AN – I really need to apologise for how long it is taking me to update my fics but I am so busy it is hard to make time for hobbies and I am also more into writing my Gundam Wing/Sailor Moon stories, sorry but it just interests me more at the moment. Mainly because there is so much Harry Potter stuff around at the moment since the movies are finished. I am one of those weird people that stops liking things as much if it is thrown at me continuously like the Harry Potter movies are at the moment. I hope that this chapter is worth it and it is quite a long chapter!
I know it seems like I don't like Hermione but its just I don't like her and Ron and it was pointed out a while ago that I make it fairly obvious the Hermione is not my favourite character. So I am trying to make her seem more likeable but she still wont be hanging much with the group anymore as explained and hopefully it doesn't make her seem like I hate her or anything.
I think that is everything I wanted to say besides the usual i dont own it! So enjoy and please review!
Harry, Hermione, Ron, Mina and Ami were sitting at the back of the charm room sharing two tables. Hermione and Ron on one table and Harry, Mina and Ami on the other. They were practising the banishment charm. Professor Flitwick had given each student a stack of cushions to send into a box on the other side of the room, by using the charm. Harry surprised everyone by getting the charm third out of the whole class after Mina and Ami. Everybody was confused at how Harry became so good at charms, he used to be near the bottom of the class but now he was the top 3. Nobody but Mina knew it was because he had some of Mina's powers flowing through him.
Harry was telling the others how he figured out the last clue and the brief conversation he had with Moody, also sharing that he saw Crouch's name on the Marauders map in Snape's office.
The five of them discussed what it could possibly mean. The idea's ranged from Moody keeping an eye on Karkaroff ( thanks to Ron), that a lot of the incidents had to do with Harry directly and people were here to protect him (which was Ami's bright idea) and Hermione turning down most of the idea's by using logic.
As the conversation continued, everyone but Ron seemed to be getting the charm. They all sent the cushions straight into the box without even looking.
After classes ended Harry decided to write Sirius a letter, after all he had promised to keep him updated on what was happening. In the letter he wrote about the Yule Ball, Mina's famous friends, the drama that happened, his reconciliation with Mina and about the article that was written about himself and Mina. That went on for a while before he remembered he should add a bit about him figuring out the second task and what had happened with Moody. After the letter was completed he tied the letter to a brown owl and sent it off.
Once he sent the letter he had decided to focus on how to survive underwater for an hour for the second task. The five of them were sitting in the library surrounded by books trying to figure out a solution to the problem. Hermione had come up with transfiguration but Ami told her that it was too dangerous as Harry wasn't the best in that class and they had only learnt how to transfigure small things not an entire person. Hermione reluctantly agreed and the kept on researching.
Hermione sighed as she flipped through the books unsure of what she should be searching for. "Ugh I wish we had access to the restricted section, maybe there would be something in there that would be useful. I know it's a miniscule chance that it actually would hold anything useful but we should use all resources."
Ami looked up briefly before returning to the book she was skimming. "Well actually, Mina and I have access to the restricted area and there was nothing useful. I really didn't think there would be but like you thought no harm trying."
Hermione was conflicted between wanting to like Ami for thinking like she did and trying to cover all bases but was also extremely jealous that both the new girls had access to things that she wasn't allowed to. She knew her jealousy was unwarranted but things had changed since the girls came and she didn't quite know how to handle it. It wasn't that she didn't like the girls they were nice but she couldn't help but be jealous of them because they seemed to be better than her in a lot of things and they just had things that she knew she would never have.
"Well okay, I am going to go because I will not be useful right now. I seem to have too much on my mind. I apologise but you should all keep looking. Goodbye."
Mina who had been trying really hard to read the books looked up to see Hermione storm out. "Hmm what was that about?"
Harry sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea, I didn't think Hermione could get bored with studying but I guess she is. Doesn't matter Ami is just as good with studying."
Ami blushed and Mina giggled telling them all to get back to work.
The four spent all the free time that they had searching carefully through each book in the library and were still coming up empty handed. Mina and Ami even asked Setsuna for help but she told them that she couldn't help they would all figure it out soon.
Though they all wouldn't admit it as the day of the second task drew closer they were all getting more and more worried that they couldn't come up with a solution. Harry started to withdraw from talking to people and eating. Whenever he passed the lake his eyes were naturally drawn towards it making him feel a sense of dread and panic.
Two days prior to the second task he received a response from Sirius which was able to briefly distract him from the second task. The letter read:
Harry don't let anyone tell you your life is boring. You seem to mention this Minako Aino girl a lot. When will I get to meet her? Does she know about me? I need to approve to make sure she isn't using you like the article said. Send the date of your next Hogsmeade weekend by owl.
Harry grabbed a bit of parchment and wrote back quickly.
Hogsmeade weekend is the weekend after the next. Mina does know about you and don't worry she thinks you are innocent. You can meet her when we next see each other. I'm sure you will like her and she will like you too.
After he finished writing the letter back to Sirius it was time for Care of Magical Creatures. The four of them went to class together, ever since the little spat that Hermione had in the library she had stopped hanging around them as much and spent most of her time with other people. She knew she was being irrational but there was still something she didn't trust about the girls and she knew she couldn't say anything to Ron or Harry because they really liked the girls and would get angry. As much as she didn't get along with the girls she liked that they made the boys so happy and hoped that maybe by spending some time away from the girls that she could maybe overcome her petty jealousies.
When the four of them made it to Hagrid's class it became seemed that he was trying to make up for the Blast-Ended Skrests, or simply because there were only two Skrewts left, or because he was trying to prove he could do anything that Professor Grubbly-Plank could do. Either way Hagrid was continuing her lessons on Unicorns since he returned to work. It turned out that Hagrid knew just as much about unicorns as he did about monsters.
Today he had managed to capture two unicorn foals, unlike fully grown unicorns they were pure gold and all the girls seemed to love them. Mina smiled widely as she saw them and giggled slightly turning to Harry.
"They are so adorable aren't they Harry? They remind me of little Bambi, so cute!"
"Yeah, cute" Harry nodded along with Mina but what he really meant was that she looked so adorably cute when she was gushing with excitement.
Hagrid stopped them all from coming closer and began his lesson. "Easier ter spot than the adults, they turn silver when they're abou' two years old an' they grow horns at aroun' four. Don' go pure white 'til they're full-grown, around abou' seven. They're a bit more trustin' when they're babies… don' mind boys so much… c'mon move in a bit. Yeh can pat 'em if yeh want… give 'em a few o' those sugar lumps."
Immediately all the girls went forward to play with the adorable creatures. Ami and Mina stood back afraid that they would sense the power like the older ones did and of course they were right. The foals happily responded to everyone else until they noticed Ami and Mina. They then galloped over to the two and neighed happily when the two patted them.
Harry and Ron watched with small smiles on their faces the girls seemed to be having a great time. Mina was giggling loudly and patting it before telling Harry to come over, whereas Ami just smiled softly while patting the foal.
Harry nodded and came over and the foals responded well to him as well, sensing Mina's power flowing through him. The other members from the class came over and the three retreated letting the others get more of a go with the foals, especially since Mina and Ami got the most time with the adult unicorns.
Hagrid came over to the group and smiled at Harry. "You okay Harry?"
Harry nodded, "yeah just a little nervous."
Hagrid clapped a massiv hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, I'd've bin worried before I saw yeh take on tha' Horntail, but I know now yeh can do anythin' yeh set yer mind ter. I'm not worried at all. Yeh're goin' ter be fine. Yeh're goin' ter win."
Harry couldn't bring himself to wipe the grin off his face. It was even harder to do when Ron, Ami and Mina came up to him.
"I agree with Hagrid mate, you are going to be great."
Ami smiled and nodded. "You are very talented Harry, you will be fantastic."
Finally Mina smiled her wide infectious grin. "I don't even know why we are talking about this. There is no competition! Harry will win hands down."
Harry thanked all of them profusely before they each went back to class mucking around with the unicorns.
By the evening of the second task, Harry felt as though he was trapped in a nightmare. Ron, Ami and Mina had all been studying non-stop in their spare time to try and find a solution for breathing underwater but so far they still had no luck and it was beginning to bring his high spirits down. Not to mention the fact that things were still relatively awkward between Ron and Ami, the two never being alone and always sitting at opposite ends of the tables.
As the sun was setting they were all tired from reading constantly and were all slightly irritable because they still hadn't come up with a solution yet.
Ron's voice interrupted the silence. "I don't reckon it can be done. There is nothing, nothing. The closest we got was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds, that Drought Charm but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake."
Ami got fed up with his negative attitude stood up. "Thanks for that vote of confidence Ronald but we will figure out something! We can't let Harry down. I have some more books in my room, I will be in my room. If I find anything useful I will let you know. Good night and good luck Harry if I don't get to see you before the task."
Ron blushed at being yelled at and Harry nodded in thanks before Ami turned and left the library. Mina giggled slightly at Ron.
"She didn't meant to be mean she just hates when she can't solve a problem. It eats away at her but enough of that. Ami is right we can't give up hope!"
"I know you are right Mina but at this point it seems hopeless. I wish I was an Animagus like Sirius I could turn myself into a frog."
Ron pipped up next, "Or a goldfish, or maybe something slightly scarier. I mean if you could turn into a water animal I wouldn't chose a goldfish."
Mina sighed and slammed the book shut getting frustrated because she was tired and had read more in the last couple of weeks then she had in her life. "Guys be serious please, you aren't helping the situation and either is this book! I mean who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?
"I wouldn't mind, be a talking point wouldn't it?" Said Fred Weasley as he entered the conversation smiling at Mina who's mouth had dropped open that not only Fred but also George had managed to sneak up on them. She must have been more distracted than she thought to not hear their footsteps.
"What are you guys doing here?"
George smiled at Mina and grabbed her hand pulling her up making Harry stare at him with jealousy. "We came looking for you my dear. McGonagall wants to see you."
Mina looked confused. "Why does she need to see me? I am pretty sure I haven't done anything wrong."
Fred shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno… She was looking a bit grim though."
George nodded, "we are supposed to take you down to her office."
Mina nodded before turning to the two boys. "Please promise me you will keep studying guys. Harry especially, you need to find a solution."
Mina had a bad feeling that she wouldn't get to see Harry again till tomorrow, so she walked over to him and gave him a hug whispering in his ear. "Please, please be careful Harry. I don't know if I will see you before the task so good luck. I know you will do great."
Harry nodded as he hugged her back. She smiled at both of the boys before falling Fred and George out of the door.
The two boys kept studying until Madam Prince had extinguished all the lights and told them to get out of the library. They both reluctantly left because they still hadn't found a solution yet. They borrowed some of the books and continued on in the library. They went through more of the books and Ami soon found them still studying.
"Harry where is Mina? Shouldn't she be studying with you?"
Harry shook his head. "McGonagall said she needed to see her earlier. Is she not back yet?"
Ami shook her head in confusion and bid farewell to the boys and went to find Setsuna to find out where Mina was. When she went to the office Setsuna was busy making class plans and looked up as Ami walked in the room.
"Ami it's good to see you. What can I help you with?"
Ami hugged the older senshi before sitting down in front of her desk. "It's Mina she isn't back yet. Harry said that McGonagall wanted to see her and she still isn't back yet. I was wondering if you knew why?"
Setsuna shook her head slightly. "I may know why but I wasn't sure if it would definitely happen. You see there were two possible outcomes of this scenario and I wasn't sure what would happen. It could be that Mina is a part of this task. I am still not sure if I am right exactly but now that you have brought it to my attention I shall return to the time gates and try and figure it out okay."
Ami nodded slightly but was still concerned. "We still haven't discussed who will be watching over this task and will you even be back from the time gates in time for the second task?"
"I am not sure if I will be back by then Ami, it depends how long I am needed at the time gates. I will try and be back because I am needed to watch over this second task as a teacher. Professor Dumbledore asked teachers to help out at certain points. As for who to watch over this task we would have chosen you again Ami. You are the best swimmer out of us three, have power over water and your powers will be the most useful in this task. I am sorry to ask you to watch over again but is that okay?"
Ami nodded reluctantly slightly disappointed that she doesn't get to watch the task with her new school friends but knowing that logically she is the best senshi apart from Neptune to have around water.
Ami bid farewell to Setsuna and left her so that she could return to the time gates. As Ami was walking back to the Gryffindor Tower she heard an argument between Professor Moody and Snape. She quickly hid around a wall because it was past curfew and she would get in trouble for being out of bed but she could have sworn that Moody had seen her since he stopped talking for a second before continuing on.
"Why would I steal things from your office Snape. Especially things like Gillyweed, a plant that makes you able to breathe underwater. I stay clear of water, I hate the stuff. I don't understand why you care so much anyway, you have loads of the stuff in your office."
Ami smiled at what she heard, it seemed to be the answer to their prayers, Gillyweed, a plant that would allow Harry to breathe underwater. She stayed still as she heard Snape reply.
"That isn't the point Moody, if it wasn't you who was it?"
Moody growled and stomped away from Snape. "I have no idea."
Ami watched in amusement as Snape seemed to stamp a foot before heading down the stairs back to the dungeon. She was ecstatic that she had figured out a way to help Harry. The only thing she now needed to figure out was how to get the gillyweed from Snape's office without being caught and how to get it to Harry without him knowing that she was the one that stole the stuff from Snape.
It was then she figured out a way to do it. She went down to the kitchens and looked around for Dobby. She finally found him and smiled at him. "Hi Dobby, I don't know if you remember me I am Ami a friend of Harry Potters."
Dobby nodded at her. "I remember all Harry Potter's friends even shy blue one."
Ami smiled at his description and started to tell him her plan. "As you know Dobby there is the second task of the Triwizard Tournament tomorrow and Harry isn't sure how to win it yet and we have all been trying to help him. I have a way to help him but I am not good at certain things and I don't want him to know I am helping him too much, especially since he is meant to be doing this by himself. So can I get you to do Harry, Mina and me a huge favour?"
Dobby nodded enthusiastically. "Dobby will do anything to help Harry Potter! Why does it help blondie girl?"
"Well Dobby I believe that Mina might be a part of the task. She may be what he needs to save but I am not absolutely sure yet. Now was for helping Harry. I need you to go into Professor Snape's potion supplies and get something called Gillyweed. When you find it take it to Harry. I don't know where he is but I am sure you can find him."
Dobby looked confused. " Dobby already has the Gillyweed for Harry Potter."
Ami looked at him curiously. "Who told you to get that for Harry?"
Dobby squeaked and shook his head. "Dobby not allowed to tell."
Ami sighed and nodded before rushing back to bed wondering if maybe Hermione figured it out. It was well past midnight and she needed to get some sleep if she was going to be watching over the task.
Little did Ami know that she wasn't the only one that had snuck out that night. Harry had also snuck out to return to the library he was so nervous about the second task because he still hadn't figured out a solution to breathing underwater. Scenarios of his failure kept on flying through his head and he could not handle it so he threw himself into studying, book after book after book but still no luck. It was soon extremely late at night or early in the morning depending on the way you looked at. Harry's eyes started to drift shut as he fell into a dream.
He was standing in front of the lake in his swimmers. Each of the other champions were in the water with things that seemed important to them. He looked over to see his friends with looks of disappointment; Mina's face standing out the most as she shook her head and pointed over to a mermaid holding his Firebolt. The mermaid appeared to be making fun of him before she kept poking him with the end of his firebolt.
Startling Harry out of his sleep was one last hard jab in the rib and a high pitched voice.
"Harry Potter must wake up, sir!"
Harry mumbled as he tried to get back to sleep. "Stop poking me…"
"Dobby must poke Harry Potter sir, he must wake up!"
Harry opened his eyes and looked around the library in confusion. He sat up and straightened his glasses before looking at Dobby.
"Harry Potter needs to hurry! The second task starts in ten minutes and Harry Potter…"
Harry jumped up. "TEN MINUTES!"
Dobby nodded trying to get his attention again. "Hurry Harry Potter, you is supposed to be down by the lake with the other champions!"
Harry who was getting ready to run down suddenly flopped onto a chair. "It's no use Dobby, I'm not doing the task. I don't know how…"
Dobby stamped his little foot and dragged Harry out of the library. "Harry Potter will do the task. Dobby knew Harry Potter had not found the right book so Dobby did it for him. Dobby knows sir! Harry Potter has to go to the lake to find his blondie…"
Harry looked at the creature dragging him through the halls in confusion. "I have to find my what?"
Dobby ignored his interruption and continued chatting away. "… and take his blondie back from the merpeople."
"What's a blondie?"
"Your Blondie sir, the nice Blondie who is giving Dobbie nice hat!"
Harry's eyes widened in shock as Dobbie pointed to his beanie. "What! They've got Mina?"
Dobby nodded, "the thing Harry Potter will miss most, sir! And past an hour…"
Harry had a look of horror on his face as he finished the line. "The prospects black, too late it's gone, it won't come back. Dobby what do I do, I can't lose Mina!"
Dobby pulled out a ball of slimy, greyish green things that looked like rat-tails. "You has to eat this sir! Right before you go into the lake, sir. It is Gillyweed. It will make Harry Potter breathe underwater, sir!"
Harry thanked Dobby as he rushed down to the lake, he only had a couple of minutes left before the first task started.
He reached the lake just in time with the majority of the judges giving him a disappointed frown. Harry smiled slightly at Bagman when he asked if he was ready as he was too tired to actually say anything.
Harry looked out to the gathering of people and he saw Ron but that was all. He didn't notice a figure clad in a blue fuku watching over the events. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Bagman's voice.
"Well all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three then, One… Two… Three!"
The whistle echoed shrilly into the cold air as the stands erupted into cheers and applause. Without looking to see what the other champions were doing, Harry pulled off his shoes and socks before shoving the Gillyweed into his mouth and wading out into the lake.
The lake was so cold he felt the skin on his legs searing as though this was fire not icy water. His sodden robes weighed him down as he walked deeper in the water. He groaned as he thought that he should have taken off some of his clothes.
He was chewing the Gillyweed as hard as he could as he felt his feet slide over the slippery stones at the bottom of the lake. Waist deep in the freezing water he stopped, swallowed and waited for something to happen. He could hear laughter in the crowd and he knew he must look stupid, walking into the lake without showing any signs of magical power.
Then quite suddenly, Harry felt as though an invisible pillow had been clapped over his mouth and nose. He tried to draw a breath but it made his head spin. His lungs were empty and he suddenly felt a piercing pain on either side of his neck. He clapped his hands around his throat and felt two large slits just below his ears, he had gills. Without pausing to think he flung himself into the water.
The first gulp of water felt like the breath of life. He took another gulp of water and felt it pass smoothly through his gills. He stretched his hands in front of him and saw that they had become webbed, he twisted to look at his feet and saw that they had become the same.
Harry quickly began to swim, it felt natural to him now he had webbed feet and hands. He had soon swum so far into the lake that he could no longer see the bottom. He flipped over and dived into its depths.
He could not see more than ten feet around him, so that as he sped through the water new scenes seemed to loom suddenly out of the oncoming darkness. It was amazing, little fish, tangled seaweed it was all a sight to behold but he couldn't focus on that when Mina's life was in danger.
As he swam through something suddenly reached out and grabbed his ankle. Harry twisted his body to see a Grindylow, a small horned water demon, poking out from the weeds. Its long fingers were clutched tightly around Harry's legs. Harry quickly reached into his robes for his wand and by the time he grabbed it out more Grindylows had risen out of the weed and seized handfuls of Harry's robes and were attempting to drag him down.
Harry tried shouting a spell but no sound came out just a large bubble. His wand instead of sending sparks at the creatures pelted them with what seemed to be a jet of boiling water, for where it hit them there were angry red patches appearing on them. Harry quickly pulled himself from the creature's grip and swam as fast as he could sending jets of boiling water backwards at random intervals when he felt the Grindylows getting close.
One had finally caught up to him and just as it went to grab him, Harry kicked it in the head. He turned around to see it floating away cross-eyed. He was happy that Mina had been teaching him to fight. It may come in useful down there.
After that the other Grindylows just stopped and shook their fists in anger. Harry slowed down a little and slipped his wand back into his robes. As he was swimming a voice interrupted him.
"How are you getting on?"
Harry thought he was having a heart attack when he whipped around and saw Moaning Myrtle, floating hazily in front of him. She giggled at him as he tried to reply but again only a large bubble came out of his mouth.
"You want to try over there. I won't come with you… I don't like them much, they always chase me when I get too close."
Harry gave her a thumbs-up to show his thanks and set off in the direction she pointed. He swam on for what felt like at least twenty minute when at long-last he heard a snatch of the haunting mer-song.
"An hour long you'll have to look, and to recover what we took…"
Harry swam faster and soon saw a large rock emerge out of the muddy water ahead. It had paintings of merpeople on it, they were carrying spears and chasing what looked like the giant squid. Harry swam on past the rock, following the mer-song.
"…Your time's half one, so tarry not lest what you seek, stays here to rot…"
It was then Harry saw some of the merpeople peeking out of crude stone dwellings. They looked nothing like what you would think a mermaid would look like. In seeing them he immediately took back the thought that Mina looked like a mermaid when in water.
The merpeople had greyish skins and long, wild dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks. They leered at Harry as he swam past.
Harry sped on staring around and soon the dwellings became numerous. There were gardens of weeds around some of them ad he even saw a pet Grindylow tied to a stake outside of one door. Harry sped around a corner and a very strange sight met his eyes.
A whole crowd of merpeople were floating in front of the housed that lined what looked like a mer-version of a village square. A choir of merpeople were singing in the middle, calling the champions towards them and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Four people were bound tightly to the tail of the merperson.
Mina was tied between Hermione and Cho Chang. There was also a girl who looked no older than eight, whose clouds of silvery hair made Harry sure that it was Fleur Delacour's sister. All four of them appeared to be in a very deep sleep. Their heads were lolling onto their shoulders and fine streams of bubbles kept issuing from their mouths.
Harry sped towards the hostages, half expecting the merpeople to lower their spears and charge at him but they did nothing. The ropes of weed tying the hostages to the statue were thick, slimy and very strong. For a fleeting second he thought of the knife that Sirius had bought him for Christmas but it was locked in his trunk in the castle. He looked around, many of the merpeople were carrying spears. He swam towards one and mimed a request to borrow the spear. The merman laughed and shook his head.
"We do not help."
Harry growled softly as he looked over at Mina, annoyed that they wouldn't help him save her. Harry tried to yank it away from him but he laughed and moved away from him. Harry sighed and looked for something else to use. There were rocks all over the ground and he swam down finding a particularly sharp one to use. He began to hack at the ropes binding Mina and after several minutes work they broke apart. Mina floated unconscious a few inches above the lake bottom, drifting a little in the ebb of the water.
Harry looked around and saw that there was still no sign of the other champions. He turned to Hermione and raised the jagged rock to cut her free when at once several airs of strong grey hands seized him, pulling him away.
"You take your own hostage. Leave the others."
"No way!" Harry tried to say but again only bubbles came from his mouth.
"Your task is to retrieve your own friend. Leave the others."
"She is my friend too! And I don't want the others to die either!"
Harry tried to fight of the mermen but realised it was a lot harder to fight underwater with heavy clothes than it was in training gear. He still managed to get some good hits in annoying the merpeople further but still they stopped him from saving the others.
Harry wanted to keep fighting against them but just at that time Cedric showed up. He had an enormous bubble around his head. He smiled at Harry and mouthed that he got lost and the Fleur and Krum were coming now.
Feeling enormously relieved he watched as Cedric pulled out a knife and cut Cho free before swimming out of sight. Harry looked around waiting for the other two. Harry saw something monstrous swimming towards them. It appeared to be a human body with the head of a shark. It was Krum. He swam straight for Hermione and began snapping at the bindings. Harry was worried that he was going to bite Hermione so he handed him the rock he used for cutting the bindings.
Krum looked like he nodded and took the rock cutting Hermione free before he too swam back to the surface. Harry still wouldn't leave, Fleur still hadn't made it and he wasn't going to leave the little girl there to rot.
He snatched up the stone that Krum had dropped and swam up to Fleur's sister ready to cut her down. It was clear that Fleur would not make it in time. The merpeople tried to stop him. He glared at them and pulled out his wand in warning. They still weren't going to leave so he started to count down.
When he got to one, they swam away, afraid that he would hurt them. Harry quickly cut away Fleur's sisters bindings and seized the girl around the waist before grabbing Mina and swimming to the surface. It was very slow work. He could no longer use his webbed hands to propel him forward, he worked his flippers furiously but Mina and Fleur's sister were weighing him down.
Harry started to worry when the merpeople followed him on his slow journey to the surface. To top it all off it was become difficult to breathe, the Gillyweed was starting to wear off. Harry wouldn't give up he kept on kicking, even when his flippers turned back into feet and his gills had disappeared. He kept on kicking until he felt his head break the surface of the water. He pulled up Mina and the little girl. All around him green heads popped up but they were smiling at him.
The crowd in the stands were making a great deal of noise. He turned around to see that Mina and the little girl had opened their eyes. The girl looked scared and confused but Mina just spat out some water before looking at the little girl.
"Why did you bring her?"
Harry looked sheepish before he answered. "Fleur didn't turn up, I couldn't just leave her."
Mina sighed before smiling at him. "Harry you idiot, you didn't take that song seriously did you? Dumbledore wouldn't have let any of us drown."
"But the song said…"
Mina giggled softly. "Only to make sure you got back within the time limit. I hope you didn't waste time down there acting like a hero."
Harry felt both stupid and annoyed until Mina smiled at him and gave him a hug. "Even though it was a stupid thing you did, it was also very sweet of you to care that much about other people and not just about yourself. It shows character."
Harry blushed and turned to see Fleur's sister flailing slightly. "Help me with her? I don't think she can swim very well."
They pulled Fleur's sister through the water back towards the bank where the judges stood watching. Harry could see Madam Pomfrey fussing over the others that had been in the water. Madame Maxime was holding back an hysterical Fleur.
"Gabrielle, Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?"
Mina was grabbed by Madame Pomfrey as Harry walked over to Fleur to try and get her to relax. "She is fine."
Harry was then pulled over by Madame Pomfrey with the others before wrapping him in a blanket and forced a measure of very hot potion down his throat.
He smiled over at Mina and Hermione as Ron and Ami came rushing down from the stands with what appeared to be Artemis, Mina's cat in Ami's arms.
Ami smiled widely at Harry. "Congratulations Harry you did a great job."
Ron smiled and gave Harry a masculine hug. "I was a bit worried on the stands there just watching, especially since you showed up last. But of course you had to be a prat and try and save everyone."
Harry laughed as he thanked Ron and Ami. He looked around to see that the judges were discussing the scores and when he turned a bit more he saw Mina standing next to Ami, in a blanket with a thoughtful look on her face. He wanted to talk to Mina because she seemed to be deep in thought, not to mention that this proved that she was the most important thing to him and he didn't know how she would take it.
As he went to talk to Mina, Fleur stepped in front of him looking terrible. She had cuts on her face and arms and her robes were all torn.
"You saved 'er, even though she was not your 'ostage."
Harry nodded slightly wishing he had just left all the others tied to the statue. She smiled and gave him a hug and a kiss on each of his cheeks, one very very close to his mouth. He turned bright red and smiled slightly. "Uh it was nothing."
Mina who was watching immediately felt jealousy at Fleur kissing Harry. She quickly tried to retreat from the feelings she had. So she turned around dropping the blanket that was around her before running off. Madame Pomfrey tried to stop her but she easily side stepped the old woman and continued to run.
Harry turned around to see Mina running off. "Where is Mina going?"
Ron shrugged his shoulders, "who knows, doesn't matter its time for the scoring."
Harry sighed and nodded following Ron but Artemis jumped out of Ami's arms and chased after Mina. He cared about her more than anything and her running off without telling anyone where she was going was not like her. She hated to worry people. Artemis found her on the edge of the forbidden forest in a little closed off area. Artemis knew she hid there because she wouldn't be found there.
Artemis walked straight to her and sat in her lap making her smile softly as she stroked his soft fur. "Mina what has made you so upset you ran away like that?"
Mina sighed as tears form in her eyes, she quickly blinked them away before Artemis could notice. "I am falling in love with Harry. I may even be in love with Harry. I have been slowly falling for him since I met him. He was so cute when we first met. Him being all flustered it was cute. We then became friends and he is such a great guy and has been through so much. He understands me, well a lot of me. We have also been training together and he knows about my past as Sailor V only not Venus, I know I shouldn't have told him Artie, but he understood. I hate this feeling though because I know it will never work out, like always. I have that stupid curse that duty always comes before love and its true. I can't love Harry because I am here to protect him that is all, he is a duty. It has to be that way."
Artemis sighed as he thought about everything she said. "I am not happy that he knows you were Sailor V or that you are in love with him but I know that Harry cares about you a lot and that he loves you. He even told practically the whole school that he loved you and you were the one that rejected him but yet he is still with you all the time."
Mina snapped back at Artemis. "I wasn't ready for anything then, Yaten had just shown up and told me that he cared for me and the he left yet again. The feelings I had for Yaten are nothing compared to what I feel for Harry and the fact that I am so confused right now makes me realise how unfit I am to be the Goddess of Love. I don't understand my own feelings, how am I meant to make other people realise theirs? These feelings are too strong and I thought being friends with Harry would be the ideal thing but it isn't enough for me anymore. When I see him with other girls it hurts so badly, especially when he was practically kissing them in front of me without caring."
Tears returned to Mina's eyes and Artie sighed and climbed onto her shoulder wrapping himself around her neck like he used to.
"Mina, you know that Harry loves you more than anything. This task proved that, it took the most important thing to Harry and that was you. If that doesn't show you he cares, I don't know what does."
Mina nodded wiping the tears from her face as she went to find Harry who was still near the lake being cared for by Madame Pomfrey. As she walked up she saw Hermione and Krum have a quiet discussion followed by him saying there was a bug in her hair which he proceeded to flick off. Her eyes rose from the bug to see Harry staring back at her. Harry pulled away from a fussing Madame Pomfrey to make his way over to her.
"Are you okay you just ran off? You didn't even wait to hear the scores or anything."
"I need to talk to you privately if that is okay?"
Harry nodded and Mina gently took Artemis off her shoulders after giving him a hug and saying thanks. The two walked off to what seemed to be a secluded area, Mina leaned up against a tree as Harry stood a fair distance away from her but still in front of her. Mina stayed quiet not knowing what to say so Harry broke the silence and started to tell her what she missed after she ran off.
"After you ran off, the points were told. Fleur used the bubble-head charm and received twenty-five points but as you know didn't get to her sister because she was attacked by Gridylows. Cedric also used the same charm and he got the most points because he was first back. He got forty-seven points. Krum used Transfiguration and made his head into a shark and was awarded forty points and as for me I used Gillyweed and was amazingly awarded forty-five points because even though I was last out they thought that it showed moral fibre. So Cedric and I are in equal first place. Can you believe it? The third task is on the twenty-fourth of June so I am fairly worried."
Mina listened carefully and smiled softly. "I can believe you are in first Harry, I never doubted that you would win this thing. The judges are right like I said earlier trying to save the others shows so much about you. About how great of a guy you are. I am sorry I wasn't there to celebrate your fantastic results."
Harry nodded and whispered. "Why was that?"
"I was jealous."
"What… why… of who?"
Mina sighed as she turned away from him staring at the floor. "I was jealous of Fleur. All the guys love her; I mean she is beautiful and part Veela so I can understand why. I am not used to being jealous of people and when she kissed you I just didn't know what to do, so I ran."
Harry stared at her in confusion. "I don't understand Mina, weren't you the one that wanted to be just friends?"
Mina blushed as she whispered. "Well actually, remember the day we got over our fight, I was going to say something but then you hugged me and said that it was just the moment that you didn't really love me, only as a friend. Well I was going to tell you that I liked you too but you said that and we went back to being friends."
Harry groaned and face palmed he could have been with Mina this whole time if he wasn't an idiot. "So you are saying that you like me?"
Mina nodded turning a slight shade of pink before staring him in the eyes. "Do you feel anything more than friendship for me Harry? Or is that all we are ever going to be?"
Harry moved closer to her and grabbed her hands. "I feel something way more than friendship Mina. I lied when I said it was just the moment. I do love you and I want to be with you."
Harry loved the smile that spread across Mina's face. He wiped away the tears that were falling as she spoke to him. "I may kind of love you too you know."
Harry laughed and stared at her lips, he really really wanted to kiss her but he didn't know if this admitting feelings things meant they were together now. "Can I kiss you now?"
Mina giggled before grabbing at his shirt and pulling his mouth to hers. The kiss started off gentle and it was the most incredible thing to Harry. It was his first kiss and it was amazing. It seemed that the too fit together perfectly because they soon started to deepen the kiss and even though he had never kissed a girl before it seemed natural with Mina. That was until she was pushing her body further into him and he was definitely feeling things in a different part of his body. He pulled away from Mina panting slightly, smiling at the flushed look on her face but also blushing because he was sure she could feel how much he was enjoying the situation.
When the moment was broken Mina realised what she was doing and jumped away from Harry's bright red in the face. The feelings they both felt were so incredible that she forgot that he wasn't as experienced as her. True she had never made love to anyone in this lifetime but she still remembered her life from the Silver Millennium and that meant she remembered losing her virginity and all the guys after that. She is slightly ashamed to say that she had been with a few guys in that life before being with Kunzite, what do you expect she was the Goddess of Love and Beauty. She was embarrassed because she actually wanted to take things slow. In her experience moving too fast ended in disaster. She moved to fast with Ace and Kunzite and look at how well those situations turned out.
"I am so sorry Harry, I don't want to make this whole thing go too fast. I guess I just got carried away with the emotion."
Harry who was trying to calm himself down nodded. "Uh yeah, though you seem very experienced for a fourteen year old."
Mina blushed and walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his chest and burying her head in his shoulder. "It isn't what you think, I have had one real boyfriend and that was Ace and we never did more than kiss. The thing with Yaten wasn't even a relationship and we just kissed as well. So I am not too experienced."
Harry nodded relieved as he put his head in her hair. "Good, that is a great thing because I love you. I also want to take things slow. I also know how much Ace hurt you so I understand completely."
Mina smiled and thanked him with a kiss on the cheek before whispering in his ear. "We still get to make out though, right?"
Harry laughed and turned bright red as he nodded placing a kiss on her lips. She giggled before pulling away from him.
"As much as I would love to stay here with you, Ami and I have to go see a teacher. I won't be back till late thought so I will say see you tomorrow."
Harry sighed but nodded. "Okay see you tomorrow."
They shared a kiss before going their separate ways, Harry back to his dorm and Mina to see meet Ami in Setsuna's office.
When she arrived she still had a giant grin on her face and Setsuna and Ami knew immediately that something was up.
"What makes you so happy Mina?"
"I have to agree with Ami, Mina. You seem incredible bubbly this evening."
Mina grinned as she sat down. "Harry and I are now officially together."
Ami smiled and gave Mina a hug. "That is fantastic Mina, I am so happy for you."
Mina blushed and turned to Setsuna to see what she thought. She was worried that she wouldn't approve. "I like him a lot Setsuna and I know I shouldn't it is our duty to protect him not fall for him. If you think this will be an issue and I won't be able to defend him to the best of my ability I will cease the relationship now. I respect your opinion."
Setsuna thought for a second. She knew how much Mina had been hurt and she knows how much it hurts to be alone, Setsuna is always alone. Seeing Mina so happy is something that she can't make the younger girl give up especially after everything with Ace. Also the way she was acting so mature about the situation helped her want to support the relationship. Afterall she knew that duty still came first to Mina as she was willing to break up with Harry if Setsuna didn't approve. A small smile broke across her face as she gave Mina a hug.
"It is fine Mina and I believe that now you will defend him better than before. I trust your abilities as a leader and a warrior. "
Mina sighed and said in a small voice. "I don't know Setsuna. People do stupid things when they are in love and to top it all off we are only here for a year to protect Harry, this will get in the way of my duty."
Ami sighed, "Mina remember what you said to me about Taiki or what you thought about Yaten? You told me to embrace the moments we have no matter how short they are. At least then you will have experienced things. Do you want your life to be full of regrets because you didn't give love a chance?"
Mina nodded and Setsuna decided to move on from this conversation. "Well know that is sorted I wanted to let you know what I know about the third and final task. I don't know much, it has been kept very quiet and at the time gates everything goes cloudy when I try and see the outcome of this task. There are many different ways this could end, some happy some sad so we will need to be careful with this third task. It may not be for a while but we will all be transformed and watching over the task together. We can't take any risks."
The two younger senshi nod before Setsuna tells them that was all she needed to tell them so they can leave. After hugs goodnight Mina and Ami head back to their dorms and Mina grabs out her communicator she really wants to tell the other girls about Harry.
She presses the call button for the other inners as Ami sits down next to her. The others answer with the three of them smiling widely.
"Hey V-babe, Ami what's up?"
Mina smiles at Usagi before answering. "I need to ask for people's opinion. You see Harry and I are now officially together and…"
Her sentence was cut off as Usagi and Makoto squealed happily at the news.
"That is great Mina, we know how much you liked him. He is also a looker, he reminds me of my old sempai."
The rest of the inners rolled their eyes at Makoto's statement but giggled in agreement. Mina then turned to Rei, curious of what she would say. Her opinion mattered the most.
"Rei what do you think?"
"It isn't that I am not happy for you Mina and I am glad he makes you happy. I just want you to be careful, I don't want him to crush your heart. Also I want you to come home soon so getting attached to him wouldn't help that!"
Mina giggled as she smiled at Rei. "Thanks for caring Rei and I will be careful, we agreed to go slow."
Usagi giggled. "I am so happy. I want all of you to find love, it isn't fair that I am the only one that has found love. Speaking of, Ami how is Ron?"
Ami sighed. "We still talk sometimes but it is still awkward he is such a jealous stupid guy sometimes."
Rei snorted and mumbled something under her breath that sounded something like. "Anything with a penis is stupid. It just comes with the appendage."
Unfortunately for her everyone heard what she said and burst out laughing. They five of them chatted on like the used to when they were all together. Mina had never had never gone to bed a happy as she was then. The only thing that would make it better would be her friends from Japan being with her but she was happy nonetheless.
Yay Harry and Mina are finally officially together. I thought it was about time they get into an actual relationship since they were dancing around each other for about 20 chapters I think that is long enough to establish a friendship that grows into love since I hate when they immediately get into a relationship. I mean I like the whole love at first sight thing but I like the realism of not many people would be like I love you on your first meeting. If so it would probably scare the other person off! Anyway hoped you like it and again please review! It makes my day!