Chapter 136 "The First Result of The Tournament"

A contingent of Dragon farm employees entered the arena, exerting considerable effort to assuage the terrified and stunned Swedish Short Snout before safely removing it.

The team leader exchanged a subtle understanding glance with Skyler.

Subsequently, Ministry of Magic personnel arrived to restore the scene to its original state.

Once everything was in order, the field transformed once more, featuring a caged Common Welsh Green.

Ludo, signaling the commencement with a whistle, introduced the second contender: Catalina.

She emerged from the tent, stepping onto the field where sunlight played upon her figure. Yet, her presence seemed to reflect an icy, almost mirrored surface, emanating a cold radiance.

Quite a sight as she readied herself in the arena, basking under the sunlight only to radiate an aura of coldness while she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Across from her, the Common Welsh Green maintained a defensive crouch, protecting its clutch of eggs. Its fierce eyes fixed on the girl, occasionally emitting a low growl akin to a warning.

Catalina's lips parted, and she enunciated with clarity, "Sectum Sempra!"

Choosing a cutting curse, her incantation, unlike a typical cutting curse, generated a faint white light that not only disrupted the air around it but also produced a splitting sound.

The Curse she had just cast struck the fire Dragon's body with precision, causing a burst of crimson blood to gush from beneath its neck.

Simultaneously, the fire Dragon suffered a severe blow from the impact of the Curse!

Catalina remained relentless. She swiftly advanced while murmuring an incantation under her breath. With a deft wave of her wand in an intricate pattern, a white light radiated from the wand's tip.

The Common Welsh Green, still incapacitated from its fall, made no meaningful resistance. The white light precisely struck the wound on the fire Dragon's body, resembling a large fountain as it sprayed a continuous column of crimson water, staining the ground with shocking bloodstains.

Skyler furrowed his brow. The second spell was not a cutting spell or even a combat spell; it was a bloodletting spell in healing magic!

For a wizard with a natural affinity for combat, the combination of Curse that would struck fear into her opponent's heart paired along with the Healing Spells she is capable of would make he a formidable ally.

Skyler started to think of a few plans, trying to think whether bringing Catalina to his side would be worth the trouble or not.

The Common Welsh Green, lying limp on the ground, emitted a mournful cry. Dragon Sanctuary employees promptly rushed to the scene, administering first aid to the wounded creature.

At this moment, Catalina gracefully approached the golden egg and raised it aloft.

Catalina's displayed prowess successfully captivated the hearts of the audience, prompting them to shower her with applause, much like they did for Skyler.

The third participant poised to enter the battle was Eleanor.

In contrast to the previous two Champions, Eleanor's demeanor resembled less that of a Champion and more of a priest presiding over magical rituals. She moved gracefully around the field, uttering incantations, while the Chinese Fireball Dragon fixated its fierce gaze on her.

As Eleanor traversed the terrain, the Dragon's head swiveled, intermittently releasing small fireballs accompanied by thick smoke from its nostrils.

Upon discovering a specific spot, Eleanor abruptly halted, pointed her wand at the ground, and exclaimed, "Dragon Seal!"

A deep and resonant muffled sound emanated from the depths of the earth, and the entire arena floor lit up with intertwining crimson magic marks. The Chinese Fireball Dragon emitted a terrifying, earth-shattering scream, writhing in agony as if ensnared by an invisible net.

Known for its vehement nature, the Dragon continued to roar and thrash about. Its sharp claws gouged a sizable hole in the ground in front of it, yet it remained entangled in the invisible restraints on its body.

Despite attempting to spew flames, the Dragon opened its mouth wide, revealing its pointed fangs, only to expel saliva onto the ground—no tongue of fire emerged.

It was a scene of desperation.

Closing its eyes, the Chinese Fireball Dragon lay limp on the ground, surrendering to the futility of its struggle.

Skyler promptly grasped the situation—this was a sealing technique designed for fire Dragons or individuals with Dragon bloodlines. It had the capability to restrict the Dragon's innate abilities, including strength and fire-breathing.

Undeterred by the hostile gaze of the Chinese Fireball Dragon, Eleanor approached and elevated the golden egg for everyone to see.

While Eleanor's performance lacked the thrill of the preceding Champions, the magic that subdued the formidable fire Dragon left the young wizards astonished, eliciting applause from the audience.

With three impressive displays already completed, Harry's own performance appeared rather ordinary.

The prospect of facing a Fire Dragon topic had initially terrified him, and though he clung to a glimmer of hope due to being the last in line, the preceding Champions swiftly completed their tasks in less than five minutes, each acquiring a golden egg.

As the whistle sounded, Harry's mind went blank. What should he do? He hadn't formulated a plan yet.

His steps were shaky, akin to a soulless zombie. He stared at the ground, exiting the tent as the slanting sun cast shadows on his face, creating an air of mystery and intrigue.

The Hungarian Horntail remained crouched at the far end of the paddock, fixating its vicious yellow eyes on Harry. Its spiked tail thrashed violently, gouging deep pits into the unyielding ground.

In the arena, Harry stood motionless, deep in thought for a full 10 minutes. The Slytherin students showered him with severe boos, but their disapproval went unnoticed.

Amidst the chaos, a faint voice seemed to whisper in Harry's ears, "Use your strengths..."

"Strengths? Besides Quidditch, do I possess any other strengths? Wait, Quidditch?

Could it be that…" Harry's inner turmoil was visibly shown in his expression toward the crowd as his inner voice battled his paralyzed thought process.

Just as inspiration struck Harry, the mysterious voice returned, urging, "Use a spell to get what you need..."

Harry lifted his head, determination blazing in his eyes. He dismissed all distractions and bellowed, "Accio Firebolt!"

Employing the summoning charm, Harry called the Firebolt from the castle, mimicking the original work. He mounted the Firebolt, sustaining a minor shoulder injury but securing a golden egg.

The subsequent scoring session unfolded.

Skyler's performance undeniably stole the show, earning unanimous perfect scores from Dumbledore, Crouch, and Bagman. Despite some hesitation, Madame Maxime was also awarded 10 points.

However, Karkaroff was less impressed, granting a mere 4 points.

Harry faced a similar treatment in the original novel, but the timid Harry chose not to react to this unjust occurrence. Skyler, however, was not one to be easily intimidated.

As Skyler's countenance darkened, he approached the referee's seat and employed a Sonorus spell to address the assembly boldly, "Dear Principal Karkaroff, I would like to inquire about the mistake I made in this match that led to the deduction of points."

The entire audience was caught off guard, rendering the scene momentarily hushed.

While Dumbledore and Snape maintained stoic expressions, Professor McGonagall observed Karkaroff with a hint of satisfaction.

Karkaroff's expression shifted, and he asserted, "Your performance is too artificial. There is no way no one didn't see how staged your performance was and on top of that you recited incomprehensible spells. I don't know what sort of shameful tactics you've pulled..."

He paused, seemingly hinting at something, casting a pointed glance at Dumbledore before continuing, "You even managed to make the Dragon lie down submissively; I've never heard of such things happening in the history of the wizarding world! Let alone a kid of your age taming a Dragon!"

Skyler retorted with vigor, "Since our esteemed guest, Mr. Karkaroff, the Headmaster from Durmstrang, questions my performance, and to prove myself while upholding Hogwarts' reputation as a fourth-year student, I formally challenge you to a fair, one-on-one duel. I dare you to accept — do you have the courage to descend and face me?"

The entire audience was left in a state of astonishment.

In the annals of the wizarding world, such a challenge had never been witnessed before.

It was common knowledge that a wizard's magical prowess typically increased with age. As the head of Durmstrang school, Karkaroff boasted a level of skill comparable to an elite Auror, standing not far behind McGonagall and Snape.

For a fourth-year student to extend a challenge to such an accomplished figure amounted to a daring leap across four proficiency levels!

Skyler, well-acquainted with Karkaroff's disposition from the original narrative, knew that the latter would never accept the challenge.

Karkaroff remained unaware of Skyler's true identity, and the risk of tarnishing his own reputation loomed large. Even if he did muster the courage to face the challenge, Skyler harbored no fear.

With Dumbledore present, his safety was assured, and possessing the magical prowess of an adult wizard, along with carefully devised tactics and formidable spells at his disposal, Skyler could potentially outmaneuver and counterattack.

As anticipated by Skyler, Karkaroff succumbed to fear, altering the score to a perfect 10 out of 10 with a livid expression.

Skyler's overall score reached an impeccable 50 points!

Catalina's spell, characterized by its forceful nature, resulted in varying degrees of damage to each fire Dragon egg due to the powerful winds generated while knocking the fire Dragon away. Consequently, she secured a score of 45 points.

Eleanor's approach lacked the courage and combat spirit expected of a Champion, and her preparation time was notably longer, leading to a deduction in points.

She garnered a score of 45 points, sharing the second position with Catalina.

Skyler refrained from offering commentary on the scoring methodology, as it aligned with the original book's approach.

After all, the Triwizard Tournament showcases ancient beast-fighting Champions, and the entertainment value derived from the Champions' innovative breakthroughs is a crucial factor in scoring.

While the most effective, Fleur's strategy in the original book resulted in the fire Dragon falling asleep, and the Champion obtaining the golden egg without any peril or harm to other Dragon eggs.

Despite this, her ranking was the lowest.

This problem prompted Skyler to contemplate intensely on devising the most captivating method to conquer the challenge two days prior. His aim was not just to secure victory in the game but also to capture the hearts of the audience.

Harry's score was marginally lower than in the original book due to his prolonged contemplation on the field, culminating in a total of 38 points.

The standings for the competition results are as follows: Skyler secures the first position, Catalina and Eleanor share the second spot, and Harry settles for third.

Skyler reveled in satisfaction, achieving precisely what he aimed for.

Quietly feeling the satisfaction, Skyler mused in his thoughts. "This no longer resembled the simplistic house games of the original world, and the path for Barty to aid Harry in a comeback victory was no longer as straightforward."

Following the announcement of the competition results, the inaugural event of the Goblet of Fire concluded officially.

The second event, scheduled three months later on February 24, required the Champions to unravel the secret of the golden egg. However, having already deciphered the method, Skyler found himself liberated once again.

With lots of free time in his hands, Skyler decided to pursue other matters other than tending to the golden egg itself.