February had started with a flourish, but as the month wound down and the 2nd Task approached, things started going quite wrong for Harry.
It began when he and Hermione were still working out the swimming problem. Harry knew he'd need to be underwater for far longer than his lungs would allow, and Hermione quickly deduced that the best strategy would be to transfigure Harry into a fish or other sea creature. Ginny agreed with this approach but left the actual work of late-night study sessions to Hermione, much to Harry's chagrin.
Harry first suggested transfiguring into an otter. He had a certain fondness for the mammals after a trip to the Paris Zoo when he was nearly eleven. He recalled being mesmerized by their movements, how they effortlessly slinked their way through larger objects to get the best fish. It made him want to become a seeker rather than a beater like his older brother.
But Hermione dissuaded him when she reminded Harry how much trouble he'd have grabbing whatever object he was supposed to retrieve. In the end, it was her suggestion of a shark that excited Harry the most, and the two began practicing transfiguring into the creature. But Harry found that this was easier said than done. While he was competent enough in transfiguration, actually changing into another animal proved exceptionally difficult.
Harry and Hermione had spent most nights for the better part of two weeks trying and failing. This had significantly cut into his time with Ginny, as the timetable Hermione meticulously planned went out the window rather quickly. With less than a week to go until the second task, Harry's mood soured as realization set in that they had wasted a lot of time and he was no closer to figuring out how to swim underwater.
It all came to a head one evening in the Room of Requirement. Harry was supposed to meet Ginny at nine but was forced to cancel their date after Hermione insisted they keep practicing. After failing to complete the transfiguration for the twelfth time that night, Harry threw his wand at the wall in frustration.
"I quit!" he announced to Hermione, who winced at his outburst.
"You can do it," she said, but the pitch of her voice betrayed her.
"Right, sure. Whatever you say, Hermione." Harry threw up his hands and headed towards the door.
"Where are you going? We still have an hour of practice."
"Practice what? I can't do it! I'm not a genius at this stuff like you are and there's no point wasting time pretending I'm ever going to get good at this."
"But the task!" Hermione had now grabbed Harry's robes and attempted to pull him back into the center of the room.
"Forget the task!" Harry shouted, causing Hermione to cower. "I'll just tell them I can't do it and they can kick me out of this bloody tournament. My dad will be angry but I suppose I should get used to letting him down, shouldn't I."
And in that moment, Harry meant it. Quitting seemed like the best option. He could concentrate on Quidditch, being with his friends, and spending more time with Ginny.
"You can't quit, Harry," Hermione stepped closer to Harry.
"And who will stop me?"
"You signed a magical contract when you entered, remember? You are bound to compete."
Harry scowled. He knew Hermione was right, but he didn't have to like it.
"What do you suggest I do then? Take a nice swim around the lake and freeze my bits off?"
Hermione clearly had enough of Harry's whining as she straightened herself and got directly in Harry's face, pointing her finger directly into his midsection.
"You listen here. I have spent countless hours with you getting you ready for this task and you will not just throw all my time and effort away feeling sorry for yourself." Hermione had backed Harry against the wall, her finger repeatedly poking him as she yelled.
"We are going to figure this out and you are going to win, even if that means we stay up every night until we get this right. Are we clear?"
"Fine!" he spat, his forearm swinging across to knock Hermione's hand away. He stomped over to the table and started reading yet another book on animal transfiguration.
When another hour had lapsed, and they called it a night, Harry and Hermione walked back to their dorm, neither saying a word.
Their fight lasted the better part of the weekend and began to spill over into the school week. At breakfast on Monday, Harry noticed Hermione and Ron arguing, their hushed voices gradually rising into an outright shouting match that ended with Hermione dumping baked beans in Ron's lap and storming out of the Great Hall.
Harry, meanwhile, had issues concentrating. First, it was on his coursework. In Charms, Professor Flitwick had to correct his wand work several times before finally asking Harry to stay back after class.
"You must focus on the fundamentals!" he chided. "Swish and flick! Swish and flick!"
Harry's focus had devolved further during Quidditch practice Tuesday night, twice missing the snitch as it fluttered around his head. He also was on the receiving end of one-too-many bludgers to the body and was thankful when Ginny cut practice short.
After he finished showering and changing into his school robes, Harry started back towards the castle when he was intercepted by Ginny, who yanked him back into the locker room.
She pressed him up against the lockers, her body molding into his.
"You seemed dreadfully distracted today," she said huskily, snaking her arms around his neck.
"Can you blame me?" He leaned in for a kiss, which Ginny readily accepted. Harry had enough practice kissing Ginny to know what she liked. But even as they snogged, Harry felt his mind drift. After several minutes, Ginny pulled back and gave him a pointed look.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," he lied and leaned in to continue the kiss, but Ginny dodged his lip like it was a bludger.
"You seem distracted even kissing me. And I know my abilities. Something is up."
"It's nothing, just worried about the task is all."
"That's shit. You've been worrying about the task for weeks now and it never stopped you from giving me a proper snog." Ginny fully disentangled herself from Harry and sat on the nearby bench. She gave it a pat and Harry took his cue to take the seat next to her.
"If you want to snog me the right way, you need to tell me what's actually distracting you."
Harry let out an audible sigh and rubbed his already-messy hair. "It's Hermione."
Ginny frowned. "Not exactly what a girl likes to hear, Harry."
Harry waved her off. "Nothing like that. We rowed is all. No big deal."
"Seems like it's a big deal if you can't focus on quidditch or me. What did you do?"
"Oi! Why do you assume I did something and not her?"
Ginny did not answer, but instead simply looked at Harry like he had just said something very dumb.
"Fine. I may have yelled at her a bit because I couldn't figure out the transfiguration for the second task."
"Ah, the famous Potter temper rears its ugly head." Ginny grinned.
"You're one to talk about tempers, Weasley."
"Let's not get into which family has the worst temper. Let's just skip ahead to where you agree to apologize to her."
"Why should I? She's out of line working me so hard and for what? I'm no closer to figuring out how to swim this bloody lake. And worst of all, she's kept me from you! I've had to cancel on you loads this past two weeks." Harry narrowed his eyes. "Come to think of it, why haven't you been cross with me?"
"Because I understand how important the second task is. And so does Hermione, who is doing you a favor even helping you, by the way. I'm fine if I can't see you as much. I mean, not fine, but I understand."
"You don't miss me?" Harry gave her his best puppy dog eyes.
"Please, I'm perfectly able to entertain myself without you."
"Good to know how needed I am." Harry ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "But still doesn't solve my problem with Hermione. Or figuring out this second task. Neither of us can make any headway."
"That's because you and Hermione are probably the two most stubborn people I've ever met."
"Again, cauldron, meet kettle. You're black."
Ginny ignored the comment and pushed on. "You both got stuck on transfiguration as the way to go, but there are other ways to swim underwater."
"What do you suggest?"
Ginny shrugged. "No idea, but it might be worth talking to Luna. She thinks…differently. Neville too."
Harry considered her words. He and Hermione had been hung up on transfiguration, which was getting them nowhere. While asking Luna for advice seemed barmy, Harry was quickly running out of time and any idea was worth considering, no matter how crazy.
"You're pretty clever, you know." He pulled Ginny into his chest and smiled when she snuggled in closer.
"I know. That famous Weasley brain of mine." She pulled back again and looked deeply into his eyes. "But first, apologize to Hermione. Or no more snogging." Her hands lowered from his neck, tracing down his back to rest on his bum. Harry's eyes went wide.
"And you can forget about that," she added, giving him a slight squeeze and stepping out of his arms. Harry immediately shot past Ginny and headed out of the changing room.
"Oi!" Ginny called after him. "Where are you off to?"
"Apologizing!" Harry responded as he broke into a job. "No time like the present!"
Harry raced down the halls of the castle to where he assumed Hermione would be. Sure enough, she was tucked in the corner of the library, her frizzy hair even more unkempt with a quill sticking out of the side. However, she was not alone. Ron sat next to her, leaning back in his chair so that the front legs tipped upwards. He was reading Quidditch Through the Ages.
Harry slowly walked towards where they sat. Ron noticed and let his chair fall to the ground with a loud thud. He tossed his book on the table, straightened his back and puffed out his chest. He seemed more cross with Harry than usual. Meanwhile, Hermione was so engrossed in her work that she failed to notice him taking the seat across from her.
"Er, hi," Harry said quietly. Hermione was jolted from her studies and tensed when she saw Harry.
"What do you want? As you can see, I'm incredibly busy." Her eyes fell back down onto the book in front of her.
Harry did notice several stacks of books surrounding her.
"I, er, wanted to apologize."
Hermione did not bother to look up; rather, she removed the quill from her hair and jotted notes down on some parchment. Ron crossed his arms and leaned towards Harry.
"She said she was busy, Potter," hissed Ron.
This did get Hermione's attention. "Ron, why don't I meet you back in the common room?"
Ron turned to Hermione, mouth agape.
"You're having a laugh, right?"
"Do I look like I am?" she asked sternly before relaxing and patting him on the arm. "I'll be fine."
Ron turned to Harry and sneered. "Don't try any funny business, Potter, or she'll hex you into next week."
After Ron left, Harry expected Hermione to start laying into him. Instead, she returned her nose to her books.
He cleared his throat, but she still ignored him. "Er, Hermione?" Still, no response.
Harry knew she must still be quite upset if she was ignoring him. Deciding drastic measures needed to be taken, he reached over and yanked the quill from Hermione's hands.
"Hey!" she shouted and a loud shush was heard from the other side of the room.
"I'm trying to apologize," Harry said, "if only you would let me."
"Why should I let you? So you can just yell at me again?"
"You've been yelling at me loads too, you know" Harry said.
"Have I? Well, it's likely your own fault for giving me a reason. You've been in a strop all week!"
"You make it seem like I want you to yell at me." Harry protested. "I'm not your boyfriend."
Hermione started to speak but stopped herself. After a few more steps, she turned to Harry. "You think Ron likes when I yell at him?"
"It would explain a lot about your relationship."
"I don't know whether to take offense to that," Hermione said, her face contorted in confusion.
Harry couldn't hide his smile and the two broke into laughter.
"Sorry for being a moody git," he said, and this time Hermione met his eyes and smiled.
"I suppose I accept your apology. It's not like I don't understand. I recall Seamus telling me Ron went practically mental during OWLs."
Harry scratched his head, confused as to what Ron had to do with any of this. "I'm just so frustrated we can't figure out this transfiguration."
Hermione looked at Harry before rolling her eyes. "I'm sure that's it." With that, she packed her books into her bag and beckoned Harry to follow her out of the library.
"We're not studying tonight?" Harry asked, his voice light and hopeful.
"No, I figured you need to relieve some of that frustration. We can pick it up tomorrow."
Harry, still utterly confused, had no choice but to nod and smile as they headed back to the dorms. Upon entering, they joined Ginny and Neville who were playing gobstones. The rest of the night was spent in revelry, Harry laughing along with Ginny's impressions and Hermione getting frustrated with Neville's poor strategy. All in all, it was one of the best nights he had in weeks.
The next day, Harry made a point of intercepting Luna after class and asking for her help. Unfortunately, Ginny undersold how original Luna's ideas were. He was fairly certain he could not capture something called a puddly hawk and make it dance around a fire so that he could breathe underwater. Plus, Harry was pretty sure a puddly hawk didn't even exist.
The second task was not the only source of frustration for Harry. As the weekend approached, it also meant another Hogsmeade weekend was upon the students. All around him, boys were asking girls to be their dates. And Harry soon realized that he couldn't do the same for Ginny.
They had discussed the matter, of course, ultimately agreeing that he'd go with Neville, and she would go with Demelza and some other girls. They would find time to meet up and explore the less-traveled parts of the village and end their day at the Hog's Head in a nice, cozy, relatively clean corner booth.
While the plan was sound, there was one main flaw. Since no one knew they were dating, many boys decided it was the right time to ask Ginny to go with them. Harry hated seeing boy after boy go up to Ginny in the Great Hall, or after class, or even as she was headed to the Quidditch pitch. It seemed Ginny could not go five feet without a boy asking her out.
Harry tried to pretend it didn't bother him. After all, Ginny was gorgeous and friendly. And as far as most were aware, currently single. Why wouldn't someone ask her out?
Harry had Ginny's popularity on his mind as he and Neville took in a long lunch in the Great Hall on Friday. Afternoon classes had been canceled due to several dignitaries arriving for the 2nd task and the faculty needing to prepare.
"Are you going to eat that?" Neville interrupted Harry's thought and gestured to a slice of ham on his grunted and pushed his plate towards Neville, who speared the ham into his mouth. "You're awfully distracted today," he said as he swallowed the meat.
"Just thinking about the task," Harry lied, which seemed to satisfy Neville, who started in on the latest Herbology lesson.
"Hi, Harry," a girl's voice sang. Harry turned to see a pretty girl with curly brown hair standing. She brushed some hair off her shoulder and smiled brightly at him.
"Hi. Um, can I help you?" Harry asked.
"It's about Defense class. I could really use some help and everyone says you're a natural."
"I am?" Harry looked at Neville, who simply shrugged.
"Of course you are," the girl continued. "So I was hoping you could tutor me?"
"Who are you again?"
"Romilda Vane, silly!" The girl gave a rather high-pitched, put-on laugh. "I'm a couple years below you, but I just missed the cut off so we're almost the same age." She said this all rather quickly and Harry again had to look to Neville for help. But Neville was pressing his hand tightly over his mouth.
Harry turned back to Romilda, who was now sitting next to him, pressing her knees against the outside of his leg. He instinctively scooted away from her.
"Look...Romilda, was it? I'd love to help but I'm really busy, what with the task and all. So, er, sorry."
Romilda frowned. "But you are going to Hogsmeade, right?"
"I suppose Neville and I will go and maybe- "
"Great!" she interrupted. "So if you're going and I'm going, maybe we can go together and study a bit at Madam Puddifoots."
"That sounds dreadful," Harry said, which caused Neville to burst out with laughter. Romilda shot him a nasty look before turning back to Harry.
"Well, if you change your mind," she said with resignation before quickly scurrying away.
"That was rather odd," Harry said.
"Why didn't you say yes?"
"I don't have time to tutor anyone, Neville."
Neville merely shook his head. "I don't think it's tutoring she wanted you for. She fancies you."
Harry looked down to where Romilda said with her fellow fourth year Gryffindor friends. "Really?"
"You are a Triwizard champion. Haven't you noticed girls chatting you up?"
Now that Neville mentioned it, there were a lot of witches that needed help with their homework. And not just Defense. Harry recalled a seventh year Ravenclaw who desperately needed help in Divination, which was odd since Harry didn't take the subject.
"She's pretty, too." Neville said. "Why didn't you say yes?"
Harry paused, considering how to answer. "I didn't know she liked me," he finally settled on, which was also the truth."
"Were you this bad with girls at Beauxbaton?"
Harry pondered the question. "I suppose not, but girls at Beauxbaton were more direct. They didn't talk in code and addle your brain like they do here."
"I wouldn't say that's the case with all girls here," Neville sighed and looked wistfully at the Hufflepuff table next to them where Hannah Abbott sat with Susan Bones.
Harry eyed Neville curiously, which Neville must've picked up on as he muttered something about needing to tend to some plants and hurried out of the Great Hall.
Harry picked at his lunch, not wanting to leave just yet, when a group of Hufflepuffs plopped themselves down at the table next to him. Harry's back was to them, but being teenage boys, they were loud enough for him to hear them clearly.
"Any of you lot manage a date this weekend?" Harry recognized the voice of Justin Finch-Fletchly, a stocky boy he shared several classes with.
"I'm taking Hannah," replied Ernie McMillan. The group erupted in laughter.
"Still barking up that tree, are you?" Harry did not recognize the voice.
"Shut it," Ernie snapped back.
"Oi, don't get your knickers in a twist," said Justin. "Who knows? Maybe she'll let you hold her hand."
"Or carry her books again!" added the other boy.
"Shut it!" yelled Ernie.
"Sorry," Justin said. "Just don't want to see you get hurt again, mate. Besides, everyone knows she is keen on Longbottom."
Harry perked up at Neville's name being mentioned. "Hannah likes Neville?" he asked loudly, causing the other boys to all turn to face him.
"Where've you been, Potter?" the boy Harry didn't know said. "Pretty much an open secret."
"But he's with Luna," Harry protested.
Justin shrugged. "Doesn't mean Hannah can't fancy him. Which is why," Justin turned back to Ernie, "you need to find yourself another date."
"This soon before the weekend? Fat chance. And hey, at least I have a date. Any of you wankers going with someone?"
Harry saw Justin and the other boy share a glance.
"I asked out Ginny," he said. Harry felt the skin on his neck prickle.
"Lucky bloke," Ernie said.
"Turned me down."
"Are you having a go? Ginny Weasley turned you down?"
"So what if she did?"
"But she doesn't turn anyone down," the other boy said, and Harry suddenly had the urge to punch him in his annoying face.
"You lot didn't hear?" a new voice added, and Harry saw none other than Michael Corner, Ginny's ex, take a seat next to them. Harry had never really noticed Ginny's ex. He seemed like an afterthought to Ginny whenever they brushed across the topic, almost like a minor inconvenient from the past. But now he found himself studying the boy very closely. He had dark features and windswept hair, and Harry could admit to seeing why Ginny may have fancied him at one point. But he also carried himself like some of the French boys his mum insisted he befriend during the summers. There was a certain superiority about him.
"Hear what?" Harry found himself asking.
"She's been turning down blokes left and right."
"That's certainly a new development," said Ernie.
"I feel bad for the poor girl," Michael said with a heavy sigh.
"Didn't you used to date her?"
"Correct, my 5th year. She was loads of fun, but girls like that aren't good for much more than that."
Harry gripped his wand so tight that specs of wood dust fell from the end. He wanted to grab Corner by his black hair that fell above his eyes and hex him into next week. But he couldn't. Harry had to sit there and take it because they did not know. No one knew. All Corner knew was that the Potters and the Weasleys hated each other.
"Clearly I made the right decision. She's a right slag, isn't she? The girl shags any boy that gives her the time of day. She's not exactly marriage material. Not surprised, considering how low her family is seen." Michael then turned to Harry and grinned. "Right, Potter?" he said with a wink.
All sense of reason and restraint left Harry; his mind went blank, and all he saw was red. He jumped out of his seat and grabbed the boy by his collar. Michael's face went white, his dark features more pronounced against his ashen skin. He struggled to free himself, but Harry's grip tightened further.
"Easy, Potter," Justin said in a nervous voice.
Harry's mind began to focus on his surroundings. He noticed that everyone in the immediate vicinity was now staring at him. Surely, the professors still in the Great Hall would notice the commotion soon enough. Summoning every ounce of willpower, Harry released Michael.
"Don't you ever talk about—"Harry gritted before stopping himself."A girl like that." He looked around again before gripping the collar tighter. "Even if it is Weasley."
He released Corner and stomped out of the Great Hall, deliberately avoiding all the eyes that followed him. He didn't know where he was headed, just that he needed to find Ginny. Eventually, after reaching several dead ends, he found her down by the lake, propped up against a tree with a book in her lap. He was dressed in warm robes and a Gryffindor scarf. Despite the cold, the day was unusually clear for February. The rays from the sun pierced through the tree leaves, illuminating her face like stars in the sky.
Harry did not care if others were around to see as he knelt next to Ginny and planted a passionate kiss to her lips. Ginny's eyes went wide at the sudden feeling of lips on hers, but she quickly recovered from the surprise and returned Harry's kiss with equal fervor.
They eventually separated after several minutes of snogging, both slightly breathless.
"What was that for?" Ginny asked as her breathing evened out and eyes darting around for any onlookers.
Harry shrugged. "Don't exactly know, just felt I needed to do that. Man of action, you see."
"Duly noted," Ginny snuggled into Harry's arms and together they watched a deer picking at some weeds sticking out from the snow on the banks of the lake.
"Can't believe I need to swim in that," Harry said, shivering . He realized he wasn't exactly dressed for the winter weather. Ginny must've sensed this as she snuggled in tighter and wrapped her small arms around his waist.
They stayed in silence for several minutes. Harry's shoulders were tense. In fact, his whole body felt so tightly wound that he half expected to pop up suddenly like a jack-in-the-box.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, breaking the silence but not the tension.
"Nothing," he lied casually. "I'm fine."
Ginny snorted. "When are you going to get it through your thick skull that the 'I'm fine' line doesn't work on me." She turned to fully look at Harry. "If you don't want to talk about it, just tell me. I'm not someone who needs to know every little thought you have. But don't lie to me. You're pretty shit at that."
She smiled and Harry instantly relaxed, leaning back into her embrace.
"Your ex is a real wanker."
"Which one?"
"That's sort of the crux of the problem, isn't it?"
Ginny tilted her head. "Well, don't speak in riddles, Harry. You're not the bloody Egg."
Harry blew out a large breath, the air vapors blowing out towards the lake. "Corner was running his mouth about you, and it took all I had to not hex him into next week. You have questionable taste in blokes. Corner, Dean…. Jean-Pierre." Harry shuddered.
"They seemed nice at the time," Ginny countered with a smile before pausing. She had a focused, almost painful look on her face, as if trying to work out some sort of puzzle. Finally, she asked "What exactly did he say?"
"It's not important."
"That's for me to decide," she said. "But it can't be good if it got you in a strop."
"If you must know," Harry began, "he said he broke it off with you because you were just a good time, not a serious girlfriend." Harry paused, trying to gauge Ginny's reaction, but her face was like stone. He debated for a moment if he should stop there, but he knew Ginny would know there was more to tell.
"He also said that you shag all your dates," Harry expected Ginny to erupt at that moment, but to his surprise she remained stoic. "And sort of implied that your family is a bit…dodgy." And that's what set her off.
What followed was a series of curses that Harry had never heard before. Ginny referred to Michael as every dirty word in the book, and several that Harry was pretty sure she made up on the spot.
And it went on forever. Ginny stomped and paced around that she wore a hole in the ground. Harry was sure the snow had melted, the flowers had bloomed and then wilted away before the snow returned in the time it took Ginny to calm down.
She finally did when there were no more words to shout or snow to kick in the air. She fell into Harry's arms, her chest rapidly rising and falling.
"I can't imagine what you did to him," she said, though it was muffled in Harry's robes.
"Not much I could do. It was in the Great Hall."
"You had to just sit there and take it, didn't you? I'm sorry."
"Don't be," he assured her. "I grabbed the berk by the collar and made him wish he never had said it."
"That's my man. How did this even come up?"
"A bunch of Hufflepuffs were talking about dates for Hogsmeade. One of them said you turned him down. Thanks for that, by the way."
Ginny chuckled. "And I guess the big mystery was why the girl who says yes to anyone started saying no."
Harry felt an uneasiness creep down his spine.
"They were just being idiots," he said, trying to move the conversation along.
"Not like I haven't heard this type of thing before," she said calmly. "I can't exactly blame people for thinking I'm some sort of scarlet woman, can I? But that's what women get for wanting to live their lives. I can only imagine what they'd say about me if they knew I never put out."
"Damned if you do, damned if you don't."
"That's an interesting saying, Potter."
"My dad picked it up from some American muggle," Harry said.
"Does it bother you?" Ginny asked, her voice quiet.
Harry tilted his head. "Why would it bother me that he was a muggle? Because he was American?"
Ginny playfully smacked his arm with a smile. But then her smile faltered, and she looked away.
"What is it?" Harry asked, growing increasingly concerned as Ginny continued to stare off into the distance.
"You did joke about me with other boys, you know?"
"Oh…that." Harry regretted, and not for the first time, those words he spat out many months ago. But he did not know fully if he said those words just to get a rise from Ginny, or if some part of him actually believed them. Would it have made a difference if Ginny had slept with all those other boys?
A thousand thoughts flashed across his mind. He found himself thinking back to a few years ago, when his Dad got all the Potter kids tickets to the Weird Sisters show in Paris. Harry wore his favorite Weird Sisters shirt, prompting Simon to make fun of him for wearing the shirt of the band he was about to see. Harry starting to take it off when Jack stopped him. He remembered distinctly what his brother told him.
Wear the shirt or don't wear the shirt, but don't take it off because of what your knobhead brother thinks.
"I am sorry, you know. For saying that to you. I was majorly out of order." Harry wrapped his arms tightly around Ginny's shoulders and she fell into him, pressing her ear firmly into his chest. The words of his brother Jack still echoed in his ears. "And it wouldn't matter if you ran a brothel out of the Room of Requirement, I'd still want to be with you."
Ginny couldn't hold in a snort as her eyes met his and they both broke into laughter.
"I'm sorry you have to deal with idiot boys besmirching my good Weasley name," she said.
"You shouldn't apologize," Harry said forcefully but Ginny just waved him off
"Oh, I could give two shits what they say about me. It says way more about them then it does me. I just wish you didn't get caught in the crossfire."
"Knowing me, it was inevitable I'd insert myself in the line of fire, no?"
"That's just because I'm worth it," Ginny smirked. Harry looked at her and grew flush. He gave a sheepish grin, prompting Ginny to flare her nostrils. "What?" she demanded.
"Nothing," Harry said before pausing. He took in her face, noticing the smattering of freckles that spread from her nose to her cheeks. "You just…are. Worth it, that is." He winced as the words came. "Er, that was terribly cheesy, wasn't it?"
"Extremely," she sighed and snuggled in closer. Together, they watched the rays of the sun shimmer off the lake like diamonds strewn across a blue plane.
Hogsmeade weekend arrived and after a quick breakfast, Harry made his way down to the village with Neville by his side. Several meters ahead, Ginny spoke animatedly with her girlfriends. Several boys flitter in and out of the group of girls. Harry had to remind himself several times not to throw stinging hexes at the boys trying to chat Ginny up, lest Neville get suspicious.
They entered the bustling village, still several meters behind Ginny and her friends.
"Where to first?" Neville asked. "I haven't been to your sister's apothecary. Professor Sprout really likes how my Leaping Toadstools are developing," Neville said excitedly, "so I figured I should grow some more and see how far they can jump. They go for 3 galleons in Diagon Alley, but I heard your sister charges half that."
Harry was barely paying attention as his eyes followed Ginny as she walked into her brothers' joke shop.
"Let's check out Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes," Harry said without thinking.
Neville looked shocked. "You having me on?"
Harry chuckled nervously. "I heard they had some interesting products. Might get Jack something."
Neville still stared at Harry, clearly not believing the words coming out of his mouth.
Harry quickly came up with a believable lie. "I promised Rosie I'd check out the space for her in case she wants to buy the building."
Neville seemed to accept the explanation and they proceeded towards the joke shop. The pair entered and were greeted by the sound of a whoopie cushion signaling their arrival. None of the throngs of young customers spare them a glance, too consumed by the latest in gags, tricks and overall tomfoolery covering every inch of the shop. Harry followed Neville as they wound their way through the shop, Harry's eyes darting around the room for any sign of Ginny.
He didn't know why he was following her; it wasn't like he was worried about her running off to snog a bloke in her brothers' storage closet. Instead, his mind seemed focused on a way to get her alone so he could snog her in her brothers' storage closet. Unfortunately, the opportunity never presented itself as a firm hand grabbed him on the shoulder and spun Harry around.
"What are you doing here, Potter?" Fred Weasley bellowed. He was shorter than Harry by a considerable amount, yet he still struck an imposing figure, especially when joined by his twin. George had sidled up next to Fred, casually sipping tea.
"Must be lost, Fred," George said through a loud slurp.
Harry had a retort at the ready. But as the words rushed to his lips, his eyes found Ginny leaning casually against a display of puking pasties. She looked almost bored. They locked eyes for the briefest of moments before Ginny gave a shrug as if to say if you must. Harry gave the smallest of grins and returned his focus back to the twins.
"Not lost, actually," he said, his fingers already massaging his wand tucked in his back pocket. He scanned the store as if looking for something. "Someone told me I could find some good jokes in here, but it looks like I found the two biggest ones standing right in front of me."
The customers surrounding them collectively sucked in their breath like a Hoover finding that last spot of dirt.
George nearly spit out his tea, but Fred merely returned Harry's grin.
"Potter's a funny one," Fred laughed. "Bit odd, innit? Your family isn't known for their humor."
"No, Fred, not a very funny family, if you ask me," George added as he inched closer to Harry. Harry puffed his chest out in response. "Rather…pompous?"
"Arrogant?" Fred responded
"Egotistical?"
"Moronic?"
"Wankerish?"
"Trollish?" Fred asked but George shook his head.
"Nah, the men are certainly ugly as sin. But Rose Potter isn't terrible, and the mum is quite fit."
Harry was no longer smiling. Neville, who had come to Harry's side, nervously looked between the three wizards.
"Aye, reckon you are correct, Georgie boy. Heard a rumor about Lily Potter, too. Heard she isn't just easy on the eyes, if you believe what they're saying about her and that Snape bloke."
And that was the spark that lit the fire as Harry quickly unholstered his wand, pointing it directly between Fred's eyes. In a split-second, George had his wand pointed right back at Harry, and Neville had his wand pointed at everyone, not knowing exactly who he was supposed to hex.
The famed Potter temper was passed down from generation to generation. It affected both wizard and witch Potters all the same. Even Lily found herself occasionally overcome with the infliction, even though she was not a Potter by blood. What was notable about the Potter temper was how it caused suspension of all rational thought and common sense.
Which is, of course, why Harry found himself outnumbered but ready to cause mayhem and destruction on the eve of one of the most important days of his life. If he had more sense, Harry would have realized that using his wand in Hogsmeade would surely result in detentions until he left school, permanent bans from Hogsmeade trips and probably his spot on the Quidditch team. But such is the Potter temper that none of those consequences entered his mind as the words of a nasty hex spilled their way from the back of his throat to the tip of his tongue.
But at that very moment Harry was about to doom himself to a year of detentions with his mum and Saturday study sessions with Hermione, an angel appeared in the form of Ginny Weasley.
"Don't you lot have better things to do than waving your wands at each other?" Ginny said as she stepped in the middle of Harry and the twins. "We get it. You have the biggest wands in the store. Now put them away and let the customers shop, alright?"
Fred snorted. "Stay out of it, Ginny. Unless you want to add your wand to the fray." He straightened his arm and inched it closer to Harry's nose.
"No, I rather like having my Hogsmeade weekends. Besides, if my wand is pointing at anyone, it's you plonkers."
"Oi!" shouted George, his attention now turned to Ginny. "You'd ally yourself with a Potter?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Hardly. But I certainly won't side with someone who has a go at a woman like that."
Fred and George exchanged befuddled looks, causing Ginny to audible sigh and roll her eyes even harder. "Calling Professor Potter easy? What if this Potter," she gestured to Harry, "called me easy?"
Ginny caught his eye for the briefest of moments. He quickly turned to see Neville also looking at him, slightly shaking his head as if imploring Harry not to make things worse.
"You're missing the point," Fred protested but Ginny just laughed.
"Funny, that's what Angelina and some other girls said after dating you." The crowd that had gathered laughed.
Fred and George had lowered their wands at this point, their ears both turning bright red at the tips, but Ginny wasn't quite finished.
"And you're one to talk, George."
"What did I do?"
"Acting like a bloody hypocrite."
"Why, because I called Potter's mum easy?"
"If she's easy for another bloke fancying her, what does that make you? Don't even need alohomora to get into your trousers from what I hear? And don't forget I know exactly who's gotten in there, George Weasley."
George's face fell and he turned from beet red to ghost white. Harry had no idea what Ginny had said to cause the color to drain from his face. Fred, too, looked at his brother with concern and confusion etched across his face. The brothers were stunned into silence for a moment before turning to the swelled crowd. "What are you lot looking at?" George shouted. "Never seen siblings fight? Go on, ten percent off everything if you leave us be."
The twins turned to Harry. "This isn't over Potter."
"I'm counting on it," replied Harry with an edge to his voice.
"Oh, give it a rest, the lot of you," Ginny said. "You're all about as dangerous as Hagrid's dog."
Suddenly, Ginny's attention was diverted to outside the store. "Excuse me, dear brothers. Another bloke needs a word with me."
Harry, Neville and the twins all watched as Ginny strode outside, the bell chiming as she left, and approached a group of boys. She pushed her way through them until she got to her target, which Harry now realized was Michael Corner. He couldn't hear what Ginny was saying. She seemed rather calm and collected. But judging by the look of sheer terror on Corner's face, what she was saying was anything but.
Soon Corner gave a terrible yell and ran away, several bat-shaped objects attaching his face. A trail of half-formed footsteps followed in his wake. Ginny waved to the other boys and gave a sharp turn, her hair slapping one of them in the face, as she ran to join her friends gathered outside Honeydukes. Years later, Harry would wonder if it was the moment bat-bogeys came out of Corner's nose that made him realize he loved Ginny Weasley.
After things calmed down at the joke shop, Harry followed Neville as he practically ran into his sister's apothecary to pick up his supplies. Harry introduced Neville to Rosie, and after many minutes poring over various plants and fungi, Neville was fully stocked.
"Your sister is brilliant!" Neville said as he swung his bag, causing several items to fall out. He scrambled to pick them up before the biting wind blew them away. Harry kneeled to help.
"She's fine, I suppose." He placed a couple items in Neville's bag, and the two continued back up to the castle.
As they walked through the castle grounds, Harry's mind still replaying the events in the joke shop, a small smile flickering across his face as visions of Ginny putting the twins in their place played in his head. He didn't even notice that Neville had actually been talking the whole trip back.
"You there, mate?" Neville asked rather loudly.
"Oh, sorry. Guess I'm a bit distracted."
Neville nodded. "Still haven't figured out the task then?"
Harry shook his head. "Pretty lost. Maybe I can just take a nice swim in the freezing lake while I say goodbye to my broom. I'm sure the weeds in the lake will take good care of it."
Harry looked to his left to find Neville no longer there. He had some several paces behind, practically giddy with excitement. "I got it!"
"Got what?" Harry asked.
"I can't believe it's only dawned on me now, but its so simple!" And with that, Neville broke into a sprint, darting past Harry like a Nimbus heading towards the goal.
Harry struggled to keep up as they found their way to the greenhouses. They were especially muggy despite the dry winter air outside, no doubt the work of some charm. Neville snaked his way through large bushy plants and under another plant that had a large head and teeth. Harry soon lost him completely in the jungle of greenery, and it was some time later that Neville reemerged with dirt on his robes and nose. He held out his hand to Harry and revealed what looked like a slimy greyish green pile of rat tails.
"Gillyweed," Neville breathed out, almost as in awe of the thing in his palm.
"Er, looks…nice."
"It's a plant."
"I gathered," Harry deadpanned, gesturing to their surroundings.
"No, it's a plant that helps you breathe underwater."
Harry's eyes lit up and he examined the plant more closely. "You don't say."
"Professor Sprout had it brought in from Greece. It gives you gills and webbed feet so you can swim too!"
Harry took the slimy plant from Neville and held it close for inspection. "How does it, you know, work? You smoke it?"
"Eat it, unfortunately." Harry grimaced.
"But it helps me swim," he said, and Neville nodded ferociously. "For how long?"
"There's some debate amongst herbologists about fresh water versus salt water, but consensus is roughly one hour."
"Just enough time, I suppose."
Harry tucked the gillyweed in his pocket. "You're a lifesaver, Neville. Utterly brilliant."
Neville blushed. "Thanks, Harry! But we should get back. Big day tomorrow."
Harry clapped his friend on the back, suddenly feeling lighter than he had in weeks. He also remembered that he was due to meet Ginny in the Room of Requirement after dinner for some pre-task motivational activities.
Around 8 o'clock, Harry departed his dorm with a bounce in his step as he made his way to the corridor on the 7th floor. Reaching the entrance to the Room of Requirement opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Harry paced past the entrance three times, his mind thinking of exactly what he and Ginny could get up to in the room. Soon enough, the door revealed itself and Harry entered the familiar set up.
He busied himself by grabbing a Snitch placed on a nearby shelf and allowing it to flutter away, almost out of range, before he snatched it in his hands. Each time he let it escape a bit farther before reigning it in.
Harry glanced at his watch for the third time since arriving, frowning when he saw that Ginny was nearly an hour late. He wondered if she simply forgot, perhaps caught up in studying. No, he thought, that did not sound like Ginny.
The night was getting shorter and eventually Harry had no choice but to head back to the Gryffindor dorms, hoping Ginny was there waiting with an explanation. But when he arrived, the common room was empty save for a familiar face by the roaring fire.
"Hey Hermione," Harry said as he approached. She was curled up with a book, her feet tucked under her.
"Harry, it's nearly eleven!" she said, closing her book. "You should be asleep already. Don't you realize the task is tomorrow morning?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Must've slipped my mind. Have you seen Ginny?"
"She wasn't with you?"
"She was supposed to be but never showed."
Hermione furrowed her brow. "That doesn't sound like Ginny. Maybe she was tired and fell asleep in her room."
Harry said nothing but his eyes kept darting back and forth between Harry and the stairs to the girls' dorms. This time Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll go check for you. I suppose it is a bit late for studying."
She packed up her books and went upstairs. Harry stared into the fireplace, the flicks of the flames reminding him of the way Ginny's hair whipped around during Quidditch practice. Moments later he heard footsteps and turned just as Hermione came into view.
"She's not in her room," she said, failing to hide her concern.
"I need to go," he said, rising from his seat and heading towards the door.
"Harry, it's past curfew!"
"That doesn't matter. Ginny could be hurt!"
"I'm sure she is safe wherever she is. This is Hogwarts, after all." Harry rolled his eyes, but Hermione placed herself between him and the door. "I wouldn't be a good Head Girl if I let you out."
"Move, Hermione," But Hermione stood straighter and crossed her arms. "Please," he said softly. "I promise to be safe and quick. I'm just going to check the library."
Hermione's resolve broke as she gave Harry a sympathetic look and stepped aside. "Fine but do be quick. We cannot lose any more House points after what Ron did in Herbology."
But Harry had already passed her and stepped out the door. He sprinted down the corridor with purpose, despite not knowing where he was headed. He stopped in several empty classrooms. Most were empty, save for one that seemed to serve as some sort of meeting space for all the ghosts of Hogwarts.
"May we help you, Mr. Potter?" inquired Nearly Headless Nick.
"Er, no, just looking for someone."
"A hunt, you say! I could be of such use to you, especially since some members here," he glared at the audience of ghosts, "insist I am not eligible to attend their hunt!"
"More of a one-person job, unfortunately. Need to be discreet, you see." Harry deflected. "But definitely next time, Nick."
Nearly Headless Nick frowned but waved him off. "Well, then, Godspeed in your endeavors!" Nick turned to continue his lecture and Harry continued his search.
Some time later, having exhausted nearly every nook and cranny of the castle, Harry began to head back, his emotions swimming back and forth between fear and anger.
He turned a corner and nearly ran into an armored statute.
"Bloody hell, watch it!" he shouted to the inanimate object.
"Mr. Potter," a voice called from behind and Harry turned to see Professor McGonagall approaching swiftly, an annoyed look on her face. "Need I remind you that curfew is in effect as of an hour ago? And that, as the Hogwarts Champion, you are the most in need of being in bed at this moment?"
"Sorry, Professor, but it's Gin-I think a student is missing."
"Surely this is a matter for the faculty and the prefects instead of you."
"Right, but I don't think anyone knows."
"It might surprise you to learn that those responsible for the well-being of the students are indeed aware of the student you are so concerned with, and I can assure you she is perfectly fine."
Harry let out a breath he did not know he was holding, but then began to question how McGonagall could be aware. "But-" he began before McGonagall raised her hand to silence him.
"Please go back to your dorm, Mr. Potter. I shall excuse your flagrant disregard for the rules this one time."
Professor McGonagall turned on her heels and walked away, leaving Harry alone. Begrudgingly, he made his way back to the Gryffindor dorms and to his bed, both thankful that Ginny was alright but confused why she missed their meet up and where exactly she was. Especially since Professor McGonagall seemed to know but Hermione, the Head Girl, did not.
As his eyelids grew heavy and his body sank deep into his mattress, Harry thought not of the 2nd task and the challenge that lay before him. All he could think before sleep finally took him was where was Ginny Weasley?
Harry woke the next morning before the sun had risen over the Scotland mountains. He was not normally one to wake up so early, choosing to cling to last minutes of slumber. But today he was dressed and out the door before any other student had even stirred, a fresh supply of Gillyweed in his left pocket. Harry made his way down the stairs and through the eerily quiet castle, the only noise his own footsteps.
When he reached the outside, Harry noticed that it had snowed overnight. His feet crunched on the freshly laid powder.
The Black Lake was one of the first things you saw when exiting through the large castle gate. When Harry saw it the previous morning, it was as normal. A few younger students skated on the frozen surface and several more threw snowballs at each other. But this morning, it was as if someone had picked up the lake and placed in a square in Wembley Stadium. Stands had been constructed all around the lake with banners from the three schools covering the very tops of the rafters.
The water shimmered and swayed, no longer stymied by the ice. Harry briefly wondered if they had put a warming charm on the lake, feeling optimistic he wouldn't be freezing his bits off. A few older wizards and witches were milling about down by the lake, passing the time and looking busy while they waited for the spectators to arrive.
Harry came to the edge of the lake. He knelt down and skimmed his fingers against the water, pulling back from the coldness. It was then he noticed a series of ripples, followed by several splashes. Hilda, the champion from Durmstrang, was doing laps, unbothered by the freezing water.
Gradually, the stands began to fill with students and other spectators. Hilda had emerged from her swim, not bothering to dry off. Jean-Pierre had arrived as well, his pale skin covered in goosebumps. Harry knew that Jean-Pierre lived in Monaco and was unaccustomed to such cold weather.
The champions were corralled by the Ministry delegation into a tent, and Harry saw his father towards the back motioning for him.
"Nervous?" he asked Harry, who shrugged.
"After the dragon, a little swim is a welcome change."
"That's my boy," he clasped his shoulder. "No fear. Your mother says to be safe and don't stay down there too long. She's rubbish at brewing Pepper-Up potions."
Harry pushed out a laugh, though he wasn't in much of a joking mood. He saw his father's face grow dark.
"Seriously, son. Are you doing ok?"
"Yeah, dad. Bit nervous but I think I have it figured out."
"Yeah?" James' face brightened. "Are you going to transfigure? You know, your old man was pretty good at that sort of thing. Sirius was loads better. Still is, of course. Remus never had the need, mind you."
"Dad, I'm not sure I can tell you what I'm going to do. Rules probably don't allow for it."
"What do I always say about the rules?"
"Unless they're written down somewhere, rules are merely guidelines."
"Right in one. 'Sides, Potters don't really care about the ones that are written down, either."
"Well, I don't fancy getting booted from the tournament."
"Fine, fine. Be a spoilsport." He winked at Harry before looking past him. "Looks like they are about to begin. Remember, Harry, we love you no matter what. Be safe, but not too safe."
He gave Harry a big hug, gripping him tightly before eventually releasing him. Harry was beckoned by some Ministry officials to join the other champions. They all huddled together by the back of the tent. Barty Crouch approached.
"Ah, yes. All here I see," he said hurriedly. "I have been informed that you have all successfully opened your Egg, so you know the task ahead of you. Find the thing you'd miss the most and bring it back to the surface. The champion who surfaces first shall be declared the winner. I must remind you that you are to only take your item, not another champions'. Is that clear?"
The three champions nodded, and Crouch leaned in closely. "Excellent. Now, beware of what lurks in the depths of the Black Lake. There are far more dangerous creatures than the Giant Squid, and it is imperative you all be on your guard and be at the ready."
Harry looked over at Jean-Pierre and saw the pale boy had somehow become even whiter.
"Now, then," Crouch stood straight and continued, "you will enter the tournament based on the results of the previous task. Mr. Potter, you shall go first. After 3 minutes, Mr. Montague will follow, and then three minutes after that, Ms. Ericson will round it all out. Everyone understand? Good. Ta!"
Crouch and the rest of the officials exited the tent, leaving just the three champions and a short, squirmy-looking wizard. Jean-Pierre sneered at Harry.
"You were lucky last time, Potter," he said, and Harry could practically feel the sliminess from his words. "But you won't be able to escape what lies beneath the water."
"Funny coming from the lad who failed his second-year swim test twice."
Jean-Pierre scrunched his face. "That was my vertigo! Iz a serious condition! I should hex you where you stand."
"Go for it!" Harry shouted back, a smile on his face.
"One day, when no one is around to protect you."
"Funny, I don't see anyone now." Harry looked around and only saw the squirmy-looking wizard.
"You'll get yours, Potter." Jean-Pierre said.
"Make sure to stay in the lake a bit longer to get all that slime off of you."
"If you two boys don't mind," interjected Hilda, "I'd like some quiet to prepare."
"Sorry," Harry mumbled. Jean-Pierre stalked away.
"Dumhuvud," she said with a sigh before closing her eyes and breathing deeply.
Soon enough, it was time to begin, and the squirmy-looking wizard led them out of the tent, mumbling words of encouragement along the way.
Upon exiting the tent, Harry was met with a deafening roar from the crowd. Students were chanting and singing the songs of their respective schools. The energy was palpable. Harry scanned the Hogwarts section of the audience, searching for a familiar head of red hair. He did see numerous Weasleys, including the Weasley twins, but unfortunately none of them were Ginny. A sense of dread crept down his back. Professor McGonagall assured Harry she was fine. But then why was she absent on the biggest day of the year?
Harry did not have much time to consider the question before the serene voice of Luna Lovegood washed over the crowd.
"Hullo," she said as though she was surprised to see everyone, "welcome to the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament. My name is Luna Lovegood and I'll be taking over for Harry's father, James Potter, who seems to be quite lovely, if a bit biased towards his son."
Harry couldn't help but grin and look towards his dad in the stands wearing a similar smile on his face.
"It's a lovely grey day and should make for a great experience for all of us in the stands, though I am a bit confused about why there are spectators when everything will be underwater. But since there is a new moon tonight, there are an abundance of Quark Beetles, which should put everyone in good spirits despite nothing going on."
"Ahem," interjected Professor McGonagall, who was standing beside Luna at the ready, "please refrain from disparaging the event, Ms. Lovegood."
Luna covered the microphone with her hand. "I didn't realize I was, Professor. Thank you for making me aware!" Luna beamed before removing her hand from the microphone. "The Hogwarts Champion, Harry Potter, is going first. He's a very nice boy and was a wonderful date for the Yule Ball, even if he only wanted to go as friends. He doesn't like dancing very much and can be quite moody, but I don't think that should impact him in the task."
Thanks to Luna's commentary, Harry felt more at ease than at any time in preparation for today's task. He took the Gillyweed out of his pocket and shook off his robes to reveal a gold and red swimsuit. Approaching the edge of the lake, he dipped his toe in and immediately stepped back. Still just as cold as before.
Mr. Crouch approached with his wand drawn. He pointed in the air. "At the moment I shoot a spark into the air, you may proceed."
Harry took that as his cue to shove the Gillyweed into his mouth. Seconds later, Mr. Crouch muttered a spell and red sparks flew into the air, exploding like fireworks. The crowd let out a great roar.
Harry, meanwhile, simply stood at the edge of the lake. The crowd murmured in confusion, waiting along with Harry for something to happen. For a long moment, Harry worried that the Gillyweed was a bust, that his hopes of winning the tournament were sinking along with whatever he was supposed to miss the most.
But then he felt a tickle in the right side of his neck. It grew stronger and spread to the other side. Harry scratched at the skin and felt a ridge forming. He suddenly was struggling for breath and began to panic. His eyes scanned the crowd, eventually finding his Mum looking frightened at him.
Harry did not know why, but something deep inside of him told him he needed to get into the water. He ran into the lake, splashing Mr. Crouch as he sprinted. He dove headfirst, and suddenly it felt like escaping quicksand. Harry could breath easily underwater. He also found his vision had gone blurry and removed his glasses, only to discover his eyesight improved. Tucking his glasses into his suit, he looked around him. His hands and feet were now webbed, allowing easy movement in the water. The lake, once frigid and restricting, now felt like a warm blanket on a cold winter's day.
He never felt so free, Harry thought. Actually, that wasn't quite true. Harry had felt this way before, many times, in fact. Being in the water now felt very close to being in the air on his broom. Harry felt a beautiful freedom in the water, like he could do whatever he wanted and no one could touch him.
Often, when he was flying, he liked to shoot towards the ground, pulling up just before hitting the ground, his knees skimming the tall blades of grass before shooting back into the sky. But now, he chose to do the exact opposite. Harry kicked his legs fast and took off like a dolphin, shooting out of the water, the cold air whipping against his face. The water droplets began to chill over, but Harry did not notice. He reached his crescendo, let out a loud yell, and let gravity take him back towards the water. He plunged back into the lake with nary a splash, leaving the cheers of the crowd above the surface.
Deeper and deeper he swam, as the water darkened below him. Soon Harry could only see centimeters in front of him. The water became colder. Not too cold, but enough to send a shiver up Harry's spine.
As Harry continued to kick, he found his legs stuck. Looking back, he realized some plant life had wrapped itself around his legs. Harry kicked harder, but this just caused the tendrils to wrap tighter. Harry struggled mightily, becoming more frantic with every kick.
He saw a light from above, illuminating the water. The light grew brighter and larger until it practically blinded him. Jean-Pierre had arrived. Harry saw that the French boy had created a bubble charm, allowing him to breathe easily underwater. Harry was forced to admit Jean-Pierre had been rather clever in attaching a lamp to the bubble. He grinned at Harry's predicament and gave him a wave, mouthing ta-ta as he swam passed.
Harry continued to struggle, feeling as though victory was slipping through his fingers and defeat was tightening around his legs. Then, things got much worse. Harry felt it before he actually saw the massive shark barrel towards him, razor-sharp teeth mashing together in anticipation of the meal to come. The last thing Harry thought before the shark came into contact was why in the world there was a great white shark in a school lake.
Harry closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. But instead, he felt a loosening around his legs. Harry carefully opened his eyes to find the massive shark was not so massive after all. And it appeared to have human legs. He looked down to see the plant tendrils had fallen away and his legs were now free. He realized, rather stupidly, that the shark was actually Hilda transfigured. She gave a wave with her fin and swam further down.
Harry had no time to consider why she had helped him as he was now in last place. Pushing all other thought from his mind, he committed himself to swim faster than he ever swam before. The water soon became clearer, and Harry's vision improved dramatically as he swam over a small hill and came upon what appeared to be a small village. He could vaguely make out the shape of houses and storefronts. Pathways were lit by something Harry could not call a streetlight, but perhaps some form of underwater magic illuminating the town. Whatever it was drew Harry towards the majestic town.
Just as he got to the outskirts, he was distracted by a high-pitched noise. Behind some weeds peered a small creature. Peering closer, Harry saw it was actually a mermaid, very similar looking to the one from the painting in the Prefect's bathroom. Her hypnotic eyes drew Harry in closer and he would have gone to her, given up the task completely, if not for the niggling sensation in the back of his mind. Something did not feel right. And that's when he heard a muffled scream. He looked past the enticing mermaid to see legs thrashing in some corral.
Harry sprung into action, swimming past the mermaid towards the struggle. When he arrived, he found none other than Jean-Pierre being attacked by three merpeople. But these merpeople did not look like the one Harry encountered. Gone were the angelic faces and docile words; in their place were three ugly creatures with sharp teeth and scaly green bodies. Harry considered his options. On one hand, stopping to save Jean-Pierre could prevent Harry from wining the task. Plus, the French boy was a pompous git. Still, Harry could not be so sure that Jean-Pierre would be saved by the tournament officials. In his brief tenure at Hogwarts, Harry learned that student safety was something the professors preached but did not practice.
As much as he hated it, Harry knew the right thing to do. He took out his wand and shouted Reducto thrice, each time blasting a mermaid away from Jean-Pierre. He swam over to where he laid, tangled in the same plants that had ensnared Harry.
Harry pulled Jean-Pierre out of the plants and the two hovered in the water. Jean-Pierre gave him a quick nod and then swam off, Harry right behind him. Soon he overtook Jean-Pierre and continued down into the very depths of the lake. It felt like Harry had been swimming for many hours by the time they reached the lake floor. It was there that a golden beacon of light shone brightly, illuminating the area around it. Harry made out many merpeople and other sea creatures circling the area, which Harry now realized were a series of arches.
As he swam closer, Harry noticed that three objects appeared to be floating, tied by rope to the arches. When he finally was close enough to pass the circle of mermaids, his mouth gaped. The three objects were not objects at all but rather people. Realization dawned on Harry before he even saw her: Ginny was the thing he'd miss the most. That's why she wasn't around last night or in the stands. She was unconsciously floating at the bottom of the Black Lake, all because of him.
Briefly, Harry chanced a glance at the other people tied to the arches. He recognized Jean-Pierre's younger brother, Franc, blissfully unaware of the dangers swimming around him. Hilda's girlfriend was currently being extracted by shark teeth gnawing away on the rope. Soon, the Ravenclaw girl was freed, and Hilda quickly grabbed her and began to long swim up to the surface.
Harry realized he needed to move. He swam over to the arch on the far side where Ginny was tied. Her red hair splayed like a crown around her head. Harry took a quick moment to truly look at her. She wore a similar expression as Jean-Pierre's brother, her eyes closed as in a peaceful rest. But her lips were pressed together, as though she was desperately trying to restrain herself from launching a verbal tirade at someone. Harry assumed she probably put up a hell of a fight going down.
Snapping himself out of the thought, Harry went to work untying Ginny as best he could with his webbed hands. He grabbed her firmly around the waist and pushed off towards the surface, his feet kicking as hard as he could muster. The water oddly began to get cooler as he got closer to the surface. Harry glanced behind him to see dozens of merpeople chasing, thrusting tridents and other weapons in their direction. Harry kicked harder and eventually created some distance. Soon the merpeople had disappeared completely into the black depths of the lake.
Harry grabbed Ginny even tighter. Her eyes were still closed, her lips still pursed. It felt like Harry had been swimming for hours, but eventually he saw rays of sunlight poking through the water and he knew they were close. He saw two sets of legs peddling above him, confirmation that Hilda had emerged first. Harry took one last glance back, searching for any signs of Jean-Pierre. Seeing none, he smiled and with a last burst of energy, brought himself and Ginny above the surface.
The sunlight was blinding, and Harry's first thought was to fish his glasses from his swimsuit. He brushed off the water droplets from the lenses, noticing his hands were no longer webbed and he looked like himself again.
The crowd gave an immediate roar of approval upon seeing Harry, but then it was as if all the air was sucked out of the stands. Harry swam over with Ginny, who was rubbing her eyes as she emerged from her slumber.
When they got to the beach, a person Harry did not know came and wrapped him with a towel, and then Ginny. It was at that moment Harry realized Ginny was awake. He grabbed her in a fierce hug.
"I was the thing you'd miss the most?" she asked through chattering teeth.
"Reckon so," he replied with a grin.
"That's reassuring." Ginny leaned in for a kiss but stopped and looked over his shoulder. Her eyes went wide.
Harry turned around and saw what had spooked Ginny. Professor Weasley, Ron, and the Weasley twins were all staring. While Professor Weasley looked befuddled, the three Weasley boys were red-faced, and each looked like smoke was about to come out of their ears. But it was not the Weasleys who had caused Harry to turn even whiter than he already was. It was what stood behind them.
His entire family had come to watch the task. Simon and Rosie looked like they had seen a lethifold. Jack didn't seem to know what to think, judging by the confused look on his face. Harry noticed his mum's brow was extra creased in worry. But it was the look on his dad's face that Harry would remember vividly for years to come. It was something Harry had never seen before. It was not revulsion, nor disappointed. It wasn't a look of failure or anger. It was something much worse.
Betrayal.
Before Harry could even offer an explanation, James raised his wand and with a loud pop, he was gone.