Ludo Bagman was the Head of the Department of Sports and Sports at the Ministry of Magic, and the organiser and referee of the Triwizard Tournament.
Barty Crouch, another of the organisers, was absent from the castle for long periods of time, and was left in the other's capable hands.
This includes how the champions choose their dragons!
If Ludo Bagman was willing to help him cheat, it would be a piece of cake for him to pick Norbert.
Especially now that he was in debt, Ivan felt confident that he could convince the Head of Sports.
With that in mind, Ivan wasted no time. After a quick lunch, he used the Marauder's Map to locate Ludo Bagman, effectively cornering him in a secluded corner…
Ivan thought he would have to resort to coercion and coercion to get Ludo Bagman to give in, but Ludo's cooperation was completely unexpected.
"You want to choose a specific dragon for the first match? Of course, no problem at all!" Ludo Bagman agreed without hesitation after hearing Ivan's request.
"I can give you other help if you need it!"
Ludo Bagman looked around cautiously and was relieved to see no one around.
"Mr. Bagman, I always thought you were a fair referee!" Ivan looked at the Head of the Sports Department with an odd expression. He almost wondered if this was a deliberate set-up by the other side… this was going too well!
"Well, yes, it usually is!" Ludo Bagman looked embarrassed. "But I've had a bit of trouble lately…"
"Little trouble? I heard from George and Fred that you made a bet on the World Quidditch Tournament, and when the bet fell through, you confiscated their principal and haven't paid it back… is that what you're saying?" Yvonne asked Ludo Bagman playfully.
Ludo Bagman cleared his throat and said defensively, "That's a misunderstanding, Hals… I didn't take their money. I'm just keeping it for the time being. I'll pay them back when I have more money!"
Ivan didn't believe a word of it. He didn't want to accept any help from Bagman without first confirming why he was being so solicitous.
Under Ivan's repeated questioning, Ludo Bagman was forced to divulge a little information.
Ivan learned that Ludo Bagman had made a bet to make a killing on the occasion of the World Quidditch Cup.
However, there was a sudden upset, and the Irish team defeated Bulgaria by a narrow margin of points, resulting in extremely high odds and a few bets on the poor Head of Sports.
Ludo Bagman immediately decided to take another gamble in order to close this hole in a short period of time! He went around borrowing money, mortgaging houses, and placing all of it on the Triwizard Tournament bet!
The bet was that Ivan would win the Goblet of Fire and win all three matches!
Only then would the odds be high enough for him to pay off all his debts…
Ludo Bagman had something to fall back on, of course, since he was the organizer of the Triwizard Tournament.
At first, however, Ludo Bagman was prepared to help in secret.
According to the information he had painstakingly gathered, Ivan was a righteous and elegant young wizard who could not tolerate even the slightest bit of sand in his eyes. He would definitely scoff at such cheating methods…
This was why Ludo Bagman had been afraid to show any intention of helping Ivan, fearing that Ivan would be repelled.
Unexpectedly, after some contact, he realized that the rumors were wrong!
'I didn't know you were like that!'
Ludo Bagman looked at Ivan with a strange expression on his face.
'I didn't know you were like that!' Ivan was equally speechless after learning the truth.
The head of the Ministry of Magic was actually a gambling addict with no bottom line. He gambled away the money he owed and tried to make up for it with another gamble… and even bet everything he had!
This, however, dispelled Ivan's earlier suspicions that their goals were the same when it came to winning the Triwizard Tournament.
Even as he was cursing inwardly, Ivan put on a show of admiration and said, "I must say, you have a good eye, Mr. Bagman! Congratulations on your bet…"
"I've always had good taste!" Bagman said with a smile. He had read all about Ivan before he made his decision.
Bagman then offered his hand again and said, "May we work well together, then?"
"Pleasure working with you!" Ivan smiled and reached out to shake Bagman's hand.
… .
With the biggest problem resolved, Ivan was finally able to relax. He then used the Disillusionment Charm to sneak into the Forbidden Forest during his afternoon nap and familiarise himself with Norbert. After that, he communicated with Norbert so that the dragon would act according to his instructions!
However, he accidentally caused a commotion along the way, attracting the attention of many dragon tamers. Ivan did not even have time to make sure that Norbert understood his intentions before he hurriedly left the Forbidden Forest.
In the afternoon, Ivan, along with Harry and Hermione, found an empty classroom to continue their magic practice.
The Eye-Disease Charm was much more difficult to cast than the Flight Charm, and an afternoon was simply not enough time for Harry to cast it.
It was almost one o'clock in the evening, and Harry's magic was exhausted, so he had to cancel his training and return to the lounge with Ivan.
The two of them slowly pushed open the bedroom door and were about to go to bed when they saw a figure sitting by the window with his back facing them.
By the light of the moon, Ivan soon noticed that she was wearing an old-fashioned pair of pyjamas with swirling patterns.
"Ron?" Ivan confirmed the figure's identity, but then wondered why Ron was still sitting there.
"You'll wait for us here?" Ivan continued, frowning.
Harry almost laughed, unable to understand why Ivan would make such a wild guess.
Of course, it was not entirely impossible. After all, the competition was tomorrow. The other party might be here to mock them…
As they watched, Ron slowly turned around, his expression troubled. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words stuck in his throat.
Ignoring him, Harry made his bed and went to sleep.
"Are you ready for tomorrow's game?" Ron suddenly asked after a moment of silence.
Harry stopped in his tracks and looked at Ron in surprise.
Ron's face immediately turned red as he realised that his words were meant to be a sign of defeat, and he immediately added in an odd tone, "I'll be waiting to see how you beat a dragon tomorrow!"
"Then you'll see!" Harry was already in a foul mood after a long day of spell-work, and he was now furious at Ron's eccentricity.
Harry then abandoned his pillow, pulled down the curtain, and sank into his bed.
Ivan, on the other hand, had gone to bed while they were arguing, and he couldn't be bothered with it. He had been busy all day, and all he wanted to do was get some rest.
The first match is tomorrow…
(PS: Today's update. The latter half of the Angel's time may be slightly more relaxed, and will consider making up for it.)