Chapter 15

Harry shivered in the January wind as he stared out at the icy waters of the lake. His stomach twisted as he thought of Daphne beneath those waters. He fingered the gillyweed in his pocket. Not for the first time, he wished he had his Mother's experience with using her powers. She wouldn't need a plant to breathe underwater.

"Nervous?" Lilith asked as she strode up to him.

"Yes, and worried about Daphne," Harry said.

"Don't worry," Lilith said. "You'll be fine and Daphne will to. I know you. She's perfectly safe in your hands."

"I wish there was time for you to teach me how to really use my powers."

Lilith leaned closer to him so that he was the only one who could hear her. "It'll take you centuries to truly master all of your powers. There isn't enough time for that, but you have more than enough power to pull this off."

Before Harry could respond, a gong sounded. "That's your cue," Lilith said squeezing his shoulder.

Harry took a deep breath and stepped into the water. As the water closed over his ankles, he ground his teeth to keep from crying out. Quickly, he cast a warming charm on himself, pulled the gillyweed out of his pocket, and stopped as a thought popped into his head.

He had the magic of scores of wizards flowing through him. Couldn't he just will himself to have the ability to breathe underwater? His forehead wrinkled as he concentrated.

All sound became muffled. He blinked. It appeared as he was looking at everything through a haze.

Taking a deep breath, he dover under the water.

**HPS**

Dumbledore stared at the lake where Harry had vanished. He'd never seen a spell like that. It was as if the boy's head were surrounded in a sphere of air.

That was not a bubblehead charm, but what was it? He glanced at Lilith. Should he ask her? Could she be trusted to give him an honest answer?

He shook his head. For all he knew, she was the one that had tampered with his mind. Until he knew for sure, he could trust no one.

What was he going to do about Harry? He'd never seen magic like the boy had performed. The boy could not be allowed to roam free. He was far too dangerous for that. However, he couldn't kill the boy. He was, for all intents and purposes, a child.

He watched the water of the lake move in the wind. He would need to see how this task played out. With all four champions in the lake, it would be a good chance to see the level of sportsmanship from each champion.

"All I can do is weight," he whispered.

**HPS**

As Harry sank to the bottom of the lake, he felt two large tentacles seize him.

Harry twisted in the grip of the creature and stared. A large purple head loomed above him, cold dead eyes staring at him unblinkingly.

"The squid," Harry whispered. "Mum told me about you."

The tentacles tightened around him. Harry struggled to move his arms, but the tentacles held him fast. Reaching deep, Harry pulled on his magic. He channeled the magic into his muscles. He pushed with all his strength. The tentacles parted, releasing him from its grip.

Harry started to swim away, but a tentacle wrapped around his ankle, jerking him back.

"Let me go," Harry snarled. "I don't want to hurt you."

The tentacle tightened around him. Harry felt his ribs creaking under the pressure. He twisted as hard as he could managing to free one arm.

Harry pointed his palm at the squid. "Avada Kedavra," he roared, his voice muffled by the sphere of air around him.

A bolt of green light flew from his palm narrowly missing the squid's head. The squid reeled back releasing Harry's ankle. Without looking back, the squid dove into the depths of the lake.

Harry sighed in relief. "That was close." He looked around. Where was he? Better yet, where were the hostages? Fighting the squid had gotten him all turned around. He had to find the hostages before the hour was up.

Concentrating, Harry sent his mind out, searching for someone he could look into. Another mind touched his.

"Harry," Lilith's voice echoed around him. "What's wrong?"

"I've forgotten to wear a watch."

"Ah," Lilith said. "It's only been twenty minutes."

"Thanks," Harry said.

"Here," a glowing chain of light appeared around Harry's wrist.

Harry looked at the chain. The link at the very end began to fade.

"Look at the number of links," Lilith said. See there are eight links. With each link that fades, five minutes will have passed.

"Thanks," Harry said again.

"Be careful," Lilith said.

Harry felt his Mother's presence fade from his mind. Turning back forward, Harry reached out with his mind searching through the various minds in the lake.

He forced his way passed the simple minds of the creatures that lived in the lake. He stiffened as he felt Daphne's mind. He could feel her thoughts, slow, incoherent, but there.

"She is sleeping, but now that I've got a lock on her." He began swimming. He pushed himself to swim faster and faster.

The water and mud passed in a blur as he swam. A large horned head rose up before him. Thin fingers wrapped around his throat stopping him cold.

Harry stopped dead. "Crap," he growled. He tried to draw back, but the grip tightened. He winced. Harry forced himself to remain calm. He examined the creature closely.

It was a small spindly figure. It's arms and legs were thin and bony. "Grindelo," Harry snarled.

A lance of fire left his palm striking the grindelo in its chest. The grindelo froze, letting out a high-pitched shriek.

Instead of letting go, the creature's fingers tightened. Harry felt his breath stop. "Screw this," Harry gasped.

His eyes flashed orange. The grindelo didn't even have time to scream. Ashes slowly drifted down through the water.

"Hold on Daphne, I'm coming," he murmured. Concentrating on Daphne's presence, He focused on wanting to be there. Nothing happened.

"Dumbledore must have placed wards so that you couldn't transport yourself," Lilith said.

"Damn," Harry snapped. "Will the Portkey you made work?"

"I don't know," Lilith sounded worried. "You need to get there as fast as you can.

He began swimming as fast as he could. He swam across an underwater ravine and stopped outside a village.

Small caves littered the landscape along with huts made of mud. Outside of these dwellings were tall bearded men and slim wild-looking women. There muscular arms were covered in a thin layer of scales. Many of them held large spears tipped with stone and crude bronze tridents.

As he entered their village, every head turned to face him. "You," a rough voice growled.

A merman swam forward to meet him. He was nearly seven feet tall. He clutched a spear in his right hand, the stone tip pointed directly at Harry's chest.

"Get out fowl creature," the merman snapped.

"Be at ease," Harry said as formally as he could. "I merely come to retrieve a hostage."

"We will allow no one in our care to go with you," the merman said firmly. Without another word, he swam towards Harry with a cry, raising the spear as he came."

Harry stared at him unblinkingly. "Stop," he said forcefully. "I do not wish to hurt you."

"Lies,' the merman said. "Things like you always want to hurt."

"I'm not a thing," Harry said in frustration. "Now stand aside. He felt the power flare up inside him. The merman suddenly stopped in his tracks. He stared at Harry.

Harry knew his eyes must be glowing orange. He consulted the chain on his wrist. There were only two links left. "Ten minutes,' he said. He still had a little time to attempt diplomacy.

"Please," he said. "Let me take my hostage and I'll leave."

"What will you do with the hostage?" the merman said.

"I shall return her to the surface,' Harry said.

"What is she to you?" the merman growled.

"She is my girlfriend," Harry said.

The merman's face twisted. "You have mated with the girl. She is defiled."

"Ouch," Harry said. "Look, I have not mated with her. all I want to do is leave. That's it."

"No," the Merman said. "The girl must die before she can bring one of your spawn into the world. He turned towards a statue at the entrance of the square. The statue was of an enormous merperson. It was carved from some kind of dark stone. Four figures were tied to its tail.

The merman began swimming towards the statue. Harry knew with his teleportation blocked there was no way he could reach the merman in time to save the hostages.

"No," Harry thrust out a hand, his eyes blazing with orange light. The Merman froze in midmotion. Harry swiftly swam over to him, keeping his glowing eyes locked on the figure straight ahead of him.

"Do not harm them," he commanded.

"You do not command me," the Merman snarled.

"I'll stop you if I have to," Harry said. "I have not known this girl. She is still pure. There is no need for you to harm her."

"But you might in the future," the merman said.

"What is that to you?" Harry said. "It is not your concern what I do."

"It is when it brings more of the old ones enter the world."

Harry paused. "Who told you what I am?"

"The white-haired surface dweller. He speaks our language. He told us to beware of you."

"Why?" Harry said. "I thought we were on good terms?"

"Someone has interfered with his mind," the merman said. "He thinks it is you or your accursed Mother that has done so."

"But we haven't," Harry said. "We've left him alone. We have not interfered with his mind in anyway."

"And we are to trust you?" the merman said.

"We are innocent," Harry said. "What reason would we have to lie?"

"Why to deceive us of course," the merman said. "Your kind live for deceiving mortals."

Harry ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Harry looked down at the chain on his wrist. One link remained.

"I don't have time for this," Harry said. "Let me pass."

"You'll have to go through me," the merman said.

"Fine," Harry said. He gestured with one hand freezing the merman in place.

He turned to see Daphne tied at the end of the Merman statues tail. With a click of his fingers, the seaweed binding her parted. Wrapping one arm around her, He began to swim towards the surface.

A spear narrowly missed his ear. It struck the place where Daphne had been tied. The stone top shattered un the impact. Turning his head, Harry saw the merman he'd frozen swimming towards him.

"You are young," the merman said. "You haven't learned to focus on more than one thing at once and now you never will."

Harry sighed. "Can I truly not convince you to stand aside?"

"I'll never stop,' the merman said.

"Fine," Harry said. His eyes flashed orange. Ash slowly drifted down through the water.

That seemed to be some kind of signal. The merpeople surrounded the statue drew their weapons and swam forward.

"I don't want to hurt any of you," Harry pleaded. "I've already killed one person; I don't want to kill another.

The merpeople continued swimming forward. Orange light exploded around Harry spreading out to encompass the merfolk.

Concentrating with all his might, Harry held the merpeople in place. Gripping Daphne tightly, he began swimming towards the surface again.

He could feel the merpeople pushing against the magic that held them. Harry groaned. Even with all the magic at his command, holding over one hundred people immobile was very draining. Looking up, Harry could see light shining through the water. He was almost there.

Pushing himself to swim faster, Harry watched as the light grew closer and closer. He just had a bit further to go and he'd be safe.

Something struck his shoulder. Harry turned to see a spear sticking out of his shoulder. As if the sight of it had triggered the pain to begin, agony exploded through his left arm.

Harry's eyes widened as he saw blue light begin to shine from the spear. "Bugger," he said as he felt the sensation of a hook behind the naval. The last thing he saw was the glares of the Merfolk before he was gone.

**HPS**

Harry grunted as he fell onto a stone floor. Rolling over, he caught Daphne before she hit the floor. Daphne's eyes fluttered and she opened her eyes.

"Harry," she said. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Harry said. "Do you think this is part of the task?"

Daphne sat down beside Harry. "I don't think so. According to what Dumbledore said, we were supposed to surface in the lake and swim too a platform."

"Do you have your Portkey?"

Daphne reached up and touched her neck. "It's gone."

"Damn," he mumbled.

Harry opened his mouth to speak and froze. He heard footsteps approaching. Daphne gripped his arm.

"Who's that?"

"I don't know," Harry said.

"Harry you have to get us out of here."

"I've been trying," Harry said. "Something is blocking me."

"How is that possible?"

"Dumbledore knew of the wards that could block me, but he's the only one.

"So, Dumbledore betrayed you?"

Before Harry could answer, there was a blinding flash of red light. Harry and Daphne collapsed to the floor, unconscious.