Chapter 320: Fire Dragon and the Contract Transfer
Chapter 320: Fire Dragon and the Contract Transfer
"The Fire Dragon Protection Zone isn't always where you can see fire dragons; they have a strong territorial sense", Charlie explained. "However, we bring injured fire dragons back to the camp for treatment."
Felix followed him to a fenced area behind the camp, where about seven or eight fire dragons were restrained with chains and fire-resistant materials. As they approached, the dragons became agitated, thrashing their heads. One of them, a large black dragon with a leg injury, half-closed its eyes and observed them warily.
"This is a Hungarian Tree Horn, very dangerous. We had to send out twelve people to capture it. Flame Breath is their standard attack method—let's keep our distance", Charlie said. "I've seen one breathe fire from forty feet away."
Felix's gaze swept over the black scales of the giant dragon. It looked like a lizard with bat wings. Sharp, spear-like ridges extended from its skull to the tip of its tail. Whether it was the bronze horns, the row of spikes along its back, or the hooked, powerful claws, everything about this creature indicated that it was not to be trifled with. Even the tips of its wings were sharp, curved hooks.
It was the largest of the dragons, more than twice the size of the smallest one, and the others seemed to fear it, keeping a wide berth.
After a while, Felix asked, "If everything goes as planned, the first event of the Triwizard Tournament will be with a fire dragon. Do you have any arrangements?"
Charlie thought for a moment and said seriously, "We have prepared five fire dragons for the five schools: Welsh Green Dragon, Norwegian Ridgeback, Australian Opaleye, Swedish Short-Snout, and Chinese Fireball."
"Only five?"
"You want brooding mother dragons, which are hard to find. I don't understand why..."
Felix guessed, "Maybe to have the champions steal the eggs from the mother dragon?"
Charlie looked uneasy. "Don't joke about that. They are already dangerous, and a brooding mother dragon is even more so. See the scars on my arms? They were left by a mother dragon raising her young."
"We have ruled out the particularly dangerous Peruvian Vipertooth and a large Hungarian Tree Horn. The former has venomous fangs, and the latter is considered the most dangerous fire dragon."
Felix nodded. "Perhaps the champions just need to pass by the fire dragon."
As evening approached, Felix and Charlie discussed the details of the fire dragon's relocation in the tent. "Hogwarts can clear a space in the Forbidden Forest and provide food from the kitchen, but we don't know much about the fire dragons' habits. We need you to send specialists to take care of them."
"That's not a problem. We were planning to do that anyway", Charlie said readily. "During long-distance transport, we will send more people to ensure safe arrival."
"Will you be leading the team?"
"I'll try my best. It's a rare opportunity."
"Charlie", a wizard walked into the tent. It was the middle-aged captain they had met once before. "I heard the young professor wants to stay a few more days. There's a contract for him to sign."
The captain paused when he saw Felix. "You're here too, perfect. This is for you."
Felix took the parchment and said with some surprise, "A confidentiality contract?"
"Exactly, for fairness", the wizard shrugged. "Even though cheating in the Triwizard Tournament is a tradition, we still need to do the surface work", he added with a meaningful look. "Our Minister is begging them."
Felix carefully examined the content. "There's nothing unusual, except for not revealing the fire dragon's secrets—" Felix ran his fingers over the parchment, feeling the magic. "This contract seems to have a monitoring nature?"
The middle-aged wizard explained, "Provided by the Ministry of Magic. We're just following their instructions. They say that when the signatory mentions a fire dragon or similar terms, they will receive a message."
Felix didn't say much, quickly signing his name. Although he didn't plan to follow the Ministry of Magic's rules, there was no need to make things difficult for these people.
Charlie looked relieved. He seemed more at ease than when facing the fire dragons. Fortunately, Felix had agreed.
In the evening, torches were set up around the camp, casting long shadows of the hills and trees. Felix spent the night in his tent without incident. In the morning, he stepped out into the dewy forest and made his way to the fenced area behind the camp.
The injured Hungarian Tree Horn was the first to spot him. It snorted angrily and let out a low roar. Not far away, a Welsh Green Dragon lifted its head to glance, then lowered it again and continued sleeping.
"Quiet."
Felix said, his eyes turning silver. The Hungarian Tree Horn angrily raised its body, its yellow eyes glaring fiercely at him. Then, its gaze seemed to blur for a moment. It shook its head, noticing nothing unusual except the approaching Wizard getting closer.
Unbeknownst to the dragon, Felix had already pulled it into a mental world. Unlike other applications, he had created an environment identical to the outside world and seamlessly integrated the two.
The Fire Dragon was unaware of all this. Sparks began to fly from its nose, a dangerous sign indicating an impending attack. But the Wizard had already approached, tilting his head to examine its metallic claws.
"Boom!"
The Hungarian Tree Horn spewed a thick jet of fire, engulfing Felix. He seemed to melt away without any resistance. The Fire Dragon snorted in satisfaction and lowered its head.
The next second, it realized Felix was still standing in the same spot, as if he had never moved.
Its intelligence wasn't high enough to understand this behavior. It just became even more enraged, opening its mouth to release another burst of fire. This time, the flames were more intense and lasted longer. The Hungarian Tree Horn was certain that the arrogant Wizard had been reduced to ashes, and it even saw the black dust falling.
But in an instant, Felix was standing unharmed in front of it, even touching its claw.
"Swish!"
The cold, gleaming claws sliced through Felix's body, cutting him into several pieces. "Well, that's quite messy", Felix said, brushing off the Fire Dragon's claws as if nothing had happened.
For a moment, Felix was sure he saw confusion in the Hungarian Tree Horn's eyes. Despite being the aggressor, it had clearly encountered something it couldn't comprehend.
"Stay still, I'm thinking about how to transfer the contract to you..." Felix bent down, tapping the black scales on its body. "This is an interesting experiment, isn't it?"
The Unbreakable Vow and the Ministry of Magic Contract were different. He had no way to break the former, but he could circumvent the latter, which was why he had signed his name so readily.
The Ministry of Magic Contract was activated by certain keywords, but the problem was whether there were any hidden clauses, which introduced a great deal of uncertainty. During the summer, he spent most of his time at Nicolas Flamel's library, and he didn't want to expose these places. Additionally, some of his planned activities were sensitive, such as the black market and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
An interesting fact was that, by relation, he was actually closer to Beauxbatons, as he was a trustee of the school.
For safety, he decided to transfer the contract. He had considered using a deer or a rabbit, but that would pose a problem. If the rabbit were eaten, his status with the Ministry of Magic would be marked as dead.
Fortunately, the Fire Dragon Protection Zone was not short of dragons. This particularly fierce Hungarian Tree Horn was his chosen target.
The Fire Dragon in front of him continued to attack futilely, spewing fire, slashing with its claws, and swinging its tail. But Felix always used Reparo the next second, methodically checking. In just a few minutes, Felix had endured hundreds of lethal attacks.
In the end, the fierce Hungarian Tree Horn was panting, completely out of options. The Fire Dragon lowered its head in disappointment, collapsing on the ground, its nostrils puffing out hot air.
"Could you please roll over?" Felix asked.
The Hungarian Tree Horn stared at him with its yellow, vertical pupils for a long time, then slowly revealed its belly. As it turned, its vision seemed to shift slightly. But the terrifying and persistent Wizard was still there, poking it with his wand, urging it to hurry up.
Then, Felix followed the black scales on its body, walking up and standing on it.
"The scales under the neck are excellent; the magical aura is quite dense."
...
Charlie emerged from the tent, unable to find Felix. Instinctively, he headed to the enclosure behind the camp. The scene he saw left him stunned. The fierce Hungarian Tree Horn was lazily opening its mouth, spitting out a thin, long flame from its throat.
"Take it easy, I just need to apply another layer of oil", Felix patted its extended mouth, flipping the meat on the grill. "I have a secret sauce. Want some?"
The Hungarian Tree Horn nodded eagerly.
(End of Chapter)
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