"Harry, you told us you'd figured the egg out weeks ago." Hermione snapped as we stood on top of the bridge, overlooking the water below. "The task is two days from now."
"Really? l had no idea." Harry grumbled, just as frustrated as Hermione and I were. "l suppose Viktor's already figured it out."
Hermione shrugged as she tightened the scarf around her neck slightly. "Wouldn't know. We don't actually talk about the tournament. Actually, we don't really talk at all. Viktor's more of a physical being. l just mean he's not particularly loquacious. Mostly, he watches me study. lt's a bit annoying, actually."
Harry chuckled along with us. "You are trying to figure this egg out, aren't you?" I asked him.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"lt just means these tasks are designed to test you...in the most brutal way." I sighed, wrapping my arms around my body to stay warm. "They're almost cruel. And-"
"We're scared for you," Hermione told him. "You got by the dragons mostly on nerve. l'm not sure it's going to be enough this time."
Just then, someone called Harry's name. Spotting Cedric, Harry sighed and tried to walk away. "Potter!" Cedric caught up to him.
"Cedric," Harry replied.
"How-how are you?"
Harry furrowed his brows, wondering why Cedric was asking him how he was doing. "Spectacular."
"Look, I realize l never really thanked you properly for tipping me off about those dragons," Cedric told him.
Harry nodded. "Forget about it. l'm sure you would've done the same for me."
"Exactly. You know the Prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor? lt's not a bad place for a bath. Just take your egg...and mull things over in the hot water."
_______________
The next night, after Harry had taken the egg into the bath and figured out the riddle─or most of it─we all met in the library to try and come up with a strategy of some sort.
It was a little awkward being around Ron though as I still hadn't told him, or anyone really, about what had happened with George at the Yule Ball. I mean, we'd kissed and that was pretty much it, but we'd met up a few times since then. The only person who knew anything was Hermione, and even then I had only told her that we had had a good time.
It was all a little confusing, but I knew I liked George, more now than ever.
"Harry, tell me again." Hermione started to pace.
"'Come seek us where our voices sound.'" Harry started repeating the song that the egg had played when opened under the water.
Hermione nodded. "The Black Lake, that's obvious."
"'An hour-long you'll have to look.'"
"Again, obvious. Though, admittedly, potentially problematic."
Lifting his head off the book he had been using as a pillow, Harry scoffed. "Potentially problematic? When's the last time you held your breath underwater for an hour, Hermione?"
"Look, Harry, we can do this," I assured him, trying not to lose hope. "The four of us can figure it out."
As the door opened, Professor Moody walked in. "Hate to break up the skull session. Professor McGonagall wants you in her office."
Harry went to stand, but Moody shook his head. "Not you, Potter, just Weasley and Granger."
Hermione's eyes widened. "But, sir, the second task is only hours away, and-"
"Exactly." Moody looked to her. "Presumably Potter is well prepared by now...and could do with a good night's sleep. Go. Now! Longbottom! Why don't you help Potter put his books back."
As Ron and Hermione rushed off, I looked up at one of the clocks to check the time. "You know, if you're interested in plants...you'd be better off with Goshawk's Guide to Herbology," Neville suggested as he spotted the books that Harry was going through. "Do you know there's a wizard in Nepal who's growing gravity-resistant trees?"
"Neville, no offence, but l really don't care about plants." Harry groaned, his sleep deprivation getting the best of him. "Now, if there's...a Tibetan turnip that will allow me to breathe underwater for an hour...then great. But otherwise-"
"l don't know about a turnip," Neville replied. "But you could always use gillyweed."
_______________
"Any bets? Any bets?" Fred and George shouted as the made their way down to the water along with everyone else,."Come on, place your bets! Step up, mates! Don't be shy. Three lads. One lady. Four go down. But do four come up?"
"Don't be so mean," Ginny told them as the two of us walked past, Fred glaring at Ginny while George gave me a wink and a cheeky grin.
As we made our way closer to the water, I spotted Neville and Harry and parted ways with Ginny. "You're sure about this, Neville?" Harry tried to calm himself down as he took the seaweed looking substance from Neville.
"Absolutely."
"For an hour?"
"Most likely."
"Most likely?"
Neville nodded. "Well, there is some debate among herbologists as to the effects of freshwater versus saltwater-"
"You're telling me this now?" Harry kept his voice down as people pushed past us. "You must be joking!"
"l just wanted to help."
"Well, that makes you a right sight better than Ron and Hermione." Harry sighed as we piled into one of the boats to take us to the event location. "Where are they anyway?"
Neville sighed. "You seem a little tense, Harry."
"Do l?"
"Hey, Harry, listen to me." I looked him in the eyes. "You fought a bloody dragon last time! Whatever is down in the water, no matter how bad, could it really be worse than a dragon?"
"Welcome to the second task," Dumbledore announced as everyone gathered on one of three large standing towers in the middle of The Black Lake. "Last night, something was stolen from each of our champions. A treasure of sorts. These four treasures, one for each champion...now lie on the bottom of the Black Lake. In order to win, each champion need only find their treasure and return to the surface. Simple enough, except for this: They will have but one hour to do so, and one hour only. After that, they'll be on their own. No magic will save them. You may begin at the sound of the cannon."
When the cannon sounded, all four champions dove into the water and out of our sight. "What's the matter with him?" Seamus asked as he stared down into the water, trying to spot Harry who had sort of tumbled into the water rather than dove.
Dean shrugged. "l don't know, l can't see him."
"Oh, my God." Neville started to freak out. "l've killed Harry Potter."
"No, Neville-" I started, but before I had a chance to tell him, Harry leapt out of the water like a fish, his feet now flippers and gills on the side of his face.
"The Beauxbatons champion, Miss Delacour has unfortunately been forced to retire...so she will take no further part in this task."
The first one to come back up was Cedric, who held a very wet Cho in his arms. Krum was soon after, with Hermione in his grasp. So that was where Hermione and Ron had gone, seeing as Hermione had been under the water for Krum, Ron was most likely under for Harry.
However, Harry was the only one still under and the hour was almost up. Gasping for breath, Ron and Fleur's little sister re-emerged from the water, but there was still no sign of Harry.
"Yes!" Fred and George cheered as I moved to stand with them, watching as Fleur pulled her little sister out of the water and into her arms.
"Where's Harry?" My eyes kept darting around just under the surface of the water, waiting to see something that would let me know he was still alive.
Draco, who was right beside me, scoffed. "If we're lucky, maybe's he's already drowned!"
"You little twat!" I screamed. "You want me to punch you in the nose again?"
"What, you and Potter together or something?" he laughed along with his goons.
Just before I could barrel my fist into his face, Harry flew up out of the water and landed on the deck. "Harry!" Dumbledore rushed over as Seamus covered Harry in a towel. "He's all right. He's all right. Barty! Go get him another towel."
"Pity." I heard Draco scoff.
"That's it!" I growled, shoved Draco back, sending him into the freezing water below. I would probably get in trouble for that, but the look on Draco's face when he hit the icy water made it all worth it.
Everyone gasped as his head bobbed back up, followed by some cheering from Harry, Hermione, Ron and a few others who particularly hated Draco. "You-you!" Draco sputtered, his blonde hair sticking to his forehead as he pulled his wand from his pocket, held it out at me with shaking hands and cast a spell, pulling me into the water as well.
I felt the breath get knocked out of me as I fell under the cold water. As my head popped back up and I gasped for breath, I instantly started to shake. "Now it-it's even." my teeth chattered as I swam for the ladder and climbed out of the lake.
"Here you go." I felt someone wrap a towel around my now dripping wet body, but I didn't have to look to know who it was. The voice gave it all away.
"Thanks, George."
"Attention!" Dumbledore called, placing his wand to his neck to make his voice louder. "The winner is Mr. Diggory who showed innate command of the Bubble-Head Charm. However, seeing as Mr. Potter would have finished first had it not been for his determination to rescue not only Mr. Weasley...but the others as well, we've agreed to award him...second place for outstanding moral fiber!"
Running over to Harry, I gave him a big wet hug. "Second place!"
Hopping back into a boat, we all rode back to the dock, towels wrapped around half of us as quite a few of us had taken a swim that day. "All that moral fiber, eh?" Fred chuckled. "lt's great."
George shook his head. "Moral fiber?"
"Blimey, Harry," Ron smirked. "Even when you go wrong, it turns out right."
Fred gave Harry a pat on the back. "Yeah, well done, Moral Fiber."
"I'm bloody freezing." I shivered. "But did you see the look on Draco's face when I pushed him in? Oh, it was incredible. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
Ron laughed. "Why did you push him in?"
"He said that Harry should have drowned." I paraphrased slightly. "You know, some shit that someone deserves to be pushed in a cold lake for."
"It was brilliant." George wrapped an arm around my shoulders to help keep me warm.
Ron stared us at for a while as we walked, giving us a weird look as he tried to figure it out, but eventually it hit him. "No" he stopped walked as his mouth dropped open. "No...not. Ugh, that's just...really?"
Fred laughed. "Honestly Ron, they've been eyeing each other since last summer. How daft are you?"
"I knew it looked like you two were having too much fun at that bloody ball." Ron groaned, stomping his feet as he marched off, probably mad that he hadn't figured it out sooner.
_______________
"Now, l remember-l remember when l first met you all." Hagrid said as we walked through the forest with him that night. "Biggest bunch of misfits I ever set eyes on. Suppose you remind me of meself a little. And here we all are, four years later."
Ron laughed. "We're still a bunch of misfits."
"Well, maybe, but we've all got each other." Hagrid looked over at Harry who wasn't walking with us. "And Harry, of course. Soon to be the youngest Triwizard champion there's ever been! Hooray!"
Just then, Harry called us over and pointed to the dead body of Mr. Crouch, who was leaning up against a tree, his eyes still wide open but his heart no longer beating. I let out a small scream on account of I wasn't expecting at all to see a dead body that night.
Never the less, Hagrid sent us all back to the school right away and told us to alert Dumbledore.