The month following the Yule Ball was beyond stressful as Hermione and Draco tried to decipher the Runes along the side of the egg. It didn't matter how many runic texts they consulted. Each new tome they looked through did not match up, setting them back to square one. With the second task only two weeks away, Hermione and Draco were getting desperate.
"I'm seriously thinking about stealing Harry's invisibility cloak and sneaking into the Restricted Section if this doesn't work," she grumbled as she slammed the textbook down on the table.
Draco jumped back, startled by her aggression, before smirking at her. "You know, I think technically it would just be borrowing. No need to escalate your hypothetical transgression to a crime."
Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes, "Thank you for my defense, Solicitor Malfoy. I'm sure if I commit murder, you will find a technicality to get me off."
Draco clucked his tongue at her, "Someone is snarky today. Any reason why?"
"Other than I feel like I'm failing Harry, and this is the last runic textbook in the regular section of the library?"
"Hey," Draco said, reaching out to grab her hand, "You are doing the best you can. We can figure this out."
"We're running out of time," Hermione said under her breath.
"But we aren't out of it yet," Draco replied, giving her hand a quick squeeze before turning his attention back to his essay, "besides, it's stupid that they keep the NEWT level materials in the Restricted Section."
Hermione's eyes widened as she threw her hands up in the air, "Exactly! First off, how many non-NEWT level students actually study ahead on the material?"
"Not many," Draco agreed.
"And exactly what do the Professors think we are going to do with this knowledge?" Hermione asked, "Perform some magical ritual that is irreversible?"
"Maybe," Draco answered in a placating tone before he shot her his signature smirk, "Are you saying you aren't the tiny bit curious about performing a sex ritual?"
Hermione huffed, "Honestly…." She looked down at the book in front of her, trying to hide the blush that was forming across her cheeks, "What are we going to do if we can't figure this out?"
"That's not an option, Hermione. We will solve it," Draco reassured her. He was content to ignore how flustered the topic made her for the time being but made a mental note to revisit the ritual talk in the future.
After reading for a few hours, Hermione shut the book and groaned, "It didn't work! It's all gibberish!"
"Shh!" a Hufflepuff nearby their table chastised her.
Hermione shot the older student a dirty look before turning back to Draco. "I wasn't joking about the cloak."
Draco had just finished packing up his bag and rose from the table, "I know. Let's go find Harry and Ron and update them."
"Alright," Hermione reluctantly admitted as she followed Draco out of the Library. They were making their way up the staircase when Draco stopped her. Someone was arguing in a corridor on the fifth floor.
"This way," Draco whispered as he led Hermione to hide in a nook not far from the voices.
"… and I told you, Pansy! I need something on Potter, not the half-giant freak teaching your Care of Magical Creatures class!"
Draco and Hermione shared a look of disbelief. She mouthed to Draco Rita Skeeter's name before they returned to listening to the conversation.
"Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but there hasn't been anything new on Potty!" Pansy argued.
"There's always something," Rita retorted viciously, "Have I not taught you anything?"
"Aunt Rita…"
"Don't you 'Aunt Rita' me, girl! I don't want to hear your excuses. Try harder!" Rita spat.
Draco and Hermione silently peered around the corner and gaped at the journalist as she disappeared before their eyes. They both reeled back and pressed their backs up against the stone wall.
They didn't move or make a sound when they heard Pansy muttering, "I hate when she transforms into her beetle form."
The two Gryffindors held their breath as they waited for Pansy's steps to fade. When they could no longer hear the Slytherin girl, Draco and Hermione emerged from around the corner to investigate the hallway.
"How did Rita disappear like that? I thought no one could apparate inside the school wards?" Draco asked as his gaze darted around frantically looking for Rita Skeeter.
"She didn't," Hermione intoned, causing Draco to stop and raise an eyebrow at her. Chewing on her bottom lip, Hermione carefully reached into her bag and pulled out a muggle pen. Her eyes were locked on a rather sizable green bug resting on the side of the wall.
"Hermione…" Draco drawled as he watched her wordlessly transfigure the muggle writing utensil into a mason jar with a lid.
"Listen very carefully, Draco. I want you to fire a Flipindo in that spot when I tell you. Can you do that?" Hermione asked in a calm tone.
"Yes," Draco answered, raising his wand.
Hermione unscrewed the jar, "Three… two… one… Now!"
Once the blue bolt left the tip of Draco's wand, Hermione sprung into action and caught the green June Beetle. With a smug look on her face, she quickly screwed the lid shut on the panic-stricken insect flying about and failing to escape its new glass prison.
Draco stared at her with a look of confusion, "So, are you going to tell me why you insisted on catching this bug? I don't think Snape asked for any beetle parts for our next lesson."
Hermione laughed, "Oh, Draco. Don't you see? This isn't just an ordinary beetle. This… just so happens to be the Animagus form of none other than Rita Skeeter."
His eyes widened, "You mean…."
"Yep!" Hermione said, popping the p at the end.
"That's how she has been getting all her information!" Draco exclaimed, "How she suddenly vanished! I mean, she didn't vanish. She just transformed, but still. Hermione, you are bloody brilliant!"
Hermione smirked at him, "So you've said." She glared at the journalist trapped inside the jar, "I think Miss Skeeter is going to take an extended holiday and… reconnect with nature, so to speak."
Draco's jaw dropped when he watched her perform a spell, rendering the jar unbreakable before she confidentially strolled back to Gryffindor Tower. He didn't think he could find himself more attracted to Hermione than he did at that moment as he followed her in a dream-like daze.
"I did it! I finally figured out the clue!" Harry exclaimed to his friends at lunch the next day.
"What?" Ron questioned as he shot up from his plate with food hanging out of his mouth.
Hermione grimaced, "Attractive, Ronald."
The redhead loudly slurped his noodles into his mouth, "Sorry."
Draco ignored him and turned to Harry, "What is it?"
Harry smiled at his three best friends before he lowered his voice, "The reason why I couldn't hear the clue before. It needed to be submerged."
"In what?" Ron gasped.
"Water. The clue was a song by the merpeople colony in the Black Lake, or I guess it's more like a riddle, I suppose," Harry explained.
"I'm sorry," Draco cut in, "Did you just say the Black Lake?"
"Hogwarts has merpeople?" Hermione blurted out.
"Mate, where did you find a bath? The only bathroom that students have access to would be the Prefect's bath," Ron asked. Everyone stared at the redhead with incredulous looks, causing Ron to raise his hands in a defensive position.
Harry gave him a chuckle, "Now that we know where Ron's priorities are… Cedric may or may not have let me in…."
Draco raised an eyebrow at his friend. He knew that Harry had helped Cedric out by tipping off the Hufflepuff about the first task, but had that all this had been? Was the older student simply repaying the favor which was owed? Or did Cedric have other motives? Draco had observed how his friend would longingly stare at Cedric. He was about to voice his concern that Harry was letting his feelings cloud his judgment about Diggory, but stopped when Hermione asked a question.
"What did the clue say? Maybe we can use logic to figure it out."
Harry reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of parchment. The three Gryffindor's leaned forward to read the clue that Harry recorded.
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,
To recover what we took.
But past an hour, you've lost track,
Too late, it's gone and won't come back.
Hermione and Draco read the passage a few more times before looking up at Harry.
Ron let out a whistle, "Bloody hell! That sounds rough."
"And we have 13 days to figure it out," Hermione added bitterly.
Thirteen days sounded like enough time to decipher the clue… until it wasn't. The golden quartet had been spending as much time as possible in the Library, to the point that they would skip meals and, occasionally, classes. On their fourth night doing this, Draco figured out how to call for Dobby, which the friendly elf happily helped them out and brought them all something to eat. Hermione mainly focused on the history of the merpeople and the Black Lake itself but alternated between researching useful spells that could be used underwater. Harry studied seafloor maps to get an idea of where the colony was located. Draco was reading about the herbology of the Black Lake, and Ron was organizing creatures and possible threats Harry could encounter. The general idea behind dividing and conquering in this manner was that one of them was bound to come across something that would allow Harry to breathe underwater for an hour. But so far, they had been unsuccessful. They couldn't find a charm without getting into the Restricted Section, and due to the stupid rule of 'no outside help,' none of the Professors could write them a note to allow them entry if it was for the Tournament. They hadn't studied Human Transfiguration yet, so Harry transforming into an aquatic creature was a no-go. Besides, Hermione quickly shot the idea down due to the potential risks involved. It was now the night before the second task. Everyone was on edge and tired when Hermione suddenly snapped at Harry and Ron for falling asleep.
"Are you even trying to figure out the egg?"
Ron instantly stopped snoring while Draco popped his head around the corner with a shocked expression. He held his breath as he watched Harry roll his head to the side to glare at Hermione, "What's that supposed to me?"
Hermione winced at Harry's harsh tone, "Sorry… I just mean that these tasks are designed to test you, Harry, and in a way that's almost cruel."
Thank Merlin Harry's face softened a bit before he sat up and apologized. Though Draco was prepared to step in should a confrontation occur, he didn't want his friends fighting. He just simply didn't have the energy to mediate tonight.
"I'm just trying to say… Harry, I'm scared for you," Hermione whispered.
"We all are, mate," Draco added as Ron nodded along with him.
Seeing the concerned expressions on his friends' faces, Harry let out a deep breath, "I don't think I'm going to pass this time. I got by the dragon on pure nerve, but this…."
"It's not impossible," Draco said, trying to reassure him.
"Harry, reread the clue," Hermione ordered. She stood up and started pacing the stacks, looking for a new book.
"Come seek us where our voices sound," Harry recited in a tired voice.
"The Black Lake, that's obvious," Hermione said, "Keep going."
"We cannot sing above the ground," Harry continued.
"Which we know refers to the merpeople. They have gills which pull oxygen from the water, not the air, meaning they can't breathe over the water's surface," Ron explained. Draco gave his friend a look of disbelief before the redhead smacked him in the arm, "Oi! I pay attention in Care of Magical Creatures."
"But we haven't covered mer-life yet," Draco reminded him.
Ron bristled a bit before muttering, "I like creature books. So…. I read ahead."
"Do my ears deceive me, or did Ronald Weasley just admit to reading an actual textbook that wasn't for class?" Draco teased, earning him a smack in the head from Hermione.
"As proud as I am of Ron doing outside research, now isn't the time!" she chastised before turning back to Harry, "Please, continue."
"And while you're searching, ponder this. We've taken something you'll sorely miss," Harry said.
"So, you have to find something that the merpeople have taken," Ron theorized, "But… what is it and how can they take it if they can't come above water?"
"Most likely Bagman or someone else from the Ministry would give it to the merpeople," Draco explained. "Honestly, I'm surprised the merpeople would cooperate."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Well, magical creatures, especially ones considered to be intelligent, don't exactly get along with the Ministry. The government or interest groups introduce loads of legislation to limit creature rights and often take away protected land from them."
"That's horrible," Hermione cried out, "But now that you say that, I think I saw something the other day in the Daily Prophet that was talking about that! It was a new bill that Mr. Diggory was trying to block which would decrease the amount of land Centaur's could herd."
Ron nodded, "Yep. It's not a new fight, Hermione. And believe it or not, poor Amos has been doing it for years!"
"But why do wizards and witches need the land?" Hermione asked.
"Most of it is so Potioners can gather more ingredients without causing a political or legal scandal," Draco explained.
"But the merpeople in the Black Lake are protected," Hermione stated before her brows furrowed, "Right?"
"True, but that doesn't mean other colonies are," Draco retorted. He concealed his smirk when he saw a passionate fire begin to light behind her chocolate brown eyes. It was like he could see the wheels in her head turning with thousands of questions she was trying to find solutions for.
"Okay, you two. Stop right there. I'm sure you could talk about this all night, but we need to move on to the next part of the clue," Ron cut in before gesturing to Harry to go on.
"An hour long you'll have to look to recover what we took."
"Again, obvious. Though, admittedly, potentially problematic," Hermione responded.
"Potentially Problematic?" Harry repeated back, "When was the last time you held your breath underwater for an hour, Hermione?" He quipped.
Nobody knew what to say to Harry when they heard the familiar tap. Tap. Taping of Moody's prosthetic leg on the stone floor.
"Hate to break up the skull session, but Professor McGonagall would like to see you in her office," he informed them gruffly. "Not you two, just Weasley and Malfoy," he pointed at Ron and Draco.
"But, sir! The second task is only hours away, and…." Hermione tried to argue, but Moody cut her off.
"Exactly. Presumable Potter is well prepared by now; you can assure that he will get a good night's sleep." He then turned to Ron and Draco, "Go. Now!"
Hermione and Harry started packing up books as Moody walked past them. They flinched when they heard Moody shout for Neville to help them put their materials away before he disappeared amongst the stacks.
"Hey," Neville said, coming around the corner. He picked up one of Ron's creature books and set it up into the air. The book levitated for a moment before flying back to its proper shelf.
"Hi, Neville," Harry and Hermione said at the same time.
The three remained silent for a moment before Neville picked up one of the Herbology textbooks that Draco had been reviewing, "Oh! I didn't know you and Harry were interested in plants! You know, you'd be better off with Goshawk's Guide to Herbology. He wrote about this wizard in Nepal who's growing gravity-resistant trees, and they…"
"Neville," Harry interrupted abruptly, stopping his housemate in his tracks, "No offense, but I really don't care about plants. Now, if there's… a Tibetan turnip that will allow me to breathe underwater for an hour, then great! But otherwise…"
"I don't know about a turnip. But you could use Gillyweed!"
"I'm sorry, what?" Hermione asked.
"Gillyweed. It's a plant native to the Mediterranean, but when you consume it, it allows you to grow gills and breathe underwater," Neville explained.
Hermione's eyes widened, "Fantastic. Where do we get it?"
"Um… well…" Neville trailed off.
Harry's shoulders dropped. Even if he had a solution that would allow him to compete in the second task, there was no way to get it on time. The three finished putting away the books before they made the trek back to the Gryffindor Tower. As Harry said the password, Neville turned around to face him.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I just wanted to help."
"It's alright. Thanks, Neville," Harry said kindly. He about stepped through the portrait hole when he noticed Hermione wasn't following him.
"You coming, Hermione?" He asked. Harry raised an eyebrow when he saw her staring down at the ground with an intense look of concentration on her face.
"Do you think Gillyweed is something Snape would have in his private cupboard?" she whispered.
Harry blinked at her, "What?"
She looked up at him with a determined expression, "Do you think Snape would have Gillyweed?"
"I… maybe… Hermione, what are you thinking," Harry lowered his voice.
"Can I borrow your cloak?" she asked suddenly.
"Sure… Hermione… What…" Harry struggled to articulate his question when Hermione shook her head.
"The less you know, Harry, the better," she said cryptically. "I'll wait."
With the dismissal, Harry quickly stepped through into the Common Room. He reemerged a minute later with his father's invisibility cloak. Before he handed it to Hermione, he said, "Please don't get caught. I don't want you getting expelled for me."
"That's the general idea," Hermione quipped as she disappeared under the cloak.
"Wait, take the map too!" Harry pleaded before he thrust the Marauder's Map that Fred and George Weasley gave him last year in Hermione's proximity.
"Thanks, Harry," she said, reaching out to grab the old parchment.
Her heart was pounding, and her hands were shaky as she made her way down to Snape's office. She was relieved that the Prefects were finishing up their patrols, which would make her ascent back to the Gryffindor Tower easier. But the thought didn't quell her worries about how she would break into the Potion's Master's personal stores. Draco had done this in their second year when they needed ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion. She didn't know what kind of wards or locking mechanisms that Snape would have.
Guess I will just have to figure it out when I get there.
Hermione was trying so hard not to let the guilt and adrenaline mixing in her stomach trip her up. She had never broken a rule of this magnitude before. She had to keep reminding herself that Harry needed the Gillyweed so that he could succeed. Without it, he wouldn't be able to recover the lost object from the Black Lake. She didn't want to think what the last part of the riddle meant if that were the case, so she just kept praying to Merlin and Morgana that Snape had this magical plant on hand for her to steal.
Not steal, borrow.
Thinking of how Draco phrased her actions a few weeks ago brought a small smile to her face as she approached the door to Snape's office. She ran a preliminary diagnostic, which revealed that a locking charm only guarded the entrance.
Easy enough
She wordlessly cast an Alohamora, causing the door to unlatch and swing towards her. Hermione quickly stepped in and quietly shut the door behind her. Dropping the cloak, she immediately started scanning the shelves in search of the magical weed. Thankfully, Snape was meticulous and had the closet beautifully organized in alphabetical order. As soon as she found the "G" section, she immediately recognized her Professor's scrawl and quickly identified the correct vial. The was only one problem. It was too high for her to reach.
Hermione raised her wand and quietly called out, "Accio, Gillyweed."
She looked stunned for a moment as the vial easily flew down and landed in her free hand. Smiling to herself for only a moment, Hermione gathered her wits and threw the cloak back over herself. She froze when she heard the handle jiggle, and the door suddenly swung open. Standing before her, eyeing the contents of the closet, was Professor Moody.
By some miracle, Hermione didn't make a sound when she shuffled out of the way. There was just barely enough room for the Professor to walk by as she pressed herself up against the far wall. She watched the man pulling ingredients off the shelves with interest and noted all the things he grabbed as she silently slipped out of the cupboard.
Knotgrass
Lacewing flies
Leeches
Powdered horn of a bicorn
Hermione pulled the cloak tighter around herself and focused on trying to get away from Moody as quietly but as fast as possible. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the gems on her bracelet were half red and half periwinkle, the color fading back to normal with the more space she put between the Professor and herself. Her lungs were screaming for air, for she felt like she had held her breath all the way back to the Gryffindor Tower. Hermione didn't dare pull the cloak off until she stood directly in front of The Fat Lady.
"Mimbulus mimbletonia," she gasped out, prompting the painted woman to swing open. She practically collapsed on the couch next to Harry before holding out the vial to him.
Harry's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped, "You got it!?"
Hermione nodded, still trying to catch her breath, "I got it."
Harry held the vial up and started laughing, "You are absolutely brilliant, Hermione Granger!"
Hermione couldn't help the small smile that formed across her face at the compliment, "Thanks, Harry. Did you happen to ask Neville when you are supposed to eat it?"
"Yeah, he said right before I jump in the water," Harry answered, still eyeing the grey-green plant inside the glass.
"Good," Hermione paused for a moment looking around the room. She wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans before she turned back to Harry, "Where are Draco and Ron?"
"Don't know," Harry shrugged his shoulders. "They aren't upstairs, and no one has seen them since they left the Library."
"I ran into someone in the closet that I wanted to tell all of you about," she said, still looking around the Common Room.
Harry's face dropped as he suddenly looked concerned, "Did you get caught?"
"No," Hermione corrected, "Nothing like that. I… after I got into Snape's cupboard, Professor Moody walked in. He… Harry… he was stealing Potion's ingredients."
"Why would he do that? What did he take?" Harry questioned.
"They… I think he was trying to make Polyjuice Potion," Hermione stated.
"Hermione… that… doesn't make any sense. Maybe it's a misunderstanding? I know he hasn't exactly been kind to you or Draco, but to accuse him of theft, that's…."
"It's what I saw, Harry," Hermione retorted in a quiet voice.
"Maybe we should talk about this after the second task," Harry suggested before he let out a loud yawn.
Hermione nodded, "Yeah, it's late. You should be resting."
With that, the two friends retired to their respective dormitories. However, sleep did not come to Hermione as her body was still in a "flight or fight" mode and would not settle down. Plus, her mind was reeling as her brain tried to piece together what she saw down in the dungeons with facts she already knew about the Defense Professor. It was obvious since day one he was unhinged but now her bracelet keeps deeming him a threat every time she gets close to him. Regardless of what Harry thought, Hermione knew what she saw. Moody was stealing from Snape's supplies and they were the ingredients specifically for Polyjuice Potion.
But why is Professor Moody brewing Polyjuice Potion?
That was the last thought she had as she finally drifted off into a restless sleep.
The following day, Hermione had to make her way down to breakfast by herself. She knew Harry would be dining with the Ministry Officials and the other champions somewhere off-site, but that didn't account for Draco's or Ron's absence. She was confused last night when they hadn't returned from Professor McGonagall's office, but when Dean Thomas told her this morning that they never came back… she began to panic.
Hermione couldn't think of a valid academic reason, nor could she come up with an excuse that would have warranted the two for being in trouble. Was it possibly something to do with the Tournament?
"Hermione, would you like to walk with us to the boats?" Lavender asked, startling Hermione out of her thoughts.
"Oh, um… sure," Hermione stuttered. She felt like a ghost following the Gryffindor girls down the stone path and across the lake to the three large overwater observation towers that were put in place for the spectators. Her boat arrived at the center tower, allowing Hermione to wave at Sirius, Remus, and Harry as she walked up the steps to one of the landings. Hermione had just leaned against the railing when Ludo Bagman's annoying voice took over the speaker.
"Good morning! And welcome to the second task! Last night, something, or rather someone, was stolen from each of our champions. These treasures of sorts now lie at the bottom of the Black Lake. In order to win, each contestant need only find their treasure and return to the surface before the hour is up. Though we won't be able to see the action below, each spectator can monitor the time using the large clock levitating just over yonder."
Bagman paused for a moment to confirm the time before clearing his throat, "Champions, you may begin at the sound of the cannon."
Hermione jumped when the loud bang echoed through the valley. She watched as all four of the Tournament's participants dove into the lake. It was a chilly February morning with the wind blowing fiercely, so she could only imagine how cold the water must have felt. Hermione stared at the rippling surface for a few moments as she tried to process what Bagman had said.
Last night, something, or rather someone…
Someone. Someone. SOMEONE.
"Hermione, are you alright?" Parvati asked, gently patting her on the back.
"They petrified people and put them at the bottom of the Black Lake?" Hermione gasped out. Had the Ministry been thinking at all when they designed these tasks? First, they smuggled dragons into the country, and now this? They were trusting the lives of innocent people in the care and service of the merpeople, a species that had a tumultuous history with the Wizarding World.
"I'm sorry, what?" Lavender asked, clearly not making the same connections Hermione was.
Before the Gryffindor could clarify, all three of their heads snapped up at the sound of a high-pitched cruel laugh. Pansy Parkinson was standing not too far from Hermione and peering imperiously at her.
"Don't tell me. The 'brightest witch of our age' couldn't figure out the second task until now? Oh, this is rich!"
"Sod off, Pansy," Hermione spat.
"Honestly, I'm surprised Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy allowed Draco to participate. Their only heir being held hostage by half-breeds?" Pansy said in a mocking voice before she sized up Hermione, "Though, given the company he keeps... Draco probably feels right at home." She faked a shudder, causing Millicent and Tracy to laugh with her.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked in a deadly tone.
Pansy scowled, "Don't you know? Krum's 'something dear' that he has to rescue is Draco."
Hermione didn't have to hear any more from the pug-faced witch. She ran up the stairs to the top tier of the tower, looking for Professor Dumbledore and the Ministry Officials in charge of the Tournament.
"Oh, my! The Beauxbatons champion, Miss Delacour, has unfortunately been forced to retire due to a Grindylow attack. She attempted to use the Bubble-head charm," Bagman announced, causing Hermione to stop in her tracks. "I can already hear the moaning of bets lost. She really was quite a favorite… But again, not to worry! We have the best medical staff standing by!"
Hermione's breath came fast when she resumed her assent. She quickened her pace, thinking only that she had to get to Dumbledore and stop this madness somehow. It was one thing to have the champions, who willingly (Harry aside) put their name in the Goblet, participate in deadly challenges. But Draco and Ron were innocent! They didn't ask to be part of this, and neither did the other people currently floating at the bottom of the lake! Was the Ministry not at all concerned with safety? How were they ensuring the merpeople did, in fact, return which was taken if not successfully retrieved? The clue literally said if one failed, the object wouldn't come back.
No.
No, no… She couldn't think like that! Hermione had to stay focused. Draco would need her to stay sharp, just in case…
As soon as Hermione exited the stairs, she frantically scanned the area before finding Mr. Crouch talking with Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Sirius, Remus, and… the Malfoys? The sight made her pause for a moment, for she had not been prepared to see both Lucius and Narcissa mingling during the second task.
Spotting Hermione first, Remus looked at her with concern, "Hermione, dear. Are you alright?"
She ignored her former Professor and stalked right up to Mr. Crouch, "What happens if one of the champions fails to retrieve their person?"
Crouch looked affronted for a moment before regaining his composure. He gave Hermione a politician-like smile and chuckled, "Silly girl. Nothing bad is going to happen to the champions."
"I'm talking about the people you petrified and shoved at the bottom of the Black Lake," Hermione bit out.
"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall chastised her, but for once, Hermione found herself not affected by the stern tone of her Head of House.
The fake smile dropped from Crouch's face, "Now, see here. Each one of the participants agreed to the terms, and the spell is perfectly safe."
"Yet, you keep avoiding my question, Mr. Crouch," Hermione challenged, "So, I'll ask again. What happens to those participants once the hour is up and they are not retrieved."
"All participants are perfectly safe, Miss Granger," Mr. Bagman chimed in with a slightly shaky voice.
"Then why are there Aurors and Magical Creature experts standing by in canoes?" Hermione asked the official.
"I… uh… how did you… Crouch, you want to take this question? I have to go back to watching the water," Bagman stuttered. He pulled out a handkerchief and started to dab at the sweat that had formed across his brow.
When none of the adults had anything to say to Hermione's observation, she continued, "I'm not a fool, Mr. Crouch, and I've spent the past two weeks researching the history between the Wizarding Community and the merpeople. Did you know the Ministry still hasn't installed the waste filtration system that it specifically promised in an 1856 treaty to the colony here in the Black Lake?"
"Is this true, Crouch?" Lucius Malfoy asked, cutting through the tension.
Crouch's mouth formed in a thin line. He looked ready to snap at Hermione for telling the truth, but she pressed forward with her theory, "And I wouldn't put it past the leader of the merpeople to hold one of the 'treasures' as hostages for real. Take Miss Delacour, for example. I'd hate to think about the international crisis that could happen should you not be able to get her little sister back to the surface. Safe and sound."
"Is that a threat, Miss Granger?" Crouch asked in a low tone.
"It's an observation, Mr. Crouch," Hermione replied as Sirius tried to pull her back.
"Hermione, perhaps we should go down to the main dock and wait for Harry to emerge," Remus suggested.
As Harry's guardians guided her off the top platform, she couldn't help but smirk as she listened to Narcissa threaten Mr. Crouch with every jinx and hex imaginable should Draco be harmed due to an oversight in the risk assessment by the Tournament Committee. She didn't get to see the impressed look that was subtly displayed on Mr. Malfoy's face as he watched her exit down the stairs.
Once they were on the tier directly above the water, Remus looked up at the clock. "The champions have about 15 minutes left. Hopefully, they will be emerging soon."
Hermione started fiddling with her bracelet as she waited with bated breath. Time ticked by slowly as the minutes counted down.
Ten minutes
Seven minutes
Five minutes
Three minutes
At two minutes until the hour, Cedric Diggory emerged from the depths of the Black Lake first with a sputtering Cho Chang next to him. She was dressed in her Ravenclaw school uniform and had a dazed look on her face as she tried to take in her surroundings. Hermione's attention was drawn off the Ravenclaw and back on the water when she heard aggressive cheering from the Durmstrang party. A sudden wave of exhaustion overtook her when she saw Draco was pulled forward, safe and unharmed. The relief she felt was so palpable that her body physically gave out, causing her to slump up against one of the poles. Krum had used a human transfiguration spell to turn his head into that of a shark. The magic had worn off by the time they made it to the docks, returning him to his complete human form.
The Durmstrang champion gave Hermione a brief nod as he passed her and was embraced by his schoolmates. Hermione barely returned the gesture before grabbing three towels and running over to help Draco out of the water. She gasped when she saw that his skin was so pale it almost looked translucent. He was also dressed in his school uniform and had the same dazed look as Cho when she first came to the surface. As soon as he was out of the water, he started to shiver violently from the cold wind hitting his wet skin.
"Oh, Merlin! You must be freezing," Hermione moaned as she quickly wrapped Draco in the towels.
"I'm fine. Hermione, I'm alright… Hermione," Draco's teeth chattered a bit, but he was able to stop her from fussing over him for a moment. He reached up and moved a stray curl away from her face, "I'm okay. Nothing bad happened to me."
Hermione launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a tight embrace. He returned the gesture as best he could while still holding the towels in place to keep warm.
"I was so worried," she whispered in his ear.
"I'm sorry," he replied, "Once Ron and I were in McGonagall's office, we were practically sworn to secrecy and couldn't leave. Once we changed into our uniforms, Dumbledore cast the stasis charm on us immediately. I don't remember much other than it felt like going into a deep sleep."
Hermione pulled back and pushed his damp hair out of his face, "I understand. I just…"
She didn't finish the thought as the two became distracted by two more bodies emerging. Hermione and Draco smiled when they saw Ron and Fleur's little sister swim over to the edge together.
"Gabrielle!" Fleur cried out in relief. She pulled her sister out of the water while muttering something fast in French. Ron didn't need any help getting on the dock, but he almost stumbled back into the Lake when Fleur attacked him with grateful kisses on his cheeks. Hermione and Draco hid their laughter at Ron's furiously red blush as their friend took a seat next to them.
"Bloody Hell, Weasley," Draco teased.
"Merci," Ron said in a dreamy voice, causing Draco and Hermione to laugh louder at the redhead.
The large clock floating above the lake chimed, indicating the hour to rescue the person stolen from the champions was up. Everyone was present and accounted for… except for Harry.
"He's coming, right?" Draco asked in a concerned voice.
"Come on, pup. No time for games," Sirius said to no one in particular. There was an edge to his voice that had made Draco worry for his friend's safety grow more.
Everyone in the audience held their attention on the rippling water in anticipation when Harry made a sudden appearance. He splashed several spectators as he vaulted himself out of the lake and onto the dock. Draco, Hermione, and Ron moved like lightning, helping Harry get the water out of his lungs and wrapping him in dry towels. Harry had some scars and marks on him from a Grindylow, but other than that, he was mostly alright. The four Gryffindors looked at one another for a moment before they laughed and came together into a group hug.
"Well done, Harry!" Hermione cried out as the group dispersed.
"Hermione…" Harry coughed after he embraced Sirius and Remus, "I finished last."
"Next to last technically," Ron corrected him, "Fleur never saved Gabrielle. You did."
"That could affect the score," Draco encouraged when the speaker system came to life.
"Your attention, everyone!" Bagman's voice rang out through the crowd, "The winner of the second task is… Mr. Diggory!"
Bagman paused to allow the audience to cheer and applause for a moment before he continued. "The Hogwarts champion showed innate command of the Bubble-head charm. What a comeback! Now… Oh, this is quite the surprise. It seems the judges have determined that Mr. Potter would have finished first had it not been for his determination to rescue not only Mr. Weasley but the others as well. They have agreed to award him second place!"
Many others in the crowd were cheering while some were booing for the decision. Bagman was not at all phased by the disruption as he continued.
"Such outstanding moral fiber from that one, and quite ingenious too with his use of Gillyweed! Now, that leaves Mr. Krum in third using a Human Transfiguration spell and Miss Delacour in last. Thank you, everyone, for coming to today's events! We will see you for the final task in June!"
The boats were very efficient as they loaded the people and ferried them back to shore. Harry and Hermione were taking turns telling Ron and Draco what they missed while under the water. Neither of them noticed that Lucius Malfoy had been lurking in the shadows, witnessing the entire interaction with a sense of curiosity about his son's closest friends.