Faces set into scowls, fingers pointing, and whispers all around — that was how Harry's day went, and Analeigh was able to witness all that as she and him walked down the hall after their last class of the day. They had been secretly discussing during Charms whether or not to tell Cedric about the dragons, and it was an easy choice for them to decide that they should inform their fellow Hogwarts champion. It was the right thing to do, after all. But, as Analeigh observed how the students everywhere were making it a point to purposely be loud enough to say an insult when Harry passed by or how they glanced their way so obviously, she wasn't paying much attention to Harry as he continued to talk.

"So, this is what it feels like to be you," Analeigh said to Harry.

"Wha— what?" he asked, his rambling cut short.

"All these people looking this way when we pass by."

"It's not my fault trouble always finds me and makes me more infamous than usual and —"

"Harry, I was joking," Analeigh chuckled, raising a hand to signal him to stop. "I don't blame you for that, and I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way, too."

"Doesn't look like it," he muttered, nodding his head in the direction of yet another group of students murmuring and looking at the green-eyed boy.

"Oh, come on, I —"

As if on cue, a random boy below their year passed by, yelling "Cedric rules!" to Harry.

"Thanks," Harry said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. Analeigh chose to shut up as he sent her a look as if saying he was right all along.

"Oh, look, there's Cedric," Analeigh changed the subject quickly, pointing outside. Sure enough, the Hufflepuff was lying on one of the benches in the courtyard, a group of his friends surrounding him as they laughed and joked around.

Harry and Analeigh had to shove past a few people, including Ernie Macmillian and Hannah Abott, both who wore the Support CEDRIC DIGGORY— Hogwarts Champions! badge and smiled mockingly at Harry. They didn't seem to have anything against Analeigh, but she was still miffed at how rude and insensitive these people could be even if they didn't mean it.

Upon nearing the group of Hufflepuffs, Cedric already seemed to notice Analeigh and Harry walking towards him. He sat up and looked to the two of them expectantly while his friends snickered at Harry just for his mere presence, much to Analeigh's annoyance once again. She sent each of them a harsh glare, making them lower their sniggers into whispers.

"Um," Analeigh cleared her throat when no one spoke. "Can we have a word?"

Cedric raised his eyebrows at her and Harry, but he nodded and stood up anyways. Harry, who seemed to be in a rush to get away from all these people, walked briskly to the side with Analeigh hot on his heels and Cedric not far behind. They stopped at the corner of the courtyard.

"Dragons," Harry went straight to the point. "That's the first task. They've got one for each pair."

"Are you serious?" Cedric asked in disbelief. "And Fleur, Briggite, and Krum and Grigor, do they...?"

"Yes. They probably know by now," answered Analeigh. "I'm sure their headmasters have tipped them off at some point."

Without another word, Harry began to walk away. Analeigh didn't question him, knowing full well he was not in the mood for anything today.

"Hey, listen," Cedric called out, making Harry pause and glance at him. "About the badges. I've asked them not to wear them."

"Don't worry about it," was all Harry said before leaving.

"Uh, sorry about him," Analeigh began, her eyes flitting from Harry's retreating figure then back to Cedric. "He's been a little... moody recently."

"I understand. I would be, too, if everyone was... you know..."

Analeigh smiled knowingly, not needing Cedric to finish his statement. "Well, I better make sure he's okay. I'll see you around, Cedric."

She turned around and caught sight of Harry approaching Ron who was with Seamus, and just with that, she already had a bad feeling about what was to come. But before she could try to catch up and intervene, Cedric stopped her.

"Wait, Analeigh."

Analeigh didn't know whether to stop and continue talking to him or hurry and make her way to Harry and Ron. Conflicted, she replied, "Uh, yeah?"

"Can we meet up later to discuss what we're going to do for the First Task?"

"Of course. When and where?"

"How does the library during lunch time sound?"

"Great," she said simply, and without saying goodbye, she hurried towards Harry who was now speaking furiously to Ron and Seamus. Cedric was left standing in middle of the courtyard, slightly confused at the girl's quick exit. But by the time Analeigh was right behind Harry, Ron and Seamus were leaving, not even sparing the dirty blonde girl a glance.

With a frown, Analeigh turned to Harry. "What was that about?"

"Ron was just being a little git, as usual," he grumbled. And just when the two were ready to leave and escape all the stares and whispers, a snobby voice called them out.

"Hey, Potter! Heart!"

It was the unmistakeable voice of Draco Malfoy.

"Oh, here we go again," Analeigh said under her breath, rolling her eyes tiredly as Harry spun on his heel to face his nemesis.

Draco Malfoy was relaxing on the tree at the center of the courtyard, his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle, standing below as if they were on guard. As if Analeigh didn't think Malfoy could look any more arrogant than he did then, the platinum haired boy jumped down from the tree in one graceful movement before walking towards her and Harry with his nose up in the air.

"Why so tense, Potter?" he asked, looking at Harry, who didn't respond. "My father and I have a bet, you see. I don't think you're gonna last ten minutes in this tournament — he disagrees. He thinks you won't last five."

Malfoy stared down Harry while his sidekicks laughed out loud for effect.

"I don't give a damn what you or your father thinks, Malfoy," Harry retorted, stepping closer to the Slytherins. Analeigh was admittedly taken aback, not used to seeing Harry stick up for himself this strongly. "He's vile and cruel and you're just pathetic." Then, he turned away, not giving Malfoy the chance to say anything back.

"Pathetic?" Malfoy repeated once Harry had his back turned. In one swift movement, Malfoy's wand was out and ready to be pointed at the oblivious green-eyed boy.

"Harry —" tried Analeigh, but it seems she was too late. A jet of light had blinded her vision momentarily, and when they had been cleared, she looked towards her friend in panic, ready to run to his aid, but he was standing there without a scratch. Gasps erupted throughout the courtyard, directing her attention to where Malfoy should have been. Instead, there was a white ferret squirming on the grass beneath, causing her jaw to drop in surprise and amusement.

"I'll teach you to cast a spell when someone's back is turned." Professor Moody now came out from the crowd, pushing a few students away with his wand at the ready. It didn't take a wizard as smart as Merlin to figure out that it was he who transfigured Malfoy into the scared ferret on the ground.

Analeigh couldn't help but grin as she watched Moody start to move his wand up and down, the ferret following its movements. It bounced in the air nonstop, causing the crowd that Analeigh didn't notice had formed to break out in laughter. Moody even shoved the ferret down Crabbe and Goyle's robes, adding onto the laughter before he was interrupted.

"Professor Moody, what are you doing?"

Professor McGonagall had entered the scene as well, worry spread across her aging features.

"Teaching."

"Is that a student?"

"Technically, it's a ferret," said Moody, much to McGonagall's shock. The woman clutched her chest and with one stern look from her, Moody sighed and decided to turn the ferret back to normal. With a wave of his wand, the white ferret transfigured back into Malfoy, who was still shaking in fear. Analeigh laughed at the sight, telling herself that he deserved it, anyways. Once Malfoy realized he was back to normal, he quickly stood up, brushing the dirt off of his clothes.

"My father will hear about this!" he said indignantly.

"Is that a threat?" asked Moody, tauntingly stepping closer to him and eventually chasing him. "Is that a threat? I could tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair, boy! It doesn't end here!"

Malfoy seemed to have had enough as he ran back inside the castle, tripping and stumbling with his two cronies not far behind. With the exciting scene now over, the crowd began to lessen and get back to what they were doing previously, comments and remarks about Malfoy the Ferret being thrown around.

"We never use Transfiguration as a punishment! Surely, Dumbledore told you that," McGonagall scolded Moody. This was Harry and Analeigh's unspoken cue to leave. The two of them slowly began backtracking seeing as they were the only ones left where all the ruckus had happened.

"He might've mentioned it," Moody then said.

"Well, you will do well to remember it."

Professor McGonagall then turned away from the former Auror, her robes swishing as she stalked back into the castle. Just before Analeigh could leave with Harry, she caught a glimpse of Moody childishly sticking his tongue out at McGonagall. Then, he faced Analeigh and Harry, causing them to halt in place.

"You two," he told them. "Come with me."

Analeigh gulped, unsure of what Moody would want with them. He was honestly a quite frightening man, with his scars that marked his brave battles against evil wizards, his gruff and impatient voice, and his overall aura. She supposed that was what years of encountering dark and deranged wizards did to a human being.

Harry and Analeigh followed Moody into the castle and stayed silent the whole trip. It was only when they turned down a familiar corridor that they realized they were being taken to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"We're going to my office, so you can stop all the worried glances," Moody told the fourth years, not even looking back. It shouldn't have surprised them considering he had a glass eye that could see through everything in all angles.

The office for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors always differed depending on the teacher — well, that's what Hermione told Analeigh, anyway. According to Hermione, their first-year teacher, Professor Quirell, had a very simple and common office. In their second year, Professor Lockhart decorated the office entirely with portraits, painting, and pictures of himself. Last year, with Professor Lupin, was the first time Analeigh saw the DADA office. She went there just once to consult Lupin with Hermione, and his office was the most homey one of all— it was decorated with a few artifacts related to the subject but there were a large number of books as well. But now, as Analeigh entered the office with Harry beside her, she noticed how cold and dark it felt. The lights were dim and the objects scattered around looked wary. The two students stopped next to a foggy, dirty mirror, and without needing to ask, Moody spoke up.

"That's a foe glass," he explained. "Lets me keep an eye on my enemies. I can see the whites of their eyes if they're standing right behind me."

A noise suddenly came from a trunk on the floor next to the mirror, causing Analeigh to jump and Harry's eyes to widen.

"Wouldn't even bother telling you what's in there. You wouldn't believe it if I did," said Moody as the trunk continued to shake violently. Analeigh looked back and forth at it then back at her professor suspiciously but stayed quiet.

"Now, what are you going to do about your dragon?"

Analeigh and Harry were at loss for words. Although it was obvious the teachers would know what the tasks would be, they were certainly not expecting him to confront them about it, more so know that they already knew what awaited them.

"Oh, um..." Harry started unsurely. "You know, I just thought we'd..."

Moody flicked his wand and two chairs came sliding their way. "Sit," he ordered. Once they obeyed, he continued. "Listen to me, both of you. Your pal, Diggory, by his age he could turn a whistle into a watch and have it sing to you all the time. Miss Delacour, she's as much as a fairy princess as I am. And Miss Champney, too? Oh ho, I bet she is exactly like an angry Veela when out in the field."

"As for Krum," he went on. "His head may be filled with sawdust, but Karkaroff's is not. And well, Grigor may be as clueless as wood, but like I said, they have Karkaroff. They'll have a strategy, and you can bet that it'll play to their strengths, hmm? Come on, what are your strengths?"

"Um... I dunno..." Harry began. "I can fly — I mean, I'm a fair flyer. Analeigh's decent, as well."

"Better than fair and decent the way I heard it."

Analeigh caught on to what Moody was getting at and finally spoke. With a frown, she said, "But we're not allowed a broom."

Moody sent her a mischievous smile before looking at Harry as well. "You're allowed a wand."

★ ★ ★

An hour later, Analeigh and Harry had formulated their initial plan for the First Task. Considering the fact that they only knew there would be a dragon, they assumed they would fight it. All they planned out was that the moment they stepped out into the field, they would use the Summoning Charm to get their respective brooms. Of course, if they had to defeat a dragon, they needed to have more knowledge on various spells and charms, and they agreed to start searching for more and learning them as soon as possible because their fourth year level education wasn't enough to support them.

After lunch, where Analeigh left Harry who stayed with Hermione and Ron while she was invited to sit next to Dean and Seamus, she had to ditch all her friends for she had agreed to meet up with Cedric Diggory in the library to discuss their strategy for the First Task. Analeigh couldn't help but think of how unfair it was that Harry would most likely be alone for most of the tournament. As Dumbledore and the judges decided on the night Harry was chosen as the last champion, it would be up to Analeigh and Cedric to decide if or when they would choose to accompany Harry. They thought it was only fair since Harry should not have been chosen in the first place. Analeigh immediately wanted to help Harry, so she decided that the First Task was where she should be there for the younger boy. That mean that she would have to go out in the field twice, but she decided not to complain. It was a great honor to take part in the Triwizard Tournament, so a few sacrifices would have to be made. She then made a mental note to inform Cedric that she would volunteer to help Harry in this task, too.

Analeigh left the Great Hall and headed to the school library where there were very few students. Most of them were in their fifth and seventh years, preparing for their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. Not many people were fond of staying there though as they claimed it was boring, but in Analeigh's opinion, it was a much better work space than the Gryffindor Common Room where it was usually very noisy.

Madam Pince started sending Analeigh annoyed looks as the girl continued to walk around. She wasn't sure where to go since Cedric hadn't mentioned a meeting place, and the library was very big. The stares from the librarian began making her feel uncomfortable, so she scurried into one of the aisles which so happened to be the one for muggle creatures. Analeigh walked further down the aisle and made her way to the next which was solely for magical creatures. With Cedric not yet being there, she decided to get started on finding as much information as she could find on dragons. Walking towards one of the tattered copies of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Analeigh had just touched the spine of the book when it seemed like it was pushed forward on its own and fell with a loud thud on the floor right next to Analeigh's feet. She yelped in surprise, causing Madam Pince to shush her loudly, then she turned back to the shelf. In the small space where the book once stood was a smirking face from the other side of the shelf. It took a moment for Analeigh to register who was front of her.

"Cedric?" she whisper-yelled in disbelief.

"Scared you, didn't I?" he said, a smile playing on his lips.

"Of course, along with the rest of the library when you made the book fall."

"Okay, so I didn't mean for that to happen," he admitted in a low voice. "I was actually expecting you to catch it."

Cedric's face disappeared from sight temporarily, only for him to reappear at the end of the aisle. He then made his way towards Analeigh with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry 'bout that. Just thought it would be funny."

"Who would've thought Cedric Diggory could joke around?" Analeigh couldn't help but say as he bent down to pick up the book that she had forgotten to in the midst of their conversation.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he said back playfully as he straightened up.

"You are quite known for being the responsible and studious Hufflepuff Prefect and Quidditch Captain, so being a jokester doesn't quite fit in there."

"Well, we technically met just this year. We've still got time."

"Time for what? To find out more about you?"

"Sure," Cedric said casually as if it was her idea in the first place. "That is, if I get to learn more about you, too."

Smooth, thought Analeigh. He has a way with his words. Analeigh smiled and nodded.

"Great. Now, since you've got this book," he went on, waving the copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. "I'm going to keep looking for more books on dragons and you can start reading up on this. Sounds alright?"

Analeigh nodded and took the book from him. As Cedric left to search for more books, she sat down at the table at the end of the aisle right next to the window and opened the book. She ran her finger down the table of contents, stopping at where it said Dragons, then flipped over to the correct page and read:

The female dragon is generally larger and more aggressive than the male, though neither should be approached by any...

Analeigh fought the urge to scoff as she read the first line. And we're expected to battle one for our first task. She mentally cursed whoever thought this was a good idea. She sighed and opened her school bag, taking out a few pieces of parchment and her quill and ink to take down a few notes from the book. She dipper her quill into the bottle of ink, glanced at the page she was reading, then began to write.

Breeds of dragons:

1. Antipodean Opaleye- it is of medium size (between two and three tonnes). Produces a very vivid scarlet flame, and it is not particularly aggressive.

2. Chinese Fireball- is aggressive but more tolerant than most dragons.

3. Common Welsh Green- they prey on sheep. They avoid humans unless provoked.

4. Hebridean Black- it is more aggressive than the Welsh.

5. Hungarian Horntail- supposedly the most dangerous of all dragon breeds. Has one of the longest fire-breathing ranges (up to fifty feet).

6. Norwegian Ridgeback- it attacks large large land mammals, and unusually for a dragon, it will feed on water-dwelling creatures.

7. Peruvian Vipertooth- smallest dragon and swiftest in flight.

8. Romanian Longhorn- their horns, when powdered, are highly valued as potion ingredients.

9. Swedish Short-Snout- the flames that come from their nostrils are a brilliant blue and can reduce timber and bone to ash in a matter of seconds.

10. Ukranian Ironbelly- largest breed of dragons. It is slower in flight than the Vipertooth and Longhorn

In the middle of taking down notes, Analeigh felt the table move slightly as Cedric took a seat across her, placing a few heavy looking books down.

"Have you found anything that might help yet?" he asked, flipping open one book.

Analeigh looked up from the parchment. "Not much," she admitted. "Well, aside from the usual descriptions of dragons. I have yet to find their weaknesses and such."

The two of them worked on a comfortable silence, the only sound between them being the sound of the quill being dipped in ink then scratched onto the parchment as well as the sound of pages being flipped. After reading through all the sections related to dragons in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the only information Analeigh could find were their basic descriptions, habitats, characteristics, and history. She was about to get up to search for another book when Cedric stopped her.

"Wait, Analeigh."

She sat back down, facing Cedric. "Yes?"

"It says here that dragons tend to focus on one object," he began, his eyes scanning the page. "It says that once they've found something to focus on, they usually try to attack it— if threatened— before moving onto something else."

By the tone of his voice, Analeigh could tell he had something in mind. "What are you getting at?"

"Well, I was thinking we could make a bait."

"A bait?"

"Yeah. It would distract the dragon, and if our purpose was to defeat it, we could use various spells and charms while it's focuses on the bait."

Analeigh nodded, impressed by his suggestion. "I agree. I think it would work."

Cedric smiled proudly. "Now, what do you think would be an effective bait?"

"I'm guessing an animal would be a good one," she answered. "I mean, if they see a moving object, they're bound to want to get it out of the way. A huge rock wouldn't mean anything to a dragon, so if we place an animal instead, I'm sure it'll want to take that out."

"That's true."

"But how do we get a bait? Summon one? Or should we use Transfiguration?"

"Transfiguration," Cedric agreed instantly. "That's a good idea. Summoning might take some time, so I believe transfiguring any nearby object will do the trick."

"You know, I haven't exactly learned how to transfigure anything into an animal big enough to distract a dragon," Analeigh reminded Cedrich who chuckled.

"Don't worry," he reassured her. "It just so happens that I've learned how to transfigure a rock into a dog."