Chapter 349: Which One Is Yours?
Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 349: Which One Is Yours?
"Only if it's very, very short, because…" As Neville was speaking, one of the dragons broke free from its restraints. "...Because that will happen."
"Wait! You mustn't kill any of these dragons! It's very important!" Professor Silverbell shouted urgently.
"Why not? What happens if we do?" Victoria asked
.
"Right now, your connection to your own reality is weakening by the second. If that connection breaks for any reason, you will not be able to return, and…" Professor Silverbell hesitated, unable to finish.
"And…?" Tall Harry looked at the old gnome with interest.
"No matter. What's important right now is that you must accomplish your mission in order to go back. I believe that's the only way." Silverbell concluded.
"Our mission? You mean the trial with the dragon?" Skinny Harry asked.
"So, we do have to kill the dragons then," Hadrian commented.
"The goal of the first task is for you to acquire the golden egg and bring it back. The dragon is just the obstacle to pass," Dumbledore explained.
"Oh, we just need to get the egg," Victoria said, realizing. "And then we can return?"
"I see a problem with that," Neville pointed at the are where the dragons were located.
They weren't the only thing in the arena. There were nests all over, filled with golden eggs.
"Can we just grab any golden egg?" Tall Harry asked.
"Absolutely not! You must confront only your own dragon and retrieve the golden egg from your world. If you pick the wrong one... the consequences will be catastrophic!" the gnome warned.
"How can you be so sure? Aren't you just guessing?" Hadrian scoffed.
"I'm making an educated guess... I'd say there's about a sixty percent chance I'm correct," Professor Silverbell admitted.
Another dragon broke free from its restraints.
"It's not like anyone else has a better idea. Just listen to the old gnome…" Neville approached the furious dragons.
"Wait, Mister Longbottom!" Silverbell yelled.
"I know…I won't kill them. I'll just hold them in place a bit longer so our visitors can complete their task without the audience being burnt to a crisp. " Neville knelt down, letting the tip of his wand touch the ground as the first dragon began to move toward him.
"Need help, mate?" Tall Harry offered.
"No, I've got this." Neville's eyes briefly glowed green. "Ferrum Magnum Constrictus!"
The rocks and stones scattered around the arena transformed into iron chains, which quickly took on a life of their own and wrapped around the dragons.
The more the dragons struggled, the more chains appeared, binding them tighter until they could no longer move.
Neville kept his wand on the ground and sat down.
"Just let me know which one I need to free. We can do this one at a time."
"That was impressive," Skinny Harry said with a playful wink.
"Nice one, mate," Tall Harry gave him a thumbs-up.
"Yeah, but now what? We've got five dragons and five sets of eggs," Hadrian pointed out. "How are w-"
"The pervert is right." She interrupted him. "How do we find the one that belongs to our world?" Victoria asked.
"Hey!" Hadrian complained.
"That's a good question…" Dumbledore said, his eyes on Professor Silverbell, hoping he had an answer. When Silverbell mentioned 'catastrophic consequences,' only he and Harry truly understood the gravity of the situation. Their very existence was at risk.
"As I said, you're still connected to your own realities, and so are the eggs and dragons. When you're near something connected to you… you should feel it," Silverbell explained the best he could.
"That's a bit vague... what exactly are we supposed to feel?" Skinny Harry asked.
"Just give it a try!" Neville urged.
"Get closer to the dragons and see if you sense anything." There was a hint of desperation in his voice. The more they delay, the worse things will get.
"Fine!" Skinny Harry, with an exasperated gesture, moved toward the nests of eggs.
The others followed, while the audience looked on in confusion.
Mister Crouch, who had been narrating the previous trials, had fallen silent. He didn't know what to say, understanding as little as everyone else in the stands. The only people who seemed to know something had just joined the contestants down below.
"Ne—Harry, do you know what's going on?" Lyra asked.
'Harry' shook his head. He hadn't been told anything about what was going to happen during the task, but he doubted it was supposed to be like this. He had only been warned about the possibility of Voldemort making a move during his trial.
But seeing even Dumbledore involved, this had to be something else.
"I don't know…" It was the only answer he could give.
Daphne watched in silence. Since Harry had revealed more to her than anyone else, she had a better idea of what might be happening.
'A Convergence… those dragons, and those people down there, they must be from different realities. But…' she was now very worried.
Based on what she had learned, two separate realities couldn't remain connected for long. If they did, there was a risk of one of them disappearing entirely.
Back in the arena, Skinny Harry jumped in excitement, pointing at a group of eggs.
"I felt something! I think these are mine!"
"Great! Now you have to find your dragon and confront it," Silverbell instructed.
"Can't he just take the egg and be done with it?" Hadrian suggested.
"No! The task must be completed properly, like you would have done originally. Otherwise, there's a risk of leaving something behind... and the connection won't close properly."
"What happens if the connection doesn't close properly?" Victoria asked.
Professor Silverbell sighed.
"If that were to happen, then…"
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