It was inevitable, the day of the First Task had to come. And came it did.
Enlil woke up earlier than usual, thoughts about the dragons swirling in his mind. The book he had read had mentioned there were a lot of different dragon species. The night he had seen them, he hadn't been able to see which they were, so his researches hadn't been as thorough as he would have liked.
He got out of the bed and looked at his feet for a moment before deciding to cancel the spell that prevented his talons to dig into things, and people. He might need them to for the Task. He usually leaves the spell on since he didn't have to protect himself from goblins in this world, but this was an important day, he would need all his assets.
He went for a morning fly and tried not to go where Severus had advised him not to go lest he would be accused of cheating if people saw him fly over where the First Task would occur. Being an upright bird, Enlil only circled around the turrets for a short while before going to the Great Hall for breakfast.
There weren't many students when he entered the Hall, but Enlil was able to spot Cedric, Fleur and Viktor at a table each. They didn't look nervous, surrounded by friends who were wishing them good luck. He had to admit he was curious about their tactics with the dragons. No one knew the details of the First Task, whether they would be required to actually fight against a dragon or not.
He was joined by Hermione a few minutes after he had entered the Great Hall. She looked way more nervous than Enlil felt. Fortunately, she waited until their stomach were somewhat filled to let that nervousness spill out. It took the form of questions he probably had no answer for, or if he did, that he could not give an answer to, what with the task being supposedly unknown to everyone but the planners.
Enlil barely noticed the time passing as he sat in History of Magic, doodling Valoo on a corner of his parchment instead of listening to the ghost teaching. He hadn't shared the details of the First Task with his friend. She would probably be angry with him later, but he didn't want to worry her even more than she was.
The Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts came to fetch him for the Tournament after lunch. She looked like she was anxious as she led him to the tent the champions were all waiting for the First Task. Her gait was brisk and covered more ground than Enlil who resorted to jog after her. His feet were more suited to grip things with force rather than run but he managed to not shuffle too awkwardly after her.
She stopped at the entrance of the tent and turn to Enlil, who gave a questioning trill at her following silence. She offered no word in the end, just an encouraging nod before pushing him softly into the tent.
The other champions were already there. Fleur was sitting in a corner, looking pale and on the verge of distress. Viktor looked surlier than ever and Cedric was pacing. Enlil supposed the confidence they've been showing to their friends earlier this morning had started to fade as the first task drew closer. They greeted him with a nod or a smile, and that's when the fourth person in the tent noticed his entrance.
Mr. Bagman seemed to be the happiest of them. Rumors had it that the man really liked games and betting on them (at least according to the tidbits the Weasley twins had shared with both Hermione and he when they had been wondering about the people who had been planning such a Tournament). Enlil couldn't guess who Bagman had bet on, but it might not have been on the world traveler.
"Well, now that you're all here, time to fill you in!" Oh, that man was a bit too cheerful for Enlil's taste and current mood. He held out a purple silk sack which he jiggled a bit as he explained what the task entailed. There were four figurines inside they would take turn drawing, and it would be their opponent in the arena. Their goal? A golden egg in the midst of a nest.
Hearing this, the other champions didn't seem more confident. Cedric's steps had grown a bit shaky as he resumed his pacing and both Fleur and Viktor had chosen to be silent, which seemed to perturb Bagman. With them knowing about the dragons, the exuberance the man expected to see was nowhere to be shown. Had they not known, they might have displayed some foolish bravado and determination. But knowing they needed to bypass a dragon for some golden egg?
In the silence that ensued, suddenly, they could hear people passing by their tent, discussing the task that was about to start. The students were assuredly excited about the tournament, wondering what kind of task the champions would have to deal with. Enlil spared a thought to Hermione who was probably chewing on her nails by now, and to Severus and the kind of reaction he'd have when he'd see the dragons. Would he be worried about him?
Bagman cleared his throat and held out the bag. "Ladies first?"
Fleur took a deep breath and hopped off her seat. She plunged a trembling hand into the bag and dug up a tiny model of a green dragon with the number two on a tag around its neck. If Enlil remembered well, it was a Welsh Green. The resigned look on her face showed the Rito that Madame Maxime had indeed told her about this. Had Headmaster Karkaroff also told Viktor about the dragons or had he been more subtle, telling without actually talking about them? The figure the older boy took out was that of a Chinese Fireball with the number three around the neck.
It meant Enlil would either be the first or the last to enter the arena. When Cedric dug out a blue-gray Swedish Short-Snout with the number one, Enlil didn't know how to feel about being actually last. He was presented with the bag before the moment could stretch and he got a Hungarian Horntail out of the pouch. The small figurine made the others gasp. Well, wasn't that dragon reputed to be the most dangerous?
Since Enlil knew he'd be the last one to compete, he chose a spot in a corner and took out a file from his bag. Since the spell on his talons had been lifted, he had better trim them for the first task. Dragons were tough, he knew, but if he could even just scratch at them... At least, he wouldn't get eaten right from the start.
Lifting a foot on his seat, he started to sharpen his talons. He was oblivious to Fleur or Viktor watching him as he trilled a tune from home while he worked. When he felt they were sharp enough, he stretched his feet and gripped at the air to admire how they shone under the light filtered through the flap of the tent.
They looked deadly. Perfect.
He might actually go and hunt for some game after this task was over. Seeing them like this gave Enlil the urge to go and find something, someone to grab with. Pity there weren't any goblins around that he could crush the skulls of.
Finally, it was his turn. He hadn't been able to watch how the others performed. Shouts and gasps had been heard, along with the dragons roaring their rage at the intruders trying to steal their eggs. He managed to hear a word or two from the three dragons, though. They were nesting mothers that didn't know what they were doing so far from their home. They had heard the details of the first task, and had been even more enraged since then.
He came out of the tent to the silent arena. The dragon, the Hungarian Horntail was standing over a nest of egg-like rocks, but his eyes could make out the golden one he needed to retrieve from the entrance.
"Dare!" the dragon roared as soon as she saw him. She didn't budge from her spot, though. Enlil dug out his harp from his bag and picked at the chords with a tune he had kept hearing inside the Goddesses' Realm. Maybe it was because he was focused on the task, he didn't notice the magical circle etching itself under his feet and how it started to shine at the sound of the harp. Motes of light started to float around them all over the pitch.
Magic coursed through the Rito's body. Enlil let go of the harp and spread his wings then took to the sky in a corkscrew spin. The harp floated above the circle, the melody still playing without his input. When Enlil righted himself in the sky with a sharp trill of challenge to the dragon, the whole audience gasped as his form had changed. Gone were the human face and body. Instead, Enlil looked more like a bird, but still human-sized. His head full of hair had changed for the white and dark feathers of an osprey and he even possessed a tail at the base of his spine.
When the harp stopped its tune (though it still turned on itself at the center of the magic circle), the Hungarian Horntail launched herself forward with hope to snap her jaws around the bird. Enlil twisted his body to avoid the teeth and tried to get to the dragon's other side but despite its size, she was faster than Enlil had expected and the Rito nearly lost several feathers. He lashed out with his talons when her jaws came too close and he managed to put a scratch on her before changing his approach.
The attack incensed the dragon who took the wound as an affront, especially coming from such a small prey, but Enlil's body shone with the Goddess' powers; white feathers softly glittering with power red, courage green and wisdom blue. He darted around the arena to put distance between himself and the dragon still hot on his heels. He couldn't stop at one spot, knowing the dragon had taken his challenge seriously and planned on roasting him, no matter the cost.
Enlil spun in the air, hands reaching into his bag for his wand. Airborne, he held out his wand in one hand and drew an arrow with the other. An arrow of light formed between his fingers, and ice started to form around the tip as he aimed. He shot the projectile the moment the Horntail started to breath in to create her fire. Ice covered her jaws, sealing them closed, but Enlil knew he'd have to be quick. The closer he got to the nest, the more arrows he shot until he had his talons around the egg. Only then did he tuck his wand back into his bag and flee to the entrance before the ice could fully melt and unlock the dragon's jaws.
"I will fry you!" the roar of the dragon stunned everyone by its loudness. Even the handlers were brought to their knees. She turned her head to the chain that prevented her from escaping and shot her flames to the iron links that had been frozen by missed shots that had rendered the magic cast upon them weak. She was airborne before the wizards could restrain her once again.
Enlil had just enough time to get the egg inside his bag before she was there, spitting flames and roaring. He raised his arms and crouched to protect himself. Flames singed his feathers, though the protection of the Goddesses held through. The dragons handlers managed to restrain the Horntail before Enlil lost all of his feathers. When he stopped feeling the heat, he stood back up under the applause and cries of the spectators.
Hermione barged in the medical tent as soon as she saw that Enlil had gone there. His performance had surprised everyone, and she was curious about the magic he had employed during the task. Flying without flapping wings, shooting arrows from his wand. What was that harp, even? Oh, she looked forward to ask him all the questions she had circling in her mind. But first...
"Enlil, are you okay?"
The Rito was staring pitifully at his arms. It was missing several feathers; some she knew were necessary for the bird to fly. He was going to be miserable for some days, or worse, weeks, if they didn't find a way to accelerate the regrowth. He turned his head toward her and trilled a sad greeting. Madam Pomfrey was tutting as she plucked the burnt feathers.
"You will have to refrain from flying for a few days, young man. I can't give you any potion yet, we don't know if your body will tolerate them."
"You mean I'm literally grounded until they grow back? It's going to take forever!"
"I will collect some of those feathers for some tests, and hopefully you can be given any of our potions. Otherwise, I'm sure Professor Snape will work hard to find an alternative."
Madam Pomfrey left them alone after she collected a few more damaged feathers that were still stuck. Enlil fully turned his body to Hermione then.
"Did you hear that?" He asked with a gesture toward the nurse, his wing looking quite pathetic without those precious feathers.
Hermione nodded but she was distracted by the fact he still looked like more of a bird than before.
"How long are you going to stay like this?"
"Feathers takes long to grow back, you know." He groused, crossing his arms-wings over his chest, petulant.
Hermione rolled her eyes. She knew that. His answer only meant he wasn't even aware of his transformation. She took a hand mirror from her pocket and enlarged it a bit so that Enlil could see himself better on its surface. He let out a surprised trill at the sight.
"How do I turn back? I can't let him see me like this...!" Enlil whispered to himself, horrified. Hermione took but a second to understand that he was talking about their Potions Professor, the man was his sole focus.
"Well, maybe if you hide your wings for a while? You're rather cute in that form, maybe he won't even notice them."
"I don't think Madame Pomfrey is going to keep my situation quiet if she can't find a way for me to take potions."
Enlil did hide his wings as they stepped out of the tent to hear about the results, Hermione helping elongate his sleeves over his naked wings. He had lost important feathers in a bid to protect himself, which, in retrospect, might not have been the best course of action at the time. If only he had ducked out of the arena before she breathed her fire. He had never had to face a fire-breathing enemy before. Goblins were easily disposed of, and his usual route never led him toward bigger dangers other than Octorocks. The Rito was worried, with so much feathers gone, he wouldn't be able to fly any time soon.
The judges had given him quite the score after his performance in the task and he was tied with Victor in the first place. Hermione had told him it was mostly because his Headmaster had unfairly given him the topmost score, and a poor one to the others. The Bulgarian Champion, it turned out, had used a rather harsh curse to blind the dragon who proceeded to smash half of the real eggs she was protecting.
Enlil had gotten a bit nauseous after hearing this. Since they descended from the Zora tribe, the Rito tribe also laid eggs. They couldn't really fly around with a child growing inside their belly, now, could they? The baby broke through the shell thanks to their talons after some weeks. The heat of the volcano helped a great deal since, unlike regular birds, they couldn't just stay curled around the egg until it hatched. The nursery was where all the mothers ended, looking after all the eggs as they watched over theirs. It was a community effort to make a new generation hatch, and sometimes they had to relay themselves.
Enlil didn't revert to his normal Rito appearance yet after they got their scores, so he had to take extra care into hiding his wings from Severus. The man had watched him in silence for a solid minute before commenting on his performance when he had come back to their quarters. Reckless, but then again, he had been thrown in front of a nesting dragon, so what could he have done, really?
The next day, he was glad to find that he had reverted to his normal form in the middle of the night. He flexed his hands, stretched his arms, but the odd sensation of having his feathers burned was still there. Resigned to his sudden flightless lifestyle, Enlil went about his day without much enthusiasm, trilling a sad greeting to Severus as he left their quarters.