Life or Rules? Last-Minute Preparations

Aaron reluctantly returned to Abei, feeling a little more relaxed than when he arrived.

The First Task was indeed related to dragons, but according to Charlie, it wasn't the kind of one-on-one life-or-death duel.

This was good news for him, because he could speak Dragon Language, and as long as his opponent wasn't a hot-tempered dragon like a Tree-Peak Dragon, Chinese Fireball, or Swedish Short-Snout, there was a possibility of negotiation.

"Hey! Who's there?"

Karkaroff's voice suddenly came from the darkness, which startled Aaron. He thought his Disillusionment Charm and Illusion Magic had been exposed.

But when he discovered that Karkaroff saw things in the completely opposite light, he realized that he had been overthinking things.

It's highly likely that Harry wasn't paying attention while walking and bumped into him.

But then again, it's quite interesting. Two days before the First Task starts, Beauxbatons and Principal Durmstrang already know about the project. They'll definitely tell their school's Champion.

He and Harry were also mentally prepared, so in this respect, the one who would suffer the most loss was Cedric Diggory.

The day before the competition, Aaron had breakfast in the Great Hall and then began a leisurely stroll around the school.

Relaxing and adjusting your mindset before the competition is still quite necessary.

"Aaron," Harry approached with a troubled expression, "Are you free now? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

"You say."

"Dragon, adult Dragon is our First Task."

I saw them in the Forbidden Forest yesterday.

"Knew."

"Ah?"

Harry was completely dumbfounded; Aaron's nonchalant reaction was entirely different from what he had expected.

"Didn't you understand what I said?" Harry asked anxiously. "Or do you think I'm joking with you?"

"Of course not. You were with Hagrid that night, along with Madam Maxime and Professor Karkaroff."

I was there too, and I saw those dragons with my own eyes, especially the Hungarian Horntail Dragon bronze spikes on its tail.

"You..." Harry stared blankly, his mouth agape. "But how did you know? Did Adrian tell you?"

"Don't be silly, she's very proper and wouldn't tell me this." Aaron said, stroking the little monster Abei in his arms. "But I have it. After those dragons were brought here, Abei sensed the presence of other monsters of the same kind."

"I see." Harry chuckled awkwardly, then asked, "So, how do you plan to get this project approved?"

"It depends on the specific situation. After all, we only know that the First Task is related to dragons, but it is definitely not a life-or-death battle with dragons."

"Then do you have any ideas?" Harry said bitterly. "You know me, a single breath of Dragon Breath might be all I need."

"Ah..." Aaron hesitated for a moment, then shook his head helplessly, "I do have my own methods, and more than one, but none of them are suitable for you."

You could ask Professor McGonagall or Professor Moody; they might have some good ideas.

"But shouldn't the Champion know the game format in advance?"

"Is life more important or the rules?" Aaron asked with a meaningful smile. "If you're really worried about this, why did you tell me about the competition?"

"Understood." Harry nodded emphatically. "I will go see Professor Moody."

"Oh right, there's one more thing."

Sirius Black guessed that Karkaroff had cast my name into the Goblet of Fire; he used to be... Death Eater.

What?

Aaron stared in astonishment, his eyes widening.

Damn, this is absolutely outrageous.

It's one thing for a female Giant to become the headmistress of Beauxbatons, but for a Death Eater to become the headmistress of Durmstrang is quite another. Compared to that, Dumbledore the White Lord is far more prestigious.

"Karkaroff used to be Death Eater, but after he was captured, he gave up a list of many of his accomplices and was released from Azkaban to atone for his crimes."

Professor Moody was Dumbledore specifically hired to monitor him.

"What a talent!" Aaron chuckled. "Karkaroff's current situation isn't exactly good."

The Dark Mark has appeared; Voldemort is definitely on the list of those to be eliminated now that he's made a comeback.

"Perhaps! But the important thing now is that we need to be careful of him."

Not just him, but also Durmstrang Champion, Viktor Krum.

"Understood, I'll keep an eye on it," Aaron said. If Karkaroff was suspicious, then his student was naturally also worth suspecting.

"That's all I have to say," Harry shrugged. "Before I talk to Professor Moody, I need to tell Cedric about the contents of the First Task, so that it will be fair."

"What ever."

After Harry left, he found Cedric on a lawn.

He was surrounded by several Hufflepuff, making him easy to spot.

"Cedric, can I say something to you?"

"Can."

After confirming that there was no one else around, Harry told him that dragon fighting was the First Task.

Cedric was very surprised by this, and fear appeared in his gray eyes for the first time.

Are you sure you're not joking?

"I saw with my own eyes the monstrous dragon, and each of us had one."

Even just passing by them is extremely dangerous.

"What about Phoebe, Krum, and Aaron..."

"They all know."

"Go on!" Cedric pursed his lips, then looked at Harry with suspicion. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Perhaps it's for the public good! I can't watch you face those behemoths unprepared."

"So you're prepared?" Cedric asked with interest.

"Not yet..." Harry said sheepishly. "I'm planning to ask Professor Moody; he might know of any spells that could help me."

"But this way you'll know the competition events in advance..."

"When you're about to lose your life, who cares about this?"

Cedric:...

The Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor's office.

The room changes its style every time a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor takes over.

Lockhart had covered the walls with photos of his friends, while Lupin had displayed many Dark Magic animals that he would use in class. As for Quirrell... he hadn't been here when he was a first-year student.

The office is now filled with a bunch of strange and unusual things. There is a large Sneakoscope, and a mirror on the wall that reflects many dark figures. But the strangest thing is the large wooden box under the window, which is locked with at least seven locks.

Harry looked at Professor Moody with a nervous expression. Both his normal eyes and the constantly rotating magic eye put a lot of pressure on him.

"So, you discovered those Dragon in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Discovered by accident."

"It's alright, cheating is an old tradition in the Triwizard Tournament," Moody chuckled dismissively. "So, how do you plan to deal with the dragon?"

"I haven't thought about it yet."

"Sit down." Moody kicked a chair in front of him, gesturing for Harry to sit down next to him.

"Listen to me, Potter."

Your friend Diggory, at your age, can turn whistles into clocks and sing clocks to tell the time.

Miss Delacour, she's not just a spoiled little princess.

Krum is physically strong but simple-minded, but he has a headmaster Karkaroff, who is more cunning than a ghost.

As for Gaius... I don't know much about him, but he mastered an Unforgivable Curses at a young age, and he has a powerful referee behind him. No matter how much they seem to be at odds, Adrian certainly won't just stand by and watch him get away with it.

Each of them has their own strengths, Potter, what are your strengths?

"I... I don't know," Harry said awkwardly. "I can fly, and I'm pretty good at it, but I..."

"I know," Moody nodded with satisfaction. "Flying superbly."

"But brooms are not allowed in the competition."

"But it doesn't say you can't use Wand!" Moody said meaningfully.

Harry paused for a moment, then suddenly realized.

Adrian explained that each player can only bring one Wand into battle, but how to use it is up to the Champion.

This means he can use the Flying Broomstick, as long as he summons it to the arena in a reasonable way.

Summoning Charm, yes, it's Summoning Charm.

Professor Flitwick taught him this spell, and although he wasn't very proficient, he had a basic understanding of it.

The match starts tomorrow afternoon, so he has one more day to train.

He had no other choice; he had to succeed, regardless of whether he could succeed or not.

Having figured this out, Harry immediately left the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and hurriedly sought Hermione's help.

He needs guidance from a top student to practice Summoning Charm, and Aaron is the most suitable, but he is also Champion in the Triwizard Tournament and may not have time to teach him.

It was a spell that Harry barely mastered after practicing from afternoon until dawn.

He was still not very confident, after all, all his training had only taken place in the classroom, and the competition venue was too far away from the Firebolt, so he had not yet tried the long-distance summoning of this spell.

Even so, it cleared away most of the gloom in his heart. Before today, he was filled with nothing but panic and confusion, but now he can at least see a glimmer of hope.

However, after waking up, the tense and excited atmosphere at school made him feel uneasy again.

In the midst of the tension, time seemed to fly by.

He was in class just a moment ago, but when he came to his senses, he found himself in the Great Hall.

"Potter, Gaius, the Champion are all going to the field below... You must prepare and complete the First Task."

"Understood, Professor McGonagall. I'll feed Abei first," Aaron said casually.

Harry also stood up from his seat, threw his fork into his plate, and looked more resolute than ever before.

"Good luck to you," Hermione whispered. "Harry, you have to believe in yourself, you will succeed."

Let's hope so!

"Looks like you have a strategy?" Aaron asked with amusement. "Would you mind telling me?"

"I plan to use Flying Broomstick."

"Oh! Summoning Charm, that's a great idea."

"But the distance is too far," Harry said, on the verge of tears. "Even with Firebolt, the time it takes for them to travel from the castle grounds is enough for Dragon Fire to kill me twice."

"What an idiot! Why don't you just take the Firebolt outside the arena? The stands shouldn't be far from the arena!"

Harry:...

Hermione:...