Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Harry Potter, or HBP would have been different!
A/N: This is my response to an old challenge, "The Second Task: Your take" by Aurabolt. Seeing GoF movie gave me good ideas for this one. I'm starting from First Task, though, leaving it as in the book, but rewriting it in my way. Not really necessary, but I thought it would be nice. Please, if you read, leave me a comment, it makes my day! Oh, you may find a mixture of book and movie in some parts…that's because I tried to insert in the way the book tells the things some scenes I loved from the movie!!
Here are the Challenge requirements.
1) 4th Year. The first task and everything leading up to the second is the same, including the learning about the second task. However, the author is allowed to change how the task is run, but it must have the save objective. (Ex: It does not have to be diving into the lake and rescuing the four people, but it must involve rescuing the Most Important Person, no matter what the challenge is.)
2) Harry's Most important person is Hermione. For that reason, if the author does not give Krum another person for him to save, it becomes a race between the two of them to save her. If it comes to it, all spells are legal in a duel except for Unforgivables (unless you decide to make Krum under someone's control early.)
3) The task can be fixed by DE's or Voldie behind the scenes to make it actually dangerous for the participants or the objectives. In such a case, I don't want to see any Death Eater or Voldemort present. All of the sabotage must involve them being hidden, but it can involve magical creatures (Ex: Dementors, Giants, Trolls, Dragons, etc.)
4) When he finally reaches Hermione at the end, and all through his method of rescuing her, he must realize his feelings for her. Since he has no idea what to expect in the task, he should have no idea that Hermione is his Most Important Person until he gets there. His feelings improve as he moves though the motions of rescue. Hermione's feelings are fully formed and affectionate, but kept inside in fear of his reaction.
5) Must end in H/Hr, no matter who eventually rescues her. I expect Harry to put up quite a resistance for Krum if he does not rescue her.
6) (Optional, but recommended) Just to make things more interesting, Hermione has NO idea that she is chosen for the objective of the second task, and is taken without her knowing. The same is true for the rest of the objectives, but as soon as both boys are trying to save her, she should catch on.
7) Unlike the book's second task, the objective does not have to be in a frozen state.
His Most Precious
The First Task
So, fate had played him another nasty trick. At the age of fourteen, he was to participate in one of the most risky events in the Wizarding World, the Triwizard Tournament.
And he was to compete with older students, more skilled in magic than him, for sure. If you add one of the other Champions was Viktor Krum, worldwide Quidditch star and probably the best Seeker in the world, you can understand why Harry Potter felt so depressed.
After all, no one knew how his name had been put into the goblet, and how it had been chosen by the magical item to be one of the Champions. It was not like he had asked for that.
Now, making his best friend Ron Weasley believe it was another story, as the boy was plain jealous of Harry participating and having once again a chance to be famous. That had caused a rift to grow between them since the day of the choosing of the Champions, and to the day of the first task, it was still to be mended.
Hermione Granger, their mutual best friend, was in the middle of this situation, and growing more frustrated at them every passing day. She had tried to reconcile the two, but to no avail.
While waiting for his turn in the tent of the Champions, Harry started remembering the last days.
"He woke up on Monday morning, for the first time seriously considering escaping from Hogwarts. Looking around himself, at breakfast, he understood he couldn't. That would have meant leaving the castle, and that was the only place where he ahd ever been happy, apart from the year with his parents, but he couldn't remember that. It raised his spirits to know that being there and having to face a dragon was still better than being with the Dursleys. He swallowed his bacon, and while he got up with Hermione from the table, he spotted Cedric.
The boy still didn't know about the dragons.
"Hermione I'll see you in the greenhouses" he said. "Go ahead, I'll be there soon"
"Harry, you're going to be late. The bell is almost ringing…"
"I'll be there in a minute, ok?"
Then he followed Cedric. Just before the boy entered the Charms classroom, Harry took his wand.
"Diffindo!"
Cedric's bag broke, and his books fell on the floor. His friends entered the class, so Harry had the chance he was waiting for.
"Hi" the Hufflepuff said, seeing him. "My bag just broke, it was new…"
"Dragons. The first task, is with dragons. One for each of us"
"You serious?"
"Yes. I've seen them"
Cedric was a bit suspicious.
"How did you find out?"
"It's not important. I'm not the only one who knows. Maxime and Karkaroff did too, and surely they told Fleur and Krum about that"
"And why are you telling me this?"
"Well, I thought it was right. So we're going to be even, everyone knows…"
Moody's leg was heard behind them.
"Come with me, Potter. Diggory, off with you"
"Professor, I've got to go to Herbology…" Harry protested, fearing some kind of punishment. What if they had been heard?
"Later" the other barked.
"You did a really honest thing, Potter" Moody said, entering his office. Harry followed him.
"Seat" the man said. So he did.
Now Harry was in Moody's office, surrounded by items he had never seen before and that the DADA Professor had explained him to be Dark Detectors.
"So, you've found out about the dragons, eh?"
Harry said nothing.
"It's ok. Cheating is normal in the Triwizard. It has always been a part of the game"
"I've not cheated" Harry protested. "I found out about it as an accident"
"I wasn't accusing you, boy. I told Dumbledore, he could be noble, but Maxime and Karkaroff would not. They want to win, to beat Dumbledore and show he's only human" the man said, then started laughing madly.
"Now, do you have already an idea on how to overcome your dragon?" the professor asked him.
"No" the boy said honestly.
"Well, I'm not telling you. I don't want to make differences between the champions. I'll just give you some advice. First, play by your abilities"
"I don't have them" Harry sighed.
"If you allow me" Moody barked, "I tell you that you have them. What's the thing you do better?"
After thinking a bit, Harry replied.
"Quidditch. And it won't be useful"
"Yeah, you're an hell of a flier from what I've heard"
"Yes, but...I can't bring a broom. I can bring just my wand"
"My second advice is, use a simple spell that lets you obtain what you need"
Harry looked at the man, lost.
"Come on, boy, it's not hard. It's like doing two plus two..."
Then Harry understood.
He was a good flier. So he should beat the dragon in the air. He needed his broom, his Firebolt. To have his Firebolt he needed... "Hermione" he whispered."
Harry smiled fondly at the memory. Yeah, as usual Hermione had been his rock. The one who saved him.
"Hermione, I need you help" he said to her in Herbology class.
"What do you think I'm trying to do, Harry?" she asked, working on the plant in front of her.
"Hermione, I've got to learn a perfect Summoning Charm within tomorrow afternoon" he said.
So they practiced. They skipped lunch, working in an empty classroom, where Harry tried with all his might to make things in the room come to him. Without great results, though, as the items kept flying for few moments, then fell regularly on the floor.
"Focus, Harry, focus" Hermione scolded him.
"What do you think I'm doing?" he replied, angry. "I keep having in my mind a big, ugly dragon, wonder why..." Then he calmed a bit. "Ok, I'm trying again"
After lunch he was ready to skip Divination to practice, but Hermione didn't want to skip Arithmancy, so remaining without her was useless."
"Always so studious, our dear Hermione" Harry thought with a smile. "Never going to skip a lesson"
"So he had to endure an hour of Trewlaney, rambling about the fact that due to Mars position regarding Saturn in that period, people born in July risked death.
"Perfect, but make it quick, I don't want to suffer" Harry said loud, making lots of people burst in laughter. Ron was about to do so too, but then controlled himself.
He gulped down something for dinner, then he went back in the empty classroom with Hermione to practice. They used his Invisibility cloak to avoid the teachers. Till midnight they stayed, then Peeves started disturbing them, so they fled before Filch came to see what was happening there.
They continued in the common room. Harry was surrounded by things that he tried to make fly in his hands, till two in the morning. Just in the last hour he had started doing the charm really well.
"Good, Harry. Really good" Hermione said, knackered but happy.
"Well, now we know what to do next time I can't learn a spell, just threaten me with a dragon" he joked, Accioing a dictionary in his hand.
"Harry, you really learned it!" she squealed.
"Just hope it will work tomorrow. I'll be in the park, and the Firebolt here in the castle…the distance is much bigger"
"Doesn't matter. If you're really focused, it will come. Harry, it's better we get some sleep now. You'll need it"
So they did.
And then there had been the morning of the task, just few hours before. He had woke up feeling his fear come back, while he ahd forgotten it the previous day, focused as he was on learning the Summoning Charm.
He felt time going away quickly, then slowing its pace to excruciatingly slow.
Everyone around him whispering him things, from insults, normally the Slytherins, to encouragement. He felt so detached from everyone though, that he had wondered if at the moment of facing the dragon he would simply go nuts and fire hexes on everyone around him.
Finally McGonagall neared him in the Great Hall. Everyone had his eyes fixed on him.
"Potter, the Champions have to go and come down in the park, now. You've got to get ready for the task"
"Ok" he said standing up.
"Good luck" Hermione mouthed him. "Everything will be fine"
"Of course it will" he said with a voice different from his usual one.
He followed McGonagall, who was worried just like Hermione.
She placed one hand on his shoulder.
"Now, don't let panic control you. Try to be detached. We've got wizards ready to control the situation if something happens…you just have to do your best, no one will think bad of you…are you ok?"
"Yes, I'm ok" he had said just minutes before finding himself there, in the tent of the Champions.
Now, Ron Weasley was on the tribunes of the Quidditch Stadium, waiting for the task to start, while Hermione…
"Hey, Harry" he heard someone whispering.
He moved closer to the edge of the tent.
"Hermione! What are you doing here?" he asked, opening it for her.
"I've come to give you my best wishes. So, are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be"
"Remember, just concentrate" she started in her usual business tone, the same she used with them when they had to finish their assignments. But this was no assignment. Here Harry was going to risk his life.
So she suddenly flung herself at him, catching him off guard. He managed to balance both of them, avoiding to fall on the floor, his arms closing around her tightly.
"Whoa! Hermione, I know you're worried for me, but…"
In that moment Ludo Bagman entered the tent, a small bag in his hand. "Miss Granger, I know you are worried for our Mr. Potter here, but just the Champions can be in the tent" he said, gently. "Besides, I'm sure you'll be able to snog him later, it will be even better as a reward for his accomplishment" the man teased them winking.
She blushed deeply and walked away, giving Harry, who had blushed too, one last look. He gave her a small smile to reassure her. How could that be possible when he was that tense he didn't know, but she seemed to buy it and smiled back at him, before going to join Ron on the stands.
"Champions, come here around me" he said. Then each one of them proceeded to choose from a small bag the model of the dragon they would have to face.
Fleur Delacour chose as first, and took the Common Welsh Green.
Then Krum chose, extracting the Chinese Fireball, and then it was Diggory's turn. He extracted the Swedish Short-Snout.
Harry was sorted to be the last of the Champions to face the dragon, he would have the terrible Hungarian Horntail that he had already seen in the forest with Hagrid, some nights before. Sitting on the bench, he looked around himself at the other champions.
Fleur was seating on a low wooden seat, her calm demeanour gone. She was sweating and pale. Krum was pacing around, tension evident on his face as he was even more surly than usual. Then there was Cedric, who was pacing too. They exchanged a tense smile. Then Bagman approached Harry.
"Are you ok, Harry? There's something I can get you?"
"What?" Harry asked, dumbfounded. "No, thanks. I'm ok"
"Do you have a plan? I can give you some pointers, if you like. I mean, you're the one with the worst odds here, Harry, and if I can help…"
"No" Harry said again, almost too quickly. "I…I already know what I'm going to do, thanks"
"Nobody would know it, Harry"
"Really, I'm fine" Harry said once again, very well knowing he was not.
A loud whistle sounded, and Bagman ran away to his seat in the tribunes. He had to do the comment, after all. So, Harry entered the tent once again, seeing Cedric walking out of it to face his dragon.
The crowd roared. Signalling that the Hufflepuff had entered the space to face his dragon.
For Harry being there, hearing but not being able to see was a torture. He heard the crowd shriek, clap, hold their breath, all without knowing what was happening.
Bagman's commentary was even worse, giving him nasty images.
"Oh, that was close, people…"
"This guy is risking a lot…"
"Good move…pity it didn't work!"
Then, after something like fifteen excruciating minutes, Harry heard the roar of the crowd, sign that Cedric had taken the gold egg.
"Really awesome!" Bagman kept shouting. "Now the score from the judges!"
But that was not shouted. Probably it was just showed to the crowd.
"One gone, three to go. Miss Delacour, please"
She was shaking. Harry felt pity for her, and forgot the dislike he had harboured till that moment for the girl. She exited the tent gripping her wand tightly.
He remained alone with Krum, each on one end of the tent.
And once again, Bagman's commentary.
"Oh, I'm not sure that was a wise move…"
"Oh…close! Careful now…My God, I thought she was going to succeed!"
Ten minutes later, Harry heard another roar from the crowd. Fleur had got past her dragon, taking the Egg. Her score was showed, then loud clapping followed.
It was Krum's turn.
"And here comes Mr. Krum!" Bagman shouted once again. Harry was alone.
He tried focusing on the wand movement for the Summoning Charm, but he was really aware of his body now. He felt his heart beating madly, his fingers paralysed by fear…and at the same time he felt like he was just watching the scene from afar…it was a strange sensation, really.
"Really brave!" Bagman cried.
Harry could hear the Chinese Fireball roar.
"He's showing his courage here, and…yes, he's taken the egg!" Bagman shouted once again.
It was his moment now.
He stood up, feeling his legs like jelly. He waited. Then he heard the whistle calling him to face the Horntail.
He exited the tent, taking in the surroundings. Hundreds of faces were looking down at him from the stands.
And the Horntail was there, on the other side of the space.
He focused as hard as he could, and raised his wand.
"Accio Firebolt!" he cried.
He hoped it would work. If it didn't…
And then he felt it zoom behind him, and turned to grab his broom. He could hear the crowd shouting, Bagman saying something but he could not distinguish the words.
And then he mounted it, and took off.
As soon as he was up in the air, he felt his fear vanish. He was at his best now. If there was something Harry Potter was good at it was flying.
It was like Quidditch, the Egg was the Snitch and the Horntail was the opponent. Nothing more.
He dived toward the dragon, which tried hitting him with his fire. But Harry knew his intention, so it was like avoiding a Bludger.
"Bloody Hell, that is flying!" Bagman shouted. "Have you seen, Mr. Krum?"
Harry's tactic of flying in circles was making the dragon dizzy. But he should not exaggerate, or it would breathe fire again…
He dived and once again managed to avoid the fire, but not the tail, that scratched his shoulder. He felt pain, while circling the beast, but then he got one idea.
He needed to get the dragon away from the egg, and he should do that little by little.
He flied left and right, not near enough for being hit by the fire but enough to be seen as a menace by the Horntail.
He flied toward the sky, the eyes of the dragon following him, breathing fire, but Harry dodged. He was too far for the tail to be able to hit him, and the dragon seemed nervous about the situation. Finally it took off, opening its large wings…
That was what Harry was waiting for. He dived at full speed, and before the dragon understood the peril for the egg, he had grabbed it, and was again up in the air, in front of the cheering crowd.
Hermione cheered so hard she almost risked falling from the stands, and he grinned at her. Ron was too shocked as to what had happened to say anything, he just clapped his hands wildly.
"See that" Bagman shouted. "Our youngest champion was the quickest in grabbing the egg. That will lower the odds on him, I guess"
Harry landed, seeing the guardians going to tame the Horntail.
"Brilliant, Potter" McGonagall said when she reached him. It was an unusual compliment, coming from her. Then she sent him to Madame Pomfrey.
"She's already fixed Diggory" the professor explained.
"Great, Harry. You did it!" Hagrid said. "And with the Horntail, you remember what Charlie said, it was the worst…"
"Thanks Hagrid!" Harry shouted to stop him blabbing about how he had already seen the dragons.
Moody was quite cheerful too.
"Good job, boy. Like drinking a glass of water"
"Come on, Potter, off with you. Go to Madame Pomfrey, please" McGonagall said again.
He did, and she welcomed him huffing. "Dragons!" she said spitefully. "Last year Dementors, this one Dragons. What will be next? You're lucky, it's superficial. I'll have to clean it before healing, tough. And so she did.
"Now you stay there a minute, seated. Seated, I said! Then you can go to see your score"
Then she was to visit Diggory.
Harry couldn't stay seated. He was overexcited. As soon as he got on his feet, he was knocked down again by Hermione hugging him, followed by Ron.
"You were brilliant, Harry!" she said. There were nail marks on her face, so hard had she feared for him. "Really, you were awesome!" she said again.
Harry, however, kept looking at Ron, who was pale.
"Harry" he started seriously, "whoever has put your name in that Goblet, I..I think they are trying to kill you!"
It was like the rift between them had magically healed, like the last weeks had never happened.
"You got it, eh? You took some time" Harry said coldly.
Hermione looked at them tense.
Ron was ready to apologise, but Harry stopped him.
"It's all ok. Don't worry"
"No, really, I shouldn't have…"
"Don't worry" Harry said again, then they grinned at each other.
Hermione started sobbing.
"Hey, there's nothing to cry about" Harry said her, placing one hand on her shoulder.
"The two of you are so…stupid!" Then she hugged both of them and ran away.
"Blimey" Ron said. "Come on, Harry, they're giving your score!"
So he took the Firebolt and the Golden Egg, and walked out of the tent.
"You were the best. Cedric Transfigured a rock into a dog, wanted the dragon to catch it, and it worked, I mean, he got the Egg, but the dragon changed his mind at one point and breathed fire at him, so he got burned…Fleur tried enchanting him, like with hypnosis, and for a while it worked, butt hen it huffed and breathed fire, and her skirt got on flames. Krum…well, he didn't think about flying. He probably was the best after you, tough. He got it in one eye with a spell, but the dragon started stomping around, destroying half the real eggs…that cost him half his points, he shouldn't damage them…" Ron kept blabbing, probably trying to regain the lost time with his friend.
They looked the judges giving their scores, with Ron infuriated by Karkaroff four, but Harry did not care. Having Ron back was like one hundred points for him.
"So you and Krum are even, Harry!" Charlie said, reaching them.
Harry then met the other champions back in the tent, where Bagman was waiting for them.
"Well done, all of you!" he said. "now, you've got a long pause before next task. It will be held on February the 24th. But there's something you've got to think about. The Eggs can be opened. Now, they contain a clue fro the next task, so you can prepare. Now, you can go"
And so they did. Harry walked back to the castle with Ron, who kept telling him about the other champions, then they dodged Rita Skeeter and reached the castle.
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