Chapter 252 Preparations before the Holt Family Gathering

Chapter 252 Preparations before the Holt Family Gathering

The grand Quidditch Cup was held on Monday night. More than 100,000 wizards from all over the world rushed to a previously uninhabited swamp. In order to prevent too many strange people from clogging up Muggle traffic, people began to station there two weeks before the game.

The wizards from Country F also had to go through such hardships, but the airship project jointly carried out by the two houses of Beauxbatons has come to an end and has undergone several rounds of successful tests, so after they signed a waiver agreement, they can enjoy the one-step airship ride to the venue for free.

In order to set an example, the Holt family, as investors, and a group of Beauxbatons teachers and students who had grabbed tickets boarded the first airship, and unified arrangements were made for food and lodging for all Beauxbatons people. In addition to free food and lodging, they were all given a travel allowance that they could apply for, 3 Galleons for ordinary students, 6 Galleons for outstanding students, and 15 Galleons for researchers (including preparatory ones), thus fully enhancing the presence and reputation of the school directors.

However, promoting the project and improving reputation can only be said to be incidental. A major reason for the Holt family to arrive early is to prepare the venue for Miss Riddle's subsequent gathering. However, both Holt and his son still have some doubts about this.

Because there is really no need. The cross-border cooperation plan was basically agreed upon at the Halloween party. Now the traditional industries are being squeezed by them in a state of neither life nor death. There is absolutely no need to gather together to discuss anything. As for reputation, Miss Riddle does not seem like someone who relies on pomp to show her prestige.

"It's already Sunday, Anne. Has Miss Riddle replied to you?" In the Holt family's elaborately patterned tent, Gillis Holt sat in an armchair in the living room, flipping through the Daily Prophet that he had subscribed to on a whim while talking to Annika, who was sitting on the other side drinking tea. While speaking, his blue eyes glanced at the study where his father and Uncle Rochelle were, "We have contacted everyone and can start the gathering at any time."

"She will arrive tomorrow morning," Annika Rochier swiped the silver letter beside her. Currently, only she and her father's silver letter had the authority to communicate with Della. "Miss Riddle has no further instructions for the time being—"

As she was talking, Della's name flashed on the silver letter. Annika frowned subconsciously. She and Gillis looked at each other, clicked on the message and read:

"My arrival time remains unchanged, but the rally will begin at 7 o'clock tonight. Igor Karkaroff will introduce the protagonist of the rally to you before 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Due to the protagonist's request, I cannot tell you his exact name now, but I can reveal a little information to you, Anne. This is a man named Riddle.

Please forgive my temporary arrangement and sudden notice, Anne, and I hope you can express my sincere gratitude to the Holt family who have been organizing the gathering so hard. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."

"Another Riddle?" As doubts arose in his mind, Gillis felt relieved. Just as they had guessed, the purpose of the meeting was to synchronize the information gap between Country F and Country D, but this time the information gap was about one person.

Judging from the level of holding a single rally, this is still a very important person.

"How strange, there was no news before." Annika frowned, and her face, which was not sunny to begin with, looked even gloomier.

"Yes, it was too sudden." Gillis's thoughts drifted to the night of Halloween. Thinking of the 'Riddle family' and the majestic snake mentioned by Trevor that day, he had a vague guess in his heart, "It might have been a sudden event for Miss Riddle as well."

"Anyway," Annika stood up and waved her head to signal Gillis to go to the study, "we should go and finalize the details now."

"Let's go." Gillis put down the newspaper and stood up. He shrugged, knocked on the door, and followed Annika into the study.

After their meeting lasted for two or three hours, Maria Holt, formerly Maria Rochel, who was in the same tent, finally woke up slowly. She had played with her classmates until midnight yesterday, and even though she woke up she was still very sleepy, but her body had reached the point where she couldn't fall asleep, so she yawned lazily, got up, and tidied herself up.

When Maria sat in the living room, the clock on the wall pointed to eleven o'clock. She looked at the newspaper placed on the armchair and the cold tea on the table, rubbed her hungry stomach, and decided to endure the hunger for a while. She wanted to have lunch with her family.

Another half an hour later, the four people in the study finally came out. Annika looked at Maria, who was sitting in the armchair flipping through the newspaper out of boredom. She walked over with a smile and hugged her sister affectionately, "Are you waiting for us to have lunch?"

"Yeah." The two sisters joked. Dag Rochel smiled at his daughters who were friendly no matter how the situation changed. Meldan Holt also had a smile on his face, but his blue eyes were looking critically at Maria's simple and elegant dress.

The clothes Maria brought this time were approved by the father and son. Because Della Riddle is a woman, they can't let the girls here dress in a way that is not important, so the clothes Maria prepared are relatively simple. However, the mysterious protagonist tonight is a very important man...

Meldan gave his son a look, and his gaze finally fell on Maria. Gillis immediately understood, and nodded slightly. While the two families, who were no longer related legally but firmly bound in interests, were preparing to have dinner, he sent a silver letter to his assistant, asking him to bring a new dress and a complete set of new clothes as soon as possible.

In the afternoon, while Annika was busy with her father, Maria was taken by Gillis to a tent that had been opened specially for her. The tent was filled with brand new dresses, and the makeup artist and stylist were ready.

"Didn't you tell me not to dress up, brother?" Maria blinked her innocent blue eyes and looked at Gillis beside her in confusion.

"Miss Riddle won't be here tonight. Instead, another Mr. Riddle will come," Gillis coaxed Maria to sit down in front of the dressing mirror. He looked at Maria's pretty face in the mirror and laughed softly. "You know how much attention Riddle is getting now, little Mary. If you could become that gentleman's female companion, you would also be able to enjoy all the attention and envy."

"Really?" Maria was obviously very interested in Gillis's words, but her bright eyes quickly wrinkled. "But I don't even know what that gentleman looks like, brother."

"I promise he will be a gentleman." Even though Gillis had no idea what kind of person Mr. Riddle was, he still comforted him. After all, he only needed to know that Mr. Riddle was very important and that there was a suitable girl in his family.

Annika realized that her sister was in the tent getting dressed for the meeting at about four o'clock, and she rushed in with a gloomy face, and as soon as she entered, she shouted, "Mary!"

"What's the hurry, Anne?" Maria didn't turn her head. She was doing her hair, but just rolled her eyes at her sister through the mirror.

"Gilles asked you to prepare well for the rally tonight?" Annika calmed down. She looked at the several fancy dresses hanging aside, which were probably the ones she was going to choose. Her eyebrows twitched violently.

"Brother Gillis said that there would be a Mr. Riddle coming, and he said he was a gentleman," Maria turned to look at her sister when the stylist's hands left her hair. She asked expectantly and curiously, "Is this true? Do you know Mr. Riddle, Anne?"

"..." Annika felt her face was ruined, and she couldn't make any expression for a moment. She looked at the innocent look on her sister's face, and finally forced a smile. "We have discussed it, and it will probably be Miss Riddle's elder. You know Miss Riddle. I think this gentleman tonight will not look bad."

Annika said that at this point she could only calm her sister down, lest the seed of fear cause her to lose her composure in front of the sinister snake, which would be bad for her.

The new Mr. Riddle's identity is not difficult to guess as long as you can break through the thinking and not frame this gentleman's identity as a human being, because Della has never concealed Maggie's unusualness from the beginning, and she even sent this snake to the Halloween party as a representative of the Riddle family - no, no, it shouldn't be called sent out in that case. Comprehensively speaking, Maggie is most likely their master now.

but......

"Really? It would be great if it was a handsome man." Maria said longingly, and then she invited, "Would you like to help me choose a dress, Anne?"

"No, I'm going to greet the last group of people from Country D," Annika shook her head. She walked to the selected dresses and picked out a bright red dress with a serious expression. "But don't choose too bright colors, Mary. You can certainly wear these with your fair skin, but that gentleman——"

"Not very fond of it?" Maria immediately understood, and she asked anxiously, "Brother Gillis didn't tell me! What else does Mr. Riddle like, Anne?"

"I don't know much, but you think the normal way is good enough," said Annika.

"The usual look?! You don't understand dancing, Anne!" Maria screamed a little. She was suddenly dissatisfied with her makeup and hairstyle. She immediately asked the people next to her to revise her hairstyle.

Annika looked at Maria who was caught up in the chaos and sighed slightly. After saying goodbye to her sister briefly, she walked out with heavy steps. As soon as she left the tent, she heard Gillis, who had been waiting outside for some time, calling out to her, "Come on, little Annie."

Annika's anger rose immediately. She dragged Gillis away from her sister's tent and whispered to him, "Why did you arrange Maria like this?! Didn't I tell you this morning about that—" Annika's tone suddenly dropped, and she continued through gritted teeth, "I clearly told you about what happened in Country M."

"Those murders that had no clues?" Gillis said nonchalantly. "You said this morning that you had no direct evidence, but you thought those things were related to Maggie's snake."

"What do you mean by (the snake)?" Annika swallowed the second half of the sentence, realizing that Gillis was trying to play a trick on her. "Yes, I have no evidence to attribute those inhuman corpses to snakes, but do you really want Maria to show up like that now?"

Then, Annika added viciously, "I'm not sharing information with you to make it easier for you to sell my sister!"

"Sell? How can you say that, Anne?" Gillis opened his eyes wide in confusion. "You see, little Mary is looking forward to it."

Annika stopped talking. Her throat rolled and her black eyes opened wide. She stared at Gillis who was still smiling, snorted coldly, and turned away.

"Wait for me, Anne," Gillis said slowly, "We have to entertain the guests together after all. Didn't the Holt family also show enough sincerity in exchange for the information?"

He was responded with another cold snort.