Chapter 10
The first task objective consisted in stealing a golden egg from a nesting dragon. Hermione was outraged. That they would do this to a mother, that they would do this to the eggs of an already overexploited, endangered specie and that they would dare put the champions in such a predicament for the sake of entertainment. She was really sick of it.
"Hermione, if you don't feel like it, we can leave." Harry said, gesturing no to Ron who was about to argue against it.
"No... that's fine." Hermione retorted. "I need to face this. I can't turn a blind eyes and look elsewhere while they are doing this to her."
Neville couldn't believe that of all things, Hermione was worried about the dragon feelings and wellbeings. He was feeling really lucky that he never managed to cross the age line because in the unlikely scenario he would have been selected, he would have been so dead already, self-combustion or heart attack, he didn't knew. He would never had last long enough to even face the dragon.
"But you can't stay like this either" Harry argued back. "You need to snap out of it. You are hurting yourself."
Hermione followed his line of sight and indeed, her hands were only moist, but actually bleeding. She was so distract by her anger that she didn't even notice the pain before Harry mentioned it. So she let it go, took a deep breath and let her thought travel to some more pleasant subject.
"I improved the Occulus Ememdo charm in preparation for that task. I kind of dishearten about it but... you wanna try?" She proposed.
"I'm not sure." Harry answered. His previous, multiple experience with that spell always prove to be hurtful.
"I toned it down. I kept infra-ray for heat vision, ultra-violet for blood detection and magic perception... for obvious reasons. I got rid of everything else. Too much of a burden and too rarely useful." She explained. "It might still itch a little over prolonged use."
"I will give it a kick try." Harry agreed prudently.
Hermione casted the spell and Harry reaction was immediate.
"Wow. That's really much better." He said, appreciative. He gave a quick look around as the task was about to begin.
But as Krum was half through the task he finally said: "There is something wrong about the eggs"
"What is it?" Neville asked, curious, searching with his own not-enhanced two eyes for what was possibly wrong about it.
"There are fake." Harry stated.
"Of course the golden egg is fake." Hermione retorted.
"No... not the golden egg, all of them. They are made a stone."
"That's ludicrous." Hermione stated. "A dragon can recognise her egg by the smell. She would be in complete rampage as we speak if the egg were decoys."
"I don't know how they did it, Hermione. But I'm absolutely sure of what I'm saying. The eggs are made of the same stone as the arena."
"They must have put the dragon to sleep and rub the fake eggs against her private" Neville contributed blushing. "What a dragon is smelling isn't the egg but her own smell on it. That's how they know which egg belong to them. They tend to crush the eggs who belong to another dragon."
"So that's how they did it." Hermione thanked Neville for the insight. "Then what do you think? Are the eggs here and still in Romania?"
"If they wanted to make sure none of the eggs etched before the tournament, I would say in Romania." Harry said, thoughtful.
"So, if a champion crush an egg and the Dragon realized it, we are all dead." Hermione concluded grimly.
"Let's pray it won't happen then..."
Fleur Delacour went second and succeeded in the task with only a few burning. Then it was time for the last champion, Cedric Diggory to came in. He turned a boulder into a dog and used it as a decoy to go for the eggs but the dragon saw it at the last moment and greet him with a barrage of flames. So Hogwarts champion went on with another strategy, and then another one without giving up, angering the dragon even further, but not giving up, as the task had no time limit. But at some point, the dragon restraints broke and she started to chase after Cedric more proactively. The clever boy, seeing that the situation had taken a turn for the worst quickly given up but it was already too late.
The dragon handlers couldn't restraint the beast anymore and she was so angry at this point that she went on rampage, breathing a cone of fire to the men, the judges and the audiences. Everyone started to panic and evacuate in a total chaos as two entrances were already down to the flames and the path to the others was a burning inferno crownded with panic students.
Harry, Neville, Ron and Hermione were under a heat-negating shielding charm trying to figure out how to get out of their own predicament as Hermione couldn't deal with both the heat and the smoke at the same time, and no one but her knew those spell yet.
"If we stay here, we are going to die." Ron said, stating the obvious.
"We would die before we reach the entrance anyway." Hermione argued back.
"So what are you proposing?" Ron shouted over the utter chaos.
"We can accept our fate or..." Hermione shooked her head and didn't finish her sentence.
"Or what?" Harry asked, gripping her arm, forcing her to focus.
"Or we crushed those fake egg that dragon is protecting and hope it would fly away before it roast us alive."
"So we anger the Dragon even further and hope he would spare us?" Ron argued. "Even if the dragon realise the egg are fake...does it look like it can think straight?"
"If you want to try your luck with that — she pointed at what was once the tribunes — you have my blessing, go on."
"Hermione... just one little thing... how do we crush those eggs before the dragon kill us all?" Harry asked, genuinely concerned.
"It's a gamble but if I'm right, the other eggs doesn't have the anti-summoning charm that the golden egg have. They aren't the objective of this task, after all. Maybe we can just summoned them and let it crash." Hermione proposed.
"That sound like a plan. Do I need to remind you that no of us know how to cast it?" Harry asked again.
"I won't propose if I couldn't do that." Hermione roll her eyes. "I don't have the time to teach you but you have to try anyway. Just repeat the wand movement, get the pronunciation right and picture the eggs coming right at you at top speed. Do you think you can do that?"
Hermione demonstrated by successfully summoning the first egg, recasting the spell straight after that while her friends were trying to do the same with the remaining eggs as they got the Dragon undivided attention.
"And now?" Neville asked, scarred shitless.
"Now, we prostrate and hope that Dragons intelligence isn't overestimated." Hermione said.
"If we survive this, that's the last time I entrust my life to you." Ron warned.
As she reached them, the dragon roared to their face but no flames roasted them to crisp. The dragon intently looked at them and half of the broken eggs they managed to summoned and after taking a deep breath, it roared again, but more in a desperate than furious manner.
"O mighty dragon... we are sorry for the eggs but we had no other way to show you the truth. Your eggs are probably still in Romania, waiting for you. We didn't knew those in charge were planning to use you as they did. We are truly sorry about it. I'm also sorry about my wand. I truly thought they got the heartstring peacefully from a dragon who died of old age, not from a young and healthy dragon. If I knew about it, I would have refuse that wand. I'm truly ashamed about it. How they treat the dragons, how they treat your eggs, how they treat you. Please spare our life." Hermione squeaked, truly hoping that the stories about wise dragons weren't just that: stories. She placed her entire life, how short-lived it would have been, on that gamble. And she really felt too young to die over that bloody tournament she never approved.
The dragon gave her a questioning look and came closer. So close actually that it could swallow her in on bite. It took three deep breath and did the same for Harry, Ron and Neville. And then, he rose his head and took a step back. When they thought he was finally done, his claws went straight to Hermione as the claws of an Eagle to a mouse, but stop at the very last moment, dropping a huge droplet of blood in front of her, before looking at her, intently, expectantly.
"Are you expecting me to lick your blood?" Hermione raised her head slightly, exchanging disbelieving look from the wet floor before her to the domineering dragon over her. To her surprise, the dragon nodded and as she really wished to survive, did what she had to.
And then, the Dragon roar again: "Human!"
She was surprised to understand the dragon but didn't had the time to think it through.
"I hear you." She confirmed, lowering her head even more.
"I, mother Dragon Azmera spared your and your friends life. You will be my loyal servant. Does that sound fair to you?"
"Yes. I'm really glad for what you did." Hermione responded as her friends looked at her as if she was crazy. "Please tell me how I could be of service."
"I need you to help me free the other dragons before I can go retrieve my eggs. Do you promise to assist?"
"Yes. I will do it." Hermione promised.
"Then tell your friends to hold their breath." The dragon ordered.
"The dragon said to hold your breath." Hermione repeated and she barely had the time to do it herself that she was caught by the dragon, and was flying in the air under her claws, along with her friends.
Ron obviously missed to hold his breath as he was screaming and crying, calling blue murder or her mother alternatively.
The dragon circled a first one around the cages to drop them before landing herself.
"And now?" Harry asked.
"We are freeing the dragon." Hermione explained.
"This one is my loyal servant." The dragon said to the other.
"For real?" Asked the green one.
"Too bad... she looked tasty." Said the other, giving Hermione goosebump. She noticed that her dragon said nothing about her friend.
"Harry, Ron, Neville... once we freed the dragon, run for your life. Apparently, they won't eat me but this one seems to be up for a snack." She warned them.
"Really?" Ron retorted. "Because I don't understand how we can possibly be still alive..." And he checked himself for imaginary injuries.
"Clever girl this one." The hungry dragon commented.
Hermione ignore her and ask to her dragon:
"I think I have an idea but the dragons would have to retreat at the far end of their cages. If it work, it's going to blast the lock and sent a lot of dangerous piece flying."
"They will do as they are told, won't you?" Her dragon said to the other, clearly stating who had the higher rank in the hierarchy.
"Don't be such a nag!" said the green one. "You got lucky with your shackles that's it."
"Am I free or am I not?" Her dragon retort, please with herself.
"Fine." The other said and they did their best to curl up at the opposite of the locks.
"Time to show me I was right to spare you." The dragon stated.
It took her three bombarda but the first lock gave away and she went directly to work on the next one, while eyeing the signal to her friend to leave.
"Finally!" Said the first.
"Crap, they are fast. Like rats running to their holes" The second whined. "Are you sure you want to keep this one?"
She looked at Hermione with clear gluttony as if she hadn't eaten in a months.
"The humans had trick you. All the eggs are fake. The real ones are home. We don't have time for this." Her dragon stated, then, as they weren't obeying, she ordered "Go! I have one last business to take care off. I will be right after you."
The last part sound like a warning.
Then, as the two finally complied and flew away, she turned to her.
"Human! I'm going to leave you behind. Once my baby had grew grew up and capable to fend for themselves, I would come back check on you. With the entire flock. I can read deep in your heart and I expect a lot from you. Your wand: keep it, gave the dragon inside it's second breath, harness it and use it for our sake. Did I made myself clear?"
"Crystal." Hermione said with mixed worries and reliefs.
"I like you Little One." The dragon said, changed attitude as she cooing a pet. "We don't have cute ones like you back in Romania... only those hard nuts to crack who call themselves our 'guardians'. Don't grew up too fast."
And then, she spread her wing to take off, but changed her mind at the last minute.
"One more thing: Your boyfriend has this disgusting thing on his forehead. Get rid of it or I will do it myself."
She had absolutely no idea how to do that but it was so clear that the second option would be worst that she didn't had the heart to argue about the 'boyfriend' statement.
And then, the Dragon finally flew away home so Hermione could finally breathe.
§§§
She felt like her way back to the castle, where her friends were waiting for her, would last forever.
"Hermione!" Harry shouted once she was in sight.
Aurors had taken over Hogwarts and some already went to Arena to save any survivors they could found while the others students were looking around them with dead eyes. At the very least, the dragon killed the handlers. A lot of students were burned and some of them, those that have been sent straight to the infirmary, might lose a lamb or their life in the next few hours.
The Triwizard Tournament was a disaster, a total failure. Cedric Diggory, she heard, was between life and death at this very moment but somehow found his way out of the arena. Krum made it unscathed. Madam Maxime was nowhere to be seen. And the ministry, who was responsible for the tournament, took over Hogwarts, putting the blame on the three headmasters.
But even after what happened, there were no final decision about ending the Tournament. According to the rules, the champion had to compete to the very end or lose their magic. This was a big taboo and there were a lot of political pressure to ensure that Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour made their way home with their magic intact. No one seemed to care for Cedric as if he was already dead.
Plus, after further examination, it turn out that the Dragon restraints had been sabotage! By whom and for what reasons what the question everyone was dying to know. The missing former headmistress of Beauxbatons was making a perfect culprit. Only the fact she was missing and not proven to be on the run made them consider other options. Every members of the staff as well as Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman were questioned at this very moment and everyone was waiting worriedly in the uncertainty.
"So, care to explain?" Harry asked prudently.
"I became a dragon servant to save our lives." She summed it up.
"Sound like you were right about dragons." Harry tried, not knowing what else to say.
Hermione couldn't help but laugh hysterically at this comment.
Then, when she was done, she looked at Harry and said calmly:
"She ordered me to get rid of your scar or she would do her herself."
"I assume there is no point defying her order, right?"
"Unless you are lunatic enough to think you could win against two tons of pure magic, I don't think so. And that if she were to come back alone."
"How come they thought a single wizard could survive that thing? That dragon killed her handlers and destroyed half of the arena in a single attack."
"I don't know. I assumed they thought that if the handlers were capable of doing it, through sheer number and hard training, a dragon under restraint would be a good match for their champions."
"Do you really think we will see that dragon ever again?" Harry asked trying to keep his cool.
"I don't know. She seemed pretty confident. And she kind of planned to take over, back in Romania. But she lived all her life in captivity. I think that against a huge number of those handlers, already prepare to 'greet her back', she would be crushed into submission once again... or even killed. But if she were to succeed... I would better uphold my part of the deal before she found her way back here or we are so dead."
"Look... I know what you are thinking. But I'm not sure being on the side of the dragons is a good idea. She had every right to do so after what they done to her but... look at what she had done as a payback."
"I have her blood in my body Harry. I'm not fully sure of the implication yet but if that is blood magic, I don't have much of a choice here."
"I thought you agree we wouldn't talk about it?" Harry pointed out.
"This isn't the same thing." Hermione argued back.
"Sure. Because I definitely can't compete against a dragon, you know that?" He teased her.
"You are on a slippery slope, Harry James Potter." She warned him back.
"Sure, sure. I can't bear the agonizing wait anymore. Would you perhaps fancy a drink?"
"Even if they had some, a butterbeer wouldn't be strong enough."
For the first time in her life, Hermione was feeling like trying to get drunk. She had a whole near-death experience she desperately wanted to forget. Plus she couldn't reconcile her feeling of the cute but accident-prone Norbert with the domineering, clever devil and deadly Azmera.
"Actually, I think the Twins might be able to help with that." Harry admitted.
"You are kidding, right?" Hermione asked, half-expectant and half-scandalized.
"Nope." Harry stated, final. "They always had this butterbeer business going on after each match. And no matter how crazy it sound, I know for a fact they are working on knew products."
"I don't know if I should call them genius or be worried about their obvious lack of work ethic." Hermione observed.
"The 'everything is good to make money' argument? You won't win against them. Their joke-shop project is based on breaking the rules and help others students breaking the rules. Actually, if it wasn't against the rules, they would probably bankrupt in less than a week."
"I know" Hermione admitted. "And for today, I'm really glad for it."
"Who are you and what did you made of my best friend?" Harry joked.
"You prat..." She kicked him gently and kept fooling around with Harry to relieve some stress.
I wanted a Triwizard Tournament that would turn out really differently that the canon. So I came up with the sabotage and came to the conclusion that he would go terribly wrong. One the other hand, I wanted to make a wink to 'Harry can talk to dragon because he is parseltongue' kind of fanfiction.
It doesn't make sense as everyone would know about it if it was the case. What's the most memorable, talking to snakes or to a freaking dragon? But I like those kind of nonsensical fic anyway and I was like... what if Hermione wanted to 'save' the dragon too?
So this is the result. It's about 0% realistic... but so is to meet the Grim Reaper and go back in time to make the world a better place. I think that those kind of 'what the fuck?' chapters make senses in a story that I'm not taking too seriously.
Please forgive me if I betrayed your expectation but I really needed the first task to be a huge upset. I could have done it with Ron, Neville, Harry and Hermione safely away from this madness. That would have been the right thing to do... but I had that crazy idea... and now I'm back on tracks.
It fundamentally won't change what happen next so if you dislike this chapter, please picture Hermione accepting Harry offer to leave and everything else happening about the same (without them).