The Welsh Green Dragon was startled awake by the sound of water and lifted its head, dazed, but Fleur had already run far away.
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the stands.
"Do it again!"
"Great dance!"
"Fleur! Fleur!"
It was reasonable to suspect that this crowd just wanted to see a dance.
Bagman laughed and said, "Although there were some minor flaws in the process, this peaceful way of winning is truly spectacular!"
On the judges' bench, Madame Maxime raised her wand without hesitation and cast a "10".
Dumbledore gave an "8".
Crouch gave a "7".
Bagman gave an "8".
Karkaroff hesitated for a moment, then finally gave a "7".
"A total score of 40!" Bagman announced.
"Fleur Delacour is currently in the lead!"
Fleur walked off the field holding the golden egg, her skirt still dripping with water.
A smile finally appeared on her face; although it was somewhat unexpected, at least she had succeeded.
Only Charlie and Harry remained in the tent.
The cheers outside came in waves, and Harry gripped the model of the Hungarian Horntail, his palms sweating.
The little Dragon wriggled restlessly in his palm, spitting out tiny sparks that made his fingers numb with heat.
Charlie stood up, walked over to Harry, and reached out to pat his back.
"Go on." Charlie's tone was calm.
"Show them the results of your hard work over these past twenty days."
Harry took a deep breath and nodded.
Bagman's voice came from outside, high-pitched and impassioned.
"Next, let us welcome the third champion! From Hogwarts, our legendary savior—Harry Potter!"
But the audience's cheers were not as enthusiastic as Bagman's.
Compared to the previous two, it was significantly quieter.
Almost only Gryffindor students were cheering, scattered and sparse, like raindrops blown away by the wind.
Harry pulled back the curtain, and the blinding sunlight made him squint.
In the center of the arena, the Hungarian Horntail was crouching beside its nest.
The Dragon was even larger than he had imagined, like a giant lizard covered in spikes, its black scales glinting coldly in the sunlight.
Its eyes were yellow, and its vertical pupils revealed ferocity and rage.
Upon seeing Harry, the Hungarian Horntail immediately felt flames rolling in its throat.
The next second, a stream of fire dozens of meters long sprayed directly at him.
Harry threw himself behind a rock, the flames whistling past his head, and the air was filled with a burnt smell.
He could feel the heat wave on his back, and his clothes were instantly soaked with sweat.
Hiding behind the rock, Harry raised his wand and shouted, "Accio firebolt!"
Then came the suffocating wait.
These thirty seconds felt like a century to Harry.
He gripped his wand tightly, his heart beating so fast it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest.
The audience also watched him in confusion, not understanding what he was doing.
Draco sat in the Slytherin stands, his brows furrowed.
"He hasn't been scared silly, has he?"
"Move, Potter, don't act like a coward."
Ron and Hermione sat in the Gryffindor seats, their palms sweating with nervousness.
Finally, a sound of piercing through the air came from the sky.
The firebolt flew into the arena like a bolt of lightning, charging straight toward Harry.
Harry reached out to grab the broom and swung himself onto it.
At that moment, the timidity on him vanished, replaced by the confidence of a Seeker.
He kicked off the ground, and the firebolt carried him into the high sky.
The Hungarian Horntail raised its head and spewed a stream of fire.
Harry nimbly dodged to the side, the flames brushing past his sleeve.
Exclamations erupted from the stands; confronting a Dragon head-on while on a flying broom was even more thrilling than the previous two.
He circled in the air like an annoying fly, constantly provoking the Hungarian Horntail.
Harry dove toward the nest, but the Hungarian Horntail whipped its tail around.
Harry hurriedly pulled up the broom, and the tail whistled past the soles of his feet, stirring up a gust of wind.
He tried a few more times, but this Hungarian Horntail was exceptionally cunning.
Although it spewed fire in anger, it guarded the Dragon egg tightly and refused to leave the nest for even a step.
Harry was forced to pull up several times because he would be hit by the Dragon's tail if he got too close.
But Harry was not anxious.
The training Charlie had given him hadn't been in vain; he knew very well that facing a strong enemy while being weak, he must not be impatient.
He circled in the air, diving again and again, each time brushing past the top of the Hungarian Horntail's head.
The Hungarian Horntail's roars became increasingly irritable, and the flames it spewed became more frequent.
Finally, after failing to catch Harry once again, the Hungarian Horntail was completely enraged.
It spread its huge wings, roared, and took off into the sky, chasing that damned little black dot.
The moment the Dragon left the ground, Harry pushed down on the broom handle.
He dove vertically at a suicidal speed, so fast that even Bagman forgot to commentate.
Screams erupted from the stands.
The moment before hitting the ground, Harry leveled the broom, scooped up the golden egg, and then with a beautiful pull-up, left the angry Hungarian Horntail behind.
He wasn't injured, and not even his clothes were torn.
Harry held up the golden egg, and the entire Hogwarts—except for Slytherin—erupted in thunderous cheers.
Just as Charlie had said, only strength and achievements could prove oneself and end all gossip and rumors.
Bagman jumped up in excitement.
"An unbelievable performance! Perfect flying technique! Harry Potter has retrieved the golden egg!"
The judges raised their wands one after another.
Bagman cast a "10" without hesitation.
Dumbledore gave a "9" with a smile.
Crouch pondered for a moment and also gave a "9".
Madame Maxime hesitated for a moment and finally gave an "8".
Everyone's gaze fell upon Karkaroff.
Karkaroff's face was livid, his wand raised, but he didn't move for a long time.
A countdown sound rang out from the stands.
"Score! Score! Score!"
Karkaroff gritted his teeth, waved his wand, and cast a "4".
The entire crowd immediately erupted in angry shouts.
"Rigged!"
"Blatant lies!"
"Karkaroff get out!"
Karkaroff sat down expressionless, completely ignoring the angry shouts.
Bagman announced loudly.
"Harry Potter, total score 40! Tied for first place with Fleur!"
The Dragon keepers were busy on the field, carrying away the unconscious Welsh Green Dragon.
Several staff members worked together to transport the last Dragon—the Chinese Fireball Dragon.
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