Beauty from the lake

A/N: Here's Chapter 2. Some things are slightly different than in the book, I hope you won't mind. Read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Harry Potter Universe, but J. K. Rowling does!

Review responses:

Krirobe: Thank you, I'm glad you like it. Let's say that Mariana is different than the rest of merpeople living in the lake. Maybe she is half mermaid hald human, (if that's possible at all ) or something...Anyway, I labeled the story AU, due the differences.

Squishy Gamgee: Thank you. I labeled the story AU, according to your advice. I hope now it's ok.

Chapter 2 - Second task

Hermione, Ron and Harry were still standing by the lake, looking at the water surface Mariana had just disappeared under, when Malfoy stood up, with great help of various profanities. "Crabbe, Goyle, let's go!" he snapped at his two companions. "I'll make her pay for this later!" he threatened before he finally left.

"He'll never change," Hermione shook her head. "Let's go back to the school, we need to find some way for Harry to spend an hour underwater. We can search in the library," she added. They did as Hermione said.

"She is a nice girl...I mean, mermaid," said Harry, meaning Mariana.

"Yeah, and she's pretty too," agreed Ron. "I wonder what her name is..."

"Mariana," informed him Hermione.

"What?" asked Harry and Ron confusedly.

"Her name is Mariana," repeated Hermione.

"Oh...and how would you know? Read it in Hogwarts: A history?" asked Ron sarcastically.

"Actually no, I talked to her," replied Hermione smoothly. "We're kind of friends now, I daresay." By that time they reached the library.

Ron stopped and so did the other two. "And you never told us?"

"Well, I was talking about her few times, I'm sure. If you were more observant you'd know." With that Hermione turned and walked into the library. The two boys followed her.

"She doesn't tell us and now she's upset about it. Girls," muttered Ron under his breath, "sometimes I think I'll never understand them."

In the evening came Myrtle again. Mariana went to sit on the bank of the lake above water. It was now completely vacant and she could imperturbably enjoy the calmness and silence of this beautiful night. Myrtle was floating next to her above ground.

Mariana told her about the encounter earlier this day and Mytrle rewarded her with a speech about Harry. Mariana pretended to listen carefully and dazed off into her thoughts. Not because she would have something against Harry, but she had already heard of him so much that she felt like she knew him better than he himself.

Mariana turned her gaze to the sky, now indigo blue and star-studded. It was a wonderful sight. She looked at the moon crescent that blazed with a radiant light. It was apparent that it was waxing, in fact it was almost full. This reminded her of Remus Lupin. Poor Professor Lupin,' she thought, the full moon is near. I hope he won't forget to take his potion.'

The mermaid sighed and looked around. Myrtle was still talking about oh-so-compelling Harry Potter. Waters of lake rippled slightly in light wind and the air was fresh. The trees of Forbidden Forest were standing still, and she remembered the unicorn she had seen there today afternoon. Naturally, the incident that happened soon after also came across her mind.

This hadn't been the first time Malfoy had been bothering her, but she'd never tried to pay him back till now; she just didn't want any fights with students. But today, that nice boy, Ron, defended her, and Malfoy insulted also him and Hermione, who was her friend, and that was enough. She felt sure he wouldn't trouble her again. He'd got what he deserved. It was kind of Ron that he helped me.' Mariana looked at the starry sky again and thought with a smile: I wonder if I see him again soon.'

A week passed and Mariana hadn't seen anyone of the trio'. She'd often sat at the rock near the lake shore in hope she'd see Ron, but he didn't turn up, and neither did Hermione or Harry. They just have a lot of learning and then there's that Triwizard Tournament, Harry must prepare for that too...I'm sure Hermione wouldn't forget about me, she's a friend after all,' the mermaid assured herself.

This morning it was the same way. When Mariana was above water she saw few people only, but Ron, Hermione or Harry weren't among them. And to her pleasure, neither was Draco Malfoy.

She returned underwater and sat in front of her house now. Not long after she noticed Myrtle. She had come to tell Mariana some news about Harry as usually, then she told her that today is the day of second task of Triwizard Tournament and floated away, probably to see Harry performing the second task.

Mariana decided to swim to the merpeople's village. She didn't use to go often there - some of them weren't glad to see her there often, because with exception of the tail she weren't similar to them at all. She didn't have greyish skin, green hair, nor yellow eyes and she also could speak not only underwater, but also above, just like humans did. She had few friends in the village though.

Swimming, she approached the village, that she could see the stone houses appearing around her. After a while she came to a square where a big statue of a merperson was. Today it seemed somehow different.

Mariana swam closer and soon she realised why. There were four people tied to the statue's tail and they seemed to be in a very deep sleep. She came even closer, so she could see them properly. One of them was Ron...next to him was Hermione...and then some black-haired girl at about their age and some little blonde girl.

Mariana gasped with shock. Why are they here? And for how long already?' She swam to Hermione and tried to loosen the ropes that held her, but they were tied tight. Then she swam to Ron and tried to cut his ropes with a stone that she'd picked up from the bottom.

One of the mermen guarding the four hostages noticed her and swam to her: "Hey, you can't do that. Get away from them now!" She tried to argue but he pulled her away.

Then she spotted Nalia, a merwoman from village, sitting outside her house and swam to her. Mariana asked her about Ron, Hermione, and other two girls.

"I was told they're part of the second task, Mariana,' said Nalia. "You know about the Triwizard Tournament, don't you?"

Mariana nodded. "Hermione told me."

"Hermione?" "My human friend. She's here, too.The girl with wavy brown hair, " the mermaid informed her. "So what about the second task?"

"The task for the champions is to find what they would miss most and retrieve it from us. They have an hour for it. Then it's too late."

"Too late?" Mariana got scared. "When the champions don't find them-"

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to them, we're going to bring them back in that case," Nalia interrupted her.

"Oh...ok," she sighed with relief.

Mariana talked to her friend for a while, then decided to return home. There was nothing she could do to help Hermione or Ron to get back, or Harry to find them, anyway. On the way to her house she met Harry. He recognised her and made a movement with his hand which Mariana assumed was a wave. She waved him back and called: "Good luck, Harry!"

After a while she saw a blonde girl with head in bubble. It must be that Bubble Head Charm. I've heard humans use it sometimes when they go underwater.' The girl was swimming in the same direction as Harry. Mariana swam into her house and looked out through the window. She noticed that the blonde girl was now swimming back to surface quickly, with a few Grindylows chasing after her.

Almost an hour passed and Mariana saw Harry swimming back, trying to get to the surface. He had got Ron with him, and the little blonde girl too. She watched him from the distance. He was swimming slowlier now, she guessed it was hard for him to carry both Ron and the girl, who were still sleeping.

He was only few metres from the surface when it happened. A Grindylow attacked him, and Harry, not expecting it, dropped Ron. Mariana's eyes widened in shock at the sight of Ron falling helplessly to the bottom of the lake. Without any hesitation, she swam forward, caught Ron and swam to the water surface with him. She saw that by that time Harry managed to get rid of the Grindylow. Mariana handed him Ron, not wanting to go with him, she thought the judges might disqualify him if they saw her help him.

Harry said something. Only a bubble came out, but Mariana understood that it was thank you'. She watched him surface and thought with a smile: I bet he'll win the Tournament.' When she swam back home, her thoughts turned to his friends: I hope that Ron and Hermione are okay.'

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