Chapter 251: "Plunging into Preparation"

The morning after their nocturnal adventure in the prefects' bathroom, Harry and Fleur met in a secluded corner of the Hogwarts grounds. The air between them crackled with a newfound tension, equal parts excitement and uncertainty.

So," Harry began, running a hand through his hair, "last night was..."

"Wonderful," Fleur finished, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. She paused, seeming to gather her thoughts. "'Arry, I think perhaps we should take things slow."

Harry nodded "I'm game for whatever you're comfortable with, Fleur. As long as we're good, I'm happy."

Fleur's shoulders relaxed visibly. "You are very understanding, 'Arry. It's just... with ze tournament and everything..."

"Hey, no need to explain," Harry said, his tone light but sincere. "We've got plenty of time to figure things out. We've got a good thing going here. No need to rush and muck it up."

With that potential awkwardness navigated, they turned their attention to the looming second task. As they discussed the egg's clue, Harry's expression grew serious, the weight of his knowledge from the canon pressing down on him.

"Fleur," he said gravely, "I think the 'something precious' they'll take isn't an object. It's likely to be a person."

Fleur's eyes widened, her face paling. "Mon Dieu! Gabrielle..."

Harry nodded solemnly. "You should warn your family. There's a chance they might use your parents or sister as a hostage."

As they parted ways, Harry watched Fleur go, hoping his warning would change the course of events he remembered. But even if it didn't, he silently vowed to ensure everyone's safety.

---

In the days that followed, the champions threw themselves into preparation. Harry, already confident in his strategy, found himself ambushed by his well-meaning friends one sunny afternoon by the lake.

"Alright, Team Potter," Cedric announced, puffing out his chest importantly, "Operation: Keep Harry from Drowning is officially underway!"

Harry raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Catchy name."

Elvinia, arms laden with books, ignored the sarcasm. "We've narrowed it down to three options for breathing underwater: the Bubble-Head Charm, gillyweed, or partial transfiguration."

"Let's go with the Bubble-Head Charm," Harry said quickly, his mind already several steps ahead. "Wouldn't want to ruin my dashing good looks with gills, would we?"

His friends rolled their eyes, unaware that Harry's choice was based on a plan that required minimal swimming. He was also not too fond of the wait time for the gillyweed effects to wear off.

Roger snorted. "Your 'dashing good looks' might be the least of your worries down there, mate. The lake's not exactly a day at the beach."

Harry tried to make his friends forget about helping him train, but Reggy cut in, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Come on, Harry! Let us help. We're dying to be part of the action!"

"Fine," Harry sighed, a smile tugging at his lips. "But I warn you, my training regimen is not for the faint of heart. No backing out in the middle."

Everyone cheered at Harry's agreement.

They spent the next hour discussing potential obstacles. The cold was an obvious issue, easily solved with warming charms. The darkness could be countered with Lumos spells. The lake's inhabitants posed a trickier problem, requiring a mix of defensive and offensive spells.

Then Cedric brought up a point that caught Harry's attention. "You know, performing magic underwater might be tricky. It's harder to move your arms quickly in water."

Harry, seeing an opportunity for both fun and practical training, suggested they all practice underwater spellcasting. His friends leapt at the chance, eager to be part of a champion's training.

---

The following Saturday dawned bright and cold. As the group assembled by the Great Lake, their breath misting in the air, Harry grinned at his shivering friends. "Ready for a refreshing dip?"

What followed was a morning of chaos, laughter, and surprising breakthroughs. The icy water shocked them at first, eliciting yelps and curses that would have made Madam Pomfrey blush. But as they warmed up, the lake became their watery classroom.

Harry taught them the Bubble-Head Charm, watching with pride as his friends mastered the spell one by one. They practiced silent casting, their wands leaving trails of shimmering bubbles in the murky depths.

Cedric surfaced with a gasp after successfully casting a silent Stunning Spell. "Blimey, Harry! This is brilliant. I never realized how different magic feels down there."

Arabella, initially skeptical, now wore a wide grin. "I hate to admit it, but this is actually useful. And oddly fun, in a cold, wet sort of way."

As the training progressed, the lake became a playground of magical experimentation. Alicia and Roger raced each other, their spells propelling them through the water. Cedric perfected an underwater Shield Charm, while Elvinia and Arabella engaged in a silent, bubble-filled duel.

Harry, unable to resist, sent a powerful jet of water at his unsuspecting friends, laughing at their sputtering indignation. The morning dissolved into a free-for-all water fight, magic and mischief blending in equal measure.

As the sun began to set, they trudged back to shore, exhausted but exhilarated. "Same time tomorrow?" Cedric suggested, wringing water from his robes. The unanimous agreement was punctuated by excited chatter about new spells to try.

---

Unknown to Harry, Fleur had been watching from afar, her curiosity piqued. That night, during their nightly meetings, she couldn't contain her questions.

"What exactly were you doing in ze lake, 'Arry?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with intrigue.

Harry grinned, recounting their underwater adventures. When he mentioned the lake's inhabitants - merpeople, grindylows, and who knew what else - Fleur's eyes widened.

"I thought it would just be an underwater maze!" she exclaimed. "I should start training as well."

Harry's eyes twinkled mischievously. "How about we have our own private sessions? Turn our nightly meetings into moonlit swims?"

Fleur's enthusiastic agreement led to a new chapter in their preparation. Under the cover of darkness, they slipped into the icy waters of the Great Lake, wands at the ready.

Their first night was a shock to the system. Even with warming charms, the lake was bitterly cold.

"Merde!" Fleur gasped as she surfaced, her teeth chattering. "It is freezing!"

Harry, trying to keep his own shivering under control, grinned. "Look at the bright side – at least the giant squid is probably too cold to bother us."

Fleur's retort was lost as a tentacle briefly broke the surface nearby, as if the squid was determined to prove Harry wrong.

As the nights went on, they grew more accustomed to the cold and more adept at their underwater skills. Harry taught Fleur the finer points of the Bubble-Head Charm, and they practiced casting spells silently, their wands leaving trails of bubbles in the murky water.

"Remember," Harry said during one session, demonstrating a particularly tricky maneuver, "in the water, we're slower, but the creatures will be faster. You have to anticipate movements more, plan your spells in advance."

Their sessions weren't all serious training, though. There were splash fights that left them both laughing and gasping for air, races from one end of their training area to the other, and quiet moments floating on their backs, staring up at the stars.

During one such moment, Fleur turned to Harry, her expression soft in the moonlight. "'Arry," she said quietly, "thank you for zis. I don't know 'ow I would 'ave prepared without you."

Harry squeezed her hand gently under the water. "You'd have managed. You're brilliant, Fleur. But... I'm glad I could help."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the cold of the lake seemed to disappear. Then, with a mischievous grin, Fleur splashed water in Harry's face and darted away, laughing. "Race you to ze shore, mon champion!"

As Harry gave chase, he couldn't help but think that, although he did not like this whole Triwizard Tournament, these moments made it all worthwhile.

---

As the days passed and the second task drew nearer, both Harry's friends and Fleur had improved their skills dramatically. Their prowess in silent casting began to show even in regular classes, earning curious looks from professors and fellow students alike.

During one particularly challenging Charms lesson, Professor Flitwick was demonstrating a complex Atmospheric Charm. To everyone's surprise, Harry, Cedric, and Elvinia performed it perfectly on their first try – silently.

"My word!" Flitwick squeaked, nearly toppling off his stack of books. "Excellent work! Might I ask where you've been practicing such advanced silent casting?"

The friends exchanged knowing glances. "Oh, you know," Harry said casually, "just a bit of extra studying by the lake."

If anyone noticed the poorly suppressed grins or the way Reggy suddenly developed a coughing fit that sounded suspiciously like laughter, they didn't mention it.

As for Harry himself, he had perfected his underwater spellcasting, becoming more comfortable with wandless magic in the depths. Though he hoped there would be no need for battle beneath the waves, experience had taught him to prepare for the unexpected.

As the day of the second task approached, Harry felt a mix of anticipation and confidence. Whatever challenges were in store for him during the task, he was ready. He hoped it would be a quiet event, but a small part of him, the part that had faced danger head-on since his first year at Hogwarts, secretly wished for a little excitement – as long as no one else's life was at risk.