After the first ten minutes of the Second-Task, it was clear to everyone present that they were just going to be watching the surface of the Black Lake for an hour, waiting for the champions to return.
It was getting quite boring.
However, Olive stared at the surface of the lake closely, her brows furrowed, as if her stare alone could magically make the four champions and the most important person in their lives resurface unharmed.
While she hoped the Ministry would make sure nothing would happen to the "hostages," even if the champions weren't able to get to them in time, the thought of time running out still sent an uneasy feeling in her gut.
This task definitely caused the problems Ollie had with the TriWizard Tournament resurface.
Looking up at George, who was watching the lake with an air or boredom, she wondered what would happen if he had actually been able to successfully submit his name into the Goblet of Fire and be chosen... or Fred, or Nat!
If Natalie were chosen, would Olive be the one sitting at the bottom of the Black Lake right now? Or perhaps Marjorie?
Would she be down at the bottom of the lake if George had been chosen as the Hogwarts Champion?
"Olls?" George squeezed her hand, "You okay?"
She didn't realize she was still looking up at him, or even still holding his hand until he spoke. Olive blinked a few times, looking back out at the lake with her lips pursed and brows tightly knit together.
"Yeah..." she cleared her throat, "Just... just thinking, is all."
George quirked a brow, rubbing the back of Ollie's hand with his thumb. He followed her gaze back out to the lake, and then fixated on her with his soft, dark gaze.
"I'm positive that Dumbledore would not let anything happen to any of them down there." He reassured her, causing Olive to flick her head back up to him. As he said those words, she could tell be meant them, but there was still an inkling of worry for Ron in his expression.
"I know." She sighed, "I just... the way he worded it made it seem like 'you have one hour or else.' If Harry didn't already look like he was going to vomit, he did then."
"It's Harry. If he doesn't look like he's about to vomit from a stressful situation at least once, does it count as an eventful school year?"
They stared at each other for a moment, their serious expressions quickly morphing into smiles, giggles and muffled laughter bursting from their lips.
"George!" She playfully hit him on the arm.
"What? It's true! And funny!"
Olive shook her head, hands over her head to keep her knit hat from flinging off her dark curls, "Well... That doesn't mean-"
"What are you two laughing about over here?" Fred, being the self-proclaimed master at good-timing that he is, shimmied his way between his twin and Olive, wrapping his arms around their shoulders.
"George here is poking fun at our dear friend Harry's series of predicaments the last few years." Olive said, sticking her tongue out at George when he feigned a look of hurt.
"Only you could word it that way, Ollie." Fred chuckled, "Anyways, I just got a small hint from Percy that apparently Dumbledore and the King of the Merpeople struck some sort of deal to ensure that Ron and the other students in the lake won't be hurt."
"Percy told you that?" George looked over to where the judges were standing, Percy Weasley standing in for Barty Crouch for the Second Task, "To your face? Willingly?"
"Well, no." Fred shook his head, "I wanted to see if I could fix his Ministry badge the same way we fixed his Head Boy badge last year and overheard some conversation."
"That sounds more likely."
Olive checked her watch. They had half an hour left of the Second Task, and none of the champions had returned yet.
"At least we know they'll be okay." She sighed with relief.
She still worried for Harry, who she assumed had swallowed the Gillyweed, having no other options on how to breathe underwater. Olive wondered if it lasted the full hour.
I guess we'll find out in thirty minutes...
"Look! It's Cedric!"
Olive stood once more on her tip-toes, trying to get a better look at the lake. Her heart leapt in her chest, hoping that the yell meant that he had successfully finished the task and not anything dreadful.
She gripped George's shoulder tightly, hopping slightly, earning a soft chuckle from him.
"Is he okay?" She asked, "Is Cho?"
George, who was fortunately tall enough to see over the heads of mostly everyone in the crowd, squinted in the Hufflepuff's direction. From what he could see, he was helping Cho swim to the shore, looking tired and cold from having to spend an hour in freezing cold water.
"Cold." He noted, "But all in one piece. Both of them."
Olive relaxed a bit, "Oh, thank Merlin."
She turned to George, "I'm going to see if they're alright."
Before he could even give her an answer, the Ravenclaw was pushing through the crowd, anxious to get to her one of her best friends and her only cousin.
Her heart was racing, a loose smile stretching her lips as she broke through her crowd and found the two of them safe and in one piece.
"Ced!" She called, practically tackling him in a hug. He was cold, a thick blanket and even thicker robes wrapped around him, "Are you okay?"
"We're okay." He reassured her, laughing lightly at her unexpected hug, "Just cold."
She turned to Cho, "I was worried."
"Ollie, we're fine." The fifth year said, "Promise."
Olive took off her scarf and wrapped it around Cho's shoulders. Even though she was bundled up and mostly dried off, she still looked absolutely freezing.
"Still," she hugged Cho tightly, "I'm just glad you guys are alright."
"Cho Chang I swear to Merlin-"
From behind Olive, Natalie came pushing through the crowd, her signature confident smile twisted into one of relief. She gave the youngest of the trio a light punch in the arm before wrapping her in a tight hug.
"Olive, please tell Natalie that I am okay and that there is no need to squeeze the life out of me."
"Nat." Ollie grabbed the blonde's shoulder, "She's okay."
"She won't be for long if you accidentally strangle her." Cedric chuckled as Nat let go. He brought Cho closer to him, drying her dripping face with the corner of his blanket.
The blonde rolled her eyes, folding her arms once she had stopped basically bear-hugging Cho, "Sorry! Am I not allowed to be worried about my friend?"
"Yes, but-"
"Okay! I think that's enough arguing for now." Olive broke up their quarreling, her voice louder than she intended, causing a few heads to turn their way. However, she didn't care at the moment. She was just glad Cho was okay, and that Cedric made it back from the Second Task in one piece.
"Well," Nat folded her arms, "I should be getting back before this place is buzzing with Hufflepuffs. Congrats, Ced, nice job."
"Thank you, Nat. Much appreciated." He saluted her sarcastically.
As the blonde retreated back into the crowd, the three remaining friends couldn't help but laugh from the last few moments. Olive looked out at the water, wondering if the rest of the champions would be back soon.
"Harry was right behind me." Cedric reassured the Ravenclaw, "He wanted to make sure everyone was accounted for. He should be back soon."
While that reassured Olive, the next champion to finish the Second Task did not.
Viktor Krum, whose face was transfiguring back from a shark, was next to resurface. With him was Hermione, who was able to swim on her own once she had reoriented herself. From what Olive could see, it was like she had been under a spell right until her head broke the surface.
The wild cheers of the Durmstrang students was close to shaking the ground. Olive stuck close to Cedric and Cho, not wanting to be trampled as people crowded Krum and Hermione, giving them blankets and warm robes and compliments.
Shortly after that came Fleur, empty handed and scratched up. Marjorie and the other Beauxbaton girls had to wade into the cold water and practically drag her out, not because of her injuries, but because of how desperately she wanted to go back under to find her sister.
"I wasn't able to save her!" She sobbed, her French accent thick and twisting her words, even more so in her hysterics. Olive almost felt bad for her, "I must go back!"
Despite knowing that no harm would come to Fleur's sister once the hour was up, Ollie was certain that Harry would probably make sure that she wound be okay. Cedric had told her that he was making sure everyone was being accounted for, and that probably meant saving Fleur's sister as well as Ron.
As the hour slowly came to a close, however, the Gryffindor champion did not show. Everyone was silent, watching the Black Lake expectantly, with growing worry and intensity.
Where is he? Olive frowned, exchanging a look with Cedric.
"He was right behind me." Cedric repeated, "If he didn't wait for everyone else to arrive... he probably would have been first."
"Fleur ran into trouble." Olive fretted, "Maybe he did, too?"
"I doubt it." The Hufflepuff nodded over to the judges a little ways away. Dumbledore was leaning in the water, exchanging angry gargled words with what appeared to be the King of the Merpeople, "Dumbledore's not happy.
"Do you think something went wrong?" Olive rubbed her hands together, both out of nerves and the chill, "Did you see anything down there?"
"I don't know, but-"
"Look!"
Everyone's gaze shot towards the lake, where a little ways away Ron and Fleur's sister were swimming to shore. Well, Ron was doing most of the swimming, since it appeared the young Beauxbaton girl didn't know how.
And shortly after, shooting up towards the surface, was Harry.