Waste potential
(Daniel Hayes POV)
I'm not gonna lie, at first, before Arthur healed my father, I was terrified of him - after all, he is a demon. Even after seeing him heal my father, which I'm so grateful for, I still felt scared around him. Everything he did just made me more curious and nervous about what else he could do.
To me, Arthur was this mysterious demon who completely went against his reputation. Everyone said he was incompetent, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Not only could he heal someone as sick as my dad, but he's an amazing director too. He's been helping me improve my acting, showing me all these little tricks I never would have figured out on my own.
Turns out Arthur's got all these hidden talents - like how he just took down that famous Genesis Whitlock with a single hit. Everyone's still talking about that.
As I've gotten to spend more time around Director Arthur, I've also gotten close to my co-actors, especially Abigail. She's playing Hermione - who became my favorite character after reading the book.
Right now, she's sitting off to the side, watching the crew film another scene.
We usually hang out during lunch breaks. It's nice having someone my own age to talk to on set.
"I can't wait to start filming my scenes," Abigail says, watching the crew work. "I've got every line memorized already."
"No surprise you got the role - you're just as smart as Hermione," I tell her. "I'm still struggling with my lines. Would be hopeless if Mr. Arthur wasn't helping me."
Abigail gives me a teasing smile. "Well, you're perfect for Harry then. Not the brightest, but still the hero!"
I can't help but laugh - she means it in a nice way.
"I'm such a huge fan of the Harry Potter book, I can barely sleep I'm so excited!" She practically bounces as she speaks.
"Can't wait to act with you too," I say.
"Hey, want to play marbles while we wait?" Abigail pulls out a small bag of colored glass spheres from her pocket.
I quickly finish my sandwich and join her. Even with all the pressure of being in a big film, sometimes it's nice to just be a kid.
***
(Arthur POV)
Filming around Cardiff City has been an interesting experience. I've met plenty of locals - most carrying their share of prejudice against demons, but nothing I haven't dealt with before.
While working on "Harry Potter," I've discovered fascinating aspects of local culture. Many older residents still speak Welsh, their ancestral language. Even Christopher, our Dumbledore actor, knows enough to carry a conversation.
The language has been passed down through generations, though it's slowly fading. Still, it's impressive considering how both demon and elven realms have almost completely abandoned their original tongues in favor of the World's Language.
It makes sense, of course. Having a single shared language makes communication easier across realms. That's why watching these people fight to preserve their mother tongue is oddly inspiring.
The old-timers have shared other interesting stories too. Decades ago, Wales apparently tried expanding into the Oceania continent. That adventure ended quickly thanks to the local wildlife - massive spiders, pythons that could swallow a horse whole, and crocodiles the size of houses. The coastal waters proved just as deadly, teeming with venomous jellyfish, lethal octopi, and other poisonous creatures that made settlement impossible.
The locals told me about other dangers too - aggressive sharks in deeper waters and territorial birds that could tear a person apart if provoked.
Between the resource drain and the hostile wildlife, Wales eventually abandoned their attempts to colonize what they called "The Great Southern Land." Now it's mainly inhabited by tribal peoples who've adapted to its harsh conditions. Occasionally, students looking to test their magic, martial arts, or knight training venture there for the challenge.
I'll admit, I'm intrigued. Anyone who can survive in a land that defeated an entire army must be remarkably strong.
Speaking of strength, these past few days of filming have got me thinking about the perfect arena setup for the Quidditch scenes.
I've been scouting for a suitable arena, but most are booked solid for the "Magic Swords Fight" tournaments.
I caught one of these matches yesterday - teams of five battling it out with enchanted blades, winning points through precise strikes and coordinated tactics. The crowd's energy was infectious, their chants echoing off the arena walls as fighters clashed below. I can see why it's so popular.
Funny enough, I'd expected to find more football here. But like many places in this world, the sport's declining. The only arena I could actually rent for filming was an old football stadium, practically falling apart. A few teams still play there, but the stands are nearly empty save for some loyal supporters who seem to watch more out of habit than enthusiasm.
The decline of football seems like such a waste. While I wasn't a hardcore fan in my previous life - just knew the big names like Pelé and Maradona - seeing it reduced to near irrelevance bothers me. Surely it deserves better than being overshadowed by glorified sword dancing.
I didn't hesitate to invest in comprehensive football knowledge from the system shop. The differences between this world's version and the one I remember became immediately apparent.
This world's football is painfully basic - fewer players, simplified rules, no real strategy.
The football I remember had yellow and red cards for fouls, offside rules, penalty kicks, and strategic formations that made every match a chess game played at full sprint. Teams used tactics like the 4-4-2 formation, employed different styles of play from tiki-taka to counter-attacking, and matches could swing on a single brilliant free kick or well-timed substitution.
While Kingston Construction works on transforming the dilapidated stadium into something suitable for our Quidditch scenes, my mind is already racing ahead.
Beyond just renting the space, I'm considering purchasing an entire football team - maybe even acquiring the struggling Evros Football Association (EFA) itself.
Imagine controlling football associations across Evros, Anatolia, and even Empirica. I could revitalize the sport by introducing proper incentives - substantial prize money for tournaments, prestigious trophies that mean something, standardized player salaries, and professional coaching programs to develop talent.
Television coverage would be key - broadcast the matches on Hellfire Channel, build storylines around teams and players, create real drama that draws viewers in.
With the right promotion and financial backing, football could become this world's premier sport.
While I'm at it, I might as well consider bringing other sports from my previous life here - basketball, baseball, games this world barely acknowledges. Makes sense though, after seeing how simplified their football is. These other sports probably exist here in equally basic forms.
Basketball and baseball could be revolutionized too. But there's a delicate balance to strike with magic in sports. I'd need to strict limitations - no combat spells or dangerous magic, just subtle enhancements to support player strategy and skill. Keep the focus on athletic ability rather than magical power.
"Football's the perfect starting point," I murmur to myself.
Pushing these plans aside for now, I focus on the Quidditch scenes. Kingston Construction has done impressive work transforming the old arena, though much of it is clever illusion - we don't have time to build a full Quidditch stadium from scratch.
The set looks convincing enough for filming. Our wizard team controls the magic threads supporting the actors on their brooms, while invisible ghosts hover nearby as safety measures. They're handling the cameras too, capturing aerial shots that would be impossible otherwise.
Daddy seems to be having the time of his afterlife, zooming around with the Quaffle, though I sometimes have to remind him to keep the movements looking natural. His enthusiasm for flying makes him a bit too energetic with the ball sometimes.