Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

0569 Problems (LARGE-CHAPTER)

In the arena, Fleur finally arrived at the edge of the dragon's nest covered in hay. She raised her head, looking at the Welsh Green dragon that intended to make its home on the cliff wall. Every inch of her face was filled with astonishment.

Suddenly, an amused chuckle rang out from somewhere in the previously hushed stadium which was startlingly loud in the stunned silence. That lone laugh seemed to act as a catalyst, spreading like wildfire through the spectators. Even the coldest Ministry officials, adept at concealing their true emotions behind polite masks, found their lips twitching upwards in reluctant smiles.

Hahaha!

The young wizards had fewer scruples, and some lively fellows even began pounding on the tables with laughter. Many people looked at the Beauxbatons champion, Fleur Delacour, who was already dumbfounded, thinking that this unexpected scene was really too interesting.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Ludo's voice boomed through the magically magnified microphone, his tone dripping with amusement. "It seems our fierce dragon was so intimidated by Miss Delacour's fearsome presence that it has fled for the hills! But alas, in its haste, it has escaped with all of the precious eggs. Whatever shall our brave champion do now? Perhaps a bit of rock climbing is in order!"

"Dumbledore!" Madame Maxime glared fiercely at Ludo Bagman, wishing she could give this notorious fellow's nose a heavy blow with her sandbag-sized fist. However, at the moment, she was most concerned about her champion.

Madame Maxime stood up anxiously, her tall stature immediately drawing the attention of many people. "This should be considered an accident. How should this situation be handled?"

Dumbledore was also surprised by the Welsh Green's unexpected behavior. When Madame Maxime's gaze locked on him, Dumbledore closed his slightly open mouth, his blue eyes flashing with a hint of helplessness.

'What a pity the person to take responsibility wasn't here.'

"I understand what you mean, Olympe. You think the current situation requires outside intervention?"

"Of course!" Madame Maxime said without hesitation, "We need to drive the dragon down, otherwise how can Fleur retrieve the egg?"

"I don't think so!" Karkaroff smiled smoothly. After successfully attracting everyone's attention to himself, he continued, "This is not an unsolvable difficulty, is it? The champions use their wisdom, courage, and magical skills to solve various predicaments in the arena. This is the rule of the Triwizard Tournament. If a little difficulty like this requires extra intervention, oh, why don't we just go on stage and compete for our respective champions?"

A recording Omni-ocular swished through the air, informing all the spectators of the argument that had taken place at the judges' table.

"This requires a vote from all the judges, Olympe,"

Dumbledore did not want the conflict to escalate so he stood up to address Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, who were engaged in a verbal confrontation. Madame Maxime could not raise any objections to his suggestion.

The champion and dragon were still on the field. The judges held a quick hand vote on whether to intervene in the current situation. The voting results made Madame Maxime extremely angry. Except for herself, who unhesitatingly agreed to intervene, Igor Karkaroff, Ludo Bagman, and Barty Crouch all stood on the opposite side, as did Dumbledore.

"Alright then, so be it!" Since that was the case, Madame Maxime had nothing more to say. She sat down angrily and then looked at Fleur on the big screen with worry.

During this brief period of the judges' argument, the situation in the arena did not change much. Fleur walked back and forth anxiously near the dragon's nest, hoping that the Welsh Green would suddenly change its mind and come down on its own. However, only rocks of varying sizes fell from the cliff wall. The Welsh Green curled its body to the extreme, crouching in a small hole that had been temporarily dug out on the cliff, sticking its head out and watching her vigilantly.

"Hey, come down! You can't stay there!" Fleur cried out in a slightly desperate manner, forgetting her fear of facing the dragon. Of course, her shouting had no effect on the Welsh Green.

Fleur bit her pale lips lightly, her eyes hesitating for a moment before she backed up a bit and raised her wand, shooting a few gorgeous fireworks at the approximate location of the dragon on the cliff wall. It was useless, so Fleur increased the power of her magic. The spells she fired crossed the space and struck the dragon's wings wrapped around its body, producing brilliant sparks.

In this situation—Fleur looked helplessly at the judges' table—

The noise outside the arena couldn't be heard inside. Fleur didn't know that the judges had already voted on this situation.

"You have to solve the difficulty on your own, Miss Delacour," Ludo conveyed this unfortunate decision to Fleur's ears through a special channel.

Well, Fleur looked even more desperate, but she knew that her every word and action was being watched by thousands of eyes.

Clang clang—

The chains restraining the dragon shook, as if a giant were standing below, desperately shaking the chains, trying to pull the dragon down. People looked at Fleur expectantly, wanting to see if her new idea would work.

However, the power of the spell could not shake the dragon. Instead, it angered the mild-tempered Welsh Green. It roared at Fleur a few times, and a beautiful flame like bluebells surged from the sky. Although the flames could not reach Fleur, the surging heat still made Fleur's face change in surprise, and she retreated some distance.

"Oh, what a pity," Ludo said disappointedly, "Miss Delacour is trying very hard, but her methods have all failed."

Could it be that Fleur would be defeated in the first round of the challenge? If that were the case, Beauxbatons would be disgraced!

Although the Welsh Green's breath might not be known for its power, it was still a dragon's flame. Fleur, who was licked by the heat of the flame, had sweat rolling down her cheeks. She hid behind a rock, brushing aside a few strands of dry hair, and looked up at the Welsh Green that had made up its mind not to come down. Struggle flashed in her blue eyes.

She did have some ultimate moves to deal with the dragon, but she couldn't use them now. Because this green dragon was at least a hundred feet above the ground, if the dragon lost consciousness and fell... Of course, for such a strong and magical creature, this might not be fatal, but those dragon eggs would certainly suffer a catastrophe!

She had to make the dragon come down on its own.

Fleur raised her head and looked around. She couldn't see the expressions of the spectators in the stands, but she knew they were all watching her, including that young professor.

The flames dissipated, but the air remained hazy due to the heat. The Welsh Green curled up its body again, staring at Fleur with only its eyes, with no intention of coming down.

Fleur knew she couldn't wait any longer. She had already spent more time here than Cedric. So, Fleur walked out from behind the rock.

For some reason, Fleur's originally pale cheeks flushed red. She took a deep breath and walked with elegant steps to the edge of the dragon's nest once more. Then, like a Muggle gymnast, she stretched out her arms.

"Well, paint me green and call me a boggart!" Bagman gasped as a strange wind whipped through the arena, loosening Fleur's hair from its coiled bun so that it turned her head in a platinum halo. "Our Miss Delacour has decided to put on an impromptu performance!"

In the arena, a gust of wind came out of nowhere. Fleur's upright high ponytail automatically loosened, and her silvery hair floated slightly in mid-air. Fleur, holding her wand in her right hand, began to dance gracefully. As her enchanting dance moves were displayed, Fleur's fair skin began to emit a luminous glow, like the bright moonlight of a summer night!

Fleur spun faster and faster, and a mysterious ripple began to radiate outward. This invisible and mysterious ripple encompassed a vast range, even affecting the spectators in the stands.

The scene from the World Cup, when Bulgaria's mascot took the stage, was repeated. However, this time, it was not only the young wizards who were affected. The girls of Hogwarts were also looking at the enchanting Fleur in fascination.

Of course, the adult wizards invited by Bryan were all elites. Even if they were affected, they could still control their behavior.

"Oh, this is extraordinary!" Ludo Bagman exclaimed. He looked back at Dumbledore in a daze, "What exactly is this—"

"Ah," Dumbledore smiled calmly, "This is a special kind of mental magic. It should be Miss Delacour's inherited talent, right?"

"But!" Ludo said, puzzled, "The allure of a Veela should only work on males. Look at those young wizards... and, that's a female dragon in the arena!"

Ludo stared at Madame Maxime in utter bewilderment. He believed that Fleur was her student, so surely Madame Maxime must know something about the extraordinary situation unfolding before their very eyes. However, Madame Maxime did not respond to Ludo's questioning gaze. Instead, she kept her mouth tightly shut, and her olive-colored face flushed a deep shade of crimson. 

What could she possibly say?

How could she even begin to explain to the gathered crowd that the mesmerizing dance Fleur had just performed was no ordinary dance, but rather a magical ritual used by Veela to attract and court potential mates? A dance possessing an extraordinary, almost lethal allure that could captivate and enchant all species and genders alike?

"Look, the dragon has come down! Miss Delacour has overcome the obstacle!" Ludo exclaimed suddenly, his voice tinged with equal parts surprise and relief. Left with no choice but to focus on the situation at hand, he turned his attention back to the arena, and his eyes widened as he took in the latest development.

And what a development it was. As Fleur's "courtship dance" had proven to be immensely, almost lethally effective. All around the stadium, young wizards with insufficient mental resilience began to rise from their seats as if in a trance, and gazed at Fleur in fascination. Some of the more unfortunate souls even toppled forward onto the seats in front of them, causing quite a commotion. 

Fortunately, the students from Bryan's Physical Education class had undergone round after grueling round of mental tempering and resilience training. As such, they were not so easily bewitched by Fleur's allure, and remained unwaveringly devoted to maintaining order amidst the growing chaos.

But if so many young wizards at a distance were affected so intensely, one can only imagine the impact on the Welsh Green dragon - Fleur's main target of enchantment.

Although this majestic creature possessed a powerful physique and scales imbued with excellent magic resistance, its mental fortitude was not necessarily superior to that of the average wizard. 

As Fleur's dance reached a fever pitch, the vertical pupils of the Welsh Green dragon began to flash with confusion and primal desire. Wisps of pungent dragon breath escaped from between its jaws as its claws, once firmly embedded in the rock wall of the cliff, began to loosen their grip.

Step by step, the dragon began to descend from the cliff wall, but the last remnants of its reason forced it to keep its wings curled protectively around its precious eggs. But with each passing moment, its resolve weakened, eroded by the irresistible pull of Fleur's magic...

Seeing this, a complex mix of emotions flashed across Fleur's face - a glimmer of joy and triumph mixed with hints of shame and regret.

BOOM!

With an earth-shattering impact that shook the stadium, the mighty Welsh Green leapt down from the rocky heights to land on the ground below, twenty feet from where it had started its descent. But rather than pouncing on Fleur as one might expect, the dragon instead spread its majestic wings wide and extended its long neck, emitting a series of melodious, almost gentle calls - as if seeking to respond to and join in Fleur's bewitching dance...

For a moment, Fleur's eyes glinted with undisguised delight as she snooped the scattered dragon eggs lying on the ground. At last, the path to victory lay clear!

And then, without warning, Fleur abruptly stopped her dance, causing the dragon to snap out of its trance-like state. Before the beast could fully shake off its confusion and react to the sudden change, Fleur launched into a new dance - one completely different in tone and tempo from the first.

Gone was the seductive power of before. In its place arose a soft, soothing melody of gentle movements and calming grace, as if the warm breeze of summer and the golden glow of autumn sunshine had merged into a single, intoxicating lull.

Unable to resist this new charm, the Welsh Green became drowsy... It elegantly flapped its wings a few times and then lay down to sleep.

But while the dragon now slept peacefully, Fleur herself staggered on the brink of utter exhaustion. As the strain of her magical dance had taken a heavy toll, draining not only her physical strength but also placing a tremendous burden on her mind and spirit.

As the dragon's rumbling snores began to echo through the arena, Fleur at last allowed herself to collapse to the ground. Sweat flooded her forehead and cheeks, and her eyes were also hazy but even in this state, she never once lost sight of her ultimate goal. With trembling fingers, she reached out and grasped the one egg that stood out from all the rest - the golden dragon egg.

The instant Fleur's hand closed around her prize, a massive sigh of relief arose from the gathered spectators - even Ludo, who was commentating on the match, let out a big sigh of relief. But just as he opened his mouth to loudly announce Fleur's success...

FWOOSH!

A sudden gout of flames burst from the sleeping dragon's nostrils, lightly scorching the edge of Fleur's calf and causing her to cry out in pain and alarm! Immediately, a team of frantic healers rushed forward to take her away to safety.

After Fleur was carried off the field in haste by those group of healers, Madame Maxime immediately wanted to leave her seat to visit Fleur, but Dumbledore pulled her sleeve.

"Don't worry, Olympe," Dumbledore said calmly, gently tugging the Headmistress of Beauxbatons back into her seat. "I believe the competition uniforms provided by Bryan have a certain protective effect. The most critical thing now is to score Miss Delacour's outstanding performance."

If it weren't for the unexpected flame at the end and her hesitation in figuring out how to bring the Welsh Green dragon down earlier, with her extremely charming magic, she should surely have been able to surpass Cedric.

In the end, the judges were unanimous in their praise, with Dumbledore, Crouch, and Bagman each awarding Fleur a score of eight, while Madame Maxime gave her a generous nine. Only Karkaroff found it appropriate to give a seven.

Still, the final score was clear: Fleur Delacour had secured herself a well-earned second place, a one point behind the current leader, Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts.

"Hogwarts is temporarily in the lead!" Ludo roared into his microphone as the crowds erupted into thunderous applause and cheers.

Harry had just gone with Sirius to find Hermione, but they didn't manage to talk to her much. The staff in the tent did not allow them to disturb the champions at this time, so the two returned dejectedly. Because Sirius could not show his face, the godfather and godson were both hiding in the exit passage.

Seeing the scores on the big screen above the arena, Harry happily swung his fist, then said indignantly, "The headmaster of Durmstrang only gave Cedric 6 points! I'd like to see how he plans to score when HIS champion takes the stage!"

"Don't even think about it, Harry," Sirius let out a small chuckle at Harry's outrage, then patted him comfortingly on the shoulder. "It's unrealistic to expect someone like Karkaroff to be so objective and impartial. In fact, I'd bet my last Galleon that as long as Krum manages to complete the challenge in the end - no matter how badly he performs - Karkaroff will give him full marks, guaranteed."

Harry was about to express his indignation at Sirius's opinion when a huge figure suddenly flashed into his sight. He subconsciously wanted to remind Sirius to hide quickly.

"Don't worry, Harry, it's Hagrid--"

Sirius blocked Harry's hand, grinning and ready to go and greet Hagrid. However, upon seeing Hagrid's panicked expression, Sirius frowned and his expression became solemn.

"What's the matter, Hagrid?"

"Oh, Sirius!!" Hagrid obviously did not expect to see the godfather and son here either. He paused and said in surprise, "And Harry, what are yeh two doin' hidin' here"

"Never mind that now, Hagrid!"

Harry also realized that something was off with Hagrid. He asked anxiously, "What happened, Hagrid? Where are you going?"

Faced with the questioning of the two, Hagrid's expression was hesitant. But under Harry's repeated urging, he carefully looked back to make sure no one was there. Hagrid wiped the sweat from his forehead and said nervously in a low voice, "Phew— you guessed right, something went wrong!"

Panic was evident in Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He said, panting, "Professor Watson just secretly sent me a message. A dragon, oh, the one Hermione is supposed to face, is in an unusual state!"

At this moment, many thoughts flashed through Harry's mind. What's going on? Is it related to Hermione again?!

"What's wrong with that dragon? Speak clearly, Hagrid!" Sirius said sternly.

"They... I mean Charlie and his group of dragon handlers; they fed the dragons several potions to restore their energy. Before that, they used a sedative to put the dragons to sleep. The other three all woke up smoothly."

Hagrid said, panting heavily, "Only the Chinese Fireball that Hermione is supposed to face remains asleep. Charlie and Professor Watson examined it and think that someone fed this Chinese Fireball an overdose of paralyzing potion, which reacted with the sleeping potion, causing the Chinese Fireball to be unable to wake up."

Paralyzing potion... A Potion!

Harry's face turned pale, and Snape's name immediately popped into his head.

"Then what are you going for, Hagrid?" Sirius frowned heavily. "What does this have to do with you... I mean, if Charlie and Bryan need someone who understands potions, shouldn't they go to Snivellus?"

"Oh, that's where the problem lies--"

Hagrid still couldn't overcome his nervousness, and the sweat on his forehead was endless.

"Charlie said that during this time, they have been inseparable from the dragons. Even at night, someone would keep watch. They haven't seen any strangers approach the dragons, let alone feed them medicine. Only I--"

Hagrid gulped down a mouthful of saliva, looking like he was facing a great disaster.

"Only I have been responsible for providing food to the dragons--"

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