Dragons in the Forest
"Fulmens!"
Hermione attempted the spell with all the confidence she could muster. Elemental magic was a new frontier for her. While Incendio might be used to create flames, it wasn't considered to be a true Elemental spell, because of its use primarily as a tool. If needed, the spell could be used to attack and injure opponents. It especially had great effectiveness against creatures vulnerable to fire like Inferi, but it wasn't meant for combat. It was a utility spell, the Swiss army knife of fire spells. The Fireball and Lightning Bolt spells were weapons, meant solely for combat.
Which likely explained why the last three tries Hermione had made, she had barely created more than static shock.
Earlier that day, the Trio had enjoyed their first 'official' Hogsmeade weekend. Harry had to admit, it felt good to be walking through the village without needing to worry about being seen. Stocking up on chocolate at Honeyduke's, laughing at the joke items available at Zonko's, and even going into Tomes and Scrolls was pleasant. It was calm and peaceful, and it was cute seeing Hermione so excited over the various books she could buy thanks to the money paid out to her from the Basilisk.
Afterwards, they went to Three Broomsticks for lunch. Harry had initially wanted to avoid the place, given that Rita was staying there. The last thing he needed was to be pulled into an informal 'interview' with the unscrupulous woman. Sadly, the only other option was the Hog's Head, where patrons were placing bets on who would take the lead in the First Task.
Despite not liking the horrid woman, Harry was more willing to risk dealing with her than with gamblers. The one big upside, quite literally, to the Three Broomsticks was Hagrid was there, enjoying lunch and drinks with Professor Moody. It was strange seeing the two of them. While Hagrid was known to frequent Hogsmeade, Moody's paranoia was well known. Even in Hogwarts, the man rarely ate in the Great Hall, and even then, he tended to cast multiple identification spells on his meals to ensure they weren't poisoned, or otherwise compromised. Seemed strange that he might risk a meal in public.
Then again, having a meal and a pint in the pub once in a while wasn't that outrageous. Even he probably was willing to chance it, once the appropriate security measures had been taken.
While there, Hagrid had told Harry there was something he needed to see tonight, and that he should stop by his hut at 11:30.
It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was talking about. It was already the 21st. Tonight, the dragons would be arriving at Hogwarts. The arena he would be fighting in had already been set up, large enough to accommodate the three schools, and allow him to face a dragon. And if Harry's guess was right, the dragons would be kept in the Forbidden Forest, where most students actively avoided approaching.
Which is why Harry and Hermione were in the room they had been training in. Andromeda had left up sound-proofing charms to prevent anyone from investigating the sounds of lightning strikes inside the school. Not that it was needed at the moment. Dinner was already finished, and they were simply passing the time until Ron arrived, then they would head down to Hagrid's. And then... then they would see just which dragons Harry would be facing.
"What am I doing wrong?" Hermione looked both perplexed and frustrated. But Harry had been practicing enough, and listening to Gnarl's lectures enough, to see where the problem was.
"You're not confident enough with the wand movement."
When Hermione looked at him, confusion written on her face, he stood from his seat and approached her. Standing right behind her, he reached around, grasping her wand-wrist in his hand, so he could guide her through the motions.
The wand motion for Fulmens was similar to the movement for Expelliarmus, with one major difference. The caster could feel the power being generated by the spell as they were about to cast. This was the moment of truth, so to speak when casting the Lightning Bolt. It required the caster to power ahead, not hesitate. Hesitation, especially when lightning was involved, meant the spell wouldn't function properly. In the best-case scenario, which is what Hermione was getting, she only produced static electricity, barely visible for a few seconds. In the worst-case scenario, the spell would literally explode in the caster's face, but that was thankfully rare.
"You're feeling the power being generated, and it's making you hesitate. You can't let the power scare you, Hermione. Let it flow, and then release it."
Practicing the move with her wrist in hand, Harry stepped back to let her try it on her own one more time. This time, when she spoke "Fulmens" Harry could hear the confidence in her voice. And it worked, as a bolt of lightning was released from her wand, striking the training dummy they had set up for this.
Seeing how she had finally succeeded at a difficult spell, Hermione practically jumped with joy, before hugging Harry. Harry, happy to see her excitement, hugged her back, satisfied with the knowledge he had taught her something when she had spent so much time helping him. After a few seconds, she pulled back, still holding him, with a smile on her face. Thanking him profusely, she kissed Harry on the cheek.
For a few seconds, Harry didn't react, until he realized what had just happened. Before he could say anything, the door to the class swung open, and in came Ron.
"Sorry I'm late. The twins caught me as I was leaving, and tried roping me into their latest scheme and..." Ron paused as he took in the sight before him. Harry and Hermione were still holding each other, as they looked at him. "Am I... interrupting something?" Ron asked with a smirk.
Harry and Hermione separated, blushing as they stammered out denials of being 'interrupted.' Chuckling, Ron remarked "Cause I can come back if you want some more 'alone time.'"
Their stammered denials continued, particularly as Hermione blushed beet red, alongside Harry. Laughing at their embarrassment, Ron urged them to get ready, as they soon made their way down to Hagrid's hut. The trio remained silent as they made their way through the deserted halls, though Ron was smirking the whole walk. As they left the castle itself, they made their way through the grounds towards Hagrid's hut.
From a distance, they could see the lights on in the hut. As they got closer, the door opened, and out stepped Hagrid himself. Except he wasn't in his normal attire. At the moment, he was wearing what could best be described as a bearskin coat, with his hair combed and his beard braided. In his hands was a large bouquet.
"Ah, there ye are!" Hagrid called out to the trio as they were only a few feet away. Walking up to them, they realized he was wearing perfume. "Got yer cloak with ye?"
When Harry pulled out the Invisibility cloak, Hagrid nodded. "Right then, get under it and follow me."
The trio did as Hagrid instructed, gathering under the cloak. It was a tight fit, the cloak never being meant to be worn by this many people. Hermione had to pull herself close to Harry just to remain completely covered, hugging his side tightly. When they ceased fidgeting to adjust the cloak, Hagrid began walking into the forest, with the Trio, he assumed, following behind.
"Why is Hagrid wearing perfume into the forest?" Ron whispered.
"Isn't it obvious? He has a date." Hermione answered in a quiet voice, regarding the answer as completely obvious.
"But with whom?" Ron whispered back when they heard a French accent call out 'Hagrid!'
Just ahead of them, they could see the recognizable figure of Madame Olympe Maxime, the Beauxbatons Headmistress. Hagrid picked up the pace, approaching the tall woman with a smile. The trio were unlucky enough to listen to Hagrid and Maxime flirting with each other, with Ron stifling a giggle at their clumsy attempts. Hermione was about to nudge Ron, to get him to be quiet, fearful of being caught. Any worries about being caught, however, were dispelled by the sound of powerful roars, and an orange glow in the distance.
Taking that as his cue, Hagrid led Maxime and the cloaked trio to the clearing where four large crates were set up. Blasts of fire would burst from the crates, as the dragon handlers, including Charlie Weasley, ran about dodging the fiery blasts and attempting to subdue the mighty beasts. One by one, the crates were opened, and the trio paid close attention to the contents within.
"A Swedish Short Snout..." Ron noticed the one closest to the trio, a large silvery blue dragon. Even he seemed impressed by the sight.
"A Welsh Green, and a Chinese Fireball..." Hermione caught sight of two dragons close to each other, the handlers expending great difficulty in keeping the two dragons from trying to blast each other. Andromeda had understated Malfoy's cost-cutting. The crates were barely large enough for the dragons, and they were extremely agitated. Enough that the handlers subdued two dragons, before opening the final crate. When they did, Hermione audibly groaned, burying her face in Harry's side.
"The Hungarian Horntail," Harry stated with a forced calm, as he realized there was a chance he would have to face the most aggressive dragon species alive. Still, much as he knew the dangers, he wasn't going to show any fear. According to the records, the Great Golden Demetean Striker grew to 75 feet and was as aggressive, if not more so, than the Horntail. If his ancestor could beat a monster like that, then he wasn't about to back down.
Welsh Green
Swedish Short Snout
Chinese Fireball
Hungarian Horntail
Harry wrote these names on a piece of parchment, before making three copies. Pocketing the original, he called out "Dobby!"
With a pop, the hyper house elf appeared. "How can be serving Great Harry Potter, sir?"
Harry allowed himself a small smile, handing his tiny friend the duplicated parchment pieces. "I need you to give these to Fleur Delacour, Cedric Diggory, and Viktor Krum. When you do, can you do it so that only they know about the parchment?"
"Dobby can do sir!" Dobby nodded enthusiastically, taking the notes and popping away. Harry chuckled when he did so. Dobby had been a loyal friend, even when he had the misfortune of serving the Malfoy family. Now that Harry knew Dobby was Bonded to him, through a simple act of kindness that freed him from Lucius' cruelty, he was determined to be the kind master, and friend, that Dobby deserved.
Rising from his seat in his dorm, he made his way to the Common Room. Before heading to breakfast, Andromeda wanted Harry, and most of Gryffindor, in the Common Room for something important. True to form, most of the House was gathered, with a seat saved in front of Andromeda. In her hands was a large piece of rolled-up fabric. Taking his seat across from her, she smiled as she began her announcement.
"Alright everyone, now I know you're all excited about the First Task tomorrow." Harry wasn't and neither were Ron or Hermione. The three of them knew exactly what Harry would be up against. Still, he managed a small smile when he heard his housemates cheering for him.
"Well, I feel it's important to show support, and to that end, I realize not everyone knows the colours the House of Potter will be using. So, I've decided to do an early reveal, and show everyone the banner that'll be flying in the First Task."
With that, she tapped the fabric she had been holding with her wand, and it floated up into the air, suspended before the Gryffindor banner, before unfurling, revealing a large banner proudly displaying the Potter coat of arms.
The black banner of the Potters, where the blood-red dragon signifies their blood connection to the mighty beasts. Beneath the roaring dragon, the motto of his family. 'Iustitia per sapientiam et potentiam' Justice through Wisdom and Power. When the collective 'oohs' and 'aahs' had died down, Andy continued.
"Tomorrow, I'll have small flags with the dragon, ready for anyone who wants it. I know you'll all cheer Cedric on, he is a fellow Hogwarts student, but I want all of you to show your support for your fellow Housemate. Harry might not represent Hogwarts or Gryffindor, but he still is one of you."
The House dispersed soon after, the students heading to the Great Hall for breakfast. But none of them were silent, with everyone talking about how cool the Potter coat of arms was. It was flattering to Harry, especially as he overheard people discussing painting red dragons to show their support, not unlike how some Quidditch fans painted their faces to support their favourite teams.
Sitting in the hall, Harry tried to enjoy breakfast. Today, he had classes. Tomorrow... he'd face a dragon in whatever insane stunt Bagman had cooked up to entertain people. Still, there was one thing he noticed. Fleur, Cedric, and Viktor, each pulled something out of their pockets at some point in the meal. Whenever they did, a grim look came over their faces, and they looked about the Hall. Whenever they caught sight of him, they simply nodded their heads. The warning was received, and they would be ready.
Tomorrow, the Tournament truly begins.