En la antigüedad, se creía que el conjuro Abracadabra era un encantamiento con poderes

curativos.

Algunos de los consejos mágicos que se han dado a lo largo de los siglos parecen bastante
peculiares en un contexto contemporáneo. Quintus Serenus Sammonicus, el médico del
emperador Caracalla, recetaba Abracadabra como tratamiento contra la malaria. Su
recomendación consistía en escribir esta palabra repetidamente, omitiendo cada vez una letra. El
encantamiento debía llevarse colgado en el cuello a modo de amuleto sujeto con lino, coral o
grasa de león.

Cedric apareció confiado mientras caminaba hacia el corral. El dragón lo vio y comenzó a
pasearse frente a sus huevos mientras gruñía como un gato grande al intruso. Ella lo miró de
cerca y agitó su cola. Cedric se quedó muy quieto y miró cautelosamente a su alrededor. Parecía
haber visto lo que estaba buscando y agitó su varita. Los espectadores no pudieron oír qué
conjuro usó, pero vieron una transfiguración de roca cercana en un perro grande. El dragón
también lo notó y cambió su mirada entre el mago y el perro. El perro se acercó a Cedric, que
empezaba a parecer preocupado. Trató de espantar al perro, pero parecía pensar que era un
juego. Finalmente, Cedric tomó un palo y lo tiró a un lado, pero cerca del dragón. El perro lo
persiguió y la atención del dragón se centró únicamente en el canino. Cedric se lanzó detrás del
distraído dragón y agarró el huevo de oro. En ese momento, el dragón recordó que había dos
amenazas en su pluma y se volvió para mirar. Ella vio a Cedric y chilló. Mientras corría, ella
escupió llamas, quemándole un lado de la cabeza. Salió corriendo a través de la puerta para
ponerse a salvo y el dragón volvió a sus huevos, quejándose angustiado. Un par de manejadores
de dragones aparecieron sobre la pared del recinto y le lanzaron encantamientos
tranquilizadores.

La multitud dejó escapar un suspiro colectivo de alivio. Los chicos rápidamente comenzaron a
hablar en voz alta y con entusiasmo sobre el roce del campeón con la muerte.

Next up was Fleur from Beauxbatons. The girl strode out into the pen calmly. The Welsh Green
just glared at her from atop her pile of eggs. There was a low growl-like rumble coming from the
angry dragon that could be felt more than heard by the crowd. Fleur did not seem daunted in
the least. She began waving her wand, weaving an intricate pattern with it in the air. Harry
could tell that she was speaking a rather long incantation. He wondered just what they taught at
Beauxbatons since this was nothing like any of the spells they taught at Hogwarts. The dragon's
head began to weave like one of those cobras they charmed in India. Its eyelids drooped slightly
and it lowered its head. Slowly, Fleur began to advance, still weaving her spell. She walked right
up to the dragon and began looking around for the golden egg. After a bit she found it and bent
down to pick it up. At this point there was an odd burbling sound and the Welsh Green belched a
tiny jet of flame at the girl. The edge of her robes caught fire and she jumped. She quickly put
out the flame with a jet of water from her wand and immediately went back to her incantation.
The dragon's head swung to follow Fleur's progress all the way out of the pen.

Fue un enfoque bastante ingenioso para el problema, pero no fue tan emocionante como lo que
Cedric había hecho. Los chicos no estaban impresionados.

The last champion was Krum. He walked into the pen haughtily. The Chinese Fireball reared up
and roared at him. Before he even threw his first spell the dragon was breathing flame at him.
She had heard her companions fighting and was in no mood to play around. She placed herself
in front of her eggs and prepared to defend them with her life. Krum dodged the flames clumsily
and aimed a curse. Either he missed or it didn't have any effect. He tried to circle her but she
wasn't leaving her eggs. As she thrust out her head to spit fire again, he cast his curse. This
time it hit. The dragon was now obviously in pain and enraged. She whipped her head around
and thrashed her tail. Harry thought the curse must have blinded one eye since she kept trying
to turn her head to keep Krum in sight. Krum ducked past her to grab the egg but the dragon
seemed to sense him. She stepped back to get him in sight. The crowd gasped as everyone
heard a loud crunch as she crushed one of her eggs. The dragon heard it too. She let out a
bellowing wail and began snapping blindly at the space around her trying to find her attacker
without hurting any more of her eggs. Krum grabbed the golden egg and raced out. The dragon
handlers had cast the first of their calming charms before he had cleared the gate.