When Myths Meet Magic || 4

22|| Nico

"Guys!" Percy shook Harry and Nico awake frantically. "Guys, get up!"

"Stop it," Harry muttered as he turned over.

Percy whipped out his wand. "Aguamenti Maxima!" A stream of water shot out with the power of a water cannon and hit Harry on  the back of his head. "Get up!"

Harry was instantly jolted awake. "Dammit, Perce!"

"Enough." Percy threw a glass vial at Nico, who caught it right before it hit the ground. The glowing green liquid sloshed around. "The task starts in fifteen minutes. You need to be out there right now."

If the two weren't awake before, that did the trick. Harry's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and he grew very, very pale.

"Shoot! Percy, please tell me you have more of that potion!"

Percy stared at Harry, wide eyed. "Please tell me you didn't forget."

"You have more, right?"

"I just have the ingredients for another one, in case the first one went wrong!"

Harry wrung his hands through his hair. "Let's just grab them and go."

The three sprinted out of the common room, Percy with his bag full of the ingredients. "We don't have time to make another one," he panted. "And I'm guessing it's not a good idea if you just eat the ingredients raw."

"Harry! Nico! There you are!" Neville confronted them frantically. "You need to be over there! Harry, you're ready, right?"

"We have the ingredients to make a potion," Harry showed Neville the inside of the bag. "But we don't have enough time to make one!"

Neville's eyes searched the bag. "You don't have to!" he shouted triumphantly, pulling out a vial of green plants. "You just need this."

"What?" Harry stared at the plants in his hand.

"Go, go!" They took off towards the judges, Percy right behind them.

"What is it?" Harry yelled as they ran.

"Gillyweed," Percy said after a quick glance. "I hope Neville grabbed the right one, because that's what you're going with."

"You can't share?" Harry begged Nico.

"We made enough for one person!" Nico shook the vial in Harry's face. They skidded to a stop in front of the judges table. "We're here!"

"What took you so long?" A disapproving voice said. Percy Weasley was sitting in place of Mr. Crouch-- he had failed to turn up again.

"Let him catch his breath!" Ludo Bagman said. Harry took a strangling gasp for breath.

"Alright then!" Bagman pointed his wand at his throat, muttered a spell, and suddenly his voice boomed out across the dark water towards the stands.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle! And we have Mister Percy Jackson here who has volunteered to supervise the underwater events. Now, the champions have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One... two... three!"

Harry stared at Percy wildly, who nodded. In one gulp, the slimy gillyweed disappeared down his throat. Nico uncorked the bottle and downed the potion. Instantly, he shuddered as the potion ran through his system, then dove into the water. Harry followed, his eyes wide with panic as gills carved their way into his face.

Nico didn't look back to see who else was following. He quickly dove down and immediately, the cold, hard grip of the lake surrounded him. He steeled himself.