A Dragon For a Companion
Tom Riddle, also known as the Dark Lord Voldemort, had just gotten out of the washroom when he spotted a copy of the Daily Prophet on his bed next to his breakfast.
His dark curls were still wet and he was completely bare, showing off his stunningly lean body, not a blemish in sight.
He dried his hair with a quick spell as he took a seat on his bed, crimson eyes scanning the title first.
FOUR CHAMPIONS?
His eyes darted across the pages and in the other room, a pure white snake paused in her eating, red eyes blinking slowly.
"LUCIUS!"
Nagini, the Dark Lord's familiar, shuddered at the heavy magic she could feel from her master and was not surprised when a black, smoke like substance, slid under the door of Tom's room.
The man had only called Lucius, but Tadeus and Antonin had appeared as well, his oldest followers worried.
At the sight of Tom, Lucius looked away, face pink, while Tadeus didn't seem to care at all that their Lord was naked before them.
Almost as if he had seen him before.
"Yes my Lord?" responded Lucius and the man stood tall, his crimson gaze like liquid pools of blood as he glared at the newspaper.
"Why, is Hadrian competeing in the tournament? He's too young!" snapped Tom, one of the large windows cracking and Antonin frowned deeply.
"What?" he muttered quietly, not even flinching when Tom tossed him the paper, pacing the room now, his thoughts racing.
"That's impossible. There was an age line." muttered Lucius, staring over Antonin's shoulder at the headline blankly and Tom scowled. "Obviously someone must have put his name in the Goblet. The Goblet doesn't take champions from the same school." he spat, rubbing his hand over his face.
"My Lord I'll talk with the judges as well as the ministry, unfortunately if the young Lord doesn't compete, he will lose his magic." said Lucius and Tom nodded, though his expression was anything but calm.
"I know.." he sighed, finally going to his wardrobe.
Lucius left soon after, leaving only Antonin and Tadeus.
"Tom, have faith in Hadrian. You've taught him just as much as anyone else." said Tadeus, coming to his friend's side and Tom hummed, eyes closed briefly when Tadeus played in his hair, the small action making him smile.
Tadeus' heart swelled and Tom chuckled. "You're right. He has learned a lot from me. I just hope he and his friends make it back in one peace. I know they will not go easy on Hadrian because he is their King." he said, Tadeus watching as the man stepped into a pair of black trousers, pulling on a deep red shirt right after.
He tugged on a suit jacket and stepped into one of his favorite pairs of boots, Tadeus knew because they were a gift from Antonin on one of Tom's many birthdays.
He ran a hand through his silky curls one last time then put up his glamour, no longer Tom Riddle, but Michael Crumbley.
"Tom, you're seething." pointed out Antonin, a smile twitching on his lips and Tom rolled his eyes. "I am. Unfortunately, I can't do anything about this. Hadrian would want a fair competition so intefering would be disrespectful to him. For now we should focus on finding out who put his name in the Goblet. Draco is worried sick as well.." he sighed, checking his watch quickly, then walking out the door with Tadeus and Antonin at his side.
"We know he'll be fine Tom. Would you like to go see the first task?" commented Antonin, holding the front door open for Tom when they reached the end of the hall.
"I will. However if you two come, do not acknowledge my presence. At least not openly. If Dumbledore asks Tadeus, you are supporting Hadrian because he is Theo's friend. Lucius will be with me as we are the leaders of the movement in the ministry so it will not be strange if he is with me." said Tom and the two nodded, leaving in puffs of black smoke.
Tom gave another sigh and he too disappeared.
~^~
Slytherin common room was alight with low murmurs, the air high with anticipation and excitement.
Though the circumstances were unfavorable, they would still get to see just how talented Hadrian was for themselves. They knew, of course, but it was still something they enjoyed seeing more often than not.
Especially since the raven did not often draw attention to himself.
Around the fireplace sat Hadrian's Inferno, the group dressed to impress and waiting for their King. Even Fleur and Viktor who should have been with their friends in their respective schools.
The wizards from Durmstrang were grouped up, whispering amongst each other but did not interact with any of the Slytherin. They were not like Viktor who had immediately fit in, they were still stuck up and only wished to talk to those with power.
However Hadrian did not care about them. They were just more sheep.
Like many a time, the King made his way down the steps, but this time he was not smiling nor did he seem to be in a particularily good mood.
His Inferno rose and he nodded toward them, the group exiting the Slytherin common room soon after.
"I wonder what this first challenge will be." commented Fleur, seeming somewhat nervous when the group turned the corner, the hall empty of the usual stragglers and gossipers. They were most likely already in the stands of the Quidditch field.
"Supposedly, from what I heard from Frank and his last few friends, it's extremely dangerous. They didn't say anything else and even if they had, I would not tell you." replied Fred with a shrug, George nodding in agreement.
"Lucius seemed pale when I saw him." came the voice of Severus Snape, his robes flowing behind him as he joined the group, expression blank.
"So whatever it is, it's not pretty." concluded Ron, frowning deeply, the silence from his peers telling him they agreed.
"That may be the case, but Hadrian, Fleur, Viktor and Cedric are smart. The smartest this generation. They will do their best." smiled Remus Lupin, the Inferno stopping at the base of what would be one of the spots for a quidditch team.
They could hear murmuring outside and they all looked to Hadrian, the raven sighing.
"I suppose I should go see what the fuss is about." he muttered and Draco smiled. "You'll do great love." he murmured, kissing his Consort's cheek and Hadrian gave a small smile. "Thank you."
Hadrian entered the room and Ludo Bagman grinned, clapping Hadrian on the back and bringing the boy closer. Hadrian twitched but didn't crucio the man as they joined Fleur, Cedric and Viktor.
Rita Skeeter was off to the side, her quill scribling away, but she did not approach the group.
"Now, this bag holds your next challenge. I would like each of you to place a hand inside and whatever you grab will be what you face in the challenge." he grinned and Hadrian frowned, watching as his friends put a hand in the worn out bag.
Cedric pulled first and Hadrian tensed up.
"Is that a dragon?" he hissed, eyes flashing and Ludo looked uncomfortable at the menacing gaze aimed his way.
"Uh yes..today you will be attempting to take a fake, golden egg from a nesting mother. You will recieve points on your technique as well as how little injuries you recieve upon retrieving the egg. If you fail to get the egg, you will recieve zero points." explained the jovial man and Hadrian didn't know if he should laugh or cry.
Viktor seemed the least nervous of the group but Hadrian sighed, their gazes drawn to him immediately.
"I know for a fact you all will do fine. Though taking an egg from a nesting mother is insane, it isn't impossible." muttered Hadrian, shooting Ludo Bagman a quick glare, in which the man cleared his throat and motioned to the bag.
"Cedric's dragon is a Swedish Short-Snout. Lucky that. They aren't too terrible." chuckled Ludo as Fleur and Viktor pulled their own dragons. Fleur's a Common Welsh Green and Viktor being left with the Chinese Fireball.
"And Hadrian?"
The raven reached into the bag and his face blanked at the sight of the Hungarian Horntail spitting small jets of fire from its place in the center of his hand.
The others paled and Hadrian was not surprised at this point.
"Of course I'd get the angriest of the bunch." sighed Hadrian, dropping the mini dragon back into the bag and running a hand over his face. "You have interesting luck." commented Ludo, seeming fairly amused and Cedric shot the man a glare to which he ignored, clapping his hands together and grinning widely.
"Alright, Cedric take your place there..yes, yes, right there. And wait for me to give the okay."
Ludo gave a nod then aimed his wand at his throat, "Sonorus."
The man left the group alone and soon they heard his booming voice.
"Welcome all to the first Tri-Wizard Tournament in centuries! Today our brave champions will be facing off against dragons!"
There were loud gasps and outraged cries but Ludo seemed to ignore this as he continued on.
"First up we have Cedric Diggory, our first Hogwarts champion; my old school by the way, facing the Swedish Short-Snout. He may use any means to capture the golden egg being guarded by the nesting mother. However he will lose points if eggs are broken and for each injury he may receive." said Ludo and Cedric took a breath, flashing a smile before stepping out, cheers in his wake.
Hadrian and his friends watched the boy, the raven on edge.
Cedric was not apart of his Inferno so to most in Slytherin House he wasn't as important but Hadrian admitted the charming Hufflepuff had grown on him and he would be fairly heartbroken if he were to die in the first task. Not that Hadrian believed he would, he was just worried.
"Let's see what Diggory has in store for our ferocious friend." commented Ludo, Cedric approaching the dragon slowly.
But it did not help as the dragon rose on her haunches and roared loudly, the sound echoing across the stadium, her wings flapping behind her in agitation.
~Go away two-legs. These eggs are mine!~
Hadrian blinked rapidly at that, glancing around, but soon realizing he was not hearing things.
Dragons spoke parseltongue..
Of course. he berated himself for his own idiocy and wondered why he never asked Tom about it. It was obvious as all lizard species were related in some way. If it was of a scaly descent, it most likely could understand and speak snake language.
With that thought in mind, Hadrian knew exactly what he'd do, however his attention was soon drawn back to Cedric when the boy just barely managed to dodge an onslaught of flames, picking up something from the ground.
"Is that a rock? I don't think throwing that will help anything Mr. Diggory." snorted Ludo, a few of the onlookers chuckling with his words though most were holding their breath, eyes wide and bodies on the edge of their seat any time the dragon got close to the charming Hufflepuff.
Cedric ignored the man, muttering under his breath until Hadrian and the others saw the rock change. It grew in size and when it had stopped, they could see that Cedric had conjured a dog.
The dog bolted and Cedric dodged the dragon's wings as she charged forward, forgetting her eggs for the moment.
He crept over to the nest and Hadrian breathed out when he grabbed the golden egg, cheers all around.
However just as he attempted to leave the area, the dragon whipped around, a jet of flames seeming to encase the boy.
Hadrian's magic rose, his expression pale and a mixture of rage and sorrow overtaking his features, until he saw Cedric roll away.
Part of his face was burned but other than that he was fine.
Madam Pomfrey and several other medi-wizards rushed the boy away and Hadrian breathed out in relief.
"Hadrian your magic." whispered Fleur obviously shaking with relief and anxiety and the boy immediately reeled his magic in. "Right. Sorry." he muttered, Viktor squeezing his shoulder in comfort.
"I knew he would make it. Cedric is an amazing wizard." he said and Hadrian nodded, for a moment seeming as if he had aged several years. "I know. I knew he would do well but that was stressful."
"Well done, well done Mr. Diggory! Can we get a score from our judges?" said Ludo, the trio looking up into the stands where the judges sat.
Dumbledore gave Cedric a ten, no surprise there, Karkaroff holding up an eight and Madam Maxime giving a nine. Leaving Cedric in first so far with twenty seven points.
"Up next we have Ms. Fleur Delacour who will be facing off against the Common Green Welsh!" the crowd cheered and Fleur took a deep breath before leaving the tent.
Hadrian and Viktor watched as she entered the arena, shoulders back and a determined expression on her face.
The audience went silent and Fleur gripped her wand, casting a spell that Hadrian couldn't hear. But soon the dragon, which had risen and was quickly approaching, dropped. The dragon was still breathing however and Hadrian realized she was asleep. The crowd murmured quietly, afraid their cheers might wake the sleeping nesting mother, but Hadrian could see they were just as impressed as he was.
Fleur had to have been practicing diligently to have gained the power to make a dragon fall asleep. Her magic was impressive.
Fleur got to her knees and crawled closer to the nest, slowly but steadily raising the egg out of the nest and into her arms.
She turned, only to gasp, jumping when the dragon let out a jet of flames in its sleep, Fleur's pant leg catching fire. She put it out, then found herself being helped out of the arena.
"Amazing performance by Ms. Delacour! The quickest so far. And I commend her for her control of magic. She would have made a fine Slytherin no doubt." At those words Fleur seemed ecstatic, her smile wide as she waited for the judges to give their score.
Dumbledore, to Hadrian's annoyance, gave her an eight while Igor and Maxime gave her a nine each. Leaving her with twenty six points.
Hadrian caught her eye and he gave a small nod of his head, the pretty half-veela finally making her to the medi-tent to see Cedric.
"Now our third champion, a household name to all this century for his outstanding quidditch skills, Viktor Krum!" the applause was thunderous and Hadrian took the Bulgarian's hand, squeezing gently when he saw Viktor's discomfort.
"You are not here for them. You are here for us. For me. You are just Viktor here. Not the Quidditch star. Though, you are brilliant." earning a chuckle from the elder boy, knowing Hadrian did adore quidditch.
"Thank you Hadrian. I know you'll do even better than us." he said and Hadrian rolled his eyes. "Of course, but do not hold back because of me. I want a fair competition."
"Of course my King. We'll still do our best to kick your arse." Hadrian grinned and Viktor finally stepped out of the tent, more cheers in his wake.
Viktor entered the ring, the dragon roaring loudly just like those before it and Viktor shot a spell at the angered nesting mother. She stumbled, roaring in pain while Viktor made a dash for the egg.
He grabbed it, then without thinking raised a protection ward and lifted the real eggs just as their mother crashed to the floor. The crowd cheered and Viktor let the eggs sit back down gently, breathing out as he turned away from the dragon and her eggs.
He approached the stands and the three judges murmured between themselves.
"Viktor Krum?! Smarter than Hadrian Black, perhaps? He even predicted the fact that the mother would stumble and possibly crush her real eggs. Bloody brilliant!" laughed Ludo, Fred and George looking awestruck in the stands.
Hadrian spotted Draco and next to him, Tom as well as Lucius.
He could see the man known as Antonin Doholov sitting next to Tadeus a few seats away, the elder wizards looking impressed as they too clapped for Viktor.
Dumbledore drew his number in the sky and it was a ten, Igor and Maxime doing the same.
"Tens all around! A perfect thirty points to Viktor Krum!" again, thunderous applause until the boy entered the medi-tent.
Now the stands were alight with curious and excited whispering as Ludo announced Hadrian's turn.
The raven ignored the man, his robes barely touching the ground as he left the tent to enter the arena. The Hungarian Horntail's ferocious roar made Hadrian's ears sting but he ignored it as he bowed to the dragon.
~Dear Dragon, I am not your enemy. I only wish to retrieve the golden egg among your kin. It is a fake.~ he hissed and the stadium gasped, Ludo looking pale and Tom (in his glamour of course) smirking as the dragon paused.
The dragon looked back at her eggs and sniffed them carefully, a slitted eye meeting Hadrian's luminous gaze.
~You are correct, young Lord. I only know of one speaker and he is seated up there..you must be his Mate. You are very bold to try speaking to me while I protect my children. But, I respect that. You may grab the egg. But the fake only.~ the dragon hissed in a low, otherworldly tone, sending shudders throughout the stands.
"Amazing..terrifying but amazing. Hadrian Black is a parselmouth." whispered Ludo, though his words echoed around them.
~Thank you, wise one.~ smiled Hadrian and slowly stepped around her, reaching into her nest to take the golden egg. He carefully stepped back around her, and stood in the spot he had been when he first entered the arena.
~Speaker, may I know your name?~ asked the dragon and Hadrian dipped his head.
~Of course. My name is Hadrian Sirius Grindelwald-Black. And you are correct, the Dark Lord is one of my Consorts. It is lovely to meet you.~ he said, the audience intrigued when the dragon lowered her enormous head to peer down at the boy. She touched her nose to his steady hand and seemed to purr quietly.
~If any time you face trouble. Send the red haired hatchling. He will release me and I will be at your aid.~ she murmured, Hadrian almost unable to believe his luck. The raven closed his eyes and pressed his head to hers.
~Thank you. I will call you Nyx.~
The dragon seemed pleased with this as she finally raised her head and turned, going back to protecting her eggs.
Hadrian glanced up at the judges and gave a wolfish smile.
"So? I'd say that deserves a perfect thirty?"