"I've taken care of things on my end! Don't give yourself away, Harry! Remember, that's your dog. Just call it… Biggie Black."
Regulus Black's words didn't look great when written in Chinese, but it was just a transliteration. The original meaning was "Big Black"—a common name given to many black dogs.
Having just been saved by Sirius, Harry Potter was still dazed and overwhelmed. The sudden appearance of Sirius as an Animagus—would that disqualify him from the tournament even though he had been rescued?
With the competition on the verge of being halted and an investigation underway, Harry was unsure whether to tell the truth. But Regulus Black's message brought good news: the match would continue, as long as Sirius Black's identity remained hidden.
The collar Regulus used to speak through could only be heard by someone standing very close. There was no need to worry about being overheard by the surrounding spectators.
"Biggie Black, let's go together!"
No matter how Harry thought about it, that name sounded wrong. Was he overthinking it?
"Woof woof!"
Sirius Black agreed. Since he had voluntarily worn the collar Regulus crafted, he could take it off himself. Others couldn't remove it, which helped keep the most important secret safe—he was a black dog Animagus.
Sirius shot forward like a bullet, charging straight at the Hebridean Black Dragon. He showed none of the fear most animals would display when facing a fire-breathing beast. But this was expected. To those who didn't know better, this seemed entirely normal. Animals controlled by wizards often possessed abilities beyond typical beasts—fearless of fire, water, and even death. These traits were seen as the hallmark of magical animal companions.
So when facing a fire dragon, these companions didn't flinch. "What's a dragon to me?" some might think. Many had even consumed dragon blood before. At worst, it meant death. But what could possibly stop a loyal animal from trying to please its master?
The black dog sprinted swiftly. As the dragon turned its head, the dog leapt onto its claw—the very one pinning down the dragon egg.
To have a black dog leap onto its body—unforgivable! The Hebridean Black Dragon instantly swung its claw, trying to smash the dog in one blow. As for eating him? Maybe, but only if there was anything left to eat afterward.
"I raise my hand and summon clouds. I turn my palm and bring rain. I smack! Smeared!"
The dragon's claw slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash—but there was no satisfying impact.
Could it have missed?
It lifted its claw to check… No need to look—the black dog had already sprinted up its body and reached its back.
Outrageous! The Hebridean Black Dragon thrashed its tail across its back. The black dog had already dashed down to its hind leg, even attempting to bite the joint. The dragon sat down abruptly, trying to crush the dog under its massive weight. But the dog had already scampered to the base of its tail—a spot the tail itself couldn't reach.
The Hebridean Black Dragon was livid. It whipped its head around and unleashed a burst of dragon fire on its own tail, using the flames to purge its body of the intruder. This was a known technique among fire dragons—the Swedish Short-Snout had done the same earlier, although that one had simply been dirtier and opted for a more extensive self-cleaning.
The black dog quickly fled, prompting the dragon's flames to follow.
While Biggie Black was battling the Hebridean Black Dragon, what was Harry Potter doing?
He was watching the fight—yes, watching. He, more than anyone, knew that the black dog was Sirius Black. So rather than focus on retrieving the dragon egg, he was more concerned about his godfather's safety.
Watching the dog take on the dragon, Harry felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
The dragon's fire was spreading faster than the black dog could run. As soon as the flames began to spew forth, Regulus Black knew the stupid mutt was running out of time.
The Hebridean Black Dragon was fully occupied dealing with the black dog, its back turned to the courtyard's entrance—and the dragon egg sat right beside Harry.
Many spectators noticed this and began shouting for Harry to grab the egg. But the fool was still fixated on the dog.
Finally, with all escape routes blocked, the black dog was engulfed in a massive wave of dragon fire.
"No! Black!"
Harry shouted, as if hoping to confirm whether his godfather had made it out alive.
"Harry! Get the egg—the dragon's turning around!"
Ron Weasley shouted urgently at him. The Hebridean Black Dragon, having just incinerated a nuisance, now heard a voice behind it. Another fool walking to his death?
Only then did Harry realize—he might be the next one to die.
He immediately turned and ran, scooping up the dragon egg along the way and clutching it to his chest. Once he had sprinted out of the courtyard with all his strength, the dragon fire that had been chasing him was intercepted by the Aurors standing guard. At this point, the champion had already secured the dragon egg—if he were to be burned to ashes now, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would bear an enormous scandal. No one could guess how many people would be held accountable.
"Congratulations to Harry Potter for his victory. Congratulations to Hogwarts' champion."
Barty Crouch loudly announced Cedric Diggory's win, but the crowd gave no cheer in response.
"No! Black, Black, it was my fault. It was all my fault!"
Harry Potter clutched the dragon egg, crying uncontrollably. He hadn't imagined that his godfather would lose his life over a single tournament task—reduced to nothing by dragon fire, not even ashes left behind.
Those who knew that the black dog was Sirius Black also grew uneasy, but when they looked at Regulus Black, they all chose to remain silent.
"This child needs comfort right now, Regulus,"
Dumbledore said softly beside Regulus Black, the lenses of his glasses catching a streak of light.
"Comfort? Comfort him by saying it was just an animal companion? That he can always find another one? That kind of comfort?"
Regulus Black turned to him, visibly angry.
Even Dumbledore, who had believed everything would be fine, now looked unsettled. Could Sirius really be gone?
Regulus Black walked over to Harry Potter and looked up at the students gathered around. Under Regulus's cold stare, the onlookers quickly stepped back, retreating several feet, and began dispersing under the guidance of the professors.
"Congratulations, Harry Potter. You obtained the dragon egg successfully."
Regulus Black offered his congratulations in a frosty tone.
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have let him take part. I should've forfeited from the very beginning."
Looking at Regulus's expression, Harry couldn't tell whether his godfather Sirius was alive or dead.
"Withdrawing wouldn't have worked. It would have disappointed all the people who had high hopes for you."
Regulus Black grabbed Harry, who was still sitting on the ground, and pulled him up.
"But my godfather… my godfather…!"Harry, overwhelmed by the thought of Sirius's death, couldn't even finish his sentence.
"Your godfather would be happy to see you succeed. He was willing to do anything for you—even give his life."
Regulus Black patted the dragon egg in Harry's arms. Everything that had been sacrificed was for this.
"The rules of the tournament are clear: if you retrieve the dragon egg and leave the courtyard, you win. After that, the Aurors are responsible for handling anything that follows. Think about what you've done."
Looking at the foolish expression on the so-called Savior's face, Regulus Black couldn't help but press even harder.
In other words, while Sirius had been provoking the Hebridean Black, keeping the dragon focused on him, Harry could have simply taken the egg and left the courtyard. The Aurors would have subdued the dragon, and the black dog that was Sirius would have been saved.
Realizing this, Harry dropped to his knees again, clutching the dragon egg and sobbing uncontrollably.
"Even now, at this point, you have to carry on. Your victory means so much to so many people. If you give up on yourself, you're giving up on all the effort others have poured into you. Do you understand?"
Regulus Black whispered this into Harry Potter's ear.
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