chapter twenty : the first task
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"Are you all right? You look a bit pale."
Juniper looked up from her breakfast to Fred, who was sitting in front of her. It was the day of the first task and she was waiting anxiously for it to begin.
"I'm fine."
That was most certainly a lie.
"You look like a wreck," George added, sitting down next to Fred with Lee.
"Thanks, I appreciate the compliment."
Juniper played with her toast. When she glanced to her left, she saw Harry doing the same. She shuffled closer to him.
"We'll be fine, Harry," she quietly told him. "I mean, it's only a dragon." She hoped she sounded more confident than she thought she did.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Only a dragon?"
"Try to see it positively, Harry, it cannot kill us — Dumbledore won't allow it."
"That's very reassuring," he replied.
Juniper averted her eyes from him towards the ring of her mother that she'd been wearing on a necklace around her neck next to the dragon tooth Charlie gave her. She had considered them as good luck charms — something she'd probably need.
"Good luck, June," Angelina said, giving her an encouraging smile. "You're going to do great!"
"Thanks," June said, smiling back.
"We'll be rooting for you," Alicia added.
"Potter, Black," Professor McGonagall's voice came from behind June, making her turn around, "the champions have to come down into the grounds now . . . you have to get ready for your first task."
"OK," Harry said, as he and June stood up.
They left the Great Hall with Professor McGonagall. She didn't seem herself, June noticed; in fact, she looked nearly as anxious as June and Harry themselves. As she walked them down the stone steps and out into the cold November afternoon, she put her hands on their shoulders.
"Now, don't panic," she said, "just keep a cool head . . . we've got Wizards on hand to control the situation if it gets out of hand . . . the main thing is just to do your best, and nobody will think any the worse of you . . . are you all right?"
"Yes," Harry said.
"We will make you proud, Professor," June added, straightening her back.
Professor McGonagall gave them one of her rare smiles before she leaded them towards the edge of the Forest. When they approached the clump of trees, June saw that a tent had been erected, its entrance facing them.
"You're to go in here with the other champions," Professor McGonagall said, in a rather shaky sort of voice, "and wait for your turn. Mr Bagman is in there . . . he'll be telling you the — the procedure . . . good luck."
"Thanks," Harry said, in a flat, distant voice. She left them at the entrance of the tent. The two cousins gave each other a glance before they entered the tent.
Fleur was sitting in a corner on a low wooden stole. She didn't look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Viktor looked even surlier than usual, which June supposed was his was of showing nerves.
"Harry! Juniper! Good-oh!" Bagman said happily, looking around at Harry. "Come in, come in, make yourself at home!"
Bagman looked somehow like a slightly overblown cartoon figure, standing amid all the pale-faces champions. He was wearing his old Wasp robes again.
"Well, now we're all here — time to fill you in!" Bagman said brightly. "When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag" — he held up a small sack of purple silk, and shook it at them — "from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different — er — varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too . . . ah, yes . . . your task is to collect the golden egg."
Juniper nodded before starting to pace around the tent.
And in no time at all, hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of feet could be heard passing the tent, their owners talking excitedly, laughing and joking. Juniper continued to pace through the tent, her nervousness getting the best of her. Soon enough, she'd face a real fire breathing dragon.
Bagman opened the neck of the purple silk sack.
"Ladies first," he said, offering it to Fleur who stood next to June.
She put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon — a Welsh Green. It had the number 'two' around it's neck. And June knew, by the fact that Fleur showed no sign of surprise, but rather a determined resignation, that she, too, already knew what the first task was.
Next was June. She put her hand into the silk bag and pulled out the blueish-grey Swedish Short-Snout with the number 'one' tied around its neck.
Viktor pulled out the scarlet Chinese Fireball. It had a number 'three' around its neck. He didn't even blink, just stared at the ground.
As last, Harry put his hand into the bag and pulled out the Hungarian Horntail and the number 'four'. It stretched its wings as he looked at it, and bared its minuscule fangs.
"Well, there you are!" Bagman said. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I'm going to have to leave you in a moment, because I'm commentating. Miss Black, you're first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right? Now . . . Harry . . . could I have a quick word? Outside?"
"Er . . . yes," Harry said blankly, while June tried to control her nerves while waiting for the whistle.
"Good luck," Fleur said, giving her a kind smile.
"Thanks," June said, smiling nervously back. "You too."
Viktor gave her an encouraging nod which she returned.
A whistle blow was heard and June's heart skipped a beat. She walked out through the entrance of the tent, passing Harry, who wished her good luck. Panic started rising into a crescendo inside her.
"I can do this," she whispered, as she walked past the trees, through a gap in the enclosure fence.
Juniper saw everything in front of her as though it was a very highly colored dream. There were hundreds and hundreds of faces staring down at her from the stands. And there was the Swedish Short-Snout, at the other end of the enclosure, crouched low over her clutch of eggs.
For a moment, June met it's icy blue eyes and they had a short stare down. That was until the dragon had enough of it and send a blue flame towards her.
Juniper jumped out of the way, hiding behind a large rock. She needed to get as close as possible to the eggs before she could cast her patronus.
Taking a deep breath and tightening the grip on her wand, she ignored the fact that the whole school was watching her every movement — and the fact that Charlie most certainly was watching her, too — and took a peek at the dragon. It hadn't moved at all. It's icy blue eyes were still on her, as she awaited June's next move.
Juniper looked around her, counting the large rocks she could hide behind — there were four. If she could run all the way around them, she would be fairly close — that's only if the dragon didn't burn her before that.
"Okay, June," she whispered to herself. "You're a bloody Black, you've got this!"
Counting to three, she ran towards the first rock which was situated ten feet away from her on her right. She leaped behind it and could feel the warmth of the fire behind her. That had been a close one.
Encouraged by her first success and by the cheering crowd, June felt a bit more confident. She could actually pull this one off, she realised.
Counting to three again, she leapt out of her hiding spot and ran towards the next rock. Once again, luck was on her side as she avoided the blue flames.
Juniper positioned herself to ran towards the third rock before counting to three once more. However, upon leaving her safe zone, a blue flame came towards her.
June's eyes widened and dove behind the third rock. She could feel her side getting hotter and hotter as the seconds passed and when she looked down, she saw that her robes were on fire. As quickly as she could, she summoned water and put it out, but the damage was already done.
"It seems as if Black has been burned!" Bagman exclaimed somewhere from above her and the crowd gasped. June ignored them as she pushed herself up, clutching her side in the process. It hurt like hell.
The dragon had found her routine, she realised. So much for counting to three.
Leaning against the rock and looking at the enclosure, she thought of what to do next. She dared to take a peek at the dragon, who was still situated thirty feet away from her. It was too far. She needed to get to the fourth rock.
Figuring waiting behind the rock wasn't about to make the dragon go away, Juniper positioned herself one last time. She gritted her teeth, feeling as if a thousands of needles were pricking into her side.
Knowing she'd be slower this time, she realised she needed a small diversion. Her hazel eyes darted over towards a rock on the other side of the dragon and an idea popped into her head.
"Bombarda!" she exclaimed, hoping that an explosion of a rock would distract the dragon long enough for her to get to the fourth rock.
For a couple of seconds, the dragon turned her head towards the other side, giving June the chance to run towards the fourth rock and leap behind it.
The black haired sighed relieved. One part of her plan was done, now came the second — most dangerous — part; distracting the dragon with her patronus and getting the golden egg that laid between the normal eggs.
Juniper gave herself a couple of moments to breath in and out, trying to ignore the pain that was coming from her side.
"This is it, June," she whispered to herself.
With that, she stood up, pointed her wand at the sky and exclaimed, "Expecto Patronum!"
As usual, a silver dragon spat out of the tip of her wand and June could hear gasps coming from all over the stands together with Bagman's exclaims. However, she didn't wait to see if it worked, instead, she ran as fast as she could towards the dragon — who was fortunaly still very distracted by the silver dragon that was circling around her — and her eggs. She snatched the golden egg away just as the dragon turned her head back to June.
Juniper's breath stocked, she stood no more than seven feet away from the dragon and she felt tiny as it towered over her.
Slowly, June backed away, her eyes not leaving the dragon. The dragon's eyes darted over towards the egg in June's hands and the black haired knew she was doomed.
However, before the dragon had time to open her mouth and burn June down to ashes, Charlie and his companions ran into the enclosure to subdue the Swedish Short-Snout.
"That was excellent, Black!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, as June hurried towards the entrance. "You'll need to see Madam Pomfrey before the judges give out your score . . . over there."
Juniper nodded, too shaken to say anything else. She walked towards the second tent, clutching her side with her one hand and the golden egg tucked under her other arm.
Madam Pomfrey looked worried as June approached her.
"Dragons!" she said, in a disgusted tone, pulling June inside.
The tent was divided into cubicles and Madam Pomfrey leaded her to the first one.
"Lay down, dear," she said, pushing June gently onto the bed, "and let me have a look at it."
Juniper groaned as Madam Pomfrey pulled the shirt up.
"It's not that bad," she said, eying it carefully. "I assume you put out the fire rather quickly?"
Juniper nodded.
"Good job," Madam Pomfrey said, giving her a warm smile.
June smiled. "Thanks."
A sound of a pair of feet was heard and seconds later, Charlie barged into the tent.
"Mr Weasley!" Madam Pomfrey scolded as June sat up. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with the dragons?"
Charlie's eyes fell onto June and she saw him relax visibly. However, his cheeks burned up upon Madam Pomfrey's question.
"Er — I —" He glanced at June, who gave him a small smile and realization fell upon Madam Pomfrey.
"Ah," she said, smiling, "I see. You'll have to wait until I'm done with Miss Black, though," she added before closing the curtain.
"Er — right," Charlie's voice came from behind it. "I'll just wait here, then."
Madam Pomfrey looked at June. "It seems that you have an admirer, Miss Black."
Juniper's cheeks burned up and she looked down.
Madam Pomfrey put some healing spells on June's side which made the pain go away.
"I'm going to go now, don't forget to go and get your points," Madam Pomfrey said, giving her a wink. She pulled the curtain to the side and Charlie jumped up.
"Hi Charlie," June said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.
"Hi," he said, sitting down next to her. "How are you? Great job with the Swedish Short-Snout, by the way, and the patronus," he smiled. "It's pretty impressive."
Juniper smiled up at him. "Thank you."
Charlie looked down at her, his blue eyes looking into her hazel ones. "Look, there is something I wanted to tell you. Something I've been thinking about for months now, but somehow, I couldn't find the right moment — or the courage. But seeing you face that dragon all on your own, I felt terrified and I just knew I had to tell you."
June observed him and noticed he was rather nervous.
"You can tell me anything, Charlie," she quietly said, placing her hand on his.
Charlie looked down at their hands. "I like you, June," he said eventually. "I really do and it's okay if you don't feel the same."
For a moment, June didn't move. Surely, surely she had misheard him? And then it hit her. Charlie Weasley liked her. He actually liked her.
Juniper grinned, leaned towards him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I like you, too, Charlie."
His eyes sparkled and he grinned broadly. However, before he could say anything else, Madam Pomfrey walked back into the tent.
"They are ready for you, Miss Black."
"I'll walk with you," Charlie said, grinning like a fool while extending his hand.
Juniper rolled her eyes, but intertwined her fingers with his nonetheless. The two of them walked back towards the encloser and Charlie let go of her hand.
"You got this," he quietly said. "They judges are right there." He nodded towards the other side of the enclosure where Bagman, Crouch, Madame Maxime, Professor Karkaroff and Professor Dumbledore were sitting.
Her hazel eyes then started to dart towards the stands and saw Sirius, Remus, Ted, Andromeda, Nymphadora and Bill sitting together. The former was looking proudly at her and gave her a thumbs up, while Nymphadora and Bill eyed the two of them knowingly before giving each other an amused glance.
Juniper grinned — her cousin had been right about Charlie — before looking back at the judges.
Madame Maxime raised her wand in the air. What looked like a long, silver ribbon shot out of it, which twisted itself into a large figure eight.
Mr Crouch was next. He shot a number nine into the air.
Next, Dumbledore. He, too, put up a nine.
The crowd was cheering around her and June looked up, grinning broadly. Her eyes met Liam, who was jumping excitedly up and down.
Juniper looked back at Bagman who was next. He shot a number eight into the air.
At last Karkaroff raised his wand. He paused for a moment and then a number shot out of his wand, too — five.
The crowd booed and she could see Sirius swinging his fist furiously towards the Durmstrang Headmaster while Remus tried to hold him back, but June didn't care. She turned her head towards Charlie and smiled.
His eyes lit up and he went with his hand through his red flaming hair.
June made her way towards him and stood on her tiptoes, looking him right in the eye.
"I really like you, Charlie."
And with that, she kissed him.
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Published 29.12.2020
I hope you enjoyed it & tell me what you think of it!
F I N A L L Y ! ! !
They kissed!
This is the last chapter of 'Mad World' for this year since my exams are coming up. I'll publish another chapter of 'Metanoia' in a couple of days.
Anyways stay safe and healthy everyone!
And once again, thank you for the 100k!!
Until next time,
Laura