The First Task
In the mountains around Hogwarts, the Ministry had constructed an amphitheatre, 120 feet in diameter, for the express purpose of the First Task. Next to this arena, was the Champions Tent, and it was here that Harry was getting anxious. In minutes, the Task would begin, and he and the other Champions would each be up against one of four different breeds of dragon. Despite knowing he would immediately regret thinking it, he wanted the Task to get started, because the build-up was starting to get to him.
Looking around, he saw that Fleur, despite the seemingly serene calm on her face, was fidgeting anxiously. Like him, the anticipation was starting to wear down on her nerves. Cedric, normally a friendly, cheerful chap, was pacing the tent with a worried look. As for Viktor, he just stood in the corner, arms crossed, an unreadable expression on his face. Harry couldn't tell whether he was bored, angry at being kept waiting, or simply that good at presenting a calm and controlled exterior. Still, if Harry looked closely, he could see Viktor's eyes darting between the exit into the arena proper, and the rest of the tent.
For his part, Harry was likewise standing next to the 'wall' of the tent, next to a table with jugs of ice water. Pouring himself a glass, he drank deeply, trying to calm his nerves. His Occlumency was helping keep the worst of his nervousness in check, but he was still relatively new to it. As he stood there, he went over everything he knew about the four dragons since learning what he could face. Fortunately, as with most things, Gnarl was a veritable fountain of knowledge.
The Welsh Green is one of the more tame dragons. Despite being 20 feet long, they can be domesticated, or near enough at least that handlers can interact with them in relative safety. Their meat also makes quite an excellent meal when slain. A good show of force should be more than sufficient for whatever they have planned.
The Swedish Short Snout is a mountainous breed, roughly 22 feet long. They're good on the ground and used to higher-altitude flight, but not very agile or bright. Sending a fast-moving, airborne distraction would provide an opening.
A Chinese Fireball gets to 25 feet long. They're good fliers, but they can't run after you. Well, they can, but they will trip and stumble, in a rather amusing way. Keep it out of the air, and you can run circles around it.
The Hungarian Horntail, a 50-foot beast more akin to a weapon than anything else. The hide is armoured, the tail spikes are poisoned, and the fire can reach 50 feet in range. Up close, or at a distance, Master, cast with intent to kill, regardless of the instructions.
His mental review was interrupted by a feminine'Psst' coming from his right. Leaning closer, he heard the familiar voice of Hermione. "Harry?"
"I'm here, Hermione. You OK?" Harry whispered back. Despite how quiet she was, he could hear the trembling in her voice. She was even more on edge than the others. There was a pause before she answered.
"I'm OK. The key is to concentrate. After that, you just have to..."
"Battle a dragon."
The pause hung heavy in the air, until Hermione burst into the tent, wrapping Harry in one of her Hermy hugs. It startled Harry, but he wrapped his arms around her, reciprocating the hug. As she pulled him in, his face went into her hair, and he could make out the faint scent of her shampoo. Vanilla. It brought him a sense of peace that felt foreign to him. He could have held that hug forever, but instead, he heard the sound of a camera going off.
"Ohh, young love." The familiar, and unwelcome, voice of Skeeter cooed, as the woman in question strutted into the tent, followed by her greasy-looking photographer. At her approach, Harry and Hermione separated.
"Ah, how... stirring. If everything goes unfortunately today, you two may even make the front page."
It didn't take a genius to know that 'goes unfortunately' meant Harry getting badly injured, perhaps even killed. In that scenario, this bint of a woman was all but boasting of profiting off of his and Hermione's pain. Angry at the insult, Harry stepped in front of Hermione, blocking her from the wretched woman's view, ready to draw his wand. Journalist or not, no way in bloody hell would he allow anyone to talk to Hermione like that!
"You have no business here." Before Harry could do anything drastic, Krum's voice rang out for the first time since entering the tent. "This tent is for Champions and friends."
Rita turned to look at the Bulgarian seeker, before shrugging her shoulders with a smirk.
"Well, no matter. We've got what we wanted."
The wretched bint turned to leave, while Harry mouthed a 'Thank you' to Krum, who simply nodded in response. Though he didn't see it, Fleur and Cedric were shooting hostile looks at Rita as she made for the exit. Before anything could be said, Dumbledore led the judges, along with Professors Sprout and McGonagall, into the tent.
"Good day, Champions. Gather round please." As the group strode in, Harry and the others gathered around Dumbledore, with Hermione holding tightly onto Harry's arm. "Now you've waited. You've wondered. At last, the moment has arrived. The moment only four of you can fully appreciate." As he said this, he looked at the Champions, sweeping his gaze over them, but did a double take at seeing Hermione next to him. "What are you doing here Miss Granger?"
"Oh, um... sorry, I'll just..." Before she could leave, Harry took her hand in his.
"She came to wish me luck, Professor." Dumbledore briefly looked at Harry, before shrugging his shoulders.
"Ah. Very well then." Accepting his answer as reasonable, he turned to his left. "Barty, the bag."
Barty, a man Harry recognized from the Quidditch World Cup, stepped forward. In his hands, was a bag from which smoke emanated. As he spoke, he gestured to the four of them.
"Champions, in a circle around me. Miss Delacour, over here. Mr.Krum, here. And Mr.Potter, over here, please."
The Champions shuffled to their assigned spot, while Hermione stood behind Harry, alongside McGonagall and Andromeda. Likewise, Professor Sprout stood with Cedric as Maxime and Karkaroff stood with their respective students. As they did this, each of the Champions shared with the others an unseen look, each conveying a simple question. Which of them, was unlucky enough, to receive the Horntail?
"Now, Miss Delacour, if you will." Barty opened the bag, and Fleur cautiously dipped her hand into the smoking bag. She quickly withdrew her hand, holding a miniature dragon, charmed to move and act alive, complete with fire breath. Around its neck, was a tag with the number 2 on it.
"The Welsh Green." As the dragon snarled up at Fleur, she and Maxime shared a look, one of worry and concern. This might have been the most docile of the four dragons, but a 20-foot dragon was still nothing to sneeze at. As she did this, Barty moved on to Krum, who briefly glanced at Harry and Cedric. When he withdrew his hand, the man announced, "The Chinese Fireball."
Moving on to Cedric, Sprout placed a hand on Cedric's shoulder, while he and Harry looked at each other. Only the Short Snout and the Horntail were left. And though neither of them wished the Horntail on the other because they weren't cruel, neither did they wish to face it themselves, because they weren't suicidal. Which did little to calm Hermoine, who grabbed Harry's arm, when she heard "The Swedish Short Snout. And that just leaves..." Harry reached in with his free hand, and pulled the dragon he knew was waiting. "The Hungarian Horntail."
Behind him, McGonagall lightly gasped, shocked that a dragon this dangerous was chosen. Beside her, Hermione quietly groaned, as Andromeda tried to maintain a calm face, but even she was worried. Any other, she wouldn't be happy, but she'd still be confident. But the most aggressive dragon of all? Nothing could ease her worries, especially as someone was plotting Harry's death from the shadows.
"These represent four very real dragons, each of which has been given a golden egg to protect. Your objective is simple: collect the egg. This you must do, for each egg, contains a clue, without which you cannot hope to proceed to the next Task. Any questions?"
With no questions being asked, and Filch firing the cannon (that Harry hadn't realized was in the tent with them) Cedric was to begin. As Sprout gave him some final words of encouragement, Hermione hugged Harry again. No words were exchanged, because Hermione didn't trust herself to be able to finish them. It was McGonagall who spoke for her, placing her hand on Harry's shoulder, as she said, "Good luck, Harry."
Harry looked at her in shock, having never heard her use his first name before. As she and Andromeda led Hermione out of the tent, he took deep breaths. Cedric was out there, and judging by the tags worn by their dragons, Fleur would be next, followed by Viktor, and finally him.
The biggest for last.
In the stands, Hermione watched the Task with bated breath. With every fibre of her being, she wanted to yell and scream at the idiots organizing this insanity. But she couldn't. Because now, all she could muster was the strength to watch the Task and show Harry her support. A good thing then, that she wasn't alone. Andromeda had done what she promised, preparing dozens of small flags and banners, black with a blood-red dragon, for the students to show their support. Some of the students had even painted red dragons on their faces as a show of support. It was enough to make her smile, knowing Harry had this kind of support from their House.
Or at least it would if not for the fact he was going to face a God damned dragon!
The upside to the Task starting was Fred and George had stopped taking bets. They were a delight to be around, most of the time, but hearing them offer 10-1 odds, knowing that it was a bloody dragon he would be facing, was enough to make her consider firing a few hexes at them. Still, they had at least seemed to favour Harry personally, even helping make a "HARRY" banner that Seamus and Neville were holding up like a battle standard.
She had missed the start of Cedric's turn, but she saw the middle and the end. He had come out strong, keeping mobile and dodging the dragon's fire. After a few close calls, he demonstrated his skill in Transfiguration, creating a small pack of dogs out of the rocks that littered the arena. Dispersing them, the dragon had been hard-pressed to track the dogs, and Cedric used that to his advantage, grabbing the egg as it was distracted. Unfortunately, it caught him in the act, releasing a blast of fire that burned half his face. Still, he had the egg, and he had his life. A good start.
Now was Fleur, and she took a rather unique approach. Hermione wasn't sure whether it was a form of Veela magic or something she had learned from Beauxbatons, but she began to sing. Or rather, she could hear a melodious sound coming from the arena. Whatever it was, it began to cause the dragon to become sleepy, along with several in the audience. Even she was forced to pinch herself to remain focused. Eventually, the dragon fell asleep, but as it snored, it released a stream of fire that Fleur failed to avoid. Her leg was singed, along with her hair, and her skirt caught fire. She was still in better condition than Cedric though.
Third came Viktor, facing the Chinese Fireball. He handled himself well, staying mobile, and keeping the dragon's fire away from him. But when he hit it with the Conjunctivitis Curse, in its flailing, it not only struck Krum with its tail but crushed half of its eggs. She wasn't certain, but it looked like the judges, even that creep Karkaroff, winced or frowned at that. That might cost him points in the long run.
And then, finally, it was Harry's turn. The Horntail was brought in, and the horrifying beast guarded its nest jealously. But its hearing was acute, as it leaped near the entrance into the arena, and slammed its tail down as Harry made his entrance. He narrowly avoided the first strike, and the second, as he ducked into the trenches that crisscrossed the arena, beneath the rocky outcroppings simulating the mountain habitat of the Horntail.
In the trenches of the arena, Harry was catching his breath, as he prepared to move. The Horntail had come out strong, attacking him as he entered the arena. Right now, it clung to one of the outcroppings of rock beneath the stands. From there, it had a clear line of sight if he rose from the trenches into the flatter terrain surrounding the nest.
But it wasn't content to wait, flying over to another outcropping. From there, it had a clear view of him along with a clear shot. With a roar, it unleashed a stream of fire, and Harry had to act quickly, casting Sanctuary and shielding himself in a protective dome.
And it worked, with the shield absorbing the fire, and its intense heat, without even the slightest difficulty. As the Horntails fire died down, it blinked in surprise, never expecting a human to survive what appeared to be a direct hit from its fire.
Seizing the opportunity, Harry pulled himself out of the trench, and onto the flat terrain. Here, he faced the Horntail directly, as the crowd cheered him on. The sound agitated the Horntaill, seeing this intruder approaching its nest. Roaring in fury, it released a second blast of fire, but this time Harry was ready.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Harry cast 'Draco Ignis!' unleashing his own Dragonfire. The magical flames clashed in the arena, with the Horntails fire halted by Harry's spell. The ground itself went red-hot from the intense heat of the competing flames.
But the Horntail ran out of fire, while Harry kept the spell going. No longer halted by the competing flames, the Dragonfire spell blasted forward, crashing into the Horntail's face. The dragon screeched from surprise as the fire engulfed the Horntail's face, from snout to eye. Launching itself to the side, the Horntail roared in anger, snapping its jaws menacingly, as it shook its head, extinguishing the embers left on its face.
Looking at Harry, its ugly yellow eyes narrowed in malicious hate. Harry had dared to hurt it, and now it was angrier than before. But now it was careful, never anticipating that something could produce flames capable of hurting the dragon even slightly.
As it circled him, Harry kept his eyes directly on the dragon, watching its every move. With each step it took, he watched for any sign that would tell him whether it would use its fire breath, or launch itself into the air to attack from above.
Then, he wasn't sure how, but he suddenly knew what the Horntail was going to do. Somehow, in his mind, he could see the Horntail snapping its jaws menacingly, only to leap at him, jaws wide open and ready to tear him in two.
Seconds later, the Horntail began snapping its jaws again, trying to intimidate Harry, only to suddenly launch itself at him. With jaws open, it was determined to kill him. In a split-second decision, Harry once again cast the Sanctuary, as the Horntail came crashing into it. The shield proved as durable as ever, but as he held the spell, Harry could feel the weight of the dragon's impact. Only through sheer stubborn determination did he remain standing, as the dragon came crashing into the shield, and roll away, landing with such force that its head was caught in a trench.
Thinking quickly, Harry began tossing the large rocks dislodged from the Horntail's violent tumble into the trench, and over its head, burying it in the rubble. Leaving it trapped, Harry turned and bolted for the nest, ready to grab the golden egg and end this insanity.
But the dragon had other plans. With a mighty roar, the Horntail dislodged itself from the trench, bringing up massive chunks of rock with it. In the seconds it took to bring up the Sanctuary again, the Horntail had charged him and turned to swipe at him with its massive tail. The spiked limb crashed into the shield, and while the spell held firm, Harry's legs did not.
The sheer force of the impact knocked Harry off his feet, sending him flying across the arena. With all his focus, he held the spell as he slammed into the arena walls, just below the judge's box. That second impact shook Harry's focus enough to end the spell, and Harry landed on an outcropping of rock, stomach first. The War Robes were doing their job, preventing any major injuries, but he could still feel the wind being knocked out of him.
Coughing up spit, Harry clutched his gut as he rose unsteadily to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, the Horntail advanced, slowly. Growling lowly, the dragon was cautious as it approached this tiny creature that had somehow survived its attacks thus far. But it sensed weakness, and weakness brought opportunity.
With a roar it released a fresh blast of fire, aiming to incinerate Harry while he was regaining his breath. But Harry was always quick to recover, and his reflexes were still as sharp as ever. The Sanctuary returned, saving him from a fiery death. When the Horntail ceased its attack, Harry retaliated quickly, casting a Lightning Bolt as he aimed straight for the dragon's head.
The spell hit its target, striking the Horntail in the face with the full force of a lightning strike. The suddenness of it forced the Horntail back, shrieking in pain and confusion. Seizing the opportunity, Harry jumped from the outcropping into the trenches below, taking the time to catch his breath and come up with a plan. Thus far, the dragon had maintained a steady offensive, only rarely allowing Harry to attack himself. The Robes were doing their job, as the sheer violence of this fight would have torn to shreds by now.
He was still protected, but he needed something stronger. And that was when he remembered another of Gnarl's spells, one that would summon from Potter Castle a full suit of powerful armour, one that would be more than enough to protect Harry from the Horntail. With it, he could launch an offensive, and force the dragon back. But the spell was difficult to perform, otherwise he might have done it already, and he needed time to perform the full wand movements required. He needed a distraction, and that's when he had a brilliant idea.
In the stands, Hermione was holding her breath. The Horntail had been an aggressive opponent, forcing Harry on the defensive at the outset. When it launched that first breath of fire, she was ready to faint. It had aimed directly at where Harry had landed, and it made no movements that suggested it was chasing Harry. From where she sat, it looked like Harry had taken a direct hit.
So when Harry had emerged from the trench completely unscathed, to the Horntail's supreme confusion, she wanted to scream with joy. But then it launched a second blast, and Harry had responded with one of his own, using a spell she had never seen before, one that was strong enough to counter literal dragon fire.
Then he had used some manner of shield spell, creating a golden dome that protected him from the direct assault of the Horntail twice. Every few seconds she went from wanting to faint in panic to wanting to shriek with joy, and back again. It wasn't easy on her, especially after Harry was thrown across the arena before slamming into a wall.
Now that he was in a trench, somewhere she couldn't see, the Horntail began advancing again. But it was slow, and steady, in its movements. Harry had survived everything it had thrown at him and managed to fight back. The Horntail was aggressive, but it recognized a threat in Harry, one it couldn't measure. As it moved closer, a bright silver light emanated from where Harry had hidden himself. Seconds later, a dragon of pure silvery light flew out of the trench and at the Horntail.
Despite being only slightly larger than Buckbeak, this dragon caught the attention of the Horntail, and it immediately roared at the seeming rival dragon as it appeared. Neither of them could hurt the other, but the Patronus dragon didn't need to. It flew circles around the Horntail's head, distracting it, and leading it away from the trenches. Harry was using it, quite brilliantly in her view, as a diversion.
She wondered if he was going to try and steal the egg while the Horntail was distracted. This match hadn't even lasted five minutes yet, much shorter than the other Champions, and this could be a record. But when Harry emerged from the trench, he wasn't wearing his War Robes. Instead, he was wearing one of the most fearsome-looking suits of armour she had ever seen.
"I've never felt something like this before."
"Don't be alarmed, Master. That is what happens with Arcanium."
"Arcanium?"
"A form of steel, enhanced through alchemy and ritual magic. It's several times stronger, and allows the wearer to more readily use their magic. And you happen to be wearing a full suit of it."
"I can feel the power surging through me. I've never felt such power."
With this armour protecting his body and enhancing his magic, Harry felt power beyond his years. As his Patronus dissipated, and the Horntail turned to him, he knew he was ready. When the dragon blasted him again, he didn't bother with a shield spell. This time, he let the fire wash over him and felt... nothing. The armour was strong enough to stop a dragon's breath! Now, he was ready to fight back.
As the dragon breathed fire, Harry launched a second Lightning Bolt at it, this time hitting directly in the mouth. The Horntail had shrieked at the attack, stumbling backwards into the arena walls. The violence of its fall, and the weight of the dragon, broke the walls of the arena. Falling through the wooden hole, it shrieked and roared as it rose back to its feet.
But this time, it wasn't focused on Harry.
By stumbling through the wall, the Horntail had diverted its attention, convinced the students watching the match were behind its misfortune. Roaring at the Beauxbatons students watching from above, it flew into the air, holding position at eye level with the students, and prepared to attack. As the students screamed in fear, Harry acted fast, not wanting any students to be harmed by the beast he was fighting.
Conjuring the Lightning Whip, Harry swung the powerful spell through the air and caught the Horntail by the neck. The lightning wrapped itself around the Horntail, delivering painful shocks into the neck, as Harry pulled the dragon away from the students, but away from the nest. He still needed the golden egg and wasn't out to kill unhatched dragonlings.
The gamble paid off, as the Horntail crashed into the ground. Turning its malevolent gaze back to Harry, he knew he needed to end this, now. With as much power as he could muster, he focused his magic as he prepared the most powerful Lightning Bolt he could manage, waiting for the Horntail to attack. This time, he needn't wait, as it launched itself at him almost immediately, jaws wide open.
It was the perfect opportunity.
With a roar, he bellowed 'FULMENS!' unleashing the incredible power he had focused within the spell. With a blinding flash, a monstrous lightning bolt shot out of the wand, directly into the Horntail's mouth. The sheer force of the spell pushed the dragon back, as it reared on its hindlegs from the spell. The Horntail flashed brighter than a Christmas Star as the power surged through the body.
And then, it was done. The spell had run its course, and the light show had ended. But the Horntail still stood on its hind legs, smoke emanating from its mouth. Harry briefly worried he had failed, but then the Horntail fell backwards, crashing into the ground with a heavy thud.
Silence briefly hung over the arena, as everyone processed what had just happened. Then the cheering began, with the crowd going wild. Gryffindor was without a doubt the loudest of them all, enough that Hogsmeade could hear them. But as Harry approached the nest, he heard something else.
"WHOHOHOHO! AHAHAHA! Ughhh..."
"Um, Gnarl, what the hell was that?"
"Have no fear, Sire, I believe Quaver just fainted with excitement."
Snorting in amusement, Harry grabbed the egg and made for the entrance to the medical tent, dispelling the armour with a tap of his wand. Now, he was back in his War Robes, in pristine condition. Entering the tent, he saw the others on their respective beds. Fleur had her leg wrapped in bandages, Cedric had half his face coated in some kind of paste, and Viktor had his arm in a sling. Taking a seat on his bed, he took several deep breaths and was rudely greeted by the voice of Fleur.
"'Ow is it the leetle boy is the least hurt!?"
Harry glared at her, wanting to say something back. He wanted to tell this 'leetle girl' that he was simply that good, even against a Horntail. But he didn't, simply too tired to do anything more.
As he sat there, Poppy came running up to him, examining him as Hermione and Ron came rushing into the tent. Or more accurately, Hermione came charging into the tent, almost tackling Harry onto the bed with one of her signature hugs, despite the disapproving scowl of Madam Pomfrey.
"Do be careful Miss Granger. He might only have some bruises, but that doesn't mean he can't make it worse."
Hermione was oblivious to anything as she simply hugged Harry tightly. Still catching his breath, all he could do was stroke her hair and return the hug. It was all he could do to let her know he was alright. Despite the look of awe on Ron's face, he still somehow managed to smirk at them, even looking at the others as he rolled his eyes. Tempting as it was to say something, Harry's thoughts were interrupted by Madam Pomfrey.
"Alright Champions, grab your eggs and return to the arena. The judges are ready to give you your scores. And I shall see you three" which by some miracle didn't include Harry, "will be stopping by the Hospital Wing immediately afterwards."
Grabbing their eggs, and Hermione reluctantly releasing Harry from her iron grip, the Champions returned to the arena. The other three gasped in shock at the sight of the dead Horntail. Harry noticed that the dragon handlers were gathered around it, discussing what to do. Among them was Charlie Weasley, who waved at Harry as the Champions made their way to the center of the arena. Once in position, Ludo Bagman spoke with a Sonouresed voice.
"Well ladies and gentlemen, that was a remarkable showing! Each Champion succeeded in acquiring their egg, each in different ways. First, we had Cedric, who used his mastery of Transfiguration to distract the Short-Snout with a pack of dogs. But, the dragon turned its attention back to him, injuring him before he could make a clean getaway- and Madam Pomfrey assures us the injury isn't permanent ladies- but still succeeding in his Task. Judges, what say you?"
Madame Maxime raised her wand, and a golden 8 appeared, followed by a 9 from Dumbledore, a 7 from Barty, an 8 from Andromeda, a 4 from Igor, and an 8 from Bagman. Taken together, 44 out of 60. Not bad, and a good start.
"Next, we had Fleur, who used enchanted music to put the Welsh Green to sleep. Sadly, it turns out the dragon snores, and Fleur was caught in the path of the fire. But she still succeeded in her Task. Judges, what say you?"
Madame Maxime released a golden 9, followed by Dumbledore's 8, a 7 from Barty, 8 from Andromeda, 4 from Igor, and 7 from Bagman. 43 points out of 60. Just behind Cedric, but still a good score.
"Third, we have Viktor and the Chinese Fireball. He successfully used the Conjunctivitis Curse, but in the process was not only injured, but the dragon crushed half of her eggs. Judges, what say you?"
Maxime released a 6, Dumbledore a 7, 7 from Barty, a 5 from Andromeda, a 10, of all things, from Igor, and 7 from Bagman. 42 points. Again, right behind the others. This was close, and Harry wasn't sure what to expect when his turn came.
"And finally, Harry faced the most dangerous of the dragons, the Hungarian Horntail, and was the only Champion to directly fight the dragon! And what a fight it was! Lightning Bolts, Lightning Whips, a fire spell that could hurt the Horntail, a shield spell that nothing could pierce, and conjured armour that withstood the full power of the Horntail's fire! And all of this was done without a single injury! But most importantly, when the dragon threatened to attack the Beauxbatons students, he didn't hesitate to intervene and protect the audience. Judges, what say you?"
Maxime released, with a look of gratitude, a 10. As did Dumbledore. Then Barty, and Andromeda. Harry was ready for Igor to release a 1, but instead released... nothing. He flicked his wand, and nothing appeared. He tried again, and the result was the same. Finally, under the glare of Bagman and Andromeda, he relented, and with a scowl, released a 10, and so did Bagman.
He had actually earned a perfect score!
"And there we have the First Task, ladies and gentlemen! Now, Champions, the Second Task shall be held on the 24th of February. Each of your eggs contains a clue that will aid you in your preparations. Good luck, and we shall see you in the new year!"
With that, the crowd dispersed, with the other Champions making their way to the castle. As they left, Cedric and Krum nodded to him with respect, while Fleur just looked perplexed. Harry would have joined them, but he was hindered by a bushy-haired missile crashing into him at Mach 10. As he returned the hug, Charlie came up to him.
"Bloody hell Harry, that was amazing! I had no idea you could do all that!"
"I've been training quite a bit. And... I'm sorry about the dragon. I can't imagine that'll make your job easier."
"It's not your fault. When the dragon tried attacking the students, we should have intervened right away. You saved the students, and no one can dispute that. Speaking of the dragon, what do you want done with it?"
"Wait, I thought it belonged to the dragon sanctuary?"
"Normally, yeah, but it died outside the sanctuary, so it belongs to the wizard who killed it. Besides, I still owe you for helping Ginny."
"You know you don't have to?"
"I know. That doesn't mean I won't, and I know Bill feels the same. As thanks, I figure me and the handlers can render the remains, and Bill can handle Gringotts for you."
"I... I'd appreciate that, thank you."
"Alright then. I'll let Bill know to expect an owl from you. Now you better get going. Knowing Fred and George, they're getting ready to throw the mother of all parties."
"Well, better make sure Gryffindor Tower is still standing." Harry smiled as he replied, leaving Charlie and the others to the Horntail's carcass. Hermione still clung to him, and he rubbed her back to try and soothe her. And despite just taking the lead in the First Task, he was still worried.
After all, this was only the beginning.