Harry Potter and the Hidden Treasure (Volume 3)

Chapter 595 Cedric's Tragedy

"I thought I had ruined everything!" Ron gasped.

"There is no such thing, Ron," Evan said, "You have shown unimaginable courage in the task. Not only did you defeat the dragon, but you also surpassed yourself. Not everyone can fly so well in front of a dragon."

Ron seemed to have something to say but ultimately held the golden egg tightly in his arms and remained silent.

Perhaps, as everyone said, his performance was remarkable.

If the Chinese Fire Dragon had reacted from the beginning, Ron would have obtained the golden egg a long time ago, and none of what happened afterward would have occurred.

Since the use of dark magic was no big deal, Ron saw no reason to worry.

He had overcome the most difficult part, and now, even if he had to face the dragon again, he would not feel afraid.

He was excited once more at the thought of having defeated the dragon and completed this challenging task.

"Well, before you two go back, it is better to go see Madam Pomfrey first and let her examine you," Professor McGonagall said, interrupting Evan, who was about to speak. "Mason, I know you are not injured, but the magic you used is very powerful. It would be better to check for any aftereffects. Hurry up and go with Weasley."

Both exited and saw Madam Pomfrey standing at the entrance of the second tent, looking concerned.

"Dragons," she said, with disgust, leading Evan and Ron inside. As she examined them, she scolded Evan furiously. "I am not surprised to see you back again. The Basilisk, the Dementors, the werewolf, the Centaurs, the curse, and now a damn dragon! What monster will you face next? The school is already a mess..."

She examined them thoroughly, and there were no issues.

Evan and Ron had used a bit too much magic. Madam Pomfrey insisted that both drink a purple liquid with a very unpleasant smell. This potion had a calming and comforting effect on their spirits, making them feel less nervous.

"Well, lie down here for a while and rest."

Just after Madam Pomfrey left, Harry, Hermione, Fred, George, Colin, and Ginny rushed in.

"Evan, thanks to your magic, you saved everyone!" Hermione exclaimed in a high pitch. "I saw the huge, fierce mouth of the Chinese Fire Dragon. I felt like I was blindfolded and there was a void in my head. I thought..."

She rushed to Evan, hugged him tightly, and began to cry. She could not hold it back.

At that moment, she thought she was going to die with Evan.

"Well, there is nothing to cry about," Evan wiped the tears from her face and said with an extremely confident tone, "I told you a long time ago that as long as I am with you, nothing bad will happen to you. You should believe in me!"

"I believe, I will always believe in you," Hermione responded, still crying.

She rarely showed as much vulnerability as she did at that moment, not out of fear, but from the mix of her complex emotions.

"Don't cry, you are not beautiful when you cry," Evan said, embracing Hermione.

Upon hearing this, Hermione felt a bit embarrassed, and the others kept looking at them, tacitly ignoring her embarrassment.

She moved away from Evan's arms and saw Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, and Colin still smiling and looking, overlooking her embarrassment.

"To be honest, I thought I was going to die," Colin said. "Up close, the dragon was so terrifying, and its huge fireball was like an erupting volcano in front of it."

"Yes, it was definitely a nightmare. Many younger students even wet themselves out of fear."

Fred, George, and Ginny were not in the stands to feel the horror of the dragon. What shocked them was what Evan had used, which directly defeated the dragon.

That was absolutely a staggering, powerful force, and anyone who witnessed it would never forget the sight of the huge creature being thrown.

Everyone gathered around Ron and Evan's bed, talking incessantly about what had just happened.

Soon, the topic shifted to Ron.

After learning that Ron had learned dark magic to anger Krum's dragon, everyone expressed their opinions.

Everyone had a bad impression of Krum, but Ron argued in his favor.

Viktor had clearly told him not to use that curse at that moment, but he did not think about the seriousness of the matter...

In general, what happened today still deserved to be celebrated. Despite the many twists and turns, Ron completed his first task unscathed and scored well.

Everyone was in good spirits, and there was nothing to worry about.

About fifteen minutes later, Cedric was brought in by Charlie and another wizard. He was covered in blood and appeared severely injured. Madam Pomfrey hurried to have him placed in another cubicle.

"Charlie, what on earth is happening?" Fred asked involuntarily.

"This guy transfigured a rock on the ground into a dog," Charlie sighed after confirming Ron was okay, "He was trying to make the dragon go after the dog instead of him. To be fair, it was a pretty cool transfiguration move, but it was futile. He faced the Hungarian Horntail. That creature is the most powerful. It ran a few steps after the Labrador and then changed its mind halfway. It just turned back and cornered the poor guy there. If we hadn't intervened..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but it was clear that if the Dragon Handlers hadn't stopped the Hungarian Horntail, Cedric would have been in even greater danger.

Despite their intervention, he was now severely injured.

Without using fire, the hard claws and sharp tail of the Hungarian Horntail were enough to inflict a fatal physical blow.

Fortunately, Ron didn't draw that creature; otherwise, he might not have fared much better.

"It was a risky move letting young wizards fight dragons. Luckily, he got the golden egg and wasn't killed by the dragon, otherwise the tournament wouldn't continue!" Charlie shook his head and said, "The dragon isn't in good shape either. Under Dumbledore's double attack, it's barely breathing now."

"Is it going to die?" Evan asked.

Dumbledore had just pushed the dragon away. It seemed like a fierce attack, but the actual damage wasn't significant.

The point was Dumbledore's attack. That was the key. He made a fierce attack but didn't kill the dragon. Such a creature was too valuable, and killing it would jeopardize the continuation of the competition.

"Hagrid is looking after it. After it recovers, it will be fine," Charlie said, shaking his head again.