Friends Forged In Fire

So I got some really great comments for the first chapter so THANK YOU SO MUCH! XD They made me sooo happy, so here is the second chapter! Wow, I said 'so' a lot just then. XD Anyways, I know that some of the characters are seriously out of character in the first chapter, and I need to think about that next time I write a Fic, but for the moment I'm going to keep the characters that are out of character out of character, otherwise the switch between the two chapters could be even worse. So here is the chapter, R&R!

P.S. Sorry this is kind of late, but I hospital and stitches and crap sort of get in the way ya now? Kapeesh? Lol. Anyway, here we go!

Chapter 2

Hiccup, now trembling like a leaf and rapidly turning an unhealthy shade of green, raised his ashen face to that of a now deadly serious Oliver Wood.

"Right," He said, hastily stuffing the now empty drawstring bag back into one of his inner jacket pockets and clearing his throat in an important manner.

"I do believe that I should, ummm… consult the liability of these… ah, resent events with the rest of the judging panel. Just, um wait. There. "

Wood then turned his back to Hiccup, and swiftly strode off in the direction of the tent entrance, where a small group of strangely assorted wizards stood, deep in conversation. At the sight of Wood approaching, all in the group stopped talking abruptly, and stared expectantly at Wood's hastily forthcoming figure. When he finally came to a stumbling halt, the conversation was resumed, now with a great deal of raised voices full of exasperation and powerful hand movements that could have taken off your head if they caught you round the neck.

Hiccup stood, shaken and stunned, staring at the place where Wood's head had hovered moments before.

"You Ok?" whispered someone at Hiccup's shoulder.

Hiccup yelped in surprise, jumped a foot in the air, almost dropping his miniature black death sentence, and successfully drew the attention of all those in the tent not participating in one of the many raging tactic talks.

"Cool it, Kiddo,'s just me. " Jack smirked as if there was some sort of inside joke, irritating Hiccup to no end. "Sorry if I scared you, I mean, I don't do it on purpose, I'm just… good at sneaking up on people." Jack finished, his impish grin flickering for a moment, his eyes glassing over.

Quite unexpectedly, Hiccup's annoyance towards Jack evaporated, like a simple expulsion of breath, and suddenly, Hiccup wasn't mad anymore. For a few moments, Hiccup simply forgot about his current predicament, and all of his problems seemed insignificantly small in comparison to the great scense of loss and longing that that Jack now radiated. The bitter devastation and pain was written so clearly across Jack's features, that is would have been no easier to visually see had someone cut it into his icy skin with a knife, and in a moment of sudden realisation, Hiccup understood that Jack had been hurting for much longer than he himself could comprehend.

"J-Jack?" Hiccup breathed, his voice cracking with the raw aching hurt of seeing Jack like this. "You Ok?"

"What?" Jack muttered, shaking himself out of his thoughts.

"I was just asking if you, if you w-were Ok." Hiccup stated, stammering a little as Jack looked him straight in the eyes.

"Me?" Jack questioned, motioning to his chest as if making sure it truly was himself that Hiccup was referring to. "Oh yeah, I'm, yeah I'm fine, I've been fine for over… Uh-I-I mean, I've been fine for a long, long time." Jack looked a little uneasy as to the direction the conversation seemed to be swinging in, and decided to strike a new nerve. "Anyway, I'm seriously, not wasting my worry on me." Jack added his eyes drifting to the dragon mapping Hiccup's every grove of Hiccup's hand, continually pacing. Hiccup suddenly felt as if a two ton weight had been dropped back into his stomach.

"I…" Hiccup stuttered, fear ricocheting through his body, causing his bones to shake. He was suddenly at a complete loss at what to say.

"C'mon," Jack smiled reassuringly, "Keep your lunch down and your chin up,"

Hiccup giggled, "Who told you that one?" trying to keep a straight face.

"I do not know!" Jack announced triumphantly, swinging a single fist up to hit his chest King-Kong style. "But I do know that my lunch was particularly spectacular, so I would like to hold on to it!" He stated proudly, oblivious to the large portion of the tent that was now staring at Jack. He was so wrapped up in his own personal crescendo that didn't seem to notice them. The sudden swing in Jack's emotions slightly startled Hiccup.

"Jack!" Hiccup hissed, giggling through his teeth. "People are staring!"

"What? And just for the record, are they staring at my chin or my lunch, and which is more spectacular?" By this time, Hiccup was in a fit of laughter, clawing at the stitches in his sides. But, just then, he caught a wisp of conversation drifting from the group of Ministry Judges, and the smile was once more wiped from his face.

"…-e haven't seen one in years, centuries in fact, no one has ever faced one of these thing and come back alive! And they- that is to say we are expecting a fifth year for Merlin's sake, a fifth year, which shouldn't even be competing to fight this thing. Well really, Oliver, I think this is going a step too far. Is it even legal?" One wizened old man stated, his brow furred in concern. He had only just finished speaking when a slightly younger wizard took up the mantle as well.

"They're an endangered species, Wood; please try to see some sense!"

"There is nothing I can do, Mr. Jordan, " Stated Wood, pursing his lips into a bloodless line.

"The Binding Magical Terms and Conditions of the Triwizard Tournament (which have been around for some four hundred years, might I add), prevent me from taking any further action upon the matter! So if, and at this very moment in time I am sincerely hoping that one could be brought to my attention , anyone could find some sort of loop-hole in such a set of rules, then I would be more than delighted to listen to them!" Wood fumed, his face now dangerously high in colour.

"There are so many safety regulations in place anyway, my dear friend, that all of the consent forms have turned me quite grey." Wood tried for some light humour, but the frown still gracing his face somewhat detracted from the overall effect. He then untucked a rather spectacular pocket watch from inside yet another pocket of his robes. It didn't have numbers upon its face, as such, but instead it was decorated with a strange selection of runes, patterns and dials, all elaborate and oddly mesmerising. The watch made absolutely no sense to Hiccup, but then again, at the moment, not a lot did. Wood, however, seemed satisfied, and proceeded to tuck it back into his dazzlingly bright robes before striding over in the direction of Hiccup and his fellow competitors.

Hiccup once more felt as though he had just had the weight of the sky placed onto his frail shoulders. Jack, always the considerate type, seemed to notice Hiccup's rediscovered discomfort, and tried to offer some support.

"You still got your lunch, Hic?" Jack teased, knocking Hiccup playfully with his shoulder.

"Y-yeah, j-just about." Hiccup replied, blinking rapidly as if trying to wash the fear from within his eyes watery.

Jack didn't have the chance to reply before Wood was addressing the group again.

"Well, it's time, champions! The first of you is about to go where no champion has gone before: Mr Burov, if you would like to leave the tent!"

The thick-set Scandinavianthen set his jaw, pulled out his wand, and made his slow-paced departure from the tent.

"Well!" Wood exclaimed brightly, as Burov disappeared from view, part of his characteristically bold enthusiasm now shining from within him once again. "If the rest of you could just make yourselves comfortable, your turn in the limelight will arrive quite shortly, and then your shining performances in the 720th year of the Triwizard Tournament shall begin!"

"Oh joy," Mumbled Hiccup.

"If you would like to take a seat,-" Wood announced, gesturing to behind the three remaining champions, where one chair and a sofa had miraculously materialized.

For the first time since Wood's slightly untimely and startlingly bright appearance in the Triwizard Tent, Hiccup was actually appreciative of something that the Head of Magical Sports and Games Events had said and done.

Wood then left at an unnaturally fast pace, his blazingly bright cloak billowing out behind him, before being snatched around the corner of the tent's entrance and out of sight.

Hiccup then gave a deep, breathy sigh as his knees swiftly gave out, and he collapsed, emotionally drained, onto the right edge of the plush sofa. Jack swiftly followed, succeeding where Hiccup had failed in retaining what little amount of colour he could.

The red, plush pillows seemed to swallow Hiccup whole, only highlighting how small for his age he was compared to Jack and the remaining Beauxbaton girl, who seated herself in the remaining, lavish armchair, and stared moodily at the canvas of the tent, as if it would give her any guidance.

Her dragon climbed onto the armrest, tucked its head under a highly patterned wing, and appeared to fall into sleep.

Hiccup wished he could do the same.

He didn't want to fight a dragon, Ok, understatement, he couldn't fight a dragon. He was terrified of the things. They were dangerous killing machines, and, as he had been told many a time by his prat of a cousin and countless other individuals the ferocity and peril that entailed being around the monsters. He had heard hideous stories of people dying horrible deaths, being scorched alive and lousing limbs at the hands (or claws) of the stealthy hunters.

Sure, Hiccup was terrified, but he had never truly believed what the others had said. That they had no consciences. No mind other than for death and destruction. No remorse.

But Hiccup didn't really believe such things; for he had seen otherwise.

He was much younger then, walking through the woods subsequent to a dragon attack, ashamed, one again for his slight of build and lack of muscle. He was mortified of his inability to do something, on either side of the battle. He was lost in self-pity, truly living up to his many abusive names: The runt, the nuisance, the Hiccup.

Had he not been full of adrenaline, he would have walked strait into them, to his death. In a panic, Hiccup threw himself behind a large, bulbous rock and prayed to anyone that would listen:

Don't hear me.

Don't let them see me.

Oh, Gods, don't let them know I'm here.

Gingerly, Hiccup peeped round the side of his shelter, knowing each twitch, each movement could give him away.

His heart thudded like a weight dropping, lifting, dropping, dropping and lifting.

His lungs crackled like inflating plastic bags.

He could hardly breathe.

He couldn't breathe.

His eyes cleared the top of the rock.

And he stopped in his tracks.

A purple Nadder stood in the small clearing before him, its head bowed and tail spines withdrawn. Hiccup was confused: What was it doing? Why was a Deadly Nadder standing, alone in the woods, looking so, so distressed? Why did it look so depressed?

This was such a strange display of emotion, so human, that Hiccup couldn't help but scan the surrounding area for the source of this dragon's display of pain.

And then he spotted it.

The dragon wasn't alone.

At its feet lay the crumpled, broken body of –

"The first champion has now successfully faced their dragon, so, with no further ado, may the Beauxbaton competitor please enter the Ring. "

Oh, Gods, thought Hiccup, his heart jumping into his throat. Only Jack to go then I'm next.

Hiccup tried to focus back into his memories, determined to think of anything other than the appending apocalypse that was the First Task.

At its feet lay the crumpled, broken body of – another dragon, most likely a blue Nadder, though it was hard to tell in its mangled and bloody state.

The purple Nadder seemed to be grieving over its distorted and obviously dead partner, who lay, unresponsive, to the dragons nudges.

Get up, it seemed to be pleading, prodding its fallen comrade in a futile effort to get it to its feet.

Please, the dragon seemed to say, it's jostling becoming more urgent, We have to go.

Hiccup, no longer able watch, stumbled from the clearing, his eyes watery, as if the Nadder's pain somehow radiated through his own heart, too.

Suddenly, in his flight from the clearing, Hiccup tripped, sprawling forward with a loud Thump, that no doubt alerted the grieving dragon to his whereabouts. Hiccup didn't trust himself to breath.

He held his breath.

The dragon looked him straight in the eyes.

He stared straight back.

The dragon's look of surprise and shock was quickly re-replaced with pain, such human pain, and with a last nudge filled with failing, faulting hope to its fellow companion; it took off, beating its powerful wings in a grief-fuelled race to reach the edge of the clearing, and the open sky.

Hiccup hadn't wanted to say much longer, his heart heavy and his mind still frozen in shock.

"And now for Hogwarts!" The dreaded voice cut through Hiccup's mind like a knife through butter, bringing a sense of dread that choked him of air and left him winded as if he'd been punched.

"Mr Frost, if you could approach the Ring!" Jack squared his jaw, his tense limbs swinging at his sides, his knuckles white and ridged around his staff.

"Hey J-Jack," Hiccup called, his voice wavering like a broken compass needle. "G-good luck! Yeah, h-have a good…" He squeaked, unable to continue.

"Thanks, Kiddo," Said Jack reaching the entrance to the tent, mumbling, "Luck hasn't really done a lot for me in my lifetime," before adding, "Hey, Hic?"

Hiccup gave a startled yelping- grunt in response, and his eyes locked with Jack's shining blue ones.

Jack smiled, tapped his chin twice before disappearing through the tent flap, leaving Hiccup sitting on a plush, velvet sofa, completely alone.