Chapter 387: The Advantage


    Nightfall, Ancient Runes Office.


    Golden mist coalesced into semi-realistic humanoid images, drifting past Felix Harp one by one. Crookshanks stood on a small square table, reaching out to catch the golden shadows.


    "Igor Karkaroff, former Death Eater, betrayer of Voldemort. Suspicion: sneaked into the Entrance Hall, had a private encounter with the Triwizard Cup—minor suspicion;"


    "Ludo Bagman, previously used of aiding Death Eaters in passing information. Suspicion: showed strong enthusiasm for Harry bing a champion—suspicion, but no evidence of the time of the act;"


    For a while, the Triwizard Cup remained in Dumbledore''s possession, and if there were issues, they wouldn''t go unnoticed.


    "Barty Crouch, former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, tough demeanor, reassigned due to involvement of Death Eater son. Suspicion: wife and son died sessively due to this incident, future ruined, potential for extreme actions; in addition, physically weak, conflict with Moody during the World Cup—suspicion, but no evidence of the time of the act, like Bagman;"


    "Madam Olga Maximova, suspected half-giant, during the war giants were fervent supporters of Voldemort. Suspicion: yet to be found."


    "Voldemort, Durmstrang, iplete student information, cannot judge..."


    Felix Harp pondered silently, until finally, when a scarred figure with a false eye appeared, he waved his hand to disperse the golden mist."Regardless of whether the one behind this is an individual or a group, their target is Harry, wanting Harry to die. However, could this be too troublesome? Perhaps there''s a deeper purpose..."


    "And does Voldemort truly return? Does he intend to use Harry as his first sacrifice after resurrection? Staging a scene of the return of the dead? If he''s resurrected and doesn''t reveal himself, it''s likely he''s covertly recruiting his old followers. With Dumbledore''s intelligencework, we should be able to trace some clues... Fortunately, I''m no slouch either. It''s time to write a few letters to some old friends."


    He nced at the improved version of the Marauder''s Map, pausing at the name Moody, and then tucked it away. "I need to find time to include the headquarters of the four magical schools."


    Returning to his senses, he saw Crookshanks staring at him. He smiled, giving the cat''s beak a gentle pat.


    Before sleep, he thought carefully and seemed to have forgotten something... "Oh, right," he waved his hand, conjuring emerald mes in the firece. Felix Harp muttered softly, "Don''t me me for locking your firece. Disturbing me six or seven times a day, anyone would lose their patience."


    The next morning.


    Harry awoke groggily and was startled when he saw Ron. It seemed like Ron hadn''t slept at all that night; the shadows beneath his eyes were even darker than Mr. Crouch''s.


    "The cat''s been looking for you," Ron said hoarsely. "Scratching at the door, so I let it in."


    Harry pushed aside the curtains of his four-poster bed and saw Crookshanks on top of the cab by the bed. The cat''s ttened face was fixed on him, its tail swaying aimlessly, knocking over a stack of parchment with magical writing.


    "Do you need something, Crookshanks?" he asked.


    On top of the cab, the ginger cat extended a paw, pointing outside, and emitted a chilling howl. On the adjacent bed, Seamus turned in his sleep.


    Harry and Ron exchanged nces. Harry asked tentatively, "Do you want me to go outside? Is... Hermione looking for me?"


    Crookshanks'' yellow eyes gleamed with approval.


    So, Harry changed out of his pajamas. While dressing, he stole a nce outside through the window. It was pitch ck, probably around four or five in the morning. He couldn''t suppress a yawn.


    He had sleptte the previous night, and now he was being awakened early. He hadn''t slept for more than a few hours.


    In themon room, Harry and Ron found Hermione waiting outside, fidgeting. She was bundled up, with a scarf wrapped around her head like the ones the Beauxbatons students wore.


    Thest time Harry saw such an outfit, it was because Hermione had identally taken a Polyjuice Potion with cat hair. During her recovery, she used partial human transfiguration to conceal the fur on her face. This miraculous spell was said to be used by vampires to hide their fangs.


    "Hermione, what''s going on... and Ron, I''ve been wanting to ask, did neither of you sleepst night?"


    "I couldn''t sleep—oh, don''t ask for now," Hermione said urgently, her speech was odd, as if she had a sweet in her mouth.


    "Who?" Harry suddenly became wide awake.


    Outside the entrance to the Gryffindormon room, Sirius ck was engaged in a casual conversation with the Fat Lady portrait. The Fat Lady was in high spirits, reciting lines with a deliberately lowered dramatic tone.


    "The bruised and battered young boy—returning under the cover of night—hidden toil in the shadows—ah~ emerging as a fearless warrior—"


    Sirius scowled, feeling increasingly annoyed. What in the world was she singing!


    "Can''t you just let me in?" he asked for the fifth time.


    "Oh, no." The Fat Lady stopped, saying solemnly, "I have professional ethics. You''re neither a student nor a professor, even with a password, I won''t let you in..."


    The door opened from the inside, and her portrait shifted aside as Harry, Ron, and Hermione emerged.


    "Sirius, why are you here? Hermione told me, I couldn''t quite believe it!" Harry asked with excitement.


    "Of course! With such a big event happening, how could I sit still? You should have informed me first thing, and the two-way mirror is meant for times like these." Sirius said irritably, looking at the two people behind Harry. "So, is the Trio now officially recognized? Have you thought of a name for your team?"


    Ron nced at him but didn''t reply.


    Harry stared at his outspoken godfather, and Sirius surrendered with a raised hand. "Alright, I misspoke—given what''s happened, how could I possibly remain calm? You should have notified me right away, Harry. The two-way mirror is meant for times like these."


    "Professor Snape told you, Mr. ck?" Hermione asked in a high-pitched voice, still using that odd tone. Harry gave her a strange look.


    "Call me Sirius—and yes, the books in the old house have their uses." Sirius said, somewhat yfully. He pulled Harry into a hug. "Let''s find an empty ssroom and have a proper chat. You twoe along as well. Regardless, we''re all in this together..."


    "I dislike that wording." Harry muttered.


    Sirius grinned and ruffled Harry''s messy hair.


    They found an empty ssroom and shared the information they knew. Harry''s group gained more useful insights, such as the fact that Karkaroff was once caught by Moody when he was still a Death Eater, but he managed to escape the Ministry''s punishment by providing a list of Death Eaters. Over a decadeter, he transformed and became the headmaster of Durmstrang.


    "We finally know why Karkaroff feared and hated Professor Moody so much," Harry said, looking at Ron. They had discussed this topic before, and Ron absentmindedly nodded.


    When Harry mentioned the first task involving dragons, Sirius stood up and started pacing in the empty ssroom.


    "How could they make you face something like this!" he yelled.


    Harry had to admit that apart from the conversation he and Sirius had about the Chinese Fireball during the magicalntern exhibition, he hadn''t really thought seriously about how to face a dragon. Last night, he was more worried that Hogwarts might not win the trophy and that they might face cold treatment. But now, he found himself facing the challenge of not only winning the trophy but also his own life.


    "Perhaps more than just one life," Sirius said. "Don''t forget, you arepeting as a team. The difficulty must be higher than in previous tournaments. Of course, I''m not talking about your skills but the level of previous champions."


    Harry noticed that Ron had started shaking rhythmically again. Gaining courage, he said, "We''re not that far behind. Hermione defeated a Durmstrang student—Viktor, the first champion selected. Normally, the champions who fit the criteria best are selected first, right?"


    Sirius looked at Hermione, who had wrapped her head in a scarf to conceal her appearance, making it hard to read her expression.


    "I... well, I...," she stammered through the fabric.


    "It seems none of you are mentally prepared," Sirius pointed out bluntly.


    Harry opened his mouth and realized his godfather was right. They weren''t prepared. He couldn''t help but wonder if the other champions, like Cedric, were also having sleepless nights due to worry or excitement about facing the dragons.


    To sound positive, he asked, "So, how do we defeat a dragon?"


    "Defeat a dragon?" Sirius repeated.


    "Yes... we talked about it before, didn''t we? At the Quidditch World Cup''s magicalntern disy," Harry said with a casual tone. "You mentioned the Stunning Spell as a good method. Maybe we can use that spell. But it''s better to be urate..."


    Sirius widened his eyes and said, "Your tone doesn''t sound like you''re facing a Level 5X extremely dangerous creature that can incinerate you in an instant, but like you''re dealing with a sniffing creature. In your mind, does failure only mean losing a few coins from your pocket?"


    "Burn to ashes?" Ron said shakily.


    "Yes, the fire dragons breathe isn''t ordinary fire. The Impervius Charm might not even protect you, and a sweep of their tail can turn you and your magical shield into mush... Your wands won''t be more effective than toothpicks unless you have a good n."


    ...


    At the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, Sirius had breakfast with Harry''s group. No one had much appetite. Besides worrying about the dragons, they had to face the curious stares and whispers of others.


    "Ignore them. They only know how to make snide remarks," Sirius said. "If you can''t stand it, I suggest picking a fight with the person you like least."


    Hermione shot him a re. During breakfast, she finally removed the scarf from her face, revealing a row of blisters on her mouth.


    "I thought you were the calmest one among the three of you, but now..." Sirius looked at her.


    "It''s not about being calm or not. I''m just worried... Ouch!" Hermione covered her mouth, and from then on, she didn''t dare to speak loudly.


    "You''d better go to the infirmary," Harry said.


    Hermione grumbled.


    ...


    "There''s nothing to worry about," Felix said, standing before the six Hogwarts champions.


    That evening, he gathered them in ssroom Seven for targeted guidance.


    "Since you''re grouped together, it''s not for the sake of losing. Think about it, you have many advantages."


    "Advantages?"


    Felix waved his wand, and silver-white mist gathered around them, obscuring their vision. They had spent several days in ssroom Seven, so they were familiar with this change.


    Waiting quietly, the mist gradually dissipated, revealing andscape with rolling hills beneath their feet and soft brown soil. In the distance, the dense fog hadn''tpletely cleared, but they could make out emerald-green peaks and ck rocky walls.


    They found themselves surrounded by mountains, and a dark shadow flew low over their heads and disappeared into the thick fog.


    "Where are we?"


    Colin Creevey asked, pursing his lips. Among the students participating in the selection, it was widely agreed that except for Professor Harp''s inexplicably ugly creatures, most of the scenes were realistic and traceable.


    Hermione crouched down, scooped up some soft soil, and grabbed a handful of grass—everything felt incredibly real.


    "The Romanian Dragon Sanctuary," Felix said softly. "Thanks to Mr. Bagman, I don''t have to worry about leaks. I hope he won''t face too much questioning when he returns."


    Hermione was the first to ask, "So, the dragons we''re going to face are all from the dragon sanctuary?"


    "That''s correct," Felix said. "I spent several days there and learned about various dragon breeds... This is your first advantage."


    The six felt their hearts flutter. Harry looked up, surveying the surroundings. In his sight, gigantic dragons crossed the sky.


    "It sounds like I hear voices?" Cedric hesitated.


    "Let''s go have a look," Felix said with a smile. They walked down the slope and saw a group of people facing an injured Romanian Longhorn Dragon. Its wing was torn open, bloody, yet it remained cautious. The deep green scales on its neck expanded, resembling small green shields, and its golden longhorn was always aimed at the person it perceived as the greatest threat.


    "Careful, it''s about to breathe fire. Charlie, use the Stunning Spell!" a wizard shouted.


    Ron suddenly widened his eyes, pointing at someone and yelling, "That''s Charlie, my brother! He''s in Romania! Oh, my goodness!" He watched as Charlie led and gave orders, about seven or eight people casting Stunning Spells together. After a series of intensive and dazzling red lights, the huge dragon crashed heavily to the ground.


    They felt the ground tremble beneath their feet and involuntarily swallowed.


    Felix stood to the side and said, "You can get closer to take a look." As he spoke, time in this area seemed to freeze. The dragons and dragon tamers were frozen in ce. They approached, closely examining the fallen dragon. They couldn''t help but marvel; it was immense, at least six or seven times taller than the tallest among them, Cedric and Roger Davies.


    The onlyfort was that the dragon''s tail upied a third of its body length.


    "The Longhorn Dragons like to use their horns to impale prey before roasting it, then use their ws to drag it back to their nest. asionally, they use their horns to string prey or curl their tails around it," Felix exined.


    Harry looked at the two golden longhorns on the dragon''s head and had no doubt that they could pierce through anything in their line of sight. He imagined himself hanging from them and couldn''t help but smirk.


    With their minds preupied, the six followed Professor Harp as they continued walking and unconsciously arrived at a camp. More people were present, but they paid them no attention. Felix exined by their side, "This is what I saw the first time I came here. Behind the camp is an enclosure surrounded by fire-resistant materials. There are a few sick dragons inside, ones I''ve dealt with, and one is particrly interesting..."


    "Professor Harp, are we just going to watch?" Cedric asked. "I mean, don''t you want us to fight the dragons to gain experience?"


    "That''s the final step," Felix said. "First, we need to dispel your fear of dragons. What''s the best way to eliminate fear? You should all have some experience..."


    "First, get to know them. Headmaster Dumbledore found a teacher for you who knows more about dragons than I do."


    As he spoke, the curtain of a tent in front of them was lifted, and two identical old men emerged.


    "Mr. Scamander, what do you think?" Felix politely asked.


    "Interesting, very interesting... Quite an eye-opener." The two old men spoke in unison, ncing at each other and smiling.


    >


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