Hungarian Horntail

As the biting wind whipped across his cheeks, Harry felt the same thrill he did racing across the Quidditch Pitch.

The Australian Opaleye on the ground had shrunk to the size of a dog. It watched Harry take to the air but showed no sign of moving.

People said the more beautiful something was, the more dangerous it was, but the Australian Opaleye seemed to be an exception.

Unlike the Hungarian Horntail, famed for its ferocity, the Australian Opaleye was better known for its beauty.

Any other dragon guarding its eggs would have erupted in fury at the sight of a living creature nearby.

But Harry couldn't just hover high above it and watch. He had to find a way to get the Golden Egg from beneath the dragon.

No matter how he circled, though, the Australian Opaleye merely spread its wings a little to shield the eggs more closely and let out the occasional low growl.

"Our Champion is safe up there, but how will he get the Golden Egg?"

Everyone was watching Harry in the sky. Ludo Bagman's voice reached Eli, who relaxed a little. At least Harry had managed to summon his Firebolt.

The moment Harry had entered the arena, his nerves had vanished, replaced by an eagerness to fight.

After another circuit overhead, Harry suddenly dropped lower, looking as though he meant to slam straight into the dragon.

Mouths fell open all around the arena. Harry's alarming move had stunned everyone.

At a certain height, Harry pulled up sharply. The Firebolt's superb maneuverability and Harry's skill brought him to a stop just in time.

"Oh..." The spectators' hearts nearly stopped along with him.

They weren't the only ones startled. The Australian Opaleye directly below him was, too.

The dragon, which had kept itself huddled over its