What followed was a stunning display of power especially for a Fourth year student that had just fought over 20 duels with very little time between them. Parkinson and Zabini went on the defensive and protected Nott and Malfoy. The two Slytherin would be alphas each went on an immediate attack to outdo their rival by being the one to take down Potter.
Harry batted away Malfoy's magic with a shield while sidestepping Nott's. Then he took a page out of Malfoy's spell book from Second year.
" Serpensortia! "
Three large pythons similar to the one Harry saw at the London zoo appeared on the platform.
" Subdue them but don't injure them," Harry ordered the snakes. With hisses of agreement the snakes proceeded down the platform. The Slytherins tried to stop the snakes but Harry's spells were coming too fast to allow them to focus on the approaching snakes for long.
A stunning spell caught Parkinson square in her pug-like nose. The witch fell back into Zabini throwing off both defensive casters. The platform was really too narrow for four people to really fight at the same time. The jumble of Parkinson and Zabini cut down on that space even further. It left Nott and Malfoy totally dependent on their shields for defence. The arrival of the pythons added to their problems. Two of the snakes wrapped themselves around the prone witch and wizard. Zabini's panicked screams soon filled the air. The third snake attempted to wrap around Nott but was killed by a Cutting Curse.
But the snakes were enough of a distraction.
A pair of over-powered stunning spells ploughed into the two boy-wizards. A summoning spell then left Harry in possession of all four of their wands.
The duelling club was silent for a moment before breaking into cheers for the feat they had just witnessed. Harry ignored them and turned to walk away. He'd learnt something here about himself. About the Beast. He needed to think about what it meant.
The story quickly went around Hogwarts about Harry defeating all the other fourth year students. The whispers started again and it was like his second year all over again. But Harry ignored it. It took a few days for his magical reserves to be restored to the normal level. But Harry spent a great deal of that time in his Beast form in the Forbidden Forest getting back what he'd forgotten.
....
11 February 1995
"Really, this is it? All we get to do for the second task is look at the lake?" Harry asked.
Harry was sitting in the announcer's booth with Ludo Bagman. The former Quidditch star had just announced the second task to the listening audience. The ministry official had just finished telling everyone in dramatic terms of the challenges facing the champions and or their hostages at the bottom of the lake.
Harry thought the whole thing was daft. And he said so. Unfortunately, the ministry official had not yet turned off the Wizarding wireless microphone and Harry's opinions went out to all of Britain to the amusement of many in the Stadium.
"Now, Mr Potter," bagman reassured Harry, "this test will be a great test for our champions. They must prove their ingenuity and courage to dive deep into the black Lake and rescue that which they will miss most."
Harry snickered. "Maybe, but for the next hour we get to sit and look at a lake."
"Yes well I'm sure it shall be very exciting."
"Maybe I can send Padma back to get my charms homework. At least then the next hour will be productive," Harry commented in a speculative voice. Bagman scowled at Harry's sarcastic comment. Then he realized that the microphone was still active and muted it in a sudden panic.
Unfortunately, Harry prediction turned out to be the more accurate.
The nine champions lined up at the side of the lake. A small dock jutted out into the water. The three headmasters stood nearby trying to support their champions. While Viktor looked bored, the rest of the champions all looked nervous about entering the Black Lake. Harry couldn't blame them. It was February after all - that water looked really cold.
Bagman gave the starting signal in the champions rushed to the water's edge. Fleur was the first champion to reach the water. She ran directly off the dock without pausing and making a clean diving entry into the water. Al was a step behind her. In moments all of the champions were in the water except for Malfoy.
The Slytherins fourth year looked very small and pale in his swimming costume. To the Muggleborn and -raised amongst the students it look like something out of the 1920s. While Harry wanted to laugh at the other boy's pale, thin chicken legs, his humour was suspended with the knowledge that Harry himself was the one intended to be in this Tournament. If not for Ernie's joking comment, and Harry's own paranoia then Harry's name would have come out of the Goblet of Fire. It was a sobering thought.
Draco paused at the end of the dock and looked back to where his parents stood with Professor Snape. He nervously reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wad that looked something like spinach. Taking in nervous gulp, to Slytherin champion shoved the wide into his mouth before diving into the water.
For the next hour the audience did not have much to see. They became restless until Dumbledore had the house elves deliver snacks and pumpkin juice to the stands. When the mumbling started again bagman started telling tales of his Quidditch triumphs and inside stories about his former teammates and competitors. Harry found it interesting for the first five minutes but it quickly got annoying.
"This should count as detention," Harry muttered no longer paying any attention.
.....
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