I figured you would like another chapter quick so here it is. This chapter has some action so I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 20: The First Task

Harry walked into the Great Hall the day after Halloween to find himself on the receiving end of glares from the Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and foreign students. The Hufflepuffs gave him a friendly nod, having been told by Cedric last night. The Gryffindors formed ranks around him as if to protect him from the offending looks. He smiled at their actions while leading them to the Gryffindor table. It wasn't long before Professor Dumbledore stood from his spot at the Head Table.

"As you all know, last night four champions were chosen for the Triwizard Tournament. I am sure many of you feel Mr. Potter is in the wrong however I must correct many false thoughts and rumors." There were several murmurs throughout the crowd. "Last night after the selection, Mr. Potter willingly submitted himself under Veritiserum, where he confessed he had nothing to do with his name being entered in the Goblet of Fire." Whispers spread like wildfire across all but the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. "As such, he is an unwilling participant in this tournament and I urge you to support him as you would the other three champions." With that, he sat down. Harry caught many of the Ravenclaws looking at him with sheepish looks but Harry just ignored them. He felt Ginny's hand slide into his own under the table.

"I never did know how bad it was the first time," she said quietly. "I wish I was there for you then." Harry just squeezed her hand.

"You didn't know and besides, you were too busy blushing in my presence," he said, getting a mock glare from her before she started eating her breakfast. He let his gaze wander around the hall again and he noticed Fleur looking at him from her place at Ravenclaw Table. She smiled and gave a little wave and which he returned. He was glad she wasn't mad at him. He had tried hard the last couple days trying to make friends with her and Victor. It was not much longer before he heard a loud bang at the Slytherin table. He spun around to see Victor standing up after he seemingly slammed his fists onto the table. He strode over to Harry with an angry look on his face. Harry assumed the worst and schooled his face into a neutral look.

"Harry, I vould like to apologize for my… Professor's actions last night as vell as my fellow students," he said, his Bulgarian accent coming through more in his anger. Harry mentally sighed in relief and smiled up at him.

"No problem Victor. It isn't your fault," he replied. Victor held out his hand, which Harry took without hesitation.

"I am looking forward to our competition," he said before stalking out of the hall. Harry turned back in his seat to see several smiles on his friends' faces as well as astonished looks from some of the other Gryffindors. He just grinned and shrugged.

The next couple days were by far better than the first time he lived through them. He had most of the school behind him as well as Cedric, which was a strong improvement. He heard the horror stories of Hagrid's blast-ended skrewts and was thanking whatever deity that he knew that let him skip it this time through. Victor continued to meet them every morning to work out and soon several other students were as well, including Cedric, Fleur, the twins, and several of the members of the other Quidditch teams and schools. Harry was both happy and anxious at this. For one side he was glad to have such a group of friends as well as knowing this will truly help them all in the long run. The down side was that he and his five core friends had to tone it down with their magical training when around the group. He didn't want to show them their secrets after all. They kept the most intense training for when they redid the weekends in the Chamber of Secrets. He was currently in Potions with Severus prowling around the dungeon looking for the slightest errors. It was then there was a knock on the door.

"Enter," Severus practically hissed, causing Colin to slide in a little more pale than normal. "What do you want Creevey?" he asked in annoyance.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter upstairs," he said quickly.

"What for?" he demanded. Harry held in a groan knowing what he was needed for.

"Sir – sir, Mr. Bagman wants him," he replied with a little fear. "All the champions need to go, I think they want photographs." Severus' lips curled into a sneer.

"Potter! You heard the little vermin, get out of my sight," he bellowed before walking to his desk. Harry caught his eye and with a small grin sent several letters quickly in a sequence to his mind spelling out 'greasy git'. His eyes merely narrowed before Harry received several images of letters quickly, spelling 'arrogant toerag'. His grin widened before he finished packing and left the classroom.

"You ready Harry?" Colin asked in excitement. Harry managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"I know the way Colin so you can head back to the tower," he said. The younger boy looked a little put out but smiled anyway.

"Well, if you say so Harry. Good luck!" he said before going up the marble staircase.

"Thank Merlin," Harry muttered under his breath before heading to the classroom holding the ceremony. He knocked and walked in, finding that he was the last one to arrive. He saw Victor, Fleur, and Cedric off to one side of the room talking quietly with each other. Bagman and Rita Skeeter were talking by a couple tables set up in the back. Her camera man was standing behind her eyeing Fleur. Dumbledore and Ollivander were standing in another corner speaking with Karkaroff and Maxime.

"Ah Harry! Welcome, welcome," Bagman said, jumping up from his spot and pulling him farther into the room. Harry saw Rita perk up at his name, her hand shooting into her crocodile skin handbag and pulling out an acid green quill. Harry knew what was coming.

"Excuse me Mr. Bagman," he said hastily and quickly made his way to the other champions. "I hate the press," he muttered when he made it to them, getting grins from them. Victor put a hand on his shoulder.

"Get used to it Harry. They vill be hounding you for the rest of your life," he said with a small chuckle. He saw Rita about to try and pull him out of the group but Krum and Fleur merely glared at her. Seeing the looks the two champions were giving her, she displayed impressive thinking skills and didn't interrupt them. Cedric just looked politely confused and shrugged his shoulders at the whole scene.

"Thanks you two," Harry said with a grin.

"Champions, if you please," Dumbledore said aloud, getting their attention. They walked over to the judges table. "This is Mr. Ollivander and he will be checking your wands to ensure they are in proper condition." Dumbledore waved to Ollivander who smiled and walked forward. His large pale eyes swept over to Fleur.

"Mademoiselle Delacour, if you could," he said. Fleur stepped forward, providing her wand. He took it and spun it expertly in his hands before holding it closer to his eyes and examining it. "Ah yes, nine and a half inches… inflexible… rosewood… containing a Veela hair?" he asked in surprise.

"From ze 'ead of my grandmuzzer" she responded with a smile.

"Very well, I have never used Veela hair but if it works for you," he said as he searched for any scratches and bumps. "Orchideous!" he intoned, causing a bouquet of flowers to bloom from the wand, which he gave to Fleur with the wand. "It is in working order. Mr. Diggory?" he asked. Cedric stepped forward this time.

"Ah this is one of my own," he said with a bit more enthusiasm. "A single hair from a fine male unicorn, one which almost gored me with his horn when I plucked the hair mind you. Twelve and a quarter inches, ash, pleasantly springy. Good condition." He waved it, causing a small fiery replica of a dragon to sprout from it and fly around the room before disappearing. He handed it back. "Mr. Krum?" Victor stood with slouched over to Ollivander and handed his wand over.

"A Gregorovitch creation I believe yes?" he asked, getting a nod from Victor. "Yes, fine wand-maker. Hornbeam and dragon heartstring, rather thick, quite rigid, ten and a quarter inches." He waved it over the large judges table and conjured several rather intricate wine glasses. "Very well. That leaves Mr. Potter." Harry stepped forward and his wand shot from his wand holster. He spun it around in his hand and held the back to Ollivander.

"Hmmm, yes I remember this one well." Harry wanted to roll his eyes. Who wouldn't remember selling the brother of the wand owned by the most evil man on the planet? "Eleven inches, holly and phoenix feather, nice and supple. Very powerful wand," he muttered before he held it over the wine glasses he had conjure with Victor's wand and poured wine from it, filling up one of the cups. He handed the wand back to Harry before picking up the glass of wine and taking a sip. He had a pensive look on his face for a moment before he nodded in satisfaction.

"Hmm, not bad," he muttered. "All of the wands are in working order," he said a little louder.

"Thank you all, dinner should be starting soon," Dumbledore said. He was about to usher them out of the room but Bagman interrupted them.

"Photos Dumbledore! The Daily Prophet will be looking forward to this," he said, bouncing on his toes in excitement. Harry gave a discreet glare and hand gesture, causing the camera with Rita's camera man to fall apart.

"What did you do you idiot?" Rita yelled at the man. Dumbledore just shrugged and ushered them out of the room.

ooOooOoo

"Report," Harry said in a strong and deep voice as he walked into Severus' personal quarters. He got mock salutes from Remus, Sirius, and Frank which he rolled his eyes at. "In all seriousness," he said, narrowing his eyes at Sirius who looked ready to comment, "what do you guys have?" Inside the quarters besides Harry were Severus, Remus, Sirius, Amelia, and Frank. The least three had been smuggled into the school through the passage from the Shrieking Shack. Severus had been the one who checked Dumbledore's schedule to ensure he was busy this particular night. He had also set up several subtle wards to keep people away from the area.

"The Headmaster is understandably busy with the tournament," Severus started. "However, he is under the impression someone is out to murder you," he said with a smirk. "He believes Voldemort has someone inside the castle, however he does not know where."

"Neither do I, which is disconcerting," Harry admitted, getting several surprised looks. He sighed. "Even the Marauders Map couldn't find Crouch Jr. Constant Vigilance as Moody says," he said with a light chuckle.

"I may also add that he is slightly suspicious of you as well Potter," Severus continued. "While he knows you did not enter your name, he found it strange you seemed so confident in the face of the charge." Harry nodded.

"We have been sounding out the Wizengamot," Amelia said, indicating herself and Sirius. "Of the fifty members, I believe there are about fifteen members that we could count on, including ourselves." Sirius had taken his spot on the Wizengamot as the Blacks had a customary seat. Also, as Harry's godfather, he cast the votes for the Potter seat, which would be filled when Harry turned seventeen, the legal age needed to serve. "Fudge, and by extension Malfoy, has about twenty in his pocket. Ten follow Dumbledore and the last five are neutral and tend to vote with the side that seems to have the most support," she said. "These are rough estimates. To be honest, we could use a bit more help. I may hold respect from the members but I'm seen as young to the group as a whole. Besides Sirius, there are only two more members younger than me."

"And while I was found innocent, many have trouble trusting me," Sirius spoke up.

"Fancy that Black," Severus said with a raised eyebrow, and hint of a sneer on his face.

"Shut it Snivellus," he responded, although it wasn't as venomous as Harry had heard it back in the first timeline. "Anyway before the ball of grease interrupted me," he said, jabbing a thumb in Severus' direction, "I don't have much clout in the group. We suggest bringing Augusta Longbottom into the picture." Harry nodded, sitting back in thought.

"That is a good idea. Not only does she hold much respect in the Wizengamot, she holds just as much in our world as a whole. Neville I'm sure would enjoy her being on the same page as well," Frank said. Harry nodded.

"I'll bring it up with the rest. I'm sure there will be no objection," Harry said. "You, Alice, and Neville can break it to her then. Remus?" he said, turning to the werewolf in question. The man sighed.

"The werewolf community as a whole cannot stand the Ministry. There are a few here and there that try as I do, to live normal lives. It's just that even fewer have access to the Wolfsbane Potion. It is not cheap and is a very difficult potion to make," he said, Severus nodding in agreement, having been making it for quite some time now. "If there was a way to mass produce it, I think it would sway many of them toward our side, as well as getting more support to appeal those ridiculous laws," he practically spat.

"What about the Aurors?" Harry asked. Frank sighed, an annoyed look on his face.

"They are lazy. With the exception of a few, most wouldn't be able to duel their way out of a cardboard box. Alice and I were reinstated as Auror Captains by Amelia and have been trying to whip them back into shape," he explained. "Scrimgeour is an idiot as well, no offense Amelia," he said hastily.

"None taken. I agree," she said. The rest of them chuckled.

"All he says is that 'we are in a time of peace, why act like we are at war?' Don't get me wrong, he is a good Auror, but he is too political for my tastes," he finished.

"How is Percy doing in Auror training?" Harry asked. Frank grinned.

"Let's just say that boy can duel," he said. "I saw him the other day win a mock battle. The objective was to try and win against overwhelming odds. He led a group of four other trainees through an 'abandoned' town and managed to take down all twenty of the others while only losing one teammate. He has a good mind and a good wand." Harry grinned. When Percy had become a Death Eater spy for them, Harry had made sure he was personally trained by several Unspeakables. He had soaked up the knowledge like a sponge in water and had become a force to be scared of. Harry heard from other sources that Percy had managed to duel Voldemort to a stand still for over two minutes before Voldemort finally got a fatal curse in. It was a feat that only five others had done before; Neville, Dumbledore, Moody, Master Phantom, and Harry himself. Harry was sure the other four time-travelers could do it as well, but they were never forced to fight him. He knew that the Weasley family was a truly talented one. Bill was one of the best human cursebreakers in history, Charlie had a mastery in Care of Magical Creatures with a concentration in dragons, Percy was on his way to be a master duelist, the twins were geniuses with their talent in innovation and creativity, Ron was a master martial artist and dueler, and Ginny was a Potions Mistress. That didn't even cover the inherit Quidditch talent through half the family.

"How have the twins been doing?" Harry asked, looking to Remus. Remus had been meeting with the twins once a week researching and planning different ways in which their products and ideas could be turned into useful items of war. Remus gave a wolfish grin at the thought.

"Those two are geniuses I swear. If they were to put as much time into school as they did pranks they would be getting straight O's," he said with a chuckle. "As it is, they have come up with several ideas, combing several prank ideas and spells. My favorite has to be their maginades. Like a muggle grenade, only instead of an explosion and small metal pieces, it sends out an area of effect spell. They have made maginades with a stunning and a disarming charm and are working on some that will send out Reductor Curses or flame hexes." The other adults were staring at him with awe while Sirius was wearing a silly grin. Harry just chuckled. "I help them with the spellwork of course, but they do most of the work."

"Very good. Alright if there is nothing else, I need to head back to the common room. I don't want anyone wondering where I am," he said getting up. They all nodded and stood as well. Severus led the others to the Whomping Willow while Harry began his trek back to Gryffindor Tower. It was just after curfew and the castle was quiet and dark. Something felt odd about it so he quickened his pace. He turned down a deserted corridor, intending on using a hidden passage to get back faster when all of the torches went out, plunging him into darkness. An eerie silence also fell over him. He stopped, his wand shooting to his hand and his senses extending to maximum. He could sense a spell on all the portraits to stop them from moving. He felt wards spring up over the corridor and new that if he wanted to leave, it would be done fighting.

"Ginny, get everyone down to the fifth floor corridor near Sir Cadogan's painting in full battle gear," he said just as he felt several spells shot at him from behind and in front of him. He ducked one from in front of him and back flipped over one from behind him, landing on his feet and twisting, an overcharged stunner lancing out of his wand and shattering a hasty shield before impacting one of the attackers in the face. He ducked another spell before spinning and slashed the Sword of Gryffindor, which had just appeared in his hand, knocking a flying dagger away from him. He sensed three more attackers with one watching in the corridor. He knew Ginny and the others were on their way. "Wait until my signal," he told Ginny quickly before he sent up a shield to block the entire corridor from the pair behind him and turned back to the single fighter. He took three quick steps forward and slammed an incoming spell straight into the floor. He sensed the person running forward as well and he ducked the person's blade before parrying another swing and slashing his sword at their leg, causing the leg to fail with a severed hamstring. He quickly stunned the man and turned back to his shield, which shattered a second later.

"Halt," came a deep and dark voice. Harry recognized the concealment charm used. It was a custom made charm, and he knew only one person who could perform it. He barely had enough time to contemplate that person before a sword streaked by his arm. It would have severed most of the muscles in his upper right arm had he not moved. He spun his sword expertly around him, parrying the figure's furious attacks. They were coming at an alarming speed and Harry knew he had to end this fast. The assailant parried an attack and thrust a blade through Harry's stomach. A pained expression spread over Harry's face and he looked down at the blade before he blurred and disappeared. It was then the being felt Harry behind it but it was too late. Harry grabbed the person with one arm, pinning them to his chest with his superior strength and putting his sword against their throat.

"How?" the person's modified voice asked. Harry grinned.

"After-image, fooled you didn't it?" he whispered into the person's ear. "I do have you at my mercy. Do you surrender Master Phantom?" he asked. It was then that he felt the slight tap of the flat side of a blade against his lower region and he glanced down, noticing the tip of one of Phantom's swords centimeters from castrating him. He gave a short chuckle. "Point to you," he said, removing his sword and backing away. Phantom turned and put the swords away. Slowly Phantom lowered the hood of the cloak showing the face of a stunning Asian woman.

"How do you know me?" she asked in a calm feminine voice. Harry studied her for a second. She was a beautiful woman, her dark blue eyes swirling with confidence and power. She was average height, her long black hair tied back in a ponytail. Under her black and gold cloak was tight black clothing, showing off her curved figure.

"That is a long story Phantom, one that will be very difficult for me to answer," Harry said, quite aware that she was still ready to eviscerate him and as such had yet to put away his wand and sword. Three other Unspeakables walked forward in black and silver cloaks, their hoods up and staying a couple steps behind her in respect. One had obviously been revived and the other, Harry assumed, had been portkeyed out because of his injury. Phantom would have the ability to make a portkey through the school wards, a power solely reserved for the three Masters and the Headmaster.

"We are Unspeakables, and you have been proven impersonating a Master," she responded.

"How did you figure it out?" Harry asked, genuinely curious. A small smirk spread over her face.

"We reversed a recording of your altered voice." Harry nodded to that. "Now, you will tell me why you are impersonating a Master Unspeakable or you will be taken back to the Department of Mysteries for questioning." Harry grinned at that.

"Oh I will not be going anywhere unwillingly," Harry said. Phantom frowned.

"You are a very talented fighter but you are outmatched four to one," she said.

"Oh I don't think so," he said, waving his wand, causing the torches to relight in the corridor. The four Unspeakables were surprised to find five other people in Unspeakable cloaks in the corridor. Two were behind Harry and three were behind them, all had their wands out. One behind them had a katana and one behind Harry had a dagger. A small smile spread over her face.

"You are full of surprises Mr. Potter, very well. Rest assured however, we will discover your intentions," she said.

"I have no doubt about that Phantom but how about we trade information?" If she was surprised she showed no indication. "Expect me at the Department of Mysteries after the first task and be sure that Sol and Thor are there as well." She nodded, and although she didn't show it, she was extremely curious of this boy. All four of them vanished with portkeys and Harry sighed before looking to the other five.

"Thanks for being ready guys," he said. They all dropped their hoods and Ginny jumped into Harry's arms. He felt her trembling.

"It's ok Gin, I'm fine," he said quietly, holding her tight.

"It scared me. Phantom came very close a couple times," she murmured against his chest.

"I was wondering when they would finally take notice of us," Neville said as he walked up to them. "There is very little they miss. I wouldn't be surprised if Sol has already guessed what has truly happened." Hermione and Luna nodded.

"That man's brain puts Dumbledore's to shame. While he couldn't best Dumbledore in a duel, Sol could outwit him quite easily," Hermione said.

"Come on, let's get back to the tower. I don't want anyone seeing us out here," Harry said, leading them quietly to the secret passage he was originally going to take.

ooOooOoo

"Dragons?" Cedric asked incredulously. "You're not serious are you?"

"Quite actually," Harry said as they jogged around the outside of the pitch.

"How did you find out?" he asked after a minute. Harry could tell he was trying to be calm about it.

"I was flying the other night and saw a burst of flame in the distant. I flew over to it and saw the four dragons caged up. They are hidden behind the forest, sitting in their cages right now," Harry said. In reality, he flew over there on purpose just to make sure the dragons were still the task.

"Do Fleur and Victor know?" Cedric asked concerned. The two mentioned were jogging just ahead with Ginny and Hermione. They all had become quick friends in the last few weeks.

"Yes they do. I saw Hagrid and Maxime heading toward them and Karkaroff tailing them when I was flying back," Harry replied. That was the truth. Hagrid had asked him to follow him that night but Harry had assured him he already knew of the task. Cedric's face paled.

"You don't mean like a date do you?" he said, referring to Hagrid and Maxime. Harry just grinned and wagged his eyebrows. Cedric just made gagging noises before they both chuckled.

"So anyway, that gives you a week to figure out a way past the dragon," Harry summed up. Cedric looked thoughtful.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked. Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

"Naturally."

The next week sped by and the castle was soon busting with excitement over the first task. Harry walked into lunch that afternoon hand in hand with Ginny only to have Gryffindor cheer for him. He grinned as he sat down.

"Alright you lot, shut it," he said getting chuckles from the group around him. They began their lunch and before Harry knew it, Professor McGonagall was walking up to him. He was aware of the eyes all around the hall were on him.

"Potter, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now. You have to get ready for the first task," she said in her normal stern tone, but Harry could hear the underlying worry laced in it. He smiled up at her.

"Sure Professor," he said, getting up. Before he could straighten all the way however, Ginny grabbed a fist full of his robes and pulled him down for a kiss. She let go of him after a few seconds and smiled sweetly at him.

"Good luck," she said cheerfully. He just grinned and received many more such sentiments – minus the kiss - from the others and left with McGonagall. They quickly made their way outside into the chilly November day.

"Now don't panic," she said, "just keep a cool head… we've got wizards standing by to control the situation if it gets out of hand –"

"Professor!" Harry said loudly, cutting her off. She turned in surprise. "I will be fine," he said with a smile. "No overgrown reptile is going to beat me," he told her with certainty. She smiled thinly.

"Very well Mr. Potter. I expect you to live up to that confidence." They stopped outside the tent that was in front of the enclosure. "You are to go in here and wait for your turn. Good luck," she said. Harry gave her a sharp nod and she turned and left. He entered the tent to find all three of his friends and rivals in different points of nervousness. Krum was standing in a corner, looking surly. Cedric was pacing but gave him a smile upon entry. Fleur looked pale and clammy from her spot on a stool, but she smiled at him as well.

"You three ready for this?" he asked cheerfully. Cedric gave a strained laugh.

"Only you would be happy about fighting off a dragon Harry," he said. Just then, Bagman walked in carrying a small bag.

"Oh good, you are all here!" he said with excitement. He was wearing his old Quidditch robes again. "Time to fill you in," he said. "You will select a small replica of the creature you will have to face. You will have to try and collect the golden egg from it!" Harry and Cedric nodded while Fleur just looked a tad green. Victor didn't even acknowledge Bagman's presence. They heard the students climbing the stairs to the stands and soon Bagman held out the bag to Fleur. "Ladies first." She pulled out the Swedish Short-snout, a number one tied to its neck. Harry held in his surprise and kept his face passive. That was Cedric's dragon before. Krum reached in next, pulling out the Welsh Green which had a number two on its neck. Cedric pulled out the Chinese Fireball, which had a three on its neck. Harry managed to not roll his eyes.

"Fate hates you Harry," Ginny stated simply, having obviously been watching through his eyes. Harry reached into the bag and pulled out the mini horntail.

"Well there you are!" exclaimed Bagman. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers represent the order in which you will compete. I need to go commentate, Miss Delacour, you are first," he said, before leaving the tent. Fleur sat heavily on her stool again. Harry walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You alright Fleur?" he asked in a soft voice. She just shook her head.

"I am beginning to wonder 'Arry, why I ever entered in zis silly tournament," she said quietly.

"You will be fine Fleur," he said. Just then, a whistle was blown, signaling that it was time for Fleur to enter the enclosure. He grabbed her hand and helped her up. She smiled shakily at him. "Good luck," he said before she left. Harry then made his way to a corner and sat down on the ground. He closed his eyes and sat Indian style and began to meditate. The outside world quickly fell away and he was completely peaceful. It wasn't long however when his eyes snapped open a second before a whistle was blown. He was the only one in the tent. He quickly stood and made his way over to the opening. He stepped out into the rocky enclosure, hearing the cheering of hundreds of students. He looked at the eggs and noticed that there was no large black dragon hunched protectively around them. It was then that he noticed what was wrong. He quickly dove to the right just as a large spike tail slammed into the ground where he had been. He rolled to his feet and looked up to see a very unhappy Hungarian Horntail flying just over him. Her black scales were shining in the sunlight, her large yellow eyes staring him down with intense anger. 'This isn't right,' he thought.

He had to dive away from another tail swing and watched as she flew in between himself and the eggs and landed facing him. 'She is too aggressive,' he thought. 'A normal mother dragon would have just stayed with her nest.' The only thing he could think of was the Crouch Jr. wherever he was, managed to enrage the dragon in some fashion. The dragon lunged at him, its mouth snapping at him. He dove away again and fired a strong stunner into its eyes. It threw its head back in a roar of annoyance and jumped into the air, beating its wings furiously and then threw its tail at him again. He ducked, one of the spikes just missing his shoulder. It landed and reared back and Harry knew his future looked very warm. True to his prediction, the dragon let loose a stream of fire directly at him. He threw his wand forward, a huge stream of ice water bursting from it and slamming into the incoming flames. The dragon had more power though and his water was getting pushed back. His eyes widened in horror as he was engulfed in flames.

ooOooOoo

The other five time travelers were watching the scene with interest, having not heard from Harry what his plan was. When the dragon's flames engulfed him, they began to feel nervous and turned quickly to Ginny. She had an expressionless look on her face and merely pointed subtly at where the eggs were.

ooOooOoo

The audience gave a loud collective gasp. Dumbledore and several other teachers got up with their wands out but there was nothing they could do even if they were to stop the flames.

"Oh dear, Mr. Potter… he seems to have been swallowed by the flames," Bagman said in shock through his Sonorus Charm. The crowd was nearly dead silent. The dragon finished its attack and looked down at the spot where a crispy Harry Potter should have been lying. "Where is he?" Bagman said loudly. Dumbledore sat heavily into his chair, despair creeping into him. He had failed Harry again. He looked up to where he knew his friends were sitting, only to see them watching with little expression on their faces. That snapped him out of his current mood, knowing that if they thought he was dead, they would be nearly hysterical. He followed their gazes and looked to the eggs just in time to see the golden one disappear. He relaxed and the twinkle entered his eyes ten-fold. The dragon must have seen her egg disappear as well as she gave a loud roar and quickly made her way to the nest, sending jets of flame in the surrounding areas. Not a minute later there were more gasps and cheers as everyone began to point to the entrance of the enclosure where Harry stood, the egg tucked safely under his left arm and a smirk on his face.

"Mr. Potter has done it! With what seems to be a flame-freezing charm, an invisibility charm, and several masking charms, he managed to sneak around his dragon and get his egg safely in the fastest time so far!" He looked over to the judges table while the dragon keepers subdued the horntail. Harry bowed slightly to them in a silent question for his scores. Madam Maxime raised her wand into the air and a ribbon shot out forming a nine. The crowd cheered in approval. Crouch came next, also shooting up a nine. Dumbledore smiled as a nine appeared over him as well. Karkaroff was next, a six forming over his head. Harry rolled his eyes, knowing that the show he just gave was probably worth ten across the board. Bagman was next, a ten forming over him, giving him a total of forty three. The Hogwarts crowd was going wild as Harry was in first place by three points. Krum had forty, Fleur had thirty eight, and Cedric had thirty five. He walked into the tent only to have Madam Pomfrey shove him into a bed.

"I'm fine!" he said loudly to her. She just glared at him and he rolled his eyes, letting her look him over. She huffed when she found nothing.

"Fine Mr. Potter, at least take this," she said, handing him some Pepper-up potion. He downed it quickly and walked over to where the others were meeting. Victor was in a new set of robes, Harry assuming that his old ones had been burnt. Fleur had her outer robes off and Harry could see her left shoulder was bandaged, most likely from a claw or spike. Cedric was once again covered in the odd ointment for burns.

"Well done all of you!" Bagman praised as he bounced into the tent. "Now you have a nice long break until the next task on February twenty-fourth however you will need to discover the clue hidden inside your eggs. Only then will you be able to prepare for it. All clear? Good! Off you go," he said jovially. Harry left the tent to be swarmed by his friends.

"You had us worried for a second there mate," Ron said with a grin. Harry just shrugged before he was pulled down into a kiss by Ginny.

"Let's go champion, a party needs to be thrown!" Fred and George said in unison, grabbing him and Ginny by the shoulders and marching them off to Gryffindor Tower.