A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

“That’s right,” Krum said calmly. “Besides, I’m not that selfless; I wouldn’t take such a big risk to cover your passage.”

"Uh...you might have misunderstood something," Aaron said, awkwardly but politely. "The one I meant by 'the best' is myself."

The group looked at each other, their faces filled with doubt.

"Are you kidding me?" Fleur said indignantly. "Are you saying that none of us three seventeen-year-old wizards are a match for you?"

"Maybe that's the case."

"You... I've truly witnessed the arrogance of a Hogwarts student today."

“You must trust me, this is the best way, we can get through this with minimal cost.”

“Gaius, it’s not that we don’t believe you,” Cedric said stiffly, “it’s that we simply can’t believe you.”

“All we know is your age,” Krum said in a deep voice. “We know nothing about your strength, personality, or even your credibility. We can’t possibly trust you because of some random plan.”

“It’s true,” Harry said abruptly. “I can guarantee that Aaron’s strength is no weaker than yours.”

"Tch!" Furong sneered. "Of course you're speaking up for him, since this method is most advantageous to you."

Send out the weakest one first; this is what makes us risk our lives to hold off our own fire dragon until you defeat the Hungarian Tree-Peak Dragon.

“But I’m telling the truth. Only a handful of people at Hogwarts know of Aaron’s strength.”

“Harry,” Cedric said knowingly, “this is not a Weasley prank. This tactic is dangerous, much more dangerous than Quidditch, but he can’t even come up with a convincing reason for it.”

“Fine!” Aaron slowly exhaled and said reluctantly, “My sister, Adrian Klein, one of the six judges, requires me to be the last one to pass the test.”

Is this reason sufficient?

As soon as he finished speaking, the other four warriors in the tent were all dumbfounded, and even Harry Potter was no exception.

"You're not kidding, are you?!" Cedric exclaimed incredulously. "She's your sister!"

“You don’t understand her,” Aaron said with a stiff, bitter smile. “My eldest sister has protected us siblings since we were little, and she’s been better to us than our parents, but her personality is rather strange and hard to understand.”

Aside from the Quidditch World Cup, I haven't seen her for years. This time, she's targeting me; she wants to see how much my true skill level has improved while she's been gone.

“That’s absurd,” Hibiscus frowned. “Using a five-headed dragon as a test?”

"She's a referee, and a referee appointed by the International Magic Federation, so her status is extraordinary," Krum said meaningfully.

"I'm sure she won't watch me die."

But she'd definitely enjoy seeing me in such a sorry state; however, if something unexpected happens, I'll be in real trouble.

“There’s a problem,” Hibiscus asked. “You are perfectly entitled to disagree with this request.”

"I can't tell you the reasons, but I have to try to meet her request." Aaron sighed slightly. "I've said everything I need to say. Just give me a straight answer, whether you agree with my method or not."

After hesitating for a few seconds, Krum said, "Let's rely on our own abilities!"

I'm confident I'll be the first to get the golden egg; there's no need to take that risk.

“I don’t want to join this plan either,” Furong said sweetly. “We are all rivals in the three-way competition. Who knows if you will use us to become the runner-up?”

Besides, even with my skills, I'd be at least in the top three, so... I won't risk my life with you guys.

Cedric shrugged and remained silent, but his silence spoke volumes.

"Okay! I'm mentally prepared, so be it if it's difficult!"

"Are you really going to be the last one to finish?" Harry asked with some concern.

"What else can I do!" Aaron shrugged helplessly. "I'm the one who needs my help!"

But this isn't necessarily a bad thing for you; at least you won't be facing a one-against-five situation.

Harry gave an awkward laugh, then looked at the other three warriors, his forced smile quickly replaced by melancholy.

He's unlikely to face five opponents at once, but a one-on-one duel is necessary. For whatever reason, only he can deal with that Hungarian Tree Peak Dragon.

Moreover, he is no match for the three warriors Cedric, Krum, and Fleur. In the end, it will probably become two against five, with him and Aaron, two fourth-year wizards, fighting against five adult dragons.

This situation was much more difficult than a one-on-one match, but he wasn't as worried. After all, he and Aaron had worked together many times in the past few years, and Aaron was undoubtedly the best teammate.

However, Aaron was heartbroken and speechless. What Harry could think of, he could naturally think of as well.

A terrible teammate and five adult fire dragons—this level is even more ridiculously difficult than he imagined.

Chapter 368 Their respective methods, the advantages of the Dragon Speaker

boom!

Suddenly, the sound of cannon fire rang out.

The five warriors inside the tent exchanged a glance and then went out together.

As they entered the paddock, hundreds of spectators cheered. Students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang chanted Fleur and Krum respectively, while three distinctly different voices of support emerged from Hogwarts.

The enclosure is fan-shaped and contains irregularly shaped rocks of various sizes. To facilitate the warriors' movements, a seamless stretching spell has been cast inside, making the space much larger than it appears.

Gulu!

Harry looked at the Hungarian tree peak, its wings folded and crouching low to guard the dragon egg, and couldn't help but swallow hard.

He only had one summoning spell to prepare for the match, but to get the golden egg from the pile of dragon eggs, he had to lure the Tree Peak Dragon away first.

"Don't be nervous, look how calm they are," Aaron comforted them.

"They are all seventh graders, meaning they have received three more years of magical education than us."

I only have one flying broomstick, and if I weren't nervous, how big would my heart be!

“That’s true.” Aaron raised an eyebrow and hesitated before saying, “Actually, I was just about to say that you have an invisibility cloak, but you didn’t bring it.”

"Watfa..."

Harry felt a sudden, inexplicable throbbing in his heart. He had never experienced the Crucifixion before, but at that moment he was certain that he had been afflicted by the Unforgivable Curse.

It hurts so much, it's so cold and painful.

He could think of using a summoning spell to summon fire bolts, but he completely forgot that he had a magical item that was even more useful than fire bolts.

"Uh...are you alright?"

"It's nothing, I'm fine," Harry said, forcing a smile.

"That would be best." Aaron put Abe down. "This is enough for me. You go find your older sister first!"

Abe glanced at the Australian white-eyed dog in the enclosure, bared his teeth at it, and then turned and left.

"Next, please welcome our five warriors to the field." Bagman blew his whistle as he acted as the commentator from the referee's seat.

"Take care, everyone." Aaron strode towards Zone 4, saying as he walked, "I'll offer you a little assistance if necessary."

"I hope we can all get the golden eggs safely!" Cedric sighed, then headed towards area one.

Fleur and Krum headed toward areas two and three, respectively.

Harry gripped his wand tightly and shakily walked into Area 5.

Although he was the last to enter, he was the fastest, raising his wand as soon as he took his first step.

"Fire arrows are flying in."

Whoosh!

The fire bolt shot out of the tent and was in Harry's hand in just a few seconds.

He didn't dare to delay for a moment, flipped himself onto the broom, pushed off the ground with both feet, and soared into the air.

Only when he was steadily flying in mid-air did he feel a strong sense of security.

The Seeker's forte is flight, and even when facing the Hungarian Tree Peak Dragon, he is full of confidence.

Next, all he needs to do is lure the Tree Peak Dragon away and find an opportunity to catch the stationary golden egg (the Golden Snitch), and he will have won the match.

"My God! Firebolts, flying brooms!" Bagman shouted from the judges' stand. "Yes, flying! Harry Potter has found his true calling."

It's so simple, a single summoning spell can do the trick, but many people haven't thought of that.

Keep in mind that four of the five Warriors are Seekers, including Viktor Krum, but none of them considered using a flying method.

Of course, this doesn't rule out the possibility that they have better methods.

In Area One, Cedric used a shapeshifting spell to attract the attention of the Swedish Short-nosed Dragon. He transformed a rock into a Newfoundland Hound and commanded it to slowly move towards the dragon.

The Hufflepuffs in the audience chanted Cedric's name. Professor Sprout was both excited and nervous. This was their Hufflepuff's best student, and he certainly wouldn't let them down.

“Transformation, a very clever method,” Bagman explained. “The chances of success are high, but the opponent is, after all, a Swedish short-nosed dragon. Besides being careful, we also need a bit of luck.”

Fleur Delacour in Zone 2 faced a Welsh green dragon, and she carefully used her Veela bloodline to cast a hypnotic spell.

She dared not use a sleeping spell directly on the fire dragon; relying on her own strength would only enrage the dragon and unleash its ferocity.

Therefore, the magic she is currently casting is gradual, which will gradually make the dragon feel sleepy and enter a state of light sleep.

Krum from Zone 3 was rather reckless, directly attacking the Chinese Fireball Dragon's eye with a spell, which was the most vulnerable part of the dragon's body. He planned to take advantage of the fire dragon's painful roar to get the golden egg.

"Very daring, Krum has shown extraordinary courage!" Bagman shouted, and the audience gasped in unison at his gesture.

Karkaroff smiled with satisfaction from the judges' stand. He had specifically taught Krum this spell, as it was most effective against dragons.

Compared to the four bustling competition zones, Aaron's Zone 4 was much quieter.

He looked at the most beautiful Australian white eyes among the dragons and couldn't help but chuckle.

It looks quite dazzling, but it's nothing compared to the sacred dragon he keeps.

"A familiar aura, but not that of a dragon tamer." The pale-eyed man slowly opened his pupil-less eyes, curiously scrutinizing the seemingly harmless Aaron before him. "Who are you?"

Hearing this, Aaron breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Being able to speak properly meant there was a possibility of communication.

His original plan was to reveal the illusion spell and illusion magic if they couldn't reach an agreement, and he was fairly confident that he could succeed.

But after learning that his opponent might be a five-headed dragon, he felt that he might not be able to hide his dragon-slaying magic anymore. However, it seems that he might be able to solve the problem in a gentler way.

“Aaron Gaius,” Aaron replied in a cryptic syllable in Dragon Language, “I am a Dragon Speaker.”

"What are you doing?"

"One of the dragon eggs you're guarding is a fake; I need it to pass this competition..."

Roar! [Get lost!]