Barnaby rushed out of the stands to see if he could find a solution for the dragon vacancy. Although he found replacements, he couldn't use them for the test.
If Fleur and Harry's levels were similar to those shown by the other champions, they wouldn't survive by any chance…
That is to say, the Nergigante is technically a dragon that feeds on dragons, but it would be utterly unfair to throw it at Fleur or Harry.
Acnologia is too grumpy; he wouldn't hold back at all.
And that dragon, which has been searching for a home since being kicked out of its parents' nest, is too cowardly.
"Maybe I should ask Haku for a favor?" Barnaby considered for a moment. "Since he became Yubaba's apprentice, he can also be considered a dragon…"
No, that wouldn't be entirely fair either. When Haku takes his dragon form, he can at most fly, bite, and scratch; he can't even breathe fire. The difficulty isn't comparable.
"Why did I have to choose dragons of all things for the first test?" Barnaby frustratedly wondered as time was running out and people began to suspect.
Oh, wait!
What if it were her?
Yes, it might cost a few barrels of alcohol from his house's cellar, but he already had a replacement!
"Magicians and witches, I hope you've enjoyed this brief (unscheduled) break and are ready to welcome the next champion!" came the announcement from the loudspeaker. "In fact, the only champion this year."
Fleur stepped out and was immediately confused when she realized that the surroundings of the field were shrouded in mist. But since the mist was confined within the test area, she quickly concluded that it wasn't natural mist.
But why didn't it feel magical either?
She had Veela blood; she should be able to sense it if the mist were a result of some magic…
As Fleur tried to understand what was happening, the people in the stands had gotten to their feet due to the large dragon coiled around the platform where the golden egg rested, watching the champion with amused eyes, who seemed unable to notice its presence despite being right in front of her.
The dragon was of the Eastern type, with hair that looked like mist, long whiskers, antlers on its head, four fingers on each foot, and a long, serpentine body covered in slightly bluish-green scales.
Madame Maxime couldn't help but turn to Dumbledore with an indignant expression.
"Wasn't the test supposed to be fair for everyone?" she raised her hand and pointed at the dragon that could swallow her champion in one bite, without even filling the gap between its teeth. "Does this look fair?!"
"Maxime, you yourself reviewed Barnaby's magical contract," Dumbledore said without looking away from the field. "I'm sure there's a completely plausible explanation for this situation."
"Certainly," Karkaroff wasn't going to oppose this issue, not when Krum's performance wasn't bad. "What if we call the guy and ask him?"
"An excellent idea," Dumbledore called for a house-elf, and Barnaby arrived before the school directors in no time.
"What's happening?"
"THIS is happening!" Maxime pointed at the dragon, which was just watching Fleur as she wandered around the field, as if disoriented in the mist. "What kind of bias is this?"
"Watch your words, Madame Maxime," Barnaby didn't shrink despite the half-giantess towering over him; he had dealt with larger and more dangerous creatures to teach them manners. "The magical neutrality contract I signed (under obligation) exists for a reason!"
He already had a poor opinion of this headmistress due to the state of the Abraxans; he wasn't going to be lenient with her just because she had similar ancestry to his father. Although, unlike his father, who didn't care much, she denied such a fact as if it were an outrageous lie against her.
What a cowardly woman…
"Perhaps you could provide details to calm the lady's anxiety?" suggested Dumbledore, trying to mediate peace between the two.
"Tomoe won't attack Fleur," Barnaby explained, raising his hand nonchalantly as he turned to look at the disoriented Beauxbatons champion. "She's only using her illusion mist against her. As long as she doesn't get overwhelmed and clears her mind, she'll be able to retrieve the golden egg without needing to fight her."
Not that Fleur could face Tomoe even if she wanted to…
"I understand," Karkaroff nodded as he stroked his goatee thoughtfully. "It's like being in the presence of a Boggart, right? As long as she keeps her cool, everything should be fine."
The people around, who had been listening in secret, suddenly felt it made sense and began explaining it to others nearby.
"Very astute, Mr. Karkaroff," Barnaby applauded with admiration. "Indeed, that is exactly the goal. I think everyone will see that, although the approach to the test is different, the difficulty is comparable. In fact, there is even a slight advantage as she won't sustain injuries whether she succeeds or fails."
Maxime frowned, admitting that, indeed, although the approach to the test was different, the difficulty wasn't very different under these conditions. She couldn't even say it was a deliberate setup, as the champions had drawn the numbers that determined the order in which they would come out, and the dragons had been prepared in advance.
But failing such a test would be truly humiliating, especially for someone as proud as Fleur Delacour.
For fifty-five minutes, the spectators watched as Fleur wandered aimlessly in the mist. At ten minutes, the champion realized something was wrong; at thirty, she started trying various spells and charms to find the path or the golden egg, while after fifty minutes, she was starting to despair.
It was a stroke of luck for Fleur to end up walking towards the nest and stumbling upon the golden egg, almost dropping it and breaking it, but saving it at the last second with a hand catch that twisted her wrist.
When the large hourglass emptied and the hour was up, Fleur passed the test with a lower score than Cedric and Krum.
She obtained the golden egg and might uncover the clue for the next test if she still had some luck, but she failed to bring the egg to the exit, which deducted points.
Now it was the turn of the fourth and unexpected champion, Harry Potter!
As everyone awaited the final confrontation, someone came to warn Barnaby that there was a problem with Furia Luminosa.
"Mr. Barnaby, I think she's having a severe indigestion," said the man, his forehead sweating nervously. "She ate some kind of beetle that flew by, and since then she's been like this."