0364 Old Friend

"Ah, Mr. Crouch indeed acknowledged that the 'safety plan' submitted by Hogwarts was far from being perfect."

Bryan was unaccustomed to being overly familiar or excessively casual with others, especially those he did not know well. He maintained a formal posture, keeping his hands clasped behind his back in a dignified manner, pretending to admire the ancient artifacts nestled within the intricately carved niches adorning the sturdy stone walls of the grand lobby. He naturally shrugged off the overly friendly gesture of Ludo Bagman, who had draped his arm over Bryan's shoulders in a jovial display of familiarity.

"Ah-ha!" Ludo exclaimed, seeming absolutely delighted to hear the implicit confirmation that the ever-critical Barty Crouch was unsatisfied with Hogwarts's proposed 'safety plan' for the upcoming event.

Ludo bounced over behind Bryan again, blatantly ignoring Bryan's helpless and uncomfortable expression as he once again rested his arm on Bryan's shoulders. Ludo's frivolous demeanor and casual body language showed no signs of the solemn decorum and dignified poise that one would expect from the head of such a prominent department within the Ministry of Magic.

"That's just how Barty is," Ludo said cheerfully. "He demands absolute perfection in every tiny detail and aspect. He won't even allow for the slightest misplaced punctuation mark to go uncorrected!"

"But I'd wager your proposal is utterly flawless. By the way, Bryan, is this your first time in Paris? It's such a marvelous, enchanting place. The French certainly have an exceptional knack for truly enjoying life to the fullest. If I were in your position, I wouldn't bother concerning myself with those dreadfully dull reports and proposals."

It was a typical workday, the habitual time for most individuals to be diligently laboring away at their respective offices, but not far away from where Bryan, Ludo, and Barty stood, along the shimmering, gently surging banks of the renowned River Seine, numerous carefree Muggles leisurely strolled about, many carrying steaming cups of fragrant coffee in their hands. 

The overall pace of life here in this picturesque Parisian setting did indeed seem to be significantly more relaxed and unhurried in comparison to the hustle and bustle of everyday life back in England.

Watching those carefree, laughing youths frolicking about without a care in the world, a hint of a bitter smile fleetingly appeared across Bryan's lips. Living his second life, he had long since lost the ability to maintain the casual, nonchalant attitude required to simply enjoy the simpler pleasures of life.

Ludo Bagman continued to chatter on endlessly in Bryan's ear, reminiscing fondly about a particularly wonderful encounter he had experienced in this very city during a prestigious Quidditch competition in his youth. However, Crouch, having completed the necessary registration procedures, abruptly interrupted Ludo's nostalgic recollections.

"We're on the seventh floor. I've arranged for a satisfactory lunch to be promptly delivered to our room. For the remainder of the day, we all need to focus our entire attention on meticulously revising and refining the 'proposal' to ensure it meets the highest possible standards."

Barty Crouch stared intently at Bryan with an intense, penetrating gaze, as though deeply afraid that he might be seduced or swayed by Ludo's overly casual and careless attitude into abandoning the serious matter at hand.

This luxurious hotel, officially designated to host esteemed guests by the International Confederation of Wizards and the French Ministry of Magic, enjoyed a steady stream of visitors even on ordinary days.

Bryan, Barty, and Ludo were each quite conspicuous and renowned public figures within the wizarding world, so their joint presence at this hotel was an even more remarkable and noteworthy occurrence.

Earlier, many of the hotel's other guests had already taken notice of Ludo and Bryan talking with one another in the lobby. Now, as the three men prepared to leave the spacious lobby area and make their way toward the elevators, numerous witches and wizards who recognized them flocked over in droves, hoping to chat with them and perhaps even obtain their autographs.

Two particularly passionate and devoted Quidditch fans, overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect of meeting such famous figures, even went so far as to boldly chase after them into the elevator itself. However, they quickly withered and retreated under the full force of Barty Crouch's icy, stern glare, which conveyed an unmistakable aura of cold, hard disapproval at their intrusive and improper behavior.

"There's no need to be so frosty and ill-tempered, Barty," Ludo said resentfully, smacking his lips in an unhappy manner. "We're here to promote a spirit of camaraderie and friendly relations between the various different magical cultures represented at this event. You should try to be more friendly and welcoming toward these international acquaintances."

Ludo's words carried a degree of reason and logic, but Barty Crouch's expression remained resolutely frosty as he simply frowned deeply, remaining silent. Bryan had the feeling that Barty seemed reluctant to engage in excessive conversation with the chatty Ludo Bagman, especially in his own presence.

The hotel's overall layout and design were cylindrical in nature, with all of the guest rooms encircling a massive central pillar or core. Directly opposite the elevator doors, an immense, intricately detailed mural had been meticulously carved into the stone of the central pillar itself, vividly depicting the final stages of the infamous Goblin Rebellion. In the scene, the goblins could be observed mounting a desperate, if futile, defense of their stronghold at the legendary Hog's Head Inn as the advancing armies of wizards closed in.

The highest and most distinguished floor in the hotel's spiral layout was the seventh floor. As Bryan stepped onto the circular seventh-floor platform, he saw more elaborate, painstakingly carved decorations hanging from the domed ceiling above. When he looked closer, he saw that it was, in fact, an exquisitely rendered map showing the exact locations of all the Gringotts Wizarding Bank branches across the globe, with Gringotts's headquarters prominently displayed in the center, right here in the heart of Paris, close to the renowned Louvre Museum.

Barty led Bryan and the consistently chatty Ludo a short distance to the right of the elevator lobby before finally coming to a halt in front of one of the rooms.

Bryan had also stayed at a hotel designated to host guests of the Ministry of Magic during his time in England, but that particular establishment had been Muggle-operated and, apart from being luxurious and comfortable, there was not much else remarkable to comment upon regarding its design or decor.

But there was no denying that the French wizarding society had a natural talent for lavishly savoring the better things in life and their surroundings.

The instant the door to their room opened, even the experienced Bryan could not help but be mildly taken aback.

He had expected to be greeted by the sight of an exceptionally spacious guest room adorned with lavish, gilded, and diamond-studded decorations strewn about in every conceivable place, an extravagant and ostentatious display of luxurious decor sticking to the traditional styles favored by the upper echelons of elite wizarding society.

However, the reality that awaited them was far more exaggerated and over-the-top than even Bryan's lofty expectations.

The door opened not into a typical guest room but into a completely different, self-contained world. A verdant, luxuriant courtyard with six elegantly swaggering peacocks wearing their full array of colorful plumage suddenly came into view. The courtyard's central lawn was expertly groomed. In the middle of the courtyard bubbled a beautifully carved fountain, the sound of its constantly flowing water creating a calming, melodious atmosphere.

Lining both sides of the clean, meticulously groomed stone path that twisted its way through the verdant oasis were rows of lush, towering sweet gum trees, their vibrant green foliage providing a natural archway to guide the guests toward the true centerpiece—a three-story, magnificently snow-white villa nestled amidst a serene, peaceful grove at the courtyard's far end.

Bryan glanced upward, craning his neck as he took in the breathtaking view of the simulated sky over his head. A softly glowing orb, perfectly replicating the warm, golden hues of the afternoon sun around four o'clock. A few pure white clouds dappled the boundless blue sky, slowly drifting across the dome in a convincing mimicry of natural cloud movement.

"These French certainly know how to live," Bryan could not help but remark in admiration.

"An overnight stay here doesn't come cheap," Ludo chimed in enthusiastically, gesturing broadly at their lavish surroundings as he addressed Bryan. "If you weren't an invited guest at this event, the only way for one to experience the splendor of these exclusive lodgings would be directly out of their own deep pockets—at the frankly exorbitant rate of two hundred galleons per night!

Oh, Barty would never have agreed to approve such a lavish expense if the Ministry itself did not have significant vested interests in trying to curry favor with our generous hosts, would he now?"

"Financial considerations are utterly irrelevant in this case, Ludo," Barty Crouch said impatiently. "I want you both to grasp the gravity of our current situation—if Dumbledore himself couldn't easily overcome those other two competing schools during the early planning stages, it just goes to show how difficult the task ahead of us is. If we cannot assure that the updated proposal we eventually present is comprehensive and dependable enough to withstand the most rigorous inspection, our chances are doomed from the start."

"I'm not entirely clear on what efforts we've made previously," Bryan suddenly interjected. "But tell me, have you perhaps considered an alternative, more unconventional approach to resolving this? I mean, have you tried making offers to individual members of the tournament's judging committee?"

"Oh, you sly, crafty dog!" Ludo immediately let out a loud chuckle of raucous laughter, clearly delighted by Bryan's bold implication. "Trying to directly bribe and manipulate the judging committee with under-the-table favors, were you? The Minister himself has certainly hinted as much in suggestions to Barty here, but that's simply not possible, is it?"

"Why not?" Bryan asked, perplexed.

"The representatives selected to sit on the tournament's judging committee all formally signed binding magical contracts preventing them from accepting any favors, gifts, or considerations whatsoever from the three main parties involved in organizing and hosting the event," Barty said coldly, his disapproving scowl deepening. "Thank Merlin for that crucial stipulation, or otherwise Beauxbatons could very well start preparing and fortifying the tournament grounds to be staged directly on their territory."

Bryan smiled noncommittally. Having signed so many contracts himself, he knew full well that magical contracts only appeared fair; in reality, the vast majority had numerous loopholes to exploit.

As Bryan had predicted before even arriving, the task of revising and refining their submitted proposal to meet the tournament's requirements would likely fall upon just himself and Barty Crouch. Ludo Bagman, with his frivolous demeanor and lack of seriousness, would be of no assistance.

In fact, after depositing his luggage in the room, Ludo made a flimsy, transparently insincere excuse to leave. Both Bryan and Barty were privately relieved about this, as neither of them wanted to have the chatty Ludo nagging beside them while they were trying to work.

For the remainder of that day, neither Bryan nor Barty Crouch ventured out from the lavish confines of their hotel room's courtyard villa, except when Bryan spent approximately half an hour leisurely strolling through the meticulously landscaped gardens after having enjoyed an authentic, gourmet French lunch prepared by the hotel's premier chefs.

Working together with Barty Crouch was sheer torment for Bryan.

The only consensus they could reach was to keep their distance from each other. So apart from discussions related to the proposal, they engaged in virtually no extra conversation or pleasant small talk of any kind.

The decorative grandfather clock softly chiming in the courtyard indicated it was now half past five in the late afternoon, with still half an hour remaining until the scheduled start of the evening's formal banquet and reception.

Bryan set aside the sheaf of parchments containing his preliminary revisions to their proposal, letting out a weary sigh as he dug out the robes he hadn't worn for many years from his suitcase and began to dress himself up. After all, he not only represented himself now; if he showed up to the party in old-fashioned, tattered robes, Hogwarts would certainly be mocked.

"The banquet is being hosted on the second floor of the main building. We mustn't be late," Barty said curtly, already striding through the courtyard towards the exterior door, clad in a set of black dress robes that were ironed without a single wrinkle.

Bryan, who was still carefully adjusting his cravat as he casually followed a few paces behind, inquired casually, "What about Ludo? Doesn't he need to attend and make an appearance at this function as well?"

"Oh, I expect he's already there," Barty Crouch said with a hint of mocking ridicule, tinging his normally stern tone. He reached the lavishly carved entrance of their courtyard villa, that opened abruptly onto the winding stone path and grasped the intricate metal handle, pulling the heavy wooden door inward.

At that precise moment, another hotel guest happened to be strolling by in the opposite direction and, hearing the sudden noise of the door swinging open, casually glanced over toward them. However, the man immediately stopped dead in his tracks upon recognizing just who had emerged. 

"Ah—"

The tall, remarkably thin man with a neatly trimmed goatee adorning his narrowed features reacted with a brief flicker of unease crossing his lined face. But then, just as quickly as his uneasiness had surfaced, the man bared his yellowed, crooked teeth at Barty in an oily grin as he opened his arms wide in an overly slimy gesture of feigned delight.

"Didn't expect to have the pleasure of running into you here in such magnificent surroundings, Barty, my old friend," the man purred in a sycophantic tone, his beady eyes glittering. 

"Good Evening, Karkaroff," Barty Crouch replied stiffly with the barest dip of his head in a curt nod of acknowledgment.

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