Book Two of the Mercury Series: Poisonous Mercury {A Harry Potter Fanfic}

The Introduction to the First Task

Chapter Thirteen: The First Task

Mercury’s POV

The Future

The First task was fast approaching, making me more and more nervous. Dragons. Freaking dangerous, hungry, motherly, fire-breathing dragons. Who’s brilliant idea was this?!

I woke up to Hermione shaking me. I groaned and stood up from my warm, comfortable bed and trudged to my wardrobe, pulling out my designated uniform that was made specifically for the Tournament. It was decorated with red and gold. On the back was my name, BLACK in large, gold letters on the background of red. On the front, it had HOGWARTS in red letters on a gold background. The Hogwarts insignia was on both sides. 

I pulled this shirt on along with some long, spandex pants that we were supposed to wear. I sighed and put my wand up my sleeve, so that it was there for quick use. Hermione handed me some leather boots that she had charmed to withstand fire. 

“I don’t want to do this,” I groaned as I pulled on the boots, while sitting on my bed. 

Hermione sighed. “I wouldn’t want to either, but you know what Crouch said. You have to compete.”

I rolled my eyes and muttered under my breath, “Stupid magic.”

Hermione chuckled feebly. “C’mon, let’s go.”

I nodded and followed her out the dormitory door and down the stairs into the common room. 

The room was deserted, which meant that everyone was down at the Quidditch Pitch, which would act as an arena. They were probably all sitting in the stands, talking excitedly with their friends, not having to worry if a dragon would eat them. Lucky bastards. 

I headed out the Portrait Hole with Hermione behind me. We headed through the endless passageways of the school and out on the grounds. Just as we made our way towards the Pitch, we were swarmed with 100s of people. There were a few I recognized. Like people from school like Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Lee Jordan and Cedric Diggory. Then there were people I’ve noticed not from school, like Ludo Bagman, Rita Skeeter, and Dildalus Diggle. 

I pushed through the crowd, dragging Hermione with me. I grunted when I was shoved into some random, making me almost fall. Hermione was shoving people away too. I could hear people ask questions like, ‘What’s it like to be friends with Mercury Black, one of the champions?’ and stupid things like that. 

Finally, I didn’t feel so claustrophobic when we broke free of the crowd. I pulled Hermione along with me as I made my way to the Quidditch Pitch, ignoring the mass of people that were following. 

I sighed. I just wished that these people would stop following us! It’s bad enough that I have to fight a dragon. 

I made it to the champions’ tent. It was tall and gold, making it look regal. I stepped inside, leaving Hermione to go find a seat in the bleachers with our other friends.

When I looked inside, I saw Viktor and Fleur. Fleur looked like she was going to be sick, her Veela appearance slightly wavering in her pale and sweaty face. Viktor was hulking in the corner, thinking deeply. I walked further into the tent, and began to pace. 

After about 10 minutes of Fleur’s nerves, Viktor’s thinking, and my pacing, Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch entered the tent with a small, velvet draw-string bag. Bagman looked excited while Crouch looked emotionless, which I found to be his everyday look. 

“Hello, hello!” Bagman said cheerily. 

No one answered. 

Bagman coughed slightly. “Yes, well,  lets begin, shall we?” He held out the bag to Viktor. “Inside this bag is a tiny model of a real dragon that you are going to have to get pass in the Task. You have to get around the dragon to get a golden egg. You see, the golden egg is vital to the next task. It gives you a hint, you know.” While he was explaining, Viktor stuck his hand into the bag and pulled out a red dragon, also known as a Chinese Fireball. Around the neck was a big number 2.

“The number around the neck gives you the order in which  you will perform,” Bagman said as he gave the bag to Fleur. 

She reached in and pulled out a green dragon. “Ah,” Bagman said. “A Green Welsh. Nasty little fellow, I’d say.” That didn’t seem to assure the French student. 

Then he passed the bag to me. I stuck my hand inside and pulled out a brown/gold dragon that had needle-thin teeth and a spiky tail. It hissed at me, spitting out fire all the while, and when that didn’t make me drop it, it bit my hand. I yelped in pain. Around the dragon’s neck was a big number 3. This meant that Fleur would have to go first. Sucks for her. And for me, seeing as I didn’t get it over with as quick as she could. 

“Ooh,” Bagman oozed. “That’s the worst. It’s called the Hungarian Horntail. You better have a good trick up your sleeve, missy.” That comment made me want to be sick. 

“Now, when the cannon starts-” There was a loud bang. “Oh! Time to start. You first, Miss Delacour!”

Fleur followed reluctantly behind Bagman as they walked out. 

Viktor and I didn’t talk the whole while we were in there together. We just listened to the ‘ooh’s and ‘aaah’s of the crowd as Fleur tried to get pass her dragon. Even thought I didn’t have a watch on my wrist, I knew that it took Fleur a while to get pass her Green Welsh dragon. God only knows what she did to get pass. Finally, though, she managed, and the ground went wild, clapping, whistling and stomping their feet in a thundering rhythm. 

After a few moments, which felt like eternity to me, there were more thunderous claps. Then, a second cannon sounded, signaling that it was Viktor’s turn to go out in the arena. The same thing happened with him, as it did Fleur. 

Cheers erupted from the stands every now and then, making me wonder what the French toast was going on out there. When the final cheers dove down, there was a moment of silence. Then, the cheers picked back up. 

Then, the final cannon. Oh. Freaking. Snap. 

My Turn. 

A/N: Okay, so none of these chapters are going to be long, because I suck at writing. Seriously, if you have any ideas for this story, GIVE THEM TO ME. OM NOM NOM. :) I only know where the story is going for Mercury, not Fayette. I kinda just threw Fayette in there for some reason. Anyways, if you love me, COMMENT/VOTE/FAN. 

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