Chapter 316. The First Task Ends
When the cheers surged across the stadium like a rising tide, a satisfied smile touched Adrian Wesson's lips.
He had originally thought Harry would get through the trial in a less conspicuous way—say, by using some sort of flying tool.
But clearly, Harry was far more straightforward than he'd imagined, choosing to engage the dragon head-on.
But… that didn't really change anything.
Beating a dragon was certainly a bit over the top, yet still within the bounds of what people could picture.
For instance, Dumbledore—Adrian believed that when he was fourteen or fifteen, he could have done the same.
Of course, it might be a little unfair to compare Harry to the most powerful wizard in the world.
The cheering rolled on for a long while before it gradually ebbed away. Bagman's voice rang out again over the grounds, unable to hide his excitement: "Ladies and gentlemen! Allow me to present the fourteen-year-old Hogwarts champion—Harry Potter—who not only completed the task perfectly, but achieved the feat of felling a dragon!"
"Now, judges, please score the final champion's performance!"
Every gaze swung to the judges' table.
Bagman, barely letting his words finish, was first to raise his wand; a great, glowing "10" blossomed above his head.
Dumbledore smiled and lifted his wand; a ribbon of silver traced a graceful arc in the air—unquestionably, a ten.
Madame Maxime hesitated a moment, then also awarded a ten.
Barty Crouch, expressionless, likewise raised a ten.
At that, every eye shifted to Karkaroff.
They were all waiting for a perfect set of marks.
However, Karkaroff's face was like thunder. He flicked his wand, and a glaring "6" burst in mid-air.
In an instant, the whole crowd roared.
"What?" Ron sprang to his feet. "Harry brought down a dragon and only gets six?"
Hermione's brow knotted tight. "That's outrageous! The other judges all gave full marks!"
A few half-hearted claps rose from the Durmstrang stands, but they were quickly drowned out by a storm of furious booing from the rest of the students.
Sensing trouble, Bagman hurried to smooth things over. "Mr Karkaroff, it seems you have a… unique perspective on Mr Potter's performance? Might we trouble you to explain your scoring criteria?"
Karkaroff stood, his tone dark. "The rules are clear—the goal is to obtain the golden egg. Mr Potter's method was excessively brute-force and lacked wisdom."
That line only made the booing louder.
Plainly, it was not a convincing reason.
Bagman's expression went rather odd—lacked wisdom?
And Krum's approach was wise?
You've got a screw loose!
Bagman mopped his brow. "Er… then Mr Potter's total is forty-six! The highest score so far!"
He hurried on. "Let's look at the standings: Harry Potter, forty-six points; Fleur Delacour, forty-one…"
On hearing his score, Harry took an instant dislike to Karkaroff.
He had come as close to perfect as one could—he hadn't harmed the dragon's egg, he hadn't wasted much time, and even the Welsh Green hadn't suffered serious injury—at most a mild concussion. Even if Karkaroff disliked him, awarding only a barely passing mark was beyond the pale.
Still, one way or another, the first task of the Triwizard Tournament had ended smoothly, and he had, as he'd hoped, taken first place.
When Harry returned to the champions' tent, the others were already there.
Cedric seemed to have changed into a fresh set of robes; his hair smelled singed. Fleur's face was white, as if she might collapse at any moment. Krum sat scowling, with no obvious injuries on him.
As Harry walked past, Krum said, deadpan, "I think you deserved full marks."
"Thanks," Harry said with a smile.
He hadn't seen the other three champions compete, but he was fairly sure his performance had been the best of the lot.
"Your spells pack a ridiculous punch," Cedric said, sidling up to him, curiosity bright in his eyes. "How did you manage that?"
"I don't know." Harry shook his head.
He'd only trained the way Adrian had taught him—and if there was anything unusual about it, it might have something to do with that earlier magical surge.
Just then, Bagman finally sauntered in.
"Oh, looks like you've all had a good rest—no one needs the hospital wing," he said cheerfully. "I'm delighted you all made it through. Now, a few words: the second task will take place on 24 February next year. Mm… you've got nearly three months to prepare. As for the task itself, the clue is hidden in the golden eggs you're holding."
"Clear enough? Splendid. Goodbye, all. Off you go and rest."
After rattling through his piece, Bagman bolted from the tent as if his robes were on fire.
"He seemed in a mighty hurry," Cedric said, quirking a puzzled brow.
Harry shrugged, equally at a loss.
In truth, Bagman was making straight for the dragon enclosure.
He had to tally up, before nightfall, the damage Krum had done to those dragon eggs.
Naturally, there was no question of making Krum pay for the losses—the Ministry of Magic would foot the bill.
Managed properly, there might be a little something in it for him.
Ha! With a bit of luck, this Triwizard Tournament might just clear his debts entirely.
"Hm-hm—"
Humming a jaunty tune, Bagman was already daydreaming about the sweet life after being debt-free.
Truly, hosting the Triwizard Tournament had been the right choice.
When Harry stepped out of the tent, the sky was already flushed a brilliant orange-red.
The afterglow of sunset gilded the towers of Hogwarts; in the distance, the Black Lake glittered as though someone had thrown a fistful of gold dust across it.
A marvellous sight.
Harry hadn't even had time to admire it—
"Harry! Over here!" Ron's voice carried from not far off.
He and Hermione were waving to him from under a tree.
Harry jogged over, the golden egg tucked in his arms.
"That was fantastic!" Ron thumped his shoulder, still looking a bit shaken. "When you came out, I thought you were going to die out there."
"Don't say things like that!" Hermione gave Ron a solid punch.
"Oi—" Ron hissed through his teeth.
Harry chuckled and held up the golden egg. "The next task is in three months. Bagman says the clue's inside this."
Ron leaned in, curious. "Go on, open it!"
Harry glanced around, hesitating.
"Let's wait till we're back in the common room," Hermione murmured. "We've got plenty of time."
The three of them set off at a brisk pace towards the castle.
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