A/N: Thank you to the guest reviewer who pointed out I had no line breaks for scenes. I had asterisks. I didn't realise ff removes them. I found ff's line break button eventually. :-D

Chapter 7: Christmas Holidays

For the last two days of term Harry took his egg to classes. It didn't do his blood pressure any good.

"So now you're making an effort, Potter. Too little too late!"

"Scared are we? Celebrity no substitute for hard work?"

Oddly the Slytherins were silent on the subject during Potions. Or maybe not oddly, Harry thought. Snape did rule his house with an iron fist. Or was that a wooden ruler?

He'd told Hermione everything he knew about the curse on Wednesday evening after his mentor session with Snape had ended. They'd quietly gone up to their sixth floor classroom.

"Well, I'm not a professor, but if I can help I will. I don't know how, but I will do anything you want me to."

"Well, Bagman told me I had to keep it with me at all times. I told Dumbledore and Snape he'd said that, and they just stared at me. As if they wanted to agree but doing that would be helping."

"Then start there. Take it everywhere."

"Should we make it a space on the bench?" asked Fred.

"Make it a table setting?" asked George.

"Please don't. I've had enough of crap like that from everyone else," said Harry.

It was the first Sunday of the holidays. The great hall had two tables in it this holiday, one for seventh years and staff, and one for everyone else. The great hall was decked out better than usual for Christmas given the impending Yule Ball in a week's time.

"So, what's with the new found enthusiasm?" asked Fred. "We thought the idea was don't compete."

"Dumbledore has asked me to investigate the egg. I don't know why," lied Harry, "Perhaps there's something in here I'm supposed to learn? Something for my actual studies. I am, after all, excused from sitting the end of year exams, you know," he said with deliberate smugness.

"Does that attitude endear you much to the student body?" asked George in a friendly yet pointed way.

"Of course, can't you see the throng of admirers around me?" snarked Harry back. Oh god, Snape's wearing off on me, he thought in horror.

"Well, when you take it everywhere, don't forget to wash its hands after you've been to the lav," said Fred, effectively ending any form of sane conversation.

"Thank you for that mental image," grouched Hermione.

"Pleasure," said George.

"Have you opened it everywhere?" persisted Hermione.

"Yesssss! Everywhere. Every classroom, my dorms, the common room. I even opened it up on my broom. Don't do that, for reference."

"And it's the same every time? Just the wailing?"

"Every bloody time."

"Does it change at all?" asked Hermione.

"No, although it was best on the quidditch pitch, it went a bit out of hearing range because I dropped towards the ground that fast. Like I said, that wasn't my best idea."

"Show me," she said.

"Eh?"

"Well, the only change you'd had out of it was when you were moving really fast. Show me."

They went outside. "You're not going to like it," said Harry. Harry had borrowed some earmuffs from Professor Sprout and had mounted his broom. He wasn't going to be the person listening.

They went out onto the quidditch pitch. Harry sailed past Hermione with the egg open. He closed it, turned and came to where she was standing.

"Have you heard of the doppler effect?" she asked.

"Assume no."

"You know when police cars or ambulances drive past? The sounds changes between them coming towards you and going away from you. It's like that. Swap. I can do a straight line on a broom. There's something to hear after I've gone past. Listen."

They swapped.

"It still doesn't make sense," said Harry as they wandered back inside. "It's not as painful, though. It's more like when Dudley put Vernon's records on double speed. God, he was mad."

Hermione was no longer next to him. He turned. She'd stopped dead. She had that look on her face.

"You know, don't you?" Harry asked.

"You know you take it everywhere with you? And opened it everywhere?" she asked. Harry nodded.

"Have you taken it for a shower?"

"What was that infernal racket this afternoon on the Quidditch pitch?" McGonagall asked. "It'd stopped by the time I got over there."

"That was Mr Potter taking his egg for a ride," replied Filius.

"I couldn't hear it properly," said Harry to Hermione in the common room the next morning. "The sound was intermittent, but there's something there, voices maybe. It didn't help," he said loudly, "That there were people banging on the door."

"You were taking all day in there!" said Fred, "I'm surprised you aren't a prune."

George was still taking the piss when they went down to breakfast in the great hall. Someone tugged on Harry's sleeve. Harry spun round and saw Cedric pulling him quietly away from the others.

"Couldn't help but overhear, Potter," he said quietly. "Look, I'm sorry about the shit you've been getting off my house. After the first task I really couldn't care whether you cheated to get in or not, staying alive is more important. Are there baths in your dorms?"

Harry shook his head.

"Prefects have one. Fifth floor by Boris the Bewildered. Password is Pine Fresh. It's better than a shower."

Cedric left him and went for breakfast.

Harry knocked on Snape's door.

"Mr Potter. Come in."

"I was wondering what would happen when I break the curse. Will it burn my hand again?"

"Why do you ask? Do you think you've broken the curse?"

"No, but I know you know how I can solve the egg. I'm going to take a bath later."

"Ah, I see. Should I give you a rubber duck?"

"Do you have a rubber duck?"

Snape just raised an eyebrow. "Nothing untoward should happen, Mr Potter. Ask Dobby to take you to the infirmary if it does. You should feel a pins and needles sensation throughout your body. Listen carefully, Mr Potter, this is important. We think that the creator of the curse has been careless. The curse states you have to investigate and solve the puzzle of the egg. It does not state that you have to prepare and join in the second task to your full potential. We hope that the curse will lift when you solve the egg and you can go back to half-hearted efforts at the task suitable to your age and individual ability. Come and tell me straight away if solving the egg lifts the curse. And Mr Potter? Don't go round saying in a loud voice you've lifted a curse, will you? That would be classed as Gryffindor stupidity."

"Sir."

Harry sat in the hot bath. He couldn't remember ever having a luxurious bath. He certainly never had one at the Dursleys. And this was big enough to swim in. He reached for his egg and opened it. It wailed. He snapped it shut. He put his head under water but kept his hands out of the water and opened the egg. He heard voices, but it was hard to hear. He brought the egg under the water.

It was a pretty song.

He came back up for oxygen. He wished he'd brought a quill and parchment. No matter. He would memorise it.

When he had it memorised he realised he hadn't felt any pins and needles as Snape had said he might. Perhaps finding the clue wasn't the same as solving the puzzle. Harry lay floating, thinking about the words.

The giant squid lived in the lake. It didn't sing.

Merpeople lived in the lake. They sang. The second task was down in the lake with the merpeople.

Harry choked on a nose full of water when he sank out of shock that his whole body tingled.

Harry got dried and dressed quickly and returned to Snape's office.

Snape could see the moment Potter entered his office that that part of the curse had been lifted. Shame it was only part of the curse, thought Snape. Not that he was about to tell Harry that right now. Or ever, if it could be helped. He knew he might have to though.

"Successful, Mr Potter?"

"Yes sir. Not straight away. I heard the song and nothing happened, but when I thought about what it meant and I realised the task would be going to the merpeople at the bottom of Black Lake, then it happened."

"Well done, Mr Potter. Have a point for Gryffindor," he added in his usual snarky way. Harry had realised over time that snarky meant he was pleased. The snark meant more than the point. As did the well done. Harry did actually feel quite proud of himself.

"The Headmaster would like your egg back. He'd like to give it to the curse-breaker to continue to investigate. We still haven't identified the perpetrator, and I'm sure you appreciate, Mr Potter, the same person could simply try again. You need to be circumspect about the fact that you have solved the puzzle for now. With everyone. There are only a small handful of staff that are aware of the curse. Myself, the Headmaster, Madam Pomfrey and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick. You may talk to any of us about it, but no-one else. We will decide your next course of action and how much of your success should be publicised."

"But what about the rest of the staff, sir. Um, this isn't rude or anything, but I can't imagine Professor Sprout is out to curse me."

"I believe Professor Moody taught you about the Imperius curse, Mr Potter?"

"Oh."

"Precisely. If you could leave your egg with me, I'll take it to the Headmaster."

"You're really not going?" asked Fred to Hermione and Harry.

"Nope," said Harry.

"And I'm not out of solidarity," said Hermione.

"Not because neither of you has a date then?" asked Fred with a smile.

"If you must know, I turned Krum down," said Hermione.

George made a funny gurgling noise. "You. Turned. Down. Victor. Krum? But I'd go with him. Have you seen his Wronski Feint?"

"Is that a euphemism?" asked Hermione archly. "Anyway, it'd look funny if he tried that move on a dance floor, wouldn't it?" asked Hermione.

"Mad, quite mad," said Fred, escorting George away who was still spluttering.

After the twins had left, Hermione turned to Harry and said, "You know, you're going to get a LOT of flak for this. If you want, we can go together."

"Do you mind not going?" asked Harry.

"It really isn't my scene," said Hermione. "You?"

"I think I've got two left feet after those lessons from McGonagall. I'm glad I'm boycotting it."

"You remember after the wand weighing interview thing, Skeeter published that article? You know the press are going to be at this event too?"

"And I won't be, so apart from 'Potter AWOL', can she say much? Does she want to say much anyway? I'm coming last and I'm not playing."

"I suppose not," agreed Hermione.

"Have fun tripping over your own feet!" called out Harry merrily as Ron and the rest of his dorm left to go to the ball. There was only him and Hermione in the common room. They had the whole evening to just talk. Hermione had owled home for some muggle games to be sent to them. Wizards didn't understand muggle games, and Harry had played so few when he was younger there was something he coveted about a game of Cluedo or Risk!.

Dinner hadn't been provided as the Ball came with dinner, but Dobby had said to Harry that the elves would cater for them for the evening. After the last person had left the common room the elves brought food. Much of it was the very tasty food that the ball had to offer, but Dobby had especially ordered treacle tart for Harry.

They spent the first hour playing Cluedo. It was Professor Plum in the Library with the Candlestick. Then they spent an hour and a half playing Risk! Harry finally got world domination. Then Hermione brought out Monopoly. Harry spent too much money on Regent Street and Bond Street to collect the set and kept landing on Trafalgar Square with a hotel. Hermione said that was a short game. It'd lasted three hours until Harry was bankrupt. It was nearly midnight.

"Mr Potter, having a civilised evening I see. Miss Granger." Snape dropped by to check on them.

"How is it?" Harry asked.

"Let's see. Professor Moody is keeping a tally of the number of red socks; the twins are running a book on the number of times their older brother is called Weatherby; when they're not doing that they're trying to extort Bagman; Hagrid is trying to chat up Madame Maxime; the band sound like someone is trying to strangle a cat and as usual all teenagers are nauseating. You should be glad you are here, Mr Potter."

Harry laughed. Hermione wasn't sure whether she should. She hadn't spent the same time in Snape's company as Harry had and wasn't sure whether the man was being deliberately amusing.

"Goodnight, Mr Potter, Miss Granger."

"Goodnight, Professor Snape."

Half an hour later everyone who was staying came back up to the common room. There were a range of emotions. Most people had enjoyed it, but there would be the usual arguments later over who had spoken to who's ex-boyfriend. Harry was glad he hadn't gone.

Three days later Skeeter produced her article. It was tame by her standards. Her usual offensive approach to pureblood and non pureblood, peppered with obsequities towards those with Ministry sway. Hermione read it tutting.

"What's up?" Harry asked.

"How did she know we were playing muggle board games?" asked Hermione, "Listen, 'As expected, given his penchant for disregard to convention, The Boy Who Lived chose to spend the evening in the Gryffindor Common Room playing muggle board games with a muggleborn.' Harry, we'd put the games away by the time everyone got back, and we didn't have them out when they all left. The only person who saw us playing was Professor Snape and he wouldn't tell Skeeter a thing." Hermione huffed. "Think about it, will you?"

Harry had left replying to Sirius as long as he dared. Harry got the feeling that Sirius was getting very antsy. Harry was concerned that Sirius was going to do something dumb, like turn up on the doorstep as a lost dog.

Dear Sirius,

Please listen to me. Please don't do anything rash. And please don't come near the castle. I'm sending you this so that you know I'm fine.

Dumbledore is looking out for me. He's watching everything that's going on. He's decided that it would be best if I do some work on the task, so that it looks like I'm joining in the competition. He's worried about the fact that I've been entered and assumes, as do we all, that I've not been entered for my own good.

My last letters weren't detailed enough. I didn't mean that only Snape is helping me. All my professors are. But within the rules of the competition. I only mentioned Snape because it was weird he's helping me at all. I mean, Bat of the Dungeons right? But he is good at spells.

The next task isn't til the end of February. That's plenty of time for me to work out what to do. The task involves Black Lake. Hey, is that Black as in your family?

This means I can enjoy Christmas and stuff. There's a Hogsmeade day in January. If you promise not to do anything that will get you caught, I might be able to meet you, but only so that you know that I'm perfectly fine. Don't get your hopes up. Dumbledore might want me escorted there or he might ban me from going.

I'm safe in the castle. They have wards around the Durmstrang ship. Karkaroff is being watched.

I'm glad I missed the Yule Ball, it sounded pretty awful. Hey, do you know anything about Reeter Skeeter the journalist? Hermione is annoyed. Skeeter published that me and her spent the ball playing muggle games, which was true, but that Skeeter shouldn't have known. Given what she's published in the past, I don't know why I care, but it's bothering Hermione.

Please, please, please stay hidden and out of sight.

Harry.

Harry reread the letter. There were some outright lies in there, but he regretted telling Sirius some things earlier on. He really, really didn't want Sirius to get caught and for it to be his fault.

"Mr Weasley," said Albus, "How fares the war?"

"I'm sorry, Headmaster," said Bill, "I can't see me breaking this in the next four days. It's too complex. There's some nasty dark magic in it. There's a reason they're called Dark Art. It's been created using runes. My runic translation is pretty good. I can find out the basic information, but the details have been charmed to be hidden. The creator knows their stuff. If you can hide your method, it leaves me without any threads to pull on. Like I said, Art."

Bill looked tired. He hadn't slept properly for the past week. He was worried. He was aware that no-one would die if he couldn't break the curse. Harry had mitigated that clause, but Bill was upset.

"You have tried your best. It is Thursday now. You have until Saturday evening."

"That's two days early," said Bill.

"Will it make a difference?" countered Albus.

Bill shook his head. "I can pretty much guarantee now I can't break it before then, but I'd like til Saturday at least. There are a few more things I can try, but at the end of the day, making a curse is easier than breaking a curse."

Albus nodded. "Thank you for trying, Mr Weasley."

"Hermione?" asked Harry.

"Yes?"

"How could I breathe underwater, without SCUBA gear?"

"I thought you weren't going to do the task seriously?" asked Hermione.

"Well, I've broken the curse, but what if the Goblet of Fire decides I've not tried my best?" replied Harry, "I mean, I could get some nice trunks, owl for an inflatable and lounge around the lake, I'm sure Dobby would even bring me a rainbow cocktail, but I don't want to mess with magic as Snape puts it. What do you think the minimum is?"

"What does Professor Snape say?"

"He hasn't. I think he's avoiding me this week. He probably wants a holiday," replied Harry.

"Well, there's no harm in looking for methods," said Hermione, "The task is two months away, being prepared isn't a bad idea. I mean, knowing Defense spells stopped you getting barbequed, but they didn't help you win or anything? This could be the same."

"That's kinda what I was thinking," said Harry.

"You realise you've just volunteered to go to the library with me, right?"

"Ha bloody ha!"

They spent what Harry would have to admit to being a couple of happy hours each afternoon in the library. He refused to turn into Hermione, but he did enjoy finding out new things. However in the next half week they didn't find anything useful.