"So, you're joining the Death Eaters then?!"
Harry's eyes shone as he listened to Cedric's praise of Tom Riddle. Finally, a kindred spirit! They both admired Tom Riddle, they both loved Quidditch… it seemed a pity that such a talented individual hadn't joined the Death Eaters already.
However, Cedric shook his head. "I apologize, but my father… I'll ask him again."
Truthfully, he wasn't against the idea of joining, but he valued his father's feelings and didn't want to displease him.
"…"
Harry couldn't help but feel a little frustrated by the second rejection he had faced.
Malfoy, witnessing Harry's eagerness being met with such indifference, grew annoyed. He pulled Harry aside, intending for him to employ his classic strategy of slapping Cedric around until he "agreed" to join the Death Eaters.
"Forget it; I don't want to force him to join the Death Eaters like that." Harry's gaze remained fixed on Cedric. "Besides, I'm confident I can persuade him properly."
"…"
Seeing Harry's determined focus on Cedric, Malfoy felt as though he were being made a fool.
"Hmph! Whatever!" Malfoy shook off Harry's hand. "Go find him yourself, Scarface! I can take advantage of the opportunity while you're busy inviting him and snatch the second-in-command position right from under you!"
"…"
Malfoy's words made Harry's face darken. This guy actually covets my position?!
Unnoticed by the others, Tom Riddle, who was walking ahead, allowed a slight smile to play on his lips.
Precisely what I wanted to see.
...
They walked on a little further, leaving the woods behind, until they reached a small hill.
The hill was covered in vibrant green weeds that swayed in the breeze like emerald waves.
And at the very top sat an old, worn-out boot.
Having seen it many times before, Harry and the others knew exactly what it was… a Portkey!
Activating the Portkey, accompanied by the familiar, distorting sound of space, the group was teleported to their destination: the outskirts of the newly built Dartmoor Stadium in Devon, England.
It was another grassy area; just a short distance ahead lay the Quidditch World Cup campsite, where countless spectators had already pitched their tents.
Normally, spectators arrived early to secure their campsites.
But Tom Riddle and his group had no need to do so.
Nagini, on Tom Riddle's silent command, transformed into a wisp of black mist and glided towards the campsite.
As soon as she reached a vantage point where the campsite was clearly visible, nearly half of the black-robed figures within straightened up! And shadowy figures that had been soaring high above in the sky began to descend!
The countless Death Eaters, with their barely perceptible but chilling aura, noticeably lowered the temperature even under the blazing summer sun.
The other Quidditch World Cup spectators parted in fear, their faces—moments before beaming with joy and anticipation and adorned with their favorite teams' flags—now displaying apprehension and panic.
"My Lord!"
The Death Eaters, who made up nearly half the audience, cleared a path, lining both sides, then knelt on one knee as they shouted in unison. Their sheer presence alone was enough to awe the entire crowd!
"..."
The non-Death Eaters were either struck dumb, retreated silently, or felt a dangerous spark ignite within them by this breathtaking display...
"Holy crap! Are you just going to act all cool while watching Quidditch?! It makes me look so pathetic!"
"Don't worry, you're just a passerby; nobody cares about you."
"You son of a bitch…"
In the wizarding world, who didn't know the name Death Eaters?
But while everyone knew the Death Eaters were terrifying, no one had warned them they could be this damn pretentious!
It made a great many of the onlookers itch to join in.
"Professor! That's Professor Tom Riddle! Our Hogwarts professor!"
Many Hogwarts students were also attending the Quidditch World Cup, so they recognized him immediately.
The "I'm so awesome" expression on his face because Tom Riddle was his professor nearly made students from other magic schools want to hex him.
A girl from Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approached the Hogwarts boy, making him think his luck had finally turned around. But to his surprise, her first words were, "Could you introduce me to that gentleman?"
"..."
His smug grin vanished instantly.
The Hogwarts student's face twisted in bitterness. "Never mind; even the professor might not remember me."
After saying this, he looked up, but the girl was already gone. "..."
Of course, there were students from other magical institutions present, such as Durmstrang Institute from Northern Europe, Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in North America, and Uagadou from Africa...
But there were a considerable number of Durmstrang students due to their star student—Viktor Krum—playing Seeker for the Bulgarian national Quidditch team, known as "the best Seeker in the world!"
But at this moment, they were more focused on the handsome, young man who stood just before them, yet seemed so unattainable.
"The Dark Lord…"
A Durmstrang student's eyes gleamed with longing. This was the first time he had ever seen the legendary Dark Lord, and perhaps the only chance he would ever get.
He desperately wanted to approach, but he knew the Death Eaters would never allow it.
He thought of his school's headmaster—Igor Karkaroff, a former Death Eater.
And Karkaroff, like them, had come to watch the Quidditch World Cup.
With renewed hope, the student searched through the crowd of men in black robes and, sure enough, found his headmaster… albeit a little towards the back.
The truth was that Karkaroff had not attended Tom Riddle's summons of the Death Eaters.
Then the Death Eaters had come knocking on his door. Faced with the overwhelming number of "green dots" surrounding him, Karkaroff immediately surrendered, admitting his mistake and begging to return to the great Dark Lord's service.
Logically speaking, Karkaroff should have been treated as a traitor at that point, but considering his good "attitude of admitting his mistake," and more importantly, that he was the headmaster of Durmstrang, and therefore potentially useful.
Those Death Eaters, acting on Karkaroff's potential usefulness, inquired with their superiors (Nagini) about the matter, and after receiving her approval, accepted him back into their ranks.
However, Karkaroff's position within the Death Eaters was now somewhat awkward.
But he didn't care; as long as he was allowed to remain alive, that was enough.
"Sigh..."
The male student, feeling that his headmaster was probably of little use, could only sigh helplessly and obediently sit back down, desperately trying to stop thinking about it.
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