"Harry, the task is only days away, we don't know about the egg" Hermione said in a panic, at this right, they were going to fail. Harry, Hermione and Ron were walking up to their common room, trying to find out what to do with the egg.
"Hermione, it is a screech, how are we going to find out what a screech means?" Harry asked annoyed, he has been trying to figure it out but he just couldn't understand it. They walked into the common room, he smiled when he saw Ginny sitting in the corner and sat next to her.
"Harry this is serious, we need to find out what the egg means" Hermione said as she followed him to the corner where Ginny was. Ginny looked up confused when she heard what Hermione had said.
"You haven't figured the egg out yet?" she asked, she thought that the whole mermaid thing was quite easy, Fleur found out in no time.
"I suppose Fleur has already figured hers out then" Ron said bitterly as they sat down.
"Yes but it is easy once you realise what language it is" Ginny said, Gabrielle had told her about it being mermish and after that it seemed obvious.
"Language, you mean that screech actually meant something?" Harry asked perplexed, he thought it was just a noise.
"Yep, it's mermish" Ginny said, Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment before she rushed out of the common room, Ginny watched her confused.
"Where is she..."
"Library" Harry and Ron answered together with dull tones. Ginny looked amused as she watched her brother and Harry, she was glad that she was back.
"Mermish huh, did I tell you yet that I am glad you are my girlfriend" Harry said with a grin as Ginny mock gasped.
"I knew you only wanted to date me to help you win this tournament" she joked, giggling when he nodded.
"Too right I did" he teased as he leaned down to kiss her, ignoring Ron's chocking sounds.
.
Later that day, Hermione rushed into the Great Hall for dinner and sat opposite Ron, Harry and Ginny.
"I figured it out, mermaids can only communicate under water, they sound like a screech above water so what you have to do is open the egg under water" she said happily. Harry grinned, he was going to go to the prefect bathroom after curfew and hopefully get what they needed for the task.
.
Harry woke up with a groan, it was the day of the second task, there was no way he was prepared for it. He got up and quickly got changed before he headed downstairs, he was surprised that Ron wasn't in his bed but just shrugged it off, he was probably at breakfast. He saw Hermione by the fire and walked over to her, he sat down and noticed that she looked as worried as him.
"I am not ready for this Harry, what if it is harder than the dragons, I really wish my name didn't come out of the goblet" she said, her voice breaking as she continued to stare into the fire.
"I know, I wish mine didn't but we need to be ready, what has happened cant be changed, we need to be ready" Harry said, she nodded and smiled up at him before she remembered something.
"Ginny wasn't in her bed, have you seen her?" she asked, Harry frowned, both Ron and Ginny were gone.
"No, Ron isn't in his bed either, I thought that they would be in the Great Hall" he said shrugging, he hoped they were alright.
"I am going to see, then we will practise the bubble headed charm some more" Hermione said, they both stood up and went to the Great Hall. They looked over the Gryffindor table before they sat down but couldn't see Ron or Ginny anywhere.
"Potter, Granger" they heard someone call, they looked up and saw Fleur walking up to them.
"Have you seen Ginny, she and Gabrielle haven't been seen at all, me and the others are worried" she said concerned.
"Gabrielle is missing too, strange, Ginny wasn't in her bed and neither was my friend Ron, you don't think it is to do with the task do you?" Hermione asked, each person missing was friends with at least one of the champions.
"Oh goodness, I think so, I haven't seen Tasha and she was that brute Krum's date, maybe that is why" she said worried as she looked among the tables.
"We will keep looking and if we see or hear anything we will tell you" Hermione said, Fleur brightened as she smiled at them, something she had never done before.
"Thanks, I am going to look now, if I hear or see anything then I will do the same, bye" she said before she left the Great Hall.
"Did... Did she just smile?" Harry asked bewildered, they got dirty looks and glares from Fleur Delacour before but never a smile.
"I think she did, I guess there is a nice side to her" Hermione said shocked, she thought that the Beuxbatons girl was nothing but hate, at least, to other schools. They quickly ate their breakfast before they went back to the common room to practise their bubble headed charm. Once they were certain they could do it without it popping, they went out onto the ground, Ginny usually liked walking beside the lake or through the grass. They were starting to panic when they couldn't find any of the missing students, what if they were used for the task, what if it was something dangerous. They didn't have much more time to think about it when they reached the boats that would take them to the second task. Their minds went blank, they saw Fleur's expression and knew that she couldn't find them either. They were all told to stand in front of the water while Dumbledore and Bagman talked, they could hear cheers but ignored it, they hoped that what ever this task was, they could save their friends.
"Last night, something precious was taken from the champions, they now lay within the black lake, each champion has to find theirs and come back before the hour is up," shouted Dumbledore. Harry, Hermione, Fleur and Krum waited until the time started, each preparing to dive Once the clock chimed, the champions jumped into the lake, Harry and Hermione quickly cast the bubble headed charms and swam through the water as Fleur and Krum swam in different directions.
Hermione and Harry swam for what seemed like ages when they heard a strangled scream, they took out their wands and quickly swam to where it was coming from. Hermione gasped when she saw Fleur, she was being attacked by some creatures. Her and Harry rushed towards her and pointed their wands at the things.
"
"That was close" Harry said breathlessly as he put his wand back in his pocket, Hermione nodded as she did the same.
"You both saved me, but why?" Fleur asked shocked, she was very grateful but didn't understand why they did such a thing, they were suppose to be against each other.
"Just because we are against each other doesn't mean we cant be civil, or even friends" Hermione said, Fleur smiled, she liked that idea, these two weren't as bad as she thought.
"Thank you, we are being timed though so we need to hurry" she said, Harry and Hermione agreed as they all swam towards the faint singing. After twenty minutes, they finally saw a dim light in the distance.
"This must be it, come on" Fleur said happily as they swam faster towards what looked like an underwater village. They swam past the houses, stopping when they saw their friends, they had ropes attached to their feet, the sight made the three of them shudder. They rushed to their friends, Fleur tried to untie her sister, Harry tried to untie Ginny and Hermione tried to untie Ron. Harry was the first to untie his hostage but waited for the other two, he wouldn't have felt right, leaving them. Fleur managed to untie Gabrielle but looked around nervously.
"Where could Krum be, Tasha is still here" she said, she couldn't leave her friend, that stupid man better come quick. They waited a few minutes but there was no sign of him and their time had almost run out.
"I don't think he is coming, let's just take her too" Hermione said, Fleur agreed as she went to untie Tasha but they were suddenly surrounded by the merpeople.
"You can only take one" the leader said harshly as he pointed a trident at them threateningly.
"But the other champion isn't coming, you cant expect us to do nothing" Harry reasoned but the merman just glared at them all.
"You can only take one each, if the champion doesn't come then the hostage doesn't go" he said coldly. They were about to protest again but they were knocked out of the way by something hard, they turned and saw Krum smirk at them all before he rushed to the top of the water.
"That prat!" Hermione said angrily, narrowing her eyes as she watched him swim away.
"We need to hurry" Fleur said annoyed, they swam up to the top of the water with Ron, Ginny and Gabrielle but were disappointed when Krum had already hit the surface. They climbed out of the water with the hostages and glared at Krum.
"Thank you two for helping me, it's just a shame that he won" Fleur said, finishing in a slight growl. They all looked down when they heard coughing, Ginny, Ron and Gabrielle had woken.
"Are you all ok?" Harry asked, the three nodded, unable to talk properly as they coughed.
"Who won?" Ron asked when he could finally talk, he looked up at them all and noticed that they looked angry.
"Krum, but only by being a big cheat" Hermione said bitterly, Krum smirked at them all before he walked away with his friends.
"Come on, we still have a lot to celebrate" Harry said to try and cheer everyone up, everyone muttered an agreement before they went to the carriage to celebrate. The second task was over and they only had one more task.