The First Task

With the exception of Ron and Hermione, the common room was empty. Ron had fallen asleep in an armchair beside the dying fire. Hermione was knelt down on the floor, working at a low table. She startled at the sight of Snuffles, who quickly became Sirius. Sirius's brow was knitted with worry as he steered Siria to face him. "Hey, Siria. It's going to be okay." He tried to soothe her. Hermione hurried over and placed a hand over Sirius's, on Siria's shoulder. She looked from Siria's pale, shocked face to Sirius.

"What happened?" Hermione asked. Siria shuddered. Hermione and Sirius eased Siria to an armchair and woke Ron. Sirius told them about the dragons in the Forest. He leaned against the armrest of Siria's chair and placed an arm around her.

"Come now, Siria." Sirius forced a smile, "You've fought a basilisk, what's a dragon?"

"I had a sword and Fawkes, and I wasn't being judged…" Siria stared at her palms, which were spotted in red blotches from how tightly they'd been clenched. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her knuckles to forehead.

"It'll be fine." Siria nodded. "It'll be fine." She nodded again and rose to her feet. "We know what it is. Once Warrington knows, we can all work in the Room for something." Siria looked to Hermione and Ron. "I understand if—" Hermione slung her arms around Siria and shuddered.

"Of course we're helping!" She snapped.

"That's what you were going to ask?" Ron threw his arm in the air and looked at her in disbelief. "You're crazy if you think we'd stop." Sirius patted Siria's hair as Hermione continued to hug her.

"Thank you." He told them.

"Potter-Black?" Madam Pomfrey asked through a crack in the Hospital Wing door. She clicked her tongue under a sad sigh as she opened the door. "The nightmares?" Siria shrugged. With what she had learned, Hermione and Sirius agreed it would be best for her to take a Sleeping Draught. Though Madam Pomfrey wasn't happy to see Snuffles, she didn't stop the large dog from following Siria in.

Curtains had been hung around one of the Hospital Wing beds. Siria set herself up opposite it, on a bed cast in moonlight, beside a cracked window. Snuffles laid out over her feet and Madam Pomfrey left to collect the Draught. "I'll be fine," Siria said as she pet Snuffles. "I'll be fine," she repeated. She hoped that, if she repeated it enough, it would become true.

Madam Pomfrey returned with the Sleeping Draught. "Your dog is getting a pass tonight, only because I don't want you seeing him out this late, but you can't bring him around anymore, alright?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she handed the goblet to Siria and sat down. "The girls in your dorm probably aren't big fans of your little bear." Siria forced a smile and Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips. "I mean it, Potter-Black."

"I know." Siria whispered. "Sirius is just worried about me, with the Tournament, so he's been sending stopping by and sending Snuffles when he can't." Madam Pomfrey's expression softened, as it tended to do when Siria confessed actual worry or talked about Sirius. "He's sent Kreacher too— could I have Kreacher stay with me?"

"No." Madam Pomfrey shook her head. She tucked Siria's hair out of her face. "I'll talk with Sirius and Headmaster Dumbledore." Siria pouted. "We all want what's best for you and I think it's time we came to an agreement. Now, drink up." Madam Pomfrey rose and extended her hand for the goblet. Siria knocked back the Draught then handed it to her.

"I don't like being alone. It's…" Exhaustion washed over Siria. She fell back onto her pillow. "Bad…" she yawned. The room seemed to rock in her tired haze. Buzzing wings filled her ears like a white noise machine and the faint smell of something not quite floral danced over Siria. Moonlight kissed her heavy eyelids until she saw only darkness and sleep. With the Sleeping Draught in full effect, everything only made her more tired. Especially the warm comforting heat radiated from Snuffles, who stayed at the foot of her bed until early morning.

Somewhere, a high voice argued with a croaky one. As Siria started to stir, she could hear them more. They were familiar enough that it made her smile. Something sounded like her name, but if her name had been mashed into her last names… or they were said together. A yawn escaped her and Siria realized she wasn't asleep anymore. She stretched a hand out from under the comforter. It waved through the air before it found the bedside table then felt around for her glasses, bumping into a cardstock box. Siria grumbled nothing in particular as she sat up and put her glasses on. "Merlin—" Siria gasped and clutched her chest.

"You scared Siria!" The high voice of the long nosed, Dobby the house elf told the greying Kreacher.

"Kreacher did not scare Mistress— it was you" Kreacher croaked and jabbed Dobby in the chest "that scared Mistress."

"Morning?" Siria asked through a yawn. "Wha's happening?" She looked around. It was so early that the Wing was mostly dark.

"Kreacher has brought Mistress letters!" Kreacher stepped in front of Dobby. The two attempted to tug the other behind. They looked as if they were trying to compete in a three-legged race without their legs tied.

"Dobby has come to visit his friend," Dobby rested a hand on Siria's bed to stop them from toppling to the ground.

"Gosh!" Siria held her cheeks in her hands and smiled the brightest smile she could manage so early in the morning. "I'm so happy to see you two and that you're both good friends."

"Kreacher is not—" Kreacher began as Dobby also tried to argue against it, but they stopped and stood side by side.

Kreacher had brought Siria a letter from himself, Sirius, Remus, Chloe, and Dudley. Siria thanked him and placed the letters on her bedside. Dobby gave Siria a glass of water, which he stressed was the same glass he brought the last time he took care of her, and a pitcher of water. Kreacher bragged to Dobby about being taught to read and write, and how he was Siria's penpal. Dobby boasted that he got to see Siria every third Sunday and some evenings. Siria blushed and wondered if having Dobby and Kreacher be so fond of her had been earned. She smiled with them as she sipped the water until Madam Pomfrey came out to check on her.

"It wasn't me." Siria immediately told Madam Pomfrey at the stern expression on her face.

"Oh, I know." Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "Boys, I know you adore Potter-Black, but she no doubt has other things to attend to today."

"It's okay," Siria protested. Madam Pomfrey arched an eyebrow at Siria. "Though I suppose I do have a lot of letters to read and preparation for the first task." Siria quickly added. Madam Pomfrey nodded at her. Siria collected her letters and said her goodbyes to Kreacher and Dobby.

"Don't forget that!" Madam Pomfrey pointed to the white ribbon tied, black cardstock box at Siria's bedside. Siria looked to the box.

"It isn't mine." She said.

"The other patient left it for you."

"Oh?" Siria picked up the small box and nodded, "Thanks?"

"Thank them, if they left a note. Good day, Potter-Black." Madam Pomfrey smiled and it felt like the bittersweet smiles Sirius gave Siria whenever he left Hogwarts for the night.

With the letters tucked under her arm, Siria left the Hospital Wing. She untied the silver white ribbon on the box and wrapped it loosely around her hand. It slid out like a matchbox. Siria stopped mid step on the stairs and looked at the contents. The box was made of four rows, two green and two white, of various candies. It smelt vaguely of apples and cinnamon and reminded Siria of something she couldn't quite place, but she felt she had seen similar boxes before. She slid the box closed and made a turn away from Gryffindor Tower.

Though Siria knew the sign read "Out of Order", she couldn't tell under the layer of dust and grime that caked the sign on the girl's bathroom. She cracked the door open and peered inside, before stepping in. Moaning Myrtle was already awake. Myrtle floated above the sinks, sniffling quietly to herself. "Long time no see, Myrtle." Siria offered the ghost a small smile.

"Thank goodness!" Lavender shouted the moment Siria opened the door. "Your psycho friend has been pacing the past half hour wondering if she could get you or not! Get out!" Lavender plopped back onto her bed and threw her pillow of her head. Siria mouthed to Hermione that she needed clothes. Hermione nodded and went to wait in the common room, though Siria wasn't far behind her.

They headed to the nearly empty Great Hall. Cedric Diggory and Terry Boot were already awake and eating. "Granger, Potter-Black!" Terry Boot waved them over to the Hufflepuff table, where he was sitting with Cedric. Siria sat down, but Hermione looked hesitant around. There were twenty some odd other students, all of which were minding their own business. When Hermione sat down, the three other Hufflepuff students at the table smiled and waved at her and Siria.

"I'm glad you're up." Hermione told Cedric and Terry as she served Siria a scoop of chopped potatoes, broccoli, and diced carrots. Siria's jaw dropped at the vegetables and she mouthed "Why?" but ate them with her eggs. "We're so behind preparing for the first task and I was really hoping to leave the Herald early today, if that's okay."

"Of course!" Cedric told her. "Did you want me there today too?"

"I'd feel awful taking you from the Herald," Hermione confessed.

"Take him!" Terry Boot insisted. "We were just talking about how to help."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked and looked at each of them.

"Positive!" Cedric assured her. "If that's alright with you, Siria."

"Please!" Siria felt like knowing that she was facing a dragon was better than not knowing, but she didn't know anything about facing a dragon. She groaned and remembered she knew a few things: they breathe fire, the Hungarian Horntail would probably wreck her, and their hides are so thick it took a group of adult wizards to stun one. Siria was starting to wish they were fighting basilisks instead.

Despite spending the day using the Room of Requirement to search for a way to fight a dragon, the group left for dinner, feeling just as unprepared as when they had entered. "We should keep looking after dinner," Siria proposed.

"No." Warrington shot her down. "We'll look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow, after dinner."

"Cassius is right." Cedric agreed. "We could all use a break."

"And Siria, you hardly slept at all last night." Hermione added. Siria shot Hermione a sideways glare as the Warrington, Cassius, Cedric, and Travers looked to Siria with concern.

"Alright?" Warrington asked her.

"I'm fine!" Siria told them through closed teeth. Maddy laughed and threw an arm around Siria.

"Boy got your eye?" She teased. Siria forced a laugh and Maddy grinned "or girl?" She whispered and let Siria go. Siria felt her eyes widen and her heart stop.

Silent green panic met brown worry as Siria looked to Hermione with her mute cry for help. "You know," Hermione dragged while she searched for a new topic. "Siria… and Ron were talking…" Ron looked to Hermione then Siria with a look that read he wanted to help, but had no idea how. "About talking— with all of us, when we're apart." Hermione seemed to gather her thoughts and brought up how Ron complained that they didn't have an easy way to get ahold of each other and Siria mentioned that it would be easier if electronics worked at Hogwarts. She talked about agreeing, how much she wished there was way, then asked if they had any ideas.

Trapped in her own mind, Siria didn't remember what she had for dinner, if she had dessert, or getting back to her dorm. Her heart thundered so loudly in her ears she couldn't hear anything. Was she still looking at Travers like that? Had Maddy caught Siria staring? Siria put her face in her hands at the desk in her trunk as she played over any moment she could clearly recall staring at Maddy or Travers.

Daphne and Warrington had pointed out Siria's tells of getting awkward and her obvious staring, but Siria thought she had gotten over them. She pressed her eyes closed as she focused on replaying events. Her memory kept pausing on Maddy's thighs, her hips, the haughty way she tilted her head to look down at something, and Siria paused. With how often Siria checked Maddy out, it was more of a surprise that Maddy hadn't said something sooner. Siria placed her hands around her face and stared at her desk while she dreaded the next time she would see Maddy, until Hermione came down.

"Brought your mail" Hermione told Siria as she placed the letters and box in the space between Siria's elbows. "You okay?"

"Maddy knows… Should I just come out? What if— what if I have to change dorms? Or the other girls hate me? Or—" Siria turned and looked to Hermione.

"I don't know." Hermione confessed. "I'm sure there have been other…"

"It's okay to say 'queer'. I'm queer, it's an umbrella, but I only know one other queer person at Hogwarts and they could put us in a room together, except we're totally different Houses and I feel like everyone's going to assume we're" Siria waved her hands wildly through the air, "you know."

"I just…" Hermione leaned against the desk. "Siria," she placed her hand on Siria's arm, "if you want to come out, then come out. If you don't, try talking with Maddy tomorrow. Maddy may have started helping because she's friends with Travers, but she isn't there just to support her friend's boyfriend anymore."

Siria shrugged and looked to her pile of letters with a sigh. "Tomorrow seems so far away," she confessed.

"Catch her between classes, okay?" Hermione suggested. Siria nodded. "Now," Hermione gave Siria's arm an affectionate tug, "get to those letters. I've seen how slow you reply."

"Thanks, 'Mione." Siria smiled. Hermione pecked Siria on the forehead and headed up to study at her desk.

Sirius's letter was an apology for leaving without saying goodbye, but the promise that he would order Kreacher to see Siria whenever he wanted. She smiled at the letter, half surprised Kreacher had not used it as an excuse to stay by her side all day. Kreacher's letter was written with marker on paper. He had written "Kreacher loves U" and drawn a smiley face. Siria tacked the letter to her wall and smiled at it for a moment before she moved on.

Remus had sent her a small stack of Moony & Padfoot surveys, with a letter explaining he hoped some of her friends would fill them out in exchange for a product based on their answers. He kept his request short and spent the rest of the parchment on advice with books, spells, and strategies for the Tournament. Remus ended his letter with "Siria, words cannot express how much we are here for you; if you need us or want us, just ask." She rested her head on Remus's letter before writing her reply, which she slipped a question, about how her fathers had reacted to him when he came out, into the letter.

Chloe's letter felt like a conversation with her. It jumped from if she needed any alterations to her dress, to if she would be needing more dress clothes. Then Siria paused as she came to a personal paragraph. "Don't ever be afraid to talk with Sirius or Remus. They hardly knew me, but were the most supportive people I had. Despite being in a huge burst of growth at M & P, Sirius and Remus were with me every step of the way. Whether you come out or stay in the closet, we're here for you, kiddo."

She went onto say that if Siria's date needed clothes or they wanted to match, to let Chloe know. Chloe had included directions on how to measure people for clothes as a second sheet, but Siria felt like it slipped through her mind under the knowledge that Chloe, who was so vocal, kept things to herself until adulthood was daunting. She didn't know how to reply, but knew that she didn't want to live in the closet that long, waiting for someone else to out her.

Dudley's letter was just his weekly check in letter. Ever since Siria replied to his first letter, he had written each week. It was barely two paragraphs, but hers were about the same. As she couldn't talk about anything magic, Siria mostly just talked about the school paper and if anything funny and noteworthy occurred. Dudley's were similar, but about his were about boxing and his self restraint. He had done better this week and managed not to bully anyone, but confessed "it was probably because I still feel guilty for tripping Burnstone last week."

After she sealed up her replies, Siria looked to the sweet box Hermione had brought down with the letters. Though she slid the inside completely out, there wasn't any sign of a letter or card. She had asked Sirius in her short reply if he had left the box, though she doubted it. Sirius may have left a Gryffindor colored candy box, but certainly not a Slytherin one.

Her heart still hammered in her chest. She knew herself well enough to know there were only nightmares waiting if she tried to sleep. Siria closed the box and grabbed her Invisibility Cloak, Firebolt, and the Marauder's Map.

With the Map and her Cloak, sneaking down to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was a breeze. She pulled off the Cloak and Myrtle offered her a small smile. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming," Myrtle sniffled.

"There'll be times I won't." Siria confessed. She folded the Cloak over her arm and walked to sinks. There, just as before, was the bronze tap with a serpent on it. She used the Snake Summoning Charm, which brought forth a small, green garden snake.

"Open" Siria hissed in Parseltongue at the tap. It dropped down and revealed a slide. Myrtle and Siria followed the slide down and continued the path all the way to the Chamber of Secrets. The muck that coated the ground seemed to have only grown thicker and more putrid. It was as if something other than the basilisk was decaying. Siria stifled her urge to vomit as she laid the garden snake down.

"If it smell so bad, why practice here?" Myrtle asked Siria.

"I told you earlier, the place I practice is too clean and safe. I feel like…" Siria sighed because she felt a little embarrassed to confess it so simply, "With all of them there, I feel like I don't need to be afraid. Even when I get frustrated or have a moment of weakness, I'm safe." Siria raised her wand and looked past the tip, to where Tom Riddle had stood not even two full years ago. "Here… here I remember why I have to be brave."

Siria stalked Maddy out of the Great Hall and knocked her own shoulder as hard as she could into Maddy's. Maddy's books dropped to the floor. She turned to no doubt rip the clumsy fool that knocked into her off, but clenched her teeth together at the sight of Siria. "So sorry," Siria told Maddy and knelt to pick up Maddy's books. Maddy waved for Travers and a Slytherin girl to go on ahead. Travers shrugged and shook her head, but walked on.

The other girl, who Siria looked up at, waited. She was a mountain of a young woman. If the Slytherin Quidditch team ever had a girl on it, it would be this one. Not only was she tall, but she had muscles for days and looked like she could toss Siria across the corridor with one hand. Her black hair was undercut with the right side completely shaved. She had dark brown eyes and a smirk that confused Siria; it almost felt friendly. "Stop checking out my girlfriend," Maddy whispered to Siria.

"What?" Siria looked to Maddy as the blood pulled into her face. "I— she's tall."

"Patricia Kenner," the tall girl offered her hand to Maddy with a widened smirk. "Didn't realize we were going public." Kenner said, but didn't seem to mind.

"Sorry." Siria murmured and fiddled with the strap of her bag. "I wasn't trying to check you out," she confessed while she looked at the ground. "I just, I wanted to make sure Maddy didn't out me." Maddy rolled her eyes back so far she rolled her head.

"Potter-Black, Pat and I may be dating, but we're in too." Maddy told her.

"And it's not cool to out people," Kenner added with a grin to Maddy.

"Potter!" A voice called through the hall and made Siria jump. Professor Moody, of all people, had called her. Maddy gave Siria a shove for show before she left with Kenner. Siria squeezed her bag strap like it was going to trigger an eject switch somewhere and get her away. "Hey, Professor Moody." Siria waved and hoped it didn't look as awkward as she felt.

[Book: B4 341-345 Moody and Siria meet in his office, where he explains how the Foe Glass works and suggests she use a Summoning Charm on her broom, since she's good at Quidditch.]

Wednesday night, in frustration, Siria kicked one of the pillows she had been trying to summon to her. "I can't!" She shouted into the Room of Requirement. Siria crouched down and screamed into her hands until she had no breath left. Warrington had decided on his strategy, which he made with Cedric and Travers. He would be transfiguring a boulder into a dog then turning himself invisible while the dog distracted the dragon.

"Are you done?" Maddy called in a flat tone, from her seat beside Kenner. The two had been working with Hermione, Neville, and Ron on helping Siria with her Summoning Charm. Though Siria had gone from not being able to Summon, she could only Summon things from short distance and if there wasn't any resistance. Kenner elbowed Maddy in the side and gestured to the still crouched Siria.

"What if… what if the Firebolt wasn't so far?" Ron asked. He looked to Hermione, "couldn't we bring it, somehow?" Hermione pressed her knuckles to her lips and thought.

"I suppose… if we were to… that just might work…" Hermione tilted her head from side to side as she seemed to bounce the idea off herself.

"You could…" Kenner told Hermione, who looked to her and nodded.

"But I'm just worried…" Hermione's unfinished words seemed to make sense to Kenner.

After a few minutes of Hermione and Patricia Kenner talking with incomplete sentences Siria stood up and screamed. "Will you please just stop!" Siria clawed her nails against her head. "I am going crazy!" Siria shouted while she dragged her nails down her face. "I'm going to die! Hermione— it's a dragon. I should just lay on the ground and let it stomp on me!" A clap cut through the room when Hermione slapped Siria.

Hermione clenched her lowered hand into a fist and kept the other raised, ready to slap Siria if she tried to fight. Siria didn't. She held her arm, where Hermione had slapped her. "Patricia and I figured it out." Hermione told Siria through her tightened jaw. She explained the plan while she massaged her hand. When Hermione was finished she snapped at Siria "So don't you dare just lie down!"

[Book: B4, 347-350 The days rushes by, Professor McGonagall takes Siria to the champions' tent where Bagman explains they're facing dragons and are to get the golden egg their dragon is guarding. Fleur draws first and draws the Welsh Green.]

"Potter" Bagman held the bag out to Siria.

"Black" Siria murmured. She stuck her hand into the bag and wondered how unlucky she would have to be to draw the Hungarian Horntail, until she withdrew it. Her heart sank. Siria nodded at Bagman. "You're fourth champion in a Tournament for three in unlucky" Siria told herself, "of course you get the Horntail."

[Book: B4, 350-352 Krum & Warrington draw, Bagman tries to offer Siria help, but she declines. Warrington goes first, then Fleur, then Krum]

Her stomach was so twisted that Siria was convinced when she opened her mouth to cast anything, she was going to vomit instead. She took to pacing and playing the plan over in head. The tiny Horntail fluttered in her grasp. "If only I could talk you into fighting the big one for me," Siria choked out a laugh. "Though, if I spoken dragon, I could probably explain I want the gold egg and be fine." She placed the dragon down and looked at her reflection.

Parvati had wrestled Siria's hair into two, tight french braids that met at the base of Siria's neck. The white ribbon from the sweets box was laced between the two braids and tied to a scrunchy. She tilted her head back to put in eyedrops while she still could. Siria blinked as her eyes adjusted to the sudden shift of fluid. After wearing contacts twice, she wasn't as excited as she had been Sirius had given them to her; she was thankful she didn't need to worry about her glasses breaking, but was worried her contacts would dry out too quickly.

Time felt like it had been on fast forward, but, the moment the whistle sounded, Siria felt like it paused. Krum had finished and her time was now. She closed her eyes and steadied her hand on her wand. "You've defeated Tom Riddle and a basilisk," Siria reminded herself, "what's a dragon?"

[Book: B4, 353 Siria enters the enclosure, where the Horntail is. She can't make out the crowd's noise, but knows what she has to do.]

As if she were dueling, Siria raised her wand and summoned a breath that seemed to mute the rest of the world. She pointed before her "Serpensortia!" A light brown viper with a dark brown diamond pattern appeared in the enclosure. She drew the not quiet circle and "Engorgio!" Siria enlarged the viper as much as she could. It was almost the size of the basilisk when she finished.

"Please," Siria pleaded with the giant viper, "Distract the dragon, just for a little bit!" Its large, almost flat, vertical head nodded. The viper flattened out and slithered toward the Horntail. Siria rubbed her arm as if it would knock the nerves out of her then she pointed her wand at the sky. "Accio Firebolt!"

Her hand trembled on her wand as she waited. The snake had neared the Horntail, which was spewing flames. "Please" Siria asked through gritted teeth, "please, please, please!" She felt the anxiety inside her boiling. Something whooshed and Siria called "Revelio!" as her Firebolt appeared before her.

There was more noise than there had been, but Siria knew she couldn't focus on the noise (B4, 354). It didn't matter what Bagman or anyone else was shouting, she needed to get the egg before the dragon remembered she was there too. Siria sped around the rim of the enclosure. Her viper may have been roughly size of a basilisk, but it wasn't equipped like one. The Horntail had stopped it from advancing and limited it to hissing from distance.

"Think…" Siria told herself. The Snake Summoning Charm had been perfect. She practiced it for months as a second year and felt like no amount of stress could stop her from casting it. Lumos was the only other spell she had used as much and she couldn't blind the dragon with it. Siria scanned over the ocean of faces that she couldn't distinguish. Where was Sirius? He had to be there. Hermione had given him the Firebolt. He and Remus were there. It felt as if the tip of a wand had been lit.

"Expecto Patronum!" Siria bellowed. The white and blue Patronus charged from Siria's wand and toward the dragon. She flew to the viper and shrunk it down until it was hardly larger than a normal viper. "Please, get the egg!" Siria called and launched herself toward the dragon. Though she wasn't convinced she wanted its attention, Siria got it as her Patronus dissipated under the dragon's flames.

The dragon seemed to forget about the snake as it watched Siria circle over its head. She snapped down into a short dive, which caused the Horntail to release a jet of fire. Siria whisked out of the way and returned to circling. Dive after dive, just like Oliver Wood had her practice, Siria dropped down and yanked or jerked the broom once the dragon's throat swelled up with flame.

Each breath felt like Siria was so thick and hot it felt like breathing in stew, rather than air. She bobbed down, caused the Horntail to shoot fire, and rocketed up higher than before. Quicker than she anticipated, the viper circled behind the dragon. When the Horntail trashed her tail into the rocks, the viper recoiled. Siria winced as the realization hit her: she was being too safe. She dove directly at the Horntail when it opened its mouth, she jerked her broom out. Siria was even with the Horntail, but just out of reach from her flames.

The Horntail blew jet after jet of fire at Siria. It inched from the nest of eggs, toward her. Siria looped close, but would always pull back the moment the Horntail's mouth opened. From the odd bulge in it, viper had clearly swallowed the egg, which was heavier than anticipated. When the Horntail's tail thrashed again, Siria shot forward. She tried to arch herself around the jet of flame, but felt the burning sensation at her side. Siria swept the viper from the ground and turned as sharply as she could away before rolling off Firebolt and drenching herself with "Aguamenti!"

[Book: B4, 356-358 McGonagall, Moody, and Hagrid bring Siria out of the enclosure and to Madam Pomfrey, who is really upset about the dragons, as she should be. Hermione, Ron, Sirius and Remus arrive]

"Thank Merlin!" Sirius announced and hugged Siria, who was stroking the viper. "I could do without you getting burned, but burnt and alive is… well, it's good." He kissed the top of her head.

"That was a nice Patronus" Remus smiled a Siria.

"If only it did more" Ron huffed and explained what the others had done (B4, 359).

"We'll see you soon." Sirius promised.

"You're leaving?" Siria asked.

"Parents usually only show up for the final task," Sirius explained. Siria groaned.

"Since when do you care what's 'usual'?" She argued, but he and Remus left before the viper spat the egg into her lap.

"Gross." Ron told Siria as she picked up the slime covered egg.

Ron took the Firebolt while Siria carried the egg and the viper followed behind them and Hermione.

[Book: B4, 360-362 Siria, like Harry, is tied for first with Krum. I can't see Karkaroff, who goes last, giving her a better score. If anything, if Madame Maxime were to give Siria a 9, rather than 8, I'm pretty sure Karkaroff would give her a 3. Bagman tells them they have until February to figure out the clue in their egg and prepare for the second task. Rita Skeeter tries to get a word from them, but is blown off]