pared to the multitude they had found pg their tickets, the four were not surprised to find a siderably smaller group that had e to cash in.

  But then, all of them were in the Griffins’ line.

  "Some of them are Manticores fans... freaking traitors," Gee ented, indig the people with the Manticores robes and hats.

  "I certainly would not. e to think about it, they must have been trying to make up for the loss from the first round. If anything, they certainly won't be able to break even," Lee interjected.

  Listening to their reasoning, Magnus decided the three had no hope of being pramblers... Emotional betting was the easiest way to court losses.

  "They could, you know... I mean, that st round, Griffins had a three," Fred said, looking quite gloomy as he fell o Magnus, who was now the third person in the Griffins' queue. The payout line was moving crazy fast.

  "I just wish I had even ten sickles to risk," he said with a dreamy look.

  "Yeah, but we would have still lost it on the Charizard, bro," Gee had to remind his twiheir allegiance had been.

  "What I wish is that the Griffins did not forfeit the third round. I bet they might have won that too," Magnus bemoaned.

  He was thinking of just how much he would have been cashing in had that round gone his way, but then again, that might have gone against him.

  "Either way, the Manticores have lost the league," Lee said. "The Beast Brothers would have to lose two rounds for them to py each other in a tiebreaker. I say there is zero ce of that happening."

  Just then, a silvery weasel materialized in front of them.

  It was so sudden that Magnus had actually retreated a few steps back but when the weasel opes mouth and he heard the voice he knew beloo Mr. Weasley, he ughed at his rea.

  It atronus... He had seen it quite several times in the film when he had the luxury in the children's home.

  "Beast Brothers have won the league... I told you they would. I'm guessing the Griffins somehow mao beat the Manticores... Anyway, I won five Galleons, and Ron and I are off to the Leaky Cauldro you there."

  The weasel, having delivered its message, disappeared, leaving the twins looking unamused.

  "That is our dad," Gee said to Magnus, having seen his rea.

  "Yeah, wait until we tell him we met someone who used three Galleons to get seventy-two. Dad only pced four on the Beast Brothers and got five—just a Galleon in profit."

  As they had been speaking, the line had been thinning, and now it was Magnus's turn. The three friends surrounded him, all looking sternly at the clerk, as if daring him to try anything underhanded.

  Magnus hahe man his ticket.

  "Aah... that's right. You are the bck horse... Let me see..." And with that, he began to carefully scrutihe part as if he wasn't the one who had ha to him.

  Seds into his scrutiny, however, he looked up with what seemed like a mixture of awe and suspi.

  "My... my... seventy-two Galleons down from three... must be one hell of a lucky chap."

  And with that, the clerk lowered his head beh the ter and began ting s.

  Magnus could already feel his heart thundering in anticipation.

  I mean, this was going too smooth... Subsciously, he had been anticipating some kind of push and pull. It wasn't his first time gambling. Ireets, they had often pyed cards to kill time. Winning was ohing, but getting paid, though—that was where the real struggle began.

  "Seventy-one, seventy-two..." the man finished ting before p the shiny gold s on the ter.

  "Here you go, mate... I suppose you want to firm. Here, take this as well," he beamed as he handed a grey pou. "That's for choosing to py with the Lucky Brothers. We would love to see you again."

  Magnus did not say anything. Pig up the pouch, he began to drop the Galleons one by one.

  "One... two, three, four..." The three friends were ting loudly as Magnus tio drop the s. He eventually gave up ting and relied on their firmation.

  "Seventy, seventy-one, seventy-two..."

  "It's all there..."

  "It's good."

  "Okay," the three chorused, now looking relieved, just like Magnus.

  "Of course, it's all there... What do you take us for? The Lucky Brothers alay their due," the clerk looked quite serious as he said this, and Magnus recalled one of the three telling him that these were the best in the business.

  "Thank you very much," Magnus said as he turo leave.

  "Well... ime, I am sure you and your friends will be pying with us," the man called after them.

  "Puh... They don't part with Galleons easily. He hopes you will return the money back to them, mate," Fred jeered as they began to head out to the stadium.

  "Well, to be ho, he did not seem to care that much... and why should he? While he lost maybe a thousand Galleons, his brother won a huimes that on Charizard losing aloher way, it's a win for them," Lee expined as they now left the stadium entrance.

  There were several wizards waiting outside, and one of them approached almost meically.

  "You four... Where to?"

  "The Leaky Cauldron," the twins chorused.

  "Then that Portkey over there leaves in five minutes," he said, indig a broomstick simir to the ohey had arrived through.

  "Just grab tightly to each other's hands and then—"

  "We know how to use a Portkey," Gee said, cutting the man's instrus.

  The guy smiled before moving on to anroup.

  "Wait," Magnus called at the three friends to stop.

  He really he money, what with all his predits. He, however, could not deny that had it not been for overhearing the three and them letting him join their group, he would still be having his three Galleons—or worse, he might have nothing at all.

  Reag within the pouch, he came out with a handful of s. He ted to make sure there were nine before them to Lee, who was o him.

  "Three for each of you."

  Lee did not move... her did the three. They were staring at him like he had grown a sed head.

  "But... but we didn't do anything," Fred said, still looking surprised.

  "But you did... If I had not overheard you, I might not even have known there was a match today, let alohat I could bet on it. So just take it... really. Besides, it was fun tonight... I haven't felt this lively for a while."

  His ear voice seemed to vihe three. Besides, who in their right mind says no talleons?

  "Thanks, mate," Fred said as he received his three from Lee.

  "Yeah, thanks, man... This is what we would have lost if we even had it in the first pce," Gee smiled as he remihem of the deal they had attempted to strike with Lee.

  "So you really are a Muggle's wizard then?" Lee asked curiously.

  "Yeah... Both my parents are Muggles."

  "Told you guys... He is dressed like them," Fred excimed as if he had won Galleons.

  "Then how e you know so much about Pokémon?" Lee asked curiously.

  "Books," Magnus lied.

  The twins stared at each other, almost sad.

  "He 't be like Percy, he?... I mean, he looks fun," Fred said.

  Magnus wasn't sure whether that was a pliment. The twins' idea of fun wasirely uionable.

  "Hey... but how e I haven't seen you in Hogwarts? You aren't in Slytherin, are you?" Gee seemed to be petrified by his own thought, and so did his brother.

  Just then, a grey owl swooped down, dropping an envelope in Magnus's hands.

  "It’s a Hogwarts letter!" Fred excimed.

  "No way he's eleven... Dude, you’re almost as tall as us, and we’re in third year!"

  ***

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