Chapter 52: The First Task

Several weeks have passed since the wand examination. Despite having a big scoop with Leonard Taylor, Rita Skeeter has only been writing quiet articles. Thanks to that, Leo has been leading a peaceful student life.

About a week before the first task.

Leo isn't doing anything special in preparation for the task. If anything, he's meticulously maintaining all his equipment, but that's just as usual. He's in the middle of maintenance as usual today.

Ku is organizing documents in the research room in her maid form, but her hand stops as if she noticed something. Then she tilts her head towards the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

"Master Leonard... There's something in the Forbidden Forest. It's probably a dragon."

"A dragon in the forest? Ah, it's almost time for the first task, so maybe that's why. So the task content might be to subdue a dragon. You noticed well."

"I felt a presence somehow. If I concentrate, I can faintly smell it. The dragon inside me probably makes me feel that way."

"Is it something like a dragon's territorial consciousness, or something else... Well, that can wait... A dragon, huh? I don't have any problems with materials or research because Harriet is here, but what should I do?"

Leo thinks for a while and comes to one conclusion.

"Alright. Let's go for capture. Ku, help me prepare."

"Understood."

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November 24th.

The first task of the Triwizard Tournament between the three major magic schools was about to begin. Four players are waiting at the gathering place for representative players, which is a tent.

Fleur looks pale and nervous, Krum stands with his arms crossed and a grim face. Cedric is pacing around inside the tent and muttering spells.

Leo looks just as usual. He is currently replenishing his sugar from sweets he took out of his bag. It's a collaboration between Hermione and Ku.

Bagman came in and started explaining the task.

"All of you are gathered here. Before explaining, you will draw one of these models from this bag. Now, ladies first."

Fleur, Krum, and Cedric draw models in order. When Leo tried to draw, he was stopped.

"Oh hold on, Mr. Taylor. Now, the creature that is modeled by the model you just drew, well it's a dragon, but that's your opponent. Ah, don't worry! Even though I say fight, you don't need to subdue it. The clear condition for the task is to take the golden egg that the dragon is protecting. The number attached to the model is the order of the task."

The top batter is Cedric with Swedish Short-Snout species.

Fleur is number 2 with Welsh Green species.

Krum is number 3 with Chinese Fireball species.

"What should I do?"

"Mr. Taylor is a representative but because he is an unfair fourth person there is a penalty due to requests from Madame Maxime and Karkaroff and Barty. We chose a dragon for you on this side. The order is last and the type of dragon is secret until just before. Is that okay?"

"Well, I'm here as a fourth person who originally doesn't exist anyway. No problem."

"Alright then, Mr Diggory who goes first! Come out to the competition field when you hear the whistle blow. I have to go because I'm also hosting this event. I wish you all good luck!"

Bagman left laughing.

The three excluding Leo seemed slightly relieved knowing that they didn't have to subdue dragons for their task.

Since Leo was last he decided to relax until then and started reading a book while sitting on a chair.

"You seem quite relaxed. As expected of genius Leonard Taylor I suppose? Do you have any surefire strategies?"

Fleur started talking to him. Both Cedric and Krum reacted to her words about surefire strategies and glanced over here.

"Well, even if my opponent is a dragon, I feel like Basilisk would be more powerful so there's no particular need to be nervous. I'll just say that I do have a surefire strategy."

"You do...? I won't do anything disgraceful like asking you to tell me your strategy though! I'll conquer dragons with my own way! And you too! By the end of this competition I'll make sure you understand my beauty!"

The whistle blows and Cedric leaves the tent with determination.

Cheers and screams along with dragon roars echo around them. After some time passes Cedric returns with cheers.

He looks completely exhausted and there are scratches and burns on his clothes along with minor burns but it doesn't seem like he has any major injuries.

After a while, it seemed that the preparations were complete and it was Fleur's turn. Fleur took a bit longer than Cedric, but she returned safely.

Next was Krum's turn. When he came out of the tent, the loudest cheer of the day could be heard. As expected of a top Quidditch player. Krum returned in the shortest time so far, but his face didn't seem satisfied.

And finally, it was Leo's turn. As soon as he came out of the tent at the signal of the whistle, Bagman's commentary could be heard.

"Now, last but not least! A genius researcher known to all in the magical world! Despite being underage, he has outsmarted everyone and stands here today! Leonard Taylor!"

Leo looked ahead at his opponent. With metallic gray scales and nearly 30 meters in length, it was a Ukrainian Ironbelly. However, its size was larger than an average individual. Probably a powerful individual had been prepared for Leo.

"The opponent Taylor is challenging is a Ukrainian Ironbelly! And it's not an ordinary one, but a special one! With its unprecedented size and ferocity, it took three times the usual number of dragon keepers and dark wizards to capture and bring it here, even Dumbledore had to help!"

It seemed like an incredible dragon. The audience looked at Leo and the dragon with anxious faces. The only ones who were as usual were Hermione and Ku. No, Dumbledore had a look of observing how Leo would control the dragon. The Ukrainian Ironbelly stared at Leo without any carelessness. The dragon, being a strong creature, felt that this small human could be a threat to it.

"The match begins!"

"Chains! Bind the dragon!"

As soon as the start of the match was declared, Leo raised his hand in the air and shouted. Dozens of huge chains appeared from mid-air and rushed towards the dragon. The dragon also sensed this threat and tried to dodge by jumping into the air, but it was impossible to dodge all of them due to their number. As more chains entangled its body, the dragon's power was sealed off. Some chains were torn off by its monstrous strength born from its massive body, but each ring of the broken chains disintegrated and adhered to the dragon's skin, sealing off its physical strength and magical power. A few minutes after the start of the match, the dragon had become so weak that it couldn't even fly in mid-air on its own. Now it was almost hanging by chains.

However, perhaps out of pride as a strong creature, the dragon made its final attack. It unleashed flames on its formidable enemy below with all its might. In response, Leo summoned a magical tool from his laboratory using spatial transfer magic. It looked like a palm-sized transparent glass ball.

A flame much larger than his own body approached Leo. If he touched that flame, he wouldn't get away with just burns. At best he would be charred corpse, at worst he would be burned without leaving any bones behind; either way death was certain.

Leo threw the glass ball towards that flame. Just before the flame and glass ball collided, the glass ball burst open. Then while absorbing the flame, the glass ball restored itself and returned to Leo's hand.

Inside the glass ball was a red glowing dragon flame that was sealed without fading.

"It's time for finishing move. Open door!"

A door appeared in mid-air. It was just an ordinary metal door. But its size was abnormal. It was well over 100 meters in size and caused a commotion in the venue when it appeared.

The dragon biting on chains in its last resistance is pulled into darkness beyond door along with chains.

When dragon disappeared and door closed, door disappeared having fulfilled its role. At same time Leo had golden egg in his hand.

"The match is over! Taylor got egg in shortest time! And he is unharmed while dragon is... what happened to dragon!? Well let's not think about it. Now what are judges' scores!?"

Maxime...9 points

Karkaroff...6 points

Dumbledore...10 points

Bagman...10 points

Crouch...7 points

When scores were displayed and audience who were stunned by match result exploded with cheers.

"Total 42 points! He surpassed Krum player and is top! First task is over with this! Next second task is on February 24th. Let's look forward to it until then!"

He returned to tent amid cheers. Other three representatives also welcomed him with applause.

"You're really something Leonard. I feel like I'm losing confidence."

Cedric spoke up with a laugh. Although he said so his eyes didn't seem resigned.

"Honestly I underestimated you. From now on I'll recognize you as toughest enemy and challenge."

Krum declared while looking at him seriously.

Then two people asked him what those chains, doors and glass balls were about.

Normally you wouldn't show your hand especially when two people are rivals you're going to fight against. But before that Leonard Taylor is a researcher. If people are interested in his research results he would be happy to introduce them.

While explaining various inventions to two people Fleur spoke to him.

"Leonard... You're good. Really good. I've seen many men, but none who weren't enchanted by my beauty. But you're the opposite. I watched your match and was captivated. To be clear, I've fallen for you! what a fiery development! and I'm declaring again that by the end of this competition, I'll make you mine!"

Suddenly confessing, Leo remains calm, but Cedric and Krum are surprised. Breaking such an atmosphere, Bagman enters the tent.

"Good job everyone! Now, the second task is on February 24th, there's plenty of time to rest. However! Even if there is time, you all have something to do."

Bagman pointed to the golden egg and said,

"Do you see the hinge? This golden egg can be opened. Inside is a hint for the second task. That's what you have to solve by the next task. Well then, all four of you must be tired... Ah, maybe not for you Taylor? Anyway, rest well, dismissed!"

Bagman leaves the tent. The remaining representative players also try to return, but only Leo was cracking the golden egg. Suddenly a terrible scream-like sound spreads throughout the tent. Cedric is covering his ears but can't completely block it out. Leo didn't know what it was either so he quickly closed it.

However, it seemed that Fleur and Krum were able to understand what this noise was.

"Why did you two cover your ears? It sounded like an explanation of the second task?"

"I heard it that way too."

Hearing that, he applied translation magic to the golden egg and opened it again.

Come and search me, rely on the voice

On the ground, the song cannot be sung

Even while searching, think

The precious thing that we captured

The time to search is one hour

You must retrieve the precious thing

After that one hour - there is no longer any hope

If it's too late, that thing will never return

It seemed to be some kind of non-human language. It was an unexpected but pleasant discovery that this translation magic could be used for non-human languages.

It seemed necessary to solve the mystery of this golden egg by the second task, but now everyone no longer needed to do so.

"Is this okay?"

"It should be fine. With this, everyone is equal in terms of conditions. We won't lose in the second task."

Saying so, each of them returned to prepare for the next task.

"Well then... Shall I return too? I have to deal with the dragon I captured."

The first task ended in this way.