Chapter 367 Send the weakest one out first, let's rely on our abilities
"Miss Delacour." Aaron looked at the aggressive Fleur, exasperated yet amused, and said speechlessly, "When you say that, can you first look at the Welsh Green Dragon in your hand? In a sense, a Welsh Green Dragon is easier to deal with than an Antipodean Opaleye."
"Looks like you haven't told them, huh?" Adrian said playfully.
"There's no point in telling them," Aaron said weakly. "Who would believe an older sister would want her younger brother to die?"
"That's a bit much. I never wanted you to die. I just wanted to stimulate your potential. You are the pride of the Gaius family; this little trouble certainly won't stump you."
Aaron chuckled, his eyes filled with bitterness.
He was confident he could get the golden egg from a Dragon, even an Antipodean Opaleye.
But according to Adrian's request, he had to be the last one to pass, which meant he might have to face five Dragons.
This method of stimulating potential would leave anyone else's bones scattered in minutes!
Moreover, she had specifically reminded him earlier that this was her first time co-hosting such a large event and she didn't want any major accidents.
That meant he had to complete the task and requirements while also protecting the other four Champions, ensuring they didn't suffer any major harm. Wasn't this clearly taking advantage of his honest nature?
"Of course," Adrian added, "if you don't want to, it's fine. Our agreement is void, and you don't have to think so much; just focus on dealing with one Antipodean Opaleye."
"I'll… do my best!"
"Don't push yourself!"
"I'm not pushing myself, not at all," Aaron said against his will.
Not pushing himself? How could he not be pushing himself?
His original battle plan was only prepared for one Dragon; now the difficulty had increased fivefold, completely disrupting all his combat plans.
"What are you talking about?" Fleur asked, confused, and the others also looked puzzled.
"It's none of your business, Miss Delacour," Adrian said with an intriguing smile. "Also, I can tell you very clearly that I will not help anyone cheat, not even my younger brother."
"Referee," Cedric asked, "if the Dragons cannot leave their restricted areas, can we team up to fight one Dragon?"
"That's exactly what I was about to say.
Unless a Dragon is defeated by a Champion and leaves its restricted area, other Champions cannot team up against it, or points will be deducted.
Any other questions, Mr. Diggory?"
"No."
"Champions, good luck," Dumbledore said. "We will go and preside over the order of the venue. When you hear the cannon, you can enter. Each of you has been assigned a specific area."
After the referees left, Aaron slumped onto the bed, thinking about what he should do later.
One against five! Although those Dragons couldn't compare to Smaug, five adult Dragons were not easy to deal with. Without bringing out some hidden trump cards, he might not even pass this challenge.
"Everyone, now we all know the rules." Aaron pondered for a long time, then stood up and said, "I think we need to plan this out, otherwise it will get more dangerous the further we go."
"How to plan?" Cedric shook his head, not holding out much hope. "The most important thing in this task is speed. Only by getting the Dragon egg as quickly as possible can we get out unscathed.
One, five-fourths, five-thirds, five-halves, five. The first person to pass has the least pressure, but the last person faces five times the pressure of the first, not to mention any injuries sustained during the process."
"Instead of testing courage, it's more like an elimination round," Krum said, speaking rarely. "The first two to pass will be fine, but the last three will be very dangerous. What if the Dragon handlers can't control the situation in time…"
The atmosphere in the tent instantly fell silent. Krum didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood how cruel this competition was for those who ranked lower.
"Um…" Aaron raised his right hand and suggested, "How about we send out the weakest one first?"
"Are you talking about yourself?" Fleur sneered. "You picked the Antipodean Opaleye and you're still not satisfied? You want to use us to help you pass?"
"Fleur Delacour, how deep is your prejudice against me!" Aaron rolled his eyes. "I mean, let's send Harry Potter out first."
"Me?"
Harry inexplicably pointed to himself, annoyed at being underestimated, but also feeling a glimmer of hope.
He was already not on the same level as the other four Champions. Although he didn't want to admit it, if he were to go last, the probability of him dying would be almost one hundred percent.
"Don't doubt it, it's you. That Firebolt alone isn't enough for you to deal with those Dragons."
"And then what?" Fleur scoffed mockingly. "Help you pass again?"
"No." Aaron took a deep breath. "After that, the strongest one will hold off the Hungarian Horntail, covering the remaining three. Ideally, the three should get their golden eggs simultaneously, and this last person will then have a chance to get the last golden egg before the three Dragons leave their restricted areas."
"That's a good idea," Cedric said with a forced smile, "but it's not feasible.
Aaron, you have to understand that everyone in this tent is an opponent. There isn't much trust on the playing field.
And your idea can only be achieved by close, well-coordinated comrades."
"That's right," Krum said calmly. "And I'm not that selfless; I can't take such a big risk to cover you all to pass."
"Uh… you might have misunderstood something," Aaron said awkwardly but politely. "When I said the strongest one, I meant myself."
Everyone looked at each other, their faces filled with doubt.
"What a joke?" Fleur said indignantly. "You mean that the three of us seventeen-year-old Wizards are no match for you?"
"Maybe so."
"You… I've certainly seen the arrogance of Hogwartsstudents today."
"You must believe me, this is the best way. We can pass this stage with the least cost."
"Gaius, it's not that we don't believe you," Cedric said, his face stiff. "It's that we really can't believe you."
"We only know your age," Krum said in a deep voice. "We know nothing about your strength, personality, or even your credibility. We can't believe you because of some inexplicable plan."
"It's true," Harry suddenly said. "I can guarantee that Aaron's strength is not weaker than yours."
"Hmph!" Fleur scoffed dismissively. "Of course you'd speak for him. After all, this method is most beneficial to you.
Sending out the weakest first—this means we have to risk our lives to hold off our own Dragons, waiting for you to defeat the Hungarian Horntail."
"This… but what I'm saying is true. Only a few people at Hogwarts know about Aaron's strength."
"Harry," Cedric said matter-of-factly, "this isn't a Weasleybrothers' prank. This tactic is very dangerous, much more dangerous than Quidditch, but he can't even provide a convincing reason for us."
"Alright!" Aaron slowly exhaled, saying reluctantly, "My older sister, Adrian Crane, one of the six referees, asked me to be the last one to pass.
Is that reason enough?"
As his words fell, the other four Champions in the tent were dumbfounded, even Harry Potter was no exception.
"You're not joking, are you?!" Cedric said incredulously. "She's your older sister!"
"You don't understand her," Aaron said with a bitter, stiff smile. "My eldest sister has protected us siblings since childhood, treating us better than our parents, but her personality is rather strange and unpredictable.
Aside from the Quidditch World Cup, I haven't seen her in years. This time, she's targeting me. She wants to see what my true strength has reached in the years she's been away."
"That's absurd," Fleur frowned. "Using five Dragons as a test?"
"She is a referee, and a referee specifically appointed by the International Confederation of Wizards, her status is extraordinary," Krum said meaningfully.
"I'm sure she won't watch me die.
But she'd definitely be happy to see me in a sorry state, and if anything unexpected happens, I'm in trouble."
"One question," Fleur asked. "You could have simply refused this request."
"I can't tell you the reasons, but I must try to fulfill her request," Aaron sighed slightly. "I've said everything I can. Tell me if you agree to my method or not."
Krum hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "Let's just rely on our own abilities.
I'm confident I'll get the golden egg first; there's no need to take this kind of risk."
"I don't want to join this plan either," Fleur said sweetly. "In the Triwizard Tournament, we are all opponents. Who knows if you'll use us to become second.
And with my abilities, I'll be at least in the top three, so… I won't be joining you on this adventure."
Cedric shrugged, not speaking, but his silence conveyed his attitude.
"Alright! I was mentally prepared. If it's difficult, then it's difficult!"
"Are you really going to be the last one to pass?" Harryasked, somewhat worried.
"What else can I do?!" Aaron spread his hands helplessly. "Who told me I needed something from someone!
But this isn't a bad thing for you; at least you won't face a one-against-five situation."
Harry gave an awkward laugh, then looked at the other three Champions, and the awkward smile on his face was immediately replaced by melancholy.
He wouldn't face a one-against-five situation, but a one-on-one was necessary. For whatever reason, that Hungarian Horntail could only be dealt with by him.
And he couldn't compare to Cedric, Krum, and Fleur, the three Champions. In the end, it would probably become a two-against-five situation, with him and Aaron, two fourth-year Wizards, facing five adult Dragons.
This situation was much more difficult than a one-on-one, but he felt less worried inside, after all, he and Aaron had cooperated many times in the past few years; he was undoubtedly the best teammate.
However, Aaron was on the verge of tears. What Harry could think of, he naturally could too.
A lagging teammate, five adult Dragons—the difficulty of this stage was even more absurd than he had imagined.