Chapter 278: Taking the Stage
Chapter 278: Taking the Stage
"Alright, you've all drawn your lots!" Bagman said once he saw all the participants had finished drawing, "You've each drawn the Fire Dragon you'll be facing. The number on its neck indicates the order in which you'll confront the dragon. Understand? Now, I need to leave you for a moment to provide commentary for the audience. Fleur, you're first. When you hear the whistle, step out into the grounds, alright? Before the match, Harry, I need to have a word with you. Everyone else, prepare yourselves here. Harry, come with me outside."
Sure enough, the gambler Bagman was at it again, hoping this time he wouldn't lose his shirt.
Not long after, a whistle sounded from a distance. Then, Fleur walked out, brushing past Harry as he entered.
"Why does Bagman want to help me?" Harry asked Liam in a low voice, curiosity evident in his tone.
"First, you're famous, and everyone is watching you. Second, from what I know, Bagman lost a lot of money at the last Quidditch World Cup. This time, the odds on you in the Triwizard Tournament are very high", Liam replied quietly. After speaking, the two of them sat down again, listening to the sounds coming from outside.
"Oh, I'm not sure this is wise!" they heard Bagman exclaim cheerfully, "Oh... just a little more! Be careful... Merlin's beard, I thought she had it!"
Bagman's commentary was undoubtedly excellent, gripping and thrilling. The only downside was that it made Liam and the other contestants feel even more nervous.
About ten minutes later, the audience erupted in cheers and applause... everyone knew Fleur had succeeded.
Harry stood up in a daze. He was second. When the applause and cheers sounded again, he walked out of the tent.
As Harry stepped onto the field, everyone's eyes turned to him. The cheers from the crowd were mixed with some less friendly jeers. But at that moment, Harry didn't have time to worry about that. As soon as he entered the grounds, his gaze fixed on the dragon on the opposite side.
The Swedish Short-Snout before him was undeniably beautiful. Its silver-blue scales and elegant, streamlined body gave it a unique and captivating appearance. However, the dragon was now crouched, guarding its nest of eggs, its wings half-spread, eyes locked on Harry, and blue sparks occasionally flickering from its nostrils.
Harry felt a bit relieved. The Swedish Short-Snout was the most agile of the dragons. Thanks to the help of Ginny and Sirius Black, he now felt confident he could win this match.
After summoning his broom, Harry began to fly around the dragon. When the dragon finally left its nest to chase him, Harry cast a Blinding Spell, hitting the dragon's eyes.
Taking advantage of the dragon's painful roar, Harry dove down, grabbed the Golden Egg, and quickly soared upward. At that moment, the crowd erupted in a deafening cheer.
Bagman watched Harry's perfect performance with excitement, feeling as if a large sum of Galleons was rapidly closing the distance to him.
"Look!" Bagman shouted, "Look! Our youngest Champion has secured the Golden Egg faster than anyone else! Well done, this will narrow the gap between Mr. Potter and the other Champions! It also proves that Harry Potter is a true Champion."
"It looks like Harry has succeeded", Liam thought as another girl from Beauxbatons walked out. Despite her trembling hands, she appeared quite composed as she stepped out.
Fortunately, the first few contestants had all completed their tasks successfully, though from Bagman's commentary, Liam could tell that a few had sustained minor injuries.
However, things changed a bit once Krum entered the arena. Liam heard Bagman shout loudly, "Oh, my goodness, be careful! The Dragon Keeper needs to get on the field quickly."
Then there were the sounds of Wizards casting Stunning Spells and the thud of a heavy object hitting the ground. The noise in the arena grew even louder.
"Everyone, please calm down", Liam recognized Professor Dumbledore's voice. "Please return to your seats. The Dragon Keepers have already shown their ability to control the situation, so everyone can relax and continue watching the competition. Of course, Mr. Krum from Durmstrang will receive the best possible treatment and will suffer no lasting effects. As we promised before the competition, the Triwizard Tournament will absolutely ensure the safety of every participant."
Indeed, Dumbledore was a highly respected figure. Under his reassurance, the audience gradually quieted down. Finally, it was Liam's turn to step into the arena.
Liam adjusted his mindset and left the tent when the whistle blew. He Traversed through the gaps in the wooden barriers and made his way to the grounds.
The air carried a faint smell of grilled meat, along with a charred mark on the protective wall near the exit and a large crater on the ground. Liam immediately deduced that the previous contestant, Mr. Krum from Durmstrang, must have done something to anger the Dragon. The Dragon had lost control and ambushed him just as he was about to leave the arena, with the flames coming dangerously close to the audience. Fortunately, the Dragon Keepers had promptly stunned the Dragon, and the large crater was likely left when the Dragon fell.
Perhaps even the three Headmasters had intervened, but Liam had missed the exciting scene as he had been in the tent the whole time.
Of course, it wasn't a major disappointment. Liam shook his head and prepared to begin the competition.
The Hungarian Tree Horn was now standing on the other side of the grounds, half-raising its body and watching Liam warily. The Mars it exhaled from its nostrils indicated that it was growing impatient after a long wait, but it probably didn't see Liam as much of a threat and was still guarding its nest of eggs. So the Dragon just stayed there, keeping its eyes fixed on Liam.
The Hungarian Tree Horn was the largest of the dragons, and its mace-like tail, despite not using much force, still left deep gouges in the ground with each strike.
Liam raised his wand and drew a circle in the air above his head, and a pale blue Alchemical Array rose from his feet. Then, some iron objects from the grounds detached from their places and flew toward Liam.
"What is our young contestant doing?" Bagman asked in a questioning tone. At this point, the iron objects had melted and forged into a short, coin-thick iron rod with a sharp tip.
"We know that this young Liam is skilled in Alchemy, even using it to pass the Age Line. Now he is forging a weapon using Alchemy, but engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a dragon is not a good idea."
By this time, the iron mace had been forged, and Liam used his wand to cut a small wound on his hand. He then quickly used his blood to inscribe various runes on the iron mace.
Since this process didn't produce much energy fluctuation, the dragon just stayed there, watching Liam warily. However, the situation was becoming a bit boring, and the audience began to murmur.
Especially after two minutes, when the first iron mace was completed, Liam started working on a second one. The noise in the arena grew even louder.
(End of Chapter)
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