Dudley led the way to the edge of the lake. There wasn't many people around. Most of the school had headed back to their dorms.
"I just open it under water, right?" he asked Dean.
"Yeah, and stick your head under," Dean said.
Feeling foolish, Dudley got on his hands and knees and held the egg under water. He opened it and a bunch of bubbles shot to the surface.
"Don't drop it," Ron said with a grin.
"I'm not that stupid," Dudley replied and stuck his head under.
The water was cold, but instead of the harsh screaming sound, he could hear singing.
Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took.
But past an hour - the prospect's black
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back
Dudley lifted his head up, gasping for breath and dripping wet.
"Hear anything?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, a song, hang on …"
Dudley stuck his head under again and listened. When he resurfaced, he saw Dean had a quill and, bizarrely, a photograph of Lockhart.
"Right, what did it say, Dud?" he asked.
"Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground, something something ponder this … hang on," Dudley repeated.
Dean wrote what Dudley said on the back of the photo (Lockhart looked affronted).
"Don't write the something something," Ron advised.
Dudley stuck his middle finger up at him and stuck his head under again.
"Ok," he said, once he resurfaced. "And while your searching, ponder this …"
It took three more times until they had the song written down in full. Both Ron and Dean insisted on giving it a listen too, just in case they heard something different.
"It's a riddle," Lockhart said, leaning over them to look at the writing.
"Not really a riddle—more hints of what to do," said Dean.
"Come seek us where our voices sound," Lockhart repeated. "That clearly means underwater."
"And we know it's merpeople," said Ron. "So, Dud needs to go and find the Merpeople."
"Taken what you'll surely miss," Dean said. "Dunno what that be? Your wand—maybe you're meant to do it without magic?"
"Nah, this is a tournament all about magic," Ron said. "It's bound to be something else."
"Seems like he has an hour to find it," Dean said, thoughtfully, reading the last part.
"Ok, so how do I get underwater? I'm guessing there's a spell or something," Dudley said.
"I know how," Lockhart said eagerly. "My adventures have all been land-based, but I once joined the Dark Force Defence League on a search for a Kappa in Scotland—illegally imported pet, set free in the lake! I soon saw it off, but kappas are a bit minor for a full book. Though, I mention it briefly in Magical Me, I'm sure you all remember it?"
"So, how did you manage to breath underwater?" Ron interrupted Lockhart's bragging.
"The bubblehead charm," Lockhart said. "It's NEWT level, but I'm sure we can get the hang of it."
Dudley gazed at Lockhart. "And this will definitely work …"
'Of course, I used it myself,' Lockhart said indignantly. "Look, I was misinformed about the Sphinx. So, let me make it up to you. We're bound to be the first to have solved the egg clue, so you have a bit of a head start on the others. We can get practicing the bubblehead charm tomorrow!"
"He has plenty of time," Ron said.
Dean however, shook his head. "We don't know how long it'll take to learn," he argued. "Might as well get it done quickly. Then we can practice other spells he might need—I don't know what's in the lake, but there's bound to be some sort of monsters."
"I bet there'll be Grindylows," said Ron.
"Ah! I have encountered many on my travels …" Lockhart began.
"Break its fingers," Dudley said, remembering Lockhart's class.
"Exactly what I was going to say," Lockhart said.
"The bludgeoning hex should deal with that," said Dean. "That's my specialty, I can teach you that."
"And I'll teach you the bubblehead charm,' said Lockhart.
They all looked at Ron.
"I guess, I'll provide moral support," he said with a shrug.
As they headed back to the castle, Dudley suddenly remembered what Malfoy had said about Sirius Black. "Professor," he said, deciding that Lockhart might be able to help. "Before the task, I had a word with Malfoy-Draco Malfoy."
"He said something nasty, I suppose," Ron said.
"No, well yes ... well, I'm not sure," Dudley answered. "Professor, he told me that Sirius Black is innocent."
They all pause and stared at Dudley.
"He's clearly lying, Dud," said Dean.
"Yeah, it's absolute rubbish," Ron said.
"Your friends are right," said Lockhart. "Sirius Black killed 13 people, Dudley. By all accounts he was giving information to You-Know-Who-For-Years. Remember, I knew Sirius when he was at school and he was not a very nice person back then. I assure you, Dudley, Sirius Black was not innocent."
"Told you," said Dean.
"Yeah, but Dumbledore wanted to question him ..." said Dudley. "Remember, he gave me and Hermione the time turner to try and stop him from getting kissed."
"Time turner?" Lockhart said, confused. Dudley remembered, Lockhart didn't know about that.
"That was to save Lupin," Dean said. "Not Black."
"Dad told me all they found of Pettigrew was his finger," Ron said. "Black's curse blew him to smitherings."
"Pettigrew ..." Dudley muttered. He felt certain that name was familiar somehow, and not in relation to Black. Almost like he had seen it somewhere else or even knew someone by that name.