Disclaimer: Everything you recognize is J.K. Rowling's except Jamie, Luka, and Ariana.
Chapter 17-The First Task
Sudnay morning came along sooner than I would have liked. Hermione woke me up at seven so that we could go and have breakfast with Ginny. That was nice because I hadn't been hanging out with her as much lately as I'd wanted to. "So what do you think? Is Harry going to be ready for this challenge?" Ginny asks us softly holding a forkful of eggs near her mouth. A worried frown adorns her face, and for a moment I wonder if she still has that crush on Harry. By the way that she's looking though, I'd say that it's gone.
"Haven't the foggiest idea Gin. I suppose that I'm rooting for him returning in one piece." I say solemnly thinking of the giant brutish dragons that I had seen last night.
"Of course he'll be fine! What's gotten into you two? This is Harry that we're talking about, he survives every danger thrown in his way." She says hotly. I raise an eyebrow at her and Ginny places her fork back down on her plate.
"Something you want to tell us Mione?" I ask.
"Please don't tell me Skeeter is right? I'd hate to have to start thinking that that hag is right about stuff." Ginny scowls. Hermione's cheeks flare red, but there's a scowl on her face.
"I only care about Harry as a friend you two. There's no need getting ideas into your head. I swear that woman is the lowest of the low insinuating stuff like that without even getting facts!" Hermione rants. I flick my gaze down the table to see Harry approaching us and he doesn't look all that happy. Well crap, there go my thoughts of the meeting having gone well with Sirius.
"Morning Harry." I tell him with a smile. He grunts in a distressed fashion and drags Hermione up by her elbow and proceeds to start pulling her from the hall.
"Not really a chatty Kathy in the morning as you can see. I best go quell the latest disaster. See you later Gin." I tell the girl getting up from my place at the table. She squeezes my arm quick.
"Good luck looks like you may need it." She replies. With a heavy sigh I nod my head and start out after my friends.
Once out on the grounds, Harry tells Hermione all about the dragons, and the both of us about everything Sirius said, while we take another long walk around the lake.
Alarmed as we are by Sirius's warnings about Karkaroff trying to kill Harry by entering him into the cup, Hermione still thinks that the dragons are the more pressing problem. I am going to have to agree with her there because those beasts can easily kill off my friend, plot to kill him or not.
"Let's just try and keep you alive until Tuesday evening," Hermione says desperately, "and then we can worry about Karkaroff."
"Do they give out awards for the help?" I muse. Harry hits me in the arm for that, but I'm feeling that if we're going to be doing all this work in order to keep him alive, then we should get something as well (besides a living friend that is).
We walk three times around the lake, trying all the way to think of a simple spell that will subdue a dragon. Nothing whatsoever occurred to us, so we retire to the library instead. Here, I pull down every book I can find on dragons, and the three of us set to work searching through the large pile.
"'Talon-clipping by charms . . . treating scale-rot . . .' This is no good, this is for nutters like Hagrid who want to keep them healthy. . . ." I mutter shaking my head and throwing the book to the side.
"'Dragons are extremely difficult to slay, owing to the ancient magic that imbues their thick hides, which none but the most powerful spells can penetrate . . .' But Sirius said a simple one would do it. . . ." Harry says throwing his as well.
"Let's try some simple spellbooks, then," says Hermione, throwing aside Men Who Love Dragons Too Much.
Harry returned to the table with a pile of spellbooks, sets them down, and begins to flick through each in turn, Hermione whispering nonstop at his elbow. I grab one of the books myself so that I can attempt to be helpful to everyone. Research isn't exactly my forte.
"Well, there are Switching Spells . . . but what's the point of Switching it? Unless you swapped its fangs for wine-gums or something that would make it less dangerous. . . . The trouble is, like that book said, not much is going to get through a dragon's hide. . . . I'd say Transfigure it, but something that big, you really haven't got a hope, I doubt even Professor McGonagall . . . unless you're supposed to put the spell on yourself? Maybe to give yourself extra powers? But they're not simple spells, I mean, we haven't done any of those in class, I only know about them because I've been doing O.W.L. practice papers. . . ."
"Hermione," Harry says, through gritted teeth, "will you shut up for a bit, please? I'm trying to concentrate." I huff at my friend giving him a glare because we're just attempting to help. I cast over the spell in front of me, and grimace. I don't think that he wants to turn his dragon into a stool. I pity the fool who attempts to sit on it (gives a whole new meaning to the term 'hot seat').
After a few minutes Hermione speaks back up again. "Oh no, he's back again, why can't he read on his stupid ship?" says Hermione irritably as Viktor Krum slouches in, casts a surly look over at the three of us, and settles himself in a distant corner with a pile of books. "Come on, Harry, we'll go back to the common room . . . his fan club'll be here in a moment, twittering away. . . ."
And sure enough, as we leave the library, a gang of girls tiptoe past us, one of them wearing a Bulgaria scarf tied around her waist. I bite my lower lip wondering why Krum would possibly be looking our way in the first place.
Monday morning came whether anyone wanted it to or not. Hermione and I ate a very silent and pensive breakfast with Harry since he was deep in thought and seemed to be very troubled. I've had to stop Hermione for speaking to him three times now since she's worried about him. I like to think that I know Harry by now, and he is definitely in a mood that screams for time alone.
I've also caught him staring at Cedric Diggory a lot so I have the distinct feeling that Harry is feeling conflicted about whether to tell him about the dragons or not.
"Jamie, Hermione, I'll see you in the greenhouses," Harry says abruptly as Cedric leaves the hall. "Go on, I'll catch you up."
"Harry, you'll be late, the bell's about to ring —" Hermione starts.
"Mione let him go." I scold her lightly.
"I'll catch you up, okay?" Harry says absently hurrying out of the Great Hall and after Cedric. On our way to Herbology a short time later I get lectured on how its not safe for Harry to be distracted at this point in time, and how we have to double (make that triple) our efforts in helping him out.
Once we arrive at greenhouse three I practically run over to where Ariana is leaning again the house. I have never needed to get away from Hermione more. "Someone looks irritated." Ariana says raising an eyebrow as she takes my appearance in.
"Well you would bloody well too Dumbledore. I've spent the last twelve hours holed up with Harry and Hermione in the library researching ways on how to not get him killed come first task. Between Harry's dour, depressed, and distracted mood, and Hermione's frantic researching I'm going mad!" I cry holding my head in my hands.
"Okay Pendragon. You need to take a deep breath here. You're way too young to be having a stress related panic attack on me. If you're going to go it will be because of some highly improbable and entirely dangerous adventure that you and your friends seem to get sucked into all the time." She tells me placing her hands on my shoulders and looking into my eyes.
I manage to quirk up the corner of my mouth at that, but at this point I'm still entirely too stressed out. "What if Harry gets hurt Ari? I can't be there to protect him this time. I'm going to be sitting in the stands helplessly as he faces d— danger. I'm one of his best friends. I'm supposed to be there for him!" I stress trying to get her to understand the pressure that I'm under.
Ariana tightens her grasp on my shoulders and stares me hard in the eyes. I don't think that I've seen her brown eyes look so serious before. "You are a phenomenally brilliant best friend Jamie you go above the call of any best friend by placing Harry's safety before yours granted stupidly so. There is going to be a point though when you are not going to be able to protect him all the time anymore, and we are at that time Jamie."
I think that she can still see the distress that is clearly in my eyes. "That's why I'm going to help you in getting Potter prepared for this task. I can't have him go and die because that will make you cry. Then when it comes time to watch, I will sit next to you and hold your hand the whole way though. How does that sound?" Ariana asks me.
I stare at the young Dumbledore thoroughly shocked for a few seconds before nodding my head dumbly in agreement. Ariana grins at me fondly before shaking her head. "Better now?" She questions. I clear my throat and blush lightly at the teasing accusation.
"Yes much." I stutter out. And so we were let into the greenhouse for the start of the lesson. Hermione, Ariana, and I were all working together talking quietly about what we could do to help Harry out. As if should surprise no one Miss Dumbledore already knew of the dragons. I have this theory that she just inherently knows anything and everything that is going on around Hogwarts.
If she had indulged in such vapid tendencies she would be the main gossip hub of the entire school. Luckily for all of us Ariana is above all that. Halfway through the lesson Harry comes stumbling through the door looking all too excited and over stressed. Just seeing him like that again makes my own blood pressure rise.
"Hermione, Jamie," Harry whispers. "Guys — I need you to help me."
"What d'you think we've been trying to do, Harry? Ariana says that she'll help us out now. She has a few ideas—" Hermione whispers back, her eyes round with anxiety over the top of the quivering Flutterby Bush she is pruning.
"Jamie, Hermione, I need to learn how to do a Summoning Charm properly by tomorrow afternoon."
Well he couldn't give us a more impossible task.
And so we practice. We don't have lunch, but head for a free classroom, where Harry tries with all his might to make various objects fly across the room towards him. We have even managed to pick up Luka on 'Team Have Potter not Die'. Harry is still having problems. The books and quills keep losing heart halfway across the room and dropping like stones to the floor.
"Concentrate, Harry, concentrate. . . . " Hermione nags.
"I didn't think that Harry Potter had such issues with spells. You're almost kinda mythical in my house." Luka comments form his place atop a desk.
"What d'you think I'm trying to do?" says Harry angrily. "A great big dragon keeps popping up in my head for some reason. . . . Okay, try again. . . ."
"That's because Ravenclaws are such terrible socially informed people. Your heads are all in the clouds or in the books Luka." Ariana returns making an apple zoom across the room to her hand (it was out of my hand of course). My pout doesn't seem to draw any sympathy from the girl though as she bites into it hard.
"Come on Harry this isn't all that hard of a spell. It's a quite natural wrist movement and being relaxed is key to making the spell work properly." I say crossing my arms over my chest as I scrutinize my friend. I have a feeling that this is going to take way longer than originally planned.
Harry wants to skip Divination to keep practicing, but Hermione refuses point-blank to skive off Arithmancy, and there is no point in staying without her (since Ariana and Luka would never skip). Harry and I therefore have to endure over an hour of Professor Trelawney, who spends half the lesson telling everyone that the position of Mars with relation to Saturn at that moment meant that people born in July are in great danger of sudden, violent deaths.
"Well, that's good," says Harry loudly, his temper getting the better of him, "just as long as it's not drawn-out. I don't want to suffer."
I couldn't help but snort with laughter at that one. Ron looked like he was going to laugh but judging by the dark look still on Harry's face, he's still too mad to care about the small progress being made.
Hermione, Harry, and I have a quick dinner after Divination, then return to the empty classroom using the Invisibility Cloak to avoid the teachers. We keep practicing until past midnight. We would stay longer, but Peeves turns up and, pretending to think that Harry wants things thrown at him, starts chucking chairs across the room. We leave in a hurry before the noise attracts Filch, and go back to the Gryffindor common room, which is now mercifully empty.
At two o'clock in the morning, Harry stands near the fireplace, surrounded by heaps of objects: books, quills, several upturned chairs, an old set of Gobstones, and Neville's toad, Trevor. Only in the last hour has Harry really gotten the hang of the Summoning Charm.
That's good because I've never been so disheveled or tired in my life. Who knew that learning one little summoning charm could be so dangerous? I've had to dodge so many objects to keep from getting hit tonight. "That's better, Harry, that's loads better," Hermione says, looking exhausted but very pleased.
"Yeah you've got the hang of it, but make sure that I'm nowhere near you since you're dangerous." I tell him with a yawn.
"Well, now we know what to do next time I can't manage a spell," Harry says, throwing a rune dictionary back to Hermione, so he can try again, "threaten me with a dragon. Right . . ." He raises his wand once more. "Accio Dictionary!"
The heavy book soars out of Hermione's hand, flies across the room, and Harry catches it.
"Harry, I really think you've got it!" says Hermione delightedly.
"Just as long as it works tomorrow," Harry says. "The Firebolt's going to be much farther away than the stuff in here, it's going to be in the castle, and I'm going to be out there on the grounds. . . ."
"That doesn't matter," Hermione says firmly. "Just as long as you're concentrating really, really hard on it, it'll come. Harry, we'd better get some sleep . . . you're going to need it."
"Yeah and remember boy wonder, sharp teeth and bursts of fire are bad." I say attempting to lighten the atmosphere a little. Harry glares at me and gives me a small shove.
"Should be easy enough. I've survived you for all these years haven't I Pendragon?" He quips, dodging the blow I send his way, sending him scampering up the steps to the boys' dormitory.
"He's going to make it right?" Hermione asks me suddenly whipping around to face me while we're halfway to our own beds.
"Mione this is Harry that we're talking about. He's ready for anything. We'll have nothing to worry about." I say trying to reassure her and more importantly myself. Even though I'm bone tired, the worry begins to seep back into me slowly. I hope that I'll be able to get some rest; I'm going to need my wits about me for tomorrow.
The following morning the atmosphere in the school is one of great tension and excitement. Lessons are to stop at midday, giving all the students time to get down to the dragons' enclosure — though of course, they don't yet know what they will find there. I found it not all that comforting knowing about the challenge ahead of time.
Through the night I conjured pictures of Harry's burned body, or crushed head. I just hate not being able to be by his side this time to face the danger. I've always been there with him, and it doesn't sit well with me that I won't be there now.
Time is behaving in a more peculiar fashion than ever, rushing past in great dollops, so that one moment I seem to be sitting down in our first lesson, History of Magic, and the next, walking into lunch . . . and then (where has the morning gone? the last of the dragon-free hours?), Professor McGonagall is hurrying over to Harry in the Great Hall. Lots of people are watching.
"Potter, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now. . . . You have to get ready for your first task."
"Okay," says Harry, standing up, his fork falling onto his plate with a clatter. I look worriedly at my friend. He's just not acting right, but then again I would be different facing a real life dragon as well.
"Good luck, Harry," Hermione whispers. "You'll be fine!"
"Remember what I said Potter no teeth or fire, and you'll be golden. I have faith in you!" I tell him clapping my friend on the shoulder.
"Yeah," says Harry in a voice that is most unlike his own. With that he leaves the hall following after Professor McGonagall.
I follow my friend with my eyes until he disappears from view. Suddenly lunch doesn't seem like such a good idea anymore. I lower my fork to my plate and shoot Hermione a pensive look, even though it already seems like she's halfway onto a freak out of her very own.
"Cheer up girls! I'm sure that Harry has a few tricks up his sleeves!" Fred Weasley says plopping down next to me.
"Not that you don't know that already. So let's have it? What's boy wonder's plan of attack?" George questions, sliding in next to Hermione. Ginny let's out a sound of disgust as she sits next to me on my other side.
"Don't mind them guys, those two are only being nosey because they've got a pool going on and they want to know the odds before the bets become higher." She tells us munching on a sandwich. My stomach turns wondering how she's able to eat at a time like this.
Then I look around at all my redheaded friends and remember that despite the fact that Ginny is a girl she's still a Weasley, and Weasleys have bottomless stomachs.
"That's terrible! How can you do that to your friend?" Hermione cries looking outraged.
"Its only business Hermione, besides there are three other champions to bet on as well." Fred reminds her tapping his head.
"Still dreadful business." She mutters. I glance down the table a ways and see Ron sitting in between Seamus and Dean. He looks rather upset though, like there's something on his mind. I think that he's worried about Harry as he should be. It took him bloody long enough!
Boys are just so stubborn and egotistical! "Ron will come out of it Jamie, you'll see. Our little brother just has his head stuck a little too tightly up his arse." George says guessing my trail of thought.
Suddenly people start getting up and making their way out of the Great Hall, and the excited chatter increases greatly. I bit my lip and swallow nervously. I guess that its time to make our way down to the dragons.
Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, and I get up and slowly make our way towards the entrance hall. Once there we get stopped on the flow of traffic attempting to exit the castle. I shift nervously and look around trying to spot my brother. He said that he would be here with me for this.
We make our way gradually to the front but before we get out I hear him. "Jamie! Wait up!" Luka cries pushing his way through a group of Beauxbatons girls while blushing furiously. Ariana follows behind him with her mouth in a straight line. I slow down and allow for them to catch up with me, as we finally make it out of the castle.
With that the seven of us start our way down to the stage for the first tournament, which is by the edge of the Forbidden Forest near where Harry and I found the dragons with Hagrid's help. "So come out with it then. Did he do it? Was he finally able to master it?" Luka asks me pulling up to my side.
Ariana falls into place on my other side. "I wouldn't go around talking about mastery anytime soon but lets say that he can get objects to come to him now." I say putting it the best way that I can think.
"Well at least that's good. How again did Harry come up with this idea to summon his broomstick to him for this task?" Ariana asks me softly, wary of the Weasleys in front of us distracting Hermione. By way of distraction I mean Hermione running after the twins as they collect money for bets. She seems to have a lecture for nearly all situations.
"Well that's the funny thing you see. Harry told us that Moody told him to do that. He asked what Harry's good at and the only thing he could think of was Quidditch so, Moody told him to summon his broom. Honestly I just hope that he's still alive at the end of this thing. I can't stand just sitting helplessly watching him in danger." I say biting my lip.
"Don't worry Jame, Harry hasn't died yet and Voldemort's been trying to kill him. I highly doubt that he's going to have too much trouble with a dragon." Luka tells me trying to reassure me. I pale thinking of all the ways that Voldemort could try to kill Harry with a dragon though.
Ariana glares at my brother and slaps him on the arm. "Ow." My brother pouts rubbing the sore spot.
"What genius over there means to say Jamie is that Harry is going to make it. I have faith in that and so should you." She tells me. I study her eyes for a moment only seeing firm resolve and belief. I slowly nod my head in agreement.
We finally arrive to the stadium and file into seats near the middle. I have Ariana on one side of me, and Hermione on the other. I know that Hermione is especially worried about what's going to happen to Harry since she's the worrier of our little broken group.
I can see Ron a row in front of us and a few seats to the left, he's again with Dean and Seamus. Now that we're actually here my panic begins to set in though everyone else seems to be ready to have a good time. Before I can start entirely freaking out though a hands grabs mine and squeezes tight. I glance down and then back up at the girl holding onto me.
"I promised you that I'd be here for you and I am." Ariana tells me and I smile softly at the brown eyed girl. She really is a one of a kind extraordinary friend isn't she?
Suddenly there's noise from the teachers' stands and everyone looks expectantly at Ludo Bagman who has risen. "Ladies and gentlemen it is now time for the moment that you have all been waiting for! The first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament," he pauses to let the cheers die down, "I only have one thing left to say to you all— bring out the DRAGON!" He roars and suddenly the ground shudders as a gate is opened and dragon keeps come out wrestling the blueish grey Swedish Short-Snout dragon into the arena's center where it is chained to the ground.
Let me tell you, this dragon does not look one bit like a happy camper. The other thing that I notice is the shiny golden egg that's propped up in the center of the giant nest in the arena. Oh Merlin— they're going to have to steal a dragon's egg, this is suicide.
I squeeze Ariana's hand tightly even though I don't know if it's Harry dragon or not. Hermione leans into my side obviously not entirely comfortable with this situation either.
"The first champion to face the task will be Cedric Diggory against the Swedish Short-Snout!" Bagman booms. There's a shrill whistle and Cedric appears from the Champions' tent. He looks grim but determined in his Hufflepuff yellow only armed with a wand.
Ariana grips my hand tighter and I try to be comforting for her after all this is her friend out there, even if he is more prepared for this battle. What happens is all a riveting, gruesome blur that I can't take my eyes away from even if I wanted to.
"Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow" . . . "He's taking risks, this one!" . . . "Clever move — pity it didn't work!"
And then, after about fifteen minutes, the deafening roar sounds that means only one thing: Cedric has gotten past his dragon and captured the golden egg. What a frightening task.
"Very good indeed!" Bagman is shouting. "And now the marks from the judges!" I don't bother looking at the marks from the judges though, I'm too busy watching Cedric being taken away to the makeshift hospital wing. Ariana lets out a rather shaky breath from beside me.
"That was rather horrifying." She finally states. Hermione turns her large eyes to us.
"I'll say." She squeaks faintly.
"At least he made it and he's alive. That's really all that matters in the end." I say trying to sound upbeat.
The first dragon is dragged away and the second comes in to replace it the emerald Welsh Green dragon. I'm starting to think that pissed off are the only moods that they come in around now. I have no idea why Charlie wants to be around them all the time.
"The second Champion to face the task will be Fleur Delacour against the Welsh Green!" Bagman announces. A whistle sounds and this time Fleur stumbles into the arena. This go around isn't any better than the last.
The same process starts again. . . . "Oh I'm not sure that was wise," Bagman shouts gleefully. "Oh . . . nearly! Careful now . . . good lord, I thought she'd had it then!"
Ten minutes later, the crowd erupts into applause once more. . . . Fleur is successful too. A pause, while Fleur's marks are being shown . . . more clapping . . . then, for the third time, the whistle.
"And here comes Mr. Krum!" cries Bagman abandoning all formality and getting swept up in the moment.
Krum is facing off against the Chinese Fireball, which makes my heart drop. Harry is going to get the worst of them all. This is absolutely horrible.
"Very daring!" Bagman is yelling, and I hear the Chinese Fireball emit a horrible, roaring shriek, while the crowd draws its collective breath (Ariana and Hermione squeezing my hands to death). "That's some nerve he's showing — and — yes, he's got the egg!"
Applause shatters the wintery air like breaking glass; Krum has finished — it will be Harry's turn any moment. A lump forms in my throat and the grip on my hands increase from Hermione and Ariana, Hermione to reassure herself, and Ariana to reassure me.
Harry has the worst of them all the Hungarian Horntail. It's just his luck isn't it? My friend must be cursed or something.
The whistle blows. "And last but definitely not least Harry Potter!" Bagman yells. The crowd goes wild with either cheers or boos for Harry. I would be cheering for him if I weren't so darn afraid.
Harry slips out of the tent and gawks at the dragon for a moment. The Horntail is at the other end of the enclosure, crouching low over her clutch of eggs, her wings half-furled, her evil, yellow eyes upon Harry, a monstrous, scaly, black lizard, thrashing her spiked tail, leaving yard-long gouge marks in the hard ground.
Oh this is certainly worse than standing beside my friend. I swallow hard and lean into Ariana. Part of me wants to turn away, but I can't abandon Harry like that, I never could.
He raises his wand. "Accio Firebolt!" he shouts. I send a prayer to Merlin to help Harry out and make this spell work.
We pause for a moment for nothing happens. And then I hear it, speeding through the air behind Harry; he turns and sees his Firebolt hurtling towards him around the edge of the woods, soaring into the enclosure, and stopping dead in midair beside him, waiting for him to mount. The crowd is making even more noise. . . . Bagman is shouting something . . . but my ears are not working properly anymore . . . listening isn't important. . . . Harry is.
He swings his leg over the broom and kicks off from the ground. And a second later, something miraculous happened. . . .
Harry soars upward. I let go the breath that I hadn't realized that I'd been holding. "See he got it to work." Ariana tells us, trying to comfort both Hermione and me.
"Thank Merlin." Hermione breathes stealing my line.
Harry is hovering over the arena, and I know that he's analyzing it for a strategy. He may not be able to beat Ron at chess, but Quidditch is an entirely different thing, and Harry is great at it.
He dives. The Horntail's head follows him; he knows what it is going to do and pulls out of the dive just in time; a jet of fire has been released exactly where he would have be if he did not swerve away.
"Great Scott, he can fly!" yells Bagman as the crowd shrieks and gasps. "Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?"
Harry soars higher in a circle; the Horntail is still following his progress; its head revolving on its long neck — if he keeps this up, it would be nicely dizzy (as the rest of us).
Harry starts taunting the dragon by flying higher but staying close enough to continue to be a threat. I can see what he's doing. He wants her to fly, to go after him. I think that I can see what his plan is— hopefully.
And then the dragon rears, spreading her great, black, leathery wings at last, as wide as those of a small muggle airplane (Hermione showed me a still picture once) — and Harry dives. Before the dragon knows what he has done, or where he has disappeared to, he is speeding towards the ground as fast as he can go, towards the eggs now unprotected by her clawed front legs — he has taken his hands off his Firebolt — he has seized the golden egg —
And with a huge spurt of speed, he is off, Harry is soaring out over the stands, the heavy egg safely under his uninjured arm, and it is as though somebody has just turned the volume back up. Everyone is screaming and applauding including me, since I jumped to me feet, yelling loudly, and clapping wildly in support of my friend, now that the danger is over.
I can't believe he did it! But then again he is Harry Potter, and I should know better since he seems to be able to do everything.
Hermione is on her feet as well, and is jumping up and down besides me grabbing my arm in celebration.
Ariana is clapping as well. "Look at that!" Bagman is yelling. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"
That's Harry all right! Hermione and I start pushing our way out of the stands needing to see Harry. I turn to Ariana to explain but she just waves me off. "Go check on Potter, and tell him that he won me fifty sickles!" She shouts at me. I stop for a second stunned. Not that Ariana had bet on Harry to succeed but that she had bet in the first place.
I don't have time to think it out though, for Hermione is pulling on my hand hard to get to the infirmary tent. On our way there though we run into a pale shaky looking Ron. "Ron!" Hermione cries not expecting to see him.
"H-hey Hermione… Jamie." He says slowly not sure what the reactions that he's going to get from us.
"You're going to apologize right?" Hermione asks tersely. Ron nods his head rapidly.
"Good." She says. Ron turns to me. I cross my arms over my chest and bite down on my lower lip.
"Are you done being a git?" I question allowing some bite to come into my voice. Ron gulps and nods his head again.
"Yeah…" He says trailing off.
"All right, but I'm not the one you have to apologize to so come on!" I say, waving us on so that we can go see Harry. We finally burst through the tent a minute later, Hermione dashing over to Harry.
"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione says squeakily. There are fingernail marks on her face where she was clutching them in fear. "You were amazing! You really were!"
"Congrats Harry, that was a brilliant job! I knew you could do it boy wonder!" I exclaim.
But Harry is looking at Ron, who is very white and staring at Harry as though he is a ghost.
"Harry," he says, very seriously, "whoever put your name in that goblet — I — I reckon they're trying to do you in!"
"Caught on, have you?" says Harry coldly. "Took you long enough." Hermione stands nervously between them, looking from one to the other. I don't like how this is going. Ron opens his mouth uncertainly.
"It's okay," Harry says, before Ron can get the words out. "Forget it."
"No," says Ron, "I shouldn't've —"
"Forget it," Harry says. Ron grins nervously at him, and Harry grins back. Hermione bursts into tears. Thank Merlin that wasn't as painful as it could have been.
"There's nothing to cry about!" Harry tells her, bewildered.
"You two are so stupid!" she shouts, stamping her foot on the ground, tears splashing down her front. Then, before either of them can stop her, she has given both of them a hug and dashes away, now positively howling. I swear sometimes I don't even know the half of what goes on with that girl.
"Barking mad," says Ron, shaking his head. "Harry, c'mon, they'll be putting up your scores. . . ."
Picking up the golden egg and his Firebolt, Harry ducks out of the tent, Ron, and me by his side, talking fast (well at least Ron is).
"You were the best, you know, no competition. Cedric did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock on the ground . . . turned it into a dog . . . he was trying to make the dragon go for the dog instead of him. Well, it was a pretty cool bit of Transfiguration, and it sort of worked, because he did get the egg, but he got burned as well — the dragon changed its mind halfway through and decided it would rather have him than the Labrador; he only just got away. And that Fleur girl tried this sort of charm, I think she was trying to put it into a trance — well, that kind of worked too, it went all sleepy, but then it snored, and this great jet of flame shot out, and her skirt caught fire — she put it out with a bit of water out of her wand. And Krum — you won't believe this, but he didn't even think of flying! He was probably the best after you, though. Hit it with some sort of spell right in the eye. Only thing is, it went trampling around in agony and squashed half the real eggs — they took marks off for that— he wasn't supposed to do any damage to them."
I can't believe that he fit all of that into one sentence. Ron draws breath as we reach the edge of the enclosure. Now that the Horntail has been taken away we can see where the five judges are sitting — right at the other end, in raised seats draped in gold.
"It's marks out of ten from each one," Ron says, and I, squint up the field, seeing first judge — Madame Maxime — raise her wand in the air. What looks like a long silver ribbon shoots out of it, which twists itself into a large figure eight.
"Not bad!" I say as the crowd applauded. "I suppose she took marks off for your shoulder. . . ."
Mr. Crouch comes next. He shoots a number nine into the air. "Looking good!" Ron yells, thumping Harry on the back. Next, Dumbledore. He too puts up a nine. The crowd is cheering harder than ever. Ludo Bagman — ten.
"Ten?" says Harry in disbelief. "But . . . I got hurt. . . . What's he playing at?" I don't understand why he's so unhappy. He should just take the score and run with it.
"Harry, don't complain!" Ron yells excitedly. And now Karkaroff raises his wand. He pauses for a moment, and then a number shoots out of his wand too — four.
"What?" Ron and I bellow furiously.
"Four? You lousy, biased scumbag, you gave Krum ten!" Ron shouts. Harry doesn't seem to care though for not only are Gryffindors cheering him on but the whole school now seems to be on his side and Cedric's as well. The Slytherins don't really matter though.
"You're tied in first place, Harry! You and Krum!" says Charlie Weasley, hurrying to meet us as they set off back towards the school. "Listen, I've got to run, I've got to go and send Mum an owl, I swore I'd tell her what happened — but that was unbelievable! Oh yeah — and they told me to tell you you've got to hang around for a few more minutes. . . . Bagman wants a word, back in the champions' tent."
Harry looks at both of us uncertainly. "Go on Harry, we can wait." I tell him with a smile.
"Yeah mate, we're not going anywhere." Ron says firmly draping an arm around my shoulder. I roll my eyes at him.
"Okay… be right back!" Harry calls hurrying back to the champions' tent. I turn my gaze to Ron and give him a level look.
"Okay lay it on me. How long are you going to be furious with me?" He asks giving me a contrite look, but I'm beyond caring at the moment.
"How long were you not speaking to us?" I ask in return. Ron pales and gives me a wounded look.
"Come on Jamie give a bloke a little break! Besides you live with me, you can't just stop talking to me!" He cries. I shrug out of his grasp and turn away from him so that he can't see my smile. This is going to be fun playing with him a little. Its not like he doesn't deserve it!
A few minutes later of nonstop groveling from Ron Harry reappears. "What was all that about?" I ask trying to change the subject.
"Tell you later. Right now, I just want to get back to the castle and enjoy being alive with my friends." Harry says, draping his arms around Ron's and my shoulders. I cringe a little at the sweat on Harry but its mostly dried.
"Harry I mean this out of the best intentions but when we get back your first order should be to shower for you smell like dragon dung." I tell him seriously. Harry looks offended for a moment, but then he bursts into laughter along with Ron, and I join in.
This is how it's supposed to be. Together we can do this.