The All Caster

Chapter 14

A few days had passed before it was now time for the first trial of the tournament. Killian paced in the tent that held the champions, and although he was waiting patiently for the first task to start, he couldn't wait for it to be over with so he could be cuddled up in the arms of Draco.

"Hey, are you okay?" He turned around to see Viktor Krum looking at him with a compassionate look in his eyes and almost gagged at the uncomfortable feeling the Bulgarian champion gave him.

"I'm fine, now find someone else to try your games with, thank you." He dismissed just as the headmasters of each school and Mr. Crouch entered the tent.

"Good morning, Champions! If you all would ather round please and thank you. Great, now then. You've all waited, and at last, the moment has finally arrived. Barty, the bag of you will please." Dumbledore's grandfatherly persona was shining through during his little speech, and it took everything in Killian not to roll his eyes at the old fool.

"If you all could form a circle around me, please, so we can get on with this." Barty directed, making Fleur move to stand to the left of him, then Viktor next to her with Cedrick between Viktor and Killian, who was standing to the right of the smelly man.

"Now, Miss Delacour, if you will." Barty said before opening up the bag for her to choose whatever was inside it. She slowly stuck her hand in before taking out a small dragon.

"Ah, The Welsh Green." Barty announced before moving on to Viktor.

Hmm, so they're having us face dragons? How wonderful... Killian thought to himself, and he didn't know whether to think if Dumbledore was completely out of his mind for having teenagers face such a monstrous beast. Dragons were not the nicest or most peaceful of creatures, and they were very territorial when threatened.

This task was nothing to Killian because his father had prepared and educated him on all dark creatures so this task was a walk in the park for him but he still found it outerworldly insane to introduce such a task to teenagers who could barely cast a proper wordless spell without soiling themselves. Besides Killian, of course.

"The Chinese Fireball." The voice of Barty broke him from his thoughts as said man had moved away from Viktor and on to Cedric, who reached a shaky hand into the bag.

"The Swedish Short-Snout." Cedric seemed to visibly relax just a tad bit before Barty moved on to Killian. Now it was his turn. He slowly lowered his hand into the velvety bag, not even giving a wince or flinching when he felt the tiny little sharp claws dig into his skin. He pulled his hand out and held his palm to reveal his dragon.

"The Hungarian Horntail."

Of course, it was just his luck to get the most dangerous dragon out there.

"These small variants represent four very real dragons, each of which has been given a golden egg to protect. Your objective is to collect the egg without causing any harm to the dragon's nest. Each egg contains the clue to the next trial, which you obviously can't receive without retrieving the egg, so it is imperative that you do so. All while being timed, of course. Any questions?"

Silence...

"Very well, I wish you all the best of luck. Mr. Diggory, when the cannon is let off, you may make your way to the ar-" He was cut off by the sound of the very cannon he was speaking of.

The first task has begun.

As the first rays of dawn illuminated the grounds of Hogwarts, Draco stood at the edge of the arena, where an enormous crowd gathered, their gasps and cheers forming a crescendo of anxious energy. He could hear his own heart thundering in his chest, a drumbeat of dread. He watched through the throng of spectators, trying to locate Killian, hoping their eyes would meet for just a moment before the chaos began.

"Don’t worry." Pansy said from beside him, her snide tone as cutting as always.
"It’s just dragons, Draco. How hard can it be?"

"Shut up!" Draco snapped, his gaze laser-focused on the towering stone walls of the arena, his jaw clenched. There was no use in arguing; she didn’t understand. Pansy’s laughter echoed in his ears, but he chose to ignore it. All that mattered was Killian.

The air in the Forbidden Forest was thick with anticipation, a tangible weight pressing down on the gathered crowd. The sky, usually a brilliant, cerulean blue above Hogwarts, was a bruised purple, the ominous shadows of the ancient trees stretching long and menacing across the damp earth. A shiver ran through Killian despite the warmth of his robes. This was it. The first trial of the Triwizard Tournament, a test of courage, cunning, strategy, and perhaps, a touch of luck.

He stood with the other champions. Fleur Delacour, the elegant and poised Beauxbatons champion, Cedric Diggory, the stoic and dependable Hufflepuff, and Viktor Krum, the stoic and enigmatic Durmstrang champion. Each of them was a seasoned duelist, a skilled wizard in their own right, but none of them knew what awaited them in the depths of the forest.

Soon enough, it was time for Killian to go out to the arena, and as soon as he walked through the curtains, he could hear the crowd of students chanting his name. But, they were the least bit happy.

He looked around, not seeing the dragon he was supposed to go up against.

He continued to walk further into the rocky terrain, stumbling on the loose bits of uneven rock below his feet.

Just as he made a move to walk forward, a giant spiked tail crashed into the boulder beside him, causing him to tumble down the rocky slope. He quickly rolled out of the way of the next hit, sitting up to look at the attacking dragon that looked at him cautiously before breathing a bout of fire his way causing him to thrust his palm straight at the hurdling stream of heat and watched as it was split in half disappearing into flecks of orange.

As the crowd hushed, Killian's piercing gaze locked with that of the beast. His lips parted, and a guttural syllable escaped his mouth.

*Sssssss.*

To the astonishment of the spectators, the fierce dragon paused its deafening roar, its emerald eyes widening in recognition. Killian had bestowed upon it a gift it had long forgotten. The ancient language of parseltongue.

*Greetings, mighty creature, I come not to harm you, but to retrieve the egg you guard. Please, allow me to pass.* Killian murmured in serpentine whispers.

A tense silence hung in the air as the Horntail considered his request. Then, slowly, it lowered its head, its sharp talons unsheathing. It stepped aside, revealing a small, ornate egg nestled amidst a bed of embers.

Killian approached the nest cautiously as to not startle the dragon. He reached out and retrieved the egg. As soon as it was in his possession, the dragon returned to its slumber.

Killian's heart pounded with triumph. He had completed the first challenge in a matter of minutes, solidifying his status as the victor of the first trial as well as being a formidable competitor.

The cheers and applause of the crowd followed him like a thunderclap as he exited the arena. He was greeted by the other champions, who congratulated him upon re-entering the tent.

"Well done, Killian. That was really impressive, mate." Cedric Diggory clapped him on the back, smiling his ever so flirtatious smile.

Fleur and Viktor hesitantly nodded in agreement, their expressions filled with respect, but he saw through the fakeness of it. He felt a sense of fake camaraderie with them, and just like them, he faked his gratitude, but his expression was actually believable.

He dismissed himself from the group and made his way back to the Slytherin dormitories with his egg in hand and mentally prepared himself for the stress the following day would bring.

_

A little short but that's ok. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and be sure to check out my site book and place your votes in. See you all next time and don't forget to leave your comments in the comment section.

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