A/N: Hey! I'm back! :D I'm sure all this time you've all just been sitting completely still in your chairs doing nothing but waiting for the next chapter. And finally… here it is!

Part 9

Snape: The Hogwarts Champions shall now enter the Champions' tent in preparation forthe first task.

Harry sighed.

Harry: Ah man, I can't believe we gotta skip lunch period because of this stupid task.

"Yup, that's definitely the worst part about this," said James amused. Harry smiled and some of the others sniggered.

Hermione: Okay, Harry, today is the day. The day you fight the dragon. Now, did you readthose notes that I wrote for you on dragons?

Harry: No.

Hermione: What? Why not?

Harry: Are you kidding me? They were so boring.

"I'm so glad you're not like this in real life," Hermione groaned.

"Me too," Harry agreed.

Hermione: So y-y-you didn't read them? You didn't prepare at all – you're not prepared atall?

Harry: Well no, at least I have my wand… um… I brought my–

"You didn't even bring your wand?" Hermione looked like the stupidity of the Harry character physically hurt her.

Hermione: (pulls out wand) Harry?

Harry: Hey, cool. (Nose tap) You're the best.

Hermione let out a quite audible 'ugh' which made Harry and Ron snort.

Hermione: Harry just, please don't die today.

"I'll try," Harry gave her a smile, which she returned.

(Hugs) I don't wanna see my best friend be eaten bya dragon.

Harry: Hey, hey, relax, okay? Save those tears for my funeral.

Cedric: So, tell me more about this Pigfarts.

Malfoy groaned loudly, hiding his face in his hands.

I find it to be very interesting.

"Again with the find-jokes," Sirius shook his head, though he was smiling.

Draco: Well, while you're there you have to wear your spacesuit at all times becausethere's no atmosphere on Mars. So if a single docking bay door opens you'll probably die.

"Cheerful," said Ginny.

Cedric: My, how dreadful!

"He said, still smiling widely," Lily laughed.

"Was he even close to this in real life?" James asked.

"No," said Hermione.

"Not at all," said Harry.

Draco: Well, but the good news is if you're a good enough student, Rumbleroar lets youride around on his back!

"Yay," Malfoy said sarcastically.

Cedric: And he's the Headmaster lion?

Draco: Who can talk.

"This is ridiculous," Malfoy said under his breath.

"I don't think anyone's denying that," Snape noted.

There was a general murmur of noncommittal agreement.

"But that doesn't mean it's not fun!" Lily pointed out, beaming at them. Snape returned her smile with the softest hint of a smile of his own.

Cedric: Cool. Well, hello, Harry. How are you feeling today?

Harry: Hey, Cedric. Trying to stay positive.

"Really not hiding the fact that you don't like him, Harry," Hermione commented.

"Yeah," said Ginny. "I thought that was more Ron's deal."

"Hey!" Ron would have gone for the attach but Hermione calmed him down.

Cedric: Well, good! I'm having a fine time at the championships. Miss Granger.

Hermione: Hello.

"Not too enthusiastic yourself, are you?" Harry teased.

Cho: Sugar Pie!

Cedric: My darling! (They kiss) Was that a kiss for good luck?

Cho: No, that was for being so cotton-picking cute! This one's for good luck.

Harry: I hate that guy.

Hermione: It's okay, Harry. You're gonna be great today.

Dumbledore: Hello–ah! God, Granger I thought you were a Bogart. I'm terrified of them.

"What?" said Hermione exasperatedly.

And what the hell are you doing in the Champions' tent? Get out of here. Ten more points.

"That doesn't even make sense…" she sighed.

Harry: Thanks Hermione.

Dumbledore: Are you kids ready to fight a draagooon? Of course you're not, you're justchildren, what the hell am I thinking?

"Yeah, what the hell are you thinking?" James demanded.

Lily rolled her eyes. "As if you wouldn't have relished at the thought of getting to fight a dragon when you were in school?"

"Well yes, but I don't want our son to do it," he said and kissed her. "Especially when he's supposedly eleven years old."

"Fair enough."

Outside of this tent are thousands upon thousands ofscreaming fans. They're either gonna be cheering for you or the dragon, but either waythey are gonna make some kind of noise. So, in order for this election process to be fair I amgoing to randomly select a cardboard cut-out size version of the dragon you'll bedefeating.

"Oh, but the tiny dragons you got were so cute!" Ginny said almost sadly.

"It burned me and tried to bite my fingers a lot," Harry said, though he had to admit that it had been kind of cool to have a miniature dragon.

"What happened to that thing, anyway?" asked Ron.

"Dunno," said Harry. "I think Crookshanks ate it or something.

For you, Cedric… Puff the Magic Dragon. Figment, the Imaginary Dragon. TheReluctant Dragon. And for you, Potter… the Hungarian Horntail, the most terrifying thingyou've ever seen in your whole life! If there are no more complaints then I'll –

"What?!" said Harry outraged. "I still have to face a Hungarian Horntail? All the others got cute, made-up, muggle dragons!"

Ginny put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. It worked surprisingly well.

Harry: Whoa, wait, wait. Hold on a second! Wait a second. This is terrifying. Those are thecutest things I've ever seen.

Dumbledore: This thing is horrifying! Just use you imagination. Disapparate!

Harry sighed irritably.

Ron: God, this competition's gonna suck. All these dragons are wimps! Accio Double-Stuff.Wow, look at that one – Oh my god, monster! Is that yours?

"Well that will make me feel better," said Harry. "Thanks Ron."

"Shut up, mate. You're gonna win anyway."

Harry didn't say anything. He knew Ron was right, as did everyone else.

Harry: Yeah.

Ron: Oh my god, it's awesome. Let me hold it. Oh my god, this thing is terrifying, hope thereal thing is smaller. Argh! Ferocious. What are you gonna do?

Harry: I don't know, I'm not cut out for this–

Hermione: Ron– Ron, you can't be in here, this is the Champions' tent!

Snape: Miss Granger! What the devil are you doing in the Champions' tent? Ten pointsfrom Gryffindor!

Everyone laughed.

Harry and Ron: Thanks Hermione.

Ron: Hey, good luck buddy. Bye Snape.

Snape: Bye.

Everyone laughed even harder. Even Snape was showing a full on smirk

Cedric Diggory, now is you chance to face you dragon.

Cedric: Okay, fellas, wish me luck!

Cho: I believe in you!

Cedric: That's all I needed to hear.

Harry: Hey, Malfoy. Tell you what; I'll let you switch dragons with me.

"Please tell me my character isn't thick enough to do that," Malfoy sighed.

I'll give you thechance to switch dragons with me, I'll give you that opportunity. Tell you what– don'tworry about it.

Draco: Hm, let me thing about– no.

"Thank you!" he said as he joined the others in their giggles.

Harry: Come on! I'll give you my Gushers.

Draco: Oh, no, no. I have a Fruit by the Foot, I don't need Gushers.

Snape: Cho Chang, your dragon awaits.

Cho: Well, I can't imagine that this would be very hard.

Snape: Then I imagine it won't be.

More laughter as Snape and Cho skips off stage.

Harry: Malfoy, come on! Uh, tell you what, I'll throw in my Teddy Grams with the Gushers.You can make little Gushers-Teddy Grams sandwiches.

Draco: Alright, you throw in that pack of Bugles and you've got yourself a deal.

Harry: Absolutely not, no.

"Seriously?" Harry stared at his musical self in disbelief.

Snape: Draco Malfoy, your turn.

Harry: Professor Snape? Is there any way, I don't know, forfeit or switch dragons, or maybejust take a day off to– wha-what're you, what're you doing? What is that?

Snape: I'm protecting you, Potter. Welsh Greenbacks can't stand the taste of Hunt's tomatoketchup.

Harry: But I'm not fighting a Welsh Greenback, I'm fighting a Hungarian Horntail.

Snape: Oh, well silly me. Hunt's tomato ketchup is what Hungarian Horntails love best ofall.

"Of course it is," Harry sighed.

Good luck, Potter!

Harry: What? No!

Dumbledore: And now Harry Potter will battle the terrifying Hungarian Horntail, themost terrifying thing you'll see in your whole life! It should be noted that this particulardragon has not been fed in two weeks.

"They're really laying it on thick, aren't they?" Remus commented.

Hermione: Come on, Harry. You can do it, Harry!

Ron: Whoo! You got it, yeah! You got this!

Hermione: Just think positive. You can do it! Harry! Harry!

Harry: (Dragon eats him) AHH! Oh my god! Uh-uh… Accio guitar! (Singing) Hey dragon,

"Aaand I'm singing to the dragon," Harry said. "Of course, why not?"

The room burst into laughter.

you don't gotta do this. Let's re-evaluate our options, throw away our old assumptions, 'cause really, you don't gotta go through this.

"I wish it'd been this easy…"

I'm really not that special, the Boy-Who-Lived is only flesh and bone. The truth is in the end I'm pretty useless without friends.

"What I've been trying to tell people all this time."

In fact I'm alone. Spend my time at school trying to be this cool guy – I never even asked for – don't know any spells, still manage to do well, but there's only so long that can last for. I'm living of the glory of a stupid children's story that I had nothing to do with. I just sat there and got lucky, so level with me buddy. I can't defeat thee, so please don't eat me… And all I can do is sing this song for you. Lalalalala.

Dragon: Lalalalala.

Harry: Lalalalala.

Dragon: Lalalalala.

Both: Lalalalala.

Harry: You never asked to be a dragon. I never asked to be a Champion. We both justjumped on this bandwagon, but all we need is guitar jammin'. So lalalalala.

Dragon: Lalalalala.

Harry: Lalalalala… Goodnight, Dragon. One, two, three! I beat the dragon!

(Cheers)

Ron: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

"That's one way of fighting a dragon," said Sirius who was wiping tears of laugher from his eyes.

A/N: Yup, that was a good chapter, wasn't it? Totally worth the wait. *sigh* Yeah… Totally…
Review maybe? Please and thank you oh so very much!