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Elemental Trinity

A Harry Potter/Pokémon Crossover

By Zero Rewind

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Nov. 24 1994

I was awake by 6 AM thanks to an early night's rest. The others were luckily still asleep; this let me go through my morning routine without issue, though I felt a nervous energy slowly settling over me.

Afterwards, I sat down on the side of my bed, trying to think furiously. I felt like I hadn't prepared enough. Why did I take a day off? I could've snuck in a few hours of spell training; maybe hit up the Forbidden Forest once more.

An incredulous, desperate smile spread over my face.

I wanted to willingly go into the Forest.

There had to be something wrong with that.

"Scared?" Red asked quietly.

I gave a shaky nod, feeling ashamed to even admit it.

"Good." Red declared.

"How is that good?" I asked, curiosity and annoyance coloring my tone.

"Means you're not a moron." Red explained calmly, always the voice of reason. "It means you'll do this carefully, and not put yourself at any more risk."

"Yeah." I agreed, feeling some of the tension ease away. "You're right. It's true that bravery is better than fearlessness."

I grabbed the set of athletic robes provided by the Ministry for the task, and began to put them on, before hesitating. With a frown, I threw them back on the bed.

"What's the matter?" Red seemed confused. "Is the size too small?"

"No, it's not that." I denied. "I just don't want to wear it."

I grabbed the backpack at the foot of my bed, and pulled Red's clothes out, instead.

There was silence for a moment.

"I thought you said that it wasn't your style?" Red asked, sounding somewhat amused.

"Red isn't my favorite color, no; and I said that three weeks ago." I murmured quietly, knowing the Pokédex's audio detection was superb. I stared down at the athletic robes with intense dislike. "But I won't wear anything they've given me. They got me in this bloody tournament, in the first place. I'll be damned if I represent them or any of their interests."

Red did not reply.

"You and Hagrid were the only ones who have helped me. I'm sure Sirius would have, if he wasn't busy being chased around by Aurors. Everyone else abandoned me." I said. "So I'll wear your colors, Red."

"…Are you sure?" There was something I couldn't quite place in Red's tone.

"I'm a Trainer, now, aren't I?" I said with a small smile and picked up the jacket. "Besides, I think I could grow to like it."

"I.. You don't…" Red's voice seemed strained, before settling for, "Thank you, Harry."

I could only imagine what Red was feeling right now. I shook my head and continued to put everything on. With a few flicks of my wand, the clothes shrank to accommodate my smaller figure.

My smile turned sad as I secured the final item atop my head; Red's hat.

A few pats here and there, and a few checks in the mirror later, I nodded in satisfaction.

"What do you think?" I adjusted my cap in the mirror, feeling a little uncomfortable looking at myself.

"I might be a bit biased." Red said. "But you look like a badass."

"A bit?" I rolled my eyes. "Well, at least you're honest about it."

"Seriously, Harry." Red insisted. "It suits you."

I kept staring at myself.

"Nice jacket, Harry." Dean's voice piped up. I swiveled to see the boy in bed, sitting up. I gave a quiet nod of thanks, before turning back to the mirror and giving myself a final look.

Then, I grabbed my backpack and made my way out of Gryffindor Tower.

My destination: Hagrid's hut.

I drew a mix of curious and baffled stares as I went through the corridors. For once, the stares didn't bother me.

Actually, I felt a sort of elation with every step I took. When had I stopped caring entirely?

"No more pretenses." I promised myself. "No more compromises. No more worrying about appearances."

All this drama over broken friendships— a waste of time if there ever was any. What's done is done. If they apologized, I would forgive them. Not that I'd trust them so freely again— only a fool would bare their neck for someone who'd bitten them before.

If they wanted my trust back, they had to earn it.

I felt oddly liberated by the time I'd made it to Hagrid's home.

The giant of a man was already outside, busy tending to a few pumpkins. He gave me an odd look, recognizing who the outfit belonged to, before waving me over.

"Breakfast on the table if yeh want it." Hagrid lazily pointed to his home.

A nod.

"Thank you, Hagrid, but I'll eat in the Great Hall this time." I smiled, pulling my Pokédex and placing it in the backpack alongside my belt and Pokéballs. "Could you put this somewhere near where the task is supposed to take place? I plan on summoning it."

"Will do, Harry." Hagrid wiped at his hands and took my pack, moving inside for a few seconds before coming out. "Ready?"

"If I'm not ready by now, then I never will be." I said.

"Yeh'll do great, Harry." Hagrid sounded convinced. "Yeh been trainin' all this time, deep in th' forest. Yeh'll beat the others, easy."

"The battle experience will prove to be useful." I took a breath. "I should be able to get past the dragon, maybe even fight it for a bit if I had to."

"Anyway." I gave him another awkward smile. "I'll see you after the task, Hagrid. Thanks again for all the help you gave me."

"No need for tha'." He gave me a great big hug, before turning away and wiping at his face. "Go on, then. Away with yeh. We'll celebrate after yeh win!"

My face flushed and I wiped at my eyes as well.

"Yes," was all I said.

I turned and made my way back to the castle, feeling invigorated.

Hagrid, Red, Sirius… They all believed in me.

I stopped to take a breath, staring at my right hand for a few moments. It was as If I was looking at it for the first time. A strange feeling came over me, a sort of painful euphoria; a strange epiphany which seemed banal at first glance, but spoke of depths beneath depths.

A simple complexity.

They all believed in me, and they were right to do it. I was a completely different person than I was the night my name came out of the Goblet of Fire. I was better.

I felt powerful.

I stared at my hand for another second, before my face broke out in a wide grin. I clenched it shut, exulting in the sudden pressure against my fingers. I made it to the Great Hall, drawing the gaze of just about everyone in there.

"What is he wearing?"

"Potter looks different."

"Obviously, he's gone Muggle."

"No, it's not that." One student said. "There's a certain look in his eyes. Don't you see it?"

"Didn't expect you to find his eyes so interesting." One quipped.

"Oh, sod this." A groan.

They really had nothing better to do, huh? I rolled my eyes at their obsessive nature— why I ever thought their opinion mattered was beyond me— and took a seat next to Neville, who gave me an odd look.

"What're you wearing, Harry?" Neville squeaked as I piled some eggs and bacon on my plate, digging in with gusto.

I glanced at him before going back to my food and gave him a simple, if vague, reply. "It's just something which has become very precious to me."

He could tell I meant every word, so he changed the subject.

"I'm sorry, Harry." Neville apologized. "About yesterday, I mean. I didn't mean to get angry."

I frowned for a second, before my face relaxed when I realized what he was talking about.

"You don't ever have to apologize for that, Neville." I assured the boy. "If anything, I'm the one who should be sorry. I as good as insulted your parents, mate. I know I'd be bloody furious— turned my cousin's aunt Marge into a balloon just before my third year for calling my mum a bitch."

Neville frowned at the offered story. It was probably not what he expected my life out of school to be like. We were both silent for a few moments.

"Harry!" Hermione's voice pierced through the slightly tense atmosphere.

I felt her arms tightly wind around me, and stopped eating. "Could you let me have my last meal in peace, Hermione?"

She let go. I turned to see her looking white as a sheet.

Her eyes were puffy and red— she'd been crying.

I felt a little bad, but I didn't comment on it. She was the one who abandoned me, not the other way around.

"I'm so sorry, Harry!" She hugged me again, babbling and sniffling in a futile attempt to stop her tears from flowing. We were starting to draw quite a few stares. "I should have helped you get ready for the task!"

I took a breath.

"You should have." I calmly replied, though I could not help the tinge of frost that bled into those three words. She stiffened, as if struck.

"I had that one coming. I'm so sorry, Harry..." She repeated helplessly. "I shouldn't have doubted you! I let everything go wrong, it's my fault."

"How is it all your fault?" I sounded almost amused at her freak out.

"Because you're not talking to me, and neither is Ron, and he's not talking to you either, and…" She trailed off, at a loss for words. "I don't know what to do.."

"You and Ron had a fight?" I asked. I must have been out of the loop. Then again, I'd been training nonstop for the past few weeks to care all that much.

"Yes, he wanted me to send you a note to tell you to head down to Hagrid's." She explained, sniffling. "But we had a fight because he didn't want to do it, himself. I told him I don't want to get between you two, and we started shouting at each other; then, he left."

Ah, so Ron did at least try and warn me about the dragons; it was probably a moot point, since I'd gone straight to Hagrid as soon as I figured out he might have been involved in the task.

Still, that earned him a few points— if he ever pulled his head out his ass and apologized.

"I forgive you, Hermione." I said after a long moment, pulling away from her. "But this is the only chance I will give you. If you try to break my trust, then I will never speak to you again."

Her happy expression gained a hint of trepidation, but she nodded regardless. "I promise, Harry."

I nodded and went back to breakfast, scooting over slightly so there'd be enough room for one more. "Good."

She happily took the offered seat.

"So, do you think you're ready, Harry?" Neville asked, changing the subject.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." I said. "I've been training hard in the last few weeks. I'm ready for anything."

"What're you wearing?" Hermione blurted out after a few moments of silence.

I stifled a smirk. I was wondering when she'd crack.

"How long did you hold that question in?" I asked her right back.

She huffed, though red began to flood her cheeks. "You know, it's rude to answer a question with another question, Harry."

"Indeed it is, Hermione." I confirmed, lazily spearing a nearby sausage and taking a large bite. "Indeed it is."

She huffed, but did not press the matter. Likely, she felt uncomfortable doing so, right after we made up.

"I'll explain it to you after the task." I said, before glancing at Neville thoughtfully. "Both of you. Suffice to say, it has to do with why I feel ready for the task."

"You didn't enchant it, did you?" Hermione bit her lip worriedly. "You're only allowed a wand."

"I didn't enchant it, no." I said, rolling my eyes. "It's just a regular jacket and a pair of jeans, Hermione."

"I've never seen you wear anything like it, before." Hermione commented, before shaking her head and giving me an anxious gaze. "I'm so worried about you, Harry. What if you get hurt?"

"Don't be." I said confidently. "I can take whatever this tournament will throw at me; you have no idea how well I've prepared for this whole thing."

Hermione gave me her 'I'm trying to figure you out' gaze, before nodding.

"All right, Harry." Hermione said, beginning to realize our previous friendship dynamic had completely changed. "I will be there cheering for you!"

"Me too, Harry." Neville said, smiling.

"Awesome, that makes three of you." I smiled back. "Yay, me!"

"Who's the third?" Neville asked before Hermione could.

"Hagrid." I revealed. I let that sink in.

"…Aren't the teachers forbidden from helping the students?" Hermione asked with a frown.

Cheating always was one of Hermione's worst enemies.

"Helping me?" I put an exaggerated look of outrage on my face. "I beg your pardon. I have been visiting my very dear friend Hagrid for tea and moral support!"

Neville snorted into his drink.

Hermione had no answer to that one.

I stood up.

"All right." I said, pulling down at my black shirt slightly. "Well, it's been fun, guys. I better meet with the Ministry officials so they can set me up for the task."

"All right, Harry. Good luck!" Neville said. Hermione nodded along with his words.

I turned, ready to go, only to see Malfoy there, giving me his customary smirk.

"Ready to get roasted, Potter?" Malfoy looked almost gleeful, gesturing at the two brutes behind him. "Goyle, here, thinks you might last ten minutes against the dragon. I don't think you'll make it past two."

I felt the typical rush of anger at the casual way he was referring to my possible demise, before I got an idea.

"So sure of your prediction… Let's make a bet, then, Malfoy." I gave him a superior smirk. "I'll give you a thousand galleons if I fail the task."

He grinned ferociously, a glint of greed showing in his eyes. "I'll take that bet, Potter."

"You haven't heard the rest of it." I chided him, as if I was talking to a five year old boy. "Patience, did your father not teach you manners? What, with that cane of his…"

Draco twitched at the mention of the cane. I felt bad for a moment, before shaking the feeling off. The little shit kept picking these fights with me; so, I wasn't going to feel bad about hitting back. Not when he was joking about my possible death.

"If you lose, Malfoy…" I said. "You have to kiss McGonagall on the lips. For five seconds. And you have to use your tongue."

Malfoy went white and wide eyed at my words. The Gryffindors around us gaped— Neville choked on his eggs. Hermione looked scandalized.

I smirked wider.

"What's wrong, Draco?" I said in an imitation of his father's voice. "Are you afraid? Where's that Malfoy pride?"

Draco gave me the most furious glare he could muster, turned away, and stomped back to his own table, his two perpetual guards lumbering in his wake.

My smirk widened. I knew he wouldn't take that bet.

"Harry." Neville was still banging at his chest. "That was brilliant."

"Thank you, Neville." I gave him and Hermione a nod, before walking away. "Wish me luck."

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I was the third one to reach the tent the Ministry had set up near the dragon's nest. I would've been the first one, but Director Crouch tried his best to make me change into "Tournament appropriate robes", rather than the "silly garments" I was wearing.

My reply to him had Bagman stifling a roar of laughter.

The man's face had colored into an interesting shade of red, reminiscent of my uncle in some ways, really, but he had stiffly walked away, not deigning to give me any reply.

Then again, I supposed that telling him I would use his Ministry-distributed robes if he'd got on his knees and polished off my wand was not the smartest thing I could have said.

I shrugged. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

He wasn't a school official, so I didn't have to worry about detentions, and the like. He was just another Ministry stooge. None of those scumbags were likely to get any respect from me.

Anything that happened today, I could probably blame the "stress of having to go through a life threatening experience". Besides, I was famous, wasn't I? Famous people always got away with doing messed up things.

As I entered the tent, I got a baffled glance from Cedric. These clothes really did take everyone's attention, huh? Must be the red in them.

Krum, on the other hand, gave me a single, significant glance, before scowling and staring at one of the tent walls. I shrugged, found a spot for myself, and began to do some calisthenics to get the blood flowing more easily.

"All right, Harry?" Cedric greeted me.

"I'm fine." I stopped my exercise to give him a nod. "About as ready as I'll ever be. You?"

"Same." He said, giving me a confident grin. "Good luck, Harry."

"Keep all that luck for yourself, Diggory." I sniped good-naturedly. "I won't need it."

"Nice bit of bravado there, Harry." Cedric threw in a condescending look. "This isn't like in Quidditch."

"You're right." I said, shuddering slightly. "No dementors."

He shuddered as well. "I still get nightmares about that."

"You and me both, mate." I admitted. "At least they made for effective truancy officers."

"You can say that again." He commiserated, just as Fleur entered the tent, looking around as if bored. She really had that condescending look mastered.

"Resting bitch face", Red had called it once. I couldn't help but agree with his assessment.

The tension rose in the tent as the other Champions began to size each other up. Fleur looked bored. Krum gave his world famous scowl, the one we'd seen in the World Cup. Cedric maintained his confident grin.

I yawned and picked my nose, flicking the booger at Fleur.

Her carefully schooled expression quickly transformed into a cringe as she dodged the offending hardened ball of bacteria filled mucus. She gave me a death glare for the trouble.

I smirked in her face. Cedric looked like he was trying to stifle an incredulous laugh, while Krum's scowl threatened to shift into an amused, if disgusted smile. He schooled it back into the scowl, though it looked to have taken a monumental effort to do so.

"Excellent!" Bagman burst in the tent with two of his assistants as Fleur opened her mouth to berate me, interrupting whatever she was going to say. She settled with sending me murderous looks. "You're all here."

I gave her the most innocent smile I could manage, just to rile her up even further.

She seethed as Crouch finally made his way into the tent, holding a small, wriggling sack in his hand. He handed it to Bagman, giving me a cold glare before making his way back out.

Faintly, I realized Crouch was one of the judges. I gave a mental shrug; I didn't care about winning the tournament. I was more interested in surviving it.

"Gather around, everyone." Ludo said excitedly, causing whatever was in that bag to wiggle around some more. "I will explain the first task to you."

After we made our way to him, he waited a few extra moments in some moronic attempt to build suspense. How thick was this guy? It was obvious that all four us knew that we would be fighting dragons. Considering that all four of us didn't look particularly interested in his big reveal, it should've clued him in.

Oh well.

"Your task today is to retrieve a golden egg." Bagman began to explain. "In the egg, there is a clue which should lead you to your second task."

"I'm sure you're wondering what the catch is." He paused for dramatic effect. "You see, in order to obtain the egg, you must make your way past a dragon."

He paused again to let the severity of his statement sink in.

We made our best attempts to look suitably shocked. If McGonagall were here, she'd see through all four of us. That's how unconvincing we were, at that moment.

Bagman didn't even seem to notice.

"Each of you will have thirty minutes to complete the task." Bagman said, lifting the bag so that our attention was on it, now. "Each of you will be facing one of these dragons. To determine which one you will encounter, you have to reach into this bag and pull out the model of your dragon."

Fleur decided to go first, pulling out a tiny green dragon with the number 2 on a chain wrapped around its neck.

"The Common Welsh Green!" Bagman announced. "You will go second, Ms. Delacour."

He held out the bag at Krum. "If you would, Mr. Krum?"

Krum scowled— I was starting to think that was the only facial expression he was capable of— and pulled out a scarlet dragon with the number 3 on it.

"The Chinese Fireball! You will go third." Bagman said, holding his bag out to me. "Mr. Potter?"

I gingerly reached in and pulled out my dragon. It was covered in black scales and possessed a powerful body, dwarfing that of the two models before it. On the chain around its neck, there was the number 4. I gulped slightly, feeling apprehensive for a moment.

"The Hungarian Horntail! You will go last, Mr. Potter." Bagman declared, before turning to Cedric with his bag. "Which leaves Mr. Diggory the Swedish Short-Snout!"

Cedric pulled out a silvery-blue dragon, staring at it with some trepidation.

"You will have twenty minutes to prepare yourself, Mr. Diggory." Bagman announced, patting the boy on the back. "Good luck, to all of you!"

He swept out of the room, the two assistants following him closely, leaving us four alone in the tent.

"Twenty minutes to prepare the dragon for Diggory…" I muttered to myself. "Thirty for him to get the egg. Twenty to prepare the next one, thirty for the task, and so on… I might have to stay in this damn tent for about… 170 minutes, so I might have to wait in this place for three hours."

I clapped my hands, startling the others, before grabbing my wand and conjuring myself a mat, lying down on it like I didn't have a single care in the world.

Fleur scoffed, drawing my attention. She gave me the coldest glare she could manage. I replied by pretending to pick my nose and flicking imaginary boogers at her. Her glare turned even colder.

I knew it was childish of me, but she just kept getting more and more riled up the more I kept going. It was like she'd never been teased by another man, before. Then again, knowing that she was a Veela, she likely never was.

I remembered when Red had given her a scan during the first few days of my training. He called her a strange oddity, since she read as a Human/Pokémon hybrid. Red had continued on to say that his readings were reminiscent of other fire types.

It made sense. I vividly recalled the Veela during the World Cup. They had transformed into humanoid bird monsters capable of throwing fireballs around. That she had an affinity to fire magic was a given, at that point.

When I focused back to the present, I saw her giving me a superior grin. Had she said something? Oh, she thought I fell under her allure, didn't she?

Well, time to dash her hopes.

"I'm sorry?" I smiled innocently. "I wasn't paying attention. I got so bored my mind started to wander, I thought, maybe I could find some topic of conversation less boring than whatever you were saying. I realized that was the wrong question to ask, since my choices would be unlimited."

Her smug look turned into one of loathing, before she visibly composed herself and stomped over to the other side of the tent, no longer even looking in my direction.

"Well, that was easy." I murmured to myself and lay back on the mat, taking a deep breath and trying to relax.

"We're ready for you, Mr. Diggory." One of Bagman's assistants poked his head through the entrance to the tent, beckoning the Hogwarts Champion over.

"Good luck, Cedric." I called out, not even looking in his direction.

"Thanks, Harry." And, with that, he was off.

I tuned out the announcer's— Ludo's— voice, as well as the cheers of the crowd, and instead focused on my plan of attack. I went over it a few times, adjusting it to fit the situation.

I had to steal an egg from a Hungarian Horntail. Likely, the egg would be placed among other, natural eggs. That meant that the dragon would be especially aggressive. Nesting mothers were always that way.

I remembered some of Mrs. Figg's cats were absolutely horrifying to deal with when approaching their young.

Hm.

I considered the issue for a few minutes, before nodding to myself. I knew exactly what I needed to do.

All that was left was to wait out the rest of the Champions' turns.

"How long does Cedric have left?" I asked aloud, hoping one of the two remaining Champions would answer.

"Fifteen minutes." Krum said curtly, giving me an odd look. "You are not paying attention, Potter?"

"Didn't see the need." I replied. "All we hear is Bagman's moronic announcing. He was just as bad during the World Cup, as I'm sure you remember, Krum."

Krum grimaced. "All too vell."

We descended back into silence for a few minutes, until the crowd let out a monstrous cheer. Moments later, Cedric came back in, holding an egg and looking proud and happy he was able to manage getting it.

"Well done, Cedric." I smiled, giving him a wave.

He gave me a tight nod, before losing his happy expression and sagging in exhaustion. Covered in dirt and soot, half of his robe looked like it was burned right off, and the way he seemed to be favoring his right leg showed that he'd sustained damage to his left one.

A nasty bruise was forming on his forehead.

I would not want to be him tomorrow.

I wondered how bad my own injuries would be. If my luck held out, perhaps I would need to regrow my bones again. Only time would tell.

"Ready, Ms. Delacour?" The same assistant popped in.

Her snooty expression turned slightly fearful, but she nodded as confidently as she could manage, before walking out of the tent. The cheering for her was stronger than Cedric's; likely, that was her Veela allure at work.

Ludo's frantic voice began to die down as I heard Fleur's song covered the entire zone of the first task, making me slowly close my eyelids…

Realizing what was going on, I slapped myself in the face, the sudden motion and flare of pain bringing me back to the land of the waking. A quick glance in Krum's direction had showed he did the same thing. He seemed angry and embarrassed he had been caught off guard, but quickly schooled his expression when he noticed my eyes on him.

He was a bit touchy about appearances, wasn't he? Obsessed with looking strong?

I rolled my eyes, but didn't comment on it.

A minute later, an embarrassed looking Fleur came back inside, holding her egg close to her chest. As she passed me by, I saw that her clothes were fairly singed, with a few burns visible underneath. I gave her a sympathetic wince as she joined with Diggory to be looked over by Madame Pomfrey.

Krum got up, and began to stretch in preparation for his task. I faintly wondered how long it would take him to get the egg.

Fleur had taken around seventeen minutes to get hers, while Cedric had taken twenty. I wouldn't be surprised if Krum managed to do it in fifteen.

The assistant popped his head in, but didn't say a word as Krum forestalled him with a raised hand. He calmly exited the tent, and the crowd exploded in cheers, dwarfing those for Fleur and Cedric combined.

I supposed being an international Quidditch star had its ups.

I closed my eyes. I might as well take a nap. Fleur's song had done a number on me.

"Mr. Potter, we're ready for you." I felt someone nudging me.

"Huh?" I said intelligently, wiping at my eyes. "Krum's already done? Hasn't even been a minute, has it?"

"It's been sixteen minutes, Mr. Potter." The assistant looked amused. "Too boring for you, was it?"

I shook my head and got up, making sure to stretch and get limber.

"Man, I've been lying on this mat for around an hour." I said and vanished the aforementioned mat with a silent wave of my wand. "I'd like to see you fully cognizant while on it, listening to Fleur's lullaby."

"…Right." He said, gesturing me to move to the exit.

I obeyed, but was stopped by another assistant.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter, this might take a bit longer than expected." He apologized. "Your dragon is putting up quite the struggle."

I should have just kept lying down. I stifled a disappointed sigh.

"That's fine." I crossed my arms and waited.

Ten minutes later, the assistant popped his head in.

"We good?" I asked unnecessarily.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. Whenever you're ready."

I gave a nod and stepped through the exit. The crowd cheered as Bagman announced my entry into the task's zone, though I could hear a few 'boo's, as well as jeers, here and there.

I rolled my eyes and paid it no mind, stepping further in the enclosure. My grogginess was washed away completely as adrenaline began to course through my veins, readying me for the life and death struggle I was about to commence.

I looked around.

No sign of the dragon, yet.

I passed one of the rock outcroppings before finally seeing the Hungarian Horntail in its full glory. Scales as black as night, with a piercing, yellow glare, the Horntail cut for an imposing figure.

And, it was huge; larger than even Fluffy was, and that mutt was huge. The Horntail could probably fit two of me in its mouth, alone; easily, at that.

Our eyes locked for a second, before it snarled and yowled, sending pillars of flame skyward in a show of power.

But that brought notice to the shackle around its neck, as well as the gleaming golden egg sitting among a few cement colored ones underneath it. I locked onto my target, going over possible scenarios to fight against it.

"I can do this." I murmured to myself, feeling both trepidation and excitement.

This was the culmination of all the hard work I put forth the last three weeks. I waited for the cannon fire to signal my starting time, before going straight to work.

"Accio!" I directed my will into the charm, summoning the backpack I had Hagrid place nearby. I waited for a bit, studying the dragon as I moved slightly to the right, its eyes following me every step of the way.

The crowd shouted, pointing at the backpack flying over them and into my waiting hands.

I smiled and unzipped the pack, pulling out my needed tools and wearing it back on. I clipped my belt on, and then pointed the Pokédex at the dragon. It beeped for a few seconds, scanning the creature with its green ray. The Horntail seemed to take offense at this, and spewed flame in my direction.

I heard the crowd gasp as I dove behind a nearby rock, easily avoiding the dragon flame. From this distance, the only way its flames could reach me was if I didn't move.

"Dragon type." Red seemed intrigued. "Incredibly large, though it would make sense, most of your modern day Pokémon have given up their Aura power in order to attain mega-fauna status. This means that, if my suspicions are correct. it is not capable of utilizing Dragon-type moves; its breath did not possess any of the traits found in true dragons, reading almost exactly like Charmander's own flames. Preliminary scans on its musculature and various naturally evolved weapons indicate a high physical attack potential, though slow on the ground judging by its overall build. Diversionary tactics are ideal, as its flight capability has forcefully been limited."

I nodded at the experienced Trainer's analysis, pressing the buttons on my Pokéballs and releasing my companions with three flashes of light.

The three looked around, eyes finally settling on the humongous creature before them, before looking at me as if to say "are you fucking crazy?"

"I know." I agreed, but stared ahead of them resolutely. "That's what we've been preparing for this whole time. That's what all the hard training was about, guys. Are you with me?"

No hesitation; they nodded.

I smiled at them, noting that Bagman's commentary was about my prodigious skills in post-NEWT level conjuration. I supposed it did look like I conjured my Pokémon, huh?

"Okay." I said, pocketing the Pokédex and clapping to gain their attention. "Charmander, you're to go to the left side. Keep throwing Embers at its eyes. It won't hurt it much, but it should probably annoy it. Squirtle, you're going to be doing the same from the right, but you'll be hitting its hind legs. I'll be attacking its wings, and helping you out as best as I can. You watch my back, also. Got it?"

Charmander nodded, and Squirtle gave a salute.

"One last thing; its fire is really strong, guys. Dodge it at all costs— even you, Charmander, though I think maybe your tail would be safe. Don't let it hit your main body, though."

They nodded, before springing into action, rushing to flank the dragon.

I turned to Bulbasaur. "Your job's the most important one, Bulbasaur. You have to get set up a bit closer, and when you see a chance, use your Vine Whip to grab the egg. All right? Don't let it see you."

Bulbasaur cried in assent before stepping behind a rock, watching the Horntail carefully as Charmander began to pelt it with medium sized balls of fire, causing parts of the crowd to laugh as they smacked harmlessly into its hide.

Sure seemed to get its attention, though. With a roar, it sent a long stream of flame towards Charmander, who easily dodged it, showing the fruit of our training.

Charmander stopped, and decided to put his tail flame in the dragon's fire for a few seconds, before leaping and flinging a fireball the size of Hagrid right in its face.

The ensuing explosion had me covering my face, the strong winds sending debris flying every which way. Then, the crowd cheered.

"Merlin's beard." I heard half of them shout in appreciation.

I supposed they liked a good show. I gave Bulbasaur one last nod, before striding forward to the dragon, my wand drawn and pointed right at the cloud of smoke, not even waiting for it to clear as I sent a spell to where I thought its wings were.

"Diffindo!" I sent the cutting curse into the slowly clearing smoke, causing the Horntail to roar in pain. The crowd went silent as the smoke finally cleared, showing the dragon looking straight at me, enraged. My spell had torn into one of its wings. It wasn't strong enough to go right through, but it certainly looked like it hurt, judging from the slowly leaking blood running down its wing.

It roared, coiling its legs— oh shit, it was going to lunge. Just before it leapt, a strong, pressurized stream of water cut into its hind leg, distracting it enough to fall short of my body by fifteen feet.

Instead, I found myself face to face with the Horntail. It snarled and opened its mouth, the back of its throat glowing red with heat.

People in the crowd were screaming for me to move.

Without thinking, I pointed my wand and cast "Aguamenti!" sending the strongest stream of water I could manage into its mouth. A veritable torrent rushed down its throat, cutting its roar short.

I didn't let up, shooting as much as I could before diving backwards, narrowly missing a swipe of its claws which made the air vibrate with the force of its move.

I ran for it.

As I began to gain some distance, I heard the sound of heaving, and a large splash of water behind me. I howled in unhinged laughter as I realized I had just given the dragon a coughing fit.

Seconds later, it snarled in my direction, planning another attempt to roast me alive.

I turned to see its mouth open long enough for a black ball to smack right in its face, exploding and covering its head in roiling black smoke.

"Smokescreen from Charmander." Red supplied tonelessly. I nodded, thankful for Red's calm demeanor, and turned to Bulbasaur, whose extended vine had already wrapped around the egg, pulling it towards us, causing the crowd to roar with approval.

I aimed my Pokéballs at Charmander and Squirtle; they were still in the dragon's danger zone, and it would take them too long to run back.

"Good job, Bulby! Return, Charmander, Squirtle!"

I gave a grin as I quickly returned Charmander and Squirtle to their Pokéballs and ran for the tent, Bulbasaur right behind me, the egg tightly held in her vines.

"I'm so proud of you guys." I said, caressing the two Pokéballs as we came back into the tent. I turned to Bulbasaur, who quickly handed me egg and retracted her vines.

"You, too. Bulby! Great job." I smiled and gave Bulbasaur a good rub on the head; she gave a happy cry and rubbed up against my leg. I guess she liked her new nickname.

I took two steps in the tent, before realizing that I hadn't actually seen what score the judges had given me, and then stepped out once more. The dragon had rushed back to her eggs as her handlers began to surround her.

I breathed a sigh of relief, before turning to where the judges stood above the rest in their special box. Bagman and Crouch already had their wands out, displaying a 10 and an 8 respectively. Odd, I was expecting the old timer to give me a five, or something.

Well, he was a consummate professional, if nothing else. He still wasn't going to get an apology, though I would probably be a bit more polite, next time.

Madame Maxime shot her wand out in the air, displaying a 9, while Dumbledore gave me a.. 10? Wow, I must've really impressed him. Karkaroff got some boos as he threw out a 7.

Prick.

The crowd cheered my name as I made my way back in the tent, only to come face to face with one of the few things more frightening than a dragon.

"I did not give you permission to leave my medical tent, Mr. Potter." Madame Pomfrey stared me down, looking quite put upon.

"I'm fine." I opened my arms wide, as if to show her. "The dragon didn't even touch me, I swear."

"I'll be the judge of that, Mr. Potter." She said. "I recall, you said you were 'fine' when the bones in your arm were vanished."

"Well, I wasn't in pain—"

"And the time you spent at the end of your Second Year…"

"That was the end of the year climax where I almost die, though. Those don't count." I said, frowning.

"Only you could discount a life threatening experience so brazenly, Mr. Potter." Pomfrey turned and pointed at a nearby bed. "Sit."

I sighed, and obeyed.

She ran her wand over me as Bulbasaur hopped on the bed, staring at the mediwitch curiously.

"A few scrapes and bruises, but for once, you are somewhat correct, Mr. Potter." Pomfrey seemed amazed.

"So, am I free to go?" I said, returning Bulbasaur into her Pokéball. Madame Pomfrey stared as Bulbasaur was sucked into the ball, before shaking her head and addressing me; her duty won out against her curiosity, it seemed.

"No." She said, hesitant to let me go so easily. She handed be a disgusting brown potion. "Not until you take this."

I gave her a mutinous look, before giving up and drinking the foul potion in a single gulp, wincing at the aftertaste it left in my mouth.

"Can I go now?" I asked, sounding anxious.

She gave me one last scrutinizing look, before giving a curt nod.

"Off with you then." She dismissed me, though there was no bite in her tone, judging by the exasperated smile on her face.

I gave a nod, and exited the tent, holding the egg tight against me. Didn't have to tell me twice!

Bagman and his two assistants were waiting outside, as well as the rest of the champions.

"Mr. Potter! That makes four. Excellent!" Bagman said excitedly. "Well done, Champions, for successfully acquiring your egg from the dragons."

All four of us straightened up with pride.

"As you know, we scored you using specific criteria." Bagman explained. "How long it took you to get your egg, how much damage you sustained and the effectiveness of your spells."

We nodded.

"In case you were unable to see your scores, Mr. Potter has the lead, with forty six points. Mr. Krum is second, with forty four points. Ms. Delacour and Mr. Diggory are tied with forty two points!" Bagman declared happily. The other three Champions gave me strange glances.

It wasn't every day a fourteen year old beat three seventeen year olds in a competition, after all. That would teach them to underestimate me.

"Your next task will require you to solve the clue within the egg." Bagman continued excitedly. "Your second task will take place on the 24th of February. Good luck!"

And, with that, they walked away, leaving the four of us alone.

A few seconds passed, before Krum extended his hand to me.

"Vell done, Potter. I did not expect you to succeed." Krum said.

I took his hand, grasping it firmly for a few seconds. "I don't think anyone did. But I trained hard for this."

"It shows." Cedric blurted out, clapping me on the shoulder. "It certainly caught me by surprise, Harry."

Fleur said nothing, still giving me an icy glare, before walking away to her Headmistress. I supposed I pushed a few too many of her buttons.

Still worth it, I thought as I watched her from behind for a few more seconds.

"I must go. Good luck on the second task, Potter, Diggory." Krum gave the two of us nods, before heading towards his own Headmaster, leaving me and Cedric alone.

"I feel like I could sleep for a week." Cedric admitted on the way back to the castle. He shuddered in sudden realization. "They'll be having a party at the Hufflepuff Common Room, won't they? Probably in Gryffindor, as well."

"Probably." I shrugged, before breaking off from the path. "I'm not going back to Gryffindor Tower, right now. Hagrid promised we'd celebrate. It should be a quiet thing. Want to come?"

"Perhaps some other time, Harry. I think I'd prefer a nap." He said, and we broke apart.

Once alone, I began to speak.

"We did it." I said.

"Flawlessly." Was Red's only answer. "The preparation in the Forest was worth it. You were able to subdue an adult Dragon-type using juvenile Pokémon, which is beyond the capabilities of any trainer I'd ever heard of."

"Even you?" I quipped in amusement.

A scoff.

"I'm the Champion." He said, as if it explained everything.

I rolled my eyes as I finally reached Hagrid's home, where he and Hermione were waiting for us with a veritable feast laid out on a table, with a large pile of berries and assorted foods left for my partners.

I smiled and released my Pokémon, moving to speak with my two friends.

"Well done, Harry!" Hagrid boomed, giving me a slap on the back which almost knocked me over, before kneeling towards the three Pokémon. "And, you too, little ones. Didn' think yeh'd be able to put down a dragon, but yeh did!"

Charmander gave an indignant and challenging cry which was supposed to put fear into Hagrid's heart. Instead, he grinned and gave Charmander a pat on the head, before directing my partners to their food.

"Thank you, Hagrid." I smiled at the giant, before turning my gaze to Hermione.

Hermione stared at my Pokémon, and then back at me. She looked like she wanted to say something, but held herself back, probably not wanting to upset me. The fact that she hadn't thrown herself at me in a hug was telling enough.

A moment later, she lowered her head, eyes downcast. Maybe seeing me fight the dragon had hammered it home to her.

Well, shit. I moved to her and wrapped my arms around her. She stiffened in shock.

I had never initiated hugs before, had I?

"I'm still here." I frowned and gave her a few pats on the back. "I'm here. I forgive you."

Hermione cried and tightly hugged me back, babbling and sobbing incoherently. I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat and finally released my own tears, hugging her tighter.

"I missed you." I admitted.

"Me too."

Hermione and I suddenly jumped, feeling something over our backs. We turned to see Bulbasaur, her vines extended to comfort us. Squirtle and Charmander stood next to Bulbasaur, looking concerned.

I wiped at my face and pulled Hermione over.

"Hermione, I'd like you to meet my friends…" I smiled.