Chapter 63 – First Task 2
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"Ah, and here I thought those were baseless rumors. Come with me, Mr. Strife, and try not to use magic."

"Yeah, Professor McGonagall."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Cloud kissed Aerith's lips, "Do your best in your task. I'll be in the stands."

Aerith kissed him back, closing her eyes, wanting to make this moment last a little longer, but he pulled away, leaving.

She breathed out, and a grin spread her lips, "Oh, Cloud. There are so many other places that you are going to be in. Being in the stands makes me least excited."

She patted her flushed, smoky cheeks, waiting for the night to arrive. After lunch, Professor McGonagall came to get her too, guiding herself and Harry to the tent, reassuring them that everything would be fine, and asking them to be careful.

She entered the tent to see Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, and Ludo Bagman. She waved to them, greeting and Krum nodded back while Fleur greeted her.

Ludo explained the rules; they would get a bag and have to pick a miniature version of what they would face. It was no secret, and everyone knew it was a Dragon, but they avoided saying it.

All they had to wait for was the crowd, which didn't take long since hundreds of people passed through, and Ludo Bagman brought a bag, "Here. Ladies first, but which one."

"Of let me. I'll pick the toughest one in the bag," Aerith grinned, "I promise."

"Toughest one?"

"Yeah, after all…I'd be worried about killing the others," Aerith put her hand in the bag, tracing the Dragon's skins, "Hmm… let's see what we have…the strongest one is this."

She pulled one, and Bagman gave her a look, "And it is…the strongest. Hungarian Horntail."

"By any chance…does this number four mean I am going first?"

"Hahaha," Bagman laughed, "No."

"Cute?" Fleur raised her eyebrows, watching her competition, before pulling out a Welsh Dragon with number two around its neck. Krum pulled out a Chinese Fireball, third number, and Harry picked Swedish Short-Snout.

"Can we exchange our numbers?"

"No," Bagman laughed, patting Harry's shoulder, "How about it, Harry. Come with me. We will begin with you."

Aerith sat down in one place, leaning on the single sofa's arm, placing her head on the side until she felt sleep come onto her. They were worried about Cloud, which meant a few sleepless nights, even though all they had to do was teleport to him using the System.

But somewhere, they knew why he left and chose to wait. If he hadn't returned when he did, they would have gone to bring him before her first task.

She didn't even realize when she fell asleep, causing the other two to feel exasperated.

"Aerith, Aerith! Where are you?"

"Huh, huh, awake," Aerith wiped the drool off her lips, hearing Cloud's and Tifa's voices in her head, "Oh, my turn! Coming!"

She took a deep breath, adjusted her dress, and waited for a moment before a smile appeared on her lips. She wore a shin-length pink dress and a red bolero jacket, waving at the crowd, which half-heartedly cheered for her.

She turned her eyes towards the Horntail, crouched low over her eggs; her wings furled, her evil, yellow upturned eyes rested upon her. She thrashed her spiked tail, heaving yard-long gouge marks in the hard ground.

Being in this enclosure, being watched by the crowd, facing the dragon, everything was what she had thought of, but never in her dreams did she imagine there would be Dragon's eggs.

'That makes the two spells that I planned to use…unusable," Aerith took out her wand, placing her palms on one side each. She pushed the palms towards each other, and the wand started disappearing until her palms touched each other.

She spread them out, silver ribbons came out with a gentle white light, and staff appeared in front of her.

"Was that transmutation! Summoning! Never saw anything like that! Are you guys watching this?"

"Hmph, why would she even summon staff in place of her wand? What is the use of that?" Karkaroff scoffed.

"Oh, she is flying it like a broom, is that personally enchanted? Where do you get one of those?"

"Miss Gainsborough is quite a talented one; not only is she a master in magic, but also an enchanter, a powerful one at that," Dumbledore sang her praises when the Horntail flapped its wings, rising in the air.

"So your two people are following the same strategy? Are you going to tell me that is a coincidence?" Karkaroff scoffed.

"No, I don't think that is what Miss Gainsborough is doing," Dumbledore muttered, narrowing his eyes.

Aerith rose in the air, higher and higher, when purple flames spread out from her, filled with heat so intense that even those on the ground felt it, "Bahamut."

It was a simple name, a one-word spell, and it rang out in everyone's ear before a roar made them close their eyes. The fire seemed to come alive, swirling around to form a tornado, and a dragon made of flames, came out of it, bigger than even the Horntail. It flapped its wings, roaring, and purple flames spread out.

"OHH!! MERLIN!! AM I SEEING WHAT I AM SEEING?!"

"Yes, Mr. Bagman, that does seem like Fiendfyre, though I never have this version of it myself," Dumbledore's lips rose into a smile as he watched Bahamut swirl down and catch the Horntail in its grip.

The two dragons roared, and Bahamut, fragments of its true power, summoned lightning and rain.

Aerith dived and landed beside her nest, picking up the golden egg.

"She has it! She has it! She has the golden egg! And the Horntail might be more hurt than it pegged for! I can tell you, folks! First time I heard a Dragon howl in pain!"

Aerith slammed the staff on the ground, and Bahamut burst apart, turning into the harmless purple fire, and the Horntail fumbled.

"No, no, no, what is she doing? An injured dragon is a dangerous dragon! And it's going for her! Why would she release it!"

"Probably because the Horntail was in pain," Madame Maxine narrowed her eyes. She had seen all types of girls, but this one, "A rare one you have there, Dumbledore. One so pure of heart. How bout sending her to me? I can teach her things you never can't."

"Maybe…maybe," Dumbledore maintained the smile, watching Horntail without worry.

"No! Someone, stop it!! Save her!"

Dumbledore raised his hand to stop them from interfering, and Aerith slammed the staff down; the spell left her lips, "Leviathan."

The claw was coming towards her when the water drops falling to the ground stopped, pulling towards each other. The water drop turned into a blaze, forming a beautiful serpent dragon that wrapped itself around the Horntail, keeping it in place, breathing down its neck.

"Ohhhh!! This is no contest!! This is a Goddamn War of Beasts!!! Dragon! Leviathan! Bahamut!! This girl is the miracle of the century!! Who has seen something like that!!!"

"Show off! If she could do that, there was no need to fly off!" Karkaroff shouted.

Aerith curled her fingers towards her, gesturing, and the Leviathan pushed Horntail's head near her, and she stroked it, smiling, "It's ok. Your eggs are safe."

She broke the Confundus charm that made the Dragon think that the Golden Egg was its egg and looked into its eyes, "Please…don't be angry?"

Warm magical energy covered the Horntail, and its wound started healing. When they recovered, the Leviathan disappeared, and the Horntail growled. It smelled its egg and then the Golden Egg before sitting down beside its nest, closing its eyes.

Aerith blinked, grinning, and she walked away from it, raising the golden egg in the palm of her hand.

"And that is it!!! With this, the first task has come to an end!!! But what an end!! I don't need to wait! Take this ten right now!!"

Aerith returned to her tent, only to be hugged by worried Tifa, "You scared me there for a moment."

"That was freaking amazing! I never saw anything like that!" Ron rushed up from behind, "What were those spells! How did you do that?!"

Aerith grinned, "Personal creation. Nice, aren't they? When you learn the Fiendfyre spell. I'll teach you."

"Really!!!!" Ron's eyes shined brighter than ever, "Please do!"

"Congratulations," Harry congratulated, still high from his turn, while Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"I felt strange when Angelina didn't even bother to put her name, and I heard Cloud and Tifa give you credit, but I have to say…that was the greatest magic I ever saw! I understand now why they say you are the strongest magician than them!"

Aerith puffed her chest, proudly declaring, "Accept me as your teacher, and I can teach you a few things."

"Aerith!!"

Aerith felt a tight hug, tilting her head, "Ginny?'

"You scared the hell out of me with that stunt you pulled."

"Oh, sorry, Ginny," Aerith combed her hair, gently smiling. She looked up at everyone who came to see him and more as they entered, but she still missed him.

Tifa whispered in Aerith's ears, and a blush appeared on her lips.

"They are showing your marks!" Ron pointed out, and everyone turned to see.

Bagman already gave her a ten, and so did Dumbledore, Crouch, and Maxime. Only Karkaroff gave her a seven, yet she had the highest points. "That's the most yet—???!" Fred turned to say when he realized he wasn't there.

"Where is she?"

"She has a date," Tifa grinned, explaining, 'Enjoy.'

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