Hiccup and Toothless were sitting in the common room, adding notes to their makeshift Book of Dragons. It was still early morning, and most of the other Vikings were out enjoying the perfect flying conditions. Astrid and Ruffnut were hanging out with Hermione instead, getting ready for the Ball in the evening. Hiccup had opted for staying in, feeling as though he deserved a good rest.
It was just as well they'd decided to stay in, as Dumbledore and Professor Moody entered the dorm without even knocking. Hiccup glanced angrily at Toothless before shutting the book, placing his charcoal pen down, and turning to face Dumbledore.
"Where are the rest of your gang?" Dumbledore asked.
Hiccup shrugged, looking anywhere but at the head of the school. "Out and about," he answered vaguely.
Dumbledore appeared to grow angry, but contained it. Hiccup was glad, neither he nor Toothless were going to tolerate much more from any of these stupid wizards.
"Your group needs to be more careful around the students, the dragons are scaring them," Dumbledore warned.
Hiccup looked into the cold eyes of the old professor. "Not our problem," he said coldly.
"I don't think you understand –" he started, but Hiccup interrupted.
"No, you don't understand." His green eyes were hard, and he took a step forward. "You can't expect a bunch of dragons to stay cooped in a tower for long, especially when their riders are busy working with other dragons. Dragons are gonna do what they're gonna do, and you can't stop that."
Professor Moody frowned, his glass eye watching Toothless as he moved. "That may be so, but the students of the school don't need to be terrorised by the beasts."
Hiccup rolled his eyes and looked at Toothless for a moment. "If you hadn't noticed, we fly over the Black Lake and Forbidden Forest. We don't go near your precious students."
Dumbledore held up his hands. "We're getting side-tracked here," he intervened, changing the topic. Hiccup turned from Moody to Dumbledore, still frowning. Toothless behind him was showing teeth, proving to be quite the opposite of what his name suggested.
"In order to show the students there is no danger around your dragons, at the very least, Professor Moody will be teaching a lesson on how to defend one's self against an attack," Dumbledore explained.
Hiccup nodded. "What does that have to do with me?" he asked, suspicious. He had an inkling on what the headmaster was saying, but he wasn't sure he wanted to believe him.
Moody looked at his watch before answering. "Tomorrow, throughout my classes, I would like you and your black beast, to demonstrate how to defend yourself."
Hiccup scowled. He hated when he was right. "Toothless wouldn't attack anyone anyway, why should he attend this class?"
Dumbledore's gaze turned firm. "The point is for students to learn there is nothing to be afraid of, and learning how to defend themselves against dragons isn't a bad idea," he said pointedly.
Hiccup stiffened, knowing exactly what the headmaster was referring to. The stupid treaty which stated that the Vikings would have to join forces with Voldemort if he requested it. None of the Vikings were impressed, not even the twins who were usually all for destruction and death.
"You want Toothless to attack the students?" Hiccup finally asked, trying to sound normal. His insides were seething, but he wasn't going to let the wizards know. He knew Toothless could tell, but he would be the only one.
Professor Moody nodded. "We'll be having our lessons in the courtyard tomorrow. The beast will just have to stand there whilst the students cast defensive spells. That way, they will believe they can survive a dragon attack."
Hiccup frowned, looking at Toothless worriedly. The dragon didn't look too pleased. "In other words, Toothless will be standing idly as wizard's blast him with numerous spells," he said, anger leaking into his voice. Toothless hissed angrily, not liking the idea.
"Correct. It's better to be safe than sorry," Moody said.
Hiccup stepped back into Toothless, placing a hand on his snout. He wasn't sure who needed the reassurance more, him or the dragon. He was pretty upset about the whole ordeal, his best friend would most likely be harmed because the wizards were conceited beings who were only concerned about themselves.
"What about the others?" Hiccup asked, referring to his friends.
Dumbledore cast a warning look towards Hiccup and Toothless. "They are not to help."
"Why not?"
The headmasters gaze got even more menacing, if that were possible. "You're the one who exposed his dragon to be dangerous. You will deal with this one yourself."
Both wizards turned to leave without another word. Hiccup was too busy fuming to say much else, so he supposed it was a good thing. He knew anything he said now, the wizards would use against him later. Toothless glared beside him, his teeth bared, as the headmaster and professor left the room.
Hiccup sighed angrily and leaned heavily against Toothless's wing. He nudged the boy lightly, trying to reassure him. Hiccup smiled and rubbed the dragon's head lightly, just enough to tell him he was alright.
"I thought this was going to be a good day," Hiccup mumbled. Toothless found it in himself to find the humour in his words. His eyes glinted knowingly, making Hiccup look away. "Fine, yeah, it had something to do with Astrid and the dance," he said, trying to settle the dragon. Instead, Toothless barked out a laugh. He pushed Hiccup off him, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
Hiccup rolled his eyes and smiled. "Sure, sure, it's hilarious," he muttered. Toothless just sat up straight and kept teasing his best friend; it was so easy to get under his skin.
The one legged Viking turned around, ignoring Toothless for a moment. When he looked back, determination was fixed on his face. "Come on, let's go out. If those wizards already think we're dangerous, we should be allowed to fly over the school during daylight."
Toothless gave him an are you serious look, but wasn't about to give up a chance to go flying. They walked towards the balcony together and Hiccup settled in the saddle. Hiccup felt Toothless's muscles tighten beneath him as the dragon spread his wings and launched himself into the air.
Hiccup smiled as they climbed into the sky, loving the feeling of the wind against his face.
"Come on, let's give them something to be afraid of."
Harry stared at the clock in the common room. He and Ron sat silently, contemplating their decisions. Somehow, they'd managed to ask two Gryffindor students to the dance, but neither were completely happy about it. Hermione wasn't around, briefly stating she was going out with Astrid and Ruffnut to prepare for the Ball.
"How about a game of chess?" Ron said suddenly, standing up.
Harry nodded and followed him to the table near the window. They set up the game slowly, trying to drag out the time. They didn't really know what they should be doing with their day, but doing nothing was the only plan so far. Harry knew the Ball would also drag on forever since he wasn't sure how to act around his date. She seemed pretty ecstatic to have been asked by the champion, but Harry just wished he didn't have to attend.
Ron started the game of chess, moving one of the pawns. Harry sighed and followed quickly, knowing he'd lose the moment Ron gave him a smirk. Harry sighed and played to the best of his abilities, which wasn't very well, and lost quite horribly.
"Wow, I seriously thought you had me there," Ron said once he'd finally destroyed Harry's king.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. You always beat me."
Ron laughed and nodded. There was no denying the orange haired wizard was the better chess player. After all, he'd been the one to win the chess game when they'd gone hunting for the Philosopher's Stone. Mind, he sacrificed himself, but he still won.
They were distracted by the sound of a large explosion in the sky, making the two boys dash to the window to take a look. They arrived just in time to see a circle of blue light expanding through the clouds, before disappearing completely. Ron laughed and looked to Harry, who looked confused.
"What was that?" Harry asked, still staring at the clouds, where the blue light had vanished from. He couldn't see the source of the explosion, which lead him to believe it was some sort of spell. But who would cast one to the sky? It might have been fireworks, Harry thought.
"Hiccup," Ron said, nodding his head towards the sky. Just as he did, another explosion lit up the sky. This one was louder and closer to the tower. Harry watched a large fire ring move clouds around, before expanding in the same ring of light they'd seen previously.
Harry looked to Ron in disbelief. "How on earth is Hiccup producing that?" he asked, referring to the light show. Just as he'd spoken, another blast lit up the sky. Harry nearly flinched, the boom closer to them every time.
Ron laughed at his friend. "It's Toothless." As he said the name, the large frame of the black dragon came into view, shooting across the sky, wings outstretched and gliding. Harry noticed the red tail fin that belonged to the dragon, but he wasn't sure what it meant.
"That's one powerful dragon," Harry muttered in awe.
Ron nodded. "Yeah, he's pretty deadly. Vikings used to call the Night Fury the unholy offspring of Lightning and Death itself," he grinned.
Harry appeared surprised, unsure of how his friend knew these facts. He wanted to ask too, but he wasn't sure he'd like the answer. Luckily for him, Ron seemed to understand his confusion and answered without being asked.
"Hiccup told me before the first task, when you and I weren't talking, and when you weren't allowed to know the dragons were here." Ron watched the dragon shoot across the sky, getting closer to the tower with every strong beat of his wings. Harry noticed the small boy riding on his back, crouched forward and hands holding part of the saddle. Harry wondered how Hiccup managed to stay on, surely the dragon going so fast would knock him out of the saddle.
Harry saw the dragon shoot another blast, but this one was aimed directly at something. The room vibrated as the blast hit something of the school. He looked up in time to see the mast of one of the school buildings falling down the side of the turret. Ron snickered as students below scrambled to get out of the flaming flags path.
"That dragon has the best aim, too. Never misses," Ron added. It was clear to Harry that Ron thought a lot of the dark dragon. Harry wasn't sure what to make of it: Toothless was pretty scary for his liking, but every time he saw Toothless with Hiccup, it made him think the dragon was no more than an overgrown cat. Harry was almost jealous of the relationship between boy and dragon, but he wouldn't mention that.
Harry watched as another blast tore another flag down from the turret of a building. Ron snickered. "He's going to get in trouble for that."
The pair watched out the window, the determined flight path of the deadly dragon. It seemed to have a motive behind its shots too, which didn't surprise Harry. The dragon wouldn't have been blowing up parts of the school for no reason. Harry was glad it was just the masts; they would be easy to live without and repair, depending on what the headmaster wanted.
A moment later, the path of the dragon was disturbed, as he pulled up suddenly. Harry noticed a second dragon added to the mix. This one was clearly the twins, with two heads and a green body. The blonde twins sat astride it, which confirmed Harry's suspicions.
The green dragon balanced out and blocked the black ones path. Toothless stayed in the air by beating his strong wings powerfully, but he was still cut off by the green one. The riders appeared to be having an argument, from what little Harry could see of their faces, and it was clear Hiccup wasn't happy.
Something changed in his resolve, as Hiccup and the twins turned the same way and combined their shots. The fire blast that hit the building shook the entire tower. Harry knew why instantly: Hiccup had been aiming for the flag on their own building. Ron laughed beside him, enjoying the show.
"The twins love their destruction," Ron stated. It was clear he was smug about something, maybe about knowing more than Harry about the dragons, but Harry didn't mind. He just wanted to learn as much as he could.
"It would be pretty awesome to fly up there with them," Harry said randomly. He was focused on the black dragon as it landed above them, apparently done for the time being. The green dragon went back to the Forbidden Forest, where it disappeared from sight. Harry got the distinct feeling the twins were hiding.
Ron nodded in agreement. "They did offer," he said.
Harry turned to his friend. "Are you going to take them up on it?" he asked.
Ron shrugged. "Maybe. It might be too scary for me to handle," he laughed as Harry grinned. He was right there. Harry probably wouldn't be able to go too high, or too fast. That would cancel out riding the Night Fury, he thought.
They laughed and looked back out the window, at the smoking turrets that used to have masts. Harry laughed, earning a confused look from Ron. "Those Vikings are strange, but considering us wizards, they're not too bad," he explained.
Ron grinned. "Yeah, what must they think of us?" he asked, preparing to imitate the Vikings. He pulled out his wand and pretended to bend it in half. Harry laughed as he pretended to shoot a spell out the window.
"Yeah, well, we do come from opposite ends of the pecking order," Harry agreed.
Ron laughed. "No kidding. I don't even know if we should call them muggles." It was a serious problem when wizards didn't know the answer to something like this. They couldn't very well ask them, either. That would be insensitive on a number of levels.
Harry turned to look at the clock on the wall. It was just about lunch time, which meant they still had several hours before they could even begin to think about the ball. He was bored out of his mind, but he wasn't the only one. At least he had Ron, who was helpful and a good friend. They could always beat each other in chess again, or do some homework. Harry nearly cringed at the thought.
"We should just head to lunch early," Ron suggested, voicing Harry's thoughts. At least in the Hall they would be able to sit in a different environment, possibly be able to keep their minds off the impending embarrassment.
Harry agreed, and they left the common room. On their way down the stairs, they encountered a rather giddy Hiccup, who was looking extremely pleased with himself. Harry and Ron exchanged worried glances, before tapping Hiccup's shoulder gently. The young Viking jumped and turned, noticing the wizards for the first time.
"What's got you so happy?" Ron asked sceptically.
Hiccup shrugged. "Well, Dumbledore and Moody just had a crack at how dangerous Toothless was, so we showed him just how powerful he is," he explained. The grin on his face told Harry he wasn't sorry at all.
"By nearly blowing up the school?" Ron said pointedly, a hint of anxiety in his voice.
Hiccup faced forwards as they descended the stairs. "We wouldn't have blown up anything we didn't mean to. Besides, Toothless has the best aim out of anyone. I was more concerned when the twins joined." It didn't sound as though he was defending his actions, more justifying them, and proving to the two wizards that Hiccup wasn't in the wrong. Harry didn't want to believe that he could have been wrong anyway, Hiccup wouldn't have spontaneously decided to blow things up without a valid reason.
"Yeah, the twins seriously like their damage," Ron noted pleasantly. He obviously didn't care too much about the damage the twins had caused, more of what Toothless had done. Ron was pretty nervous about a lot of things, and this was on the list.
The trio walked towards the great hall slowly, talking about random subjects. The Tournament and Hiccup's dragons didn't come up at all, rather they talked about the Ball and homework they each had. Harry was surprised to hear Hiccup also had some, but he wasn't about to ask what it was on.
They reached the Great Hall before most of the other students, taking their usual seats. Hiccup sat next to Harry, looking slightly aggravated. Harry watch the other boy's eyes meet the headmaster's, causing Hiccup to frown. The Viking had something strong against the professor, but Harry didn't understand what it was. The headmaster had always looked out for Harry, he didn't see why Dumbledore wouldn't do the same for the Vikings as well. All things considered, the Vikings deserved a medal for helping with the tournament as much as they had.
Harry talked to Ron across the other side of the table, as they waited for the room to slowly fill. Hiccup was lost in his own thoughts, Harry noticed, and decided it best not to disturb him.
Just before the meal opened, Hermione entered, along with the two Viking girls. She grinned and hopped onto the seat next to Harry. He grinned at her, and she waved her greetings to Ron. The three started to talk about their morning adventures, as food appeared on their plates.
"Did you see what happened on the roofs this morning?" Hermione asked randomly, looking at Harry and Ron. Harry had to guess she hadn't been able to see the dragons blowing up the school flags.
Ron snickered, his eyes darting to Hiccup. The one legged Viking watched Ron for a moment, gaining the attention of all the Vikings. "Yeah, Hiccup was trying to prove a point," he laughed as Astrid's face twisted with anger, Hiccup's own showed slight worry.
"Hiccup! What were you trying to prove this time?" Astrid asked loudly, clearly annoyed.
He hushed her, trying not to make a scene. "Just had a score to settle. Besides, it's not like we did any real damage."
Astrid glared at him. She clearly had a number of things she wanted to say to him, and he to her, but they were keeping it to themselves, for the sake of the wizards around them. Harry felt bad for Hiccup. With the little Viking looked so breakable, he didn't understand how Hiccup managed to make a living with the Vikings. He didn't understand their way of life, but Harry knew Hiccup was an abnormality, judging from the looks of the other Vikings gathered.
Half way through the meal, as Harry was talking with Hermione about their DADA homework, Hiccup stood and left the hall hurriedly. The Hall went silent as the metal leg clacked on the floor, making it known the Viking was leaving. Hiccup ignored the stares he got from everyone and left with a determined look on his face.
Harry turned to Astrid, who was looking just as confused as he was. That didn't ease his troubled mind, of course. Had he said something? Had the Vikings?
"What was that about?" Ron asked, voicing all their thoughts.
Astrid looked to the door, where she'd last seen Hiccup, before looking at Ron. "Have no idea. He's been acting pretty strange lately anyway." She explained. Harry felt a worry grow deep inside him, for the boy who'd helped him so much over such a short period of time.
"Maybe he and Toothless are fighting." Snotlout suggested. Astrid looked doubtful, but said nothing, as the twins were getting in first.
"Bags the Night Fury!" Tuffnut said quickly.
Ruffnut groaned in annoyance. Clearly, the Vikings were keen on getting their hands on the Night Fury, well, with the exception of Astrid and Fishlegs.
Fishlegs coughed, signalling he was about to say something. Eyes turned to him, and he paused, before announcing his thoughts. "I don't think that's it. He's still trying to figure out how to break the contract with the dark wizard."
Astrid nodded before shaking her head, which left Harry confused. "If that were it, he would have told us. It's something else."
Tuffnut opened his mouth, but was silenced by Fishlegs as he said strongly, "They're not fighting." The twins deflated, both looking pretty annoyed.
Astrid turned her eyes to the large table, and Harry noticed Gobber nodded. They seemed to be having a silent conversation, to which Harry couldn't understand.
The conversation split broke off when two people stood over the twins. Harry looked up to see Fred and George looking down at the Viking twins in amusement, their eyes sparkling with mischief. Ron pressed his palm to his face, looking away as a smile crept across his face. Hermione and Harry watched as the two Viking twins turned around, fully prepared to fight off the attacker.
"You guys should team up with us some day," Fred said, looking at Ruff and Tuff as they stood up.
Ruff grinned. "Yeah, combined we'd be able to take down the entire building," she exclaimed happily.
Harry saw Fishlegs and Astrid look completely annoyed, probably at how foolish they were being. The wizard twins, combined with the Viking twins, they would form a formidable team, one that would destroy everything in its wake. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea…
Ron noticed Harry's thoughtful face, before he looked to the two pairs of twins. His own brothers were grinning like crazy at Ron, obviously their heads were already filled with ideas. Ron swallowed nervously and looked back to Harry.
"Can you start with the potions lab?" he asked.
George laughed. He turned to his twin, his eyes sparkling. "Nobody really likes that class anyway," he agreed. Ruff and Tuff both exchanged waked grins.
"We've got the best dragon for the job," they said in unison.
All four laughed as they high fived. Harry looked to Hermione, who was looking pretty sourly at the four twins. She was never in favour of destroying school property, she did somehow find a way to enjoy Professor Snape's potion class, even though he was highly against the muggleborn girl.
"Everyone's crazy today," Astrid muttered. Harry chuckled to himself, silently agreeing. The Vikings and wizards may have been completely different, but that didn't mean they weren't also similar.
Hiccup entered the tower room confidently, barely giving Toothless the hello he deserved as he walked to the table where his notes all sat. Toothless followed curiously behind, looking over his riders shoulder, as Hiccup pulled a blank sheet of paper out, as well as the sketch designs for Toothless's tail.
Toothless waited patiently as Hiccup sat down on the floor, spreading out his drawings and sketches, matching pencils to each for notes. It was clear to Toothless that Hiccup was determined about something, he just wasn't sure what.
Hiccup started to sketch something on his paper, drawing lines out as he added another detail. He hummed as he worked, focused entirely on the work. He was annoyed as well, but he was doing this for the safety of his best friend.
After some time, Hiccup had managed to combine several of his sketches to form a final design for a new tail for the dragon. He held it up to the dragon. Toothless stared at it in confusion, unable to read the runes that sprouted from lines pointing to the tail fin. Hiccup smiled and explained.
"It's a new tail, it'll allow you to fly without my having to be with you," he said, watching as the dragon spat at the idea. Hiccup put the paper down and sighed, walking closer to the dragon. He held the dragon's head in his arms, looking into his green eyes.
"This way, tomorrow you can escape, and not be injured by the spells." At least his dragon would be safe, Hiccup thought. He couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him. Just as Toothless cared for Hiccup, he too cared for the dragon. They both knew they would die for each other, but they also knew they couldn't live without the other. Complications, right?
Toothless gave Hiccup a look, one which told him he wasn't about to leave Hiccup on his own with the wizards. Hiccup chuckled and shook his head. "You wouldn't be leaving me, anyway. I won't be surprised if they try they're defensive spells on me too, and I know you won't be having that."
The dragon snorted fiercely, as if saying, darn right I won't. Hiccup laughed and nodded. "See? I'm not keen on hanging out with the wizards any more than you are."
Toothless looked at the design again, this time with a happier outlook. Hiccup grinned and picked it back up, rolling it into a scroll which was easier to carry. He tucked it under his arm and walked to the door. "Come on, we've got work to do."
The dragon followed carefully behind his one legged rider, as they descended the tower slowly. Hiccup knew the only place he would be able to get the materials he needed for the new tail was on the boat, where he'd stored several for the trip. Of course, travelling with a blacksmith also had its perks, as Gobber had brought his own supplies, to which Hiccup would add to his own.
As they made their way through the courtyard, they passed a rather unfriendly face. Of course, Malfoy couldn't just walk past Hiccup, he had to make a scene. Hiccup frowned as he stopped in the open courtyard, facing Malfoy and his two friends. The young wizard hadn't seemed to notice the black dragon looming behind Hiccup, watching in the shadows. He was clearly ready for the pounce if Malfoy threatened his precious rider.
"All alone today, Hiccup?" the white haired wizard sneered. His goons snickered behind him, enjoying the ridicule of the one legged boy.
Hiccup sighed, trying to pretend Toothless wasn't there. "What's it to you?" he asked, keeping his voice low. He didn't want to start a scene around the wizards that would cause more trouble than it was worth, and it wasn't worth much.
Malfoy laughed, a smirk on his pale face. "Oh, nothing. Just amazed you're still alive."
Hiccup frowned, wondering what the boy was getting at. "Why wouldn't I be?" he said exasperatedly.
"Just hoping that black beast of yours had finished you off," Malfoy replied with a shrug. Hiccup heard a low grumble in the background and knew instantly who it was, but Malfoy didn't look like he had heard it at all.
"For your information, however deadly he may be, that dragon would never hurt me," Hiccup said, standing taller. He was lopsided, because of his metal leg, but he needed to defend his best friend. He wasn't about to stand there and have Toothless dissed because of how he acted around him. Toothless was stronger than anyone gave him credit for, and Hiccup was about to make everyone know it.
Malfoy snickered. He looked down at Hiccup's metal leg and a sneer formed on his nasty face. Hiccup frowned as he looked at Malfoy, knowing another crack was coming. Couldn't the blond wizard just leave him alone?
"I'm Hiccup," Malfoy started, his voice rising in an imitation, causing the real Viking to frown. "I'm the leader of the Vikings and all dragons are my friends. My leg fell off and I'm as weak as I look." He started to laugh as he finished his imitation, his goons following. Hiccup scowled and turned away, looking for Toothless.
"I don't sound like that." Hiccup said, his voice firm and strong. He was getting pretty fed up with the school in general, he wasn't about to pretend to be enjoying this anymore. It didn't help that Malfoy was taking swings at everything he could find.
"By the way, my leg didn't fall off," Hiccup stated. He felt something stand behind him, and judging by the looks on Malfoy and his friend's faces, it was his dragon. Hiccup turned slightly, letting Toothless stand next to him rather than behind.
Hiccup sighed, knowing the fight was over for now. "Look, we've got something to take care of. We'll see you later." He put extra emphasis on the we, letting Malfoy know if he wanted Hiccup, he was going to have to deal with the dragon too. It was a package deal.
Toothless glared at Malfoy a moment after Hiccup had already started walking off, before he followed his friend. Hiccup grinned and ran away from the dragon playfully, leaving the dragon walking in a confused manner. Hiccup laughed and beckoned for him to follow. It took a moment for Toothless to understand their game, before the dragon's eyes sparkled in competition.
Hiccup ran out of the courtyard and onto the open grass fields. He ran down the hill, closely followed by the dragon. He sped up, careful as he placed his metal leg on the rough grass surface, and headed for the Black Lake where their boat was docked.
Toothless was keeping a steady pace behind his rider, until they were several strides from the water. He jumped into the air, his wings keeping him up, as he landed in front of Hiccup. Toothless trapped the boy within a circle of his own body, before pushing him to the ground and landing on top of him.
Hiccup laughed as he breathed out quickly, the adrenaline of the chase wearing off, and his breaths short. Toothless barked out a laugh as he hopped off the young rider and stood back, allowing Hiccup to catch his breath.
It took a moment, but as he stood up, Hiccup was better. He smiled and hugged Toothless, wrapping his arms as far around the dragon's body as he could. Toothless pressed his head gently against Hiccup's back, embracing the boy, before he pushed him off him entirely.
Hiccup laughed and looked to the water, leaning back on his heel. Toothless warbled lowly and waited for his Viking to make the first move. Eventually Hiccup took a step towards the docks and headed towards the boat. Toothless followed carefully, not wanting to accidentally break the wooden pier. Hiccup thought it was amusing how careful the dangerous dragon was being.
"It's alright, it's not the docks at home. I don't really care if you blow these up," Hiccup teased gently. Toothless glared at Hiccup for a moment, before relaxing and casually following behind the boy. Hiccup laughed as he boarded the ship from the plank and started to rummage through their boxes of things.
Toothless watched in amazement at the amount of materials the small boy was able to find, including metal rods, hammer, leather, gears, and other bits and pieces Hiccup had on the design sheet. He worked away, looking for everything he needed, so he wouldn't have to come back to the ship.
Hiccup gathered everything in a pile in the centre of the boat, then opened the parchment. He nodded as he checked everything off on the list, then looked to Toothless with a knowing smile. Toothless grumbled and walked towards him, not really upset, but he was almost annoyed.
"Don't worry, it's better than me having to carry all this back," Hiccup laughed. Toothless nodded in agreement. They both knew if Hiccup were to carry all the materials in one go, he would likely fall over with the weight almost doubling his own.
Hiccup loaded the dragon up and attached the bits and pieces to his saddle. "Right, let's get this done before the Ball. I would like to spend some time dancing with Astrid," he said happily. Toothless laughed at his side, as they headed towards their dorm. Hiccup rolled his eyes at his best friend, who was clearly teasing him about his newfound romance.
Harry and Ron were ready and waiting at the foot of the stairs, near the Great Hall. Ron was wearing a pretty ridiculous outfit, red and white with frills. Harry wore a black set of robes, which made him look quite fancy. They were waiting on their dates, Parvati and Padma Patil. While Ron felt uncomfortable in the robes, Harry felt uncomfortable at the idea of having to dance in front of everyone.
There was a movement at the top of the stairs, and Harry and Ron looked up to see Hiccup fiddling with the white collar of his shirt. The wizards looked on in amazement at the scrawny Vikings appearance. What once was scraggly, old clothes, the young boy now had a long sleeved white shirt, black over jacket and black robe. He wore black pants and one black polished shoe. If nobody knew better, you couldn't tell he had a metal leg at all, the way his long black pants covered his leg. Hiccup shifted uncomfortably as he descended the stairs, stopping with Harry and Ron.
"Wow, Hiccup. Where'd the robes come from?" Ron asked curiously. All Harry could do was stare, not wanting to say anything stupid. He himself was wondering where the outfit had come from. Vikings didn't seem like the type of people who would wear this kind of thing on a regular basis.
Hiccup shrugged as he looked over his getup. "McGonagall gave 'em to us, something about being asked by Hermione." He seemed just as confused as Harry and Ron, which made it alright.
Ron laughed after a moment. "Hermione must have asked 'cause poor Astrid would have had a pretty dishevelled date otherwise," he teased.
Hiccup scoffed. "Please, I'll have you know I have nice clothes too." He put his hands across his chest and frowned to Ron. Harry smiled at their banter, before his gaze turned sharply upwards at a movement. He was surprised to see Hermione and Astrid standing at the top of the stairs, both in beautiful gowns.
Harry looked to Hiccup briefly, seeing his awestruck face staring intently at Astrid. Astrid was beautiful, a long straight blue dress with a tie around the middle, low neck and short shoulders. She was quite the sight with her hair done elegantly, left down apart from her fringe which was plaited and tied together at the back, a white rose in the middle to hide the tie. She had a brushing of silvery makeup across her eyes, making the blue in them strikingly vibrant.
From Astrid, Harry looked to Hermione with a small smile. Ron couldn't seem to stop staring at their best friend, which made Harry laugh inside. She had on a gentle periwinkle-blue dress which went to the floor in smooth ruffles. Lighter material crossed her shoulders and created a small bow across her chest. Her hair was up in a bun, a smooth curl hanging down past her shoulders. She was stunning.
Harry watched the two girls descend the stairs slowly, trying to be careful in the shoes they were in. It was clear to Harry that Astrid had never been in shoes with heels as the ones she had on, which made it all the more impressive at how quickly she was picking it up.
Someone walked beside Harry and stood there, watching Hermione. Harry turned carefully and noticed it was Viktor Krum. Harry smiled internally, his prediction had been correct. The famous Quidditch player harvested feelings for his best friend, which explained the second task a bit more now.
Krum winked to Hiccup as he walked up to Hermione and kiss her hand gently. She blushed and walked with him into the ballroom, nodding to Harry and Ron. She gave Hiccup the universal go for it sign and kept up with her date.
Hiccup smiled as Hermione left, then turned his attention onto his own date. Astrid reached the bottom of the steps and smiled as she took in her partner's neat appearance. She looked surprised when she saw he was covering up the false leg, but chose not to bring it up.
Hiccup reached for her hand, but Astrid quickly put a stop to it. "Don't even think about it." She managed a small glare, which had Hiccup holding his hands in surrender.
"Wasn't going to," he said defensively, a smile on his lips. It was clear to Harry he was smitten with her, and her beautiful dress wasn't helping him reign in his usual gawking.
Harry looked to Ron, who smiled. They waited for a moment, Hiccup and Astrid already entering the ballroom. The sound of giggling alerted them to their own dates, who were walking towards them quickly. Parvati was wearing dress robes that were a shocking pink, whilst Padma wore dress robes that were a bright shade of turquoise. They both looked beautiful, all done up. Harry felt bad for the girls, knowing him and Ron wouldn't be very good dance partners.
Parvati stood in front of Harry as he greeted her cheerfully. She smiled and allowed Harry to take her hand and lead her into the ballroom.
The moment they were inside, heads turned to them. They were the last of the champions to arrive inside the hall, so the first dance was to begin. Harry lined up behind Cedric and Cho, with Hermione and Krum in front of them. The music started playing, and Harry took a brief look at Cho, who was looking breathtaking as usual. He felt a brief moment of wishing, where he wished he was with Cho rather than Parvati but that thought vanished quickly when Parvati pulled him onto the dance floor and started to lead the dance.
Harry was quick to pull the dance back into his own game, leading the girl instead. Parvati smiled at the crowd, clearly showing off the fact that she was with the champion and they weren't. Harry felt pretty annoyed at that, but he wasn't about to say anything. He wasn't going to dance again, either, so he figure he would let her have the glory for the moment.
The first dance ended and Hiccup smiled as he gently pulled Astrid towards the dance floor. She blushed gently as he twirled her around as the next song started. It was slow and pleasant to dance to, even for Hiccup. Astrid followed Hiccup's lead happily, looking deep into his green eyes.
Hiccup held Astrid delicately as she twirled under his arm. It was almost awkward for him, considering he was the same height as her, but they made it work. Astrid leant into Hiccup, placing her head on his chest. He blushed as she stayed there, swaying to the beat to keep them moving. He felt eyes on him, but he chose to ignore them.
Glancing around, he saw his friends sitting at the food table, happily stuffing their faces. Snotlout was watching with envy, clearly jealous of Hiccup with Astrid. Hiccup smiled internally, he'd never been able to make his cousin jealous before; he'd always been jealous of his cousin, if anything.
Hiccup saw Hermione and Viktor Krum twirling on the floor as well. Krum appeared rough and hard, but Hiccup saw the slight blush on Hermione's cheek as she leaned in to him on her own. Hiccup thought it was cute to see her behave that way, different to how she was around her two wizard friends.
"Where'd you disappear off to earlier?" Astrid asked quietly, still leaning in to Hiccup's chest. It was obvious to him she didn't want to say it loudly, for everyone to hear.
Hiccup shrugged gently as he turned around, heading off the dance floor. Astrid followed and sat beside him at a chair. Turning his head carefully, to see who was around him and in hearing range, he just saw Harry and Ron sitting by themselves watching the dance. Hiccup wondered briefly where their dates had gone, but he realised he didn't really care.
"I had to sort something out. Besides, nothing interesting happens here, so I didn't miss much," he replied to her earlier question. Astrid smiled slightly in agreement, watching people on the dance floor. Hiccup wasn't sure if she wished she was still out there, or if she was one of those girls who'd always dreamed of going to a dance with a guy and having a sweet slow dance.
Astrid leant into Hiccup. "I really want to go home," she muttered into his chest.
Hiccup nodded in agreement. He rested his hand against her head and smiled. This was one of the moments he lived for, the moments where he could love Astrid, and she'd return his feelings. There weren't any complications, no dragons or Vikings alike who would judge them, just him and her.
"I want to too. And I know Toothless does," he said sadly.
Astrid frowned. Hiccup worried for a moment, thinking it was because he'd mentioned Toothless, before she calmed his thoughts. "These stupid wizards just think they can make us do whatever they want. They think this is our true nature, to be bending to their every whim. They're in for a shock soon," she muttered darkly.
Hiccup nodded firmly. "Yeah, you and Snotlout'll shock the school. I hope it's soon, I really don't want to be here anymore. I just want to be home, where we can fly, train our dragons, be in peace."
The girl agreed wholeheartedly. She looked into Hiccup's green eyes with her blue ones, as she stood up. Hiccup chuckled as he was pulled onto the dance floor, Astrid taking the lead as she always did.
Others may have thought Hiccup, being the male, was in charge, but Astrid was the stronger one. She was the one whose emotions weren't all over the place, the post where Hiccup was the flag. Neither minded the change in roles, they were used to it. With all of Hiccup's upbringing and constant negativity towards him, it wasn't a surprise that the girl was stronger. She had always been strong, and her strength was one of the things Hiccup was drawn to.
"As soon as Fishlegs finds a way for us to break this deal with that wizard, we're out of here," Astrid stated firmly. If she was standing in front of Dumbledore, he wouldn't have argued with her tone. Well, Hiccup thought bitterly, he probably would.
Hiccup nodded. "I hope that's soon," he mumbled as they twirled around on the dance floor. It wasn't long before there were only a few pairs left: him and Astrid, Hermione and Krum, Ron's little sister and Neville who'd given Harry the underwater plant, and three others.
The two danced until no one was dancing anymore, and the stage cleared. They stopped and smiled at each other, satisfied with the evening. Hiccup had been able to take his mind off every little thing about the school and enjoy, for the first time in a long while, his time with his crush. He was happy enough to go without another evening like this for a while.
Hiccup bowed to Astrid as they stopped dancing, and she curtseyed. They laughed at each other, heading out the door. Their previous emotions skipping them and they returned to the friends they usually were, still liking each other, but not sappy.
They exited the great hall, and weren't surprised to see two looming figures waiting for them. Hiccup chuckled as the two dragons bounded over to them and made sure they were still alright. Hiccup exchanged grins with Astrid before he beckoned Toothless over. Stormfly pecked at Astrid happily and the two walked ahead of Toothless and Hiccup to the tower.
On their way, they passed a large corridor with an open window large enough to fit both dragons through comfortably. Hiccup looked to Astrid mischievously.
"Where'd you get that dress from by the way?" he asked curiously, a smug smirk on his face.
She grinned and hopped over to the window, Stormfly in tow. "One of the Gryffindor's said I could borrow it, said it was a spare. Hermione asked of course."
Hiccup chuckled. "Well, you look beautiful. But I bet a nice flight will make it look more natural." He had to admit, the clothes he was wearing were starting to itch, and he was itching to get into the air. He hadn't finished the new tail yet, but he had time before lessons began in the morning to get it finished. Besides, it wasn't the worst thing in the world if he was late.
Astrid nodded and grinned. "Why thank you, kind sir." She jumped up onto her dragon's saddle and beamed down at Hiccup. The dress hitched up as she put her legs on either side of the saddle. Stormfly squawked to Hiccup, telling him to mount his own dragon so they could get a move on.
Hiccup laughed and hopped onto his own saddle. Toothless snorted as he leapt into the air, the Nadder following closely behind. They shot into the sky, a race in their minds. Obviously, Hiccup won, but that didn't mean Astrid didn't try and Hiccup didn't give her the chance.
Somewhere along the way, the rose in Astrid's hair dropped to the ground, but neither notice. They were too busy ignoring the wizard's itchy lifestyle and enjoying the freedom of their own.