Chapter 14: Of Tasks and Trophies

Soon everyone had gotten to reach into the bag, and after the first moved away, ashen from the reveal, the next would shakily stand and complete the same journey.

In each of their hands were miniature dragons, they each blew out puffs or fire or looked fierce in their own right. Were they interacting with dragons?

The order in which they would face the task, was Cedric, then Fleur, Viktor, and finally Harry to finish.

Wouldn't that be a bit too easy for Harry? Seeing as he was a parselmouth and most, if not the whole of Wizarding Britain already knew it?

No one said he could not use this particular trait, and in this case the skill that made him different could help him get through this alive.

Cedric, was first, and as the tournament officially began, Harry found himself even more jittery than before. The Champions weren't allowed to watch as the task was completed, lest they use the same method or it gives them ideas on how to one up their opponents. No, there was only silence in the tent as everyone listened to hear either screams of horror or cheers of success.

Minutes passed until the cheers sounded, and each second was pure agony. Sure Harry sort of liked the other boy, but even if he didn't, the wait would have affected him much the same way.

Soon the first Champion was back with a golden egg, the objective of this task. Neither of them could speak about how they would deal with their dragons, before or after their turn.

Not long after Cedric, Fleur was gone, and her trial was a bit longer. By the way she clutched her wand, it likely meant that she went for a surprise attack and failed, then had to plan her moves in the heat of the moment. She too gained applause, and was back in the tent with shaking limbs and a slowly waning adrenaline boost.

Viktor was next, and while he took less time than the others, he was no less successful. The applause he garnered was almost deafening, and Harry had reason to believe that a good chunk of it was down to his looks.

Krum really was an attractive wizard, though he seemed a bit too confident in that fact. He was likely very smart as well, or at least cunning, if the short time was anything to go by.

Three had gone, one was left. Harry only had a few minutes while the dragons were being exchanged, and even with the silent encouragement coming from his schoolmate, the fear was palpable.

When the time came for Harry to face his dragon, a Hungarian Horntail, he put up his best mask of confidence and went out into the blinding sunlight and cheering crowds.

It didn't take very long for the dragon to notice his intrusion, and it hissed out an angry demand for Harry to leave. She had no qualms about killing this intruder.

He simply stood his ground and bowed to her, speaking after only a second.

"I mean you no harm, I am only here for the false egg."

There was a deep echoing silence as he spoke, and his voice carried nicely. The sibilant tones were almost sung with his melodic voice and soft volumn.

Harry himself was still by all means a hatchling, and the dragon knew this. Her eyes narrowed and she flicked her tongue out, tasting the air around him.

"Young whelp, why are you here?" She asked, coming down to his level. She did not leave her eggs, but she did lower her neck to speak with him.

Her head was tilted as she again tasted the air. "Dragon kin?" She spoke more to herself that to Harry.

"Yes," He replied, "I was tasked with removing the dud egg from your nest. May I?"

He was polite as he spoke, walking closer to the dragon as her breath huffed out great plumes of smoke.

"There is a bad egg?" She bristled. The hatchling may not be hers, but she could hear no lies from his mouth. The little human hatchling was respectful, he smiled genuinely, unlike some of her previous handlers, and he smelled of sadness and hope. A confounding mixture to be sure, but she could hear in his heart that he was happy to meet her.

"It is not a hatchling, and it never will be. It was put with you to make retrieving it... difficult." He worded his sentence carefully, he didn't want the Horntail to turn on her handlers, or the judges on behalf of his words.

Not one word was a lie, and when the dragon used her nose to caress his face, Harry relaxed and in return placed his neck over her nose. It was a sign of respect and a shift in dominance between familiars. He was letting her scent him, while also placing his life or death in her hands.

The entire stadium was still quiet. Most either shocked or in other cases some had likely passed out.

Harry continued to bond with the dragon for a bit longer, until she picked him up in a clawed hand, and brought him to the egg on the top of the nest.

"Thank you." He spoke again, grabbing the egg, and reaching a hand out to the dragon. He would not want to damage her eggs, so he was asking for a lift back down.

"Here whelp," the Horntail said with a smile in her slitted eyes, as she helped him down.

Once the boy was back on the ground she left her nest and circled him. Once, twice, three times clockwise, blowing out constant rings of smoke as she went. She lowered her head again and asked Harry to close his eyes.

After a moment of seeing the intent behind her eyes he complied.

"Dragon kin, you prove to be trustworthy and genuine in your actions and soul. So bright and caring, are you. A precious treasure indeed. By the Gods and Ancestral Serpent, I Khagra, claim you as my hatchling, so mote it be." The Horntail breathed out a small flame that wrapped around Harry's neck and wrists, "You are welcome in my herd and nest, young one, as I hope to be welcome in yours." She then stepped back, and as she circled him once counterclockwise she let out a fearsom roar.

Harry's eyes widened, and for a short moment as the flames surrounded him gasps rent the air. The entire crowd was at the very tips of their seats, some standing or leaning over one another to get a better view of the boy-who-lived-to-speak-with-dragons.

In the midst of this, Severus watched and listened, tracking every step the dragon made around his mate. She was not a dragon he knew, and even if she and Harry had formed a rapport, it wasn't until she gave the boy her flame that he calmed down.

He glanced up at the Headmaster, who looked pleased with the turn of events. His wand was in hand as if he were preparing for the worst, but he too knew what the flames meant.

However back on the field, Harry's time had already been recorded, everyone was just too entranced by the scene to call it.

Harry was still in shock. The dragon had given him her flame. He had only read about it fleetingly in the school library the year before. Never had he thought a dragon would deem him worthy to take in as her own.

Now it didn't matter where he went, or whom he was with, Harry would always have a family to call his own. A single tear fell from his lashes, but the heat in the air stole the life of it quickly.

The boy blinked and tried to clear the emotion out of his throat before he smiled. Actually it was more of a beaming smile than a reserved one, and he couldn't for the life of him stop it.

More gasps came from those who knew what happened and soon whispers of explanations broke out in the audience.

Khagra did not regret her decision to adopt the hatchling, especially as his voice became thick with the last unshed tears. He thanked her again, and then smiled. The smell of hope and happiness grew and she really did not regret this spur of the moment decision.

She knew of the other dragon in the area, and could smell the fledgling bond between the two. This hatchling would surely make amazing babes one day, and by the look on the elder male dragons face, she knew he would always protect their little treasure.

She looked directly into his eyes, and when her bright grey eyes found his, she saw them flash blue in recognition. He too bowed, to show that he accepted her new claim on his mate. He was confident in his place, and he knew his gem would need as much support as he could possibly get.

"Mine." She said at last looking back at Harry. The exchange with the other dragon, a Snape if she recalled correctly, was brief and only lasted a moment. As for her new charge, she took the time to re-scent him, licking his exposed palm, neck, and face to add her scent to his own. Her saliva would fade, or be washed away, but her scent would not. Nor would her markings from his skin. Even his mate would recognize the bond for what it was.

Mates were sacred, she dare not get between the two lest he prove unworthy of her new kin, though at the moment she trusted his intentions. Yes the dragon was a Snape, which meant he was the hatchling she had heard of so long ago as a grizzled dragon passed through her herds traditional territory.

"When you find your mate..." She spoke softly enough so the other dragon involved could not hear. "Bring him to me. I shall pray that he is worthy of you."

She paced away from Harry and settled back upon the edge of her nest. Here he bowed once again, his smile still as bright as his eyes. She lifted her head in respect, and that was that.

As Harry turned to leave, he tried hard not to take in the faces of those around him, or Khagra's parting words, but when he saw the amount of time he had taken he was relieved.

He had not taken any longer than Viktor had. Though time seemed to blur into nothing as he and the Dragon Khagra spoke.

He looked at the markings on his wrists, and felt the one on his neck. They were in the shape of vibrant grey green flames, and when he touched them he felt a soft warmth radiate through his entire being. It was the exact same warmth he felt from hugging his new human family.

They wanted him, he realized finally. He had already accepted that they didn't want him to leave, but they well and truly wanted Harry for who he was.

Khagra wanted him for who he was, as did his friends and Mentor. He didn't have to wear the savior mask around them, and while he still made sure to keep his past and childhood a secret around most of them, he could still be just Harry.

As he walked away, the crowd snapped out of their shock and cheered. Most of them had been told all their lives that Parseltoungue was an evil language, and that dragons were beasts with little interest or-- in some cases-- intellect, which was exactly the opposite of what they had witnessed in the last few minutes.

The snake language wasn't supposed to sound so sweet. It wasn't supposed to sound like a foriegn song that managed to wash over your senses. It was supposed to be harsh and deadly, always hissed like a violent viper rearing up to strike.

The savior of the wizarding world was truly a thing of legends. This was a thought that would be reinforced several times over the next few years and beyond.

In all, the first task passed without a hitch, and life went back to its typical brand of normal for Harry Potter.

He met with his mentor for tea, and told the man all about how a professor was trying to give him advice about the golden egg clue. He knew it was a message, but he hadn't known how to listen to it all without gaining a headache.

He was part Siren now, but that did not mean he knew the languages of any other beings besides dragons and humans. Parts of it he could understand, like the words 'voices' 'cannot sing' 'above the ground' and 'an hour' but anymore than that and he could only hear his blood rushing around his head.

He was stumped, but knew that he couldn't cheat, or at least that it was frowned upon. His mentor just told him that while he shouldn't take all the advice at face value, that it might be advantageous to listen to the Professor.

Severus had no idea who the Professor was that was trying to help Harry cheat but when he found out they would not get the chance to influence his gem any further.

Harry left that day feeling a bit better about his chances in the tournament,

It had been a week now since the first task, and he had made no progress on the egg, every night he was contemplating the clue and its jagged message, above the ground...

He turned to his side and wondered why those particular words caught him so easily.

It wasn't until much later, in the month of December when Cedric told him how to hear the full message that he finally understood. He was told he could use the prefects' bathroom and listen to the message underwater.

After getting the full message, all Harry had to do was figure out just what the riddle meant.

All of that was accompanied by the knowledge of the upcoming Yule ball that he had to bring a date for.

This was as good a time as any to find a girl to take, since it would take his mind off of the next task and what Khagra said at the end of his first task.

His mate couldn't be a guy, he just wasn't ready to face that possibility. Sure it was a natural thing, and he knew that he couldn't change who his mate was, but still. He didn't want to live his life feeling like everything he did was unnatural, so he would avoid it at all costs.

Which was easier said than done. He was able to find a date, a girl in his year named Parvati Patil, and all he needed to do now was learn how to dance.

The first person he went to was Hermione. She was his best friend and if anyone knew how to dance it was her. The only problem with that was that he seemed to be too uncomfortable with holding her to focus on the movements.

She tried for a good while to teach him, but since he seemed to have two left feet, she only served to help him get more depressed. He knew why he didn't like holding her. The situation was too intimate, and he could hug the girl all day and not feel this same level of awkwardness.

So he tried a different tactic.

Severus was having quite a fun time watching his little mate scramble around trying to find a date and prove his sexuality wrong. He knew what his gem was up to. Trying not to let his eyes wander to the male population while still figuring out the tasks set before him.

The bond between them was progressing faster than he had anticipated, and even being away from Harry for most of the year was not much of a deterrent. The rumors going around about his gem being broken however seemed to irk him more than his mate having a crush on Hogwarts' other champion.

Oh he knew-- of course he knew, with how often he would see Harry looking in Diggory's direction almost unconsciously. The boy would be blushing nonstop when they were together and he seemed to thrive on the Hufflepuff's attention.

He was fine with this knowledge, because Harry should be allowed to learn what he likes or dislikes, and he should have a real childhood, crushes and all. It didn't mean that he would simply walk away from his gem during this time, but he also knew that once a mate bond was established, there was no turning away.

But his thoughts, which never truly seem to leave his mate or potions, were cut off by the very object of his thoughts knocking softly on his office door.

He knew how the boy knocked, how he seemed to always take a moment before entering, slowly letting down his masks and guard as he did so. It was something he was growing to appreciate about his mate. The emerald eyed boy was so soft, and his new voice only made him seem easier to approach. It was why everyone seemed to pay him more attention this year.

All in all, he thought as he bade his little gem entrance, Harry would soon grow into an amazing man, one Severus knew would be a handful for both himself and the world at large.

Mentally leaving those thoughts behind, the man listened as the boy explained his sudden visit. Harry would always be welcome in his territory, but the fact that the young whelp constantly justified his presence was still precious in itself.

"Sir," the boy asked softly as he came fully into the room. He had a slight blush on his cheeks and he was wringing his hands nervously, "I, er... can you help me learn how to dance?" He asked.

His melodic voice washed over Severus, and he wondered how his little mate had managed to always take up the majority of his thoughts.

Teaching his mate how to dance? That he could do, but letting him go afterwards would surely test his control.

In the end, Severus agreed, and began to teach his treasure how to dance. They began with the basic steps, he had Harry do them on his own, before the two began to dance together. Severus led in the beginning, easing his mate into the dance moves, then by the end, he gave in and let Harry lead, which turned out disastrously.

And so, he slowed them down, instead teaching Harry how to clear his mind of the fear he held, and for the next few days after classes he would teach his mate how to lead and be led.

By the time Christmas break came upon them, Harry was much better at leading, but still felt most comfortable with being led.

He didn't know why. Maybe it was because his mentor was confident in leading him or it was because the man was warm to the touch and it soothed Harry to have himself tucked into the mans chest.

Perhaps he should stop himself there, because if he thought about the mans hands on his waist, or the way his mentor pulled him into his chest before sweeping him around the room... He had to fight the blush on his cheeks.

In the end he lost to his thoughts, feeling the tingling warmth from where his mentor's body met his, of how he was led so seamlessly around the mans office, the almost perfect feeling of being held and feeling like he was free to make mistakes. The way he was twirled and even dipped felt like he had been on a cloud and the way the two could laugh together when he did mess up sent happy sparks up and down his spine.

In that moment he realized why he seemed to always dream up blue eyes fading to black, why he never let his guard down unless he was either with his mentor or friends, and he understood that even if he wanted to, he could not fight this.

He was probably gay, and that thought-- even holding onto the word 'probably'-- made him simultaneously scared and light. Like the thought of admitting something like this to himself was both damning and freeing at the same time.

The only thing was that he was now feeling an attraction to his mentor that he felt he shouldn't. The spark he felt while dancing with Snape can't have meant more to him than being near even Cedric. He couldn't allow it.

His mentor would probably come to hate him, and distance himself away from Harry unless in class, and maybe even then. He didn't want the man to pull away from him, especially if this turned out to only be a crush.

So he would focus on his appearance at the Yule ball, and see if he could reinstate that fledgling crush he had on his schoolmate.

Even liking another boy was preferable to the disgust and rejection he knew he would get from his mentor. He wasn't anything much to look at, even with the changes his body went through that summer.

He was too short, his hair was even harder to tame now than it was before, his eyes were probably his only redeeming quality and that was only because they looked a lot like his mums.

Shaking his head of the thought, Harry carried on. Trying desperately to find a connection with anyone that could rival the soft glow he felt near his mentor.

The Yule ball came, and he as well as the other champions led the first dance. He was definitely not the best lead out there, but he managed to keep his feet to himself for the most part. Parvati looked wonderful, and he didn't look half bad either, but he felt like a child compared to some of the other boys at the ball. Hell, even Ron had gotten taller during the school year, and here Harry was just barely reaching 5'2 at the age of fourteen.

His deep green dress robes were nice however, and his silver and emerald bracelet complemented his look. It was fairly Slytherin in its color scheme, but Harry felt the nod to his real house and mentor was worth the slightly affronted looks he had gained from the other Gryffindors.