Harry stood facing the Hungarian Horntail, his wand raised.
The dragon's yellow eyes never left him. Smoke drifted from its nostrils as it let out a low growl, its spiked tail scraping across the ground behind it.
In the stands, Victor gripped the railing in front of him. "C'mon, Harry..." he muttered quietly. "C'mon..."
He was genuinely worried. The original Harry had spent years escaping trolls, basilisks, Dementors, and countless other dangers.
This Harry's life had been easier because of the changes Victor had made. Whether that had also made him hesitate in front of real danger, Victor didn't know.
Harry took a deep breath. "Accio Firebolt!"
For a second, nothing happened. Then a black dot shot out of one of the castle windows.
The Firebolt flew across the grounds at tremendous speed, racing over the heads of the spectators before diving into the arena.
The crowd gasped. Harry reached out. The broom smacked neatly into his hand.
Without wasting a moment, he pushed off the ground.
The Firebolt climbed sharply into the air just as the Hungarian Horntail lunged forward. Its jaws snapped shut where Harry had been standing only a moment before, and a stream of fire burst across the ground beneath him.
A roar of applause swept through the stadium. Victor couldn't stop himself — he jumped to his feet.
"That's it, Harry! Get the egg!"
Ron turned so quickly he nearly fell off the bench. In four years at Hogwarts, he had never once heard Victor shout.
Hermione looked just as startled, but her attention quickly returned to the arena as Harry banked hard on the Firebolt while the Horntail spread its wings and launched itself after him with another deafening roar.
Bagman broke into an excited grin. "Well, well!" his magically amplified voice echoed around the stadium.
"Our final champion has an ace up his sleeve! A broomstick! No rule says the champions have to keep both feet on the ground, and I don't believe anyone has ever thought of tackling the First Task this way!"
Harry circled the arena at full speed. The Hungarian Horntail launched itself after him, beating its enormous wings with tremendous force — each powerful flap sending violent gusts sweeping across the arena.
Several dragon keepers standing too close were thrown backward, stumbling across the ground as they struggled to keep their footing.
Harry banked sharply to the left. The Horntail followed immediately, a stream of fire missing him by only a few feet before crashing into the ground below.
Harry shot toward the walls of Hogwarts Castle, the Firebolt cutting through the air at incredible speed.
The Horntail roared and gave chase, rapidly closing the distance between them. Harry flew straight toward one of the castle's stone towers — then at the very last second, pulled the Firebolt sharply to the side.
The Horntail reacted a fraction too late. Its massive body slammed into the side of the tower with a tremendous crash.
Stone blocks shattered, fragments of masonry raining down onto the grounds below as the dragon let out an enraged roar.
"Well, our final champion has just added castle repairs to Hogwarts' list of expenses!" Bagman's voice echoed across the grounds.
Harry didn't waste the opportunity. He swung the Firebolt around and dived back toward the dragon's nest, aiming directly for the golden egg.
The Horntail recovered astonishingly quickly. With a furious roar, it twisted around and blasted a stream of fire after him.
Harry pulled up as hard as he could — most of the flames missed him, but the edge of the fire caught the tail of the Firebolt.
The broom's polished twigs blackened instantly, smoke pouring from the back as it began to shudder violently beneath him.
Harry tried to regain control, but the damaged broom refused to obey. It lurched sideways and slammed into a rocky outcrop near the edge of the arena.
Harry was thrown from the Firebolt and hit the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
The Horntail landed with a deafening impact. Its barbed tail smashed into the ground beside Harry, sending dirt and shattered stone flying in every direction. Harry threw himself aside just before the tail struck again.
From the stands, Hermione had both hands over her mouth. Ron had gone completely pale. Victor remained standing, his eyes fixed on Harry.
Harry forced himself back to his feet, breathing heavily as he raised his wand. The Horntail lowered its head and advanced toward him, smoke curling from its nostrils.
Harry remembered Victor's advice about using the brightest light possible against creatures that relied heavily on their eyesight.
Taking a steadying breath, he shut his eyes and pointed his wand at the charging dragon.
"Lumos Solem!"
A brilliant flash of white light burst from the end of his wand. The intense light struck directly into the Horntail's eyes.
The dragon recoiled violently, squeezing its eyes shut and thrashing its head from side to side — blinded, it snapped wildly at the air, unable to see where Harry had gone.
Harry sprinted straight toward the nest. Realizing its prey was moving, the Horntail instinctively opened its jaws and breathed a torrent of fire toward the sound.
Harry dropped into a slide. The flames roared over him, missing by inches as he slid beneath the stream of fire.
His hand reached the nest — without slowing, he grabbed the golden egg and rolled away from the dragon.
The sharp whistle signaling the end of the task echoed across the arena.
The Horntail blinked away the effects of the spell, opened its eyes, and immediately searched for the intruder
Its gaze fell upon Harry already standing several yards away with the golden egg in his hands.
The dragon roared in frustration and lunged forward — but before it could reach him, the dragon keepers rushed in, firing Stunning Spells and restraint charms while heavy enchanted chains tightened around the furious beast.
"Yes!" Victor shouted, pumping a fist into the air as Harry walked away from the nest with the golden egg safely in his possession.
*****
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