Trigger Warnings:
• Sexism
• Schizophrenia-like symptoms
...
The next few days were a flurry of gossip. Rita Skeeter wasted no time publishing a dramatic front-page article on the rift between Sirius and Dumbledore. Harry was a little annoyed at being painted as a poor incompetent child but at least he wasn't getting any real criticism and nobody believed he had entered his name anymore.
The only people now wearing the badges were Malfoy and his goons, and some other Slytherins who wanted to taunt the youngest champion. Cedric must have spoken to the Hufflepuffs as even the fierce badgers had lost theirs. Ginny caught the Hufflepuffs she had confronted in the Three Broomsticks looking rather guilty and ashamed once the article was released.
That's not to say that Harry was now having a wonderful time. He still had to compete in the death tournament after all and was three years younger than the other champions. Ron still wasn't talking to him, for whatever reason, and the Slytherins took turns mockingly quoting the article within Harry's earshot.
"...devastated and worried that his lack of experience will see him grievously injured...".
"...afraid of a further attempt at his life perhaps worried that he will join his parents sooner than planned...".
"...hasn't even learned a simple reductor curse how can he ever hope to match the imposing figures of the older champions?".
Ginny caught Malfoy taunting Harry about his future performance.
"Oh, Potter. I didn't realise you missed your parents so much but don't worry you'll be joining them very soon. I'm sure they will be thrilled to have their incompetent little son back".
Harry grit his teeth as Hermione dragged him away in the face of the Slytherins' mocking laughter.
Ginny, however, decided that some redemption was best. She hastily scrawled a message on a scrap of parchment and affixed it to his robe with a rather complex sticking charm she had found in the library.
Harry let out a snort of laughter when he looked back at Malfoy walking away with a note proclaiming him to be a "Ferrety prick" stuck to his back – a shout out to his previous incident with Moody.
Ginny signalled a shooing motion at Harry while Hermione wasn't looking and slipped into the crowd before anyone could notice her involvement.
…...
Rita's first article ended up being one of many in the Black versus Dumbledore dispute. Sirius and the press both went wild when Bill was unable to break the contract bonding Harry to the tournament. Apparently there was a rather nasty and archaic 'safety' enchantment which would kill all champions if the Goblet was tampered with in any way after the selection. Bill guessed that it was to prevent anyone messing with the contract and killing off the opposing champions. It didn't make Ginny feel any better though.
Understandably, Bill, Dumbledore and Sirius were unwilling to risk it. The Heads of the other schools were still annoyed at the lack of information provided before their champions were selected and remained rather frosty with the Hogwarts Headmaster at meals on the rare times that they attended the castle.
The rules for the tournament however, were quite simple. The Goblet was only able to judge the champions on two things: whether they attempted the tasks and their health. It had some kind of track on their magic which monitored their health and intent. As long as they were physically able to attempt and a task and, actually tried to complete it – instead of just entering the arena and standing by the door – they would not be harmed by the Goblet.
Harry was relieved that the Slytherins couldn't do him in before the task rendering him unable to compete and therefore forfeit his magic. Ginny wouldn't put them past trying anyway just to sabotage him.
Interestingly, there were no contractual rules about cheating or getting help. Typically, the champions would all sign a secondary contract after being chosen with the exact rules for that specific iteration of the tournament. Though, in light of the massive cock up, the champions were not expected to sign anything additional this time. This meant that Harry could receive help without penalty though, the other champions would also be afforded the same opportunity potentially increasing the gap between them even further.
The judges (which included the School Heads) and task organisers instead signed a secrecy contract advising that they could not provide information to the champions (or anyone else) except in group briefings where all champions were present. Neither could they directly train the champions. There were still multiple ways for them to circumvent the rules but at least they were all on a little more even a playing field.
Sirius even publicly stated that he would be supporting Harry throughout. As far as Ginny could see, the man stuck to his word and frequently took Harry out of class (mostly History of Magic) to provide training and guidance.
Ginny couldn't stop the unsettling feeling that Voldemort was back again and working from the shadows egged on by Tom. In order to get any semblance of peace she started strengthening her occlumency more and more to block him out. It seemed that his parasitic embodiment in her mind grew stronger as she aged.
On the bright side, she found she was better able to keep her senses in the French champion's presence when shielding her mind. It made mealtimes much more bearable and Colin insisted that she up his training in fear he would do something ridiculous.
As it transpired, Luna was rather gifted with occlumency as far as Ginny could see. At least she took to meditation with practiced ease. Ginny had a rudimentary grasp at Legilimancy at best but the one time she did try to test Luna's barriers – with her permission of course – she was sucked into the strangest mindscape she had ever seen, lost all sense of direction and was unable to make sense of anything she saw.
...
It was a week before the task when Ginny received a letter from Charlie asking her to meet him in a few nights in front of Hagrid's hut. She had overheard that after researching all the previous tournaments that Hermione thought it was most likely that the first task would test the champions' skills against a magical beast. Which only meant one thing – dragons.
Ginny finally managed to corner Harry the day of Charlie's visit. He had been training hard with Sirius in an attempt to lessen the gap between himself and the other champions. The redhead and raven haired boy snuck out under his invisibility cloak and the cover of darkness.
Ginny made herself visible once reaching Hagrid's hut and greeted Charlie with a big hug whispering that she had brought Harry too. Charlie showed no sign that he heard.
"Honestly, I'm not happy about this at all. They wanted nesting mothers specifically, the poor things. You know that stress is no good for the mother or her babies!" He ranted leading her off into the forest. "The only reason the boss agreed was because the Ministry bribed us with some very critical funding but I swear if one of them seriously injures my babies...".
He trailed off as they turned a corner placing a makeshift dragon enclosure in view.
Ginny couldn't help but gasp in awe. They were truly magnificent. Charlie's commentary of the different types washed over her as she stared at the hulking form of a dark-scaled dragon.
"That's Lujza. I don't envy the champion who has to go up against her. She was a last minute addition and hasn't gone through the same training as is not happy about being here".
Lujza let out a loud roar followed by a burst of flame.
"Hungarian Horntails are a handful at the best of times. The champion will have to get past a dragon to retrieve a golden egg from the nest. The boss put his foot down at using real eggs – we would have pulled out otherwise – but it doesn't make it any less stressful for them" he added, a note of pain in his voice.
"How are they supposed to get past them?" She asked, part out of curiosity and part because she knew Harry would be asking himself the same question.
"I'd fly personally. It's what a lot of us do in the sanctuary. Much faster and more mobile than on foot but you need to be able to handle a broom" he gave her a meaningful look.
"I'd be surprised if Krum didn't take that approach. Karkaroff and Maxine have both been snooping around so they will find a way to tip off their champions eventually. Though I'm not sure how well the French champion flies".
"Anyway, how are you, Gin?".
"I'm ok, school is busy this year" she replied without much enthusiasm.
He gave her a look of confusion but let it drop.
"Ok, well you best get back up to the castle. I'll make sure to see you again before I go".
She gave him a hug and slipped a bit of parchment into his pocket. A slight widening of his eyes was all the recognition he gave.
"Night, Char. Love you" she said. She hoped her note would be enough, feeling unable to say anything with a lingering prickle on the back of her neck.
Something wrong with MadEye. Testing imperious on students gathering information. Not safe, don't trust. Letters monitored? Put Harry's name in cup?
As they made their way back through the halls of the castle Harry brought out a map. Ginny was in awe at the detail showing where everyone was. With its help they avoided Filch. Mr Crouch had been lagging behind them since they reached the castle. They hadn't spotted him but she expected that he could cast a good enough disillusionment charm to hide himself in the shadows. She thanked Merlin for Harry's cloak not wanting to find out what would happen if they were caught by her brother's boss.
Harry had been equally as panicked when he spotted that they were being followed and sighed in relief once they reached the safety of the common room. They watched with bated breath as his dot turned around and went to Moody's office.
"Reporting any cheating for the scores?" Harry asked.
Ginny shrugged in response, a bad feeling settling in her chest.
He probably knows something's wrong with you. Tom whispered.
"Well, thanks for taking me with you. I would have been doomed if I found out on the day". Harry said rubbing the back of his neck.
"Anytime but um, can I borrow this?" She replied indicating to the map. With it she would be able to see if Moody did anything suspicious from a safe distance.
Harry looked shocked for a moment but seemed to recover quickly.
"Um sure. But keep it secret, please? It was my Dad's".
"Of course" she replied softly.
...
It was strange. Crouch seemed to stay the night in Moody's office. At least, he was there in the early hours before she went to sleep and was still there the following morning. However, with the task rapidly approaching she found herself a bit too distracted to puzzle out what was happening and returned the map to her friend so that she could navigate the castle for training.
Hermione and Sirius were true lifesavers for Harry. Between them they showed him how to cast the summoning spell from long distances. Sirius also showed him some useful backup spells which he could use to target the dragon's eyes if the summoning didn't work. Ginny had tried to help Hermione in one of her late-night training sessions and had suggested that Harry learn a fireproofing spell. Hermione however scoffed and said it wouldn't do anything against dragon-fire so Ginny left them to it.
On the day of the task she borrowed the map from Harry again "to keep an eye on things in case anyone suspicious showed up". Harry thanked her for the suggestion and gladly handed it over.
Moody remained in his rooms and out on the grounds spectators had started to fill the stands. She thought she saw Barty Crouch appear twice but decided it must have been a mistake as after losing him amongst the many dots of the spectators, only one re-emerged standing with the other judges.
They wished a white-faced Harry good luck and found a good position in the stands. Ginny placed the map on her lap hidden by her cloak and snuck a peek but nothing seemed amiss. Luna gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Your help will save him today, Ginny".
She sighed in relief.
Bagman's voice echoed around the stadium introducing the first task and the crowds went wild. There were four main spectator stands. One for Hogwarts students, staff and champion families, one for the General Public and press and one each for Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and public from those two areas. Brightly coloured banners and flags were displayed across the stands and to Ginny's pleasure there was a lot of support for the youngest champion amongst the British public, even if Cedric had the edge amongst the student-base.
Sirius Black stood in the prime seating with Remus, Molly and Arthur. Molly had knitted a banner with Harry's face in Gryffindor colours. They each had a pair of omnioculars which were popular throughout the crowd.
Even from high in the stands, the first dragon ushered in the arena looked enormous. She could see a contingent of dragon tamers waiting by the side-lines ready to pounce should anything go wrong. After explaining the rules to the eager crowd Bagman announced Cedric as the first champion.
"Aaaaaannnd Ladies and Gentlemen. Our very first champion. The Hufflepuff champion. Cedric Diggory!".
The handsome Hufflepuff managed a smile before entering the ring. Ginny had to wonder whether he had a clear plan or whether his confidence was a front. As the Hufflepuff seeker, flying would have been a good strategy for him too and Ginny wondered what option he would take.
The badger edged closer to the Swedish Short-Snout hiding behind rocks and using transfigurations to distract it. It was a clever strategy which showed a lot of skill. Dumbledore in particular looked rather impressed.
The dragon fell for Cedric's ploy and was distracted by a retriever transfigured from one of the rocks giving him time to break cover and sprint toward the golden egg.
"Look at him go! I wonder how long our first dragon will remain distracted" Bagman called.
The dragon remained distracted long enough for Cedric to reach the egg. With shaking hands he lifted it from the nest accidentally knocking a loose rock it was resting on. The stadium froze as the dragon turned to face him.
Even Bagman was silent.
He dived just in time to miss the centre of a stream of flame. Landing awkwardly a sharp snap signalled a broken bone causing the crowd to wince.
"Oh, that's got to hurt Ladies and Gentlemen. It seems as though our champion is in a bit of a pickle".
As if spurred on by Bagman's commentary the dragon let out a stream of flame which Cedric caught on his back as he scrambled to his feet.
"Ouch! Another hit for the dragon!".
Cedric didn't let it slow him down as he ran toward the exit. The Hufflepuff champion collapsed just outside the arena and was immediately swarmed by medics. There was a beat of silence then...
"And our first champion has survived! The medics will patch him up and he'll be back later to get his scores. Don't worry, don't worry we'll be writing them down ready for the grand reveal!".
Fleur was next, the French champion full of smiles as she gracefully stepped into the arena. The ethereal champion barely had an effect on her as Ginny occluded heavily to block out Tom's voice and focus on the task. Though her chest did tighten, just a little.
"Let's welcome our second Champion Fleur Delacour to the stage. Let's see if the French beauty has the skills to match our other champions!".
Ginny scowled along with Madam Maxime.
Luna, seated between Ginny and Colin firmly grasped their hands as the champion started to sing. Any resistance Ginny felt started slipping away with each note. The air was thick with gentle enchanted music which was pressing against her shields. Her eyes started to feel heavy but she didn't look away. Slowly, the champion continued her song, waving her wand like she was conducting the gentle melody.
"A beautiful voice for sure" Bagman boomed "Not the most interesting approach but it appears to be working".
She eventually reached the dragon who had succumbed to the song and lay sleeping it's giant head rested on its curled tail. Fleur plucked the egg from the nest and backed away carefully eyes still focused on the sleeping Welsh Green when it let out a snore.
A small burst of flame set her skirt alight which she wasted no time dousing with fire.
"Oh ho! Our foolish French champion has forgotten that dragons can breathe fire in their sleep. That will cost her! It appears that the enchantment has been broken Ladies and Gents".
Unfortunately, Bagman spoke true and the dragon started to rouse from its slumber.
Wasting no time, Fleur turned and fled reaching the exit before the dragon had fully regained its senses.
"And she's made it" Bagman surmised sounding rather disappointed.
Once the French champion was out of sight, the crowd blinked a few times before bursting into applause. Even the women who were mostly resistant seemed rather lethargic. It was definitely an excellent display of power regardless of Bagman's lack of enthusiasm. Ginny couldn't help but wonder what the champion would do in future tasks.
Next it was Krum's turn to face a Chinese Fireball. Unlike the previous two champions he fought aggressively. He attacked the dragon from all sides with blasted pieces of rock and then unleashed some quick spell work to hit it in the eyes with a conjunctivitis curse.
"And this is more like it! Our Durmstrang champion is treating us to some true action. Look at him go!".
The dragon blinded, squashed several of the 'eggs' before stumbling from her nest.
"Ohhh and that's going to cost him!".
Krum used some kind of silencing charm as he raced toward the nest, retrieved the egg and returned to the exit without injury. He received a burst of applause too but Ginny was sure she could hear Charlie booing amongst the voices.
"And Krum is our first champion to make it without injury! Now let's see what our youngest champion has to offer Mr Haaaarrrrry Potter!".
Finally, it was Harry's turn. Despite His entrance was met with polite applause from the Hogwarts crowd but hearty cheers from the British public spurred on my Bagman and Sirius. She made sure to raise her voice in support too. There were a few boos from the Slytherins but it didn't look like the youngest champion heard – or cared.
He wisely ducked behind a rock before he was spotted by the Horntail. The dragon itself was already irritated, flicking her spiked tail back and forth and huffing out little bursts of flame. Ginny couldn't help but think that the poor boy really did have the worst luck.
Harry cast a spell which the audience couldn't quite hear which caused a series of muttering when nothing happened. Malfoy actually laughed and Ginny nearly drew her wand.
"That spell doesn't seem to have done anything Ladies and Gents but perhaps the champion has spotted something we haven't".
The crowd resumed their cheering when his broom came flying from the castle though and into his outstretched hand. Malfoy promptly shut up. Tied on the handle was a black drawstring bag.
"And he's off! The simplest solution from our youngest champion but it'll be hard to outfly the Horntail".
The cheers hurt her ears as he took to the sky and circled the Horntail out of reach of her flames. Like an annoying fly he dipped back and forth trying to entice her to leave her nest and begin the chase but she stood her ground.
"A good plan but the dragon doesn't seem to be taking the bait!".
Seemingly realising that she wasn't going anywhere the youngest champion reached into the bag and pulled out a wet-start firework and launched it at the dragon. It impacted harmlessly on her neck and she flicked her tail in annoyance.
The crowd went wild as Harry continued to pelt her with all kinds of objects which splashed either paint or powder on her scales or sizzled against them before extinguishing. Ginny suspected that Sirius had heavy involvement in Harry's bag of tricks. With one excellent shot, he managed to land a balloon of blue paint in her eye and faster than anyone thought necessary she shot from the ground.
Even Bagman was speechless.
Harry's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden attack as he barrel rolled to avoid contact. The crowd went wild as the chase began. Harry dodged every attack staying close enough to remain a threat but far enough to anticipate the dragons movements. They circled higher and higher until -
Th youngest champion lay flat on his broom and executed a perfect Wronski-feint style dive, capturing the egg.
"Great scott that boy can fly! England you best be looking to sign him up!".
Overbalancing slightly he had to veer sharply to the side to avoid the protective ward surrounding the stands. The Horntail was ferociously quick and in that moment struck the youngest champion with her tail.
The spikes dug into his shoulder but he remained on his broom which was now spinning out of control. He finally regained the steering just in time to narrowly miss a bout of flame which hit his broomtail but seemed to do nothing.
"A bludger will be nothing if he can take a hit from a Horntail like that!".
The Horntail was now between him and the exit. Maintaining his speed he performed a couple of tricky and daring manoeuvres allowing him to dive under the dragon's open wing and spiral out of the stadium.
"Our youngest champion has only gone and done it! Let's hear it for Haaaaarry Potter the Boy-Who-Can-Flyyyyyyy!".
The crowd completely lost their shit and were screaming themselves hoarse. None more so than Sirius who Ginny could have sworn was also crying tears of pride at his Godson's death-defying antics.
"That was fucking awesome" Colin summed up and Ginny had to agree.
"Looks like you were right, Lu" Ginny noted to the blonde who was humming happily.
After a brief interlude the champions were brought back into the area, sans dragons, to hear the scores. Cedric was covered in heavy bandages across his back and arm and Harry also had a smaller set where the dragon's spikes had reached him. The other two champions seemingly had needed no medical attention though Fleur's skirt was noticeably shorter than it was previously, exposing the bottom of her beautiful thighs. Ginny shook the thought out of her head and forced herself to look away.
Eventually announced that the judges were ready to present the scores to the eager crowd. Harry and Krum tied for first place to the absolute shock of the former. He really didn't understand how talented he was. Harry had lost points for his injury (and a very biased score from Karkaroff) while the later had points docked for the damage to the 'eggs'.
Fleur came last rather unfairly in Ginny's opinion. Yes, her approach wasn't as exciting as the other champions but it was calm, powerful and got the job done. She wasn't even injured when the dragon set her skirt alight. In Ginny's opinion she displayed the most powerful magics, enchanting a dragon to sleep was very impressive, but all the men except Dumbledore scored her badly. The sexist pricks.
Ginny really hoped that the first task was the most dangerous one they would have to face but she just knew things would only get worse.
...
N.B. Scores if you're interested:
1st place Harry – 40 (total): 9 (Dumbledore), 10 (Bagman), 9 (Crouch), 8 (Maxime), 4 (Karkaroff).
2nd place Krum – 40 (total): 7 (Dumbledore), 7 (Bagman), 9 (Crouch), 7 (Maxime), 10 (Karkaroff).
3rd place Cedric – 38 (total): 9 (Dumbledore), 8 (Bagman), 7 (Crouch), 7 (Maxime), 7 (Karkaroff).
4th place Fleur – 36 (total): 10 (Dumbledore), 6 (Bagman), 5 (Crouch), 10 (Maxime), 5 (Karkaroff).
...
I hope you enjoyed seeing things from Ginny's perspective!
EsterBelle – Thank you!! I completely agree that her character could have been so much better developed. I hope you continue to enjoy the story
Stay safe!
~ Fiona