The First Task

The next morning, Harry and Hermione rushed down to the hospital wing, where John, Sherlock and Cas were getting ready to leave.

'The First Task,' Harry said breathlessly. 'It's-'

'Dragons, yes, we know,' said Sherlock, straightening his robes.

'How do you know?'

John raised a hand.

'Oh, did you see-?'

'No, not really, but Sherlock worked it out.'

Just then, the door opened and Dean came in, who stopped in his tracks. 'Oh,' he said. 'We're all here. Good. What's going on?'

'Nothing much,' John said grumpily. 'I passed out yesterday, and Harry met some dragons. You missed it.'

'I see that.' He gave John a confused look. 'Any particular reason why you're so upset that I missed it?'

'I-' John clamped his mouth shut and thought about it for a moment. 'No, actually. Sorry.'

Dean shrugged.

'If you didn't know we were here, why are you here?' Sherlock asked.

'No reason,' Dean said hurriedly. 'So Harry met dragons? That's wild.'

'Yeah, Ron's brother Charlie was there and he said we have to get past them, for the First Task or something,' Harry said.

'And do you have a plan yet?'

Harry shook his head. 'But listen, there's something else. I spoke to Sirius last night and he told me to watch out for Karkaroff, 'cause he used to be a Death Eater.'

There were shocked exclamations from everyone but Dean.

'Pfft, that guy? Nah, he's harmless. I mean, have you seen him?'

'Someone put Harry's name in,' Cas said quietly.

'Well sure, but I don't think it was Karkaroff, and I'm thinking we have bigger problems right now, say, that giant, fire breathing dragon he has to face on Tuesday. So anybody got any ideas?'

Nobody said anything.

'Okay, awesome. Let's split into groups and see what we can do. We're not allowed to ask any of the teachers for help, are we?'

Hermione shook her head.

'All right, in that case, take Harry for a walk and see if you can't think of anything. Cas, we're gonna need some of that burn paste and anything else that you can think of that would be good for protection against a dragon. Harry, do you know what breeds they were?'

'Yeah, Charlie said them.'

'Great, write them down for me. I'm going to find Sam and we'll go to the library and see what we can find. Cas, you know much about specific breeds?'

'Not especially.'

'Okay, no problem, we'll come up with something. You two,' he said, pointing at John and Sherlock, 'go up to Trelawney's room and see if you can't see anything else.'

'I don't think I can,' said John. 'Someone's blocking me and I can't see the First Task at all, really.'

Dean thought about it for a moment. 'Okay, well, why don't you try and see anything from after it, and see if you can hear anyone talking about it after. Maybe that'll give us a clue of some kind.'

'Yeah, that's actually a good idea.'

'It happens to everyone,' Dean shrugged. 'All right, everyone good? Let's meet up and lunch and we'll figure out where to go from there.'

By lunchtime, they were all tired, and thoroughly dejected. John could barely hold his head up, after spending the morning trying fruitlessly to force his visions. He picked at his food, not listening to what anyone was saying.

Cas had produced several tubs of burn paste, as well as some murtlap essence. He passed them to Harry, hands shaking. 'If you rub exposed skin with the murtlap essence, it should give you a little more resistance to cuts - or bites - I'm not sure if the paste will make any difference if applied beforehand, but it can't hurt to try.'

'Thanks, Cas,' Harry said, pocketing them.

All Sam and Dean had found were stacks upon stacks of dragon care, but nothing on how to fight them.

'But if we ever need to clip a dragon's toenails, we'll be prepared,' Sam joked, trying to lighten the mood, but no one laughed.

'All right, we can do this,' Dean insisted. 'There has to be something. Let's all go back up to the library-'

John interrupted by falling asleep and slipping out of his seat.

'-except you, John, you should probably go to bed.'

John grunted in agreement, and stumbled out of the Great Hall.

'Let's go,' Dean said.

Back up in the library, they all re-examined the books that Sam and Dean had been looking through, in case they had missed something.

'What if it's not about the dragons themselves?' Hermione said eventually, closing a book titled Men Who Love Dragons Too Much. 'After all, you just need to get past it.'

'Let's start with the basics,' Sherlock said. He hadn't exactly been reading, but he had been thinking as best he could, though frustrated at John's exhaustion affecting him.

'Simple spellbooks, then,' Dean nodded, helping Sam gather up the dragon books. 'Everyone fan out and get as many as you can find.'

The stacks of dragon books were soon replaced by spellbooks, and each of them flipping through them for inspiration.

Hermione was muttering under her breath, but eventually, Cas said, 'There's a reason why we wear dragon-hide gloves in Herbology. Dragon-hide is resistant to most spell, hexes, poisons - you name it.'

The only thing Dean said in response was, 'There has to be something.'

The day had yielded nothing, however. Sam went back to the Hufflepuff dormitory, and Cas up to the hospital wing to finish his potions. The rest of them went back to Gryffindor Tower, feet dragging and heads down. John was still asleep, so Sherlock lay across the sofa, while Harry sat in his favourite chair with his head in his hands, Hermione continued to mutter, and Dean paced back and forth in front of the fire. After a while, Dean looked up at them all.

'We should all get some sleep,' he said. 'We won't think of anything else if we fry our brains.'

Harry sighed, and nodded. He said nothing, but dragged himself up to the boys' dormitory.

Hermione bit her lip, but reluctantly agreed.

Dean made sure they were both gone, and that Sherlock was comfortable on the sofa, before finally going to bed himself.

Monday was filled with a barely contained anxiety, where they were all floating through their lessons, preoccupied, and making a lot of mistakes. The teachers were sure to notice, but thankfully none of them mentioned it. John was still trying to fix on the day after the First Task, but couldn't seem to stop jumping around to different times, and none of them helpful. He had a migraine by Herbology, and had to stop and keep an eye on the Venomous Tentacula, instead of trying to force more visions. Molly seemed to know what was happening and did most of the work on the Flutterby Bush they were meant to be pruning, most likely to stop John from accidentally cutting himself with the shears. She didn't say much either, which John was glad of.

Harry came in to Herbology late, and whispered something to Hermione, but John didn't hear what it was.

At lunch, Harry and Hermione headed off to find an empty classroom without eating. John went with them, not feeling particularly hungry.

'So, what's the plan?' he asked them, sitting heavily at a table.

'Summoning Charm,' Harry said. 'I'm going to Summon my broom and fly past the dragon.'

'That sounds like a good idea, actually.'

'Yeah, except I can't do the Summoning Charm yet.'

'That could be a problem.'

'Yeah, well, we've got a day to practice. That'll have to be enough.'

John grimaced, but dozed off until Harry woke him to go up to Divination. He groaned, but decided to sit in the back where Professor Trelawney couldn't see him.

Harry wasn't so lucky. Trelawney spent half the lesson informing the class that the current position of Mars in relation to Saturn meant that people born in July were in great danger of sudden, violent deaths.

'Well, that's good,' Harry said loudly, his temper getting the better of him, 'just as long as it's not drawn-out, I don't want to suffer.'

John snorted, but it was muffled by his arms, which he had been lying on. It was very difficult not to fall asleep, but he managed it, and forced himself down to dinner. He still wasn't hungry, but knew he had to eat something, so slowly ate some potatoes.

Harry explained his plan to the others, and Dean nodded enthusiastically.

'You're a great flier. I bet it'll go really well. Let's practice some more.' Dean shovelled down the rest of his food and practically dragged Harry back up to the common room.

Sherlock stopped John on his way up, but he seemed just as tired as John was.

'All right?' John mumbled.

Sherlock nodded.

'Sleep?'

Sherlock nodded again.

John gestured for Sherlock to come with him. They walked past everyone helping Harry with his Summoning Charm, and they both passed out on John's bed.

The next morning, the morning of the First Task, everyone hurried down to breakfast. The rest of the students were buzzing in anticipation. Lessons were finishing at midday that day, so they were happily speculating on what the task would be.

Dean was drilling Harry on his technique, Cas sat, staring at his cereal, and John and Sherlock watched, both feeling quite helpless now that the time had come.

They drifted through the morning's lessons, none of them paying attention, and soon, Professor McGonagall was coming towards them in the Great Hall at lunch.

'Potter, the champions have to come down to the grounds now… you have to get ready for the First Task.'

'Okay.' Harry dropped his fork and stood up.

'Good luck,' Hermione whispered. 'Remember to focus.'

'You've got this,' Dean murmured.

'Yeah.' Harry left with McGonagall.

Cas then stood as well. 'I should go,' he said. 'I'm helping Madam Pomfrey in the first aid tent.'

'What? Since when?' Dean said.

Cas shrugged.

'Is that a good idea?'

'That's not up to you, Dean.' He walked away before Dean could say anything else.

John, whilst feeling a lot more alert than he had the day before, couldn't bear to try and eat anything else. 'Might as well go down,' he said to Sherlock. 'Coming?' he said to the rest of them.

None of them seemed very interested in their food either, so they made their way out into the grounds.

A slow trickle of students were already on their way down to the edge of the forest, where they were being directed along by the teachers.

They made their way around the trees and found themselves staring at stands almost as big as the Quidditch pitch that was slowly filling with people, circling an enclosure full of rocks. It was also very high up off the ground and John heard Sherlock gulp. There was no sign of the dragons yet, but John could hear them on the other side of the enclosure.

There were two tents set up near the entrance, one for the champions, and one for first aid. Since they were early, they got good seats and nervously waited for the task to start, with Dean glancing down at the tents every few seconds.

The stands filled, and the chatter was loud, then, the far end of the stands became filled with activity.

Dragon trainers were bringing in the first dragon. It's scales were silvery blue, dazzling the crowd. John inhaled sharply. The only dragon he'd ever seen before was Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback, and he had been a baby. This one was full-grown, and angry. Her eggs were brought in beside her, and laid down on the floor, along with one golden egg.

'What dragon is that?' John asked.

'Swedish Short-Snout,' Sherlock said.

The dragon trainers retreated to the outside edge of the enclosure, and Ludo Bagman hurried to the judges box, halfway around the stands, as a whistle was blown.

'Welcome, everyone, to the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament!' Bagman announced, once again taking the position of commentator. 'For this task, the champions must use all of their daring and nerve, each facing a dragon to retrieve their very own golden egg! First up, against the Swedish Short-Snout, Mr Cedric Diggory!'

The crowd cheered as Cedric, visibly pale even at this distance, walked in from the other end.

The dragon didn't see him a first, as he cautiously approached it. Then it smelled him, and turned towards him, growling, but unwilling to leave her eggs.

Cedric looked as though he was thinking for a moment, then drew his wand and cast his eyes around. He pointed his wand at a small rock, and they all watched in amazement as he Transfigured it into a golden retriever.

It ran towards the dragon, then swerved around in front of it. It's great, silvery head followed the dog around, still growling.

Cedric took advantage of the dragon's distraction, and made a dash for the egg. He grabbed it, and ran away, as the crowd cheered wildly, but on his way back, the dragon noticed him again, and it unleashed blindingly blue fire. Cedric dodged out of the way, but not quickly enough, and half of his face was engulfed.

The dragon tamers were on the Short-Snout as soon as Cedric had run out of the way, and he was escorted inside the first-aid tent by Professor Sprout.

The dragon was then removed from the enclosure, along with her eggs.

They waited until Cedric emerged from the tent, half of his face slathered in a thick layer of the burn paste.

'Very good, indeed!' Bagman shouted. 'And now, the marks from the judges!'

Madame Maxime raised her wand first, and a ribbon twisted out of the end of it forming the number six. Then Mr Crouch, who gave him a seven. Professor Dumbledore shot out another seven, Professor Karkaroff a five, and Bagman another six.

There was another cheer, and Cedric went back inside the first aid tent.

Once he was gone, the dragon tamers gathered at the far end of the enclosure and brought out another dragon, with her eggs, and a golden one. This dragon was slightly smaller, and deep green in colour.

'Common Welsh Green,' Sherlock murmured to John.

The whistle blew again.

'One down, three to go!' Bagman yelled. 'Miss Delacour, if you please!'

Fleur came marching out of the champion's tent, her head held high and clutching her wand.

She wasted no time in planting herself firmly in front of it and raising her wand. She caught the dragon's eye, and began waving her wand in a hypnotic rhythm. The dragon followed the movements with her head until she began to droop. Fleur took no risks, and continued to wave her wand until she was completely certain the dragon was asleep. She took a step forward, and the dragon snored, letting out a long jet of fire, catching Fleur's skirt. She quickly doused the flame with a stream of water from her wand, and appeared to be unhurt. She walked slowly up to the golden egg, carefully to make sure she didn't wake the dragon. She picked it up and backed slowly away from the dragon, not taking her eyes off of it until she was a safe distance away.

The crowd burst into applause, and woke up the dragon, but the tamers encircled it, and removed it from the enclosure.

There was no need for Fleur to go to the first-aid tent, so the judges gave her her marks straight away. A seven from Madame Maxime, a six from Crouch and Dumbledore, and a five each from Karkaroff and Bagman.

Fleur walked away, and then another dragon was brought into the enclosure.

It was skinny, bright red, and had a crown of golden spikes circling its head.

'Chinese Fireball,' said Sherlock.

Its eggs were arranged around it, as was the third golden egg. A whistle was blown.

'And, here comes Mr Krum!' Bagman cried, as Krum slouched into the enclosure.

He eyed up the dragon, and it him. He pointed his wand at the dragon and yelled something. A jet of orange light shot from his wand and hit the dragon right in the eye. It let out a terrible, loud shriek, and stumbled around the enclosure. Krum darted around the dragon towards the golden egg. He dodged it as it stumbled, narrowly missing being crushed underfoot several times, though many of its eggs were not so lucky.

Finally, Krum scooped up the egg and dashed away, waiting on the outer edge while they took the dragon away. It was still squealing by the time the tamers had taken it out of the enclosure.

He too received his marks from the judges straight away: A six from Madame Maxime, a five each from Crouch, Dumbledore, and Bagman, and a ten from Karkaroff.

At last, it was Harry's turn.

Before he came out, the tamers brought out the final dragon. An evil-looking thing, black all over with razor-sharp spikes on its tail, as well as its head. It thrashed about violently, as the tamers brought it in, and they could barely contain it as they arranged the eggs.

'Hungarian Horntail,' Sherlock and John said in unison.

Sherlock blinked in surprise. 'Is the curse wearing off?'

John shrugged. 'I just don't see how it could be called anything else.'

The final whistle blew, and Harry came out into the enclosure.

John held his breath, and heard everyone around him doing the same.

Harry raised his wand, and shouted, 'Accio Firebolt!'

They all waited, Harry staring down the dragon, then suddenly, Harry's broom flew into the enclosure, and the crowd cheered wildly. He mounted and kicked off, flying higher and higher until he was no more than a pinprick. He flew around and around in circles, the Horntail watching him, head revolving in circles. Harry dove just as the dragon breathed a tongue of flame. It missed with the fire, but its tail came up to meet him, and a gasp resounded around the stands as it grazed his shoulder. He continued to fly around it, just out of reach of both fire and tail, which thrashed around. It was clearly itching to get at Harry, and with an exasperated roar, it finally took off. Harry waited for it to get a little height, then shot down, scooping up the egg, and soared away.

John let out a great sigh of relief, leaning back in his seat and putting his hands on his head.

Dean hollered loudly, jumping on his toes.

Harry landed once the dragon had been removed from the enclosure, and was escorted to the first aid tent by Hagrid and Professor McGonagall.

Dean was the first to get up and go down to the tent, eager to check on Cas, with Sam close behind.

The tent was divided into cubicles. Madam Pomfrey was in a closed one with Cedric, and Cas was standing near the entrance. His jaw was clamped shut, but he was grinding something up in a pestle and mortar, staring at it intently.

Dean touched him on the shoulder, and he dropped the mortar, making a strange, strangled inhaling sound.

'Just me,' Dean said, picking up the mortar. He tried to give it back to Cas, but his hand had balled into a tight fist.

'Are they gone?' he whispered through gritted teeth.

'Yeah, they're gone.'

Cas sighed, dropped the pestle as well, and put his head in his hands, staggering heavily to the side.

Dean put his arms out to catch him if needed. 'What can I do? Do you need anything?' he asked in concern.

Cas shook his head.

Just then, John and Sherlock came in.

John blinked and squinted at Cas. 'Cas, are you glowing?' he said.

Cas's head snapped up, eyes wide and extremely blue. He frantically examined himself.

'Are you seeing this?' John asked Sherlock, staring.

Sherlock nodded slowly.

'I don't see anything,' Dean said, looking Cas up and down, lingering on the eyes for a moment.

'Me either,' said Sam.

'Okay, so, he has glowed, or he will glow?' John asked, still staring.

Cas began to get even more agitated.

'What do you need?' Dean said even more firmly.

Cas's eyes swept the tent. 'Gabriel,' he finally murmured.

'That's easy, we can do that,' Dean said. 'Sam?'

'On it,' Sam said, already half way out of the tent.

'Just sit down,' Dean said softly to Cas, leading him into one of the cubicles.

John nudged Sherlock and they both suppressed giggles, not failing to notice the softness with which Dean spoke to Cas.

Harry then came out of his own cubicle, healed and ready for his scores. He made towards the entrance, but Hermione came darting inside, with Ron in tow.

'You were amazing!' she squealed. 'You really were!' She had fingernail marks on her face from where she had been clutching her face.

Ron, however, was pasty white, and was looking at Harry as if he were a ghost. Everyone stared at him for a moment, then he said in a serious tone, 'Harry, whoever put your name in the Goblet, I - I reckon they're trying to do you in!'

A tense silence filled the room.

'Finally caught on, have you?' Harry said coldly. 'Took you long enough.'

Hermione looked nervously from Harry to Ron.

Ron opened his mouth, but Harry beat him to it.

'It's okay,' he said. 'Forget it.'

'No,' said Ron, 'I should've-'

'Forget it.'

Ron grinned nervously, and Harry grinned back.

Then Ron turned to John. 'Listen, mate-'

'Yeah, yeah, it's over with now,' John said, rolling his eyes.

Then Hermione burst into tears.

'There's nothing to cry about,' Harry said, bewildered.

'You're all so stupid,' she said, stomping her foot.

The entrance to the tent opened, and Sam had returned with a very flustered-looking Gabriel. He brought Gabriel to where Cas was sitting, and the rest of them went out to get Harry's scores.

Cas had his hands tightly clasped in his lap, his whole body shaking.

Gabriel knelt in front of him. 'Do you need to go?' he said quietly.

Cas nodded jerkily. 'I can't - move,' he forced out.

'That's okay, we'll help you, right, Dean?'

'Yeah, of course.'

'Let's just take this slow…' Gabriel held Cas by the arms, and Dean put his hands either side of Cas's waist. 'Aaaaand up we go.'

Gabriel and Dean lifted him to his feet.

'All right, hard part's over, let's go.'

'Wait, if he needs to go to the hospital wing, shouldn't he stay here with Madam Pomfrey?' Dean asked.

'We're not going to the hospital wing,' Gabriel said.

'Then where?'

'Somewhere safe.'

'But-'

'Not now, Dean,' Gabriel said firmly. He lead Cas out through the back of the tent.

Cas briefly glanced back at Dean, and for a moment, Dean thought Cas's eyes were almost luminous, but then he was gone and Dean was sure he had imagined it.

Harry ended up tying for first place with Krum, and on their way back up to the castle, Rita Skeeter jumped out at them, her acid-green robes blending perfectly with her Quick-Quotes Quill. 'Congratulations, Harry!' she beamed. 'I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel now about the fairness of the scoring?'

'Yeah, you can have a word,' Harry said savagely. 'Goodbye.'

Welcome back everyone! Sorry for neglecting this a bit. Thanks to VegasGranny, Lady among the trees, DaughterofMagic3 and two Guests for the reviews! Hopefully see you all again soon!