Muggle (Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 8

We made out way through the woods, following the lantern-lit trail. The movement of thousands of people could be heard around them, shouting and laughter, and snatches of singing. The air filled with excitement was highly infectious; I couldn't stop looking around and grinning. But the amount of new people made me nervous.

     "We're almost there, Cate," said George who was jumping to see over the crowds of people. Gold covered the immense walls which could fit a lot people. Possibly thousands of people.

     "Seats a hundred thousand," said Dad, looking at Harry and I. "Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again . . . bless them," he added fondly, leading the way to the nearest entrance which was already crowded with shouting witches and wizards. I was holding on to Fred and George, hoping the Anti-Muggle charms didn't affect me.

     "Prime seats!" said the Ministry witch at the entrance when she checked their tickets. "Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go."

     The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple. We climbed upward with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into the stands to their left and right. But we kept climbing, and finally reached the top of the staircase and stepped into a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium. It was exactly halfway between the golden goal posts. About twenty purple chairs stood in two rows.

     It was amazing. Thousands of witches and wizards were taking their seats. Golden light encased everything and everyone which seemed to come from the stadium itself. At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at our eye level, was a gigantic blackboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand was scrawling upon the blackboard and then wiping if off again.

     Harry started talking to a house-elf who he apparently thought was someone else. The poor thing was scared of heights. I felt so sorry for her. Her name was Winky and they way she spoke was quite odd. But from what I've been told, house-elves didn't have an education but I don't know if I've had one either. Winky was very sweet and as soon as Harry stopped talking to her, she closed her eyes to stop looking down at the field that was below us.

     "'A display from the team mascots will precede the match,'" Hermione read aloud.

     "Oh that's always worth watching," said Dad. "National teams bring creature from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show."

     Over the next half and hour the box gradually filled around them. But we had the whole front row. Dad just had to add an extra chair to the end for himself. I was in between Fred and George.

     "Percy keeps jumping up like he's sitting on something sharp," chuckled Fred. Its like these two live and breathe by making fun of Percy.

     "Did you guys . . ." I trailed off, knowing they understood. Their faces were red from laughing so hard and I soon joined them.

     "No," said Fred.

     "But we wish we did!" George burst. This sent us into fits of laughter.

     "Woah, calm down guys," said Charlie. "And Cate," he added as an afterthought. I felt eyes on me so I looked to where Arthur was talking to Britain's Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

     A man with pale blonde hair and piercing blue/grey eyes was staring at me. Something clicked in my head and pain registered in my brain. "G-George, F-Fred," I whispered. "Who i-is that m-man?"