Tuesday, November 29, 1994

Potion's Classroom, Basement of Hogwarts Castle

13:02 PM

Percival Ebonwood's POV

The potions lesson had been a gruelling one, filled with mostly theory. The only enjoyable part about Professor Prince's lesson was the discussion at the end, where he would entertain any number of stupid ideas we had. Take today's lesson, for example. Someone asked if we could use the poison we learned about today to kill a mermaid. It eventually got to the point where we were talking about whether it could work on dragons. Anything mentioning dragons is always fun.

I was eager to escape the confines of the dungeon, quickly gathering my belongings as the professor dismissed us, not before mentioning our assignment. And then this shmuck has the gall to go 'Ugh'. I swear, I will skin that goat fucker alive. And now the professor said the person with the lowest mark will have to teach the first-year Ravenclaw and Gryffindor how to brew a hair replenishing potion.

I know it may not sound bad, but trust me, it is bad. You think Ravenclaws would be easy to teach, but with me reintroducing the Extended Project Qualification, some of the children in lower years decided to do something similar. They decided that they would split into three teams, and each of them had to outsmart the teacher at least once per lesson. They criticise you if you forget to dot your 'I'. Furthermore, they read about the subject so much that they may be running out of books for them. What have I done?

I've single-handedly, well, almost single-handedly, created the future of scholars that will revolutionise magic. Don't believe me? In one of the discussion topics with Professor Prince at the end of the potion, they managed to create a whole new recipe for the boils cure that has no semblance to the boils cure in the text book. I've created monsters, and whoever that unlucky fellow is who gets the lowest mark, good luck.

"Mon Coeur, wait up," I hear from behind me. I waited for Fleur to catch up. "Vat are you doing now?"

"I'm planning to go to the library and find the records for the previous Triwizard Tournaments again," I replied. "Why? Do you need anything from me?"

"Wi. You will be spending your afternoon with me," she said.

"But I have plans."

"I would like to use one of my 'No Questions Asked', mon coeur."

"Are you sure?"

"'No questions asked'! It's in the title. Ask no questions," she said as she grabbed my hands and pulled me along. "We are 'aving a picnic. No laughing! I am being serious."

After she said that, I tried not to laugh. It almost got me, but I managed to reel in the urge. We walked through the courtyard and along the path until she led us into the forest. As we walked, we were silent until I decided to break the silence.

"The forest looks better in autumn, doesn't it? It has more colour and more character," I said.

"It's quieter than usual as well. And healthier," Fleur replied.

"Yeah, the ICW got rid of the Acromantula colony, and for the first time in a long time, it's not suffocating to be here. It feels like magic is finally returning here. Its a good change of pace," I said as Fleur led us to an opening.

"I can't imagine a forest of this scale being this devoid of magic. If what you're saying is true, it's just sad," Fleur said as she took my hand.

"You know, a year ago, trees wouldn't bloom here. And flowers definitely wouldn't," I said as I stopped abruptly. "You know the massive spherical boulder; how far away is it?"

"About a two minute walk in that direction," Fleur said, pointing towards the east. "Are you thinking of ditching me?"

"No, not yet," I said jokingly. She did not look happy. "Look, close your eyes for 30 seconds. I just need to check something. If what I'm thinking is true, you'll love it."

She looked even unhappier, but gave me the look to go before she got disappointed. She placed her hands over her eyes, and started counting up from one. Once she did, I apparated at about five points, three-nine kilometres north-east, finding myself in front of a small cave. I got on all fours to see if it was there, and I counted my lucky stars. They were there. I drew my wand to collect them, before appearing back to where I left Fleur.

"... Vingt-sept... Vingt-huit... Vingt-neuf... trente! Times up! I'm opening my eyes," Fleur said as she removed her hands.

"Wait! Give me your hand, but don't open your eyes just yet. Please," I said as she sighed and nodded. She gave me her hands outstretched, and I placed them in her hand. I adjusted her grip and placed her hands in front of her so she could see it better. "Okay, you can open your eyes. I hope you like them."

"Blue Moons! Where did you get these from?" Fleur asked.

"About five kilometres in that direction. I read in the journal of a herbology professor who taught here in the year 1870. He mentioned there was a cave where they grew. I needed Blue Moons, and I searched the forest according to the journal. It turned out to be in the old Acromantula territory. Now that they're gone, I thought maybe I could search for them," I said. "Did you know..."

"Let me stop you there. Don't nerd out and ruin the moment."

"What moment?"

"Sometimes I do wonder..." She muttered the last few words under her breath. "Come on, we have a picnic to get to."

After a short hike, we found a secluded clearing surrounded by towering trees. The ground was carpeted with soft green grass, and wildflowers, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves above. A blanket was spread out with a picnic basket in the middle.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Fleur sat down and laid out sandwiches, fruit, and a bottle of sparkling water. "This place is amazing. Though it's not better than the nature reserve at Beauxbatons, this will do," she said.

We ate, chatted, and laughed. Her laughter mingled with the sounds of nature. As the meal wound down, we lay back on the blanket, looking up at the sky through the canopy of leaves.

"I think this wasn't a total waste of a 'No Questions Asked'. I didn't know how much I really needed this. Thank you," I said as I sat up.

"It's really nice to catch up once in a while," she said as she sat up and faced me. She was looking expectantly at me. I was really confused. "À quel point un garçon peut-il être stupide ? Très bien, je le ferai moi-même."

I didn't know what she meant. I do consider myself to be quite smart. She leaned in, and our lips met, and the world around them seemed to melt away. This kiss felt deeper. It was completely different from past experiences. It was sweet and intense, a perfect moment in the forest's tranquilly. We broke off, and she was ready for seconds. She leaned in again.

"Eeeh!" She exclaimed. A sudden rustling noise nearby made her stop in her tracks. "C'était quoi, ce bordel?"

The rustling grew louder, and before we could react, a deer burst through the underbrush, bounding across the clearing. It was followed by a small fawn, struggling to keep up. The deer and her fawn disappeared into the forest, leaving us alone once more. We exchanged amused glances.

Fleur let out a relieved sigh. "Oh my gosh, it's just a deer and 'er baby. I didn't know 'Ogwarts had deer."

"We do, but they shouldn't be this far out. Their territory is much deeper, near the waterfall," I said before Fleur interrupted.

"Look, there's another. And another. And another one. Wait! Percy, did you see that?" Fleur said as I shook my head. "The baby deer at the end 'as blood on its 'ooves. So did some of the adults."

"There should be no reason why they're mass migrating. Unless, there's..."

"A new predator has been introduced and displaced them," Fleur finished off. "Come on, Percy, let's investigate it."

"Okay," I replied.

Fleur sat there, looking at me for a few seconds, confused. "Why did you agree so quickly?"

"You're still using the 'No Questions Asked', so no questions asked."

She nodded, then pulled out her wand. "Alright then. First things first, let's make sure we're not seen."

We cast disillusionment charms on ourselves, the world around us, shimmering and warping until we were nearly invisible. Fleur whispered a few more spells, casting muffliato to muffle our footsteps and a detection spell to alert us of any magical creatures nearby.

We moved deeper into the forest, following the trail the deer had left. The further we went, the denser the forest became. The air grew cooler, and the sounds of the forest seemed to quiet down, leaving an eerie silence.

After walking for what felt like an hour, we reached a clearing near the waterfall. The sight that greeted us was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. There were people in ICW uniforms herding a loose dragon back into its cage. The dragon's scales glistened in the dappled sunlight, and its eyes burned with a intelligence.

There were about eighteen dragons in total, nine brooding females and nine males, all contained within cages. The ground was scorched in places, and the air was thick with the scent of sulphur and the low rumble of dragon growls.

"Merlin's beard," I whispered. "What are they doing here?"

Fleur's eyes were wide with a mix of fear and excitement. "I've no idea, but we need to be careful. If they see us, we're in big trouble."

We watched as the ICW members skillfully manoeuvred the dragons, their wands emitting bursts of light as they cast spells to keep the creatures under control. The dragons' resistance was evident; their powerful bodies strained against their magical restraints, and their roars echoed through the forest.

"Look at that one," Fleur pointed to a particularly massive dragon with deep red scales and a long, serpentine neck. "It looks like it's ready to break free at any moment."

Just then, a group of ICW wizards moved towards the dragon, their wands raised. The dragon let out a deafening roar, and with a sudden burst of strength, it shattered its magical bindings and lunged forward.

"Get down!" Fleur pulled me to the ground as the dragon's massive tail swung overhead, crashing into a nearby tree and sending splinters flying. The ICW wizards scrambled to regain control, casting spells to subdue the beast.

"Fuck, this is cool," I whispered. "Dangerous, but fucking cool. How often do you get to see groups of witches and wizards taking on a dragon? Not very often."

Fleur nodded. "Do you think we have to beat them for our first task?"

"I think we'll find it hard to beat them. We'll probably be sent to their nest to retrieve something," I said.

"You're a member of the Dragon's Watch, right?" Fleur asked as I nodded. "What species of dragon are they?"

"Let's start with the loose dragon, then go to the end and work towards us. The loose dragon is a Japanese Red Eyes. Their most notable features are their red eyes, rose black scales, and temper. The one at the end is its cousin, the Japanese Blue Eyes. They are much calmer compared to the Red Eyes and a lot more dangerous. Blue eyes are considered one of the most dangerous species of dragon still alive. They're often mistaken for the next dragon because of their white scale," I said as we dodged an oncoming tree branch.

"Next is the Antipodean Opaleye. Native to New Zealand, the Opaleye was generally considered one of the most beautiful dragons, with pearly scales that lined its body, and glittering multi-coloured eyes that had no pupils. It was a loyal creature and the least aggressive of all dragons. And the one in the next cage over is the Chinese Fireball. Native to China, the Fireball is scarlet and smooth-scaled, with a fringe of golden spikes around its snub-snouted face and extremely protuberant eyes. Its name came from the ball shaped flame that it breathed out. It was commonly known as the 'Lion Dragon'."

"The Common Green Welsh is the most common dragon you would find, and most dragon material comes from this species. Native to Wales in Great Britain, the Common Welsh is green in colour and has two spiked horns that reside on top of its head. It has a distinctive, melodious roar and shoots fire in narrow jets. Most muggle depictions of dragons come from the Hebridean Black. They're known to attack anyone who enters their territory. Because of its aggressiveness, each one required a territory of 100 square miles. They are native to the Hebrides Islands of Scotland. They have dark, rough scales, ridges along their backs, and a tail tipped with an arrow-shaped spike. The Hebridean Black had brilliant purple eyes and could grow to be up to thirty feet long."

"Next is the Catalonian Fireball. Not much is known about them due to their shy nature around humans and the fact that they were almost hunted to extinction. Most that were spotted appeared to have a black or possibly scorched, somewhat oddly shaped snout and possessed a row of spikes that descended down its neck. Two black horns resided on the top of its head. The eighth dragon is Cardoso's Long Snout. Cardoso tried to cross breed the Romanian Longhorn and the Swedish Short Snout, and it resulted in that. Its appearance is somewhat similar to that of the Catalonian Fireball, with a ridged neck and scaly hide, but with a longer snout and pointier horns. And finally, we have the Peruvian Vipertooth. Native to Peru, its scales are smooth and copper-coloured. It also has black ridge-markings and short horns on its head. It is highly venomous, as well as being the smallest and fastest known breed of dragon, second only to the legendary Night Fury."

"What's our plan?" Fleur asked.

"What plan?"

"For the dragon. We are working together on the first task, aren't we?"

"I thought the teams were randomised. Besides, you have better options," I said.

"Like who?"

"The other two girls with Veela Hair wand cores. Your best chance is to use a tri-cast charm geared towards calming down the dragon and putting it to sleep," I said. "Given your Veela heritage and the other two contestant's wands, I would have thought they were your best bet."

"It makes sense, but I would much rather be in a team where I know what my partners are capable of and not leave it in the hands of Lady Magic," Fleur said. "Do we tell the others?"

"No. We wait until a few days before the first task, and then we tell them. It gives us an advantage and gives the others enough time to prepare. It's a win-win scenario. Anyway, I think this is enough snooping. Let's head back to the castle before it starts to rain."

"Okay."