𝐈𝐕. 𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐀 | 𝐏𝐉𝐎 𝐗 𝐇𝐏

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀

Harry watched the dragon nearest to them teeter dangerously on its back legs; its jaws stretched wide in a silent howl; its nostrils were suddenly devoid of flame, though still smoking — then, very slowly, it fell.

Several tons of sinewy, scaly-black dragon hit the ground with a thud that Harry could have sworn made the trees behind him quake. The dragon keepers lowered their wands and walked forward to their fallen charges, each of which was the size of a small hill.

They hurried to tighten the chains and fasten them securely to iron pegs, which they forced deep into the ground with their wands. "Wan' a closer look?" Hagrid asked Madame Maxime excitedly.

The pair of them moved right up to the fence, and Harry followed. The wizard who had warned Hagrid not to come any closer turned, and Harry realized who it was: Charlie Weasley.

"All right, Hagrid?" he panted, coming over to talk. "They should be okay now — we put them out with a Sleeping Draft on the way here, thought it might be better for them to wake up in the dark and the quiet — but, like you saw, they weren't happy, not happy at all —"

"What breeds you got here, Charlie?" said Hagrid, gazing at the closest dragon, the black one, with something close to reverence. Its eyes were still just open. Harry could see a strip of gleaming yellow beneath its wrinkled black eyelid.

"This is a Hungarian Horntail," said Charlie. "There's a Common Welsh Green over there, the smaller one — a Swedish ShortSnout, that blue-gray — and a Chinese Fireball, that's the red." Charlie looked around; Madame Maxime was strolling away around the edge of the enclosure, gazing at the stunned dragons.

"I didn't know you were bringing her, Hagrid," Charlie said, frowning. "The champions aren't supposed to know what's coming — she's bound to tell her student, isn't she?"

"Jus' thought she'd like ter see 'em," shrugged Hagrid, still gazing, enraptured, at the dragons.

"Really romantic date, Hagrid," said Charlie, shaking his head. "Have you seen Lilith anywhere?" He glanced around the area.

Hagrid furrowed his eyebrows. "Lilith? What yeh need her for?"

Charlie glanced back at the dragons behind him who looked as if they were about to break the chains. "She's familiar with our dragons. They only calm down when she's around."

"Really?" Hagrid lit up excitedly, "How'd she manage to do that?"

Charlie shrugged, "She's always had a bit of a knack for dragons. They're getting restless lately. Especially when we're too close to the Forbidden Forest." He sighed, shaking his head. But then he caught something out of the corner of his eyes. "Lilith!" He beamed.

Harry and Hagrid turned to where the boy was running off to. There, a small girl was walking excitedly to Charlie. "Charlie!" She squealed, pulling him into a hug.

"This is what you were talking about?" She pulled away, gazing at the dragons in excitement.

"First task." He confirmed. "They won't calm though, especially when we're close to the forest." He frowned.

Lilith understood immediately. They could sense the monsters closeby. She then quickly walked over to the Hungarian Horntail who was resisting against the tamers

"Four . . ." said Hagrid, "so it's one fer each o' the champions, is it? What've they gotta do — fight 'em?" "Just get past them, I think," said Charlie.

"We'll be on hand if it gets nasty, Extinguishing Spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers, I don't know why . . . but I tell you this, I don't envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious thing. Its back end's as dangerous as its front, look."