I awoke the next morning feeling fully rested. After a refreshing bath, I dressed quickly and made my way to the common room, where Hermione was already waiting for me.
"Good morning!" she greeted with a bright smile.
"Morning," I replied, matching her enthusiasm. Together, we headed to the Great Hall for breakfast.
As we sat at the Gryffindor table, I kept an eye out for Cedric. Yesterday I had been busy with Hermione, so I didn't get the time to tell him, so I decided to do it now. It didn't take long to spot him at the Hufflepuff table, chatting with his friends.
"I'm going to talk to Cedric," I told Hermione quietly.
Her expression turned curious but supportive. "You're going to tell him about the dragons, aren't you?"
"Yes, All the other champions already know, so I will just even out the competition"
"I'll meet you in the greenhouse," I added as I stood up, watching Cedric rise from his seat and head out of the hall with his friends. Without wasting any time, I followed after him.
As I left the hall, I spotted Cedric walking ahead with his friends. Quickening my pace, I called out, "Cedric, can I talk to you for a moment?"
Cedric turned around, surprised but curious. "Sure, Harry," he said, gesturing to his friends to go on without him. They gave me a few curious glances before continuing down the corridor.
I led Cedric a little further away from the entrance to the Great Hall, ensuring we wouldn't be overheard.
"There's something you should know about the first task," I began, lowering my voice. His brow furrowed slightly, but he nodded for me to continue.
"It's dragons," I said bluntly. "The task involves facing one."
Cedric's eyes widened. "Dragons? Are you serious?"
I nodded. "Completely. They've got four, one for each of us, and we've got to get past them."
Cedric looked stunned for a moment, then asked, "But how did you find out? We're not supposed to know."
"They're kept in the Forbidden Forest. I happened to see them while I was there," I explained. "But it's not just us, Fleur and Krum know too. I saw Madam Maxime and Karkaroff there as well. So, just be prepared."
Cedric nodded slowly, his expression shifting from shock to determination. "Thanks for telling me, Harry. You didn't have to."
I shrugged. "It's only fair. If the others know, we all should. And besides, dragons are no joke. Any time you can get to prepare is worth it."
He smiled faintly. "Still, it means a lot. I'll start preparing right away."
"Good luck," I said, clapping him on the shoulder.
As Cedric turned to leave, I made my way toward the greenhouse to meet Hermione.
I arrived at the greenhouse to find Hermione already busy setting up her notes and materials. She looked up as I entered, her eyes bright with curiosity.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"Pretty well," I replied, taking a seat beside her. "Cedric was surprised, but he took it seriously. He's going to start preparing right away."
Hermione nodded approvingly. "That's good. He deserves a fair shot."
After that, we both focused on the lecture about some weird plant that the professor was telling us about.
After lunch, Hermione and I made our way to the Divination classroom. As we entered, the air was thick with incense, and the familiar smell of burnt herbs filled the room.
Professor Trelawney was already standing by the blackboard, her round glasses perched on the tip of her nose as she gazed at us mysteriously.
"Ah, Harry, Hermione," she said in her usual dramatic tone. "Come, sit. Today's lesson will be particularly important for your futures."
We exchanged a glance before sitting down at our usual seats. The room was then soon filled with the rest of the students.
Soon the usual routine began in divination, where we had to read our star signs to tell our future.
I kept my chart in front of me and whispered to Hermione, who was sitting beside me. "Hey Hermione, I can finally understand divination."
"It's all clear to me now, I can finally see the future and in this future I see that next Professor Trelawney would come to our desk and start predicting my imminent death." I finished dramatically.
Hermione chuckled softly, but her eyes twinkled with amusement. "You're probably not far off," she whispered back.
I grinned, watching Professor Trelawney glide over to us, her hands dramatically poised over her crystal ball. As expected, she stopped at our table with an air of mystery.
"Ah, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger," she said, peering over her glasses. "I see troubling times ahead for you, particularly you, Harry. A great shadow looms in your future. Beware the upcoming challenge."
I raised an eyebrow, trying to suppress a smirk. "A shadow looming in my future, you say?" I repeated, mimicking her dramatic tone. "Are you sure that it's not just your own shadow that you are seeing in the crystal ball, Professor?"
Hermione turned her head to the side, trying to hide her laugh.
Professor Trelawney didn't seem to notice my sarcasm. She merely nodded solemnly, her eyes narrowing. "Yes, Harry Potter, the shadow is dark, and the danger is near. You must be vigilant, or it will consume you."
I glanced at Hermione, trying to hide my grin. "I'll make sure to keep an eye out for it, Professor. Though I am sure I can just use the lumos charm to keep it away."
Without acknowledging my response, Trelawney went to see another student, no doubt hoping for a more serious reaction.
With the lesson finished, Hermione and I decided to go to the Room of Requirement for some last-minute practice before the final task.
There, I asked the room to conjure a replica of the Hungarian Horntail, which it actually did—though it was just like a statue that couldn't move.
I reached out to touch the Hungarian Horntail replica, examining its scales and claws. It was impressive, though its stillness made it far less intimidating than the real thing.
"Well, it's huge and terrifying" Hermione said, eyeing the dragon carefully. "I can't imagine how scary the real one is. "
"Well, let me show you how I am going to deal with it. " I told her getting ready to give the fake dragon a beat-down.
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