Chapter 61
As the final competitor, Gray stepped into the stadium, his gaze locking onto the dragon chained before him. A spark of amusement lit his eyes as he thought, "Hm, it has to be flashy. Oh, I know." A sly smile crossed his face as the dragon roared, straining against its chains. The crowd hushed in anticipation, their eyes glued to the arena. When the dragon was released, it lunged forward with a deafening roar. Gray, undeterred, yelled, "Professor McGonagall, this is for you!" With a wave of his hand, he transfigured himself into a sleek black dragon.
Gray's transformation mirrored the creature in front of him. His scales gleamed like polished obsidian, his piercing green eyes radiated intelligence, and his wings stretched wide and powerful. The crowd erupted in astonishment, their cheers echoing through the mountainous stadium. Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes twinkling with pride, while Professor McGonagall's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Remarkable," she murmured. Meanwhile, Karkaroff, the Durmstrang headmaster, frowned deeply, clearly unimpressed.
The dragon in front of Gray wasted no time and attacked, unleashing a torrent of fire that turned the rocky terrain molten. Gray, unbothered, inhaled deeply and retaliated with his own fire, a blazing inferno that matched the dragon's intensity. The audience gasped, the fiery clash illuminating the stadium like a second sun. Gray darted forward, his speed and agility leaving the dragon scrambling to keep up. Despite its ferocity, it became clear that Gray was holding back, his movements deliberate, his strikes measured.
The dragon lunged again, but Gray easily sidestepped, swiping at its tail with a flick of his wing. The creature roared in frustration, thrashing as the chains binding it strained and eventually snapped. The crowd screamed as the dragon briefly turned its attention toward them, but Gray intercepted it with a powerful tackle, pinning the beast mid-flight. He wrestled it back to the ground, his superior strength subduing the creature with ease. The fight had become a spectacle, with Gray toying with the dragon to entertain the crowd.
Finally, Gray flew up, landing gracefully on the dragon's back, forcing it to the ground with his sheer weight and presence. He leaned forward, resting an arm on its head, and looked toward the judges. "So, am I done?" he asked as he picked up the golden egg, his voice calm and composed. Dumbledore smiled warmly, clapping slowly, while Karkaroff scowled in disapproval. The crowd erupted in wild applause as Gray returned to his human form, leaving the subdued dragon lying motionless beneath him.
Many waved handmade banners with his name or likeness on them, while others threw confetti and enchanted glowing lights into the air."GRAY! GRAY! YOU WERE AMAZING!" screamed one girl, her voice hoarse but filled with admiration. "Marry me, Gray!" shouted another, waving a scarf embroidered with his name. Several of the younger students began jumping in their seats, their faces glowing with excitement. A group of older girls clutched each other, swooning. "Did you see how fearless he was? He transformed into a dragon! A dragon! Not to mention he tackled one" one of them exclaimed, fanning herself dramatically.
"He's so strong! And that smile—oh, Merlin, I think I'm going to faint!" another added, clutching her chest like her heart might burst. Gray, standing tall in the middle of the arena, simply raised a hand and waved to the crowd. His face remained stoic, a slight nod of acknowledgment the only break in his calm demeanor. The restrained response only seemed to amplify the crowd's enthusiasm.
"He's so mysterious!" one girl whispered to her friend. "He barely even reacts. That makes him even cooler!" "Look at him, like he doesn't even care about the glory," said another. "He's just… above it all!" A younger student tugged on her friend's robes, her eyes wide. "Do you think he'll sign my book? I want to tell my grandchildren I saw Gray in the tournament!" Some of the boys joined in too, shouting their approval. "Mate, you're a legend! Absolute legend!" one called out, punching the air. Others whistled and clapped, their admiration genuine despite their usual attempts to downplay their awe.
As Gray walked toward the exit, the fans surged toward the barriers, hands outstretched, hoping for just a touch or a glance. "Gray! Over here! Please wave at me!" a girl begged, her cheeks flushed with excitement. He paused for a moment, glancing toward the crowd, and gave another brief wave. The crowd's energy redoubled, and the girls erupted into a fresh wave of cheers, as if that simple gesture was a personal acknowledgment. As he neared the tunnel leading out of the arena, a group of younger students tossed flowers onto the path ahead of him. "For you, Gray! You're the best!" one of them shouted.
Back inside Hogwarts, the atmosphere was jubilant. Despite the deafening sound, Gray held it before closing it and saying, "I should probably check on it," excusing himself as he went back to his suitcase. There, Rachel sat in her human form, waiting for him.
"You having fun with all that attention?" she asked with her usual brooding face. Gray replied, "Please, stop with the jealousy; it's bad for business," as he placed the egg down. Seeing this, Rachel sighed. As she was about to say something, Gray stopped her. "I know what you're about to say—that it was Harry Potter who was supposed to be the champion instead of me, right?" Rachel stayed silent, but that was all Gray needed to know. "It doesn't matter anyway," he said, making Rachel speak aloud, "It does matter. If your name is on the Goblet of Fire instead of Harry, then that means—"
"Yeah, I know, the Merlin fanatics. They're probably lying in ambush somewhere," Gray interrupted her. They looked into each other's eyes before Gray sighed.
"Look, I think I have an idea of what they plan to do, and I will take a countermeasure, okay?" Rachel sighed as she suddenly glitched for a second and returned to her cane form. Seeing this, Gray sighed and, without hesitation, took out a test tube that held the blood he collected when Rachel took on her human form. He poured it on the cane, which caused it to glow as she took on her human form, still glowing.
"You… you could have used that as an ingredient," Rachel said, looking at him weirdly. As far as she knew, Gray would go to great lengths for an ingredient. Heck, that was the whole reason he fought the Ironbound Initiates in the first place, yet he was giving it to her without hesitation. "What are you planning to do by keeping me in my human form?" she asked, covering her chest with her hand and turning her body away from him while still looking at him. "Just shut up and wait until I make a potion for you," Gray replied, turning away from her. He spent his free time until the second part of the tournament preparing for the task, studying the notes he had on the Time Turner, and preparing a countermeasure for the Merlin fanatics, as well as the three Unforgivable Curses.
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A/N overconfidence can lead to incompetane.