As I approached McGonagall and Hagrid, their expressions became clearer. McGonagall's lips were pressed into a large smile, a mixture of relief and pride visible in her stern demeanor. Hagrid, on the other hand, looked utterly delighted, his broad grin lighting up his bearded face.
"Harry!" Hagrid boomed, his voice carrying over the lingering noise of the crowd. "That was unbelievable! I ain't ever seen anythin' like it! That spell o' yours—freezin' dragon fire? You're a natural, yeh are!"
Hagrid's enthusiasm was contagious, and I couldn't help but smile as I stopped in front of them.
McGonagall nodded, her usual strictness softened into excitement. "Remarkable, Potter. While I do not condone taking unnecessary risks, your execution was particularly impressive. Your control over such advanced magic is commendable."
"Thank you, Professor, Hagrid," I said, still catching my breath but feeling a rush of satisfaction.
Professor Moody looked very pleased, too; his magical eye was dancing in its socket.
"Nice and easy does the trick, Potter," he growled.
McGonagall's gaze softened further, though her tone remained happy. "Nevertheless, Potter, I trust you'll maintain this level of focus and preparation for the remaining tasks. The Tournament is far from over."
"Of course, Professor," I replied, giving her a small nod.
She sighed, her sternness returning. "Very well. Head to the medical tent to have Madam Pomfrey check you over. Although you hardly seem to need it after that performance, it's procedure. Have her check you over."
"Yes, Professor," I replied, turning toward the medical tent.
As I walked away, the adrenaline from the task began to fade, leaving me a little tired not from the magic that I had performed but just from the whole situation of how far I had come. The crowd's cheers still echoed faintly behind me, though now distant as I approached the quieter area.
Madam Pomfrey was waiting just outside the tent, her sharp eyes immediately scanning me for any visible signs of injury. "Come along, Potter," she said briskly, her voice as no-nonsense as ever. "Let me ensure you haven't done anything foolish like ignoring a burn or strain."
"Dragons!" she muttered, pulling me inside with an exasperated tone. The tent was divided into cubicles, and I could make out Cedric's shadow through the canvas. He was sitting up, looking unharmed for the most part.
I sat on the cot as she waved her wand over me, her diagnostic spells tingling slightly on my skin. As she worked, she muttered more to herself than to me. "Last year Dementors, this year Dragons… What are they going to bring into this school next?"
"You're surprisingly intact, Potter," she said, sounding mildly surprised. "No burns, no strains. It's rather surprising given what you had to face."
"I'll have to ask Minerva how you dealt with the dragon, as I was a bit occupied with the other students."
After a few more seconds of checking, Madam Pomfrey finally gave me the go-ahead with a soft sigh. "You're free to go. Just make sure to take a good rest."
She quickly moved on to check Cedric, leaving me alone in the tent. As I stood up from the cot, the tent flaps suddenly opened, and Hermione darted inside, clinging to me tightly.
"Harry, you were so brilliant!!" she exclaimed, her arms wrapping around me as if she hadn't seen me in ages.
I chuckled softly, feeling the warmth of Hermione's embrace. Her excitement was contagious, and I found myself grinning.
"You really think so?" I asked, teasing a little as I pulled back just enough to look at her face.
"YES!" she exclaimed loudly in my ear.
"You showed me your plan in the room, but seeing the other champions struggle with their dragons, I was still worried. But you did amazingly—you were so relaxed facing that dragon, and your plan worked perfectly."
"Thanks, Hermione," I said, feeling a bit of warmth spread through me.
She pulled back slightly, her hands still gripping my arms. "I just… I don't know how you stay so calm in situations like that. It's like you weren't even fazed."
I chuckled. "Some practice and some faith in your abilities goes a long way. Plus, after dealing with this kind of thing every year I have been at Hogwarts, I've gotten used to it."
She let go of my arms, stepping back. Her cheeks were pink again, as they were always nowadays whenever she was close to me.
She seemed to stare into my eyes for a moment before quickly shaking her head and saying, "Harry, you have to get your scores now. Let's go, though I don't see how anyone could give you anything other than full marks."
Picking up the golden egg, I followed Hermione as she led me toward the judges. As we walked, she began recounting how the other champions had done, though it was mostly the same as what had happened in the canon.
"Honestly, Harry, you were the best," Hermione continued as we reached the judges' table. "No one else had the same level of skill and strategy."
"The marks are out of 10 from each one," she said quietly as we looked at the judges.
Madame Maxime was first. She looked at me for a moment before raising her wand into the air, sending out silver ribbons that twisted and divided, forming a perfect Ten.
Mr. Crouch came next. Without hesitation, he raised his wand and shot the number Ten into the air, his expression stern but approving.
Next was Dumbledore. With a twinkle in his eye, he raised his wand high, and a Ten appeared in the air, glowing warmly. The crowd cheered louder at the gesture.
Ludo Bagman followed, practically beaming as he raised his wand. "Ten!" he shouted with enthusiasm, clearly pleased with his mark.
And now Karkaroff raised his wand. He paused for a moment, glaring at me with his usual intensity. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a number shot out of his wand: Ten.
Though the mark was the same, his face twisted into an expression that suggested he'd eaten something sour, clearly not pleased with the situation.
"You are first, Harry. Even Karkaroff couldn't give you less than perfect marks, even though it seems to hurt him physically." She said, laughing at the expression that Karkaroff was showing.
"We started making our way toward the tent again when Hermione said, 'They told me to tell you to wait in the champions' tent for a while, as Bagman has something he wants to tell you. I'll wait here.'"
I reentered the tent and saw that all the others were also present into the tent. With Cedric having some thick orange paste on the side of his face. I gave a node to Fleur and Krum getting one in return before looking at Cedric. He grinned at me when he saw me.
"Good one, Harry."
"Thanks. You did good as well." I replied, 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!" He finished excitedly.
I left the tent and rejoined Hermione before we started walking toward the castle.
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