In the end, after surveying their temporary accommodations and discussing the practical arrangements, Adrian had indeed decided to move into the compact wooden cabin that would serve as their base of operations for the weekend.
The cottage, while small in appearance from the outside, had three comfortable rooms in total.
Each room had been equipped with proper beds, storage space, and even small windows that offered views of the campsite outside. Harry and Hermione had each claimed one of the available rooms without much discussion, leaving Adrian with the third space.
The Quidditch World Cup Final wasn't scheduled to begin until evening. This left them with an entire day to fill, and the anticipation was obvious among the thousands of magical families who had gathered on the vast land for this once-in-a-lifetime event.
To pass the time and satisfy their natural curiosity about this unique magical gathering, Harry and Hermione had decided to venture out into the temporary market that had sprung up around the edges of the campsite.
Ron had joined them, eager to explore the maze of colorful stalls and booths that promised everything from team memorabilia to exotic magical treats.
This was undoubtedly the most profitable day of the year for the various vendors who specialized in magical sporting events—a captive audience of thousands of enthusiastic fans, all eager to commemorate their attendance with some physical reminder of the experience.
The merchants had come from across Europe, bringing with them an incredible variety of useless but emotionally valuable magical trinkets: miniature Golden Snitches that flew in lazy circles, team scarves that changed colors to match the wearer's mood, and enchanted photographs.
While Harry, Hermione, and Ron explored the bustling marketplace with its noise of voices hawking goods in a dozen different languages, Adrian had chosen to remain at their temporary home base, content to enjoy a rare moment of peaceful solitude.
He took out a simple copper watering can from their supplies and was now watering to the two cheerful sunflowers on their cabin's entrance.
But for some reason, both sunflowers withered immediately. Perhaps it was because they'd been in the trunk for several days?
As Adrian pondered the cause, a gentle voice came from behind him, sounding somewhat familiar.
"Professor Westeros?"
Adrian turned around to find Cho Chang standing behind him, carrying a small bag that looked full and bulging, as if she'd just bought some souvenirs.
Cho Chang was a Ravenclaw student, one year ahead of Harry but someone Adrian knew reasonably well due to her participation in his Care of Magical Creatures classes. She was a beautiful young girl, with glossy black hair and a scattering of light freckles across her nose.
Adrian had a good impression of her because she had chosen Care of Magical Creatures and performed very well in the class.
"Good morning, Cho," Adrian replied with a warm smile. "I must say, I really didn't expect to run into any of my students here, though I probably should have anticipated it, given the enthusiasm for Quidditch that seems to be universal among Hogwarts students."
Cho's expression carried a hint of nervous uncertainty, as if she wasn't entirely sure whether this chance encounter was appropriate or welcome.
"Good morning, Professor Westeros. When I first spotted you from across the way, I thought I might be mistaken. But then I realized that it shouldn't be surprising at all. Actually, it's not just me who's here; there are quite a lot of Hogwarts students scattered throughout the campsite."
"Really?" Adrian responded with casual interest, genuinely curious about the extent of Hogwarts representation at the event. "Well, you're certainly the first one I've encountered so far. I suppose the campsite is large enough that we could all be here without necessarily crossing paths."
"The entire Ravenclaw Quidditch team has set up their tents just a short distance east of this location," Cho explained, her voice taking on an enthusiastic tone.
"We're all traveling together. As for why we're here, well, Ireland versus Bulgaria for the World Cup Final... I honestly don't think there's a single Quidditch enthusiast in Britain who would voluntarily miss this match."
Only then did Adrian fully remember that Cho was a Quidditch enthusiast and also the Seeker for Hogwarts' Ravenclaw Quidditch team.
His gaze happened to fall on her bulging shopping bag, and he noticed the green and gold colors of an Irish team badge peeking out from among her other purchases.
"I see you've already declared your allegiance for tonight's match," He observed with amusement. "Ireland, I take it?"
"Yes, absolutely," Cho replied with immediate enthusiasm, her eyes lighting up with passion.
"Their Chaser lineup is absolutely extraordinary. But..." she paused, lowering her voice to a whisper and glancing around as if checking for eavesdroppers, "I also secretly bought a Viktor Krum badge. His Wronski Feint technique is absolutely divine—I've never seen anything like it."
What followed was an enthusiastic and surprisingly detailed discussion of the two teams that would be competing in the evening's match. Cho had clearly done considerable homework in preparation for the event, and her analysis went far beyond simple team loyalty to encompass genuine strategic understanding of each side's strengths and weaknesses.
She spoke with the kind of passion that came from someone who not only loved the sport but understood it at a sophisticated level.
Although Adrian's own understanding of professional Quidditch was admittedly limited, he was genuinely engaged by Cho's explanations and began to grasp the patterns that made these matches so fascinating to their enthusiasts.
According to Cho's analysis, Bulgaria's typical match progression followed a remarkably consistent and dramatic pattern that had become their signature approach to high-stakes games:
According to Cho, Bulgaria's typical match flow went something like this:
Bulgaria gets off to a bad start, Bulgaria makes terrible mistakes, Bulgaria falls into a bitter struggle, Bulgaria fights desperately, Krum catches the Golden Snitch! Bulgaria delivers victory speech!
Indeed, very dramatic ups and downs.
After discussing Quidditch for a while, Cho belatedly noticed the wooden cabin behind Adrian and asked curiously, "That is...?"
"My tent," Adrian opened the door and invited her in. "Would you like to come inside and have some tea? You must be getting thirsty after all that enthusiastic discussion about Quidditch strategy."
Cho naturally wouldn't refuse this invitation—she was quite dehydrated after talking for so long. "That would be lovely, thank you. I am rather thirsty after talking so much."
After entering the cabin, Cho looked around curiously and asked, "Are you here to watch the match alone, Professor?"
"Not at all," Adrian replied as he moved toward the kitchen area and began preparing tea. "Harry and Hermione are here as well—they've gone out exploring the market with Ron. The entire Weasley family has set up their camp nearby, actually."
Adrian selected a floral tea blend from his supplies and began the process of proper brewing.
"Harry Potter?" Cho's tone suddenly became somewhat subtle. "He's here too? I was actually just thinking earlier of discussing Quidditch with him. Earlier."
Adrian glanced up from his tea preparation, noting the slight tension in her voice and the way she emphasized the word "lost" with what sounded like lingering frustration.
"You seem rather unconvinced by that defeat," He observed mildly.
"Of course I am!" Cho replied with immediate passion. Perhaps because she was speaking to a professor in the privacy of his temporary home, she felt safe expressing thoughts that she might normally keep to herself.
She pursed her lips in an expression of frustration. "Potter has a Firebolt, the absolute top of the line in racing brooms. My broom couldn't even begin to keep up with him in terms of pure speed and maneuverability."
Adrian poured the brewed tea into cups.
"You could always request a rematch under more equitable conditions," He suggested with a slight smile. "If it's not a match against Slytherin house, I suspect Harry would probably be quite willing to accept such a challenge."
Cho's eyes lit up, as if she was seriously considering this suggestion.
'If Harry Potter could defeat me using the same broom as mine, then I would accept defeat wholeheartedly,' she thought to herself.
Just then, the door creaked open.
Accompanied by discussion, Harry entered first, followed by Ron and Hermione. The three seemed to be debating something.
"I still think Ireland has the better overall strategy—" Harry was saying as he stepped through the doorway, but his words cut off abruptly as his gaze fell on Cho Chang sitting comfortably in their living room, with teacup in hand like she belonged there.
Harry's eyes widened, and his expression transformed from casual conversation to something approaching panic in the span of a single heartbeat.
"Hello, everyone," Cho greeted warmly, setting down her teacup and giving a smile. "Professor Westeros and I were just having a lovely chat about Quidditch strategy and team analysis."
Harry remained awkwardly positioned in the doorway, apparently having forgotten how his legs were supposed to function.
His face was already beginning to show the first hints of the reddening that would soon make his embarrassment visible to everyone present. It was only when Ron gave him a firm push from behind that he seemed to remember how to walk, stumbling forward into the room as if awakening from some kind of enchantment.
"Uh... hello, Cho," Harry managed to say, his voice coming out somewhat strangled and several pitches higher than he probably intended.
Behind him, Hermione entered with composed curiosity that was her trademark when encountering unexpected social situations.
"Are you here to watch Quidditch as well?" She asked in her characteristically direct manner.
"Of course," Cho replied with obvious enthusiasm. "I think we're all gathered here for exactly the same purpose to witness what promises to be one of the most exciting Quidditch World Cup Finals in recent history."
She rose gracefully from her chair, and Adrian noticed that her gaze lingered on Harry for just a moment longer before shifting to examine the team badges that both Hermione and Ron were wearing on their chests.
"You bought Irish team badges, I see," She observed with approval. "It looks like we're supporting the same team tonight that should make the match even more enjoyable."
Ron scratched his head with an embarrassed gesture.
"Well, actually, I personally prefer Bulgaria's style of play," He said. "But Fred and George placed a significant wager on Ireland winning, and they were rather insistent that the whole family should support their investment, so..."
Hermione immediately elbowed Ron, and he shut his mouth at once—they couldn't mention gambling in front of an adult (Adrian).
Of course, Adrian didn't actually mind.
"Harry felt his palms beginning to grow damp with nervous sweat, and he struggled to find something appropriately casual to say.
"Yes, well, I'm definitely supporting Ireland tonight," He managed to get out, his voice still not entirely under his own control. "Are you backing them as well, Cho?"
"It certainly looks like we're on the same side," Cho replied cheerfully, apparently either not noticing or choosing to ignore Harry's obvious discomfort.
Harry found himself at a complete loss for how to continue the conversation. He was aware that his face must be turning red, and despite his best efforts to calm himself down and project some semblance of confidence, his internal panic seemed to be growing rather than diminishing.
Adrian watched this scene with a smile.
'Young people... how interesting...'
Knock knock—
Before Harry's social paralysis could reach truly crisis levels, the sound of confident knocking on the cabin door provided a welcome distraction from the increasingly awkward atmosphere.
"Come in," Adrian called toward the entrance, genuinely curious about who their second unexpected visitor might be. The Weasley family members were familiar enough with their temporary living situation that they would likely just walk in without ceremony, so this had to be someone else.
Indeed, when the door opened, it revealed someone none of them had expected to encounter at the World Cup campsite.
"Sorry to disturb you all," Cedric said as he appeared in the doorway, looking naturally polished and confident despite carrying what appeared to be a bulging bag of recent purchases from the vendor stalls. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."
"Please, come join us, Cedric," Adrian responded with genuine surprise and pleasure. "This is turning into quite the impromptu gathering. How did you manage to find us in this maze of tents and temporary structures?"
"I was just making my way back from the souvenir market," Cedric explained with his trademark easy smile. "Your window was open, and I happened to catch sight of you all through the opening. I actually have something that I think you might find useful for tonight's match."
With that intriguing introduction, Cedric reached into his shopping bag and withdrew several sets of what appeared to be exquisitely crafted magical binoculars bag and distributed them to everyone present.
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