LoDK
The Legacy of the Dark Knight Saga
Jamie Prosser and the Fourth Champion
Chapter 14: The First Task
Disclaimer: This is solely a not-for-profit fan activity, and in no way intends to infringe on copyrights held by Time Warner, DC Comics, Bloomsbury et al, and JK Rowling. Any characters original to this work remain the property of the author.
A/N: This story diverges significantly from accepted canon for the Harry Potter series from the outset, as in addition to the crossover elements, there are several deviations from the books that will be covered where they fit into the narrative. The timeline of the DC Comics elements borrows heavily from Young Justice (2011), but adds elements and characters from the comics, and relocates the series to the late Sixties and early Seventies rather than the New Tens as screened and leans fairly heavy on 'legacy' and original characters as a result.
The House of Mystery,
Hogwarts Grounds,
Scottish Highlands.
20th November, 0550 GMT, 305 AS.
Harry was just finishing up his morning routine, when Deadman floated into the room he was using for his exercise. "Is everything ready?"
"Your guardians and the rest of Hamlin Squad are ready," confirmed the apparition. "As are Supermartian and Batman…"
"What about Greyhound and Zatanna?"
"Zee's at The Belfry… Greyhound's in the field, but Oracle thinks that she can get him to The Belfry within the next few minutes..."
"Sound's good," said Harry. "I'll join you in a few minutes."
"We'll be ready," replied Deadman and floated out of the room again.
Harry cleaned up, then dressed in his Tournament robes and joined Constantine, Black Orchid and Deadman in the main room. "Are we ready?"
An array of monitors dominated one wall, the main monitor featured the link to The Belfry in Gotham – which included Dick and Zee Grayson, the Belfry's caretaker Wendy Harris and the hero Greyhound – but additional flanking monitors connected to various safehouses also added his guardians and Ginny, Eddie and Maz and Nita, while the rest of Hamlin Squad had joined Supermartian and Batman on the Watchtower for the session.
"I think this is everyone who needs to be here?" asked Constantine as Harry joined.
"Agreed," replied Batman. "Deadman, I believe you have a report?"
"Yep," confirmed the apparition. Boston Brand's cadaverous form made it difficult to read his mood at the best of times, but he had a feeling that the apparition was unhappy, then a little scared… most likely for him, which gave Harry something of a sinking feeling. "The champions will be facing dragons."
"Are they crazy?!"exclaimed Greyhound.
Harry's sinking feeling didn't get any better, as he wondered the same thing, but then decided that moving forward was the best idea. "Greyhound might have a point, but that's the not the issue here." Glancing over the assembly, he saw that several of them agreed with Greyhound, but one or two – didn't seem to agree with him. "Were you able to find out anything about what we have to do?"
"That's a little better news," replied Deadman. "Mr Lupin was there talking to one of the handlers, a redhead in his early twenties, could have been a Weasley…"
"It probably was, my brother Charlie works with dragons," Ginny interjected.
Deadman nodded, and then continued. "Well anyway, Mr Lupin asked if the champions had to fight the dragons… Mr Weasley didn't think just get past them… he also mentioned something about nesting mothers…?"
"Does anyone have any thoughts?" asked Batman.
"If they needed nesting mothers, then the champions may have to do something to do with the eggs," suggested Ginny. "Did the handlers bring any of the mothers' clutches?"
"Yeah, some of the other handlers brought a blanket full of them over to a black or dark-greyish one while I was watching."
"Did you get a good look at all four?" Harry asked.
Deadman nodded. "There was a silvery-blue one, a red one, a green one with horns, and the dark one I saw first. That had a spiky tail if it helps."
"I'm not sure," Harry admitted. "Ginny, Phil?"
"The green one might a Welsh Green," Ginny offered. "The red and silvery-blue ones definitely ring a bell too, but I can't remember and the other could be a few different ones."
"I don't think it's a Ridgeback," Harry offered. "I saw one of those back in ninety-one and it definitely didn't have a spikey tail."
"I agree," added Greyhound. "As far as strategies go… you're going to be pretty limited. Direct offensive spells are mostly useless… Dragons are too strong and powerfully magical to be knocked out by a single offensive spell, you'd need about half-a-dozen wizards at a time to overcome a dragon that way."
"Yeah, I saw that…" interjected Deadman.
"But you do have an idea?"asked Harry.
Greyhound nodded, "From what I remember, a dragon's eyes are its weakest point… a blinding spell like the Conjunctivitis Curse would be the simplest option. But the most important thing would be to make sure you're don't go head-to-head against the dragon. Play to your strengths, not its."
Harry nodded, that made sense, and he might have done that anyway. "Okay, that helps… I think I can work with that…"
"Let me know if I can help," said Greyhound.
"Me too," said Zatanna, who had been silent to this point, which hadn't surprised Harry. While she knew a lot about magic, magizoology wasn't her forte.
"And me," added Ginny.
"Will do," Harry confirmed. "Squire out."
"What are you going to do?" asked Constantine as the viewscreen clicked off.
"Well, first things first…" said Harry, then he turned to Deadman. "Do any of the other champions know?"
The apparition paused for a moment, "Well, Highmaster Karkaroff was sniffing around, so Szilagyi probably knows…"
Harry nodded. "What about Blanchard and Smith?"
"Well, I didn't see Madame Maxime, any of the Hogwarts professors or the Champions themselves so…"
"Probably not then," Harry concluded. "I think we should tell them…"
"Are you sure, Harry?" said Constantine. "You'll lose the advantage…"
"I'm all for getting an advantage," Harry agreed. "But dragons are too dangerous to go in against unprepared. Besides, I'm pretty sure I can put a better show than them anyway."
"That's probably true," agreed the demonologist. "Some of them are still talking about your flashy entrance."
Harry shrugged. "What can I say, I've had good teachers." At that moment, Hedwig flew into the room and landed on Harry's shoulder. "Hedwig! You knew I wanted to send some letters, didn't you?"
"You have a clever owl, Harry," said Black Orchid, who had been standing silently in the corner to this point as was her custom.
"Yes, I do," Harry agreed, then he quickly wrote three notes and attached them to Hedwig's foot. "I don't know if they'll be up yet, Hedwig, so you might have to wait for a while."
Hedwig barked agreement, then after giving Harry's ear a friendly nibble she took off again, swooping gracefully through one of the windows into the dim morning air.
****
Great Hall Ante Chamber,
0700 GMT.
Harry was pleasantly surprised when all three of his rival champions turned up in answer to his summons. He half-expected Smith to turn up, and maybe Blanchard – this close to the First Task he was probably getting a little desperate for any lead – but Szilagyi already knew, didn't she?
"What iz zis all about. Why have you called us 'ere?" asked Blanchard.
"I wanted to meet with you all, because I have information about the First Task," Harry told him.
"Co?" asked Szilagyi, her eyes narrowing.
"I know what we're facing," said Harry. "As do you."
"Ano," confirmed the Vlatavan woman. "Draci."
"Dragons?" asked Blanchard.
"Yup," confirmed Harry. "Nesting mothers apparently. Four of them."
"Merde," whispered Blanchard.
Harry nodded, "There's a silvery-blue one…"
"A Swedish Short-Snout," announced the Frenchman. "Generally regarded as extremely dangerous due to its agile flying and extremely hot fire."
"A red one…"
"Almost zertainly a Chinese Fireball or 'Lion Dragon'. Eet ees typically aggressive, fast and clever."
"Wonderful," said Smith. "Have you got any good news?"
"There was also a green one," continued Harry.
The Frenchman paused to consider that, "Zat might actually qualify… were the horns green or gold?"
"Probably green."
"Bien. A Common Welsh Green. Eet ees Far less aggressive than most breeds… it is unlikely that it will try and kill zee Champion zat draws it."
"The last one was dark in colour… could have been black or dark-grey."
"Anyzing else…?"
"It's got a spiky tail, so not a Norwegian Ridgeback…"
"D'accord," confirmed Blanchard. "I believe zee last ees a 'Ungarian 'Orntail."
"I think you're right," said Szilagyi. "Vich is not good, Horntails are videly considered to be the most dangerous of all dragon species for their flight speed and the length of their flame-breath plume."
Wonderful, thought Harry. "That'll be mine then…"
"Vy?" asked the Vltavan witch.
"Because, generally speaking," said Harry. "When I'm at Hogwarts, anything that can go wrong will, and usually in the worst possible way…"
"So what do we do?" asked Smith.
"That's up to each of us to figure out for ourselves," Harry replied, then added after noticing Smith's mutinous look. "Play to your strengths. I certainly will."
"Je suis d'accord," said the Frenchman with a nod.
"Stejně jako já," agreed Szilagyi.
"Smith?"
"You're probably right," admitted the blond boy, a little reluctantly. "Is that all?"
"For now," Harry confirmed, and turned back towards the exit into the Great Hall. "Let's go and get some breakfast."
****
Gryffindor Dorms,
21st November, 2305 GMT.
Despite the excitement of the upcoming Task, the second years headed up to bed shortly after curfew and Jamie's dormmates were asleep almost immediately, on the other hand, Jamie spent a frustrating two hours tossing and turning before eventually giving up and dressing quickly and warmly in winter clothing and a heavy cloak, then picked up the magical map that Gemma Masters had given her at the end of the previous year and slipped out of the dorm.
Thanks to the Map, she was able to dodge Filch as he patrolled the corridors and made it to a back entrance facing the Forbidden Forest without incident and a few minutes later, she was knocking on the front door of The House.
Despite the late hour, the door opened almost immediately.
Jamie swept inside bidding Black Orchid a quick 'good night' as she passed the elemental. "Is Harry awake?"
"Yes, he's having trouble sleeping too," replied Black Orchid. "He's in the living room."
Harry was on one of the couches reading a book, but looked up as soon as Jamie entered, "Couldn't sleep?"
"Nope," confirmed Jamie. "Black Orchid said you couldn't either. Which didn't surprise me."
"No, it's fairly typical," Harry agreed, opening the blanket draped over his knees and allowed Jamie to slip in for a cuddle, which she did after shedding her cloak, jumper and boots.
Despite their anxieties over the upcoming task, Harry's book dropped to the floor a few minutes later as the pair drifted off to sleep.
****
House of Mystery.
22
nd November, 0500 GMT.
Harry's alarm clock woke them a few hours later.
"Are you feeling better?" Harry asked his sister as she stirred into life.
"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" asked Jamie. "You're the one competing today."
"True," Harry admitted. "But I've got a pretty solid plan that should give everyone a good show."
"Sounds good," said Jamie. "What have you got planned for before breakfast?"
"I'm going to do my usual workout, then I need to some time with Hamlin Squad to discuss tactics in case Voldemort pulls anything today."
"Do you think he will?" asked Jamie.
"It's possible," Harry admitted as he got up of the couch. "It depends how patient he's willing to be…"
"Are you ready if he does?"
"I think so," Harry replied. "But it always best to pay it safe… unanticipated variables are always possible. Did you want to join me for my work out?"
Jamie pondered the question for a moment. She was still a bit tired, but she thought she'd would be okay for a limited workout. "I'd love too," she said, shedding their blanket and rising to her feet.
Harry led the way into the side room where Black Orchid had set some mats and exercise equipment. Both teens started with a series of stretches and other calisthenics. Once they were warmed up, Harry moved over to the weight machines, while Jamie opted for the treadmill.
****
Hogwarts Great Hall.
0855 GMT.
Harry was finishing up the cup of coffee that he'd opted for instead of his usual orange juice, when Professor McGonagall came walking alongside the Gryffindor table toward him.
"Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast," she said.
"Why? The task's not till tonight?"
"I'm aware of that, Potter," she said. "The Headmaster suggested to the other judges that it would be nice if the champions' families are invited to watch all of the tasks rather than just the final one. This is simply a chance for you to greet them." Professor McGonagall replied and then moved away.
"Do you think Mum and Dad are here?" Jamie asked him.
"Possibly, I'm not sure they'd be allowed though…" Harry suggested as he scanned the rapidly emptying Great Hall. He saw Blanchard get up from the Ravenclaw table and join Smith as he crossed to the side chamber and entered. Szilagyi glided down the aisle to join them shortly afterward.
"Let's find out!" exclaimed Jamie, then grabbed Harry by the hand and dragged him – mostly willingly – towards the anteroom.
Zacharias Smith, his parents and a younger boy that Harry assumed was his younger brother were just inside the door. Szilagyi was over in a corner, conversing with hers in rapid Vlatavan. The Durmstrang champion had inherited her mother's looks but on a slightly more muscular frame. On the other side of the room, Blanchard was jabbering away in French to his father. Then he saw a large group standing in front of the fireplace, beaming at him.
"Mum!" exclaimed Jamie, then dropped Harry's hand and crossed the distance in a few strides.
Beryl beamed as she folded her daughter into a hug. "Surprise!"
"I'm always up for nice surprises," Harry noted, and was soon folded into a hug of his own, courtesy of his girlfriend. "It's good to see you, Ginny."
"It's good to be seen," replied Ginny impishly.
"Are you ready for the Task?" Zatanna asked as she and John joined Harry.
"I think so," Harry said. "But like I said to Jamie this morning, there's always the possibly of variables I haven't considered."
"That's true," agreed the veteran Leaguer. "Best of luck."
"Say it backwards and make it so…"
"That would be cheating."
Harry shrugged, "Fair point."
He had a very enjoyable morning walking over the sunny grounds with his guardians and his friends, showing them the Beauxbatons carriage and the Durmstrang ship.
"How's the investigation going?" Harry asked as they walked around the greenhouses.
"Not good," admitted Zatanna. "Everyone checks out…"
They returned to the castle for lunch and then There were more courses than usual, but Jamie, who was starting to feel really nervous now, didn't eat much.
An hour later, Slughorn rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell. "Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your
way down to the edge of the forest for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."
Harry got up. There were sporadic cheers, mostly from the Gryffindors; the Prossers, Graysons, Nita and Ginny all wished him good luck, and he headed off out of the Great Hall with other three champions.
****
Dragons Enclosure.
1330 GMT.
"One down, three to go!" Mustafa yelled as the whistle blew. "Miss Szilagyi, if you please!"
The Vlatavan witch was trembling from head to foot but with her head held high as she left the Champions Tent.
Initially it didn't look like she wasn't doing anything, but after a minute or two the crimson-hued dragon seemed to go into some sort of trance and go all sleepy, allowing the Durmstrang Champion to manoeuvre around it and snatch the golden egg. She almost got any scot-free but then the dragon snored, and a massive fireball shot out, and the back of her robes caught fire. Fortunately, one of the handlers was close enough to put out the fire with a water spell from his wand.
"Not bad!" declared Mustafa. "It's a shame about that last bit, but she should score high for this!"
Jamie looked down the row of spectators at her brother's mentor. "What do you think, Aunt Zee?"
The logomancer shrugged. "It wasn't bad… better than Smith's 'raw power' approach. Personally, I preferred Blanchard's Transfiguration strategy though."
Jamie wasn't surprised at that. In fact, given the woman's reliance on transfiguration herself, she would have been more surprised if that hadn't been her answer.
"And now… for our final champion…" announced Mustafa. "… Harry Potter!"
"Go Harry!" yelled Jamie, as her brother left the tent and strode towards the final dragon. She turned to Ginny, do you know what he was in mind?"
"Not exactly," admitted the other redhead from the end of the row. "I know he's got his Invisibility Cloak, but I don't think that'd be enough by itself…"
"It wouldn't," confirmed Nita from the other end of the row. "Dragons have thermal vision, they could see through it."
"I hope Harry knows that…" said Jamie.
"Edisni tsaeb eht ot llac!" declared Harry, releasing his ghostly owl again and sending it towards the dragon, which responded by trying to flame the magical construct to no avail.
"Well, that should keep the dragon distracted," observed Ginny. "Harry still needs to get close to the eggs though…"
"I think Harry's got another spell in mind for that…" observed Zatanna, as Harry pointed his arm towards a point outside of the enclosure.
"Moorb ym, em ot!"
At first nothing happened, but then they heard it, her brother's Nimbus Two Thousand came hurtling through the air around the edge of the woods, soaring into the enclosure towards Harry. Unfortunately, the Patronus dissipated at the same time so the Horntail spotted it too and tried to flame the broomstick.
"Etativel!" declared her brother and rose into the air, snatching the broom out of way just as the fireball was about to incinerate it. Then he swung around the creature and dived. The Horntail's head followed him, releasing another a jet of fire that he swerved away from just in time...
"Oh, my…I haven't seen flying like that in years!" declared Mustafa as the crowd shrieked and gasped. "Are you watching this, Miss Szilagyi?"
Her brother turned into a circle, the Horntail was still following his progress; its head revolving on its long neck.
"If he keeps this up, he's going to get dizzy," commented her mother.
"Harry knows what he's doing," Jamie declared.
Then moments later Harry plummeted just as the Horntail opened its mouth, he managed to avoid the flames, but was too slow to avoid the tail when it came whipping up to meet him instead.
"Is he hurt?" Jamie asked, not directing the question to anyone in particular, but directing her gaze in Nita's direction as a bluish-white bird briefly manifesting around her.
"I don't think so," replied Nita. "His robe's got a small tear in it, but I don't see any blood."
Slightly relieved, Jamie turned back to the action. The Horntail was writhing and twisting, furling and unfurling her wings as if considering taking off as Harry turned into a climb. The Horntail's head rose to follow him, her neck now stretched to its fullest extent, still swaying, hike a snake before its charmer... and then she let out a roar of exasperation as he went too high to reach now... She shot fire into the air, which he dodged... Her jaws opened wide... her tail lashed…
"What's he doing?" wondered her mother.
"I think he's trying to goad her into taking off, so he can dive down and snatch the golden egg," Jamie suggested.
"That's what I'd do," agreed Ginny.
And at that moment, the Horntail reared, spreading her great, black, leathery wings at last, as wide as those of a small airplane… and her brother dived. Before the dragon knew what he had done, or where he had disappeared to, he was speeding toward the ground as fast as he could go, toward the eggs now unprotected by her clawed front legs… he had taken his hands off his broom… he had seized the golden egg. And with a huge spurt of speed, he was off, he was soaring out over the stands, the heavy egg safely under his uninjured arm, which was screaming and applauding as loudly.
"Look at that!" Mustafa declared. "Will you look at that… Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg!"
But then something unexpected happened.
As Harry flew back over the stands, he disappeared.
The cheers of the crowd turned to screams and expressions of confusion.
Jamie turned to Zatanna. "Portkey?"
"I assume so… Enog sah rettop yrraH erehw em llet." The logomancer paused for a moment, then continued. "I have his location..."