Different Worlds (Harry Potter | Percy Jackson Crossover)

Chapter 18: The Second Task

I stopped as soon as I saw her expression. She looked confused, amused, and stern all at the same time. "What might that joke be, Miss Malfoy? I didn't expect you here because of a joke you played on Severus earlier. In fact, I don't even know anything about the joke you are talking about," she said.

My mouth dropped and I clear my throat nervously. "O-Oh. Right. S-So, w-what might I be here for, Professor?" I ask in the calmest tone I could produce. McGonagall laces her fingers together and rests her chin on it. "It is about the second task."

As soon as those words slip out of her mouth, I became dead serious. Not a tint of laughter or happiness can be seen in my expression. I stood straight and sat properly on the chair. "What about the second task?" Professor McGonagall let out a huge sigh she, I suppose, was suppressing before she started explaining.

"Professor Dumbledore has spoken to me about this earlier this morning when you were still sound asleep. He asked me if I had any idea about the next task the champions will be facing," she said. "I told him I don't know what it is, but I have some clues. Lately there were Ministry people under Barty Crouch who were sneaking in and out of Hogwarts and heading for the Black Lake. Then, they would get some merpeople to rise up to the shore and instruct them about hiding and guarding a certain number of people. I've also heard from Mr. Diggory about the song he heard when he opened the egg in the water. I asked Albus what the second task was. He instructed me to get a few people and to give them a potion for them to be unconscious in the water, but once they come up, they will regain their consciousness.

"On the day the task will be carried out, the champions will have to dive into the Black Lake and retrieve the selected students from the merpeople and bring them back to the shore. Once they did, their task is complete."

"You could have just said that," I mumbled, obviously tired from hearing her story. "Did Professor Dumbledore tell you who these certain people are?"

Her expression turned grim as she said their names. I was only left at a state of shock.

--

~Harry's POV~

"Hermione, I was joking," I said warrily. "I know I haven't got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning..."

"Oh this is no use," Hermione said, snapping shut the Weird Wizarding Dilemmas. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind," I heard Fred say. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"

Ron, Hermione, and I looked up. Fred and George had just emerged from behind some bookshelves.

"What're you two doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for you," George said. "McGonagall wants you, Ron. And you, Hermione."

"Why?" Hermione asked, looking surprised.

"Dunno... she was looking a bit grim, though," Fred said.

"We're supposed to take you down to her office," George said.

Ron and Hermione stared at me. I felt my stomach drop. Was Professor McGonagall about to tell Ron and Hermione off? Perhaps she'd noticed how much they were helping me, when I ought to be working out how to do the task alone?

"We'll meet you back at the common room," Hermione told me as she got up to go with Ron - both of them looked very anxious. "Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?"

"Right," I told her uneasily.

I looked at all the books I had to scan on the table. Where's Shadow when you need her?