Nico

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Triwizard Tournament Stadium

November 11th

1:20 pm

Nico emerged from the side of the stands, blending in with the dark cloth that hung from the top of the stands. He walked around then climbed the steps to the top. He sat down next to Percy and Annabeth, who looked over at his entrance.

"Hey," Percy said. He grinned at Nico. "Did you give Harry some advice?"

Nico nodded, "Yeah. He's going to be using his broomstick to grab the egg." Percy and Annabeth nodded. Nico looked around, looking for a certain silvery-blonde head of hair.

Luna was sitting a few rows back, surrounded by Ravenclaws dressed in Hogwarts-themed robes. She, herself, was sporting a rather large hat adorned with the Hogwarts crest. He looked back at the stadium, and more specifically, to Percy and Annabeth.

"Who's your friend?" Percy asked, seeing where his gaze went. Nico shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like anyone knowing that he had hung out with that girl that day in the forest. But she was nice and didn't press him for information or how he was "feeling."

Even his boyfriend pushed him sometimes. Nico loved him, sure, but it was tiring sometimes.

"It's no one," Nico grumbled. He turned and watched the girl from the french school fight the dragon. Percy grinned but thankfully said nothing more.

Harry

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Triwizard Tournament Stadium

November 11th

1:39 pm

Harry stumbled back into the tent, holding his golden egg. He still had the cheering of the students ringing in his ears. Fastest champion, Bagman had said. Hah, it turned out that Harry didn't need his help after all.

His shoulder was bleeding and was beginning to numb in the cold air. Madam Pomfrey sat him down and began to bandage him up, fussing all the way. He didn't listen to her instructions, seeing Ron and Hermione standing at the exit to the tent, the same one that Nico and he entered twenty minutes prior.

He set down his golden egg and grabbed his shoulder with his left hand, walking over to the others.

"Blimey, mate!" Ron exclaimed once Harry was close enough. "That was amazing!" Harry flushed and smiled.

"Thanks, Ron."

"But you got hurt didn't you?" Hermione asked. "Oh, Harry. Whoever put your name in the goblet really wants you dead!"

"Hush 'Mione," Ron clasped his rather large hand over Hermione's mouth.

"Sorry," was the muffled reply. Ron dropped his hand and stepped away, wiping his hand on his trousers.

"Do you think it was the Americans?" Harry whispered. His eyes flitted around the tent as he did so, making sure that Nico was hiding in the shadows. Ron frowned and shook his head.

"I forgot to tell you, but when Percy talked me into apologizing, I kinda yelled about him being a death eater," Ron whispered back. His cheeks turned red and he rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke.

"Ronald!" Hermione admonished him.

"What did Percy say?" Harry asked, finding that much more interesting than Hermione's disappointing gaze.

"He showed me the tattoo, I couldn't get a good look at it, but it definitely wasn't a dark mark."

"What was it?" he asked. Ron shrugged.

"It was blurry, but I think it was like a fork or something. And a bar under it."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. A fork?" Hermione seemed just as confused, her scowl lessening as she was becoming intrigued by what Ron was saying.

"Anyway," Ron changed the subject. "What's the egg for?"

Madam Pomfrey hustled over, grabbed Harry's good arm, and pulled him back to the bench.

"No more chit chat!" she scolded. "You can talk to your friends later tonight."

Harry sent one last glance back to Ron and Hermione before sighing and allowing Madam Pomfrey to bandage his shoulder.

Later, when Madame Pomfrey was satisfied with her work, she let him leave. Bagman then announced that the next task would take place on February 24th, and they had until then to figure the clue - the egg - and use it to their advantage.

Hermione and Ron walked with Harry back to the castle.

"So Harry, about the egg-"

All of a sudden, Rita Skeeter appeared in front of him.

"You did a wonderful job!" she squealed. "Could I get an interview on how you did it?"

"Uh, no." Harry pushed past, ignoring her incessant squawks behind them as they walked further and further away. There was one final call of "I have all I need!" before she fell silent and they continued their trip back to the common room.

When they finally did enter the common room, they found a party in full swing. Percy walked up to them with gleaming eyes and a large smile.

"Congrats, man!" he shouted over the mass of people talking.

"Did you do this?" he asked. Percy just grinned and patted Harry on the back. "You did really well in the task. On your way of becoming a real dragon-slayer." He wandered off before Harry could say another word. He looked over to Hermione and Ron, who had already started talking to the other Gryffindors.

"'Arry!" George and Fred ran up to him, both holding cups that smelled of...was that firewhiskey? "Hey!" Fred, or George, yelled over the pounding noise of students dancing and talking. "Harry's here!"

Immediately, all attention was on him. Then, people were patting him on the back, congratulating him on the win for the Gryffindors.

"We know that you're technically competing for Ilvermorny, but you're still a Gryffindor," one student said. "A win for you is a win for all of us!"

Everyone cheered at that.

They partied for hours, someone shoving a cup of firewhiskey in his hand. Harry had no idea where they got it, but he wasn't complaining. It burned his throat but warmed his insides.

Slowly, when the clock was nearing midnight, everyone started to calm down. Harry migrated to the couches, where he sat with his side pressed against Ron and Hermione. In his lap was the golden egg.

"Open the egg, Harry!" Seamus suddenly exclaimed. He was leaning against Dean Thomas, who looked just as drunk - if more drunk - than Seamus.

Harry shrugged and compiled. He dug his fingernails under a crack in the golden surface and pulled. The egg opened easily, revealing an empty center. Instead of an object emitting from an egg, they were met with a noise.

The egg screeched, causing everyone to drop their cups of firewhiskey in favor of covering their ears.

Another scream sounded, this one much louder than the gasps of surprise that the students gave when hearing the awful screeching, even louder than the screeching itself.

This scream was otherworldly, one of pure pain.

The crowd parted in front of him, and Harry stepped forward to see Percy Jackson laid screaming on the floor.