Harry Potter : Bloodraven-Chapter 82: Winter Intervention (I) (CH - 102)

The first Inter-School Quidditch Tournament turned out to be a resounding success, as proven by the packed stands at the opening match of the competition.

Of course, none of it would have been possible without the exceptional work of the promotion team. Maverick had pulled every trick he knew to spread the word about the competition across Europe.

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—the magical world had very few large-scale sporting events where the public could gather in crowds to spectate. Apart from the Quidditch World Cup and, in the past, the Triwizard Tournament, opportunities for such grand spectacles weren't many.

But unlike the Triwizard Tournament, with its life-threatening tasks and nerve-wracking challenges, the Inter-School Quidditch Tournament was something else entirely—lighter, brighter, and far more welcoming. It brought the schools together in a whirlwind of broomsticks and cheers, a celebration of skill and teamwork rather than survival and daring.

Most importantly, it gave more students a chance to take part. Instead of a single champion carrying the hopes of their entire school, full teams took to the skies, each player with something to prove. It was competition at its best—fierce but fair, thrilling yet safe, and above all, a chance to show what they were made of.

It was no wonder the biggest wizarding schools had jumped at the opportunity and agreed to take part. With no real danger involved, the competition was a win-win for both students and schools alike.

And beyond the sporting spirit, there was another undeniable benefit—it was a fantastic way for the schools to bring in gold.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Ticket sales alone would generate a considerable amount of Galleons, and that was before factoring in sponsorships and advertisements.

Unfortunately for Hogwarts, even though it had been the one to initiate the tournament, it wouldn't be able to reap the financial benefits every year. That was the agreement between the participating schools. Starting next year, the tournament would rotate hosts, with the organizing school chosen through a fair and impartial draw.

...

On the second day of the tournament, Durmstrang's all-star team faced off against Koldovstoretz's finest players in a fiercely competitive match. It was a much more thrilling contest than the tournament opener between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons, with both teams flying at top speed, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats.

In the end, Durmstrang claimed victory with a score of 150 to 120, as neither team managed to catch the Snitch before the first side reached 150 points.

Each day, two teams that hadn't yet competed against each other soared through the sky, and by the sixth day, all four schools had faced off once, setting the stage for the next round of the tournament.

The host school's team took second place, losing only one game to the Durmstrang team, who went on to win all their other matches. Koldovstoretz claimed third place, while Beauxbatons' Quidditch team had to say goodbye to the competition, as only the top three teams would qualify for the second round to be held next February.

During the games, the players from the three visiting schools spent the week at Hogwarts, attending classes alongside the students.

This was another benefit of the tournament, apart from promoting sportsmanship. It gave students the chance to experience the teaching methods of other schools. Both the visitors and the Hogwarts students were able to learn from each other, broadening their understanding beyond their own school's curriculum.

After the first round ended and the participating teams returned to their countries, news of the competition exploded in the newspapers all around Europe and even the world.

Maverick pushed for even more exposure, as his plan was much larger—to promote events like this in every corner of the globe. He dreamed that one day he could organize a regional champions competition, which, in turn, would elevate the tournament to the status of a world-stage event.

Of course, there were some reports that criticized the competition, particularly from the Daily Prophet, which painted it as nothing more than a money grab for the school, and specifically for Maverick and his company.

While it wasn't entirely false—after all, Maverick did monopolize most of the revenue generated from the event—he did ensure that a portion of it went to Hogwarts.

The criticism largely came from influential figures who realized just how profitable the competition was and wanted to get their hands on some of the profits. When Maverick rejected them outright, they turned to the media in an attempt to tarnish his reputation. However, their efforts didn't create much of a stir.

Maverick, however, didn't plan to let this go unnoticed. He had a plan to deal with the people orchestrating the smear campaign behind the scenes. And, of course, he had an eye on the so-called journalists like Rita Skeeter, who had played a part in publishing the biased articles.

Maverick wasn't going to confront them just yet—but perhaps after the competition ended, or even before the finals, he would pay Skeeter a visit to show her exactly where she stood.

As for the influential figures, the pureblood families who had tried to undermine him, Maverick intended to pay them a visit as well. He would make it clear that he was not someone to be messed with or drawn into conspiracies.

...

The days that followed the excitement of the Quidditch tournament slowly settled back into routine. In the original timeline, nothing major happened after the Halloween incident and Christmas apart from the trio's adventures, and things somehow played out much in a similar way here.

After Hermione recovered from the attack, she became best friends with Ron and Harry, and the three became practically inseparable after that. As in the original story, their adventures eventually led them to discover the forbidden corridor, where Hagrid's three-headed dog, Fluffy, was guarding something important.

They then went straight to the one person they believed knew the most about dangerous creatures. And, as always, the most tight-lipped man in the wizarding world somehow managed to let a few secrets slip.

That was all the encouragement the ever-curious trio needed. From there, they dove even deeper into the mystery.

The only difference was that, unlike in the original story, they didn't suspect Snape as much this time.

During the first Quidditch match, when Harry's broom had been cursed, Maverick had stepped in and resolved the situation before anyone could jump to the wrong conclusion.

Of course, Snape had never been the one cursing Harry's broom in the first place. But in the original timeline, Hermione had mistakenly thought he was the culprit after seeing him muttering a counter-curse. She had assumed he was trying to harm Harry, rather than protect him.

Still, that didn't stop the trio's curiosity and it got the better of them, and after Hagrid let slip that whatever Fluffy was guarding had something to do with Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel, they became determined to find out more.

Maverick, of course, kept a close eye on their movements, and none of their adventures escaped his notice.

Although he didn't interfere with their activities just yet, he planned to deal with Quirrell—perhaps even personally—before Harry did, and before the final match scheduled for April next year.

The last thing he wanted was for any unexpected surprises to disrupt the school's peace, especially with the tournament drawing so much attention to Hogwarts.

A major incident, such as another attack like Halloween, which had already been brushed under the rug after much difficulty, could lead to unfavorable PR—or worse, force the tournament to be canceled altogether. Who knew what Voldemort might have up his sleeve? Maverick wasn't going to take that risk.

With that thought in mind, he paid extra attention to Quirrell, in addition to keeping an eye on the trio, as the days passed. However, nothing major—nothing worth taking immediate action over—happened, until finally, the Christmas holidays were just around the corner for the school.

The air around Hogwarts had turned crisp and biting as winter settled in, and a thick layer of snow blanketed the grounds, turning the entire castle into a sparkling winter wonderland. The cold wind swirled through the trees, their bare branches dusted with white, as snowflakes drifted lazily from the sky.

At the beginning of the third week of December, Maverick received a notification from Ali regarding a particular Muggle couple and their movements—something Maverick had tasked him to monitor. He had instructed Ali to inform him whenever their movements happened to coincide in a specific way.

And so, when Ali gave him the heads up, he knew it was time. That very same evening after the dinner feast, he quietly slipped out of the school, apparated out of England, and made several jumps until he finally arrived on a remote road in the United States, leading to Washington, D.C.

The road stretched out before him, a long, sloping ribbon of asphalt that wound its way down a gentle hill. To either side, the land rolled away into darkness, dotted with patches of grass and the occasional boulder. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale silver light over the scene, and the air was crisp and still, carrying the faint scent of damp earth.

He glanced at his watch, then spread his Magical-Sense and quickly located his trusted subordinate up the hill standing alone under Disillusionment.

With another jump in space, he appeared next to him, and of course, he was under Disillusionment as well. He then signaled to Ali that he had arrived, after which, he then enveloped them both in a barrier, making them visible to each other, while the barrier remained invisible to anyone outside.

Ali wasn't surprised by Maverick's sudden appearance. He simply glanced at him before saying, "They'll be here soon." There was a hint of puzzlement in his eyes, though, as he had never been told why he was tasked with monitoring the Muggle tycoon couple. Despite this, he still followed the orders without question, trusting his leader's judgment. But that didn't mean he wasn't curious, and Maverick could see it in his eyes with just one look.

It was time to reveal part of the truth. He thought to himself.

Of course he couldn't explain everything—he couldn't share his knowledge beyond the Fourth Wall—but he could fabricate a plausible story.

"No one knows this," he began while keeping his voice low. "You're the first person I've shared this secret with, Ali. I'm a Seer."

Ali arched a brow but did not interrupt, and let Maverick continue.

"A couple of years ago, I saw their future, or rather, part of it. Something... significant is going to happen to them soon, and I've been waiting for the right moment to act."

"So, we're here to stop whatever's coming? Are they going to be in some kind of accident?" Ali asked, not questioning Maverick's mention of being a seer. After all, seers existed in their world—rare, but still real. And his boss was no ordinary man, so he believed him without a fuss.

"Not an accident. An assassination!"

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Author's Note:

Just a quick update — up to Chapter 135 is already available on P AT r30n!

PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic