Chapter 280: The First Match Ends
Chapter 280: The First Match Ends
"It's clear that Liam knew his electric current wouldn't be enough to defeat Dragon, so he found another way—" Bagman began his detailed analysis of the match.
Hearing this, Liam, clutching the Golden Egg, started walking back. Just as he was about to leave the field, he saw a group of dragon keepers rush in and gather around the Hungarian Tree Hornet, examining it closely. He heard Charlie shouting in distress, "Damn it, Sasha's Life Force is disappearing too quickly. The potion might not work in time."
It seemed he had used too much force, Liam thought, and quickly ran back to Dragon's side. By then, the dragon keepers were already bustling around Dragon, some pouring potions into its mouth and on its wounds, while others were casting spells. However, their efforts weren't very effective. Liam, using Eagle Vision, could see that the dragon's life was still draining away.
"Your match is over. What are you still standing here for?" Charlie approached, his voice tinged with fatigue. Liam could also detect a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone. It was understandable; after all, the dragon they had raised for so long had nearly been killed by Liam, and it was only natural for him to feel uncomfortable.
"I think I have something that can save this dragon, but you need to keep it a secret", Liam said, pulling out a small test tube containing a golden, flowing liquid.
"What is this?" Charlie couldn't recognize the substance in Liam's hand, but he could feel the strong presence of light and Life Force within it.
"I can only tell you it's Sunlight, something I made while learning Alchemy", Liam whispered to Charlie. In reality, it was the result of Teacher Luo Zhen's work after Liam showed him the Sunlight Crystals. This substance was designed to rapidly replenish Life Force, and this was the perfect opportunity to test it.
Charlie was initially hesitant, but the cries of alarm from his colleagues indicated that the dragon was weakening rapidly. He didn't have the time to think it through further.
In that moment, Charlie gritted his teeth, took the test tube from Liam, and ran over to the fallen dragon. Before he turned to run, he remembered to thank Liam.
As Liam was about to leave the grounds, he heard the dragon keepers cheering. "It worked! The thing Charlie brought really helped. The dragon's Life Force is no longer draining as quickly. I think we can save it."
"Looks like the liquid made from Sunlight Crystals can indeed rapidly replenish Life Force", Liam thought, a small smile forming on his lips. "If it can save a dragon, it means this elixir can be effective on a wide range of creatures. There will be many more uses for it in the future."
At the entrance of the grounds, Professor Mcgonagall stopped Liam. "You did an excellent job, Liam, especially with that Transfiguration that held the dragon for a few seconds. It was used very appropriately." Such praise from the strict Professor Mcgonagall was a high honor.
"However, you were a bit too harsh this time. There were other ways to win the match", Professor Mcgonagall said as she led Liam toward the tent.
"I'm very sorry, Professor", Liam replied with a sincere, apologetic smile. "I had read in the library that historically, Champions were required to kill a monster. So, I prepared accordingly. By the time I learned we had to retrieve something from the dragon, it was too late to change my strategy. But it turned out well in the end—the dragon is being saved, and I have the Golden Egg."
"Alright, after all, the most important thing is that you completed the competition safely." Professor Mcgonagall pointed to the entrance of a tent. "I suggest you go to the medical tent now and let Madam Pomfrey check you over. You looked a bit pale when you were casting your spells, and I'm worried you might have overused your magic power—"
This year's competition indeed lived up to its safety promises, with Dragon Keepers always on standby and comprehensive checks for the participants after the event, demonstrating the organizers' commitment to security.
Inside the medical tent, Liam saw Madam Pomfrey, who immediately sprang into action when she noticed him. As she examined him with her wand, she grumbled, "Last year it was Dementors, this year it's Fire Dragons. What will they bring into this school next? You're in better shape, just a bit overworked. Krum, on the other hand, was badly burned, almost like that Hungarian Tree Hornet. His entire body was charred."
"Charred?" Liam asked, curious.
"Perhaps because the previous participants went through smoothly, especially young Harry, who quickly retrieved the Golden Egg. This made the already famous Krum a bit impatient. He used the Summoning Charm to grab the real Dragon Egg and throw it away, which lured the Dragon away. Then he used a Blinding Spell to disorient the Dragon while it was far from the nest and rushed to the nest to grab the Golden Egg. Unfortunately, the Egg broke, and the Dragon's magic resistance was stronger than expected. Just as he was about to leave with the Golden Egg, the Dragon recovered and blasted him with Dragon Breath."
"Ouch—" Liam winced, imagining the pain.
Madam Pomfrey, noticing Liam's interest, continued enthusiastically. "Fortunately, the Dragon Keepers saved him in time. However, the Dragon, in its rage, had even higher magic resistance. The Dragon Keepers, in a hurry to save Krum, didn't notice this. As they were carrying Krum off the field, the Dragon woke up and, unable to find the culprit, went berserk and prepared to attack the audience. Thankfully, Headmaster Dumbledore intervened, or else St. Mungo's would be packed with people today."
After drinking a calming Elixir, Madam Pomfrey gestured for Liam to leave. Liam quickly ran outside to check his score. As he exited, he saw an old wizard with a badge on his robe featuring a wand and bone crosswalk into the medical tent.
"A Healer from St. Mungo's", Liam thought, recognizing the badge. "It looks like Krum's burns are quite severe. Madam Pomfrey might not have enough experience to handle such severe dragon fire burns. Makes sense, after all, how often do you see people with serious dragon fire burns in a school?"
When he wandered out of the tent, he found a group of people waiting for him. Besides many Gryffindor students, there were also members of the Study Group from other houses.
As soon as they saw Liam, they eagerly pulled him to check the scores, as if they had been the ones competing.
Amidst the excited chatter, the scores were projected into the air by a raised wand.
Madame Maxime — 7 points.
Mr. Crouch — 8 points.
Dumbledore — 8 points.
Bagman — 8 points.
The lowest was Karkaroff, who only gave Liam 5 points. It seemed he was completely biased towards his own school's victory.
"This Karkaroff is so unfair. He gave the other school participants scores around four or five. Krum was charred to a crisp and still got ten points", Liam heard the students around him complain.
After all the scores were announced, Bagman found Liam and asked him to return to the tent, as he had an important announcement to make.
(End of Chapter)
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