My Love ✧ George Weasley

55 - The Second Task

Adriana

I was down at breakfast very early, as the second task started at half past nine, and I would need to be down at the Black Lake before then. Luckily, Naomi and Katherine woke up early with me to give some comfort and support.

Although, the person I really wanted comfort from had yet to enter the Great Hall. I kept looking at the entrance every five minutes, waiting to see his bright red hair walk through.

"You looking for George?" Naomi asked when I, once again, glanced at the door when someone entered.

"Yeah," I said with a frown. "He told me he'd see me at breakfast last night. I thought he'd come in earlier than this, though. I'll probably have to go down to the Black Lake soon."

"He probably just woke up late," Katherine said, gently rubbing my arm to reassure me. "I'm sure he'll walk through the door any minute now." Just as she said that, I saw a flash of red hair enter the Hall. My eyes immediately snapped to the person, but all hope of seeing George that morning left me when I discovered that the person was Fred.

What was odd, though, was Fred was only accompanied by Lee. George was nowhere to be seen. I quickly searched the Gryffindor table, thinking I might've missed George coming in, but the only speck of bright red hair I found was Ginny.

"What's wrong?" Katherine asked when she noticed my confused look, following my line of sight to Fred and Lee.

"Fred and Lee came in, but not George," I replied, looking over the Gryffindor table once more. "And he's not already at the Gryffindor table. Hold on, I'll be back," I told my friends, getting up to walk over to where Lee and Fred had sat down.

"Morning, champion," Fred greeted with a grin, Lee saying hello as well.

"Where's George?" I questioned, not bothering with greetings.

"No idea," Fred shrugged. "I just figured he had woken up early to spend time with you before the task."

"No," I told him, shaking my head. "The last time I saw George was last night, when you showed up to take him to Professor McGonagall's office."

"Well, the last time I saw him was when I brought him, Ron, and Hermione to McGonagall's office," Fred said. "They were brought into her office and I was told to leave. I have no idea what happened to them."

"Well fuck," I muttered, turning to look around the Hall, when my attention was caught by Professor Sprout headed toward me from the teacher's table. "And now I've probably got to go down for the task. If you end up seeing George, ask him where the hell he was for me, okay?"

"You got it, champion," Fred saluted, Lee mimicking him before I waved goodbye and exited the Great Hall with Professor Sprout.

"Did you figure out the clue, dear?" Professor Sprout asked on our way out of the castle and down the lawn.

"I did," I replied. "The day after Christmas, I figured out how to listen to the egg, and then spent the whole day cracking the riddle. So, I know I have to go into the Black Lake and retrieve something that was stolen from me-" I stopped walking and paused my sentence as a thought hit me. "Professor Sprout, they wouldn't take, say, people of importance to us and put them under the lake for us to recover, would they?"

"I don't know, Adriana," Professor Sprout answered with a gloomy look. "I'm afraid I'm not allowed to answer that question." Even if she was allowed to answer, she didn't need to. The look on her face told me exactly what I wanted to know.

We continued walking down to the lake in silence, my nerves steadily increasing with every step I took. We soon arrived at the edge of the lake, where there were a bunch of stands that had been erected. Professor Sprout led me to the side opposite the stands, where a gold-draped table now stood.