Challenging the Ukrainian Ironbelly

"Oh, my goodness! Potter actually took flight... Did you see that, Mr. Krum?"

"A splendid maneuver, simply perfect..."

"Look at that! Mr. Potter has obtained the golden egg... the fastest of the three... a truly remarkable performance..."

...

Inside the tent, Jon heard Ludo Bagman's enthusiastic commentary, which didn't last long. Just five minutes later, the thunderous cheers threatened to overturn the entire Quidditch stadium.

"Next... let us introduce... the final fire-breathing dragon..." Mr. Bagman's voice turned somber. "The master from the Eastern European skies... the most terrifying hunter... a symbol of cruelty..."

"The Ukrainian Ironbelly!"

Following Bagman's final announcement, a colossal gray-white fire-breathing dragon was released into the Quidditch stadium.

This dragon was covered in gray scales, with blood-red eyes scanning its surroundings. Its razor-sharp claws, almost a meter long, shimmered under the sunlight...

On the podium, the eyes of the judges and teachers were instantly drawn to this massive creature.

Clearly, aside from the judges and a select few teachers like Hagrid, the other professors were unaware of the task's details.

"How could this happen!" Professor Sprout exclaimed, shivering as she covered her mouth.

"Oh, my goodness!" Professor Flitwick shook his head helplessly and sank into his seat.

Snape furrowed his brow, standing motionless like a sturdy pine tree.

"Oliver, taste this blueberry. It's delicious!" Dumbledore casually plucked a pristine blueberry and graciously offered it to Mrs. Maxime seated beside him... as if nothing extraordinary had occurred.

...

"This isn't fair!" Zacharias Smith rose to his feet, angrily protesting at the judges' bench. "Why is this dragon so much larger than the previous ones?"

"Sit down!" Cedric Diggory restrained him, whispering softly, "Trust Jon..."

As he spoke, Cedric cast an apprehensive glance at the Ukrainian Ironbelly... In the dead of night, he had wondered what it would be like to be chosen as a champion, to bring glory to Hufflepuff and Hogwarts.

But when he beheld this terrifying behemoth, he couldn't help feeling a sense of gratitude.

...

Most of the Gryffindor students had gathered at the school hospital, concerned for Harry Potter...

At the hospital, Hermione Granger was taken aback by the roar of the dragon emanating from the Quidditch stadium.

"What's the matter?" Harry, lying in bed with bandages, asked softly.

"N-nothing," Hermione replied, forcing a smile.

...

"Looks like Hufflepuff is in for a tough time..."

"Yes, a third-year student facing the most brutal Ironbelly among the ten fire-breathing dragons!"

"I don't foresee a favorable outcome. I just hope he won't be severely harmed by the fire dragon..."

Several Ravenclaw students engaged in conversation.

"I believe!" Luna Lovegood whispered, "Maybe Jon Hart can win?"

"Well...you're quite eccentric!" someone exclaimed, followed by snickers from the Ravenclaw stands.

"Hmph!" Luna produced a copy of "The Quibbler," covering her face and choosing to ignore them.

...

"I hope this Ironbelly thrashes Hart and inflicts significant damage!" Draco Malfoy bitterly remarked, "That previous champion was utterly pathetic!"

"Indeed!"

"He's as good as dead!"

Crabbe and Goyle joined in.

In the first two rows of the Slytherin section, the Greengrass sisters sat together.

Daphne cast a disgusted glance at the stadium, her emotions complex.

Astoria buried her face in her arms, sobbing and trembling, unable to witness the upcoming challenge.

"It'll be fine..." Daphne comforted softly. "He'll be okay..."

...

"Next up, please welcome the second Hogwarts champion... Jon Hart!"

As Ludo Bagman announced his name, Jon stepped out through the tent entrance.

It would be false to claim that he wasn't nervous. All he could do was try to calm his emotions as much as possible.

An opening had been made on the side of the tent, allowing Jon to enter the arena through it.

Hundreds of faces filled the stands on their side, generating a cacophony—cheers, applause, and more!

But Jon couldn't spare a moment to pay attention because at the opposite end of the arena, he could clearly see the Ukrainian Ironbelly. It crouched down, guarding its nest of eggs, its wings half-folded around them.

If it weren't for Jon's experiences in Dumbledore's Pensieve, if this were his first encounter with the Ukrainian Ironbelly, he would likely be so scared that he couldn't grip his wand tightly.

This gray-white dragon stood at least three or four stories tall and stretched over a hundred feet in length... Compared to it, he seemed minuscule.

The Ironbelly had clearly noticed Jon's presence, giving him a disdainful look with its fiery red eyes before turning away.

In its eyes, Jon was insignificant, like a mouse in front of an elephant, posing no threat whatsoever...

Jon drew his wand, banishing distractions, and focused his mind entirely... Then, he aimed at a football-sized stone on the ground.

The stone gradually transformed... until it became a hedgehog of the same size.

This was the most advanced Transfiguration Jon could perform... The hedgehog scurried toward the Ironbelly.

...

"A third-year student transfiguring a stone into an animal... Even a simple hedgehog is quite impressive," Mrs. Maxime commented from the podium.

"Is he hoping the hedgehog will distract the dragon, allowing him to steal the golden egg?" Karkaroff sneered. "How naive!"

"Igor, you should focus on the task instead of entertaining such thoughts!" Snape rebuked him, shooting Karkaroff a cold glance, dripping with sarcastic disdain.

"Severus..." Karkaroff glanced fearfully at Snape before turning away.

...

"A splendid one-handed Transfiguration, Mr. Hart!" Ludo Bagman continued with his commentary. "It seems the Ironbelly's attention has been captivated by this little hedgehog. This is an opportunity..."

"Wait... something is flying in from outside the field!"

"Yes, another flying curse!"