Chapter 54

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**Alex’s POV**

“Lucky it’s warmed up some,” I comment as we take our place in the stands for the second task, “but we’re not going to be able to see anything.”

“I think it’s more of a time trial thing,” Jace says, “you know, like in the Tour de France?”

“Boring,” I sigh, sitting back and leaning on Fred, “maybe I’ll just have a nap.”

Fred puts his arm around my shoulders casually, but it feels different to how it did, more like I’m a part of him. I like it.

“Where’s Harry?” Angelina asks, “the other champions are here.”

“Here he comes,” Alicia says, “look!”

Harry skids to a stop in front of the lake, panting.

“Now that all the champions are here,” Bagman announces, “we can begin the second task!”

There’s a loud whistle and Krum, Diggory and Delacour dive into the water. Harry wades into the shallows and stops, chewing.

“What is he doing?” I ask, leaning forward.

As we watch Harry clutches at his neck and doubles over.

“Is he okay?” Alicia asks anxiously.

He dives into the water and disappears.

“Well, we hope so,” I comment.

The second task is fairly boring, since we can’t see anything, which is probably why it’s only an hour. After about twenty minutes there’s a commotion and Delacour struggles out of the lake, her robes ripped with cuts up her arms and legs.

“Wow, I wonder what happened?” I say, leaning forward as Madame Maxime and Madam Pomfrey rush over to her.

“Miss Delacour has had to withdraw from the task, due to a grindylow attack!” Bagman announces.

“Wow, she’s lucky she got out,” Angelina comments, “there must be thousands of them in the lake.”

“I wonder how the others are getting on,” Fred says, running his fingers up and down my arm. I snuggle back into him and close my eyes.

It takes forever for anything else remotely interesting to happen. Just before the hour is up Cedric surfaces with a dark-haired girl.

Everyone jumps to their feet and starts clapping wildly. After about ten minutes we all settle down again to wait. It takes another half hour for the other champions to get back, Harry last of all with Ron and a little girl who, judging by her hair, is Delacour’s sister.

“Well, that was actually boring,” I say as we head back to the castle to celebrate, “we’ll have to chuck an extra big party to make up for it.”

“Leave that to us,” George says. He and Fred exchange a look and walk ahead, disappearing into the castle.

“Let’s go decorate the common room,” Angelina says.

We head up to the common room where Felicity teaches us a nifty spell that shoots streamers around the room. The room is soon draped with red and gold. A boy in Harry’s year draws a huge lion and we bewitch it so it roars loudly. Fred and George appear moments later with food and bottles of butterbeer. Felicity pulls out two bottle of firewhiskey and passes them around our group.

“Let’s party!” Angelina yells as Harry walks into the room, dripping wet and grinning widely.

The next morning I wake up late with a huge headache feeling as if I could throw up. In fact, as soon as I sit up everything I ate yesterday comes flying out of my mouth onto the floor. I feel someone pull my hair back and rub my back as I throw up again and again. After I finish I sit back and Scarlett gives me a glass of water.

“Drink it slowly,” she says, vanishing the mess on the floor. I take small sips, my hands are shaking. I set it down and lie down in bed.

“I feel awful,” I mumble.

“Well, you should,” Scarlett says, “you drank way too much last night.”

“Can you make it stop?” I groan.

“Just try to sleep through it,” she replies, “keep drinking water.”

“I want to die,” I moan. Scarlett laugh softly.

“You’ll be fine,” she says, “here, I’ll rub your head.”

I put my head in her lap and she softly rubs my temples. After a few minutes my headache begins to ebb and I doze off

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