Secret Meeting and the Fire Dragon

Jon pinched a handful of shimmering powder and threw it into the burning flames.

The flames instantly turned aquamarine, rising higher than an adult.

"Diagon Alley!" Jon shouted, disappearing into the green fire in the blink of an eye.

...

More than ten minutes later, a tall man with blond curly hair emerged from an inconspicuous bar and found himself on Charing Cross Road.

He surveyed the surroundings vigilantly, with only a roadside pub behind him.

A middle-aged man from Eastern Europe had been waiting there for some time.

Seeing the blond man casually take a seat next to him, the Eastern European man asked softly, "Mr. Thrall?"

"That's right!" Jon Hart nodded. "Captain Malashenko, have you completed your tasks?"

"Of course!" Malashenko quickly retrieved a roll of parchment from his pocket and spread it on the table. "Take a look for any issues... This is the detailed map of Little Hangleton Village!"

Jon took the parchment and examined it carefully.

The entire map was highly detailed and professionally made, accurately labeling various terrains and landmarks. Jon quickly located the Riddle House cemetery and the village, two crucial locations. He marked them with a pen and then carefully folded the map.

Jon nodded. "Well done...but we still have work to do!"

"I understand, Mr. Thrall..."

"The payment we discussed has already been credited to your account," Jon said, standing up and lightly patting Malashenko on the shoulder. "However, that was only a small portion of the reward. The subsequent payments will be even more generous..."

"I understand, Mr. Thrall. With the help of Mr. Wilson, all my former subordinates have safely smuggled into England, and we are well-prepared now!" Captain Malashenko replied. "What do we do next?"

"You should..." Jon leaned in closer and whispered a few words in a low voice.

Surprise appeared on Malashenko's face, but as Jon placed a gold bar into his hand, his expression gradually stabilized.

"We'll take care of it, Mr. Thrall!" he said firmly, his face resolute.

"A fair deal!" Jon smiled.

...

At 11:30 in the afternoon, the tall man with blond curly hair returned to The Three Broomsticks bar.

There were very few Hogwarts students in the bar at that time.

Thanks to Mrs. Rosmerta once again, he walked out of the tavern.

He then returned to the same grove as before and waited a few minutes for the transformation to complete. Jon crossed the gravel road and returned to the castle gate.

It was already 11:55. According to the regulations, if he didn't return before 12 o'clock, he would be deemed to have violated school rules and face confinement.

Filch helplessly looked at the clock and eventually had to let Jon in.

Back in the Hufflepuff common room, Zacharias, Eloise, and the others were enjoying their candies and toys.

"Where did you go while we were in Hogsmeade, Jon?" Zacharias asked curiously. "We didn't see you at Honeydukes, Zonko's, or The Three Broomsticks."

"I went to the Shrieking Shack," Jon casually replied. "I stayed there for a while."

"Huh?" Zacharias was shocked. "That's one of the most haunted houses in Britain!"

"Just exploring," Jon said as he packed his belongings.

"Where are you off to now?" Zacharias asked, puzzled.

"I have to go to the greenhouse in the afternoon and see Professor Sprout about something... After dinner, I'll head to Professor Snape's office for continued confinement!" Jon placed his shovel and scissors into his bag. He climbed out of the common room barrel and hurried towards the greenhouse.

"Oh, and one more thing!" Zacharias seemed to remember something. "That Slytherin girl, Madeline Axy, mentioned this morning in Hogsmeade that she wanted to find you for something!"

Unfortunately, Jon had already left and couldn't hear him.

"Forget it, Jon isn't familiar with Axy. It's probably nothing important!" Zacharias shook his head and let the matter go.

...

On Sunday morning, Jon woke up still dressed in his clothes, lost in thought.

As the first task approached, he started feeling a little nervous.

According to the original plot, Cedric Diggory's opponent would be a Welsh Green dragon... This type of fire dragon was considered the most docile among the ten fire dragon breeds. Despite the incident in Ilfracombe (a Welsh Green Dragon attack accident), this fire dragon was still the least troublesome. They were accustomed to hunting sheep for food and would actively avoid wizards.

It could be said that if Jon was merely replacing Cedric's position, it would be an equal match!

After all, the Welsh Green Dragon wasn't particularly challenging; it was easier to handle compared to the Chinese Fireball Dragon, the Swedish Short-Snout Dragon, and the Hungarian Horntail Dragon.

Jon left the Hufflepuff common room, intending to grab a meal in the Great Hall. Unfortunately, as he entered the hall, he bumped into someone he knew.

"Jon!" Harry Potter strode over, his face marked with dark circles as if he hadn't slept well.

"Hello, Harry!" Jon nodded in his direction.

Harry leaned closer and whispered, "The first task involves a fire dragon."

"What?" Jon pretended to be surprised.

"Yes, a fire dragon!" Harry quickly explained. "There are four of them, one for each of us... We have to get past them and retrieve their dragon eggs to pass the task."

Jon looked at him with "disbelief" in his eyes. Harry added, "I saw it with my own eyes."

"Thank you, Harry," Jon nodded solemnly.

"You're welcome, and I'm not the only one who knows. Fleur and Krum are aware as well. Mrs. Maxime and Karkaroff have seen the dragons," Harry replied. "Now, we're all on an even playing field. It's the starting line!"

After speaking, Harry hurriedly left.

Jon noticed that Harry hadn't taken a few steps before being stopped by Professor Moody, and the two appeared to be engaged in a conversation.

It seemed that Barty Crouch Jr. was instructing Harry Potter on how to deal with fire dragons...

...

Taking advantage of the lack of attention from those around him, Jon quickly made his way to the Room of Requirement.

He needed to remain vigilant in the days leading up to the first task to prevent any mishaps.