Alexandra Dursley {Golden Trio}

Chapter 43 - The Hungarian Horntail

I cannot tell you how much I love writing the action scenes. Enjoy folks! :)

 "...your task is to collect the golden eggs!" Bagman was saying excitedly. Then he held a bag out, and each of the champions picked out the dragon they'd be facing. Harry and Al were last, and left with the Hungarian Horntail. Al felt like she had a dragon in her stomach as she paced the tent, glancing up at Harry every now and then. He was sat as still as stone, looking slightly green.

 One by one, on the whistle, the others filtered out. First Cedric, then Fleur, then Krum, until it was just her and Harry left. She was thinking through the plan, recalling the hexes and curses she'd need. Everytime the crowds gasped Al felt herself feeling more sick. And then, the fourth whistle blew, a shrill sound that filled her ears. It was only made worse by the fact she'd been dreading that moment.

 She and Harry headed towards the enclosure, the bright colours of the crowd popping in front of her. She was shaking from head to toe and clutching at her wand with her clammy hand. Al took a few deep breaths, "So, Harry," she had no indication that he was listening, but carried on, "I'll distract it, you get your broom, you distract it, I get the eggs," she recounted as they reached the enclosure.

 "Got it," Harry said determinedly and she hyped herself up by jumping on the spot a few times, trying to shake the nerves away. She was ready, they walked in.

 There, over her pile of eggs, was the Hungarian Horntail. She was beautiful in a deadly and dangerous sort of way with shimmering black scales and ferocity in her eyes. Spikes littered her spine and tail and her claws were a few feet long each. Al didn't want to do this - she was a mother and alive and had feelings. But she had to.

 Al and Harry went opposite ways around the enclosure.  The Horntail's head followed Harry round - no, that wasn't how it was supposed to be! She fired a stinging hex at the upper front leg and the dragon whipped around and let out a great roar. Al saw Harry do the summoning charm. Please work.

 She fired another stinging hex and this time the mother stood up and let out a burst of flames, but Al had been ready. She fired a water charm that worked as a shield and a cloud of steam billowed up between them. She took her chance and darted across the enclosure and the Horntail followed her. Al hadn't been expecting that - why wasn't she guarding the eggs?

 She darted around the enclosure, firing water charms left and right as the crowd oohed and ahhed at the display. Every now and then she had to duck or dive to avoid the claws or tail and Al knew couldn't keep this up much longer. Then, out of nowhere, the Horntail whipped around - Harry was on his firebolt. He fired a few more stinging hexes until the Dragon took off, following him.

 Al watched in the sky along with the shocked crowd but then a shout cut her from her trance, "COME ON, AL!" Draco had yelled from his seat next to Daphne and Theo. They held up a green a silver banner with her name on. She looked up to the nest and there, completely unprotected, were two shining golden eggs.

 Al hurriedly clambered over the rocky terrain - it was quite the journey to get up there. She was almost there, only a few strides away, when the crowd gasped and a shadow fell around her. The Horntail stood directly beside her, towering above. Harry was flying around, firing hex after hex onto the scales, but to no avail and the dragon ignored him.

 She let out a roar and reared back on her legs, ready to swipe at her, when Al heard a voice at the back of her head, Just bloody stun it! 

 "STUPEFY!" she yelled, putting all her might into the spell. It hit the underbelly, and the dragon began to fall. On top of Al. She ran to the side and dived, landing on the rocky ground face down with a thud. Her wand clattered out her hand and rolled away.

 Al could've lay there forever. She was tired, and dizzy and she didn't want to get up. But then a rough pair of hands turned her over, "Al!" the figure above her shouted, looking blurry, "AL!" It was Harry.

 "Get...the fucking...eggs," she told him, panting heavily. He nodded and ran off.

 Al sat up wearily, wincing at the sharp pains in her leg and head. She touched a spot on her head, and her hand came away, covered in crimson blood. It was pouring down her face and dripping on to her robes and the stones. She pulled herself up from the floor with all her might, and stumbled over to her wand.

 Then she looked around. The Horntail was lying on the ground apparently asleep. But that couldn't be right - it took at least eight stunners at once to knock a fully-grown dragon out. Had she done that herself?

 Harry was rushing over to her, a mix of worry and glee on his face and two golden eggs in his hand. He wrapped is arm around her torso for support and handed her an egg.

 The crowd roared and cheered and clapped as the two passed the dragon trainers - who looked hesitant to approach - and hobbled over to Flitwick, Snape and McGonagall, "Well done Potter, Dursley," the latter said.

 "Excellent summoning charm!" Flitwick told Harry, "And Merlin's Beard, Miss Dursley, that was a very powerful stunner. I had no idea!"

 They were helped into the tent, where Madame Pomfrey was bustling around, but headed over to the two of them and sat them in two different cubicles, "Dementors, dragons," Pomfrey said to herself as she healed Al's leg and put an ointment on her face, "What next?"

 Al smiled to herself, looking at the egg. She'd done it. They'd done it.