#370 - Chapter 370 Beauxbatons' Debut

Watching the purple silk bag in Bagman's hand, one champion from each of the four schools stepped forward and surrounded him.

Fleur from Beauxbatons, Krum from Durmstrang, Megan from Ilvermorny, and Amusu from Uagadou.

As for the three from Hogwarts, they exchanged glances, and Cedric spoke on their behalf: "As the hosts, we'll let the other schools draw first."

"Excellent! How classy! I look forward to your outstanding performances," Bagman exclaimed, clapping his hands loudly.

Then, he held the bag in front of him, the opening pitch black, as if magic that blocked light had been added, making it impossible to see inside.

"Ladies first."

Hearing this, the three female champions refused to yield to each other, simultaneously reaching into the bag.

Sure enough, the British Ministry of Magic was emphasizing gentlemanly conduct here. Luckily, everyone had prepared in advance and sent out the female champions from each team.

There was no point in yielding at this moment. Choosing first had a considerable advantage, as the dragons' shapes varied.

However, when they reached in, they discovered that the British Ministry of Magic had already anticipated this loophole.

Each model felt round and smooth, making it impossible to distinguish any differences.

Helpless, after a little groping, the three girls each pulled out a lifelike model.

Fleur held a Welsh Green dragon, with a tag around its neck labeled 'One'.

Krum pulled a scarlet Chinese Fireball from the bag, the tag reading 'Three'.

Megan chose the most beautiful Australian Opaleye, which was 'Two'.

Amusu from Uagadou touched his nose, and after the three girls had taken their turns, he pulled out a Swedish Short-Snout dragon with a tag labeled 'Four'.

"Oh, it seems your luck isn't very good, Hogwarts champions," Bagman said, holding the bag in front of the three of them, watching them pull out the last one, a Hungarian Horntail.

"This is the fiercest and most difficult of all the dragons. Retrieving a dragon egg from beneath it won't be easy."

Looking at the fanged and clawed Hungarian Horntail, Malfoy curled his lip and muttered under his breath.

"Why did it have to be this one? Merlin must not have heard my prayers!"

The other schools' champions pretended not to hear Malfoy's complaint, as the more difficult the competition was for their opponents, the more advantageous it was for them.

"Alright, each team has received its dragon model and knows the order of appearance. Now, I need to leave for a moment to provide live commentary for the audience."

Bagman waved to the group: "You still have some time to adjust your emotions or discuss your strategy."

"Also, thank you to Professor Swan for sponsoring the alchemical items. When the competition starts, he will call you out through the alchemical megaphone in the tent. See you all later."

As soon as Bagman left, Fleur returned to her teammates with a solemn expression, beginning to discuss the final tactics in French.

Krum took the model and walked towards Krum, who was leaning against a pillar. Their other teammate also gathered around: "Krum..."

"The plan must be adjusted. Fortunately, we prepared Plan B," Krum said with a grim face. "Let's confirm that there are no loopholes."

The champions from Ilvermorny and Uagadou also gathered together to make their final preparations.

Seeing the champions enter the zone, Sebastian smiled slightly and left the champions' tent.

Outside, the crowd roared, Bagman's passionate voice clear in the noisy arena.

"After centuries, we once again welcome the Triwizard Tournament! This year's competition will be the most exciting yet, because our first task is dragons!"

"The champions need to distinguish three real eggs from six golden eggs and then retrieve them under the protection of the dragons."

"The competition will be judged by myself, Director Crouch, and the five headmasters, who will score the champions' performances."

Amidst the cheers, the Welsh Green dragon in the center of the arena let out a loud roar.

It was in an extremely bad mood. After all, anyone who suddenly appeared in an unfamiliar environment, surrounded by noisy little insects, wouldn't be in a good mood.

Moreover, there were six dragon eggs in the nest beneath it, and the familiar aura emanating from them made it feel like they were its children.

It desperately wanted to take its children away from this irritating place, but the ten-meter-long, sturdy chains on its legs restricted it from flying high.

Sebastian mounted his flying broom and flew high into the sky. He couldn't get too close to the dragons, or the aura of the Dragon King on his body would affect their performance.

"Our safety officer, Professor Swan, is already in position," Bagman enthusiastically announced. "He will serve as the champions' last line of defense, ensuring that they do not encounter life-threatening danger."

"Now, let's welcome the champions from Beauxbatons."

Cheers erupted, and Sebastian began calling the champions through a megaphone-shaped alchemical device. Soon, the door of the champions' tent opened, and Fleur led her teammates out.

As the first team to compete, Fleur and her two teammates were extremely nervous, with the male champion trembling like a leaf.

"Jacques, please stop shaking. This is the most docile Welsh Green dragon. We're already very lucky," Fleur whispered, scolding him, although her slightly trembling voice revealed that she wasn't as calm as she appeared.

"The champions have entered the arena. The competition is limited to thirty minutes. Begin!"

Hearing Bagman's shout, Fleur and her teammates took a deep breath and stiffly raised their wands.

The exaggerated size difference between the three humans and the dragon caused the little ones in the audience to worry incessantly. Some timid little witches screamed and covered their eyes, only peeking at the situation in the arena through their fingers.

The Welsh Green dragon showed no intention of attacking proactively but continued to emit threatening roars, guarding the golden eggs firmly.

"Proceed according to the original plan!" At Fleur's command, the three spread out proactively, maintaining a safe distance and circling the dragon continuously.

As Beauxbatons' main force, Fleur held her wand and intermittently released the Veela's unique charm magic to reduce the dragon's hostility.

Her two teammates constantly cast sleep charms, trying to lull the dragon into a state of slumber.

However, the dragon's magic resistance was outstanding. It took nearly half an hour of the three of them working together to make the Welsh Green dragon drowsily lie on the ground.

Seeing that there were only five minutes left until the end of the competition, the three dared not be negligent and quickly and cautiously approached the dragon.

They hardly dared to breathe, and their eyes were constantly watching their feet, avoiding making any noise that would awaken the dragon.

Fortunately, they encountered no dangers along the way, and the three successfully met in front of the golden eggs.

However, another problem arose: the six golden eggs looked almost identical from the outside, and it was impossible to distinguish any differences with the naked eye.

To distinguish the real ones from the fake ones, they had to carefully inspect them with magic spells.

Helpless, the three exchanged glances and could only solemnly extend their wands.

However, as soon as the detection spells were released, Fleur and her teammates heard the audience scream.

Without turning their heads, they knew that the Welsh Green dragon beside them had awakened...