AN:

Hallu, I know it's been a while since I last wrote. My laptop completely broke so I had trouble writing since all my excel files, word files, and photo references, as well as book pdfs were in my old laptop and my dumb butt didn't put them in a cloud.

A friend of mine was a blessed saint to buy me a laptop with no strings attached. And this morning, I was able to open my computer for a few hours and I quickly copied everything in my hard drive.

Anyway, instead of waiting for my laptop to come (she ordered online and she's in the UAE and I'm in the Philippines lmao), I went to a computer shop (apparently called an internet cafe in other countries), and wrote this chapter there lmaoooo

I was just so excited to write again. Anyway, here yall go.

Anyway, fun fact, in my original detailed plan back in 2018, the First Task was supposed to be Chapter 10 lmao, and now it's Chapter 16 woops

Anyway as an apology, here is a 3,900-word chapter lmao

Leo turns his head to look at what everyone else is looking at on the other side of the Great Hall. He sees Professor McDonald's—okay, he knows her name is Professor McGonagall but that's not fun—talking to Harry and him replying back. He stands up, his fork falling onto his plate with a clatter that sounds so loud in the large hall.

He sees Hermione and Ron whisper something beside him and him saying something in return. Harry turns his head and quickly makes eye-contact with him, giving him a secretive smile Leo knows is only reserved to his closest friends—he feels a warmth with the friendship. He nods at Harry who nods back slightly before following Professor McNuggets.

"We should go," Nott tells Zabini as the other students stand up to go to the enclosure, not knowing they will be seeing dragons today.

Leo sighs. He can count on Harry to keep his promise and not hurt the dragon, but he hopes he can keep his cool while the other champions do the task.

Harry mentioned to him last night that he had told Cedric about the dragons last Sunday—since the other champions know about the dragons anyway. Leo shakes his head at the memory of Harry telling him that it should be fair so they could all be in equal footing. Sure, Harry might be right, but it doesn't really matter to Leo—what matters is that Harry survives and doesn't hurt the dragon.

Nott and Zabini don't bother to wait for him this time. He did feel some distance between him and his roommates but he doesn't blame them since he's now the Slytherin pariah. Nott and Zabini should take care of their own reputation in Slytherin especially since he wouldn't be staying in this school permanently anyway. Though they are still civil with each other and sit beside him in the Great Hall, their friendly conversations have stopped—at least, in front of the other students.

Leo stands up and walks over to Ron, Hermione, the twins, and another redheaded girl.

"Hey," the redhead girl greets him as they walk together.

"Oh, er hi," he replies awkwardly.

"I'm Ginny," she says casually.

"I'm Leo," he replies with a small smile. She gives a small smile back but doesn't continue the conversation.

George and Fred immediately wrap each of their arms around Leo's shoulders. "Alright, Leo, our American friend," George starts. "That's our youngest and only sister, Ginny, and if you dare try to date her or even try to flirt with her, we will personally curse you ourselves."

"You two better shut up or I'm the one personally cursing you myself," Ginny tells them, the friendly aura she gave completely disappearing and being replaced with some dark murderous aura that scares even Leo.

The twins pause before Fred continues, "Yeah, no, we're definitely murdering you if you try anything with Ginny."

"Count me in," Ron adds seriously, not looking at him but Leo can see his lip twitching upwards. He sees Hermione slap Ron's arm at that.

"And we aren't afraid of your, er… background," Fred adds.

The younger three give Fred confused looks while George nods determinedly.

"I don't need bodyguards!" Ginny exclaims after a beat and rolls her eyes.

Leo laughs. "Look, guys, Ginny is right. I've met her for five seconds and I can tell she can take you both with her eyes closed. I won't be surprised." Leo shrugs and Ginny gives him a polite but determined nod. "I've met plenty of powerful girls in my life. And I'm not gonna lie: powerful pretty girls are my type." The twins start to open their mouths but he cuts them off. "One of them is my girlfriend."

The twins stop in their tracks before they start whistling.

"Whoa-ho-ho, our American friend has a girlfriend!" George whistles, slapping Leo's back in approval.

"You never told us you have a girlfriend," Hermione says a bit quietly.

Leo shrugs. "It never came up in the conversation."

"Where is she, though?" Ron asks. "Is she here at Hogwarts? Did you get a girlfriend here in less than a month? Because if you did, I'm gonna rip my face—"

"Oh, no, she's back in America."

"…are you sure she's real?" Ron jokes, earning a slap at the back of his head from Ginny.

"Don't be a git, Ron!" she says.

Leo laughs. "Yeah, she is. Her name is Calypso."

He smiles to himself, her godly beautiful face entering his mind, her cinnamon and wood smoke smell that reminds him of his abuela's house, their dislike for each other when they first met, her being way more beautiful out of her Greek clothes and looking dirty with mud and soot, their time together in Ogygia as they warmed up to each other, her telling him she hated him as the magical raft that appears when she falls in love with a hero appeared, the promise he made to get her back, them coming back to Camp Half-Blood, her telling him she wants to go back to school and learn about the mortal world, and him letting her discover the world for the first time in three thousand years.
[grandma's]

Gods, he misses her so much.

"You two didn't break up, did you?" Ron asks.

Ginny hits the back of his head again. "Ron, stop asking personal questions!"

"Merlin! Merlin! I'm sorry! Geez," Ron replies, rubbing the back of his head.

"Why would you think so?" Leo asks instead with a chuckle.

Ron shrugs. "Nothing. You just look… sad right now."

Leo nods. "Ah, I get it. To be honest, we haven't seen each other in a while."

"So, you're an available man?" Fred jokes.

Leo laughs. "No, no, very much taken. But she went to school, and I just can't join her… and I don't have a place which is why I've been traveling. And that's why I'm here. I just miss her, is all."

"You really love her, huh?" Hermione comments.

Leo nods, looking at nothing. "Yeah, yeah I do," he whispers. "I could message her or something, but I never really found out her schedule, and you know, six hour time difference and stuff. We just don't have a way to talk."

That's a lie. He just doesn't have the courage to face her. He knows he'd miss her, and it'll be unbearable to stay at Hogwarts. Yes, he can leave, but he has to help Harry with this tournament, at least. Poor dude's having a hard time. Plus, he's a friend. His friends in New York don't need him right now. These people in Hogwarts do.

Plus he doesn't even have golden drachmas. And from what happened in Ogygia, Iris doesn't like receiving nuts and bolts. So technically, he can't message her.

He tries not to think about the fact that none of his friends Iris messages him either.

"Leo?"

He looks up and realizes he has stopped walking, and the Gryffindors are all standing in front of him with equal amounts of concern.

He shakes his head physically. "Mierda, sorry, my brain's all—" He mimics an explosion with his hands.
[shit]

The twins wrap each of their arms around his shoulders once more.

"It's gonna be alright, our American friend. You'll return to your girlfriend soon and you can kiss her till your heart's content," George tells him.

Leo laughs, trying to hide how red his face is. "I'll definitely return. I'll come back from the dead if I have to."

The twins cough, hiding how they both choked at his words. Leo reminds himself the twins know that he had come back from the dead.

Ron laughs. "How romantic… and cheesy." He fakes vomit.

"I think it's sweet," Ginny replies. "She's lucky," she tells Leo as they all walk to the enclosure.

Leo smiles. "I'm luckier. Just between us, she gave up her powers and immortality for me. Can you believe someone who's basically a Titaness actually likes a shortie like me?" he replies with a conspiratorial wink, trying not to think about the fact that sometimes he feels Calypso blames him for losing her powers.

The others laugh, clearly thinking he was joking, but Leo can feel the twins freeze beside him.

He puts his arms around the other two's back and pushes them a little bit so they can come out of their trance.

He lets out a chuckle. "Well, okay, though I miss her, we've talked about it. We think some time apart is good for us. I can get a little… intense, I guess. Plus, she loves spending time with mor—nomajs, I mean, muggles—mierda, these different terms are gonna be the death of me. Anyway, yeah, it's complicated with us right now, but… we'll be okay, I hope."
[shit]

Hermione and Ron give him sympathetic smiles with Ron patting him on the head.

"Yo, I'm not a kid!" Leo complains.

Ron laughs. "Yeah, but I only get to do this to you and Harry since you two are shorter than me. I could do it to Ginny but she'll murder me."

Ginny hums. "Don't you even try."

Ron hums. "Hermione, can I—"

"No."

Leo laughs. "I'm glad Harry doesn't do it to me, too, even though he's taller than me. Or I would have punched him in the stomach."

"You could just curse him like how I do with these idiots," Ginny suggests.

Leo laughs. "It's not as satisfying as a punch." The other boys nod in response.

Hermione rolls her eyes. "Boys!"

"I think I recall you slapping Malfoy last year, Hermione," Ron says.

The other Weasleys grin, clearly already hearing the story as Hermione's cheeks redden.

"You slapped Malfoy?" Leo smiles, an evil grin forming on his face.

"I—I—" she starts.

"I had to stop her from cursing him to death," Ron laughs.

"Well, he was calling Hagrid pathetic!" Hermione huffs, looking away, crossing her arms.

Ron chuckles. "Look, Hermione, as much as I want Malfoy to look like he got mauled over by an acromantula, I know you wouldn't want to get expelled."

The others laugh but Leo doesn't miss the look on Hermione's face as she takes a quick glance at Ron.

They finally reach the enclosure.

"Ugh, I can't stand her," he hears Hermione say.

He looks at where she is looking to see a lady with elaborate and curiously rigid curls that contrasts oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She's wearing some jeweled pair of glasses with her thick fingers clutching her crocodile-skin handbag.

He has never seen her before but from the Gryffindors, he finds out that this is the infamous Rita Skeeter.

He remembers seeing the article she wrote about Harry, with the latter saying he did not say most of what was written there.

I suppose I get my strength from
my parents. I know they'd be very
proud of me if they could see me
now... Yes, sometimes at night I
still cry about them, I'm not
ashamed to admit it... I know
nothing will hurt me during
the tournament, because they're
watching over me...

Leo felt sick reading that and especially learning they were not Harry's words. That lady really just exploited a fourteen year old for her career in writing.

But no one hates her more than Hermione.

Harry has at last found love at
Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin
Creevey, says that Harry is rarely
seen out of the company of one
Hermione Granger, a stunningly
pretty Muggle-born girl who,
like Harry, is one of the top
students in the school.

It took a lot of his self-control not to punch Slytherins and even other houses for quoting these around Harry and Hermione whenever he's not around. Whenever he would hear the start of their teasing, he would conveniently turn up beside them and they would walk away.

It was convenient that they witnessed his anger at Hermione's expense that afternoon before the article was spread around. It probably added to his anger when he was called to Professor Snape's office that night, who is still avoiding him but has been glaring at him when other houses aren't looking.

It also helped that he was being ostracized by the Slytherins for being a weirdo. But he guesses it's mostly because he was able to stand up to Malfoy (whom some of the younger Slytherins treat as some sort of prince, and whom some of the older Slytherins treat as some sort of annoying loser) and that he was able to actually scare Professor Snape. Everyone treated him differently that day. Mostly, they left him alone. Except Malfoy but he's a lost cause.

Though, some had already been whispering about him since the first day of classes. Not because he was an American, a newcomer, a Latino, a transferee. But the fact he was able to throw off the Imperius curse. Moody has been using him and Harry as guinea pigs since then.

Now, he has never been the scary intimidating guy. Especially in Camp Half-Blood. He gave those roles to the other guys of the seven. Hell, even the girls were more intimidating than him, according to the others. It's both a pleasant and an unsettling surprise to be the intimidating one.

Then again, he has never interacted with non-demigod kids his age after learning more about who he was, and after accepting his fire. Maybe he should give himself some credit? Pfft.

Harry, on the other hand, had lost control more than once. Once even yelling to a poor Ravenclaw when she only called him because he dropped his quill.

Hermione had more self-control than either of them. But she lets it out on Viktor Krum.

Before Ron and Harry made up, Harry often mentioned how Hermione got angry a lot in the library whenever Viktor Krum was around. Apparently, groups of giggling girls often turn up to spy on him from behind bookshelves, and Hermione was annoyed by the noise.

Leo tried not to mention that he had noticed some girls doing the same thing to Harry albeit quieter.

The six of them manage to find good seats in the enclosure. The twins sit beside each other with George sitting on Leo's right and Ginny sitting beside Fred. On his left sits Hermione with Ron on her other side.

The three Weasleys on his right whisper to each other on what the task could be. Ron and Hermione on the other hand comfort each other about Harry and the dragons. Leo doesn't have the heart to tell them what the dragons look like. If Harry's luck was like his own, he is sure Harry would get the most dangerous one.

Around them, everyone whispers their excitement about the task, theorizing what they will have to do, and some even whispering their bets on how long each of the champions will last in the first task. He lets out a frustrated sigh upon hearing their bet on Harry is about two minutes.

Everyone, including Leo, sucks in a breath when some wizards bring in the blueish-gray dragon. He hears people screaming in both terror and excitement.

He himself is too frozen to even be angry at the bets saying Harry is definitely not lasting five seconds.

Then the Hufflepuff champion comes out.

The dragon roars and Cedric is on the move.

Leo feels his blood both boil and freeze. He feels as if he is watching someone try to hurt Festus despite the actual dragon being bigger and being a different color.

He doesn't know why he's so affected.

He has killed monsters, killed beasts, and dragons are considered beasts, right?

Except… these animals aren't born to kill nor fight.

They're misunderstood creatures who are just way too powerful to be left alone. They aren't different from… a lion, a tiger, or whatever dangerous animals are in zoos.

Sure those animals are also held in captivity in almost all countries. But at least the norm in those zoos is to take care of them, as opposed to abusive zoos who hurt these animals. Yet, those zoos are labeled "abusive."

The Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, as he was told, is the biggest dragon sanctuary in the world… and yet they allow these dragons to be used for… entertainment? To be in mental distress because they took their eggs? To be chained up in order to be fought by wizards who volunteered to do it?

The dragons are innocent. The dragons are victims.

"Leo, it's okay."

He looks up to see Hermione holding his left hand and Ron holding his left forearm, his hand nearly touching Hermione's. He also notices that George had wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and Fred has a hand on his knee.

He lets out a shaky breath.

"You alright, mate?" Ron asks.

"I'm trying not to blow up," he whispers.

"Yeah, I get that," Ron replies.

Leo calms down but none of them move their hands from him, yet they all turn their heads to look at the task.

After a while, Cedric turns a rock into a Labrador.

Asking himself what the dog is for, Leo raises a brow when the dragon gets distracted by the running dog, but takes note that she doesn't actually harm the dog.

With a run, Cedric manages to get the golden egg in the dragon's nest, which is apparently the goal of the task. The crowd roars in triumph.

But at Cedric's move, the dragon turns her head from the dog to Cedric, and blows fire onto his face.

Everyone winces, and he can actually feel the Gryffindors' hands on him flinch. He doesn't… until he does. Remembering that normal people are not immune to fire.

Wizards start subduing the dragon, getting her unconscious before moving her away as Cedric goes to what seems to be the medic tent.

He gasps at the weight on his body, looking down to realize all six of the Gryffindors are holding him down—with Ginny now standing behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders to keep him seated. He must have started to stand up, and these people probably know that him intervening wouldn't be a good idea.

He can understand George and Fred since they know he is a demigod and his role in the Second Giant War. Hermione and Ron, he can give a bit of credit as well, since they know how similar he and Harry are, and have been witnesses to his uncontrolled rage. Ginny, he has only met now, so he doesn't understand why she knows he shouldn't interfere but he's guessing she probably noticed her brothers' concern for him and is willing to help them against him despite not really knowing what's going on.

Siblings. He didn't have siblings growing up, but he now has half-siblings. He wonders why none of them Iris-messages him either despite him running away. Do they even care?

"Very good indeed!" some official man Hermione mentions as Ludo Bagman shouts from the stands, distracting Leo from his dark thoughts. "And now the marks from the judges."

Leo doesn't really look at the judges' points but George hums a "Thirty-eight points in fifteen minutes, not bad" beside him.

"One down, three to go! Miss Delacour, if you please!"

Without having time to breathe, they bring in the green dragon and the French girl comes out. And immediately, she is given the signal to start and off she goes.

Leo can feel the veins on his forehead and neck strain. He wills himself to control everything in his power to not go berserk about this whole tournament.

It was one thing to think about dragons in a tournament but it's another to actually witness it. When he first heard about it from those Spanish boys, he didn't really think much of it. And then the scene in Romania made him think. They did try to subdue her but they weren't successful which was why Leo stepped into help. But witnessing them subdue the dragons in the Forbidden Forest… cruelly, and without the supervision of the people in the sanctuary.

It all became too real.

The French girl casts a spell on the dragon which instantly renders it asleep, much to Leo's relief. As the girl takes the golden egg from the nest, the green dragon snores and sets her skirt on fire. She manages to cast the flames away.

Leo sighs. This was by far the most merciful defeat of the dragon.

Fleur manages to get thirty-seven points after ten minutes.

All too soon, the whistle signals the Bulgarian wizard to start fighting the red dragon.

His fight is by far the worst of all, with the Gryffindors actually trying hard to restrain Leo from running to the middle of the fight.

Despite his rage, Leo manages not to conjure his fire, in fear of hurting the Gryffindors around him. After a while, he begins to think that that might have been their plan all along, using themselves as shields so he wouldn't go wild.

Leo himself whimpers just as the Bulgarian dude hit the dragon in the eye with a curse, making it swell shut and the red dragon emitting a horrible, roaring shriek.

"Leo, calm down!" Fred yells beside him just as the crowd roars in amazement as Viktor moves to take the egg.

"She's hurt!" Leo exclaims.

"It's just a Conjunctivitis Curse! They can cure it quickly with a Potion!" George tells them.

Just then, the dragon stumbles and smashes half of the real eggs on her nest.

Leo moans, feeling some form of pain in his heart, as if feeling the anger and pain of the mother dragon himself when she realizes she had smashed her own eggs.

He feels his tears on his lap rather than from his own eyes. The others try to calm him down.

"Leo, it's okay," Ron tells him.

"She killed her own eggs by accident. She's devastated," Leo moans, closing his eyes and hitting his own thigh with his fists in anger. It's as if he can understand the exact pain of the dragon as she howls in both physical and emotional pain.

"Bloody hell, you're right," Ron whispers.

Not even Hermione chastises Ron for his language as they watch Krum get the highest point so far with forty points.

"Guys, let me go," he whispers. He can feel them look at each other. He sighs. "I'm not gonna go run there. I just need to let out some… steam."

Slowly, they all move away from him.

He yells, but no one pays attention since everyone is also yelling from Viktor's defeat of the dragon while he stands there showing the egg as the wizards subdue the dragon.

He lets his upper body set on fire in his anger. He was smart enough to wear the clothes Calypso made for him—the same ones he wore the day he arrived at Hogwarts—since they are fire-proof. Everyone around them stares at him and at the blue flames.

Before the authorities and the whole enclosure take notice, he extinguishes the fire as quick as a gas stove.

He sighs and slumps on his seat. "Thanks, guys."

"That bad, huh?" Ginny asks, standing behind George. Leo nods.

"Mate, you looked like Hades," Fred jokes.

Leo laughs but it sounds so fake even to him. "No, Hades isn't like this." The younger three stare at him. The twins blanche. Leo shakes his head. "I mean, he's the god of the underworld, right? Not the god of fire." He would know. That's his freaking father.

The whistle brings them all back to the task.

Harry comes out of the tent.

AN:

Yes, I know it's cruel of me to end there lmao

I got tired from making footnotes since most of the info here are directly from the Heroes of Olympus books and the Goblet of Fire. I found the information on how the other champions defeated the dragons in the First Task as well as their points (except for Fleur's, I just winged hers because there's no information on hers) through the internet because I was too lazy to confirm it in the books so I'm just hoping for the best lmao

I also reread some of my older chapters in case I made some plot holes ie Leo's clothes, and thankfully past-self was smart enough to take note that Leo's original clothes were ripped, not burnt and the clothes that DID burn were Nott's lel