The Second of Doubt Can Cost You an Arm
"To be honest, these trials look easy. Well… not really. Actually, not easy at all, especially the part where they're not allowed to use magic to harm the creatures," Ludo said as he watched Viktor cautiously approach Fluffy, trying to measure the exact distance at which the animal might attack if he stepped too close to the chest.
Fluffy never stopped staring at Viktor, growling low and constant. But whenever he moved too close or too quickly, one or two of the heads began barking at him, making it clear they could leap at him at any moment. So Viktor would stop, take a couple of steps back, then repeat the same careful movement along another flank of the beast. With every step, he kept his eyes on the animal; on its collars, its heads, its teeth, its paws. On everything.
He also glanced at the chest several times.
That made the trial seem slow and simple at first glance. But it did nothing to stop the rush of adrenaline that shot through the crowd every time one of the heads started barking, everyone fearing the massive three headed dog might suddenly spring at Viktor.
"It may look difficult from that angle. But each animal is actually restraining itself from attacking like a wild beast. They're quite intelligent," Newt said calmly, watching Fluffy with a faint smile.
"What do you mean?" Ludo asked.
"If I explain it, it won't be fun," Newt replied with a slightly amused smile.
So everyone kept watching Viktor, who stepped a little too close again, and this time Fluffy barked with two heads at once.
Viktor tilted his head slightly, as if he had just realized something, studying each of the animal's heads carefully and comparing them.
"Oh… it seems he's figured it out. After all, it was specified from the beginning that this trial isn't a battle, but understanding. You have to understand the animal in front of you," Newt said, giving a small nod in Viktor's direction.
"Well… someone should tell Marton that," Ludo commented, lightly amused.
Viktor gripped his wand and straightened, ready to sprint across the arena while everyone watched closely. Then he launched himself straight at the beast.
Many gasped, eyes widening in shock and panic as he ran toward what looked like certain death.
Fluffy, seeing him charge forward, began barking furiously and shifted protectively in front of the chest.
As Viktor took another step, he flicked his wand sharply. A chunk of earth burst upward, making one of Fluffy's paws slip for a brief instant. But that was only a distraction. Viktor raised his wand high, and a bright flash of light exploded from it. The heads jerked in different directions by reflex, each recoiling a step out of sync with the others, as if the body had suddenly lost coordination.
The effect was obvious to everyone watching. Eyes widened with excitement.
"Oh! Is that what you meant?" Ludo asked.
"More or less. The problem with multi headed animals is that there can sometimes be conflict over who fully controls the body. In moments like that, they confuse themselves. But it is still an animal born with three heads; the loss of balance will only be temporary," Newt said, his expression turning more serious as he watched Viktor sprint toward Fluffy, eyes locked on the creature's heads as he ran at full speed.
Thankfully, he was an athlete. Not the kind who trained on tracks and fields, but the kind who learned to endure the strain of flying at impossible speeds, clinging to a broom while the wind tried to tear him apart. So he ran straight at Fluffy. If he was right, the key had to be on one of the three collars.
When he was almost within reach, a sudden sense of imminent danger shot through him, his sharp instincts reacting before his thoughts did. He leapt backward at once, rolling across the ground just as an enormous set of jaws snapped through the space he had occupied a second earlier. It was the middle head; it had recovered first. The left head followed with another vicious bite, forcing Viktor to roll again, narrowly avoiding a brutal stomp from one of the creature's claws.
He scrambled to his feet and sprinted back, putting distance between them as his breathing grew heavy. But Fluffy did not pursue him; it remained in place, barking from where it stood before once again positioning itself protectively in front of the chest.
Karkaroff had risen from his seat among the judges, his face twisted with fury as he glared at Fluffy. He had gone slightly pale when Viktor nearly lost his head to the beast.
Even Hagrid had tensed at the thought of Fluffy almost killing Viktor. He knew perfectly well that if someone were seriously injured, he could end up in trouble because of his pet. But he let out a relieved breath when he saw Viktor retreat safely.
"That was incredibly dangerous," Ludo said, just as startled as everyone else, pressing a hand to his chest.
"The bite of a Greek three headed dog is not just about force. It can delay healing. And sometimes, its saliva is not particularly kind," Newt said slowly. Then he added, "By the way, something interesting about three headed creatures such as Runespoors is that in multi headed beings, the real problem is not always the enemy. Sometimes it's deciding who is in charge," he finished calmly.
"Uh… and what does that have to do with the three headed dog?" Ludo asked, confused.
"Oh. I just thought it was an interesting fact to share," Newt replied with the same calm tone.
"Oh… well. Thank you," Ludo said, still slightly puzzled, before turning his attention back to the arena.
Viktor stood there for a moment, brushing the dust off his clothes before looking at Fluffy again with renewed seriousness. He let out a long breath.
The stadium, almost as if trying to help, fell completely silent, watching him study the creature once more in careful detail. As if he had missed something the first time.
Then his gaze fixed on the right head.
The only one that had not attacked him earlier when it had the chance.
As though an idea had taken shape in his mind, Viktor began to move, circling slowly toward the right head. The other two heads started growling immediately, while the right one simply followed him with a steady stare.
But when he reached a point where the other two seemed increasingly irritated by his closeness, the right head glanced at its sisters before beginning to growl as well.
Newt, watching Viktor's expression, gave a faint smile of approval. He did not explain.
Viktor stepped back again, putting enough distance between them for all three heads to stop growling. Once more, he tightened his grip on his wand, clearly thinking quickly, before setting himself into a runner's stance.
"Oh. It seems Viktor is ready to try once more. Will he succeed this time?" Ludo said as the stadium fell into near absolute silence, every eye locked on the champion.
Not even his fans dared to shout his name, afraid of distracting him.
Viktor exhaled several times, steadying himself. Then he sprinted forward again, raising his wand as he shouted the incantation.
"Periculum!"
Red sparks shot toward the heads. They would not harm them, but they would be an ongoing annoyance.
Viktor ran straight in as the heads snapped angrily at the flashing lights, biting at the colored sparks. The central head and the left tried to catch them; the left even squeezed its eyes shut for a moment to avoid the glare. The right head, however, seemed just slightly slower than the other two.
When Viktor drew close, the central head noticed him again and, ignoring the sparks entirely, lunged straight at him. Its roar triggered the other two into reacting as well.
But Viktor, as if he had anticipated it, leapt directly toward the right head. The only one that had not fully opened its mouth before. It growled low, its teeth barely visible, almost as if it disliked showing them. Its jaws looked tense, stiff, as though something was bothering it.
"Lumos Maxima!" Viktor shouted, standing right before the right head but aiming toward the other two.
A blinding flash burst into existence, dazzling the other heads for a brief instant.
The right head, seeing the other two momentarily blinded, could not help but look toward Viktor and, by reflex, opened its mouth to attack, revealing its vicious fangs.
And that was when he saw it.
The key.
There.
Hooked by a thin thread between its teeth.
It did not look intentionally placed. It looked stuck. As if it had caught there by accident, digging slightly into the creature's gum.
With a reflex only a professional Seeker like him could possess, Viktor moved his hand with perfect precision and yanked the key free in one sharp pull.
The animal let out a pained whimper and jerked back, which caused one of its teeth to scrape across Viktor's arm. Thankfully, the jaws snapped shut without trapping his hand inside.
Viktor used the beast's backward motion to his advantage, dropping low as he moved. His wand snapped toward the chest.
A pulse of magic burst from its tip and latched onto it; at the same time, the central head recovered and lunged violently to swallow him whole.
"Repulso!" Viktor shouted.
His body was hurled backward at great speed, pulling the chest along with him as he flew away from the creature. The snapping jaws brushed past him by inches.
"He got it! He got it!" Ludo shouted as Viktor shot backward with the chest in tow.
Fluffy, enraged, charged after him. But before it could take more than a few steps, its body suddenly faltered, as if losing coordination again, and it crashed heavily to the ground.
Viktor rolled twice from his own momentum and forced himself upright, already seeing the animal struggle to stand. He grabbed the key immediately, still coated in saliva that burned faintly against his palm. Even so, he did not hesitate. He unlocked the chest, bringing the trial to its end.
As the lid opened, Fluffy rose once more and glared at Viktor with a low growl. The central and left heads turned toward the right, the one that had caused the earlier imbalance.
The right head barked twice. Short. Almost pitiful.
The other two turned back to Viktor, releasing a low, irritated rumble before shifting their attention to the open chest.
Then the massive animal turned around and began walking off the field.
The crowd exploded into cheers.
"He did it! Viktor Krum has claimed the chest!" Ludo shouted, just as exhilarated as the rest of the stadium.
"Well done. He chose the correct head… and acted at precisely the right moment. He has the soul of a magical creature healer," Newt said with a calm smile, watching Viktor with approval as nurses and healers hurried toward the injured champion to examine him.
Karkaroff, seeing his student safe, finally released the breath he seemed to have been holding the entire time. Then he adopted a proud, faintly smug smile, as if he had known all along that Viktor would succeed.
Even Sirius exhaled slowly, far more serious than usual. Even he had been shaken by the possibility of having the first champion severely injured in this Triwizard Tournament, and in his own school no less.