Chapter 12

The First Task

I was sitting in a tent on one of five beds on the day of the first task, nervous out of my mind. Hermione had came in and wished Harry luck and hugged him, getting their picture taken by Rita Skeeter.

"Good luck, Hannah." Hermione said to me, giving me a hug as well.

"Thanks, Mione." I said quietly, biting my lip and taking a deep breath.

Hermione left the tent to be replaced by Dumbledore, Madam Maxime, Professor Karkaroff and Ludo Bagman, the man who gave Mr Weasley the tickets to the Quidditch World Cup.

"I think I'm gonna spew." I said to Harry and Dumbledore called us over.

"Gather around! Gather around." Dumbledore said to the champions, who started over. "Your first challenge is to retrieve the golden dragon egg in the nest, being protected by a separate dragon for each of you."

Nobody really look surprised. I guess they all knew beforehand.

"Now, come and pick your dragons." Mr Bagman said, holding out a bag "Ms Delacour?"

Fleur ducked her hand into the bag and pulled out a small model of a Common Welsh Green with the number 2 tied around its neck.

Krum went next. He drew up a tiny model of a Chinese Fireball with the number three around its neck.

I kept my breath held when Cedric went into the bag to draw out his dragon. I knew exactly what dragons I wanted in order for mine and Sheila's plan to work.

I blanched when Cedric drew out a number one tied to…the Swedish Short Snout.

Great, there goes one option. Now I have to get the Opaleye in order for the plan to work!

Mr Bagman handed the bag to me and, holding my breath, I drew out a dragon.

I sighed in relief when I got the dragon I wanted. The Antipodean Opaleye with the number four around its neck.

Harry drew last, picking out the obvious choice. The Hungarian Horntail with the number five tied to it.

The professors and Mr Bagman left the tent and I was left to calm myself for the challenge.

"I'm so nervous!" I whispered to Harry as I stretched with him.

"You'll be ok." Harry said, patting me on the shoulder before walking off.

I turned to Cedric. "Hey, Cedric."

"Yes?" Cedric said, turning to face me.

"Good luck." I said, smiling.

"Thanks, Hannah. You too." Cedric said, patting me on the shoulder before heading out into the ring when Mr Bagman started announcing.

Once Krum walked back into the tent, I was waiting in the pathway out into the ring, tapping my wand in it's holster and praying that Sheila's plan worked.

Flashback

Sheila walked to a shelf in the library once she said she had a plan and grabbed a book on dragons.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" I asked nervously petting Fireball.

"Positive." Sheila said, plopping the book down in front of me and opening it to a page on something about Fireball's species and an Antipodean Opaleye.

The New Zealand Fire Scale

Most commonly found in New Zealand, the New Zealand Fire Scale is commonly confused as an infant Antipodean Opaleye, due to the similarities in the white scales. The Fire Scale have often been adopted by the same species for the same reasons. This species is very rare due to the fact that it flies very short distances and breath small amounts of fire useless for defence, leaving them vulnerable to poachers. They also present little to no threat to Muggles or wizards, with the worst damage being done was having a room lit ablaze, which was quickly put out.

I turned to Sheila and cocked an eyebrow "So, what does this have to do with the dragon challenge?"

Sheila shook her head "You know how good I am with animals?" Sheila asked.

I nodded, remembering how well she handled a rouge Hippogriff the previous term.

"Well, Professor Dumbledore asked me to help the dragon handlers, in case they got out of hand so I could calm them down. I know for a fact that the dragons they're gonna use a Common Welsh Green, a Hungarian Horntail, an Antipodean Opaleye, a Chinese Fireball, and a Swedish Short Snout."

I blinked "So…isn't it against the rules to-"

"What they don't know won't hurt them." Sheila said, putting Fireball on the table.

I nodded "So, your plan is…?" I asked, giving Fireball a pet.

"Our plan for you is to hope you get a dragon that looks a lot like Fireball, then trick the dragon to believe Fireball is its baby. Your best chance is the Swedish Short Snout or the Antipodean Opaleye."

I nod "But what happens if I get another dragon that isn't the same colour as Fireball?"

Sheila sighed and picked up her wand "Lucky for you, I know a spell for that." Sheila called Fireball to her and pointed her wand at him. "Mutare green!"

At that instant, Fireball's scales faded from the original white to Slytherin green.

I stared "How'd you do that?" I asked.

"You just say 'Mutare' and the colour you want the something to be. In this case, green."

"Let me try." I said, taking off my tie and putting it on the table "Mutare midnight blue!"

My tie's colours faded from green and silver to pure midnight blue.

"Nice work, Hannah." Sheila said, patting me on the shoulder as she turned Fireball back to normal. "Now there's just one more spell I need to teach you."

End of Flashback

I walked out into the arena, clutching my wand tightly in my hand as I waited for the gong to signal me to start.

"DON'T DIE, POTTER!" Drosie and O'Neil shouted in the stands.

"DON'T LISTEN TO THEM, HAN! YOU'LL DO FINE!" Ivy, Ramona, Sheila and most of my dorm mates, including Scar shouted.

The gong sounded and the dragon was released, it being in a protective state of mind, it started breathing fire at me.

I climbed up a rock with my wand in my teeth. My hand slipped.

"Come on!" I grunted, regaining my footing as I climbed to the top of the rock and put my wand in my hand.

"VOCARE FIREBALL!" I shouted, praying Sheila's plan would work.

Fireball came onto my shoulder with a loud POP and I smirked. Stage one of the plan was accomplished, I just needed to accomplish stage two.

"Go fly around the dragon and convince her you're her baby." I whispered to Fireball, who looked up at me and snorted some fire "Go!" I added in a shout, pointing towards the dragon.

Fireball took off and flew around the dragon, once, twice and a third time, growling all the way.

The dragon took her eyes off me and started after Fireball, obviously distracted.

I sighed in relief and jumped off the rock. Big mistake.

I caught my leg on a sharp part of the rock and slid, cutting my leg from thigh to knee.

"SHIT!" I shouted, before covering my mouth and turning to the dragon.

Thankfully, the dragon was still busy with Fireball.

I ducked behind more rocks and tripped before getting to the nest full of eggs, one of them being pure gold in colour.

I smiled "Hello, beautiful." I said before taking hold of the egg and running back to the tunnel.

Once I was safely in the tunnel, I pulled my wand out once more.

"Revocare Fireball." I muttered quietly.

I saw Fireball disappear and heard a loud POP, signalling Fireball's return to Sheila in the stands.

"YES!" I said, holding up my egg in triumph before slumping against the tent wall. "That was horrifying!"

When Harry went out into the arena, Pomfrey was taking care of the big gash in my leg and the smaller cuts from when I tripped when Scar walked in.

"That…was phenomenal!" Scar shouted, wrapping me in a hug.

I blushed as Pomfrey gave me a blood replenishing potion, which I drank half heartedly. "Thanks. Sheila gave me a hand."

"What? Not Ivy?" Scar asked, cocking her head to the side.

I shook my head and sat up in the bed I was in "She tried to help, but she got the information wrong. Sheila taught me that spell."

Scar thought for a moment, creasing her eyebrows together "Seems…curious, doesn't it, that she'd get the information wrong?"

I looked at her confused "Everyone makes mistakes, Scar. I wasn't exactly flawless in the arena."

"You don't think?" Scar started confused before gasping "Oh, Han, I don't know how to say this…but I think…I think Ivy gave you the wrong information on purpose."

I laughed "Scar, Ivy's my best friend! Why would she do such a thing?"

"Think about it." Scar said, taking hold of my shoulders "She's a Gryffindor."

I glared at her "That didn't stop me and her from being friends before." I said coldly.

"Sure, I know. And she may not want to see you hurt…but think about it…if your brother wins…her house gets the glory. And if she's your best friend she would probably know you weren't going to study dragons until the end."

I turned to her "How'd you…?" I asked.

"I know these things. Rose told me about it yesterday. And she was working with your brother before she came to you."

"Why would she want to put my own brother against me?" I asked, a little mad.

"For Gryffindor's glory!" Scar said, squeezing my shoulders "And, I hate to say this, but I don't thing Ivy's all that good of a friend for you."

I glared at her. She shouldn't have said that about my best friend along that line!

"I'm sorry…I know I shouldn't say that, it's just…I don't want to see you getting hurt when you find out she's lying."

I got up from the bed and leaned against a table, hearing the champions scores as Harry walked back into the tent. "What makes you say that Ivy's not a good friend? She has good intentions."

Scar sneered "She may be trying to steal your glory. And she may have 'good intentions.'" she said with air quotes "but she's hurt you in so many ways and if you hadn't have found out that the info she gave you was wrong, she could have killed you!"

I looked down and bit my lip "Maybe you're right. But what do you mean she's 'hurt me in so many ways'?"

Scar tilted my head up to meet her eyes "Just think about it…she set Pansy on Draco…the guy we all know you're madly in love with-"

"I am not in love with him!" I snapped, my eyes blazing in anger.

"Whatever. She set Pansy on him, dated him herself, and tried to turn you into someone you're not. And think of the insults thrown your way because she hangs out with you."

I was slightly taken aback, but all in all, Scar had a really good point "What insults?" I asked, cocking my head to the side and releasing my head from Scar's hand "I never heard any insults."

Scar smirked "Just trust me."