0553 Guests

As the long-awaited Triwizard Tournament drew ever nearer, Bryan found himself increasingly besieged with a flood of responsibilities and tasks that demanded his time and attention. In an effort to maintain order and safety on the day of the competition, Hogwarts had made the decision to release only a limited number of spectator seats to the eager public.

For the European magical community, which had been blessed with an extended period of tranquility and peace, the chance to witness in person the opening task of the first Triwizard Tournament in centuries was an opportunity that countless socialites and dignitaries were desperate not to miss.

Applications to secure a spot to watch the tournament poured into Hogwarts like snowflakes blanketing the grounds in winter. It was not only Bryan and Dumbledore who were besieged with requests, but all the teaching staff and faculty members of Hogwarts, each of whom had their own network of friends, relatives, and acquaintances.

Many of the countless letters that flooded into the school in recent days contained subtly expressed requests, hoping to be allowed into Hogwarts on the day of the task. Even Professor Snape requested a spot for a friend who was well-versed in potions.

This delicate matter of sorting through the overwhelming influx of requests and determining who would be granted entry fell directly on Bryan's already overly burdened shoulders.

It was impossible to accommodate everyone who wished to attend, and so difficult choices had to be made, with only a select fortunate few being given the green light to watch the tournament in person.

For those whose applications were not approved, Bryan sent letters expressing his sincere apologies and conveying his regret.

Based on his usual style, this was not a task that Bryan liked or was particularly keen on undertaking. But he was aware that he no longer represented only himself; he had become a living symbol of Hogwarts.

In the complex and interconnected web of relations that encompassed the Wizarding world under the sun, it was a blunt reality that it was simply not feasible to always act solely according to one's own whims and desires.

In addition to the task of coordinating the spectators, the complex logistics of broadcasting the tournament to the wider wizarding world also consumed an immense deal of Bryan's time and energy.

The goblins of Gringotts and the Wizarding Wireless Network (WWN) had already successfully reached a cooperation agreement, and the process of securing and setting up the necessary venue rentals was also proceeding at a fast pace.

WWN had generously sent over several pieces of their 'latest' equipment previously used for transmitting radio signals to assist with the broadcast. However, only Bryan possessed the knowledge and technical expertise to convert the visual images into magical field signals and then restore them for transmission - this was a closely guarded core technology that Bryan simply couldn't entrust to anyone else, so he had to personally handle this critical work himself.

Bang! A mesmerizing swirl of vibrant, colorful flames suddenly materialized in the midst of Bryan's messy student safety office, which was currently swarming with a chaotic jumble of mechanical parts and components. As the shimmering fire dissipated, an utterly exhausted-looking Bryan emerged from the dancing flames, accompanied by Fawkes.

Early this morning, Bryan had left Hogwarts to the St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries to engage in discussions regarding a potential cooperation. The purpose of this meeting was to secure an agreement that when the tournament day finally arrived, St Mungo's would dispatch an elite team of their most skilled and experienced healers to be stationed on stand-by at Hogwarts.

Although Bryan was confident that with both Dumbledore and himself present, the chances of any kind of major mass-injury incident occurring were slim to none, one could never be too careful. In the unlikely event that something catastrophic did occur, he knew all too well that Madam Pomfrey, as capable as she was, would simply not be able to handle such a crisis alone.

"Go on now," Bryan said softly to Fawkes, who was hovering in midair. After seeing Fawkes off to return to his true master, Bryan turned his weary gaze to the mess of parts and components littering everywhere, a small tinge of melancholy welled up inside him and he let out a long, heavy sigh.

Half of November had already passed. At this time of year, starry moonlit nights were a rare sight at Hogwarts. Tonight was no exception. Outside the window, the sky was overcast with gloomy clouds. The moonlight illuminating the earth was obscured by layers of clouds, forming only an irregular patch of light high in the sky.

Suddenly, without warning, a flickering slash of ethereal silver light penetrated effortlessly through the stone wall and came to an abrupt halt directly in front of Bryan. The silver phoenix spread its wings, scattering dreamlike specks of light. Its azure eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement.

"I trust things went smoothly today, Bryan?"

"Let's dispense with the pleasantries and cut straight to the heart of the matter, Headmaster Dumbledore," Bryan replied concisely, his face darkening into a scowl of impatience and annoyance. "Why have you seen fit to disturb me at this late hour? Kindly enlighten me as to what could be so direly important."

"Ah, I do apologize for the abruptness of this intrusion" The ethereal phoenix said, blinking slowly at Bryan with an air of mischief. "You see, just half an hour ago, the organizers of our upcoming tournament had the rather unexpected pleasure of delivering the chosen opponents for our champions to the gates of Hogwarts. As we speak, these visitors are being escorted to a temporary place of lodging within the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

It occurred to me that, considering the, shall we say, unique nature of these special 'guests', they may not necessarily find the environment of the forest to be to their liking. As such, I felt it would be better for you to go and assess the situation, Bryan."

"And why, pray tell, are you not attending to this matter yourself, Headmaster?" Bryan said bluntly.

"Alas, I would not dream of imposing upon you in this way under normal circumstances!" The phoenix exclaimed, blinking at Bryan with an exaggerated air of innocence. "But surely you would not have the heart to force a poor, frail centenarian such as myself to endure the biting cold wind and nighttime dew to go and face a fearsome group of dragons in the dark of the forest at this late hour?

My old bones simply couldn't bear it! Besides, I thought you might be happy to catch-up with young Charlie Weasley, who has been tasked with accompanying these 'guests' on their journey to Hogwarts."

"You're more black-hearted than those alchemy workshop owners, Headmaster Dumbledore."

Ignoring the phoenix Patronus's chuckling, Bryan walked straight out of the office.

It was eight o'clock in the evening now, and there weren't many young wizards and witches in the castle. However, almost every young wizard he met had a face full of anticipation and eagerness, and the air in the castle was tinged with a sense of anxiety.

These young wizards were all looking forward to next Wednesday's arrival, so they could watch the spectacle to their hearts' content. They must have noticed that for the sake of this event, Professor Watson, who passed by them, had been working day and night for many days.

The location where the dragons were to be temporarily stationed had been meticulously selected well in advance, and therefore Bryan required no guidance to navigate the grounds - he knew exactly where he needed to go.

Bryan wondered why the team escorting the dragons had arrived a day earlier than originally scheduled. And with this question in mind, he quickly made his way along the lakeshore.

About twenty minutes later, Bryan turned into the Forbidden Forest along a small path. At this point, recognizing the direction was no longer particularly difficult, because through the dense trees, the dark depths of the forest occasionally erupted with intense flames and angry roars.

Bryan swiftly circled around a small grove of ancient oaks and found himself standing at the edge of a massive enclosure, its high walls constructed of thick, sturdy wooden boards.

The sight was familiar to him - after all, he himself had been responsible for a great deal of the intricate spellwork that had gone into reinforcing and warding the structure to ensure it would serve as a suitable place of confinement for its intended inhabitants.

However, much to Bryan's surprise and consternation, it appeared that the "guests from afar" had not yet taken up residence in their designated new accommodations. Instead, four enormous carriages were parked haphazardly in the clearing beside the empty enclosure, each one larger than the Beauxbatons carriage.

The wooden boards comprising all four sides of each carriage had clearly been hastily dismantled, revealing the iron-wrought cages contained within and the agitated, writhing forms of the dragons imprisoned inside them.

"I've had enough!" A voice suddenly cried out in pure exasperation from amidst the group of wizards who were cautiously gathered around the four cages at a safe distance. "For the love of Merlin, let's just stun the bloody things and get them into the blasted enclosure so we can be done with this!"

As he spoke, the clearly frustrated wizard raised his wand, his stance indicating his firm intention to cast a spell at the unruly dragons. But before he could utter so much as a single incantation, a short, sturdy figure hastily interrupted him with hands raised in a pacifying gesture.

"Hold on there, Lovek!" the red-haired newcomer called out urgently. "Don't do anything rash, now! Firing off stunners will only enrage them further - they're bound to be a bit wary and on edge in a strange new place after such a long journey. We have to be patient and handle them carefully."

"Patient?!" the first wizard sputtered incredulously, his face flushing a shade of red as he glared at his companion. "You must be joking, Charlie! We've been trekking non-stop for over half a ruddy MONTH to bring these scaly monstrosities here, in case you've forgotten!

At this point all I want in this life is to down a bottle of Ogden's finest in one gulp and then collapse onto the nearest available bed and sleep for a week! So, forgive me if I'm not overflowing with patience at the moment!"

In their cages, the four massive dragons shifted and snorted, smoke curling from their nostrils. Each beast wore a sturdy iron chain as thick as a man's arm around its neck, and though they weren't precisely making an excessive amount of fuss, they were clearly on high alert, their eyes scanning their new surroundings with open suspicion and hostility.

Whenever one of the dragon handlers attempted to approach the iron cages to examine the locks, the dragons would immediately let loose with ear-splitting screeches of warning and send blistering gouts of white-hot flame shooting toward the witches and wizards.

'Tsk, tsk, how much would this be worth?' Bryan thought to himself, observing the chaotic scene with an air of keen interest tinged with amusement.

To be honest, half a month of travel had exhausted Charlie as well. Before this, he had never escorted dragons on such a long-distance relocation. So even though he was reluctant to use magic to quiet the dragons, he had to seriously consider Lovek's suggestion.

Bryan stepped forward out of the concealing darkness of the trees and into the brightness of the flare-lit clearing.

"Having a spot of trouble, are we Charlie?"

Just as Charlie was determined to call his companions to cast spells on the dragons, the sudden voice behind him startled him. Then, his face lit up with pleasant surprise.

"It's you, Bryan!"

As soon as the words left Charlie's mouth, however, an astonishing change came over the four dragons, who had up until that moment been crouched warily within their cages, growling out with displeasure at the dragon-keepers' continued efforts to cage them into their new enclosure.

The dragons fell into a collective stupor upon seeing Bryan approach. Then, in the blink of an eye, the four pairs of fierce pupils were filled with towering fury!

Roar! Boom!

For half a month, these dragons had tried countless times to break free from the iron cages. They knew they couldn't succeed, but after the gray-haired, purple-eyed wizard approached, the dragons let out a unanimous roar. They struck the cages as if their lives depended on it, opening their bloody mouths full of fangs. The next moment, flames as intense as the blazing sun filled the vision of all the dragon handlers!

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