FicWad

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related concepts are owned by someone who isn't me. I will never seek or accept money for the circulation of this work.

FICWAD-specific note: This story (and the Spiral Tangents) will continue to be posted identically here and on fanfiction until Ficwad stops responding. I may also add a third site, but for now you can find the stories here:
Holly Evans: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4916690/1/Holly_Evans_and_the_Spiral_Path
Spiral Tangents: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5073471/1/Spiral_Tangents

Author's Note: In case you missed it being mentioned earlier, Poppy Pomfrey is one of the few people aware that Holly and Harry are the same person.

Holly Evans and the Spiral Path

Chapter 42: Rumble, Rumble

(Cold-Hearted Beasts, part 2)

*

Many things happened in many places, but all our friends had their own part of the story to tell.

The Tale of Dragons and Fire

26th November, 1994

WWRX

Lee: "It is a cold Saturday in Scotland, but the arena is fully packed as students from three schools joined by dignitaries from across the world have come to witness the First Task of the Tri-School Wizardry Tournament. I'm Lee Jordan and with the cooperation of the International Wizarding Wireless Group, I will be providing commentary on today's contest for their secondary broadcast channel. Believe me, we're honoured! With me in the booth of radio station WWRX are also Ron Weasley my colour man, Stanislav Konietzko of the Durmstrang Institute and Mathieu Magritte of the Beauxbatons Academy, whose sister is competing today. Say 'Hello', lads!"

Stan: "Is good to be on air. I am Stan, best friends with Ilya and Krum. Very pleased with mild weather we're having."

Mathieu: "Allooo..."

Ron: "Oi! Lee, I thought you said I wasn't going to be heard at all?"

Lee: "Of course not, Ron. That's why I had a censoring charm put on the microphones."

Ron: "Alright then..."

Lee: "Brilliant! To give our listeners at home a visual, let's see about describing the arena. The Malfoy Sporting Foundation did its best and provided an excellent venue for today's contest."

Stan: "Is a Quidditch stadium with pitch surrounded by moat and filled with rocks."

Lee: "Well, yes. That's the basics of it. At one end of the pitch is the champions' entrance where a Safety Zone has been established to protect the competitors before and after their task, with a bridge over that moat that Stan mentioned being the entry into the field of play. On the opposite side of the field is where the Judge's Box overlooks the action. I can already see Minister for Magic Fudge and several prominent members of the nobility finding their seats, as well as the French Ambassador and what I understand are representatives from other magical schools from across the globe. Below the Judges' box is the entrance for the dragon-handlers. If you hadn't heard before, this challenge has to do with the champions each facing a clutch-defending mother dragon. Intrepid friends of our station have been able to provide more detail for us. What'd we find out Ron?"

Ron: "Well bloodBEEEP...ell, they've got seven dragons! They'll be put in place in order, so the champions have to face them by whatever one they end up picking from a sack. In order, it's an Antipodean Opal-eye, Swedish Short-Snout, Chinese Fireball, a Welsh Green... well that won't be much of a thing, will it?"

Mathieu: "Are the Welsh dragons as much tamer than others, just like their citizenry?"

Ron: "Look here you poncy frog..."

(Click)

Lee: "Aaaand... for the rest of the challenges, I see Stan has the list now..."

Stan: "Da. Welsh Green... Shto! A Hungarian Horntail! Also Romanian Longhorn and Ukrainian Ironbelly!"

Lee: "Well it certainly looks like the organisers know how to ramp up the danger, though they had the good sense not to include anything poisonous. We've also come into a copy of the rules, though it's pretty basic. Each champion will enter the arena armed only with their wand, though the junior competitors will be afforded a flame-proof cloak as well. The Task is for the champion to retrieve a golden egg from amongst the clutch of the dragon's own eggs, without damaging the other eggs or themselves and return to the 'Safe Zone' at their entrance where our own Madame Pomfrey has hospital beds awaiting them! We'll be back with more after a brief break- it seems there's some sort of hold-up with the competitors' last-minute security check."

Mathieu: "(Oof! Get off of me you English oaf!)"

Ron: "(Apologise ya manky git!)"

~o~

Hermione Granger is nervous. She has been giving her best friend all sorts of grief over the last three weeks, but now that same friend is about to enter a contest where she will have to face a dragon- twice! Having only heard the details of the challenge in the last day, Hermione has been at her wit's end. Can she rightly express her support after all this trouble she's caused? Will her friend forgive her? For these reasons and others, Hermione finds herself sneaking beneath the protection of her friend's Invisibility Cloak to the back of the tent where the champions have been gathered. A quick check of her Marauder's Map shows that only Harry is on the other side of the canvas, while other competitors mill about in separated sections of the tent that leads to the Champion's Entrance to the Arena.

Hermione whispers, loudly.

"Harry?"

From the other side of the canvas comes a familiar whisper.

"Hermione? What are you doing here?"

"I... just... wanted to say I'm sorry and... ohhhh!"

Overcome by emotion Hermione takes off the Cloak, ducks between a gap in the layered canvas and wraps Harry in a tight embrace which is quickly reciprocated. After a moment, Harry whispers into Hermione's ear.

"Rook's being herself for the moment. But I appreciate the sentiment!"

Hermione immediately loosens the hug, but Harry keeps the girl close. Hermione looks at the tousle-haired boy with a mild discomfort, noting his eyes as they change colour from green to black to brown and back again.

"Oh. Um. Well, tell her... this is stupid."

"Okay."

Harry closes his eyes for a moment.

"Holly says she agrees wholeheartedly and that you should kiss me in the meantime."

"Did she really?"

Harry smiles mischievously.

"No harm either way..."

Hermione gives Harry a doubtful look as she steps out of their embrace and crosses her arms.

"Take care, HARRY."

"I promise. We will. You look very pretty when you're worried, Hermione."

Hermione grimaces briefly before looking over Harry's shoulder.

"What's holding things up anyway?"

Harry smiles, shaking his head.

"Holly, of course."

~o~

In the medical care section of the tent, Holly stands with her hands at her hips wearing only black bike shorts and a matching sports bra. Her boots, gloves, competition wear, glasses, quiver, a wand holster with her Lignum-Vitae wand and several rings of various designs and materials sit displayed on a rolling table next to her as Barty Crouch waves his wand around Holly's body for what seems to be the one hundred and eleventh time.

"I honestly didn't think you were going to be stickly about this, but I swear that's everything!"

"Then why do I still detect magic? Where are you hiding these other devices?!"

Albus turns Mr. Crouch towards a quick conference between the adults in the room.

"Barty, friends, I may as well tell you. Miss Evans has been... modified..."

"This may invalidate her participation!"

Three zipping sounds are heard from behind the clutch of elders. As the group turns to face her, Holly throws her last pieces of clothing in the face of Barty Crouch with a growl.

"Look you sodding gits, I didn't want to be in this mad game but I'm stuck in it. If after shoving your Probity Probes up my privates you aren't convinced that I'm as screwed as everyone else competing, then I'll compete naked. It's only ten degrees out there, but I'm sure the flames should make things comfortable in short order. I insist however, that if I have to do this stripped then the other competitors should do it skyclad as well. It'll be very Greek-Olympic, and as good a reason to get them all naked as I could possibly dream up. They're DRAGONS! Do you honestly think a poison-detection ring or a switching charm on a toe ring is going to make a difference?"

Barty Crouch's discomfort with Holly's lack of modesty is overcome by his focus on solving the mystery of Holly's magical taint.

"You... you are an Animagus; I'm sure of it!"

"Well that's the nicest thing a Ministry official has ever accused me of being- at least it's just illegal and not immoral somehow. Sir, if I am and I transform to beat this competition you can give me a zero. Otherwise, can we move along? Madame Pomfrey can hold onto my lucky charms while I get dressed for my execution."

~o~

WWRX

Lee: "We're back! This is once again Lee Jordan with ongoing commentary of the Tournament of Three Schools! We're heading into our third hour and our fifth dragon- let's see how things are standing. Mathieu?"

Mathieu: "Merci, Monsieur Jordan. Margaux is currently in the lead, having faced the Opal-eye perfectly with her conjured music box waterfall. I am still unsure as to why Professeur Karkaroff only gave her a six..."

Stan: "Is surely because without fire-proof cloak, she would have died immediately, the foolish girl. Yet still she hid for five minutes after dragon stopped moving to watch tinkling gemstones, before she was brave enough to retrieve egg."

Mathieu: "... and her performance was followed by a magnificent confrontation by Fleur Delacour who ensorcelled the Welsh Green before leading it in a dance away from its children."

Lee: "Well to be fair Mathieu, I think you have to admit she was running away from the dragon, but it certainly seemed to enjoy the chase! If it weren't a girl-dragon I'd say I understood completely! That said, we've skipped a few."

Mathieu: "But of course, Lee. Cedderic Diggory deceived the Swedish dragon with a cute puppy dog but failed to avoid having his shoulder scorched when the beast detected his deception."

Lee: "Actually, I think it sneezed."

Mathieu: "Bien sur, but I particularly liked Mr. Krum's results. While the coward shot the Oriental dragon from a safe distance, his Conjunctivitis Curse induced a mad tantrum in the beast causing her to crush two of her own eggs! Quel dommage!"

Stan: "Is admirable to handle dangerous creatures with care! Krum left arena unwounded unlike your half-human 'Delacourtesan' whose dance partner sliced open her dainty calf!"

Lee: "Now lads, let's keep things civil. Any commentary Ron?"

Ron: "Yeah. How long has it been since you took the gender-change potion, Matt?"

Mathieu: "BATBEEEP...!"

Ron: "I'm just saying; they're all girls that came here from Beauxbatons except him. His birth name's probably Matilda. (Oi, get off me you snake-sucking BEEEP...!)"

~o~

It's been a lark, watching this contest, but Ginny's excitement is rising because her favorite boy hero will be the next contestant! The red-tressed girl swoops about on a Nimbus 2000 alongside several others from the school with their own broom. Ginny's proud of her ride and has been having a much better year than any previous, due to her friendships with Hermione Granger and Holly Evans.

Holly gave her the broom so that Gryffindor could put up a first-class team with Ginny as their Seeker and Hermione has been training her to discipline her mind ever since she learned about Wormtail and... and Riddle. It hasn't been easy. Ginny often loses her focus for the thrill of the moment, but Hermione insists that being outside the moment is how you learn to control your emotions and see things more clearly.

Like Professor Moody there, down in the arena. There's something about his lurking about that has been annoying Ginny. He has been monitoring the process of the dragons being moved into place, as if waiting for someone to mess up. What an utter bastard! Snape's bad enough the way he slimes around the classroom looking for ways to punish Gryffindors in every class, but Moody! If that spinning eye wasn't disturbing enough, the normal one is always staring at girl's chests! You'd think a professor would have learned to at least be discreet about his lechery but this one is always leering, salivating and licking his lips...

Ginny snaps up in surprise as her idle thoughts are derailed by the barest flash of a spell. The squad of dragon-handlers just finished levitating into place the unconscious spiny beast meant for Harry's challenge and Ginny caught the flash out of the corner of her eye. Scanning intently, Ginny sees Professor Moody shoot a second spell from behind his cloak down onto a link of the other chain that binds the fearsome creature to the concrete blocks embedded in the field. No one would see that if they weren't up here like Ginny, floating on a broom.

The redhead swoops down towards the stadium seats, but the Judges are already announcing Harry's entry, and the dragon is waking up angry- just as angry as Ginny would be if she'd been stunned and woke to find herself chained in the center of a loud arena!

~o~

Harry Potter walks towards the border designating the end of the Safe Zone. Dressed in purple Quidditch gear emblazoned in gold with 'Potter #1' on the back, Harry stops to scratch at his collar. The overwhelming noise of the cheering crowd makes hearing his own thoughts difficult.

'Albus' fashion sense aside, this outfit is just itchy. Anyway, Tonks and Pomfrey are all set in the Hospital corner... now all I have to do is... face a Hungarian Horntail.'

The Horntail roars loud enough to drown out the cheers of the crowd, a gout of flame rising above the boulders obscuring it from direct view as Harry shuffles forward. He steps across the bridge out of the Safe Zone, sidling along a collection of sharp rocky outcroppings at the edge of the field with well-earned fear.

'It had to be this one... nasty, vicious, highly territorial, able to breathe fire twice as often as most and with a wicked sharp tail...'

Said tail suddenly swings down onto the boulders providing for Harry's temporary shelter, shattering them with ease.

"Holy Ffff... irefighters!"

Harry dives for another cover as panic begins to make his body shake. He pauses a moment to get his body and mind under control.

'Hang on; it shouldn't be able to reach me yet... I may have to ditch the Parseltongue gambit.'

From above the roaring crowd that echoes in his ears like a freight train passing over his shoulder, Harry picks out the distinctive shriek of Ginny Weasley.

"HARRRRY! IT'S LOOOOOOOSSSE!"

Looking up desperately into the crowd and hoping he didn't hear that correctly, Harry finally catches sight of Ginny where she is leaning over the railing at the edge of the far stadium seats. Her face is a shrieking terror given expression but the more important revelation is what she's holding forth.

Harry swings up his wand, pointing towards a possible salvation.

"ACCIO NIMBUS!"

The broom is snatched from the redhead's hand and swoops quickly towards Harry's position. He looks up to see that it might arrive too late- the Horntail has climbed over these tall boulders and now is looking down on his panicking form much like a vulture above new road kill. Harry can hear the dragon's maternal instincts shining through the hisses and growls it makes as it curls up into position to strike.

"{Intruder! Interloper! Thief! DIE!}"

The spiked horror rears back its head to release another holocaust just as Harry hops aboard the trusted broom to rocket up from out of his barbecue pit. The dragon quickly takes flight in pursuit of its prey, broken chains dangling from its hind legs.

Harry immediately shifts direction after clearing the rim of the stadium.

'If the dragon follows... never mind. Since the dragon is following, I'm going to need to jig about or that fiery breath will make this running-away-thing completely useless!'

Harry banks and takes momentary cover behind the Ravenclaw tower, hoping the Horntail's inertia might give him a moment for tactical assessment. A moment is all he gets as the creature pulls up next to him upon losing sight of his broom. Harry banks low and shoots beneath the monster currently stalling in mid-air, barely escaping another blast as the creature catches his scent once more. A flick of its tail catches the end of Harry's broom, sending him briefly into a spin before he arights himself and jets away from the castle proper.

Harry pours on the speed to extend his lead on the dragon, a plan forming as he shifts towards the high wooden bridge that links the upper castle with the Northern path to Hogsmeade. Drawing the holly wand, Harry sweeps the center section of the bridge with a powerful transfiguration, the wood turning to stone as he dives beneath the groaning structure, its center now too dense to hold up. The dragon's single-minded pursuit becomes its undoing as it follows Harry's course just as the structure yields to the stone's weight and collapses onto the beast, catching its tail before it can escape the stony avalanche. The spiky appendage gets hooked on the stone crossbeams, dragging the furious dragon into the crevasse much to its surprise. The collapsing stone powderizes into a thick cloud of grit and dust, obscuring further detail.

Harry arcs around to assess the damage.

"I think I'm going to be in trouble for this one."

A mighty roar bellows out from amidst the dust below, a fountain of flame shooting up to catch Harry's right arm. Reeling in pain, Harry nearly topples from the broom, his gaze suddenly caught on the angry serpent as it takes mighty swoops of its damaged wings, gaining several yards of altitude with every painful beat.

Harry asserts control of the Nimbus, shifting to a high-speed dive back towards the arena.

As Harry's flight takes him barely over the heads of the shouting crowd, he angles downward to scoop the golden egg into his undamaged left arm, turning immediately to jet full-speed into the Safe Zone. As he passes the yellow and black border, the Horntail swoops over the arena, once more rearing back its head to breathe fiery doom. Twenty-two voices from around the stadium incant in unison.

"STUPEFY!"

Struck in the head by every spell, the dragon continues to hover for a second looking as if it is about to sneeze and then collapses bonelessly to the center of the arena field.

Harry barely has the wherewithal to break the momentum of his flight once inside the tent area, ending up tumbling with the broom into the Healer's section.

~o~

Moments later, a triumphant Harry Potter strides forth from the tent flaps, holding both egg and broom high in victory. He is suddenly joined from behind by a bushy-haired girl who wraps him in a fierce hug. Harry drops the broom to take Hermione into his arms, quickly finding himself a participant in a heartfelt and deep kiss.

The two young people break the kiss and stare into each other's eyes, unconscious of the madly cheering crowd. Harry whispers, but only the movement of his lips is detected by Hermione over the raucous chants of "HAR-RY! HAR-RY! HAR-RY!"

Harry stares into Hermione's eyes, and she hears an unexpected voice in her head- Natalia's.

'Rook burned a wing and nearly lost a talon. We switched to make it look like no blood was spilled. I really like how you kiss!'

Hermione slumps in 'Harry's' embrace. Their voices are now loud enough to be heard by each other at best.

"Are you doing this on purpose?"

"We both love her. It would be simpler if you and I could get along. Your dazzling beauty is merely icing on my cake."

"Why do you tease me like this?"

'Harry' draws Hermione's face up to look directly into his.

"Hermione, I'm not teasing. I want to have sex with you."

"W-why?"

"Because I've seen what Holly sees in you. Now I can't resist your charms. Smile for the cameras, sweetie!"

Hermione suddenly becomes aware of the international press shouting in their direction while multiple flashes of wizarding cameras pop off in succession. She nervously turns to face the press onslaught from the safe distance afforded by the arena's moat. Hermione smiles while partly lifting an arm to wave tentatively in tandem with Harry, though she seethes an admonition quietly through her teeth.

"Holly never calls me 'sweetie' and I'd appreciate it if you would follow her example."

"Of course, Hermione. Let's find a nice private tent room together."

Hermione turns to face Harry with an incredulous glare.

"Harry?!"

"To escape the press, princess."

"Oh."

Harry smiles while taking Hermione's hand and leading her back into the Champion's area.

"You are so easy to tease!"

~o~

Poppy Pomfrey shakes her head at Holly for the fourth time this day, this time while looking over the last inches of skin and tendon holding Holly's left foot to her ankle.

"That's it. You're done!"

"I am not! I didn't notice the damage to my foot because I wasn't using it at that point. Just fix it! Everything depends on maintaining this illusion and I have no cause to be missing a foot. Now that... Harry has made a whole and hearty appearance, he doesn't have an excuse either. Fuse the bones and put a patch on the skin. My clothes will cover the injuries and a numbing charm should allow me to walk well enough..."

"Well enough to fight ANOTHER DRAGON?"

"Why Madame Pomfrey, I wasn't certain you cared. Anyway, this last one is the Ironbelly. It's so big I doubt it'll move much at all. If you fuse the bones it'll act like a brace, then afterwards we can vanish the bones and regrow them, right?"

"NO! That is..."

"Against Hippocrates' vow, I know. I'm asking you to do this so that I don't have to do it myself, badly. Please?"

"You are a maniac."

"Which is why you'll enjoy watching me suffer with the Skele-grow tomorrow. Time's short. Let's do this. AAAIIIGGHH!"

Madame Pomfrey's wand dances around Holly's ankle with a conductor's grace.

"Why put off to tomorrow the pain you can inflict today?"

"Did you have to lift the Torpeo? Whose side are you on, Madame? OWWW!"

"My own, and don't you forget it."

~o~

WWRX

Lee: "Well the dragon-handlers have been checking the repaired chains for the last twenty minutes and given their approval, so the arena is now set for the penultimate match-up of the First Task. What do you think we can expect from Mr. Izarek, Stan?"

Stan: "Ehh, best not to spoil surprise. Suffice to say, should be entertaining."

Ron: "He's such a happy little bloke."

Mathieu: "Yes, my sister spoke well of his smile, though I did not take too well to his offer to count her freckles in case she needs to be identified."

Lee: "Well, Ilya has his work cut out for him. I... mean... with the dragon. The Romanian Longhorn is an unusually smart species of dragon that uses its antler-like horns to trap their prey and to battle each other during mating season. In the case of the females, the horns grow like spikes from the tip of the tail as a flail-like weapon not unlike a Manticore but without the throwing."

Stan: "Ilya stepping over bridge now!"

Ron: "What a clown!"

Lee: "Yes, Ron. It seems Ilya has started his Task with a flourishing bow to the crowd and the Judges box, and is now... HAH! Now he's recreated a giant baby's-pram toy complete with tin piano music. While the dragon seems unimpressed, the crowd is going wild for his timid crouch behind a boulder, a deliberate spoof on Margaux Magritte's performance."

Mathieu: "Per'aps, but his attempt is not garnering her success."

Stan: "I do not think is meant to. Ilya is incorrigible prankster! I should have guessed!"

Lee: "With the Longhorn's wary destruction of his play-calliope, Ilya has now transfigured some rocks into a trio of poodles that are wending their way... no, the Longhorn has burnt those up into cinders, too. Ilya seems to be sharing the audience's disdain for Cedric's tactic with an exaggerated shaking of the head. Oh, I like the hat! Ilya has extended the length of his wand to a full yard and wearing one of those cowboy hats is taking shots at the Longhorn's eyes. I think the beastie's getting a little annoyed with our clown."

Ron: "Oh this is rich! Ilya's cowboy outfit has been switched for a ladies pinafore, and he's now prancing back and forth between the boulders as cover like a... what's that muggle game?"

Mathieu: "Duck hunt."

Ron: "Why Matt! How muggle of you!"

Mathieu: "PisBEEEP...!"

Lee: "The Longhorn's taking it personally as she's risen up onto her hind legs and appears to be getting more frustrated by the moment. Ilya's switched out his lacy dress for a half-sized fake broom as he continues to dodge between the rocks, always just out of range of the dragon's reach, either by tail or with her breath. OH MERLIN! Right after the dragon made a forceful swing of her tail, Ilya popped up from his cover and used a Summoning Charm to draw himself at high speed under the dragon and right to the nest! I didn't know you could do that!"

Stan: "Yes, is special technique used by overpowering spell and holding tight to wand... WATCH OUT ILYA!"

Lee: "Oooh! I don't think he was expecting the Longhorn to swing her tail around so quickly. Ilya's been impaled through the abdomen by a tail spike, but despite being flailed around in the air, he's keeping a tight hold of that egg!"

Ron: "Absolutely nutters!"

Mathieu: "Par toute Sorcellerie!"

Lee: "Ilya's been flung off the Longhorn's tail, but has once again used the Summoning Charm to pull himself out of danger... and right to the bridge! He looks in poor shape, but Ilya's still conscious and... YES! He's rolled the rest of the way and crossed into the Safe Zone! What a performance!"

Ron: "I want to drink with that bloke!"

Stan: "Yes! Yes, you should drink with us!"

Lee: "That was certainly a fair test of the repaired restraints for the dragons and while the crowd loves him, I think Ilya's injuries are going to count against his score. Looks like... sevens and eights. Izarek has tied Krum with 37 points, bringing Durmstrang to second place, ten points behind Beauxbatons. Next up is our last champion, Holly Evans against the Ukrainian Ironbelly! We'll be back."

~o~

"Hermione!"

The bushy-haired Gryffindor turns anxiously to face her House mate as Ginny rushes up to her behind the champions' tent.

"Ginny, I know we've talked about this before..."

"Hermione shut up! I've been looking all over for you!"

"But Ginny, it isn't what you think..."

"I need you to stop talking..."

"I mean, it's maybe exactly what it seems, but..."

"HERMIONE, SHUT UP!"

The older girl freezes in a half flinch.

"I need your help. Professor Moody weakened those chains on the Horntail. He was TRYING TO KILL HARRY! What are we going to do?!"

"This isn't about the kiss?"

"What kiss?"

"Never mind. What did you see?"

"No, no, there's a guilt-inducing kiss involved here..."

"...and if you're right also an assassin! What did you see?"

"Oh right. We'll stick a pin in the other thing. I was flying above the arena and saw Professor Moody hit both chains with some hex- the very links that broke when the Horntail woke up and started its rampage!"

"That's it! We have him now- Holly and I discovered that Moody had been replaced by Mr. Crouch, but after Holly talked with the Headmaster, they came to the conclusion that we couldn't confront him on it until he actually broke the law. Since you saw him, I have an idea on how we should do this..."

~o~

Holly carefully crosses the bridge to enter the field of contest. The Ukrainian Ironbelly is massive, looking not unlike a giant purple armoured toad with a deformed crocodile's head. It fills a quarter of the space with its prodigious bulk, resting forward on its belly as if it couldn't be bothered to lift itself up without a good reason. One of its clawed arms is wrapped beneath the jowls of its neck, idly scratching its hide. As best Holly can figure, the eggs are saddled beneath its massive legs or enwrapped by the short fin-like tail that aids the beast only in keeping balance or swimming. Holly steps up onto a rock formation so that she can be seen by the great dragon, and starts off her Task by speaking Parseltongue.

"{Great one, you have been brought here to be humiliated. If you would allow me to take the false egg that they have shamefully inserted amongst your beautiful children...}"

"{Stupid snake-speaker! We are gifted a shiny treasure! Cousins tell us of being gifted and robbed, but we won't permit it. Come forth and we take you to feed our babies. Tomorrow they gnaw playfully on your bones and we laugh!}" The great beast spits a wad of incendiary fuel to chase Holly from her position, which she leaves prudently. Dropping down for cover, Holly shakes her head in resolve.

'Right. Plan 'B', then.'

"Expecto Patronum!"

A giant misty-white dog appears and looks oddly at Holly. She points towards the massive creature at the other side of the arena.

"Well, bark at it!"

The Patronus responds in her own voice, amplified.

"Yah, okay. Bark, bark. BARK! BARK! BARKY BARK-BARK! BARKETY BARKNESS! BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK! BARF!"

The dragon breathes at the apparition as it jumps and dances back and forth, completely unaffected by the flames.

"Arachnitacta."

Holly silently adds a Notice-Me-Not charm and then Disillusions herself as well. She jumps across the moat and climbs across the face of the arena until she reaches a position only a handful of yards from the dragon's head. Holly turns then to climb up a stiff wooden flag pole until she has a good height on the Ironbelly, probably forty or fifty feet above the creature's massive form.

'I must be out of my mind. As soon as I let go, gravity's in control. Gravity and I never agree.'

Her aim is careful, and thankfully the creature has barely moved in attempting to charbroil Holly's Patronus again and again. Holly leaps away from the arena pole, arcing towards the head of the massive dragon. Holly glides slightly from the wind catching on her flame-resistant cloak (she has it stretched in front of her as a shield in case her leap is noticed by the dragon). Fortune stays with her for this one moment as Holly lands on the dragon's muzzle, the sudden shift in inertia disrupting her Disillusionment.

The crowd yells in surprise at Holly's reappearance atop the dragon's face.

The impact of Holly's body against its snout prompts the dragon to immediately rise up in anger, causing Holly to slide straight down the creature's muzzle. The force of the movement nearly shakes Holly loose, but she manages to catch and maintain one hand's spider-strong grip on the scales between the creature's nostrils. Her body is suddenly flung forward by momentum to hang facing the dragon's mouth, her boots propped against the front of its lower teeth. Holly freezes in place as the great creature sucks in a hot wind that nearly draws Holly into its bite, while she notices that a sulfurous gas is collecting at the back of its throat.

Holly finds herself caught up in a single thought perhaps prompted by her panic.

'This is really an inopportune moment for a bout of Déjà-vu.'

As the great beast begins to exhale, Holly snaps into action, her wand swinging forward around the fireproof cloak as she shouts "Langlock!"

The dragon's tongue immediately snaps to the top of its mouth, painfully forcing much of the exhaled firestorm back into the creature's sinus cavity to spurt out from its nostrils and even a bit from the eye sockets. Holly screams out in harmony with the creature as her anchored hand is charred by the edge of the flames and her body is forced once more outward in an arc from the force of the conflagration. Holly incants 'Accio dragon's eye', the counter-pull on her wand forcing her into flipping forward to land atop the dragon's muzzle. The fireproof cloak that protected her from the majority of the blast now flitters away to the ground below, taking a measure of her hope for surviving the encounter with it. Holly regains her balance with her feet firmly locked atop the dragon's screeching mouth, cupping her charred left hand to her chest as she considers her situation. After a moment's desperate readjustment, Holly springs forward out of the way of a swipe of the dragon's right claw and jams the Lignum-Vitae wand directly into its bleeding left eye socket. Holly re-anchors her feet astride the monster's muzzle and even painfully locks her burnt fist to a scale between the dragon's eyes. Holly then pushes past her pain and incants an aggressive series of slicing and bludgeoning curses while the massive lizard attempts to shake her loose by thrashing its head about.

"Diffindo! Diffindo! Deprimo! Bombarda! Reducto! REDUCTO! REDUCTO! REDUCTO! REDUCTO! REDUCTO!"

The dragon sets back on its hindquarters enough to liberate both its front legs, hoping to scratch at the invader on its face but instead it stops. The Ironbelly ceases twitching its head around, merely waving it in the air for a moment. The entire beast then slumps forward across the arena with a sound like a collapsing building, its brain matter and other skull contents rushing out of its mouth and nostrils in a deluge of blood and ichors when the head strikes the ground. Holly is also detached and bounced forward by the force of the impact, tumbling within the horrendous morass until her limp form comes to a stop some five yards in front of the dragon's mouth.

Silence eventually settles as the rumble of the creature's collapse finally stops echoing. The audience stares down at the scene.

Holly flips herself over with a great gasp for air, lighting off a thunderous cheer from the audience. As Holly stumbles to standing she reorients herself painfully, turning to face the Judges' box, various biological fluids glopping off her clothing in sheets. The cheers die down as she stands, breathing heavily, until Holly feels it is quiet enough for her to be heard.

"I... Holly Evans of the House of Black... claim the corpse... of this dragon by right of conquest. Oh yeah..."

Holly then turns and slogs back around the massive creature's body, emerging a moment later carrying the golden egg that was her official goal.

"...and here's your damned egg, too."

As Holly stumbles back over the bridge to the finish line and straight into the hospital tent, the roaring crowd sends up another cheer.

~o~

WWRX

Lee: "Oh this is totally unfair! She killed a bleedin' DRAGON!"

Mathieu: "The champions were not meant to harm the eggs or themselves. I believe killing the mother would qualify as harm to the eggs."

Lee: "Well, it looks like Holly's going to bottom out the Hogwarts scores. Wait; is that a '10' from Karkaroff? No, he's been convinced to replace his '0' score with a '1'. Well, Holly did succeed in retrieving her golden egg..."

Stan: "Even so, it seems harsh judgment. Ronald, you are not as affected by Evans' performance. Did you think she would be so... brutal?"

Ron: "Mate, you're missing the point. Holly didn't want into this contest but they made her compete. Those that don't believe her tend to think she's in it for the prize money. She just claimed a dragon's body worth a hundred times that! I have a feeling we're going to lose this Tournament, but Holly will come out ahead all the same! It's bleedin' he-he-hilarious!"

Lee: "Holly's final score is twenty-one, bringing Hogwarts' total to an even sixty points, fourteen points behind Durmstrang and only nineteen points ahead of Apprentice Potter all on his lonesome! Hang on, there seems to be some sort of argument in the Judge's Box. Ron, isn't that your sister?"

Ron: "Oh, BEEEP...!"

~o~

"That man tried to kill Harry Potter!"

Ginny's loud declaration startles the box occupants in the midst of their conversations, such that it takes a moment for everyone to realise that Ginny is pointing at Professor Alastor Moody. Ginny stands forth, blocking the exit from the Judge's box on the North side as Hermione steps up to block the South stair.

"I saw him! He hexed the chains on the Hungarian Horntail, exactly where they broke loose. He was trying to get Harry KILLED!"

Barty Crouch steps forward and squints down at the angry redhead.

"Don't be ridiculous. This man is an Auror of distinguished record; he would never do what you suggest!"

Hermione steps forward just as Professor Moody makes an angry grunt of dismissal and turns to exit the box.

"Perhaps you're confused because this isn't Alastor Moody!"

"Shut up ye mudblooded fanatic! Don't listen to this one- she's one a' them God-worshippers. Thinks I'm some devil!"

"No, I just think you're a poor actor, Mr. Crouch."

The grizzled man turns an angry snarl at Hermione. The crystal at the top of his walking staff begins to glow green.

Before Professor Moody can launch his spell at Hermione, Albus steps forward and Petrifies the accused man with a silent sweep of his wand, lifting him a few feet into the air as well. Director Crouch brings his own wand to bear on the Headmaster but is Stunned by the quick wandwork of Filius Flitwick. Minister Fudge and Director Bones step forward to gain control of the chaotic situation while the rest of the occupants of the Judge's box quickly move out of the line of fire. Professor McGonagall strides quickly to protect Ginny and cover the North stair. Albus turns to face Hermione.

"That is a bold accusation, Miss Granger. Do you have any proof?"

"I think so. Ars Vicis Sarcina."

Hermione's wand twists in circles aimed at the immobilised Professor until after a few dozen twirls his body suddenly trembles in a hyperactive fit. His magical eye pops out and the false leg drops to the ground in favour of the man's restored limb. The man that remains has a wild look to his eyes, though it is not who Hermione expected to see. Hermione frowns in worried embarrassment.

"I... I have no idea who that man is, but he certainly is not Auror Moody."

Albus Dumbledore shakes his head slowly in irritated disbelief.

"That is Barty Crouch, Junior! He was supposed to have died in Azkaban."

The assembled adults gasp nearly in unison. Minister Fudge looks back and forth between the revealed Death Eater and his father lying unconscious on the ground, until he finally steps forward.

"Barty Crouch Junior, for escaping from Azkaban you are hereby sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss!"

Albus steps forward to protest.

"Cornelius, wait!"

Fudge lifts up his arm and a Dementor appears out of some non-space, by all appearances erupting from beneath Minister Fudge's cloak. The horrifying creature immediately lurches forward to grab the petrified man's head in both hands. The Kiss is a horrifying sight: the Dementor caresses young Barty's face with its claws while twisting its wraithlike body in a fit of ecstasy. The light of the man's soul appears like a throbbing strobe as it enters the creature's mouth and ripples in a fading wave from beneath the tatters of its cloak.

Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick all summon forth a Patronus, but their holy avatars are too late to save the soul of the convicted criminal. The Dementor pauses upon finishing his quick meal, turning with a shiver to face the wispy creatures. It seems almost to dare the phantoms to challenge it before spinning to disappear into the ether.

Amelia Bones is the first to speak.

"You... deliberately destroyed any chance of an investigation! I will have your Ministry for this, Cornelius!"

"How dare you! The crime was clear and the punishment appropriate. I'd be careful with your next words, Amelia. Your career hangs in the balance."

Before the Director can respond, Hermione taps the Minister for Magic on the shoulder. As he turns to face her, Hermione punches him in the eye.

"I'm fairly sure I will never have a career in your Ministry, sir. Of course, I'm just a silly mudblood girl. What would I know?"

Amelia steps up immediately to grab Hermione's arm and pull her towards the stairs. She turns to two crimson-robed Aurors as she moves to leave the Judge's platform.

"Aurors; take Director Crouch to the infirmary and keep him under guard until I can speak to him. No one but the Healer is allowed to see him. You're coming with me young miss! Assaulting a leader of the Ministry is a crime and you have no excuse! Your parents are going to have SUCH a fine to pay! And I think an apology would be appropriate, as well!"

Hermione frowns as she's dragged away from the Judge's box, calling back half-heartedly.

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry, Minister. It's just... umm... hormones. Sorry."

Minister Fudge blusters for a moment while holding his bruising eye before turning to face the assembled press and dignitaries before him.

"Yes. Well as you can see, this Ministry is firm in its belief in the swift application of justice. Now if you don't mind, we have some official duties to perform. Headmaster Dumbledore, I would appreciate the use of your office."

Albus responds tonelessly.

"Of course, Minister."

~o~

Amelia Bones pulls Hermione away from the arena and quickly pulls them into a side tent used by the dragon handlers. Noting the absence of any occupants, Madame Bones quickly casts a trio of spells and turns to face Hermione with an eye like a peregrine sighting a pigeon. Hermione gulps.

"Madame Director, I know I shouldn't have hit the Minister but...'

"To Hades with that- you just broke a Polyjuice! What was that spell?"

"Oh! It's a modification of Lily Potter's Aging Charm- by adding the 'Ars' modifier, the acceleration affects the transformation's age instead of the target's. It only accelerates in five minute increments per twist, whereas Lily's applies a year's aging per rotation..."

"Are you willing to share the details with our research staff?"

"Umm, certainly."

"Well. You might never be given a position in Fudge's Ministry, but I think you may find yourself paid by us anyway. I can put you under protective custody..."

"Thank you, Director. Actually, I feel safer here in the castle with Holly. I don't think anything ever gets to me when she's around. It always hits her instead."

Amelia Bones squints at Hermione for a moment.

"Nevertheless, I believe I'll expand Auror Tonks' assignment to provide for your protection as well."

"That is... very gracious, Director. Thank you."

"Have you met with Auror Tonks before?"

"Yes, ma'am. More often than I expect."

Amelia smirks barely.

"I'll aid you with your patent, as well. We will not be negotiating with goblins for Auror spells this time."

~o~

The goblin representative Knutclaw approaches Holly in her corner of the Champion's tent, accompanied by a four-goblin squad of warriors. Holly carefully slides off her bed to standing, holding her newly-treated left arm to her chest. Knutclaw snorts in derision and then speaks.

"I am Knutclaw. I speak for Gringott's here. We would like restitution."

"For what?"

"We indemnified this contest to cover the costs associated with repairing any damage incurred."

"So? Fix the place. What's that got to do with me?"

"Our coverage included the safety of the dragons and their spawn. You've cost us over one hundred and eighty THOUSAND GALLEONS!"

Holly smiles at the goblin's evident frustration.

"Sucks to be you then, doesn't it? It's still my kill. Right of a dragon-slayer is incontrovertible."

Knutclaw steps forward and points threateningly at Holly.

"We demand reparations! We will call forth the Potter debt!"

Holly scoffs.

"Harry's problems aren't my concern and I don't owe you for anything. Harry already gave me the only thing you had that I wanted- Mum's box. And he did it... for FREEEE!"

Holly grins toothily while gloating, prompting the goblin's guard to begin pulling their blades. Holly's wand is in her hand at her side, the tip glowing ominously red accompanied by a noticeable hum.

"I just killed a dragon, warriors. How stupid does that make you, to threaten me?"

Just at that moment the tent flap is ripped wide for the enthusiastic entrance of Ludo Bagman, followed promptly by Fred and George Weasley and some other happy-looking wizards. Ludo ignores the tense environment in self-satisfied glee over his own change in fortunes.

"Well, there you are! I and some friends have finally found you to settle accounts! I hope we're not interrupting anything?"

Holly steps back, her wand's glow dimming back to normal as the goblins sheathe their weapons. Holly slumps a little.

"No, Mr. Bagman. I'd say our business is done for today. See you later, boys."

With a nod to the Weasley twins, Holly grabs her rucksack from a side table and leaves the tent to hobble out towards the castle.

~o~

Holly leaves the gamblers to settle their wagers, but after taking only a few steps outside the tent she is interrupted by a sudden wall of black fabric. Holly looks up to see Professor Snape looking down at her with a sneer.

"Oh. Hello, Professor."

"Evans..."

"I was wondering, before you jump into a scathing admonishment of my performance, whether you might be available for subcontract?"

The Potions Master cocks a single eyebrow.

"Really."

"Yes. I seem to have come into an opportunity, and I'd like to learn more about rendering valuable materials from a magical creature."

"And will we be expanding the next generation of snot-nosed failures with the profits again?"

"No sir, this is a war fund. For my war."

"Twenty-five percent."

"Rendering and brokering. I can't negotiate with goblins."

"Clearly. Very well, we have an accord."

"Mazel Tov, sir."

Professor Snape smiles briefly.

"Indeed. The stars do align well."

Professor Snape snaps his head upward to glare at a location behind Holly.

"You there! Put that tooth back where you found it! Incarcerous!"

~o~

Hermione finally catches up to Holly as she is leaving the entrance hall for the Slytherin dorms. Holly's left hand, wrapped in salves and gauze, is carefully cradled against her chest. Hermione tentatively asks, "Umm, Rook to H-1?"

"Yah, home location."

Hermione looks at Holly without approaching.

"I'm going to talk with Ginny, but I need to talk to you and Harry later. It's important."

"I imagine we'll be in hospital for the next day but I absolutely need to shower and change clothes. I can still feel dragon goop squishing in my boots after five Cleansing charms. Come visit after midnight. Harry'll be there as well, keeping me safe."

"Okay."

As Hermione turns to head away, Holly gives Hermione a plaintive look and calls to her.

"Hermione? I'm really tired so if this is another dressing down..."

The bushy-haired girl looks back at Holly, noting her expression of fatigue and distress and smiles a little.

"It's a good thing, don't worry."

Holly sighs and smiles.

"Thank you."

*

Dragons in order: (scores by Dumbledore, Maxime, Karkaroff, Bagman & Crouch)

Antipodean Opal-eye vs. Margaux Magritte 10, 10, 6, 10, 10 = 46

Swedish Short-Snout vs. Cedric Diggory 9, 7, 5, 9, 9 = 39

Chinese Liondragon vs. Viktor Krum 7, 7, 9, 7, 7 = 37

Common Welsh Green vs. Fleur Delacour 8, 9, 5, 8, 8 = 38

Hungarian Horntail vs. Harry Potter 9, 9, 4, 10, 9 = 41

Romanian Longhorn vs. llya Izarek 7, 8, 8, 7, 7 = 37

Ukrainian Ironbelly vs. Holly Evans 5, 3, 1, 7, 5 = 21

End of the day totals:

Beauxbatons: 84

Durmstrang: 74

Hogwarts: 60

Apprentice Potter: 41

*

Omake:

From the end of Harry's flight...

Moments later, a triumphant Harry Potter strides forth from the tent flaps, holding both egg and broom high in victory. He is suddenly joined by a bushy-haired girl who wraps him in a fierce hug. Harry drops the broom to take Hermione into his arms, quickly finding himself a participant in a heartfelt and deep kiss.

WWRX

Ron: "Aww, now how am I gonna get some of that! It's like competing with a male Veela or somethin'!"

Lee: "Ron, I don't believe you had a chance to start with, mate."

Ron: "'Spose not. D'you think Katie would go with me?"

Mathieu: "Non."

Stan: "Nyet."

Ron: "I wasn't asking you lot!"

Lee: "Well, as we watch the Ministry lads clean up the field, let's cut to a bit of music. Here's the English Beat. (You stupid bBEEEP...dating her!)"

Ron: "(It was just a question. You don't need to get fussy about it...)"