Chapter 140: The First Task's Content
Jon pinched a handful of glittering powder and tossed it into the flames.
The fire instantly flared emerald green, shooting higher than a grown man.
“Diagon Alley!” Jon shouted, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished into the green fire.
...
More than ten minutes later, a tall man with golden curls stepped out of an inconspicuous pub onto Charing Cross Road.
He scanned his surroundings cautiously before heading into a tavern nearby.
A middle-aged Eastern European man had been waiting there for quite some time.
When the blond man sat down beside him as if nothing were out of the ordinary, the Eastern European man asked quietly, “Mr. Sal?”
“That’s me.” Jon nodded. “Captain Moreno, is the task complete?”
“Of course!” Moreno quickly pulled a scroll of parchment from his pocket and spread it across the table. “Please see if there are any issues... This is the detailed map of Little Hangleton!”
Jon took the parchment and studied it carefully.
The map was exceptionally detailed and professionally drawn, with precise markings of terrain and vantage points. Jon quickly located Riddle Manor and the village graveyard—two key sites. He circled both with a pen before folding the map away.
“Well done,” Jon said with a nod. “But there’s still more to do.”
“I understand, Mr. Sal...”
“The money from before should already be in your account,” Jon added, rising to his feet and giving Moreno’s shoulder a light pat. “But that was only a small portion of the reward. The rest will be far more generous.”
I understand, Mr. Sal. With Mr. Will’s help, I’ve already gathered my former colleagues. We’ve got plenty of manpower now!” Captain Moreno replied. “What’s our next move?
“You should...” Jon leaned close and whispered a few words in his ear.
Moreno’s expression shifted in surprise, but steadied again when Jon pressed a gold bar into his hand.
“We’ll handle it, Mr. Sal,” he said firmly.
“Fair trade,” Jon replied with a smile.
...
By 11:30, the tall, golden-haired man was back at the Three Broomsticks.
Most of the Hogwarts students had already left.
After thanking Madam Rosmerta once more, he stepped out of the tavern.
He then returned to the small grove, waited a few minutes for the transformation to wear off, and crossed the gravel path back to the castle gates.
It was already 11:55. According to the rules, anyone who failed to return before noon would be in violation of school regulations and face detention.
Filch checked the clock several times with a frustrated look before reluctantly letting Jon in.
Back in the Hufflepuff common room, Zacharias and Eloise were showing off sweets and toys they’d bought.
“Where did you go in Hogsmeade, Jon?” Zacharias asked curiously. “I didn’t see you at Honeydukes, Zonkos, or the Three Broomsticks.”
“I went to the Shrieking Shack,” Jon said casually. “I spent nearly half the day there.”
“What?!” Zacharias gaped. “That’s the most haunted house in all of Britain!”
“Just took a quick look around,” Jon said while gathering his things.
“Where are you off to now?” Zacharias asked in confusion.
“I need to head to the greenhouse this afternoon to help Professor Sprout pack some things... After dinner, I’ve got detention again in Professor Snape’s office.”
Jon shoved tools like shovels and shears into his bag, then climbed out of the common room and hurried toward the greenhouses.
“Oh, right!” Zacharias suddenly remembered something. “That Slytherin girl, Madeline Yaxley—she said she wanted to see you this morning while we were in Hogsmeade!”
But Jon had already climbed out of the barrel and didn’t hear him.
“Eh, whatever. Jon doesn’t know Yaxey well anyway—probably nothing important.” Zacharias shook his head and let it go.
...
On Sunday morning, Jon woke up and dressed without thinking.
With the first task drawing closer, nerves were beginning to creep in.
In the original storyline, Cedric Diggory’s opponent had been a Common Welsh Green... Of all ten breeds of fire dragon, it was the most docile. Even with the infamous Ilfracombe Incident—a Welsh Green attack—it remained the least troublesome. They usually hunted sheep and actively avoided wizards.
If he truly had just taken Cedric’s place, then he had drawn the best possible lot.
After all, Welsh Greens weren’t particularly tough opponents—far easier than Chinese Fireballs, Swedish Short-Snouts, or Hungarian Horntails.
He stepped out of the Hufflepuff common room, intending to grab some breakfast in the Great Hall. But as soon as he entered, he ran into a familiar face.
“Jon!” Harry Potter strode over, dark circles under his eyes as though he hadn’t slept.
“Morning, Harry.” Jon nodded.
Harry leaned in and lowered his voice. “The first task is Dragon.”
“What?” Jon forced his eyes wide in mock surprise.
“Yes, Dragon!” Harry said quickly. “There are four—one for each of us. We have to get past them and steal their eggs to finish the task.”
Seeing Jon’s doubtful expression, Harry added firmly, “I saw them with my own eyes.”
“Thanks, Harry.” Jon nodded gravely.
“No problem. I’m not the only one who knows. Fleur and Krum know too—Madame Maxime and Karkaroff saw the Dragons,” Harry said. “So now we’re all on equal footing!”
With that, Harry hurried off.
Jon noticed that after only a few steps, Harry was stopped by Professor Moody. The two of them seemed to be having a quiet exchange.
So it seems little Barty Crouch Jr. is already teaching Harry Potter how to handle dragons...
...
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him, Jon dashed toward the Room of Requirement.
He needed to use every last day to prepare and make sure nothing went wrong during the First Task...
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