13. The Second Task

Yesterday night was pure heaven, divine. I never left Isabella's room until Alice came barging in early morning. We were still sitting on the couch when she came. I had Bella in my arms and she rested her head into the crook of my neck. Her breathing softly at my neck was comforting. Outstanders would probably think that she was asleep, but she was not. She called it "pretending can be comforting and make you feel alive." She told me how sometimes she wished she could sleep just to have a few hours less that she had to entertain herself. So it wasn't really a surprise when she told me she actually pretended to sleep a lot. At least once a week in human form she had told me. That I didn't completely understand. Does she has a vampire, witch and human form? I told her I didn't understand.

"Oh! Of course you do not know! I forgot, sorry!" She had looked up at me and smiled before getting a concentrated look on her face.

"My vampire powers..."

"Powers?"

"Yes, two actually I believe... when I was human, and with this I mean before I got eleven years old, I had a strange ability. Witches and wizards could not look into my mind, I did not know back then, but I was told later on. We figured out that I was a shield in your vampire terms. A mental shield."

"That's why I can't read your mind?"

"Yes." She paused and looked into my eyes, I think she saw a little sadness into my eyes because I was sad that I couldn't read her, while she was the one I wanted to read the most.

"I can lift the shield off my mind and also onto others. But next to being strange that way I could handle animals very well. They told me I had a gift. I grew up alongside lots of different kind of animals and my parents soon noticed that I had a thing for birds and cats. I got befriended with and eagle male and we were together for years, until he had found his mate and they let me into the lives of their kids... My parents only began thinking this was strange when I was supposed to being attacked by a tiger, but I wasn't. I became friends with it. I think I took that ability with me in my next lives, as a witch and as a vampire. Since I was fifteen I can change my appearance into that of any animal, only I prefer panthers and tigers."

"Any animal? You mean you can change into an ant if you would like too?"

"Yes, even though I wouldn't recommend such a small animal. I prefer housecats over the smaller beings. I have been a squirrel once, those can be funny too."

As I thought over what she had said I noticed she had said she pretended in human form, I take it that this is her human form and that her other form is that of an animal.

"Does this mean that you could actually sleep while your an animal?"

"Yes, well done. Most wouldn't figure it out. When in animal form I get other instincts et cetera. I can sleep, eat, pie, basically all that a normal animal does too."

"Wow, never heard of that before."

"Some witches and wizards choose the art to perform an animal shape, but it is known to be very difficult and besides that, they must choose one form when they succeed. This means that if someone chooses a Saint Bernhard, that they can only change into a dog form and this dogs looks exactly like a Saint Bernhard."

"And you can't become a German Shepherd?"

"No."

"Hmm.." This magical world is quite interesting, I am glad that we choose to comply the invitation.

"Will you show me?" I asked her while looking deep into her eyes with a smile on my face.

"Eventually, but not now."

"Why not?" I asked curiously and a little bit hurt. Why wouldn't she want to show me this part of her?

"I wouldn't want to ruin the dress, I quite like this one actually."

"Me too.." I murmured while looking at it but then I remembered the rest of which she had said. "Why would you ruin the dress?"

"The dress does not change its form while I do Edward. I would destroy the dress if I were to change into something bigger than a housecat." I guess that makes sense actually.

"Hmm.. that does make sense."

"It does, doesn't it." She smiled at me.

"It does." I smiled back and kissed her softly.

"BELLA! Come on! It's girl time!!" Alice had yelled while barging in. She took Bella out of my arms before we even noticed.

"You!" She said while pointing at me. 'Leave, it's time for us girls.' Just when she thought that Rosalie and Esme came in.

"Shoo shoo get out of here."

"Yeah, yeah I heard you the first time." I said a little bit irritated, they disrupted my time with Bella. I took Bella's hand and kissed it before turning and leaving her room.

That was about two hours ago. In the meantime I had taken a shower, changed and played the piano for a bit but I was already bored out of my mind and I missed Bella a lot.

That evening I found out that I just might not see her anymore for a few days, which saddened me a lot. My brothers tried to keep my mind off her by hunting for a long time. We had figured out that if you thought about a difficult long hunt in that room that the interior of the room changed just to make hunting more of a challenge. So we just did that. After hours of hunting we had wrestled and talked a bit. Looking back now I felt gratitude towards my brothers. They had kept me busy long enough.

Today it was the day of the second task. I had no idea of what it might be, neither does my family. But once again it seemed that Isabella knew what was happening today. She stopped by early this morning telling us not to be too late. She wore clothing of Beauxbatons but not that kind we are used to seeing by now. She wore grey sweatpants with a tight black tank top and a grey vest with the logo of Beauxbatons on it. She wore her vest open and damn did she look good. She had a long necklace on which I wanted to see since it was hidden beneath her tank top between her breasts. She noticed me looking but all she did was giving me a seductive smile. She left us there and also told us not to wear to expensive clothes for they might get wet.

We didn't know what she was talking about until we followed all the students to the lake and noticed the three towers in the middle of the lake. We were supposed to get there by little boats. When we neared the lake we heard several familiar voices talking and shouting. It seemed that we were late and it seemed that Potter was too.

"Any bets? Any bets?"

"Come on, place your bets. Step up mates, don't be shy!"

"Three lads! One lady! Four go down. But do four come up?"

Emmett leaned into me. "I like those twins, they are fun!" Jasper looked up and rolled his eyes.

"Any bets? Fleur's 10-1."

Emmett and Jasper would both like those boys, they to have this fetish with bets.

I turned them out soon and turned to look towards Potter, who was walking several feet in front of us.

"... Most likely?"

"Well, there's some debate among herbologists as to the effects of fresh water versus salt water..."

"You're telling me this now? You must be joking!"

"I just wanted to help."

"Well, that makes you a right sight better than Ron and Hermione. Where are they anyway?"

He was walking backwards by now, looking around for someone, i suppose his friends he is thinking and talking about right now.

"You seem a little tense, Harry."

"Do I?"

They kept on walking and stepped into one of the little boats.

My family and I took the one after them.

We stepped out of the boat when we arrived at the middle tower.

"Come, I have to get to the front to keep an eye on the champions." Dad told us before walking through the student mass. We followed him till he stood still close by Dumbledore. I looked around to see if I could find the champions or Bella, but I couldn't find any of them.

"Welcome to the second task." Dumbledore began in a loud voice made by magic.

"Last night, something was stolen from each of our champions. A treasure of sorts. These four treasures, one for each champion now lie on the bottom of the Black Lake." Does everything has a name around here?

"In order to win each champion need only find their treasure and return to the surface. Simple enough, except for this:.."

As Dumbledore continued talking I heard an other voice on the plateau underneath us.

"Put that in your mouth."

"... They will have but one hour to do so, and one hour only. After that, they will be on their own. No magic will save them. You may begin at the sound of the cannon." Before he completely finished talking the cannon went and we soon heard the sound of three people jumping in the water and one falling in the water. As we looked down at the railing we saw the champions just underneath the surface of the Black Lake.

My family and I could see the Potter boy struggling with something while the other three swam away. It seemed like he was in pain for a moment.

"What's the matter with him?"

"I don't know, I can't see him."

"Oh, my God. I've killed Harry Potter." I heard the same voice as back at the shore say.

It was soon after though that said boy came out of the water before falling back in. It seemed that he had a little transformation, his feet and hands were that of a fish and he had gills.

We soon saw Potter disappearing at the bottom of the lake.

"Just how deep is this Black Lake?" Esme asked a little bit worried.

"How deep is the deepest place in the sea?" We turned around as we heard her voice.

"Bella!"

"So you don't know how deep it is?" Dad asked her.

"A human and even a witch or wizard will not reach the absolute bottom. They will die because of a lack of oxygen before they reach three fifth of the lake."

"How do you know that?"

"We tested of course." Dumbledore interfered.

"What?!" They both smiled.

"There are creatures down there... they helped us figuring it out and besides that, I went into the lake once."

"Why?" I asked shocked. Why would Bella want to go down there? It looked a bit like a horror place from what I've seen so far if you ask me.

"Testing my dear. We tested some of my vampire abilities down there. But I stopped eventually. It became to scary down there. It was so dark that even I could not see that good."

We looked at them shocked.

"You found it scary?! Ha!" Emmett laughed but we all ignored him. Bella shook her head before turning towards Dumbledore.

"Fleur won't make it. She is scared to easily. No mater what we have tried you can still scare her within a minute."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Don't you want your own school to win?" Emmett asked in disbelief.

"Of course I do, but I know what she is capable of and what not. She is more the cheerleader type you know, only the nice one at that. But things that have got to do with dancing... that she is great in. Spells to but the girl has no defence at all. It's all offense with her, never defence." Jasper nodded at her and seemed to understand.

"Not all students are capable of completing their tasks. And I agree with you that some just aren't supposed to compete at this tournament, it can cost them their lives."

"Exactly." Bella nodded at Dumbledore. It looked like she wanted to say something more but instead her nostrils flared and she growled softly. She suddenly grasped Carlisle's hand and took him with her.

"Come, we need you."

She looked back at Dumbledore.

"Fleur is coming to the surface." He nodded and took a little clock in his hands before looking at the water.

I followed Carlisle and Bella to the plateau right above the water and saw them walking towards the edge. Soon we saw bubbles surfacing.

"The Beauxbatons champion, Miss Delacour has unfortunately been forced to retire so she will take no further part in this task."

I saw Bella sticking her hand towards the water right before she pulled the girl out of the water with force. A bit to much force I believe. The girl was wounded. Most of the cuts she had were on her legs and arms.

She spoke in French to Isabella who nodded and took the girl into her arms with a bath towel.

She seemed to comfort the girl while Carlisle examined and cleaned her wounds.

Several minutes later Cedric came to the surface soon followed by Victor. They each had another person with them, both girls. One I noticed was Hermione a friend of Harry. Dumbledore came down below alongside a minister.

"Krum! Krum! Krum!"

Just when the clock announced that the hour was over, Ron and another girl came to the surface, but Potter was nowhere to be seen. Which was rather odd.

Fleur ran to the deck and grasped the hand of the little girl that saw towards her alongside Ron, she spoke in French and spoke of her name. Form her thoughts I gathered that this little girl was her little sister.

"Ascendio!" I heard a soft murmur.

"Watch it!" Bella yelled and soon after Potter came flying out of the water and landed right in front of our feet. "Harry!"

Dumbledore went towards him together with Carlisle.

"He's all right. He's all right. Barthy!"

"Go get him another towel!"

"I want all the judges over here now!" Dumbledore yelled but he was barely heard over all the noise.

Harry's friends and Fleur went towards him while all the grown up gathered close by. Carlisle went back towards Cedric when he noticed that Harry was fine and Bella was once again nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Bella?" I asked my brothers and sisters.

"She's over there at the water." Alice said while pointing towards the unused edge of the deck.

I saw her sitting there and it looked like she was talking towards someone but I couldn't hear her. As we walked towards her we noticed her softly talking in a strange language that somehow hurts our ears a bit. When we came close enough we saw someone in the water and our mouths dropped open in shock. It was clearly no human, witch or vampire. She was green and had the tail of a shark.

"A mermaid." Alice said in shock.

They seemed to agree on something and seen the mermaid disappeared beneath the surface and Bella turned around and gave us no more but a slight glance before walking towards the grown up and telling them something. Together they all seemed to agree on something and Dumbledore turned around and tried to get everybody's attention.

"Attention!" Dumbledore yelled.

"The winner is Mr. Diggory who showed innate command of the Bubble-Head Charm. However seeing as Mr. Potter would have finished first had it not been for his determination to rescue not only Mr. Weasley but the others as well, we have agreed to award him second place for outstanding moral fiber!"

Everybody made so much noise that we had to cover our ears.

Bella walked up to us and smiled.

"Come." She said and took my hand and led us all towards a little boat again.

"And what did you guys think of it?" She asked as soon as my whole family had sat down.

"It was weird!"

"We didn't see much!"

"It took to long!"

"Children!"

"Sorry mom!"

I rolled my eyes while smiling at Bella. She smiled back at me the most adoring smile while looking up through her lashes.

"I guess you guys are right for you alongside the students haven't seen much. I however have seen some pretty things."

"How?"

"I listened and saw through the eyes of the mermaids. They are more animal than human so my ability came in handy."

"Interesting." Carlisle murmured.

"I heard you can talk and change into animals?"

She nodded.

They talked a bit about it until we reached the shore again. There she told us goodbye since she had to take care of a few things first.

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Does nobody else know a song? :(

And if you would like, I would like to have more than 1 review a chapter, is that to much to ask? Does that sound bitchy? Whatever, reviews are most welcomed and make me want to update faster, so please review! (a) (a)

Thank you

*Lady Lily of Darkness*

for your review and sorry that it took so long ^^

xoxox