Chapter 68
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Rebekah stood in a tight fitting two piece, black and green in colour, by the rest of the Champions wearing similar things on the bank of the lake. Though, Fleur wore a powder blue one piece instead of a two piece like her. Both Witches had their hair pulled back into low ponytails.
Each of them had their wands tucked into small harnesses. While both males decided to have theirs on their left calf, and Fleur chose hers to be on her thigh, Rebekah opted for the one that would attach to the side of her waist. Each were provided with knives to attach to their harnesses but Rebekah took her butterfly blade from Sirius.
Each head of the schools stood behind their members, so Rebekah and Cedric were the two to the right of the group with Dumbledore behind them. Krum stood next to Cedric while Fleur finished it off.
Rebekah swallowed the potion after declaring it to the judges, and waited for the mark before all four of them sprinted into the water without a moment's break to think.
The water was icy before it started to warm her, heating filling her bloodstream as the potion began to change her. When she got to the point where the water was waist height, she dived because her lack of oxygen was severe. Gills ripped themselves into the sides of her throat and she blew out all of the air she held in her lungs as the water consumed her completely
With each kick against the water current to get her further into the deep darkness of the lake, her legs slowly merged and melded until they were one. With a set of chills, Rebekah could feel her skin change. Dark purple scales covered her shoulders and went down her sides and still covered her breasts completely. It faded out into normal skin at the biceps but her fingers were webbed and scaled in a dark grey colour.
This dark grey colour matched the killer whale tail she acquired and the dark fin on her back and the sides of her biceps. Below each elbow, the skin turned grey and eventually dark purple at the fingertips. She could feel her hair, now loose from the ponytail, swishing as she swam easily.
She loved the silence of the lake.
Even if she knew there was life within the lake, the sereness of the quiet waves brought something out in her. If she ran her tongue against her teeth, the prickles of sharp teeth would bite at her tongue.
For several minutes, Rebekah was lost and had no idea where to even start looking.
Why did she keep forgetting that she was not Human at the moment?
Rebekah paused her swimming, screamed verbally as she clutched her hands into her hair and pulled. She allowed her frustrations out before taking a deep breath and concentrating. Closing her eyes, she felt a sudden wave of chills as the water vibrated and she could almost feel the four bodies in the water several dozen metres away.
After a time, at least twenty minutes or so, Rebekah thought, she heard the Mersong and continued following it. She had half an hour left to find whatever she needed to before she lost it forever.
"… your time's half gone, so tarry not
Lest what you seek stays here to rot…"
The Mersong continued as Rebekah swam past the crude building of where the Merpeople dwelled.
Within a few metres, Rebekah was in the middle of the Merpeople Colony of the Black Lake. The centre looked like a village area, with houses and dwellings all around. The centre held four people in total, Hermione, Cho Chang, a little blonde girl, and Logan. Rebekah supposed that Logan was for her because he was her date for the Yule Ball. The blonde girl must have been Fleur's sister.
Speaking of Champions, where were they?
Rebekah was probably the first there but when she moved towards the captives, the Merpeople started yaping in a tongue even Rebekah couldn't understand under water. They gesture wildly as she saw the distorted face of Cedric in his yellow and black trunks and matching shirt. He nodded and waved to her as he grabbed Cho by the rope that bound her to the rock and cut it with a spell.
Cedric was the first to reach the surface, getting the first position for this task.
Not a minute after Cedric left, Rebekah sensed the vibrations in the water and moved out of the way to let Viktor swim by in his half shark form. He tried to bite at the rope but his teeth were way too big. Rebekah tapped him on the shoulder and took the rope from him, biting and ripping it easily. He gurgled a thanks before he too began to swim away to the surface.
Rebekah snapped her teeth at one of the Merpeople as they got too close to the captives. She was waiting for Fleur now for a good five minutes. The Merpeople wouldn't allow Rebekah to take both captives.
"Then when is Fleur coming to get her?" Rebekah nodded to the blonde girl floating by Logan's side.
"She isn't,"
Right.
Rebekah cut Logan's rope with her knife, easily catching it before he floated away. She shoved him until she knew he would reach the surface at a slow rate before going for the blonde girl. She was stopped by a spear held by a seven foot Merman with shark teeth as a necklace.
"You have your captive, you leave now."
"And you will have a bite out of you, get out of my way."
The Merman looked to a high point near one end of the centre, two merpeople sat with several guards surrounding them. Merchieftainess Murcus nodded her head once as Mell bounced in place and smiled her sharp teeth at Rebekah. The Witch waved and smiled before the Merman moved out of the way and allowed her to take the girl.
Rebekah set the girl so she could hold her to her chest as she was still in her sleep state. Grabbing Logan several dozen metres before they would even break the surface, Rebekah could feel the potion wear away slowly. First it was her webbed hands and now she could move her fingers freely.
The Merpeople that surrounded her as she swam just watched her slow down with each passing second. Her scales were fading and the outline of her legs and feet could be seen. She almost reached the surface as the gills disappeared, letting her get a breath of water before she broke the water surface and expelled the water.
Logan and the girl instantly woke up and Logan began swimming.
"I'm never doing that again," He laughed before he saw the serious look on Rebekah's face as she clutched the girl to her still changing form. "Let's get to shore."
It took a minute but they got to shore easily. Rebekah still held onto the girl as they walked onto the bank where everyone was standing.
Nona was one of the first to be there, grabbing her brother by the shoulders and hugging his soaking form. She began to mumble in Bulgarian to him.
"Fleur," Rebekah tried to call out but her voice felt dry. "I've got her…"
"Miss Potter," Dumbledore called out as he held out a hand to stop her. "Stay in the water until the transformation is finished. You still have scales and will for a few more moments. "
Rebekah nodded mutely, her throat closing up. She gently put the blonde girl, Gabrielle as Fleur called out, down and allowed her to run into her sister's arms. Rebekah dropped to her knees in the shallow water as she felt the remnants of the potion leave her exhausted.
It took another ten minutes before Rebekah was pulled out of the water by an impatient Emperor who wouldn't stop hiss at her. Madam Pomfrey tucked a dark towel tightly around her, tight enough that even Rebekah couldn't move properly. To get herself properly dry, Rebekah transformed into her Animagus form, much to the jealousy of the other wet Champions and captives, and was able to shake the water off of her maroon coat before turning back and shrugging off the now loose towel.
Madam Pomfrey shoved a hot potion down her throat, watching as steam escaped from Rebekah's ears before stopping.
Bagman began to speak, silencing the roaring crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess 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…" He stated. "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.
"Cedric Diggory, 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. We therefore award him forty-seven points.
"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."
Bagman took a breath. "Rebekah Potter used a declared potion to transform herself into an aquatic form. Returning last, and well outside the time limit of an hour, Miss Potter was however the first to reach the hostages. The Merchieftainess has informed us that Miss Potter tried to get all captives free but was prevented by the rules and guards. She, however, waited until the rest of the hostages were rescued before deciding to take both remaining hostages to safety. Miss Potter's score is forty-five points."
"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," Bagman continued, "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."
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During a Potions lesson, a few minutes before Snape was to appear, Rebekah sat with her face in her hand as she watched a coloured image of herself on the Witch Weekly newspaper. It was one of the first pictures Skeeter took of her individual near the beginning of the tournament.
Conquests of Miss Rebekah Potter.
Deprived of love and comforts since the horrific demise of her parents, fourteen-year-old Rebekah Potter has found solace in boys this year. Her friendship group consists of three PureBloods from old families, Theodore Nott from the Nott Family, Blaise Zabini from the Zabini Family, and Draco Malfoy from the old Malfoy line. As other students observe this group, (also consisting of Purebloods, Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, and Halfblood, Tracey Davis,) Rebekah Potter has these poor boys at her disposal.
"They always follow her around," Said one Fourth-year Gryffindor, "All of them. If she asks, they do it instantly like they were trained. I've never heard her say thank you to them."
And just this year, Rebekah Potter is caught cozying up with two Durmstrang boys.
Mr Viktor Krum can be seen speaking to Miss Potter on several small occasions, always resulting in them getting along quite closely. However, Mr Krum had taken Miss Hermione Granger, a Muggleborn in the same year as Miss Potter, to the Yule Ball so we can assume Miss Potter's advances were rejected. (Poor girl!)
Another boy, Logan Romanov, the fourteen year old brother of Nona Romanov (who had put her name in the Goblet but did not get chosen), had taken Miss Potter to the Yule Ball. After a while and when most of the students migrated to the Black Lake to begin ice skating, Mr Romanov began to teach Miss Potter how to ice skate. She is pictured falling onto him several times.
Mr Romanov even asked if Miss Potter was a Pureblood and soon was told that her mother was a MuggleBorn to his dismay. (MuggleBorns do not study at Durmstrang, but Halfbloods can.) But later found out that Miss Potter wasn't interested in him just before he taught her how to skate.
Poor Logan Romanov, being led on.
But who is Miss Potter truly dating? Is it one of the boys in her group or is it the Foreign beauty? We may never truly know…
"She's made me sound like a harlot!" Rebekah whispered through clenched teeth as she quickly lit the piece of newspaper on fire. Rebekah shrugged. "Not that I actually care but no one gets to call me a whore besides myself!"
She was bitter for the rest of the double lesson of Potions, and Karkaroff, who had appeared near the beginning and refused to leave unless he spoke to Snape, hovering didn't help. And when Snape accused her of stealing ingredients, when he very well knew that she would just ask for them, she did not put up with him, mentor or not.
She lost twenty points and had to stay behind to clean the caldrons.
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"What's so urgent that you had to interrupt my lesson?" Snape snapped at Karkaroff as soon as Rebekah went to the corner of the room and began to wash out the caldrons with hot water.
"This!" Karkaroff hissed and Rebekah could hear a rustle of clothing. Using a clean caldron, she watched their reflection and saw the skull and snake on his forearm.
Rebekah dropped the metal with a hiss of pain, her shoulder suddenly seizing up. Snape and Karkaroff stopped and looked at her. She turned her head and smiled sheepishly. "Water was too hot, sorry."
Karkaroff turned back to Snape and said in a lower tone, unknowing that Rebekah was using her animal hearing. "Don't you see? It's never been this clear. Never. Not since the downfall."
"Put it away," Snape snarled. "Potter, finish up. Karkaroff, discuss this later."
Karkaroff left with a loud grumble and stomped each step when he exited the classroom.
"Potter, what did you hear?" Snape sighed angrily when she shrugged. "Fine. What did you understand from that would be a better question."
"Since You-Know-Who's downfall, the Dark Mark has faded but now it's back clearer than ever," Rebekah said without turning around. She continued to wash out the caldrons. "It means something is happening. Karkaroff is a Death Eater, I've been told. Something bad is happening."
"Don't get yourself in any more trouble this year," Snape said with a wave of the hand to the door, opening it again. "And don't go into my store cupboard."
Rebekah saluted mockingly as she left. "Wasn't me!"
The door slammed behind her.
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With spring approaching, Rebekah could get away with a simple outfit and coat instead of the heavier stuff she had to wear in the winter. Grey trousers, navy turtleneck and a black long coat finished the outfit with a pair of low heeled boots.
Rebekah sat in the Hog's Head again, her friends to one side of the pub as Sirius sat across from her. Sirius had requested that they leave them for a bit, needing to discuss something privately. It wasn't very private but Rebekah would relay the needed information later on.
"I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial." Sirius clicked his neck as he spoke. "Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you, plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather unfortunate 's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power."
"His own son," Rebekah smiled grimly. "How horrible."
"Yep," Sirius tore a piece of bread in half, handing Rebekah one hald. "Nasty little shock for old Barty, I'd imagine. Should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while. Get to know his own son a bit better."
"I heard he was a Death Eater though,"
Sirius shrugged. "I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters. But he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf."
"Anything that would tarnish his reputation was taken care of, even if it included putting his own son in prison,"
"Crouch had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. You saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again - doesn't that tell you what he's like? Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy then he sent him straight to Azkaban."
"Better be safe than sorry with politics,"
"Sad," Sirius sighed. "I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though they all went quiet in the end… except when they shrieked in their sleep…" He shivered.
"When did he die?"
"After a year," Sirius said bitterly. "Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it."
"So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made. One moment, a hero poised to become Minister of Magic… next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and, so I've heard since I escaped, a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation."
It turned silent for a while as Rebekah took the information in.
"Can the Map distinguish between junior and senior when it comes to people?" Rebekah suddenly asked.
Sirius paused, looked up and then laughed. "What brought this up?"
"Nothing," Rebekah smiled innocently. "I was just wondering because I used it and saw two of the same name, but when I saw the people, it was just a father and son."
"I don't think we added in that feature," Sirius nodded. "Since the junior and senior is only to distinguish the two people in life, and not legally their name, I don't think the Map could tell the difference. And Polyjuice doesn't change the name either. I'd know, we experimented with it after we made the Map to test its limits."
"It's been a very useful item in getting in and out of the castle at night,"
Sirius grinned. "Atta girl."
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