Athena Dumbledore (A Harry Potter Love Story)

Mermaids

ATHENA POV:

"Nothing in this one," I say, putting the book back on the shelf. I sigh and plop down on one of the seats. We had been looking for something, anything, to help Harry breathe under water. He found out that the task had something to do with mermaids, which probably has something to do with breathing under water.  

"I just don't understand what it means when the voice said they took something from me. I'm not missing anything," Harry says. Hermione and I shrug. Ron suddenly comes back from the other aisle and shakes his head.  

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Harry sighs. I feel someone tap me on the shoulder. I turn around to find a little first year girl with dark, brown hair and freckles.  

"Professor McGonagall wants to see you two in her office," she gestures to Hermione and I.  

"We'll be right back," I tell Harry and he nods skimming the books. "Thanks!" I tell the little first year as Hermione and I make out way to McGonagall's office. We walk in to find Professor McGonagall sitting at her desk with Uncle Albus, Cornelius Fudge, Cho Chang, and some tiny BeauxBatons girl.  

"You called for us, Professor?" Hermione asks politely.  

"Yes, Ms. Granger, please sit down," Professor McGonagall gestures to two seats.  

"Did we do something wrong?" I ask and Uncle Albus shakes his head.  

"Certainly not. We just need your help in the competition," he replies and I look at him quizzically. "In this task, the champions will be sent down into the lake to face many aquatic creatures. There task will be to bring back something." He continues.  

"But Professor," Cho Chang interrupts. "What does this have to do with us?"  

"Ah, that's the complicated part, Ms. Chang," Uncle Albus explains. "You four will be the things the champions have to bring back. I'm sure you're all aware which champion will return each of you." I blush. They chose me for Harry, Hermione for Krum, Cho for Cedric, and the tiny girl for Fleur.  

"But Professor, we can't exactly breathe under water. How are we going to stay down there that long?"  

"We are going to use a spell that puts you into a sort of sleep. You will recover from this sleep as soon as you touch the air." Professor McGonagall explains. "Now if you'll follow us to the lake..."  

The cold air stings my throat as I inhale. I can only hope that Harry and Ron don't think we totally ditched them or something. After all, I promised we'd be right back. I notice the little Beauxbatons girl looks a bit nervous.  

"Ca va?" I ask if she's alright in French. I had found a muggle book on the language in my Uncles library. The girl looks a bit surprised that I know how to speak it, but answers.  

"Ca va," meaning she's alright. I see my Uncle smile at me out of the corner of my eye. He knows I love that book. We make it to the dock of the lake and I stare into the freezing water.  

"Ms. Chang, would you like to go first?" Cho reluctantly nods as McGongall swipes her wand, sending Cho, in a rather unconscious state, into the freezing water. I see some vicious looking mermaids pull her deeper in until she's out of sight.  

"Ms. Granger?" Uncle Albus gestures to the edge of the dock. I give Hermione a reassuring smile as McGongall swipes her wand and Hermione goes in. "Athena?" I stand on the end of the dock. McGongall swipes her wand, and I feel my eyelids get droopy and I relax my body. Everything is black, but I couldn't feel more warm and relaxed. My whole body feels numb, but it's a good kind of numb. I just lie there for what seems like forever, forgetting completely about Harry and the Triwizarding Tournament.

HARRY POV:

"They said they'd be right back," Ron assures me, but it's been too long. We were heading down to the next task, which was apparently at the lake. I asked around, and no one had seen Athena or Hermione since they went into McGonagall's office. We didn't find anything on breathing under water, so I might have to drop out of this one and take last place.  

"Harry! Oi, Harry!" Neville appears next to me, out of breath. "I found something you could use to breath under water!" Relief floods through me. Neville holds out some green, slimy looking plant. "Gillyweed."

"Champions, take your marks!" Cornelius Fudge's voice booms through the speakers. "Your task is to retrieve something-well, more of a someone, who has been taken into the lake." Someone? What does he mean someone? Suddenly, it all clicks into place. It's Hermione and Athena down there who we're supposed to retrieve. How are they supposed to breathe?! "On your marks..." I stuff the gillyweed in my mouth. "Get set..." There's a burst of pain in my feet, hands and neck. "GO!" I fall into the freezing water, desperate to relive the pain. In almost an instant it's gone. I suck in a deep breath. I realize that I have gills on the side of my neck and flippers on my feet. I decide to ham it up a little bit and use my flippers to launch myself out of the water, making the crowd go crazy. I smile to myself as I make my way through the water.  

I swim around for what seems like forever before I come to a clearing and see Athena, Hermione, Cho, and Fleur's little sister all drifting in the water, tied to the ground by their feet. Cedric is already there untying Cho. He sees me and gestures to his watch, signifying me to keep going. I decide to get Athena, because Krum is probably supposed to get Hermione. Krum zooms by and had gotten Hermione out before I manage I untie Athena. Third place isn't so bad, right? I successfully untie Athena, but Fleur is no where in sight. There's one minute left. I decide to untie the girl for Fleur, she might've gotten attacked and disqualified from this round. I'm pulling them both up to the surface when I feel something grabbing at my feet. I try and shake the strange creature off, but more come. I push Athena and Fleur's little sister up to the surface as I struggle to free myself. I can feel the Gillyweed wearing off as I get pulled down and deeper into the water.

ATHENA POV:

I suddenly feel a rush of coldness seeping through me and gasp. My thoughts flood back to me as I realize where I am.  

"Help her! She can't swim!" Fleur yells from the sidelines in her heavy French accent and I look over to see the little girl, apparently Fleur's little sister, struggling to stay above water. Teeth chattering, I swim over to her quickly, but she goes under. I dive under to help her, drowning out the yells of the crowd. I bring her back above. She gasps in a huge breath of air as the crowd cheers. I suddenly see Harry fly above me and land with a thud onto the dock. With everything I have, I haul the little girl back to the docks slowly, trying hard to stay above water myself. We get to the end and I push the little girl up first, then Cedric and Harry help me out. I'm so cold that my teeth are chattering and my whole face is probably blue and purple. Hermione wraps a towel around me and I can see that she's much more dried off than I am. Fleur comes up with her sister and they both hug me.  

"You save my little sister! Merci, Merci!" I nod my head and force a smile.  

"You alright?" I hear Harry ask from behind me. I turn around and hug him tightly, making the crowd 'ohhh' and 'ahhh'. I pull back smiling and he is too. I nod while clutching the towel close to me. Harry had survived the second task! Now there's only one more to go...