Harry Potter and the Supreme Animagus

Chapter 20

Nest Raiding Strategies, Part 2

French Firebird and British Changeling

Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).

Wizarding Wireless Network Transcription
First Task
Third Champion; Beauxbatons, Fleur Delacoeur

"And here she comes, Witches and Wizards! The Third Champion in the TriWizard Tournament, the French Champion, Fleur Delacoeur! Representing the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!"

(Brief pause)

"Wow… ahem, yes, yes, I'm getting to that. Where was I? Um, yes. Mademoiselle…" (hushed voice) "I'm saying it right? Oh, well, Miss Delacoeur is a very dedicated witch, otherwise the Goblet of Fire wouldn't have chosen her, of course. According to my notes, she is very proficient in Charms, that's so very obvious, even from up here; and also in Arythmancy. I don't see how that last one could be of use against a nesting dragon, Witches and Wizards, but just as Mr. Krum surprised us by using a potion, maybe Miss Delacoeur will be able to calculate a way to get past her dragon."

"While the dragon handlers retreat from the enclosure, Miss Delacoeur is listening to the last minute instructions from the Representative of our Ministry of Magic. Her dragon is a magnificent and exotic Chinese Fireball! Now, this particular breed of dragon is known for it's crimson and gold skin, and gets its name from both its country of origin, and the particular shape of its fiery breath. Unlike the streams of fire other dragons breathe, the Chinese Fireball blows a short burst of fire, that takes a roughly spherical shape. Though the Chinese Fireball is very territorial and aggressive, the female might allow another Fireball dragon or two in its territory; though this behaviour is gender based, as the males must then offer prey to the female, for obvious reasons. No, not that. Well, apart from that, the female is quite bigger than the males, so it's in their best interest to keep her happy and well fed. Now that I think it, much like my… Ow! It was a joke!"

"In any case, this particular female is watching closely at Miss Delacoeur as she enters the enclosure, she's inflating her throat sack, I mean the dragon, of course."

"Miss Delacoeur stops at a respectable distance, out of the reach of the dragon's fire, I hope." (Noise of shuffling parchment) "Yes, it looks like she is beyond the fire range."

"And she has taken her wand out, Witches and Wizards! I wonder what kind of charm, hex, jinx or curse will she use! Um… she is pointing… no, she's resting the tip of her wand against her own neck, I mean, her throat. An Amplifying Charm? It sure looks like one. Maybe she wants to address… the… audienceee…"

(Faint sound of female voice singing)

"Oh… my… what a… what a beautiful song… it's… like an Angel…"

(Six minutes of song)

(Hushed voice) "…the dragon seems relaxed… the song… it's so beautiful… so… beautiful…"

(Seven minutes of song)

(Hushed voice) "… the dragon has… laid down on the ground… its eyes… are closing… it is falling sleep… Miss Delacoeur is …singing the most… beautiful… lullaby in the world…. To a nesting dragon…"

(Five minutes of song)

(Hushed voice) "No… don't stop…" (Pause) "Oh, my goodness, Witches and Wizards. Miss Delacoeur has literally sung the dragon to sleep. She is now ending the Amplifying Charm, and ah, she's casting the opposite charm on herself! A Quietening Charm, no doubt to not disturb the Chinese Fireball's sleep."

(Pause)

(Hushed voice) "Miss Delacoeur has reached the nest, Witches and Wizards. With wary eyes, she reaches for the Golden Egg… she must move carefully to not jostle the other eggs in the nest. Careful… careful… Yes! She has the egg! Miss Delacoeur has taken the Golden Egg and is now walking back to the enclosure door. Very slowly."

(Pause)

(Hushed voice) "The dragon handlers are now opening the door, Witches and Wizards. She is out of the enclosure!"

(Normal volume) "And Miss Delacoeur is now being escorted to the Medical tent for her check-up! What an amazing feat of magic! I feel privileged by having listened Miss Delacoeur's song. I hope she will decide on a musical career after finishing her education. I really hope so."

"Ahem. But for the here and now, let's see what the Judges think of Miss Delacoeur's method!"

"Madame Maxime, Nine Points!"

"Mr. Crouch, Eight Points!"

"Headmaster Dumbledore, Eight Points!"

"Mr. Bagman, Eight Points!"

"Headmaster Karkaroff, Seven Points!"

"Miss Delacoeur has won a total of Forty Points, Witches and Wizards; tying with Mr. Diggory in Second Place, with Mr. Krum ahead by only two points!"

"We will go to a brief musical intermission. Now, for the younger members of the audience, we have the Weird Sisters, with their newest song 'Magic Works'!"

Wizarding Wireless Network Transcription
First Task
Fourth Champion, Hogwarts, Harry Potter

"And after that… um, interesting musical number we return with the thrilling Triwizards Tournament! Our Fourth and Last Champion is no other than young Mr. Harry Potter, who was unexpectedly chosen by the Goblet of Fire as the Fourth Champion, making him the Second Hogwarts Champion in an unprecedented even in the long story of the Tournament!"

"Mr. Potter really needs no introduction for the British Audience, as his fame is known all over Magical Britain. Instead, I'll just mention his academic performance. Mr. Potter, despite his young age, is an avid student of Defense Against the Dark Arts and a skillful Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, and has managed several thrilling, last minute, victories in the Quidditch field. Maybe Mr. Potter will take a page off Mr. Krum's book and dazzle us with a skillful demonstration of his dominion over the broom."

"While Mr. Potter attends to the last minute instructions, let's review the dragon he got. Oh… Merlin! Mr. Potter got the biggest, nastiest, and most dangerous dragon of the whole lot! And here it is, Wizards and Witches! No other than the Hungarian Horntail! This breed is well known as the most dangerous dragon alive! Its black scales are an almost impenetrable natural armor, it's golden horns are hard enough to easily break through the most powerful shield charm, though they are rarely used as they point backwards. Instead, the Hungarian Horntail prefers to use the sharp spikes on its tail. A single strike of the tail can kill even other dragons! As if that was not dangerous enough, its flame can reach almost forty feet! With at least one registered case of fifty, by a particularly enraged dragon, after the destruction of its whole clutch of eggs. Mr. Potter better be very careful not to damage any egg!"

"Mr. Potter stops after crossing the door, hes… putting a mask on? It looks like a black faceplate of a design similar to a legendary knight, once the mask has been secured, he pulls the cowl of his robe over his head. Must be some kind of protective gear. He turns back… he is speaking to the dragon handlers. Apparently he has asked for a quick escape route, as the two handlers are keeping the doors open. It seems Mr. Potter doesn't fully trust in his own abilities and prefers to have a ready exit. Is that allowed by the rules?"

"Wait a moment. Mr. Potter has raised his hands over his head. Is that some kind of ritualistic gesture? One moment please, he is just standing there, hands over his head. Was that some kind of bird? Mr. Potter seems to have caught some kind of black bird with his right hand. Oh, there's another, Mr. Potter has, somehow, captured a pair of black birds and holds them in his hands. He nods, and the dragon handlers are now closing the doors."

"As Mr. Potter walks calmly into the enclosure, the Hungarian Horntail gets clearly agitated. It shakes its head side to side and roars, trying to scare away the intruder. Mr. Potter is getting closer to the dragon, holding the black birds. I wonder what is he doing. What could be the purpose of holding those birds?"

"Mr. Potter is… kneeling? Why, yes. He is kneeling before the dragon. Does he think the dragon cares if he surrenders? Will he simply ask for the egg? What a ludicrous idea!"

"Hey, what was that? Allow me to review that in my Omniculars, Wizards and Witches. Mr. Potter whips his left arm, and released the bird he was holding. I guess he doesn't want to put it in danger. And now, the other one flies in the opposite direction! What's he doing? He just stays there. He's not even trying to get close to the nest! Undoubtedly his courage has failed him!"

"Uh? Where did that come from? Wizards and Witches, something strange is happening! A black… a black cloud is appearing over the ground! It looks like two twin streaks of pure darkness, surrounding the dragon! The ground around the dragon has been covered by a… a black cloud of darkness! And it is extending over the enclosure, covering a rough circle around the dragon. I can barely see Mr. Potter's head. No, wait, I can no longer see him!"

"Ah, there he is! I can see Mr. Potter's head again. He is still kneeling on the ground, in front of the dragon and out is its reach!"

"The dragon looks around and roars, but Mr. Potter holds his ground. He must be terrified out of his mind! He is not moving at all!"

Twelve Minutes Later

"I don't know what to tell you, Witches and Wizards of the audience. Mr. Potter has not moved at all, despite the booing coming from the stands. All he has done was to release the two black birds and kneel before the dragon. He has not even taken his wand out! How long will be wait for him to finally do something?"

"Even the dragon looks bored! It has settled down into a watchful stance, keeping a constant vigilance over the Fourth Champion."

Six Minutes Later

"Mr. Potter is lowering his head under the black cloud, we don't even know what in the name of Merlin's staff is that cloud. There he is again. Mr. Potter is now standing up. He has raised his hands again, and the black birds have returned to him. What kind of bird is that? Are they trained? Magical? I must admit I'm completely stumped. I don't recognize those birds. Mr. Potter has released them again. Finally, he has taken his wand out, and is casting a spell at the ground. He seems to have conjured some kind of bag. He turns around, and it looks like he is finally emitting defeat, for he is walking back to the door, bag hanging over his shoulder. The dragon snorts contemptuously, clearly not impressed at all with Mr. Potter lackluster performance."

"The dragon handlers open the enclosure door, and Mr. Potter comes out. Evidently, the dragon handlers are not impressed either, as I can see them shaking their heads. Mr. Potter pulls the cowl back, and removes the mask."

"Wait, what's that? He has opened the bag, and from it, he… impossible! He has the Golden Egg! Witches and Wizards! Mr. Potter has managed to steal the Golden Egg from under the very nose of the most dangerous dragon! But how? He never got even close to the nest!"

"The crowd roars in disbelief! I don't believe it!"

"The Judges can't believe it either! I can see them arguing! From the looks of it, it will take them a while to actually mark Mr. Potter's performance in the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament! In the meanwhile, the dragon handlers escort Mr. Potter to the Medical Tent."

Seven Minutes Later.

"We are back, Witches and Wizards, the Judges have finished deliberating and are ready to mark Mr. Potter's performance."

"Madame Maxime, Six Points!"

"Mr. Crouch, Six Points!"

"Headmaster Dumbledore, Seven Points!"

"Mr. Bagman, Ten Points!"

"Headmaster Karkaroff, Two Points!"

"Mr. Potter's score is Thirty One Points, putting in in the last place! Certainly a strangely lackluster performance from one Champion who we thought would give, at least, an entertaining spectacle."

Medical Tent

"Hey, Potter!" Cedric Diggory jumped to his feet as Harry entered the tent. Harry smiled at the relieved faces of his fellow Champions. "Back in one piece! What did I tell you, guys?" He collected a few Galleons from Krum, Delacoeur, and even two of the dragon handlers each. "Unharmed!" He split the bounty and put half in Harry's hands.

"Wait." Harry said, "Did you bet on my getting hurt?"

"Ov course not. Ve bet on yur time. Diggury bets yu take longest time. Ve herd radio as yu in. Madam Pomphrey let us heer unless one ov us hurtink." He passed a hand in front of his face. "Me smokink gut, but not tost." He patted the still smoking robe. "Salamander skin, fire safe."

Madam Pomphrey cleared her throat. "That's all very nice and good, but I need to do the check-up." She jerked her head towards an examination table. Harry jumped to it without protest, being very familiar with the procedure. Pomphrey wave her wand around Harry. "I'll need you to remove your robe, Mr. Potter. It's interfering with my diagnostic spells.

Harry blushed. "Um… it's not the robe." He opened it, showing the armor under it. "I'm fine, Madam Pomphrey. I didn't even get close to the dragon."

"I still need the results for the official record." She transfigured a chair into a screen. Without protest, Harry went behind it to change to a hospital gown. Took him a few minutes to loosen the straps and free himself of the basilisk skin armor suit.

Once satisfied, Pomphrey cast her diagnostic spells. "Well… I'll be…" Pomphrey interrupted herself. "Amazing. Not a single wound, fracture, scratch or anything that would require even the simplest medical potion. In all four of you." She put her wand back in her apron pocket. "I'll inform the judges." And she exited the tent. "You may put your clothes back on."

"So, 'ow did you do eet?" Fleur asked. But before Harry could answer, Ron Weasley entered the tent, closely followed by Hermione and Neville.

"So, how did you cheat this time, uh?" He pushed Harry back. "Did somebody help you?"

The other three Champions stood up, ready to do something. Though neither knew what exactly. The decision was taken out of their hands, when a tall dragon handler followed the new arrivals into the tent. His red hair clearly proclaimed him as a Weasley. Charlie Weasley.

And he was furious. "Ron!" He growled, "Out. Now. I want a word with you." He levitated Ron out of the tent. He paused at the door, breathed deeply, and said. "Sorry about that, Harry. And thanks." He looked around at the four Champions. "To all of you. I feared we would lose some eggs, but we didn't lose even a single one. I really appreciate it. Um… I want to extend an open invitation to all of you to visit the Dragon Preserve as honored guests. Not many Magicals would have gone to the lengths you did to finish the task without harming the dragons or the eggs. Much appreciated."

And he disappeared from view.

Sadly, Harry shook his head. Hermione and Neville squeezed his shoulders.

Viktor spoke, "Me guess bad story der. Von't pry. Still, me'd like tu knov vhat yu done."

"Yeah, what was that dark mist? And those birds?" Diggory asked.

Harry looked at Hermione. "A bit of experimental magic. Some Peruvian Darkness Powder, a transfigured rock, and a simple Point Me spell."

Fleur tapped her nose, thinking. "Let me see ze robe."

Harry nodded. "Go ahead."

"Grass steins." She nodded to herself. "I see." She showed the stains to the other two Champions. "'e uses ze birds to zhrow darkness on the ground. Spells a rock to look like 'im, and crawls to ze ness."

Harry clapped. "A good plan, don't you think?"

Viktor moved his hand like a see-saw. "Safe, vut not spectacoolar. Less points for dat."

Harry smiled, "I'm not about to be their trained monkey, guys. And it looks like your Headmaster really doesn't like me."

He shared a complicit look with Hermione. The truth was a bit more complex than that. And had a lot more safety measures, provided by the Changeling's power (1). But the version provided would be enough for public consumption.

Author Notes

Next chapter will reveal the real method. In the spirit of the Ellery Quinn mysteries I mentioned before, the clues are all out in the open. Not in the same chapter, of course.