Victor eventually found Harry outside the library just as he was putting away a stack of books.
"Harry," Victor called.
Harry looked up. "Victor?"
"Hagrid asked me to pass along a message. He wants you to meet him tonight at midnight near the edge of the Forbidden Forest."
Harry frowned. "At midnight?"
Victor nodded. "He also said to bring your Invisibility Cloak."
"My Invisibility Cloak? Did he say why?"
"No. He only told me to make sure you brought it."
Harry nodded slowly. "All right. Thanks."
That night, once the castle had fallen silent, Harry wrapped himself in the Invisibility Cloak and slipped unnoticed through the corridors before leaving the castle.
The grounds were quiet beneath the moonlight.
When he reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid was already waiting for him. Hagrid looked around cautiously before speaking.
"Yeh brought the Invisibility Cloak?"
Harry lowered the hood from his head. "Yes."
"Good. Put it back on in a minute. We might need it."
Harry looked at him curiously. "Why did you ask me to come? What's this all about?"
"I'll tell yeh later. Jus' follow me."
Without another word, Hagrid turned and began walking along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry followed close behind.
After they had gone some distance, Hagrid suddenly stopped and whispered urgently. "Quick, Harry. Get under the cloak."
Harry immediately pulled the Invisibility Cloak back over himself. A few moments later, footsteps approached through the darkness.
Madame Maxime emerged from between the trees, her enormous figure moving gracefully despite her size. She smiled warmly when she saw Hagrid.
"'Agrid. I was beginning to think you had forgotten me."
Hagrid's face reddened beneath his tangled beard. "Forget yeh? How could I forget yeh? I'd never forget yeh."
Madame Maxime smiled, evidently pleased by the answer. "You said you wished to show me something?"
"I did. Come on. Yeh'll see in a minute."
Hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, Harry followed several paces behind them.
He couldn't help feeling rather embarrassed — it was painfully obvious that Hagrid was trying to impress Madame Maxime, and Harry wished he wasn't there to witness it.
The three of them continued through the darkness until a deafening roar echoed across the grounds. Another roar followed, then a blast of fire illuminated the night sky.
Madame Maxime stopped in her tracks. "What was zat?"
Hagrid's eyes gleamed with excitement. "We're almost there."
They reached the edge of a large clearing. Harry carefully peered around Hagrid's enormous frame.
Four gigantic iron enclosures had been erected in the clearing, and inside each one stood an enormous dragon, chained securely to thick iron stakes driven deep into the ground.
The creatures roared furiously, lashed their tails, and blasted great jets of fire into the night while teams of dragon keepers struggled to keep them under control.
Harry had never seen anything so terrifying.
Madame Maxime gasped. "Dragons!" Her eyes widened as she stared at the enormous beasts. "Zey are for ze first task?"
Hagrid nodded proudly. "That's right."
Harry felt his stomach sink. At last, he understood why Hagrid had risked bringing him there in secret.
The first task of the Triwizard Tournament would require each champion to face a dragon.
Standing frozen beneath the Invisibility Cloak, Harry realized the Tournament was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
High above the clearing, unnoticed by everyone below, Victor floated silently in his astral form.
The dragon keepers remained completely unaware of his presence as they struggled to restrain the massive beasts.
Victor's gaze swept across the four dragons. The enormous creatures strained against their chains, their scales gleaming beneath the moonlight as great plumes of fire erupted from their jaws.
Every roar shook the clearing, and every beat of their wings radiated raw, untamed power.
"Hmm... just as I expected," Victor murmured with a faint smile. "Dragons truly are majestic."
He watched them quietly for several minutes. Among all the magical creatures he had encountered, none possessed an aura quite like dragons.
They were not merely powerful beasts — they embodied strength itself. Every movement carried overwhelming force, and even while restrained, they commanded respect.
Victor suddenly realized something. He genuinely liked dragons.
It wasn't something he had ever thought about before, but seeing them in person made him understand why so many ancient witches and wizards had admired them despite their danger.
A small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Should I get a pet dragon?"
The thought didn't seem nearly as ridiculous to him as it would have to anyone else.
The Ministry of Magic had countless laws regulating dragons, and privately owning one was strictly forbidden — but Victor merely chuckled.
"
For now, perhaps." His eyes remained fixed on the dragons. "But once I'm strong enough... the Ministry's regulations won't matter."
In the wizarding world, rules ultimately favored those with the power to enforce them.
Once he possessed enough strength to stand above every ministry and every dark wizard alike, very few people would be in a position to tell him what he could or couldn't do.
With one final glance at the magnificent creatures below, Victor smiled to himself before his astral form silently drifted away into the night sky.
*****
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