Transfiguration, whether you're a student at Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, or Hogwarts, is one of the first magical disciplines young witches and wizards encounter. Turning a pile of stones into a roughly humanoid shape is something nearly every student capable of passing their first-year Transfiguration exam can manage. Especially when it's a crude, featureless figure—lacking eyes, fingers, toes, or even a discernible front or back.
In a classroom setting, if a fourth-year witch or wizard could only muster such a shoddy attempt, they'd be met with anything but praise. Whether it's a sharp-tongued, sarcastic reprimand or patient guidance would depend entirely on the mood of their Transfiguration professor.
But when that rough, unfinished figure stands fifty-three feet tall and weighs over a hundred and sixty tons, a colossal behemoth of stone, the minds of everyone witnessing the spectacle are struck with nothing but sheer awe.
In the deathly silence that enveloped the arena, the towering stone giant took ponderous steps, each one sending tremors through the ground as it lumbered toward the Hungarian Horntail on the opposite side of the field. Countless tiny stone fragments broke off from its massive frame with every movement, only to be pulled back and reformed onto the giant's body by the force of magic.
The adult fire dragon, which had once seemed so dangerous and formidable, was now straining to appear even more ferocious. Yet, for reasons no one could quite articulate, it looked less like a mighty beast and more like a scrawny stray dog, barking furiously at a fully armored soldier. The stone giant, of course, was that soldier.
Not everyone in the stands was rendered speechless by Miss Granger's stunning display of Transfiguration. Albus Dumbledore, for instance, the most powerful white wizard of the age, was only briefly surprised before he began clapping with a warm smile. His applause snapped the two other headmasters seated beside him out of their stupor, and they quickly followed suit. Soon, cheers and shouts of admiration erupted across the entire arena. Mr. Granger leapt to his feet, pointing proudly at Hermione on the field while boasting loudly to those around him.
"Look at that! That's my daughter! Hermione Granger!"
"It's… it's unbelievable Transfiguration!" Ludo Bagman's voice boomed over the arena. "I'll be honest, in all my years, I never imagined Transfiguration alone could achieve something like this! It's practically a miracle! If any judge gives less than a perfect score, it's an insult to the very art of Transfiguration!"
Though Mr. Granger didn't understand magic, he had seen how cautiously the other three champions had faced their dragons. He'd been worried about how his daughter would fare against such a creature. But Hermione had stolen the show the moment she stepped onto the field, conjuring a spectacle no one could have anticipated. Looking at the massive stone giant, no one could doubt its destructive power. The only question now was how long it would take Hermione Granger to reach the golden egg nestled beneath the Hungarian Horntail.
Amid the crowd's ecstatic cheers, the stone giant reached the dragon, which was now roaring even louder. The giant stretched out its arms and seized the multi-ton fire dragon, utterly ignoring the beast's frantic clawing and bursts of flame. With a single, effortless motion, it lifted the dragon, turned, and slammed it into the rocky ground, sending a cloud of dust billowing into the air.
The impact reverberated so powerfully that many in the stands felt as though they'd been momentarily lifted off their seats. The wizards stationed around the arena, ready to intervene if needed, exchanged uneasy glances, their hearts sinking. They all silently hoped this fourth-year Hogwarts witch would go a little easier—preferably not killing the dragon on the spot. The Ministry would have to pay a fortune in reparations if she did.
In the swirling dust, two massive figures grappled. But how could flesh and blood hope to overpower unyielding stone?
Soon, a long, mournful wail signaled the dragon's surrender, and Hermione emerged from the clutch of dragon eggs, clutching the golden egg in her hands.
"Miss Hermione Granger has secured the golden egg!" Ludo Bagman's voice rang out. "Now, it's time for the judges to score… oh… the Hungarian Horntail doesn't look to be in great shape…"
After retrieving the egg, Hermione tucked it under her arm and darted to the safety zone. Just before her magical reserves were fully depleted, she dispelled the Transfiguration charm sustaining the stone giant.
Without magic to hold it together, the giant collapsed into a scattered pile of stones. The Hungarian Horntail, pinned beneath it until that moment, finally had a chance to breathe—though breathing was about all it could manage.
Its tail was twisted in three places, its left claw broken, and its wings crumpled. The once-majestic dragon lay bloodied in the heap of stones, its head slumped weakly against the ground, mouth gaping as it struggled to draw ragged breaths. It was clear it was barely clinging to life.
The dragon tamers rushed forward, scrambling to administer emergency care. No matter what, they couldn't let the dragon die on British soil—not unless they wanted their wages docked to cover the penalties.
Harry, accompanied by the exhilarated Granger parents, raced toward Hermione's tent. Along the way, they ran into Luna, Neville, and others eager to celebrate with Hermione. To Harry's surprise, Ron was among them. It seemed the sight of the dragon had finally cleared some of the jealousy clouding his mind.
The group surged toward the tent in a lively throng. Inside, Hermione was seated, speaking with Madam Pomfrey.
"Madam Pomfrey, I'm fine, really. The dragon didn't touch me, I promise…"
"Hermione! You were incredible!" The Grangers burst in first, Mrs. Granger enveloping her daughter in a tight hug and planting a jubilant kiss on her cheek.
"I knew my Hermione was the best!" Mrs. Granger beamed, while Mr. Granger stood beside her, radiating pride.
"Of course, Emma. She's our daughter, after all."
Following the Grangers, Harry, Luna, Ginny, Neville, George, Fred, and Ron piled in. Hermione, surrounded by her parents and Madam Pomfrey, was visibly startled by the sudden crowd.
Her gaze swept over Harry and the others, lingering on Ron for a few seconds before shifting to Harry. "Harry, what are you all doing here?"
"To celebrate, obviously!" Ginny elbowed Ron subtly, whispering urgently to her thick-headed brother. "Now's your chance—say it!"
Ron hesitated, then took a step toward Hermione. His face was still pale, clearly shaken from witnessing the dragon, but he pressed on. "Hermione…" He stared at the ground, his cheeks flushing. "I'm sorry. I was wrong about you. I shouldn't have doubted you…"
Hermione regarded him quietly. For a moment, no one could guess what was behind those brown eyes. Then, she offered Ron a warm, friendly smile. "It's okay, Ron. Let's just put it behind us."
Ron's head snapped up, his face lighting with relief. "So… you're not mad at me?"
"Of course not. We're friends, aren't we?"
Ron opened his mouth to say more, but Ludo Bagman's voice interrupted from outside the tent.
"The judges have reached their decision! Let's see Miss Hermione Granger's scores!"
Dumbledore was the first, happily awarding a perfect ten. Madame Maxime followed, silver ribbons streaming from her wand to form another ten. Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch each gave tens as well. All except one.
Under the crowd's scrutiny, Karkaroff raised his wand. He paused, then a number burst forth—a "5."
The stands erupted in outrage, boos raining down on Karkaroff. But the Durmstrang headmaster, true to form, maintained his calm, faintly smug expression despite the overwhelming disapproval.
Like most of the crowd, Ron was on his feet, cursing Karkaroff's name.
Hermione had intended to return to Hogwarts Castle with Harry and the others, but before she could leave, Ludo Bagman came panting into the tent. He glanced around, visibly relieved to find all four champions still present.
"You all did brilliantly! Especially you, Miss Granger—your mastery of Transfiguration was extraordinary!" Bagman said, beaming as if he'd been the one to face the dragon. "Now, just a few words. The second task will begin on February 24th next year at nine-thirty in the morning. Until then, you'll have plenty of time to rest—but we've got something for you to ponder." He gestured to the golden eggs in their hands. "Look closely. These eggs can be opened… but not yet—"
His warning came too late. Harry, holding Hermione's egg, had already cracked it open out of curiosity.
A piercing, ear-splitting screech tore through the tent, nearly shattering everyone's eardrums.
Harry snapped the egg shut instantly, but it took several seconds for the group to recover.
Bagman, exasperated, snatched the egg from Harry and handed it back to Hermione. "Where was I? Right—the eggs. You'll need to solve the clue inside. It'll tell you what the second task is, so you can prepare. All clear? Good. Off you go!"
As the group left the tent, they chatted excitedly on their way back to the castle. But as they passed a cluster of bushes, someone leapt out.
Rita Skeeter, clad in a garish pink robe, her long quill in hand, fixed Hermione with an eager grin.
Another witch sprang from behind the foliage—Rita Skeeter again, this time in a vivid green robe that matched her quick-quotes quill perfectly.
"Congratulations, Miss Granger!" Rita said, her smile wide. "Care to give me a word? How did it feel facing that dragon? What are your thoughts now? Do you think the judges scored fairly? How did you pull off that astonishing Transfiguration?"
Hermione spared Rita a single glance. She had no fondness for the witch who'd spread lies about Harry in the papers. Acting as if Rita didn't exist, she continued walking toward Hogwarts with her parents.
After dinner, the Grangers departed with Professor McGonagall, leaving Hogwarts behind. Hermione, after enduring nearly a month of cold shoulders from her fellow students, had finally regained some support thanks to her performance in the arena—though by now, she hardly cared what others thought.
Ron's return to the fold delighted Harry, and by extension, Hermione. After dinner, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville took a stroll around the Black Lake, stopping to visit Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback. Harry even indulged Luna's curiosity by letting her play "dragon rider" for a bit. They lingered with the young dragon so long that by the time they returned to the castle, it was quite late.
"Come on, Hermione, let's get to the Gryffindor common room for the surprise party!" Ron said. "I bet Fred and George have already nicked loads of food from the kitchens."
He wasn't wrong. When they stepped into the Gryffindor common room, the waiting crowd burst into cheers.
Tables and chairs were piled high with cakes, jugs of pumpkin juice, and three dozen bottles of butterbeer. George, Fred, and Lee Jordan had set off Filibuster Fireworks, sparks twinkling in the air. Students rushed to shake Hermione's hand, and Angelina Johnson—Harry finally learned the name of the dark-skinned Gryffindor Quidditch player—approached Hermione in front of everyone.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Angelina said earnestly, taking her hand. "I was awful to you. When your name came out of the Goblet, I was so jealous… I even ostracized you." Harry noticed tear tracks on her face, as if she'd been crying recently.
"It's alright, Angelina," Hermione said gently, comforting the taller girl. "If I were in your shoes, I might've been jealous of some random girl who became a Hogwarts champion, too."
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Fred and George began egging Hermione on to open the golden egg. The others, unaware of what would happen—except Neville, Ron, and Ginny—crowded around curiously. Hermione glanced at Harry, who gave a nod. With a resigned sigh, she conjured two pairs of earplugs, stuffing them into her and Harry's ears.
Then..
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