Sorry we've been on hiatus for a week(ish), because I (don't know about Layla) have been SWAMPED with homework, but I worked through it, and we're back to business!

A few days ago I told Cedric about the dragons. It felt like the right thing to do. I was stressing out, because although I had come up with a plan to get past the dragon, I still couldn't do Accio. Natsu seemed to be absolutely fine, knowing what he would do, but he refused to tell me. According to him, if I couldn't even do the summoning spell, I wouldn't be able to do what he was going to do. What stupidity. He can't do it either. It was the morning of the first task and I had finally managed to get a dictionary to fly towards me, but that was nothing compared to what I would have to pull off in the pit. I went down to breakfast, where everyone but my friends were talking happily.

Hermione and Lucy were. fussing over Natsu, who looked nervous for the first time since he had arrived at Hogwarts. Ron was talking to them, but glanced up at me and immediately left. Erza didn't seem to be responsive to anything, just mumbling things, and Gray was trying to look concerned about the prospects of the day but I think everyone knew he didn't really care - what happened today didn't affect him, and Juvia was lost in some sort of fantasy world.

For the whole day leading up to the challenge, my stomach was in knots. Of course Snape had to make our detentions the day of the first task! Apparently Snape didn't have any hard work for us to do because he just told us to do homework. I didn't do homework, even though I had lots. Instead, I silently practised the summoning charm. After about half an hour Mira arrived, and a few words were exchanged (I didn't listen) before she turned into the demon with wings and a tail and everything. Then everything went dark, before Dumbledore arrived, and explained the task started in half an hour. Half and hour! All of a sudden all the anxiety I had been repressing jumped back up again and I almost vomited -thankfully I didn't.

We all walked to the grounds, where the first task was to take place, and Lucy and tackled Natsu in a hug, and there was a huge flash coming from the direction of a certain blonde woman in lime green robes, and Natsu fell over.

"Really, you had to push the flash in his face. Now he'll be lucky if he has his sight back in time for him to start the task!" Gray joked. Natsu jumped up, pulling Lucy back up with him, and ran to Gray to start beating him up (they really did do that a lot). Erza split them apart, and there was another blinding flash.

"Ah, young love love!" Rita Skeeter sighed. "In two forms. Which are you going to pick?"

Natsu seemed confused by the very nature of the question. "The blonde! If I ever said the red the guy with the blue hair would kill me." Natsu said matter-of-factly, pointing to Jellal.

"That's right and don't you ever forget it." Jellal and Erza said in unison.

Natsu pried Erza's hand away from his shoulder and hugged Lucy again. Just then, Hermione burst into the tent and tackled me with a hug, and we were immediately blinded. We turned to see Rita Skeeter with her poisonous smile. Before she could say anything, Dumbledore us all together (thank goodness).

I saw Bagman enter. "Harry! Good-oh!" said Bagman happily, looking around at me. "Come in, come in, make yourself at home."

Bagman looked somehow like a slightly overblown cartoon figure, standing amid all the pale-faced champions. He was wearing his old wasp robes again.

"Well, now we're all here-time to fill you all in!" said Bagman brightly. "When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag,"- he held up a small sack of purple silk, and shook it at them- "from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different-er-varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too... ah,yes... your task is to collect the golden egg!"

I glanced around and saw everyone nod once. Then once we could hear the lots of feet come passing by Bagman offered us the plush purple bag.

"ladies first," he said, offering it to Fleur Delacour. Fleur pulled out the Welsh green. Then to the other Beauxbatons person. She pulled out another Welsh green. Then it was offered to Krum. He pulled out a Chinese Fireball. He offered it to the other Durmstrang, and he pulled out a Chinese Fireball. Cedric pulled out a Swedish short-snout. Natsu pulled out a red dragon that they called the Red Fire King. I pulled out a Hungarian Horntail - the worst of the bunch, except maybe Natsu's.

They all start to leave one by one cedric,Fleur, Krum, the other two that i forget the names of, and Natsu. Through the whole thing, I could hear Mr Bagman's commentary. "Ooh, narrow miss, there, very narrow..." "He's taking risks, he is!" "Oh, that wasn't wise!" Oh, Nearly, she almost had it!" "Very clever, this one is!" and finally, during Natsu's turn, Bagman seemed confused by everything he did. "What did he say? Igneel? What's he doing now? By gods name, I think he's talking to the dragon!" "Dear lord, he's taken a student out of the stands! Someone get ahold of that thing, stat! Oh, wait, someone else appeared!" It went on and on, until finally, Mr Bagman announced that Natsu had retrieved the egg, and the whistle blew. I shakily got to my feet, and walked through the curtain to meet the roar of the crowd.

At the other end of the enclosure stood the huge, black and thorny Hungarian Horntail. She stood, crouched over her eggs, wings furled, and thrashing her spiny tail. It didn't matter what I did, it just mattered that I got my Firebolt. I raised my wand, concentrating, focussing my mind on my only chance...

"Accio Firebolt!" I shouted, and waited, every fibre hoping, praying... if it hadn't worked... if it wasn't coming... I was looking all around myself, trying to see anything through the shimmering, transparent barrier, that made the faces of the people in the stands swim a bit...

And then i heard it, speeding through the air towards me, I turned and saw the Firebolt hurtling towards me. I caught it, and Bagman started shouting something, but that wasn't important. I swung my leg over the broom, and kicked off into the air.

I zoomed into the air, and when I looked down again, the Horntail was just the size of a dog. I realized that I hadn't just left the ground behind, but my fear, too. This was just another quidditch match, except the other team was the Horntail. I dived, and the dragon's head followed me, and I anticipated its next move, and pulled up just in time to avoid getting scorched. Unfortunately, the tail came around and grazed my shoulder. It wasn't deep, but I could feel it stinging.

"Great Scott, he can fly!" Yelled Bagman, as the crowd shrieked and gasped. "Are you watching this, Mr Krum?"

Slowly circled higher, and the Horntail's head followed. Nice, if I could get it dizzy enough, I would have a shot at the egg. I slowly worked my way higher, until the dragon's neck was at its fullest extent.

"Come on," I hissed, swerving above her, "come on, come and get me, up you get, now..."

And then she reared, spreading her huge leathery black wings, as wide as a small airplane, and I dived. Before she knew what I was doing, I streaked past the dragon, with my arms outstretched, and grabbed the golden egg. I put on a huge burst of speed, and got away from the Horntail as fast as I could.

The people in the stands were cheering, Mr Bagman was yelling something, but that didn't matter. I had done it! I saw Professor Mcgonagall, Professor Moody, and Hagrid hurrying over, their smiles obvious even at a distance.

A/N: you know the drill

"That was excellent, Potter!" cried Professor Mcgonagall, which from her was a huge praise. I noticed she was pointing at my shoulder. "You'll want to see Madam Pomfrey before the judges give out your score... over there, she's had to mop up Diggory already..."

"Yeh did it, Harry!" Hagrid said hoarsely. "Yeh did it! An' agains' the Horntail an' all, yeh know Charlie said that was the wors'-"

"Thanks, Hagrid," I said loudly, so Hagrid wouldn't give away that he'd shown me the dragons beforehand.

Professor Moody looked very pleased, too; his magical eye was dancing in its socket.

"Nice and easy does the trick Potter." He growled.

'Right then, Potter, the first-aid tent, please..." Said Professor Mcgonagall.

I walked out of the enclosure, still panting, and saw Madam pomfrey standing at the mouth of a second tent, looking worried.

"Dragons!" She said, in a disgusted tone, pulling me inside. The tent was divided into cubicles; I could make out Cedric's shadow through the canvas, but Cedric didn't seem to be badly injured; he was sitting up, at least. Madam Pomfrey examined my shoulder, talking furiously all the while. "Last year Dementors, this year dragons, what are they going to bring to the school next? You're very lucky... this is quite shallow... it'll need cleaning before I heal it up, though..." She cleaned the cut with a dab of purple liquid which smoked and sting, but then poked my shoulder with her wand, and I felt it heal instantaneously.

She bustles out of the tent and I heard her go next door and say "how does it feel now, Diggory?"

I didn't want to sit still; I was still too full of adrenaline. I got to my feet, wanting I see what was going on outside, but before I'd reached the mouth of the tent, a small crowd of people came inside - Hermione, Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Jellal, Gray, Juvia, Mira and finally, Ron.

"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione squeaked.

"Not as brilliant as me!" Natsu joked.

"You were amazing, you really were!" Lucy said, elbowing Natsu playfully.

Erza, Gray, and Jellal all nodded in approval. "You were great!" Mira exclaimed.

I looked at Ron, who was very white, staring at me as I was a ghost.

"Harry," he said, very seriously, "Whoever put your name in that Goblet - I - I reckon they're trying to do you in!

I was as though the last few weeks had never happened - as though I was meeting Ron for the first time, right after becoming a champion.

"Caught on, have you?" I said coldly. "Took you long enough."

Hermione stood nervously between us, looking back and forth. Ron opened his mouth uncertainly. I knew he was about to apologize, but suddenly, I didn't need to hear it.

"It's OK," I said, before Ron got the words out. "Forget it."

"No," Said Ron, "I shouldn't've-"

"Forget it." I cut him off.

Ron grinned nervously at me, and I grinned back. Hermione burst into tears, and from the corner of my eye, I saw my other friends with small smiles on their faces, even Jellal.

"There's nothing to cry about!" I told her, bewildered.

"You two are so stupid!" she shouted, stamping her foot on the ground, then before either of us could react, she gave Ron and I a hug each, and dashed away, howling.

"Barking," Said Ron, shaking his head. "Harry, c'mon, they'll be putting up your scores..."

I picked up my Firebolt and exited the tent with everyone, more elated than I would have thought possible an hour ago. All my friends (except Natsu, he'd only seen me go) were talking at a mile a minute, telling me what each of the champions did.

Ron, who had been chattering the whole time, drew a breath as we got to see the edge of the enclosure. Now the Horntail he been taken away, I could see where the five judges were sitting - right at the other end, in raised seats draped in gold.

"It's marks out of ten from each one." Ron explained, and I looked up to see Madame Maxime raise her wand into the air. What looked like a long, silver ribbon shot out of it, and twisted itself into a large number eight. "Not bad!" Ron exclaimed, as the crowd applauded. "I suppose she took marks off for your shoulder." Mr Crouch was next. He shot a nine into the air. "Nice!" Commented. Dumbledore, a nine. Ludo Bagman-ten!

"Ten?" I asked in disbelief. "But... I got hurt... What's he playing at?"

"Harry, don't complain!" Ron yelled excitedly.

Now it was Karkaroff's turn. He paused for a moment, and then shot a number into the air - a four.

"What?" Ron yelled furiously. "Four? You lousy biased scumbag, you give Krum a ten!"

But I didn't care. I wouldn't have cared if I had been given a zero; Ron's indignation on my behalf was worth a hundred points to me. We all turned around, and left the enclosure, when I saw Charlie Weasley running up to me. "You're tied for first place, Harry! You and Krum!" Said Charlie Weasley, hurrying to meet us as we set off back towards the school. "Listen, I've to run, I've got to go and send mum and owl, I swore I'd tell what happened - but that was unbelievable! Oh yeah - and they told me to tell you and Natsu you've got to hang around for a few more minutes... Bagman wants a word, back in the champion's tent."

The others said they would wait, so Natsu and I re-entered the tent, which looked quite different now; friendly and welcoming. I thought back to how I felt while dodging the Horntail, and the wait before I'd walked out to face it... There was no comparison, the wait was far worse.

The other champions all came in together.

"Well done, all of you!" Said Ludo Bagman, bouncing into the tent, as pleased as though he'd just faced a dragon himself. "Now, just a quick few words. You've got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth - but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look at those golden eggs you're all holding, you will see that they open... See the hinges there? You need to solve to clue inside the egg - because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!"

Natsu and I left the tent, and rejoined the others. Ron and I started to walk slowly back around the lake and forest, talking hard; I wanted to know every detail of what the other champions had done. The others all went back the the castle the fast way. As we rounded a small clump of trees, A witch leapt out from behind us.

It was Rita Skeeter. Her acid-green Quick-Quotes Quill in her hand blended in perfectly with her robes.

"Congratulations, Harry!" She beamed at me. "I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel now about the fairness of the scoring?"

"Yeah, you can have a word," I said savagely. "Goodbye."

And I set off the the castle with Ron.

HOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAA! LLLLIIIIIIINNNNNNNEEEEEE BBBBBRRRRREEEEAAAAAAKKKKK!!!!

That evening, after Hermione, Ron, and I delivered a letter to Sirius, we entered the Gryffindor common room and it exploded with cheers and yells. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface; Lee Jordan had let off some Dr Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, WeStart Fireworks, so that the air was thick with stars and sparks, and Dean Thomas, who was very good at drawing, had put up some amazing drawings of me zooming around the Horntail's head on my Firebolt, and of Natsu running towards his dragon, a huge smile on his face.

I helped myself to food, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Neville bite into a custard cream and immediately turned into a large canary.

"Blimey, this is heavy," said Lee Jordan, picking up one of the golden eggs, which both of Natsu and I had left on the table, and weighing it in his hands. "Open it, Harry, let's see just what's inside it!"

"Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!" several people echoed.

Lee passed me the egg, and I dug my fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it, and prised it open.

It was hollow and completely empty - but the moment I opened it, the most horrible noise, a loud screechy wailing, filled the room.

"Shut it!" Gray yelled, slamming his hands over his ears.

"What was that?" Erza asked, bewildered, staring at the egg after I had shut it again.

"Sounded like a banshee..." Seamus suggested. "Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!"

"It sounded like someone being tortured!" Said Neville, who had moulted all the feathers. "Maybe it has something to do with the Cruciatus Curse?"

"Don't be a prat, Neville." Fred spoke up. "It was obviously Percy singing..."

"Maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Harry." George suggested.

Everyone all laughed, and went back to the party. It was near one in the morning when we finally dragged our feet upstairs and went to sleep. I put my tiny model of the Hungarian Horntail on the table where it yawned, curled up and closed its eyes. Really, I thought, as I pulled the hangings on my four-poster closed, Hagrid has a point... they're all right, really, dragons...

Yay for Harry and Natsu! If you're wondering, even though Natsu didn't injure himself, and probably took the least amount of time, he would have probably docked marks because he could have taken waaaay less time. Seriously, he could have done it in about thirty seconds. So I (I don't know about Layla) think he would be right behind Harry and Krum. Anyways, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Comment or vote! Please!

Lindsay out!