The next thing that Harry knew, he was inside some sort of large tent, the entrance flapping in the gentle breeze from outside. He noticed Hermione next to him, looking just as shaken as he was feeling. The whole experience had been similar to but much worse than apparition, giving him an idea as to what had happened. He only wished that he didn't have to come to that conclusion. He walked over to his friend, providing an arm for her to lean on. She looked like she was about to cry. There was shouting coming from outside, along with ominous roars that were nowhere near human in origin.

"Harry…what happened?" Hermione managed to get out as her chest heaved up and down.

"I…don't know. But I reckon we weren't lucky enough to get a free ticket out of the tournament."

The room looked like it had contained several people only a short while ago. A Bulgaria scarf was draped across the back of a chair. A blue coat Harry had seen all of the Beauxbaton students wearing was folded neatly on top of the table. And the Hufflepuff colours marked out a jumper that had been haphazardly rolled into a ball and thrown on the floor. Harry couldn't tell whether it was a good thing that the place was empty. He wanted nothing more than to be back in the common room with Matthew and Sirius. He could only imagine what they must have been thinking, having them disappear right in front of them. He could picture them running around the school, trying to find them. For now, he would have to hope that they somehow found them in time.

Their arrival must have made a loud noise because a figure was suddenly storming through the back entrance, pausing as he saw them standing there. It wasn't often that Harry got to see Dumbledore in a state of shock but that was certainly the expression currently marring his face. The surprise was quickly washed away, replaced by a look of complete sadness. That was more alarming than anything Harry had gone through up to this point. If the headmaster was seemingly defeated, then what chance did they have?

"I was afraid that this was going to happen," he commented, his voice deep and slow. He looked old more than anything.

Harry stepped forward, eager to know what was going on. His heart was pounding so much that it was difficult to hear anything else, though the roars still managed to penetrate his defences. "What? What has happened?"

"It seems that the contract you unwillingly entered is working in a different way than how we anticipated. Instead of punishing you for non compliance, it seems to have taken the decision out of your hands. You're being forced to compete."

"No," Hermione gasped. "We made our choice! We'd accepted the consequences! This isn't fair! After everything we've been through, and now this."

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger. I truly am."

"Did you have any idea that this was going to happen?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Dumbledore looked faintly surprised at the venom coming through in his tone. "I had my suspicions, I will admit that. I believed it might be too easy for you two to simply not enter. If someone has put your names in the Goblet of Fire for a reason, then they would want it to ensure your involvement. And, so it seems, my reasoning was sadly correct."

"Why didn't you tell us this?" It was strange for Hermione to turn on one of her professors but she had gone through too many emotions over the past weeks to care anymore. "You could have at least mentioned that it was a possibility!"

"What would that have achieved other than increasing your agitation over the tournament?"

"We could have prepared more!" Harry responded strongly in challenge. "Now, you're telling us that we have to compete, but we have no idea what's out there!"

"Technically, the entire point of the First Task was to test your skills of improvisation, meaning that the Champions were supposed to go in blind, as the saying goes. Your lack of knowledge about what to expect is no different to what it would have been if I'd told you about my hypothetical concerns."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Hermione asked in a dangerously low voice. "We could have practised more spells! We could have prepared ourselves mentally for what's about to happen!"

"I'm not standing for this," Harry complained. "There has to be another way." Not stopping to think, he marched towards the exit Dumbledore had just come through. But, as soon as he was on the verge of going outside, the world around him seemed to spin and then he was walking back into the tent. He looked around, dumbstruck, growing angrier. He tried again, suffering the same fate. After the third time, he threw his hands into the air and shouted out in frustration. Hermione was quickly by his side, consoling him with a loose hug.

"Evidently, the goblet will not allow either of you to leave until you have participated in the First Task," Dumbledore pointed out.

"Evidently," Harry ground out through gritted teeth.

Hermione's eyes seemed to flash with something. He'd seen that look before, whenever she came up with a bright idea. "That's it! Harry, don't you see? Maybe we just have to participate!"

"Hermione…" Harry wasn't following. "I thought that was exactly the thing we were trying to avoid."

"I know, but maybe there's still a loophole to be taken advantage of. What happens if we just go out there, therefore taking part in the First Task…and then we just stand there? Sure, we're not going to get especially good marks. Maybe even negative points. But neither of us are here to win. We just have to get through it."

"You could actually be onto something there." Harry was beginning to feel a bit more positive.

"I like the way that your mind works," Dumbledore said with a warm smile. "It will hold you in good stead. I just hope that the goblet isn't as smart as you obviously are."

Under normal circumstances, Hermione would have been thrilled to hear such praise from the esteemed headmaster but it was oddly hollow now. "Do we get to know then what we're up against? I'm assuming that the other champions got a bit of information before they were sent in."

The old man sighed, stroking his long beard. "I truly wish that you weren't in the position to need to do this."

"Well, we are," Harry said. "There's no point wishing for anything else now. But the longer you take to tell us, the more concerned I am about what's waiting for us out there."

"There's no easy way to put this…but the First Task pits you up against one of the most fearsome creatures in the magical world…a dragon."

Harry blinked. "A…dragon."

"Indeed."

"As in…an actual…fire-breathing…giant dragon."

"That would be correct, yes."

"Are you all insane?" Hermione cried. "Even for the others, as adults…going up against a dragon is borderline suicidal! Who came up with this idea?" The one thing circling her mind was that this was only the first task. What other horrors were on their horizon for the rest of the tournament?

"The Triwizard Tournament is designed to test our Champions to the very limit. The organisers were of the same mind that this is definitely the limit when testing the magical ability of a witch or wizard."

"Weren't you one of the organisers?"

"I was hoping for something much tamer, but the Ministry believes that this will generate a great spectacle. The media attention alone will help drive focus onto the tournament and the international relations we're trying to foster."

"We're all just guinea pigs in their game, aren't we?" she asked. "They call us champions but there's no real glory there. No power. We have to do what they say with no other choice. No wonder they didn't want us to drop out. It would tarnish the reputation of the tournament, which is all they care about. Not the safety of the competitors!"

Dumbledore's expression was infuriatingly passive. "I fully agree with what you're saying, Miss Granger. But as we have seen with the fact that you are standing right in front of me, there is no other option. And, hopefully with this plan you have created, there will be no need to actually come up against the dragon itself."

Harry was completely flummoxed. The only experience he'd had up to that point with dragons was with Norbert in their first year and he doubted that what he was about to be pitted against was going to be the same size. And Norbert had been able to cause enough damage as it was. He dreaded to think what a fully grown one was capable of.

"So…" Harry began. "What are we expected to do? Do we have to fight it? Because, as much as this thing might want to eat me, I'm not going to kill it for entertainment."

"It's nothing that extreme, Harry, don't worry."

"He tells us not to worry as we're about to be dragon food," Hermione commented disparagingly. She was showing a different side to herself than Harry had really seen. One that didn't cower in the face of authority. He guessed the stress of the situation could do that to anyone. If anything, she was sounding remarkably like Matthew, which had to be a by-product of all the time they'd spent together.

Dumbledore looked fairly disproving of her sour attitude but chose not to say anything. Harry saw that as a wise decision. There was no telling what she would do if she were poked further. She was already on the edge as it was.

"You don't have to fight the dragon," he explained calmly. "The objective is simply to retrieve a golden egg that has been placed in the dragon's nest, along with its other, actual eggs."

"You expect champions to steal an egg from a nesting dragon?" Hermione's voice was gradually getting more high pitched.

Harry looked at her. "Is that bad?"

"It's more than bad. Dragons are dangerous at the best of times. But to aggravate a mother, trying to steal one of her own, or so she's led to believe…you're playing with fire. Quite literally in this case."

Harry sighed heavily. "Great…at least we're not planning on actually taking the egg, right? So surely the dragon will leave us alone."

Hermione turned her attention to the headmaster. "Do you have to get the egg?"

"Without it, you won't receive the only clue you'll get about the second task," Dumbledore answered.

"But you wouldn't…I don't know…fail? It'd still be classed as competing even if you don't succeed?"

"Precisely, Miss Granger. You'll just be at a disadvantage compared to the other champions."

"I'm not too bothered about that, frankly. I'm not here to win. They can compete amongst themselves for all I care. This is just about me and Harry surviving the process now."

Harry was rather curious. "How did they do though? The other champions?" He was rather alarmed that none of them had returned to the obvious starting point. Did that mean that something had gone wrong? Dumbledore was relatively calm, which would suggest no one had been fatally injured, but there was no telling when it came to the enigmatic man in front of him.

He received a small smile in response. "Remarkably well, especially our foreign visitors. Mister Krum was most definitely the fastest through the course, with Miss Delacour close behind. She picked up a few minor burns that Madam Pomfrey is currently attending to. As for Mister Diggory…he appeared much more surprised than his fellow competitors when he learnt of today's task. If I was a suspicious man, I would believe that my other headmasters had given their pupils an… indication …of what was to happen. As a result, Mister Diggory was at a great disadvantage. He was able to claim the egg, but not without rather serious pain and injuries. I'm sure he'll be resting in the Hospital Wing for quite some time."

"And people see this as entertainment?" Hermione looked aghast. Harry just hoped that Diggory was okay. They'd never really interacted with one another before but he was a fellow student. He didn't want to wish that fate onto anyone.

"I think that confirms our plan of action then," he said drily. "If they're struggling, then we've got no chance."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Dumbledore was quick to say. "Your magical ability has been seen to be quite remarkable. You have more strength than you realise. Professor Lupin enjoyed telling me of your exploits last year."

"Thank you, sir. But I think a dragon is a bit more ferocious than a boggart."

"Perhaps. Now…I must return to the podium outside and announce your arrival. We don't want people thinking that the event is over! But, before I do, there is one last thing that must be conducted." He wandered over to the table, picking up a small bag. He shook it a few times before holding it out to the two of them. "The Champions must select which dragon they come up against. There are, obviously, two remaining. Miss Granger, would you care to go first?"

Not looking too happy about it, she reached in, wincing as she was nipped softly by something inside. She brought out what looked to Harry like a small lizard, crawling over her palm. He might have considered it playful and cute if he hadn't known that a much larger version would be waiting somewhere outside. It had a small sign draped around its neck, with the number five written on it.

"The Hebridean Black," Dumbledore announced. "You'll be facing this one last, Miss Granger."

"Just my luck," she muttered.

Once prompted, Harry took his turn to choose, not that it was much of a choice now. There was only one remaining dragon left inside and, if Hermione had been pecked by her Hebridean Black, then Harry was fully bitten by the creature he'd been assigned. Even in its diminutive form, he thought it was an ugly thing as he brought it out. Its head was sharp and pointy, horns across the length of its body making it difficult and uncomfortable to hold.

Dumbledore's expression looked rather serious. "The Hungarian Horntail. A formidable opponent. And, as we should expect, this means that you'll be entering the paddock next, Harry. You'll have a few moments to prepare yourself." He reclaimed the small animals from them, placing them back into the bag, before heading towards the exit. He looked at them one last time before he left. "Remember, do not take risks that you don't need to do. If you wish to be taken out at any time, simply send red sparks into the air and the dragon-handlers will be on…um…hand to help you. Good luck." The smile he gave them failed to provide much comfort.

Once he was gone, the silence was deafening. The pair of them didn't really know how to act, both of them idly wandering around the tent before finally deciding to sit down as they waited. Harry noticed that Hermione was reciting a myriad of words under her breath. After a few moments, she appeared to pick up on the fact that he was staring.

"I'm trying to remember as many spells as I can," she answered his unspoken question sheepishly. "If things go wrong and I need to rely on my magic, then I'd like to be prepared."

"I think you're going to be more prepared than anyone could be if they were placed in this same position," Harry responded.

She gave him a small smile. "Sadly, I forgot to read the chapter on how to ward off a dragon. Even with everything us three have to go through, I didn't expect to be facing a dragon for at least a few more years."

"The great Hermione Granger didn't read a chapter?" Harry asked with mock shock. It prompted a slight giggle from his friend.

"I don't read everything , you know," she said in faux-indignation. They sat there for a few more minutes, not saying much else. It didn't really feel like the time for talking. But Harry could see Hermione worriedly gnawing at her bottom lip, as if she wanted to bring something up. Eventually, it seemed that she reached the resolve to do so. "You will be careful, won't you?"

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I know what you can be like sometimes. You're prone to taking risks. Please…just do what you have to do to get through this. Nothing more."

"I don't especially want to take risks around a dragon, Hermione. I'm not as careless as you might think."

"I'm not saying that. It's just…you have nothing to prove. You can choose to leave right away and that won't make you any less of a great wizard. People might say things afterwards…you know what the Slytherins are like…but what matters is that you survive. That's all that matters."

"The same goes for you, 'Mione. You pride yourself on your reputation, especially when it comes to academics and things like that. If you don't succeed in this, that doesn't lessen everything else you've achieved."

They could hear Dumbledore's booming voice coming from outside and suddenly their backs straightened. The crowd that had been quiet since their arrival suddenly began to cheer and roar, along with the dragon that had evidently been brought out for Harry. There was no more avoiding the inevitable.

"I guess that means I should be going," he said, trying to hide his nerves. He gave her a nod of the head before approaching the flap of the tent. Only to be stopped by a whirlwind of brown hair.

She was clinging onto him fiercely, the hug the tightest he had experienced (and she normally put all of her might into such embraces). He stood there, frozen, taking in the sensation. He didn't know what was going to happen once he stepped outside, but this would be a memory that would serve him well.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione cried. "Just…be your usual brilliant self! And, if you get hurt, just know that I'm going to be terribly angry with you. There…now you have an extra incentive not to do anything stupid."

"When have I ever done anything stupid, Hermione?" he responded as he detached himself from her grip, walking backwards through the exit with one last wink sent in her direction.

It was bright outside. That was the first thing that he noticed. It was like some sort of fever dream as he walked into the arena. He could see hundreds upon hundreds of tiny faces watching him intently, making a loud din that trapped him there. He didn't know whether they were cheering or booing. It wouldn't have made much of a difference. Their shouts all just mingled into one large cacophony of sound. The stands they were seated in were tall and imposing, acting as a pen around him just as much as the stone walls that made up the newly constructed valley. He idly wondered how they'd been able to create something like this without anyone noticing, even though the answer was simple: magic. Any other time, he would have been greatly interested in learning more about it. But he wasn't that big of a fan of magic at the moment.

And there was the Horntail, about a hundred feet away. It lay low above its nest, wings half-furled. It was definitely a lot more imposing than the mere toy he'd just been handed a few moments before. Its yellow eyes seemed to track his every step, not that he was moving a great deal. His legs felt heavy. His hands were clammy and he was worried he would lose the grip on his wand at any moment. The dragon's eyes were a similar colour to the golden egg, made to look even shinier by the sun glinting off its shell. He wasn't even thinking of getting it, not whilst the Horntail remained perched protectively where it was.

Had the crowd gone quiet or had he just learnt to tune them out? Harry wasn't sure, though the peace was soon shattered as he inadvertently kicked a small pebble down one of the many steep drops that populated the expanse in front of him. It was a tiny thing, completely inconsequential. Besides the echoing clang it made as it fell down, seemingly going on forever. The Horntail lifted its heavy, ugly head, a deep hum coming from its throat. Slowly, it began to shift, using its great wings like legs, covering most of the distance between them with one, single step. Were people crying and screaming in the stands? They must have thought that they were about to watch the Harry Potter get eaten live, right in front of them. He didn't really want to think about that possible fate, but it was rather difficult not to when he had the beast looking at him hungrily.

With the threat looming, Harry considered his options. He crouched behind one of the largest rocks he could find, hoping it would give him a few more seconds of thinking time before the dragon was upon him. He could just send up the sparks now. How long did he have to stay there for it to be classed as him participating? Surely not much longer. But then he started to think. Was there a reason why Dumbledore had brought up Lupin and their lessons the previous year? He'd made it seem like there wasn't that big a difference between a boggart and a dragon, which hadn't made much sense at the time. And hadn't he just been contemplating savouring a memory, remembering the feel of Hermione's hug? A plan began to form. All he had to do was hold out for a bit longer.

The Horntail approached, appearing to be searching for any possible threat to its nest. Harry stood up, gripping his wand tightly. He thought of how good it had just felt to know he had a friend who truly cared about his safety. He thought of the hug. He thought of Matthew and how that bond of trust between them had been mended. He thought of Sirius and the prospect of getting to live with him. He wasn't going to allow a dragon to stop him from getting that well earned reward.

"Expecto Patronum!" he bellowed.

The tip of his wand exploded, a similar experience to when he'd saved his friends against the dementors, and the same gorgeous, illuminated owl soared out. It spread its wings, leaving a hazy blue trail in its wake. Harry watched as it circled the Horntail's head, the dragon attempting to snap its jaws at it. The owl would swoop in, only to avoid its fearsome bite at the last second. And, the more it evaded its clutches, the more frustrated the dragon became. It began to move away from where Harry was hiding, chasing after the more annoying prey. Harry saw his chance, clambering over the rock, working on adrenaline more than anything. The nest was up ahead. He heard the Horntail roar behind him and he just prayed that the patronus was enough of a distraction. He could feel the heat coming off a jet of flames it unleashed despite the fact it came nowhere near him.

He was actually going to do it. He felt giddy as he ran, the eggs looming into view. They would write stories about this. The young boy who had outsmarted a fully grown dragon. Maybe people would forget about the whole Voldemort thing and just know him for this feat of bravery. The people were chanting his name, congratulating him on his impending victory.

Except they weren't. Not exactly. They were shouting his name, yes. But it was done out of warning more than anything. There was fear in their voices now. He wondered why, turning his neck to see what was happening. And he saw the Horntail coming for him. Its fiery blast had put an end to the patronus, leaving Harry as the sole remaining target. Each thud of its limbs made the ground shake and Harry stumbled to his knees, helplessly trying to find a place to hide. They were going to write stories about this, for sure. But not for the reasons that Harry would have liked. He braced himself for what was about to happen, closing his eyes.

And then he felt his body get tugged from its surroundings for the second time that day.

The only difference, this time, was that, when he opened his eyes again, he wasn't in some tent. He was in the Tardis. The beautiful, completely bonkers Tardis. The console room was brightly lit as it moved around, making Harry stagger slightly. He looked behind him, almost expecting to still find the dragon there. But there were just the two wooden doors now. Safety. He was safe. His legs gave way and he collapsed to the floor in a mixture of relief and fatigue. He began to laugh, uncontrollably so. Maybe he'd finally lost his mind.

"Tell me I'm good." Matthew appeared from behind the console. "Come on, tell me how good I am."

"You're very good," Harry muttered. "If only I knew what you were good at. What did you do?"

He bent down and gave Harry a helping hand, lifting him to his feet. "As soon as you and Hermione disappeared, it was fairly obvious what had happened. So I got to the Tardis as quickly as I possibly could and was on hand to get you out of there. As strong as the goblet's power is, I'd like to see it try to bypass the Tardis' defences. You should be safe in here."

"Did you…teleport me?"

"What is this? Science fiction? The Tardis has a record of your magical signature and locked in on it. It's basically like apparition, but it can only be done short range." Matthew wandered over to the console again, checking the monitor. "We're currently hovering just far above the arena to not be noticed. I thought about landing the old girl right in the middle of it so as to avoid any risk to you…after all, it's been a very long time since she tried to locate someone and pick them up…but all's well that ends well."

"It's a good job you were on hand," Harry admitted. "That dragon was about to finish me off, I reckon."

Matthew's face hardened. "I wasn't told about any dragons! Is that what they put you up against?" He banged his fist against a metal panel. "I'll be having words with Dumbledore again."

"You probably don't need to. Hermione ripped into him quite spectacularly."

"That sounds like her, alright. Hang on…Hermione! I'm presuming she was going straight after you…"

"Yeah, the other Champions had already done their part. Why?"

He was pressing a random assortment of buttons, typing something on what looked like a keyboard. "I'm just giving her enough time to make sure she's taken part. I don't want to scoop her and risk her losing her magic. The issue is…I can't see what's going on. We've just got to hang tight."

"So this means that we'll definitely have competed in the First Task?"

"I certainly hope so. How are you feeling? Still got your magic?"

"I…think so?"

"Then that's good enough for me for the time being. I've got Sirius talking to Dumbledore as we speak, explaining the situation. I can only imagine what the audience and judges must have thought when you disappeared. Obviously, to them, it'll just look as if you apparated out of your volition, even if that's some very advanced magic. They can't penalise you for that, I don't think."

"I just didn't get the egg," Harry said, surprised at how sad he was feeling.

"Egg? What egg?"

"That was the task. To steal an egg from a dragon."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Of course it was. It couldn't be something simple like an egg and spoon race." He pulled on one of the levers and the room shook, the lights dimming. "Latching onto someone's magical signature takes a lot of power. The Tardis will need quite a bit of rest after this. I think we've waited long enough for Hermione to have had her turn."

It was a simple press of a button that activated it. The rotor in the centre of the console began to move up and down, the signature groaning and wheezing filling the air, but the ship didn't seem to be moving. Harry looked to Matthew, who didn't appear alarmed by that development, instead moving Harry out of the way, just in case Hermione happened to appear in the same place he'd done.

It was only a few seconds before there was an audible pop and she was there in front of them, wide-eyed and panting heavily. Her hair was messed up and her face was covered in a mixture of mud and soot. But she was standing, which had to be seen as a good sign. Yet Harry wasn't just focusing on that. Because, clutched in her hands was a large, golden egg.