𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 - pjo x hp

xxxiii. quidditch world cup

𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐀 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐄. If she hadn't, England would've asked her to play, and she would've said yes, and she might've found herself actually playing in a World Cup game, or even the finals.

They were sitting in a box reserved specifically for Ireland's Keeper. All of the fourteen players got a box with about eighty seats, while reserves got twenty seats. The rest were filled with Wizards from all over the world.

As Raya saw the field, she was entranced by the magic of it.

A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in the seats, which rose in levels around the long oval field. Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself. The field looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position. At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at Raya's eye level, was a gigantic blackboard. 

Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand were scrawling upon the blackboard and then wiping it off again; watching it, Raya saw that it was flashing advertisements across the field.  

She was tempted to jump off onto the field, but the way Mumpty kept side eyeing her made her feel like the house elf would be ready to drag her back.

Raya settled in her seat next to Cedric and Thomas.

"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome!" Ludo Bagman's voice echoed through the crowd. "Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

The spectators screamed and clapped — Raya waving her Ireland flag. Thousands of flags and banners waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message (Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans — A Risk With Every Mouthful!) and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

"Let's go!" Fred shouted from his seat behind Raya. 

Him and George had painted their face green and white, dressed to support the Irish team. Raya herself had added white and green streaks to her hair to show her support.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce... the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval.

"Boo!" Elias was saying. He turned to Raya, "We boo them, right?"

"We're not rooting for them," she agreed.

"I wonder what they've brought," said Mr. Weasley, leaning forward in his seat. "Aaah!" He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes. "Veela!"

Raya groaned. "Alright, let's get ready to pull everyone back."

Cho, Cierra, Meredith, Rosie, and Mumpty all grabbed each other, trying to keep the others down. Veela magic worked on those who were attracted to women, and while Cierra was having a hard time staying away from it, she was better than Nathaniel who almost climbed the railing.

Raya wasn't sure how their parents were faring a few rows above them.

The music started and they began to dance. Raya groaned, trying to stick everyone's fingers in their ears as they began running to the railing.

"Wait, what's happening?" Elias asked. "Why are they all going crazy?"

Raya stared at him, "You're not affected."

"No," he said slowly.

Raya blinked, "Well then make sure the idiots who are, don't jump over the railing."