The interview segment came to an end. Judging from the current reactions, this kind of live interview was quite popular—at least the students watching from outside seemed to greatly enjoy it.
Next came the part where the champions would face off against fire dragons. All the fire dragons had been hypnotized and were now guarding their respective dragon eggs, inside which lay clues to the next challenge.
Fleur Delacour vs. the Antipodean Opaleye
When Fleur found herself alone, facing a fire dragon, she realized just how small and insignificant she truly was.
The fire dragon was confined within a courtyard surrounded by tall walls. At the top of the walls was a viewing platform now filled with students observing the match. The hypnotized fire dragon paid no attention to the people on the platform. In the center of the courtyard sat a pile of rubble, upon which the Antipodean Opaleye was lying. Beneath its claws rested a dragon egg.
The fire dragon was massive, and from its elevated perch, it gazed down toward the entrance where Fleur cautiously approached.
When she got within thirty meters, Fleur clearly noticed the dragon becoming alert. Its scales began to rattle ominously.
According to the plan, Fleur began using illusion magic at the entrance. As a witch with one-quarter Veela blood, illusion spells were her specialty. When she had consulted Regulus about strategy, this had been his suggestion as well. However, she hadn't been able to learn the Somnus Nocturnus incantation. Regulus Black had only promised to teach her that spell as a reward if she won.
Since she hadn't learned Somnus Nocturnus, she could only attempt to mimic its effects.
Fleur flicked her wand, and dust on the ground began to swirl upward, rising like threads of smoke. It wasn't just the area in front of her—the dust around the dragon began to lift as well. The particles gathered around the fire dragon in increasing density, darkening the space until it resembled the dim glow of twilight.
It was reminiscent of the thick fogs from Britain's Industrial Age—where you couldn't see a thing just a few meters away, and daylight still required street lamps.
The originally sparse dust, enhanced by illusion magic, created a dense smog-like effect. It was a remarkably creative use of magic.
Even so, she still couldn't retrieve the dragon egg from beneath the dragon's claws. The dragon, though visibly irritated by the dim environment, continued to clutch its egg protectively. It was especially wary of Fleur, who had recently appeared and looked particularly suspicious.
Fleur thought for a moment, then flicked her wand again. A small bolt of magic struck a stone near the dragon egg, drawing the dragon's attention downward toward the source of the sound.
Under the influence of the illusion, a clump of dust transformed into a replica of the dragon egg and rolled toward the edge of the courtyard.
Oh no! The dragon egg was escaping!
The fire dragon immediately lunged after it, but upon slamming its claw down on the egg and realizing it was a fake, it turned sharply and charged back toward the original spot.
Just as Fleur lifted the real egg, she saw the fire dragon pivot and charge toward her. She instantly dropped backward, using illusion magic to transform a nearby rock into the image of herself holding the dragon egg. At the same time, she and the real egg turned into an unremarkable stone.
As expected, the dragon struck the illusion with a powerful swipe, sending the rock flying into the wall. The impact nearly knocked some of the unsteady students off the viewing platform. Fortunately, Aurors stationed nearby quickly waved their wands and pulled them back to safety. Additional enchantments were placed around the entire perimeter, ensuring that no one would fall—the invisible barrier would now prevent anyone from slipping off.
From the dragon's point of view, the woman holding its egg had been flung through the air by its own claw—yet she still wouldn't let go of the egg.
This was outrageous!
The dragon puffed out its cheeks and unleashed a powerful stream of fire. It didn't matter if the egg was in the way—dragonfire wouldn't harm it. As long as the thief was incinerated, that was enough.
Fleur, still disguised as a rock and holding the egg, witnessed this terrifying scene. Had she not reacted so swiftly, even an Auror wouldn't have been able to save her. Dragonfire of that intensity would leave behind not even a trace of ash.
She had to leave immediately. Who knew if the dragon would realize the truth any second? With a sweep of her wand, the surrounding dust cloaked her completely in darkness, and Fleur carefully made her way out of the courtyard.
The moment she stepped outside, a chorus of cheers erupted around her. Aurors from the Ministry of Magic immediately rushed in to subdue the fire dragon.
"Congratulations to Fleur Delacour for successfully retrieving the dragon egg! Congratulations to the Beauxbatons champion!"
Barty Crouch announced loudly, his voice full of excitement. Fleur had retrieved the egg in record time, though she looked absolutely miserable. Covered head to toe in dust, she looked nothing like the graceful Fleur Delacour—more like a soot-covered coal lump.
But as any witch knows, a simple Scourgify can restore one's appearance. Still, Fleur remained visibly shaken.
The image of that fire dragon breathing flames at such close range was simply too much. It had terrified her.
"Scourgify! It's all right now. You did great. You still need to cheer for Gabrielle, remember?"
Regulus Black came over, first helping Fleur tidy herself up, then using a sense of responsibility to lift her spirits.
Yes! Her little sister was about to face a dragon too—how could she let Gabrielle see her in such a state?
"Thank you, Regulus. I know what I need to do now."
Fleur Delacour gave Regulus a brief hug to show her gratitude for everything he had done for her. Whether it was restoring her appearance or offering her comfort and reminders, this man she liked was always so thoughtful. But since she had promised her sister they would confess together, she had to suppress her desire for the time being.
Fleur Delacour ran toward her sister, offering encouragement as she honestly recounted everything she had gone through, hoping that sharing her experience would help Gabrielle.
Gabrielle Delacour vs. the Chinese Fireball
The venue had been moved to a different location. Hogwarts had constructed six temporary arenas to house the dragons, and the spectators quickly made their way to the Chinese Fireball's enclosure, eager to secure a good spot and witness yet another magical display.
Gabrielle cautiously peeked into the enclosure from the entrance. The Chinese Fireball was toying with the mock dragon eggs placed there by the Ministry of Magic, pawing at them with its front claws.
The moment Gabrielle poked her head in, the Chinese Fireball noticed her. It immediately stopped playing with the eggs, placing one paw firmly on an egg as if to say, Come and take it if you can.
Its sharp reaction to the entrance—while ignoring those spectators watching from the stands above—could be explained from a dragon's perspective. The enclosure, enchanted with large-scale illusions cast by Ministry Aurors, made the audience invisible to the dragon. The first person to enter through the gate would be its only point of focus.
"Fireball! Fireball! Have you been hypnotized?"
Peering in, Gabrielle couldn't help but wonder. For some reason, she believed that the Chinese Fireball she was facing hadn't been hypnotized—unlike the dragon Fleur had encountered. This one seemed far too clever.
In truth, the Chinese Fireball was supposed to have been hypnotized. However, the Ministry Aurors had failed to put it under completely. As soon as it was transferred to this new enclosure, it had essentially regained full awareness.
Historically, Chinese Fireballs had been worshipped as deities in their native regions. Even so, there were powerful individuals who had subdued them before, and relocation was not a new experience for them. These dragons had long since learned to assess whether someone approaching bore hostility or killing intent. Anything else didn't bother or affect them in the slightest.
To them, playing along with human rituals or doing guard duty was just another game. Even as pets, their lives weren't bad.
Moreover, Chinese Fireballs were highly resistant to illusion magic. That was why this one, upon waking, had resorted to entertaining itself by casually pawing at the eggs.
While illusion spells had little to no effect on Chinese Fireballs, this one was still willing to play its part. That's right—it saw it as a job: guarding the dragon eggs and handing them over only to someone worthy of stealing them.
Hearing Gabrielle's voice from afar, the Chinese Fireball paused to consider, then let out a series of deep rumbling sounds from its chest.
Gabrielle couldn't understand what the dragon was saying, but judging by its reaction, it seemed to understand her just fine.
Just as Regulus Black had told her—if she communicated with the Chinese Fireball and met its conditions, she might just be able to retrieve the egg.
Gabrielle made up her mind. Without hesitation, she walked straight toward the Chinese Fireball.
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