Runes Master

Dangerous Dragons

The day of the task came fast. The champions reunited in a tent, waiting for the crowd to gather and the… preparations…for the task to be ready. Harry looked at Cedric. Cedric looked back and nodded.

Harry, right after the breakfast at which he announced the content of the first task to Hermione, managed to get through the wall of Cedric's supporters and ask for a private word. When a particularly zealous fan stepped between the two of them, barring the way, arms crossed, Harry simply pushed him out of the way. The Hufflepuff was about to get back at him, fist closed, but found a wand right between his eyes, resting on his forehead. Nobody saw Harry draw. Even Cedric gulped as he saw the potential danger in one of his adversary. He hoped duel would not be part of the task. One moment Harry was walking, the next he had someone at wand point.

"Know your place. This is a champion's matter," said Harry coldly. If he was to be forced to be one, as well act as one. Funny how nobody dared to question him.

Harry turned away and Cedric followed him.

"This was unnecessary Harry," Cedric told him, shaking his head. "You won't make friends acting like that."

"I guess you're right, Cedric. I'm not good at that. I'm a Gryffindor. I'm more in the saving people business. That's what I've been told, anyway. In the eyes of your friends over there, I'm just a child that stuck his nose into something too big for him. I can't say that I'm indifferent to everything they're saying, it pisses me off big time. But you know what? After this task, they will take us all Champions more seriously and respect us. Dragons, Cedric. We're facing dragons. One for each of us."

The Hufflepuff hero blanched.

"Dragons? You swear it's true?"

"On my Firebolt."

"Okay…but…why are you telling me this?"

Harry looked at the sky in exasperation.

"Man, you're thick. So you can prepare! The French princess and the Bulgarian grunt know about it too. That leaves only you. Call it me trying to make a friend or its my "hero saving people" thing, I don't care. Fair-play isn't Hufflepuff, Cedric. It's British."

Cedric smiled, chuckling.

"A gentleman, of course. How could I have doubted you? This won't save me from kicking your arse though," said Cedric.

"Then I'll steel my arse so you break your leg on it," answered Harry, grinning.

They shook hands and went each their ways. As Cedric got back to his friends, they heard him mumble, "That Potter…you have to respect the man…"

Harry got back from his reverie as more officials entered the tent, preceded by Rita Skeeter, the annoying journalist. She didn't make a good impression on him at the weighing of the wands. A journalist that wants to be on the front page with more space than the champions themselves lack some professional ethic.

He let his picture be taken silently, but without posing either. Ludo Bagman waited for the rest of the officials to be posed by the photograph to say his piece for the paper to a fawning Rita Skeeter.

At long last, they gathered around, and were instructed that the task would be to face the counterpart of what they would pick out of a bag he handed them. The goal was to get the golden egg. Harry winced. He heard that they were all mothers protecting their eggs. This would not be a piece of cake…but it should help him if she stayed over her nest. He poked his miniature version of a Hungarian Horntail. As he did so, the replica let loose a cute little flame, trying to fry his index. Harry froze, but then smiled. That would beso fun!