bioinnovel Chapter 303, Third Test
Chapter 303, Third Test
Chapter 303 The First Test
On the way back to the castle, Harry and Cedric, both under the Invisibility Cloak, remained silent.
Both Hogwarts warriors were pondering how to safely pass through the dragon and retrieve the golden egg.
Those were enormous creatures, fifty feet tall and covered in scales, and what's worse, they could breathe fire from their noses!
Harry and Cedric were extremely worried, racking their brains but unable to come up with a way to get through the dragon, let alone obtain the golden egg next to it. The two warriors were in a state of distress, while the two elective professors seemed to be doing nothing, leisurely walking along the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"Why did Crouch bring the dragons to the school ahead of schedule?" Bassheda asked. "Does he think four dragons can take over Hogwarts?"
After a moment's thought, Bassheda continued, "Probably not. If he really thought that, it would not only be an insult to Dumbledore, but also a disregard for Mystic."
For an ordinary wizard, one fire dragon is enough to be fatal, let alone four.
But for Dumbledore and Voldemort, the dragon was nothing more than a slightly larger toy.
If the four fire dragons were to accidentally go out of control and rush toward the castle not far away, it might cause chaos at the school, but it wouldn't cause many casualties.
Belvina thought for a moment and said, "He's probably trying to distract us. There are four dangerous fire dragons next to the school; our attention will definitely be diverted."
"By distracting us, he can create more trouble and find an opportunity to take Harry away," Bassheda said. "But why are they so fixated on taking Harry away?"
"Who knows!" Belvina scoffed. "Maybe the Dark Lord wants to take revenge himself?"
As they walked, Belvina suddenly gestured to Bassheda.
The two elective course professors slowed their pace and listened intently as a sudden, subtle sound came from nearby.
Then, the two saw a shadow swaying in the dark forbidden forest, as if someone had just walked by.
When the soft sounds faded and the shadows of the trees stopped swaying, Bassheda asked, "Was that Karkaroff?"
"It should be him, it feels like it," Belvina said. "The carriages in Beauxbatons are brightly lit tonight, and Hagrid and Maxim are out for a candlelit stroll again. If Karkaroff finds out, he'll probably come to see for himself."
"Now everyone knows what the first event entails," Bassheda said. "Everyone's back to square one."
"That's not right," Belvina shook her head. "The warriors will face different fire dragons, so the difficulty of the competition will naturally be different."
Bassheda suddenly stopped and whispered, "You're not planning to sabotage this, are you? Put Karkaroff and Krum in the Hungarian Hornet Dragon's clutches?"
"Why can't it be Maxim and Delacour facing the Tree Bee Dragon?" Belvina retorted. "To be honest, I've really disliked their attitude lately."
The headline "The Beauxbatons bravely battle the Hungarian wood bee" is exciting just to think about.
"What are you thinking about all day long with that little head of yours!" Bassheda lightly poked Belvina's head. "All sorts of bad ideas."
"Just kidding," Belvina said. "Luck is also part of strength. The warrior who chose the Hungarian Hornet Dragon was just unlucky. I hope Harry and Cedric will have better luck."
"Hopefully, Harry and Cedric can avoid the Hungarian Hornet Dragon," Bassheda said, "and then let the charming Miss Delacour be chosen!"
After bypassing the forbidden forest and crossing the lake, Nie Li's castle, shrouded in darkness, came into view.
Belvina and Basilda entered the castle first, then stopped beside the imposing oak gate.
Harry and Cedric, hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, followed closely behind. They lifted the Invisibility Cloak and appeared before the two professors.
"Fire dragon, your first project will involve facing a fire dragon," Belvina said. "How does it go? Any thoughts?"
Harry and Cedric exchanged a glance; what they were thinking was something they dared not even imagine.
The first project is the extremely difficult Fire Dragon. How difficult will the next two projects be?
The two brave warriors remained silent, and the two professors could naturally guess that they were still clueless and in shock at the fire dragon.
"You two should go back and rest first, and think about how you should deal with the fire dragon," Belvina continued. "Give me your answer after dinner next Wednesday."
Harry and Cedric nodded blankly. One put on an invisibility cloak and went upstairs, while the other cast an illusion spell and went downstairs.
"Can they come up with a way to deal with the fire dragon within a week?" Bassheda asked worriedly.
"It's hard to say," Belvina said. "Cedric can ask his father, and as for Harry—it depends on what Hermione can come up with."
As is widely known, Hermione Granger is Harry Potter's external brain and his greatest asset.
"Should I say you value Hermione too much, or that you underestimate Harry?" Bassheda said with a sigh. "I know, you have a problem with Gryffindor."
Belvina remained silent. She had no problem with Gryffindor, but she felt that Gryffindor was full of brutes, and Harry was the best of them all.
The next day, everything at Hogwarts was as usual.
The students moved between different floors of the castle and between classrooms.
They knew nothing of the conspiracies lurking over the school, nor of the four dangerous fire dragons lurking nearby; all they knew was Harry Potter.
Despite the passage of so many days, Harry's situation has not improved. Rumors of "stealing the glory of the champions" are rampant, and the "Potter stinks" badge has become the most sought-after item.
If Hufflepuff's cold stares were bearable, Snape's Potions class was simply unbearable, especially when two Potions classes were back-to-back, which was like purgatory.
Compared to Harry's suffering, the other three heroes seemed to live in paradise.
Cedric Diggory, with his exceptionally handsome appearance, is welcomed wherever he goes, and the badge that reads "Potter Stinks" will be transformed into "A True Champion of Hogwarts".
Viktor Krum also receives praise, with a large group of fans always surrounding him, begging for his autograph, and some even bravely pursuing him and expressing their love openly.
Then there's Fleur de la Cour, the stunningly beautiful Miss de la Cour, who has a huge group of sycophants around her, constantly circling around her and trying every means to please her, much like clams drooling over a swan.
In the same three-way battle for supremacy, some players are adored by millions, while others suffer in dire straits.
Fortunately, Harry still had the support of Gryffindor, and fortunately Ron and Hermione were still by his side, helping him find a way to pass the dragon's test.
Amidst accusations and ridicule, Harry struggled to reach Friday. If he could just endure the hellish Potions class, he would have two relaxing and enjoyable weekend days.
Without having to deal with classmates from the other three houses, and without having to deal with the malicious Snape, the only thing to consider is the dragon.
However, Harry, who is currently wallowing in hell, has no idea what he is about to face, let alone the even greater suffering that awaits him.
That afternoon, in a classroom on the first floor of the castle, Belvina was directing several students to do hard labor, moving all the desks and chairs in the classroom to the back row.
The students who did the physical labor were all randomly selected by Belvina; some were Cedric's supporters, some were Delacour's sycophants, and some were Krum's fangirls.
Although they each have their own idols, they also have something in common: they are all anti-Harry Potter fans and they all wear badges that swagger around with the words "Potter is a stinky turd" flashing green.
So, with a wave of her hand, Belvina sent the students to her aid, though they were reluctant to come.
With the enthusiastic help of these classmates, rows of desks and chairs were all moved to the back of the classroom and neatly arranged together.
A large open space was left in the middle of the classroom, and three desks and chairs were placed side by side in front of the blackboard, covered with a layer of velvet.
Before long, Karkaroff and Viktor Krum were the first to enter the classroom.
Igor Karkarov was still the same as ever, with a fake smile on his face; Krum also had a gloomy face and didn't speak to anyone.
As the Quidditch World Superstar appeared, the students still in the classroom became excited, eager to rush forward and ask for his autograph.
It would be even better if we could take a group photo.
However, Belvina herself shattered their illusions.
She pointed to the three most agitated students and said, "The three of you can leave now, immediately."
The three of them really wanted to stay in the classroom, even if it meant moving more desks and chairs, as long as they could be in the same space as their idol.
However, Belvina's tone was very stern, and they dared not openly disobey the professor's orders, so they had no choice but to leave the classroom, looking back every few steps.
When Madame Maxime and Fleur Delacour entered the classroom, Belvina once again used the same tactic, driving out Miss Delacour's sycophants one by one.
Karkarov and Mrs. Maxim were very puzzled; they couldn't understand what Belvina was doing.
Calling it a punishment doesn't quite fit, because these people met their master; calling it a reward is even less so, because they could see it but couldn't touch it.
When Belvina once again visited Cedric's supporters, Karkarov and Mrs. Maxim made a judgment: she was just bored out of her mind.
As the unauthorized personnel were cleared out, the positions of everyone in the classroom became clearly defined.
Madame Maxime and Fleur de la Cour stood by the window. Miss de la Cour looked rather unhappy, and her long, shiny silver hair seemed to have dimmed as well.
Viktor Krum stood listlessly in the corner, seemingly mute, ignoring his own principal, Karkarov, who was spitting incessantly beside him.
Belvina sat in front of the blackboard, and Cedric stood obediently beside her, asking in a low voice, "Professor, what are we gathered here for?"
"Let's take a picture to remember this," Belvina said. "And while we're at it, let me introduce you to a disgusting woman."
At that moment, a witch dressed in a magenta robe appeared at the classroom door.
"Look, here she is," Belvina continued. "Believe me, you'll soon find her particularly annoying."