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"Where have you been?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at Blair, who arrived at the library later than their set time. 

But Blair didn't answer her as she looked around and her eyes stopped on something or someone. "Aha!" 

Blair walked past Harry and Hermione and to the two's surprise went to Viktor Krum. Harry and Hermione watched as Blair talked to him seriously. Krum's eyes held a hint of surprise before he nodded and told her something.

Blair smiled at him before going back to her friends. 

Harry looked at her confused. "What was that all about?" 

Blair smiled and loosened her tie. "Oh, just told him and Fleur about the dragons." 

Harry and Hermione nodded as they went back to studying their books on dragons and spellbooks. And Hermione couldn't help but steal glances at Blair and think how charming she looked with her loosened tie. When she saw Blair's head move and felt her eyes staring at her, Hermione would immediately cast her eyes on the book and hide her smile with her hair. After a few hours, they called it a day and went back to their rooms.

The next day, Harry and Blair were walking down the corridor on their way to Herbology when Moody emerged from behind them with the familiar clunking noise. 

Blair waved at him. "Mister Alastor. What brings you here?" 

"Little B, Potter. Come with me, you two." He growled in his familiar tone. Harry and Blair exchanged glances.

Harry spoke up. "Er- Professor, we're supposed to be in Herbology-"

"Never mind that, Potter. In my office, please." 

Harry and Blair followed him, wondering why. Moody closed the door behind them and turned to look at Harry and Blair, his magical eye fixed upon Harry and the normal one on Blair. 

"Sit down," said Moody, and Harry and Blair sat, looking around. 

Blair smirked at the odd objects around them. "Bloody hell, Mister Alastor. Are these souvenirs or your weapons?" 

Moody let out a bark of laughter. "Both, Little B." Then, he turned to Harry. "Like my Dark Detectors, do you?"

"What's that?" Harry asked, pointing at the squiggly golden aerial. 

"Secrecy Sensor. Vibrates when it detects concealment and lies... no use here, of course, too much interference — students in every direction lying about why they haven't done their homework. Been humming ever since I got here. I had to disable my Sneakoscope because it wouldn't stop whistling. It's extra-sensitive, picks up stuff about a mile around. Of course, it could be picking up more than kid stuff," Moody added in a growl.

"And what's the mirror for?" Blair piped up. 

"Oh that's my Foe-Glass. See them out there, skulking around? I'm not really in trouble until I see the whites of their eyes. That's when I open my trunk."

He let out a short, harsh laugh, and pointed to the large trunk under the window. It had seven keyholes in a row. Blair wondered what was in there, but then again thought not as it suddenly shook.

"So found out about the dragons, have you?" Moody suddenly asked. Blair looked down. Not only would she and Harry get into trouble, but Hagrid would too. 

"It's all right," said Moody, sitting down and stretching out his wooden leg with a groan. "Accidents happen." Blair knew that he might've known what happened but was relieved that he didn't say a word.

"So... got any ideas how you're going to get past your dragon yet?" said Moody.

"No," said Harry. Blair simply shook her head. 

"Well, I'm not going to tell you," said Moody gruffly. "I don't show favoritism, me. I'm just going to give you some good, general advice. And the first bit is — play to your strengths."

"I haven't got any," said Harry, before he could stop himself. 

Blair rolled her eyes before smacking his arm. "Shut up, you modest git." 

"Excuse me," growled Moody, "you've got strengths if I say you've got them. Think now. What are you best at? Think, Little B, Potter." 

Blair thought about it hard when Harry spoke up. "Quidditch." 

Blair nodded along. "Me too."

"That's right," said Moody, staring at them very hard, his magical eye barely moving at all. "You're damn good fliers from what I've heard." 

"Yeah, but..." Harry stared at him. "I'm not allowed a broom, I've only got my wand —" 

"My second piece of general advice," said Moody loudly, interrupting him, "is to use a nice, simple spell that will enable you to get what you need." Blair's eyes lit up as she thought of what to do.

She was best at flying, and she needed her Firebolt and- She frowned as she and Harry would have the same ideas. 

Moody smiled at her. "You'll figure it out, Little B." 

Harry and Blair bid farewell before they ran to the greenhouse. 

"But, we'd have the same plan, Aika." Harry said worriedly.

"I have another idea, James, don't worry." Blair lied with a reassuring smile. She didn't want her friend to worry about her. They entered the greenhouse and ran to Hermione after uttering hurried apologies to Professor Sprout. 

"Hermione – we need help." Harry hurriedly whispered.

"What d'you think I've been trying to do, Harry?" Hermione whispered back, her eyes round with anxiety over the top of the quivering Flutterby Bush she was pruning. 

Blair helped her out. "Mione, we need to learn how to do a Summoning Charm properly by tomorrow afternoon."

And so they practiced. They didn't have lunch, but headed for a free classroom, where Harry and Blair tried with all their might to make various objects fly across the room toward them. They were still having problems. The books and quills kept losing heart halfway across the room and dropping like stones to the floor. Blair was a bit distracted as she tried to think of a plan.

The three of them separated as Hermione went to Arithmancy while Blair and Harry went to Divination, groaning as Professor Trelawney spent half the lesson telling everyone that the position of Mars with relation to Saturn at that moment meant that people born in July and August were in great danger of sudden, violent deaths.

Blair, being born on the 31st of August, scoffed loudly. "Great, hope it's a quick one, Professor." 

Ron looked for a moment as though he was going to laugh; he certainly caught Harry and Blair's eyes for the first time in days, but Harry was still feeling too resentful toward Ron to care and Blair wasn't in the mood as she kept on racking her brain for a plan. 

Blair and Harry spent the rest of the lesson trying to attract small objects toward them under the table with their wands. Blair grinned when a small piece of chalk flew straight into her hand but stifled her laughter as a fly went into Harry's hand.

After Divination, Harry went to the Great Hall for some dinner while Blair went to the empty classroom, trying to think of a plan. Blair sat down at one of the tables and closed her eyes with a sigh. She thought hard and hard about it, but she couldn't think of anything. She was starting to think that she should wing it when suddenly a hand rested on her shoulder.

Blair jumped and turned to see Hermione, looking worriedly at her. Blair smiled weakly at her, trying to hide the anxiety on her face. "Hey, Mione." 

"I've been calling you, but it seemed you were too immersed in your thoughts. Are you alright?" Hermione handed her some treacle tarts. 

Blair smiled gratefully when she remembered something. Her eyes went wide with amazement and she mumbled under her breath, "You're not an owl." She stared at Hermione with a grin. "Hermione Jean Granger, I'm going to marry you one day. Thank you, you bloody amazing woman."

Hermione blushed deeply as Blair pulled her into a hug before standing up and starting to practice while eating her Treacle Tart. 

Hermione stood there frozen as she watched Blair before she shook herself out of her stupor and walked over to Blair shakily. "So, what's your plan, Blair?" 

Blair swallowed her Treacle Tart. She smirked at Hermione and ruffled her hair. "You gave me the idea, Granger."

Hermione blushed again, and as Blair turned around, she put a hand to her chest to try and calm her heart down. Hermione didn't know why Blair's simple ruffling of her hair made her look more beautiful than she already was. She could've sworn that Blair would hear how hard her heart was ramming against her ribcage if she took a step towards her. 

Thankfully, Harry came in at that moment and saved Hermione from exposing the things she had been feeling towards Blair.

The three of them moved to the common room after Peeves started making a ruckus. Peeves and Blair were usually friendly with each other, but Peeves mistook them using the Summoning Spell as them throwing things at him. So, Blair, Harry and Hermione moved to the Common room.

"That's better, Harry, that's loads better," Hermione said, looking exhausted but very pleased. 

Blair tried this time. "Accio Dictionary!" 

The book soared out of Hermione's hands, flew across the room and Blair caught it. Blair smiled even wider as she saw Hermione's delighted look. "Blair, I really think you've got it." 

Blair beamed at her before turning to practice the other spell she needed. She tuned Harry and Hermione out as she raised her wand and pointed it at the book. 

"Draconifors." Blair smiled as the book turned into a small dragon. Then, she pointed her wand once more. "Engorgio." Blair smiled before she turned the dragon back to a book and tried again.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

"Blair, wake up!" 

Someone started shaking her, but Blair hugged her pillow and nuzzled into it, surprised at its sudden softness. 

"Blair Aika Wood, wake up now!" 

But Blair couldn't care less as she tightened her grip around her pillow, smiling softly before kissing it. "Mhmm, Mione. I love you." There were sounds of snickers, but Blair's eyes fluttered open as she felt someone hit her shoulder hard.

"Ow!" Blair yawned before looking around, her eyes resting on Hermione's red face. Blair looked down and saw her own arms wrapped around Hermione's waist and her own face was near Hermione's hand.

Blair's eyes widened in realization. "W-What-" Then, her jaw dropped open. Blair yelped as she jumped up but tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground.

Blair scrambled to her feet, her face redder than Hermione's. "W-What- I- I didn't-" 

Harry, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Fred, George and Ginny laughed at Blair's stuttering while Lavender, Fay and Parvati giggled at the sight. Blair was about to speak again when Hermione rubbed at her eyes and sighed. "It's fine. I've got to get ready, and you should too."

Blair stared after her, still bewildered at what happened, but she frowned at the empty feeling that came over her body, already missing the warmth of holding Hermione in her embrace.

After that incident, it seemed that the panic had now settled into Blair's mind. Neville, Dean and Seamus already gave her a pep talk before letting her go down to the Great Hall with Harry. People passed her by, wishing her good luck or hissing at her, but the day passed by quickly for Blair as lunch soon came. 

Professor McGonagall hurried over to them. "Potter, Wood, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now. You have to get ready for your first task."

"Okay," said Harry, standing up, his fork falling onto his plate with a clatter. 

Blair smiled at Professor McGonagall, standing up as well. 

"Good luck, Harry, Blair," Hermione whispered. "You'll be fine!" 

Blair smiled at her to express her thanks. She wanted to say the words, but she couldn't even open her mouth due to the anxiety and nerves.

Blair and Harry left the Great Hall with Professor McGonagall. She didn't seem herself either; in fact, she looked nearly as anxious as Hermione. As she walked them down the stone steps and out into the cold November afternoon, she put her hands on each of their shoulders.

"Now, don't panic," she said, "just keep a cool head. We've got wizards standing by to control the situation if it gets out of hand. The main thing is just to do your best, and nobody will think any the worse of you. Are you two all right?" 

"Yes," Blair heard Harry say. "Yes, I'm fine." 

"Me too, Professor Minnie." Blair smiled weakly. Professor McGonagall shook her head in amusement before walking on.

She was leading them toward the place where the dragons were, around the edge of the forest, but when they approached the clump of trees behind which the enclosure would be clearly visible, Blair saw that a tent had been erected, its entrance facing them, screening the dragons from view.

"You're to go in here with the other champions," said Professor McGonagall, in a rather shaky sort of voice, "and wait for your turns, Potter, Wood. Mr. Bagman is in there he'll be telling you the procedure. Good luck." 

"Thanks," said Harry and Blair, in a flat, distant tone.

She left them at the entrance of the tent. Blair squeezed Harry's hand before the two of them went inside. Fleur Delacour was sitting in a corner on a low wooden stool. She didn't look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. When her eyes met Blair's, she sent her a weak smile. Viktor Krum looked even surlier than usual, but turned to send Blair a nod. Blair was surprised before she smiled back at him. 

"Harry! Blair! Good-o!" said Bagman happily, looking around at them. "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 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!"

Blair nodded once as she glanced around. While Fleur and Krum didn't react at all, Harry did the same as Blair. Blair was starting to think that she could probably run out of Hogwarts and hide away forever, but then again, that wasn't Blair.

Then, Bagman was opening the neck of the purple silk sack. "Ladies first," he said, offering it to Fleur and Blair. Blair motioned Fleur to go first. Fleur put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon — a Welsh Green. It had the number one around its neck.

Blair took a deep breath before putting in her hand and taking out a dragon. Her breath hitched as she saw it was the Peruvian Vipertooth, the deadly one, with a number four around its neck, but Blair kept her mouth shut as she retreated to her position. Krum pulled out the scarlet Chinese Fireball. It had a number two around its neck. He didn't even blink, just sat back down and stared at the ground. Harry put his hand into the silk bag and pulled out the Hungarian Horntail, and the number three. Blair and Harry exchanged glances. Of all the dragons, they had to pick the deadliest and most dangerous.

"Well, there you are!" said Bagman. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I'm going to have to leave you in a moment, because I'm commentating. Ms. Delacour, you're first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right? Now... Harry, Blair... could I have a quick word? Outside?"

"Er... yes," said Harry blankly. Blair stood up and went out of the tent with Harry and Bagman, who walked them a short distance away, into the trees, and then turned to them with a fatherly expression on his face. "Feeling all right, Harry, Blair? Anything I can get you two?"

"What?" said Blair with confusion. "We — no, nothing." 

"Got a plan?" said Bagman, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Because I don't mind sharing a few pointers, if you'd like them, you know. I mean," Bagman continued, lowering his voice still further, "you're the underdogs here, you two. Anything I can do to help..."

"No," said Harry so quickly he had sounded rude. 

Blair let out a sigh. "No, Mr. Bagman, sir — we — we know what we're going to do, thanks."

 "Nobody would know, Harry, Blair," said Bagman, winking at them. 

"No, we're fine," said Blair. "We've got a plan and-" 

A whistle had blown somewhere. "Good lord, I've got to run!" said Bagman in alarm, and he hurried off.

Blair and Harry walked back to the tent and saw Fleur emerging from it, greener than ever. Fleur walked past them, but Blair caught her by the wrist. "Good luck, Fleur. You've got this." 

Fleur sent her a grateful smile before they went on their separate ways. Harry and Blair went back inside to Krum. Seconds later, they heard the roar of the crowd, which meant Fleur had entered the enclosure and was now face-to-face with the living counterpart of her model. Blair closed her eyes and tried to tune out the shouts and cheers as she tried to calm down her nerves. After about ten minutes, Blair heard the deafening roar that could mean only one thing: Fleur had gotten past her dragon and captured the golden egg. 

"Very good indeed!" Bagman was shouting. "And now the marks from the judges!" After a few minutes of cheers, Bagman yelled again. "One down, three to go! Mister Krum, if you please!"

When Krum left, Blair smiled at Harry weakly. "I think we should name ourselves that. Deadly and Dangerous: Potter and Wood. We're quite the double act." 

Harry chuckled lowly as he smiled at Blair. "At least I've got you, eh, Aika?" 

Blair laughed genuinely for the first time that day. "Always. Always, James." 

The cheers then erupted and Blair heard the whistle blow. It was Harry's turn. Blair stood up shakily and gave him a quick hug. "Good luck, Harry." 

"Thank you, Blair." Harry walked out through the entrance, and Blair was all alone.

Blair let out a sigh as she held her head in her hands. "Psst! Blair." 

Blair's head snapped up as she looked around, and her face heated up as she saw Hermione there. 

"Mione." Blair immediately pulled her into a hug.

Hermione cupped her face softly and looked her in the eyes. "Don't worry, Blair. You can do this. You just have to-" 

"Fight a dragon, yeah." Blair dully said, not even bothering to hide her nerves. 

Suddenly, Blair felt a warmth on her cheek. Her eyes widened as her hand flew to her cheek and she looked at Hermione with red cheeks. "H-Hermione." 

Hermione just smiled as she hugged Blair once more.

A flash caused them to pull away from each other. It was Rita Skeeter, smirking at them. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here." 

Hermione rolled her eyes before squeezing Blair's hand. "I'll go watch Harry now." 

As Hermione left, Blair stared after her with a smile on her face. Hermione's sudden visit definitely made her feel better. Then, after 9 minutes, she heard the cheers from outside the tent and smiled. Harry must've succeeded. She heard Bagman shout, but Blair closed her eyes and thought of Hermione. Hermione who she loved so. Hermione who always had a way to make her feel better. 

Then, she heard Bagman shout once more. "Our last champion, Miss Wood!" Blair took a deep breath before walking out at the blow of the whistle.

Blair heard the cheers, the applause, everything, but her sight was focused on the Peruvian Vipertooth. Sure, it was smaller than the others, but it was deadly and fast. Blair caught sight of the golden egg under the Vipertooth's clutch. She didn't care about the noise anymore. Blair thought of a certain brunette witch before raising her wand. 

"Accio Herman!" Blair waited and hoped that Herman would come flying towards her. She kept on looking around, but Herman wasn't there then she heard it. Herman's hoots as he came hurtling toward Blair. 

Blair raised her wand quickly. "Draconifors! Engorgio Maxima!" 

Herman suddenly turned into a red dragon with rough scales, a little smaller than the Vipertooth. As he flew past her, Blair reached a hand out and hoisted herself up on Herman's back.

The crowd was making even more noise as Blair directed Herman and felt the breeze of the wind. All fear left Blair, and she felt as if she belonged. She was in her zone. Blair took a deep breath. "Okay, Herman. Let's go!" 

At her command, Herman dove down and dodged the jet of fire that came from the Vipertooth's mouth. "Great Scott, another flier! A dragon flier at that." yelled Bagman as the crowd shrieked and gasped. "Are you watching this, Mr. Krum, Mr. Potter?"

Blair directed Herman out of the way as the Vipertooth broke out of his chains and flew after them to the horror of the crowd. 

"Bloody hell!" Blair shouted as they got into a chase, but it wasn't a good chase as the Vipertooth chased after them. 

"Herman, let's go!" Herman flew out of the stadium, but the Vipertooth chased after them. No matter where they went, he followed, out the stadium and through the grounds. After distracting the Vipertooth for a while and catching a few burns and cuts, Blair let out some breaths before she caught sight of Hermione, looking at her worriedly, in the crowd. She needed a mood booster.

Blair directed Herman and stopped when they were in front of Hermione. Hermione shrieked at her. "Blair! What are you-" 

"Hey Granger! You should play Quidditch. Because you're definitely a Keeper." 

Mixed reactions came from the crowd, some amused, some scared for her life and some torn in between. She could hear McGonagall's shouts and Bagman's comments, but she was focused on Hermione and Hermione only.

Hermione looked at her with horror before glaring. "You idiot! You're going to die." Blair grinned at her response before dodging when the Vipertooth came back. 

"I love you, Granger!" Blair shouted out as she dove towards the unguarded eggs. 

Hermione blushed as people around her started smiling teasingly or nudging her. She let the grin spread on her face. Blair Wood might have been idiotic, but nobody could deny she was sweet.

An idea popped into Blair's head. "Come on, Herman. just a bit more." Everyone gasped as Blair suddenly soared up high towards the Vipertooth. They didn't know what she was doing, but as the dragon opened its mouth, Blair suddenly changed course and turned Herman to go straight for its chin. Blair yelped as the fire caught her shoulder but held out her hand and scratched under its chin. The Vipertooth swayed on the spot before falling down. 

Moving out of its way, Blair dove down and reached out her arm for the egg before soaring up in the air as she tucked it safely under her arm. Finally, Blair became properly aware of the noise of the crowd, which was screaming and applauding as loudly as the Irish supporters at the World Cup —

"Look at that!" Bagman was yelling. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get her egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Ms. Wood!" 

Blair barely saw the dragon keepers rushing forward to subdue the Vipertooth, and, over at the entrance to the enclosure, Professor McGonagall, Professor Moody, and Hagrid hurrying to meet her, all of them waving her toward them, their smiles evident even from this distance.

Blair flew down and turned Herman back. "You did well, Herman." Herman nipped her fingers affectionately before perching on her shoulder as she went to meet her three professors. 

"That was amazing, Little B!" Moody clapped a hand on her shoulder. 

Blair beamed through the pain on her shoulder. "Thanks, Mister Alastor." 

"That was excellent, Wood! Excellent transfiguration indeed, and brilliant thing you did with the dragon, scratching under its chin." cried Professor McGonagall — which from her was extravagant praise. Blair grinned at her and held her shoulder.

Blair noticed that Professor McGonagall's hand shook as she pointed at her shoulder. "You'll need to see Madam Pomfrey before the judges give out your score... Over there, she's had to mop up Potter already." 

"Yeh did it, Blair!" said Hagrid hoarsely. "Yeh did it! An' agains' the Vipertooth an' all, an' yeh know Charlie said that was the deadlies' —"

"Thanks, Hagrid," said Blair loudly, so that Hagrid wouldn't blunder on and reveal that he had shown Harry and Blair the dragons beforehand. 

"Right then, Wood, the first aid tent, please." said Professor McGonagall.

Blair 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 Blair inside. The tent was divided into cubicles. 

Looking better and patched up, Harry smiled and waved her over. "You did great, Blair! I watched you from here. Brilliant! You do remember everything Hermione says. Though Hermione might be furious later." 

Blair was about to answer when Madam Pomfrey examined her shoulder, talking furiously all the while. "Last year dementors, this year dragons, what are they going to bring into this school next? You're very lucky this is quite shallow, it'll need cleaning before I heal it up, though."

Blair thanked her as Madam Pomfrey cleaned the cut with a dab of some purple liquid that smoked and stung, but then poked her shoulder with her wand, and she felt it heal instantly. "Now, just sit quietly for a minute — sit! And then you can go and get your score." 

Blair winced and looked at Harry. "Tell me about yours later, all right?" Harry nodded, and Blair got to her feet, but before she even took a step, two people had come darting inside – Hermione, followed closely by Ron.

"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione exclaimed then turned to Blair with a glare. "And you." She started hitting Blair on her shoulder. Blair smiled and gritted her teeth. She loved the attention coming from her love, but her shoulder wasn't feeling like it right now. "You just had to stop and get out one of your flirty lines during your fight with a dragon." 

Blair grinned and held her hand to stop Hermione from injuring her any further. "Blimey, Mione. I'm fine. I really am." 

"But still-" Hermione was cut off when Blair nudged her and motioned to Ron, who was very white and staring at Harry and Blair as if they were ghosts.

"Harry, Blair," he said, very seriously, "whoever put your names in that goblet — I — I reckon they're trying to do you in!" It was as though the last few weeks had never happened — as though Harry and Blair were meeting Ron for the first time, right after they'd been made champions

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

Hermione and Blair stood nervously between them, looking from one to the other. Ron opened his mouth uncertainly. Blair knew Ron was about to apologize and found that she didn't need to hear it.

"It's okay, Ron," Blair said, before Ron could get the words out. "Forget it." 

"No," said Ron, "I shouldn't've — Well, at least I warned you about the dragons." Blair and Harry looked at each other, confused. 

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Hagrid warned us about the dragons."

Ron shook his head and smiled weakly. "Oh no no, I did. Don't you remember? I told Hermione to tell you that Seamus told me that Parvati told Dean that Hagrid was looking for you. Seamus never actually told me anything, so it was really me all along. I thought you'd be alright, you know, after you figured that out."

Blair looked at him with wide eyes. "Who could possibly figure that out? That's mental." 

Ron fiddled with his fingers. "I suppose I was a bit distraught." 

"Forget it," Harry said. Ron grinned nervously at them, and Harry and Blair grinned back. Hermione burst into tears.

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

Blair glared at him before wrapping an arm around Hermione. "You three are so stupid!" Hermione shouted, stamping her foot on the ground, tears splashing down her front. Then, before any of them could stop her, she had given all of them a hug and dashed away, now positively howling. Blair, Harry and Ron stood there in surprise.

"Barking mad," said Ron, shaking his head. "Blair, c'mon, they'll be putting up your scores. Harry got an 8 from Madame Maxime, 9 from Crouch and Dumbledore, 10 from Bagman and a 4 from Karkaroff, the bloody git." Blair snorted. She let Herman fly away and picked up the golden egg. She ducked out of the tent with Harry and Ron by her side, talking fast.

"You two were the best, you know, no competition. That Fleur girl tried this sort of charm, I think she was trying to put it into a trance — well, that kind of worked too, it went all sleepy, but then it snored, and this great jet of flame shot out, and her skirt caught fire — she put it out with a bit of water out of her wand. And Krum — you won't believe this, but he didn't even think of flying! He was probably the best after you two, though. Hit it with some sort of spell right in the eye. Only thing is, it went trampling around in agony and squashed half the real eggs — they took marks off for that, he wasn't supposed to do any damage to them."

As they reached the edge of the enclosure, Blair 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 said.

Blair, squinting up the field, saw the first judge — Madame Maxime — raise her wand in the air. What looked like a long silver ribbon shot out of it, which twisted itself into a large figure nine.

"Not bad!" said Harry as the crowd applauded. "I suppose she took marks off for your shoulder." 

"Or my stunt." 

The three of them snorted as Mr. Crouch came next. He shot a number nine into the air. "Looking good!" Ron yelled, thumping Blair on the back. Next, Dumbledore. He too put up a nine. The crowd was cheering harder than ever. Then, Ludo Bagman — ten.

"Ten?" said Blair in disbelief. "But I got hurt and did a stunt. What's he playing at?" 

"It was the same with me." Harry commented. 

"Harry, Blair, don't complain!" Ron yelled excitedly. And now Karkaroff raised his wand. He paused for a moment, and then a number shot out of his wand too — five.

"What?" Ron bellowed furiously. "Five? You lousy, biased scumbag, you gave Krum ten!" Blair let out a sigh of relief. Ron's indignation on her behalf was worth about a hundred points to her. She was just glad that Ron had finally believed her, and maybe, even the whole school as they cheered for her.

"You're in first place, Little B, if you ever want to be a dragon keeper, tell me! You've got it in you. And you're tied in second, Harry! You and Krum!" said Charlie, hurrying to meet them as they set off back toward the school. "Listen, I've got to run, I've got to go and send Mum an owl, I swore I'd tell her what happened — but that was unbelievable! Oh yeah — and they told me to tell you you've got to hang around for a few more minutes. Bagman wants a word, back in the champions' tent."

Ron said he would wait, so Harry and Blair reentered the tent, which somehow looked quite different now: friendly and welcoming. Fleur and Krum came in together. One side of Fleur's face was covered in a thick orange paste, which was presumably mending her burn. She grinned at Blair when she saw her. "Good one, Blair." 

"And you," said Blair, grinning back.

"Well done, all of you!" said Ludo Bagman, bouncing into the tent and looking as pleased as though he personally had just got past a dragon. "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 down at those golden eggs you're all holding, you will see that they open... see the hinges there? You need to solve the 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!"

Harry and Blair left the tent, rejoined Ron, and they started to walk back around the edge of the forest, talking hard; Blair wanted to hear what Harry and the other champions had done in more detail. Then, as they rounded the clump of trees behind which Blair had first heard the dragons roar, a witch leapt out from behind them. It was Rita Skeeter. She was wearing acid-green robes as Blair saw a while ago; the Quick-Quotes Quill in her hand blended perfectly against them.

"Congratulations, Harry, Blair!" she said, beaming at them. "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," said Harry savagely. "Good-bye." 

"You can have three from me. Sod off, Skeeter." Blair stuck her tongue out. And she set off back to the castle with Ron and Harry, her heart feeling lighter than it had in days.

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Thank you all for 100 votes on Balter! I really appreciate it uwu, I hope you're enjoying the story so far, and I appreciate all comments and suggestions as well. Thank you again!

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