Hogwarts' Golden Glory

The next morning, Harry barely ate anything.

He chopped the bacon into small pieces, tore the bread into strips, and picked up the pumpkin juice and put it down repeatedly.

Hermione sat across from him, watching him waste the food, and held back from saying anything several times.

Ginny gently nudged Hermione's arm. Hermione shook her head.

"Harry, you need to eat something," Hermione finally said.

"I ate it."

Harry looked down at the crumbs on his plate.

"Does this count as eating?"

"...I guess so."

Ginny said, "It looks like pig swill."

Harry did not refute it.

His stomach felt like it was being squeezed by something, and all the food looked like dragons.

Ron sat at the other end of the long table.

He didn't look at Harry, but he noticed that the bacon on Harry's plate was chopped into small pieces.

He looked down at the perfectly intact bacon on his plate, paused for two seconds, and then chopped it up with his fork.

Simo glanced at him from the side.

Aren't you going to eat either?

"...I'm not hungry."

Ron said.

Neville whispered to Harry, "You can do it, Harry. You even took care of Voldemort."

"I just survived him," Harry said.

"Then you can survive the dragon's mouth," Neville said.

"...Is this considered comforting?"

I guess so.

Professor McGonagall came over as breakfast was coming to an end.

She stood behind Harry, her expression serious, but her fingers were unconsciously tapping on the table.

"Mr. Potter."

"professor."

"Come with me."

Harry stood up.

Hermione glanced at him, her lips moved as if she wanted to say "good luck," but she didn't say it.

Ginny nodded at him. Neville squeezed his arm tightly.

Harry followed Professor McGonagall out of the Great Hall.

The corridor was quiet; other students were still eating breakfast, and no one was watching.

Professor McGonagall walked ahead of him, her pace quick, but Harry noticed that her shoulders were a little stiff.

She was nervous too.

They just won't show it.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall spoke without turning around, "are you ready?"

"I... I should be," Harry said.

"That's probably not enough," Professor McGonagall said. "You have to say 'yes'."

Harry took a deep breath. "Yes."

Professor McGonagall nodded and continued walking.

After taking a few steps, she spoke again.

"Dragons are fast, but they're not very agile. If you can maintain high speed, they'll have a hard time locking onto you. And—"

"Professor?" Harry was taken aback; he hadn't expected Professor McGonagall to give him tactical advice.

"Avoid direct confrontation. Utilize the terrain. Utilize everything that can be utilized."

Professor McGonagall paused. "Professor Dumbledore asked me to tell you—believe in yourself."

Harry didn't say anything.

They had reached the edge of the field.

A huge tent stood on the lawn, its canvas billowing in the wind and making a rustling sound.

The distant clamor of the audience drifted in on the wind. Several people were already standing inside the tent.

Krum leaned against a pillar, his dark gray eyes staring blankly at the ground.

His fingers trembled slightly between his interlaced fingertips.

Cedric stood in the corner, pacing back and forth.

His complexion was normal, but his pace was somewhat rapid, as if he were counting his steps to calm himself down.

Hibiscus sat in a folding chair, her pale blue eyes fixed on the entrance to the tent.

She saw Harry come in and nodded slightly.

Harry nodded.

Then he looked for Kane.

Kane hasn't arrived yet.

Ludo Bagman, the Director of Physical Education at the Ministry of Magic, emerged from the tent, holding a roll of parchment in his hand.

He wore a bright green robe and had a signature radiant smile on his round face.

"Warriors! Welcome, welcome! Today is your day to demonstrate your courage and wisdom..."

He saw Cedric pacing back and forth, and his smile faded slightly.

"...Uh, okay, let's talk about the rules first."

"Sir, Kane hasn't arrived yet?"

Harry wanted to wait for Kane.

"Mr. Kane has already applied, and he will be competing directly from the stands, promising not to follow any of the warriors' methods of clearing the level."

"Then let's continue explaining the rules."

Bagman unfolded the parchment.

"Each warrior must face a dragon. You must retrieve a golden egg from the dragon's lair. The golden egg is your objective; successfully retrieving it completes the mission. The shorter the completion time, the higher the score. Time depends on performance, including the strategy, courage, and control you demonstrate when confronting the dragon."

He put down the parchment and glanced at the five people in the tent. "Now, you need to draw lots to decide which kind of dragon you will face."

Bagman pulled a purple cloth bag from his pocket. "The slips of paper inside have the name of each dragon written on them. You'll face whichever dragon you draw."

He first handed the cloth bag to Krum.

Krum reached in, pulled out a slip of paper, and unfolded it.

Bagman read it aloud: "Chinese Fireball Dragon."

Krum remained expressionless. He nodded, folded the note, and put it in his pocket.

"Cedric." Bagman handed him the bag. Cedric pulled out a slip of paper and unfolded it.

Bagman read it aloud: "Peruvian Venomosaurus."

Cedric's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "Okay."

"Miss Delacour." Hibiscus drew a card and unfolded it.

Bagman read it aloud. "Ukrainian Iron Dragon." Fleur's eyelashes trembled, but she didn't speak.

She simply clenched the note in her hand.

"Mr. Potter." Harry reached into the bag.

His fingers touched several slips of paper, he grabbed one at random, and pulled it out. He unfolded it.

Bagman glanced at it and read aloud, "Norwegian Spinosaurus."

Harry's heart skipped a beat.

It's Norbert.

I'm going to have to face Norber soon!

I wonder if this dragon still recognizes me.

"The last one—"

"The Hungarian Tree Peak will be reserved for Mr. Kane."

There was a moment of silence in the tent. Everyone knew what kind of dragon it was.

The Hungarian Tree Peak is one of the most ferocious dragon species. It is fast, highly aggressive, can breathe fire farther than any other dragon, and has a violent temper.

"alright!"

Bagman clapped his hands, trying to break the heavy atmosphere. "The order of appearance, according to the order of the draw—uh, actually I forgot to mention, the order is according to the order you drew. Cedric first. Then Krum, Fleur, Harry, and finally Kane."

Cedric took a deep breath and said nothing.

He lowered the curtain and turned to walk towards the entrance of the venue.

His steps were steady. The tent flap closed behind him.

Cheers erupted from the audience outside. The first event had begun.