This man had a way about him that couldn't help but make Ford smile just a bit, even when there wasn't anything particularly funny that he'd said or did. It was his mannerisms, maybe — it was like every gesture was a performance, just a tiny bit over the top.

"Well, unless this whole show was his idea, it's more what you've done," Ford said, though his tone was light. He didn't seriously anticipate any conflict with this; it felt less like Dodonus was deliberately making trouble and more as though this was just an avenue that hadn't occurred to him previously, so when Ford pointed it out it was bound to be resolved without much trouble. Dodonus had used a trap door instead of apparating, after all, and there had been countless other opportunities when he could have used magic around the Muggles to make things easier and had gone with the more mundane route instead.

"Using your friend to scout out the audience before the show," Ford explained. "It's clever, but unfortunately it's too much of a risk. One Muggleborn child or a minor hedgewitch wanders in and suddenly you'd have a whole scene on your hands, and a room full of Muggles the Ministry would have to obliviate."

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