Skylar was the last of her, Harry and Hermione to get to the Great Hall for breakfast. Both of them were sitting with Ginny and Leon and greeted her as she sat down with a yawn.
"You alright Sky?" Leon asked.
"Late night." She muttered simply before bringing some food forwards.
Harry it seemed wasn't eating at all, instead he was watching Hermione as she ate her porridge. Skylar opted for some simple toast seeing as Harry was looking jittery with impatience.
She was right. As soon as Hermione finished her last spoonful, he dragged her out onto the grounds. Skylar waved to the two third-years and hurried after them.
Harry told them everything about the dragons and then told Hermione everything about what Sirius had said.
Hermione was alarmed about Sirius' warning about Karkaroff, but for the moment believed it was important to keep their goal on the dragons.
"Let's just try and keep you alive until Tuesday evening," she said desperately, "and then we can worry about Karkaroff."
They walked three times around the lake, trying all the way to think of a simple spell that would subdue a dragon. Nothing whatsoever occurred to them, so they retired to the library instead. Here, Harry pulled down every book he could find on dragons, and all of them 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…"
"'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…"
"They must have a simple weakness that Sirius knows about." Skylar thought.
"Let's try some simple spellbooks, then," said Harry, throwing aside Men Who Love Dragons Too Much.
He returned to the table with a pile of spellbooks, set them down, and began to flick through each in turn, Hermione whispering nonstop at his elbow.
"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…"
"We still have over a year until them, Hermione." Skylar grumbled.
"Hermione," Harry said, through gritted teeth, "will you shut up for a bit, please? I'm trying to concentrate."
Hermione did so, but it didn't seem to help Harry's progress anyway.
"Oh no, he's back again, why can't he read on his stupid ship?" said Hermione irritably as Viktor Krum slouched in, cast a surly look over at the pair of them, and settled 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 they left the library, a gang of girls tiptoed past them, one of them wearing a Bulgaria scarf tied around her waist.
"You know…" Skylar said thinking, "If we can't find the spell Sirius was thinking of, then we're going to have to think of different ideas. Charlie said you had to get past the dragon, not fight it, maybe we should think of strategies that do that."
"Yeah? Like how?" Harry was getting irritated now, and his nerves were growing.
"Maybe with some distraction?" Skylar offered. "Create a different threat?"
"I don't think that's simple Sky." Hermione said.
"I said 'moving away from Sirius' comment'." Skylar grumbled but she decided not to say much more.
Monday arrived and that meant classes, which led to less time researching in the Library. Harry seemed to be indifferent about how he felt, and had trouble eating his breakfast. Despite this however, as they got up and left the Gryffindor table, he spotted Cedric Diggory.
"Hermione, Sky, I'll see you in the greenhouses," Harry said, coming to a decision as he watched Cedric leaving the Hall. "Go on, I'll catch you up."
"Harry, you'll be late, the bell's about to ring —"
"I'll catch you up, okay?"
"Good luck." Skylar said as he hurried from the Great Hall. He went up the Marble staircase instead of out the front door for the greenhouses.
"What's he doing?" Hermione asked.
"He's going to tell Cedric about the dragons." Skylar said as they went outside.
"Why?"
"Maybe cause Cedric is likely the only champion who doesn't know about them. Don't you think that's a bit unfair?" Skylar asked. "You know Harry and his moral compass." She smiled.
The two girls began Herbology class and Harry took quite a bit longer than expected to return. He was at least ten minutes late. It seemed he'd hit on an idea, for he hurried an apology to Professor Sprout and came right over to the girls in a hurry.
"Hermione," Harry whispered, glancing at Skylar who was watching him curiously. "Hermione — I need you to help me."
"What d'you think I've been trying to do, Harry?" she whispered back, her eyes round with anxiety over the top of the quivering Flutterby Bush she was pruning.
"Hermione, I need to learn how to do a Summoning Charm properly by tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh, is that all?" Skylar sighed. Harry still hadn't mastered the spell. "Why?"
"To get past the dragon, I can use my Firebolt." He said.
Skylar grinned. "Brilliant!"
And so they practiced. They didn't have lunch, but headed for a free classroom, where Harry tried with all his might to make various objects fly across the room toward him. He was still having problems. The books and quills kept losing heart halfway across the room and dropping like stones to the floor.
"Concentrate, Harry, concentrate…"
"What d'you think I'm trying to do?" said Harry angrily. "A great big dragon keeps popping up in my head for some reason… Okay, try again…"
"Gosh, alright." Skylar sighed. She moved and went to stand beside Harry. He looked at her quizzically. "The dragon keeps popping into your head, because this spell is connected to it. You need to think of another reason you want your Firebolt. So, imagine someone's stealing it." She smiled.
Harry stared at her.
"I'm serious Harry." The look on her face was stern and suddenly Harry found himself believing her. "Someone's stealing your Firebolt. Summon it back." His heart sped up and he had every urge to run forwards to the non-existent person to get his broom back.
Skylar grinned at her work.
Harry wanted to skip Divination to keep practicing, but Hermione refused point-blank to skive off Arithmancy, Skylar had a free period that afternoon, but Hermione put her foot down.
"Don't you think Harry's life is more important than Divination?" Skylar questioned. "I'm sure if we told McGonagall why, she'd forgive him."
Hermione argued, but left without complaint, not bothering to make them follow her. Skylar grinned at Harry. "So, do you want your most prized possession back, or not?" She asked.
"I can't believe you." Harry grumbled. He was tempted to get back at her by removing the mandrake leaf from her mouth, which had sat there for close to a month, as Professor McGonagall had informed her, she only had a few days left.
"Don't you dare." She said with a malevolent tone. "I've almost finished."
The two spent the hour practicing and Harry was finally beginning to get the spell.
"Right, I'll lift your motivation now." She smirked.
"You shouldn't mess with people's minds."
"Well, do you want to succeed or not?" Skylar asked.
He had no argument.
Harry had a bit of trouble without Skylar's mental manipulations, but he was doing better than he had during the lunch break.
When the period ended, they went down for dinner before going to the common room and collecting the invisibility cloak in order to return to the empty classroom and practice some more. They kept practicing until past midnight. They would have stayed longer, but Peeves turned up and, pretending to think that Harry wanted things thrown at him, started chucking chairs across the room. Harry, Skylar and Hermione left in a hurry before the noise attracted Filch, and went back to the Gryffindor common room, which was now mercifully empty.
At two o'clock in the morning, Harry stood 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 had Harry really got the hang of the Summoning Charm.
"That's better, Harry, that's loads better," Hermione said, looking exhausted but very pleased.
Skylar yawned as she gave him the thumbs up.
"Well, now we know what to do next time I can't manage a spell," Harry said, throwing a rune dictionary back to Hermione, so he could try again, "threaten me with a dragon. Right…" He raised his wand once more. "Accio Dictionary!"
The heavy book soared out of Hermione's hand, flew across the room, and Harry caught it.
"Harry, I really think you've got it!" said Hermione delightedly.
"Just as long as it works tomorrow," Harry said. "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," said Hermione firmly. "Just as long as you're concentrating really, really hard on it, it'll come."
"I think your new problem is trying not to fall asleep tomorrow." Skylar said, yawning.
"She's right. Harry, we'd better get some sleep… you're going to need it."
The atmosphere in the school was one of great tension and excitement the following morning. Lessons were to stop at midday, giving all the students time to get down to the dragons' enclosure — though of course, they didn't yet know what they would find there.
History of Magic was first and then they seemed to already be sitting at the Great Hall for lunch when Professor McGonagall came hurrying down the Great Hall towards them.
Lots of people were watching.
"Potter, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now… You have to get ready for your first task."
"Okay," said Harry, standing up, his fork falling onto his plate with a clatter.
"Good luck, Harry," Hermione whispered. "You'll be fine!"
"Yeah," said Harry in a voice that was most unlike his own. He glanced at Skylar and she nodded, a dragon after all couldn't be much different from facing You-Know-Who or a basilisk after all. Harry shot her a look and she shrugged. It was true.
There was a few minutes before the teachers were announcing for everyone to get up and follow them through the grounds to the first task. Lots of people were looking excited and full of anticipation, Hermione and Skylar just felt nervous.
They moved around the forest, so far so that the castle fell away behind them and could no longer be seen over the trees. People were excited, joking as they passed a white tent and moved around it to find an enclosure, a small space for an opening with stairs that lead into stands to sit and look down on the supposed dragon space.
Everyone was chatting excitedly for a while, waiting, wondering what was going to happen in the enclosure. Skylar was looking over it and noticed that within it had been put several eggs, including a golden one.
"Hermione, look." She pointed. "I think they've got to get the golden egg. That's why they wanted nesting mothers."
"But, they'll be even more protective!" Hermione worried.
Skylar frowned slightly. Yes, that would make it harder, and the dragons more ferocious.
Dumbledore walked up to address everyone from where the judges were sitting and everyone turned to them.
"Welcome to the first task!" Everyone cheered. "This task is all about daring and courage and so only today will the champions discover what they are up against." Hermione and Skylar shared a look. "The order of our champions have been chosen at random, but at the sound of the whistle they shall come forth and face their opponents."
Everyone gasped as the enclosure opened, a very large door compared to the other, and through it came a dragon. "Each champion will have a different dragon to face, each of which have been given eggs to protect. Amongst these eggs is a Golden Egg, which each champion must retrieve to proceed to the next task." Everyone was muttering and looking both worried and scared, some were admiring the dragon as it stood protectively over its batch of eggs.
"Now, without further ado, the first to face their dragon, the Swedish Short-Snout, is Cedric Diggery!"
Everyone cheered and a whistle was blown. A few moments later, Bagman appeared, wearing his wasp robes again, by the judges panel just before Cedric walked into the enclosure. He looked very green but everyone erupted into cheers as they saw him.
Cedric looked up at the dragon which had turned her large eyes on him, he was the threat here.
Cedric however seemed to have a plan, for after a few attempts to get towards the dragon, having to dodge and duck out of the way of the dragon's fire breathing breath, he transfigured a rock into a dog, it ran around the rink, its barks drowned out by the sound of the crowd and the roaring of the dragon. The dragon didn't like the dog and it reared its head and chased it slightly away from the eggs as Cedric moved around the other way to get the egg. It seemed he was going to use the dog as a distraction.
Bagman was commentating as Cedric struggled, "Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow" … "He's taking risks, this one!" … "Clever move — pity it didn't work!"
It took Cedric a while before he lunged for the egg, unfortunately the dragon had turned her attention back to Cedric and the last thing they saw was Cedric running away from flames, the golden egg in his hands.
The crowd exploded with cheers.
"Very good indeed!" Bagman was shouting. "And now the marks from the judges!"
Cedric's score wasn't bad, but the burn he received took marks off, as well as the few scrapes and cuts from jumping around everywhere.
"One down, three to go!" Bagman yelled as the Swedish Short-Snout was taken from the enclosure, and replaced with a Welsh Green. The whistle blew again. "Miss Delacour, if you please!"
Fleur had her head held high, but she was just as terrified as Cedric had been. She had her wand held tightly into her hand as everyone cheered for her.
Fleur raised her wand on the dragon as she treaded lightly around the enclosure and waved it around. The dragon seemed captivated by her movements and she looked like she was trying to hypnotise the dragon. It must have been the intention, for the dragon seemed to become sleepy, its eyes closing and lowering itself towards the ground. The crowd was cheering as Fleur moved to get the egg, unfortunately, the dragon snored and fire shot out of its nostrils. Fleur jumped around and looked terrified as her skirt caught fire. Many people booed and every boy seemed to lean closer to get a better look before the girl put the fire out with her wand.
"Oh I'm not sure that was wise!" they could hear Bagman shouting gleefully. "Oh… nearly! Careful now… good lord, I thought she'd had it then!"
Fleur managed to grab her egg in a shorter time than Cedric had, her idea of hypnosis being smarter than the distraction apparently. Fleur received her marks from the judges before she joined Cedric with Madam Pomfrey to be healed up from any scratches or burns she'd received.
"And here comes Mr. Krum!" cried Bagman.
Krum slouched into the enclosure, looking as sunken as always.
Krum had a more direct approach towards the dragon, unlike the others who seemed to know better than to fire spells at a beast that was not affected by them, Krum did it anyway. None of them worked. It seemed however that Krum was not firing randomly, Krum managed to hit the dragon in the eye.
"Very daring!" Bagman was yelling, and the Chinese Fireball emitted a horrible, roaring shriek, while the crowd drew its collective breath. The dragon swayed from side to side while Krum ran for the egg. The dragon however, in its pain and disorientation, stood and crushed the real eggs surrounding the golden one, causing Krum to jump out of the way, just missing getting squashed himself. "That's some nerve he's showing — and — yes, he's got the egg!" Krum held the egg up as he panted and the dragon was taken from the enclosure as applause shattered the wintery air like breaking glass; Krum had finished, and that meant 3 of four had faced their dragons.
Harry was next, and the only dragon left was the Hungarian Horntail.