Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Year 6

Chapter 37

The trio, along with Barnaby, who had been helping them practise the bubble-head charm, now stood at the edge of the lake.

"So... What do we do now?" Merula asked.

"We go in," said Ben. "We'll need firepower if we want to take on the hostile grindylows."

"I'm more worried about the skittish merpeople," Barnaby chipped in. "Having two many people go in at once could spook them. Besides, I'm sure Dani can handle a few grindylows."

"Also, I'm sure R would send one of their best to break into the final vault," said Merula. "It'd probably be wise to save our firepower for land."

"If Merula didn't have a point, I'd wonder if the mole switched her and Ben's brains or something," said Dani. "Anyway, so I'm going in, right?"

"Yes," said Merula, practically shoving Dani until she nearly fell in the lake. "Go. Have fun."
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"There has to be a way to open this-"

The door to the boathouse swung open and Dani walked in. "No joke, I'm pretty sure I've spent more time looking for you idiots than actually in the lake. Weren't you guys supposed to-" Her eyes left the Slytherins, who had somehow found themselves inside a boat in the water, trying to open the boat gate, to Ben, who was staring out of the mossy window.

"This was your oaf boyfriend's idea," Merula growled.

"So what did you see?" Ben asked, still watching the window.

"Stuff you'd expect to see under a lake. Loads of rocks and stones. I did see a trident like the one we found in the buried vault, but a merperson chased me off before I could examine it. And how do you two plan to get out of this boat in time if the divebomber shows up?"

Barnaby turned to look at the stairs, which were practically on the other end of the boathouse by now. "Riiiiight. Anyway, Dani, I think you should find some way to appease the merpeople before you stomp all over their territory."

"That's a great idea, Barnaby."

"C'mon, oaf, can't you..." As Merula began ordering Barnaby around again, Ben finally tore his nose from the window and followed Dani back to the castle.

"Any new mole theories?"

Ben shook his head as they went upstairs. "I'd feel a lot more prepared against this unknown threat if we had just a tad more, well, REAL teamwork. But, y'know, we always make it in and out intact. Somehow. Until..."

"We really need to stop that from happening, don't we?" Dani said as they rounded a corner. "I honestly wish I could get through to you two sometimes."

"The three of us are just way too different. Anyway, I still have done Flitwick's homework yet..." Ben shuffled to a desk once they'd climbed into the portrait hole.

Dani went to her dormitory, where Alanza and Marina were hanging out, took out her Care of Magical Creatures textbook and went to the section on merpeople.

Bla bla bla centaurs bla bla bla mysterious bla bla bla ministry bla bla bla... share that love of music...

Dani looked up from the book. "Alanza?"

"Ola! How's it going?"

"I might need your help with something..."