The arena for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament was electric with anticipation long before it began.
The objective: to retrieve a golden egg from a nesting mother dragon.
It went without saying that this was a life-threatening, extremely dangerous task. The dragons had no understanding that this was a competition; they mistook the golden egg, slipped in amongst their own clutch, for one of their real eggs. Any champion who came to steal it was an enemy to be killed.
Their claws could tear a human body apart with ease. A single blow from their tails would shatter bones and make a person spit out their internal organs. There was no escape if caught in their fangs, and the fire they breathed could turn a person to charcoal.
How could anyone possibly outwit such a creature?
Or would they fail and be subjected to a gruesome fate?
Interest, expectation, and a small dose of morbid curiosity had raised the stadium's voltage to its maximum.
Ludo Bagman, using a Sonorus Charm, called out to the crowd, his voice echoing to every corner.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Students of the three schools! Welcome! The Triwizard Tournament, silent for centuries, is about to make its glorious return. For the first task, our champions will face the terrifying dragon! Since ancient times, it has been no exaggeration to say that slaying a dragon and claiming the treasure it guards is a rite of passage for heroes. And today, four champions will bravely challenge these beasts! Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons. How will our four heroes outwit the dragons?! I want you all to witness history with your own eyes!"
As the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, he was a natural at this kind of speech. His crisp, clear voice further amplified the crowd's excitement.
"And now, let us introduce the fearsome monsters our champions will be facing! First up, the Common Welsh Green! Length: fifty-four feet! Weight: 2.6 tons! This dragon, which nests in the high mountains, is known to avoid humans, making it one of the easier breeds to handle. But don't let your guard down! The Ilfracombe Incident of 1932, where a rogue Welsh Green attacked a beach full of sunbathing Muggles, is all too famous! It's precisely because this dragon is docile that it's terrifying when angered! Getting past this one will be a monumental feat!"
As Bagman finished his introduction, all eyes focused on the dragon in the enclosure. Its body, covered in green scales, looked powerfully built, and beneath its calm demeanor was an overwhelming strength.
"Next, the Swedish Short-Snout! Length: forty-nine feet! Weight: 2.4 tons! The defining feature of this slightly smaller dragon is its incredibly tough hide! Its light yet durable scales are prized for use in shields and protective gloves—its defense is second to none! It's also known for the brilliant blue flame it breathes! How will our champion deal with this one?! This opponent will be a true test of skill!"
In another enclosure, a dragon with shimmering, silvery-blue scales sat, calmly surveying its surroundings. Its majestic presence alone was enough to send a shiver down one's spine.
"All the way from Asia, we have the Chinese Fireball! Length: fifty-seven feet! Weight: 3 tons! This is the most aggressive of the dragons brought here today, and it preys on most mammals! It has a dangerous fondness for human flesh! It will take courage just to fight this one!"
The dragon introduced was covered in crimson scales and had protruding eyes. A fringe of golden spikes surrounded its face, making it look even more fearsome.
"And last but certainly not least! The Hungarian Horntail! Length: sixty-five feet! Weight: 4 tons! The flames it breathes can reach fifty feet! With powerful horns, a tough, scaly hide, and a tail full of sharp spikes, this one is a beast! How on earth will anyone get past this dragon?! You won't want to take your eyes off it!"
The last dragon introduced was jet-black with bronze-colored horns. Spikes jutted from its tail, giving it more weapons than the others. It looked ferocious, and the very idea of facing it head-on was terrifying.
"Those are our four dragons! None of them will be easy! The champions must face them and snatch the golden eggs! Now, let us introduce our first challenger! Kicking things off is the young hero from Hogwarts' Hufflepuff House! How will the captain of their Quidditch team fare?! Come on, everyone, give him the loudest welcome you can! Cedric… Diggoryyyyyyy!!"
At his name, the Hufflepuff students shot to their feet, letting out a deafening roar. The volume was so intense that even in the distant Slytherin section, it made one's eardrums vibrate. Edith covered her ears, and Mirabel grimaced at the noise.
"So, Diggory is first… I wonder how he'll get the egg from the dragon."
"He might just fail and get burned to a crisp."
"Hey, Mirabel! Don't say things like that! It's bad luck!"
Cedric Diggory was the first to compete. That also meant he was the first to compete in the newly revived Tournament. If the very first champion were to meet a grisly end like being burned alive, the Tournament might be canceled again. For that reason alone, Edith hoped he would clear this difficult task safely.
Welcomed by the cheers, Diggory entered the enclosure through a gap in the fence and came face-to-face with the Swedish Short-Snout. He stood with a dignified air, but his tense face couldn't hide his nervousness.
"Let the task… beginnnnnn!!"
A whistle blew along with Bagman's words. The signal had been given. There was no turning back. As the crowd watched, Cedric drew his wand and cast a spell on a nearby rock. The rock transformed into a Labrador Retriever and began running circles around the dragon. The dragon lifted its head, annoyed at the obvious intruder that had come for its eggs.
"A… a dog?"
"I see, he's going with a decoy strategy… But will it work that easily?"
Cedric had chosen to use a decoy. For now, it seemed to be working; the dragon's gaze was fixed on the dog. Cedric moved to circle around to the Swedish Short-Snout's blind spot, slowly approaching the nest of eggs. But he was being a bit too hasty. The dragon hadn't even moved away from its clutch yet. As he got a little closer, the dragon happened to swing its tail, and Cedric had to scramble backward to avoid it.
"Ooooh, that was close! A narrow escape!"
The entire stadium held its breath, then sighed in relief at Cedric's safety. That had been too close… if that tail had connected, he would have been mincemeat. Cedric put some distance between them again and watched for an opening, but the dragon showed no signs of moving.
"I-It's not moving, is it?"
"The decoy strategy isn't bad. But while a dog might make the dragon wary, it won't be seen as a threat. As far as the dragon is concerned, as long as it stays by its eggs, there's no risk of them being taken, so there's no reason for it to move."
Mirabel explained to Edith. The decoy was a good idea, but no matter how much it distracted the dragon, it wouldn't lure it away from the eggs. Now, Cedric, what will you do?
As Mirabel and the others watched, Cedric created more dogs and had them move differently. They didn't just run around the dragon anymore; they started to feign attempts at snatching the eggs. Anger flared in the dragon's eyes, and it slowly rose to its feet. Seizing that opening, Cedric sprinted forward!
"He's making a dangerous gamble! This is it!"
If he could just get the egg, he would win. Having apparently made that calculation, Cedric made a charge that was either brave or reckless. If it worked, he would certainly be able to grab the egg. But the dragon knew there was another creature in the enclosure besides the dogs. As if on a whim, it shifted its target from the dogs to Cedric and turned its head toward him.
A blast of blue fire! Cedric dodged at the last second!
"A nimble move!"
Cedric rolled across the ground, reaching for the egg! But he was just short. To escape the descending claws, he Disapparated on the spot, escaping the dragon's range.
"So close… but no good!"
The stadium was filled with disappointment, and sighs could be heard from all around. Edith, who had seemingly forgotten to breathe, finally let out a breath and steadied herself.
"That was so close… He almost had it!"
"His timing was a bit too fast… but he should have the hang of it now. He'll get it on the next try."
Edith and Mirabel gave their own takes as they watched the competition. Just as Mirabel had said, Cedric sent the dogs in again while he remained hidden in the dragon's blind spot. This time, even when the dragon got up, he didn't move. He just waited.
And then—after perhaps ten minutes—the dragon finally took flight and went after the dogs. Cedric dashed forward again! By the time the dragon noticed, it was too late. Cedric snatched the golden egg and ran.
Instantly, cheers filled the stadium, and the stomping feet of the Hufflepuffs echoed like an earthquake. He'd done it! Cedric got the egg! The dragon, naturally, changed its target back to Cedric and attacked, but the task was over the moment he secured the egg. Dragon handlers who had been on standby rushed in and subdued the dragon with a group effort. After watching the still-struggling dragon being forced into a cage, Bagman spoke up.
"Brilliant! Cedric Diggory! A truly excellent performance! And now for the judges' scores!"
Bagman gestured toward the judges' box, where Dumbledore, Bartemius Crouch, Madame Maxime, and Igor Karkaroff were seated. Bagman himself, of course, was also a judge. They each held up their scores, and everyone's attention focused on them. The scores weren't announced aloud, likely to avoid putting extra pressure on the following champions.
Maxime — 8 points.
Crouch — 8 points.
Dumbledore — 8 points.
Bagman — 8 points.
Karkaroff — 6 points.
"Thirty-eight points… I can't tell if that's high or low."
"Well, for the first contestant, that's about right."
A total of 38 points. Out of a possible 50, it was a borderline score. Edith and Mirabel didn't comment further, simply accepting the result. In any case, just succeeding was impressive enough. Considering the risk of failure, a successful retrieval was the highest priority.
"Cedric Diggory, what a magnificent showing! Can the next champion keep up the momentum?! Come on everyone, give her a huge welcome! The enchanting fairy from Beauxbatons Academy! The only girl in the tournament! Fleur… Delacourrrrr!!!"
Fleur Delacour entered as Cedric exited. This time, the Beauxbatons students roared, joined by some of the boys from other schools. With her Veela blood, her beauty alone was enough to captivate and enthrall any man. In that respect, she was arguably in the most advantageous position in the tournament. Her opponent was the Common Welsh Green.
"Let's see how she decides to dazzle us! Let the task… beginnnnnn!!"
At the signal, Fleur moved. She slowly, gradually closed the distance to the dragon, gauging the range at which it would attack. It seemed she had chosen to use magic rather than a decoy. But from a distance, any spell would just bounce off its scales. The only place a spell could affect a dragon… was its eyes. She was measuring the absolute limit of her range to aim for that spot.
And then—the dragon breathed fire without warning!
Fleur dodged instantly, but her clothes caught fire. She quickly summoned water to extinguish the flames. Her clothes were slightly burned, however, exposing a white shoulder.
"Ooh, that's not good at all!"
Bagman's cheerful, slightly excited voice rang out, causing a stir among the men. Was it just their imagination, or did he sound like he was hoping for something else, despite his words? Under the cold stares of the female members of the audience, Bagman kept his eyes fixed on Fleur.
But Fleur was used to the male gaze and remained completely unfazed. In fact, she used the attack to pinpoint the dragon's range and cast her spell. It struck the dragon squarely in the eye, causing its eyelids to droop. It seemed she had opted for a charm to put it to sleep. She dodged a final jet of flame the dragon breathed just before succumbing to sleep, then proceeded cautiously.
"Ooh, that was close! Cautiously now…"
However, as she was about to pass the dragon, it snorted in its sleep and let out another puff of fire. It ignited Fleur's skirt, and the men in the crowd cheered. Unfortunately for them, she extinguished it immediately, and a collective sigh of disappointment swept the stadium.
"Oh, what a pity! I thought she was done for that time!" Bagman said with obvious disappointment. Edith shot him the filthiest of looks. Not just Edith; by now, every woman in the stadium was Bagman's enemy.
"…Perv…"
"…"
Mirabel didn't voice her thoughts, but she clearly agreed. She was giving Bagman a look of disgust, and it was obvious her opinion of him had plummeted. Bagman must have noticed, because he began to sweat and raised his voice to cover his embarrassment.
"And now, the judges' scores!"
Maxime — 9 points.
Crouch — 7 points.
Dumbledore — 8 points.
Bagman — 9 points.
Karkaroff — 6 points.
"Thirty-nine… she beat Diggory."
"A fair assessment."
Even so, it was a narrow lead. A comeback was still very much possible. The crowd roared, and the next whistle blew. Not just the Durmstrang students, but every Quidditch fan in the stadium rose to their feet, ready to burn his heroic figure into their memories.
"And now, he's finally here! Mister Krummmmmmm!!"
A superstar known to anyone who follows Quidditch! The slightly stooped, bow-legged man walked into the enclosure with a lumbering gait, and the sound of his entrance alone was met with thunderous applause. As the one most accustomed to the big stage, he showed no signs of nervousness.
As soon as the task began, Krum fearlessly charged forward and pointed his wand at the dragon!
"What a daring move!"
Krum closed the distance in an instant and fired off a series of spells from his wand, aiming for the dragon's eyes. When the dragon swiped its claws, he dodged with an ease that could only be expected of a professional Quidditch player. He even used the opening from the attack to land a curse right in its eye.
Instantly, the dragon shrieked and began to thrash about. The Conjunctivitis Curse… one of the most effective curses against a dragon.
But here, misfortune struck Krum. The dragon, writhing in pain, crushed half of the real eggs in its nest. Krum's face went pale as he scrambled to retrieve the golden egg.
"Oh no… the eggs got crushed."
"He was doing perfectly up to that point, but he was unlucky. That's definitely going to affect his score."
Krum's performance had been flawless until then. He had faced the dragon head-on without fear and landed his spell. But since he had allowed the real eggs to be destroyed, a deduction was unavoidable. Though applause erupted from the Durmstrang section, there was also an air of disappointment.
"Well, all three of them had decent methods. Not enough for a perfect score, but good enough to be called excellent."
"Hmm… you say that, Mirabel, but what would it take to get a perfect score?"
"Well… what would you do, Reinagle?"
"Summon the egg with Accio."
"Utterly boring."
Mirabel gave Edith's idea a scathing review. It was certainly reliable, but it was completely uninteresting. A competition like this was all about how you put on a show. Edith's method wouldn't lose points, but it wouldn't gain many either. It was a sure way to clear the task, but not to win the tournament.
"And now, the judges' scores!"
Maxime — 7 points.
Crouch — 7 points.
Dumbledore — 8 points.
Bagman — 8 points.
Karkaroff — 10 points.
It seemed that crushing the eggs had indeed resulted in a major point deduction. Even with Karkaroff's blatant favoritism, he only reached 40 points. The disappointment was palpable, especially given the high expectations for the professional Quidditch player. Still, he was in the lead, and Durmstrang's spirits were higher than ever.
"And now, let us introduce our final champion! Taking on the Hungarian Horntail is the one and only Boy Who Lived! The youngest champion in the tournament, and the unexpected fourth! Harryyyyyyy Potterrrrrrrrr!!!"
As the boy, a head shorter than the other champions, entered the enclosure, a cheer went up from Gryffindor. However, only scattered applause came from the other Houses, while Beauxbatons and Durmstrang remained completely silent. It wasn't hard to understand why. The participation of a fourth, underage champion was against the rules, and it gave Hogwarts an unfair advantage.
But this treatment was a bit too harsh for a fourteen-year-old boy. He hadn't asked to be in the Tournament, after all.
"Let the task… begin!"
He was indeed the youngest. But did that mean he should be underestimated? No. The number of life-or-death situations he'd been through, his experience in battle, was different. This was not the first time he had fought for his life.
Harry raised his hand to the empty air and chanted an incantation.
"Accio Firebolt!"
In response to his call, his broomstick flew to him, and he grasped it in his hand. So far, everything was as Mirabel had predicted. But what came next was different from what she'd told him.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A silvery, shining stag erupted from Harry's wand and charged toward the dragon. It was another decoy strategy, similar to Cedric's, but using a Patronus Charm. Moreover, the Patronus was an advanced spell, which could be expected to earn him extra points. Seizing the moment the dragon was distracted, Harry soared into the air! He flew until he was the size of a bean… and then dived!
As he descended, he pointed his wand!
"Expelliarmus!"
One shot! Two! Three and four!
Flashes of red light shot out, striking the dragon's scales. Of course, it did no damage. But the clear attack instantly put the dragon on high alert, and it glared at Harry. It opened its mouth to breathe fire—and Harry vanished.
"!?"
The dragon froze at Harry's sudden disappearance, and the crowd erupted in confusion. Only Mirabel smiled with interest, having seen through the trick.
"The Invisibility Cloak… He must have summoned it when he flew up."
However, Harry's Invisibility Cloak was a special one. For some reason, it was impervious to magic, and its effects never faded with use. In that case, Mirabel thought, that must be someone else's from inside the school. Or perhaps he had prepared a cloak with a Disillusionment Charm on it beforehand.
As she pondered this, Harry reappeared. In his hand was a dragon's egg, and the entire stadium erupted. But wait a moment. That wasn't the golden egg! It was a normal one! What was he going to do with that?!
At the same time as that question arose, another student shouted.
"H-Hey! The dragon's nest is gone!"
It was true, the dragon's nest had vanished! In its place, Harry held an egg, which had enraged the dragon. Was it him? Did he make the nest disappear? Did he steal the egg?! The dragon roared, its eyes burning with fury. It beat its wings and soared high into the sky.
"The Horntail is airborne! And Harry Potter! He's going to take it on!!"
Harry didn't flinch before the Horntail. He conjured a snake with his wand. The snake coiled around his arm, securing the egg he held. And then he charged!
He glanced just once toward the stands… toward Mirabel, and spoke in his mind.
I haven't forgotten last year's defeat. The humiliation of that loss still haunts my nightmares. But I'm grateful for it. Because of it, I wanted to become stronger. I was able to practice more greedily than ever before.
—Watch me, Beresford… This is my answer!!
—Very well, then. Show me… show me what you can do.
Their gazes met for a fleeting moment before Harry's returned to the dragon. He unleashed a volley of spells! Red flashes repeatedly struck the dragon's scales, fanning its rage. He evaded the fire it breathed in return with a mid-air spin, diving under the dragon and circling around. He lured the enraged dragon higher, engaging it in an aerial dead heat. Without losing much speed, sometimes charging, sometimes spinning, sometimes turning, he toyed with the dragon. The crowd's boos eventually died down, replaced by cheers for his heroic flight.
After they had gained considerable altitude, Harry abruptly loosened the snake and tossed the egg. The dragon, of course, scrambled to catch it, but the next moment, the egg smoked and changed into a different shape… no, the object that had been transfigured into an egg returned to its original form!
POTTER STINKS
It was one of the "Potter Stinks" badges Malfoy had been handing out.
As the dragon froze for a second in surprise, Harry flew in front of its face and pointed his wand. The Conjunctivitis Curse shot forth! A flash of light pierced the dragon's eyes, disorienting it. Caught off guard, the dragon lost control of its wings and began to fall. It plummeted from hundreds of feet in the air, and Harry followed it down, firing off a barrage of spells.
As he dived after the dragon, he cast the spell Descendo. With each hit, the spell accelerated the dragon's fall, turning it into a bullet!
"Fall!"
He fired the spell! The dragon fell faster!
"Fall!!"
A flash of light. The dragon shrieked.
"Fallllll!!"
It plummeted!!
With a thunderous roar, the dragon's massive body crashed into a corner of the arena, shattering the ground and shaking the entire stadium like an earthquake. He had probably calculated the landing spot. It was a good distance away from the real eggs. Having knocked out the dragon, Harry waved his wand and chanted.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
And what was this? From a spot that had been empty just a moment ago, the golden egg suddenly floated into the air. While Edith was confused, Mirabel just smiled in amusement.
"Huh? What's going on?"
"The Invisibility Cloak. Potter used it to hide the egg."
That was it. The nest hadn't disappeared at all. He had covered it with the Invisibility Cloak to make it look like it was gone and lure the dragon away.
Finally, he caught the floating egg in mid-air, like a Quidditch Seeker catching the Snitch! The boy held the egg aloft, and the stadium fell into a stunned silence. But that silence quickly turned into a roar of cheers, and an explosion of applause echoed through the air.
"He's done it! He's done it! The youngest champion has brilliantly captured the egg! And it was a complete victory, knocking out the dragon! Magnificent, absolutely magnificent!"
Amid the cheers, Mirabel chuckled to herself. Indeed, he certainly put on a show. So this is Harry Potter's answer. She had given him the hints, but she never imagined he would combine almost all of them. Edith was moved to tears, applauding without restraint.
In the still-feverish stadium—Harry Potter's score of 42 was announced.
Author's Notes:
Malfoy: "Well, Weasley. You came back. I thought you'd have quit school out of embarrassment."
Romando: "Not a chance. I've been waiting." Deeeeeeeen
Malfoy: (...Wait? Who is this guy?)
Romando: "Going quiet just from seeing my face? You're an interesting one, Mal-foy. I like it. I'll save Mal-foying you for last."
Malfoy: (((;゜д゜))) 'Foy…
∩(・ω・)∩< You should be able to see it… that Malfoy.
This chapter was the First Task. Mirabel and Edith were basically just commentators this time; Harry was the star. Harry's method for defeating the dragon is actually something I fantasized about having an original character with Harry's level of skill do to clear the task.
By the way, about the 42 points, the breakdown was something like this:
Maxime — 9 points.
Crouch — 9 points.
Dumbledore — 10 points.
Bagman — 10 points.
Karkaroff — 4 points.
***
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