great-warnovel Chapter 425 School
Chapter 425 School
Chapter 425 Returning to School
The exhibition match is scheduled for the day after the finals, giving the champion team ample time to rest.
The winning team will first attend the awards ceremony in the morning, and then play a friendly exhibition match against the Hogwarts team in the afternoon.
This concludes the entire World Cup process.
However, due to the special rules of Quidditch, the end of a match is often not determined by individual will. If both teams' Seekers are unable to catch the Golden Snitch and their captains disagree with ending the match, then the match will continue indefinitely.
This situation rarely occurs, especially in professional matches, where skilled Seekers will control the time it takes to catch the Golden Snitch to ensure that the game ends when their team has the advantage.
But the World Cup is different. In order to maximize the growth of the score, the Golden Snitch used in the game will be "possessed" by the score after entering the semi-finals.
Its flexibility and speed will be greatly improved. Its clever little brain can even outmaneuver two teams, making the game more intense and more entertaining.
In a sense, this makes the matches after the semifinals unpredictable. How long a match lasts depends on the player's performance that day and their mood when scoring.
Hermione certainly wouldn't manipulate the outcome of the game. Even if she did make such a request, she would forget it once she was on the field and scored. She is an elf born from Quidditch, and during the game, she represents the spirit of sportsmanship.
This little guy has grown a lot recently. Although the shattered world has drastically reduced the wizard population, these days the newspapers are full of news about the World Cup, and even the wizards in New Paris can't stop talking about the tournament.
Fortunately, the Soviet Union's recent lull in activity has allowed the UMNO members to fully immerse themselves in the fun of Quidditch.
The first World Cup in the post-war world generated immense buzz and discussion, causing the score to expand rapidly. Now, when fully unleashed, it's even the size of a horned beast. Its intelligence and strength have been greatly enhanced, and even if Hermione ignores it, it could probably handle elite wizards like Lockhart or Sirius Black on its own.
Hermione returned to Hogwarts ahead of schedule, and although Fiend Harden was somewhat displeased, he still grumbled and agreed.
After all, it concerns Voldemort, and obstructing it would only exacerbate Hermione's resentment.
However, she did not show herself in public. Instead, she had the boy inform McGonagall and Moody, instructing them to quietly meet her in the Hall of Brilliant Stone on the fourth floor.
"Hilmi, I hope you haven't gotten into trouble again, otherwise we probably won't be able to plead for you with Hermione," Professor McGonagall said with a helpless tone, even before she herself entered the room.
"He hasn't been behaving himself lately—Merlin, please, he might have messed up the sapphire crystal, right?" Moody's dry, iron-like voice followed.
A round table was set up in the hall, and the azure core of the brilliance stone shimmered in mid-air. Hermione glared at the boy sitting upright and pretending to be well-behaved beside her.
"Oh my goodness! Let me see who's back!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed in delight, rushing over to give Hermione a hug.
The soft, warm touch is as comforting as a grandmother's.
The witch couldn't help but recall the scene when she first met the professor in her first year of university.
"This time it wasn't me who caused the trouble, but Hermione who brought back some bad news," Hilmi said gruffly, expressing her dissatisfaction with the professors' stereotypes.
Moody was in a good mood when he saw Hermione return, and sat down in a chair, leaning on his cane.
"What happened? You concealed your travel plans from your trip back. Won't Grindelwald be in trouble?"
Hermione pulled McGonagall down to sit before shaking her head seriously: "Voldemort has infiltrated New Hogsmeade and might cause trouble at the World Cup!"
These words startled Moody so much that he almost jumped up.
"Where did this news come from! Is it reliable?!"
McGonagall's expression also turned serious. Hogwarts was now relying on just two children to maintain its prestige; if Voldemort really attacked...
Even if they successfully repel the enemy, the people will be filled with anxiety, which is very detrimental to the city's development.
"My deal with Grindelwald was that he would use his third eye to help me find Voldemort, and I would help him resolve some matters that he couldn't personally handle."
Hermione described the scene in the prophecy as concisely as possible.
"We've heard about your actions in Volgograd; you saved tens of thousands of civilians." McGonagall wasn't focused on Voldemort's matter first, but rather on Hermione's deal with Grindelwald.
"Dumbledore would be proud of you," Moody said sullenly. Hermione shook her head. "During this time, I destroyed Voldemort's newly established forces and chased him all the way to the other side of the world. I guess he's desperate and planning to take revenge on me."
"This is not your responsibility. Eradicating Tom and his Green Flame Party is the long-cherished wish of the Order of the Phoenix," Moody said firmly.
"But that's not right." McGonagall frowned.
"Voldemort is not a reckless man. He values his own life above all else, and even if it is revenge, he will not personally take risks."
"So you think there's another reason he came to New Hogsmeade?" Hilmi asked.
They didn't mention the Brilliant Stone Core because the championship prize wasn't awarded on the spot. Instead, Hermione went directly to the home of the winning faction to have it manufactured afterward, a fact everyone knew. Voldemort couldn't possibly come to the scene to steal the prize.
"There's at least another reason why he has to come here in person, besides seeking revenge against us!"
Moody nodded in agreement: "These dark wizards are always like this, it's a pity we have no way of knowing what he's up to."
"I guess maybe that old man Grindelwald saw it, but he doesn't want to tell you." He didn't want to assume the worst about the Dark Lord.
"Whatever Voldemort wants to do, we already know their exact location in advance, so the advantage is on our side." Hilmi revealed a malicious smile.
"I can't wait to surprise him."
Hermione nodded and looked at Moody: "Professor, from now until the end of the finals, we need you to raise the security level in the city and schools, citing the reason of preventing dark wizards and Soviet interference."
The old man with a scarred face nodded. It was summer vacation, so he didn't have to attend defense classes and spent most of his energy training Aurors.
"I'll get the guys moving. They all think I'm crazy anyway, so I won't alert them."
McGonagall pursed her lips: "Can you handle two Voldemors?"
She was still more worried about her two children; the only one who could truly stand against the Great Wizard was the Great Wizard himself.
Hermione gave her a reassuring look: "I've grown a lot during this time. Tom walked right into my trap this time."
"But I have to hide. He must think I'm still in New Paris. Grindelwald has also promised to spread some false information there that I'm still active."
The old woman nodded: "That's a real shame. You'll have to stay in the castle and won't be able to watch the World Cup."
For this Quidditch fanatic, this was the most lively and joyous festival in fifty years.
"That's not necessarily true," Hermione said with a smile, taking Hilmi's hand beside her.
The next moment, the two little figures magically merged together.
"Although we are half-bodies, we can still coexist as one." A mixed male and female voice came from the mouth, and then only the male voice remained, and his/her image was fixed as a boy.
"Let Hilmi handle things for me these next few days. We need to put on a good welcome ceremony for Senior Tom!"