Chapter 101: Not having to attend Potions Class is really—yokatta!
"Hode, who on earth put my name into the Goblet of Fire?"
As the two walked back, Harry couldn't help but ask.
"You'll know once you've finished the competition."
—Gryffindor Common Room.
"Hode! Hode! Hode!"
As soon as the two entered, they heard the Gryffindorstudents chanting Hode's name in the Common Room.
"Look! They're back!"
Everyone looked toward the doorway, where a helpless-looking Hode and an embarrassed-looking Harry stood together.
The Weasley Twins were the fastest; in the blink of an eye, they reached the two and slung their arms around their shoulders.
"We Gryffindors have two champions! Praise the great Gryffindor!"
Everyone: "Gryffindor!"
Seeing everyone cheering, Hode joined in the fun.
"Brothers and sisters, welcome your king!"
As Hode spoke, he jumped onto a table, conjured a bottle of champagne, and began spraying it.
Looking at the partying crowd, Harry only felt that he didn't belong here.
But every time he tried to leave, someone would put a hand on his shoulder and hand him a Butterbeer, acting as if they wouldn't let him go unless he drank.
Helpless, Harry could only drink one cup after another, but they still weren't satisfied. They kept asking Harry how he had put his name into the Goblet of Fire and how he had crossed the Age Line.
"I don't know, I didn't!"
Harry repeated it over and over, but no one was willing to believe him.
Even Ron refused to talk to him, believing that Harry had abandoned him and secretly entered his own name. Only Neville and Hermione believed Harry.
Harry didn't know how long he was held up by the crowd, with bottle after bottle of Butterbeer being poured down his throat. He only knew that in the end, it was Hode who brought him back to the dormitory.
"So how exactly did Harry become a champion? Did he ask you to help put it in?"
Ron looked at the sleeping Harry and turned to look at Hode.
"You trust Harry too little. He keeps saying he didn't, and I'm tired of hearing it, yet you still don't believe him. Ron, Harry truly considers you a friend."
Hode cleaned his ear, patted Ron on the shoulder, and then moved back into his suitcase.
Ron: Did I really misunderstand Harry...
The next day—
Harry opened his eyes dizzily and found Ron sitting on his bed, reading a book for once.
"Hey, Ron."
Hearing Harry's voice, Ron put down the book in his hand and apologized to Harry.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I thought you knew how to cross the Age Line but wouldn't tell me. Then Hode's words woke me up. I'm sorry for not trusting you."
Hearing Ron's apology, Harry smiled happily.
"Thanks for trusting me, Ron!"
The two of them made up once again.
"Ron, what book are you reading? I've never seen you take the initiative to read a book before!"
Ron scratched his head in embarrassment, "It's a book about the Triwizard Tournament. I wanted to see if I could help you."
"Thanks, Ron."
The two of them arrived at the Great Hall. As soon as Draco saw Harry, he immediately ran over.
"Potter! That's not cool! How did you cross the Age Line? Tell your dad quickly."
"I didn't, it wasn't me, I don't know!" Harry was already adept at using his three-piece denial.
"Exactly! Harry said he doesn't know, so he doesn't know. Besides, even if Harry did know, he wouldn't tell a naturally evil Slytherin like you!"
"Ha?! I think you're asking for a beating, Weasley."
"Heh, I'll be the one winning this time! I'm going to strip off all your scales!"
Harry sighed helplessly. These two—if they didn't bicker upon meeting, Merlin himself would rise from the dead.
"Alright, Ron, let's hurry up and eat breakfast. I'm starving to death right now."
As Harry spoke, he pulled Ron along with one hand to the Gryffindor table.
Meanwhile, students from the other houses began to whisper among themselves when they saw Harry.
They had no objections to Hode becoming a champion, but why did Harry have to be added as well!
This made the other houses feel very unbalanced, especially Hufflepuff.
They believed Cedric was much stronger than Harry. If there was to be a fourth champion, then Cedric was well-deserving of it.
Slytherin and Ravenclaw also felt that whoever it was, it shouldn't be another Gryffindor.
Of course, the Gryffindor students felt it was only natural. After all, they were the brave Gryffindor! Having two champions was perfectly normal.
Then, Harry felt as if he had returned to his second year, with the vast majority of people looking at him with strange eyes, seemingly believing he was a cheat.
However, Harry was already used to it. At least it was much better than being treated as the culprit behind the petrification of his classmates in his second year.
By Friday, Harry's parents and godfather had all sent him letters.
James and Lily's letter expressed deep worry for Harry, but they also supported and believed in him.
Sirius's letter, on the other hand, was full of praise for Harry, believing that Harry would definitely shine brilliantly in the tournament.
They also all said they would definitely make it to the venue on the day of Harry's competition.
Looking at the two letters, the tension and anxiety in Harry's heart gradually faded.
Yes, he had already become a champion; that was an unchangeable fact! So he had to shine brightly enough in the competition to make his parents and godfather proud of him!
In Potions Class—
Although Snape no longer spat venom at Harry, he spat it at others instead.
First and foremost were Ron and Neville.
"Mr. Weasley, would you mind telling your poor Potions Class Professor what on earth you have made?"
"And you—Mr. Longbottom, I have never seen such a potion! Are you planning to poison your poor Professor to death?"
Just then, Colin Creevey knocked on the classroom door and opened it.
Then Colin said tremulously, "Professor... I need to take Hode and Harry upstairs..."
Snape frowned, "There is still an hour left before class ends!"
"Professor Snape, Mr. Barty Crouch wants them to go over. He said there are some things concerning the champions to be done."
Hearing Colin's words, Ron and Neville both looked at the two with faces full of envy. They truly wanted to escape from here!
Hode stood up to leave, thoroughly bored, and dragged Harry along by his collar.
"Not having to attend Snape's class is really—yokatta!"
Harry laughed exaggeratedly, "How was that, Hode? Did my imitation sound like you?"
Harry had seen Hode make this face before, and under the current circumstances, he felt it fit the phrase perfectly.
"It was alright."
Beside them, Colin was dumbfounded.
Is Harry Potter really The Savior? Why do I feel like he's a bit of an 'Einstein' (idiot)?
The three of them quickly arrived at their destination.
It was an empty classroom. At this moment, the desks and chairs in the classroom had been pushed to the back, with only a few stools placed in the front.
Ludo was sitting in the middle, while Krum and Fleur sat on either side.
At this moment, Ludo was chatting with a witch dressed in magenta robes.
Chapter 102: Checking Wands
"Haha! The two champions are here!" Ludo stood up immediately.
Then he explained to a bewildered Harry, "Don't worry, we called you here to check your Wands. After all, during the tournament, you can only use your Wands, so we must inspect them thoroughly to ensure nothing goes wrong when the time comes!"
Next, Ludo pointed to the witch beside him.
"She is Rita Skeeter, the chief editor of The Daily Prophet."
"Hello, the two Gryffindor champions. I wonder if I could do a quick interview with you?"
Hode ignored Rita and sat straight down in a chair, and Harry prepared to follow Hode's lead, but was grabbed by Rita.
"Hey! Let go of me."
Harry frowned. For some reason, he just loathed this person from the bottom of his heart.
"Don't be afraid, Harry Potter. I just want to do a brief interview so my readers can see the great Savior."
"Behave yourself!"
Rita turned around at the sound and found Hode looking at her expressionlessly, as if looking at an ant.
"I know you, Hode Dumbledore Grindelwald! I heard about you before..."
"I don't want to say it a third time. Quiet!"
Rita's words were cut off by Hode. Ludo, being highly observant, immediately tugged at Rita's clothes and whispered a warning.
"Stop making a scene, Rita!"
Rita was instantly indignant. She had heard that in his second year, Hode had transformed into a dragon larger than Hogwarts!
But as a reporter, she was convinced that this was just Hode or Dumbledore building up hype for him. That dragon was fake, surely some kind of projection technology!
As for the surnames Dumbledore and Grindelwald, she was even less afraid! After all, she had targeted Dumbledore so many times in her articles, and he hadn't dared to do anything about it.
Besides, she was an Animagus; once she turned into a beetle, no one could detect her. What could Hode possibly do to her?
Looking at Hode, who showed her such disrespect, Ritaresolved to ruin his reputation. She would also turn into a beetle to spy on Hode's secrets.
While Rita was lost in her fantasies, she had no idea that Hode had already used Legilimency to read her thoughts.
Hode hadn't expected this woman to not only be ugly but also so foolish.
Then, without saying another word, Hode simply snapped his fingers. Instantly, Rita's eyes began to lose their luster; she had been controlled by Hode.
It wasn't that he didn't want to kill her, but controlling someone often yielded far more benefits than killing them.
Before long, Dumbledore, the other two Headmasters, and Ollivander walked in.
"It seems everyone is here. Now, allow me to introduce Mr. Ollivander."
Dumbledore said to the champions, "He will be examining your Wands to ensure they won't cause any issues during the tournament."
Karkaroff glanced at Hode and immediately lowered his head; he no longer had any idea how to win the Triwizard Tournament.
Now he could only hope that Krum would at least take second place, which would still be respectable.
"Miss Delacour, you first, please," Mr. Ollivander said, stepping into an open space in the middle of the room.
Fleur Delacour walked gracefully toward Mr. Ollivanderand handed him her Wand.
"Yes," he whispered. "Nine and a half inches, rosewood, and... what's this?!"
"A Veela hair, yes. It's my grandmother's hair," Fleurexplained.
Harry also had a look of sudden realization. No wonder he and Ron had found her somewhat familiar; it turned out Fleur was a part-Veela.
Next was Krum. Ollivander took the Wand and examined it.
"hornbeam, Dragon Heartstring." He glanced at Krum.
"Ten and a quarter inches, well-maintained."
He then returned the Wand to Krum, and next it was Harry's turn.
"Ah! I am all too familiar with this Wand, as if it were only yesterday... Harry, you have maintained it very well." Ollivander didn't say much else, simply returning it to Harry after a brief inspection.
Harry nodded and let out a sigh of relief.
If Ollivander had mentioned that his Wand and Voldemort's were twins, he would probably have to hear some bizarre rumors again.
Things like Harry Potter being Voldemort's Heir! Or Harry Potter being Voldemort's illegitimate son or something.
Just thinking about it gave him a headache, one even more intense than the pain Voldemort caused in his scar.
Finally, it was Hode's turn, and Ollivander took his Wand.
"laurel, Dragon Heartstring, thirteen inches, choosing only an exceptionally powerful Wizard. It seems you have maintained it very well, Mr. Hode."
Harry thought: Of course it is, I've barely ever seen Hodeuse it.
In Harry's memory, apart from teaching Hermione and using his Wand when facing a respectable opponent, Hodewould usually just wave his hand or snap his fingers in any other situation.
"There are no issues with the Wands of the four champions."
Once Ollivander returned the Wand to Hode, Dumbledoreclapped his hands.
Dumbledore said, "Thank you for your hard work, Ollivander. And as for you all, you may head to the Great Hall for dinner now, as the other students will be finishing their classes soon."
"Wait a moment, Dumbledore. Let's take a group photo!" Bagman shouted excitedly.
Dumbledore nodded in agreement upon hearing this, and then sat down in chairs alongside Karkaroff and Madame Maxime.
However, because Madame Maxime was so tall, it looked quite asymmetrical.
In the end, they decided to have Madame Maxime sit while everyone else stood beside her.
Hode and the other champions stood beside their respective Headmasters, with Ludo standing at the very edge.
Controlled by Hode, Rita took out her camera and captured the moment.
Once everything was over and everyone had left, Dumbledore looked at Hode.
"Did you put Rita under your control?"
"It couldn't be helped. If I didn't control her, heaven knows what she would write. Though, in that article she wrote about the International Confederation of Wizardsconference, I particularly enjoyed the part where she described you as a rigid old madman."
Dumbledore smiled. "I quite liked that part too."
Over the next few weeks, with the help of Ron, Neville, and Draco, Harry trained diligently and systematically.
Although he couldn't compare to Hode, he absolutely couldn't yield second place to Krum and Fleur.
Even though they didn't know what the first task would be, learning more magic could never go wrong.
As the first task drew closer day by day, Harry had never felt so nervous and anxious.
Even his very first Quidditch match hadn't made him this tense.
Meanwhile, The Daily Prophet's coverage this time was quite normal, simply introducing the champions and attaching a photo of them.
However, the only thing Harry was unhappy about was that he looked the shortest in the photo.
It couldn't be helped; after all, he and Hode were the youngest, but Hode was a full head taller than him, making him look far too small.
It was the weekend, and Harry, Ron, and Neville planned to visit Hogsmeade to relax.
However, Harry came wearing his Invisibility Cloak, since he didn't want to walk around under the strange stares of others.
"Look! It's Hagrid!"
From a great distance, they spotted Hagrid's massive frame.
They walked over and found Hagrid and Moody sitting in the The Three Broomsticks, drinking mead.
"Hi, Hagrid, Professor Moody."
Hagrid and Moody turned around and spotted Ron and the others.
"Hi, Little guys, where's Harry?"
"Excellent Invisibility Cloak, Harry."
Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and looked at Moodycuriously.
"Can you see me?!"
"Yes, I can."
"Cool! You're the third person to see through the Invisibility Cloak, besides Hode and Dumbledore."
"What? Want this ability? I recall Hode's Alchemy skills are terrifyingly good. You could ask him for one—you'd just need to gouge out one of your own eyes and replace it."
Hearing Moody's words, Harry shook his head repeatedly. He certainly didn't want that; just thinking about it made him hurt.
Just then, Hagrid leaned down and whispered to Harry, "Harry, get Hode and come to my cabin at midnight tonight. Remember to wear your Invisibility Cloak."
Chapter 103 Dragons
"So... why did Hagrid ask you and me to go find him in the middle of the night?"
At night, Harry came into the suitcase and told Hode every word of what Hagrid had said.
"Wait a moment, Harry."
At this moment, Hode had his hands clasped together, while Hermione was sitting aside, protecting herself with Protego Totalum.
Harry was somewhat puzzled, only to see Hode chant:
"Nine Ropes, Polarized Light, Crow Shrine of Declaration, Between Front and Back! Hollow Technique — — Purple!"
Accompanied by Hode's words, a purple sphere of light was growing larger at a speed visible to the naked eye.
When the chant finished, Hode flicked his finger!
The purple Purple flew out instantly, flying straight toward the center of the three-kilometer-long lake inside the suitcase.
"Boom——"
Accompanied by the explosion of Purple, a huge shockwave came over, almost knocking Harry down, and the entire lake was blown apart, the lake water blasted into the sky and then falling all around.
Harry was drenched by this rain. "Merlin's white silk, this power is way too immense!"
Harry exclaimed while casting a drying charm on himself.
"It's alright, it just requires chanting the incantation, otherwise the power wouldn't be this great."
Hode said casually, as if he didn't care at all about the magic just now.
"Hagrid calling us over is just to tell us the content of the first task."
"The content of the first task?! How does Hagrid know?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Being able to let Hagrid know means it definitely has something to do with Magical Creatures."
Hearing Hermione's words, Harry suddenly understood.
"I see. But what kind of Magical Creature could it be? Hode, don't you know how to make a Prophecy?"
"Won't you find out when the time comes? Don't panic, Harry."
Harry: Of course you're not panicking. If I had your strength, I'd stop eating beef right away.
Waiting like this until past eleven o'clock, Harry was too nervous to stay put any longer.
Thus, Hode helplessly brought Harry to teleport to the entrance of Hagrid's Hut.
"You're here, Harry, Hode?" Hagrid said in a low voice.
Opening the door, he saw Hode holding Harry by the back of his collar.
At this moment, Hagrid was wearing the suit that Hodehelped modify, and his hair and beard were also meticulously groomed.
Hagrid looked around and then immediately urged, "Quickly put on the Invisibility Cloak, and then follow me."
"Why do we need to wear the Invisibility Cloak?"
Just as Harry wanted to ask, Hode snatched the Invisibility Cloak from Harry's hand and draped it over Harry's head. Then he turned invisible himself.
"Follow me." Then Hagrid walked toward the carriage of Beauxbatons.
"What is Hagrid trying to do?" Harry, wearing the Invisibility Cloak, said to the air. He knew Hode must be listening clearly.
"Of course he's going to find Madame Maxime. Why else would Hagrid dress himself up so exquisitely."
The two followed behind Hagrid until Hagrid knocked on the door of the carriage.
Madame Maxime opened the door, a silk shawl draped over her immensely wide shoulders. As soon as she saw Hagrid, she smiled slightly.
"Ah, Hagrid, is it time?"
"Good evening," Hagrid said, looking at her with a smile while extending a hand to help her down the steps.
Then Hagrid extended his arm, and Madame Maximelinked her arm through his, the two walking toward the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
"Is Hagrid really going to tell us the content of the first task? Why do I feel like he's purely here on a date?"
Harry couldn't help but doubt, and Hode kicked Harry in the butt with one foot.
"Just follow along quietly."
Just like that, the two Half-Giants walked in front, while Harry and Hode secretly followed behind.
After walking for a while, Harry heard some commotion.
It was multiple adult males shouting, and then immediately followed by a deafening roar!
That sound reminded him of Hode's Jumang and Norbert.
Harry swallowed hard, thinking: It couldn't be a Dragon... No, definitely not!
Harry began to hypnotize himself, as if only this could give him peace of mind.
Soon, several people bypassed the bushes, and then Harrysaw a scene that shocked him.
Dragons!
Four Dragons were trapped in cages, bursts of flames spewing from their mouths, illuminating the night sky of the Forbidden Forest.
Their necks were held high, their mouths reaching a height of fifty feet from the ground.
"Hey! Hagrid, don't get close! Damn it, the two of us have to use Stupefy together."
Harry noticed the person speaking was very familiar.
It was the second oldest of the Weasleys, Charlie Weasley! And then there were over thirty Wizards.
Together they used Stupefy on the four Dragons, finally coaxing them to sleep.
"I didn't expect you to bring her along too, Hagrid."
Charlie walked up to Hagrid and frowned, then looked at Madame Maxime, who was walking toward the Dragons.
"The champions can't know the content of the task in advance! She will definitely tell!"
"I think she's just curious about the Dragons," Hagridshrugged, his gaze still staring infatuatedly at the giant beasts.
"That really is a romantic date... Hagrid." Charlie shook his head helplessly.
"Can you tell me what breeds they are?" Hagrid's eyes were full of Dragons, not even casting another glance at Madame Maxime.
"Of course, this is a Hungarian Horntail," Charlieintroduced.
"The smaller one over there is a Common Welsh Green Dragon, that silvery-blue one is a Swedish Short-Snout, and the red one is a Chinese Fireball."
"Merlin's diapers! Our first task couldn't possibly be about Dragons, right?! People are really going to die from this!"
Harry, wearing the Invisibility Cloak, hid aside and grumbled softly.
Aside from Hode, Harry didn't think anyone could defeat a Dragon before graduation.
"What are you afraid of? They definitely won't make you fight the Dragon. At most, they'll just make you snatch something from the Dragon or something."
Hode spoiled the plot from the side, then grabbed Harry's Invisibility Cloak and instantly teleported.
Before leaving, he also knocked unconscious Karkaroff who had been secretly following Hagrid and the other.
Returning to the Gryffindor Common Room, Ron was sitting on the sofa snoring.
"Ron... Ron! Wake up quickly, why are you sleeping here?"
Ron was slapped awake by Harry, then scratched his head.
"I was waiting for you guys. So did Hagrid look for you because of the Triwizard Tournament?"
"That's right! Do you know what I saw?"
Harry held up four fingers.
"Four fifty-foot-tall giant Dragons!"
Ron widened his eyes, looking at Harry in disbelief.
"What do you mean four Dragons?! Has the Ministry of Magic gone mad? Is this something a student can handle?"
Harry shook his head. "Hode said it's just making us take something away from the Dragon."
"But that's still so difficult! What can that Wand of yours do? Pick the Dragon's teeth?"
Then Harry and Ron began to analyze, trying to think of some magic that could help Harry deal with the Dragon.
As for Hode, he returned to the bedroom inside the suitcase, where Hermione was lying on the bed looking at her phone.
"What are you doing?"
Hode made a big jump and collapsed beside Hermione.
"I'm watching a dance tutorial. Aren't we supposed to dance for Christmas? Although I know a little, I still want to learn a bit more. And I seem to remember you don't know how to dance."
"Who says so? When the time comes, I'll shock the whole audience with a move of Subject Three!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Be serious! After you finish the first task, I'll teach you how to dance."
Chapter 104: Moody's Training
On Monday, Harry, Ron, and Neville were walking toward the Greenhouse.
"Potter! Come with me! You two go on to class."
Moody suddenly popped out, grabbed Harry's hand, and without another word, led him toward his office.
Ron and Neville looked at each other, both seeing the bewildered look in the other's eyes.
Ron: "Will Harry be okay?"
Neville: "No way, Moody is an Auror, he shouldn't be a villain."
"Often, these seemingly good guys are the most likely to be villains! Don't forget our first and second-year Professors!"
Ron retorted loudly, seemingly thinking that Moody might be someone in disguise.
Hode: Impressive, you actually almost guessed right.
Harry followed him forward, his heart filled with anxiety, not knowing what would happen next.
Of the three Defense Against the Dark Arts Professors Harry had primary contact with, one was possessed by Voldemort, one was a fraud who frequently used the Memory Charm on others, and the last one, Professor Lupin, was okay, but he was also a Werewolf.
Harry worried if Moody would pull something even bigger on him this time.
Entering Moody's office, Moody pushed Harry down into a chair and then sat opposite him.
"So—you know about the Dragon, don't you?"
Hearing Moody's words, Harry felt a bit nervous.
"Don't be afraid. Cheating is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament."
"I didn't," Harry said clearly. "I—I found out by accident."
Moody grinned. "I'm not blaming you, child. I told Dumbledore from the start that he could play the gentleman all he liked, but I'll bet Karkaroff and Madame Maxime aren't so detached. They'll tell their champions everything they can. They want to win. They want to beat Dumbledore. They want to prove he's only human."
Hearing Moody's words, Harry was somewhat shocked.
He hadn't expected Professor Dumbledore to be so noble and charming, which made him think of Hode.
Hode and Dumbledore were really alike; both were the kind of people whose presence made one feel at ease, and they were never surprised by anything, as if everything was within their expectations.
"So... have you thought about how you're going to get past your Dragon?" Moody asked.
Harry nodded, and then shook his head.
"I've learned some very powerful magic from Hode, but I don't know if it can deal with a Dragon."
"Since Hode taught you, then there's no problem. Now, I'm going to teach you some practical combat experience."
With that, Moody took Harry to the Room of Requirement, and then Moody thought to himself: I want a room where I can practice all kinds of magic.
The door of the Room of Requirement slowly opened.
After entering, Moody drew his Wand. "Come on, Harry, let me see what you've got."
Harry looked at Moody, who was ready at any moment, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his lips.
"A Legend Auror training me? It looks like I can really enjoy myself this time!"
————
"Uh—ah!"
Accompanied by a miserable cry, Harry fell heavily to the ground. The Wand that was originally in his hand was now in Moody's hand.
"Hmm, not bad! I really didn't expect you to be so strong! You're already comparable to some Aurors."
Moody praised Harry, his eyes full of appreciation for him.
This child was simply a natural Auror! And Harry was only in his fourth year now! His future achievements would surely surpass his own.
Thinking of this, Moody immediately asked, "Harry, what are your plans after graduation?"
Harry stood up from the ground, stumped by Moody's question.
"Uh... I haven't thought that far ahead..."
"Then how about becoming an Auror after you graduate? You have great talent."
"An Auror..."
Harry thought about it. The only Auror he was familiar with was Moody in front of him; he didn't know much about others, at most adding Tonks, whom Lupin liked.
He actually thought the profession of Auror was quite cool, just a bit dangerous. But Harry thought about it, with a friend like Hode around, it seemed he really might not die.
So Harry said, "I have to discuss it with my parents and godfather."
"Of course, you indeed have to talk to them about this kind of thing."
Moody nodded, then threw Harry's Wand back to him.
"Then let's continue! You must know that a Dragon won't show you any mercy."
"Alright!"
After that, the two kept sparring, even having lunch inside the Room of Requirement, practicing like this until evening.
Harry collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, covered in wounds.
Although he was in a wretched state, Harry was still quite happy because some wounds had also appeared on Moody's body.
Moody took two bottles of Potion from his bag and threw one to Harry.
"Drink it, the wounds will heal very quickly."
Hearing this, Harry did not hesitate and drank it in one gulp.
Very bitter, that was Harry's first impression. It was like drinking bitter gourd juice, but the wounds on his body began to stop hurting.
"That's about enough. With your current strength, you are fully worthy of the title of champion."
Moody's magical eye stared at Harry, his heavily scarred face looking a bit terrifying.
"I know your parents and godfather are coming tomorrow. You really want to show off in front of them, don't you?"
Harry nodded, and Moody smiled slightly.
"Then let them see how powerful you are!"
Hearing Moody's encouragement, the originally nervous Harry felt like he was bound to win.
Walking out of the Room of Requirement, Harry went to the Great Hall to eat.
Although it was evening, there were quite a few students in the Great Hall.
In particular, he saw Krum with a gloomy face (though it was always gloomy), clutching his fork tightly, his whole body even visibly trembling.
Harry guessed that Karkaroff had already told Krum about the Dragon, which was why he was so nervous.
After all, it was a Dragon; he figured no one but Hodewouldn't be afraid, and the Triwizard Tournament could really kill people.
Thinking this way, Harry suddenly realized that Krumwasn't all that impressive, at least he wasn't as nervous as him right now.
Around Krum were Durmstrang students, as well as some Slytherin girls who were looking at Krum with faces full of admiration.
Krum turned his head and spotted Harry. So he put down his fork and walked straight toward Harry.
"Harry Potter, do you know about the first task?"
Harry was somewhat puzzled. Why was Krum asking him this question? Was he trying to tell him? No, absolutely impossible.
"I don't know. Do you?"
Harry put on a bewildered look, as if he really didn't know.
"Heh, ignorance really is bliss."
Krum laughed mockingly, then left without looking back.
Harry: Ignorant my ass, I knew before you did, you're the ignorant one!
Krum didn't know Harry's inner thoughts. Seeing Harry so calm and collected, he thought Harry either had a way to deal with the Dragon or knew nothing at all.
That was why he had asked Harry, but seeing Harry's expression, Krum assumed Harry knew nothing, which explained why he wasn't nervous.
Chapter 105: I'll Win!
After Krum left, Harry rolled his eyes and sat down at the Gryffindor table to eat dinner.
After all, having trained all day, he was starving.
After eating, Harry returned to his dormitory.
Ron and Neville were reading books about Dragons, seemingly trying to help Harry look for the weaknesses of the four Dragons.
"Hey, Harry. What did Moody want with you? I didn't see you all day today."
Harry collapsed onto his bed, exhausted, and said after casting a Scourgify on himself:
"I was dragged off for training by Professor Moody. I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep first, guys."
As soon as Harry finished speaking, faint snoring sounds could be heard.
Ron and Neville exchanged a look, shrugged at each other, and then Ron turned off the dormitory lights as they went to sleep as well.
The next day.
Harry had thought he wouldn't be nervous anymore yesterday, but when the next morning arrived, he began to feel nervous again.
The first task of the Triwizard Tournament was in the afternoon, and the entire school was filled with an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation.
But this did not match the mood of Harry and the other champions; they only felt nervous and worried.
Harry couldn't help but lament: the joys and sorrows of different people are truly worlds apart.
Classes were suspended starting from noon, and the students had time to walk around the prepared large enclosure, seemingly fantasizing about becoming champions and competing in a task of unknown content here.
After lunch, Harry wanted to look for Hode.
He didn't know why he was looking for Hode either; perhaps it was to seek encouragement, or perhaps he just wanted to be near Hode to set his mind at ease.
In any case, when Harry found Hode, he was sitting on the shore of the Black Lake with Hermione, eating an ice cream sundae cradled in Hode's hands that was larger than his head!
"Yo, Harry. Are you too nervous, so you came to seek comfort from your godfather?"
Hode stopped eating and looked at Harry, who was walking over.
Harry: Although that is the case, I don't want to admit it now.
"You really aren't nervous at all, are you?"
Hode scooped another spoonful of sundae into his mouth. "What are you afraid of? If anything happens to you, I guarantee I'll bring you back to life."
Harry:...Thanks, I feel so comforted.
Hode: "Your godfather is currently keeping your godmother company. If you want comfort, go to your parents. They've already arrived at the school gates."
Hearing Hode's words, Harry instantly became excited.
"My parents are here?! I'm going right now."
Having said that, Harry ran off without stopping.
After a short while, Harry returned to Hode with James, Lily, Sirius, and Lupin.
"Haha, long time no see, Hode, Hermione," Sirius greeted the two first.
"Hode, please help Harry if he gets into danger. I'm begging you."
Lily pleaded with Hode, her face full of worry. James, standing beside her, said nothing, because Lily's words were exactly what he wanted to say.
No parent wouldn't worry about their child. When Jamesand the others heard that Harry had become a champion, their first reaction was worry.
Especially after learning that Harry's first task involved Dragons, they became even more worried about his safety.
"Don't worry, I can save him even if he dies, so it's no problem. Besides, you should also believe in Harry."
Lily nodded. "I know, of course I believe in him. You be careful too, Hode." Lily patted Hode's head.
Then Lupin also came up to Hode.
"Hode, those live-broadcast Alchemy puppets are already in place. They will start broadcasting ten minutes before the task begins."
Hode nodded. "Alright, it's about time. Let's head to the enclosure first."
As Hode spoke, he teleported the remaining bit of the sundae in his hand into Jinx's nest.
After all, Jinx also loved sweets. He wondered if Dumbledore had infected Fawkes, who then infected Jinx.
Then Hode led everyone to the temporary tent set up next to the large enclosure on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"Harry! Hode! I was just about to send someone to look for you."
McGonagall had just stepped out of the tent when she saw Hode and the others.
"And you all as well, long time no see. But now is not the time for chatting. Hode, you two get inside quickly."
McGonagall held Lily's hands tightly as she urged Hodeand Harry.
Just as Harry was about to leave, James suddenly spoke.
"Wait, Hode, Harry."
The two turned back and found everyone smiling at them.
Lily: "Good luck, we believe in you."
James: "Show them what Gryffindor is made of."
Sirius: "That's right, and let those outsiders see how powerful our Hogwarts champions are!"
Lupin: "Good luck!"
Ron: "Good luck! A mere Dragon can't stop you!"
McGonagall: "Go on! Hode, Harry."
Hermione ran up to Hode and gave him a gentle kiss.
Everyone: "Ooh~"
Hermione ignored them, smiling with a blush.
"Will you win?"
"I'll win!"
Hode's lips curled up. "Let's go, Harry."
"Alright!"
Under everyone's encouragement, Harry was no longer afraid. After all, he was carrying everyone's expectations!
As soon as the two entered the tent, they saw Fleur sitting on a wooden chair, her face pale and looking quite sickly.
Krum was also sitting on a chair, one of his legs shaking rapidly, seemingly trying to relieve stress this way.
Ludo, however, was beaming with a flushed face, forming a sharp contrast with the two.
"Oh, you're here. Well, I'll begin explaining the rules."
Upon seeing Hode and Harry, Ludo explained the rules of the first task to the four champions.
Then he pulled out a bag.
"Each of you will draw a model of a Dragon from inside. Whichever one you get, that is the Dragon you will face."
Ludo then looked at them and handed the bag to Fleur.
"So—ladies first."
Fleur tremblingly reached out her right hand and pulled a small, lifelike model of a Dragon out of the bag—it was the Common Welsh Green Dragon.
And there was a number written on the Dragon's neck: 2.
Fleur's nervous heart calmed down slightly. As long as she wasn't going first or fourth, the pressure wouldn't be too great, and the Common Welsh Green Dragon was at least better than the Hungarian Horntail.
Next was Krum, who got the Norwegian Ridgeback, number 1.
When it was Harry's turn, despite having calmed down under everyone's encouragement, he felt nervous once again.
Harry tremblingly pulled a bright red Chinese Fireball out of the bag, with the number 3 written on it.
"Phew—"
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't the most dangerous Hungarian Horntail, it was fine. He'd leave that one for Hode to play with; only Hode could handle it anyway.
Hode snapped his fingers, and the model of the Hungarian Horntail appeared in his hand.
"Since you've all got yours, I must leave now to provide commentary for the audience. When the whistle blows, Krum, you walk out onto the field."
Having said that, Ludo trotted off happily.
Chapter 106: Firestorm!
Now, only the four champions waiting for the tournament remained in the tent.
Harry looked at the model of the Chinese Fireball in his hand, and his mind began to recall information about it and how to deal with it.
Fleur came to Hode's side. "Aren't you nervous? That's a Dragon! And you drew the most ferocious one, the Hungarian Horntail!"
Hode held up a finger and said with a smile, "When you are strong enough, a Dragon is just a toy to have fun with."
Hearing Hode's words, Fleur didn't know what to say.
Was it confidence, arrogance, or perhaps ignorance?
Fleur sighed helplessly; she shouldn't have started a conversation with Hode in the first place.
At this moment, Krum stood up, seemingly so nervous that he began trying to distract himself.
He began pacing around, as if that was the only way to make himself feel a bit better.
But soon, a whistle blew. It was time for Krum to enter the arena!
Harry and Fleur looked at Krum, only to see his face look even paler, almost comparable to a Vampire's.
Krum took a deep breath, gripping his Wand tightly, and entered the arena.
Soon, thunderous cheers echoed from outside. Harry and Fleur were curious, but mostly nervous.
Hode looked at the two of them, pulled out his phone, and opened the YinFu app.
The very first livestream on it was a live broadcast of the Triwizard Tournament.
Harry and Fleur also noticed Hode's actions and walked over to his side.
On the screen, Krum pointed his Wand at the Norwegian Short-Snout and hit it with the Conjunctivitis Curse.
But the Short-Snout didn't seem affected much; instead, it flew straight toward Krum.
Quick-witted and agile, Krum immediately started running, casting Expulso to kick up a storm of dust and rock around him.
Krum took this opportunity to run toward the Golden Egg, but he was blocked by the Short-Snout, which had spotted him.
After more than twenty minutes of dodging and weaving—during which Krum's left hand was burned by a blast of Dragon fire, and if it had been just a bit further to the right, a champion would likely have died in the first task—
Krum finally managed to get the Golden Egg, and the stands erupted in warm applause.
The viewer count in the livestream room had already reached over two hundred thousand, and the comments in the chat were moving too fast to keep up with.
Next, it was Fleur's turn to pace around restlessly, and Harry didn't know how to comfort her.
Ten minutes later, the arena had been cleared. The whistle blew again; it was Fleur's turn to go.
Fleur took a deep breath and entered the arena. Now, only Hode and Harry, the two Hogwarts champions, were left.
Harry looked back at the livestream. Fleur's approach was different from Krum's.
Fleur first cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself to turn invisible, then used Transfiguration to conjure a sheep in the distance to distract the Common Welsh Green Dragon.
Once the Dragon's attention was drawn to the sheep, Fleurimmediately ran toward the Golden Egg.
But the Dragon seemed to sense something and immediately returned to its nest, forcing Fleur to stop.
The Common Welsh Green Dragon sniffed the air, looked toward Fleur's position, and immediately spat a burst of fire.
Fortunately, she dodged in time and didn't get injured like Krum.
Realizing her initial plan hadn't worked, Fleur used Avis to start harassing the Dragon.
She then used various Transfiguration spells to alter the terrain and, just like Krum, kicked up a storm of dust to block the Dragon's line of sight.
After more than ten minutes of maneuvering, Fleur finally got the Golden Egg, though she sustained some minor injuries.
Hearing the cheers from outside, Harry finally realized something.
"Holy crap, it's my turn?!"
Harry could feel his heart pounding wildly, so loudly that even the cheers outside couldn't drown it out, as if it might leap out of his chest at any moment.
Fortunately, Hode was right beside him; surely he could pop Harry's heart back in if it did.
"Don't panic, Harry. Your family is watching. You are stronger than them; show them what The Savior is made of."
Hode patted Harry on the shoulder.
Harry: "Yeah!"
Another ten minutes passed, and the whistle blew once more.
Harry walked to the exit of the tent.
Hode asked from behind, "Will you win?"
"I will win!" Harry Potter declared his victory speech!
As Harry entered the arena, he realized just how deafening the cheers actually were.
Harry looked toward the spectator stands, trying to find his parents.
"Harry! Harry! Over here!"
Harry thought he heard his godfather's voice and looked toward Dumbledore's side.
At the judges' table sat the three Headmasters, including Dumbledore, as well as Barty.
Krum and Fleur sat behind their respective Headmasters, in what seemed to be seats reserved exclusively for the champions.
Ludo was positioned in front of the judges' table, apparently acting as the commentator, with Fudge, the Minister for Magic, right beside him.
And right next to Dumbledore were his parents and the others. James, Lily, Sirius, and Lupin were all waving and shouting to him.
Seeing them, Harry suddenly felt that he was no longer afraid of any Dragon.
Looking at the surrounding crowd, Harry had heard that there were seats for at least five thousand people, not including the standing Wizards.
Many officials from the Ministry of Magic, various Pure-blood families, and nearly every Wizard in England had tried to come and watch the match.
Then, Harry gripped his Wand tightly and looked at the Chinese Fireball.
"Come on! I can't do any worse than the first two!"
"Roar—"
The Fireball let out a roar, and fire began to gather in its mouth.
"Release!"
With a powerful sweep of his Wand, Harry sent an invisible slash that cut the Fireball's right wing.
But because the Dragon's magic resistance was so high, it only left a half-meter gash on its wing.
However, it did affect the Fireball's flight and interrupted its charge.
Harry's strike completely enraged the Dragon, and the Fireball immediately unleashed a fierce torrent of fire.
Harry hastily cast Protego Totalum, struggling to hold back the flames.
James and the others next to Dumbledore looked at Harrywith deep worry, their hearts leaping into their throats.
Fortunately, the flames did not last too long before the Fireball stopped spewing fire.
The most terrifying thing about the Chinese Fireball was its charged fire; its flame temperature was the highest and most powerful of all Dragons.
Taking advantage of the Fireball's recovery window, Harryimmediately went on the attack.
The Fireball, meanwhile, chose to charge at Harry while spitting fire.
The Wizard and the Dragon began dodging and weaving around each other.
A few minutes later, Harry seized an opportunity, and blue lightning began to crackle from his Wand.
"Lightning Style: Chidori Sharp Spear!"
A bolt of lightning instantly struck the Fireball, and the intense high voltage made it roar in agony.
Lightning Style was a magic that Hode had developed and taught him, but because it consumed too much magic, Harry had barely ever used it.
However, since the Fireball had high magic resistance, Harry resorted to this high-power magic attack.
Although the effect was obvious, it was still not enough to defeat the giant Dragon.
The Fireball pounced violently at Harry, its six-to-seven-meter frame as terrifyingly imposing as a heavy truck.
Harry hastily cast Protego Totalum and a Shield Charm, but he was still sent flying by the Fireball's charge.
Harry rolled a couple of times upon hitting the ground before struggling back to his feet.
"That hurts like hell! Damn it, my Magic is running low too."
Harry looked toward the Fireball, and his pupils shrank instantly.
At this moment, a brilliant fire was condensing in the Fireball's mouth!
Harry had no doubt that if he were hit, he would surely die.
Moreover, he simply lacked the strength to dodge now. In this critical situation, Harry's mind raced at top speed.
Everyone watched Harry in sheer terror, and Dumbledoresilently drew the Elder Wand.
———————
"Hode, isn't this spell a bit too difficult?"
Flashing back to the start of the school year, Hode had handed a booklet to Harry and said,
"I want you to learn this move as best you can before November."
Harry had looked at it, feeling that it was impossible for him to learn such a difficult magic in just two months.
"That's why I specially upgraded Jax. Learn well from it, and practice every day!"
———————
Back in the present, Harry looked at the giant Dragonabout to spew fire, and the corners of his mouth curled up.
"Even though I've only scratched the surface, I don't care anymore! Bring it on, Dragon!"
"Roar!"
An incredibly scorching fire erupted from the Fireball's mouth, its intense high temperature sending a wave of heat crashing over all the spectators.
Harry aimed his Wand at the flames and roared at the top of his lungs!
"Fire—storm!"
Chapter 107: That's right — — Harry won!
Firestorm
is an advanced magic that allows free control of flames, but it cannot conjure flames out of thin air.
Only the strong can release flames while simultaneously using Firestorm to control them.
As for Harry now, let alone releasing fire and controlling it at the same time, even his execution of Firestorm was hit-or-miss.
If not for the emergency this time, he wouldn't even have thought of using it; now, Harry was fighting with all his might.
And precisely in this situation, Harry successfully pulled it off.
"Firestorm — —!"
Harry gathered the high-temperature flames that were originally charging at him upward.
Everyone who saw this scene was shocked.
Even Dumbledore didn't expect Harry to have learned this move; although very unfamiliar, it was still admirable.
Seeing Harry successfully block the flames, James and Lilyhugged each other in excitement.
This made Snape, who was peeking from afar, look gloomy, and then he turned his head to look at the arena, deciding that out of sight meant out of mind.
Ron, Draco, and the others were also cheering for Harry.
Hode, who was lying inside the tent, saw this scene through clairvoyance and nodded in gratification.
Then Hode used telepathy to converse with Harry, "Not bad, Harry."
"Hode?! You're in my mind?"
Harry, struggling to maintain control, exclaimed.
Hode: "Never mind that for now, you don't have much Magic left, you need to finish it off in one blow!"
"I know!"
Harry shouted, then used his remaining Magic to control the fire, which had gathered into a fireball nearly five meters large above, smashing it fiercely toward the Chinese Fireball.
The Chinese Fireball tried to resist, but it was obviously futile; facing this all-out strike, the Chinese Fireball realized how terrifying the power was and could only watch helplessly as the fireball smashed toward it.
Everyone also began to cheer for Harry.
Ron: "Go on — — Harry!"
Draco: "Show it what you're made of!"
Neville: "Let others see that you aren't someone who relies solely on fame!"
Luna: "Come on ～ Harry, come on ～ Harry!"
James, Lily, Sirius, and everyone else: "Go on!"
Hearing everyone's voices, Harry shouted loudly: "Take this! A 2.5-meter radius fireball!"
Boom — — —!
The fireball successfully hit its target, triggering a massive explosion.
The shockwave swept across everyone in the stands, while Harry on the arena was blown to the edge.
When the smoke cleared, Harry walked forward tremblingly. At this moment, the Chinese Fireball was lying on the ground, its body motionless, with only the rise and fall of its chest proving it was still alive.
Watching this scene, Ron couldn't help but speak out.
"Th... That means..."
"That's right! Harry won!" Draco added from the side.
Narrator: The strongest record, engraved in the Triwizard Tournament!
Bearing his weak body, Harry walked step by step to the nest holding the Golden Egg, then lifted the Golden Eggwith both hands.
"OHHHHHHHHHH!"
The audience shouted all at once!
This was the most exciting match they had ever seen. In the first two rounds, Fleur and Krum mainly relied on skill/strength to get the Golden Egg, whereas Harrygenuinely defeated a Dragon!
Listening to the people's cheers, the smile on Harry's lips almost split to the roots of his ears.
Then Harry looked at the Chinese Fireball lying to the side and delivered his victory speech.
"This is truly a pleasant feeling! Chinese Fireball, I think I will never forget you for the rest of my life!"
"Oh!!! Harry won!"
Lily grabbed James by the collar and shook him wildly, making James dizzy.
"That's right, Lily, Harry won! As expected of my godson!" Sirius also laughed heartily with excitement.
The Weasley Twins exchanged glances in the corner, then nodded at each other.
"Whoosh — — Pop!"
The Weasley Twins stealthily set off fireworks; a red fireball flew into the sky and then exploded.
Forming a golden-red lion, as well as Harry's appearance.
This was something they had prepared long ago; as long as Harry won, they would set it off. Of course, if Harryunfortunately met with an accident, they had another version, which was Harry's black mourning portrait.
Harry: "I thank you so much."
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Harry walked toward the judges' seating area where Fleur and Krum were located, with the two sitting behind their respective Headmasters.
Just as Harry walked up in front of Dumbledore, he smiled.
"Headmaster, I didn't disgrace Hogwarts, did I."
"Of course! Harry, you performed wonderfully."
Seeing the heartfelt pride in Dumbledore, Harry collapsed heavily into his arms.
"Harry!"
Lily immediately pushed James aside, ran to Harry's side, and began checking on him.
Dumbledore spoke to comfort them, "Harry is fine, he's just a little tired."
"That's good, that's good."
Then Lily placed Harry into the prepared champion's seat.
Moody also rushed over and poured a bottle of restorative potion into Harry's mouth.
"Cough cough — — Cough."
Harry coughed a few times, then slowly woke up.
"Mom, Dad... and Sirius, I performed pretty well, right."
Despite being covered in dirt and looking disheveled, Harrystill smiled happily.
He did not live up to their expectations; he won! And he even defeated a Dragon! Although in a real life-or-death battle, Harry would definitely lose, after all, the Chinese Fireball had to split its attention to look after its dragon egg just now.
Moreover, the Chinese Fireball had already woken up now; if not for Moody's potion, he would probably still be unconscious.
"You did wonderfully, Harry! You are our eternal pride!"
Lily lovingly wiped Harry's face with her sleeve, then kissed him on the forehead.
Ron and the others also came to Harry's side to congratulate him. Even the usually stern Moody couldn't help praising him.
Fleur looked at Harry with an expression of admiration; she hadn't expected Harry to be so strong! And he was only in his fourth year, which truly lived up to the title of The Savior!
As for Krum, his face was gloomy. He originally thought that only Fleur was his competitor for the championship, while Hode and Harry were at most minor mobs.
As a result, Harry's move directly made both him and Fleurlook like clowns.
Where is there a fourth-year Wizard who can defeat a Dragon?
Karkaroff and Madame Maxime also tightly closed their eyes.
Just let it be destroyed! If Harry is already this powerful, what about Hode, who is universally acknowledged as the strongest? Could he play with a Hungarian Horntail like a cup!
Hode: "You guys are the furries! I'm no furry lover!"
What was different from the two of them were Ludo and Dumbledore.
Ludo had opened a betting pool on Harry and Hode; he had pulled strings in France and Bulgaria just to open this pool. What he earned was from those foreigners.
As for Dumbledore, as long as you performed well enough, he would be happy. Of course, it would be even better if you were a Hogwarts student.
Ten minutes passed quickly, and Ludo pointed his Wand at his throat and shouted loudly.
"Then! Let us welcome our final contestant — — Hode Dumbledore Grindelwald!!!"
The cheers on the paddock ushered in an unprecedented outburst, so loud that it could make people temporarily deaf.
Then Ludo blew the whistle hard.
Whew — — — — —
Hode, who was browsing short videos, turned off his phone and then stood up.
Crack — — Crack — —
Hode twisted his neck and then smiled.
"It's finally my turn!"
Chapter 108: Nidhogg VS Hungarian Horntail
"Hode! Hode! Hode!"
Shouts echoed through the enclosure as everyone looked toward the champions' entrance, anticipating what a spectacular match that powerful man would bring them.
Step—step—
Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, Hode slowly walked out of the entrance.
"Ohhhhh!!!"
The cheers from the audience were endless, with every gaze focused on Hode.
Unlike the first three champions, Hode wasn't wearing robes. Instead, he wore a tight black top, perfectly showcasing the muscles he had built up over years of training.
His pants were loose-fitting joggers, the same style worn by Satoru Gojo in the Shinjuku showdown.
"When did Hode change his clothes? I just saw him wearing his school uniform earlier." Harry scratched his head, but he had to admit, Hode looked incredibly handsome in this outfit!
Especially paired with his physique, it was absolutely stunning!
The wild screams of the ladies in the audience made it obvious. Even Fleur, standing nearby, widened her eyes and stared intently at Hode.
Hermione didn't say anything. After all, with her man being so outstanding, it was normal for him to have fangirls. Besides, Hode loved her.
"Roar!"
The Hungarian Horntail watched Hode walking toward it and began to roar in anger.
"Hello there, little Horntail~ Your daddy once said that in Hogwarts, you can only be considered a—little loli~"
Hode cracked his knuckles, looking at the Hungarian Horntail before him with a mischievous grin.
Looking at the Hungarian Horntail, Harry began to recall its information.
The Hungarian Horntail is a carnivorous Dragon species, naturally ferocious, bad-tempered, covered in spikes, with bat-like wings, and capable of breathing fire up to thirty feet.
It is widely recognized as one of the most dangerous Dragon breeds!
Of course, in front of Hode, it was really no different from a toy.
Seeing that Hode had no intention of stopping, the Hungarian Horntail abandoned the dragon egg beneath its belly and charged fiercely at him.
Facing the furious Horntail, Hode simply took a light leap and landed right above its head.
Then, Hode clenched his right fist and shouted—
"Fist Impact!"
Bang!
The Horntail's head was violently smashed into the ground by Hode's fist, leaving the entire Dragon instantly dazed and disoriented.
"OHHHHHHHHH!"
Thunderous cheers erupted from the stands. They never expected that Hode would knock down the Hungarian Horntail, one of the most dangerous Dragons, with just a single punch!
Using his divine power to hover in mid-air, Hode looked at the fallen Horntail with a hint of disappointment.
"Is that all? How incredibly boring."
Hode had already held back, but he hadn't expected the Dragon to be so fragile.
"Roar—!"
As if understanding Hode's mockery, the Hungarian Horntail stood up in a rage and spat a blast of fire at him.
Just when everyone thought Hode would dodge, he merely floated in the air, letting the flames engulf him.
"What! He's not even dodging!"
Ludo shouted from the commentator's booth. He had bet his entire fortune on Hode! What he didn't know was that many local Wizards had also placed hefty bets on Hode.
Especially the Sacred Twenty-Eight; they had also placed massive bets on Hode in other countries.
So when they saw Hode get hit by the fireball, their hearts leaped into their throats.
However, they quickly breathed a sigh of relief.
Because Hode hadn't been hit at all; the fire was kept ten centimeters away from him, unable to reach him.
Then, Hode extended his right index finger, and the flames, as if being absorbed, gathered and compressed madly above his finger.
Eventually, all the flames were compressed by Hode into a tiny, dazzling orb of light, as blindingly bright as the sun in the sky.
The Hungarian Horntail was also completely dumbfounded by this sight: What do you mean you absorbed all of my fire?
"Back to you, little Horntail."
Hode pointed his index finger down at the Horntail, and the fireball at his fingertip struck it at a speed barely visible to the naked eye.
Boom—
It was another massive explosion, and the rising smoke made it impossible to see the Horntail's condition.
But they figured that with such power, the Horntail must have lost half its life.
Soon, the smoke cleared, and the Hungarian Horntail, which usually struck fear into people's hearts, now looked utterly miserable.
The fire itself didn't cause much damage to it, but the explosion left it bruised and battered all over.
The Hungarian Horntail looked at Hode in the sky with as much terror as if it were looking at a demon.
It began to flap its wings frantically, kicking up a gale that sent sand flying from the ground, forcing the spectators to close their eyes.
Then, it flew up to Hode's level, spun around, and immediately fled.
Hungarian Horntail: I'm out of here, guys! I'm out of here!
Everyone was utterly bewildered by this move.
Aren't female Dragons supposed to be extremely protective of their eggs? Why did you run away?
Watching the Horntail look back at him from time to time, Hode shook his head and smiled.
"Run? You can't outrun me, believe it or not."
With that, Hode showed a ferocious grin, and his body began to transform.
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't tell me..."
Ron swallowed hard as he watched Hode continuously transform and grow larger.
"It's just a Hungarian Horntail, is that really necessary?!"
Harry nodded in agreement. Just now, Hode was basically like an adult playing with a toddler, keeping the Horntail in the palm of his hand. There was absolutely no need to transform!
The other spectators also watched Hode in terror.
Hogwarts students in their third year and above had all witnessed the majesty of Hode transforming into Nidhogg.
That was a scene they would never forget. Even without Hode releasing his Magic, that terrifying pressure was still unforgettable, making them feel as if the apocalypse had arrived, leaving them unable to breathe.
The other lower-year students, along with those from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, had also heard about it, but they secretly remained skeptical.
After all, the idea of someone being able to transform into a ten-thousand-meter-long giant Dragon was simply too hard to believe.
"Roar—!"
Soon, Hode completed his transformation—a thousand-meter-long black Dragon appeared before everyone's eyes.
Its massive body cast a shadow over Hogwarts, and everyone could only see countless black scales, as if night had fallen.
When the Hungarian Horntail looked back and saw Nidhogg, it was scared out of its wits, flapping its wings even more frantically.
Hungarian Horntail: Faster! Faster! Don't kill me!
Hearing the Dragon's inner thoughts, Hode almost burst out laughing.
Then, Hode's nearly thousand-meter wings gave a powerful flap, and in an instant, Hode appeared right above the Horntail.
The Dragon head, dozens of meters wide, completely overshadowed the six-meter-long Horntail.
Seeing this, the Horntail already wanted to give up running.
Hungarian Horntail: 666, this guy is hacking, is no one going to do anything about it?
Hode reached out a claw, carefully holding the Hungarian Horntail in his grip, terrified that he might accidentally squeeze it into jerky if he used too much force.
Then, Hode flew back over the enclosure and tossed the Dragon in his hand downward.
Boom—
The Hungarian Horntail made zero-distance contact with the ground, kicking up an even larger cloud of dust.
But no one cared about the Horntail; instead, everyone stared unblinkingly at Hode.
That majestic body and commanding Dragon head made people want to give up all resistance with just a single glance.
And that aura of destruction radiating from him at every moment made everyone feel as though Ragnarok had arrived.
Chapter 109: I'm Truly Sorry for Failing to Fully Entertain Lord Hode
Looking at Nidhogg in the sky, many students swallowed hard.
The timid younger Wizards even began to weep softly.
Krum and Fleur also stared at Hode with looks of disbelief.
So they had been competing against such a being all this time!
Fudge was also trembling all over, genuinely terrified by that massive body.
Fudge glanced at the black dragon mark on his arm, feeling that he would never escape Hode's clutches.
Not just him; all the pure-bloods who had been marked by Hode thought the same.
Only Lucius had a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
He had bet correctly! Especially when he thought about how Draco had also become friends with Hode, he could no longer suppress his smile, commonly known as breaking composure.
Under everyone's gaze, Hode's figure slowly shifted back into human form, standing tall in the sky.
"So cool!"
Harry said in a daze, feeling that this was what a true Hogwarts champion should be like—so much better than his own performance!
Beside him, Ron also nodded in envy. Who wouldn't want to defeat a dragon like a god under the gaze of England's Wizards?
Hermione also looked at Hode with a smile, her eyes filled with love and adoration.
Hode looked back at Hermione. Their eyes met, and Hodelet out a soft chuckle.
Then Hode slowly flew down and landed on the head of the Hungarian Horntail.
By now, the Horntail was completely unconscious, covered in wounds, its wings broken, and scales scattered everywhere.
"How truly boring, Hungarian Horntail. I think I'll forget you in the next second!"
Hungarian Horntail: I'm truly sorry for failing to fully entertain Lord Hode...
Hode snapped his fingers loudly, a sound clear enough for everyone in the noisy stands to hear.
Then, the Golden Egg symbolizing victory appeared in Hode's hand. As Hode raised it—
The Weasley Twins immediately lit the fireworks.
Whoosh—Bang!
A firework pattern in the shape of a black dragon's head appeared in the sky, snapping everyone back to reality.
Then, applause slowly began to rise, growing louder and louder, followed by cheers that shook the heavens!
"Fantastic! Hode! You truly are our Hogwarts champion!"
"Good job! You are the true champion!"
...
The cheers of the crowd brought the atmosphere to its absolute peak as all the Wizards stood up to celebrate.
Watching Hode hold up the Golden Egg, Ron muttered in a daze, "Which means..."
Harry: "That's right! Hode won!"
Narrator: The strongest... Wait, no! This doesn't seem to be his strongest feat! Forget it, whatever. The strongest feat, engraved in the Triwizard Tournament!
Hode teleported to Dumbledore's side with the Golden Egg, then began to put on an exaggerated performance.
"We're all students, I didn't mean to use a 'dimensional reduction strike'!"
Harry: I've learned something new, I'll find a chance to use it next time!
Harry silently noted this phrase down in his mental notebook. Whenever Hode spoke, Harry would write down anything he thought might be useful so he could apply it later.
Hode: Pay the copyright fee, please. Thank you.
Narrator: That doesn't seem to be yours either. ←_←
Dumbledore patted Hode on the shoulder with gratification, while Hermione ran over and threw her arms around Hode.
"Did I look cool?"
Hermione buried her face in Hode's chest, her voice sounding muffled.
"Very cool!"
Hode smiled happily, then gently stroked Hermione's bushy hair.
"You're too strong, Hode!"
Ron and the others also came over to Hode's side to congratulate him. Even Fudge bowed and obsequiously tried to curry favor with Hode.
Hode glanced at Fudge, who had bent his body lower than Hode's. "Oh? You're here too, Fudge."
"Of course! How could I possibly miss your match!"
"Alright, Fudge, we are about to score the champions now."
Hearing Dumbledore's words, Fudge nodded immediately. "I understand. I won't disturb you then. I'll be off!"
With that, Fudge eagerly scurried away and walked toward the pure-blood faction.
Moody's magical eye glanced at Fudge, and he sneered.
"Well done, Hode. People like Fudge should have stepped down long ago. Now that you're in control, at least the Ministry of Magic won't completely rot away."
Moody highly approved of Hode's approach. By keeping the Pure-blood families under control, at least they wouldn't have to worry about them aiding the enemy.
"Now, let us begin scoring the champions! Let's not keep the champions and the audience waiting too long."
Dumbledore said, then looked at Krum, who had been the first to perform.
Ludo nodded, placed his Wand to his throat, and shouted.
"Now—we will score the four champions! First up is the first contestant—Viktor Krum!"
Warm applause erupted from the thousands of spectators, who were very curious about the scores each champion would receive.
First was Madame Maxime. She extended her Wand, pointing the tip upward.
A number seven, looking as if it were made of silver ribbon, emerged from the tip of her Wand.
Applause slowly rose, though it wasn't very loud.
Next was Barty, who gave Krum eight points.
Then Dumbledore also gave him eight points.
Then Ludo gave him a seven.
Finally, Karkaroff, without any hesitation, awarded a perfect ten points.
In the end, Ludo wrote down forty points next to Krum's name on the scoreboard.
Applause rang out again, though a bit louder this time; after all, the audience was quite good at livening up the atmosphere.
Then Ludo spoke again, "Next up is the second contestant—Fleur Delacour!"
The audience was very generous with their applause for Fleur, with cheers and shouts far exceeding those for Krum.
Once again, Madame Maxime scored first, and she gave Fleur a perfect ten without a doubt.
Barty, Dumbledore, and Ludo all gave Fleur eight points.
Finally, Karkaroff chose the most controversial move! He gave Fleur five points, making her total score one point less than Krum's.
"Boo—Boo—"
The spectators all jeered at Karkaroff in disdain, disgusted by his shamelessness.
Yet Karkaroff didn't care in the slightest. As long as they could win, what did shamelessness matter?
Then it was Harry's turn—
Madame Maxime gave him a high score of nine, admiring Harry for defeating the Chinese Fireball dragon.
Barty, Dumbledore, and Ludo all gave perfect scores.
But Karkaroff caused trouble again, giving Harry a mere single point.
This action undoubtedly provoked the audience's fury! First, a beverage bottle struck Karkaroff on the head. Just as he went to see who threw it, all kinds of trash came flying at him.
Karkaroff hurriedly tried to use his Wand, only to find that his magic seemed to have vanished; he couldn't cast any spell at all.
"Ouch!"
Karkaroff could only cover his head and let the trash pelt him.
Among them, James and Sirius threw with the most effort, while the Weasley Twins dealt the most damage—because they were throwing Dungbombs!
Krum wanted to step forward to help, but found himself completely unable to move.
The two of them instantly realized they were being targeted!
Meanwhile, the others watched silently, their eyes filled with expressions of "serves you right."
Finally, it was Hode's turn!
Except for Karkaroff, who was currently taking a beating, the other four judges gave perfect scores without exception!
Even before transforming, he had toyed with the Hungarian Horntail like a plaything.
After transforming, he had nearly scared the wits out of the Horntail.
When it was Karkaroff's turn, the spectators stopped their actions but still held onto their trash tightly; if Karkaroffdared to be shameless, they would gang up on him again.
After realizing his Magic had returned, Karkaroff had already guessed that it was Hode who had made it vanish.
He didn't have the guts to provoke Hode, so with a tap of his Wand, a ten appeared from its tip.
Instantly, deafening cheers erupted from the entire crowd! As the only contestant to receive a perfect score, combined with his near-invincible power, every single spectator was completely won over by Hode.
Chapter 110: End of the First Match"
"Finally, the scores of the four champions are out!"
Ludo shouted happily, using a voice that could be heard by all the spectators.
"Fourth place! It is our Beauxbatons champion — Fleur Delacour!"
Loud cheers came from the stands. In their view, Fleurshould not have been in fourth place; if it were not for Karkaroff being shameless, Krum would truly be in fourth place.
Ludo continued, "Tied for second place is the Durmstrangchampion — Viktor Krum!"
"Boo —..."
This time, the jeers from the audience drowned out the cheers, and the vast majority of people felt ashamed of the blatant favoritism of Karkaroff.
When the jeers subsided, Ludo spoke again.
"And our Hogwarts champion! The champion of The Savior— Harry Potter!"
The cheers rang out once more, and no one was unimpressed by the strength of Harry.
James even picked Harry up, held him high above his head, and shouted loudly.
"This is my son! My son Harry!"
Listening to the proud voice of James, Harry felt genuinely happy from the bottom of his heart.
Who would not want their father to proudly show them off?
Finally, Ludo shouted excitedly.
"Lastly — cheer to your hearts content for our first place! The champion from Hogwarts — Hode Dumbledore Grindelwald!"
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Almost everyone began to raise their hands and jump up and down, countless shouts rising and falling.
The Hogwarts students, as well as those graduated adults, all began to cast magic into the sky.
Lion, snake, eagle, badger! Four animal fireworks representing the Hogwarts houses appeared in the sky.
In the end, the people tacitly pieced the fireworks together into the pattern of Hogwarts.
Beauxbatons and Durmstrang also quietly applauded; they were thoroughly convinced.
Harry and Hode let them know just how powerful Hogwarts truly was.
Ludo finally spoke, "Thank you to our champions for the wonderful match, now please exit in an orderly fashion!"
Afterwards, Hode and the other three champions, along with the judges, left first and returned to the temporarily set-up tent.
"You all did well, especially Harry and Hode!"
Ludo had a jubilant expression, and at a glance, you could tell he must have made a lot of money.
"The second task will begin at nine-thirty on the morning of February twenty-fourth next year! As for the content of the match, it is inside the Golden Egg in your hands, and you must figure it out yourselves."
Harry and the others lowered their heads to examine their Golden Eggs closely. Only Hode casually tossed it, and the Golden Egg disappeared, appearing inside his suitcase.
"So next you have a long break, as well as special Christmas programs, you can enjoy them to your hearts content."
Ludo said happily, and then left with Barty.
Madame Maxime and Karkaroff also left with Fleur and Krum.
Dumbledore placed his hands on the shoulders of Hodeand Harry, looking at the two with a gratified expression.
"You guys did really great!"
"Of course, mere Triwizard Tournament, totally got it."
Hode said dismissively. Just as he said, the Triwizard Tournament was really no difficulty for Hode; he even had to hold back his strength to fight.
Harry did not say anything. He also thought he had done quite well, being at least the only one besides Hode to defeat the Dragon, something neither the two Seventh Year students Fleur nor Krum managed to do.
"Alright, they are all waiting outside! Let us go."
The three walked out of the tent, and all familiar people were gathered here.
Hermione, Ron, Neville, Draco, Luna, Weasley Twins, James, Lily, Sirius, Lupin, and the professors of Hogwarts.
Seeing Harry come out, Lily hugged him reluctantly. After everyone exchanged pleasantries, James and the others were about to leave.
Harry waved at his parents until they disappeared from sight.
"Let us go, Harry. Our Gryffindor has already prepared a surprise party! Fred and George must have taken a lot of delicious food from the kitchen!"
Ron draped his arm over the shoulders of Harry, then pulled him toward the Gryffindor Common Room.
"I am so envious of you guys! The other three houses of ours cannot even throw a celebration party."
Draco said with a melancholic expression, and Luna beside him also nodded in agreement.
"Then why do you guys not just come over."
Hode said, then took the hand of Hermione.
Leaving Harry and Ron to walk back slowly, under the Apparition of Hode, everyone arrived at the Gryffindor Common Room.
At this moment, it was already filled with various decorations and food.
Just as Ron said, the Weasley Twins had taken plenty of delicious food from the kitchen.
Tables and chairs were piled high with mountain-like cakes, along with pots of pumpkin juice and Butterbeer.
There were even several large barrels of brandy! It was said that Hagrid specifically brought them over.
"Welcome our great champion! The ruler of the world! The Black Dragon King! The new Legend! — Hode Dumbledore Grindelwald!"
Seeing Hode, the Weasley Twins immediately shouted loudly, gathering the attention of everyone onto Hode.
Hode did not hesitate either, immediately flying about a meter off the ground, then spreading his arms.
"Gryffindor, your king has returned!"
"Hode! Hode! Hode!"
The Gryffindor students also very cooperatively shouted the name of Hode.
When Harry and Ron returned to the Common Room, they saw Hode standing on a table, performing swallowing a pig in three bites! Everyone else was cheering nearby while holding Butterbeer.
Fred and George also noticed the returning Harry and immediately exchanged a smile.
Then the two picked up empty wooden mugs from the side, filled them to the brim from the barrel of brandy Hagrid gave, and ran toward Harry.
"Come and play to your hearts content, Harry!"
"Do not come over!"