Gravis: Disgusting, Pah, Absolutely Disgusting!

"Welcome! Welcome!"

Bagman's high-pitched, excited voice echoed throughout the stands:

"Welcome to the unprecedented Goblet of Fire Triwizard Tournament! It's an honor to be your commentator for this match. I'm your old friend, Ludo Bagman!"

"The First Task - retrieving the Golden Egg from the Fire Dragon!"

"Champion must retrieve the Golden Egg from beneath the five ferocious dragon mothers and escape alive! The Golden Egg contain clues to the next challenge, which means that Champion who fail to complete the task will be eliminated..."

"Oh, Dumbledore's really getting senile!" Madam Pomfrey, standing next to Professor McGonagall, huffed. "Last year it was Dementor, this year it's Fire Dragon, what are you going to bring into this school next?"

Professor McGonagall looked helpless. "Poppy, I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on them. The little ones might get hurt later."

"Injured?" Madam Pomfrey complained. "Of course they'll get injured. You're making kids who haven't even graduated face Fire Dragon. I really don't know what you were thinking..."

Professor McGonagall could not refute her, so she could only try to persuade her gently.

Bagman began his opening remarks with great enthusiasm. "... and Mr. Fontana, the four principals, Mr. Crouch. Barty Crouch of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and myself, that's all the members of the judging panel!"

Crouch rose and waved to the surroundings, finally giving a faint smile to the direction of the press corps. He then calmly sat down in the flickering incandescent light, his movements elegant and displaying the grace of the Ministry of Magic.

Dumbledore turned his gaze away from the young wizards in the stands and said softly, "I heard that you and Mr. Bagman started preparing for these projects before the Quidditch World Cup even began. Mr. Crouch, you've worked very hard..."

"It's my duty," Crouch replied softly.

"I still don't understand. Even with Harry Potter, there are only five Champion. Why prepare six Fire Dragon?" Dumbledore asked.

"This is due to a number of considerations. These Fire Dragon are all in the process of incubating their eggs, and the climate in Romania is very different from that of Hogwarts. I'm worried that the Fire Dragon might suddenly get sick or..." Crouch smiled wryly, "You know, Headmaster Dumbledore, there are always unexpected things in life."

Before the words were even finished, a violent dragon roar suddenly erupted from the paddock, several hundred feet away from the stands.

"Roar!"

The bronze-colored dragon flapped its wings, stirring up waves. The Peruvian Vipertooth rose from the ground, its long tail, covered with horns and scales, swung wildly. The tent made of wooden pillars and canvas collapsed in a breath or two, turning into broken pieces of wood and strips of cloth.

The Peruvian Vipertooth's eyes bulged out, filled with dense, terrifying red blood vessels. It appeared to have completely gone mad, wildly flailing its wings and tail, showing no regard for the dragon eggs beneath it.

Fortunately, the six Fire Dragon maintained a safe distance from each other, and the Peruvian Vipertooth's rampage did not trigger a chain reaction.

Led by Charlie, the zookeepers quickly settled the remaining Fire Dragon and bravely retrieved the dragon eggs from under the Peruvian Vipertooth.

Loren looked around. The order in the stands was relatively stable. Because the distance was far enough, the young wizards were not frightened into losing their minds. Only some of the little Witch screamed, which was painful to the ears.

On the referee's stand, Karkaroff and Maxime's hearts were pounding. Fontana glanced at Dumbledore, about to get up and help him control the rampaging Fire Dragon, when he felt a pair of hands pressing on his shoulders.

"This is a mistake by the Ministry of Magic. Leave it to me, Headmaster Fontana." Crouch patted him reassuringly.

Fontana found it strange after hearing what the Director of the International Cooperation Division said. Wouldn't it be faster and better for several people to work together? Why distinguish between the Ministry of Magic and others at this time?

Turning to look at Dumbledore, the white-bearded headmaster remained calm, his posture unchanged.

So Fontana returned to his seat and watched Crouch's performance with the other principals.

Barty Crouch, a former Aurors with extensive combat experience and a background in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, waved his wand, and a dark figure shot out, like a giant python pouncing on its prey, flying straight toward the Peruvian Vipertooth with a chilling aura.

In the blink of an eye, Crouch arrived at the accident site from the stands. He stood atop the Fire Dragon head, calmly holding his wand, his robes fluttering. He looked even more imposing than the Champion in the promotional photos. The international press corps gave him a lot of face, and the flashes of cameras never stopped.

Crouch gently waved his wand at the zookeepers, sending them off the battlefield. Crouch then turned to look at the Fire Dragon below.

The Peruvian Vipertooth the smallest known fire-breathing Fire Dragon, but the fastest in flight. Fire Dragon teeth and tail spikes are highly venomous and are the origin of the infectious Dragon Pox.

The dragon, fifteen feet long and forty feet with a wingspan, broke free from the thick chains binding it. The Fire Dragon, now in a frenzy, raised its head and roared furiously, causing the air to tremble and almost piercing the eardrums of some young wizards.

The Fire Dragon expanded its chest and inhaled, then exhaled a crimson flame that shot towards the sorcerer. The fire wave was thick and fierce, tearing through the air and carrying a hint of pungent poison.

Crouch whispered an incantation and waved his wand, an invisible Magic Power surrounding him.

The air was frozen by Magic Power, and the flames crashed straight into the invisible wall of air, only to be easily pushed aside.

The Peruvian Vipertooth struggled to breathe fire, attempting to turn the humans, who were smaller than goats and cows, into charred remains, but all its efforts were in vain.

Crouch calmly raised his wand above his head, paused briefly, and then swung it down with ease.

A dim, grayish-green spell shot out from the tip of the staff, flashing through the dragon flames and piercing into the dragon's mouth.

Beneath the giant dragon, a ring of air currents stirred up the yellow earth, which slowly spread outwards.

The flames went out abruptly.

It crumbled at the first blow.

The dragon's figure collapsed to the ground, its head falling to the ground with a dull thud. Its eyelids drooped limply, half-closed and half-open, its fate unknown.

Wow, even civilian leaders are so capable!

The initial flight technique was a variation of the Levitation Charm, the middle Transfiguration, and the final technique was a simple Repelling Charm. But is this Crouch's true strength?

Loren, who could see it clearly, clicked his tongue and said, "The Levitation Charm is really convenient for flying and staying airborne. I should have pestered Professor Flitwick to teach me this when I was learning Apparition."

Hermione nodded subconsciously, then shook her head, saying with some worry, "This Fire Dragon isn't really dead, is it? Its eyes are all bloodshot; it couldn't have suddenly gone berserk..."

Loren squinted and observed for a while, then comforted him, "The zookeepers have all rushed over to bandage and apply medicine; he should just be injured and unconscious."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

The young wizards in the stands gradually regained their senses under Professor McGonagall's reassurance, watching with admiration as Crouch flew back to the judges' stand. Some of the seventh-year students felt even more drawn to the Ministry of Magic.

On the judges' stand, Karkaroff subtly shifted his position, moving further away from Crouch.

He didn't mean anything by it; he simply rejected all the powerful figures in the Ministry of Magic, not to mention Crouch's recent strange behavior.

Maxime and Fontana laughed and praised Crouch's demeanor, saying that he shouldn't have left the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, as the dull Department of International Magical Cooperation limited his talents.

Karkaroff curled his lip. Crouch hadn't left voluntarily; it was his son Barty Jr. Crouch., Death Eater identity had been exposed, and who had been revealed to have participated in the torture of the Lumbard couple...

Having failed in his campaign for minister, he was too ashamed to continue facing the numerous Aurors in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Speaking of Barty Jr. Crouch., he's quite a character, getting ahead at such a young age...

After the group finished exchanging pleasantries, Dumbledore said with a smile, "What a wonderful performance! Now, no matter how well the other Champion perform, they can't compare to Mr. Crouch. If I were to give it a score, I would give it a 10."

The other referees laughed and echoed:

"That's right, I'll give it 10 points too."

"10 points, of course it's 10 points."

"..."

Crouch's lips curled into a slight smile, "Headmaster Dumbledore is joking. Let's continue the match."

"Sorry, there was an unexpected situation before the match started. The zookeepers are getting the Fire Dragon back into the arena, but as we can see, this unexpected event made the match even more exciting..."

Bagman's voice was filled with a passion even more intense than dragonfire, making the ears of some of the younger wizards ring. "I believe everyone understands the rules of the competition. There's no need for the audience to worry about safety. We have four more referees like Mr. Crouch!"

As the young wizards chuckled, Bagman changed the subject. "But Champion, be careful. Our safety officers will only intervene if your lives are in danger or you are forced to forfeit the match..."

"Without further ado, let's welcome our first Champion, Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts!"

"He drew a Swedish Short-Snout!"

Madam Hooch's shrill whistle echoed throughout the arena. When Cedric entered the arena, the cheers from the young wizards were deafening. But when the silver-blue Fire Dragon spread its wings and the flames that inadvertently leaked from its mouth and nostrils turned the rocks into fiery lava, the cheers stopped and turned into screams and gasps.

Loren and Hermione found a good spot to stand. Now no one in the stands could sit still; they were all neatly leaning on the railings, their eyes wide open.

The Swedish Short-Snout that Cedric faced was of medium size. Its flight speed, ferocity, and agility were only average among Fire Dragon. However, the Swedish Short-Snout's flames were top-notch, capable of melting gold and burning stone.

No matter how powerful Cedric is, he is still made of flesh and blood. He is the type who will be seriously injured if touched, and will be eliminated if he is touched again.

Loren didn't remember how he handled it in the movie, and stared intently at the scene.

Cedric was clearly aware of these circumstances and did not rashly approach the range of the Swedish Short-Snout's firepower. Instead, he wandered around outside the circle, trying to sneak in without alerting the Fire Dragon.

The short-nosed dragon lay on a boulder, several dragon eggs in a shallow pit beneath it, one of which gleamed with gold. It looked lazy, but every time Cedric changed direction, the short-nosed dragon's tail followed suit.

Cedric quickly realized the situation and had to abandon the idea of not disturbing the Fire Dragon. He quickly turned a stone into Newfoundland Dog and began barking at the short-nosed dragon.

"Woof woof!"

"Call..."

The short-nosed dragon angrily lunged at the hound, Cedric seized the opportunity to sneak in and steal the Golden Egg.

The audience on stage held their breath.

Just as Cedric picked up the Golden Egg, the Swedish Short-Snout turned its head and spewed a breath of dragonfire—burning only half of Cedric's pants.

The zookeeper quickly went to comfort the Fire Dragon, and Madam Pomfrey went off to treat its injuries. A few minutes later, Cedric faced the stands and raised the Golden Egg high, which caused another deafening cheer.

"Ouch, that was dangerous, so dangerous... That move of his was really close!" Bagman shouted at the top of his lungs. "But it was truly outstanding. Now, please give the judges their scores!"

Cedric, who averaged 7 points, was substituted.

The whistle blew, and the second Champion took the stage.

Loren leaned against the railing, looking down at the somber-faced wizards below. Suddenly remembering something, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Maxime would deceive Hagrid, Karkaroff, being a dark wizard, would definitely use improper methods. So they both know the First Task is the Fire Dragon, but Headmaster Fontana doesn't seem like that kind of person."

Hermione turned her head and glanced at Headmaster Fontana in the distance. His face was grave, and she was a little unsure. "Surely... not?"

Inside the circular arena, Pickley Gravis walked out of the passageway expressionlessly, looking at the massive Hebridean Black Dragon opposite him, a string of vulgar curses running through his mind.

He inherited the Gravis family name, taking his grandmother Seraphina Picquery's surname, and was destined to make the names of both families resound throughout the United States Wizarding World once again.

Since Grindelwald infiltrated the Magical Congress in 1926 disguised as his grandfather, the Gravis family has been shrouded in a layer of tarnish, which even the marriage of Serafina Picquery could not erase.

Participating in the Goblet of Fire and winning the championship would be the first step in making the Gravis family shine again.

But the First Task dealt him a heavy blow... Gravis gripped his wand tightly, his fingers turning white.

Of the five Champion, only he knew before the match that his opponent was the Fire Dragon!

Is there any fairness left?

Is there no law anymore?

Despite the other four people pretending to be nervous, they didn't show any surprise at all!

It's all a cover-up, a complete cover-up!

Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, Durmstrang! What about those prestigious schools with long histories, those beautiful wands born in romantic lands, those unwavering wills forged by enduring the cold...?

The three schools teamed up to bully their new student Ilvermorny!

Disgusting, ugh, absolutely disgusting!

Unable to come up with a countermeasure in time, Gravis could only use the most basic method of fighting the dragon: constantly using the Levitation Charm to raise stones to attract the Fire Dragon's attention while cautiously approaching Fire Dragon.

The Hebridean Black Dragon is enormous, covered in coarse black scales, with a row of shallow but razor-sharp ridges along its back. Its tail ends in a sharp arrowhead, and its wings resemble those of a bat.

Because of their massive bodies and the hard, rough scales on their necks, they are not particularly agile, but they are incredibly powerful.

While clearing away the stones in the air with flames, the Fire Dragon can also use its claws and tail to bombard the ever-approaching Gravis. Although he is agile and has excellent dodging skills, he is getting closer and closer to the Golden Egg, but he still can't avoid being grazed.

The Fire Dragon's brush against a person would cause blood and flesh to splatter.

The stands were silent. Loren and Hermione also slowed their breathing as they watched Ilvermorny's school uniform gradually turn red.

Ten minutes later.

Gravis, covered in wounds and bleeding profusely, clutched the Golden Egg to his chest when he was swept away by the tail of the Hebridean Black Dragon.