The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

99. Surviving Underwater

Althea's head was aching by the time she returned to the Common Room the night before Harry had to somehow survive underwater for an hour. They had spent every spare moment looking, but none of them had managed to find a single scrap of information to help Harry. With a tired sigh, Althea, who had stayed until she got kicked out after assuring Harry he could get a few hours of sleep while she worked, had finally given up, a few frustrated tears later.

As she began to make her way to her dorm, Althea suddenly noticed Neville fast asleep on the couch before the fire, a book open on his lap which he seemed to have been reading before drifting off. With a small sigh, Althea took the book from him, placing it at the edge of the couch before covering him in the blanket hung over the back of the couch.

When she turned to leave, she accidentally nudged the book, knocking it from its place and sending it toppling to the floor. With a miserable sigh, she bent to pick it up, turning it over to check for bent pages before a word suddenly processed in her mind. She knew she had read it on the page, but where? It had been there, she knew it. Water.

It wasn't much, but it was something. Quickly crouching by the light of the dying fire, Althea read the entire page, finally finding what she was looking for.

When eaten, Gillyweed will give the consumer gills, allowing them to breathe underwater. Webbing quickly grows between the fingers and toes, allowing them to swim underwater with ease. Gillyweed is native to the Mediterain Sea.

"Gillyweed," Althea breathed. Letting out a relieved breath, she repeated, "Gillyweed. But where..."

Then she knew the only option. Replacing the book next to Neville, Althea began to make her way up the stairs to the boy's dormitories before she found herself facing Harry himself.

"Hey," he said softly. "Did you find anything in the library?"

"No," Althea admitted, "but I know how you can survive this, Harry. I need the cloak."

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Harry, just give me the cloak and go back to sleep," Althea insisted.

She didn't know where Ron and Hermione had gone. They'd been called away while the four of them had been trying to find a solution, but while she would have liked their help, she knew it would be better to risk her own hide than risk Harry's.

When she had at last convinced Harry to give it up, she quickly threw it over her shoulders before disappearing out of the portrait hole. As she began walking, she suddenly realized how much she wished she had asked Harry for his map, not knowing he had allowed Moody to borrow it a few days before.

Althea slipped silently through the castle, her heart pounding in her chest as she moved from their tower all the way down to the fridged dungeons. Cautiously, she came to a stop in front of Snape's office, knowing the teacher's rooms were concealed within their offices. She heard no noise. She moved next to his classroom, listening hard. Silence.

Deciding the coast was clear, she approached his personal storage cupboard, praying it wasn't all for nothing. Softly, she pointed her wand at the lock and muttered, "Alohomora."

The door swung open softly. Stepping inside, she quickly lit her wand in order to read the often very faded labels. Finally spotting a small bottle, she quickly grabbed it, slipping it under the cloak with her as she extinguished her wand. The moment the light disappeared, however, she suddenly found herself blinded with light. Before her, looking horribly gaunt in the harsh light, was Snape. His eyes seemed to be staring directly at her, momentarily making her forget that he couldn't see her.

How long he stared directly at the spot she stood, and she stared directly back at him struggling for words, she never afterward recalled, but soon Snape turned away, shutting the door behind him with a snap. Althea waited a whole half hour before daring to open it again. The moment the door opened, a horrid ringing rose in her ears, echoing down the hallway. There was nothing else for it. Shutting the door behind her, Althea broke into a run, sprinting up the steps before slipping into an empty classroom.

Snape came streaming after her, but he didn't follow her into the classroom. How long she waited she wasn't sure, but it was nearly light when she returned to the Common Room, removing the cloak and finding a very anxious Harry.

"Where were you?" he demanded anxiously.

"Doesn't matter," she said wearily, handing over the cloak. "Here. This will let you breathe underwater."

Leaving Harry speechless behind her, Althea went upstairs, her head aching from lack of sleep and stress.

.

Although Althea had fully intended on changing and immediately going down to watch the task, the first thing she was aware of after going upstairs was waking in the late afternoon. After the task, Hermione had gone looking for her only to find her fast asleep on top of her bedspread.

When Hermione returned down to Harry and Ron, she said, "She's asleep."

"Let her rest," Harry said. "She's the only reason I survived that lake. She was awake all night finding gillyweed."

"Gillyweed?" Neville said quickly, looking up from the book he was reading.

"Yeah," Harry said with a frown. "Why?"

"Nothing, just...I was just reading about gillyweed last night," Neville explained. "I didn't know Althea knew about it."

"Probably came across it in the library or something," Ron said with a shrug.