Incendio

Samantha wasn't sure how to respond when everyone on the Gazette asked about how Samantha and Colin had been allowed at the Weighing of The Wands. She decided just to shrug and tell the truth, she had been asked to be there. She didn't feel the need to tell them there would be more to come. No one was really complaining or pressing her, as the morning's edition had become their most popular yet. However, it had been quickly overshadowed by the arrival of the Daily Prophet.

Rita's article was nothing like Samantha's. For one thing it only really talked about Harry and it wasn't even accurate. It listed Harry as a second year, which made Samantha chuckle in disbelief. The article also said Harry cried about his parents and Samantha couldn't actually recall a time in the years that she, or anyone else, had seen Harry had cry at all. She was then horrified to see Colin had been quoted as saying that Harry and Hermione were always together, which obviously meant they were in love.

"How could Colin say that?" Ginny questioned loudly as she walked with Samantha to the Great Hall. She'd been the most flustered about the Harry/Hermione pairing. "Harry and Hermione aren't an item."

"I'm sure he didn't say that." Samantha argued, regretting that she didn't tell Colin to watch what he said.

"That woman twisted his words." Ginny growled slightly, "I'm sure of it. Just like she twisted poor Harry's."

"Hey Fyre," Lee Jordan called as he and the Weasley twins walked in the opposite direction, "Great article."

"Thank you." Samantha waved back as they continued on their way, she turned her attentions back to Ginny.

"I heard Dumbledore banned that viper from the grounds." Ginny continued, unfazed by her brothers and Lee.

"I'm glad, she offered to come speak to the Gazette, but I'm sure it would be to just get ammunition to write more horrible things about Harry." Samantha sulked, deciding then and there that Rita was not a good role model.

"Good riddance I say." Ginny insisted with a stamp of her foot.

"Hey Fyre, good job on your article!" Adrian Pucey, a Slytherin boy Samantha recognized as a friend of her brother called, "At least you didn't say Potter was a top student. What a load of bollox the Prophet put out."

"Thanks." She smiled uncomfortably before turning back to Ginny, "I think that's the first time I've ever been complimented by a Slytherin."

"Don't you live with one?" Ginny reminded.

Samantha laughed in agreement before stopping dead in her tracks. There was the Beauxbatons boy, Nicolas, standing outside the Great Hall. Samantha couldn't help but admit she fancied him a good bit.

She pulled Ginny back aggressively and put her head in her hands.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked half laughing, half straining to sound concerned.

Samantha cursed under her breath to Ginny, "It's the Beauxbatons boy, the one who I met at the interview."

"The cute one?" Ginny asked looking lightly around the corner. Samantha had told her about him and how she liked his eyes. "You should say hello."

"I can't do that." Samantha argued.

"Why not?" Ginny asked with her face tightening up.

Samantha argued, "Oh, asks the girl who has a hard time being in the same room as Ha-"

"Oh shut it, I get it." Ginny stopped her. "But you like him Sam. You never like anyone. Go say hi."

Samantha nodded in agreement, she rarely did crush on people, it was counterproductive to her busy schedule. She quickly began fixing her hair. "Do I look alright?"

"Well you have ink on your nose." Ginny pointed out before pulling a handkerchief from her book bag and wiping it.

"Thanks." Samantha insisted.

Ginny lightly pushed her from the corner.

"Hello Mr. Allard." Samantha said kindly as she approached him. "What brings you to the castle today?"

"Mademoiselle Delacour sent me, she wanted me to tell you that she enjoyed your article." He insisted with a kind smile back to her, "She wanted to thank you for writing so positively about her and the other Champions. She was very disappointed in the other article from the Daily Prophet, so your writing was a relief."

"Well, tell her I appreciate that." Samantha smiled, and almost couldn't believe that students from the other school were reading her work.

Nicolas insisted. "Do tell me Mademoiselle Fyre, How old are you?"

"Fourteen." Samantha replied with a smile, "Why?"

"Oh, our champion was quite insistent that you were younger. " He laughed a little, "I told her that I was convinced you were closer to my age, which it seems, I was right."

Samantha was used to being perceived as younger than she was, she had a youthful face and often was mistaken for a first year. "How old are you then?"

"I just turned sixteen, too young to compete unfortunately." His eyes turned downward, "No matter now. Pray tell, when do you think the next paper will be released?" He asked.

"In a few days." Samantha smiled.

"I look forward to it. Thank you for your time Mademoiselle Fyre. I must be off to the carriage now." He took her hand and kissed it briefly, something that shocked Samantha. She assumed it was a traditional custom, but it gave her butterflies all the same.

Ginny's giggles were unmistakable as she ran to Samantha after Nicolas was out of sight.

The next few weeks passed unremarkably to Samantha after that. She wrote an article about House Elf rights and found that she couldn't help but agree with Hermione's take on the subject. If she had more time, she would have done more about it. She figured the article would be enough for now.

She was also slowly getting better at potions. She had been surprisingly successful in creating an antidote for Neville when Snape had poisoned him for a test. She decided that she didn't need to be a man down on the Gazette. She almost went faster than Hermione, who Samantha suspected didn't want to give Draco Malfoy the antidote anyway.

Samantha interviewed Hagrid, the very large groundskeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, about his Blast Ended Skrewts which had recently begun to violently murder each other. He was very friendly and she let it slide when he called her by her less preferred nickname of Sammy. She liked his dog Fang who gave her large licks to her face. Hagrid insisted on serving her a very bitter tea that she politely drank and tried not to vomit back up.

She accompanied Neville to conduct his first real interview with Professor Sprout for the Gazette. He did well considering he was shaking the whole time.

Nicolas regularly began visiting the castle, walking with Samantha occasionally between classes. She enjoyed his company and she suspected that he enjoyed her company as well.

One Saturday before she was to meet Ginny to go to Hogsmead, she was pulled over by Professor McGonagall.

"Miss Fyre." She had an odd fear behind her eyes and Samantha wondered what that was for. "Tonight, at midnight, you will meet with Hagrid down at his hut. He is going to show you something for the next task. I want you to gather information and interviews. This is just going to be you this time, I think Mister Creevey is a bit too young and excitable for this particular outing." She handed her a hall pass.

"Alright, I can do that." Samantha conceded.

McGonagall whispered a little softer, "And I would maybe wear one of Belle's creations tonight. Perhaps the scarlet cloak?"

Samantha understood completely. Her mother, the aforementioned Belle, was a very talented clothing designer and artist. She specialized in working with a mutated type of Augury feathers. These feathers could feel and look like any fabric and it could adapt to the wearer's needs. her favorite sweater had been made of those feathers. It was ink and water resistant. It also grew sleeves if the wearer was cold, and shrunk if the wearer was warm. She also owned a cloak made of these very same feathers. This cloak not only adapted to the wearer's needs, it could also camouflage the wearer to their surroundings. Her cloak couldn't make her invisible, but unless you were very close to her, she was pretty undetectable.

That night a little before midnight she left Gryffindor tower nodding to Hermione who stood by the door on the way out. She put her cloak on after leaving the tower, and kept to the dark corners so as not to run into any teachers. She had a pass, but she felt Filch could be unforgiving.

She met Hagrid at his hut. As she'd walked up he'd seemed to be talking to himself. Samantha had no where to judge, she was known to do that herself. Hagrid, who was normally a burly sort of man, it seemed he had combed his hair. He was also wearing a large ugly flower on his shirt and Samantha wondered if she should have dressed better herself. Not that Hagrid looked particularly good by any means, but he was dressed up for him.

"Evening Hagrid." Samantha said pulling down her hood.

"Ah there you are Sammy." Hagrid greeted, his eyes darted between her and directly beside her. "Professor McGonagall said I'm supposed to show you something."

"Alright." Samantha nodded and followed him to the Beauxbatons carriage and she was very confused when Madame Maxime, the physically very tall Headmistress of Beauxbatons greeted them. She wondered why all the secrecy if she was just going to interview the Madame.

The two greeted each other in such a friendly manner that Samantha suddenly felt like a third wheel. The Madame turned to her and began fussing over her.

"Oh it tis the little writer!" She reached down and took Samantha's hand in her very large one.

Samantha wasn't sure if she was supposed to curtsy or kiss the Madame's hand, but she wasn't sure which. "Enchanted to see you again darling." Her accent was thicker than Nicolas' but Samantha could make it out pretty well.

Samantha quickly attempted a curtsy and greeted her back. "Very nice to see you Madame."

Hagrid chuckled a little at her curtsy as did the Madame. Samantha was suddenly sure she should have gone with the hand kiss.

"She's supposed to write an article about what I'm showing you today." Hagrid mentioned, breaking his laughter.

"She will not tell anyone I hope." The Madame's expression changed quickly.

"It would be against my journalistic integrity to reveal anything before I publish it." Samantha insisted. Samantha had a feeling whatever they were about to see of course had something to do with the First Task that would be taking place on the upcoming Tuesday. She was also suspicious that maybe The Madame wasn't supposed to be there, seeing as she could potentially tell her champion.

The trio started their way around the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. Samantha decided to stay back a bit from Hagrid and The Madame, who were talking rather closely to each other. Samantha was sure that they were the tallest couple she'd ever seen, but honestly paid it little thought. It wasn't any of her business and she wasn't in the mood to become a gossip columnist.

She heard something behind her, like the snap of a twig. She wondered if they were being followed. She turned around to look. There was nothing. They were far enough away from the castle that she couldn't see the lake or castle anymore.

She started to hear the voices of men up ahead. They were loudly shouting and there were loud, bellowing cannon like sounds. Growling and singeing crackles filled the open air. She turned the corner and there they were, Dragons. Four large dragons in big pens, rearing up on their hind legs and shooting mushroom shaped fire from their mouths.

There were dozens of men around the dragons, waving wands and trying to calm the dragons.

Samantha's feet felt weak beneath her. She hadn't truly ever envied the champions before, but now she dreaded the first task for them. They all began to seem small in her mind, especially Harry.

Hagrid was warned not to come closer by a red haired man. You didn't have to tell Samantha twice. She was perfectly content, being as far away as she could. She could feel her heart race.

The dragon keepers began stunning the dragons to put them back to sleep. Samantha watched in awe as they each fell, one by one. Once the dragons fell completely, Hagrid and The Madame moved closer. Samantha's feet stood still, she couldn't walk. She couldn't move.

The red haired man who had told them to stay back jogged over to her, he had with him another man.

"You must be the journalist?" The red haired man asked and reached out his hand.

She nodded and shook his hand back.

"I'm Charlie Weasley." He introduced.

"I'm-I'm-" Samantha stuttered out as one of the dragons roared in it's sleep. She was so nervous, the red haired man's name didn't even register in her mind.

"Oh don't worry about that." The other man said with a laugh. He spoke in a very distinct American accent. "That's normal."

"I'm Samantha Fyre." Samantha finally blurted out.

"You're Ginny's friend." Charlie, the very freckled and red haired man exclaimed as he greeted her. "I've heard your name mentioned before. I'm her big brother."

"There's more of you?" The other man asked. She decided this young man was very handsome, with sandy blonde hair and the beginnings of red stubble on his face. This made her nervous to even speak to him. Behind a pair of square glasses were a set of ocean colored eyes. She didn't even notice at first, that the most interesting part about him, was that he had a very tiny black dragon asleep on his shoulder.

"This is of course the baby of our group, the newest graduate of America's Ilvermorny, Mr. Kai Jones." Charlie laughed as he introduced her to the young man. Kai had burns on his skin like Charlie. "Kai here, can answer any question you have for that Gazette of yours."

Kai reached out his hand for Samantha to shake. "Hi."

"Hi," Samantha said back as they shook.

She liked his tiny dragon and tried to focus on that instead of his eyes.

He laughed slightly and his face turned red. "This is Duke." He motioned to the little black dragon who yawned on his shoulder as he tickled him to wake him up.

The dragon puffed a little.

"He was illegally modified." Sky revealed. "His mom rejected him after that, so I decided to take care of him. He hasn't let me alone since, he mostly just sleeps a lot." Kai took Duke off of his shoulder, "You can hold him."

Samantha nervously reached out her hands. Samantha was nervous, she didn't take Care Of Magical Creatures for a reason; creatures didn't like her. She worried it would get scared or she'd hurt it. The little dragon curled up in her hands and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry, he doesn't scare easily. Besides he likes you." Kai insisted.

She asked him several interview questions while Kai showed her all the dragons. All the while keeping little Duke in her hands. They stayed at a decent enough distance that Samantha began to feel safer.

She eventually had to hand the little dragon back to Kai, before thanking him for his help. She noticed that Hagrid and the Madame had no intention of going back to the castle immediately and Samantha had become quite tired. She began her lonely walk back towards the castle. She was exhausted, but excited, for the article she was to write.

She heard another twig snap on her lonely walk back. She turned to see who was there, but saw no one.

She heard a crash and someone with a deep voice yell, "Who's there?"

Her pace quickened and she pulled her hood over her head. As her steps began to finally slow she felt a tug on the bottom of her robe. She whipped around and grabbed at the air.

There, standing before her was her classmate, Harry Potter.