The Wilderness Years

Chapter 7: Backfire

The sun had not yet risen over Hogsmeade when Artemis arrived in the fireplace of the Three Broomsticks Inn to a warm greeting from the landlady, Madam Rosmerta. Having taken a box filled with hot bacon rolls and cold Butterbeers from the kitchen behind the bar, she set off from the inn in the direction of the castle overlooking the lake.

Artemis had not been back to Hogwarts since she had left school more than three years previously. A strange feeling settled over her as she walked through the gates and up the path through the frost-covered grounds. It was as if nothing had changed since she left - the castle looked almost identical - and yet at the same time, it did not feel the same. Perhaps she was the one who was different.

She walked the perimeter of the Forbidden Forest until she reached a corner, around which the castle and lake were obscured by the trees. A large tent had been erected by the edge of the trees, and once Artemis walked past it, she saw that around fifty feet away, four large enclosures had been created, inside each of which lay an enormous beast with wings and scales.

The dragons had arrived.

"Hey!" A dark-haired, olive-skinned wizard emerged from a chair in front of the tent, his wand raised as he stepped towards Artemis. "You can't be here."

"Yes I can," Artemis told him, reaching into her pocket and flashing her Ministry identification card. "Artemis Hexley, Department of Magical Games and Sports. I'm the one who arranged this."

"Charlie's friend?" the wizard asked, and Artemis nodded. He looked her up and down, and once he had done so, smiled and held out his hand for her to shake. He had calloused hands, like Charlie. "I'm Jaime. You here to see Charlie, or inspect the dragons?"

"Both, and also neither. First, I thought you lot might want breakfast. Ludo's treat."

She held up the box of food and drinks she had taken from the Three Broomsticks. Jaime's smile widened, and he clapped her on the shoulder.

"Nice to meet you, indeed. Wait there a minute."

He disappeared inside the tent, leaving Artemis alone with the bacon rolls and the dragons, one of which raised its head and sniffed the air, one beady eye fixed on the box in Artemis' hands. There was the noise of voices inside the tent, almost all male and most of them accented, and after a couple of minutes, not only Jaime, but over almost two dozen other wizards and one witch emerged, all of them wearing black fireproof robes and yawning widely. From the middle of the throng, Charlie nodded to Artemis.

"I brought bacon," she said, by way of explanation. Once the food and drinks had been distributed, and Charlie had introduced her to the twenty-strong team of his colleagues, she explained to them how the challenge would work and where the spectators would be sitting.

"When are you planning on setting up these stands?" asked one of the dragonologists.

"Not until tomorrow. It's a Sunday, nothing gets done on a Sunday at the Ministry."

"Probably just as well," said Charlie, with a cursory look at the four dragons, all of whom had now stirred back out of their slumbers. "These girls could do with a day to settle in before we go disturbing them again. They didn't travel well."

Artemis frowned. "What about the Sleeping Draughts?"

"Worked a treat. It was when they woke up here that we had issues. Took us until two in the morning to get them all Stunned."

"If not longer," Jaime agreed. He raised his breakfast. "Means these are even more appreciated. Good friend you have there, Charlie."

Charlie shrugged at Jaime before turning to Artemis and asking her: "You want a closer look?"