Sunday, December 11, 1994
The Quidditch Stadium, Commentary Box
13:42 PM
Mason Timpson's and Alaric Spinster's POV
"Hello there. I regret to inform the viewers that three dragon tamers have sustained heavy injuries after the events of the last round and have been hospitalised. Seven were lightly injured, while nineteen were grazed. All those affected will receive appropriate compensation based on the injuries they sustained. The three champions from Team 2 have promised to match the compensation decided by the ICW," Mason said. "Team 3 will be making their way out shortly. Alaric, would you like to introduce the champions?"
"The leader for Team 3 is the international Quidditch sensation hailing from Durmstrang, Viktor Krum. Our Crows comment that he is one of the most acclimatised to the dark arts amongst his peers. The second champion is Alexis Castle from Beauxbatons. Her father is an American award winning muggle novelist, and Miss Castle has quite a fortune to her name. And finally, we have Percival Ebonwood from Hogwarts. Mister Ebonwood is the creator of the most sought out potion among the pureblood families: the pregnancy potion. With, in my opinion, an exorbitant price tag, Mister Ebonwood has managed to revive his family from certain financial obscurity," Alaric said as the crowd cheered. "Here are the three champions making their way to the stadium, and Percival is holding a wooden box. Mason, the rules state that you can not take any items into the arena, does it not?"
"Yes, it does, but I believe Team 3 has potion ingredients in it. And I am correct. Mister Ebonwood opens the lid to reveal an array of exotic materials. The three champions divvy it out amongst them. There are a few changes from the last round to note. The arena itself is smaller, and exceeding the limits could get the champions a point deduction. In the removed area, there will be dragon tamers stationed there, so the events of the previous team will not happen again. All the eggs have protection and wards around them, so they are not crushed by the dragons or the champions or damaged through other means. And finally, the team may only enter after the bell has been rung, and only then will the dragon be revealed to the audience," Mason said. "Ludo Bagman stands up. He swings his hammer, and the 12 minute countdown has started. The dragon is revealed to be the Red Eyes Black Dragon. Viktor and Alexis deposit the potion ingredients at the feat of Percival before they both go on the offensive. And by lipreading, they both are using spells much darker in nature than the previous teams."
"Not just darker, but modified as well. Miss Castle is also an aspiring Spell Weaver, and I'm guessing they are using modified curses so they would be more effective against the Red Eyes Black Dragon. Mister Ebonwood is hanging near the boundary, making use of the potion ingredients. I think this is going to be going on for a while, so why don't we tell the audience some key metrics about this dragon," Alaric said as an infographic of the dragon appeared on the screen. "The Red Eyes Black Dragon has an average length between 12 and 18 metres. From the ground to their shoulders, they measure between 5 and 7 metres, but if you include their neck and head, it can go up to 10 metres. An average dragon of this species weighs approximately between 2,800 and 4,200 kilograms."
"The average temperature of their dragon breath is between 1,800 and 2,500 degrees Celsius. Their wingspan varies, but it is usually up to 25 metres wide. Most of the time, they are quite clam creatures. However, if they think you can threaten them, they will retaliate. And retaliate as hard as they do. They have a carnivorous diet, and they are no stranger to cannibalism. If a dragon successfully defeats the leader of its herd, the previous leader is devoured by the herb. Quite ruthless and cutthroat," Mason said as he took a sip of water. "Glancing towards the arena, nothing has changed. The dragons are still where they are, and the champions are doing what they were doing. Continuing back to the key metrics, did you know that the fastest record speed of a dragon of this species was 313.2 kilometres per hour? Alaric! What do you think the strategy of Team 3 is?"
"I believe they are trying to cross the curse resistance threshold of the Red Eyes Black Dragon. As some of you may know, the Red Eyes Black Dragon has an exceptional curse repellent hide, but once it is exceeded, the damage from curses would be critical. Given the fact that Miss Castle is a Spell Weaver, I think the spells are modified to do very little damage to the dragon, but do a lot of damage to its hide without the dragon realising it," Alaric said.
"Leading on from that, I believe they are using a curse chain. The curses themselves are doing very little damage, as evidenced by the lack of reaction from the dragon. However, I think in the coming minutes, very close to when Percival is done with the potion ingredients, we will see them exceeding the threshold," Mason said. "And we have the first change in the arena. Alexis is retreating towards Percival, while Viktor is left alone to sling curses at the dragons. Alexis arrives in front of Percival and blasts the ground near them, which elicits a reaction from the other champion as well as the two dragons."
"From the rubble, Miss Castle creates metal orbs of different shapes as well as masks and begins casting charms on them. What is going on? I can clearly see two distinct types of metal orbs and two different salves Mister Ebonwood has made. Mason, do you remember the potion ingredients Team 3 brought in?" Alaric asked.
"I remember seeing a Somnus Rosa, a Venenum Folium, a Bloodroot, and an E'Malf Lily. There was Dittany and some other common plants," Mason replied.
"Okay, we have a recorded different plants. If what you are saying is true, then one of the salves Mister Ebonwood is making is a necrosis salve, and the other is a calming salve. If we assume they are using a curse chain, then the curse chain is going to result in some deep exposure from the dragon. The necrosis salve will hinder their movement, while the calming salve will slow their reaction. The only thing I can't figure out is the delivery method," Alaric said. "Miss Castle hands over all the long metal orbs to Mister Ebonwood, as Mister Ebonwood hands over one of the salves."
"Alexis is watering her salve down into a sludge, while Percival has put a lid over his salve. He then turns it into an aerosol. I think we just discovered the method of delivery: the metal orbs. Both Alexis and Percival continue to fill the orbs as Viktor eases his assault and re-joins his teammates. They share out the metal orbs as well as the mask between them, and walk towards the dragons," Mason said.
"The three champions put on their masks and started their assault in unison as they slowly started to split up. The dragons are starting to look agitated as they assess the danger, but I think it's too late for them. The three champions release one of the metal orbs. Purple smoke comes out! It's the calming gas. I think the dragons recognise the danger. But it's too late for them. They have begun the curse chain," Alaric said as he stood up from his seat. "It's not often you see a witch or a wizard performing a chain, but to see three magicals join together to perform a single chain. It is a sight to behold. You can clearly see the raging fire in the dragons eyes as they desperately struggle against the calming gas, but they recognised the danger a little too late. Their threshold has been exceeded. The three champions have momentarily stopped for what I'm guessing is the final piece."
"They overcharged the last bit of the chain, and they have finished. And they have made the dragons mad. I think they should have used the gas after they finished the chain. A small oversight, perhaps, but there must have been a reason why they used the gas first," Mason said.
"I believe it was to slow the response of the dragons first so they could finish the chain. Although the pain from the chain, hehe that rhymes. What was I saying? Yes. Although it would nullify the effect, I guess they are counting on the necrosis sludge to enhance the pain enough that they give up and succumb," Alaric said. "The three champions throw the other magical orb, and it explodes mid-air. I think that was how they were made."
"It increases the area of effect, meaning that it could hit more of the dragon with the same amount. The dragons are writhing in pain. I guess they could do this due to the new wards around the eggs. Team 3 is making full use of the changes to the rules," Mason said. "With both the mother and father dragons down and hopefully out, Viktor Krum makes his way towards the eggs at a leisurely pace."
"His two teammates stay where they are with their wands pointing towards the downed dragons. Mister Krum lifts the golden egg, and Ludo Bagman rings the bell," Alaric said as the crowd around them cheered. "Although Team 3 was not as exciting to watch as the previous two teams, their strategy is commendable. They got the job done with very little danger to them. They completed this task in 8 minutes and 39 seconds, the fastest time yet, and it looks to be unbeatable. Join us after the break as we wait for Team 4 to get ready and the arena to be cleared."
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"Hello again, and welcome back. I hope you're not tired of our voices yet, because we have another three teams to go. Mason is going to go through the champions in Team 4 while I'm responsible for the key metrics of the dragon they're facing. Mason, off you go," Alaric said.
"Leading the lines for Team 4 is Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons. She is the princess of France in all but the title. Descending from French royalty and the heiress to the largest fortune on French soil, she is set for life. The girl to her right is Andi Larson from the Mitford Foundation. The muggle born witch hails from a line of semi-successful actresses, musicians, and courtesans. We can see where she gets her artistic flair from. The girl to the left of the French champion is Kenzie Joelle from the School of Spiritology and Demonology. While researching her, our Crows found out that her family descends from a squib line from the Ancient and Magical House Black. That line was specifically sent to Australia due to their ancestor being a, well, you guessed it, a squib during the mass deportation of criminals to Australia during the time of the Empire. Consulting Goblin Law and the Rites of Succession, Kenzie has a better claim to the Black fortune than the girl who lived and the Malfoy heir. My reaction was the same when I found out about it. I guess the political landscape could change after today's revelation," Mason said.
"Enough about politics and lineage! We're here for some entertainment. Ludo Bagman strikes the bell, and the gates open, revealing the dragon they are facing: the Hebridean Black. The Hebridean Blacks are named after their black scales and the fact that they're native to the Hebrides. They measure an average length between 9 and 15 metres. From the ground to their shoulder, they measure between 4 and 5 metres, on average, but if you include their neck and head, that increases up to 8 metres. The average weight of the Hebridean Blacks is approximately between 1,800 and 2,500 kilograms. Their dragon breath ranges between 1,500 and 2,200 degrees Celsius. Wingspan varies, but on average it is around 20 metres," Alaric said before he was interrupted.
"Sorry to ruin your parade. I think this is important. It's been about 45 seconds, and the champions of Team 4 have not entered the arena yet. 10 more seconds before they are eliminated. 7. 6. 5. The champions finally make a move and enter the arena. I think that will affect them heavily. Anyway, Alaric, you can continue," Mason said.
"Thank you. Where was I? Yes, temperament. They are extremely aggressive and territorial. We can see that now. The champions strictly stay near the boundary as the dragons snarl. The champions split up. Miss Larson and Miss Joelle head in opposite directions, while Miss Delacour stays where she is. They continue walking until they are equidistant from the centre. And now they are walking anti-clockwise with their wands pointing to the ground. I believe they are making a ritual circle as they are walking. Looking at the displaced ground, I am correct. What do you think they are trying to do, Mason?" Alaric asked.
"I'm as clueless about rituals as you are. From the previous teams and their approaches, I believe it is something to either put the dragons to sleep or something to increase the power output of their spells. That would make the most sense," Mason said as he flicked through his notes and watched the three champions walk back to their original positions.
"The three champions all get something out of their pockets. I think I can make it out. It looks like a silver bracelet. The champions are not allowed to bring items into the arena. That is against the rules, and the bell is rung. The bell is rung? Why hasn't the bell been rung?" Alaric asked, confused.
"Oh! We were too busy focusing on the dragons and not the champions. At the start, they were waiting outside for about a minute. I think that they're not silver bracelets, but a bracelet made out of Veela hair from the head of Fleur. That is technically within the rules, as hair does not count as an item," Mason said.
"I think you were right about what the ritual circle is for. It probably is to put the dragon to sleep and increase the power output of their spells. Given the fact that all three champion wands are made out of Veela hair, this ritual will be extremely effective," Alaric said. "The bracelet of hair erupts into flames as the three witches finish chanting. I think the first part of the ritual has been done."
"Going through my notes, I can't find any rituals that use Veela hair to put dragons to sleep. At least, I can't find any common rituals that do that. Either this is a completely new ritual or a ritual that has been hidden in some dark corner in someone's library," Mason said as he closed his notebook. "The second part of the ritual is done. The ritual circle is now glowing blue; however, the dragons are doing nothing. As the champions have not encroached on the dragons territory, they are not bothered, and Team 4 is making full use of that. The ritual circle is slowly turning pink as the three witches continue to chant."
"The three champions point their wands towards the centre and fire a pink beam. The pink beam stops about 30 metres away from the centre. The dragons are startled and get up. The beam starts to spread out clockwise, creating a circle. The Hebridean Blacks try to approach the witches, but their movements are sluggish. The dragons are struggling to move. The mother dragon tries to return to her nest, but collapses a few metres away from it," Alaric said as he stood up to check the time. "I think we just passed the six minute mark. Miss Delacour leaves her spot and approaches the nest. She reaches the nest and picks up the golden egg. The bell rings, signifying the completion of the task."
"Well, Alaric, I am very impressed. 6 minutes and 26 seconds. What a time and what an approach! I think this time is now unbeatable. Witches and Wizards, join us after the break to watch Teams 5 and 6 try their best to come close to this performance."