Chapter 7
Dodging the Flames
"You're joking!" Sophie whispered, gaping at the words Cedric had scribbled on the corner of his notebook.
"Miss Bennett is there something you wish to contribute to the lesson?" Professor McGonagall said, eyeing her sternly from across the room.
Sophie looked up, slightly embarrassed as the rest of the class turned to stare at her. "No, Professor."
"Then I will ask you to put more attention on the lesson and less on Mr. Diggory's notebook. Now, as I was saying…" Professor McGonagall turned back to the lesson she had been teaching on large animal transformation.
She caught Cedric's eye; he frowned slightly and mouthed the word, "Sorry."
When Advanced Transfiguration had finished, Sophie and Cedric hung back for a moment while the rest of the class cleared out.
"Are you serious?" Sophie said with wide eyes as soon as the last person had left the room. "Dragons! How'd you find out?"
"It doesn't matter how I found out. The source is reliable and said that all the champions know about the dragons," Cedric replied, looking slightly concerned. He sighed. "Sophie, how am I supposed to go up against a dragon?"
Seeing the fear in his eyes, Sophie tried with all her might to remain calm and collected for his sake. "Well, you're not the school champion for nothing, are you?" She forced a smile. "You'll figure something out. We could meet in the library after class; I'll help you look through books."
Cedric nodded. "Thanks, Soph. See you after class."
As he hurried away, Sophie slumped against the wall; anxiety rushing through her chest. It really couldn't be dragons, could it? It had to be some kind of hoax. Of course, the tournament was meant to be dangerous and challenging, but still, dragons! How could he possibly face a dragon and live to tell the tale? Leaving the Transfiguration room, she couldn't push the image of Cedric standing in front of the giant, scaly beast from her mind. She realized, as other students passed her in the halls, how blissfully ignorant they were to what lay ahead. None of them had to worry about Cedric getting burnt to a crisp – or worse. They would continue with their speculation, looking forward to the task tomorrow.
For the rest of the day, Sophie worked hard to keep the worst images from at bay. She tried to focus on his success, but it was difficult, considering the circumstances.
Cedric was already in the library, flipping frantically through the book in front of him, when Sophie arrived. Dozens of other books were piled in towering stacks on the table around him.
"How is it going?" Sophie asked, setting her knapsack on the chair. She plopped down in the seat next to him and peered over his shoulder.
He shook his head in disbelief. "I can't find anything that might subdue a dragon – Stunning Charms need at least ten other people to work and I don't think that's the point."
"Don't worry, you'll think of something," Sophie replied encouragingly as she pulled a book toward her.
Together they flipped through book after book, looking for anything that might be helpful. Time flew by, but it felt as if they had hardly made a dent in the piles. They certainly had found anything remotely helpful. Sophie glanced down at her watch and blanched.
"It's late! I should go; I still have Transfiguration homework to do. Have you done yours?" she asked, trying to take his mind off the dragons for a moment.
Cedric nodded. "Yeah, I finished mine before coming here." He paused momentarily; an expression of revelation light up his face. He looked pensive and nodded to himself; snapping his fingers, he beamed at Sophie. "Excellent! I think that just might work."
She stared blankly at him, wondering what on earth had just happened. "What are you going on about?"
"Thanks for your help, Soph. I think I've got it figured out!" he said excitedly, nodding more to himself.
Sophie frowned uncertainly as she watched him pack up. "What will you do?"
"You'll just have to see tomorrow. I am certain it will work. I mean, it's the best plan I've got," he explained, more to himself than to her, as he stood up. "Thanks again! See you in the morning, Sophie."
Without another word he bustled out of the library, leaving Sophie staring distantly in utter confusion.
A combination of the cool November breeze and jittery nerves had Sophie shivering with anticipation as she sat among the crowd in the arena where the First Task would be taking place shortly. It was hard to believe that in a few minutes time the champions would be face to face with a ferocious dragon. The thought made her a little queasy.
"Welcome everyone to the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. I would like to begin by wishing all the champions that best of luck in today's event." Ludo Bagman's voice filled the air as the crowd was hushed into silence, awaiting the announcement of the task. "Each of the champions has been paired up with one of four dragons. They must fetch a golden egg from the dragon's nest, which will then assist them in the Second Task," Mr. Bagman explained to the now wide-eyed audience. "And now ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause for our first contender, Hogwarts' own, Cedric Diggory."
The crowd erupted into a thunderous chorus of clapping and shouting. Many students jumped to their feet in excitement for their champion.
Sophie grasped the edge of her seat tightly, waiting anxiously for the appearance of the dragon. The crowd gasped in unison as a massive bluish-grey dragon was released into the arena; a jet of flames shot from its nostrils in greeting. The beast reared her head and instinctively sat itself down in front of the nest to protect her eggs.
A moment later, Cedric stumbled into the arena, looking much paler than usual. The crowd cheered wildly and the Hufflepuff sixth year gripped his wand and set his shoulders. Sophie's eyes flickered between Cedric and the dragon, not certain who she would rather watch more. She held her breath in anticipation of the first move.
Cedric inched toward the dragon slowly and cautiously. The dragon followed his every move with her beady, little eyes. It was only a matter of time before she would spew fire again – especially if he made any threatening movements. With his wand at the ready, Cedric crept closer; his face was contorted with concentration and determination as he kept a close watch on the great animal.
He had apparently gotten too close for the dragon's liking, because she let loose another fiery breath. The crowd gasped collectively and Sophie buried her face in her hands, but spread her fingers so that she could peer through. Cedric had dodged the flames easily enough and continued forward; Sophie only hoped this was a part of his strategy.
"Come on, Cedric! Do something – don't just stand there!" Sophie whispered frantically.
After yet another warning blast from the increasingly agitated dragon, Cedric finally made a move. The words he had chosen were not audible from their height in the stands, but they could see the flick of his wand. The crowd twittered and pointed as one a rock by his feet rapidly transfigured into a Labrador retriever, which bounded around the enclosure.
The dragon's attention was now drawn toward the dog, which was prancing dangerously close to her shooting range. With the dragon distracted, Cedric sprinted toward nest.\
Sophie, along with the rest of the spectators, jumped to their feet as Cedric's hands closed around the golden egg. The relief she had felt as he turned to get away lasted only momentarily, because the dragon took notice of the retreating champion. She snorted a hot stream of fire, which aimed true this time.
A countless number of voices screamed as Cedric tumbled to the ground; the egg rolling a short distance from where he landed. A herd of teachers and dragon specialists stormed the enclosure at once. Sophie watched in horror as the specialists made quick work of subduing the beast; Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey were helping Cedric to his feet. While the judges presented his scores, the two women propped him up as he held a towel against his face. As soon as the scores were announced, he was immediately rushed into the back tent for medical attention.
Sophie fidgeted nervously in her seat as the next champion was announced. She knew she was going to have to wait out the rest of the task before seeing Cedric; they wouldn't let her in the medical tent. It felt as if each of the three other champions were moving in slow motion; they couldn't seem to get passed the dragon fast enough. It probably didn't help that Sophie's mind was reeling with the seriousness of Cedric's injury. Finally, Harry Potter, who was the last of the champions, managed to snag the egg away using some nifty flying and then First Task had come to an end.
Sophie tried to elbow her way through the crowd of people trying to exit the stadium, but the mob was packed so tightly that she had to wait just like everyone else. She couldn't help the impatience creeping through her as she willed the bodies out of the stadium. When she finally spring from the hoard, she jogged around to the little tent, eager to find the damaged Cedric Diggory.
Waiting outside the tent was a gangly, red-haired boy that she knew hung around with Harry Potter. He gave her a crooked smile as she moved closer.
"Has anyone come out yet?" she asked anxiously, hoping she hadn't missed him.
He shook his head. "No, not yet."
It felt like ages as they milled about outside the tent's entrance. Finally the champions emerged, each holding a golden egg. Cedric was walking alongside Harry, talking animatedly. They bid one another good-bye and Harry strode over to where Ron had been waiting. Cedric turned toward Sophie, revealing the damage done by the dragon's fiery breath; orange paste covered almost one half of his face. Sophie's eyes widened at the sight and gasped.
"Oh, Cedric – your face!"
Cedric gave her half a smile, almost unperturbed by the injury. "Don't worry. Madam Pomfrey says it should heal right up without any scarring."
Sophie drew in a deep breath and nodded, relieved. Swallowing all other concerns, she cracked a smile. "I'm glad to hear that. My first concern was definitely for your looks – we wouldn't want anything happening to that face of yours."
Cedric rolled his eyes.
"All the same, well done out there! You did really well."
Giving a weak smile, Cedric shook his head. "Thanks, but I think I could have done better. I should have been able to get away clean."
"Well, the transfiguring bit was well done," she replied.
"Yeah, well, I can't get too caught up in this one. I've got the Second Task to begin thinking of now." He motioned toward the golden egg in his grip. "I have a feeling it is going to be a lot more dangerous than this one, which is certainly saying something."
Sophie felt her insides squirm uneasily. "Well, let's not think about that right now. You deserve a bit of a break after tackling that dragon. Let's celebrate the end of this one before moving to the next."
"Well, not too long of a break." Cedric chuckled appreciatively. "But you're right. Let's celebrate! Oh, and don't let me forget to write to mum and dad; they'll want to know the outcome."