Albus smiled and stretched out a hand. "Friends?"

"Always." Scorpius extended his hand, Albus pulled Scorpius up into a hug. "That's the second time you've done that."

The two boys break apart and smile before Albus continued. "But I'm pleased we had this argument because it's given me a really good idea."

Scorpius looked suspicious. "About what?"

Albus grinned. "It involves the second task. And humiliation."

Scorpius grabbed his hair. "You're still talking about going back in time? Have we been having the same conversation?"

"You're right... we are losers." Albus sounded a little TOO enthusiastic about that.

"I am a brilliant Quidditch player you know." I reminded him.

"OK, so Lils has one area where she is NOT a loser ("two, I am great at potions" Albus ignored me) We're brilliant at losing and so we should be using our own knowledge here. Our own powers. Losers are taught to be losers. And there's only one way to teach a loser... and we know that better than anyone... humiliation. We need to humiliate him. So in the second task that's what we'll do."

Scorpius thinks... for a long time... and then looked at me. I nodded. Finally taking my hand he smiled. "That's a really good strategy."

Albus looked smug. "I know."

"I mean, quite spectacular. Humiliate Cedric to save Cedric. Clever. And Rose and Hugo?" Scorpius enthused.

Albus grinned at me. "That I'm saving as a sparkly surprise. I can do it without you... but I want you there. Because I want us to do this together. Set things right together. So ... Will you come with us?"

Scorpius: But, just a minute, isn't... wasn't... the second task took place in the lake, and you're not allowed to leave the school building."

Albus grinned. "Yes. About that ... We need to find the girls' bathroom on the first floor."

We went in to the bathroom with Albus explaining his plan on the way and stopped in the center right in front of the large Victorian sink.

Scorpius looked dubious. "So let me get this right... the plan is Engorgement..."

Albus suddenly looked very theatrical. "Yes. Lilliana, that soap, if you may... "

I fished a soap out of the sink.

"Engorgio." Albus fired a bolt from his wand across the room. The soap blows up to four times its size.

"Nice. Consider me engorgimpressed." I groaned at Scorpius' pun.

Albus further explained. "The second task was the lake task. They had to retrieve something which was stolen from them, which turned out to be..."

Scorpius added "... people they loved."

Albus hummed in agreement. "Cedric used a Bubble-Head Charm to swim through the lake. All we do is follow him in there and use Engorgement to turn him into something rather larger. We know the Time-Turner doesn't give us long, so we're going to be quick. Get to him and Engorgio his head and watch him float out of the lake... away from the task... away from the competition..."

Scorpius pointed out the flaw in the plan. "But... you still haven't told us how we're going to actually get to the lake..."

And then suddenly Moaning Myrtle appeared with a jet of water from the sink "Whoa. That feels good. Never used to enjoy that. But when you get to my age, you take what you can..."

Scorpius whooped. "Of course... you're a genius... Moaning Myrtle..."

Moaning Myrtle swooped down onto Scorpius. "What did you call me? Do I moan? Am I moaning now? AM I? AM I?"

Scorpius backed away. "No, I didn't mean..."

Moaning Myrtle shouted. "What's my name?"

Scorpius looked at his feet. "Myrtle."

Moaning Myrtle sniffed. "Exactly... Myrtle. Myrtle Elizabeth Warren... a pretty name... my name... no need for the moaning."

Scorpius had no idea what to say. "Well..."

I was in full disagreement about the moaning, I had been in this bathroom before. But Moaning Myrtle was also known to be quite the tattle tale so I kept my mouth shut so she didn't run off to tattle on us to the Baron.

Moaning Myrtle appeared bashful suddenly and she giggled "It's been a while. Boys. In my bathroom. In my girls' bathroom. Well, that's not right ... But then again, I always did have a soft spot for the Potters. And I was moderately partial to a Malfoy too. Now how can I help you pair?"

I glared at her and stepped closer to Scorpius. "WHICH Malfoy?"

Albus elbowed me in the side. "You were there, Myrtle... in the lake. They wrote about you. There must be a way out of these pipes."

Moaning Myrtle looked flattered. "I've been everywhere. But where specifically were you thinking?"

"The second task. The lake task. In the Triwizard Tournament." Albus told her. "Twenty-five years ago. Harry and Cedric."

Moaning Myrtle sighed. "Such a shame the pretty one had to die. Not that your father is not pretty... but Cedric Diggory... you'd be amazed at how many girls I had to hear doing love incantations in this very bathroom ... And the weeping after he was taken."

She did NOT sound as though she had wept.

Albus pleaded. "Help us, Myrtle, help us get into that same lake."

Moaning Myrtle looked sadly at Albus. "You think I can help you travel in time?"

"We need you to keep a secret." Oh now why did Albus have to tell her THAT?

"I love secrets. I won't tell a soul. Cross my heart and hope to die. Or... the equivalent. For ghosts. You know." Moaning Myrtle crossed her chest.

Albus nodded at Scorpius, who revealed the Time-Turner.

Albus explained our plan to Moaning Myrtle. "We can travel in time. You're going to help us travel the pipes. We're going to save Cedric Diggory."

Moaning Myrtle grinned. "Well, that sounds like fun."

"And we've no time to lose." Yeah, especially since she is going to rat us out.

Moaning Myrtle motioned. "This very sink. This very sink empties directly into the lake. It breaks every bylaw but this school has always been antiquated. Dive in and you will be piped straight to it."

Albus pulls himself into the sink, dumping his cloak as he does. Scorpius and I copied him.

Albus handed me and Scorpius some green foliage in a bag. "Some for me and some for you two."

Scorpius looked down at the slimy plant. "Gillyweed? We're using gillyweed? To breathe underwater?"

Albus held up his gillyweed. "Just like my dad did. Now, are you ready?"

Scorpius looked at us both. "Remember, this time we can't be caught out by the clock... "

Albus agreed, "Five minutes, that's all we allow for... before we get pulled back to the present."

Scorpius looked even more concerned. "Tell me this is all going to be okay."

Albus grinned. "It's all going to be entirely okay. Are you ready?"

"It will be fine Scorp." I assured him. "I mean, how much worse could we really make it?"

Albus took the gillyweed and disappeared down.

Scorpius was clearly having second thoughts. "No, Albus... Albus..."

He looked up, he and I were alone with Moaning Myrtle.

Moaning Myrtle smiled. "I do like brave boys."

Scorpius looking a little bit scared, a tiny bit brave. "Then I'm entirely ready. For whatever comes."

"Together?" I asked him.

"Always." We took the gillyweed and disappeared down.

Once again the world spun away from us. From somewhere above we could hear a loud voice booming.

It was again Ludo Bagman. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you the greatest, the fabulous, the one and the only TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT. If you're from Hogwarts. Give me a cheer."

There was a loud cheer.

Albus, Scorpius I were swimming through the lake. Descending through the water with graceful ease.

Ludo could still be heard above. "If you're from Durmstrang give me a cheer."

There was a loud cheer.

He tried to liven the girls up from last time. "AND IF YOU'RE FROM BEAUXBATONS GIVE ME A CHEER."

There's a slightly less limp cheer.

"The French are getting into this." Ludo proclaimed. "And they're off . . . Viktor's a shark, of course he is, Fleur looks remarkable, ever plucky Harry is using gillyweed, clever Harry, very clever and Cedric well, Cedric, what a treat, ladies and gentlemen, Cedric is using a Bubble Charm to cruise through the lake.

Cedric Diggory approached us through the water, a bubble over his head. I, Albus and Scorpius raised our wands together and fired an Engorgement Charm through the water.

He turned and looked at us, confused. And it hit him. And around him the water glowed gold.

And then Cedric started to grow — and grow again — and grow some more. He looked around himself entirely panicked. And we watched as Cedric ascended helplessly through the water.

"But no, what's this." Ludo's voice was astonished. "Cedric Diggory is ascending out of the water and seemingly out of the competition. Oh, ladies and gentlemen, we don't have our winner but we certainly have our loser. Cedric Diggory is turning into a balloon, and this balloon wants to fly. Fly, ladies and gentlemen, fly. Fly out of the task and out of the tournament and oh my, it gets wilder still, around Cedric, fireworks explode declaiming "Ron loves Hermione" and the crowd love that, oh, ladies and gentlemen, the look on Cedric's face. It's quite some picture, it's quite some sight, it's quite some tragedy. This is a humiliation, there's no other word for it."

And Albus smiles widely and high-fived Scorpius in the water. Both hugged me.

This was great! We had done it! Cedric would be safe and sound. Bruised ego, but alive.

And Albus pointed up, and we nodded, and started to swim ever upwards. And as Cedric ascended, people start to laugh, and everything changed.

The world became darker. The world becomes almost black, in fact.

This was nothing like the last two times. And I was afraid.

And there was a flash. And a bang. And the Time-Turner ticked to a stop. And we were back in the present.

Scorpius suddenly emerged, shooting up through the water. And he was triumphant. I came up right beside him.

Scorpius shouted, fist pumping the air. "Woooo-hoooooo!"

He looks around, surprised. And then at me confused. "Where's Albus?" He put his arms into the air. "We did it!"

I looked through the water as far as I could but there was no sign of Albus anywhere.

"Albus?" Scorpius called.

Albus still doesn't emerge. Scorpius treaded water for a moment, thinking and then he dove back into the water.

He emerges back up again. Now looking thoroughly panicked. He looked around. "Albus… ALBUS… ALBUS!"

And there's a whisper in Parseltongue. I don't even know how I knew what I was hearing but I just… knew. And it was awful. "He's coming. He's coming. He's coming." We could hear the chant being taken up everywhere,

A voice screeched near us. "Scorpius Malfoy, Lilliana Umbridge. Get out of the lake. Get out of the lake. Right now."

Lilliana…. Who now? I looked right up in to the face from my nightmares.

My Aunt. Dolores Umbridge.