0448 Concerns

0448 Concerns

Facing Hermione's inquisitive gaze, Harry opened his mouth, but the words seemed to catch in his throat.

What was he thinking about? The events of the night had left him with a whirlwind of thoughts and concerns swirling in his mind.T/his chapter is updated by nov(ê(l)biin.co/m

The Ministry and Professor Dumbledore had summoned Professor Watson at this critical juncture, no doubt to discuss how to properly handle the shocking attack at the Quidditch World Cup stadium. What would be the final outcome of this volatile situation? Harry couldn't help but wonder.

Voldemort's powerful minions had appeared at the Quidditch World Cup stadium tonight, with the purpose of kidnapping him. How had Voldemort managed to recruit a witch capable of engaging in such a grandiose duel with Professor Watson?? And what exactly was the history between Professor Watson and that dark witch?

The group of dark wizards who had initiated the commotion, Remus had said they were Death Eaters. But based on the information revealed by the words of the witch caught by Professor Watson among the three who had barged into the top box, their clear objective had not been Harry. Their target had been Sirius, with Melanov even mentioning that Sirius' head was worth ten thousand Galleons.

"I was thinking—" Harry began, his voice hesitant at first. He paused, then ultimately set aside the matters related to Professor Watson, focusing instead on the more immediate concerns.

"The three who broke into our box, their target should have been Sirius, not me," Harry said, his emerald eyes bright with realization.

"Of course, Harry!" Ron immediately affirmed, nodding vigorously. "The way they acted after getting in made it obvious - they were clearly out to kill Sirius!"

Reassured by Ron's confirmation, Harry became instantly energized, shifting in his seat to sit up straighter.

"I told you all that when Lucius Malfoy came into the box tonight, he threatened Sirius. And they left the stadium before the commotion even started - isn't that strange? That was the World Cup final, who wouldn't want to see the outcome? Sirius probably thinks the same way, I bet he won't let Lucius Malfoy off the hook!"

"That means!"

Ron's expression shifted to one of dreamy anticipation, his eyes alight with a mischievous glint.

"Maybe by the time school starts, we might see Malfoy lugging his bags and getting kicked out of Hogwarts, because his father plotted that terrible terrorist attack!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron!" Hermione interjected, her arms crossed over her chest as she spoke bluntly. "Even if Lucius Malfoy was involved in this, it doesn't have anything to do with Draco. The Ministry and Hogwarts won't expel him just for that--"

"Oh, Hermione, you're ruining my mood--" Ron said sulkily, puckering his lips in a childish pout, but Hermione simply ignored his reaction. She then turned her attention to Harry, her gaze shifting slightly as she spoke with less certainty.

"Harry, the wizard who appeared at the end and rescued that woman named Cliodna - how confident are you that he was...the You-Know-Who?"

'How confident?'

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion as he looked at Hermione, not fully understanding why she would ask such a question. Wasn't it obvious?

He had recalled certain details from his previous dream, where Voldemort and Cliodna had been plotting in an old house, and the core of their plot had been to capture him. Cliodna had explicitly stated that she wanted to take him, clearly to bring him to Voldemort to torture and kill him. And the searing pain in his scar tonight had definitively confirmed that the grotesque-looking wizard who had appeared at the end was indeed Voldemort.

Hermione seemed to get the answer she wanted from the confusion etched on Harry's face, but this did not make her relax her expression. Instead, her brow furrowed deeply, a clear sign of her growing unease.

"I don't quite understand—" Hermione murmured, her gaze shifting skyward, as if seeking answers in the vast expanse of the starry heavens above.

"It sounds reasonable, and Sirius seems to think so too, but just now, Professor Watson's demeanor..." She trailed off, her words laced with uncertainty.

Harry and Ron exchanged a perplexed glance, neither fully grasping the implications behind Hermione's cryptic statement.

"Coming right up!" Harry also immediately began searching himself, eager to claim his share of the winnings.

Watching the two boys suddenly become so elated and preoccupied with the prospect of their newfound wealth, Hermione rolled her eyes with an exasperated expression.

"My purse can't hold that much money, I borrowed it from Charlie!"

Ron proudly displayed a purse embroidered with a moving dragon pattern, then reached his hand inside, preparing to scoop out the mesmerizing, gleaming Galleons. But...

"Oh, are you trying to get me to leave, Weasley?"

Seeing Ron's expression crumble as he maintained his digging posture, Hermione rolled her eyes once more. The next moment, Ron suddenly jumped up from his seat, turning the purse upside down and shaking it frantically, his pale face flushed with eye redness.

"What's going on?" Hermione frowned as she realized something was clearly amiss.

"It's gone, the money is gone!" Ron wailed, his voice laced with despair. "The Galleons Bagman gave me, not a single one left!"

On the other side, Harry also abruptly stood up, his expression one of bewilderment as he held his own purse.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione quickly asked, her concern palpable. "Your money is gone too?"

"It's my wand!" Harry cried out in a panic. "My wand is missing!"

"You lost your wand, Harry?" Hermione's brow furrowed deeply, her amber eyes wide with concern. Her bushy brown hair seemed to bristle with worry as she leaned forward, her voice dropping to an urgent whisper. "What exactly happened? Where did you drop it, in the forest?"

For a wizard, the importance of a wand was as self-evident. In the three years since entering the Wizarding world, Harry had never once let his wand leave his side. It had been his constant companion, a bridge between his old life and his new identity as a wizard.

Suddenly realizing he had lost it, a sickening feeling of weakness and helplessness welled up inside him, momentarily overwhelming his senses. He gritted his teeth, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he carefully scrutinized through the chaotic memories of their hasty escape from the Quidditch pitch, desperately trying to pinpoint the moment when his wand might have slipped from his grasp.

"My Galleons!" Ron's anguished cry cut through Harry's concentration. Ron seemed to be on the verge of a complete breakdown, his freckled face contorting with a mix of panic and fury. He turned his purse – a gift from his older brother Charlie – inside out with trembling hands, but couldn't find so much as a single bronze Knut. His face flushed a deep crimson as he shouted, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Our galleons are gone too, Hermione! A whole thousand Galleons, the entire winnings from Ludo Bagman, vanished into thin air! Who in Merlin's name could have stolen our money?"

In all the time Harry and Hermione had known Ron they had never seen him this angry. Ron's lips quivered uncontrollably as he waved the empty money bag around like a flag of distress, his expression suggesting he was ready to devour the thief who had taken his galleons alive!

Ron's state of near-hysteria didn't particularly surprise Harry and Hermione. Ron had always been very sensitive about his family's tight financial situation. The thousand Galleons won from Ludo Bagman represented more than just money to Ron – it was a life-changing opportunity, a chance to lift himself out of poverty and finally experience the comforts he had always dreamed of. Now that someone had cruelly snatched away his newfound wealth, any level of anger from Ron wouldn't have been unexpected.

Hermione bit her lower lip lightly, looking worriedly at the frantic Ron. Even she didn't know how to calm his fury.

A portion of the missing money belonged to Harry as well. Under normal circumstances, he would have been furious too. However, the gnawing worry over his lost wand left him with no emotional energy to fret about anything else.

Three years ago, on his eleventh birthday, Harry had bought this wand from Ollivander, the best wandmaker in Diagon Alley, under Hagrid's guidance. The memory of that day was etched permanently in his mind. This wand was more than just a magical instrument; it was his proof of formally entering the mysterious and marvelous Wizarding world, a link to his parents and his heritage.

For three years, his wand had been like a brother helping him through many difficult challenges – from facing down a troll in the girls' bathroom to conjuring his first Patronus to drive away the soul-sucking Dementors. Even though this wand had a somewhat unclear and troubling connection to Voldemort, as Mr. Ollivander had hinted, Harry was still deeply attached to it.

Author's Note: I just got back, updates will be regular from today and there is a large chapter in next few chapters.

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