𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞┃𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙮

Chapter 39: Mayhem at the Quidditch Cup

After getting to their spot, getting their amazing tents set up, unlike anything Harry, Hermione and Rubi had ever seen, cooking their lunch, the twins making a bet with Ludo Bagman, they were at the match, playing around with their omnioculars as they awaited the match to begin.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were busy talking to a House-Elf named Winky; the other Weasleys were more busy meeting people of the Ministry. Fred, George and Rubi stood to one side, Rubi admiring the whole scene before gazing through her omnioculars, the awe expressed upon her face. Fred was chatting with George about the bet they'd made with Ludo Bagman before his eyes caught sight of the girl he had feelings for. She looked away from the omnioculars, smiling broadly,

"This all feels so cool! I can't wait for the match."

"Same." The twins chorused.

Soon it began.

"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!" Ludo Bagman was yelling out.

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags 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.

"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.

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

"What are veel-?" Harry began asking but it was answered for him when a hundred veela were gliding out onto the field, Veela were women... the most beautiful women. Their skin shined moon-bright, their white-gold hair fanned out behind them without wind... but then the music started, and the veela had started to dance. Rubi tore her gaze away with a frown.

"Harry, what are you doing?" said Hermione's voice from a long way off. Rubi turned to find her cousin doing something, almost as if he was trying to impress the Veelas. Rubi, with a frown, turned to look at her best friends, afraid to see Fred's reaction to the dancing beauties.

George was eagerly leaning forward against the railing, a dazed expression on his face. When Rubi turned to look at the other ginger, to her surprise, her eyes connected with those intoxicating, sweet, chocolate ones. Fred had been watching Rubi the whole time, the Veelas didn't seem to affect him. He saw her look at the Veelas and then around at everyone else, a sourness visible on her face. She raised an eyebrow at Fred, as relief seeped through Rubi. Fred, wanting to tease the girl to get a reaction out of her, smirked and winked at Rubi, who blushed and quickly turned to look away. Although this action didn't go unnoticed by Fred, who felt a certain sense of hope course through him. Perhaps Rubi felt the same as him.

The music stopped, and everyone recovered out of their trance state, also stopping and realizing what actions they were doing. The crowd began roaring in anger as the veela's left.

"And now," roared Ludo Bagman's voice, "kindly put your wands in the air... for the Irish National Team Mascots!" Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zooming into the stadium. It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goal posts. A rainbow arched suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light. The crowd oohed and aahed, as though at a fireworks display. Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it -