(GoF) CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: The First Task
"It's okay," Fred shouted up the staircase to George and Ron once Sirius was gone. "The stupid git can come down now."
There was a short silence, and then the sound of Ron thumping angrily down the stairs.
"The bloody hell is going on down here?" he demanded when he reached them. "It's the middle of the night."
"Just having a chat," Harry told him curtly. "That okay with you?"
Ron looked like he'd just been slapped—which, frankly, Ellie thought he deserved. "The three of you? In the middle of the night—with George standing guard?"
"Well, I've had to make some new friends lately, haven't I?" snapped Harry. "You know—ones who actually believe I wouldn't be stupid enough to enter myself in a tournament that's probably going to get me killed."
For a second, Ron's glare went from angry to concerned—even guilty. But just as quickly, his eyebrows narrowed and he turned on his heel and stomped back up the stairs.
"Sorry about that," said George as he came down to join them. "Get what you needed before the chaos commenced?"
"Not exactly," said Harry grimly. "Any of you have any ideas as to how I'm going to beat a dragon?"
"What are we defining as 'beat,' exactly?" asked Fred. "I mean, surely you aren't expected to, I don't know… slay it?"
"I think I'm going to have to steal something from it—something it's guarding. Though I'm not quite sure how to do that without slaying it."
Ellie considered that for a moment, frowning. What had Sirius been about to say? What could possibly be a "simple" solution to stealing something from a dragon?
"Hang on," said Fred, straightening in his seat. "Remember what we did back at the World Cup—you know, with the drunk and disorderly Death Eaters?"
"I don't deny that having Ellie's shield around is handy," said Harry, "but I hardly think they'd let me—"
"Not my shield," Ellie said, realizing what Fred was implying. "The Summoning Charm!"
"That's brilliant!" exclaimed George enthusiastically. "Stash your Firebolt somewhere close to where the first task is being held, summon it, and out-fly the dragon to claim whatever treasure you're supposed to claim!"
Harry's eyes lit up at the thought. "That is brilliant—it incorporates one of the few things I'm good at. Thanks, Fred." He glanced at Ellie at that, excitement fading to a look of annoyance. "I s'pose I should tell Cedric, huh?"
She immediately looked away from both him and Fred. "I… guess."
"Madam Maxime was there—which means Fleur will know soon. And I think Karkaroff had his own means of finding out. Cedric can't be the only one who doesn't know—it wouldn't be right."
Ellie felt Fred's gaze on her, but she ignored it. "Right."
"Can you tell him?" Harry asked her. "I can't get within twenty feet of him without walking into a sea of Potter Stinks badges."
He had every right to make the request of her, she reminded herself grimly. As far as Harry knew, Cedric was her boyfriend—by her own, conscious choice.
"Sure," she said through gritted teeth. "Glad to."
Before she could make it to Cedric the next day, Aleks made it to her.
"Any news?" he asked her as he grabbed her far too sharply by the arm and pulled her into the nearest empty classroom.
Really, why were there so many empty classrooms at Hogwarts? And why did the boys she cared the least for always find them, instead of Fred?
This was the scariest thing to Ellie about her little deal with Aleks. It had been heartbreaking to end things with Fred and start them up with Cedric, but she hadn't actually been endangering anyone. This, though—reporting back to him about Harry and Cedric's progress with the Triwizard Tournament? This was scary.
"It's dragons," she told him shortly, glaring up at him. "That's the first task."
He rolled his eyes impatiently. "Of course, it's dragons—what sort of amateur do you think I am? It's your job to tell me who knows it's dragons."
Would it endanger Harry or Cedric to tell Aleks that they knew the truth? Technically Cedric didn't know yet, but he would soon enough. She racked her brain to think of a way the knowledge could threaten them, but came up short.
"Harry knows," she finally admitted. "Cedric will soon."
"Because Harry's telling him?"
"Because I am. At Harry's request."
Aleks held her gaze for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Has the Boy Who Lived given you any idea what he's got planned, then? How he'll try and pull this off?"
This part, she could absolutely see endangering Harry. What if he put some sort of anti-Summing Charm Charm up, or got hold of Harry's broomstick and locked it away?
"No," she lied, setting her jaw. "He hasn't come up with anything yet."
Aleks took a step toward her, eyes flashing. "I do hope you're not lying to me, Ellie. Surely you've learned not to make mistakes like that by now?"
His tone made her shudder, but she forced herself to continue acting calm. "I'm not lying. He hasn't come up with anything."
"Right." He crossed his arms. "Well, suggest broomsticks to him, would you? Flying is one of the few things that boy has any talent at. Might just do the trick."
Ellie stared at him, jaw slowly falling open. It wasn't necessarily the brilliance of the idea that struck her, but the fact that Aleks seemed to actually want Harry to succeed.
"Not Cedric, though," added Aleks cheerfully. "Let the boy burn, for all I care."
And with that, he turned on his heel and left her.
"I don't understand," Cedric said later that day outside the Hufflepuff common room after Ellie delivered the news to him. "You… I… how could you possibly know that?"
"Can't really say," she said, frowning. "Someone let it slip to Harry, though, and he wanted to do the right thing and let it slip to you, as well. He seems convinced that all the 'champions' will know about it by the time the task rolls around." Which, for the record, was only in two days.
"But…" He shook his head, handsome brows furrowed. "Dragons? What the bloody hell am I going to do to fight a dragon?"
She wanted to tell him to use a broomstick. Cedric was quite nearly as talented a Seeker as Harry, and would surely fare better against a dragon on a broomstick than on foot. But after Fred's having given Harry the same advice, it didn't feel right.
Nor did letting him go up against a dragon without any help.
"I don't know," she said, frowning. "But I'll help you figure it out."
The day of the first task was upon them, and Ellie wasn't sure who she was more worried about—Harry with his runaway broom plan or Cedric with his Transfigure-a-rock-into-a-dog plan. At least Harry had a decent means of escape if the dragon chased after him, but Cedric? What if the dragon didn't care about the dog at all?
She wouldn't have to wait long; Cedric was the first to go up.
"The Swedish Short-Snout," said George when Cedric's dragon was brought in. The twins had actually chosen to sit with Ellie, which had thrilled her to bits. "Not known to be particularly aggressive, according to Charlie. But quite the fire-lung."
"Fire-lung?" Ellie repeated, going very pale. "What does that…" But she didn't have to finish her question; she already knew the answer.
To her relief, the dog strategy worked—at least, it mostly worked. The dragon did take the bait, but once it clocked Cedric going for the golden egg awaiting him, it turned its attention back to Cedric, opened its jaws, and showed them all exactly what "fire-lung" meant. Cedric was able to retrieve the egg and pass the task, but he got burned in the process.
"He's fine," said Fred dismissively as Ellie tensed up beside him. "Barely left a mark."
She was pretty sure he was wrong about that, but judging from the way Madam Pomfrey ushered him eagerly over to her medical tent when he stepped out, she decided that it probably wouldn't be permanent.
Good, she couldn't help but think. It'd be a shame to taint a face that handsome.
Fleur Delacour was up next—the fair-haired, beautiful Beauxbatons girl whom Ron believed to be a Veela. She was up against the Common Welsh Green, which George described as "a total bore." Ellie was inclined to agree at first, when Fleur expertly charmed the dragon into a seemingly deep sleep, but became less convinced when its snore set out a jet of flame that caught Fleur's skirt on fire. She managed to extinguish the flames and retrieve her egg without further issue, but Ellie was pretty sure her legs had been singed in the process.
Next was Viktor Krum, up against the Chinese Fireball. Ellie could tell from the way George moved to the edge of his seat that this was a more powerful dragon than the others, but Krum didn't seem to have any trouble using the Conjunctivitis Curse against the dragon to blind it. The dragon stumbled over some of the real eggs in its confused stupor, but Krum managed to snag the golden egg unharmed.
Finally, it was Harry's turn. Against her better judgment, Ellie felt herself taking Fred's hand as she moved to the edge of her own seat.
"What do you know about this one?" she asked George.
"The Hungarian Horntail," George said with a grim shake of his head. "Nasty bugger. Worst of the lot."
Ellie groaned. Fred squeezed her hand supportively, offering her a weak smile. "He'll be fine. It's a good plan."
She hoped so. She waited with breath held as Harry casted his Summoning Charm. It wasn't immediate, but it happened soon enough: the Firebolt soared over to him.
Ellie snuck a glance at Aleks at that—who, as far as he knew, had suggested this plan to Harry off the bat. He looked pleased. Ellie didn't much care for pleasing Aleks, but she was glad that it meant him leaving her alone for a bit longer.
"Do me a favour," Fred whispered to her as she turned her attention back to Harry, who had darted off into the sky. "Don't look at him."
He had followed her gaze to Aleks, she realized as the Hungarian Horntail chased furiously after Harry. "I was just checking to see his reaction. It was good."
"Nothing's good with him," he growled. "The sooner we get you out of that mess, the better."
Ellie glanced carefully around at George and Ginny, the closest of their friends to them. They didn't seem to have heard him, though—which was quite important.
"Well," she whispered back, "if you have any ideas, I'm all ears."
"Oh, I've got plenty of ideas. What are your thoughts on first-degree murder?"
She couldn't help but laugh, though her attention was quite riveted to Harry, who was now soaring back toward the golden egg, Horntail snapping and soaring at his tail. "Generally opposed, though I can sympathize with the desire."
Before Fred could reply, though, Harry's hands closed around the golden egg, and the applause burst out around them.
He'd done it. He was safe, and for now, that was enough.
The rest would come with time—though how much time, Ellie still wasn't entirely sure.
One task done, but two to go... and quite a few obstacles in the path of Ellie's happiness! I know we're all impatient for her to find a way out, but I promise it won't be forever! Don't forget to review and follow!
