The wooden door of the Owlery creaked shut behind Harry, the air filled with the scents of hay and bird droppings, with small bones scattered across the floor.
The cold wind howled through the glass-less windows, various owls perched on their branches, some sleeping soundly, others watching Harry, the unexpected guest, as if monitoring his every move.
Cedric was feeding meat strips to an owl much taller than the others and turned his head upon hearing the sound.
"Harry?"
Cedric tossed the remainder of the meat strips to his owl, straightened up, and asked, "You said there's something urgent?"
Harry suddenly noticed Cedric's robe was open, revealing a gray sweater beneath, making his figure appear even more upright, and highlighting Harry's much shorter stature, making him seem more like a juvenile.
"Yes..."
Harry instinctively stepped back a bit, creating some distance, then glanced again at the voracious owl and said, "I wanted to tell you, the first task is Fire Dragons, there are seven in total, all are adult giants."
Cedric's smile froze on his face, he stared at Harry blankly, his gray eyes first showing confusion, then bit by bit soaked with fear, his pupils contracted, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
"Fire Dragons?" Cedric asked quietly, "Are you sure?"
At that moment, his breathing became suppressed and trembling.
Harry nodded, the tightness in his chest miraculously loosened a bit.
—Turns out he wasn't the only one afraid!
Harry took a deep breath and said, "Absolutely sure."
He counted on his fingers: "Hungarian Horntail, Chinese Fireball, Swedish Short-Snout, Common Welsh Green, Hebridean Black, Romanian Longhorn, Ukrainian Ironbelly, I saw them all with my own eyes."
A chilly wind rushed in through the window, tousling Cedric's hair and making his head look unruly.
Cedric pulled his robe tight and buttoned it, took several deep breaths, then sneezed because of the Owlery's smell.
He rubbed his nose and said with a bitter smile, "Okay, Fire Dragons... I won't ask you how you found out, because we shouldn't know... But Harry, why tell me?"
"Everyone else knows, only you were unaware." Harry sincerely said, "I couldn't just watch you face those giants unprepared."
Cedric: "...Everyone knows?"
"Yes." Harry added, "This morning, all the books related to Fire Dragons in the library have been checked out."
The Owlery lapsed into silence, only the occasional sound of wings flapping, Cedric staring at an owl ahead, his gaze somewhat dazed.
"Vid still has books, he said he's willing to share his materials with us. If you want to borrow something, go to the Umbrella House to find Vid—you know the address, right?" Harry asked.
Cedric nodded slowly, saying, "Theo mentioned it to me before."
"That's good... I'll head back now."
Harry walked towards the door, his hand on the rusty doorknob, when he heard Cedric suddenly say behind him, "Thank you, Harry."
He turned back, seeing Cedric smile and say, "If you hadn't told me this news, I might have been eliminated in the first round... Really, thank you so much."
His voice regained about seventy to eighty percent of its steadiness, seemingly calm again.
Harry smiled, waved, and said, "Good luck to us… We must survive tomorrow!"
…
Blue curtains in the dormitory hung down from the window, Vid sat in an armchair, his quill scratching while listening to the mother's voice in his Communication Pea:
"The competition's tomorrow, right… Has the school told you what the first task is?"
"No." Vid said calmly, "Whatever it is, I'll manage, no worries."
"Then I'll wait to see your glory in the Flow Mirror." Fiona laughed and said, "I'll keep praying for you."
"Get some rest early." Ferdinand advised, "Ensure you're in good shape for tomorrow's event. Don't eat too much in the morning, avoid drinking too much water, and carry some chocolate to replenish your energy."
"I know." Vid laughed, "You used to say this when I had exams."
He chatted casually with his parents for a while longer, ending the call only when they urged him to sleep.
Vid hadn't shared the Fire Dragons news with his parents or anyone else, lest they worry, and spared himself from comforting others.
In truth, Vid wasn't worried; however, he struggled to convey this certainty and confidence to anyone else.
…
By Tuesday morning, the school's atmosphere was tense and excited. Due to the large number of participants, classes were paused early, and students could head to the competition venue after breakfast.
Vid entered the hall to have breakfast at his usual time, many greeted him as they passed:
"Go, Gray!"
"Good luck in the competition!"
"Best wishes!"
Just after finishing breakfast, Professor Flitwick swiftly approached Vid.
"Are you full? Good, come with me after eating—the champions' path differs from the spectators."
Vid stood up, leaving the hall with Professor Flitwick, bypassing the edge of the Forbidden Forest, towards where the Fire Dragons were.
Students, on the other hand, followed signs along another path towards a particularly tall building.
It was a temporary stand constructed overnight—Vid, transformed into a Peregrine Falcon for reconnaissance, saw nothing there hours ago, yet it arose promptly through magic.
The noise forced creatures of the Forbidden Forest to retreat from the vicinity; the peaceful shadows of trees swayed in the wind, rendering Professor Flitwick's voice extraordinarily calm.
"Vid, I assume you know what the first task is?"
"Yes." Vid said.
"Are you scared?"
"Not too much."
Professor Flitwick looked up at Vid's expression, seemingly worried he was putting on a brave front.
Then, he warmly and sincerely said, "Vid, while I wish for you to bring glory to the academy, I hope more that you protect yourself and return safely."
"I will, Professor." Vid smiled, "I'm thoroughly prepared; I won't let you down."
"Remember, whatever you encounter, staying calm is paramount." Professor Flitwick said again, "When feeling nervous and scared, take a deep breath and relax…"
Ahead was a large tent, with Harry standing at the entrance and peeking inside.
"Go ahead, child…" Professor Flitwick patted Vid's arm and said, "I've always been proud of you."