moon-struck....harry james potter

4.11|the first task

4.11| the first task

"Just try to concentrate" Alex said as Harry took a deep breath. Goodness, he had really increased her level of patience— she was never this patient with anyone. Not a single person, she would've snapped by now and told them to just die at this point— her patience was thinner than paper. But not with Harry, no. The most she'd do when he crossed her line is sigh in disbelief and move on.

Like how she was doing today. It was Monday evening and the day passed so suddenly— it was gone in the blink of an eye. And Harry just could not do the summoning spell. Hermione had been too tired to help him, but she had tried her best in between classes and lunchtime. Only once during lunchtime had he managed to do it a little bit, but the object just won't fly to his hand. Alex just had to give credit to Harry for making her way more patient than she initially started as when she was eleven.

"I'm trying—its just, A great big dragon keeps popping up in my head for some reason—" he said. Trelawney predicting his death once again which didn't help either ('people born in July were in great danger of sudden, violent deaths!'). Alex sighed. "How do you do it?"

"Okay, so I empty my head from all thoughts and concentrate on the object I need" she said, keeping the Potions book down on a table and stepping back. "Like this—Accio Potions book!—" and the book flew right into her hand. Harry sighed in exhaustion. He directed his focus towards Alex— who gave him an exhausted yet encouraging grin and suddenly he felt way more confident. He thought of the book in Alex's hand, picturing the book as clearly as he could. He raised his wand once more.

“Accio Potions Book!” The heavy book soared out of Alex’s hand, flew across the room, and Harry caught it.

"You did it!" Alex exclaimed— jumping towards him.

“Just as long as it works tomorrow” Harry said. “The Firebolt’s going to be much farther away than the stuff in here, it’s going to be in the castle, and I’m going to be out there on the grounds''

“That doesn’t matter" said Alex firmly. “Just as long as you’re concentrating really, really hard on it, it’ll come. Harry, we better get some sleep, we're going to need it"

_

Time was behaving in a more peculiar fashion than ever, rushing past in great dollops, so that one moment Alex seemed to be sitting down in her first lesson, History of Magic, and the next moment Professor McGonagall was hurrying over to her and Harry in the Great Hall.

"The champions have to come down onto the grounds now" McGonagall said, ushering them to get up. You have to get ready for your first task"

“Okay" said Harry, standing up, his fork falling onto his plate with a clatter. Alex left her half uneaten food on the plate.

“Good luck" Hermione whispered. Alex gave her a smile, immediately grabbing Harry's hand who took it gladly. They left the Great Hall with Professor McGonagall. She didn’t seem herself either; in fact, she looked nearly as anxious as Hermione. When they reached the stone steps and out into the cold November afternoon.

“Now, don’t panic, you two” she said, “just keep a cool head. We’ve got wizards standing by to control the situation if it gets out of hand. The main thing is just to do your best, and nobody will think any worse of you. Are you two alright?"

"Yes" Harry said. Alex couldn't even force herself to speak, so she just nodded. McGonagall was leading them toward the place where the dragons were, around the edge of the forest, but when they approached the clump of trees behind which the enclosure would be clearly visible, a tent had been erected, its entrance facing them, screening the dragons from view.