The performance of the Hogwarts students left the audience stunned. Compared to Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, Hogwarts had resolved the situation with almost unnerving speed. Even Charlotte, ostensibly practicing teamwork, had gone surprisingly easy on the dragon. No, that wasn't quite right. It was more accurate to say that almost no one was taking the simulation seriously. And yet, they still managed to defeat the dragon!
Of course, Harry Potter was the exception. He could swear to Merlin that he had thrown everything he had at the beast. Yet, even so, his performance remained... questionable. As Erwin had noted, Harry's talent was, at best, slightly above average. The other eight members of the group were all highly gifted individuals; Harry was only there because of his status as the "Boy Who Lived." Without that, he wouldn't have qualified to stand among them.
Despite Harry's mediocre showing, Erwin was quite satisfied with the group's overall performance. By this point, all three major schools had secured fragments of the parchment scroll. As for the exchange delegation, Erwin glanced at the monitor and spotted Sunny Finch. Her breathing was perfectly even. She was asleep!
Erwin shook his head helplessly. Oh well, never mind her. Youth was wonderful; the girl could fall asleep instantly without it seeming the least bit out of place.
Battles were breaking out all across the grounds of Hogwarts. Without even needing to search, the students had already gathered six or seven fragments. Durmstrang was faring similarly, though their approach was pure chaos. Lacking coordination, they simply unleashed their full power the moment they spotted a dragon. Ten nearly adult wizards fighting a single beast, and after each skirmish, they needed half a day to recover!
These weren't even life-or-death battles. Although Erwin had told the dragons not to hold back, in reality, he had issued specific orders before the creatures arrived. They were to pull their punches. Otherwise, considering the raw power displayed by Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, the schools would have already begun suffering losses.
Competing for the dragon fragments was meant to be a stepping stone. Erwin had assessed the strength of the schools and knew the dragons were no match for them in a serious fight.
By evening, around five o'clock, the last dragon fell to the Beauxbatons girls. All thirty fragments now had owners. The Beauxbatons students collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted and panting heavily. A full day of continuous fighting had drained them completely; this was an intensity they had never experienced. Durmstrang was in an even worse state. They looked like husks of their former selves, pale and hollow as they sat on the ground.
Meanwhile, Sunny Finch had woken up. She had somehow procured a fishing rod and was patiently fishing by the Black Lake. As for the Hogwarts group, Charlotte and her players had found a comfortable spot to rest and replenish their energy. Charlotte carried a small pouch enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, filled with plenty of food—a habit she had picked up after spending two years training in Germany with Vinda and frequently missing meals.
When the last dragon was defeated, the Hogwarts bell rang out across the castle. Erwin slowly rose into the air, his voice magically amplified to echo throughout the grounds.
"All fragments have been claimed! The first phase of the competition is officially over!" he announced. "The second phase begins now. No wizard may carry more than two fragments. Only when a team accumulates twenty fragments may they acquire more. Now, the real game begins!"
As soon as Erwin finished speaking, a cascade of parchment fragments flew from Krum, Fleur, and Charlotte, hovering in the air. As the strongest students in their respective schools, the three naturally held the majority of the fragments. But Erwin's new rule—limiting each person to two—meant they had to split up.
"This is a small curse," Erwin explained, a sly smile touching his lips. "One you cannot break. If anyone proves me wrong, I'll be delighted. You know the rules. In the castle hall, a scoreboard updates in real time, recording every school's holdings. The ruleless competition is now official!"
Erwin hovered in the air, glancing toward a specific direction with a knowing smile. Charlotte reacted instantly. The exchange students had obtained only six fragments in total, so she kept two and distributed the rest: two to Penelope and two to Cedric.
The Beauxbatons girls had secured fourteen fragments—nearly half of the total. Fleur distributed them solemnly, giving two to each of the seven strongest members. "From now on, we do not split up," she instructed, her voice firm. "We are the weakest. Though we hold the most fragments, they will be difficult to keep."
The girls nodded, but Fleur's eyes were filled with steel. She knew that in terms of raw power, Beauxbatons was the weakest link. Holding so many fragments made them a prime target. The three major schools would surely target them first. They always picked off the weakest.
But was Fleur truly the prey?
In a forest west of Hogwarts—not the Forbidden Forest, but an ordinary wooded area—Durmstrang wizards were already being ambushed. They had been beaten, and the aggressors were unmistakable: the exchange students.
Erwin had noticed the exchange students' movements earlier. While Beauxbatons was fighting the final dragon, they had already begun their operation. Sunny Finch had led the charge straight for Durmstrang with a clear objective. Erwin was genuinely surprised. He realized then that Sunny Finch had planted tracking markers on the three schools, designed solely to locate the fragments. Because of its singular purpose, the array emitted almost no magical fluctuation.