Hello, hope your new year has been good so far! Special thanks to chronicxxinsanity, ShadowOfMyLight, S.K Steven, and harrypotter554 who have all reviewed! I appreciate insight a lot, so thank you for offering yours to me.
"I hope this helps." Malena huffed, pulling out a broom from a case behind her. "I remember you told me the challenge had something to do with flying so I thought it'd be helpful if I brought you this. It's my dad's old Thunderbolt. They gave one to each World Cup player and I know you already have the Firebolt, but I thought since this one's faster and everything." She rambled, placing the broomstick in his hand.
"I-, Malena you really don't have to," Harry shook his head, running his fingers over the printed golden letters that read "Thunderbolt".
"Harry," Malena said sternly, causing his eyes to look up at hers, "Take it."
Harry nodded silently, pulling his lips in his mouth. "Thanks."
"Okay. Good luck." She waved at him before leaving to the stands with the rest of the spectators.
Harry managed to hide the broom without being seen just before his name was called up. Once the whistle was blown, his breathing got heavier and his feet seemed heavy, but his legs were wobbly. Beads of sweat had accumulated in his forehead when the yellow eyed dragon roared in front of him. Everything seemed like a dream to Harry. Hundreds of faces stared down at him, Hermione's caught his eye. "Go Harry!" He heard her cry over the rest of the crowd. He tried to smile, but then he remembered the beast sitting at the other end of the enclosure above a clutch of eggs.
He gulped and raised his wand, "Accio Thunderbolt!" Silently praying that it would work, his heart started beating even faster, if possible, when he saw its ebony wood emerge from the rustling trees. When it stood in midair beside him, he quickly swung his leg over it and zoomed towards the Hungarian Horntail.
After flying up high, baiting himself to distract her, he dived down in a flash, speeding to the eggs. He noticed the Thunderbolt was much faster than his Firebolt when he grabbed hold of the golden egg and looked back to see that the dragon was still up in the air, pretty far from where he was.
"The youngest champion is the quickest to get his egg!" Bagman yelled as Harry safely soared farther away from the beast.
The second he lowered himself on the ground and walked through the entrance, he was already surrounded by Moody, Professor McGonagall and Hagrid.
"Excellent job, Potter!" She praised him enthusiastically. Harry noticed her eyeing the broom in his hand, but exhaled once he saw her eyes glint mischievously.
"Yeh did great, Harry!" Hagrid cried hoarsely, embracing Harry in a tight hug.
Although it was very loud, one sound stood out the most. The sound of wood breaking.
"Wait!" Harry hastily pulled himself out of Hagrid's embrace and looked down at the broomstick in horror. It had broken along the middle.
"Harry, I'm so sorry!" Hagrid exhaled, his eye widening as well. "I can fix that for yeh! I promise!"
McGonagall grabbed Harry's shoulders and pulled him inside the first aid tent where Madame Pomfrey hurriedly treated him, dabbing the cut on his shoulder and poking it with her wand, instantly healing it. "Stay put for a minute and then you can get your score." She instructed, but Harry's adrenaline was running high. He had just managed to steal an egg from a Hungarian Horntail and break Malena's most prized relic, all under fifteen minutes.
"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione squeaked as she rushed in, Ron a few steps behind her.
"Whoever put your name in that goblet- I- I reckon they're trying to do you in!"
"Caught on, have you? Took you long enough." Harry said coldly.
The two started quarreling, but stopped once Hermione broke out in tears, hugging them both.
"She's mad." Ron mumbled, shaking his head. "I think they're putting up your scores now, Harry."
Madame Maxine had raised a silver ribbon that twisted into an eight. Crouch had shot a nine and so had Dumbledore. To Harry's surprise, Bagman gave him a solid ten and lastly, a four had erupted from Karkaroff's wand. Harry didn't mind though, Ron's outrageous indignation was good enough for him. He reentered the tent to meet up with the other three champions, but to his surprise, it was Malena who stood in the tent.
"You were absolutely amazing." A wide smile was set upon her lips as she stepped closer to Harry, ignoring Hermione's smirk and Ron's awkward stance. Slowly, Malena's eyes wandered down to Harry's right hand, the one that held the two broken pieces. He watched her eyes narrow at the sharp ends of the broken woods and climb back up his arm, gazing at his own eyes with an agonizing look. She raked her fingers through her waves and walked out of the tent.
"Malena!" Harry called, bumping into another person as he tried to leave the tent.
"Ah, Harry Potter! Congratulations! Can I have a word?" It was Rita Skeeter with her quill in hand.
"Yeah you can have a word," Harry replied venomously. "Goodbye." He spat before sprinting after Malena's fading figure.
A few lines follow the book word by word so of course, I take no credit for those. Also, you may have noticed my invention, the Thunderbolt broomstick. Just wanted to add something of my own to mix things up. Would you rather I follow the books religiously or are you okay with me adding a few things of my own? Answer in the review, please. :)