27

Chapter XXVII: The Second Task

(Michael P.O.V)

A Valentine's Day Viewing

By Rita Skeeter

With February now in coming to a close, and Valentine's Day only recently behind us, the attention of the Wizarding World has once again been focused on the rapidly approaching second-task that's happening on February 24th. But just because the delight of Valentine's Day was overshadowed by the spirit of competition doesn't mean there was nothing to report.

Of course, we'll begin with Harry Potter. While the jury is still out regarding Mr. Potter's ability to talk to snakes, some seeing it is a mark of dark magic while others argue it is nothing more than a genetic gift, one thing that we can all agree on is that the Whirlwind relationship between The Gryffindor Quidditch Star and his Snake Princess has been quite the story to follow.

We all know that The-Boy-Who-Lives shares an almost unbelievable connection with his sweetheart, and it is obvious that connection is not a one-way street, as the actions of the heir to the Greengrass Household proved. From cheering at him at his Hogwarts Games, (Fig. 1), to being a support system for the young man during the terrifying World Cup incident, to even recently jumping into a Horned Serpent Pit to rush to her beau's side (Fig. 2), the bond shared between fourth-years Daphne Greengrass and Harry Potter is the stuff of storybooks.

Which is why this reporter found it strange that many sources from within the castle reported a distance growing between the two love birds following the Yule Ball in which Harry Potter was seen chasing after a fleeing Daphne Greengrass. However, whatever the issue was, it seems to have been resolved completely as the two were once more seen strolling through the streets of Hogsmeade Hand in Hand, with Potter even seen gifting the Slytherin Girl a gorgeous bouquet of chocolate roses. For my faithful readers who expressed concern regarding the relationship, I'm pleased to report that Haphne, as many fans of the young couple have been calling them, seems to be firmly back on track.

This leads us to our main story, Claire Belmont's Mystery Man. While students who attend Hogwarts may recognize the face seen here locking lips with the French Model (Fig. 3), it is fair to assume that should you not be a current student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, you wouldn't be able to recognize this boy as one Michael Corner… though there is a chance you may recognize the name. Corner is a fourth-year Ravenclaw and is often seen as the second-in-command to what some professors referred to as the Troublesome Trio led by our very own Harry Potter. In fact, Corner was another face present during the raid on the World Cup who worked to rescue straggling civilians from the scourge of Death Eaters.

Still, even taking the boy's recent heroics into account, this is no ordinary girl we are talking about. We are talking about Claire Belmont after all, the current most popular teen-model in the Wizarding World and Daughter of the French Minister of Magic. The question of what makes a girl with a castle-full of suitors such as Miss Belmont interested in this seemingly mundane wizard prompted this reporter to do some digging, and while I know many of you are hoping from some crazy revelation there is simply nothing to report.

For all intents and purposes, Michael Corner and his family are rather, well… unremarkable. His mother, the Pureblood witch Rachel Taylor, currently employed at a Muggle Primary School in Alresford, while his father works as a simple muggle mechanic. This reporter was personally shocked by this discovery and reached out to my contacts in the French Press, interested in the Minister's opinion regarding her daughter's choice in suitor and was surprised with the Minister's reported response. 'My Daughter is only Fourteen-Years-Old, this talk of suitors is nothing more than media propaganda. She's famous, yes, but she's still a child and I say that she is free to date whomever she chooses so long as the boy isn't a bad apple. If one day, the relationship between this Michael boy and my daughter continues, then perhaps I'd like to speak with him, but for now, all I care about is my daughter's happiness, and if this Michael boy makes her happy, then to hell with everything else.'

While certainly not a ringing endorsement, the lack of a prerequisite standard from Minister Belmont must be making the young Ravenclaw take a heavy sigh of relief if he has hopes to continue his relationship with the young lady. Though the question remains though, what makes Mr. Corner so special in the eyes of the wizarding world's most desired teen bachelorette? This reporter vows to look deeper.

"Wow," Harry said from beside him, "I mean, I know Skeeter is the master of yellow journalism, but you gotta give her credit when she wants to make someone sound small, she certainly knows how to do it." He felt his best friend nudge him playfully as he smirked, "On the bright side, it looks like the papers will have something else to focus on besides me all the time. I mean look, you even got more page time than I did."

"Yeah," Michael said with a sigh of displeasure, "Fantastic… just what I wanted."

The gentle chuckle from his girlfriend beside him had filled him with some comfort though as she leaned into him, "On the bright side, at least my dad doesn't hate you." Michael nodded, a gentle smile on his face as he looked around the library table. It had felt like it had been a while since he saw everyone around him looking happy, or at least, as happy as they could possibly be with the mystery of not only the purging ritual and the second task looming over their heads.

Michael had assisted Harry in placing a tracking charm to Daphne, fearing that Dumbledore may, in fact, be crazy enough to take her as Harry's prized belonging, and thankfully for his best friend, Moody had seemed to be giving him a small break before the second task to allow his body to recover, an effort that was greatly benefitted from his new pain-creams courtesy of Daphne. Yet, even through all the happiness, there was still one nagging issue, and though he knew it was far from the time to properly address it, the knowledge of Astoria's blood curse loomed over everyone's heads or at least those that were in the know.

"This potion is intense," Daphne whispered as Claire left the library to find the nearest restroom just loud enough for the table to hear, "They are micro-doses but this is hardly more than a cocktail of poisons only slightly neutered by Pheonix tears. Is Moody sure this is going to work?"

"I trust him," Harry said squeezing the blonde's hand, "I know he's a bit off, but for some reason, I believe he knows what he's doing. It has to be more than a potion though, if it was as simple as drinking poison, it wouldn't be much of a ritual."

"Unfortunately, you're right, and I'm not a fan of the other part," Daphne said, "From what I understand, the ritual demands that at least four of us outside of Moody are present to channel our magic through blood runes that we have to conjure on your body. If we don't flush your body with enough magic to help stabilize you, well… let's just say the outcome won't be pretty."

"Well, Merlin forbid that anything I'm forced to undergo be easy, right," Harry said with a sigh before his best friend's eyes fell upon him, "What about you Michael, you got any other plans for how I'm going to survive an hour underwater? I know we can use the bubblehead charm, but with the grindylows less than hospitable nature, I don't want to risk it with something so fragile."

"I was thinking we could use your transfiguration skill to maybe turn you into something with gills," Michael said as he rubbed his forehead, "Only problem is that the amount of magic it would require to keep a transformation like that up for an hour would leave you pretty defenseless. I mean if you transfigured into like a shark or something, you might be able to use your natural defenses, but it seems like a pretty high-risk, low reward plan."

Michael watched as his best friend pondered the possibility, his fingers twirling his wand like a drumstick, his face filled with discomfort. For a moment, there was silence, and then, the library doors opened, and with a frantic pace, he watches as the last member of the troublesome trio raced towards them, a brown paper bag in hand. "Nev," Harry called out in concern, "Are you alright?"

"I figured it out," He said panting, "I know how you're going to win the second task." Instantly he and Harry's eyes lit up. With jittery hands, Harry opened the bag revealing a rather gross looking substance, that looked akin to a green and slimy ball of rat tails.

"Um, Nev?" Harry spoke his face pale from the sight, "What exactly is this?"

"Gillyweed," Michael whispered much to Neville's dismay, "I wondered about this but with how rare they are I was unsure of how quickly we could get it. This is amazing Nev, how'd you find this?"

"I, um, I," Neville said his face growing hot, "I nicked it from Snape's stores." Michael's jaw nearly dropped as Harry let out an exasperated chuckle. "I mean, I didn't do it by myself. I told Fred and George about my idea and they-"

"Way to go, Nev!" Harry said with a bright grin.

"One of us! One of us!" Michael chanted with a chuckle.

It was only in the corner of his eye did he see both Daphne and Tracey shake their heads with a heavy eye roll before Tracey whispered her voice dripping with sarcasm, "He was so pure and innocent and you two corrupted him. Poor Neville."

"Well, that solves the problem of how Harry's going to compete," Michael said with a sigh of relief as he turned to Harry, "Now all you gotta do is win, Rook."

Michael watched as his best friend turned once more to face his girlfriend, "I will, no matter what."

(Harry P.O.V)

Harry's stomach had felt tight. Despite normally being able to out-eat the entire Gryffindor Table save Astoria, Harry had barely been able to touch his dinner as the day of the second task loomed now just mere hours in the distance. Had he felt prepared? To an extent yes. He'd been in the Black Lake before, though it was over a year ago now, and while the gillyweed he'd securely locked in his trunk for tomorrow had given him a plan, the idea of Daphne being locked down somewhere in the depths of the ominous waters had left him queasy.

"It's going to be fine," Daphne whispered to him as the two shared a short stroll through the castle on their way towards the courtyard wanting to gain some distance from the bustle of the castle, "I know that you'll find me."

"You know, sometimes I worry that you have too much faith in me," Harry said with a gentle smile, squeezing his girlfriend's hand, "Don't you ever worry that I might not be able to-"

"Never," Daphne said, her eyes twinkling in the moonlight, "I've seen you do the impossible Harry Potter. I've seen you fight off a horde of dementors at thirteen, I've seen you rescue a soul, I've seen you go toe to toe with Death Eaters, I've even seen you terrify a horned serpent. I believe in you completely Flyboy. A dip into a cold lake, that's all this is. Plus, I know that the sun would sooner rise in the west before you gave up trying to save me."

Harry had felt his girlfriend's lips upon his cheek, but his concentration had been split as the flash of light shone through a nearby shrub. With lightning in his veins, he spun Daphne behind him, before lifting his wand, "Stupefy," he hissed as a red bolt shot from his wand towards the shrub, a harrowing thud following shortly after. He rose slowly, his body firmly positioned in front of Daphne, his wand ready to shield from an ambush, but as he approached the bush, what laid there motionless was not what he'd expected.

It wasn't some death eater, nor was it some transfigured training dummy like Moody had been sending to keep his senses sharp, it wasn't even a Slytherin Student wearing a Potter sucks badge. Rather, it was a girl, younger-looking than even Astoria. Harry was certain he'd never met the girl in his life, and yet, she looked somehow familiar. The girl was short with perfectly clear skin and vibrant silvery-blonde hair. "Harry," Daphne whispered from behind him, "She looks a lot like Fleur, don't you think?"

Without wasting another second, Harry quickly reversed the spell as a gasp sprung from the once stunned body. Her eyes shot open and he watched nervously as the girl scoped her surroundings rapidly before her clear green eyes fell upon him, "Eep!" She shrieked jumping to her feet. She stumbled forward, forcing her falling body into his arms before her face grew as red as a tomato. Harry flinched at the whipping motion of her hair as she pushed off him, finally regaining her balance, "Sorry, sorry," The girl said, her French accent clear and present, "I didn't mean to intrude."

"Who are you?" Harry asked his tone as calm as he could make it, "And why were you hiding in the bushes?"

"M-my name is Gabrielle Delacour, I'm Fleur's sister," The girl said as she tried to keep what Harry could only imagine was an onslaught of word vomit in her mouth, "We just got in yesterday to see the second task, and when we were at dinner I saw you, and I'm such a huge fan, and so when I saw you leaving the hall I wanted to get your picture, but then I saw that you were with your girlfriend and I didn't want to intrude, and-"

"It's alright, it's alright," Harry said, taking a hold of the girl's shoulder, "Just take a breath and slow down, okay?"

"Okay," She said with a hyperactive nod, "Okay." Harry watched on as the girl's nervous energy began to fade before she started once more, "Sorry for hiding in the bush. I really just wanted to get a photo with you, but I didn't want my sister to get mad at me because you're her competition. I mean, of course, I'm rooting for my sister but… I'm just such a fan of your stories. They were all my favorite bedtime stories, and I just wanted to meet you. I didn't mean to intrude, I just… I'm your biggest fan… I'm sorry."

From behind him, Daphne snorted her amusement from the girl's antics no longer able to be contained as she smiled, "I think Harry has time for one picture with his biggest fan. Though I have to say, it's kind of crazy to think that you're Fleur's sister. She's a lot more-"

"Bitchy?" Gabrielle finished.

"I was going to say stuck-up," Daphne said her eyes wide, "But I guess bitchy works too."

"It's not really her fault," Gabrielle said, "I hope you don't take it personally. Everyone's always expected great things from her and even when she meets those expectations it never seems to be enough. Everyone always expects her to be perfect, and because of that, she's started expecting perfection from everyone around her. She's a good person though, I really mean that I'm not saying it because she's my sister. You just… you just have to try to get to know her." Gabrielle's face sank slightly before she forced a smile, the sadness in her face almost vanishing as she handed the camera towards Daphne, "Could you- could you please take the picture?"

Harry turned to his girlfriend, a look of slight concern in her eyes which she quickly forced back as she took the camera from the young French girl. She nodded and Gabrielle clapped her hands together giddily before racing towards his side, squeezing him tighter than any bear-hug ever administered to him by Hermione. He hadn't even paid attention to his girlfriend's countdown before the flash of the camera sparked in the night, and within seconds, Harry watched as the picture shot out from the bottom of the camera. Quickly Gabrielle jolted towards the dangling picture, grabbing it as she pulled a pen from her pocket. The girl hadn't even needed to say a word as Harry awkwardly wrote his name across the developed film. As soon as his pen had left the photograph, Gabrielle took it back into her hands, her eyes wide with joy as Daphne stood behind her, handing her the camera, "Now hold on to that, it's the first autographed picture of Harry Potter. I suppose it's only right that his biggest fan have it."

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Gabrielle said as she jumped forward, planting a kiss on both of Harry's cheeks, before rushing to Daphne and doing the same leaving the two of them looking awfully flustered.

The joy of the moment hadn't lasted long, however, as in the distance loomed one of Harry's least favorite people. His cloak may have camouflaged him well with the dark sky, but Harry would have recognized that greasy hair and sneer anywhere. "Miss Greengrass, Miss Delacour," Snape began, wasting no time with pleasantries, "Sorry to disturb, whatever may have been going on here, but Headmaster Dumbledore and Madame Maxime require both of your presences in the Headmaster's chambers."

A fire erupted in his chest as Harry looked at the young girl, clearly not even of age to attend a magical school being led blindly to become a hostage for some twisted competition. Swiftly, he reached out, grabbing the greasy git's cloak making him turn to face with him with great displeasure. "Are you absolutely insane," Harry started, his voice coiling into a low growl, "She's a child. She can't even own a wand and you're going to make her participate in-,"

"Careful, Potter," Snape said, "You are supposed to keep the contents of your egg private. You wouldn't want to become disqualified from the competition now, would you?" Harry's eyes had transfigured themselves into daggers, but Snape paid them no mind as he simply flicked my grip loose. With a flap of his cloak, Harry watched as Snape guided the young french girl and Daphne away. As they approached the end of the courtyard, Daphne turned to face him, sending across a gentle smile as Snape snarled, "Best of luck tomorrow, Potter. Try not to disappoint us."

Bastard, Harry cursed in his mind as Snape vanished from sight. Daphne, I swear I'll rescue you.

(Harry P.O.V)

The slimy texture of the Gillyweed had made Harry's stomach churn as he stood upon the docks of the Black Lake. The cold February winds touseled his hair as he felt a tightness coil in his chest. "Okay," Neville whispered, "Remember the Gillyweed works fast so make sure you put it in your mouth just before you jump."

Harry nodded, his stare never leaving the icy water as he felt Michael squeeze his shoulder gently, his firm stare reflecting off the still lake surface. It wasn't Michael that he was worried about, however, as in the lake's reflection, Harry couldn't help but notice the look of fear that Astoria was desperately trying to swallow. "You'll find her, right?" Astoria whispered her voice fighting against her nerves.

"Without a doubt," Harry said, forcing as much confidence as he could into his voice. The sound footsteps approaching had broken his staring contest with the black water as he turned to meet his arriving competitors. He shared a nervous smile with Cedric who clearly hadn't managed to get much sleep last night before his eyes fell to Fleur. The normally gorgeous French girl hadn't looked as stunning as she usually did, but when your little sister is lying at the bottom of a creature infested lake, Harry imagined it was hard to project a carefree demeanor. Though Krum had managed looked frighteningly unbothered as he approached the peer to the sound of roaring applause. It became clear to Harry that whatever had been taken from Krum, it certainly wasn't something he'd 'Sorley Miss.'

The sound of a loud hum soon silenced the arena, as Harry's glare focused in on the judging table. Dumbledore and Madam Maxime at least had the decency to look concerned but the look on Bagman's face rang with elation, and Karkaroff's looked as if he simply couldn't be bothered that living human beings had been kidnapped and submerged below the frosty waters. The sound of excited cheering rattled the stands as from the table, Bagman rose. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to welcome you all to the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament!" The stands once more erupted with applause as Harry's felt his fist tighten, People are trapped down there and you're cheering. "It's been a long wait since the first task so let's not stall any longer."

The crowd's joyous chants shook the dock as Harry felt his eyes begin to twitch with annoyance. "During the first task, each champion was tasked with retrieving a golden egg, within which a clue was held. That clue has led them here, as somewhere beneath the lake's surface resides something important which has been taken from them!" Harry felt Astoria squeeze his wrist tightly as he looked into the stands hoping to see a familiar face. Though if anyone was up there, they'd have been swallowed up by the crowd of people. "At my whistle, each champion shall have precisely an hour to recover what was stolen. For our frontrunner, Miss Fleur Delacour, said thing is her very own sister, Gabrielle!"

Even through the fanatic screaming, Harry could clearly hear the hyperventilating breaths of Fleur as Claire left Michael's side to wrap her arm around the frightened champion. "For the first of our very own Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory, it is none other than his girlfriend, Miss Cho Chang."

"Bastard," Harry heard Cedric whisper as for the first time he could remember, a sincerely venomous look had formed in the normally laid-back Hufflepuff's eyes. Even with the animosity rolling off of Cedric's body, Harry still sensed a semblance of doubt within the prefect's face as he clutched his wand tightly.

"For Bulgaria's Star Seeker Viktor Krum, his hostage is... Lavender Brown" Unlike the two champions before him, however, Krum simply shrugged and yawned and Harry had felt heat boiling in his head as he watched the seeker's blase attitude regarding the safety of the girl he'd spent the entire Yule ball with. "Finally, rounding out our list of champions, the one and only, Harry Potter!" Harry's name had been met with a flurry of boos from his own school, but he didn't care, only one thing mattered to him now, as the grip on his gillyweed tightened. "As most can probably guess, his hostage is the girl I'm sure you've read stories about in our own Daily Prophet, Miss Daphne Greengrass!"

Harry growled at the mention of his girlfriend's name. It was only through Neville and Michael's reminding of him to stay calm that he hadn't flung himself off the dock and into the water early. "Champions!" Bagman roared to the adoring crowd, "Take your marks!" Without a moment's hesitation, Harry pulled the gillyweed from his pocket, shoving it in his mouth. His anger had even managed to override his sense of taste, as at the sound of the whistle, Harry dove into the defrosting lake.

He had no sooner broken the surface before a searing pain began to manifested itself upon his neck forcing him to release a scream. He placed his hand to his mouth wanting to avoid ingesting the water, but as the cool water slipped through his fingertips, his eyes opened wide with surprise. He was… breathing. A tingle had begun forming along his hands and feet as right before his eyes, new skin grew in between his fingers forming a webbed like structure as his feet had extended looking less human and more like the fins of scuba divers. He ran his webbed fingers down his neck, feeling the ripples he could only assume were gills that now reside there before he brought his hand down to his pocket grabbing his wand. Show me, Daphne, he thought, focusing on the tracking enchantment he'd placed on the girl. Instantly a golden line shot from his wand deep down into the depths of the Black Lake, a line visible only to his eyes. His teeth clenched as the fire within his chest warmed his body, I'm on my way Daphne, just hold on.

"You alright, Potter?" A muffled voice called out from behind him. Harry turned to find the Hufflepuff Champion behind, a bubble covering his head both allowing him to breathe and show the look of pure concern that filled his face.

Harry nodded, but Cedric's expression still looked pale as his eyes scanned the dark water. "Look I'm going to be honest here Potter, I'm freaking out. Cho's missing somewhere down here and I have no idea where to start." Cedric quickly pulled his wand casting a stunning spell on the grindylows that circled a nearby water grass bush. "This lake is crawling with creatures and I figure two sets of eyes are better than one. Truce? I watch your back, you watch mine."

Harry nodded once more, unable to speak. Sounds like a plan, Ced, he thought as Cedric swam closer to him. "You looked like you used a tracking charm, so I'm assuming you have a plan." Harry's eye rang with determination bringing a shade of comfort to Cedric as he tilted his head urging for Cedric to follow. "Alright Potter, right behind you."

Harry kicked forward, his webbed feet leaving a pulsing wave behind him as he jet through the water. He had felt amazed by the dexterity the gillyweed had given him, his speed reminding him of his time flying around on his firebolt. As much as he wanted to rush towards the golden line though, he knew there was merit to Cedric's statements. He'd seen first hand the dangers the creatures within the lake posed and with Daphne at risk, elimination wasn't an option.

Mournfully, he slowed his pace as Cedric, using his wand to cast water behind him like a jet quickly caught up to him. 'Sorry,' Harry mouthed to his classmate, though the look in Cedric's eyes had confirmed he had felt just as anxious as Harry and was looking to only move as slowly as necessary. In unison, they plunged further, the water getting cold enough to pierce through even the warming charms each champion had placed upon their swim gear. Merlin, how deep did they put them? Harry thought as his eyes shifted feverishly, the sound of movement quickly approaching.

With a jolt, Harry felt Cedric's arm grasp his shoulder, pulling him back as quite possibly one of the ugliest things he'd ever seen raced by him. The bottom half of the figure was human, but the top half looked like that of a sharks'. "A partial transfiguration, huh?" Cedric whispered, "So that's Krum's game. I have to admit it's more creative than Fleur and I's idea."

Harry didn't feel much like complimenting the Bulgarian wizard though, especially considering that had Cedric not pulled him back, he might have ended up as lunch for his upper half. He knows where to go too. I doubt he put a tracking spell on Lavender though, so how-. The sound of a scream interrupted Harry's thoughts as his vision turned upwards. The water was murky, but the Gillyweed had allowed him to just barely see what was happening. A cloud of what looked like Grindylows had begun to swarm a target, and judging by the human-like scream, it only left one person. "Was that Fleur?" Cedric called out, pointing his wand out behind him preparing to jet up towards the French champion.

Quickly, Harry reached out grabbing Cedric's hand as he shook his head. "What do you mean no?" Cedric called out, his voice muddled with confusion, "She's in danger, she could-,"

"My priority is saving Daphne," Harry said before looking down in confusion at his ability to speak, "We can grab Gabrielle for her, but I'm not going to waste time." Harry had begun to wonder if Moody's influence had begun making him a colder person, but it didn't matter, all that mattered was saving Daphne and that is what he planned to do. The struggle was evident in Cedric's eyes as painfully he turned away watching a charm seemed to activate around Fleur's unconscious body, floating her up to the surface like a balloon. "Looks like they don't want us dead after all," I whispered as I turned back to Cedric, "She's safe, but we've gotta move, we're wasting time."

Cedric had looked to be in pure agony as he nodded, he and Harry continuing to follow the golden line deeper and deeper into the cavernous ravines of the Black Lake. Though, surprisingly, the deeper they got, the brighter the water seemed to become as what looked like an underwater city rapidly came into view. What almost looked like a fire burned brightly beneath the water, it's light illuminating great walls of coral and limestone. Temples and Buildings made completely from rock adorned the lake's floor and Harry had almost felt his eyes roll out of his head as he took in the beauty of the underwater city.

"I know it's pretty, but keep your wits about you," Cedric said readying his wand, "If I'm right, I think we've entered the home of the Selkie, and they aren't exactly the most welcoming to outsiders." Harry swallowed hard as his grip tightened around his own wand. The two wizards approached, a feeling of a hundred eyes looking down upon them sending shivers down their spines. "The gate is open," Cedric said, "They must be expecting us."

Harry nodded, the two of them swimming into the brightly-lit city. Suddenly, with speeds that put even Krum's to shame, a current raced passed both he and Cedric, as faster than Harry could blink, a new figure stood before him. The creature was long and serpentine, the top half of his body was humanoid, though not nearly as clear as a centaur, and the bottom half consisted of nothing more than a thick and scaly tail. "You wizards are part of this tournament business, are you not?" Despite the man's calm disposition, the spear held in his hand had left Harry feeling anything but welcome.

Harry nodded slowly as the man hissed, "They are in the temple, get your friend and go, your kind is not welcome here." Why is that always the case, Harry sighed as he nodded respectfully towards the merperson. Harry had felt it becoming harder to breathe, though he wasn't quite sure if it was due to the gillyweed wearing off, or the army of merpeople with harpoons at the ready, waiting eagerly for a reason to pierce him and Cedric.

Did Krum already make it? Harry wondered as he kicked his webbed feet forward, Cedric doing his best to keep pace as they approached the temple. The temple was large, looming over every other structure within the walls of the Selkie's borders, and it was certainly very magnificent. Pillars held up the dome of the temple, with jewels decorating almost every inch of the top. But for all its beauty, Harry could only focus on the altar that resided just in front of what Harry assumed to be the temple door. Dangling above the platform rested three bodies, each with a leg chained to the stone platform looking completely unconscious.

"Take one!" A voice hissed, and instantly, Harry's vision shifted towards the bottom of the altar where Krum stood beside Daphne's chain, a trident aimed at the Bulgarian Wizard's still human torso. "Leave this place," The Selkie hissed once more, this once female with a stone crown resting atop her head, "Now!"

A snarl left Krum's shark face as Harry watched the wizard take off Lavender's chain in his mouth as he dragged the girl beside him in the most ungraceful method possible. Harry rubbed his neck, imagining the whiplash that the poor Gryffindor Fourth Year was going to face when she woke up, but he didn't have time to daydream. The hour was without a doubt quickly coming to a close, and with a powerful kick, Harry raced towards Daphne. His heart stopped as he placed his hands against her cold face, her expression completely stagnant as anger erupted in his core. "Reducto!" He roared, snapping Daphne's chain as he took his princess into his arms, "It's going to be alright now Daphne," He whispered to the unconscious girl, "We're almost back."

The sound of a second chain erupting vibrated through the water as Harry watched Cedric take Cho into his arm, the two swimming towards each other to regroup. Damn, Harry thought to himself as his eyes rested upon the young French girl as she dangled lifelessly in the frosty water. He reached for his chain but was instantly met with the same response as Krum, as a trident appeared before his chest faster than he could blink. "Please," Harry pleaded, "The person that's supposed to get her already failed, you have to let me take her back."

"Rules are rules, boy," The Selkie queen hissed, "Now begone wizard."

"She's a child," Cedric begged, "You can't be serious."

The look on the Selkie's face, however, said otherwise as Harry closed his eyes readying his wand. "Cedric," Harry whispered into the prefect's ear, "Get Daphne to the surface, promise me you will."

"Harry what are you thinking?" Cedric hissed back, "There's like a hundred of these guys, we have to do what they say."

A pathetic smile formed across Harry's face as he turned back to the little girl, "I have to save her too, Cedric," He started with a heavy sigh, "She's my biggest fan." Cedric's eyes widened with confusion as Harry turned to him, "Go!"

"Reducto!" Cedric cried out breaking Gabrielle's chain, "I'm not going anywhere, either we all leave or we all stay, that's the Hufflepuff way." Hisses and screams filled the water, the currents carrying the violent vibrations as Harry reached forward, grabbing Gabrielle's chain.

"Miasmora" Harry roared as a black miasmic mist erupted from my wand, coating the water like octopus ink, "Come on!" Harry shouted as he began kicking towards the surface as fast as his legs could take him, "Let's go!" Cedric compiled without hesitation as he shot off a blasting hex before quickly jetting behind Harry. Note to self, Harry thought as the shouting of the furious Selkie's grew louder, their tails carrying them far faster than even his gillyweed morphed legs could, Don't fight creatures who live in the water, in the water.

"Stupefy!" Cedric hissed from behind him, "Petrificus Totalus." Each spell from the sixth-year wizard sounding more and more desperate as he tried to delay the quickly approaching Selkie, his kind nature stopping him from throwing back anything more powerful.

Sorry about this, Harry thought as he turned to lift his wand, the lights from the Selkie city dimming as they approached the darkness that lined the middle layers of the Black Lake, "Tenimago!" Harry felt his stomach churn as black fire poured from his wand like water from a fire hydrant, drenching his pursuers in never-ending flames. Their screams of anguish echoed loudly enough to cause ripples, and for a moment, Harry was genuinely concerned about if their screams could be heard from as high up as the spectators stands. I swear I'll release the spell as soon as I break the surface, just hang in there. He clenched his teeth as he wrapped one of his arms around the Daphne, the other one holding Gabrielle tightly before kicking as fast as his burning legs could take him.

Each meter up felt like it took hours as blood pounded in his head. His heart raced as his fingers began to feel loser, the webbing of his hands fading. Shit, Harry cursed as the small beams of light just began to break the surface, the gills on his neck closing. Harry released his grip around the French girl slightly as he placed his wand in his mouth. Ascendio! Ascendio! Ascendio! He thought frantically before, almost like a rocket launching, his body begin soaring upwards. With the last of his gillyweed time, he took a deep breath, the surface coming closer and closer into view. His lungs screamed for air as black spots began to form in his vision, but his grip around the two girls tightened more as he roared furiously releasing his last breath.

Splash! The sound of cheering thundered through the air as Harry gasped desperately for the oxygen he'd been deprived of. The sound of another head breaking the surface soon follows as he turns to face Cedric. Despite his normally even tan, Harry was certain that he must have looked almost as pale as sixth-year prefect before exhaustedly, he began moving towards the dock. "Gabrielle!" He heard Fleur cry out, "Gabrielle!"

Harry looked up at the French Champion, her body trembling as she knelt by the side of the deck, Claire right beside her rubbing her classmate's back. Harry was close, agonizingly close, and yet, his legs were cramping, his body hurt. With a look of exhaustion, he scanned desperately for anyone to help, but soon found his eyes locked with Michael, "I got you, Rook!" He called out as he lifted his wand. Harry closed his eyes as his body began to rise from the water at Michael's command, hovering towards the shore as Harry maintained his grip on the two girls.

His body collapsed upon the shoreline with a less than glamorous thud but never before had Harry felt so grateful to be on dry land. With the last of his strength, he pointed his wand to the water, canceling his black fire charm, before his head collapsed back into the grassy ground. Harry's breath was ragged as he laid on shoreline panting with exhaustion, "Gabrielle!" Fleur's voice called out, a crowd of onlookers approaching. Harry hadn't even had a chance to adjust as Fleur knelt down taking the unconscious girl into her arms. "You saved her," Fleur said, her voice still trembling, "She wasn't yours to save and you did so anyway. Thank you."

Harry nodded, unsure of what to say as the sound of squishing feet on the wet grass grew closer. "Need a hand Potter?" Cedric said, reaching out his own, helping Harry to his feet. "Not bad Harry," He said with a tired grin, "You really got us out of a jam."

"I probably wouldn't have made it out if it wasn't for you," Harry said with a smile of his own. His eyes then fell upon Daphne whose body was still locked in an unconscious state, "Any ideas on how to wake them up."

"Leave that to me, young man," Bagman said as he and the other judges began to surround him. Harry watched as Bagman placed the tip of his wand onto Daphne's forehead, turning it like a key in a lock, sparking life back into the Slytherin Fourth Year.

"Where am I?" Daphne whispered groggily, but Harry didn't give her a chance to ask any more questions as he leaned into her, wrapping her tightly into a hug. "You're so cold and wet," she spoke in a daze, "Why are you-" light seemed to illuminate behind Daphne's eyes as her grogginess faded, "So the second task is over huh? Looks like you found me Flyboy." Harry grit his teeth as his grasp around her tightened, "I knew you'd find me."

"Your confidence in me is astounding," Harry said with a chuckle.

Their short-lived reunion was interrupted quickly by a terrifying scream, and instantly, Harry turned to face the noise. Tears streamed down the face of the young girl trembling in Fleur's arms, the French Champion's towel wrapped around her younger sister, exposing her still wet body to the cool February air. "It's alright, It's alright,' Fleur said hugging her sister tightly, "You're okay, you're safe. Harry saved you."

Tears continued to stream down Gabrielle's eyes like flowing waterfalls as she took frantic gasps, "I was so scared, they said they were going to put me underwater and when I asked to see mama and papa they said that I couldn't. They said if I didn't do as they asked that you would lose your magic and I-"

Fury built in Harry's chest as he turned to face the judges. Karkaroff stood there with stark indifference while a look of pure horror filled Madame Maxime's face. Dumbledore's eyes filled with shame, but it was the lack of remorse upon Bagman's face that sent Harry over the edge. "Are you all fucking insane!" Harry shouted, his vision red, "If you want to put us Champions through hell, fine! But keep innocent people out of it!"

"Harry, I implore you to lower your-," Dumbledore started, but Harry wasn't having any of it.

"You chained a little girl not even old enough to attend Hogwarts underwater! Not only that but you left them there surrounded by Selkie!" Harry's lungs felt like they were about to tear, "What kind of stupid task is that! Fleur wasn't able to grab her hostage and because of that Cedric and I had to fight off a horde of pissed off Merpeople because you idiots didn't consider the consequences of your actions!"

"Of course we did boy," Bagman said with a sneer, "We weren't actually going to leave them underwater for the rest of their lives. But if we told you that, where would the excitement be."

"Excitement!" Harry roared with frustration, "What the hell is exciting about not knowing if someone you love is going to die or not based on your ability to find them in a giant lake! If that's the kind of shit that gets your blood pumping how about someone chains your family to the bottom of the black lake and you dive in to find them. See how exciting it is then!"

"Harry," Daphne whispered from behind him, wrapping her arms around her torso, "Please." There was no more that needed to be said as Harry dropped his arms to his side.

"You people make me sick," Harry said with a sigh, "Judge me however you want, I'm out of here."

"Me too," Cedric said, his face directing a fierce glare towards the judges.

"Come on, Gabrielle," Fleur said with a huff, "Let's go find mama and papa, then we'll find something warm to drink."

The stunned look upon Bagman's face would have been enough to make Harry laugh had he not felt so royally pissed off as he stormed passed the stands. It wasn't long until he'd found himself surrounded by his friends once more as Michael nudged him, "Not bad, Rook, not bad."

"Thanks for the help at the end," Harry said his voice growing hoarse, "I don't think I could have made it back to the ground on my own." His eyes scanned the area around him, "Where's the Beauty Queen?"

"She went to go console Fleur," Michael said with a smile, as he stuck his head under Harry's arm helping support his weight. "But your little rampage did catch my interest. What was that part about mermaids?"

"Trust me, they're a lot more Grindylow then they are Ariel," Harry said with a light chuckle, his anger starting to roll off his shoulder as the castle came into view, "You didn't miss out on much."