Hogwarts: Starting with full Unforgivable Curses

Chapter 342 Fire Dragon Swarm

After a round of training, all three of them looked extremely disheveled.

Cedric's robes were torn in several places, Draco had red marks on his arms, and Harry's hair was a mess from the wind as he panicked.

They returned to the ground with their flying brooms, walked up to Dylan, and simultaneously let out a long sigh, their faces full of frustration.

Harry, Cedric, and Draco stood on the grass, carrying their flying brooms. A gust of wind blew, and the hem of Cedric's torn robe swayed, revealing the muddy cuffs of his trousers underneath.

Draco would occasionally raise his hand to touch the red marks on his arm, and he would unconsciously frown as his fingertips brushed against his skin.

Harry fiddled with his wind-blown hair, trying to straighten the bangs that were covering his eyes.

The chaotic training session just now left all three of them looking extremely disheveled.

Previously, after seeing Dylan easily move among the branches of the Whomping Willow without even getting his clothes touched, the three of them thought, "It shouldn't be difficult."

But when it came to experiencing it firsthand, I realized that getting through the gaps between the branches unscathed was far more difficult than I had imagined!
After catching their breaths for a while, the three of them gathered together, their brows furrowed.

We looked at each other and started to think about our mistake.

“Draco, when you were being attacked inside, I miscalculated the coverage of the Ironclad Charm. The barrier was off by half a meter, which forced you to dodge that thin branch and you even got scratched on the arm.”

Cedric spoke first, his tone full of apology. He pointed to the tear in his robe, "I didn't do a good job myself. I was so focused on looking over there that I almost forgot about the attack from behind."

Draco's ears were still slightly red. He shook his head gently, his voice lower than usual: "It's okay, I made a mistake later too."

"When Harry was blocked on the left by the branches, I cast the spell too quickly, and the barrier wasn't aimed at the oncoming branches. Instead, it blocked his way, forcing him to jump with his broom and almost getting caught in two other branches. Sorry."

“Actually, I have a problem too.” Harry scratched his head, his eyes darting around. “When Cedric was being stared at by that thick branch above his head, I clearly saw it, but my mind went blank for a second. I didn’t even raise my wand. Dylan had to help me block it. I’m too slow to react.”

The three were reviewing the game with their heads down when a soft laugh suddenly came from behind them.

They turned to look and saw Dylan leaning against the trunk of the Whomping Willow, one hand in his robe pocket and the other fiddling with his wand.

"Haha, you guys seem to be doing a great job."

Dylan straightened up and walked towards the three of them, his tone devoid of any reproach, but rather filled with obvious amusement.

"Not bad?" Harry and Draco exchanged a glance, both seeing doubt in each other's eyes.

The training session just now was full of mistakes, and I almost got injured. What did I do well?

Cedric stroked his chin thoughtfully, his eyes gradually brightening, as if he had a guess at what Dylan was about to say.

“When you were reviewing the situation just now, no one said things like ‘It’s all your fault for not blocking it’ or ‘You’re the one who held us back.’ Instead, everyone was looking for their own problems.”

Dylan stopped and looked at the three of them, saying, "Encountering so many dangers in the first round of training, and still managing not to blame each other but only to reflect on our own mistakes, isn't that something to celebrate?"

He paused for a moment: "In my opinion, this is the most difficult thing to do in teamwork."

"Many people practice more than ten times, but when they encounter problems, they still blame others first. But you were able to look inward for the reasons the first time you practiced."

"This shows that you have a foundation of 'trust' in your hearts and are willing to attribute mistakes to your own shortcomings rather than your teammates' problems."

"This is more important than mastering a hundred dodges, and it's the most crucial step in forming a team. You've already taken that step."

“Dylan is right,” Cedric agreed, recalling his experience as Quidditch captain. “When our team first started practicing passing and receiving, we kept dropping the ball. At first, some people would blame us, saying things like, ‘You passed it too far to the side,’ or ‘I didn’t catch it because you threw it too late.’ But later, everyone gradually learned to look at their own problems first, and our teamwork became more and more seamless.”

"Training is a process of trial and error. One setback doesn't mean anything. Just keep practicing."

He looked at Harry and Draco and continued, "If we blame each other and shirk responsibility when we encounter problems now, without even basic trust, things will only get more chaotic when we get into the project and encounter dragons or cats and leopards. That's when accidents are more likely to happen."

"But things are different now. We can now reflect instead of blame. As long as we practice more, our teamwork will definitely get better and better."

Listening to their conversation, Harry felt his frustration slowly disappear. He gripped his wand tightly, and his eyes regained their resolve.

Draco straightened his back, and the red marks on his arms didn't seem to hurt as much anymore.

Cedric then raised his hand and patted the two of them on the shoulder.

The three exchanged glances, then simultaneously picked up their flying brooms and headed towards the direction of the Man-Beating Willow.

This time, their steps were no longer hesitant, but rather filled with determination.

In late November, Hogwarts experienced several heavy snowfalls.

Snowflakes, as white as goose feathers, fell in a flurry, covering the castle's spires, the withered grass, and the branches of the willow trees with a thick layer of white frost.

Walking on the stone path, the soles of your shoes crunch softly as they step on the snow, and your breath instantly turns into white mist that quickly dissipates into the cold air.

This morning.

As soon as Dylan entered the classroom, he saw a letter sealed with gold foil on his desk.

The envelope was printed with the jury's emblem, and the wax seal was still warm, indicating that it had just been delivered.

He opened the envelope; inside was only a piece of parchment with half a riddle written on it.

Dylan picked up a quill and wrote the word "fire dragon" on the parchment.

The moment the pen left the paper, the entire letter suddenly burst into a pale blue flame.

Strangely, the flames did not burn the fingers or damage the tabletop. They went out after only a few seconds, and the ashes gathered again in the air, turning into a new letter.

The new envelope bore the red stamp of the Ministry of Magic, and inside was only one sentence.

"Please arrive at the hunting grounds at 5 PM sharp this Friday."

At almost the same time, Harry, Cedric, and Draco also received the exact same letter.

Harry's ears were still red from the cold when he ran to Dylan with the letter.

He stamped the snow off his feet and asked in confusion, "You said the referee team suddenly sent us to the hunting grounds? Are they going to organize us to observe the fire dragon? But why would they do that?"

Draco followed behind, his hands in his robe pockets, exhaling puffs of mist as he spoke: "If you want to hide a fire dragon, the most reasonable place would be deep in the Forbidden Forest—it's remote and rarely visited."

“But now Beauxbatons’ carriage is parked right next to the hunting grounds. They live so close that the dragon’s movements are easily detected and can’t be hidden at all.”

"I know!" Harry clapped his hands before Draco could finish speaking, his eyes lighting up. "Since it can't be hidden anyway, and Headmaster Dumbledore had already given us clues about the riddle, why not just stop hiding it and let us see it in advance? Rather than making us guess, let us see the dragon's true appearance directly, so we can get used to it beforehand."

He breathed on his reddened hands and rubbed them together to warm them, his voice full of anticipation: "We've seen images of fire dragons in the Pensieve before, but those are just memories, and they're definitely not the same as seeing a real fire dragon in person."

"I wonder what kinds of fire dragons the judging panel has prepared this time? Will there be any highly aggressive ones like the Hungarian Hornet?"

As they talked, they walked along the snow-covered path toward the hunting grounds.

Even before approaching the edge of the hunting grounds, a rich aroma of single malt whisky filled the air.

The flavor is unique, with a slightly spicy warmth, yet it's also incredibly pungent.

Dylan recalled a funny story Hagrid had told him before.

His Luna used to love coming to the hunting grounds, but several times she was so overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol that she was dizzy and couldn't even flap her wings.

Because Luna often rolled around in the grass with Hagrid's dog, Tooth, Tooth had long recognized its scent. Whenever Luna was so overwhelmed by the smell that she collapsed in the snow, swaying and unable to stand up, Tooth would grab her by the wing and drag her into Hagrid's hut.

The cabin had a fireplace that burned wood all year round, making it warm and cozy. Luna only needed to stay by the fireplace for half an hour to wake up and flutter her wings and fly away.

Later, Luna probably got tired of the smell of alcohol and never came to the hunting grounds again, instead going to Hogwarts Castle instead.

But after moving to a different place, the one who suffered became the mischievous ghost.

Luna is Dylan's pet, and Pikachu naturally knows that.

Every time he faces Luna, Pipi Ghost doesn't dare to make any move or resist.

Then Luna will peck at Pikachu's hat with her sharp beak.

If Peeves makes noise to scare it away, it will fly onto Peeves' shoulder and scratch its hair with its claws.

Amidst their laughter and conversation, the group had already reached the entrance to the hunting grounds.

Warriors from other schools also arrived one after another.

Everyone was dressed in thick winter clothes. Some rubbed their hands together to keep warm, while others whispered about the fire dragon they were about to see.

However, Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch were not seen at the scene, nor were the school principals.

Just as everyone was looking around, a tall figure walked out from the depths of the hunting grounds—it was Hagrid.

He was wearing a thick, grayish-brown coat, and his messy beard was covered with snowflakes, almost obscuring half his face. But his round eyes were bright and sparkling with excitement, and it was clear at a glance that he was in a very good mood.

"Is everyone here? Come with me, I'll show you the big guy!" Hagrid's voice was loud and carried far in the cold air.

When Hagrid saw Dylan and his group, he immediately waved enthusiastically and called out in a gruff voice, "Come here! Everyone, come over here!"

As the group approached, he smiled and nodded at the warriors from the other schools before turning and stepping onto a snow-covered path.

The branches of the trees lining the path were covered with snow, which fell down with a gust of wind, leaving fine snowflakes on the ground.

“How wonderful! What a lovely bunch of little creatures!” Hagrid walked at the front, his steps light as a child’s, his tone full of undisguised joy, his voice drawn out with exaggerated intonation, like he was singing an aria in an opera house. “I guarantee you will love them—they are even more charming than described in textbooks!”

As he walked, he kept muttering to himself, occasionally turning back to smile at the crowd: "Of course, these 'beauties' do have rather loud voices, so don't panic when you hear them later—don't be frightened by their roars!"

"In my opinion, a loud voice is a sign of health, indicating that they are energetic and in great condition!"

Hagrid did almost all the talking the whole way.

The conversation started with "Dragons are the most magical creatures in the magical world," and then moved on to "It would be perfect if the Triwizard Tournament included a dragon event."

He would occasionally praise the judging panel for their excellent judgment, as excited as a child sharing a treasure.

Norbert hadn't seen Hagrid for a while.

However, Hagrid hasn't mentioned this to him at all recently.

Clearly, she has found someone new.

Dylan, Harry, and the others followed behind.

Listening to Hagrid's words, Harry and the others gradually relaxed and became more expectant.

After all, seeing so many fire dragons up close is a rare opportunity for anyone.

The group walked along the path outside the forbidden forest for nearly twenty minutes. The snow was getting thicker and thicker, and the crunching sound under their feet was getting louder and louder.

Just then, a cacophony of sounds drifted from afar, like the clanging of metal objects colliding, interspersed with intermittent, sharp roars.

The voice was powerful; even from a distance, its intimidating force was palpable, making one's heart tighten.

"Hagrid, you're here!" a familiar voice called from ahead.

Everyone looked up and saw a young man wearing a navy blue jacket, with slightly messy hair, waving at them with a cheerful smile on his face.

It was Ron's brother, Charlie Weasley.

He still had some black ash on him, clearly having just finished his work.

"You must be a little surprised to see me, right?" Charlie strode over, gave Harry a big hug, and then patted Dylan on the shoulder with a smile. "To be honest, I'm more surprised than you are. Before I came here, I only knew that a house had three champions. I didn't expect Hogwarts to have one more this time. The scene is much more exciting than the Ministry of Magic's dragon protection mission I participated in last time."

He chatted briefly with Hagrid about the dragon's feeding situation, and then briefly told Harry and Dylan about the protective charms they were currently adjusting for the dragon's enclosure.

He then took over the task of leading the way: "Everyone, follow me. Watch your step on the ice. The open space ahead is where we'll temporarily place the fire dragons."

Following Charlie through a patch of low bushes, the sight before them instantly made all the warriors hold their breath.

In a wide-open space, several fire dragons of different shapes were separated into different areas by magical fences.

Each one exuded a powerful aura.

The Hungarian Tree Bee Dragon on the far left has blackish-green scales, and when its wings are spread, they almost cover half the sky, occasionally spitting out a small cluster of sparks.

The Norwegian Spinosaurus next to it, with sharp bone spikes on its back, was digging at the snow on the ground with its claws.

The scales of the Hebdiri Islands black dragon gleam with a metallic sheen, and it occasionally emits a low, guttural growl from its throat.

The tip of the Swedish short-nosed dragon's nose has a faint blue tint, as if it were covered with a thin layer of ice.

The ordinary Welsh green dragon on the far right is relatively "gentle," huddled in the corner of the fence, occasionally raising its head to glance in the direction of the crowd, its eyes gleaming with amber light.

Walking through the bushes into the clearing, the first thing that catches the eye is not the fire dragon, but giant wooden planks standing on the ground.

These wooden planks are as tall as two stories and more than half a meter thick. Their surfaces are engraved with complex protective runes, dividing the open space into five separate areas, each containing a fire dragon.

The gaps between the wooden planks were so small that you could barely see the tail of the fire dragon in the next area, which was obviously to prevent different fire dragons from attacking each other.

Upon closer inspection, each fire dragon was wrapped in a specially designed restraint device.

The upper thighs were tightly bound with a fire dragon leather belt as thick as a wrist, with silver metal buckles inlaid on the edges of the belt. The buckles were connected to a bowl-sized iron chain, one end of which was fixed to a metal post at the bottom of the wooden board.

The other end was wrapped around the dragon's neck—even with this double restraint, the chains still rattled when the dragon twisted its body.

The metal stakes swayed slightly from the pull, demonstrating just how powerful these fire dragons were.

The two areas closest to the group contained a Swedish short-nosed dragon and a common Welsh green dragon, respectively.

Hagrid stopped in front of the enclosure of the Swedish Brachynotaurus as soon as he reached it. He narrowed his eyes slightly, his originally loud voice softened considerably, and his eyes even reddened a little. His tone was full of fascination: "Oh... look at this little guy, he's so beautiful!"

His tone was still like singing an aria, but with a touch more gentleness. "Look at its silvery-blue scales, shimmering in the snow, like it's wearing a gorgeous evening gown studded with diamonds. It's simply captivating!"

"If it could understand, it would be happy that you praised it like that!"

Charlie Weasley walked over, patted Hagrid on the shoulder, smiled, gestured with his chin toward the fire dragon in the enclosure, and began to introduce it to the surrounding warriors.

(End of this chapter)