when their Magic was about to bottom out, Dracoshouted loudly.
"Dragon Scales, Reflection, Twin Meteors! —— Release!"
Ron prepared to use Shield Charm to defend, but suddenly the ground turned into a swamp, making him lose his balance.
This was a trap Draco had laid out early on, intended precisely for this moment.
Harry saw this scene and said in shock: "In other words..."
Luna: "That's right, Draco won!"
Draco's strongest battle record was engraved within the suitcase!
A swift slash struck Ron's chest, and blood began to flow continuously.
Looking at Ron who had fallen to the ground, Dracorevealed a victorious smile.
"How truly boring, Weasley. I think I'll forget you in the next second!"
"Alright, match over. The winner is Draco."
After Hode finished speaking, he snapped his fingers, restoring Ron's injuries.
"Damn it, I lagged in this wave."
Ron held his head in annoyance, deeply regretting the match just now.
Harry stepped forward to comfort him: "If you lagged, then there's really nothing that can be done."
Draco put away the money he won and then continued to taunt Ron.
"Alright, you guys should go pack your things and get ready to catch the Hogwarts Express."
Ron: "Hode, can't you send us directly home? This shouldn't be difficult for you."
"The scenery along the way can bring people a different kind of experience. You'll understand when you reach my age."
Everyone else: Aside from Luna and Harry, which of us isn't older than you?
Hode said again: "If you guys want to go to Nurmengard, I wouldn't mind giving you a ride."
Ron and the others shook their heads immediately, then all returned to their respective dormitories to pack their things.
"Then let's go."
Hermione held Hode's hand. She had already written to her parents saying she would go stay at Hode's grandpa's house for a few days.
Mrs. Granger highly agreed, and even wanted to bring her husband along to visit as well.
But Hermione thought of how Nurmengard was built to be a prison, so she decided to tell them not to go.
—— Nurmengard.
"Hi hi hi, I hu... Where is this? Is this still domestic?"
Hode brought Hermione to Nurmengard via teleportation, then felt unfamiliar looking at everything around them.
Inside the Great Hall, a crystal chandelier hung from the painted dome, and portraits of Gellert, Rosier, and himself hung on the oak wainscoting, each framed in gold.
On both sides were stairs covered in red carpets, every single step made of a solid piece of Carrara white marble, leading straight to the second floor in a quarter-circle arc.
The fire in the fireplace clinging against the wall was blazing, casting flickering lights on the patterns of the Persian carpet.
In the distance, Gellert and Rosier walked over without stopping after hearing Hode's voice.
"Hahaha, welcome to Nurmengard, little Hermione."
Gellert laughed loudly, and Rosier also said:
"Hello, Hermione. We've finally met. My name is Vinda Rosier."
Hermione bowed politely, "Hello, Grandpa Gellert, Grandma Rosier."
"Oh! What a good child, come quickly, I'll take you on a tour."
Rosier took Hermione by the hand and left.
"So what is going on here? You guys didn't tear down Nurmengard and rebuild it, did you?!"
"It's not that exaggerated, just modified a little bit."
"You call this a little bit?!"
Hode was completely speechless. He had lived here for so many years and never saw them modify anything.
The moment Hermione came, this Nurmengard changed completely, showing no signs of its original appearance as a prison at all.
Looking at this luxurious decoration, with even rockeries and a swimming pool outside! Hode only felt that he had been deceived.
Afterwards, he found Hermione and discovered that they were in the bathhouse, where Rosier was introducing the hot springs in the pool.
Seeing Hermione's amazed expression, Hode couldn't bear it anymore and immediately returned into the suitcase.
Daring to compare architecture with a civil engineering bro was courting death!
Previously, Hode only slightly modified his own manor, but now, he was going to make drastic changes and thoroughly remodel it.
After Hermione finished her tour, she found that Hode was nowhere to be seen, so she asked Gellert.
"Grandpa Gellert, do you know where Hode is?"
Gellert took a sip of tea, "He probably feels like he was beaten, so he's remodeling his house inside the suitcase."
Chapter 84: The New Manor
Hermione came inside the suitcase and found herself standing on a lawn, while the entire manor had already been enclosed by Hode, who was now frantically tearing down the house.
"Hode, there's no need to change it, I think it's pretty good."
"That won't do, this concerns my title as the Civil Engineering Emperor! I can't let myself be outdone."
While tearing it down, Hode transformed the dismantled structures.
"Hermione, you go out first, I'll give you a surprise later."
Hearing Hode's words, Hermione could only indulge him.
Afterwards, Hode spent a few hours, multitasking with undivided attention, and finally finished it.
Then Hode returned outside, where Hermione was chatting with Rosier.
"Hermione, I've got it all set up, come take a look."
Without giving Hermione a chance to reply, Hode covered her eyes with his hand and brought her back into the suitcase.
"Ta-da!"
Hode let go of his hand, and Hermione opened her eyes to take a look.
A Chinese-style garden came into view.
Surrounded by beautiful pale white walls, a few sprigs of dark green tiles poked out from the top of the wall, understated to the point of plainness.
The main gate was black, studded with eighty-one pure gold nails.
The door knockers were Taotie holding rings, and when struck, the sound was deep and heavy like a bell.
In front of the gate coiled two dragon statues made of pure gold, with tangled manes and beards, and gazes like torches.
But pushing open the door and entering, the scene suddenly transformed—rockeries, ponds, pavilions, and winding corridors unfolded layer upon layer, like a slowly unfurling long scroll.
The main peak's rockery was stacked with Taihu stones, slender, porous, translucent, and wrinkled, like an azure dragon raising its head.
A small pavilion was built on top of the mountain, with a pyramidal roof covered in dark green tiles, and stone tables and stools inside the pavilion.
Sitting on it, one could overlook the entire garden—the winding pond was like a ribbon, dividing the garden into two.
The deep green pond water reflected the sky's light, and a few red carps swam slowly.
Occasionally, with a flick of a tail, ripples spread out in circles, shattering the reflected shadow of the pavilion.
A nine-turn bridge was built over the pond, with the bridge deck paved with bluestone slabs, white jade balustrades, and a small stone lion squatting on each pillar, each in a different posture.
Across the bridge was the water pavilion, facing the water on three sides, with ice-crack pattern long windows on all four sides, and goose-neck chairs beneath the windows.
Flowers and trees were planted all around the pond—begonias in spring, lotuses in summer, sweet osmanthus in autumn, and wintersweet in winter, offering scenery in all four seasons.
The entire house was as tall as five stories, and hollowed out in the middle, enough to look up at the sky from the center of the first floor.
The main hall was relatively understated, paved with floor tiles made of obsidian, and the tables, chairs, and furniture were all made of ebony, carrying a black sheen, elegant and unpretentious.
Right in the center was a long table, on which were placed the tea sets frequently used by Hode.
The fluorescent light shining down made one feel calm and relaxed, as if time itself had slowed down.
"Hmph hmph, how is it?" Hode was very confident in his craftsmanship.
"So beautiful! But isn't it a bit too extravagant?"
Hermione looked at the obsidian floor tiles under her feet, the various pure gold door handles, handrails, and so on around her.
She felt a bit like a princess in a fairy tale, living in a place that was much too luxurious.
"Is that so? I feel it's just alright."
Hode didn't feel much about it; these were all turned by his divine power, and they were all real.
And for him, anything made with divine power or Magicwas just like free.
After all, to him, this bit of divine power was less than what he recovered.
"Alright, let me show you the rooms."
Afterwards, Hode took Hermione to tour the inside, and he had cast the Undetectable Extension Charm on all the rooms.
Hode had made almost all the projects that could possibly be done.
Like hot springs, swimming pool, gym, dining room, cinema hall, and so on.
And the top floor, the fifth floor, was Hode and Hermione's rooms.
Opening the door, there was a hallway as wide as five meters.
The room was decorated simply, with only some necessary furniture, and the bed was the most eye-catching, located in the middle of the room, three meters wide, enough for the two of them to roll around on the bed.
After seeing it, Hermione had already started imagining her future life with Hode.
Thinking of this, her face instantly turned bright red.
"Hmm? Hermione, why are you blushing?"
"N-nothing, let's hurry outside, Grandma Rosier says dinner will be ready soon."
"Alright."
The two played in Nurmengard for a few days, and then after Hode sent Hermione back, he came to Diagon Alley.
Because Lupin was afraid of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class curse, he resigned to Dumbledore after teaching for a year, and returned to Hode's shop once again.
"Lupin, how are our mobile phone sales going?"
Seeing that it was Hode, Lupin immediately said excitedly: "They're a massive hit! Right now, even Wizards from other countries are running over to buy them."
Lupin took out the ledger and continued speaking.
"People from the Ministries of magic of other countries also want to install magic connectors to access the internet, just waiting for your word."
Hode nodded, then took out a bag.
"There are about a hundred inside, sell each for 50 Galleons."
Lupin took it, then nodded to show he understood.
"Right, Fudge came by once yesterday, but after you weren't there, he left."
"Alright, got it."
Hode nodded, then apparated to the Ministry of Magic, inside Fudge's office.
At this time, Fudge was frantically busy and overwhelmed because of the upcoming Quidditch World Cup.
"Fudge, I heard you were looking for me?"
Hode instantly arrived in the chair opposite Fudge.
Seeing Hode suddenly appear, Fudge immediately hunched over and trotted to Hode's side.
"Lord Hode, this humble one simply wanted to give you a few tickets to the Quidditch World Cup."
As he spoke, he took out twenty tickets and respectfully offered them with both hands.
After taking them, Hode said again: "You'd be this idle? Running all the way to Diagon Alley just to deliver a few tickets? Spit it out if you have something to say."
After gaining Hode's permission, Fudge immediately put on a flattering smile.
"Hehehe, as expected, nothing can be hidden from you, Lord Hode! Do you know about the Triwizard Tournament?"
"The Goblet of Fire was brought back by me."
Hearing this, Fudge said: "Lord Hode, with your strength, winning the Triwizard Tournament would be a piece of cake, and it could also let those foreigners witness the strength of our Britain! So..."
"Are you trying to open a gambling ring and make a killing?"
Discovering that his little scheme had been exposed, Fudge hurriedly lowered his head.
"I wouldn't dare!"
"Fine then, I will most likely participate, although it feels a bit like bullying kids."
Fudge: Aren't you a kid yourself?
Just as Fudge was complaining inwardly, the black dragon mark on his arm immediately sent a piercing pain straight to his heart.
"Ah—! S-Sorry, my lord!"
"Let this be an exception."
After saying this, Hode vanished once more.
——Back inside the suitcase, Hode looked at the tickets in his hand.
The seats were the best, located in the uppermost box.
(Because Quidditch is played in the air, the topmost seats are the best.)
Hode rubbed his chin, pondering who he should give the tickets to.
First was giving one to Hermione; that was without a doubt.
Then Old Gellert and Rosier probably wouldn't go; Old Dumbledore and Fudge would most likely get tickets anyway.
Then Harry... his parents and godfather were certainly not people lacking money.
Ron's family could be given some, then Neville, Luna.
Professor McGonagall could also be asked if she had any.
Draco's family didn't even need to be considered—they were the wizarding world's most famous old money.
And Lupin and those two NPC shop assistants needed to be given some.
Hode didn't think anymore; he still had to ask first to know who wanted them and who didn't.
No sooner said than done, Hode immediately started his ticket-delivery journey.
Chapter 85: Delivering Tickets
"Hermione, did you miss me?"
(づ￣ ³￣)づ
"Weren't we just apart for a little while?"
Watching Hode teleport into her room and getting ready to pounce, Hermione agilely used a book to block Hode's mouth.
Hode: "But I missed you."
Hermione put the book down, and taking her by surprise, Hode gently kissed her cheek.
"So you simply missed me?"
Hermione affectionately pulled Hode onto her bed, then patted his head.
"I came to tell you about this."
After finishing, Hode took out the tickets given by Fudge, and Hermione took one to look at it.
"Quidditch World Cup! I remember the last time it was held in Britain was thirty years ago! And these are even the best seats! Could these have been given by Fudge?"
"That's right, my Hermione is so smart! Although I'm not interested in these things, joining in the fun is pretty entertaining too."
Hermione nodded, "You still have so many tickets, who are you going to give them to?"
"I've thought of some people, but I still need to go ask if they want them."
"Do you want me to go with you?"
"I couldn't ask for anything better."
The two began their ticket-delivering journey——
——The Burrow.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
"Coming!"
"Long time no see, Mrs. Weasley." × 2
Upon hearing the knock, Molly opened the door and saw Hode and Hermione politely greeting her.
"Oh! Long time no see, Hode, Hermione. Come on in, how have you been recently?"
Hermione: "We are very well, thank you for your concern."
Molly clutched her chest: "Merlin's unitards! How can there be such a polite child! If Fred, George, and Ron were half as well-behaved as Hermione, I'd thank the heavens."
Hode also spoke up: "Mrs. Weasley, these are tickets for the Quidditch World Cup, and the seats are the best. We have a lot of them, so we'd like to invite your family to go watch too."
As he spoke, Hode took out nine tickets.
"Oh dear, this is too precious, I can't..."
"Merlin's bikini! Quidditch World Cup tickets?! And the best seats too! You're the best, Hode!"
Just as Molly was about to refuse, the Weasley Twinstrotted down excitedly from the second floor and grabbed the tickets from Hode's hands.
"George! Fred! Your dad is a Ministry of Magic employee, he can get tickets! Don't waste such precious tickets from Hode!"
Molly spoke earnestly, but the Weasley Twins showed no intention of returning them at all.
"Oh come on, Mum, these are the best seats."
"That's right, and this is Hode's kind gesture, how can we refuse? It would be great to sell Dad's tickets to someone else later."
"You're completely right, Fred."
The Weasley Twins echoed each other, and Ron and the others also heard the commotion and hurried down.
Ron scratched his head, "Hode, Hermione. Why are you guys here?"
Afterwards, the Weasley Twins explained the matter to the others, and then everyone started persuading Molly.
Among them, Ron was the most enthusiastic.
"Mum, I think Fred is right! We can't let down Hode's kindness!"
"But..."
Molly intended to retort, but Hode also spoke up.
"It's fine, I still have plenty anyway. We still have things to do, so we'll be leaving first."
Finishing, Hode immediately took Hermione and left.
——Nurmengard.
"Hi hi hi, I'm here again~"
"We're not watching."
Gellert had long foreseen what Hode was coming for, so as soon as Hode appeared, he directly refused.
"Alright, goodbye."
Hode was also a decisive person, immediately leaving and arriving at the Longbottom estate.
Because Augusta wasn't interested, Hode gave three tickets to Neville.
Then he hurried non-stop to Hogwarts.
——Transfiguration office.
"Knock, knock, knock."
"Professor McGonagall, are you around?"
"Come in."
Hode pushed the door open and saw Professor McGonagall writing a letter.
"Professor McGonagall, writing admission letters, are you?"
Seeing that the visitors were Hode and Hermione, Professor McGonagall also stopped the work in her hands.
"Why are you here?"
"Hehe, of course it's to bring you a gift."
Then Hode pulled out a ticket and handed it to Professor McGonagall.
"Quidditch World Cup tickets?! And the best seats too! You two are really thoughtful."
Professor McGonagall took them; although she wasn't short of tickets, such good seats were indeed rare.
Moreover, she wasn't a pretentious person. Knowing that Hode could now be said to be a supreme authority in the wizarding world, she accepted them with a clear conscience.
"As long as you like it, then we'll be leaving first."
The two teleported once more, arriving at the Hog's Headin Hogsmeade.
Nowadays, this place had been renovated by Aberforth, making it worlds apart from what it used to be. The surroundings were clean, completely unlike the filthy and messy state it was in before.
Aberforth was pouring drinks at the bar, while Ariana was helping wipe the tables.
"Yo! Ariana, Aberforth."
"Hode! Hermione! Welcome!"
Seeing that it was her benefactor, Ariana cheerfully greeted them.
Because after Hode resurrected Ariana, the Obscurusinside her had vanished, allowing her to play to her heart's content without having to live in fear anymore.
"We're here to deliver Quidditch World Cup tickets. Wonder if Old Dumbledore has given you tickets yet?"
"My brother has already given us two tickets, so we don't need them, thank you."
"Alright then, see you then."
Finishing, Hode and Hermione left.
The two came to Luna's doorstep.
Luna's house was as eccentric as she was, built to look like a radish buried in the ground.
"Luna, are you home?"
Hode shouted out, and then heard rapid footsteps.
Luna pushed the door open, looking at the two in pleasant surprise.
"Hode, Hermione, why are you here?"
Afterwards, Hode gave the tickets to Luna and her father.
Although Luna invited them to have a meal, Hode still declined.
Returning to Diagon Alley, Hode gave the remaining three tickets to Lupin and the other two in the shop.
Returning inside the suitcase, Hode and Hermione were eating dinner at the dining table and chatting.
"So Fudge just wants you to participate in the Triwizard Tournament so he can make money off France and Germany? He really doesn't do anything without the prospect of profit."
Hermione sneered at Fudge's actions. With a man like this becoming Minister, the British wizarding world was truly blessed.
"Doesn't matter, anyway I promised you I'd participate, and we can make a huge profit by then too."
Hermione tilted her head, "How do we profit?"
Hode took out his phone and waved it in front of Hermione.
"Don't forget we can live stream it. This is massive traffic, and we can also make some advertising money."
Hearing Hode's words, Hermione's eyes lit up.
"That's right, you're too smart, Hode."
"Of course, of course. I've already handed this matter over to Lupin to handle, and we'll also live stream the Quidditch World Cup. Let's see how much we can earn."
Chapter 86: No Problem
Not many days later, Fudge brought news—Peter Pettigrew had escaped from Azkaban!
Originally Fudge thought Hode would be super duper angry and furious.
But he didn't.
Hode had long cast tracking magic on Peter, and the moment he broke out of prison, Hode knew.
Letting Peter leave and letting Voldemort's resurrection plan follow the original plot was fine.
Hode planned to have him destroy the Horcrux inside Harry on the day Voldemort was resurrected, and then wipe out Voldemort along with the other Horcruxes in one fell swoop.
Then Hode came to Hogwarts—
"You mean Barty Jr. will impersonate Moody, and right under my nose send Harry all the way to the final task, then replace the cup with a Portkey. Finally, Voldemort will be resurrected using Harry's blood!"
"No problem."
Listening to what Hode said, Dumbledore found it unbelievable.
"Did you foresee all of this?"
"No problem." ^ ⎚ ‸ ⎚ ^
Dumbledore's mouth twitched. Although it sounded absurd, he believed what Hode said.
"Then what do you plan to do?"
Hode smiled crookedly, "We'll play along with their scheme. Now those pure-bloods have already submitted to me, and only some Death Eaters are hiding in Knockturn Alley or other nooks and crannies."
Hode pointed his thumb at himself and continued.
"Leave Voldemort to me when the time comes. As for those Death Eaters, just lead your Order of the Phoenix to gang up on them. We will completely wipe out Voldemort."
Dumbledore nodded, highly approving of Hode's plan.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Hode."
"O-fucking-K, just watch me beat up Voldemort when the time comes."
A few days later, Harry along with James and Lily came to Hode's shop.
Harry: "Hode, long time no see, and Professor Lupin too."
James and Lily: "Long time no see, Hode, Remus."
Hode sat on a stool and casually greeted them, "Hi~"
Seeing Harry's family, Lupin immediately stepped forward to embrace them.
"Long time no see, James, Lily, and Harry! What brings you here?"
Harry said with a smile, "We're here to deliver Quidditch World Cup tickets! Dad and Godfather bought several, and wanted to ask if you want any."
Then Lupin told Harry's family that Hode had many tickets and had also given some to Ron and the others.
Harry nodded.
"Is that so? I was thinking of giving a few to Ron and the others. Since that's the case, these tickets can only be given to someone else."
Then Harry ran over to Hode's side, starting to talk about how recently his parents and Sirius had taken him to play in all sorts of places.
Perhaps because James and Lily felt they owed Harry, they doted on him immensely after resurrection.
Every day they would go to all kinds of places to have fun, and Lily would also make all sorts of delicious food for Harry.
Life at his parents' home and at his aunt and uncle's home was completely like heaven and hell.
"Hode, you know, having parents is just different. I no longer have to look at my aunt and uncle's grim faces. As the saying goes, a child with a mother is like a treasure, a child without a mother is like a blade of grass."
Hode:...Why do I feel like you're taking a jab at me?
Harry also realized that what he just said was problematic.
"Sorry, Hode. I forgot that you are also..."
"Enough, I don't care about those things. You should play a bit less, and have your dad teach you some magic; you'll need to make a big splash next semester."
Harry tilted his head, very confused by Hode's words.
"How will I make a big splash next semester? Is it about Voldemort again?"
Hode couldn't help admiring, "You really guessed it right, it has some relation to Voldemort. So you must work hard."
Hode patted Harry's shoulder and said earnestly.
After Lupin, James, and Lily chatted for a while, they also left.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day of the Quidditch World Cup match.
---The Burrow
"Hurry up! George, Fred, Ron, and Arthur! Ginny has been up for a long time, and Harry, Luna, Neville and their families have all arrived, and you guys are still sleeping in!"
Molly's voice, like a lion's roar, resounded through the entire house.
Lily rubbed her ears, the corners of her mouth curling up. "Sister Molly is as bold and heroic as ever."
Molly sighed, "If those boys of mine could be as well-behaved as Harry and the others, that would be great."
James and Sirius exchanged a glance, and then looked at Harry.
That look seemed to say: Where are you well-behaved? Aren't you just like us?
James rubbed his nose and then said.
"Harry is also often mischievous; Neville and Luna are the well-behaved ones."
The Longbottoms and Mr. Lovegood also became modest, and the several pairs of parents chatted with each other.
After being resurrected, James and Lily had visited old friends of the Order of the Phoenix and Mr. Lovegood, so they had long known about their resurrection.
Taking advantage of the others chatting, Lily nudged Jameswith her elbow and whispered.
"Look, the way Ginny looks at Harry isn't right."
James looked over and found Ginny sitting shyly beside Harry, while Harry was chatting with Neville, completely unaware of Ginny's admiring gaze.
Sirius also noticed Harry's side, and then proudly stroked his mustache.
"This kid is just as popular as we were back then!"
Soon, the three Rons ran downstairs.
"Harry, you guys got here really early."
Hearing Ron's words, Molly immediately retorted angrily, "You guys got up too late!"
Ron rubbed his ears and immediately pointed upstairs unconvinced.
"Then how come Bill and Charlie are still sleeping!"
Ron didn't mention Percy because he had already graduated and entered the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
Now Percy had arrived early at the Quidditch pitch, busy bustling about for the tasks given by Barty Crouch.
"Because the two of them can Apparate there."
Molly's words left Ron completely without a comeback.
"Wait, didn't Hode come?" Ron asked again.
Harry shook his head, "For him, going anywhere is just a matter of a thought. How could he wake up as early as us? They might still be sleeping."
Ron also highly approved of Harry's words; magic that let you go wherever you wanted was truly enviable.
Arthur also walked downstairs, "Everyone's here, let's hurry up and go."
Molly grabbed Arthur by the ear.
"You still have the nerve to say that! The latest one is you!"
Arthur immediately began to beg for mercy, "I was wrong, I was wrong, wife, I was wrong! I won't dare next time!"
— —
When the Weasleys were ready, a full four large families, totaling 15 people in a grand procession,
began walking towards Stoatshead Hill behind Ottery St Catchpole.
"Hey, Arthur, you really kept me waiting quite a bit." As the few of them just climbed up the hill, a middle-aged male voice rang out.
"Sorry, Amos, we got up a little late."
The newcomer was Amos Diggory, who worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
And right beside him was Hufflepuff's proudest champion: Cedric Diggory!
Chapter 87: Nine to Twelve — Aerial Veil!
Amos and Cedric stepped forward to greet them, but when Amos saw James and Lily standing beside Harry, he froze instantly.
"H-How can they look so much like James and Lily!"
Amos knew them, or rather, there were very few people in the Ministry of Magic who didn't know what James and Lily looked like.
After all, they were the heroes who defeated Voldemort, and their portraits were displayed right inside the Ministry of Magic.
James scratched his head and then offered Amos an explanation.
"I never expected that Mr. Grindelwald would be so powerful, capable of even bringing the dead back to life!" Amos couldn't help exclaiming.
The reason James spoke the truth was because he had long since asked Hode what he should say if others inquired.
And Hode's exact words were: "Just tell the truth, what's the big deal? Do you think anyone can threaten me?"
"Alright, it's almost time, everyone take your positions!" Weasley interrupted the two.
Only the Weasleys carried bulging, oversized backpacks, while everyone else packed their luggage using backpacks enchanted with the Undetectable Extension Charm.
Afterwards, the group managed to gather around the shabby old boot in Amos's hand.
Mr. Weasley kept one eye on his pocket watch and muttered softly.
"Three... Two... One..."
The Portkey activated instantly, transporting the group to a vast, desolate, and misty marshland.
Harry saw two exhausted, gloomy-looking Wizards standing in front of them.
One of them was holding a large gold pocket watch, while the other held a thick roll of parchment and a quill.
"Good morning, Basil," Arthur greeted first.
"Hello, Arthur," Basil said wearily, holding the parchment.
"You certainly have good luck, we've been guarding here for a whole night!"
"Hahaha, sorry, my luck is indeed very good," Arthurlaughed unbashedly.
Then the group arrived at their respective tents.
Because of Hode, Fudge had specifically instructed the Ministry personnel to pitch their tents next to each other.
Harry looked at the tiny tent, which looked like it could only fit one person, and he bet that the Undetectable Extension Charm must have been cast inside.
Harry, his parents, and Sirius crawled into the tent bearing their names.
Sure enough, the interior instantly became spacious, spanning an area of around one hundred square meters.
All kinds of furniture were complete inside, though not exceptionally luxurious, but passable enough.
"Alright, your mother and I are planning to go chat with Arthur and the others. After all, we should keep a low profile to avoid trouble. You go out and play with Ron and them."
Hearing James's words, Harry nodded happily and ran off to find Ron and the others.
Soon, the group prepared to set off and check out everything around them.
After all, it was said that over one hundred thousand Wizards had come to watch the match, so the place could be described as extraordinarily lively.
"Yo, looks like the timing is just right." Hode and Hermioneinstantly appeared before the group.
"Hode, Hermione."
Everyone immediately crowded around.
"We were just getting ready to look around everywhere, want to join us?"
"Sure, let's go."
Hode also wanted to stroll around nicely with Hermione; after all, having so many Wizards gathered together was indeed a rare sight.
The group officially set off — —
Along the way, Harry and the others were dazzled by what they saw.
A few children who hadn't reached school age yet were sneakily playing around everywhere with their parents' Wands.
There was also a young wizard taking out a large Slug he kept and showing it off there.
As a result, a child accidentally tapped it with a Wand, and instantly the Slug exploded, covering everyone nearby in slime.
They also saw some African Wizards, who seemed to like walking barefoot.
On the other side, a group of young and pretty American witches were chatting in front of their tent.
Hanging on their tent was also a banner that read: Salem Witches' Institute.
Harry and the others stared at them without blinking — blonde hair and blue eyes, hot figures, and bold outfits.
For teenagers in adolescence like Harry and the others, this was utterly fatal.
Those witches also noticed them, whispered something to each other, and then began waving at them.
Seeing their invitation, the Weasley Twins didn't hesitate to step forward and strike up a conversation, while Harryand Ron hesitated for a moment before finally being unable to resist following along.
Only Neville was a bit timid when facing this kind of thing; although he wanted to go, he still didn't step forward.
Ginny watched Harry and her own brothers, then rolled her eyes.
"These boys are such a disgrace!"
Hode felt that Ginny actually didn't care about Ron and the others; she only said that mainly because Harry had gone too.
Hermione took hold of Ginny's hand and comforted her: "Alright, never mind them, let's go."
Afterwards, the original nine-person squad turned into a five-person squad and continued on their way.
As they walked, Hode spotted a seventy- or eighty-year-old Japanese Wizard setting up a chess manual in the distance.
Hode immediately walked over, and seeing this, Hermioneand the others followed.
"Hey, old man, dare to play a game with me?"
Hearing Hode's words, that Japanese Wizard smiled disdainfully.
"You? Brat, come back when you're all grown up."
Seeing this old man mocking him, Hode took out a bottle of Felix Felicis and said.
"If you win, this belongs to you. But if I win, I want your Soul. How about it?"
"Hode, are you sure about this?"
Hermione tugged at the corner of Hode's shirt, not understanding why Hode was being so mean to this old man for no apparent reason.
But she believed that Hode must have his reasons for doing this.
"Of course." Hode nodded.
From far away, Hode had seen that this old man's Soulwas extremely evil.
Then he secretly cast Legilimency and checked this fellow's memories.
As a result, he was shocked by what he saw.
This old fellow was named Memu Sanae, and he had once participated in Unit 731, specifically to use the people of the Dragon Kingdom for human experiments.
At this point, Hode could no longer tolerate it! He had to make this old bastard pay the price.
Meanwhile, Memu Sanae looked at that bottle of Felix Felicis, his eyes filled with greed.
This stupid kid actually had Felix Felicis, and even dared to use it to gamble with him — he was simply courting death!
Memu Sanae licked his lips, having already ridiculed Hodein his heart several times.
As for losing the chess game to Hode? He didn't believe how a child could possibly win against him. Not to mention that even if he lost, he didn't believe Hode could do anything to his Soul.
Their commotion also attracted the curiosity of the surrounding people, who then gathered around to watch.
Harry and the others in the distance stopped chatting with the witches and quickly hurried to Hode's side.
Memu Sanae cleared the chessboard and then smiled.
"Come on, brat. Since you initiated the challenge, it's fine if I make the first move, right?"
Without giving Hode a chance to speak, Sanae immediately placed a black piece on a corner of the chessboard.
"Hehe, rest assured, you're going to lose miserably!"
With that, Hode picked up a white piece and shouted loudly.
"Whatever you've got, opening move Nine to Twelve — Aerial Veil!"
Hermione:???
Sanae:?
The others didn't know the rules and thought Hode's move was extremely badass.
Chapter 88: You Can't Beat Me, Believe It or Not
Sanae: "Are you sure you know how to play chess?"
"Nonsense, you can't beat me! Believe it or not!"
Hearing Hode's words, Sanae became even more excited.
Turns out he was just a fool who knew nothing, so this bottle of Felix Felicis was practically in the bag.
Then he placed another stone in the other corner.
"Idiot!" Hode sneered, then picked up a white piece again.
"Nine-thirteen! Zhao Xiong Shijie Jiang!"
Looking at the two closely connected white pieces, Hermione couldn't help speaking out.
"Hode, what on earth are you doing?"
Hode didn't explain, just persistently smirked.
"Trust me! We'll win!"
Sanae: "Win my ass!"
"Look at what kind of crap you're playing!"
Sanae placed another piece in another corner. Now three of the four corners of the chessboard were occupied by him, and he couldn't imagine how this Hode, who didn't know how to play chess, could possibly win.
Just like before, Hode placed his piece tightly next to the other white pieces.
"Nine-fourteen! Weijing Wang Leisi!"
Looking at the three closely adjacent white pieces, Sanae could hardly suppress the joy in his heart.
"Great, to encounter such a fool—Felix Felicis is mine!"
Sanae played in the last corner. In Go, his advantage could be said to be unquestionable.
Harry and the others didn't understand and thought the two of them were fighting back and forth evenly.
Hode took out a white piece and made a move again.
"Nine-fifteen! Chuan Pusi Mu!"
Seeing Hode's confident look, Sanae suddenly felt something was fishy, but he couldn't figure it out.
Looking at the chessboard, Sanae finally hesitated and placed the black piece at nine-eleven.
"Hehe, blocking now? It's too late! Music!"
"One flower, one leaf, one bodhi, all reincarnation is just a maze, I scatter bodhi petals all over the ground..."
Harry: "Where is that music coming from?"
Hode took out a white piece and shouted loudly.
"Let you witness it, the legendary Move of God!"
"What?! The Move of God!"
Sanae looked at Hode in disbelief; he didn't believe there could be any Move of God in this game of chess.
Hode didn't explain, just chuckled with a hum.
"Nine-sixteen—Fish-blasting 666!"
Along with Hode placing his last piece, Sanae suddenly understood something.
"You... you were playing Gomoku with me?!"
Hode couldn't keep a straight face anymore, revealing his perfect jawline.
"What I was playing is Gomoku! You lost, aren't you pissed?"
Sanae instantly couldn't sit still and immediately overturned the chessboard.
"What I played was Go, and of course the bet was based on Go, this round doesn't count!"
Facing Sanae's fury, Hode simply picked his nose.
"I don't care about your ifs and buts, whatever I play goes! Now you've lost, so hand over your Soul!"
Seeing Hode's unreasonable behavior, Sanae could no longer suppress it and immediately roared.
"Get lost!"
Sanae finally realized that Hode had been playing with him all along.
This was clearly: A mischievous child teasing an old man!
Harry and the others covered their faces when they saw this scene.
Turns out they thought Hode and that old man were fighting evenly back and forth, but the two of them weren't even playing the same game at all.
Hode didn't care about Sanae's anger at all, instead putting on a cold face.
"A bet is a bet, do you think I'm joking with you?"
With that, Hode placed one hand on top of Sanae's head and gave a gentle grab.
As if his Soul had been snatched away, Sanae instantly collapsed to the ground.
The surrounding people looked on dumbfounded, feeling a bit strange.
"Did he just do something? I didn't see him use any magiceither, how did that old man suddenly fall down?"
"Who knows, maybe it's a performance piece. Oh well, let's go."
The surrounding people thought Hode and the others were just performing, and then began to disperse.
Then Hode snapped his fingers, and Sanae, who had lost his Soul on the ground, instantly disappeared, having been sent by Hode to be buried in some cesspool.
"Hode, did you really take his Soul away?"
Although they didn't see anything, given Hode's ability, taking someone's Soul was something they believed to be very simple for Hode.
"That's right, I took his Soul."
Hermione: "Why? Could it be that he is a very evil Wizard?"
Hode nodded, "You are completely right, Hermione. So he deserved to die."
This matter didn't leave a deep impression on them; after all, it was just a Dark Wizard who died.
"Neville, you know what, those American girls just added me on QQ."
Harry took out his phone, which was displaying the accounts of several girls.
"Hmph!"
Ginny bumped Harry with her shoulder, then let out a cold snort and walked in front.
"What's wrong with her?" Harry rubbed his bumped shoulder, feeling shocked by Ginny's strength.
Neville hesitated, not knowing how to put it, while Lunaspoke up first.
"Perhaps Ginny is jealous?"
Ron:?
"No, Harry, I treat you like a brother, but you're eyeing my sister!"
Harry shook his head quickly, indicating he knew nothing.
But looking at Ginny ahead, Harry found that she was actually quite pretty.
And Hode provided an assist: "Ginny has adored you since she was little~ As long as you confess, Ginny will definitely agree!"
Hearing this, Harry instantly blushed.
He thought of his parents, falling in love early, getting married, and then having him.
Harry felt that this seemed pretty good, and Ginny was truly beautiful.
The Weasley Twins were also egging him on from the side, urging Harry to go keep Ginny company.
"Come on, Harry! Way to go, keep your chin up, don't lose face!"
Coaxed by everyone, Harry plucked up his courage, trotted over to Ginny's side, and the two walked shoulder to shoulder.
"Um... Ginny, I've already deleted those people, I..."
Harry didn't know what to say, and Ginny directly took Harry's hand and walked forward.
Everyone behind them wore an auntie-like smile.
The group strolled along like this until nightfall, gathering in front of the tents.
"Hey, Arthur."
Everyone looked in the direction the voice came from.
Ludo Bagman was walking over with a group of exhausted Ministry of Magic officials, and Percy was following behind them.
"Hi, Ludo. Everyone, let me introduce him: Ludo Bagman, head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports at the Ministry of Magic, formerly a Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps."
"Hello everyone, I've opened a betting pool, anyone want to place a bet?"
Arthur immediately waved his hand in refusal; after all, Molly was still here!
And Molly said, "Gambling is no good, children, you must not gamble!"
The Weasley Twins didn't listen at all, instead sneaking over to Sirius's side.
"Hey, Sirius, help us bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, and three Knuts."
After Fred finished speaking, he and George quickly took out their money.
"Bet on Ireland to win—but Viktor Krum will catch the Golden Snitch."
Sirius gave a thumbs up, then put the Weasley Twins' money into his own bag, and walked over to Ludo Bagman.
He repeated the Weasley Twins' words word-for-word to Ludo Bagman, and added an extra one hundred Galleons of his own.
Ludo Bagman took the bag given by Sirius and smiled happily.
"Betting like this! You really are bold, I can give you very high odds!"
Chapter 89: Haki gay,
The highly anticipated match between the Bulgarian Teamand the Ireland team was about to begin, and over one hundred thousand Wizards marched grandly toward the huge stadium.
"Hi, everyone!"
Lupin and two NPCs from the shop were in front of the stadium, and seeing everyone, Lupin immediately greeted them.
"Remus!" Sirius and James grabbed and hugged Lupin.
The reason Lupin came so late was because he was helping Hode with the live broadcast.
After all, many people couldn't come here to watch the match, and mobile live streaming could just make up for their regret.
Lupin had placed Alchemy puppets all over the roof of the stadium, and they could broadcast live from 360 degrees without any blind spots.
"Since everyone is here, let's hurry inside!"
Because they had a top-tier private box, they just needed to walk all the way up to the very top.
The stairs leading to the stadium were covered with purplish-red carpets. They mingled with the crowd and slowly walked upward.
Gradually, the crowd began to thin out until there weren't many people left.
After all, the best top-floor private boxes were owned by only a few people.
Finally, they came to a large private box located at the highest point of the stadium. The interior decoration was quite luxurious, with chairs and tables made of fine wood.
There was also a huge display platform in front of them, enough for them to see the one hundred thousand spectators below.
Harry and the others curiously looked down, and then they were all shocked.
Over one hundred thousand Wizards sat and stood in the elliptical stadium, wearing clothes of various colors, with colorful flashes representing magic appearing from time to time.
The few of them looked to the right at a huge blackboard parallel to their line of sight, where various advertisements constantly flashed.
Everyone looked closely——
"Black Dragon magic Shop: An Alchemy Legend's creation, beyond your imagination!... Mrs. Skol's All-Purpose Magical Stain Remover: Effortlessly remove stains!... "
Various advertisements were dazzling, but the ones that appeared most frequently were various products from Hode's shop.
"Hode, I saw your advertisements! That must have cost a lot of money!"
Hearing Harry's exclamation, Hode let out an old-money-like laugh.
"Ha~ ha~ ha! Spending money? Nonexistent, Fudgeadvertises for me for free."
Just at this moment, Draco's family also walked in.
Seeing the others, Draco immediately ran to their side and hugged Harry.
"Harry, everyone, long time no see! And Mr. Potter and Mrs. Potter, as well as uncles and aunts, hello."
"Ginny:?"
"Ron:??"
"Hermione:?!!"
"Hode:?!!!"
"Hey, Hode, is he really Draco?"
Hode opened his eyes wide and said in disbelief.
"His Magic and Soul both have no problem!... But my Souldenies this point, who on earth are you!"
Draco looked at Hode with a bewildered expression, "I am Draco! Why are you looking at me with those eyes?"
Hermione seemed to understand something and whispered into Hode's ear, "Professor Dumbledore."
Hode understood instantly!
Good grief, so because Harry's parents were present, he deliberately acted well-behaved?
Haki gay... You guy!
And when Lucius saw James and Lily nearby, his eyes widened.
Facing the former Death Eater Lucius, none of them had a good expression, let alone taking the initiative to greet him.
Only Sirius greeted Narcissa.
"Long time no see, sister."
Looking at her younger brother who was now glowing with vigor and had regained his past high-spirited demeanor, Narcissa couldn't help smiling.
"Long time no see, Sirius."
"Good evening, everyone!"
Fudge suddenly walked in, followed by the Minister for Magic of Bulgaria and some unfamiliar officials.
When Fudge saw Hode, he ignored everyone else, immediately ran to his side, and then squatted down.
"My lord, the live broadcast has already begun, and the number of viewers has reached over one hundred thousand! Can we start?"
"Proceed according to your plan."
Fudge nodded, and then started making small talk with the people nearby, especially James and Lily.
Although he had already met James and the others when they came to the Ministry of Magic before.
But these were badasses who defeated Voldemort; establishing a good relationship with them was definitely right.
Before long, Ludo Bagman also rushed into the private box, and seeing Fudge, he immediately said,
"It's almost time, Minister. Can we start now?"
Fudge nodded.
Having received permission, Ludo drew his Wand and pointed it at his throat.
"Sonorus!"
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the 422nd Quidditch World Cup!"
One hundred thousand spectators suddenly burst into deafening cheers and applause.
And all kinds of fireworks were released, shooting into the sky.
When the applause gradually subsided, Ludo continued, "Then without further ado, allow me to introduce—the mascot of the Bulgarian Team!"
The one hundred thousand spectators looked at the right-side entrance of the stands. That was the base camp of the Bulgarian Team.
Soon, as many as a hundred stunningly beautiful Veelawalked onto the pitch of the stadium with elegant steps.
Then, a piece of music began to play, and the Veela began to dance.
The gazes of the vast majority of male Wizards were attracted by the Veela, and Harry and the others were no exception.
Watching Harry looking bewitched beside her, Ginnyinstantly grew furious.
As for Ron, who had a lecherous pig face and was preparing to jump down, Ginny didn't care at all.
Fortunately, Arthur stopped Ron's action, and James also gently patted Harry on the head to snap him back to his senses.
As for Neville, mainly due to his timid nature, he only dared to watch from a distance and didn't dare make any moves.
As for Hode, he cared even less. In his eyes, these Veelareally didn't look that great; others thought they were pretty purely because they were affected by the Veela's Magic.
As for the other adults... their wives were right beside them after all, and they cared more about their own lives.
Sirius and Lupin, two single dogs, wouldn't be affected by the Veela's abilities either.
Harry said dizzily, "These Veela are really amazing!"
"How pathetic, Harry." Draco couldn't help mocking him.
The spectators below were equally crazy; many Wizards couldn't control themselves and rushed down successively, seemingly wanting to run into the pitch to get up close and personal with those Veela.
Fortunately, the Ministry of Magic's security system was in place, and Aurors were maintaining order at every entrance.
Soon, after the music stopped, the Veela began to exit.
The stadium instantly filled with wails of grief; they were unwilling for the Veela to leave, and Harry and the others felt the same way, only they were too embarrassed to say it out loud.
"Next, let us welcome—the mascot of the Ireland team!"
Immediately afterwards, with a swoosh, something huge and alternating green and gold flew into the stadium like a large comet.
Then it began to form a shamrock pattern circling in the air, followed by a descent like golden raindrops.
"It's gold coins!"
Ron cheerfully picked up the gold coins on the ground and prepared to collect all of them from the ground.
But he was stopped by Molly, "These aren't real, don't go around picking things up like a beggar."
Hearing that they weren't real, Ron felt that he probably didn't want to support the Ireland team anymore.
Chapter 90 Quidditch World Cup
"Now! Let us welcome the players of the Bulgarian Teamonto the pitch!"
As Ludo's voice died away, one Bulgarian player after another flew into the Quidditch pitch from the entrance.
And the final red figure sprinted into the air at top speed.
Ron's gaze closely followed that figure, and Harry looked over as well.
"It is Krum! Viktor Krum! The best Seeker!" Ron shouted loudly.
Krum's figure was projected onto the big screen, and the Alchemy puppets also aimed at Krum, magnifying his face.
Krum had a very prominent aquiline nose, thick eyebrows, and a gloomy expression, not looking like an eighteen-year-old youth at all.
The fans of the Bulgarian Team shouted their names one after another, among which Krum's name was heard the most.
Seeming to respond to the fans, the Bulgarian players performed some high-difficulty maneuvers in the air, which made the fans even more excited.
"Now—let us welcome the Ireland team!"
As Ludo's voice died away, seven green figures rushed into the pitch at top speed.
The fans of Ireland shouted one after another.
Finally, Fudge shouted loudly: "Let the match begin!"
The highly anticipated Quidditch World Cup officially began!
Harry watched them riding the Firebolt, reputed to be the fastest in the world, and couldn't help feeling a bit envious.
After seeing Harry's expression, Sirius secretly decided to prepare a Firebolt for Harry as well.
And Ludo was acting as the commentator at the moment, introducing the tactics used by the players of both teams.
Allowing the fans to understand their brilliance and offer applause.
Not long after, the Ireland team scored the first goal.
The Ireland fans on the Quidditch pitch burst into warm cheers, and Harry and the others also shouted happily.
The Chasers of the Ireland team were top-notch, and their cooperation was almost flawless.
Just as everyone was watching with relish, Lucius came to Hode's side.
"Lord, some Death Eaters roaming outside have approached me. They want to cause trouble here, we should..."
"I know, Lucius. Never mind them, a few Death Eaters cannot make any big waves."
After hearing Hode's words, Lucius nods, then returned to his family's side.
Then in the subsequent tens of minutes, Irelandsuccessfully achieved a super lead of 130 to 10!
After another tens of minutes, the score came to 170 to 10.
Ireland could be said to have victory in hand, and the Ireland fans in the Quidditch pitch had already begun to celebrate.
Krum looked at his own team, and he decided to let Bulgaria keep its final dignity.
So Krum moved, with a speed so fast that people didn't catch any trace of his figure at all.
The Seeker of Ireland discovered this scene, and also pursued Krum.
But in the end, it was still Krum who caught the Golden Snitch, with a speed so fast that people were unclear about what had happened.
"The match is over! Krum has caught the Golden Snitch!"
Ludo's voice resounded through the Quidditch pitch, and everyone looked at the scoreboard.
Ireland 170: Bulgaria 160
When fireworks patterns of Ireland Pokémon began to spew in the sky, and countless fake gold coins fell from the air, Ron finally realized that the match was over.
He swallowed his saliva, and said tremblingly: "That is to say..."
Harry nods, his voice carrying excitement.
"That is right! Ireland has won!"
The strongest record! Inscribed upon—the Quidditch pitch!
The Ireland audience in the Quidditch pitch also reacted, the murmurs became louder and louder, and finally they began to cheer wildly.
"The Ireland team has won!" Ludo, who liked the Ireland team, also shouted excitedly.
And Krum as well as the Bulgarian players left the Quidditch pitch crestfallen.
After the award ceremony ended, everyone shuttled through the camp of Ireland fans celebrating everywhere.
Harry and a group of Little guys, along with their parents, the two groups discussed the match just now.
James bragged about how awesome he was in his youth, and Harry also talked about his matches over the past three years.
Everyone discussed happily, while Hode and Hermioneslowly followed behind the crowd.
Noticing the smile on the corner of Hode's mouth, Hermione asked curiously.
"What are you smiling at?"
"Nothing, just thought of Dumbledore... Hermione, do you think I am suitable to be Headmaster?"
Hearing Hode's words, Hermione smiled dotingly.
"Whether I am suitable or not I do not know, but you are definitely unwilling to do those trivial matters. So—if you are to be Headmaster, then I must also go to Hogwarts to teach, by the way helping you handle those matters, after all I certainly do not trust you."
Hearing this, Hode couldn't help laughing out loud.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"Hode, what are you laughing at?"
Harry and the others looked back at Hode in confusion, not understanding what madness he was acting up again.
"It is nothing, let us go."
Returning to before their base, Hode conjured a new tent on the open space.
But no one wanted to sleep, considering that the surroundings were really too noisy. Mr. Weasley then proposed that everyone have a drink together before entering the tents.
And Harry and these Little guys were arguing aside about the matter of the match just now.
Regarding various details in the match, Harry and the others discussed very heartily.
Until Ginny fell asleep leaning on Harry's shoulder, everyone entered their respective tents.
"Everyone, do not sleep too soundly tonight."
Hearing Hode's words, everyone was somewhat confused.
Harry was a bit clueless, "Why can we not sleep too soundly? Hode."
Hode did not explain, only showing a playful smile, and then took Hermione's hand and walked into their tent.
Harry: Riddle-speakers are the most annoying.
Entering the tent, Hermione also inquired about the meaning of Hode's words just now.
"Tonight there will be a few remaining partisans of Voldemort coming to cause destruction, which happens to allow Harry and the others to have some practical combat."
Hode explained, then without giving Hermione a chance to speak, immediately hugged her and lay down on the bed.
On the other side, Harry and Ron slept in one bed, alongside Neville and the Weasley Twins.
Their parents all had their own rooms, not needing to squeeze together like them.
Although Sirius said he could get a bigger tent, it was stopped by James. He thought it was better for Harry and these Little guys to stay together.
Everyone began to enter dreamland.
The night that originally belonged to peace became extremely lively because of the Quidditch match.
Many Ireland fans were reveling on the grass, and on this night, it was destined that no one could sleep peacefully.
Because of Hode's words, Harry did not sleep very deeply.
Not knowing how long had passed, Harry seemed to hear panic outside. He thought it was the fans celebrating wildly again, but soon the door of the room was pushed open.
"Harry, Ron, George, Fred, Neville! Get up quickly! Take your Wands!"
Arthur rushed in and shouted loudly, startling everyone awake.
"What is the situation?"
Ron asked dazedly, but Arthur had gone to other rooms.
"I seem to have heard someone shouting for help outside..." Neville said uncertainly.
Harry immediately put on his glasses, held his Wand and said: "Something must have gone wrong, do not forget Hode's words earlier!"
The others also agreed with nods, then took their respective Wands and walked out of the tent.