Chapter 366: Four Seekers, Choosing Their Opponents
Professor McGonagall, feigning composure, led the two towards the Forbidden Forest, but her heart was filled with unease.
In her opinion, a competition like the Triwizard Tournament was too dangerous for fourth-year Wizards; Aaron was fine, his overall strength was not inferior to that of an older Wizard, but Harry was truly a difficult case.
"Don't be nervous; keep a clear head.
We have arranged for some Wizards to be nearby, and if things go south, they will step in to control the situation.
The most important thing is to fully utilize your abilities; no one will think you are inferior to others."
Rounding the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Professor McGonagall led the two to a tent, behind which was the competition arena, where five different adult Dragons were confined.
"You two go into the tent first! The other three Champions are already here," Professor McGonagall said with a trembling voice, "Later, the judges will come and tell you the specific steps... Good luck."
Aaron and Harry exchanged glances and walked into the tent together.
Cedric, Krum, and Fleur had all changed into their school uniforms. Cedric paced back and forth inside the tent, trying to calm his restless mind. Krum was expressionless, his face merely more somber than usual, while Fleur sat on a low wooden stool, her expression particularly grave.
"It's been over half a month since we last gathered. Now, the first task is about to begin. What are your thoughts, everyone?" Aaron asked, half-jokingly.
Fleur and Krum ignored him, and Cedric gave a polite smile before continuing to pace.
"Alright! I guess I was being presumptuous."
Aaron shrugged and calmly sat on his bed.
Harry, meanwhile, leaned against the tent entrance, anxiously waiting for something.
"Attention, everyone! Today is a big day. Every task in the Triwizard Tournament can pose immense danger. No matter what happens, do not leave your seats; this will prevent more dangers..."
Dumbledore's voice echoed through the enclosure; his voice carried exceptionally far, but the Dragon's roars easily overpowered his voice, fully engaging the audience's excitement.
After all, there were five adult Dragons, and the vast majority of the audience were students who had never even seen a Dragon. Now, five different Dragons were in the enclosure, so it would be false to say they weren't excited.
Aaron stroked Abbe, who was lying on his lap, and let out a guttural sound, "When you grow up, you'll beat them all in a minute."
Abbe extended his right paw and nodded with great certainty.
At that moment, an anomaly came from the tent entrance, and Harry immediately became extremely serious.
"Harry, is that you?"
"It's me, Hermione."
Hermione immediately entered the tent, panting, holding a Firebolt.
"I brought it over. This distance is definitely not far."
"This is cheating," Fleur said angrily. "Flying brooms are not allowed on the field."
"I'm not planning to bring it onto the field," Harry explained. "I just want it to be close to the field."
Clap!
Cedric slapped his forehead in sudden realization. "That's a great idea! You can perfectly utilize your strengths. Why didn't I think of that!"
"Uh... thanks." Harry scratched his head sheepishly. "It took me a lot of effort to master that spell, and I'm not even sure if I can contend with a Dragon using it."
"Too modest. Among the five Champions present, when it comes to flying..."
Mid-sentence, Cedric's voice abruptly stopped.
Krum was the Seeker for a national Quidditch team, his flying skills far surpassing Harry's. Aaron had been the Seeker for Slytherin in his first year, defeating Harry Potter, and he himself was the Captain and Seeker for Hufflepuff's Quidditch team, having also defeated Harry Potter last year, though Dementors were a factor, the win and loss were undeniable.
By this count, four out of the five Champions were Seekers, and Harry's flying skills could only rank fourth, and that was without knowing Fleur's flying ability.
Harry's mouth twitched, and he silently placed the Firebolt on his bed.
"I, I, this... I really didn't mean it."
"I can tell," Aaron said, stifling a laugh. "However, Diggory's unintentional remark is probably more hurtful than an intentional one."
"Hello, Champions." Dumbledore suddenly pushed aside the tent entrance and walked in, followed by the other five judges. "Please gather around; the moment you've anxiously awaited has finally arrived. Its true meaning can only be grasped by the five of you."
As Dumbledore spoke, he noticed an extra person in the tent. Hermione was restless and so embarrassed she wished she could disappear into the floor.
"What are you doing here, Miss Granger?"
"Uh... sorry, I'm leaving now." Hermione said, then quickly exited the tent.
"Barty, the bag," Dumbledore said.
Barty Crouch produced a purple silk bag. "You will each pick a small model of the creature you will face from inside; they are of different types.
The specific task and rules will be explained to you by Miss Klein. For now, please stand around me."
The five Champions gathered around Crouch, staring intently at the silk bag in his hand, their breathing quickening.
"Ladies first, Miss Delacour, you go first."
Fleur tremblingly reached her hand inside. She knew what was in there, but not what she would pull out, only hoping it wasn't a Horntail Dragon.
With her eyes closed, she pulled out a Dragon that was entirely emerald green, with the number two tied around its neck.
"A Welsh Green Dragon."
Phew!
Fleur managed to breathe a sigh of relief. The Welsh Green Dragon was the least troublesome of the Dragons and would actively avoid humans, making it one of the easier Dragons to deal with among the five.
"Mr. Krum, your turn."
Krum pulled a scarlet Dragon from the bag. It had a lion-like nose on its face, surrounded by a circle of golden spikes, and the number three was tied around its neck.
"A Chinese Fireball Dragon."
Krum's expression darkened slightly. This type of Dragonwas naturally aggressive and quite difficult to deal with.
Crouch then handed the bag to Cedric. Cedric quickly reached in and pulled out a silver-blue Dragon, with the number one tag around its neck.
"A Swedish Short-Snout Dragon."
The Swedish Short-Snout Dragon's Dragon fire was blue, more powerful than other Dragons, capable of incinerating a human in an instant.
"Why don't you go first?" Harry said to Aaron. There were only two Dragons left in the bag. He didn't know much about one of them, but he had witnessed the terror of the Hungarian Horntail Dragon firsthand.
"Are you sure?" Aaron smiled playfully, then reached his hand into the bag.
A Dragon with rainbow-colored, shimmering, iridescent scales was pulled out, with the number four around its neck.
"An Australian Opaleye. It seems my luck is good; this Dragon isn't particularly aggressive, unless it's extremely hungry."
Gulp!
Harry couldn't help but swallow.
Since the other four Champions hadn't drawn the Hungarian Horntail Dragon, what was left for him was naturally self-evident.
"Only Mr. Potter remains."
Harry resignedly reached in and pulled out a Dragoncovered in black scales, lizard-like in appearance, with a spiky tail, and the number five around its neck.
"A Hungarian Horntail Dragon." Crouch looked at Harrywith some sympathy. "Good luck, my boy."
"According to the numbers, Cedric goes first," Aaron said. "Fleur is second, Krum third, I'm fourth, and Harry, you're the grand finale."
"That's usually how it is," Adrian said coolly.
Aaron's heart immediately sank. He looked at her nervously and asked, "Are we facing an unusual situation then?"
"Indeed," Adrian spread her hands. "I will only say this once. You can ask questions at any time.
The first task requires all five Champions to enter simultaneously. The Dragons you will face are separated into five different areas, each guarding a golden egg. Your task is to retrieve that golden egg; once the golden egg is in hand, the Dragon will cease its attack.
Additionally, the golden egg contains clues for the second task."
"Why do all five have to enter at once?" Aaron asked, puzzled. "It can't just be to provide a visual feast for the audience, can it?"
"That's only one of the purposes," Adrian said unhurriedly. "The enclosure has been placed under a special magic; the Dragons cannot leave their restricted areas.
And the golden eggs they guard are the keys to lifting the magic. Once a Champion retrieves the golden egg, the Dragon will not attack him or her, but... once the magic is lifted, the Dragon he or she dealt with can then go to the other four areas, which means the pressure on the other four will greatly increase."
"Referee," Fleur asked, her expression somewhat unnatural, "Do you mean that the first to complete the task will have the least pressure, and the later one goes, the greater the pressure, with the last Champion possibly having to face five Dragons alone?"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Adrian applauded. "That's a very accurate understanding."
As her words fell, everyone's faces changed dramatically. They had initially thought it was a test of courage, but now it seemed that the speed of completion was more important.
"Klein," Aaron cursed through gritted teeth, "Are you even my sister? This isn't fair."
"Yes, absolutely not fair," Fleur immediately said.
Aaron looked at the beautiful woman with Veela blood, somewhat startled, and a surge of inexplicable emotion welled up in his heart.
There were still good people in the Wizarding world, people who stood on the same side as him, willing to speak up for him and confront the referee.
He had truly misunderstood this proud girl during this time, leading to not-so-good treatment of her. He definitely needed to find time to apologize.
"Why does he get to face the Australian Opaleye?" Fleurcontinued. "The Opaleye is the easiest to deal with among the five Dragons. If you, Referee, provide him with even more convenience, then Gaius will be the first to win."
Aaron:...Holy crab! Give me back my move! My favorability just dropped to zero!