Blazing thunder.
The rain curtain rolling backward.
Though the Thunderbird was still some distance away, its terrifying, surging killing intent had already wrapped around Draco and Fleur standing behind him...
In truth, without Draco supporting her, Fleur might not have been able to stand properly at all—much less speak.
"Hey, you... what are you doing?"
"What am I doing? Obviously... trying to defeat this Thunderbird. I am a Champion of the Triwizard Tournament, aren't I?"
"....?"
A Champion?
Was this really the time to say that?
She didn't know the details of past Triwizard Tournaments, but one thing was certain: what they were facing now was nowhere near normal difficulty.
At the very least, Fleur had never imagined they would be expected to defeat a flying Thunderbird...
"Screech!"
As the distance shrank, Draco could clearly see the Thunderbird's crazed, predatory eyes and the lightning-wreathed claws that glowed like blades.
A true upper-tier dangerous Magical Creature—its presence alone was enough to paralyze most living beings with fear.
Draco narrowed his eyes at the massive shadow overhead. Magic surged around him, whipping his robes in the storm and giving him a fierce, commanding presence.
He clearly had no intention of running.
And this seemingly suicidal stance instead ignited the passion of the young witches and wizards watching...
"Ahhh, forget it—go for it, Draco!!"
"Don't you dare lose, Draco Malfoy!"
"Ugh, why can't I be the one he's protecting? I'm so jealous!"
In that moment, they completely forgot their earlier mutterings about Draco being a Death Eater. Instead, most of the witches began to envy Fleur Delacour, whom Draco was shielding behind him.
Noticing this bizarre shift, Pansy and Hermione blinked in surprise. Neither of them had expected things to turn out like this.
Only moments ago, these same young witches had been booing Draco.
Now, in the blink of an eye, they were cheering for him.
"But still..."
Muttering nervously, Pansy and Hermione kept their eyes glued to Draco's every movement. They could understand, somehow, why the younger witches had changed their tune so quickly.
Their small hands pressed tightly against their chests, hearts pounding as if trying to break free.
Had they not restrained themselves, they might have been screaming for Draco along with everyone else.
Because—
The scene before them felt like something straight out of an epic heroic tale.
It was breathtaking...
...
When two warriors meet on a narrow path, the brave wins.
Just like the trial of this match, Draco showed the courage a true warrior should possess.
At this moment, his performance had already surpassed anything anyone imagined...
"First, a little test... Sectumsempra!"
This kind of dark magic had become Draco's signature, the spell he wielded best.
The spell shot from his wand and surged forward, destroying everything in its way. Compared to any time before, this casting carried an even more astonishing force.
It was clear he had poured far more terrifying magic into this attack than ever before.
Even Fleur behind him felt her knees go weak for a moment...
A torn curtain of rain, an invisible blade rending through the sky.
Everything before him was sliced apart.
At this point, this spell was no longer the Sectumsempra Snape once knew.
It was domineering and brutal.
This was Draco's Sectumsempra.
"Go!"
"Just like that!"
"Beat the Thunderbird!"
"Hit it!"
As Draco attacked, the young wizards in the stands erupted with shouts, as if they were the ones casting the spell themselves.
But just when everyone thought the Thunderbird would be struck, it twisted midair in a stunning side flip. Its elegant form effortlessly slipped past Draco's Sectumsempra.
In the sky—
It spread its wings and dove.
"Screech!!" The cry and movement were both its anger at Draco's attack and its warning to the insects below.
It intended to give the human who dared strike it a harsh lesson.
"It's coming, Draco!"
"…So that's it. The magic in this rain doesn't just reveal the enemy's location—it lets it sense my attacks ahead of time? Just like the book said."
"Hey, don't just stand there spacing out! I can help too. Let's attack together!"
To rise above so many witches and wizards and become a Champion, Fleur Delacour was certainly no ornament. After calming herself, she shook off her previous stiffness.
But the moment she spoke, the enraged Thunderbird lunged at her with even greater speed.
Time seemed to halt. The lightning-lit talons were crystal clear to the naked eye. Fleur could even make out the chilling lines carved into them—and hear her own heartbeat stop...
Draco reacted instantly.
Magic burst forth.
"Protego Totalum!"
"Screech!"
Boom—
A blast of air, a deafening crash.
For a moment, no one could see what had happened.
Except those at the very center of the field...
"I… I'm okay?"
Fleur cracked her eyes open, murmuring without thinking.
Hearing her, Draco let out a dry complaint without even turning around. "Of course you're fine. But if you keep clinging to me like that, that might not stay true."
"...Ah!"
Ears reddening, Fleur noticed the translucent shield—something like a magic barrier—that had appeared in front of them.
It was this shield that had kept the Thunderbird's talons from slicing open her delicate face, or that unfairly tempting figure of hers...
...
Ripples spread outward.
Arcs of lightning scattered.
Under the Thunderbird's massive body, Draco and Fleur looked impossibly small. Yet those talons still couldn't break through the thin magical barrier, nor could they force down the straight, unyielding figure behind it.
"He blocked it! Our brave Draco Malfoy has blocked the Thunderbird's attack!!"
The announcer's sudden voice told everyone exactly what had just happened.
And in that instant, the entire arena burst into applause for the lone figure standing beneath the Thunderbird.
Hope makes people draw closer without realizing it.
And miracles, in turn, give birth to hope...