The Bulgarian Minister of Magic showed a look of realization.
Though he was a foreigner, he still recognized the three wizards before him.
The greatest white wizard of the 20th century, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore; and the master magizoologist, Newt Scamander.
Behind these two was the young man who had sung at the beginning, standing on a whale.
…
Time went back ten minutes earlier.
As the match neared its end, the socially anxious Newt wanted to leave early.
But just as the three were about to say their goodbyes, Krum made a spectacular catch of the Golden Snitch.
Being top-tier wizards, the three present all noticed the shift in the stadium's atmosphere.
In such a situation, Dumbledore could never sit idly by. To avoid the tragedy of the original story, Ino followed closely with Brighid in his arms.
With two of the three from their box leaving, Newt naturally decided to leave as well. He first looked at Dumbledore, then at Brighid in Ino's arms.
Seemingly thinking of something interesting, Newt quietly reached into his pocket, where he kept a bundle of treasured phoenix feathers, a gift from Fawkes.
…
As the box door was pushed open, Fudge appeared outwardly calm, but inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew Dumbledore was at the stadium; he had known it from the start. That's why when the signs of a riot began, he chose to remain silent.
Fudge was very clear that stepping forward now meant taking responsibility.
Although successfully calming the situation would earn him some prestige, failure would spell utter ruin.
His consistent refusal to step forward was precisely to make Dumbledore the one to take the lead.
Sure enough, the greatest white wizard of the 20th century did not disappoint him.
Inside the box, Dumbledore wasted no time and directly walked out to the stand where the World Cup trophy was placed. It was also an open viewing platform.
"Gentlemen! Ladies!"
His voice, amplified by magic, spread throughout the entire stadium.
A miraculous scene unfolded. With just two words, it was as if a magical command had filled the air, visibly calming the stadium's unrest.
Upon identifying the source of the voice, everyone raised their binoculars again.
After all, in such matches, wands might be discarded, but binoculars were indispensable.
Through their binoculars, the audience saw a magical scene — three people, two phoenixes.
"It's Headmaster Dumbledore!"
"Mr. Scamander!"
"That young man from the whale…"
Many in the audience recognized the figures on the terrace. Amid brief murmurs, the earlier restlessness vanished once more.
"First of all! Welcome everyone to England!" Dumbledore said, adopting a courteous tone quite different from his usual demeanor.
This was only natural; in the castle, he faced family, but now he represented Hogwarts.
"Thank you to the Bulgarian national team, and equally to the Irish national team, for presenting us with a spectacular Quidditch match…"
As Dumbledore continued his speech, Ino realized that tonight's story seemed to have changed again.
Though it was unclear whether the Dark Mark would appear as in the original story, with Dumbledore and Newt present, anything that happened would be suppressed.
Even if the one from Nurmengard emerged from his tower, or joined forces with Voldemort, it would still be ineffective at this moment.
While Dumbledore's speech continued, Ino's gaze shifted to Fawkes.
After some comparison, it was clear that Brighid was more beautiful.
As for Newt using the feathers to summon Fawkes, Ino couldn't quite grasp its significance. If it was to increase the credibility of a phoenix's birth, it wasn't really necessary.
After all, Fawkes and Brighid had distinct differences in appearance.
Thinking it over, he could only attribute it to Newt's playful nature.
Perhaps he just found it interesting and didn't mind using precious feathers to summon Fawkes.
…
With Dumbledore's appearance and calming speech, the stadium returned to its usual tranquility.
The match had ended, and a week-long celebration was about to begin.
The Quidditch World Cup, held every four years, never concluded so simply.
After all, over 90% of the wizards had traveled from far away, and it couldn't just end so straightforwardly. Otherwise, those tents would be pointless.
As ten thousand wizards began to leave the stadium in an orderly manner, Sirius Black stood up in the box, magnanimously looking around:
"Alright, kids! The celebration begins, and tonight, everything is on me!"
"Thank you, but I'll give them their pocket money," Mrs. Weasley stopped Sirius.
"Forget it, Sirius. We should go have a drink now," Arthur Weasley put an arm around Sirius' shoulders, subtly changing the subject.
"Yes! We need to have a good drink and celebrate this hard-won victory," Sirius said proudly.
Indeed, almost every English wizard traditionally considered Ireland as their own country's rightful territory.
Seeing Sirius drop the matter of paying, Ron looked deeply disappointed.
It's no exaggeration to say that in that instant, he had already planned what to buy: a Krum poster, a photo album, and if possible, a small statue as a keepsake.
But now, Ron could only watch the backs of Sirius and his father as they walked away.
"Take it, Mum's little Ronnie," George teased, pulling two shiny Galleons from his pocket.
"This…"
George actually gave him pocket money. Ron rubbed his eyes in disbelief, momentarily stunned.
"You scared him. If you ask me, this is how it should be done." Fred took the Galleons from George and replaced them with two Sickles.
"Oh no!" Ron let out a soulful sigh.
Seeing the money didn't affect him much, but when Fred took it away, that deep pain spread through his body.
"You two! Stop bullying your brother!" Mrs. Weasley couldn't stand it any longer.
She knew her sons; if George took out the money, he intended to give it to Ron. But unlike previous pranks, she didn't want to see Ron being teased because of money.
"Alright, alright!" Fred shrugged helplessly, handing both the Galleons and Sickles to Ron.
At the same time, George pulled a Gringotts-marked pouch from his pocket, without even opening it, and handed it directly to Ginny.
Harry watched with a hint of envy. He wasn't envious of the pocket money, but of the Weasley family's affection.
Mrs. Weasley, sensing Harry's change, said, "Harry, you should stay at the Burrow before school starts. Help Ron out; I haven't seen him do any homework since the holiday began."
To be honest, the invitation tempted Harry, but remembering Professor Dumbledore's advice…
"Sorry, I'm afraid I can't accept. Though I'd love to go, Professor Dumbledore…"
Harry struggled to refuse. If possible, he really didn't want to return to Aunt Petunia's house.
…
Though the World Cup had ended, the previous camp had turned into a sea of joy.
Wizards from around the world gathered, conversing in broken accents, exchanging topics of mutual interest.
After bidding farewell to Dumbledore and Newt, Ino strolled through the vast camp.
Various acrobatic performances, brilliant fireworks, and all sorts of glowing trinkets turned this place into a true carnival.
"This is the World Cup I hoped for!"
Compared to the sudden events in the original story, the current scene made him very satisfied, even giving him a faint sense of accomplishment.
Joy can be infectious at times.
Immersed in the camp, Ino disappeared in an instant.
A moment later, he reappeared with a candy vendor's box on his shoulder.