Disclaimer: I don't own "Harry Potter", it is hereby © to J.K. Rowling. I wrote this story when I was 11-12 years old and between the years 2001-2003, so the actual "Order of the Phoenix" had not been released yet. Errors in spelling and grammar have been purposely left in to preserve originality and my skill as a young writer. This story is complete. This is a repost.
Chapter Eleven: The First Trial
Harry awoke the next day. He put his glasses on and looked for some clean robes. He found some, put them on, brushed his teeth, and went downstairs to the Common Room only to find Cho waiting for him.
"Hi Harry. We need to be in the Great Hall. We'll be the first one's there. You see, the house pairs are going to have to be there earlier." Cho explained.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"We're going to start the First Trial after we eat breakfast. Of course after the rest of the school eats breakfast too." Cho replied.
"Ok. Should we go then?" Harry inquired.
"Yeah, I guess so." Cho said.
They walked to the Great Hall and found a smaller table that seated eight.
"This must be where we sit." Harry said.
Cho nodded and took a seat. Harry sat down next to her. Malfoy, Pansy, Melly, Mandra, Christopher, and Ryan arrived and took seats at the small table. Plates and food instantly appeared before them. They all began to eat. The rest of the students came into the Great Hall and sat down at their house tables. Food appeared and they all ate in silence. Occasionally an excited hushed whisper could be heard. The breakfast ended and everyone was asked to stand up from their tables. The tables floated and placed themselves neatly against the wall. A large, rectangular platform appeared in place of the house tables.
"The First Trial begins now. Before we begin a quick wand inspection." Dumbledore said when he entered the Great Hall.
Mr. Olivander stepped forward, took eight wands into his arms, and tested each one. They were all in perfect condition.
"Gryffindor pair, you will be against Slytherin. Hufflepuff pair, you will be against Ravenclaw. In First Trial you will have to duel. For example, Harry will have to duel against Mr. Malfoy and Miss Chang is to be against Miss Parkinson. You are not to kill your opponent. Just knock them down so they can't get up anymore. Such methods are stunning, leg-locker curses, and full body bind curses." Dumbledore explained.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward.
"If you do not know, the proper way to duel is simply like this, you have your wands ready, bow to your opponent, you are to walk to the end of your side of the platform, and be ready to cast. We will give you a count of three and you are to begin the duel. Anyone who starts before the count is immediately disqualified." McGonagall said strictly.
Everyone nodded. Dumbledore nodded at the eight students. They moved onto the platform. He nodded again. They all moved forward, bowed, walked to their end of the platform, and all eight were ready.
"One…Two…" Dumbledore counted.
Everyone was getting nervous. Harry could tell. Cho didn't look frightened the least bit. Then again, she did have an extra year of magical training.
"Three!" Dumbledore finished.
"Impedimenta!" Harry yelled.
Malfoy froze.
"Incendio!" Cho shouted.
Pansy's robes caught fire. She screamed. She hadn't learned the spell for water. She hurriedly batted it out with her hands, now covered in ashes.
"Stupefy!!!" Harry and Cho shouted together.
Both spells hit their opponent. Both Pansy and Malfoy fell onto the platform, lying motionless on their backs.
"Gryffindor receives forty points," Dumbledore said. "They were the first pair to defeat their opponent. The First Trial is worth twenty points per person. Both defeated their opponents at the same exact time, so they receive forty points. Currently, Gryffindor leads the Tournament."
Cho watched the Hufflepuff pair. Melly just defeated her opponent. Christopher was having a bit of trouble with Ryan. Mandra was temporarily dizzy and disoriented. In the end, Christopher ended up casting a leg-locker curse on Ryan.