Regulus Black left behind half of the beef and took the other half—specifically the portion with the leg bone—away with him.
Back in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, a long dining table had already been set up, complete with a full set of carving tools ready for use.
Regulus Black placed the half leg of beef onto the platter. Instantly, the knives and forks began slicing the meat automatically. The silver utensils skillfully removed the bone, then cut the meat into strips, and finally into evenly sized chunks.
By the time everyone received a serving plate, neatly diced beef cubes were already piled up in a large silver basin.
"Help yourselves. Take as much as you want. Don't be shy. It would be a real shame if the dragonfire roast cooled down."
Regulus Black wasn't just saying that for effect. Once the dragonfire roast cooled, it meant the magical energy of the dragon's breath within would be lost.
That's why fine food should be enjoyed while hot. Regulus Black also served himself a generous helping with a spoon.
Everyone took a portion according to their appetite. When Hagrid finally stepped up, he claimed all that remained.
"I told you not to be shy. Did everyone get enough?"
Regulus Black looked around.
Regarding the handling of the Chinese Fireball, Regulus Black had consulted with Minister Fudge. This particular fire dragon became the only exception among all the dragons brought here.
Every day, Regulus Black would bring a cow and hand it over to the Chinese Fireball for roasting.
Gabrielle Delacour and Fleur Delacour—oh, and Harry Potter too—didn't seem to have large appetites. Cedric ate a bit more than Harry. Among the rest, Madame Maxime and the three German participants were about even, while Hagrid devoured half of everyone's portions combined.
"Thank you, Mr. Black. This is all I can manage," Gabrielle said shyly, expressing her gratitude to Regulus. She had never tasted dragonfire roast before. She hadn't expected that coming to Hogwarts with her sister would allow her the rare chance to enjoy such a delicacy.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Black. I'd like to know why the Chinese Fireball behaves this way. Does it mean that during the tournament, we could try negotiating with it to achieve our goals?"
Fleur was curious. Unlike her younger sister, she wasn't as enchanted by gourmet food. Her real interest lay in uncovering the secrets of the fire dragon.
"Ancient wisdom comes from communication. In their homeland, Chinese Fireballs are revered like deities. Their relationship with humans is much closer. They accept offerings, prayers, and physical contact. Once they discovered that they could obtain food effortlessly and enjoy a better life this way, they embraced that lifestyle. Even if humans eventually broke off contact, the dragons would leave behind legends and records in the human world, while they themselves would continue seeking opportunities to regain that way of life."
Regulus Black paused his eating and offered this explanation. Now it was everyone else's turn to stop eating and reflect.
"Why would fire dragons want to enjoy being… cared for by humans?"
It was mostly the students asking questions. The two headmasters and Hagrid wisely stayed silent. Asking now would only make them appear ignorant, which would damage their reputations.
The question came from Viktor Krum. After all, in his mind, a fire dragon should live freely and unrestrained, not like a pampered pet. That was the kind of dragon he had always imagined.
Naturally, such dragons were the kind of monsters humans took pride in conquering. These semi-mythical beings, brought down by human blades and swords, represented glorious achievements worthy of remembrance by future generations.
"This brings us to the cultural differences between nations around the world."
Regulus Black had to pause again, swallowing the piece of meat in his mouth.
"Eastern cultures are more inclusive. They are open to many beliefs and ideas. To them, mysterious beings that pose no harm are part of their world. In order to maintain harmony with these forces, they don't hesitate to establish communication. But in Western civilizations, myths and legends are more focused on conquest and enslavement. There's often a spirit of defiance or domination, which they conveniently label as freedom."
Regulus Black's words were difficult for many to accept, especially the two headmasters.
Seeing their displeased expressions, Regulus Black readied himself for a serious debate.
"Eastern civilizations have managed to coexist peacefully with fire dragons for generations. If this had happened in the West, some king would have gone all out to slay the dragon."
With that, Regulus Black picked up his knife and fork again. If he waited any longer, the beef cubes would start to cool.
"I can't agree with you, Mr. Black! Are you unaware of how much damage fire dragons have caused throughout history?"
Madame Maxime had lost her appetite. As long as she stayed here eating dragonfire barbecue, her stance would be indefensible.
"Madame Maxime! Is this the kind of damage you're referring to?"
Regulus Black, holding a knife and fork, spread his hands. What they were eating here was a delicacy willingly shared by the Chinese Fireball. But if you wanted to get dragonfire barbecue from a Western dragon, you'd have to risk your life to steal or snatch it.
So, the difference between the two sides was enormous. No wonder Regulus Black's earlier words had criticized the Western approach to dealing with dragons.
Because once you choose to kill fire dragons, naturally, they will respond in kind.
In fact, many wizards in the magical world have managed to befriend fire dragons, and there are even wizards who understand the dragon tongue. However, none of them had ever thought about the relationship between the two species the way Regulus Black had. Their positive relations with fire dragons remained purely personal.
"Then, if we start worshipping these fire dragons as gods and making offerings to them, will they communicate with us and be willing to share their food?"
Gabrielle Delacour, having finished her portion, set down her knife and fork and offered a possible idea.
"I'm sorry, little beauty, but that's just not realistic. The reason Eastern cultures worship and offer sacrifices to fire dragons isn't what makes them share their food. It's that, over a long period of time, they've taught dragons to communicate through sharing. Fire dragons live far longer than humans. Without several generations of consistent communication and goodwill from humans, they would never learn to trust us."
Regulus Black felt a bit bad for dashing the young girl's hopes.
"As long as there are people who see fire dragons as enemies—who want to slay them to earn glory—just one generation of such harm is enough for dragons to stop trusting humans altogether. They'll see us as foes and pass that message down to their offspring. One generation of fire dragons lives 500 years, and the next generation another 500. In a thousand years, how many generations of humans have already passed?"
Regulus Black gestured with his fingers, illustrating the passage of a millennium with a simple motion.
"Humans harm fire dragons, and fire dragons retaliate. Once it begins, this cycle continues and becomes a lasting conflict. The two sides will never open their hearts to each other again, and true communication becomes impossible."
Everyone fell silent. It turned out that mutual harm was both simple and long-lasting. Perhaps only with the complete disappearance of one side could such a cycle truly come to an end.
"But—but we raise dragons now! We haven't exterminated them. In fact, there are dedicated dragon reserves all over the world."
Hagrid had already eaten a third of his portion. After hearing Regulus Black's explanation, he couldn't help but speak up. He still believed that dragons and wizards could coexist peacefully.
Regulus Black ignored Hagrid and motioned for everyone to finish eating before continuing the discussion.
Once everyone was done, Regulus Black wiped his mouth.
"Hagrid, I believe you mean well toward fire dragons. But you must understand the difference here. Why are we raising dragons now? Because fire dragons have become a protected species. They're rare, and every part of their bodies is a valuable magical material. That's the real reason we're protecting them. By establishing dragon reserves, we're showcasing our control over them. This reflects the arrogance of a wizarding community that holds absolute power. In such an environment, dragons like the intelligent Chinese Fireball would never emerge."
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