Chapter 9
A/N: Drum roll, please? May I present the chapter you've all been waiting for: The First Challenge!
All the Champions were in the tent. Everyone was nervous, including Lily and Anakin. They were, perhaps, the least nervous, but they were still nervous. They'd had the most time to prepare, but there was still no telling how the dragon would react.
Bagman held a silk bag. "Ladies first," he said, offering it to Fleur Delacour. She reached in, and drew out a miniature Welsh Green.
Bagman offered the bag to Lily next. She and Anakin looked at each other, then Lily reached in. She pulled out an Antipodean Opaleye. Number 5. She grinned. She whispered the news to Anakin.
The other four had all gone. Now it was just Lily and Anakin left. They were sitting a short distance apart. Lily was readying her magic. Anakin's nerves were getting to him. "Are you sure this will work, Lily?" he asked, again.
Lily stood up and walked over to him. She sat down beside him. "Yes," she said, then kissed him. "Now stop asking, you'll make me nervous. We'll do it exactly as we planned. It will work."
Suddenly, the crowd roared.
"Dad just got the egg! Come on."
They moved to the tent flap, waiting for the whistle. It sounded, and they walked out into the sunlight, wands at the ready.
They stepped through the gap in the fence. At the other end of the enclosure stood the Antipodean Opaleye.
"Ready?" Lily asked Anakin.
"Yes."
Lily began walking straight towards the dragon with Anakin behind and slightly to her right. They blocked everything else out of their minds. The dragon looked straight at Lily with its multifaceted eyes. She raised her wand and shouted an incantation –
"Legilimens!"
There was much muttering amongst the crowd, but Lily and Anakin ignored it.
The dragon decided to protest Lily's invasion of its mind. It spat a gout of scarlet flame at her. Anakin cast a shielding spell, allowing Lily to continue with her Legilimency…
In the dragon's mind:
Lily: Dragon! Please! Calm down!
Dragon: Who are you? Why are you in my mind?
Lily: I am called Lily Potter. I know you are guarding a nest. One of the eggs is not yours! I have been asked to get it. But I cannot if you will not let me. Please, may I get the egg?
Dragon: Come close, Lilipotter. Let me smell you.
Lily walked forward. Anakin followed.
Dragon: Who is the other, the male?
Lily: He is my mate. He is here to protect me from your flames, so that we may talk.
The dragon bent her head to sniff first Lily, then Anakin.
Dragon: I will let you take the egg.
Lily: Thank you!
The dragon moved aside. Lily stepped forwards, and gently picked up the golden egg. The crowd roared their approval, upsetting the dragon. The dragon-keepers moved into the enclosure.
Lily: It is alright! Please, calm down!
Dragon: You have the egg?
Lily: Yes. Thank you.
Dragon: One more thing, Lilipotter.
Lily: Yes?
Dragon: My name is Kiah.
Lily: Thank you, Kiah.
The dragon-keepers reached Kiah. They had their wands out, ready to immobilise the dragon. Lily waved them away.
Lily: Kiah?
Kiah: Yes, Lilipotter?
Lily: It's time for you to go back home.
Kiah: Good. Farewell, Lilipotter.
Kiah then turned, and walked out of the enclosure, back to the crate she had been brought in.
Professor McGonagall came up to Lily and Anakin. "You are uninjured?"
Lily looked at Anakin. He answered, "Yes."
McGonagall appeared taken a-back. She thought for a moment, then said, "Perhaps you should go the first-aid tent anyway. That is where the other champions are."
Lily nodded. "We'll do that. Thank you."
Lily and Anakin entered the first-aid tent, to be ambushed by Madame Pomfrey.
"We're quite alright!" Anakin assured her. "Neither of us is injured."
Fleur confronted them. "Zis is not fair!" she protested. "You did not 'ave a dangerous dragon!"
Anakin looked at her in shock. "That flame felt dangerous to me."
Lily smiled at her aunt-to-be. "You're right, Fleur. Opaleyes aren't normally dangerous, but a female with a nest is dangerous. And that's true of every species."
Fleur stalked off, looking rather offended.
Anakin offered Lily his hand. "Shall we go see our scores?"
Lily smiled. "Yes, let's." She took the offered hand.
They reached the edge of the enclosure and watched the judges.
Madame Maxime gave them 9.
Crouch gave them 9.
Dumbledore gave them 10.
Lily grinned. "Good. I was hoping for that. From what I've heard of him, Dumbledore appreciates new ways of doing things."
Bagman gave them 8.
Anakin smirked. "Oh, I'll bet he's disappointed. We're ruining his betting."
Karkaroff took a while to decide, but he finally made up his mind. He gave them 6.
There was a lot of muttering in the crowd at this. Lily and Anakin had done really well. It may not have been as exciting as the others, but they had tamed the dragon and gotten the egg, without injury.
Lily didn't care. "He's just biased." She hugged Anakin. "42! That makes us first! Dad got 40, and he tied with Krum for first last time."
Anakin broke off the hug. He looked at Lily, grinning broadly – then he kissed her. A large portion of the crowd saw this. They cheered, louder than before. The kiss ended, and Lily glanced up at the crowd. She laughed, and pulled Anakin away, into the champions' tent.
Harry was inside when they entered. He was in a good mood. "Well done!"
"Same to you!"
Fleur, Cedric and Krum came in behind them.
"Congratulations," said Cedric.
"Thank you. You did well, too."
Fleur was still sulking from the encounter in the first-aid tent.
Cedric went to congratulate Harry.
Ludo Bagman bounced into the tent. "Well done, all of you! You've got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth – but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs, you'll see that they open. You need to solve the clue inside the egg – because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Well, off you go, then!"
Lily and Anakin went back to the Room of Requirement. Dobby had readied a bottle of wine and a nice meal. After that, they decided they'd celebrate.
A/N: So, what did you think?
More importantly, does anyone have any ideas about how I should get Lily and Anakin through the second challenge? If you do, please let me know! I've got one idea, but it's not very good. If I don't get ideas, I won't be able to keep writing!
