Honey Bee

Chapter 32

Then I found it.

The merpeople had grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks. They leered at me as I swam past; one or two of them emerged from their caves to watch me better, their powerful, silver fish tails beating the water, spears clutched in their hands. They looked very impressed by my tail and some stroked it... I was very creeped out.

I sped on, staring around, and soon the dwellings became more numerous; there were gardens of weed around some of them, and I even saw a pet 'ugly-thing' tied to a stake outside one door.

Merpeople were emerging on all sides now, watching me eagerly, pointing at my long, silky hair and golden tail, talking behind their hands to one another. I sped around a corner and a very strange and disturbing sight met me eyes.

A whole crowd of merpeople was floating in front of the houses that lined what looked like a mer-version of a village square. A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Five people were bound tightly to the tail of the stone merperson.

Ron was tied between Hermione and Cho Chang. There was also a girl who looked no older than eight, whose clouds of silvery hair made me feel sure that she was Fleur's sister. Then JJ was at the end.

All five of them appeared to be in a very deep sleep. Their heads were lolling onto their shoulders, and fine streams of bubbles kept issuing from their mouths.

"JJ!" I shouted zooming over and looking at her. "It's ok I'm here." I said panicked. I tried to curse the rope off but it wouldn't work. I tried a sharp rock. Everything... nothing was working. "WHY ARE YOU JUST WATCHING?!" I screamed at the merpeople.

"We cannot help." One of them grunted at me.

"WHY NOT! THE ROPE ISN'T COMING OFF! I CAN'T LEAVE HER HERE!" I said before I started biting the rope. That was also doing nothing. Then I noticed JJ was stirring... she was waking up. "NO! NO! NO!" I shouted before the rope suddenly burnt to a crisp. Then I realised, the others won't be able to get there hostages. I turned to Fleurs sister and started to work on the rope but the merpeople all stopped me.

"NO! I'M HELPING! JJ IS WAKING UP AND THEY AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO BREAK THE ROPE! SHE'S SO YOUNG! LOOK AT HER!" Fleurs sister was smaller than JJ and looked about eight. I shoved them all away and loosened all the ropes. I couldn't break them but it was now easier for everyone else.

"LEAVE!" All the merpeople hissed. I grabbed JJ's wrist and started to pull her along. She stirred some more... what if she wakes up.

I tried to remember anything...

Maybe if she can breathe underwater she'll wake up and still be ok. I looked down at the merpeople before remembering... the bubblehead charm.

I put the enchantment on JJ just in time as she woke up. She tried to scream looking around.

"JJ, calm down. We need to swim up ok? Just nod don't scream." I said. JJ nodded before pointing at my tail. "I know, it's amazing." I grabbed her hand and we started to swim upwards.

Then I heard another song.

"An hour long you'll have to look, And to recover what we took. . . your time's half gone, so tarry not Lest what you seek stays here to rot. ..." I turned to see Harry swimming along.

"They're down there! I loosened the ropes!" I said before JJ waved at him floating a little. I think he said thank you but all that came out was bubbles. I smiled as JJ and I continued are journey upwards. Then I realised I was super speedy and JJ was slow. "Get on my back." I told her and she obliged. She put her arms around my neck and feet around my waist and I swam upwards.