Harry woke up that morning and immediately felt like he was gonna puke. Today was the first task and he was pretty sure he was gonna die.
Sure, he was pretty convinced Clarrisse was scarier than a dragon but Clarrisse liked him, and only wanted him bruised, not dead.
Unlike an angry mother dragon.
Markus, another guardian with the same elvish features as the Stolls, had convinced him to do stealth training with him at night, suspiciously passing by a pair of officials who were inspecting golden eggs that screamed when you opened them.
Now, it was the moment of truth.
Getting dressed, he found his armor in the closet, along with his champion uniform that had been stitched to be a bit baggier to hide the armor beneath.
Harry smiled, and started putting it on, sliding his champion robes over the enchanted armor and grabbed his wand.
"Fuck, I'm gonna die."
"Don't be so negative, Harry." Jazz said, sibling up next to him. "Also, did you just swear? I'm so proud of you."
"Clarrisse is a bad influence."
"No disagreement from me. Come on. It's almost time."
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Harry took a deep breath, remembering the tidbits Clarrisse had hissed at him invisibly back in the tent.
"Locate the dragon. It's on edge due to the crowd but keep submissive and at a distance and you should have a few extra seconds before it strikes. Watch the throat for glowing and take cover if it does. Eight seconds max before it has to stop for ten. Get your broom and make sure the flame retardant is secure. Try not to make it lunge straight up or the chain might break. Good luck, Harry."
The wizard quickly located the dragon, behind him of course, and took cover just as a stream of flames engulfed the rocky terrain of the arena.
He counted to eight, the flames cutting off just like Clarrisse had said it would and he pulled out his wand. "Accio Firebolt."
On the rim of the arena above the stands, the broom leapt from a Guardian's hands, grey fireproof cloth covering the bristles from the dragon flame and Harry reached out and mounted without slowing down, taking off into the sky.
The dragon roared in anger as Harry stayed low, knowing wards had been cast to keep the fire away from the audience.
Diving low, he turned on a dime, weaving in and through the rocky outcroppings, twisting and turning in maneuvers that would make Oliver Wood swoon.
He cast a sticky charm on the chain and grinned when Jazz's suggestion bore fruit, the dragon twisting and getting the chain wrapped around her front left leg.
Temporarily distracted, Harry cast the disillusionment charm on himself and his broom, fading from view.
Swooping even lower, feet skimming the ground, he reached out with one hand, sticking charm already activated, and snagged the golden egg.
A wild cheer roared through the crowd as Harry was forced to pull straight up, the dragon realizing he had one of her eggs, fake as it may be, and sending her flames into his path.
With an almighty crack, the chain snapped.
"Schist." Harry cursed, and started to dive, getting away from the arena as a horn blew, a familiar one summoning the guard.
A flock of pegasi rose into the air, each rider equipped with something too small to see but that shimmered in the light to Harry's seeker trained eyes.
They caught up quickly to the dragon, mere meters from Harry's broom, still shooting flames that would have set the wizard on fire if it was not for the enchanted cloth on his broom's bristles.
The Pegasus flew single file, directly above the dragon and, as one, the Guardians leapt from their saddles, trailing their lines behind them. Harry finally saw that it was a thin bronze chains, barely more sturdy looking than a cheap necklace, in their hands.
It was apparently stronger than the massive steel chain the dragon had just broken, as the riders swung down like magic Tarzan, swinging underneath its belly as it began to fall, one wing trapped under the chain.
It crashed into the ground just as it's other wing was bound, Clarrise grinning wildly as she sat on the dragon's neck, wrestling a chain around its jaw to muzzle the flames.
Harry pulled in closer, the egg still stuck to his palm.
The dragon handlers finally got there and as one, seven bolts of red magic struck the angry mother, her head slumping as she was stunned.
"Nice flying, kid." Clarrisse complemented, tying off her knot and sliding down the dragon. She leaned in close so the dragon handlers wouldn't overhear and whispered. "We'll make a Guardian out of you yet."
"Mr. Potter, please head to the infirmary." One of the tamers said, looking a bit faint as Clarrisse eyed the bound dragon, hand on her sword and looking a bit bloodthirsty.
"Sure." Harry said, determined not to be in the splash zone should Annabeth or some other suitable authority figure who could talk down the most powerful warrior in the guard not show up soon.
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Impartial Security
Fanfiction"Life has taught me that you can't control someone's loyalty. No matter how good you are to them, doesn't mean they will treat you the same. No matter how much they mean to you, doesn't mean they value you the same. Sometimes the people you love the...
