My Love ✧ George Weasley

53 - The Clue

Adriana

"George..." I trailed off. "Do you think there could be mermaids in the lake?"

"Maybe," he replied, following my line of sight to the painting of the mermaid. "Merpeople could quite possibly live in the lake. We've learned about them in class before, so I don't doubt it."

"Looks like it's time to make a trip to the library, then." I promptly stood up, grabbing my wand to dry myself off before throwing my clothes back on.

"Seriously," George groaned, reluctantly getting up and drying himself off as well. "I was enjoying this whole bathroom alone time thing."

"Yeah, well, we can do this again in the future," I told him, and he perked up at my words. "For now, there's a riddle that needs solving."

✧

"Aha!" I quietly exclaimed, turning the book in my hands toward George. "Look at what this says about the Black Lake. 'The lake has a number of magical inhabitants, including a giant squid, a village of merpeople, and many grindylows.' So, I was right. I have to search for the merpeople in the lake."

"Alright," George started, reading the page I pointed to. "Is that all you have to do?"

"I don't think so," I replied, placing the book down to pick up my notebook. "The first two lines of the song allude to going into the Black Lake to seek out the merpeople, but the fourth line says they've taken something I would miss. So, I think I have to go search for that thing in the lake, and, according to the fifth line, I have an hour to find what they took. And then, I think the last two lines say that if I don't find the thing within the hour, it's gone. It won't come back."

"Well, that's a little ominous," George said, raising his eyebrows slightly as he took a deep breath. "So, are you gonna have to be submerged in the lake for the whole hour?"

"I would think so," I answered, slowly nodding as I thought. "If I'm trying to find the merpeople, I'd probably need to go as deep as I could, so, yes, I would need to remain underwater for a whole hour... Now, how the hell do I do that?"

"I guess that's the next thing we've got to search for," he said, closing all the books we had open on the table. "But, I think we've done enough for today. We cracked the clue, and now you've got weeks to figure out how to breathe underwater."

"Alright," I replied, helping him gather up the books and put them away. Once we finished with that, we headed out of the library and through the halls together, going to the Great Hall for some lunch.

On the way, a thought popped into my head. "Harry," I whispered.

"Harry?" George asked. "What about him?"

"I've got to tell him about the egg," I answered. "He told me about the first task, so it's only fair that I tell him how to figure out the clue for the second. And, even if he didn't inform me before, I would still help him out, since I didn't even figure out the egg on my own. And, I would also like for Harry to live through this tournament that he is unwillingly competing in, against people older and more magically advanced than him." I rolled my eyes at the unfairness of this whole situation. "Anyways, I think I'll go and do that now. Where do you think Harry would be? In the Hall eating lunch?"

"That's the first place I'd check at this time," George replied. "If he's not there, then I'd check the Gryffindor common room."

I nodded, and we continued to the Great Hall. Lucky for me, Harry was sitting at the Gryffindor table with Hermione and Ron, finishing up his lunch. I followed George over to where the trio was sitting, greeting them all once we approached.

"Good afternoon, everyone," I said, waving as they all greeted me back. "Harry, do you mind if I talk to you for a moment?"

"No," Harry answered, shaking his head slightly. I beckoned him up, and started walking out of the Hall as he quickly told his friends that he'd be back soon. I led him to a deserted corridor so we could talk without interruption.

"Have you, by any chance, figured out that egg yet?" I asked him once we stopped. "Does it still screech at you when you open it?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "Why do you ask? Have you figured it out?"

"Maybe," I quickly replied. "I suggest that you try taking a bath... with it. Just, you know, make it take a little dip. You can use the prefects' bathroom, if you want. It has a giant tub that's nice to swim in... and nice to dump an egg in."

"Alright..." Harry sounded a little confused at my suggestion.

"Just, don't tell anyone I told you to use the prefects' bathroom," I continued. "I'm technically not supposed to use it, but Katherine and Cedric let me, so I'm sure they'd be fine with you using it just this once. The password's 'pine fresh', and it's on the fifth floor, the fourth door to the left of the statue of Boris the Bewildered. Got it?"

"I think so," he nodded, still with a puzzled look. "How'd you know to put it underwater?"

"That's not a question that needs answering," I waved him off. "All that matters is that I solved it. And that you solve it as well. Remember, if you need any help, come and ask me, alright?"

"Yeah, alright," Harry answered, giving me a small, grateful smile.

I smiled back. "Now, let's head back to lunch, yeah? I'm starving."

✧

I had taken a break from the library and from thinking about the second task for a little, instead focusing on enjoying the rest of the winter holidays.

But, once classes started back up, I was back in the library, looking at book after book for a way to breathe underwater for an hour. I had already written a short list of some ways I knew, and kept adding to it every chance I got.

I was currently sitting in the library with George and Cedric, the three of us reading multiple books at a time to find anything to help, just like what we were doing before the first task.

"Hold on," I quietly spoke up after a little bit. "I remember hearing about a charm before, one that Professor Flitwick briefly mentioned. It was supposed to help you breathe underwater." I frantically started looking through a book on Charms, trying to remember the name. "The Bubble-Head Charm!" I exclaimed, louder than I meant to, and was immediately shushed by Madam Pince.

"The Bubble-Head Charm?" George repeated, taking the book out of my hands to look over it. "I don't remember learning about this."

"That's because we didn't," I told him. "I only remember Professor Flitwick mentioning it. There was never a full lesson on it. I guess it's a good thing one of us fully pays attention in class."

Cedric rolled his eyes at me, asking George for the book. He looked it over before nodding. "This might be the best idea for breathing underwater. It seems like the easiest. At least, it's easier than trying to Transfigure yourself into a fish."

"I agree on that," I said. "I think this is what I'm going to try to use. I'll write down everything I need to know about it and attempt to cast it on myself later." I got out a new piece of paper and started copying every little detail I could about the Bubble-Head Charm. "Good thing I've still got weeks till the task. Plenty of time to practice."

Cedric and George agreed with me, and started putting away the numerous books on our table while I finished writing. Once done, the three of us headed out of the library together, chatting about anything and everything as we went to join up with the rest of our friends at dinner.