Here is the next chapter showoing the second task, rather short but enjoy!
Sabo lowered the newspaper speaking about Hagrid.
He was going to kill Rita.
Ace was very pale. Very very pale, as if he was realizing that if Hargid hadn't discussed his ascendance with Madam Maxime, Rita would have fallen on his back, probably, on the worst moment, and a scandal would have burst about Marco, compromising the Shirohige's position at Hogwarts.
But worst of all, if this woman snooped so much…
Sabo tightened his fist, crumpling the paper.
He feared that the truth about his brothers could be unveiled. He didn't want that. To endure Snape's sarcasm was already enough. No need to add to it.
A look at the Head table told them that Marco wasn't happy either.
-It's possible, the big bones excuse, pointed Kennichi. It's Oyaji's case. He must be three heads taller than this Hagrid, and doesn't have a drop of Giant blood. You also never saw Genkotsu or Sengoku.
-Genkotsu come around enough, Kennichi, so, yes, they already saw him, pointed Sabo. Garps, young men, Genkotsu is Garp's nickname.
-And what does it mean? Asked Ron.
-The Fist, translated Smoker who was passing by.
-You tasted it, right? Smiled Luffy at the Marine.
-You, not enough.
Luffy pouted, but didn't answer.
-The packet just passed the scouring, stated Smoker giving Ace a box.
-Thank you Kemuri-chan!
-Tch. You're lucky that Hina had fun. Where were you the rest of the night?
-I had an attack somewhere, and when I woke up, there weren't anyone anymore…
Smoker raised his eyebrows, without detecting Ace's lie, and walked away.
-Coming back to Hagrid, I completely understand his lie. As improbable as it is, it's easier to lie than to tell the truth, if she is ugly.
-Who are you searching for? Asked Sanji seeing Harry scanning the pirates at the table.
-A girl I saw at the ball. She danced almost all night with the professor Fushisho, before disappearing around half past eleven.
-Oh, Ann-chan? Said Sabo, ignoring the embarrassment of his older brother who was hiding his head in his hands.
-Ann-chan?
-Yes, Ann! It's Marco's girlfriend.
Luffy almost died of laughter, drawing Hermione's suspicious glare.
-I saw the girl in question… she seemed to be your age! The professor Fushisho is a little too old for this sort of relationship, said Hermione.
-Ann is eighteen, she is of age and do what she wants with her life, Zoro pointed out with a smile.
- Marco-taîshou isn't that old… he is thirty-eight. He seems older with his always nonchalant gaze, pointed out Kennichi.
-There is still a twenty years gape.
-Hermione… said Ace.
Hermione looked at Ace who was playing with his knife, his face hidden under his hat.
-Don't talk about thing you don't know anything, it can only give you troubles.
-What don't I know? Asked Hermione.
-Ann-nee-san came young on the Moby Dick. She fell for Marco-taîsho when she was only thirteen, told Kennichi in a low voice. He did everything to push her back, but it was evident that the feeling was reciprocated. He passed an accord with her only family alive. He kept his distance until her majority, and after that they were left alone.
-And he held his promise. He swapped the back of her head more than once when she left herself fall for her hormones, by respect, breathed out Ace still playing with his knife.
-Shanks-nii-san likes Ann. He wanted more than once to pass Marco at the end of his blade because of that, and swore to do it if he ever heard that the promise was broken. They held it until the end, even with the temptation, continued Sabo.
-It's… a beautiful story… whispered Harry.
Hermione looked at Ace, with an analyzing eye, still playing with his knife.
-I'm not very hungry. I'm going to see what is the package I was send, sighed Ace.
And he stood up.
Hagrid was stubborn. Very stubborn.
So, what is better than a pirate to help him stop being an idiot?
Hagrid jumped when Rayleigh smashed the door to the floor.
-Shitsurei shimasu.
In a negligent gesture, he fixed magically the door and put himself in front of Hagrid, hands on the table, frowning.
-Listen to me very well, moron! You don't have any reason to hide for a stupid story on the paper! Keep your head high, for goodness sake! You didn't do anything wrong! You are the biggest heart man that I know of! Don't be stupid and open wide your ears. We don't choose our parents. But we only can choose what we will become, against all odds. You aren't like those stupid and vicious giants who walks the mountains and who scares everyone! I saw giants with hearts as good as yours, Hagrid! Very chic guys! So, stop hiding, won't you?
Hagrid didn't answer, keeping his head low.
With a sigh, Rayleigh sat on a chair which he put closer to the half-giant.
-I know you well Hagrid. I saw you raise Aragog against everything! I saw you trying to include yourself even with the differences… you're a good guy… don't listen to anyone who say otherwise. I have done more that can be held against me than you, so, raise your head. I would like to avoid doing something like Garp and punch your skull…
-He sends me a letter saying that if he didn't have news from Luffy saying that I was giving class again, he would come to punch me… whispered Hagrid.
Rayleigh smiled and pat Hagrid's arm.
-You're a good guy, Hagrid. Don't let anyone say otherwise.
-Thanks, Silver.
-With pleasure, my friend. Saké?
Sabo entered in Marco's office. Chang had found him in the Great Hall, some minutes ago and told him that he was requested to go to Fushisho's office.
Flitwick was there, too, with a… sinister face.
-Normally, we don't really need to tell you what is happening, Sabo, said Marco showing a chair. But seeing the problem, you need to know, yoi.
-Oh? What is it about? He inquired sitting on the seat.
-The second task, young man. I presume that your brother told you what it was, said the diminutive professor.
-Yes… Ace must be able to search for something that the mermaids of the lake took away from him, with one hour for that.
-It's not something, Sabo. It's somebody.
-Ah? Oh… oh!
-Yes. Oh, like you said, sighed Marco. The choice is narrow, even more if we take in consideration Ace's handicap. It's where you intervene, Sabo.
-We put the hostages in a deep sleep, then we spell them to be able to breath underwater, explained Flitwick.
-The spell on you will be different on one point. Nobody want to see Ace drown, yoi. Also, if his method was to waver while on his way, you will wake up to save him. But you have to realize that once at the surface, Ace will depend on you. If you don't act fast, he will sink straight to the bottom, yoi.
That was why they had chosen him. He could swim. He was able to save his hammer of a brother.
-No problem, assured Sabo. You will put me to sleep now?
-Yes, stated Flitwick.
Sabo removed his robe which he put in his handbag, then his shoes and his socks. He untied his necktie to knot it to his wrist, and put his wand there. He rolled up on of his sleeves to show a blade on his forearm.
-I'm ready.
The two-professor stood up. Flitwick charmed Sabo and Marco applied the nuance on the spell. Looking at the Sabo sleeping on the chair, Marco sensed his heart squeeze in worry. He wouldn't be at rest until Ace had passed the task. Even if he didn't do it in time. The most important was that he came up.
Ace was holding firmly in his hand two bubbles coral.
Sabo's absence at breakfast told him to take another one, just in case.
He turned around hearing Percy scolding Harry for his lateness.
-Potter? Are you alright? Inquired Ace.
Harry nodded, folded in two, out of breath, glad for the sport practice that Marco put down their throats. Ace patted his back.
-You will be more at ease without your robe and your shoes, even your socks. And take that, you never know, whispered Ace when the judges weren't looking.
He slid a sheathed blade in Harry's belt.
-Thanks, Ace.
Ace winked and moved away when Bagman called him, making them line up on the bank; He let himself fall on the ground and stretched, bare foot, his knife on his waist and his mitt in place just in case he was hopeless enough to have to use his wand.
He straightened up when Bagman began the countdown, the other coral in his protect elbow, his own between his teeth.
At the whistle, he dove, breathing in the coral to create a bubble who enclosed him totally.
He swam his best, attaching himself to the rock in the depth to advance the best he could, propelling himself toward the front with a good kick. When the deep began to go lower, he let himself float until the depth. The water becoming burning after him, so no creature came to bother him.
-You're doing okay?
Ace almost had a stroke when he saw Moaning Myrtle floating nearby.
-You're crazy scaring people like that!
-I know! Myrtle giggled. You are the first I see pass. We can see the pirate.
-What do you want?
-Oh, I saw an angel face blond… by there, I believe…
And she showed a direction with her finger.
-Hn… thanks.
-You're welcome! Be careful of the Grindylows.
He didn't care about the Grindylows, for now.
He continued on his way and arrived at the moment when he heard the mermaids sing:
An hour long you'll have to look
If you want to find what we've taken from you.
Half of the time passed, hurry yourself
Or, what you search for in these waters will rot…
A movement behind Ace made him turn his head. Harry passed at his level, waving with a webbed hand.
-Gillyweed? Smart, Potter…
And Ace continued to make his hard way, under the puzzled stare of Harry.
-Continue, don't worry about me.
Harry shrugged and continued his road in the mermaid's village.
Ace widely preferred the sea mermaids. Them, at least, were less shabby…
A true crowd was gathered before the buildings who delimited a sort of aquatic village. A choir composed of water beings were singing in the middle of the place, inviting the champion to come closer. Behind the choir, roughly carved in a rock, was a gigantic statue who was representing one of these creatures. Four people were firmly tied to the statue's fish tail.
Ron was tied between Hermione and Cho Chang; There were also a girl who mustn't be more than eight. Seeing her long silvery hair floating around her like a cloud, Harry was sure that she was Fleur Delacour's sister; All four of them seemed to be in a deep sleep. Their heads were shaking on their shoulders and a trickle of bubble were coming out of their mouth. Sabo was at an extremity, his head on his shoulder peacefully sleeping, his blond hair hiding his horrible scar on his face. More than ever, we could understand why everyone kept telling that he had an angel face.
Harry rushed toward the prisoners. He thought that the water being would rush toward him with their spears, but they didn't move. The prisoners were tied with big ropes, solids and sticky made of aquatic plants intermingled. He took out the blade Ace had given him and began to untie Ron, after hesitating a moment. Ace came at this instant and pulled his knife to free in an easygoing gesture his brother who fell on him. Ace put between the blond teeth a bubble coral the moment when Harry succeed in freeing Ron.
-I'll see you outside, said Ace.
Harry raised his thumb, looking around hesitant. Ace adjusted his brother on his shoulder the best he could, crouched down and in one jump, flew off, destroying on his way the ground.
He clangs to a high rock and projected himself a little higher, and so on, until he saw what he would have never hope to see: the giant squid.
-OI! Said Ace catching on of the animal's tentacle; Lead me to the surface.
The animal obeyed immediately and pulled the pirate to the surface, before letting him go a few feet away from it. Ace made a last effort and pierced the surface with his brother. He only had enough time to take one gulp of air before the water claimed his due, his air bubble burst.
His body froze and without being able to do anything, he sunk, looking at the surface moving away.
A hand grabbed his wrist, and blue iris stared in his silver eyes. A simple smile gave him reason.
Sabo was awoken and leading him to the surface.
Everything was alright.
One more time, the two brothers found the free air to see Luffy pacing on the shore.
-Good job, nii-chan. Come on, stay with me, smiled Sabo.
Ace let himself be carried by his brother to the shore and in a heavy step, coughing a lot, he went to collapse on the dirty ground. Luffy jump to Sabo's neck, reassured to see him, before hugging the eldest. It was before Chopper's intervention who caught them and rolled them into a big blanket.
-Go sit there, he ordered to the two oldest.
-Aye, Chopper-sensei… grumbled the two.
-Ne, Harry is doing well? Luffy asked, worried.
-Yeah… we reached it at the same time…
Ace let himself fall on a bench, rolled into his blanket and accepted the potion that Madam Pomfrey gave him to warm him up. He opened his cover to allow Sabo to cuddle with him, and under the clothes, raised progressively his body heat, drying himself and his frozen sibling at the same time.
-We did it, Smiled an exhausted Sabo. I was scared when I saw you sink.
-I wasn't scared… I knew you would catch me. That's why you were chosen. Humph!
Kali had just jumped on him, hugging him very tightly in her arms.
-Marco was worried sick, she whispered.
-And you, you didn't care… snickered Ace.
-Exactly! You could die and I wouldn't have cared at all…
Ace chuckled and used one of his arm to pat Kali on her head.
-Ouch! Why are you elbowing me? Ace asked his brother.
Sabo pointed with his chin a beetle who was passing by. A nasty smile stretched the criminals' lips and Kali took the bug in her hand.
-I'm going to give it to Taisho!
And she walked away.
The silence falls again.
Ace frowned.
Why hadn't Harry returned yet? He was just behind him!
Ace stood up and walked near the water, to crouch down.
-He is alright? Luffy asked.
-He should already be back… whispered Ace.
-Oi! Ace, it's Potter we're talking about. A hero, snickered Sabo.
Ace shook his head, almost exasperated.
He went back to his sit and Sabo cuddled again.
Without really realizing, Ace fell asleep, his head against his young brother's.
Something annoying was bothering his ribs.
Groaning, he opened an eye to see Rayleigh smile at him.
-Everyone is already gone, dummy! Grinned Luffy to his older brother.
-Potter came back? Ace asked yawning.
-Yes, with two hostages! Shihihihi! He got fifty five points!
-Oh…
-And you, you have the sixty.
-Oh, cool. With that I'm first.
-Yes, young man. The next task will take place on June the twenty fourth. It seems that this year, I will be there for your two birthdays. Ace's, we can celebrate it since it's the holidays, but the other two…
Luffy and Sabo smiled, there to birthday were respectively at the beginning of May and in the middle of March.