𝐀 𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 ( harry potter au )

v. the quidditch world cup

Euphemia grinned as she hurried into the forest following the lantern-lit trail. She was beside Fred and George following behind Mr Weasley who was in the lead of their group. The atmosphere was full of excitement. They were all cracking jokes and talking joyfully for twenty minutes before they reached the other sides of the woods and in the shadow of the gigantic stadium. Euphemia stared in awe.

"Seats a hundred thousand," Mr Weasley said, "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 toward the nearest entrance, which was already surrounded by a swarm of shouting witches and wizards.

"Prime seats!" The ministry witch said at the entrance when she checked their tickets. Euphemia nudged Fred in excitement. "Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go."

The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple. They clambered upward with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into the stands to their left and right. Mr Weasley's party kept climbing, and at last they reached the top of the staircase and found themselves in a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the golden goal posts.

About twenty purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows here, Euphemia filled into the front seats with George next to her and looked down upon a scene the likes of which she could never have imagined.

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 a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself.

The field looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position. At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high; right opposite them, almost at Euphemia's eye level, was a gigantic blackboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand were scrawling upon the blackboard and then wiping it off again.

Euphemia did not spend long staring into the field but looked around their box it seemed empty save for a house elf. That was somewhat surprising Euphemia had never seen a house elf outside of Hogwarts.

"Dobby?" Harry said, Euphemia turned in her seat to look towards him in question. Since when did he have a friend name Dobby? He wasn't looking at the entrance but rather at the house-elves.

"Did sir just call me Dobby?" A voice squeaked curiosity, turning towards the voice it seemed to be the house elf that was speaking to.

"Sorry," Harry told the elf, "I just thought you were someone I knew." Harry knew another house elf?

"But I knows Dobby too, sir!" The elf squeaked, "My name is Winky, sir - and you, sir -" Her dark brown eyes widened to the size of side plates as they rested upon Harry's forehead. "You is surely Harry Potter!" Euphemia cringed and turned back to face the field. She did not want anyone else coming to the top box knowing that both Potter siblings were here.

"Yeah, I am," Harry said.

Euphemia began a conversation with George and Fred about the match. And soon the box begin to fill up over the next half hour. Mr Weasley kept shaking hands with people who were obviously very important wizards. Percy jumped to his feet so often that he looked as though he were trying to sit on a hedgehog.

When Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself, arrived, Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off and shattered. Highly embarrassed, he repaired them with his wand and thereafter remained in his seat. Euphemia had also gotten up out of her seat to greet Fudge with Harry because they had met before and it would be rude not to. Fudge shook both their hands and acquired about their well-being before introducing them to wizards.