Youngblood: Champions {Year 4, Book 2}

= Chapter 9 =

"Three of our champions have now faced their dragons, and so now one of them will proceed to the next task. And now for our fourth and final contestant." Dumbledore's loud, booming voice rang over the speaker as Aspen bit her lip nervously in anticipation, eyeing the Hungarian Horntail that was directing its kind, gentle gaze at her.

Harry entered the rocky arena, hearing a few chants and cheers from his fellow supporters and friends. His gaze drifts off to the golden egg, shining in the sun, as it sat on a sharp, stone edge. His first step forward was quaky, but then another passed, and another, soon he was sprinting towards the egg, almost to the ledge.

The Hungarian Horntail looked from Aspen to Harry, then back to Aspen. She nodded, releasing the Horntail to attack the Gryffindor.

The Horntail swiped his tail at Harry, narrowly missing his face as he fell down the half-closed ledge, ducking behind a sturdy rock as the Horntail breaths its hot, catastrophic flame.

"Your wand, Harry! Use your wand!" Dove shouts from the crowd, temporarily directing the Horntail's attention, then snapping back on to Harry.

"Accio Firebolt!" Harry shouts, summoning his broomstick, which doesn't come immedietly, instead taking its sweet time.

The Horntail lunged, snapping his powerful jaws at the boy as he slid between two other rocks, barely leaving a scrape on his upper arm. He looked around, eyeing his surrounding until a chestnut blur caught his eye - his broom! He quickly slid out of his hiding place, grasping his broom as he flew off. The Horntail looked angry as ever, giving his chain a final blow and freeing himself from its constraints, the crowd shrieking in terror as he zips after Harry.

"Accio Nimbus 2001!" Aspen shouted, standing off the back of the bleachers as Lillian and Vivid gave her a doubtful and confused glance.

"What? Someone's got to keep that fire-breathing cutie safe." She beamed, catching her broomstick mid flight and mounting, giving Dumbledore a slight nod before following the dragon and the boy, staying quite far away and not wanting to interfere.

Harry's broomstick picked up speed as the Horntail followed closely, though becoming lost as soon as Harry ducked and wove between some nearby towers of Hogwarts. Aspen scanned the castle grounds, searching for the boy and the chasing dragon. When she finally caught sight of them, it was too late - Harry was dangling off a rooftop as the Horntail struggled to reach him from another. Harry's broomstick wasn't far beneath him, but was required a good, long stretch.

"C'mon... c'mon." Aspen grunted, watching as Harry dropped, grabbing his broomstick and mounting it, pulling up just in time as the Horntail snapped behind him, hot on his trail.

Harry dove through the old, rustic bridge as the dragon followed, colliding with the solid stone. Whelp... decision time. The Horntail was falling fast, unconsciously. Aspen shook her head, diverting his broomstick to dive down after the dragon.

"We're not falling fast enough." She figured, as the dragon weighed more than a girl and a broomstick.

Aspen put all her body weight roughly down on the front of her broomstick, sending herself diving at a quicker pace towards the dragon. Aspen grabbed ahold of the Horntail's back spine, moving her hand up towards it's jaw line. She pressed on a spot where the dragon's jawline met his neck, watching as his eyes snapped open and broad wings spread.

Aspen clutched her broomstick in one hand, then the dragon's spine in another, kicking him lightly to fly into the air. She inched forward on his back, reaching one of the main horns perched on his head to direct him to the cages.

"Don't worry buddy, we'll have you back in Romania in no time." She spoke, patting him on the neck as she landed him in the clearing where the other dragons were stored.