In The Shadows² ★ Draco Malfoy

*Death Eater attack

It was a long way up the stadium stairs to get to their seats for the game, as Mr Weasley had procured them seats in the Top Box. The stairs were covered in purple carpets, and lit with only a few dim lanterns along them, which made climbing them very difficult in the dark

At the top of the stairs they found themselves in a small box, set at thehighest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the golden goalposts. About twenty purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows here, and Briar looked down upon a scene below them.

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 amysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself. The fieldlooked smooth as velvet from their lofty position. At either end of the field stoodthree goal hoops, fifty feet high.

The box filled gradually around them over the next half hour. Mr. Weasley keptshaking hands with people who were obviously very important wizards. Percyjumped to his feet so often that he looked as though he were trying to sit on ahedgehog. When Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself, arrived, Percybowed so low that his glasses fell off and shattered. Highly embarrassed, he repaired them with his wand and thereafter remained in his seat, throwing jealouslooks at Harry, whom Cornelius Fudge had greeted like an old friend. They hadmet before, and Fudge shook Harry's hand in a fatherly fashion, asked how hewas, and introduced him to the wizards on either side of him.

"Lupin!" At that familiar, cold, emotionless tone, the whole group turned around towards the entrance of the box where a tall, platinum haired boy was entering with his taller father who had the same colour hair falling past his shoulders. The Malfoys

"Malfoy," Briar drawled. He sent her a smirk and she merely rolled her eyes before turning back to the stadium in front of them

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A booming voice called over the stadium "Welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred andtwenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding theirdiscordant national anthems to the racket. "And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce...the Bulgarian NationalTeam Mascots!" 

The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared itsapproval."I wonder what they've brought," said Mr. Weasley, "Aaah!" He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on hisrobes. "Veela!" 

"What are veel -?" 

But a hundred veela were now gliding out onto the field. Veela were women... the most beautiful women any man hadever seen... except that they weren't - they couldn't be - human. Their skin shone moon-bright, and their white-gold hair fanned out behind them without wind. But then the music started and the veela started to dance

Hermione, Ginny, and Briar found themselves incredibly amused as every man in not only their box, but the entire stadium was suddenly as close to the edge as they could get, their eyes fixed on the women below. 

It was only when Harry threw a leg over the box edge, as if prepared to jump (which would surely kill him) that they finally decided to put an end to it "Harry, what are you doing?" said Hermione.

The music stopped and it seemed that every man suddenly became aware of his actions and snapped back to reality, quickly hurrying back to their seats with scarlet pink cheeks. Angry yells were filling the stadium. The crowd didn't want the veela to go.

"And now," roared Cornelius Fudge's voice "kindly put your wands in the air. . . forthe Irish National Team Mascots!" 

Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zoominginto the stadium. It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smallercomets, each hurtling toward the goal posts. A rainbow arced suddenly across thefield, connecting the two balls of light. The crowd cheered, asthough at a fireworks display.