Chapter 7: Burn baby, Burn
Two weeks had passed since Harry's name had been pulled out of the Goblet of fire and Harry was stressing way more than any fourteen year old boy should. If it wasn't for Hermione's never ending support and patience he would've gone mental.
One day Harry had had enough. They were working in the library on spells that could've helped him in the tournament.
"I've had enough!" He said throwing his books down and jumping to his feet.
"The stress is killing me. Hermione can we go for a walk before it gets dark?"
"I don't know…"
"Please." Harry pleaded.
"Oh alright."
"Ok grab your cloak it'll probably be cold outside."
Ten minutes later Harry and Hermione stepped out into the evening, hand in hand. They walked to the edge of the lake.
"Hermione you wait right there I need to go get something." Before Hermione could say anything Harry had dashed away.
A few minutes later Harry returned with what looked like a large stick. On closer inspection Hermione saw that it was Harry's broomstick.
"Come on Hermione hop on!"
"You know I'm scared of heights."
"That didn't stop you from riding Buckbeak last year." Hermione finally gave in and hopped behind Harry.
"Wait Hermione. Hop in front of me I don't want you sliding off the end." Hermione switched places with him and he put his arms around her waist to reach the broomstick handle. They took off and were soaring through the air.
"Aaaah!" Hermione screamed at the sudden rush of air. Harry simply chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. They flew over the black lake and around the turrets of Hogwarts. They head toward the Forbidden Forest.
Harry guided the broom lower so they were skimming the treetops. They were having a riveting time when out of nowhere came a blast of flame. Harry darted to the left, narrowly missing the column of fire.
"What was that?' Hermione asked.
"I don't know. Lets go lower." Harry landed on a low branch and let Hermione get off as well. He was fastening his Firebolt to the tree when he heard Hermione gasp next to him.
"What is it?"
"Dragons." Harry turned to see four giant cages holding vicious beasts. A dragon stood in each of them breathing fire at their captors, who were running around, frantically trying to calm he raging dragons.
"I'll bet my broomstick that's the first task." Harry said. Suddenly a jet of fire came towards them. It barely missed them, singing the leaves from their branch.
"Lets go, before we're burnt to a crisp." Harry said.
"Right behind you." They soared back to Hogwarts and landed back at the front steps. It was dark by then.
"You go on Hermione, I'll catch up. I just need to put my broomstick away. Harry jogged up to the broomstick shed and put his broom away in its box. After making sure he locked the box he ran back up to the castle.
He was running so fast he didn't notice Cedric Diggory turning the corner. He collided into him and fell to the ground.
"You alright there Harry?" Cedric said offering a hand to Harry.
"Yeah, Thanks. Sorry about that." He said taking Cedric's hand.
"Well if you're ok then… Bye." Cedric continued walking down the stairs.
"Cedric."
"Yeah?'
"Dragons. That's the first task."
"Really? You sure?"
"Yeah. They've got one for each of us."
"Thanks Harry."
"Anytime. Oh and by the way did you see Hermione on your way down?"
"Yeah. She's not that far ahead."
"Thanks." He said and turned back around and continued to run. He climbed another staircase and saw Hermione walking up.
"Hermione!" he shouted.
"Finally. What took you so long?" She asked while she waited for Harry to catch up.
"Bumped into Cedric. Well more like crashed really…"
"What did you say to him?"
"I told him about the dragons."
"Good. Come on lets go to the common room."
Harry and Hermione spent the next week frantically poring over books about dragons and any spells that might help him. They practiced the spell in empty classrooms but still Harry was terrified about facing a dragon the next day.
Harry and Hermione sat in a corner of the common room forming a battle plan.
"And then I win?"
"Yes. Then you win."
"Thanks a lot Hermione. I couldn't have done it without you."
"As you have said several times before."
"Once more wouldn't hurt would it?" He said coming closer.
"I guess not." She grinned. They kissed each other and she twined her hands in his hair and he hugged her closer. They snogged on the couch for a while before coming back up for air, panting.
"Whoa!" Harry said, his hair messier than usual.
"Good luck tomorrow Harry." Hermione said. She gave him a peck on the lips and climbed the marble staircase to the girls dormitories.
Luckily Harry was in a very good mood when he fell asleep so he didn't have any nightmares.
"Harry!" Harry woke being hit furiously by a pillow.
"Harry! Get up!"
"I'm up I'm up!"
"Hurry up get dressed!" Hermione said throwing his robes to him.
Harry came out of the bathroom in black and red robes with 'Potter' written across the back.
"Thanks again Hermione. You should go down I need some time alone."
"Sure Harry. Good luck." She left the room.
I'll need more than luck for this. O….k breathe in… breathe out… calm down Harry, it'll all be alright if I just remember the plan… what if I forget? Help me.
Cedric Diggory paced the champions tent.
"Psssst! Pssst!" Cedric heard coming from outside the tent.
"Hello?"
"Harry?"
"No, Cedric."
"Oh. Could you get Harry please?"
"Um… Ok just a sec." Cedric walked to where Harry was sitting, holding his head in his hands.
"Er Harry?"
"Mm?" Harry said looking up.
"Um someone wants to speak to you over there." He said indicating to where the voice had come from. Harry walked to where Cedric was pointing.
"Hello?"
"Harry?"
"Yes. Hermione?"
"Yes Harry. How are you feeling?"
"Like anyone would if they were going to have to fight off a Dragon."
"Just remember the plan and- Oh Harry." She pushed through the tent and hugged Harry tightly, kissing his neck and cheek desperately.
Suddenly they were engulfed in a puff of purple smoke.
"Young love!" said a woman with blonde, curly hair and diamond studded glasses. She wore a tight, lime green leather shirt, blue leather pants, a crocodile handbag and what looked like a dead ferret around her neck. Harry christened her 'the snake lady'.
"I'm Rita Skeeter. I write for the Daily Prophet, but of course you know all about that. It's you I want to know about. Care to give me an interview?"
"Absolutely not!" Harry said, "You have no right to be here so go away!"
"Fine. Come on James." Rita Skeeter and the camera man, who they supposed was James, left the tent. Seconds after they left Dumbledore came in.
"Harry I should go. Good luck." She said for the second time that morning. She kissed him and left.
"Champions! Gather round, gather round." The four champions crowded around Dumbledore. Dumbledore held out a purple, velvet bag.
"Champions. The first task is here. Out there are four dragond, one for each of you. Each dragon has been given a golden egg to protect. In that egg is a clue which without you cannot even hope to succeed in the second task. In this bag is the order you will go in and the dragon you will fight. You will each draw out of the bag. Miss Delacour you first." Fleur put her hand into the bag and drew out a miniature green dragon with a number 'two' around its neck.
"The Welsh Green Miss Delacour. Mr Krum." Krum pulled out a scarlet dragon with a number 'three'.
"The Chinese fireball Mr Krum. Mr Diggory." Cedric pulled out a yellow dragon with a number 'one'.
"The Swedish short-snout Mr Diggory. Which leaves you Harry." Harry pulled out a brown dragon with spikes running down its spine and onto its tail. It wore a number 'four'.
"The Hungarian Horntail Harry. Now Mr Diggory you will start as soon as the canon goes. Mr Filch we are ready."
BANG.
Hermione watched Cedric, Fleur and Krum have their turns in anxiety. When Harry finally came out it was almost more than she could bear. She saw him walk out into the quidditch pitch, which had been transformed into a rocky terrain, with large boulders scattered around.
Harry looked around him. All he could see was rock and dirt. Then he saw it. The golden egg sat in the middle of the transformed quidditch pitch, about a hundred metres away. He walked towards the egg but was blocked by a giant, scaly beast.
It roared, deafening the onlookers. The dragon whipped at Harry with its tail, sending him flying through the air. Harry scrambled and hid behind a giant boulder. Everything was a blur. His eyes were filled with sweat and he couldn't hear properly. Then Hermione's voice rang out clearly.
"Harry remember the plan! Use your wand!" she shouted.
"Accio Invisibility cloak!" Harry shouted. Minutes later Harry's invisibility cloak flew into his hands. He put it on and disappeared from sight. Harry suddenly felt more confident now that he was invisible.
From under his invisibility cloak he muttered, 'Wingardrium Leviosa." A large boulder floated upwards. He whacked the dragon in the back of the head with the boulder and it fell to the ground unconscious. There was a loud roar from the crowd as Harry stepped up to the golden egg.
Harry was about to pick it up when the cheers from the audience turned to terrified screams. He turned just in time to see the Horntail breathe a jet of fire. He grabbed the egg and quickly lunged to the side. He wasn't quick enough. He felt the fire burn his right calf before he banged his head into a rock.
When Harry woke his whole body ached and his head felt like it weighed a ton. He groaned and tried to get up but it made his head feel even worse. He opened his eyes to see a big blur surrounding the bed he lay in.
"Neville go get Madam Pomfrey, he's waking up!" Ginny said.
"Mmm." Harry groaned as everything swam into view.
"Hey what's happening? Why does my head feel like my head was cracked open?"
"Because it was cracked open. Almost." Fred said.
"Harry!" Hermione said flinging her arms around him. Harry cringed in pain but smiled on the inside. Madam Pomfrey came bustling wearing her 'nurse' hat. Harry thought she had just stuck two cones on her head.
"Leave all of you. Except for you Miss Granger, as long as you behave yourself. Now Mr Potter, lets take a look at that leg of yours." She removed the linen sheet to reveal Harry's leg.
It was red and blistery and stinged a lot. Hermione gasped and squeezed Harry's hand tightly.
"I can remove most of the damage but you will still be able to notice it and it will hurt for a while. Now as for your head you are and extremely lucky boy. It didn't hit any important parts, merely injured some tissue around your skull. You will be in some pain for a while but I can give you some creams to soothe it."
Madam Pomfrey went to search her many cupboards. Harry looked to Hermione and saw her face tear streaked.
"What's wrong Hermione?"
"I was so worried."
"Don't worry," he said wiping away a tear from her face, "I'll be back on my feet before you know it." Harry knew this was true as already he was feeling much better.
"Here we are Potter." Madam Pomfrey said holding up a tup containing a green cream and a bottle holding a blue potion.
"Rub in this cream on your leg twice a day –morning and night- and mix in three drops with water every three days."
"Can I go Madam Pomfrey."
"You most certainly can not."
"Please I feel much better." In the end Madam Pomfrey agreed, as log as Harry rested the whole time.
"Oh and one more question."
"Yes Potter?"
"Where's my egg?"
"Oh, right on the bedside table." Harry grabbed his egg and, with Hermione's help, limped back to the Fat Lady.
"Password please." The portrait said.
"Horntail." Hermione said. The portrait swung open and they were greeted by cheers from their fellow Gryffindors.
"Come on Harry open your egg?" Seamus asked after they had had a good look at his leg and head. Harry unlatched the clasp and immediately wished he hadn't.
YAY! There you go hope you liked it. Thanks fore great response to my last chappie I agree with all of you, Ron is an idiot. Thanks to thealphamale for taking the time to write that paragraph on how much you hate Ron. And rest assured Harry and Hermione will have a great time at the ball.
Pease review you have no idea how good it makes me feel inside
Love ya
Laura