𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐍 (2) || 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘴 𝘓𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘯

𝐈𝐗. 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

"Careful, Edith!!" Charlie's shout couldn't have come at a better time, and at his words, Edith ducked towards the ground, casting a half-hearted shield to deflect the incoming onslaught of dragon fire.

It was through the watery shimmer of her silver and gold shield that she met eyes with the majestic beast. Yellow rims of pure fury stared back at her, leaving Edith breathless at the sight.

The fire lessened, with the dragon pulling back it's grand head to let out a ground-shaking grumble, Edith could hardly hear her own heartbeat over the sound.

Charlie had called the dragon ahead of them a Hungarian Horntail, and she didn't miss the glaze of unforgiving amazement burning in his eyes when the two had first approached the large clearing earlier that night.

The sun had long since fallen, somehow making the blasts of raging fire look even more striking in the low light of the forest.

The shadows of Charlie's colleagues, along with other dragonologists and such hired by the Ministry, were outlined with a blaze of red air every time one of the four caged beasts opened their mouths to spit angry flames.

The awe-filled gaze Charlie wore never once wavered, Edith noticed. Even as the Chinese Fireball to their right let out another thunderous roar, prompting Charlie to reach into Edith's space, wrapping a gloved hand around her arm and pulling her back towards him, letting her shield fall away behind her.

They stepped back together as another one of Charlie's colleagues rushed forwards in an attempt to reassure the restless dragon.

Edith watched with a feeling of wonder swirling in her chest.

"Unfortunately, we were asked to use wild dragons for the First Task. The Sleeping Draughts have done their job, for now at least. Ministry said somethin' about the tame ones not putting up enough of a fight. Not that you can actually tame a dragon, mind you. They're playing with fire there, literally. Wouldn't want to put my worst enemy in front of that Horntail. She's got eyes like an inferno, that one." Charlie's hand slipped away from Edith's arm, and he paused to yank one of his sleeves further back up his arm, rubbing the skin it had tumbled over in the hasty action of grabbing Edith.

"She's beautiful." Edith muttered, finally tearing her eyes away from the royally pissed dragon ahead of them.

"Isn't she? Gotta say, don't think they'll be too happy being cooped up for another few days. But I reckon that's what the Ministry wants. I've seen the stand they're building beside the pitch up in the hills, got this giant wire cage across the top. They're wanting us to fire-proof it tomorrow night, though at this rate, I'd hope they're using goblin metal. Silver or iron would work best, I'd say."

"But to put teenagers in with them, and use it as entertainment? Y'know... every day I think I understand more why my mom started to pull away from the wizarding world before the end." Edith mulled over her own words, pulling her Hufflepuff scarf tighter around her neck and shoving her palms into her jacket pockets.

"I... I don't exactly agree with it, Birdie. But the money the Ministry is giving us for this... Merlin, we could expand the reserve by four whole enclosures. That's at least twelve more dragons we're able to save, keeping them away from those dammed poachers." Charlie's face hardened, and a gloved hand hung at his belt as he glancing around the clearing.

"Meant to ask, how's Harry holding up? Mum was asking for him. Something in one of Ron's last letters?"

Edith huffed a breath. "He tells himself he's holding it together, but I think he's losing it. And he's not the only one. I can't... I can't lose him Charlie. I can't lose any of you." Edith let out a breath, watching as the puff of air turned to condensation, the misty blob floating into the sky, a low shade of orange thanks to the continued snorts of dragon fire some ways away.