The twenty thousand spectators watched as every dragon in the arena abandoned its target and turned a hostile gaze toward the packed stands.
The spectators finally realized what was happening, rising to their feet in panic.
"Good heavens, what's happening? Are they trying to kill us?"
"Ever since the Horntail started acting up, all the dragons have been behaving strangely!"
"Ah, their eyes are terrifying!"
Among the spectators, Hermione, Neville, and the other young Hogwarts wizards had complete faith that their Chief could keep the situation under control.
So they calmly continued watching events unfold.
At the judges' table, Helena stood up and called out to Gais in the arena, her voice magically amplified.
"Child, come back here!"
The other headmasters reacted much the same way.
Maxime was so anxious that she jumped straight down from the stands to fetch Pheobe, who was still swooning.
At either end of the towering pillar, the six dragons split into two groups, a thin, distorted black haze clouding every pair of eyes.
They furiously beat their wings, which spanned dozens of feet, and took flight, beginning to circle the towering pillar.
Their throats pulsed, as though they might spew flames at the stands at any moment.
The terrified spectators jostled backward in panic. But purple light surged through the arena, and a purple electricity net enclosing the entire arena materialized out of thin air.
That gave the spectators some sense of security; otherwise, they would already have stampeded toward the exits.
Below, the champions hesitated for only a few seconds before running toward their respective gates.
Shawn looked up at the six rampaging dragons and their intentions, his brow furrowing slightly.
Then his figure flashed, and he appeared in midair. Only with a view from above did he feel a little more comfortable.