Chapter 79

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It was the day of the second task and the students were told to make their way to the Blake Lake where they would catch some boats. Fred had gone off with Lee and George to collect some bets whilst Luna and Belle made their way to the boats. The two girls sat in one with a pair of Hufflepuffs. 

It didn't take long for them to reach some stands where teachers had gathered and so were the students. the two girls managed to be near the front, staring off at the misty landscape before them as the champions were being briefed. 

The air was bitter and Belle was very thankful for the very large cardigan she wore along with a scarf as well, (both her father's that her grandfather had packed her with saying that she'd "catch her death" if she "was anything more like Remus"). She dreaded to think how the water felt and as she stared down at the murky waters, she wondered, how do the creatures that live in the lake not feel the cold? 

It wasn't long until the champions had to leap into the water and collect their 'possession'. From there, it was rather boring. It wasn't as if they could see what was happening beneath the surface because the water was an awful green, rather sludge/diarrhoea-like, and other than some of the 'crazy' people, as Belle dobbed them as, who watched the water intently everyone else seemed to drift off and do other things. 

Belle took it upon herself to sit down on the planks of wood as Luna left to go and talk to Neville Longbottom about something she was unknown too. She sat daydreaming for a few moments until some arms snaked around her waist and hoisted her body up. 

"Is my lady bored?" Asked Fred, his hot breath tickling her ear which instantly made her warm and fuzzy inside. 

Belle nodded and nuzzled into him, clawing for more warmth from Fred. "Very." She told him. 

Fred chuckled softly and pulled away from her make her whine and yearn for more warmth. "We could sneak off to the boat shed, I have a perfect idea to make us hot?" Belle squeaked, her eyes widening as if she had been faced with her biggest fear. The colour drained from her face and it initially scared Fred to the point that he continuously told her he was joking. "Bella, listen I'm joking. I'm joking!"

Before Belle could reply she head someone cry out, "WHOSE THAT?!", and pointed at the water. 

A few teachers leaned into the water and lifted Fleur Delacour out as she sobbed violently. "It was ze Grindelows! Ze Grindelows! Zem Grindelows would not let me past!" She ranted and had to be comforted by her headmistress and fellow Beauxbatons students. 

Belle turned to Fred, "If Fleur cannot get past how'd you suppose Harry will?" 

Fred had a brief wash of worry appear on his face but quickly it dispersed, "He's Harry Potter, he'll be fine. Besides, Fleur's a bit of a pansy." He whispered the last part which made Belle giggle and then stare back at the water. "What are you look at?" Fred asked her. 

Belle shrugged her shoulders and didn't say anything else for the next half an hour when Cedric popped up with Cho Chang in his arms. "PEOPLE?!" The girl cried. "They bloody put people down their and then objectified them as 'possessions'? How dare they! That's totally barbaric."

"I don't think it's barbaric, Belle, mental? Completely. Objectification? Clearly." George piped up for the first time as he and Lee returned from Merlin knows where. "Holy shit, Krum's a shark!"

The group turned to see Viktor Krum surfacing with...Hermione? Well, okay. Belle wasn't expecting her, I mean, yes they went to the ball together but like...no! Time was well running over the hour the participants had to complete the second task and Harry still hadn't returned. 

"Someone should go in and fetch him!" Belle hissed, "I vote Malfoy because if he drowns and Harry resurfaces, so be it."

Fred kissed her cheek, "You're sexy when you're moody." He muttered in her ear, giving her earlobe a nip but jumped away from her when she raised her knee dangerously close to his banana and oranges. 

Belle rolled her eyes as Fred pouted, but she ignored him and turned back just as Ron and who seemed to be Fleur's little sister broke through the water, and were helped back onto the decking. She didn't look to see him being thanked by Fleur, she waited to see Harry return which he eventually did, collapsing onto the wood with Hermione wrapping him in many towels as quickly as possible. 

The judges began to discuss point scoring and this gave Fred and George the opportunity to leave Belle with Lee for a moment to go and check on their younger brother, Harry and Hermione. 

It didn't take long before the judges came up with a decision and for his selflessness, Harry was awarded second place, booting Viktor Krum from second to third with Cedric ruling and Fleur being last. Some angry Bulgarians from near Lee and Belle were outraged and started to shout their mouths off about things being 'unfair' and 'favouritism over Harry'. 

The three tried to push their way towards their headmaster and as they did so they knocked into students who knocked into other students, who knocked into Lee, who sent Belle flying into the lake. 

The loud splash made the whole of the student and teacher body fall silent and look down at the water where Belle began to disappear beneath the surface, struggling. Lee cried out to his friend and fell to his knees, trying to see her but lost sight of her as Fred and George made it to his side. The three and other students began to panic and Dumbledore came to where the boys were. 

Fred started to grow angry and screamed at Dumbledore in fear, who replied, calmly, "We will get her back."

Meanwhile, beneath the water Belle thrashed around trying to return to the top of the water but her not being able to swim did not help. The heaviness of her cardigan weighed her down. She saw many different creatures watching her bewildered but one stood out from the rest. 

She kept looking at Fred, trying to reach out to him but she couldn't. She began to cough from intake of water and teh last thing she felt was a pull on her body as eveyrthing fell dark. 

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