The three arrived at an open area and soon discovered that the other Champion teams had also gathered there.
"Your helmets have team communication functions. Once the match begins, you can use them to communicate with teammates farther away. Champions, please get ready. The terrain will soon change," Mr. Bagman's voice sounded in everyone's helmets.
At this moment, the ground suddenly began to shake violently and tilt.
"Champions, please find cover and keep your footing. Don't get blown away by the wind later!" Mr. Bagman reminded them.
Fortunately, the ground was uneven, and the Champions hurriedly found cover.
After the Champions had found cover, the ground shook violently again, and fierce winds swept across the field, making it difficult even to stand steady.
"What's going on? We're supposed to play in this environment?" Harry shouted.
The three members of the Hogwarts Team were crouched inside a sunken shelter.
"It should be fine once we're airborne!" Cedric said.
But Matthew knew it would not be that simple. He could sense that what they were standing on was not ground at all, but an enormous Magic Creature!
After a while, the raging airflow calmed somewhat, and the tilted ground gradually returned to level.
"Champions, please mount your brooms and take off!" Mr. Bagman's voice sounded in everyone's helmets.
The Champions mounted their brooms one after another and rapidly climbed into the air. Only when they looked down from above did they see what the "ground" really was.
"A dragon?!" Harry could not help clicking his tongue.
The "shelters" they had used to hide from the wind had actually been the dragon's scales!
"The Champions should all have noticed by now!" Mr. Bagman's voice rang out again.
"That's right! Your Quidditch pitch is on the back of a one-hundred-and-twenty-foot dragon! This is a