Chapter 76.3 Ritual and Quidditch

Traveling through an international portal wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't much worse than regular use portal-key. Still, feeling like a skinned carcass on a hook is a real pain in the ass.

We were given a full minute to recover from the displacement before we were asked to leave the portal site, a simple clearing with some strange statues and warped wood. We didn't need an escort, as Pierre Delacour had already been here to inspect the preparations for the championships, but we took maps of the camp. In a friendly group we moved to our residence for the next three days of the championship finals.

I'd like to say that I didn't really notice it in the first few minutes after the move, but later I felt it clearly and vividly: the pressure disappeared. I didn't even notice it, but now I can say for sure that in France there is a strange background of fun and recklessness that makes you act impulsively, you almost can't hold back your feelings and emotions.

But when I come to England, I feel that there is no pressure. The magic here is not as saturated, the background is weaker, but the pressurizing carbon monoxide opium fog is not there. On the other hand, the weaker background is probably supposed to affect the sensitivity and power of the gifted.

Maybe that's why we saw what we saw in the canon? There has to be a balance, though, and I definitely want to find out what that means.

For now, I want to appreciate the extended space tent already set up and prepared by the servants of Delacurus. And later, closer to evening, I have a little "date" with Gabby, yes, yes, that's how she put it: "date". Don't "woof-woof" me! I'm not stupid, I may be stupid sometimes...often, but that didn't stop me from looking up information on Vayles.

"Quarter Vale"? Bullshit! Vayles are descendants of eastern fire spirit birds and ifrit, but they're not werewolves. As it turns out, their nature is firmly woven into their magic, not only charm and a bit of fire, but also powerful illusions, which a rare Vayla can curb. Often illusions are based on instinct, like the image of a harpy with a beak and feathers. It's nothing like that. And about "a quarter", it has been said that the Vayla are a magical race with a powerful heredity.

When a Vayla and a wizard have children, the odds are fifty-fifty, meaning that a pure-blooded Vayla can be born, or at least a medium-strong or even stronger boy wizard. If a Vayla mates with a muggle, the odds are two out of three for a boy of medium power, and one out of three for a girl.

Vayla are not born of Vayla, they're a magical race! I don't know how or why there is such a bad attitude towards the Vail. Maybe because of their "charm", maybe simple envy of the excellent gene pool, or maybe the fact that the information about the Vail.... is hidden? It wasn't easy to find a book about the Vales and some other magical races, even Dunois didn't have one in his family library (or was it just hidden?).

But Baa-san, who had been sent to look for it a few days before I left for the championship, found it, and I had time to familiarize myself with the information I was interested in.

The tent inside turned out to be spacious, with extra rooms, two full bathrooms, a large kitchen and living room, and a study for private meetings. After looking around and spreading out, I was dragged away by a nimble fidgeter to walk around the expansive guest camp. Fleur refused, though I noticed Appolyn's "scary" expression towards the older girl, but the girl just whipped her hair silver and went to her room.

Gabrielle seemed only too pleased with her sister's choice, and her cheerful disposition and ringing chirping filled the rest of the day with fun and even a little adventure among the many fans. We got back around ten o'clock in the evening, after a feast at the Italians', where we were dragged by the noisy but good-natured fans. It was easy and fun.