"Potter! Tonight, I'm taking you to see something amazing."
Hagrid mysteriously pulled Harry Potter aside and whispered to him.
Although Harry didn't know exactly what it would be, it was clearly related to his role as a champion. He agreed immediately.
That evening, Hagrid first brought Harry to his hut, where two others were already waiting.
Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House, and Cedric Diggory, another Hogwarts champion.
"Good evening, Professor! Good evening, Cedric."
After greeting them politely, Hagrid excitedly rubbed his hands together and beckoned them toward the Forbidden Forest.
"I won't go with you, Hagrid! Don't get too close. I don't want any accidents before the tournament even begins."
Professor Sprout had other tasks to attend to. She had come mainly to remind Hagrid to be careful.
"Don't worry, Professor Sprout. I'll keep an eye on both of them."
Reassured by this, Professor Sprout left the hut.
"Hagrid! What are we going to see?"
As they followed Hagrid deeper into the Forbidden Forest, Harry occasionally glanced at Cedric. The handsome boy beside him was both a natural ally and his ultimate rival, a combination that left Harry unsure of what to say.
"We're probably going to see dragons, right? Hagrid must've found out that the dragons for the task have arrived and brought us here for a sneak peek."
Cedric Diggory answered Harry's question in a slightly grim tone. The forest's darkness made it feel unsettling to walk in silence, so he took the lead in speaking.
"Cedric's right. The Ministry of Magic specially brought in six different breeds of dragons from around the world for your task. They're all around the same age but have distinct traits."
The moment Hagrid mentioned dragons, he became visibly animated, like a starving man seeing a feast.
After a short walk, they arrived at a clearing in the forest, which was heavily guarded by Aurors. A fire dragon was thrashing violently but was restrained by enchanted chains that limited its movement.
"Nightfall Slumber!"
A spell struck the agitated fire dragon, causing a wave of relief among the surrounding Aurors.
"This spell ensures the dragon gets a good night's sleep, but it only works at night. During the day, sunlight will wake it up again."
Regulus Black slid his wand back into his sleeve as he briefly explained the charm.
The spell made things much easier for the Aurors. Now they only had to ensure the dragon remained out of sunlight—problem solved.
"What are you doing here? It's not time for the tournament yet."
Regulus Black noticed Hagrid and the two students. Hagrid's size always made him stand out, though these days, Madame Maxime gave him some competition.
"Assistant Professor Black, you're amazing! If I could learn that spell, I'd be sure to pass the task."
Cedric immediately realized that the key to passing the first task—stealing a dragon egg from under a dragon's nose—lay in mastering that spell. But he wasn't sure if Regulus Black would be willing to teach him.
"It's not that I won't teach you. It's that you won't be able to master it in such a short time. And tomorrow, you'll all be served up to the dragons."
Regulus Black refused without hesitation, but the way he phrased it was unsettling. "Served up" to the dragons? Were they going to get eaten?
Looking at the nearby fire dragon, which had been heavily reinforced by Aurors, and that massive maw of a mouth—it really did look like it could swallow a person whole. Even someone as large as Hagrid might only take three bites.
"Regulus! Scaring the kids like that isn't nice."
Hagrid seemed to have a decent relationship with Regulus Black. From time to time, Regulus even gifted him cows.
"Hagrid, they might get swallowed whole by the dragons—and you'd be chewed up first."
Regulus had a busy night ahead. This was just one dragon; five more still needed handling.
After all, the Ministry couldn't expect the Aurors to stay on high alert all night. That would be inhumane—for both the Aurors and the dragons.
So when Regulus learned about the situation, he volunteered to take on the task of subduing the dragons.
It wasn't that the Aurors weren't capable of it themselves, but doing so would consume tremendous effort, time, and money.
Powerful spells often required additional materials, and those materials cost a mountain of Galleons.
Harry was also disappointed by Regulus's refusal. That meant he wouldn't get a chance to learn such a powerful spell either. And after this tournament, he'd likely never encounter another dragon, making the opportunity to learn such a spell even slimmer.
"The dragon's asleep for now. As long as you don't punch or kick it awake, even approaching or touching it won't be a problem. I still have more dragons to deal with, so I won't be staying."
Just as Regulus finished speaking, an Auror arrived to call him away. The second fire dragon had just been transported in.
Each dragon was held in a separate location to prevent the risk of a mass escape if even one managed to break free.
"What kind of dragon is this?"
Harry looked down at the sleeping fire dragon. Since Hagrid had said they brought six different breeds from around the world, perhaps each dragon had distinct habits based on its species.
"Antipodean Opaleye, from New Zealand. Look at its eyes—they're pale and milky, like a blind person's."
Regulus pointed to the dragon. Moments earlier, it had briefly opened its eyes, startling the nearby Aurors. Luckily, it had just been dreaming.
As Regulus left with the three of them, Harry noticed an Auror pulling out a piece of cloth. With a quick spell, the fabric expanded infinitely and covered the entire dragon.
After the group departed, six more people arrived—headmasters from Germany and France, each bringing their two students to sneak a look at the dragons as well.
However, they quickly followed Regulus's group openly.
Several hundred meters away, another clearing appeared. A dragon in a cage descended from the sky. The escort team looked utterly exhausted, while the dragon inside remained lively, thrashing about energetically.
"Hebridean Black, from the Hebrides Islands. A dragon breed known for its mastery of fire."
"Mastery of fire?" Weren't all these dragons supposed to be fire-breathers? But the two headmasters understood what that meant—this black dragon's control over its flames rivaled a wizard's control over magic.
"Moonlight Slumber!"
This time, Regulus used a slightly different incantation. His magic formed a full moon in front of the dragon, bathing it in gentle moonlight. The dragon, usually hyperactive at night, immediately quieted down. It didn't fall asleep outright but lay down comfortably, raised its head, and gazed up at the moon with half-lidded eyes—like a drunkard, dazed and tipsy, unwilling to fall asleep.
"Mr. Black! Your spell didn't put the black dragon to sleep!"
The Auror who had accompanied Regulus Black sounded a little worried. Wasn't the "Nightfall Slumber" spell just now quite effective on fire dragons? Did he really have to try something new just for the sake of it?
"I believe this should be the correct approach. If I remember correctly, the black dragons of the Hershidiri Isles prefer to lie at the mouth of volcanoes and sleep during the day. Night is actually their active period, with peak activity at dawn and dusk."
Regulus Black explained why he had chosen this particular spell.
"I can't conjure the sun to make it sleep, but moonlight is enough to calm it down."
"Roooaaahhh!"
Right on cue, the black dragon from the Hershidiri Isles let out a long yawn, then continued to squint contentedly at the moonlight.
"So that's how it works! Since its peak activity times are morning and evening, its low point would naturally be around midnight."
Hagrid clapped his hands and exclaimed happily.
"Quiet! Everyone stay silent. If we wake the black dragon, it'll be much harder to put it back to sleep."
Regulus Black immediately cast a silencing spell on Hagrid. Though Hagrid could still speak, his voice was now so hoarse that one had to press an ear to his mouth just to make out what he was saying.
The black dragon turned its head in Hagrid's direction, snorted a bit, but finding nothing amiss, turned back to continue moon gazing.
"Stay quiet and maintain the illusion. If you can keep it going until sunrise, your task will be complete."
Regulus Black gave these instructions to the Auror in charge of that clearing, then headed off to the next location.
At the third clearing, a green dragon was actively driving off the Aurors nearby.
It didn't attack them—it simply waved its claws to shoo them away, as if saying these humans who had captured it weren't worth its time.
"The Common Welsh Green, native to Wales. It's one of the gentlest fire dragons out there. If you're lucky enough to draw it, passing should be easy—one in six chance!"
As Regulus Black said this, he deliberately looked at the Delacour sisters, Gabrielle and Fleur.
Their headmistress, Madame Maxime, gently placed her hands on their heads in reassurance. After all, with the two of them combined, they had a one in three chance of drawing the weakest dragon.
"Floral Slumber!"
In front of everyone, Regulus Black cast another new spell. Magic surged into the ground where the green dragon stood, and instantly, lush grass sprouted in a 10-meter radius. Wildflowers soon followed, blooming in colorful patches.
The Welsh Green stopped driving the wizards away. Instead, it closed its eyes and deeply inhaled the scent of the wildflowers, then stuck out its tongue to lick them. It carefully bit off one flower after another, savoring them in its mouth.
Like a drunkard, the Welsh Green slumped over and began to snore.
"A green dragon likes eating flowers? A giant fire-breathing beast that loves tiny wildflowers—those flowers aren't even enough to fill the gap between its teeth."
Everyone was silently thinking the same thing. If they hadn't seen the dragon patiently and efficiently devour every last wildflower in sight, they wouldn't have believed it either—that the dragon not only had a fondness for flowers but also a habit of falling asleep after eating them.
"The green dragon is the most mild-tempered of all fire dragons. It even has cat-like behavior traits. Perhaps it's a magical mutation introduced by wizards long ago. But its love for wildflowers is just like a cat's love for flowers."
What Regulus Black said was extremely useful for the champions observing behind him. But knowing something and knowing how to use it were different matters—how effectively they could apply this knowledge would depend on their magical ability, which is the true measure of a champion.
They moved on to the fourth clearing. A dragon with an unusually small-looking head was snorting fire through its nostrils in anger. While it could breathe fire from its mouth, the twin jets of heat from its nostrils were more than enough to toy with the nearby wizards.
"The Swedish Short-Snout. Native to Sweden. But its nose doesn't seem suited to the cold northern climate—it's too short, and as a result, constantly exposed to high temperatures."
Regulus Black pointed to the dragon's head as he explained. Though its appearance seemed ill-suited for survival, this was simply how the Swedish Short-Snout had evolved—its nostril fire-breathing was almost playful.
"Snowy Hot Spring!"
This time, Regulus didn't use a sleep spell. Instead, he altered the terrain directly.
Centered around the dragon, the ground began to sink. The surrounding temperature was absorbed by the depression, creating a unique landscape: the outer area was frozen over, while a small hot spring formed in the center.
At first, the Swedish Short-Snout looked uncertain. But soon it noticed something it liked—warm water beneath its belly. In the cold snowy mountains, nothing was more enjoyable than soaking in a hot spring. Sometimes, this species even melted snow on its own to create a bath.
This spring was small, just big enough for the dragon to soak in. Even turning over was a tight squeeze.
But the dragon didn't care. With such a comfortable hot spring, why move?
It rested its head on the edge of the pool and quickly drifted off to sleep.
"Remember to keep the water hot. If it cools down, that'll be the moment the fire dragon wakes. If it stays warm enough, he could sleep for days."
After giving instructions to the overseeing Auror, Regulus moved on again.
There was now a fire dragon with a metallic-colored belly, noticeably rounder than the others—giving it a rather goofy and lovable appearance.
"The Ukrainian Ironbelly. As the name suggests, it's from Ukraine. Its defining trait? Its appetite."
Regulus Black pointed to its belly and said something that made everyone present want to scream.
"This particular Ironbelly looks severely underfed—its physique clearly shows signs of long-term malnutrition."
Arms crossed, Regulus shook his head and scoffed at the Ministry of Magic. Of course they'd pick the weakest one—always go after the softest target.
"Just feeding the Ironbelly is enough to make it rest. But I doubt any of you will have the chance to feed it."
As he said this, he summoned a cow, which was sent flying toward the hungry dragon. It lunged and bit down, then immediately breathed fire to roast it whole before devouring it in huge gulps. Then another cow, and another—three in total.
Finally full, the Ukrainian Ironbelly rubbed its belly and let out a satisfied snore.
"And lastly, this is the Chinese Fireball—also known as the Liondragon. Native to China."
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