At first Viktor's skin only tingled, as though cool breath played across its surface. Then, quite suddenly, his face began to burn so that he winced; his skin seemed almost to vibrate and he closed his eyes tightly as the spell took effect, not wanting to see the transformation. He felt an odd pressure around his nose as it was elongated and widened; his mouth seemed to stretch as though a Quaffle were being forced through it from his throat and he ran his tongue along the serrated edge of his razor-like teeth as they seemed to multiply. When finally he opened his eyes, it was as though the world had been shrunk, and as a sudden pain sliced through his mind he flung himself head first into the icy waters of the Lake.

Viktor floundered for a moment or two before finding his bearings, and then he kicked down, the cold slipping around his skin like a familiar friend. His previous forays into the Lake now became an advantage, and though his skin prickled from the frigid waters he barely noticed, intent on his purpose.

He had memorised the clue the egg held, and it had not taken long for him to work out its meaning. How anyone knew she was what he would sorely miss, Viktor didn't want to contemplate. He swum further, the swaying mass of black weeds seeming to beckon to him, and within minutes he knew he was farther than he had come before. His tiny eyes, a disadvantage at the shore, quickly adjusted to the gloom and he carved a way easily through the tangle of weeds, his massive jaws easily moving aside any that hindered him.

It had taken long hours of searching in the Library for this particular spell. He had thought of it immediately, remembering one of his last Transfiguration classes the year before. Facial Transfiguration was one of the most difficult and dangerous forms of Transfiguration, particularly cross-species. If it wasn't performed exactly right the consequences could be horrific. Viktor remembered flicking through one of his textbooks, staring grimly at the gruesome moving pictures of unfortunate spell-casters. But of course the book he had read had been by a famous Bulgarian witch, and though he searched, it was not to be found on the Hogwarts library shelves, forcing him to painstakingly work his way through every likely textbook he could find. As he had cast the spell on the edge of the lake a whispered prayer had escaped his lips, but miraculously it had worked first time.

Viktor swam on, kicking the weeds that clung to his feet aside and snapping his powerful jaws at the ghostly jade forms of the Grindylows that surrounded him, sending them skittering away. The dark pressed in upon him, weighing him down, and he wondered how much longer he had to find Hermione; time had no relevance in this gently rippling gloom. He had no idea where any of the other champions were; earlier he thought he had glimpsed Cedric Diggory but his head had been encased in a filmy bubble which pulsed with his breath and distorted his features.

Viktor sensed movement from the corner of his eye and turned his massive head carefully to see an enormous black mass moving beside him like a shadow. Startled, he swam aside before turning once more to see the dark form of the giant squid floating lazily past him, one immense eye staring mournfully at him, strangely bright in the flickering half-light from the lake's surface. It seemed to look at Viktor for long moments, and it was only when it closed its eye slowly and continued on its way that Viktor realised he had been holding his breath, and he too swam away.

It felt as though he had been swimming forever; his limbs began to ache with the force of his exertion and the water was growing darker as disturbed mud swilled around him. Finally, he heard dimly the high voices, floating hauntingly through the thick whorls of mud and he recognised the ethereal melody as the one from the egg's clue. As he kicked his legs furiously a large rock came into view, adorned with paintings of merpeople. As he swum into what seemed to be their village, he felt their presence all around him. Turning his head he came face to face with one: what appeared to be a female, her thick green hair swirling around a greyish face, regarded him with apparent disdain. Her eyes were yellow and piercing, the eyes of a cat and when she smiled he could see her teeth were jagged. She held a spear, and Viktor noted with new horror that all her companions were similarly armed.

He continued to swim, realising that far from attacking him the merpeople actually seemed to be moving aside as he went past them, making his way towards the enormous craggy statue of a merperson ahead of him. Tied to its immense tail were three people, but a fourth floated beside them, tugging desperately at the thick ropes that bound them.

Hermione was tied at the end of the little line of hostages, her head slumped on her shoulder, her hair billowing around her face. Viktor surged towards her, hurtling past the merpeople that surrounded the little group with a ferocity he hadn't known he possessed, oblivious to their excited screeching. He tried awkwardly to bite at the slimy rope that bound her, but he couldn't reach it properly and pulled back, terrified he would bite her instead. At a hard thump on his shoulder he turned to see Harry Potter, his pale face worried, waving a jagged stone at him. Viktor grabbed it, thanking him with his eyes, and hacked at Hermione's bindings; within seconds she was free and grabbing her about the waist he kicked from the bed of the lake towards the surface.

How long had she been down here? Viktor swam as fast as he could but it was difficult work; though Hermione was by no means large she still weighed him down and it was taking most of his strength to propel them both through the murky water. Viktor was built for speed, agility; sheer force was not a skill he generally had need of in the course of his Quidditch training, and so it was sheer determination that made his legs pump now. He was terrified now that the merpeople's song had been more literal than he had initially thought – what if the hour had passed and even now the spell that had kept Hermione safe was wearing off?

It felt like hours had passed when suddenly the blunt edge of his nose broke the surface of the lake. The terrifying second before Hermione spluttered back to life seemed to last an eternity and though she could only smile weakly at him, Viktor felt his fingertips tingle and a grin tugged at the corners of his own mouth. Noting her look of alarm at his appearance he renewed his grip around her waist and pushed towards the bank of the lake where the judges stood watching. Diggory, he noted with annoyance, had made it back before him.

The next few minutes were a blur; he felt Hermione be lifted gently from him and blankets wrapped around their shoulders. A steaming mug of hot potion was forced down his throat and he felt his limbs tremble from the sudden change in temperature; Karkaroff strode towards him and pointed his wand squarely in his face, muttering under his breath so that Viktor felt the curious burning that told him his face was shrinking to its normal state once more.

He held a hand to his face, inspecting himself carefully before lifting his eyes to Karkaroff. "You didn't shrink my nose?" he said, smiling, and Karkaroff let out a bark of laughter, clapping his arm around Viktor's broad shoulders.

"Excellent work, my boy, well done," he said. "Shame about that Diggory boy, though, but there's still a task to come, don't worry..."

"Viktor."

At the sound of his name, Viktor turned; Karkaroff continued walking, heading towards Bagman. Hermione stood behind him, wrapped so tightly in blankets it looked like a parcel had sprouted legs.

"Your spell wore off, then?" she asked, and her eyes brighter. Her face seemed suddenly larger somehow, and it was several moments before he realised it was because her hair was thinner wet; dark tendrils clung to her face and neck. "We haven't done Facial Transfiguration yet. I think that's next year. Well done though; it looks like you're second place. Harry's not back yet," she added, suddenly worried-looking. "Or Ron."

Perhaps it was the effects of the spell wearing off; perhaps it was a trick of the light; perhaps it was simply a product of Viktor's fatigue. Either way, it seemed to him that something about her changed as she said the final two words; her eyes had seemed to soften somehow, and the corners of her mouth dipped, so subtly that to recognise it would have taken the keen eyes of someone used to spotting what others didn't.

"I didn't know I was your hostage until Professor Dumbledore told me," she said, blushing. Viktor took her arm gently and pulled her to one side, away from the judges, so that they stood alone.

"I did not know either," he said truthfully. "But ven I vos in the lake, somehow, I knew it vos you. It vos strange." He frowned slightly; then, taking her hand in his, he looked into her eyes, willing himself to say the words before he lost courage or they were disturbed. "I think you are very special, Herm-own-ninny. I haff not felt this for any other girl." He smiled to give weight to his words, and she beamed back at him, until his earlier doubt was erased.

"Viktor, I - " she began, her eyes bright, but he cut in before she could finish, afraid to stop now that he had begun to give voice to his thoughts at last, afraid he would lose his nerve or forget his words.

"I vill haff to return to Bulgaria when the Tournament is over. If you are not doing anything in the summer – if you haff no other plans – I vos thinking perhaps you vood visit me?"

If Hermione was smiling before it was nothing to the grin she now bestowed on him. Viktor felt the knot inside him loosen slightly, so that it didn't feel quite so much as if it were cutting into his insides and his breath came easier. Hermione opened her mouth to answer him - and then Madame Pomfrey appeared, fussing over Hermione who cast him an apologetic smile before resigning herself to Pomfrey's administrations. By now Harry had returned and he stood beside Pomfrey in a little group, talking rapidly to Hermione.

Moving to stand beside her, Viktor saw movement in the corner of his eye; a flash of green wriggled in her dark curls. "You haff a water-beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny," he said, and perhaps he imagined it but he felt sure Harry cast him a dark look as he did so.

Viktor did not care. Although Hermione had not given him a definite answer, he felt sure that her answer had been going to be acceptance, and no amount of dark looks could ruin that for him.

A/N There is the new chapter, the infamous Lake Scene, which was actually quite difficult to write without sounding like a rip-off of the JK version of the scene! I hope it was enjoyable, please let me know all your thoughts and feedback, good OR bad. Toodlepip.