My Multiverse Trip 73 73. This Isn't A Title It's An Arms Race

Walking more slowly now, because of the weight of the water, they made their way back through the campsite. Here and there, they saw more familiar faces: other Hogwarts students with their families. Oliver Wood, the old captain of Harry's House Quidditch team, who had just left Hogwarts, dragged Harry over to his parents' tent to introduce him, and told him excitedly that he had just been signed to the Puddlemere United reserve team. Next they were hailed by Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff fourth year, and a little farther on they saw Cho Chang, a very pretty girl who played Seeker on the Ravenclaw team and maybe Harrys second harem member if ginny didn't rule the relations.h.i.+p. At last they got the fire lit, though it was at least another hour before it was hot enough to cook anything. There was plenty to watch while they waited, however. Their tent seemed to be pitched right alongside a kind of thoroughfare to the field, and Ministry members kept hurrying up and down it, greeting Dad cordially as they pa.s.sed. Dad kept up a running commentary, mainly for Harry's and Hermione's benefit; Ryan knew too much about the Ministry to be greatly interested. buncha f.u.c.kboys is what they are.

"That was Cuthbert Mockridge, Head of the Goblin Liaison Office. . . . Here comes Gilbert Wimple; he's with the Committee on Experimental Charms; he's had those horns for a while now. . . h.e.l.lo, Arnie. . . Arnold Peasegood, he's an Obliviator – member of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, you know. . . and that's Bode and Croaker. . ." "they're Unspeakables. . . . " Ryan answered telling them that they were people who worked in the department of mysteries. if he recalls bode died later on to a plot by a plant that strangles him while he's at st mungos. At last, the fire was ready, and they had just started cooking eggs and sausages.

They were halfway through their plates of eggs and sausages when Dad jumped to his feet, waving and grinning at a man who was striding toward them. "Aha!" he said. "The man of the moment! Ludo!"

Ludo Bagman was easily the most noticeable person Ryan had seen so far, even including old Archie in his flowered nightdress. He was wearing long Quidditch robes in thick horizontal stripes of bright yellow and black. An enormous picture of a wasp was splashed across his chest. He had the look of a powerfully built man gone slightly to seed; the robes were stretched tightly across a large belly he surely had not had in the days when he had played Quidditch for England. His nose was squashed (probably broken by a stray Bludger, Ryan thought), but his round blue eyes, short blond hair, and rosy complexion made him look like a very overgrown schoolboy. Ryan quickly whispered to the girls to never take bets with him. if he remembered right the oaf had made a bet with goblins and lost horribly and the reneged on the deal and was hunted down after he lost another bet to try to win the last one and he stole a lot of people's money he already warned the twins about him. last time they lost their savings and this time they had even more he didn't want them getting robbed. "Ahoy there!" Bagman called happily. He was walking as though he had springs attached to the b.a.l.l.s of his feet and was plainly in a state of wild excitement.

"Amos old man," he puffed as he reached the campfire, "what a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming. . . and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements. . . . Not much for me to do!" Behind him, a group of haggard-looking Ministry wizards rushed past, pointing at the distant evidence of some sort of a magical fire that was sending violet sparks twenty feet into the air. Bagman beamed and waved his hand as if to say it had been nothing. "Couldn't do me a brew, I suppose? I'm keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch. My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties, and I can't understand a word he's saying. Barty'll be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fifty languages. "

A wizard had just Apparated at their fireside, and he could not have made more of a contrast with Ludo Bagman, sprawled on the gra.s.s in his old Wasp robes. Barty Crouch was a stiff, upright, elderly man, dressed in an impeccably crisp suit and tie. The parting in his short gray hair was almost unnaturally straight, and his narrow toothbrush mustache looked as though he trimmed it using a slide rule. His shoes were very highly polished."Pull up a bit of gra.s.s, Barty," said Ludo brightly, patting the ground beside him.

"No thank you, Ludo," said Crouch, and there was a bite of impatience in his voice. "I've been looking for you everywhere. The Bulgarians are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box. "

"Oh is that what they're after?" said Bagman. I thought the chap was asking to borrow a pair of tweezers. Bit of a strong accent. "

"So, been keeping busy, Barty?" said Bagman breezily.

"Fairly," said Mr. Crouch dryly. "Organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean feat, Ludo. "

"I expect you'll both be glad when this is over?" Ludo Bagman looked shocked.

"Glad! Don't know when I've had more fun. . . . Still, it's not as though we haven't got anything to took forward to, eh, Barty? Eh? Plenty left to organize, eh?"

Mr. Crouch raised his eyebrows at Bagman.

"We agreed not to make the announcement until all the details -"

"Oh details!" said Bagman, waving the word away like a cloud of midges. "They've signed, haven't they? They've agreed, haven't they? I bet you anything these kids'll know soon enough anyway. I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts -"

"Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians, you know," said Mr. Crouch sharply, cutting Bagman's remarks short.

"See you all later!" he said. "You'll be up in the Top Box with me – I'm commentating!" He waved, Barty Crouch nodded curtly, and both of them Disapparated.

"What's happening at Hogwarts, Hermione asked." Ryan just did his best smile and said "surprises"