Chapter 889: Fighting the Dragon
Chapter 889: Fighting the Dragon
Lure it away, subdue it, and take the golden egg.
That was Albert's plan.
Simple.
But the simpler the plan, the less likely it was to go wrong.
The first step was to draw the Swedish Short-Snout dragon away from its nest, not just to make it easier to steal the golden egg but also to prevent the dragon from accidentally destroying all its eggs.
Upon entering the arena, Albert didn't rush to confront the fire dragon. Before taking any action, he looked around to get a sense of his surroundings. The temporary arena, created with magic, was slightly smaller than a Quidditch pitch, and there were several sturdy rocks scattered around, presumably placed there by the organizers to provide cover for the champions against the dragon's fiery breath.
Without these obstacles, the fire dragon could easily swoop in and take out all the champions with a single breath.
"Let's welcome our first champion, Mr. Albert Anderson!"
Bagman's voice boomed across the stands as he provided commentary. "Mr. Anderson has won numerous international awards in recent years and is currently one of the top contenders for the Triwizard Cup. Let's see how he fares."
Albert! Albert! Albert...
The crowd in the stands erupted in cheers, shouting Albert's name.
Albert paid no heed to Bagman's words or the spectators in the stands. He strode forward and stopped in front of a large pile of rocks, which were meant to provide cover from the dragon's breath. He raised his wand and gave a slight flick, and a person-high rock was neatly divided into several pieces with a cutting curse. Then he focused his mind on transfiguring one of the rocks.
A few seconds later, a lion leaped down from the pile of stones.
With another wave of Albert's wand, an eagle appeared above the stones.
"Amazing! What a brilliant display of Transfiguration! I think everyone can guess Mr. Anderson's tactic now. But will he succeed?" Bagman exclaimed, his eyes nearly popping out of his head as he witnessed the transfiguration. He was well aware of just how challenging such a feat was.
Taking advantage of this moment, Albert sneaked a glance at the new task he had triggered. There were three tasks in total: aside from the expected "Retrieve the Golden Egg," the second task was "Fire Dragon Conqueror," which required him to subdue a dragon and offered generous rewards. The last task was to become a "Dragon Slayer."
Me, a dragon slayer?
Albert lifted his head and glanced at the Swedish Short-Snout dragon crouching before him, contemplating the pros and cons of killing the creature in front of him. Items made from Swedish Short-Snout dragon hide were highly coveted, and his eyes drifted to the enticing rewards offered for the Dragon Slayer task.
In addition to a substantial amount of experience, skill points, and reputation, he would also receive a complete set of Fire Dragon Armor.
To be honest, it was a huge temptation. "Accidentally" killing a fire dragon was far easier than subduing one.
However, slaying a dragon during the Triwizard Tournament might not be the best idea. After all, he could always complete the Dragon Slayer task later; there was no need to rush it now.
The Swedish Short-Snout dragon snorted, as if sensing the malicious intent emanating from the human before it. Its wings, which had been partially folded, twitched, and its cold, vertical pupils fixed on Albert, as if considering how to finish off the human in front of it.
The Swedish Short-Snout dragon stirred, agitated by the malevolence radiating from Albert—a sensation of being marked by a predator. As a top predator itself, the dragon had never felt so uncomfortable. It twitched its mouth, as if building up to something, and after a moment, it opened its mouth and spewed a dazzling blue flame toward Albert.
"Oh my! I daresay that's over fifty feet!" Bagman exclaimed.
The spectators in the stands couldn't help but scream. Many of the girls closed their eyes in terror, unable to bear the sight of Albert about to be consumed by the dragon's breath.
The screams from the stands suddenly ceased as the blue breath, just as it was about to engulf Albert, went out without warning.
Yes, the Swedish Short-Snout dragon's breath had been extinguished, as if someone had played a prank on Albert.
"My word, that was too close for comfort!" Bagman shouted. "Incredible! Mr. Anderson single-handedly extinguished the dragon's breath with ease. It usually takes at least three dragon tamers working together to achieve that."
The Swedish Short-Snout dragon snorted and spat out a small ball of blue flame, lightly twisting its head while keeping its vertical pupils locked on Albert. Then it opened its mouth again.
Albert gazed at the fire dragon and muttered, "Is it because I've drawn too much hatred?"
In fact, Albert was currently standing outside the theoretical range of the dragon's breath. Normally, a dragon's breath would reach about twenty feet, but for some reason, this Swedish Short-Snout dragon's breath far exceeded its limit.
The original plan had been for the lion to draw the dragon's attention, but now it seemed that wearing dragon hide armor and confronting a fire dragon was akin to a warrior using a taunt skill, drawing all the aggression.
Actually, Albert had guessed wrong. The Swedish Short-Snout dragon had fixated on him not because of the dragon hide armor he wore but because of the malevolence he had inadvertently exuded—the intent to kill the dragon in front of him had thoroughly enraged it.
However, Albert remained calm. He had prepared for various scenarios, and he had a plan for dealing with dragon breath and the current situation.
Nevertheless, the dragon tamers standing by began to feel uneasy. The amount of time the Swedish Short-Snout dragon had taken to build up its breath this time was much longer than usual.
That was not a good sign.
It meant that the next breath would be extremely dangerous, and even an extinguishing spell might not be effective. This was the judgment of the dragon tamers, based on their experience of living with fire dragons.
They exchanged glances, and if Albert couldn't hold out, they would rush forward together to cast extinguishing spells on the dragon, even if it meant disqualifying Albert from continuing the competition. They couldn't just stand by and let the dragon burn him to a crisp.
Not only the dragon tamers but even Albert furrowed his brows. The fire dragon hadn't breathed fire immediately; it seemed to be... building up power.
Sensing the threat to his life, Albert abandoned the idea of using an extinguishing spell and instead began to wave his wand and chant a spell. Just as the dragon's breath was about to reach him, the large rocks he had shattered earlier started to reassemble, forming a sturdy stone barrier in front of him. The dragon's breath slammed into the barrier, causing it to turn scorching hot, but Albert remained unharmed behind it.
At that moment, not only the spectators in the stands but even the professors held their breath and worried for Albert.
Because the dragon's breath didn't stop this time; it was even more terrifying and prolonged than before. If one relied solely on an extinguishing spell, it might not be enough to completely snuff out the breath, and the Swedish Short-Snout dragon's breath could potentially turn Albert into ashes.
"Be careful!"
Someone screamed in alarm.
The Swedish Short-Snout dragon had flown out of its nest and was charging straight at Albert. Its tail lashed out, viciously striking the scorching stone barrier and shattering it into pieces, sending shards flying everywhere.
"Oh my God!"
The spectators in the stands leaped to their feet, astonished by the unfolding scene.
Roar! A deafening lion's roar suddenly rang out, and a male lion pounced out of nowhere, grabbing the fire dragon's attention.
The Swedish Short-Snout dragon was enraged by the lion's audacity. In its eyes, even the so-called King of Beasts was merely prey, and now this prey dared to take the offensive?
The fire dragon gathered its strength and exhaled a stream of flames toward the lion. But the cunning lion quickly retreated into the pile of rocks, dodging the deadly breath.
The Swedish Short-Snout dragon was infuriated, especially since it was being provoked by its prey—something it found intolerable. It spread its wings, leaped onto the rock in front of the lion, and swiped its claws forcefully, sending the lion that had dared to roar at it flying to the side.
The poor lion was left crippled on the ground, no longer resembling the King of Beasts. However, it had successfully accomplished its task: distracting the fire dragon.
As the Swedish Short-Snout dragon roared in excitement after dispatching its prey, countless scorching rocks rained down on it, turning its triumphant howl into painful wails.
Albert remained unscathed, standing there calmly. Neither the fire dragon's fiery breath nor the explosion of the stone barrier seemed able to harm him. A small group of Slytherin students sighed in disappointment, as if they had hoped to see Albert reduced to ashes by the dragon's breath or crushed by the falling rocks.
"My word, the Swedish Short-Snout dragon seems unable to harm Mr. Anderson at all. He remains as calm and collected as ever, completely unharmed," Bagman exclaimed excitedly. "Look, it's our brave warrior's turn to act! I wonder what he's up to?"
Not only Bagman but also the other spectators were puzzled as they saw a chain-like smoke spiraling out from the tip of Albert's wand, enveloping the Swedish Short-Snout dragon.
The fire dragon roared in agitation, shaking its head and even exhaling flames in an attempt to disperse the smoke that was drifting towards it. However, the previous breath attack seemed to have drained its energy, and its current attempt looked weak and ineffective. The smoke continued to billow out relentlessly from Albert's wand.
Finally, the Swedish Short-Snout dragon became extremely agitated and turned its gaze towards the source of its torment. It intended to kill the human who had made it feel threatened.
Just as the Swedish Short-Snout dragon was about to act, the eagle that had been soaring in the sky dived down, aiming its sharp claws at the dragon's eyes.
As the Swedish Short-Snout dragon turned its head to dodge the surprise attack, its full attention was drawn to the eagle.
Albert brandished his wand, and the smoke that had been swirling around the dragon suddenly transformed into chains. With a swift downward motion of his left hand, Albert caused the chains to sink into the ground, trapping the Swedish Short-Snout dragon, which had been preparing to take flight in pursuit of the eagle.
The sudden turn of events startled the Swedish Short-Snout dragon, and it struggled desperately, flapping its wings frantically. However, the chains binding it held firm, keeping it tethered to the ground.
No matter how hard it tried to break free, it couldn't take flight. As Albert waved his wand gracefully like a conductor, more smoke transformed into chains that wrapped around the dragon.
A terrifying roar reverberated across the field as the Swedish Short-Snout dragon gathered its strength once more and unleashed a powerful burst of dragon breath. Almost all the chains connecting it to the ground were vaporized. Just as it prepared to take flight, several stones hurled by Albert struck it, causing it to lose its only chance of breaking free.
More chains emerged from the ground, entangling the dragon's legs and binding it tightly to the ground. Albert's wand movements became more intense, ensnaring the Swedish Short-Snout dragon in layer after layer of chains.
"Incredible! Let's hope Mr. Anderson will be gentle with our little friend. After all, it already looks rather pitiful," Bagman commented in a light-hearted tone.
As Albert waved his wand, the ground seemed to transform into shackles, immobilizing the fire dragon. With a loud thud, the proud head of the Swedish Short-Snout dragon was forced down to the ground by the lion, and its mouth was locked shut by an earth-made restraint. The once formidable creature was now completely restrained and unable to move.
The injured lion stood on the dragon's head and let out a thunderous roar, perhaps the most glorious moment for the King of Beasts in its entire life.
"There you have it! Mr. Anderson has effortlessly subdued the fire dragon. It's truly unbelievable," Bagman shouted excitedly, his voice hoarse from shouting. He doubted he would ever witness such a spectacular scene again in his lifetime.
Before anyone could react, the eagle swooped down from the sky and placed the golden egg it had retrieved from the dragon's nest into Albert's outstretched palm. While everyone's attention had been focused on Albert's battle with the dragon, the eagle had stealthily fetched the egg.
Albert raised the golden egg high, announcing his victory to the crowd.
"Amazing! Our brave warrior has tamed a vicious dragon and retrieved the golden egg in just a few minutes. I dare say even the most skilled dragon tamers couldn't achieve such a feat. Let's give Mr. Anderson a round of applause and cheer for his unprecedented triumph!" Bagman shouted at the top of his lungs.
Albert! Albert! Albert! In the spectator stands, the Hogwarts students enthusiastically waved their red hats and chanted Albert's name. A sea of red rippled with the waves of their voices.
Albert lowered the golden egg, expressing his gratitude for the support. The ensuing cheers, applause, and shouts of celebration were deafening. At that moment, it felt like the time when the Irish team had won the Quidditch World Cup and their supporters had erupted in joy.
Of course, not every face in the crowd wore a smile. A small group of Slytherin students who disliked Albert looked displeased.
The more successful Albert became, the more humiliated they felt.
Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons, had a stiff expression on her face, but it soon softened into an inward sigh.
Durmstrang's headmaster, Karkaroff, wore a scowl so dark it could rival the bottom of a pot. He clearly recognized the threat Albert's success posed to Krum's chances.
It would be nearly impossible for Krum to catch up to Albert in terms of points unless...
A sinister thought crossed Karkaroff's mind as he considered Durmstrang's victory.
(End of Chapter)
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