When facing a dragon, the obvious move was to put up defenses and wait for the right moment to strike.
Dragon tamers modified their magic specifically for dealing with dragons. Against dragons, their spells let them seize the advantage faster and press it more effectively.
Besides the spells designed specifically to attack dragons, the most important ones were the defensive spells tailored to counter a dragon's attacks.
For example, Apparition to evade physical blows, or protective magic made specifically to defend against a dragon's deadliest weapon, dragonfire.
Under normal circumstances, that was naturally an advantage. But when facing something that was not dragon power, their magic became comparatively fragile.
That weakness was not obvious in ordinary situations, but against a stronger, higher-tier power, it became especially fatal.
The carefully prepared defenses of the two dragon tamers were as flimsy as paper. The deadly breath engulfed several dragon tamers in the blink of an eye and surged toward the judges' stand.
"Watch out!"
Dumbledore moved first, pulling out his spare wand. "Protego Totalum!"
A milky-white shield spread out, its soft glow forming a sharp contrast with the lifeless breath.
The instant the two collided, a violent explosion erupted. Ripples spread wildly across the shield, making it look as though it could shatter at any moment, but in the end it still managed to block the fog.
Dumbledore truly deserved his reputation as a legendary wizard. Even without the Elder Wand, he still stood at the very top among everyone present.
At the judges' stand, Barty Crouch Sr., the Ministry official sent as a judge, cowered in terror behind Dumbledore.
The others were not doing much better. Both Maxime and Karkaroff instinctively stepped back.
"What in the world is happening, Dumbledore?" Maxime screamed.
Karkaroff said nothing, but he too edged back a step.
A chill ran down his spine. He had the uneasy feeling that the fog was aimed at him. The dragon's head within that gray mist was staring straight in his direction, and cold sweat broke out all over him.
How could this be? He had only completed the preliminary setup for a spell according to Father God's instructions. How had he provoked something this terrifying?
That presence felt no weaker than Father God himself.
Could that be Father God's target?
Karkaroff's thoughts stirred his connection to Odin, and far away in the hidden realm of Asgard in the far north, Odin immediately sensed it, casting his gaze here through Karkaroff as a medium.
"That is... Death God?" Odin's voice rang out in Karkaroff's mind. At first Karkaroff was overjoyed, but when he heard the uncertainty in Odin's tone, his heart went cold again.
This was actually beyond Father God's expectations.
Dumbledore did not answer Maxime's question. He was gritting his teeth to keep the shaky shield intact. He had no time to answer her.
He could still hold on, but where had Gellert gone? Why had he still not shown himself?
Just as Dumbledore struggled to resist the breath, the situation on the field changed again.
A deathly fog evaporated from the breath and swallowed the entire arena. Wherever the fog passed, waves of screams and eerie howls erupted.
"Everyone! Evacuate immediately!" Dumbledore's eyes had practically gone red. Ignoring the fact that he was already straining to maintain the shield, he shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice amplified by magic into rolling waves that covered the whole arena.
That split in concentration caused Dumbledore's shield to steadily collapse under the pressure of the breath, shrinking until it barely enclosed the judges' stand.
"Run... run!"
The moment the panicked spectators heard Dumbledore's words, the crowd exploded into chaos.
"What is that thing?"
"There's something in the fog. Ahhh!"
Some people, startled by the sudden scene, instinctively gasped, only to suck in a lungful of the fog. In the next instant, they let out howls and began tearing into the companions beside them, dragging them into the fog as well.
Screams and cries rose one after another. Dumbledore clenched his fists so tightly he nearly ground his back teeth to pieces.
There really were monsters in the fog, but even more of them were students and members of the public who had come to watch the Triwizard Tournament and had inhaled too much of the fog before they could react.
Their eyes glowed red, their faces twisted savagely as they lunged at and bit other innocent people.
And yet Dumbledore himself was pinned down by the dragon's breath and utterly unable to lend aid.
Dumbledore saw the dragon's mocking gaze through the fog. It was as though that look was trampling on his beliefs and his dignity.
Leonard sat where he was, stroking his chin as he watched the dragon raging across the field.
So this was the power of an Eternal Wizard? Even something merely tainted by that power could suppress a legendary wizard like Dumbledore.
Then he looked at the fog creeping closer, wanting to get a feel for its power and analyze what it was made of while he was at it.
"Leonard, hurry up and go!" Ernie and Justin came running back.
Those two were pretty sharp. The moment they realized something had gone wrong, they had already discussed running for it. But after fleeing, they noticed Leonard was gone and actually came back for him.
"Why did you come back?" Leonard looked at his two roommates helplessly. "It's dangerous here. Run."
"If you know it's dangerous, why aren't you going?" The two of them rushed over and grabbed Leonard from either side, only for Leonard to lightly tap each of them once.
Two glowing Rune letters appeared on their arms.
"Hide in the castle. That will be the safest place for the time being."
The moment Leonard finished speaking, the Rune letters transformed into ravens and whisked Ernie and Justin away.
After sending his friends off, Leonard looked toward the dragon deep in the fog.
The surrounding spectators had already been cleared out. That little bit of time was enough for them to escape the arena.
Leonard's hearing was excellent. Even through the magical explosions caused by the dragon's breath colliding with the shield, he could hear the survivors at the perimeter cheering in relief.
And yet...
"There's no way, with three dragons, they'd only control one," Leonard said, propping up his chin. "That would be such a waste."
The moment the words left his mouth, two dragon roars sounded one after the other. Two dragons shot into the sky and flew toward the spectators outside who thought they had escaped with their lives.
A Welsh Green, and an Antipodean Opaleye.
Both were normally fairly docile dragons.
Under normal circumstances.
But now both dragons had already been taken over. They lowered themselves and blasted the ground with their breath.
At the same time, thick fog rolled toward Leonard. Within the fog, pairs of scarlet eyes stared fixedly at him, while excited howls rose and fell one after another.
The souls of the dead craved the flesh and blood of the living.
Shriveled ghostly claws reached out from the fog, eager to drag Leonard into the land of the dead.