When the big day finally came, Lessons stopped halfway through the day to give all the students time to get down to the location of the first task. I felt detached from my body as other Hogwarts students either wished me good-luck or hissed snide comments. I spend several minutes trying to think of who was going to contact Remus if something happened to me. Before I know it Cedric and I were being ushered out of the Great Hall by our heads of house. Professor Sprout and Cedric walked a bit ahead of us as she seemed to offer him some friendly encouragement. That left Just Severus and I walking together in the bitter November air.
"Don't do anything stupid." He grumbled at my side. Dumbledore's got wizards standing by to control the situation if it gets out of hand...The main thing is just to do your best, and stay alive."
"Wow Sev! You're the most encouraging person I've ever met! Thanks so much for the pep talk!" I said in thick sarcasm. I low growing noise escaped his throat as he glared at me.
"Now is not the time or the place, you lady." He led me down to the Dragon enclosure I had seen days before. Close to where Emily, Ron and I had stood before there was a tent, its entrance facing Severus and I."You're to go in here with the other champions," Severus told me pointing to the door. "Mr. Bagman is in there, you will receive further instructions from him. Do you understand?"
"yes." I answered plainly.
"Good luck, Alice."
"Thanks Sev." I told him before walking into the entrance of the tent. Fleur Delacour was sitting in a corner on a wooden stool. She didn't look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Viktor Krum looked even grumpier than usual. Cedric was pacing up and down. When I entered the tent Cedric offered me a smile which I returned. My goal was to not show any of them how terrified I was.
"Alice!" Bagman cheered happily. "Come in, come in, make yourself at home!" He waited until I was seated on another wooden stool before speaking. "Well, now we're all here - time to fill you in! When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag," he held up a small sack of purple silk. "From which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different - er - varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too...ah, yes...your task is to collect the golden egg!" Each of us gave Bagman a sign that we had understood what he said before Cedric began pacing the floor again. It felt like mere seconds between when Bagman last spoke, and when he pulled out his purple silk bag.
"Ladies first," he said, approaching Fleur and I. Fleur picked first. he put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, model of a dragon, a Welsh Green. It had the number two around its neck. Fleur showed no sign of surprise, only confirming my suspicion that Madame Maxime had told her about the dragons. I went next pulling out... the Hungarian Horntail, and the number four. It stretched its wings as I stared down at it. Charlie Weasley's words echoed in the back of my mind as I stared down at the model Horntail.
"I don't envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious thing, It's back end's as dangerous as its front."
I should have known from the moment Charlie identified the Horntail as the most vicious that it would be my dragon. When Bagman moved onto Viktor he too seemed unfazed when he pulled out a Chinese Fireball with a small number three on it. Krum didn't even blink as he watched the model dragon roam around his palm. Cedric, who was last to choose drew the Swedish Short-snout the number one dragon.
"Well, there you are!" Bagman said. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I'm going to have to leave you in a moment, because I'm commentating. Mr. Diggory, you're first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right? Now...Alice...could I have a quick word? Outside?"
"uh...sure," I said following Bagman out of the tent. We walked him a short distance away, into the trees, and then he turned to me with a fatherly expression on his face.
"Feeling all right, Allison? Anything I can get you?"
"No, thank you. I think I'm good."
"Got a plan?" Bagman asked, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Because I don't mind sharing a few pointers, if you'd like them, you know. I mean," Bagman continued, lowering his voice still further, "you're the underdog here, Alice...Anything I can do to help..."
"Mr. Bagman we're not allowed to accept any help." I reminded him. "And I've got a plan that I think will work out."
"Nobody would know, Alice," Mr. Bagman winked.
"No, I'm fine, honest. I've got a plan." I repeated. Somewhere on the other side of the tent a whistle was blown.
"Good lord, I've got to run!" Bagman exclaimed hurrying off with another word. Sitting inside the ten was agonizing. Fleur, Viktor and I sat in the tent listening to the crown. One minute there was screaming, the next gasping and Bagman's commentary only made everything worse. Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow"... "He's taking risks, this one!"..."Clever move - pity it didn't work!" After about 15 minutes there was a deafening roar from the crowd as Cedric had caught retrieve the egg.
"One down, three to go!" Bagman yelled as the whistle blew again. "Miss Delacour, if you please!" Fleur was trembling from head to foot; but she heft the tent with her head held high and her hand clutching her wand. That left Krum and I in awkward silence. With the same terrible some effects. Oh I'm not sure that was wise!" "Oh...nearly! Careful now...good lord, I thought she'd had it then!" Fleur successfully retrieved her egg in ten minutes, and soon the third whistle blew for Krum.
"And here comes Mr. Krum!" Bagman cried, as Krum slumped out, I was alone. "Very daring!" Bagman was yelling, and I heard the Chinese Fireball emit a horrible, roaring shriek, while the crowd drew a collective breath. "That's some nerve he's showing - and - yes, he's got the egg!"
Krum had finished and it was my turn. I stood on wobbly legs, wish I were at home with Remus curled up under a good book. The fearsome whistle blew and I decided to give everyone the show they were looking for. Before walking out of the tent, I plastered on a the biggest smile my face could muster. Emerging from the tent, I waved at the crowd. There were hundreds of faces staring down at me from the stands. I looked around taking in the scene. And there was the Horntail, at the other end of the enclosure, crouched low over her clutch of eggs, her wings half-furled, her evil, yellow eyes upon me, a monstrous, scaly, black lizard, thrashing her spiked tail, heaving yard-long gouge marks in the hard ground. Still smiling I raised my wand, and called out clearly and calmly
"ACCIO FIREBOLT!" I knew it would take a while for the firebolt to get there, but after about a minute I began to get nervous. Then I hear the whooshing air from behind the tent. My Firebolt came lurching forward, and then stopped midair allowing me to mount my broom. Bagman was shouting something, but Bagman, and the crowd seemed miles away from me. I kicked off the ground soaring high above the Horntail. I turned to look down on the crowd. The vicious Horntail had shrank is size from way up there. She was about the size of a dog, and the crowd? They were ants from where I hovered. For the first time, since my name had been spewed from the Goblet of Fire, I felt like I could actually win this tournament. Getting the egg from the Horntail would be just as easy as catching a snitch before Harry or Cedric. The first this I needed was so diversion tactics. I dive down, the Horntail's head now following me. Just in time I was able to pull up from the dive before a jet of fire was released exactly where I would have been.
"Great Scott, she can fly!" Bagman yelled as the crowd shrieked and gasped. "Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?" I soared higher in a circle; the Horntail was still following my progress; its head revolving on its long neck. If my planed worked I'd be able to make the Horntail dizzy. She opened her mouth and I plummeted down. That was a mistake. I had missed the flames, but instead I guided myself too far right and into one of the long spikes on the tail. I glanced over my right side quickly. There was a gash on my right shoulder, but it wasn't too deep. I spent about a minute or two zooming around before I realized something. The Horntail didn't seem to want to take off, she was too protective of her eggs. She was afraid to move too far from them. I would have to gradually get her to leave the eggs. I started swirving back and forth in the sky to keep the Horntail's watchful eyes on me. I flew higher, the Horntail's head rose after me, her neck now stretched to its fullest extent. I rose a few more feet, and she let out a roar of exasperation. I was like a fly to her, a fly she was longing to swat; her tail thrashed again, but I was too high for her to reach me with it. She shot fire into the air, but I successfully dodge it. Finally she spread her great, black, leathery wings and I dove down. Before the dragon could discover where I had disappeared to, I was at the large pile of eggs, with the golden egg secure in my hand.
A large honest smile spread across my face as I soared out over the stands. The crowd was cheering in every direction.
"Look at that!" Bagman yelled. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get her egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Miss. Potter!" Almost instantly the dragon keepers rushed forward to subdue the Horntail. Severus, Professor Moody, and Hagrid stood at the entrance of the enclosure, each looking their own version of thoroughly proud. Up in the sky I breathed a sigh of relief. I had survived the first task.
"Well done Miss Potter." Severus said offering me a hand shake. "I'm afraid you'll have to see Madame Pomfrey before the judges give out your score. I think there is an empty seat next to ." He was speaking plainly, but with Hagrid and Moody so close, it was the nearest I'd get to an I'm proud of you."
"Yeh did it, Alice!" Hagrid bellowed hoarsely. "Yeh did it! An' agains' the Horntail an' all, an' yeh know Charlie said that was the wors' -"
"Thanks Hagrid." I smiled up at him.
"Nice and easy does the trick, Potter," Moody nodded from the top of his walking stick. I passed him and made my way into the Medical Tent. Madam Pomfrey was standing at the mouth looking worried.
"Dragons!" she said, in a disgusted tone, pulling me inside. The tent was divided into cubicles and I could make out Cedric's shadow through the canvas. He didn't seem to be badly injured either. Madam Pomfrey examined my shoulder, ranting furiously the whole time. "Last year dementors, this year dragons, what are they going to bring into this school next? You're very lucky...this is quite shallow...it'll need cleaning before I heal it up, though..." She cleaned the cut with a dab of some purple liquid that smoked and stung, but with a quick poke of her wand, it healed instantly.
"Now, just sit quietly for a minute and then you can go and get your score." I obliged glad for a reason to sit. I laid my head back on the soft pillow seconds before a small crown burst in on me.
"Alice, you were brilliant!" Ron Exclaimed.
"You were amazing! You really were!" Hermione agreed.
"Fastest time too! I you did so well!" Emily added. Only Harry looked at me very seriously.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"That depends." I said. "Are we ok?"
"Yeah. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry."
"forgiven! And My shoulder's just fine see." I turned so that the four of them could get a good look at my shoulder.
"Come on, it's time to see your scores!" Emily exclaimed, as she bounced on the balls of her feet. I scooped up the golden egg and my Firebolt and together we all exited the tent. Together Ron and Emily were recounting the entire first task to me as we walked.
"You were the best, you know, no competition. Cedric did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock on the ground...turned it into a dog...he was trying to make the dragon go for the dog instead of him. Well, it was a pretty cool bit of Transfiguration, and it sort of worked, because he did get the egg, but he got burned as well - the dragon changed its mind halfway through and decided it would rather have him than the Labrador; he only just got away." Ron told me.
"And that Fleur girl tried this sort of charm, I think she was trying to put it into a trance - well, that kind of worked too, it went all sleepy, but then it snored, and this great jet of flame shot out, and her skirt caught fire - she put it out with a bit of water out of her wand." Emily said.
"And Krum - you won't believe this, but he didn't even think of flying! He was probably the best after you, though. Hit it with some sort of spell right in the eye. Only thing is, it went trampling around in agony and squashed half the real eggs - they took marks off for that, he wasn't supposed to do any damage to them." Ron finished. Through there babbling I was able to make my way to the edge of the enclosure. The five judges sat in raised seats draped in gold.
"Each one is out of ten." Hermine informed Maxime was the first judge to raiser her wand in the air. A long silver ribbon shot out of it, and twitsted itself into a large figure eight.
"Not bad!" Ron said as the crowd applauded. "I suppose she took marks off for your shoulder..."
Mr. Crouch came next. He shot a number nine into the air. Next, Dumbledore. He too put up a nine. The crowd was cheering harder than ever. Ludo Bagman proudly shot off a ten.
And now Karkaroff raised his wand. He paused for a moment, and then a number shot out of his wand too…four.
"You're tied in first place, Alice! You and Krum!" Charlie Weasley said as he hurried over to us "Listen, I've got to run, I've got to go and send Mum an owl, I swore I'd tell her what happened - but that was unbelievable! Oh yeah - and they told me to tell you you've got to hang around for a few more minutes...Bagman wants a word, back in the champions' tent."
"Thank you Charlie. Thanks for everything!" I called as he raced off. "Well I guess I'll see you guys in a few. I said to Emily, Harry, Hemione, and Ron before heading of to the champion's ten. The first thing I noticed inside the Champion tent was that one side of Cedric's face was covered in a thick orange paste, which was most likely mending his burn. He grinned at me when I entered the tent.
"Good one, Alice."
"And you," I replied smiling.
"Well done, all of you!" began. "Now, just a quick few words. You've got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth, but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you're all holding, you will see that they open...see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the egg, because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!" Surprised by how quick the meeting went. I gladly left the tent to find my friends.
