Rosabella's Point of View:
"Mike, please!" I begged.
"Ro, it's against school rules." Michael said sternly.
"Mike, it's not for me. I promise I wont go in there. It's for Harry. I - he figured out you have to listen to the egg under water. Now Krum has space on the boat and Karkaroff would give him anything he needs. Fleur has the carriage and again Madame Maxine would give her anything she needed. Cedric is a Prefect so he has access to the private bathroom. Harry didn't volunteer for this. He didn't want to participate, someone is trying to hurt him, more likely kill him. We have to help him anyway we can. You have my word that we will only go in there if it's related to working out the task. We only need to be in there once so Harry can at least write the clue down. Please, Mike. I'm begging you." I said desperately.
Michael and I have been having this argument for days. Michael looked at me for a moment before he sighed in defeat.
"Fine, fine. But so help me, Rosabella, you only go in there to write down the clue." Michael said so seriously that he had used my full name.
I nodded my head eagerly in agreement.
"The password is Pine-fresh. The Prefects' bathroom is on the fifth floor. It's the forth door on the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered." Michael said.
I hugged him tightly.
"Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou!" I exclaimed in a grateful voice.
I could practically hear Michael roll his eyes but he laughed quietly and hugged me back. I darted off to relay the information to Harry.
That night Harry would sneak out of bed and would work out the clue or at least write it down so we could put our heads together to figure it out. I gave Harry the Marauders Map since he would be needing it if he was going to be sneaking around tonight.
Harry then told us everything that happened and how he nearly got caught during Charms class when we learning the banishing charm. We spent most of the lesson debating whether Snape put Harry's name in the Goblet.
"Oh, Ron, we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry's life, remember?" Hermione said, shaking her head.
"I can't help but think that if Snape did put my name in then he would of put Ro's name is aswell. Lately I think he hates her more then me." Harry said.
I laughed.
"Well considering I keep embarrassing him during lessons I think your right." I said.
"Then why do all these dark wizards catchers keep searching his office, then?" Ron demanded.
"Why has Mr Crouch been pretending to be ill? It's a bit funny that he can't manage to come to the Yule Ball, but he can get up here in the middle of the night when he wants to?" Hermione pointed out.
"You just don't like Crouch because of that elf, Winky." Ron said.
"You just want to think Snape's up to something." Hermione shot back.
"I just want to know what Snape did with his first chance, if he's on his second one." Harry said, grimly.
Obedient to my Dad's wishes Harry wrote him a letter about Mr Crouch, Moody, Snape and I insisted he mention what happened with Bagman at the three Broomsticks.
We then turned our attention to finding a way for Harry to breathe underwater for an hour.
"Of course, the ideal solution would be for you to Transfigure yourself into a submarine or something. If only we'd done human Transfiguration already! I don't think we do that until sixth year and it can go badly wrong if you don't know what you're doing . . ." Hermione said, seriously.
"Yeah, I don't fancy walking around with periscope sticking out of my head. I s'pose I could always attack someone in front of Moody, he might do it for me . . ." Harry said.
I laughed softly.
"I don't think he'd let you choose what you wanted to be turned into. I think your best chance is some sort of charm." I said softly.
We all soon found ourselves buried in books as we searched for anything that would allow Harry to breath underwater for an hour. After searching through several books, Harry asked McGonagall for a note to get into the restricted section. She said no. He even asked the easily infuriated Madam Pince, for help.
I could tell Harry was starting to panic as the the day of the task drew closer. When we only had two days left, we started skipping meals again. The only good thing that had happened lately was Dads reply to the letter. It was only a line long, telling us to send the date of the next Hogwarts visit. Hagrid had continued teaching about unicorns and he had captured two unicorns fools that were pure gold. They were so magnificent that I was smiling throughout the lesson.
By the evening before the second task, Harry looked as if was going to pass out. We stayed in the library intill the sun had set.
"I don't reckon it can be done. There's nothing. Nothing. Closest was that thing to dry up puddle and ponds, that Drought Charm, but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake." Ron said flatly.
"Not to mention it would kill most of the creatures in the lake." I added.
"There must be something. They'd never set a task that was undoable." Hermione insisted.
"They have. Harry, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the Merpeople to give back whatever they nicked and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate." Ron said.
I couldn't help but laugh when I imagined Harry doing that.
"There's a way of doing it! There has to be!" Hermione said crossley.
She was taking the Library's lack of useful information as an insult, it has never failed her before.
"I should of become an Animagus like Ro." Harry said.
"Then you could turn into a goldfish." Ron laughed.
"Or a frog." Harry yawned.
"You don't get to choose your form just like how you don't choose the form your patronus takes. I reckon you'd turn into a stag. So being an Animagus wouldn't help you much." I said, softly.
"That rubbish. What if you get flobbleworm or something like that?" Ron said as if this was the biggest injustice in the world.
"Oh, this is no use. Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?" Hermione said, snapping Weird Wizarding Dilemmas shut.
"I wouldn't mind." George said.
"Be a talking point, wouldn't it?" Fred said.
"What are you doing here?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, Jay, Jake have either of you actually ever set foot in the library?" I said when I spotted my twin brothers.
"Looking for you. McGonagall wants to see Ro and Hermione." Jason said.
"Why?" Hermione said, looking surprised.
"Dunno . . . she was looking a bit grim, though. Were supposed to take you down to her office." Jacob said.
Hermione and I shared a panicked look. Had she noticed how much we'd been helping Harry?
"We'll meet you in the common room, OK? Take as many books as you can." I said and I kissed Harry's cheek and left with Fred, George, Jason and Jacob.
When Hermione and I got to McGonagall office Cho Chang and Fleurs little sister were already there along with the judges.
"Ah thank you Mr Weasleys and Mr Blacks. You may go." McGonagall said, grimly.
"I'm sure you're all wondering what your doing here. Well you see our champions have to retrieve something from the lake. They will be retrieving you. Miss Delacour, you are what your sister will solely miss. Miss Chang, you are what Mr Diggory will solely miss. Miss Granger you are what Mr Krum will solely miss. And Miss Black you are what Mr Potter will solely miss." Mr Bagman said cheerfully.
Hermione and I gave each other terrified looks.
"I don't want any of you to worry. I will put you into an enchanted sleep and you will be held by the Merpeople. If the your champion fails to retrieve you then the Merpeople will bring you safely back to shore. You have my word that no harm shall before you." Dumbledore said, sincerely.
The four of us looked at each other with horrified expressions.
I knelt down to Winter while Dumbledore put Gabrielle Delacour into an enchanted sleep.
"I need you to go and stay with Harry while I do this. Go. I'll see you soon." I whispered to Winter.
She whined but did what I said.
Dumbledore had put the others into the enchanted sleep.
"Try to relax Rosabella." Dumbledore said, reassuringly.
I felt my self become weightless and my eyes began to close and sleep overcame me.
Harry's Point of View:
I was woken up by Dobby poking me and a frantic looking Winter. Ron was woken up with a start as well. We had snuck back into the library last night. I looked round, Rosabella and Hermione never came back.
"Harry Potter needs to hurry! The second task starts in ten minutes, and Harry Potter –" Dobby squeaked.
"Ten minutes?" I croaked as I checked my watch and I realised Dobby was right.
Ron and I both exchanged fearful looks.
"Hurry, Harry Potter! You is supposed to be down at the lake with the other champions, sir!" Dobby squeaked, pulling my sleeve.
"It's too late, Dobby. I'm not doing the task, I don't know how –" I said hopelessly.
"Harry Potter will do the task! Dobby knew Harry had not found the right book, so Dobby did it for him!" Dobby squeaked.
"What? But you don't know what the second task is –" I said.
"Dobby knows, sir! Harry Potter has to go into the lake and find his Rosie –" Dobby squeaked urgently.
"Find my what?" I asked, utterly perplexed.
"– and take his Rosie back from the Merpeople." Dobby squeaked even more urgently.
"What's a Rosie?" I asked, still confused.
Winter, who had apparently gotten impatient, had grabbed Harry's sleeve and was staring to drag Harry towards the the door of the library.
"Hang on, what's Winter doing here without Ro –?" I said but as I said it I started to put the pieces together.
"Your Rosie, sir, your Rosie!" Dobby squeaked.
"What?" I gasped, horrified.
"They've got Ro!" I exclaimed to Ron.
"This challenge is messed up. That must mean they have Hermione, she must be what Krum will miss. Get attached quick doesn'the?" Ron said, also horrified.
"Eat this, sir. Right before you go into the lake, sir. It's Gillyweed, sir." Dobby said, shoving what looked like a bunch of green seaweed into my hand.
"Are you sure this will work?" I asked, urgently.
"Dobby is quite sure, sir! Dobby can not let Harry Potter lose his Rosie! Dobby is supposed be in the kitchens, good luck, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby squeaked urgently and rushed off.
Without a moments hesitation Ron and I sprinted towards the Black Lake as fast as we could. I couldn't stop thinking about Rosabella being tied up, struggling to breath underwater, surrounded by Merpeople.
Rosabella's Point Of View:
When my head finally broke through the water, I coughed up a load of water. I must of swallowed half the Black Lake. I noticed an arm wrapped around my waist.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked me in a frantic voice.
I beamed at him and threw my arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.
"Perfectly fine." I said in a breathless voice when I pulled away.
I turned my head to look at the clock.
"You finished well outside the time limit." I said to Harry.
I then noticed Gabrielle, Fleurs sister, near us. I scanned round and Fleur was nowhere to be scene.
"Fleur didn't turn up, I couldn't leave her there." Harry explained.
"Harry, you didn't take that song seriously did you? Dumbledore wouldn't let us drowned." I said.
"But the song said –" Harry said.
"Only to make sure you got back inside the time limit. This is so you Harry. I should have known you'd waste time down there being a hero." I said smiling and shaking my head.
I kissed Harry again. Just a quick kiss.
"We should help her. I don't think she can swing well." Harry said and then we both helped her swim to the bank.
It took Madam Pomfrey a while to free me from my brothers grip. Lucas was beside himself in worry, my twin brothers weren't much better and Michael looked as if his worst nightmare had nearly come to past.
Fleur was beyond grateful for Harry helping her sister that she kissed both of Harry cheeks.
She then turned to me and hugged me for helping, even though I only helped Gabrielle swim to shore.
"Tu as bon goût. C'est un bon goût." Fleur said, giving me a wink.
(You have good taste. He is a good one.)
I smiled brightly at her.
"Il n'y a personne de meilleur." I replied.
(There's no one better.)
Harry was now tied in first place with Cedric. The judges, except Karkaroff, believed he demonstrated moral fiber.
"There you go, Harry! You weren't being thick after all – you were showing moral fiber." Ron said, relieved.
I kissed Harry again, a long lingering kiss.
The champions will be told the next task a month before it would take place. Harry could now relax for a while.
We all could.