Fire Dragon

On Tuesday morning, the atmosphere in the entire school became highly charged and filled with excitement.

Almost every student in Hogwarts was eagerly anticipating the first task of the upcoming Triwizard Tournament, particularly the students from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor whose champions were about to compete.

The divination class in the morning was abruptly cut short due to the buzz of anticipation.

Professor Trelawney expressed her dissatisfaction and made a prediction before dismissing the class, "This afternoon, one of our students will find themselves in the school hospital."

Many students rushed to the Quidditch Stadium (now transformed for the Triwizard Tournament) early in the morning, only to find that the four fire dragons were concealed by magic, rendering them invisible.

For the past few hours, Jon had been spared any encounters with fire-breathing dragons. However, Professor Sprout approached him in the Hufflepuff common room.

"Jon, it's time for the champions to head down... You must be prepared for the first task," Professor Sprout said palely, clearly displaying her nervousness.

"Okay!" Jon took a deep breath and grasped his wand.

Before leaving, he reminded Zacharias, "Remember to bring the items I asked you to and don't disturb them!"

"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Zacharias reassured him, patting Jon on the shoulder. "Good luck!"

"Thanks!" Jon smiled.

He left the common room with Professor Sprout, who appeared even more anxious than him.

She accompanied Jon to the entrance of the tent where the champions rested.

"Alright...don't be nervous," Professor Sprout stammered. "Jon, utilize your strengths to the fullest and believe in yourself. You are just as capable as Professor Dumbledore and many other wizards. They are all here to protect you, so there's no need to worry about your safety!"

"Thank you, Professor!" Jon nodded, then turned and entered the tent.

...

Fleur Delacour's face appeared unusually pale, giving her a sickly appearance, far from her usual composure.

Victor Krum seemed even gloomier than usual, sitting silently in a corner.

Harry Potter practically wore the word "nervous" on his face, and Jon noticed his hands trembling from time to time.

In contrast, Jon remained the most composed among them.

"Alright, now that everyone is here, it's time to explain the rules of the task!" Mr. Ludo Bagman approached, his voice cheerful. "I will open this cloth bag and each of you will take turns selecting a small model representing the creature you'll face!"

"...Ladies first." Mr. Bagman handed the bag to Fleur Delacour.

Fleur tentatively reached into the bag, her hand trembling, and pulled out a model of a magnificent fire-breathing dragon—a silver-blue Swedish Short-Snout.

Though Fleur didn't show any surprise on her face, she appeared resigned. It was evident that Mrs. Maxime had already informed her about the task.

Krum reached into the bag next, withdrawing a bright red Chinese Fireball dragon.

Similar to Fleur, Krum's expression remained unchanged as he pulled out the fire-breathing creature.

Then it was Harry's turn. He retrieved an emerald green Hungarian Horntail from his pocket.

Finally... if only it were the most docile of the four dragons, the Welsh Green dragon!

Jon's heart raced, almost reaching his throat...

"It's a shame!" Mr. Bagman glanced at Jon, sympathy evident in his eyes. "Our youngest champion has drawn the most formidable opponent..."

"The most challenging opponent..." Jon's heart sank.

He extended his hand into the bag, feeling a light bite as he retrieved his selection. It was a small, gray-white creature with glistening scales on its chest.

Jon knew that the situation he dreaded the most had become a reality. He was about to face the largest, most ferocious, and most difficult of the ten fire-breathing dragons—

The Ukrainian Ironbelly!

...

Mr. Bagman escorted Harry Potter out of the tent, whispering a few words to him before returning.

He called out, "Now, in the same order as before, prepare to compete... Miss Delacour, you're up first!"

With that, Ludo Bagman hurried out of the tent.

Fleur walked out, her steps faltering slightly, her grace diminished.

The three remaining boys exchanged silent glances within the tent.

"Oh, it's dangerous... too dangerous." Bagman's commentary reached them from outside, deepening the somber atmosphere in the tent.

"Oh, I'm not sure if this is wise!"

"Oh... just a bit! Be cautious... my goodness, I thought she had it!"

Ten minutes later, Jon heard thunderous applause...

"Brilliant!" Bagman exclaimed. "Now, let's ask the judges to score!"

Victor Krum stood up when his name was called.

Krum's performance didn't last long...

"Very courageous!" Bagman shouted, as the Chinese Fireball dragon let out a terrible roar. "He displayed extraordinary bravery... Yes, he retrieved the golden egg!"

Trembling, Harry Potter stood up.

"Good luck!" Jon whispered to him.

Harry nodded and exited the tent, leaving Jon as the sole occupant.

Jon knew very well that he was about to face an incredibly difficult challenge.

The Ukrainian Ironbelly's size and strength surpassed that of other dragons. This meant that the methods he had prepared might not yield favorable results.

For instance, Krum's eye-affliction curse... The curse was indeed a powerful weapon against dragons, but the Ironbelly's vitality was considerably more tenacious. Even if cast by Dumbledore himself, it could only momentarily hinder the creature. Relying solely on that wouldn't suffice.

Fleur's hypnotic spell presented a similar challenge. Swiftly hypnotizing an Ironbelly was no easy task.

Harry's plan—summoning a broomstick with the Summoning Charm and flying away to divert its attention in order to retrieve the golden egg—seemed like a viable strategy against the Ironbelly.

After all, the Ironbelly's flight speed was relatively slow, and its fire-breathing abilities were also weaker. Employing this tactic made it the simplest option.

The problem, however, lay in Jon's own flying skills... Ah, that was a topic best left untouched.

Fortunately, based on Dumbledore's earlier hints, Jon had prepared for the worst opponent...