The Dragon Whisperer

The Champion

Katerina's POV:

The next morning I watched from the window as Krum and the other Durmstrang students put their names in the goblet. I tried to sound upset for Karkaroff but in reality I was excited for the selection of the champions. Maybe, just maybe, I would get in.

"Katerina" said Toma suddenly. "Did you put your name in the goblet?"

I chuckled. "Only a little"

Toma looked worried. "You won't get hurt will you sis?"

"Of course not" I reassured him. "I'm quick and lucky. Besides, I'm hardly likely to get in now am I?"

"I guess" said Toma but he didn't sound convinced. "Hey, look, a bug"

He flicked a bug out of my hair and I laughed. "Oiy, that hurt!"

We started a bit of a pinching match and by the end of it my arm was blue with bruises and Toma had a missing tooth. We both laughed and suddenly, I remembered Charlie.

"Want to see a dragon?" I asked. His face lit up. "Where?"

"Just in the forest" I promised. We pulled on shoes and crept into the forest.

I lead the way, clearing twigs and branches out of Toma's path. Every now and again, I glanced behind my shoulder to check he was still there but I trusted him. I guess that's the thing about raising your brother single handedly: you have a bond of trust. We reached the clearing and Charlie spotted me.

"Hi Kat!" he called, waving.

"Hi" I said. "I hope you don't mind me dropping by. I brought my baby brother!"

Charlie greeted Toma with a grin. "Charlie Weasley. And you are?"

"Toma" said my brother, returning the smile shyly.

"Charlie" said a guy behind him. "We've got a situation here. The mother's abandoned this pair of babies and they don't wanna be split up."

I looked at the cage he was pointing to and listened.

"Don't separate us" the girl dragon was begging. "He's all I have left"

"Don't take her away!" pleaded the boy dragon. "We need to stay together!"

(FLASHBACK)

"We need to stay together" I begged. I was six years old and holding baby Toma by the wrist.

"I'm sorry"'said the woman. "I can take you. But I don't want a boy"

"He's all I have" I sobbed. "We're family!"

The woman glanced at me. "I can't take both of you. It's my home or the streets!"

"B-but what will happen to Toma?" I asked slowly.

The woman blinked. "I'll drop him at an orphanage tomorow"

"No!" I said angrily. "We stay together!"

"Then I'm afraid" said the woman, closing her eyes lazily. "That I must ask you to leave my house"

(END OF FLASHBACK)

"Keep them together" I said loudly. "Family stays together"

The man glared at me. "And who are you?" he asked cooly.

I took a deep breath. "I'm the dragon whisperer"

The clearing fell silent. "What?" gasped the man.

I turned to a dragon in a nearby enclosure. "Jump" I said deliberately. It jumped heavily, almost causing an earthquake. "Sit." The dragon slammed down to a seating position. I smirked. "Now do the moonwalk"

The dragon leapt to two feet and began to shuffle backwards. It span around once and sat back down, as if tired.

"K-Katerina" stammered Charlie. "It's d-doing what you say!"

"The dragon whisperers" said an old man who I hadn't seen until now. He was sitting concealed in a rocking chair under a tree, smoking a cigar. "This is unheard of!"

"Kat?" asked Toma. "How are you doing that?"

"I don't really know" I admitted. "But, uh, hey, it's a cool party trick!"

No one laughed. Charlie turned to face me. "Katerina, did you put your name in the goblet of fire?"

"Yeah" I said.

"Then this could be interesting" said Charlie thoughtfully. "Speaking of which, hadn't you better go and find out who the champions are?"

I nodded and, grabbing Toma's hand, left the forest and entered the school.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make it's decision" said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the hall, walk along the staff table and go into the next chamber where they will receive their instructions"

There was a painful moment when time seemed to stand still. Then, the goblet of fire turned red and a little scrap of paper flew out of it. Dumbledore caught it and looked at it, as everybody waited with baited breath.

"The champion for Durmstrang" he read in a clear voice. "Is Katerina"