Chapter 14- Back Up
Rayne
" The second task is in an hour and you still haven't figured out the riddle?" Hermione scolded Harry as we all sat in the library.
"Yes Hermione I think we've established that." Harry sarcastically retorted.
She glared at him before reciting the riddle again.
"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And recover what we took,
But past an hour – the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."
We pondered what it meant, but really it was just Hermione and I. Ron and Harry seemed to have already given up. "Well the prospect's black means the black lake. If they can't sing above the ground it means underwater because that's how you heard the riddle. You have an hour… So you need to figure out how you can breath underwater for an hour." She thought aloud. "But what does the rest mean?"
I was silently sitting next to Harry while she paced back and forth. "I think it means they took something of importance from each champion." I voiced. "You have to find it in the lake… we just don't know what that is."
She nodded. "That makes sense, let's just focus on figuring out how to make the dunder head over here breath underwater." She glared at Harry again and he just glared back.
"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Starr, and Ms. Granger." A voice sounded from behind and bookshelf and Professor Moody stepped out. "Professor McGonagall wants to see you in her office."
"But sir, the task is only an hour away and-" Hermione began before he cut her off.
"You'd do well to go now Ms. Granger."
We all exchanged a glance with Harry and began walking to McGonagall's. "What do you think she wants?" Ron asked.
I shrugged as Hermione looked deep in thought. When we reached her office we saw Dumbledore in there as well, along with Cho Chang and Fleur's little sister. "All right." Dumbledore smiled brightly at us. "Now that you're all here, we have important matters to discuss. You will be put at the bottom of the lake." Everyone raised their eyebrows at him. "The champions must each get something important to them and we chose to use the people closest to them."
I looked around and there were five students here while there were four champions. Hermione also seemed to have noticed and voiced my thoughts. "Sir, there are five people here, yet only four champions."
"Yes Ms. Granger." He noted her observation. "We will put a spell on you where you will be asleep. Don't worry, you will also be able to breath underwater, but you will not wake up until your head reaches the surface again." Everyone nodded in understanding. McGonagall stood and instantly cast the spell on the other four, and they all dropped to the ground, unconcious. McGonagall left with the bodies which was oddly creepy but I tried to ignore it, knowing they were in no harm.
I stood there awkwardly before Dumbledore spoke to me. "And that leaves you Rayne. You being a vampire, you have amazing physical advantages over humans." I nodded slowly, trying to figure out where he was going with this. "Champions may be injured, captured by the Grindylows, or in another form of danger. Today it is your job to rescue anyone in harm. I will be alerted if any of the champions are in danger and give you the signal, all right? To be the back up."
After a moment of taking it in I nodded. "Okay."
"Good." He smiled.
Half an hour later I was standing with the rest of the students on the three docks in the middle of the lake. "Champions! On the count of three you may all enter the lake and begin your task! One..." Harry stuffed something in his mouth. "Two..." He started to gag and Moody slapped him roughly on the back. "Three!" Moody shoved him in the water as the other champions dived in.
Everyone began to sit down on the docks after half an hour. I sat down and Draco joined me shortly after. "So how's Finnigan taking it?"
I glared at him and then sighed. "Not well, he won't even speak to me."
"I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean for him to think that of us."
I snorted. "Yea, well I didn't either and look what happened."
After about forty-five minutes two heads came bobbing out of the water. Cedric and Cho were pulled onto the docks as everyone cheered and wrapped towels around them.
After another five minutes Dumbledore nodded to me. I pointed at the water and raised my eyebrows and he just smiled and motioned for me to get on with it, mouthing the word 'Fleur'.
"Sorry, I gotta go." I told Draco as I pulled my robe off. His face along with everyone else's was full of shock at seeing me strip off my robe with a bathing suit underneath. I heard the silence of the docks just as I dove in the water.
The water was cold, just like when I went swimming with Draco but I ignored it and began swimming far down below to search for the French champion. Luckily me being mostly vampire, I could hold my breath for about an hour without needing to actually take a breath of air. I swam deeper and deeper, eventually coming down to where many plants were at the bottom. Searching through the field of underwater vegetation was actually kind of difficult. I often got tangled and saw shadows looming ahead, thinking it was Fleur only to see a rock. I felt a sudden tug on my leg and looked down to see a small octopus like creature looking up at me. Swiftly, it lowered its head and bit me on the leg. I yelped and ripped the thing off. It swam away quickly and I did my best to follow it, hoping that it would lead me to Fleur.
Eventually after losing the Grindylow numerous times and finding it again I saw a wave of blond hair in the water. I swam over to it and saw Fleur surrounded by Grindylows and tangled in the thick green plants. "Come." I said, holding out my hand. The Gryindylows must have realized this was my job because they let us go without a fight. She had many scratches on her body from the Gryindylow's claws and I had to help her up to the shore. We burst from the water and I helped her onto the deck before pulling myself up.
"Everyone!" Dumbledore's voice was booming. "Fleur has not finished the task, but was in need of rescue and is automatically in fourth place." The Beauxbaton's girls gave out sad cries and Fleur thanked me before going back to join them.
Looking at my own body I noticed my right leg was torn up pretty badly from the first Grindylow that attacked me. Before I could examine it further I was attacked by Hermione who was also wrapped in a towel. "Here, take this." She handed me one and I hugged it to myself for warmth.
"Where's Harry?" I asked.
"He's not back yet." Her eyebrows furrowed in worry.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine." I tried to reassure her.
Just then we saw two more heads appear in the water, but it wasn't Harry and Ron, it was Ron and Fleur's little sister. "Oh no, where is he?" Hermione gasped as we helped the two on the docks. Suddenly, another figure burst from the water, flying in midair and landing with a thud onto the deck between us. It was Harry.
"Judges!" Dumbledore was shouting. "Judges over here!"
"You saved her." A voice spoke in a thick French accent. We turned to see Fleur looking down at Harry. "Even when she was not yours to save. Thank you." She kissed his cheeks, thanked Ron for his 'help', and thanked me again.
I couldn't help but laugh at the two, stunned speechless by Fleur. Then Dumbledore began to announce the standings. "In first place is… Cedric Diggory! Because of Mr. Potter's perseverance to save no only his own friend but Fleur's sister, we have agreed to award him… second place! Victor Krum is in third and Fleur Delacour is in fourth! You may all return to the school!"
"Second place Harry!" Hermione shook his arm and jumped up and down like a small child.
A confident grin spread across his features. "We'd also like to thank Rayne Starr for rescuing Fleur Delacour when she was in need." Dumbledore added. Hermione and my friends cheered me on, and I saw Draco watching us.
When I caught his eye he gave me a wink and disappeared into the crowd leaving on the boats.
Author's Note- There you go :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
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