Just like Brothers

Chapter 78

Waiting in the tent was worse than Harry imagined. He could hear the crowd scream, gasp and cheer, however he didn't know what was happening outside the tent.

Perhaps it wouldn't have been too terrible, however, the icing on the cake was Bagman's commentary.

"Narrow miss there!"

"Clever move!...Pity it didn't work..."

Fleur was now pacing as Cedric had, Krum was still staring at the ground, his stoic posture giving away nothing.

It was at least fifteen minutes before Cedric completed the task. The crowd went crazy and Bagman said in his jolly voice, "Very good indeed! And now the marks from the judges!"

Harry strained his ears to listen to Cedric's score, however no numbers were said, he was left to assume the judges held their score up to show the crowd.

"One down, three to go!" Bagman announced, the whistle blew again, "Miss Delacour, if you please!"

Shaking from head to toe, Fleur left the tent, her fingers white around her wand.

Fleur was quicker to retrieve the golden egg, just about ten minutes. The crowd clapped as scores were shown and the whistle blew for the third time.

Krum swiftly left the tent, leaving Harry completely and utterly alone.

Sitting by himself, Harry was much more aware of the fear creeping up his spine. His muscles were tense with anxiety and his heart beat at a pace that could not be healthy.
The crowd echoed in his ears and he had to use all his efforts to keep from panicking.

"—and yes! He's got the golden egg!"

Applause louder than Harry had ever heard broke out, Krum had finished, the whistle would blow any second, signaling Harry's turn.

He stood on his knobbly knees, numbly, waiting for the whistle. It sounded through the trees as something from Harry's nightmares. He left the tent and walked the short path through the trees, through a gap in the enclosure fence.

The first thing Harry noticed was the hundreds of faces staring at him. He searched for a reassuring face in the crowd but everyone's face blended together.

Across the enclosure was the Hungarian Horntail, hovering over her eggs, yellow eyes glaring at Harry, daring him to come closer.

Harry raised his wand and with a last fleeting glance at the crowd, he was able to make out Draco's face, pressed up against the fence, pale as a ghost. The two of them made brief eye contact and Draco gave a thumbs up, 'you got this' he mouthed.

Feeling like a weight had been taken off his shoulders, Harry took a deep breath.

"Accio Firebolt."

He held out his arm and waited...praying that it had worked with every fiber in his being.

The second he began to fear it didn't work, he heard it soaring through the air. He turned to see his broom hurdling into the enclosure. It stopped right as it got to him, waiting for him to mount. The crowd was screaming, Bagman was yelling something but Harry wasn't paying attention. All his focus was on the dragon and getting the egg. He quickly cast the fire resistance charm over himself and swung his leg over the side of his broom.

As soon as Harry kicked off the ground and soared into the air, the urge to throw up disappeared. His panic and worry was left on the ground.

He studied the dragon, it was just a giant lizard, a fire-breathing lizard covered in ominous black scales. What Harry had to be the most cautious of what it's tail, it was long and covered in spikes.

This was just another Quidditch match...that's all...just another quidditch match and the dragon was just another opponent.

"Ok," Harry breathed, "diversionary tactics...let's go."

He dived. The Horntail's head followed him. He knew what was going to happen next. He pulled out of the five just as a jet of flames burned through the air he would've been, had he not swerved out of the way. This didn't phase Harry, it was just like dodging a Bludger.

"Great Scott, he can fly!" Ludo Bagman boomed, "Mr. Krum! Are you watching this?"

Harry soared higher and higher in the enclosure. He needed the dragon to follow. The Horntail didn't give into the chase and just watched as Harry circled over it's head.

Suddenly, Harry plummeted into another five, pulling up just before he was burnt to a crisp.

The Horntail didn't want to follow him into the air, she was too protective over her eggs, too afraid to move too far from them. But Harry would have to persuade her somehow. An idea clicked into place in his head, he'd have to do it gradually, inches at a time.

He flew teasingly around infront of her, dodging rows of fire and the spikes on her tail.

"Come on," Harry gritted his teeth.

His patience was rewarded, the Horntail reared onto her legs and approached him.

"Yes!" Harry took the opportunity, urging his Firebolt forward, faster than he's ever gone before. He fell into a nose dive, grabbing the Golden Egg.

The Horntail roared and it's tail swung up and sliced into Harry's arm.

He yelped in pain, nearly dropping the egg.

With ah I've spurt of speed he flew up over the stands, safely away from the dragon.

The crowd were cheering, a heavy applause fell over Harry. He smiled, despite the burning sting of his arm.

"Look at that!" Bagman was shouting, "our youngest competitor is the the quickest to get his egg! Well this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"

Harry saw the dragon keepers rush forward to subdue the Horntail. He safely touched back onto the ground and was greeted by Professor Moody, McGonagall, and Hagrid fishing over to meet him.

"Yer did it, 'Arry!" Hagrid clapped him on the back with an enormous smile on his face.

"That was excellent, Mr. Potter!" McGonagall looked like she was going to cry.

A hand grabbed Harry roughly by the shoulder and steered him towards the Med Bay.

"You utter dimwit, what in the name of Merlin we're you thinking diving like that! You could've gotten yourself killed! You're lucky it was just your arm, what if you got impaled?"

Harry couldn't help a smirk from appearing on his face.

"Relax, Severus," he looked up at his guardian, "I kicked dragon arse."

The potion master looked at Harry with a mix of disbelief and surprise, he paused for a moment before letting out a small chuckle, "I guess you did."