Hogwarts' Golden Glory

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin dormitory.

Kane sat on the edge of his bed in the Slytherin dormitory, flipping through a notebook about ancient runes.

Igor curled up beside his pillow, his eyes half-closed, his dark golden feathers gleaming softly in the candlelight.

There was a knock on the dormitory door.

Kane closed his notebook.

"Come in."

The door opened.

Snape stood in the doorway, his black robes trailing to the ground, holding a thick stack of books in his hands.

His expression remained as somber as ever, his dark eyes revealing no emotion.

"Malfoy." Snape's voice was deep, like an echo from the depths of the cellar.

"Professor." Kane stood up.

Snape went into the dormitory and placed the stack of books on Kane's bedside table.

The book was old; some of the spines were cracked, and the gold-stamped title had faded.

Kane glanced at them—"Types and Taming of Dragons," "The Principles of Dragon Breath Magic," "Magical Creatures: The Fire Dragon Chapter," "Tactical Research on Combating Large Magical Creatures"... a dozen or so books, all about dragons.

Snape stood by the bed, the hem of his black robe almost dragging on the ground.

"The first project will begin soon."

"I know," Kane said.

"I know," Snape repeated, his lips twitching slightly, as if dissatisfied with the answer. "You know, but you're unprepared. All the champions are searching for clues to the first project. And you? You're here reading ancient runes."

Kane offered no explanation.

He was indeed reading ancient magical notes, but that was because he was already studying the magical nature of dragons.

Moreover, he already knew what the first project was.

It's just stealing a golden egg right in front of a dragon, isn't it?

He had a way to complete this challenge before he enrolled in school, let alone now.

Snape stared at him for two seconds.

"These books are from the restricted section. I signed a loan agreement. I'll return them next month."

"Thank you, Professor."

"You're welcome," Snape said, his tone icy. "I just don't want to see Hogwarts' champions roasted to a crisp by dragons in their very first project. That wouldn't be good for the school's reputation."

"And I'll need your help to brew the potion."

Kane's lips twitched slightly. "I'll try my best not to turn into charcoal."

Snape glanced at him, a strange glint in his dark eyes.

It wasn't a smile, nor was it satisfaction; it was more like a warning that "you'd better keep your word."

"There are many kinds of dragons," Snape said. "The Hungarian Hornet is the most ferocious, the Chinese Fireball Dragon is the fastest, and the Welsh Green Dragon is the smallest but the most cunning. You never know which one you'll get. So you have to see them all."

He turned and walked towards the door.

The black robe fluttered behind him.

"Then I wish you good luck."

Snape paused. "If you're in danger, protect yourself first. Don't let me see you at the school hospital."

The door closed.

The dormitory fell silent.

Kane looked down at the stack of books, thinking to himself that his godfather had always been all bark and no bite.

They've made it so obvious to him that this project is related to dragons.

Kane didn't intend to disappoint the other party's kindness, so he flipped through the books.

The following day, Kane had just come out of the Great Hall when Fleur stopped him in the corridor.

"Come for a walk with me."

she says.

Kane followed in her footsteps.

The two walked out of the castle along the corridor and came to the Black Lake.

The moonlight spilled onto the lake, shattering into pieces of silver light.

In the distance, Durmstrang's large ship floated quietly on the water, its cabin windows lit by dim yellow lights.

"The first project is the dragon. Did you know that?" Hibiscus suddenly said.

Kane nodded.

"I knew you'd find out about this right away."

"So, what are you planning to do?"

"I plan to subdue that dragon."

"Subdue me?" Fleur's tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction. "Kane, do you know how dangerous dragons are? One breath of fire from one dragon can burn you to ashes—no, not even ashes will be left. Ashes can be kept as souvenirs, but after being burned by dragon fire, nothing will be left."

"I know," Kane said.

"You don't know," Fleur's voice rose slightly. "You always act like you know everything, but do you really know? I've seen dragons. When I was a child in France, near Beausbottom, there was a dragon sanctuary. I saw with my own eyes a Hungarian wood wasp burn a cow into thin air—not charred, but simply vanished. The cow stood there, and then disappeared, leaving only a wave of heat."

"My family owns several dragon breeding farms, so of course I know about it."

Hibiscus took a deep breath. Yes, she'd almost forgotten; the Malfoys owned a dragon farm. How could they not know how powerful fire dragons were!

She looked at the boy; he was so charming, always full of secrets, and possessed a convincing confidence.

"If I'm in danger, will you come to my aid?"

Furong suddenly asked.

"certainly."

"What if it were Hermione Granger? If that little girl were in danger, would you protect her?"

Fleur didn't seem very satisfied and steered the conversation back to Hermione.

"Hermione is my friend, and I will protect her."

"If we were both in danger, would you save her first or me?"

Kane was speechless for a moment, never expecting to hear a sentence he had heard in his past life here.

If I and your mother fell into the water at the same time, would you save me first or your mother?

-----------------

Back in the lounge that evening, Kane received another anonymous letter.

Kane opened the letter.

The handwriting was familiar—Moody's, rough and messy.

"Kid, the first challenge is a dragon. Dragons have higher magic resistance than you. It's very difficult for a wizard to defeat a dragon head-on with magic! Use your brain. Finish this match!"

Kane folded the letter and put it in his pocket.

While he was researching in the library, Mrs. Pince came out from behind the counter with a folded piece of parchment in her hand.

"Someone asked me to pass this on to you." Mrs. Pince's tone was firm, but there was a hint of gentleness in her eyes.

Kane took the parchment.

Unfolding the text, it appears to be Ferencze's handwriting.

"Kane, according to the stars, you'll encounter a lot of trouble this year. By the way, I heard you became a champion of Hogwarts. Congratulations, I see. The first project is a dragon. When I was young, I encountered a Welsh green dragon; its weakness was at the base of its left wing, where the scales were quite thin. Other species may have different weak points, but they all share the common features of the eyes and the inside of the mouth. Be careful."

This is already the umpteenth person to remind Kane.

In the afternoon, Kane ran into Cedric in the hallway.

Cedric looked somewhat embarrassed—after all, Skeeter's report had made his relationship with Kane complicated.

But he still called out to Kane.

"Malfoy".

Kane stopped in his tracks.

"The first project... was dragons. Harry told me." Cedric's voice was low, as if afraid of being overheard. "I don't know if you know, but I think you should."

"Thank you," Kane said.

Cedric nodded and walked away quickly.

Kane looked at this guy and realized he was indeed a very good person.