A Trio of Serpents

35: Just Keep Swimming

Summary: Rita Skeeter writes an article that leaves a large impression; Jayson has late-night thoughts about boggarts; Harry is rewarded for eating weed.

Cedric's advise had been okay, Harry supposed, if a little vague, but he managed to figure it out in the first week back from the holidays: He had to retrieve something from the lake. Great. Now he had to find a way to breathe underwater. Not great.

Not that he really dwelled on it much; Care of Magical Creatures was currently being taught by a witch named Grubbly-Plank after Rita Skeeter's article on Hagrid's half-giant status. Hagrid's absence weighed down on Harry more than the upcoming second task, and with Malfoy's taunting, he found himself wishing he had let Buckbeak attack him back in third year.

"Anything on the egg?" Ginny asked as they headed into Hogsmeade.

"I think it has to do with the lake," Harry told her. "We have to retrieve something from it."

"Wow," said Ron. "First fire, now water. What's next? Air?" He clapped a hand over his mouth, blue eyes widening in horror. "Was that a prediction?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow, bewildered, so Harry went to explain. "He's been saying things that came true."

"Like a Seer? Huh. I'm not aware if we have any in our family."

"We don't." Ron paused. "I think."

"The egg?" Hermione prompted. "You still need to figure out how you're gonna breathe underwater."

"We still have time," Harry said.

"Five weeks."

"Yes, which is time."

Hermione gave up.

They passed the Durmstrang ship, where Krum was positioning himself on the side. As the four watched, he dived into the lake.

"Someone's practicing," Ron noted. "Has he left you alone?" he asked Hermione.

"Pretty much. Although he wasn't exactly bothering me to begin with."

Hagrid was nowhere to be seen, so Harry entered the Three Broomsticks feeling rather put out.

"Harry!" It was Bagman that spoke. "Wonder if I could have a quick, private word?"

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny went off to find a table. In one corner, Jayson and Sid were sitting with Remus and Sirius.

"If a boggart turned into a mix of two people's fears," Jayson was asking Remus, "wouldn't that be scarier than just one fear? If you ask me, a headless slug is freakier than one with a head."

"That depends," said Remus in full teacher mode. "Would you actually find that scary or just off-putting?"

Jayson paused to think about this. "Off-putting. But I still think that would be a disadvantage for the people..."

"Why are you asking about boggarts?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. Last night, I was just chilling in bed, then I woke up because I remembered what Remus was saying about them."

"He woke me up at three in the morning to ask me about it," said Sid, rubbing his eyes.

"It was an important question," said Jayson. "I had to know."

"Right," said Harry who had just arrived in time to hear him. "Like that time you woke me up asking about putting a werewolf on the moon."

"All I'm saying is that it's always a full moon if you're on the bright side of it."