Chapter 523: The Weasleys Have Been Knights for Generations (Edited)

Tom wasn't a greedy person. Investing in Fred and George's Weasley's Wizard Wheezes shop was primarily to raise funds needed for alchemy and also to help fulfill the dreams of the two brothers. Killing two birds with one stone, isn't it great?

As for the bet that was destined to fail, let's consider it as a little lesson for Fred and George. They should learn through a painful defeat that gamblers don't have a happy ending.

Betting isn't terrifying; what's terrifying is winning a lot of money on the first bet. That would be like taking half a step towards the door of hell.

During the conversation, Barty Crouch Sr. also made his appearance.

Percy seemed excited and on the verge of fainting. He quickly served a cup of hot tea to Crouch and handed it over with great respect.

"How much do you think Percy would pay for a small sculpture of Crouch?" Tom quipped from behind, unable to contain himself.

"He'd probably part with his last Knut," Fred winked. He hadn't liked Percy's behavior for a long time.

Crouch had come to speak with Mr. Weasley. There was a Middle Eastern trader trying to bypass the Magical Objects Registry and sell flying carpets in the UK.

Arthur's stance on the matter was also clear: it was absolutely impossible. He didn't want flying carpets entering the UK market and competing with broomsticks, even if a flying carpet could carry many people at once. Wizards were self-taught in trade protectionism.

After dealing with official matters, Crouch and Bagman disappeared together as they had to meet with representatives from the Ministry of Magic in Bulgaria.

Just as Percy was about to express his opinion about them, he saw someone. Upon seeing that person, his face turned pink, and all the long words he had prepared got stuck in his throat.

A beautiful girl with long, curly brown hair was standing not far away, glaring angrily at Percy.

The girl's name was Penelope Clearwater, and she was Percy's girlfriend.

Fred was the first to notice something was amiss. He immediately elbowed Tom and George, signaling them to prepare for a show.

George: (σ)σ

Tom: (@ο@)

Looks like things are not going well!

Soon, not only Tom and his friends but also others noticed Percy's discomfort. Under the strange gazes of his family and the guests, Percy couldn't keep his composure. He quickly cleared his throat a couple of times and adjusted his shirt collar as if he had buttoned it too tightly before leaving home.

"I have... I have a friend," he stammered.

"Since we don't have much more to do here, go meet your friend. Being punctual is a gentlemanly quality," Mr. Weasley took the empty plate from Percy's hands.

"We, the Weasley family, have always been gentlemen!" Fred and George joined in on the fun. Percy's face went from pink to peach-red, as if steam were about to come out of his ears.

"Go quickly," Charlie pushed his younger brother to stop delaying.

With the support and attention of his entire family, Percy quickly ran towards Penelope.

"Penelope, I..."

"Percy Weasley," Penelope interrupted, extending her hand. This beautiful young woman now looked angry and called Percy by his full name.

Most of the time, when someone calls you by your full name, it means trouble.

Percy understood this law, so when he heard his full name, his brain started working quickly. Where had he made a mistake?

Then, Percy understood.

He remembered a small bet they had made a long time ago: he and Penelope had bet on the outcome of the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Percy lost that bet and owed his girlfriend some money.

His girlfriend hadn't caused him any trouble; she had only asked him to spend the summer with her watching the World Cup...

Yes, to watch the World Cup with her... but the problem was that Percy had completely forgotten about this matter!

After graduating, he entered the Ministry of Magic and was assigned an important task, busy as the hands of a clock, with almost no time to spare. Percy, fully focused on his work, completed one task after another, and Mr. Crouch's sympathy towards him continued to increase. Meanwhile, Penelope's feelings, his official girlfriend, for Percy continued to wane. Up until today, when the final was about to start, Percy still hadn't shown up.

She finally couldn't contain herself and went to look for Percy to see what he had to say about it.

"Penelope, let me explain..."

"Don't bother explaining to me. I'm just an ordinary student. How can I waste the time of the future star of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"

...

A short distance away, the Weasley family discreetly observed Percy's predicament. Looking back and forth, they all felt that something wasn't right. Why was there so much tension between this couple?

Finally, Percy managed to temporarily obtain his girlfriend's forgiveness through desperate apologies and sincere reflection. However, without a doubt, he couldn't temporarily return to his family's camp.

After witnessing Percy's "voluntary" performance, Fred and George sneaked away quietly. They had to sell the goods they had acquired from Tom. Although they wouldn't make a lot of money, it would at least be some income.

Time passed minute by minute, and as the sun began to set, the camp was filled with an exciting atmosphere. With the arrival of the night, the wizards shed their last pretenses, and the full-on celebration began. Faced with this situation, the Ministry of Magic also decided to surrender and release their control completely. They considered that instead of suppressing the wizards' enthusiasm, it was better to hit the Muggles with the Stunning Spell and then modify their memories.

Countless vendors appeared out of nowhere, carrying trays and carts filled with strange curiosities. These vendors were like Doraemon; they had everything: bright badges, green for Ireland and red for Bulgaria, even ones that could shout the players' names; flags that could play the national anthems of various countries; statues of famous players; miniature Firebolts...

There was nothing these vendors couldn't do.

Mr. Granger was dazzled by so many choices.

Before going on a big shopping spree, he whispered to Tom privately, "By the way, which team should we support?"

Tom: ...

He really didn't understand what Mr. Granger was thinking. Even from a geographical perspective, they should support the Irish team.

After getting a clear answer, Mr. Granger rushed to a cart and started picking out souvenirs he liked. This was tough for him because he wanted everything!

"Tom, how about this hat?" Hermione followed him, picking up a waving Irish clover hat.

"No, definitely not," Tom looked at the green hat and decisively rejected Hermione.