Fighting a Dragon

Lure it away, subdue it, take the Golden Egg.

That was the plan Albert had devised beforehand.

Simple.

But the simpler the plan, the less likely it was to go wrong.

Luring the Swedish Short-Snout Dragon away from its nest was not to make stealing the Golden Egg easier, but to prevent the dragon from accidentally ruining an entire clutch of dragon eggs later.

After entering the arena, Albert did not rush to trouble the dragon. Before making his move, he raised his head and surveyed his surroundings, getting a clear grasp of the terrain. This temporary arena, constructed with magic, was slightly smaller than a Quidditch Pitch. There were quite a few sturdy rocks around the grounds, likely cover prepared by the organizers for the Champions to hide behind from dragon breath.

Without those shelters, if the dragon simply charged forward and breathed fire, every Champion would be in serious trouble.

"Let us welcome the first Champion to take the field: Mr. Albert Anderson!"

"Mr. Anderson has won numerous international awards over the past few years and is currently the most favored Triwizard Cup Champion," Bagman announced loudly from the stands. "Let us see how he handles this."

Albert! Albert! Albert...

Cheers erupted from the stands as people shouted Albert's name.

Albert ignored Bagman and paid even less attention to the spectators. He walked straight ahead to a large pile of rocks not far away, meant for Champions to shelter from dragon breath. With a gentle flick of his wand, he used a Cutting Curse to divide a waist-high boulder into several neat pieces, then focused on Transfiguring one of them.

A few seconds later, a lion leapt down from the pile of rocks.

With another wave of Albert's wand, an eagle appeared above the rocks.

"Magnificent, truly remarkable