Chapter 284: The Enraged Mother Dragon
Chapter 284: The Enraged Mother Dragon
Chapter 284: The Enraged Mother Dragon
In the Wizarding World, fire dragons have always been a wondrous presence.
These creatures often appear in various fairy tales, such as the famous children's fable book, Tales of Beedle the Bard, which records many stories about dragons.
In the official records of the Ministry of Magic, fire dragons have always been classified as one of the most dangerous magical creatures known.
However, no matter how terrifying the dragons in fairy tales may be, real-world news of wizards being killed by fire dragons in various parts of the world is a regular occurrence.
Most wizards respect fire dragons but do not fear them to the point of terror.
While very few wizards in Britain have ever seen a fire dragon in person, this creature is closely connected to their lives.
Since the Ollivander Family optimized the core materials for wands, believing that only the body parts of phoenixes, fire dragons, and unicorns are suitable for wand cores, nearly three out of ten British wizards use wands with cores made from fire dragon veins or heartstrings.
This has made the once-revered fire dragon less intimidating.
After all, a magical creature whose heartstrings and veins are used for wand cores doesn't need to be feared too much by wizards.
However, no one has ever doubted the terrifying combat power of dragons.
Dragon hide is the most effective material for blocking magic in the world, and the massive size and strength of fire dragons far surpass those of any other magical creatures.
Just these two abilities alone are enough to make this species dominate the majority of other magical creatures.
Moreover, fire dragons can fly and breathe dragonfire, a large-area Aoe attack.
Therefore, in the Wizarding World, even professional dragon handlers who serve to tame dragons would never be foolish enough to face a fire dragon alone in the wild.
The robust physique and concentrated strength of these creatures left Harry completely mesmerized the moment he saw one.
There were four dragons hidden deep within the Forbidden Forest, each of a different species, but all seemed to have temperaments that were far from pleasant.
The most noticeable was the black dragon in the enclosed fence, spewing flames outwards.
The wizards running around it were clearly dragon handlers from Romania, and among them, Harry recognized Ron's brother, Charlie Weasley, who had helped them transport Norbert back in their first year.
"Damn it! Hagrid, why are you here at this time? Back up! Back up! A Hungarian Horntail can spray fire up to 40 feet away!"
But Hagrid showed no sign of fear. He looked at the dragons with a fascinated expression, his admiration far more profound than the affection he showed towards Madame Maxime standing beside him.
"Isn't the fire beautiful?"
Charlie didn't have time to respond. He was organizing the dragon handlers who were dodging the dragonfire, and over thirty wizards waved their wands in unison.
"I'll count down from three. Everyone use the Stunning Spell together. Three, two, one!"
"Stupefy!" ×n
The dragon handlers worked in perfect harmony. As Charlie's last syllable fell, dozens of red beams hit the Hungarian Horntail that was continuously spewing flames.
Even with the highest magic resistance, a fire dragon couldn't withstand over thirty Stunning Spells. It finally fell silent and collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
The massive head fell, causing the ground to tremble violently.
With the most difficult one out of the way, the rest became much easier. Charlie finally had a moment to spare and walked over to Hagrid.
When he saw Madame Maxime standing beside Hagrid, his brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't say much.
"These creatures don't like this place. The environment here is too different from what they're used to, and they've been restless these past few days."
Charlie and Hagrid walked side by side to the patch of grass that had been scorched black by dragon breath.
At this moment, the other dragon handlers were working together to control four large iron cages, planning to re-imprison the fire dragons.
Madame Maxime was standing by the cages, watching with interest the Hungarian Horntail that had been subdued by over thirty Stunning Spells and was now in a dazed state.
It was then that Charlie whispered to Hagrid.
"You shouldn't have brought her here. The champions shouldn't know what they're up against before the competition begins. If you bring her, she'll definitely tell her students, and that's unfair to Harry and the others."
Hagrid, however, deliberately changed the subject.
"Will they each face one of these dragons? There are exactly four of them."
Charlie shook his head.
"We don't know the exact details of the competition. But if they really make the champions duel with fire dragons, I think Dumbledore must be mad."
"Probably they have to get past these creatures to retrieve something. The Ministry of Magic specifically instructed us to bring female dragons this time, and among dragons, females have the strongest protective instincts."
As they talked, Harry, who was following Hagrid, heard every word.
He now understood why Hagrid had made him wear the Invisibility Cloak to follow him—to help Harry get an early idea of what the first task would be.
Harry's mind was in turmoil. He was not only thinking about how to face the fire dragons but also calculating the time.
It was almost time for his meeting with Sirius Black, and he couldn't stay here any longer.
Just as Harry was about to leave without saying goodbye to Hagrid, something unexpected happened.
For some reason, the Hungarian Horntail that had been stunned suddenly opened its golden eyes!
Its pupils, filled with bloodshot veins, glared fiercely as its upper body emerged from the cage that hadn't been fully secured. It then let out a deafening roar.
"What's going on?"
Charlie couldn't afford to continue his conversation with Hagrid. His face pale, he rushed to join the other dragon handlers.
The other three dragons also became incredibly agitated, as if sensing something. They all broke free from their cages.
No matter how the handlers tried to calm them or cast spells collectively, they couldn't make the fire dragons settle down.
In the end, led by the initially stunned Hungarian Horntail, the four fire dragons roared and flew low toward a direction in the Forbidden Forest.
Amid the chaos left behind, the dragon handlers looked at each other in shock. Charlie's face, illuminated by the moonlight, appeared particularly pale as he murmured in disbelief.
"Unless someone nearby has broken a dragon egg... why else would these mother dragons go berserk like this..."
(End of Chapter)
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