Emer arrived in the Hufflepuff common room alone and sopping wet on the morning of the first task, fresh from an exceptionally windy Herbology lesson where the greenhouse windows had rattled treacherously in their frames. Harry's face had steadily become paler and paler as the wind and rain worsened, and eventually Emer had offered some half-hearted words of support.
"You'll be alright, so you will. It's just rain."
"Yeah."
Hermione had shot her a look and Emer had shut up, busying herself with the shrivelfig she was meant to be pruning.
The common room was empty, as the students were all waiting in the Great Hall for the bell signalling the moment spectators should head out to the stands that had been erected over the last week. Drenched with rainwater, Emer stomped towards the fireplace in an attempt to dry off a little.
"Jesus-mother-an," she muttered to herself, "This isn't ever going to…"
"Alright there?" She jumped and whipped around to see who had spoken. It was Cedric Diggory. He was sitting in the squashiest chair, which had sunk so low she hadn't noticed him. She stared at him, horribly aware that her face was glowing red.
"A-aren't you meant to be at the…"
He sighed, and stood up, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes before smiling at her. Emer was a deer trapped in headlights.
"Yeah," He groaned, as though residing himself to a terrible fate, "Yeah I am. Is it wet out there then?" He grinned at her dripping hair and robes. She wished he wouldn't.
"Mmhmm." It came out as a squeak. Cedric raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I'll…see you later then." He said awkwardly, turning and picking his way across the common room towards the passage.
"Good luck!" Emer managed to yelp at his retreating back, before sprinting up the steps to the girls' dormitory and out of sight.
Fifteen minutes later, she left the common room, still buzzing. She barely paid attention to where she was going, and nearly walked into a pair of third years in the Entrance Hall. Her insides were racing. She had run over the meeting in her mind, and altered it slightly each time, so that the conversation now led to a kiss and then marriage in quick succession. Unfortunately in her altered series of events she said a little more than 'mmhmm.'
She didn't even bother trying to take a seat with the Hufflepuffs; the other girls had been considerably cooler with her since the moustache incident, and instead slipped in beside Ginny at the Gryffindor table.
"What's up with you?" Ginny asked, "You're all red." Quietly, Emer recounted her encounter with Cedric. However, by the time Ginny had given her a considerate smile and pat on the arm, Emer realised how much of a fool of herself she had made and was feeling thoroughly depressed about the whole affair.
She glanced around, looking for another topic to latch onto. Hermione was sitting alone a few seats up from them, ashen faced and worried. Emer noticed that Ron kept trying to catch her eye, but Hermione wouldn't look at him. Ron barely had spoken to Hermione or Harry since the latter been chosen as champion because, according to Ginny, he was a 'jealous and pathetic idiot'. But he wouldn't wear a POTTER STINKS! badge which Emer thought had to count for something.
Fred and George were sitting a few seats up, heads bent low and discussing a piece of parchment that they had hidden behind George's bag. Emer leant over and flicked Fred's arm.
"Care to share?"
They looked up. Fred turned a little, hiding the parchment which George slipped neatly into his bag.
"Now now Little Emer, nosiness isn't a virtue most boys look for in a girl. We don't want you getting a reputation." Fred said. Emer stuck her tongue out at him and was just considering her retort when Professor McGonagall marhced into the Great Hall. Silence cut through the room in a second as every excited head turned to face her.
"If you will all make your way to the stands, the first task will be beginning shortly."
The arena was massive. Over a thousand tiered seats stood in stands built into the cliff face. Flags of every house and school fluttered in the wind that, higher up in the mountain, had the force of a small gale. The heavy rain cut viscously through the crowd who were soaked to the skin even through rubbery coats, their teeth chattering. Huge piles of stone stood before the spectators, rocks of every shape and size that would protect them from whatever was facing the champions. Two cavernous tunnels were set in the rock face, the largest led to a hidden enclosure, and behind the smaller was a canvas tent housing the champions. Beyond the rocks, enclosure and tent the surface of the lake was alive and churning with hammering raindrops.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE FIRST TASK OF THE TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT!" a booming voice, so loud it rang above the howling wind, echoed around the arena. Heads turned across the rows as people searched for the speaker. It was revealed to be a short, plump man standing front row of the teacher's canopied box of seats. His blond hair was plastered to his forehead, but the rain and cold didn't seem to bother him at all, he was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.
"Who's that?" Although George sat beside her, Emer still had to shout to be heard.
"Ludo Bagman!" He yelled back, his teeth gritted and a dangerous glint sparked in his eye, "Head of Magical Games and Sports."
"And what's he done to you?" Emer asked. Fred was also glaring at the bouncing man dressed in yellow and black stripes.
"We'll explain…later!" He shouted as Ludo Bagman opened his mouth once more.
"TODAY, YOUR CHAMPIONS WILL FACE ONE OF FOUR TERRIBLE, DANGEROUS, FIRE-BREATHING OPPONENTS!"
Those nearest the larger stone tunnel began to scream. Coaxed and pulled on chains by twelve wizards, a ginormous scaly dragon roared and stamped its way into the arena.
"NO WAY!" Fred and George yelled together, as the dragon beat its great leathery wings with menace. One of the wizards, a tall red-haired man, darted ahead of the rest and placed a glittering golden egg into a nest at the heart of the arena. George shouted something Emer couldn't hear, pointing excitedly at the red-haired dragon-keeper.
"THE OBJECTIVE IS FOR EACH CHAMPION TO SUCCESSFULLY RETRIEVE THE GOLDEN EGG FROM THEIR DRAGON. POINTS WILL BE AWARDED BASED ON THE TIME TAKEN AND PRESICION. FIRST- MR CEDRIC DIGGORY OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDY!"
The cheers and applause from the crowd were drowned out by the roars of both the wind and the dragon, which had now nestled herself protectively over her eggs. Cedric crept from the smaller tunnel and ducked behind a rock as the dragon sent a shower of burning flames his way. It struck Emer how small he looked, cowering behind the stone and clutching onto the tiny stick of wood that was his only weapon.
Her heart was in her mouth as she watched Cedric jump, dodge and duck his way out of the dragon's line of fire, darting between the rocks to try and get a clear shot.
"COME ON CEDRIC!"
"DIGGORY! DIGGORY!"
The crowd were cheering ferociously, clapping and gasping as Cedric dived, the dragon's fire missing him by inches. He landed beside a small boulder that was perched high and close to the dragon's nest. They watched the boulder jump suddenly into the air, shake itself and land on the ground, now a ragged looking bull-terrier. The dog scampered out from behind the rock, barking madly at the dragon. The dragon reacted, roaring and beating its wings threateningly at the dog. Cedric made a run for it, chasing up the slope towards the nest and the golden egg that now sat uncovered.
Cedric threw himself forward towards the egg, his fingers outstretched. But then the dragon, realising what he was doing, snapped its head back around and was suddenly bearing down on the boy. Cedric rolled, his fingers snatching the egg, just as a jet of flames shot from the beast's mouth.
He tumbled down the slope and landed behind a stack of stone. Emer, Fred, George and Ginny were all on their feet, leaning over the barriers and yelling with the rest. The dragon keepers raced back into view, their wands outstretched and sending red sparks at the roaring dragon. Cedric hauled himself to his feet, the egg tucked under one arm and a broad grin on his slightly burnt and mangled face. There were cheers and gasps from the spectators as Cedric was hurried away by Madam Pomfrey who seemed to have appeared from nowhere.
"He'll be alright," Fred called out over the cheers of the crowd, a little bitterly, "Madam Pomfrey can fix burns in about a second."
Fleur Delacour followed him, facing a slightly smaller bright green dragon that shot sparkling purple flames from its snout. She didn't take as long as Cedric, casting a powerful enchantment that sent the dragon into an uneasy sleep. However as she edged towards the golden egg, the dragon snored spectacularly, letting out a jet of flame that caught Fleur's skirt alight.
Viktor Krum's scarlet and gold opponent was the quickest of the three, seeming to anticipate his every move around the rocks. After ten minutes of ducking and sprinting he managed to hit it straight in the eye with a Conjunctivitis Curse that left her blind and furious. The dragon angrily stomped about after that, beating her wings and accidently crushing some of her own eggs in the nest below her – almost squashing Krum as he darted between her legs.
The judges stood on a high bench in the teacher's box, and had been scoring the champions as they went along. Dumbledore stood beside Igor Karkaroff, the Durmstrung headmaster, a scowling man with a pointed chin and little goatee who had so far awarded very low scores for everyone except Krum. But Karkaroff and Dumbledore, both of whom would have been tallest in a normal line up, were practically dwarfed by the enormous woman next along the bench.
Dressed in elegant satin robes with black feathery plumage around the neck and cuffs, Madame Maxime was Beauxbatons' flamboyant headmistress. The final judges on the panel were the bouncing Ludo Bagman and a crumple-faced wizard with a black bowler hat and toothbrush moustache. Emer knew that she had been told who this man was but hadn't, as was happening more and more, bothered to listen.
A fourth dragon was curled defensively over the nest in the centre of the arena, and she was the most vicious looking of the lot. Deadly six-foot spikes fanned out in a ruff around her head, and more protruded along her tail culminating in a many horned tip that would surely murder anyone it slammed into. Devilish black and red eyes stared fixedly on the smaller tunnel entrance, waiting.
And then Harry came into view, peering out of the blackness at the dragon. They stared at one another, sizing each other up, until the dragon let of a burst of angry flames and Harry dived. He scrambled and slipped his way around the rocks, always just missing the jets of red-hot fire by inches.
"COME ON HARRY!" Ginny screamed, her fists clenched around the barrier. Ron and Hermione had found one another in the row in front, both yelling their support, all arguments forgotten.
Harry, crouching behind a particularly large rock, raised his wand but not at the dragon. Instead he pointed it high in the air and yelled something that was muffled by the cheers and roars that filled the afternoon air. He dodged and darted just as quickly as Cedric had done, and the dragon was getting irritated. It had to whip its head back and forth in an attempt to keep its beady eyes on Harry. It started banging its tail hard again the rock with such force that the stands shook.
That was then they saw it. Speeding across the lake towards them was Harry's Firebolt, barely wavering in its course despite the raging wind and rain. The crowd's cheers escalated as Harry jumped wildly out from behind a rock and managed to pull himself onto his broom.
He shot off like a bullet from a gun, zooming around the stadium and easily swerving to avoid the dragon's fire now. The crowd loved it. Harry was a Quidditch hero.
"THAT'S OUR BOY!" Fred and George yelled, both ecstatic by the unexpected display of their relentless Quiddich training. Harry dodged and dived like the dragon was no more difficult to face than a couple of bludgers. However the dragon didn't appreciate this new development at all. It roared and rose to its feet, beating its wings so that the crowd to scream in shock.
They hadn't realised quite how big it was. Fifty feet tall and a wingspan twice as wide, it reared, twisting its reptilian neck and ugly brutish head to face Harry.
"HARRY!" Ginny screamed again, now practically hanging over the barrier. Fred, George and Emer were all beside her, yelling and shouting with the rest as they watched the dragon kick off from the ground, and the chain around its foot snap.
The sound echoed around the arena like a gunshot. The dragon was airborne and flying with a murderous glint in its eye straight towards the little figure in black and red darting about in front of it. Harry was quicker though, and he shot over the rocks, over the stands and off towards the distant castle. The keepers had run back into the arena and were shooting stunning spells at the dragon, but for all the good it did they might as well have been throwing feathers at it. The baited Horntail flew on regardless, stalking her prey that was now soaring across the black lake. With a roar the dragon beat its massive wings and propelled forward – straight towards the teacher's box. They ducked and screamed as taloned feet ripped the canopy and top empty row of seats clean away.
"WELL DONE DRAGON!" Fred and George cheered, applauding the giant black shape that was now soaring away from the arena, as the bedraggled and stunned teachers got to their feet, now just as soaked with rain as the students.
No-one knew what was happening, Harry and the Horntail had vanished, the keepers were standing lost in the arena and the students were all still screaming and cheering for a champion that was well out of earshot. Even Dumbledore looked completely at sea. They didn't have to wait long though, barely five minutes later an almighty roar rang around the grounds. People twisted in their seats, searching desperately for any sign of the dragon or Harry. Students in the top rows had run to the back of the stands and were leaning out; and it was they that cheered first when he came rocketing over the top of the stands.
Emer yelled herself hoarse, clapping and cheering with the rest as Harry went into a perfect dive and neatly snatched the golden egg from the abandoned nest. The tumult of noise from the spectators was deafening, finally louder than even the wind as Harry landed, beaming, on the stone.
