This is written for Kazavan for the August gift exchange! (Character: Fleur Delacour, prompt: dragon, genre: action)
Also written for the Greek Mythology Competition (Medusa: write about someone being petrified)
Egg of Gold
She clasped the tiny dragon in her hand, resisting the urge to throw it away. A dragon? Was she really about to face a dragon?
Swallowing a huge lump in her throat, she looked at the others. Their expressions were meek, but it showed that they, too, had known prior to picking it out.
It could be worse, she thought. I could have Harry's dragon.
Madame Maxime had told her of the creatures, and they had each hoped that the Hungarian Horntail was not what she got.
"Ferocious thing," Maxime had said, shaking her head.
The Common Welsh Green wasn't as bad, but it was still… a dragon.
"You're up."
Fleur spun around, her heart pounding in her chest. She tossed the figurine to the side and gripped her wand before realising that the voice was speaking to the Hogwarts champion – Cedric Diggory.
She relaxed… sort of.
Cheers erupted from outside the tent. Screaming echoed around as it was announced that Cedric Diggory had caught his egg. Fleur swallowed hard. She was number two.
If Cedric can do it easily, then so can I, she told herself. She was the Beauxbatons champion – selected for a reason. She was deemed to be the most fit to complete these tasks. If she failed, she'd endure the pain of being the only one to fail.
"Miss Delacour."
Fleur jumped, spinning around and staring into the face of a man. He was not the same person to come for Cedric. She nodded, following him from the tent.
"Good luck," she heard somebody whisper. She was not sure if it was Krum or Harry.
She was taken to a large arena where all three schools managed to fit side-by-side. Some students were chanting her name, while others were chanting the names of the other champions. When she was introduced a large roar sounded from seats to her left. The Beauxbatons students.
"Good luck, Miss Fleur Delacour!" Ludo Bagman shouted her name with excitement, and applause once again filled her ears. She was pushed gently into the arena, the noise silencing immediately.
Fleur looked around: at those watching, at the arena, and at the…dragon. It was big – much bigger than anything she'd ever seen before. And the egg was tiny. And the dragon was guarding it like its life depended on it.
Stepping slowly toward the creature, she withdrew her wand from inside her robes. It shook in her hand, making her aware of everyone else. What would they think of her if she ran now?
The dragon's eyes were upon her and a low growl came from the back of its throat. She danced to its left, keeping both her own eyes on it at all times.
Then suddenly, the creature roared, and Fleur jumped. The crowd gasped as it reared back on its hind legs and opened its mouth.
It's going to breathe fire at me, she realised, but something prevented her from moving. Fleur, it's going to breathe fire on you! If you don't get out of the way you'll be dead!
But she couldn't move.
"And it looks like Miss Delacour is planning to face the dragon where she stands!" Ludo Bagman's voice said. "Does she have a spell in mind? Aguamenti, perhaps?"
Aguamenti? Fleur stared up at the dragon, her eyes wide. Of course!
She raised her shaking hand, pointing her wand at the dragon. The crowd had silenced again, waiting for her to act.
The heat from the creature's breath licked her face. "Aguamen…t…ti!" she stammered.
A spurt of water left her wand, but that was it. Someone in the audience laughed.
"She'll be charcoal soon," another said.
Fleur looked at her wand, wondering why nothing had happened. She'd performed that spell a number of times.
The dragon was rearing up again, this time closer. It'd get her this time if she didn't do something.
Come on, feet, she encouraged. You can do this.
It was as if somebody had placed a sticking spell on her shoes.
"And – oh – it looks as if Miss Delacour is unable to move. The dragon is – oh my – she's getting ready to fire at her again!" She vaguely heard Mr Bagman's panicked voice.
Come on, feet! she cried silently. Move!
"Come on, Fleur!" someone called to her. "You can do this!"
Fleur raised her wand again, her hand trembling. "Come on," she muttered. "It's just a dragon."
The flame left the dragon's mouth again, and suddenly her right foot unstuck. She dodged just in time, the flame singeing the wall behind her.
"And Delacour is moving!" shouted Bagman over the cheer of the crowd.
With her moment of terror at facing the dragon now dissolved, Fleur moved more freely than she ever had. She dodged every ball of fire with ease until she managed to strike the creature with a sleeping spell, sending it into a curled-up, snoring ball.
Once she was sure it was sound asleep, she summoned the egg to her (really, why had she not thought of that to begin with?) and was soon exiting the arena with cheers following her out.
"And Fleur Delacour has caught her egg! Now, we wait for our third champion, from Durmstrang…."
Fleur breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the gold object in her hand. An egg… all of that for an egg. Was she mad?
"Fleur! Fleur, you were wonderful!" She was engulfed in a warm embrace from her sister.
"Thank you," Fleur responded.
Gabrielle smiled up at her. "May I see?"
As her sister examined the golden dragon egg, Fleur couldn't help but breathe another sigh of relief. She'd made it through the first task and had months to work out what the second one might be.
For now, she could celebrate.
I hope you like it!