Chapter 5: The Necklace


Author's note: when Harry says "hehhh hehh" he's not having a giggling fit, but instead, is out of breath. Thought I'd let you know.

Oh, and please review! It would really motivate me to finish the story. Thanks!

Harry ran faster than he had ever run before (well not quite as fast as when he was being chased by spiders or a werewolf, but it was still pretty damn fast!).

"I'm hehhh, hehh sorry hehhh hehh that I'm late Mr. Bagman sir," said Harry breathing hard.

"That's fine m'boy, ready for the next task?"

"I hehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hehh, suppose so,"

Harry walked over to where the rest of the competitors were lined up and stood next to Cedric who was chewing gum and looking perfectly relaxed.

"Hey, Harry," Cedric said as he nudged Harry with his elbow.

"Hey"

Cedric winked and flashed Harry that signature smile of his "Good luck."

Harry's knees went weak and his insides melted.

"Oh, you too," Harry breathed, "good luck…to you too"

"Oh and Harry, I was thinking that maybe afterwards we could—"

"Champions get ready! On the count of three now….ONE….TWO…THREEEEE"

All four of the champions rushed out to the water and jumped in, the crowd cheering wildly. Harry quickly went into hypothermic shock. The water was frickin' freezing! He dove deeper and deeper into the water, until he reached the bottom and came face to face with a hideous looking merman.

"Uhh…hi," Harry gurgled, "h-how's it going?"

"Not bad," the merman replied, "I'm glad you're here."

"Oh…are you really? Are you going to help me with the task? Because if you're not, I must really get going, there's a time limit you see, and…"

"No, I just wanted to give you this," the merman said showing Harry a necklace with a heart-shaped locket. "This is yours isn't it? You must have dropped it in a toilet or down a drain in a bathtub or something. Here TAKE IT." He shoved the necklace in Harry's face.

"It's not mine!" Harry exclaimed backing away yet gaining some confidence, "Now will you please step aside!"

"If it's not yours, then why is your picture in it?" the merman said with anger.

"I…say what?"

"A picture of you. In the locket. See?" he opened the heart-shaped locket and revealed an image of a smiling Harry after a Quidditch game.

Harry was speechless. Could it be? Could this be Cedric's necklace?

"Cedric!" Harry sighed.

The merman looked pissed.

"Oh, oh yeah that's mine, thanks Mr. merman!" Harry said happily stuffing the necklace away in a pocket.

"What?" the merman shouted in outrage, "I'm not a merman, I'm a mermaid!"

"OH!" squeaked Harry, "It's just that you're so…so manly!"

And then before he knew it, Harry was being pushed through the water a million miles a minute by a very angry and extremely masculine mermaid. Soon they reached the merpeoples' village where Harry saw Ron, Hermione, Cho and Fleur's sister tied to a stone merperson.

"OK OK, this is good, stop here!" Harry screamed.

"Not until you apologize, arrrrrrrrr!" growled the mermaid.

"Ok, you are the most beautiful mermaid I have ever seen! I don't know what I was thinking earlier, it was the lack of oxygen! I swear!"

"Do you really think I'm beautiful," the mermaid said in a deep husky voice.

"Yes! I'd date you if I were a merman!"

"Ok, I'll stop here."

"Thank you. Oh by the way, you don't happen to have a knife or anything so I can release my friends?" asked Harry.

"Sure, here you go," the mermaid said as she took out a rather large kitchen knife which pointed directly at Harry. "Here," she said extending her arm and accidentally cutting the pocket on Harry's swim trunks open.

"Cedric's necklace!" exclaimed Harry as the piece of jewelry floated away.

"You don't have time for that!" the mermaid said rolling her eyes, "Go rescue your friends."

"Listen," Harry began, "I need extra time to get the necklace and save Ron so could you lie for me and tell Dumbledore that I took too much time because I was trying to save everyone?"

"Ha ha, want extra points for moral fiber eh?" the mermaid chuckled.

"Well, yeah."

"Ok dokey."

When the task was over and the judging complete, Harry came out in first place tied with Cedric.

"Ceeeeeeeeeeeedriiiiiiiiiiiiic!" screeched Cho as she ran towards the soaking wet Cedric, her arms outstretched.

But he didn't even notice her—his eyes were glued to a certain fourth year who had just whipped his head back in slow motion to get the untidy black hair out of his eyes, revealing a sexy bolt-shaped scar. My god, he looked good without glasses Cedric thought to himself. Just then Harry caught Cedric staring at him.

They started walking towards each other.

"Ceeeedriiic?" Cho screamed, "I'm over heeeeeeeeeere!"

Cedric broke into a run towards Harry and embraced him.

"Ha ha! We did it, we're in first!" Cedric laughed as tears of joy poured down his face mixing with the seawater.

"I can't believe it, ha ha," Harry exclaimed, squeezing Cedric hard.

A large crowd of cheering Hogwarts students gathered around the two champions.

"Speech! Speech!" yelled George over the noise. The crowd began to quiet down.

"Speech?" Harry laughed, "No, I couldn't"

"I'd just like to say—" Cedric began loudly wrapping his arm around Harry, "I love this guy,"

Harry froze. Was he in a dream? Or did Cedric just profess his love for him?

"There is no one I'd rather be tied in first place with," Cedric added giving Harry a platonic punch in the shoulder. The crowd burst into wild cheering.

Harry exhaled. Cedric made it sound like a brotherly gesture. But in his heart, Harry knew that Cedric meant it.

"Wooooooooooooooo!" Harry joined in with the rest of the cheering crowd.

"Wooooooooo hoooooooooooo!"

"Harry," Cedric screamed over the cheering, "I was going to ask you earlier,"

"Yes?"

"Want to go bowling with me?"

"What?"

"Bowling, it's a muggle game that's catching on in the wizarding world. I thought it'd give us a chance to you know, relax before the next task." Cedric said, still chewing gum.

"Were you chewing that piece of gum during the task?" Harry asked grinning.

"Ha ha, yeah actually I was. So you wanna go?"

"Ha ha ha ha, are you kidding? Yeah!"

They were going on a date, Harry kept thinking to himself. A DATE. What should he wear!

REVIEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW please.