The newcomer was none other than Sirius Black. Now that his name had been cleared, he could appear in public without fear, making his presence at the Quidditch match perfectly normal.
Ludo Bagman's eyes instantly gleamed at the prospect of another bet. "Of course, sir! So, are you backing the Bulgarians or the Irish? The odds are even better if you care to guess the final score! Wait a moment—are you Sirius Black?"
Sirius turned to Harry. "Harry, who are you supporting?"
"The Irish team, I suppose," Harry said after a moment's thought.
Sirius nodded and pulled a leather pouch from his pocket. "Then I will wager one hundred Galleons on Ireland."
When Ludo finally departed, a deeply satisfied grin was plastered across his face. Everyone else's attention had shifted back to Sirius.
"It is wonderful to see you again, Sirius," Arthur said, "especially under these circumstances."
"The feeling is mutual." Sirius removed his sunglasses. His face was fuller than when he had first escaped Azkaban, though it still retained its sharp, aristocratic angles.
"Is that... could I have a look at that?" Arthur asked, having immediately recognized the item in Sirius's hand as Muggle technology.
"Certainly," Sirius chuckled. "I just bought them from a Muggle vendor. They call them sunglasses."
Arthur took the sunglasses and turned them over in his hands with fascination, asking casually, "I heard you were caught by Maurise? What exactly happened? I haven't heard the full story yet."
Sirius rubbed his nose, looking a bit awkward. "I was simply a bit too careless."
"Careless?" Fred immediately jumped up, unable to contain himself. "Maurise defeated you in a fair fight, and that's the truth! We saw the whole thing clearly from inside the tunnel!"
"What tunnel?" Molly's voice suddenly spiked in pitch. "You two were involved in that incident as well?!"
George buried his face in his hands, despairing over his brother's sheer stupidity.
Maurise sat quietly to the side, taking a bite of his sausage and listening as Mrs. Weasley began to properly scold the twins. Mrs. Weasley perfectly embodied his idea of a "mother." He actually envied this family quite a bit.
Maurise didn't stay much longer. As the sun reached its zenith, he headed back to Kyle's tent, bringing along a sandwich Mrs. Weasley had made for him.
He found Kyle stumbling out of his bedroom, still rubbing his eyes.
"I stayed up all night yesterday," Kyle explained, "just to get my hands on this ticket."
Maurise paused. "What do you mean?"
Kyle sat down in an armchair, accepted the sandwich, and clarified, "My uncle asked me to brew a sleeping potion for him. This ticket was my payment."
"Ah, I see." Maurise felt a surge of relief. For a moment, he thought the boy had traded something far more unsavory for the ticket.
"I still have to brew another potion now," Kyle continued, his tone carrying a hint of resignation. "It will take about two hours. The match isn't until tonight, so I might still have some time to buy souvenirs afterward..."
"I can help," Maurise offered.
"Oh, thank you!" Kyle looked incredibly grateful. "It's a rather difficult potion, but it shouldn't be any trouble for you."
Maurise's prowess in Potions was widely recognized, even by Snape, a fact well-known among all Ravenclaw students.
For the next while, Maurise and Kyle set up a cauldron outside the tent and began brewing. Kyle handled the majority of the work while Maurise guided him from the side, occasionally rolling the Death Energy Crystal in his hand. Perhaps because their spot was so out of the way, no Ministry officials came to put a stop to their blatant "wizarding activity." The few passersby only cast them curious glances.
Just as Maurise was thinking about this, a middle-aged man walked toward them and stopped.
"Hello there, Black."
Maurise studied the man's thinning brown hair for a moment before recognizing him. Vaughan Hardey. One of the Unspeakables, the man who had instructed him and Hermione on how to use the Time-Turner at Hogwarts.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Hardey. Are you here for the Quidditch match as well?" Maurise asked.
"Mostly here for security duty," Hardey replied, his gaze locking onto the Death Energy Crystal in Maurise's hand. "Mr. Black, what exactly is that...?"
"Just a little trinket," Maurise said. "It holds a certain type of energy."
"Ah, yes. Energy." Hardey's expression suddenly turned tense. "Step aside with me for a moment. We need to talk."
Maurise's guard went up instantly. From his reaction, did this man know something about it?
"Kyle," Maurise said, "keep stirring. Don't let the fire get too hot. Take it off the heat once it turns dark brown. I need to step away for a moment."
Kyle waved a hand dismissively. "Got it." His eyes were fixed intently on the cauldron; he hadn't even seemed to register Hardey's arrival.
Maurise followed Hardey to a nearby tree.
Hardey leaned against the trunk and asked, "Can I get a closer look at that object in your hand?"
Maurise handed the Death Energy Crystal over. Hardey took it carefully, placed it in his palm, and examined it closely. Even under the bright midday sun, the pitch-black crystal absorbed all light, reflecting absolutely nothing.
Nearly a minute passed before he spoke slowly, "Just as I thought."
"Just as you thought what?"
"This contains a very dark form of energy," Hardey said, his expression grave, his voice low as if afraid of being overheard. "If it were to leak, anyone who touches it would die instantly."
'Die instantly?'
Maurise shook his head. "It isn't quite that dramatic, Mr. Hardey. I was the one who sealed the energy inside. It is perfectly safe."
This Death Energy had originated from the curse Sclep placed on him, but after a series of manipulations, it had become a masterless energy that he could even control.
"Impossible," Hardey insisted firmly. "It would unquestionably cause immediate, sudden death."
Maurise felt a twinge of confusion. "Why are you so certain?"
"Because it relates to my work..." Hardey snapped his mouth shut the moment the words left his lips, seemingly realizing he had spoken out of turn.
Maurise remembered that the work of an Unspeakable was strictly classified.
"Just trust me on this," Hardey added.
Maurise nodded, took the energy crystal back, and returned it to his pocket. "Regardless, it is at least perfectly safe for me."
Hardey shrugged. "Very well. By all rights, I should confiscate that bead to ensure your safety, but since you are so confident, do as you please."
Maurise offered a polite smile.
As they began walking back, Hardey asked one final question. "Are you truly not going to join the Unspeakables, Mr. Black? You could work under me. I am certain we would get along famously."
"No, sir," Maurise replied.
With that, Hardey took his leave.
Maurise pulled the Death Energy Crystal from his pocket once more. According to Hardey, this thing was supposed to be incredibly lethal. Should he find something to test it on?