Nov 24th, 1994
On that cold and foggy morning, Charlie Weasley sported yet another large burn, this one started just below his chin and extended to his left eye. Caused by none other than the Chinese Fireball who he'd been taking care of all morning. It was no cause for concern. It stung a bit, but nothing he couldn't handle. In fact, it took his mind off the stress of the past few days.
Each and every one of the dragon keepers were tired and more than ready for the Tournament to be over. The entire camp had stayed up well into the night, meticulously going over every moment of the First Task to plan out how it would all be handled. It was something that they did every night since the announcement was made some months ago. And while Charlie and his fellow dragon keepers were all for being cautious and prepared, it was beginning to wear on their nerves.
During these times he'd light a cigarette, lean back in his chair with his eyes closed, and listen to the wind whistling through the trees. They all knew their jobs and what was expected of them. The only issue was that dragons were rarely predictable.
Charlie stepped into the impossibly small cage that housed the Common Welsh Green to double check the heavy chain around her neck and grimaced at how tight it was. Sure, the safety of the Champions was paramount, but he really wished it wouldn't put his dragons in danger. They didn't ask for this after all. They had no say in the matter as they were portkeyed to an unknown location and left to flounder in confusion as their eggs were threatened.
"Mab all good there, Weasley?" Henry Ridgebit - Charlie's boss - asked as he walked through the camp alongside two of the Ministry wizards.
"All set," Charlie answered, running his hand down the smooth scales of the dragon's snout. "She's been dosed and ready to move."
"Fine work." Henry nodded then turned to the two men that accompanied him. "Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman, you're both welcome to visually check over the dragon, her eggs, and the chains, but I ask no spells be performed as it could release her from the specialized sleeping potion."
"Don't want that, do we Barty?" The portly wizard in the snug Wimbourne Wasps robes asked his associate.
"No," Barty replied, looking intently at the caged dragon. "Let's move along, Ludo. The First Task starts in half an hour."
"Whoa!" Charlie heard Anita Brown - a co-worker - yell as the Horntail let out another burst of flames. "Keep your distance there, eh Barney!"
He locked the Welsh Green's cage and rushed over to help the others. Dani was in a fine fit of fury as the chain magically floated in the air in front of her face.
"We're never going to subdue her in time!" Jones hissed as he cast another spell at the irritable dragon.
"How many times have you dosed her?" Charlie looked from the empty potion bottles to the dragon that looked well in her element of stomping around and causing chaos.
"Four full doses." Anita stepped up, wiping her brow on the sleeve of her dragonhide coat. "And she's still lively as ever."
Jones looked up in question. "Another round of stunners then?"
"It'll take all of us." Anita nodded, her jaw tight as she moved to line up.
Charlie had his wand at the ready, and aimed at the Horntail. "On three!"
Together they fired a succession of stunning spells that only seemed to make Dani angrier. Two more rounds and she finally collapsed to the ground in a massive heap.
"Think we've got it right that time, eh?" Cobb - a grizzled Irishman with a portly belly and beady eyes- said. "Ol' bint won't be happy when she wakes though."
Charlie laughed, lighting a cigarette before he made his way over to the cage that now housed Dani. Anita walked in with a crate and set it beside her, unloading the eggs into the large nest that Dani had made for her babies. Puffs of smoke escaped the dragon's nostrils and her tail whipped around to curl around her eggs protectively, giving Charlie a sense of relief that the dragon was well and truly asleep.
Anita let out a sigh, fastening the shackle to the dragon's leg. "I can't wait 'til we get them back home."
"Same." Charlie nodded in agreement, tightening the chain around Dani's neck. "They weren't meant for this."
"Let's just see them safely through this shite." Anita clapped a massive hand onto Charlie's back. "Now let's go get Mab ready for her big debut."
Charlie followed the tall blonde witch to the other side of the camp where everyone was working to levitate Mab and her eggs into the arena. It was where she would stay safely in the confines of her cage until it was time for the first Champion to face her. Charlie could only hope that it was Mary. Out of the three dragons, Mab was the calmest and easiest to deal with. She rarely attacked unless necessary and was by far the easiest of the three to subdue.
"I'm vanishing the cage as soon as the whistle blows," Henry recited one more time, mainly to make sure everyone was on the same page. "Brown, Weasley, Cobb, you three are responsible for keeping watch over the eggs. The rest of you lot are with me."
"Heard!" The twenty of them chorused together.
The whistle blew and Henry waited until the last moment to cast the spell to vanish the cage and release Mab from the binds of the potion. The effects wore off instantly, leaving the dragon a bit unsettled. Mab looked around the enclosure warily, then quickly nestled around her eggs, eyes watching the crowd in trepidation. Charlie wished they wouldn't have used the real eggs, as the nesting mothers would be devastated if anything happened to them.
"Everyone in position?" Henry called out as the twenty of them spread out along the edge of the arena, wands at the ready should anything go sideways.
"Our first Champion is Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons!" Ludo's boisterous voice echoed throughout the stadium.
Mab curled her body tighter around her eggs at the sound of his voice, her golden eyes scouring the area for any and all threats.
Charlie and the other dragon keepers moved to their designated positions to try and prevent anything from going awry. The wards on the arena were designed to keep the audience protected from the flames and debris, while the chains were there to keep the dragons from getting too far away from their eggs or escaping into the sky.
The worrying part was that there was nothing to keep the dragons protected from whatever spell the Champions would throw at them. And while they would have points deducted for something happening to the eggs, that wouldn't make up for the ramifications such a thing would have on the expecting mothers.
Seconds passed as Fleur ducked and dove behind the boulders, firing spells at Mab. Her incantations were non-verbal and Charlie held back a grimace each time her wand pointed at the dragon.
The effects of Fleur's spell were suddenly apparent and seemed to be working beautifully. Mab's eyelids drooped lower and lower until the trance put her into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, Fleur crept closer until she had the golden egg in hand. Charlie breathed a sigh of relief, but it was too soon, as Mab began to snore and let out a small burst of fire from her nostrils that sent Fleur's skirt alight with orange flames.
Charlie winced, knowing that the burns the young witch likely suffered wouldn't be pleasant, but he also knew that Madam Pomfrey had a fresh stock of special burn cream on hand.
"She did good, eh?" Barney - one of the veteran dragon keepers in their group - yelled out over the din of the crowd. "Shame on the score though. Twelve points off for taking care with the dragon isn't something they should consider. You see the way she was staring into the old girl's eyes? We might need to recruit her!"
"Good luck with that!" Charlie replied, following the rest out of the enclosure as they worked to take Mab and her eggs out and bring in the Chinese Fireball, Mei, and her three eggs.
Mei was a gorgeous girl, but was prone to fits of temper and Charlie seriously worried over his charge as they brought her into the arena. This was her first clutch of eggs and she was already nervous and tetchy without the whole Tournament business going on.
The whistle blew again and Henry cast the spell to remove the dragon from the sleeping draught. Mei was disoriented and unhappy, getting up and pacing in front of her nest.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Viktor Krum of Durmstrang!" Bagman announced. "Seeker of Bulgaria's Quidditch team and now Triwizard Champion!"
Krum. According to Ron and Ginny he was a good friend of Mary's, and given Sirius and Remus going on about him, Charlie thought there might be more going on between the two young Seekers. Krum was quick on his feet, Charlie would give him that, but he didn't have Fleur's graceful demeanor, nor did he have any luck with Mei.
Charlie grimaced as the spell hit Mei full in the face and caused her to let out a roar of pain that he felt to the depths of his soul. She stomped her feet and Charlie lurched forward, wand at the ready, but Anita - his partner - held him back.
"The eggs!" Charlie cried out as two of Mei's precious eggs were crushed beneath her feet.
Anita didn't budge, watching the scene with a tight face. "He will have points deducted for that."
"It's not enough," Charlie said, feeling repulsed by the spectacle.
Krum retrieved the golden egg, while Mei stumbled around in pain, and quickly left the arena. Charlie darted down into the enclosure and quickly reversed the spell on Mei and helped the other dragon keepers subdue her. She was angry, distraught, and more than a little miffed at the whole ordeal. It took all twenty of them to get her pacified enough to move her out, and Charlie was the one to carefully load her last remaining egg into the metal crate beside her.
It took all of his willpower to push his own anger and indignation aside as they left Mei in the quiet corner of the camp, where she would stay in an enchanted sleep until they returned to the sanctuary. It would do her no good to be awake now anyway. At least with them waiting to wake her up back at the Reserve she would be able to fly and hunt and care for her last egg without being bothered.
"Time to get Dani." Anita squeezed his shoulder, looking back at Mei with a pained expression. "Last one then we can go home."
"Yeah," Charlie muttered, heaving in a breath.
It didn't help that Dani was the one Mary would be facing. Dani who had sent four dragon keepers into early retirement due to injuries she'd caused. Out of all of them she was the most ruthless and she was going up against little Mary. Mary who had more scars than Charlie. It left him more fearful than he'd ever felt in his life.
There was no chance to warn Mary about Dani's temper. There wasn't time for anything but to stand aside and wait, hoping that he'd have time to help her if she needed it.
"I'm releasing the spell as soon as we're clear." Henry warned them as they levitated Dani and her eggs into the enclosure. "That should give the next kid a chance to see ol' Dani in all of her glory and prepare for it."
Charlie swallowed hard, setting the four eggs - along with the golden one - into the nest beside the sleeping dragon. He stepped back, legs feeling like they were made of lead. Dani would be fine. He told himself. There wasn't much Mary could do to harm the cantankerous dragon. The eggs would be fine. Dani was always far too conscious of her eggs to make the same mistake young Mei had. Mary, well, Charlie could only hope that she would likewise make it out unscathed.
As soon as they were out of the arena, Henry waved his wand, releasing Dani from the spell. Awake in that instant, Dani stretched out, her head tilting and turning at every angle possible before she stood and clawed at the rocky ground beneath her.
The whistle blew at last, echoed by Dani's roar of fury. The crowd went silent as Mary stepped into the arena and quickly ducked behind the nearest rock before Dani could spot her. Charlie couldn't hear what she was saying, but watched as Mary's dark wand hit the top of her head and she quickly faded out of view.
"Superb use of the Disillusionment Charm!" Ludo Bagman exclaimed. "Although it makes for a very un-entertaining time for us spectators."
Charlie leaned on the railing, looking for any sign of Mary, but she was well and truly invisible. Even Dani was searching the area, great puffs of smoke escaping her nostrils as she tried to sense the newcomer who'd disappeared before her yellow eyes.
With each passing second the dragon became more and more irritated and Charlie knew that Mary was going to run out of time to get a good score. Great angry eyes twitched at the sound of something whistling through the air and Dani gave a loud cry that set Charlie's teeth on edge.
Anita gasped along with the crowd when Mary suddenly appeared directly beside the dragon, her hands on the golden egg, leaving her standing face to face with a very hostile mother dragon.
Charlie pointed his wand at Dani, ready to stun her should she get out of hand, but knew that any interference on his part could not only cost him his job, but could very well cause problems for Mary with the Tournament's fussy rules.
"Gracious Godric!" Ludo's shocked voice sounded over the loudspeaker. "Mary Potter is the fastest to get the egg, but even the dragon handlers are at a loss on how to get her out of there in one piece!"
Charlie grimaced as Dani roared, sending Mary's dark hair flying out of its tie and billowing behind her. All of his fellow dragon keepers likewise had their wands pointed at the dragon, but Charlie kept his focus on Mary.
Mary locked gazes with the deadly creature, her left hand slightly outstretched while the right clutched the egg. The stunning spell was on the edge of his lips as he watched Dani take in a deep breath. She was getting ready to kill Mary!
A loud whoosh echoed through the air and Anita sucked in a breath as Mary reached up and grasped the smooth handle of her Firebolt, letting it pull her straight up into the cold foggy sky and out of harm's way.
"Good lord!" Bagman screamed in delight. "Look at that ascent! What a way to make an exit! I can't even comprehend what we've just witnessed! Simply marvelous performance by Miss Potter! Completely flawless!"
The crowd cheered and clapped loudly as Mary flew straight into the mist. Bloody Brilliant! Charlie closed his eyes, wanting to laugh, celebrate and drink a bottle of Firewhisky to drown out the stress of the day.
"No!" Anita shouted, lurching forward and pulling him out of his moment of relief.
Dani twisted her neck, breaking free of the chains that held her down. Her roar of fury resonated through the arena, sending the crowd into hysterics. The dragon let out a swath of flames that shrouded her from view and made the entire enclosure glow a brilliant orange.
"She'll burn through the wards!" Cobb - their head spell caster - called out. "Get everyone out of here!"
A few of their number ran towards the judges' box to warn them while the rest stayed back and fired stunning spells in quick succession at Dani's hidden form. The air crackled around them and they all lurched back when the wards shattered, releasing a plume of grey smoke into the air, while Dani's wings beat against the air like a furious drum beat.
"Brooms!" Henry shouted, mounting his Nimbus and following Dani high into the air.
Charlie mounted his broom, numb with shock, and went after them. His eyes were glued on the small maroon spot that stood out starkly against the dark grey sky. He could only hope that everyone evacuated the area before Dani returned to the arena to guard her other eggs.
"Oh no!" Charlie gasped as he watched Dani let out another burst of flames that set Mary's robes and the tail of her broom alight.
He pushed his broom faster, wishing he'd spent more money on a better model. His Cleansweep was only on hand in case he needed to get down to the arena faster, not because they would be chasing angry dragons around. The chains were meant to be unbreakable, and excluding that, Dani should have never been able to get past the wards that protected the audience.
Something had gone well and truly wrong.
Dani let out another cry and released a stream of flames, causing Mary to barrel roll to avoid the worst of the blast. Her robes were letting off a trail of smoke as was the tail of her broom. Charlie honestly didn't know how she was outpacing the dragon. Even on a Firebolt she was quite literally playing with fire as she ducked, dove, and maneuvered her way out of the enraged dragon's path.
Dani was closing in though and looking ready to roast Mary for bothering her eggs. She was far too close to the dragon, there was nowhere she could go and Charlie could only watch in horror, speeding toward them, as Dani heaved in a breath of air and made ready to incinerate her foe.
As though she'd anticipated the dragon's resolve, Mary pulled her broom upward, angling it straight at the sky, flying at an angle that not even Dani expected. The Horntail seemed to realize that Mary was getting away and lifted her wings into a tighter formation for the climb in altitude.
Charlie's ears popped as he followed them into the higher elevation and his lungs protested at the thinner air that they were subjected to and knew for Mary it was much worse. She couldn't climb upwards forever.
And then Mary stopped.
Charlie and the other wizards and witches that accompanied him pulled their brooms to a jerky halt, but had less than a second before Mary angled her broom straight at the ground and dove.
Dani hadn't quite seemed to register Mary's sudden stop and kept flying up toward her, then cried out in fury as Mary flew down and passed her at such a pace that Dani didn't have time to do more than swat at Mary with her long spiked tail.
Charlie could hear the massive wings beating against the air as the poor creature twisted to change trajectory and dove after her. All Mary seemed to care about was getting as far away from Dani as possible. Like a bolt of lightning, she flew through the fog and towards the large dark spot on the ground that was the Black Lake.
"Get on the other side of the lake!" Cobb yelled. "We'll cut them off!"
"Strongest stunning charms you can muster!" Henry called out, flying to the front of the group. "It's gonna take all of us to bring 'er down!"
Charlie's muscles ached under the strain of keeping the broom in control as he plummeted towards the dark water at neck breaking speeds. The centrifugal force was so much that he couldn't even attempt to look back and see where the dragon was without fear of losing control or getting himself thrown off course. He hadn't flown like this in years, and while it was exhilarating, he wished it wasn't under such dire circumstances.
Bright blue and orange flames burned across the sky and Charlie feared for Mary who was just in front of the blast. The choppy ripples moving along the surface of the water came into view at about one hundred metres in the air. At fifty metres his eyes watered and his breath caught in his throat and he clenched his teeth together to keep them from rattling. Forty. Thirty. Twenty.
Charlie pulled his broom up and angled it along the surface of the water. In front of him Mary was still mid-dive with Dani a good way behind her. He watched, fearing for Mary's safety, knowing that there was no possible way that she'd be able to get out of this unscathed. He didn't know how Mary was doing it. Josef Wronski himself wouldn't have been able to pull off such a dive and Charlie feared that Mary would crash.
Inches from the surface of the water, Mary pulled her broom up, barely missing the lake and flew directly toward them. She leveled herself out, so close to the water that her knee skimmed the surface and sent back a small spray of water that put out her smoking robes and the flames on the tail of her broom.
Dani eased out of her downward ascent with far more grace and angled herself right back on Mary's trail. Mary flew sharply to the right, flying in a tight half-circle around the dragon. The Horntail in turn stopped so quickly that the hood of Mary's robe scraped across the thick scales on the dragon's belly as she flew past, keeping close to the safety of the icy water.
Charlie realized what Mary was doing and knew that she would fail. She was trying to disorient Dani by flitting from side to side, but she didn't know that Dani was smarter than that.
"Wands at the ready!" Henry called out. "Don't cast until I say!"
All of them pointed their wands at Dani while Mary was just a small blur of maroon hurtling towards them, coming closer and closer until she finally flew above and past them.
"Now!" Henry shouted, casting a red spell at Dani.
The rest of them followed suit, aiming at the soft underbelly of the dragon. Only a few of the spells hit and it did nothing to stop her. Charlie turned his broom to see that Mary was likewise circling around, trying to give them a second chance to subdue the dragon. His fellow dragon keepers slowed down, wands still held aloft, as they waited for another go at it.
Once again Mary and Dani darted toward them, hovering just a metre over the water's surface.
"Again!" Henry called out.
Rapid spell fire lit up the surface of the dark water, resembling a muggle fireworks display. Dani knew what the bright flashes were and hovered closer to the lake, gaining speed and ground. They were running out of time. Another burst of spell fire shot forth. Five! Ten! Then Fifteen stunning spells hit the dragon full on. Shouts and cheers echoed from the casters, but they stopped when a stray stunner hit Mary full on, sending her toppling into the water below. Dani was finally subdued, falling over limply and mirroring Mary as her massive body collided with the lake, sending out a wave that threatened to drench them all.
"Somebody get the girl!" Henry shouted at them. "The rest of you get Dani before she drowns!"
Charlie looked to the others and picked the person he trusted the most. "You with me, Anita?"
Anita nodded, turning her broom and pointing to where Mary's Firebolt and the golden egg were floating on the surface of the lake. "Think we should go in after her?"
Charlie's eyes searched the water for any signs of Mary, but came up empty. "Take the right shore, I'll take the left. We'll meet in the middle and go from there."
Mary Potter
Mary's entire body went numb and limp and she didn't have the will or strength left in her to keep hold of her broom. As though in slow motion, she toppled off the side of her trusty Firebolt and fell into the lake below.
The surface of the water felt hard as concrete and cold as ice as her body almost seemed to bounce and then sink into the freezing water.
What kind of spell had they used? She wondered as she sank deeper and deeper.
Head tilted upward, she could see the small ball of sunlight grow further away. In the distance, a massive blob moved quickly through the water blocking the light. It swam in after me! Fear engulfed her as the thought entered her mind. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she could only sink further into the murky depths. Wondering if she'd die by drowning or by dragon first.
That was when she realized that the dragon wasn't chasing her, it was sinking too.
Finite! She thought fiercely, as her lungs burned and ached for air. Finite Incantatem!
The second charm worked like, well, a charm, and immediately released her from the mind numbing effects of the mysterious spell. She had to fight the urge to take in a breath. The broom ride had left her winded and it was taking all she had to fight the crushing pressure on her chest and the immense desire to breathe.
With a flick of her wrist her wand slapped into her left palm and she pointed it up to the surface of the lake. Ascendio!
Mary's simple non-verbal spell sent her shooting upwards until she could actually see daylight again. The second her head popped out of the water, she took a deep gasping breath and choked on the fresh air which sent her into a loop of choking and coughing in quick succession.
"Here!" A deep voice boomed. "She's here!"
Mary spluttered and spat out a mouthful of water and looked up at a young woman, who was sitting on a broom, hovering just above her.
"Let's get you out of here." The muscular blonde woman pulled her onto the broom and led them towards the shore. "Nice flying! Thought Charlie and the Captain were going to have conniptions at least twenty times!"
Mary choked on the fresh air. "Where's the Horntail? Is she okay? You have to help it or it'll drown!"
The lady laughed deeply. "They're pulling ol' Dani out of the lake now. She's been stunned and confunded, but she'll be just fine. Be back to her normal grumpy self by the time we get her home."
Mary turned to see a group of wizards and witches levitating the dragon to the shore, feeling relief bubble up in her chest. Despite the close call, Mary didn't want the dragon harmed. Dani. She reminded herself, wondering if Hagrid had given this lady deadly creature naming lessons.
"I'm Anita, by the way." The blonde woman introduced herself and held out a tanned weathered hand to where Mary could shake it without letting go of the broom.
"Mary Potter," Mary replied. "Thanks for rescuing me."
"Think you just about rescued yourself." Anita laughed and landed the broom on the muddy bank where she carefully helped Mary dismount. "My partner's got your broom, in case you were wondering. He's flying up now."
Mary was almost struck dumb. Anita was extremely tall, not quite Madame Maxime or Hagrid's height, but still taller than average. Luckily, Mary's impolite moment of staring was broken by the sound of heavy boots hitting the muddy shore.
Charlie rushed toward her, dropping the golden egg into the sand, and enveloped her in his arms so lightly that she barely felt it. Though she didn't blame him considering that she was soaked through and through and felt like she had a really bad sunburn.
"Mum's going to kill us both over this," Charlie whispered into her hair.
"Dani almost beat her to it." Mary laughed and patted him on the back. "I'm more worried about Sirius and Remus. They were in the stands to see this mess."
"They're running this way." Charlie let go of her.
Mary turned and held up her hands in surrender, but neither of her godfathers paid her any attention as they pulled her into a singular bone crushing hug.
"Ow!" she grimaced at the pain that erupted throughout her body.
"Hey!" Anita snapped and pulled them both back by their collars, leaving them both dangling inches off the ground. "Can't you see she's burned from head to toe?!"
Mary chuckled when both Sirius and Remus turned to Anita in tandem, ready to spew forth a very loud argument until they caught sight of her very pretty face glaring at them. Sirius' eyes went wide and he stopped all movement, his gaze traveling from Anita's eyes to her feet. Remus just seemed to freeze on the spot, not daring to look directly at the tall witch.
Mary grimaced and pulled a piece of her robes off her arm and a large piece of reddened skin went with it. "Siri, think we could get back to the arena so I can hear my score?"
"You're hurt." Sirius pulled free from Anita's grasp and knelt in front of her, putting a hand over his mouth. "You need to see Poppy."
"I'm fine." Mary grasped his elbow and pulled him to his feet. "It's just a few burns."
Remus stepped forward, his wand out. "Do you want me to levitate you?"
"I'm a little burnt, not unable to walk," she said. "Come on now, I couldn't have done that badly. What was my score?"
"They haven't announced it yet," Remus answered quickly.
"We've got to get back to work, Mary," Charlie said, looking forlorn and gesturing to where the other dragon keepers were levitating the sleeping dragon along the shoreline.
"Thanks for helping me out." Mary shook his and Anita's hands. "It means a lot. I'll try to find you before you leave."
They both nodded and smiled, jumping on their brooms and flying back to where the other dragon keepers were. Mary walked alongside her godfathers, listening to their side of the story, while silently wondering how the other Champions were faring. She hoped that they were both unharmed. Her hands shook the entire walk and a cold sweat was ramping her pain up all the more by the time she reached the Healers tent.
"There you are!" Madam Pomfrey rushed out. "Dragons! Dragons at my school! I have half a mind to hex them all!"
"I'm fine." Mary didn't even have time to say more before the matron was waving her wand in a complicated pattern.
Pomfrey's eyes burned in anger as they met Mary's. "Don't even try to downplay this, Miss Potter. Get to the bed."
Mary frowned and stumbled over to the open bed where Madam Pomfrey quickly attacked her by vanishing her outer robes. She stayed silent as Pomfrey worked at applying the burn paste to her arms and legs.
Madame Pomfrey tilted her head toward the bedside table. "Drink the calming potion."
Mary downed it in one go and immediately felt it begin to work, leaving her drowsy and numb.
An hour later, Mary woke from a light doze to the sound of Sirius and Remus arguing. Mary sat up and looked down at the hospital pyjamas that hid the gauze and burns.
"She will stay at Hogwarts and celebrate with her friends," McGonagall said in Mary's defense. "I fully understand your concerns, but really, Black, Potter is more than capable of handling this."
"Not until we figure out who tampered with the chains." Remus butted in. "Whoever did this not only knew which dragon Mary would face, but also that she likely wouldn't survive the attempt!"
"There is no evidence that anything was tampered with! Not yet, at least," McGonagall said. "Honestly, it's as if you two do not remember your own years at this school!"
"Well, Minnie," Sirius hissed, "at least I can say I was never chased by a dragon!"
"I don't recommend it." Mary stepped out stiffly, barely able to move because of her bandages.
"You ready to go home, kid?" Sirius stepped closer, holding out her broom like a peace offering. "Dobby is working on all of your favorites for dinner."
"Think he'd mind bringing them to Hagrid's?" Mary put on her best smile. "I'd quite like to celebrate with everyone."
"Very good, Potter," McGonagall said proudly. "In fact, I think this occasion calls for something special. Poppy, how long until Potter is well enough to leave?"
Pomfrey glowered. "Another hour and all but her right arm should be fine."
"Very well." McGonagall turned to Mary. "Stay with your godfathers, Potter. I'll see the three of you at Hagrid's in two hours. That should give you ample time to greet your friends and change into something presentable."
McGonagall's quelling glare must have gotten through, as Sirius rubbed his face and sat heavily in a chair, making Mary feel even worse. Remus looked no better and sat down beside him.
"How'd Fleur do?" Mary carefully folded her destroyed clothes. "What was her score?"
"Thirty-eight," Remus answered. "She was deducted twelve points when her robes caught fire."
"Is she okay?" Mary grimaced in sympathy.
"Not burned as badly as you were, but I suspect she won't be sitting easily for a few hours." Sirius looked up, a little of the brightness coming back into his eyes.
"And Viktor?" Mary leaned forward.
Sirius frowned. "He used the Conjunctivitis Curse and his dragon trampled the majority of her eggs. He made it out with forty points."
Mary felt horrible for the poor dragon. "The Horntail, she didn't trample her eggs too, did she?"
"No," Remus assured her. "She was far more interested in killing you."
"Who isn't?" Mary shrugged lightly, but regretted her thoughtless quip when both of her godfathers shot her dark looks.
"That is exactly why we think you should come home," Sirius said in a pointed tone. "The wards shouldn't have shattered. The chains shouldn't have broken! Your name should have never come out of that thrice damned-"
"None of us know the future, Mary Jane," Remus said. "We can't prepare for every eventuality. What we can do is keep you safe the best way we know how, and that's by keeping you close."
Mary almost wanted to laugh. Not a laugh of humor, but of one that would totally disprove her godfather's statement. For she did know what the future would bring, to an extent anyway. And it certainly wasn't something she wanted to share with the two people who were obligated to care for her. Damn, maybe that was the reason why the Dursleys hated her! They had some kind of sixth sense about how much trouble she'd be.
"You're looking a little green, kiddo." Sirius moved toward her. "Is it the potions? Do you need a cauldron?"
Mary choked down the sick feeling and tried her best to smile. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure you want to stay?" Sirius leaned toward her. "We can go home for the night and have you back by breakfast."
"Why don't you stay with me?" Mary countered. "I'd like to celebrate with everyone together. Wait, do I even have anything to celebrate? How'd I do? Did they take off points for the dragon escaping?"
"We're not sure," Remus replied. "We evacuated the stands with everyone else. They'll likely announce your score at dinner."
The two exchanged a look and Sirius sighed. "We'll stay. One of us will stick with you at all times just in case the culprit is still on the grounds."
Mary looked at her watch and grimaced when the face of it showed that it was waterlogged and no longer working. "How long 'til then?"
"Half an hour." Sirius cast the Tempus spell and turned to Mary with a wry look. "You'd find the magical clock is far more accurate than its Muggle counterpart."
"I'm old fashioned." Mary shrugged.
Madam Pomfrey pulled back the curtain and stepped into the small space, waving her wand at Mary. "I'll be sending you out with another jar of the Muggle healing paste for your arm and I expect you to apply it as needed. Keep it wrapped in a thin layer of gauze and let it get plenty of fresh air between dressing the bandages."
"Will do." Mary smiled. "Thanks, Madam Pomfrey."
"Don't thank me, just don't get yourself hurt anymore." Pomfrey let out a huff. "As much as I hate to say this; you're free to go, Potter."
Luckily, most of the castle was empty as they made their way to Gryffindor Tower. Mary left her godfathers in the Common Room while she quickly went to shower and dress into something other than pyjamas. She stuffed the Golden Egg in her trunk, placed the tiny Hungarian Horntail on her bedside table, and left her broom next to the bed so she could repair it later. When she was finally ready, she ran back down the stairs, only to find Sirius kneeling down in front of the fireplace and Remus shaking his head in disapproval.
"What'd I miss?" Mary tried and failed to hear what Sirius was saying into the Floo.
"He's being an idiot," Remus answered, waving his wand to dry her damp hair. "Are you feeling better?"
"Loads," Mary answered.
Sirius stood and brushed the soot from his clothes and rubbed his hands together gleefully. "All set? Let's get down to dinner."
Mary narrowed her eyes, wondering what he was up to, but opted to stay quiet and observe as they went down to the Great Hall. Sirius had his fists balled at his sides, his jaw clenched, while his eyes darted to and fro scouring each staircase and corridor for some unseen threat. The two of them flanked her sides, creating an unseen barrier that left her feeling trapped by their over-protectiveness. Sirius peered into the Great Hall, walking a few steps ahead while Remus shielded her from view best as he could until they arrived at the fourth year table.
"We'll be up at the front." Remus put a hand on her shoulder and pointed to the Head Table. "Don't leave this room."
Mary nodded and sat down, only to be accosted by her year mates and their uproar of questions.
"What's with Remus?" Ron asked, narrowing his eyes as he watched Remus walk away.
"They've both gone mad." Mary rolled her eyes.
"Oh, can't you see?" Hermione reached forward and grabbed her hand. "They're just worried about you, Mary. We were all worried about you."
Ron patted her gently on the back and Hermione gripped her left hand so tightly, Mary feared the bones would break. It felt good though, to have them both here. To have them supporting her and sticking by her side.
"Still no news on my score?" Mary asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Dumbledore said they'd announce it before dinner," Ron said. "You've got no worries though, you were the fastest to get to the egg."
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked in a near whisper.
"Just a few burns, I'm fine." She smiled, turning to Lavender who incessantly tapped on her shoulder.
"Can I?" Lavender pointed her wand at Mary's hair.
Mary wanted to beat her own head against the table, but grinned and nodded. It was a mistake. The braid Lavender spelled into her hair made her skin pull back and threatened to rip the hair from her scalp. Her expression must have said it all, because Lavender gasped and recast the spell, setting it right.
"Alas, the time is upon us." Dumbledore stood and held up a hand to silence the room. "Our three Champions have faced their first task and passed the challenge set before them. Miss Delacour has thirty eight points. Mister Krum has forty points and Miss Potter's score will now be announced."
Madame Maxime raised her wand and a silver nine shimmered in the air.
Mr. Crouch - a bored look on his face - locked eyes with Mary from across the room and cast a seven.
Bagman cast a ten.
Dumbledore likewise smiled and cast a ten.
Karkaroff raised his wand and shot out a four.
Murmurs erupted in the crowd. Students looked to each other and then at Mary.
"There we have it!" Ludo Bagman raised his voice slightly, instantly silencing the crowd. "Mary Potter ties with Viktor Krum in first place! Congratulations to the three of them for their victory! Champions, inside the Golden Egg you retrieved this very morning, is a clue to your next task. I suggest you get cracking on working it out. You have until the 24th of February, for that is the morning you face your next challenge! "
"Thank you, Ludo! Yes, well done, Champions," Dumbledore said waving his hand through the air. "And now let us celebrate with yet another wonderful meal."
The food appeared on the table and everyone began talking loudly and digging into the feast laid before them.
"You surprised me, Potter," Daphne said as she reached across the table for the gravy. "Thought you were a goner when your spell dissolved."
"The egg must have some kind of charm on it." Hermione jumped to her defense.
Mary thought back to the task. "It wasn't the egg. My knee bumped into the nest. That's when the disillusionment charm failed."
"Damn near gave me a heart attack." Ron stabbed at his steak and kidney pie.
"Neville here 'bout jumped into the arena." Seamus laughed, slapping Neville hard on the back.
Neville's cheeks tinged pink, but he reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out potions vial. "It's Shrinking Solution. I thought you could use it to shrink the dragon."
Mary couldn't help but be a little humbled both by Neville's bravery and his thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Nev-"
"That wouldn't-" Hermione butted in.
Mary kicked her under the table to shut her up. "I appreciate that! Would have made that flight loads easier if Dani was tiny."
"Dani?" Millicent leaned closer, nearly pushing a bowl of soup onto Pansy.
"The Horntail," Mary clarified.
"Did Hagrid name it?" Daphne laughed lightly.
"No, the dragon keepers did, I guess." Mary smiled. "Listen, I'm having a bit of a celebration at Hagrid's later. You're all more than welcome to join."
"Tonight?" Daphne looked unconvinced and a little skeptical. "Would that be allowed?"
"McGonagall approved it." Mary added, glancing at Hermione who looked fit to burst with questions. "There'll be food and music."
"We'll think about it," Daphne answered diplomatically.
Dinner was over before she knew it and Mary walked over to the Seventh year table where Fleur and Viktor were sitting, offering the invitation to them and their friends as well. Viktor readily accepted, but his classmates didn't seem overly enthusiastic about it. Fleur on the other hand, seemed quite intrigued with the idea.
"We will be there, Mary," Fleur nodded. "It is not too far from where our Abraxans are staying, no?"
"Hagrid's hut is just past the paddock, you can't miss it." Mary added, looking up at the Head Table where Sirius, Remus, and Hagrid all stood together. "In fact, you're welcome to follow me there."
Mary walked alongside Viktor, Fleur, Ron and Hermione as they made there way down to Hagrid's hut. It was near a mass exodus from the Great Hall as word had spread and not only was it just a small group of the Champions and their friends, but also the Quidditch teams.
And when they arrived at the field, that wasn't the only surprise. A small group of dragon keepers were surrounding the fire, laughing merrily as Sirius passed out bottles of Butterbeer.
"The three Champions!" Sirius called out, greeting them with a broad smile.
Mary, Viktor and Fleur were all pushed to the front of the crowd, forced to stand there as everyone else watched.
Sirius handed them each a bottle and then held up his own. "A toast to a job well done!"
"Hear, Hear!" The others echoed, holding up their bottles.
Mary tapped her bottle against Viktor's and then Fleur's, laughing as she almost spilled her drink. She took a huge gulp of the sweet liquid and let it warm her soul.
Professor McGonagall held up a hand and a few groans sounded among the crowd. "I am not here to spoil your fun or intrude on the festivities, so do be quiet, Mr. Finnegan."
Seamus put his head down in shame and McGonagall turned her attention back to the rest. "Professor Dumbledore has decided to return the broomsticks back to those who had them confiscated at the beginning of the year."
Mary gasped and the rest of the Quidditch players all cheered, only quieting when McGonagall glared at them. "This is not an invitation to act like a gaggle of buffoons! The Quidditch season is still cancelled. Professor Dumbledore's decision was made in the mind of making sure that next year's teams will be well in shape. We will allot a time each week for flying practice and I expect all of you to not abuse the Headmaster's generosity by running amok." McGonagall's nostrils flared. "You may retrieve your brooms from Hagrid at your leisure."
The crowd erupted into applause and cheers, some of them rushing to Hagrid who smiled and opened the door to his hut, letting them go in to retrieve their brooms.
Remus waved his wand and the magical gramophone began to play. Everyone danced and talked while their spirits were high.
Ron and Seamus were testing out some of Fred and George's new products by the fire, while the twins animatedly explained their inventions to Viktor. Hermione and Fleur were discussing something that made Hermione gesture wildly, while Fleur rattled off a loud response in French.
Mary was taking another gulp of her Butterbeer when it hit her, that sharp stinging pain in her scar. So sudden that she bit her lip and choked on her drink. He was angry. She could feel it coursing through her veins. Telling her that no matter how much she tried to ignore it and focus on living her life, Voldemort was always lurking in the background. And he wouldn't stop until she was dead. Mary took a seat near the fire and observed her friends.
"You okay there, Mary?" Hagrid patted her hard on the back. "Lookin' a little off."
"I'm fine." She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and turned to look at her first true friend. "Just went down the wrong way."
Hagrid smiled broadly. "Yeh did a fine job today. A right fine job."
"Thanks," Mary replied, then noticed the tall woman standing in the distance. "I think Madame Maxime is looking for you."
Hagrid flattened down his hair and tugged at the sleeves of his shirt. "Right then, best be off. Come 'round tomorrow for tea if yeh have time."
"I'll be here." Mary tried to smile, holding a hand to her forehead to keep the pain at bay.
"Come, let's fly!" Viktor held out a hand to help her up, but Mary shook her head.
"I think I've had enough flying for one day." Mary looked forlornly at the group that was gathering to take a late night ride. "You go on ahead, just watch out for Fred and George."
"I von't be long." Viktor promised, rushing off to join the others.
"Is that true?"
Mary almost jumped out of her skin, turning to see Charlie standing behind her. "Yeah, why?"
Charlie glared in Viktor's general direction.
"Is something wrong?" Mary's brows furrowed.
"I don't like him," Charlie admitted. "Something off about that kid."
"He's a nice guy." Mary defended. "What makes you say that?"
"Just have a bad feeling about him," Charlie replied.
Mary followed his gaze to where Viktor was flying high above the others and wished he'd take more initiative to make friends.
Charlie sighed and looked down. "You mind telling the Twins, Ron and Ginny that I had to go and I'll write as soon as I can?"
"You're leaving now?" Mary glanced at the other dragon keepers that were likewise shaking hands and saying goodbye to her godfathers. "I thought you'd be able to stay longer."
The reasoning behind Charlie's anger with Viktor was all in his tone as he spoke. "Mei's remaining egg is showing signs of hatching and Henry doesn't want that to happen anywhere other than the sanctuary."
"Oh," Mary said, standing up. "I'll tell them. Take care, Charlie."
He pulled her into a quick hug, "You too. Write to me, yeah? I want to hear about the next task and what was so important about that damn egg."
"Only if you write back and let me know how Mei and Dani are getting on." Mary countered playfully.
"Will do!" Charlie laughed, pulling a cigarette from behind his ear. "Stay safe, Mary."
Mary watched him leave and then sat back down, not moving until McGonagall ended the party and sent them all back to their dorms and respective quarters. In that time, Mary tried and failed to shake the feeling of foreboding that dogged her every step. But it was impossible. The pounding in her head only grew with each turn of the hour.
Was Voldemort already planning the next step of her demise? Had he found out that she'd destroyed more than the one Horcrux?
Later that night, Mary laid in her bed and stared up at the ceiling, lethargy weighing her down, when she realized she just didn't have all the answers yet.
And until that time, there was nothing more she could do but wait and let Fate decide what would be thrown at her next.
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