It was early January and term had begun, the second task was drawing nearer. Cedric was spotted in the library looking at specific books on water animals. I wanted to help him but I thought it better just to leave him alone until he talked to me. I was approached on the evening of the second task almost an hour before it started by Professor Flitwick who told me that I was needed for the second task and to report to Professor Dumbledore who was in Professor McGonagall's office. It looked as if I wasn't the only one who was needed. Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and some girl who looked as if she was only eight-years-old with silvery-blonde hair were also in McGonagall's office when I was there. I sat down with the three other people.
"We're going to need all of you for the second task," Dumbledore explained. "I'll be casting a spell upon you that will put you into a deep sleep. All of you will be safe and you will awaken once you are above water."
*
The next thing I knew I was being pulled out of the lake by Cedric. Madam Pomfrey wrapped think blankets around us and gave us something to drink that caused steam to come from both of our ears.
"What happened?" I asked Cedric.
"The egg – when I pulled it underwater it said, 'Come seek us where our voices sound, We cannot sing above the ground. We've taken what you'll sorely miss.' The whole task was rescuing you, you know. It's nothing now that you're okay. At first I thought Harry was going to grab you but I got there just in time. You were taken by the merpeople in the lake. I thought I wasn't going to make it. There was only an hour…"
"So," I began, "the merpeople took me 'cause I was something that you would 'sorely miss' and I was put at the bottom of the lake with other hostages and you saved me but you only had an hour to do it."
He nodded and wrapped the blanket tighter around him; he was looking toward the lake.
Fleur came out of the water but she wasn't holding anyone. Madame Maxime helped her out of the lake. She had cuts on her face and on her arms and her robes were torn. Madam Pomfrey tried to clean her scars but Fleur ignored her. Minutes later, Viktor Krum had come out of the lake holding his hostage. Hermione seemed to be awake and helped herself onto the ground. Madam Pomfrey rushed to them. She wrapped blankets around them and gave them something to drink. Twenty minutes went by before Harry came out of the water with two hostages: Ron and the girl with silvery hair. The judges huddled together as Fleur went to the girl.
Seconds later, Ludo Bagman's voice was magnified and the crowd went silent. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Mercheiftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows…
"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."
There was applause from the stands as Fleur said, "I deserved zero." She shook her head.
"Cedric Diggory," Bagman continued, "who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour." There was an enormous applause from the Hufflepuffs in the crowd. I smiled at Cedric. "We therefore award him forty-seven points."
Cedric returned his smile to me and I quickly kissed him on the cheek. He was in first place so far.
"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points.
"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great affect. He returned last and well outside the time limit of an hour. However the Mercheiftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all the hostages to safety, not merely his own. Most of the judges feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full remarks." He threw Karkaroff a nasty look. "However… Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."
The crowd broke into a wild applause. The champions clapped along with everyone else though Cedric knew that he was tied with Harry.
"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," continued Bagman. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you for all your support of the champions."
Madam Pomfrey came to us once again and asked if we were okay and then shooed the champions and their hostages back into the castle so we could get into dry clothes.
"I'm glad it's over," Cedric muttered to me. "I didn't want anything to happen to you."
I smiled. "I'm glad to know that you care so much."
He slipped his hand into mine as we walked back into the castle.
I didn't care that we were in wet clothes or that teachers were behind us or ahead of us as I kissed him on the cheek. I was glad to have him, glad that he did ask me to the Yule Ball and not any other girl. I was glad that he was here I didn't want to let him go.
The crowd soon diminished as Cedric and I headed our separate ways. Marietta, Emily, Min, and SuYoung soon caught up with me.
"Cho, I was so worried about you!" Emily squeaked. "We were all looking for you! We thought something terrible had happened! We were so relieved when we saw Cedric pull you out of the lake."
"Thanks for worrying, Emily, but I'm perfectly fine," I told her as we entered the Ravenclaw common room. Its blue armchairs and glowing fireplace comforted me though reminded me that I was still in wet clothes.
"You must be proud of Cedric," Marietta said, "being tied with Harry Potter."
"What do you mean?" I asked. "You think that Cedric isn't good enough?"
Marietta hesitated. "No…just…Harry does like you…"
"That doesn't mean he's better than Cedric."
"I never said that!"
"You were sure leading to it!" I shouted. A few heads in the common room turned my way as I stomped off to the girls' dormitories.