𝑈𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 ☾ 𝐷𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑜 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑓𝑜𝑦

The First Task ☾ 4-05

I bundled my blue and silver scarf closer around me as Hermione and I walked around the transformed Quidditch pitch. I frowned at the transformation. The hoops were gone, the spectator tower seats were gone, and the ground had been transformed into a rocky arena for the first task. Hermione rubbed her hands together as we approached the Champion's tent. My father, the headmasters, and Crouch were sitting up at the judges booth awaiting the beginning of the task, so we quickly made our way down to wish Harry luck. You could hear the cheers and chants of students from the stands, and I thought for a moment I heard Fred and George yelling about placing bets. I shook my head as Hermione whispered into the back of the tent. I stood back to wait and tensed as I saw someone approach the break in the tent.

"Harry? Is that you?" Hermione whispered.

"Yeah."

"How are you feeling?" I rolled my eyes at the stupid question, and moved closer to the break in the fabric.

"Hey Harry, good luck." I gave him a fist bump as he nodded.

"Thanks Aurora."

"The key is to concentrate. After that you just have to-" Hermione tried to give him a pep talk, but Harry interjected.

"Battle a dragon?"

Hermione whimpered with worry. My eyes widened as she pushed the canvas aside and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck. I pushed my way past them as a large flash of light temporarily blinded me. I scrunched my nose and blinked, trying to regain my sight.

"Young love!" Rita Skeeter gasped. I narrowed my eyes at her, always sticking her abnormally pointed nose in someone else's business. Hermione and Harry let go in surprise, glaring at the privacy-violating journalist. She fully entered the tent, camera man following close behind.

"How..... stirring." She pointed to her Quick-Notes quill, writing something down on her infernal notepad. I snarled as I read the words over her shoulder, she took everything completely out of context. "If everything goes... unfortunate today, you two might even make the front page!" Rita continued. Cedric stopped his pacing around the tent, and took a long hard glare at her. Krum approached slowly from behind me, and I turned in surprise as he suddenly spoke with a loud Bulgarian accent.

"You have no business here. This tent is for champions. And friends." He added and winked at me. My hair faded pink as I blushed. Rita scowled in his direction. Her quill shimmying in the air.

"No matter, we've ah, got what we wanted." She said smugly, her quill brushing up against the side of Krum's face. He moved away from it and watched angrily as Rita and her camera man began to exit the large tent. Before turning completely away, the camera man aimed his camera toward us and took another picture with a large flash.

Dumbledore entered with the rest of the judging-group and Rita scurried to the side of the tent.

"Good day champions, gather round please. Now you've waited, you've wondered, and at last the moment has arrived. A moment, only the four of you could appreciate." He announced, looking around at the young champions. He did a double-take as his eyes landed on Hermione and I.

"Miss Granger, Miss Whitethorn. What are you doing here?"

"Sorry professor, we were just leaving." I pulled Hermione's arm as we exited the tent, but not before I recieved another wink from Viktor Krum.

We made our way quickly back to the stands, and took a seat between Ron and the twins. The cheering grew silent as we waited for the task to begin. They would bring out each champion one by one to face their dragons and retrieve a golden egg. Inside of which, was their clue for the second task.