A/N This is a retelling of the Triwizard Tournament's second task from the point of view of Fleur. For the Greek Mythology Competition with Athena (heroic endeavors, wisdom), and the 1 Character/1 Prompt Challenge with the word "acceptance". I hope you like it, and please R&R!
It was the day of the second task. We all appeared to know what was going to happen. Well, except for the Potter boy. He hadn't even shown up yet. The three of us were standing before the Black Lake, with only a semblance of an idea of what was going to happen.
Viktor Krum just stood there as usual, expressionless, the big thug that he was. I'd seen him dancing with that girl Potter always hung around, so he must have had some feelings, at least. Cedric Diggory stared determinedly at the lake, his wand held at the ready. The crowd was chattering and yelling and whooping behind us.
All we were waiting for was Harry Potter. Where was he? I had a sneaking suspicion that Igor Karkaroff would've liked nothing better for the boy not to show up, thus giving his champion a better chance to win. Madame Maxime probably felt the same, for that matter, but I didn't care. I was going to win no matter who showed up for the task.
Karkaroff began to rant about the Potter boy wasting our time, and that we should go on without him. Crouch was beginning to agree, repeating the rules that said the tournament should go on whether all the champions showed up or not.
But then it became a moot point as Harry Potter bolted into the area, carrying a sphere-shaped substance that looked like a group of extremely long worms all tangled up. What was he going to do? Eat it? I shuddered at the thought.
Dumbledore declared the start of the task. And we all waded into the water. It was unimaginably cold, piercing my skin. I almost backed out right then and there, but then I remembered that I'd entered this competition to win, not to run away at the slightest chance that I might be uncomfortable.
I performed the Bubble-Head Charm, and dove under the water. For a moment, I curled myself into a little ball to get warm, but then I unfurled. I couldn't show weakness, not in front of the other... Two?
Where was Potter? I looked around, and saw a pair of skinny legs still standing in the water. He hadn't gone under yet! What was he waiting for? Well, when he did come under, I would be long gone.
I swam as fast as I could. As near as I could figure, the merpeople would be as far down as the lake went, so that's where I would start my search.
The water was so dark, I could barely make anything out. I hoped it was the same for the others. Then, at least, they wouldn't have an advantage.
There were weeds all around, things I didn't recognize. How was this fair? There could be monsters lurking in these plants, and I wouldn't know how to fight them. This was, I suppose, the advantage to having home field. Cedric and Harry would know what to look out for, while Krum and I... We were left in the dark. I'd never seen these things in France.
But I was sure they were nothing to worry about. I was probably overreacting-
Suddenly, my wand was tugged out of my hand. It didn't fall, I was sure of it. Something had grabbed my wand and taken it out of my hand. No, I told myself. I dropped it. Stop overreacting.
I wished I could, but when I reached down to pick my wand up, things began grabbing at me. They tugged my hair, my skin, pulling me to the bottom of the lake. The darkness of the lake wasn't quite dark enough, because I could see what was imprisoning me, and I didn't like it. They were the ugliest creatures I'd ever seen, with mashed up faces and very long figures and fingers. They blended in with the weeds.
How was I going to get out of this? I struggled as much as I could, kicking and screaming and batting them away. I tried to reach my wand to blast them away, these awful things that were overpowering me, but one of them was dancing around me with my wand, tantalizingly close.
There was no way I could win, no way I could escape these creatures. I couldn't do it. I'd failed Beauxbatons Academy. I'd failed Gabrielle. Who was going to save my little sister now that there was no way for me to get her out of there? Would she just die? Or was she doomed to sleep forever in the bottom of the Black Lake, with merpeople? Dumbledore would get her out at some point, wouldn't he?
And what of myself? I couldn't escape this. How could someone possibly rescue me, without any means to know I needed rescuing? I'd given up all hope of winning the task. It must have been at least forty-five minutes since we'd begun anyway. Everyone was probably already finished, and here I was, fighting tiny sea creatures.
Just above me, the light shifted. For a moment, the water looked a bit different. Grayer, older, maybe. And then, all at once, the ghost of a girl was inches from my face. If I wasn't already screaming, I would have yelped in surprise. But her presence made me go quiet.
"Who-who are you?" I managed to ask, my body still being torn apart.
"Myrtle," she said. "Who are you?"
"Fleur," I told her. I wished she would just get on with the conversation. Couldn't she see I was in a bit of a problem.
"Do you need some help?" she asked.
"Yes! Could you get these things away from me?" I asked, kicking one of them off my leg only to have another fill the spot.
"No," Myrtle sad, grinning. What was so funny? "But I can tell Dumbledore, and he can save you."
"Oh, please, could you?" I asked. "Would you?"
"I will," she said decisively, and zoomed to the surface. I let a smile wash across my face. Even though I was losing, even though I'd lost, really, this was the smartest choice.
Perhaps, the wisest way to go is not always the heroic one. I was forfeiting my place in this task, it was true, but was I willing to die at the hands of some stupid sea creatures rather than lose a tournament? No. I wasn't sure Madame Maxime would agree, but I wasn't ready to die for that cause.
A bright light filled the area, so bright it hurt my eyes to stay open. But it wasn't just me. The animals swam away at once. I didn't understand. Was Dumbledore setting me free to let me continue the task? Did I really deserve that?
Did I even want that?
But no. I had just enough time to grab my wand before I was pulled to the surface against my will. Myrtle had done it. She'd made Dumbledore come and save me, because I was pretty sure it hadn't been the Beauxbatons Headmistress that had done that. She probably would have left me with those horrid animals to die if it meant more glory to the school. But Dumbledore wouldn't let any students die if he could help it, I was sure.
As my head broke the surface, I noticed that I was the only champion so far that had escaped the watery depths of the lake. The others were probably still down there, fighting the merpeople for their friends or family members.
I climbed onto the sand and people rushed to my aid. Someone handed me a towel as the guilt began to wash over me. I'd just left Gabrielle down there. What if she really was stuck there forever? What if I'd just killed my baby sister?
Tears streamed down my face and Madame Maxime came over to me. She looked more concerned than mad, but the anger was still there somewhere. I'd lost the glory for my school.
"Are you okay?" she asked, patting my head.
"Fine," I said, sniffling. She wouldn't let Gabrielle die. She knew how much my family mattered to me.
I sat there for a very long time, watching the lake, wondering if any of the other champions would come back. Cedric Diggory had to come back. He was interesting, and, I had to admit, very handsome. Viktor Krum... Well, I didn't care too much either way. I wouldn't wish death on many people, and certainly not on someone I barely knew. I thought about Harry Potter for a moment. He was annoying yes, a bit naive, but he was innocent. Too innocent. Too young. He shouldn't have to deal with this tournament. His name shouldn't have been called.
I watch as Cedric emerges, carrying his girlfriend, Cho Chang, to safety. Pretty though she is, I would have made a much better date to the Yule Ball. Alas, I had to settle for Roger Davies, who was not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Oh, well. I'd never see either of them again after this year, so what did it matter?
Then Viktor Krum came up, dragging behind him his date to the Yule Ball, Harry Potter's friend, Hermione Granger. She was smart, witty. I liked her, even though she was a bit arrogant.
Harry Potter was nowhere to be found. We waited for ages. I wondered if he was this late to everything, or if it was just today. But finally, finally, he came out of the water. He carried Ron Weasely.
But he also carried Gabrielle.
"Gabrielle!" I cried. "Oh, Gabrielle!" Harry had saved her when I couldn't. He'd risked his life, risked winning the task, to save my sister. I couldn't owe him enough. And Ron! He'd been there, too. He'd helped, probably. Even if he hadn't, I was too happy to care.
I grabbed Gabrielle's hand and helped her to the shore. "J'étais tellement inquiet!" I was so worried!
She hugged me. She got me all wet again, after I'd been almost dry, but I didn't care. She was safe. Harry had saved her.
"Je t'aime tellement," she whispered. I love you so much.
"Tu es en sécurité," I said. You're safe. I turned to Harry. "Harry! You saved her! You saved my sister." He looked embarrassed, but it was true. He'd taken her from the depths of the lake to the surface. "Je suis toujours dans votre dette." I am forever in your debt. He looked confused, but I expected him to. He didn't know French. And he didn't need to understand what I'd said. It would only make him more embarrassed than he already was. I kissed him on the cheek, something I probably wouldn't have done if I wasn't so elated, but I didn't mind afterwards. His cheek turned bright red.
Ron gave the tiniest of coughs, and I turned my attention to him. "You helped!" I cried, and kissed him as well. In the background, I saw Hermione roll her eyes, but I didn't care. She could think what she wanted. She'd draw the conclusion, she was a smart girl.
As I looked around at everyone, I found that this was a place I was welcome. Even though I'd forfeited the task, even though there was no way I was going to win the tournament... I'd realized that some things were more important. Sometimes, it was wiser to let others help.