"Oh, not so formal, Aragorn -"
Amrost smiles smugly and says,
"I've summoned people here to you; isn't that an indication of my trust in you?"
"We're not that familiar, Brian!"
Aragorn roared angrily, but he was clearly very well aware that he could do nothing about Amrost, so he could only fling the cloth on the bar and turn around to prepare whisky for Ludwig Bagman.
As Amrost's gaze fell upon Ludo, the smiling Ludo's face clearly flickered with a hint of unease.
The two last met in the outskirts of Edinburgh, where Amrost sought him out to inquire about the win rate of house elves betting on Hermione Granger's match.
At the time, Amrost also caught Ludo "descending to his level" by being a commentator for a club-level Quidditch match and accepting bribes.
Flashbacks of the scene replayed in his mind, and Ludo howled internally in frustration as it seemed that every time Amrost Braren caught hold of his weak spot.
"Oh, excuse me, Amostar, am I late?"
After seating, Ludo smiles at Amrost and says,
"But this can't be blamed on me, Amostar; the rain was too heavy. On the way here, the railway was flooded by a flash flood, and the Hogwarts Express had to stop for a while to avoid being swept away."
"So it seems that I should apologize, Ludo ---"
Amrost smiles,
"I shouldn't have asked you to come to Hogsmeade in such bad weather, I hope it hasn't caused you any extra trouble?"
"Oh, no need for that, no need for that, thank you Aragorn!"
Ludo took the glass offered by Aragorn with a cold face, gulped down a mouthful,
"So, you're here about the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, Amostar? Oh, to be honest, it's a real headache at the ministry now. You know why... Ah, the second task turned into a massive mess, everyone's avoiding talking about it..."
Ludo sighed and drank heavily,
"If it weren't for you making sure that the third task would go ahead, it would be a complete waste of money for me. I owe you one, Amostar, what would have happened if I hadn't had you to stand up for me?"
Watching Ludo there, rejoicing that the third task would go ahead smoothly, Amostar couldn't help but feel a bit of 'respect' in his heart.
As to whether the mysterious person had truly come back and re-entered the wizarding world, most wizards and witches in the magical community held a wishful thinking attitude towards it.
They acknowledged that Dumbledore was a great wizard, but they all hoped that Dumbledore was old and confused about this issue. Although their hearts might have known the real answer.
But regardless of whether they believe it or not, everyone was keeping a close eye on this matter, as it would change their lives drastically.
But in front of Ludo, Amrost was quite straightforward. Amrost couldn't see a shred of worry about war in Ludo, and he still cared about his bets and gold.
Splash!
Amostar shivered and unfolded an old parchment he had retrieved from somewhere, which he gently laid on the table.
"Those words of gratitude we'll talk about later, Ludo, first let's take a look at this..."
"Oh..."
Ludo immediately reached out to pick up the parchment on the table, revealing an interested expression.
"What is this, Amrost, I guess it's the project plan for the third task?"
Enthusiastically, Ludo picked up the parchment and looked at it. Suddenly, he seemed to have seen something incredible.
Leaning back comfortably in the chair, he sat up straight immediately and squinted at the words on the parchment with candlelight. He occasionally lifted his head to stare at Amrost.
"Hmm, how about it, Ludo, do you like this surprise?"
Amostar chuckled lowly twice.
"This is..."
Ludo rubbed his eyes, almost pressing his face against the parchment, carefully examining the seal at the bottom of the letter to see if it was forged by Amostar.
"If you don't believe it, Ludo, you can go and check with the pixies yourself."
Aragorn composed his smile and spoke calmly,
"In short, your account with the pixies is settled, and they will no longer threaten you with it."
From the tremble of Ludo's hand holding the parchment could prove that his heart was excited at this moment,
"It's you, Amostar?"
Ludo, having been in the wizarding world for many years and holding a high position, wouldn't be unaware of the fact that there is no such thing as a free meal.
Ludo stared at Amostar with a calm expression, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. The money he borrowed from pixies these years wasn't just a couple thousand galleons!
"You you mean, if you're planning to --"
Subconsciously, Ludo's breath became ragged. The water droplets on his temples slowly fell, whether they were from the recent rain or sweat, it was hard to tell.
A strange fear appeared in Ludo's mind,
"You're going to make me persuade the Minister not to let that terrifying woman, Umbridge, cause trouble at Hogwarts, aren't you, Amostar? You might have placed the wrong bet."
Ludo said nervously.
"You know what a lottery is, Ludo?"
To Ludo's astonishment, Amostar didn't even mention the matter of asking him to interfere with the Minister's will; instead, he asked a question abruptly.
"Lottery?"
Ludo blinked puzzledly,
"What's that... Some sort of book?"
Amostar said as if in a casual chat about the situation,
"Not knowing is quite normal, Ludo. It's a Muggle thing. Just like those gambling contracts you signed with the pixies, it's generally run by institutions with Muggle official backing, predicting the process and outcome of an event. It's completely legal and compliant."
Amostar shrugged, as if the topic had suddenly occurred to him.
"I just remembered that in the case of a major accident in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, you. Well, of course, it's not just you, but probably many others as well. All were hoping that the tournament would go ahead smoothly so that all the gold you've put into various bets would not be for nothing."
Watching Ludo's eyes grow brighter, Amostar spoke softly, as if lost in thought.
"Gambling is indeed a source of enjoyment for many wizards. However, currently, it seems that there is a lack of effective control over it by the Ministry of Magic in most countries, and all the benefits are being grabbed by pixies and some unsavory forces."
Disappointedly shaking his head, Aragorn gazed at Ludo with a hint of expectation.
"If the Ministry of Magic and the Quidditch League can reach an agreement to introduce Muggle lottery, it will bring good profits for both parties. It can also provide a safe and reliable betting platform for those who love to seek excitement in gambling."
Ludo opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Aragorn said with a smirk.
"Zzz, if this sports lottery thing can be realized, it should fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Magical Sports. I think we should establish a new division to manage this matter."
A department specifically responsible for gambling, operating openly and without risk, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Magical Sports. Ludo stared at Amostar, his lips moving but unable to say anything.
"You know, Amostar, I've never been ambitious. Well, okay, I'll do it for you. I'll go and talk to the Minister. It's sheer stupidity to bring Umbridge into Hogwarts!"
Ludo was breathing heavily, glancing again at the parchment he still clutched tightly—it was his ticket to freedom.
"That's right, you've convinced me, Amostar. You really are a devil. As for me, I've never been willing to get involved in these kinds of troubles. Speaking of which, how do you plan to implement your proposal? As I see it, this is a good idea, but under the current situation, the Minister definitely won't agree to it. And if we want to push this forward, we need the approval of the Quidditch World League."
"Don't worry, Ludo. This year's second half, this thing will definitely land. The Minister of Magic won't be an obstacle to this. As for the Quidditch World League, of course, they will do their utmost to secure more profits, and there will be many difficult negotiations involved in this, so--"
Amostar smiled.
"The profits from Quidditch tournament lottery, I will represent Hogwarts and fight for a share of it. In return for my involvement, I can authorize the World League to use my monitoring mirror to broadcast live matches worldwide. This is also a very substantial income. Considering this, I believe they will make concessions."
Amostar stood up, indicating that the somewhat hurried conversation was coming to an end.
"I need to correct you on one point, Ludo, I'm not asking you to mediate between me and Fudge. It's impossible for Umbridge to get into Hogwarts; if she wants to go to Azkaban, I can help her out. I met with you today simply because..."
Amostar looked down at Ludo, the sharp light of his purple eyes making Ludo unconsciously tremble. He asked in a timid tone,
"Why?"
"Simply to gain your support, Ludo."
(Chapter completed)
