The Girl Who Fought | h.p |

Nyx

Ron hadn't talked to Harry and Nova since the champion choosing. The whole school turned on the two fourteen-year-old Gryffindors. Nova was hardly affected seeing as it happened before. Harry, on the other hand, was affected by it. He wouldn't show it, but Nova knew after a month it was starting to get to him. 

Thanks to Hagrid, Harry knew the first task. Dragons. 

"I may be breathtaking, Harold, but if you don't get out of my face and let me sleep, you won't have any air to breathe. Why? Because my hand will be around your throat." Nova threatened when Harry offered for her to join him with Hagrid. 

"Alright, love, you enjoy your sleep," Harry said softly before leaving. 

That was last night. Today, Harry would tell Nova.

For some reason, Harry found himself not wanting to tell Cedric. It wasn't like the boy had done anything wrong. But then Harry was hoping the Hufflepuff Golden Boy would become a midday snack for the dragon.

What would Nova want you to do? A voice in Harry's mind asked. 

The answer was simple. Everyone else knew about the dragons. It would only be fair. It wouldn't be just if Harry didn't tell Cedric. 

Harry looked down the table at Nova as she laughed with Ginny and some blonde Ravenclaw girl. 

"Hermione, I'll see you in the greenhouses," Harry said, coming to his decision as he watched Cedric leaving the Hall. "Go on, I'll catch you up." 

"Harry, you'll be late, the bell's about to ring -" 

"I'll catch you up, okay?" 

By the time Harry reached the bottom of the marble staircase, Cedric was at the top. He was with a load of sixth-year friends. Harry didn't want to talk to Cedric in front of them; they were among those who had been quoting Rita Skeeter's article at him every time he went near them. The article that was nothing but lies, stating he still cried about his parents. He followed Cedric at a distance and saw that he was heading toward the Charms corridor. This gave Harry an idea. Pausing at a distance from them, he pulled out his wand and took careful aim. 

"Diffindo!" 

Cedric's bag split. Parchment, quills, and books spilled out of it onto the floor. Several bottles of ink smashed. 

"Don't bother," said Cedric in an exasperated voice as his friends bent down to help him."Tell Flitwick I'm coming, go on..."

This was exactly what Harry had been hoping for. He slipped his wand back into his robes, waited until Cedric's friends had disappeared into their classroom, and hurried up the corridor, which was now empty of everyone but himself and Cedric. 

"Hi," said Cedric, picking up a copy of A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration that was now splattered with ink. "My bag just split...brand-new and all..." 

"Cedric," said Harry, "the first task is dragons." 

"What?" said Cedric, looking up. 

"Dragons," said Harry, speaking quickly, in case Professor Flitwick came out to see where Cedric had got to. "They've got five, one for each of us, and we've got to get past them." 

Cedric stared at him. Harry saw some of the panic he'd been feeling since Saturday light flickering in Cedric's gray eyes. 

"Are you sure?" Cedric said in a hushed voice. 

"Dead sure," said Harry. "I've seen them." 

"But how did you find out? We're not supposed to know...."