Link of Hogwarts

Fifty

Link stared at the bottle of Gillyweed that Dobby had managed to smuggle for Link. Link didn't know how Dobby know, as he was certain the House Elf have been staying in Little Whinging but he really should stop underestimating his friend. He also didn't know how Dobby know what the Second Trial was all about but he'll just not think about it too much.

About a week ago after the Yule Ball, Cedric Diggory had sought him out and told him to take a long bath with the Egg. He even suggested the Prefect's private bathroom where there's a swimming pool sized bath tub. So Link, who has nothing lose, did just that.

Having half figured out what the horrendous sound from the Egg was about, he dove under the water with the Egg and the screeching sound turned into a choir of sirens voice. He then come to the conclusion that the next Trial will happen underwater and thus come to a conundrum.

How does he deal with the Trial? He can't breathe underwater though he has no concern with his swimming ability. Sure the Dursley never sent him to any swimming lesson in fear that his body will be seen. Whenever there's a swimming class, Link will conveniently 'fall sick'. But Link, as usual, just know how to swim. So his main concern was staying underwater.

The song suggested that something precious to him will be taken under and that he has an hour to seek it out or he will forever lose it. Link doubted that the 'forever' part will be truly permanent as it's a Tournament and not a quest. But still, he has the responsibility to see the mission through. But the first hurdle, staying underwater in the duration that the song suggested will be impossible for him. Plus, the Black Lake is large and deep. He doubted that they will keep whatever they took close to the surface.

He will have to dive deep...

So Link's idea of preparation is to design a swimming armor that will allow him to breath underwater. He has been looking up fabrics and materials to fuse into a deep diving gear. He had also studied any and all runes that can help in this project, going as far as to informally take up Alchemy which is beyond his year. But improvising has always been something Link has been particularly good at.

He named his project as the "Zora's Armor" and stopped himself from thinking too deeply about the origin of the idea and name.

So far he had managed to get his hands on a roll of Selkie's skins, though they cost a fortune Sirius has no qualm spending for Link. In fact, it was Sirius who insisted to buy them when he heard what Link was planning. But unlike the original owners of the skins, Link won't be transformed into a seal as that transformative magic belong to the Selkies. However, he believed that the Selkie's skin have certain properties that will allow him to breath underwater. But it was something unproved so Link still need to study the properties extensively.

And so he decided to steep the Selkie's skins in a special potion with similar properties. This is where Dobby came in. So now he sat behind Hagrid's hut steeping Selkie's skin in a cauldron full of dubious potion made out of Gillyweed and other ingredients like Ramora's swim bladder that will amplify the underwater breathing ability.

Link has heard of the Bubble-head Charm but since he's already making his "Zora's Armor" when he heard about it, he decided to stick with his plan. Besides, he has another reason behind insisting on the armor.

It was to hide his body...

Link is sure that they will hand him a swimming trunk then pushed off the pier into the water during the Trial but he didn't want anyone to see his body. Thus Sirius, understanding Link's biggest concern, decided to help the boy with materials as he's not supposed to help Link more than this. The rule stated that Link can't access outside help but nothing about outsourcing. Besides, all Sirius did was hand him a bag full of money and that was it. Snape, being the unwilling witness of the whole deal, said nothing.

But he kept a very close eye on Link when the boy decided to make his dubious potion. Link was certain that Snape would have stopped him had the potion gone wrong or deadly. Keeping Link safe outside the Trial has nothing to do with helping him after all. It falls under lesson.

Now that Link has completed the initial stage of preparing the skins, he started making patterns, cutting the patterns, sewing the pieces together, sewing the embroideries of runes onto the swimming suit, adding more elements to help him with the underwater breathing and ease of swimming like rubbing crushed opal dusts all over the leather, and finally the fitting.

A month later he looked at himself in the mirror of the Prefect's bathroom. It's a blue so dark it could have passed for black with silver threads and tiny opals sown onto the tight neck. Between the outside and the inner linings runes that he had tested again and again that will allow him to breathe underwater. Around his neck are preserved Gillyweed sown directly into the lining so that it will touch his skin.

He looked at the water that filled the swimming pool bath tub and exhaled nervously, "Here we go," Once said, he dove into the water and sink himself to the bottom. Then he tested the "Zora's Armor"...

Link woke up to Dobby calling onto him and saying that he'll be late to the Second Trial. Rushing, he put on his clothes and ran for the lake. The cold weather bit into his skin just as he arrived. Bagman cheered as he reached the pier and he looked at his competitors as they jumped one by one into the water below.

Breathing deep, he took out his wand and switched the robes he's wearing for the armor. He ignore the confused muttering at the odd swimming gear and jumped into the water. The magic runes glowed around him as he activated the dormant magical properties of his gear.

Bagman can't help but gasp, "Did you just see that, ladies and gentlemen? Link Potter just switched his Champion gears to something that has never seen before! Is this going to be a trend for him in this Tournament? First the Hippogriff Buckbeak and now a swimming suit that seemed to allow him to breath underwater! Look! It's turning blue!"

Indeed, the color change was a sign that the gear's working properly. As Link took a lungful of filtered oxygen, he dashed through the water with incredible speed. As he passed over tall seaweeds, he saw flashes of light between the leaves.

Cursing his need to save, he dove through the leaves and found Fleur battling a Grindylow. She struggled against its many tentacles and long bony fingers as it grasped her throat. Thrashing, she lost her wand and as fear chilled her heart, a kick smashed against the oddly shaped hat of the Creature. She looked at her helper and found Link, dressed strangely but agile as if he's on land landing stinging hexes on the tentacles grabbing her limbs.

The Grindylow hisses and she could sense many more through the tall weeds around them. Link dove and brought up her wand, wordlessly handing it to her. She flustered but accepted his help. Link then pulled on her left hand and dashed upward out of the forest of seaweeds. He stopped shy of the surface and looked at the clan of Grindylow growling under in the forest below them.

He looked at her and seemed to ask her for her wellbeing. Fleur looked at her person and only notice little scratches. He gestured at the depth and looked at her and she knew he was asking if she's going to continue. Had she been alone, Fleur would have given up and swam to the surface.

But there's just something about Link that gives her courage. So instead of giving up, she decided to carry on. She gestured her answer and Link smiled at her courage, causing her heart to flutter.

He swam ahead and Fleur followed close. She didn't know where the other Champions are but Link would never lead her astray. For some reason he make her feel safe even though they're supposed to be competing. So she followed him and he does nothing to shake her off as he simply swam ahead, sometimes stopping to look behind him as if to see if she's still following him.

Soon, they reached their destination; the Mer-village...