Ron hadn't talked to Harry and Nova since the champion choosing. The whole school turned on the two fourteen-year-old Gryffindors. Nova was hardly affected seeing as it happened before. Harry, on the other hand, was affected by it. He wouldn't show it, but Nova knew after a month it was starting to get to him. 

Thanks to Hagrid, Harry knew the first task. Dragons. 

"I may be breathtaking, Harold, but if you don't get out of my face and let me sleep, you won't have any air to breathe. Why? Because my hand will be around your throat." Nova threatened when Harry offered for her to join him with Hagrid. 

"Alright, love, you enjoy your sleep," Harry said softly before leaving. 

That was last night. Today, Harry would tell Nova.

For some reason, Harry found himself not wanting to tell Cedric. It wasn't like the boy had done anything wrong. But then Harry was hoping the Hufflepuff Golden Boy would become a midday snack for the dragon.

What would Nova want you to do? A voice in Harry's mind asked. 

The answer was simple. Everyone else knew about the dragons. It would only be fair. It wouldn't be just if Harry didn't tell Cedric. 

Harry looked down the table at Nova as she laughed with Ginny and some blonde Ravenclaw girl. 

"Hermione, I'll see you in the greenhouses," Harry said, coming to his decision as he watched Cedric leaving the Hall. "Go on, I'll catch you up." 

"Harry, you'll be late, the bell's about to ring -" 

"I'll catch you up, okay?" 

By the time Harry reached the bottom of the marble staircase, Cedric was at the top. He was with a load of sixth-year friends. Harry didn't want to talk to Cedric in front of them; they were among those who had been quoting Rita Skeeter's article at him every time he went near them. The article that was nothing but lies, stating he still cried about his parents. He followed Cedric at a distance and saw that he was heading toward the Charms corridor. This gave Harry an idea. Pausing at a distance from them, he pulled out his wand and took careful aim. 

"Diffindo!" 

Cedric's bag split. Parchment, quills, and books spilled out of it onto the floor. Several bottles of ink smashed. 

"Don't bother," said Cedric in an exasperated voice as his friends bent down to help him."Tell Flitwick I'm coming, go on..."

This was exactly what Harry had been hoping for. He slipped his wand back into his robes, waited until Cedric's friends had disappeared into their classroom, and hurried up the corridor, which was now empty of everyone but himself and Cedric. 

"Hi," said Cedric, picking up a copy of A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration that was now splattered with ink. "My bag just split...brand-new and all..." 

"Cedric," said Harry, "the first task is dragons." 

"What?" said Cedric, looking up. 

"Dragons," said Harry, speaking quickly, in case Professor Flitwick came out to see where Cedric had got to. "They've got five, one for each of us, and we've got to get past them." 

Cedric stared at him. Harry saw some of the panic he'd been feeling since Saturday light flickering in Cedric's gray eyes. 

"Are you sure?" Cedric said in a hushed voice. 

"Dead sure," said Harry. "I've seen them." 

"But how did you find out? We're not supposed to know...." 

"Never mind," said Harry quickly - he knew Hagrid would be in trouble if he told the truth."But I'm not the only one who knows. Fleur and Krum will know by now - Maxime and Karkaroffboth saw the dragons too." 

Cedric straightened up, his arms full of inky quills, parchment, and books, his ripped bag dangling off one shoulder. He stared at Harry, and there was a puzzled, almost suspicious look in his eyes. 

"Why are you telling me?" he asked.

Harry looked at him in disbelief. He was sure Cedric wouldn't have asked that if he had seen the dragons himself. Harry wouldn't have let his worst enemy face those monsters unprepared - well, perhaps Malfoy or Snape.... 

"It's just...fair, isn't it?" he said to Cedric. "We all know now...we're on an even footing, aren't we?"

"Does Nova now. Surely she would need time to prepare as well," Cedric began, his face and voice laced with worry. 

"Not yet. I'm telling her after Herbology. Besides, Nox will be skipping with joy about dragons." Harry stated, a smile working its way onto his face. "She calls them-"

"'Sweet darlings that are misunderstood,'" Cedric laughed. "I know she told me about the different types of dragons for one of my classes. It was rather fascinating."

Harry was upset. Cedric knew something about Nova he thought only he himself knew . . . and the Weasleys . . .and her dads. 

Fine. 

He was happy he thought he knew something about Nova Cedric didn't. He didn't know why it upset him that Cedric knew, but it did. 

***

Nova paced the champions' tent lost in thought. 

She simply refused to wear the monstrosity the reporters tried to put her in. It was a red dress with a tail that she tripped over. Nova was not going to wear the curtain thing.

Instead, she wore a red hoodie with 'Lupin-Black' plastered to the back of it, skinny jeans, and red high top converses. For extra measures, and hopes that it might be useful, Nova wore her black leather jacket. 

It wasn't what the reporters, the ministry, and her headmaster wanted her to wear. 

But she is Nova Lupin-Black and didn't give a shit. 

She ran a hand through her hair, it was loose and in her face. She wanted it braided, but Ginny wasn't here to braid it. 

Her eyes drifted towards the Fleur who was sitting on a wooden stool, looking clammy and pale. Hoping to distract her from worrying, Nova approached her. 

"Fleur?" She called softly. 

The older girl spun around fast enough Nova thought she gave herself whiplash. Her long blonde hair was in a perfect ponytail and her blue eyes studied Nova curiously.

This was the first time either girl had spoken to each other. 

"Pouvez-vous tresser mes cheveux?" Nova asked nervously. "Il n'arrête pas de tomber sur mon visage et une queue de cheval ne fait rien pour mes cheveux." (Translation: Can you braid my hair? It keeps falling into my face and a ponytail does nothing for my hair.)

"Sûr. Asseyez-vous." Fleur spoke in a kind voice. 

Nova, with a relieved sigh, sat on the ground in front of Fleur. 

The two females chatted as Fleur braid Nova's hair into a french braid. They talked until Bagman strolled into the tent. 

Nova found she was quite fond of Fleur. She's a great friend and easy to talk to. Fleur felt the same towards Nova but felt she needed to protect the fiery lioness. 

"Well, now we're all here - time to fill you in!" said Bagman brightly. "When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag" - he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them - "from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different - er - varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too...ah, yes...your task is to collect the golden egg!"

Soon enough, hundreds upon hundreds pairs of feet were heard outside the tent. 

Nova wondered if her Pops (Lyall) and Pa were out there. 

"Ladies first," Bagman said, offering it to Fleur Delacour. 

Nova grumbled something Harry couldn't understand. But seeing as Fleur laughed, Harry assumed it was in french. 

Fleur put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon - a WelshGreen. It had the number two around its neck And Harry knew, by the fact that Fleur showed no sign of surprise, but rather a determined resignation, that he had been right: Madame Maxime had told her what was coming. 

Nova stuck her hand in next. A small all-black dragon with the most magnificent purple eyes came out. Its tail was tipped by a very sharp arrow-like point. The number five draped around its neck. Nova looked in complete awe of the Hebridean Black dragon. 

The same held true for Krum. He pulled out the scarlet Chinese Fireball. It had a number three around its neck. He didn't even blink, just sat back down and stared at the ground. 

Cedric put his hand into the bag, and out came the blueish-gray Swedish Short-Snout, the number one tied around its neck. Knowing what was left, Harry put his hand into the silk bag and pulled out the Hungarian Horntail, and number four. It stretched its wings as he looked down at it, and bared its minuscule fangs. 

"Well, there you are!" said Bagman. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I'm going to have to leave you in a moment, because I'm commentating. Mr. Diggory, you're first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right? Nova, can you please take your braid out? It will allow the crowd to see how your hair sculpts your face."

"Why the bloody hell would I do that?" Nova asked, crossing her arms. 

"You refused to wear the dress, the skirt, the robes. The least you could do is wear your hair out of your braid." Bagman tried to reason. "It'll make you look better."

"I think I look fine without your input. Besides, I'm not posing for the magazine. I'm going out there to get a golden egg from a damn dragon." Nova stated. 

Fleur seemed just as mad as Nova. Harry, Krum, and Cedric seemed rather amused. 

"Miss Black, please," Bagman begged. 

"Fine. But two things. It's Lupin-Black. And if my magnificent hair gets burned off, that's on you." Nova hissed.

"Right. Harry, can I speak with you outside?" Bagman asked.

Nova told Fleur everything she needed to know about the Welsh Green. Fleur absorbed every word. 

"You know, Fleur," Nova began. "You might like my dear friend Bill."

Fleur looked confused, but Cedric (with a rather green tint to his skin) was sent out of the tent to fight his dragon. 

Nova blocked out all the noise she could with her headphones. 

Ooh
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen

Fleur went out. 

Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for a place to go
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
You come to look for a king
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance

The crowd roared louder than a lion. 

You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen

Nova wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she replayed Dancing Queen by ABBA at least ten times already. 

She saw Krum run from the tent.

Nova stood up and walked to Harry. 

"Har, listen to me," Nova said, placing her hands on his shoulders. "You got this. Breathe."

"I'm trying!" Harry exclaimed. 

"Darlin, you have to relax. If you go out there a nervous wreck, you're setting yourself up for failure." Nova assured. "I know your plan. It's brilliant. But you need to calm down. If you don't calm down, you're going to fuck up the charm."

"How are you doing this? You're going up against the second most aggressive dragon." Harry question. Nova gave him a look. "What? I pay attention when you go on your dragon rants!"

"Then tell me, what are three things to watch out for with the Hungarian Horntail?" Nova asked. 

"The tail. The fireballs. And it thrashes like mad." Harry stated. 

"Right. Har, all you have to do is keep an eye out for those things, and you'll be fine," Nova assured. 

"Thanks, Nox," Harry replied with a smile. "What are you doing for your dragon?"

"Not sure yet. Probably gonna wing it. I always do," Nova shrugged, causing Harry to worry more. "Don't worry about me. Review what your plan is."

Before either of them knew it, Harry was leaving the tent. 

Despite seeming calm before, Nova was freaking out. 

She was worried about Harry. Out of all the dragons he was forced to face, he got the most aggressive and dangerous of them all. 

Nova paced so much she might have worn a dent in the floor. 

"Look at that!" Bagman was yelling. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"

"Thank Merlin!" Nova sighed in relief. 

Five minutes passed before Nova exited the tent. 

"Please welcome our last contestant but certainly not least! Miss Nova Lupin-Black!" Bagman shouted. 

The crowd erupted into cheers. 

"Miss Lupin-Black is tasked with getting the egg from the Hebridean Black!" Bagman announced. 

Nova stepped into the ring. Almost instantly, a fireball was thrown her way.

Quickly dive rolling behind a boulder, Nova thought of a plan.

Hebridean Blacks have magnificent violet eyes, easy to get lost in. Easy for the dragon to seduce you. They are extremely large with black scales and arrowhead points at the end of the tail. 

The tricky thing about Hebridean's, you must impress them in order for them to follow you. She needed to find a way to both impress the dragon and prove who's boss. 

Nova caught sight of the chain holding keeping the dragon from flying away. 

A light bulb appeared over Nova's head. 

Quickly tying her hair into a knot and securing it with her wand, Nova sprang on top of the boulder. She stood proud and unafraid. 

Many let out gasps as they saw she had no wand. 

"Miss Lupin-Black uses her wand to tie her hair in a knot rather than a weapon!" Bagman announced. 

What no one saw, Nova conjured more chains before she tied her hair into a bun. 

Sticking her hand out before her, Nova levitated the chains to her hand. 

"Extraordinary exhibit of wandless magic by Nova Lupin-Black!" Bagman called. 

Nova launched herself off the boulder onto the back of the dragon. As the dragon went onto its back legs in attempts to throw Nova off, she slid under it. She was able to make a loose loop around two of the dragon's feet, causing it to trip. 

She tightened the chains, but not enough to harm the dragon. She wasn't a monster. 

For the next several minutes, Nova strategically wrapped the dragon in chains, carefully not to harm her (she realized it was a girl). 

She even made a muzzle of Nyx (that's what Nova named her). 

Despite being wrapped in chains, Nova knew this was a very strong dragon and could break the metal. Leading to Nova's attempt to tame her. 

Nova hopped off Nyx, starring straight into her eyes. 

Remus was in the stands, paralyzed with fear. 

Minerva was watching through her fingers. 

Ron was white with worry. So was Hermione. 

Fred, George, and Ginny cheered Nova one eagerly. 

"Nova Black was launched across the arena by the dragon's tail!" Bagman announced.

Lazily and in immense pain, Nova stood. 

She had broken a rib. 

Nova moved to stand in front of Nyx again. 

This time, staring directly into her eyes. Purple met honey. 

Both Nova and Nyx were in a trance. A trance that can only be broken by one of them submitting. 

"'Ello, peoples! Charlie Weasley here to explain what's going on down there!" a scarred redhead yelled. "The Hebridean Black is an extremely seductive dragon. By starring into its eyes, one can fall into a trance. In some cases, this trance has lead to death. But why didn't Nova try this in the first place?" Charlie questioned. 

"Get on with it!" Fred yelled. 

"Zip it, bro, I'm getting there!" Charlie called. "Anyways . . .in order to seduce a Hebridean Black, one must impress them or trick them. Which is what Nova has done. The only question is . . . "

Charlie paused dramatically. 

"Will she be able to beat the powers of seduction?"

Remus could practically feel his grey hair growing. 

Nova made her stared ten times harsher. 

Nyx looked away, showing submission. 

"She's done it!" Charlie yelled. 

Nova slowly approached Nyx. 

With a gentle hand, Nova stroked her head. 

"Get the egg!" Hermione yelled. 

"Oh right!" Nova exclaimed. "I'll be back, Nyx!" 

Slowly, Nova levitated the golden egg and walked proudly to the tent. 

***

Madame Pomfrey was able to mend Nova's broken rib pretty quickly. But the burn Nova doesn't recall receiving would scar. 

"Don't worry, Pa," Remus mimicked. "It's just a scratch. Don't worry, Pa, it's just a silly tournament. I'll be fine."

Nova rolled her eyes. 

"Be a father they said," Remus mocked no one in particular. "It will be amazing they said."

"You love me anyway," Nova teased. 

"NOVA LILY LUPIN-BLACK!" Hermione yelled. 

Nova shrunk back into her blankets. 

"Hide me! She's going to murder me!" Nova hissed. 

"Nope!" Remus said, amusement clear in his eyes. 

Nova tumbled out of her hospital bed and began running. 

"GET BACK HERE!" Hermione yelled. 

In heaven, everyone was laughing. 

The girl that just tame a dragon and faced many horrors, is running away from a bookworm. 

"Hell yeah!" Regulus called. "My niece gets to keep a dragon!"

"What do you mean?" Lily asked. 

"Well, it's really rare for a Hebridean Black to be submissive." James began to explain. "But once they are, they are extremely loyal. Especially once they show their affection for the person they are submissive to. Essentially, Nyx, as Nova named her, is Nova's dragon."

"What textbook did you swallow?" Marlene sniggered. 

"But she has no place to keep her!" Dorcus exclaimed. 

"Nyx will stay in Romania, but Nova will visit as much as she can," James answered. 

"How do you know that?" Lily asked. 

"Charlie and Nova are discussing it." James shrugged. "I read it on the subtitles."

"You can read?" Marlene sniggered again. James flipped her off. 

"Do you think Harry will finally admit his feelings for Nova after this?" Lily asked. 

"No," Regulus answered. 

"No. Look at who her mom is!" Marlene laughed. "It took her four years to admit she had feelings for James!"

"Oi! Don't spin this on me!" Lily exclaimed. 

"You had a crush on me!" James said teasingly. 

"James, we're married," Lily groaned. 

"That's embarrassing," James teased again. 

"You literally had a crush on her since the moment she punched you in the face in first year!" Dorcus shot back.