The Alexander Chronicles Year 4: The Return of Darkness.
Chapter 26: In deep water.
…
Alex hadn´t slept well that night. It wasn´t because he was that nervous about the second task. No, he had some good plans to get though the lake. No what was brothering was what had happen last night – he had kissed with Daphne, and if Erik hadn´t showed up it would have been two times. How was he supposed to tell Lisa that? Should he just end things without telling her about it, or should just tell her. He was pretty sure that he needed to end his relationship with her anyway. After all, he was now sure about his feelings for Daphne, and even if Daphne wasn´t interested then he shouldn't use Lisa like that.
However, how was he supposed to break up with someone? Harry and Hermione just sort of did it after they had fought. Granted if he told Lisa about the kiss the two of them were bound to fight. Alex signed as he got out his bed, he had to think about later. First, he had a task to complete. A quick look through his stuff told him that none of that had been taken. It couldn't be a person could it? The song had hinted that if Alex didn´t find within an hour it would be lost.
At the Gryffindor table, Alex saw that Harry and Ron were sitting, strangely enough without Hermione. "Hey guys is Hermione still sleeping?"
"You haven´t seen her?" Harry asked, "Lavender said she hadn´t seen her either."
Alex frowned. Was it Hermione he should save? She was a friend of course and she was one of Alex´s closest friends, but so was Blaise and Neville, and Daphne was even closer.
He quickly looked around the Great Hall, it wasn´t Lisa that had been taken, so the whole it just his girlfriend that had been taken was out. Lisa was sitting at the Ravenclaw table. Alex moved his gaze over to the Slytherin table: Blaise was there talking with Tracey, who looked worried, Draco was sitting next Blaise. So they were there, that just left Daphne – who wasn´t there. Alex gulped and cheeked his watch, the time fit there was only a little an hour until the task. Alex could also see that the other champions also was screeching the Great Hall, meaning that everyone knew what the task was about. Alex wasn´t really surprised that it was Daphne, but he wished it wasn´t. First of it meant she might be in danger, and it also proved that she was more important to him then Lisa.
"Can I talk with you for a few seconds?" asked a voice behind him after he sat at the table for a while, Alex nodded and followed Lisa out of the Great Hall and to an empty corridor. "So what is wrong? You have been acting weird," she said holding Alex´s hand.
"Nothing. I am bit nervous about the later, but otherwise-"
"So you have just been busy lately?"
Alex once again felt guilt. But nothing had happened he had just studied with Daphne. "Yet you kissed her didn´t you? And you liked it and if Erik hadn´t showed you would have kissed again," a voice whispered in his head. "Yeah," he finally whispered. "You know I have to figure out how to breathe under water."
Lisa tilted her head looking at Alex. "So did you?"
"Yeah I have a few plans, but I shouldn't spoil the surprise."
Lisa smiled and put her arms around Alex´s neck, "well aren't you dull. Anyway that wasn´t the only reason I wanted to talk with, I also wanted to give you a long good luck snog." She whispered in his ear. Once again guilt, he shouldn't kiss her. He should tell what had happen with Daphne. But how? "You are nervous huh well maybe this should help." Lisa said before pulling Alex into deep kiss, Alex was to confused too respond; therefor Lisa looked confused when she (finally) pulled away. "Okay what is wrong? You are acting very strange."
"N-nothing, I-I am just a bit stressed, it will get better once this task is over." Alex lied not really wanting to have this conversation right now. He found an excuse to go after checking his watch. "Look I got to go and get ready."
"Okay," Lisa sounding a bit disappointed, "I guess we see each other after the task."
Alex nodded and minutes later, he was sitting on his bed, putting on his swimming trunks before throwing a robe on where he pocketed the gillyweed. He grabbed his new wand hoister and attached his wand and the knife Sirius had given him. After that he just sat on his bed trying to calm himself, until professor McGonagall told him that he should go to the lake
Alex quickly went, and not long after Alex saw that large viewing platforms had been sat up near the lake. Krum and Fleur was already there. This time they both looked worried especially Fleur who was passing while looking at lake. They acknowledged Alex with a quick nod, but none of them talked, then Cedric came looking worried as well, and soon after the rest of the students and teachers. It was then Bagman approved them. "Good day champions good day."
None of them greeted him back. Instead everybody eyed him. They were all silent until Fleur spoke "Where is Gabrielle?" she asked in a cold tone. "I demand to know."
Bagman smiled, "As miss Delaceur might have let on a person that is important to you have been placed at the bottom of the lake. You will have one hour to find them."
"What happen when that hour is up?" Alex asked.
"I am sure you all will do fine." Bagman said ignoring the glances from the champions. That could mean anything. "Now eh you have five minutes until the start of the task." He said as he made a hasty retreat. Again, none of them talked instead they got their stuff ready. Alex began removing the most of his cloths so he only had his swimming trunks, his belt with his knife and wand, and the robe for warmth.
Then he lined up at the lake with rest of the champions. This time Alex could hear that everybody was nervous from their breathing. Alex tried to ignore Bagman as he explained the rules to the crowd, he just wanted the task to start so he could save Daphne, then- "And now ladies and gentlemen the task will start in there two one and go!"
The whistle echoed shrilly in the cold, still air; the stands erupted with cheers and applause. Without looking to see what the other champions were doing, Alex pulled the handful of gillyweed out of his pocket, stuffed it into his mouth, before pulling the robes off, and then waded out into the lake.
The water hadn´t gotten any warmer since he was in it the last time. Alex felt the skin on his legs searing as though this were fire, not icy water. His skin shivered as he walked in deeper; now the water was over his knees, and his rapidly numbing feet were slipping over silt and flat, slimy stones. He was chewing the gillyweed as hard and fast as he could. It felt unpleasantly slimy and rubbery, like octopus tentacles. He swallowed and begun swimming towards the centre, trying to ignore the fact he was the only champion that hadn´t dived yet.
He could hear laughter in the crowd and knew he must look stupid, swimming around without showing any sign of magical power. The laughter was becoming louder, and there were catcalls and jeering from the Hogwarts students and the other schools.
Then, quite suddenly, Alex felt as though an invisible pillow had been pressed over her mouth and nose. He tried to draw breath, but it made his head spin; his lungs were empty, and he suddenly felt a piercing pain on either side of his neck - Alex clapped his hands around his throat and felt two large slits just below his ears, flapping in the cold air…he had gills.
Without pausing to think, he did the only thing that made sense and flung himself forward into the water.
The first gulp of icy lake water felt like the breath of life. His head had stopped spinning; he took another great gulp of water and felt it pass smoothly through his gills, sending oxygen back to his brain. He stretched out his hands in front of him and stared at them. They looked green and ghostly under the water, and they had become webbed. He twisted around and looked at his bare feet - they had become elongated and the toes were webbed too: it looked as though he had sprouted flippers. Alex grinned and gave Erik a friendly thought. This was just prefect. The water didn't feel icy anymore either…on the contrary, he felt pleasantly cool and very light…Alex struck out once more, marvelling at how far and fast his flipper-like feet propelled him through the water, and noticing how clearly he could see now, and how he no longer seemed to need to blink. He had soon swum so far into the lake that he could no longer see the bottom. He flipped over and dived into its depths.
Silence pressed upon his ears as he soared over a strange, dark, foggy landscape. He could only see ten feet around him, so that as he sped through the water new scenes seemed to loom suddenly out of the incoming darkness: forests of rippling, tangled black weed, wide plains of mud littered with dull, glimmering stones. He swam deeper and deeper, out toward the middle of the lake, his eyes wide, staring through the eerily grey-lit water around her to the shadow beyond, where the water became opaque.
Small fish flickered past her like silver darts. Once or twice he thought he saw something larger moving ahead of him, but when he got nearer, he discovered it to be nothing but a large, blackened log, or a dense clump of weed.
There was no sign of any of the other champions, merpeople, or Daphne.
Light green weed stretched ahead of him as far as he could see, two feet deep, like a meadow of very overgrown grass. It was actually quite beautiful, and Alex was a bit jealous of the Slytherin students, who had such an amazing view from their common room.
Alex was staring unblinkingly ahead of him, trying to discern shapes through the gloom… and then, without warning, something grabbed hold of his ankle. Alex twisted his body around and saw a grindylow, a small, horned water demon, poking out of the weed, its long fingers clutched tightly around his leg, its pointed fangs bared. Ignoring the pain from the claws that pierced his skin Alex instinctively stuck his webbed hand quickly at his belt and grabbed his wand while smiling, he was more than ready for this. He aimed his wand at the grindylow and blasted it way with the knockback jinx.
Two more grindylows came at him, one of them grabbed his leg the other grab his arm after scratching his back. Alex hissed in pain and soon they began pulling him down. He sent the on at his leg away with the knockback jinx, the one at his arm was more problematic. Alex tried swimming away, but the creature held on. Alex did the only thing he could he punched in the nose, and that did the trick, it briefly let go and Alex banished it with his wand before swam away as fast as he could before more grindylows showed up.
Alex slowed down a little and looked around, listening again. He turned a full circle in the water, the silence pressing harder than ever against his eardrums. He knew he must be even deeper in the lake now, but nothing was moving but the rippling weed.
Frustratingly screaming in his mind, Alex set off once more, swimming a bit higher over the weed to avoid any more grindylows that might be lurking there.
He swam on for what felt like at least twenty minutes, and was starting to get worried. He was passing over vast expanses of black mud now, which swirled murkily as he disturbed the water. He swam and swam, then at long last, he heard a snatch of haunting mersong.
"An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took…"
Alex excitedly swam faster, eager to find Daphne; he just had to find the merpeople´s colony and then get Daphne out. However, how much time had passed now? No matter what, he had to hurry. While he swam, Alex constantly scanned the button of the lake eager to find any signs that might indicate where the colony could be.
In hindsight, he should properly have paid more attention to his soundings then he would have seen it, and have taken another way.
Instead, he now found himself starring at the famous great squid of the Hogwarts Lake. Now Alex had heard the stories as everyone else, but they paled the now big it actually was. Alex couldn't help but scream in fear, that resulted in serval bubbles coming out of his mouth. He tried to swimming away, but the squid senses were very adept and in the next second a tentacle shot forwards and wrapped around Alex´s waist. Alex panicked as he could feel how it was crushing him. It was crushing him so hard that it hurt. No this couldn't be how it ended, he had to safe Daphne. Luckily the squid´s grip hadn´t prevented Alex form accessing his wand. Ignoring the pain Alex reached down grabbing his wand, aimed it at the squid and sent another knockback jinx. It hit but it had no effect.
In fact it only angered the squid and it begun swinging Alex around a bit, before another tentacle grabbed his leg another grabbed the other leg. Now Alex really started to panic the hold the squid had at him was so tight that Alex wondered why he hadn´t been crushed yet. Before he knew it another tentacle wrapped around his arm, luckily it wasn´t his wand arm. This wasn´t good the squid began pulling Alex closer to it, and Alex that didn´t fancied being eaten, Once again pointed his wand this time he aimed at the tentacle that was holding his waist and cast the reductor curse, it hit and ripped the tentacle over. The squid made screaming noise and let mostly go of Alex, now it was only holding his left leg.
Alex cursed as he tried getting free, but the squid grip was still too firm. Alex had just manged to block another tentacle with the banishment charm, but a few seconds later another came. It was blocked as well, but Alex knew it was only a matter of time.
He had to get away. Even if had to hurt the squid even more. He quickly cast a new reductor curse that served tentacle that was holding his leg. Not wasting any time Alex began swimming away while blasting the squid with harmless cures and jinxes. Alex kept doing that until the squid gave up, apparently finally decided that Alex was too much trouble for a small meal.
After having rid himself of the leftover tentacles Alex continued to follow the mersong that now was sounding even more loud then before. Alex smiled and continued to follow it.
"… your time's half gone, so tarry not
Lest what you seek stays here to rot…"
He was close he just knew it. He just had to a way to the colony. Although he was optimistic, Alex paid more attention, knowing that there might be other sea monsters in the lake. Alex continued to swim until he saw a large rock emerge out of the muddy water ahead. It had paintings of merpeople on it; they were carrying spears and chasing what looked like the giant squid. Alex swam on past the rock having a feeling that he was very close.
A cluster of crude stone dwellings stained with algae loomed suddenly out of the gloom on all sides. Here and there at the dark windows, Alex saw faces. The merpeople had greyish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks. They looked nothing like how the muggles described them in their fairy tales. Of course, Alex knew that the merpeople looked different depending if they lived in fresh or salt water, and depending if they lived in cold or warm water.
The merpeople leered at Alex as he swam past; one or two of them emerged from their caves to watch him better, their powerful, silver fish tails beating the water, spears clutched in their hands.
Alex continued staring around, and soon the dwellings became more numerous; there were gardens of weed around some of them, and he even saw a pet grindylow tied to a stake outside one door.
Merpeople were emerging on all sides now, watching him eagerly, and pointing at his webbed hands and gills, talking behind their hands to one another. Alex sped around a corner and a very strange sight met his eyes.
A whole crowd of merpeople was floating in front of the houses that lined what looked like a mer-version of a village square. A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Four people were bound tightly to the tail of the stone merperson.
The first one Alex noticed was Daphne, not that it surprised him. Next to Daphne was Hermione, who if Daphne hadn´t been there Alex would have assumed was his hostage, but no she had to be for Victor Krum. On Daphne´s other side was another girl, Alex didn´t know her personally but knew it was Harry´s big crush; the Ravenclaw seeker Cho Chang – she had to be for Cedric. Then there was the girl on Hermione´s other side, she was young, she couldn't much older than eight years old. She had sliver hair which made Alex sure that she was the sister Fleur had talked about, Gabrielle her name was. Alex felt angry how dared the Ministry risk the girls´ lives that way. At the first glance they looked okay though, all four appeared to be in a very deep sleep. Their heads were lolling onto their shoulders, and fine streams of bubbles kept issuing from their mouths.
Alex swam toward the hostages, half expecting the merpeople to lower their spears and charge at him, but they did nothing. The ropes of weed tying the hostages to the statue were thick, slimy, and very strong. Alex grabbed the knife Sirius and swam over to Daphne and began cutting the robes that bound her, and after several minutes' hard work, they broke apart. Daphne floated, unconscious, a few inches above the lake bottom, drifting a little in the ebb of the water.
Alex looked around. There was no sign of any of the other champions. What were they? Why didn't they hurry up? Alex had no idea how much time there was left, but somehow he had a feeling that the hour soon was over. Alex wrapped his arm around Daphne´s waist so he could carry her, then he made his decision and swam towards Hermione.
At once, several spears were pointed at him "You take your own hostage," a merman said to him. "Leave the others…Your task is to retrieve your own friend…leave the others…"
"But she is my friend too," he said porting at Hermione, "and the others, I can´t just let them die down here."
"No only one!"
Alex signed he hadn´t time for this, but he couldn't just leave the others, it wasn´t the right thing to do.
Where were the others champions, had they been taken out or were they on their way? And more important what would happen if they didn´t show. Alex looked at Daphne she seemed fine. Alex guessed that she just had been put in stasis. So he guessed he could wait for bit and take off when he spotted them.
Alex waited and waited, he was about to cast the tempus charm, when the merpeople around him pointed excitedly over his head. Alex looked up and saw Cedric swimming toward them. There was an enormous bubble around his head, which made his features look oddly wide and stretched.
"Hurry up Black!" he mouthed, before pulling a knife out of his pocket and cut Cho free. He pulled her upward and out of sight.
Alex looked around, waiting. Where were Fleur and Krum? Time was getting short, and according to the song, the hostages would be lost after an hour…
The merpeople started screeching animatedly, and, staring behind them. Alex turned and saw something monstrous cutting through the water toward them: a human body in swimming trunks with the head of a shark…It was Krum. He appeared to have transfigured himself- but badly.
The shark-man swam straight to Hermione and began snapping and biting at her ropes; the trouble was that Krum's new teeth were positioned very awkwardly for biting anything smaller than a dolphin. Alex was quite sure that if Krum wasn't careful, he was going to rip Hermione in half. Darting forward, Alex hit Krum on the shoulder and held up the knife. Krum nodded, seized it and began to cut Hermione free. Within seconds, he had done it; he grabbed Hermione around the waist, and without a backward glance, began to rise rapidly with her toward the surface.
"Okay Fleur anytime now," Alex thought briefly looking at her sister. He really wanted to get away with Daphne, if only he could be sure of Fleur was coming, but he hadn´t seen her anywhere yet. Alex signed he had to do something, he drew the knife. "I am taking the girl too." He said determinedly, "so bugger off." The mermen simply ignored him and just blocked the way to the girl and laughed.
Alex growled a bit and drew his wand this time, "I said back off or I be forced to use this."
It was clear the mermen had understood him, because they suddenly stopped laughing. Their yellowish eyes were fixed upon his wand, and they looked scared. There might be a lot more of them than there were of him, but Alex could tell, by the looks on their faces, that they knew no more magic than the giant squid did. "So I say it again give me the girl."
Alex actually surprised that it work, the mermen simply backed away allowing Alex to cut Gabrielle free, after that Alex grabbed her around the whist as well and kicked off at the button of the lake.
It was very slow work. He could no longer use his webbed hands to propel himself forward; he worked his flippers furiously, but Daphne and Gabrielle were like potato-filled sacks dragging him back down…he fixed his eyes skyward, though he knew he must still be very deep, the water above him was so dark.
Merpeople were rising with him. He could see them swirling around him with ease, watching him struggle through the water, were they simply waiting for the best moment to pull him, Daphne and Gabrielle back to the dept. Had his stupid moral code placed Daphne´s life in danger? He hoped not. There wasn´t a body part that wasn´t hurting, but he had to get Daphne to safety.
Alex was drawing breath with extreme difficulty. He could feel pain on the sides of his neck again…he was becoming very aware of how wet the water was in his mouth… yet the darkness was definitely thinning now…he could see daylight above him, he was almost there…
He kicked hard with his flippers and discovered that they were nothing more than feet…water was flooding through his mouth into his lungs…he was starting to feel dizzy. If only carried Daphne, he could have cast the Bubble Head Charm. It was now very hard to move upwards. He just felt so weak. It took all of his strength to continue and he had to remind himself that the precious air only was a ten feet above.
Alex kicked his legs so hard and fast it felt as though his muscles were screaming in protest; his very brain felt waterlogged, he couldn't breathe, he needed oxygen, he had to keep going. He couldn´t stop, he wouldn't– yet he couldn't carry two persons. For a second he considered dropping Fleur´s sister, but no, he couldn't do that. He had to try. He lifted the girls upwards while kicking his feet. He just had to survive – he had to save everyone – he just had to – he pushed the girls up to the surface and smiled as he saw they breached the surface. That move had however sent Alex the wrong way, but now he could use his hands, he just had to give it one more push using his last strength he swung his arms and went upwards.
And then he felt his head break the surface of the lake; wonderful, cold, clear air was making his wet face sting; he gulped it down, feeling as though he had never breathed properly before, he was panting and gasping for air as he felt someone grabbing his hand.
The crowd in the stands was making a great deal of noise; shouting and screaming, they all seemed to be on their feet. Alex wasn´t focusing on them, he was looking at girls. Gabrielle looked scared and confused, Daphne just looked at him before swam towards Alex and hugged him closely, "Alex you did it. You saved me – When I got to the surface and you wasn´t there I thought I-" she paused and buried her face in his shoulder. Alex, who were still panting for air, slowly hugged her back while enjoying her warmth.
"I-it is okay D-Daphne I g-got you and I am o-okay – w-we are all okay." He panted still hugging Daphne, he let go when he spotted Gabrielle that was holding on to Daphne´s robes.
Daphne looked at her was well "What did you bring her for?" she asked as grabbed the girl´s hand ,pulled her towards her and held her.
"Fleur didn't turn up, I couldn't leave her," Alex said having gained a bit more control over his breathing and Daphne nodded, smiling.
"And you had to safe her - hero." She said giving Alex a quick smile. "But you do know that there was no way Dumbledore would have put us in danger."
"The song; I couldn't take the chance."
Daphne smiled again, "It was only to motivate you. But staying there is what makes you a hero, and thanks for saving me."
Alex blushed a bit, "well you wasn´t in danger apparently."
"True but you didn´t knew that."
"C'mon," Alex said, "Let me help me with her; I don't think she can swim very well."
They pulled Fleur's sister through the water, back toward the bank where the judges stood watching, twenty merpeople accompanying them like a guard of honour, singing their horrible screechy songs.
Alex could see Madam Pomfrey fussing over Hermione, Krum, Cedric, and Cho, all of whom were wrapped in thick blankets. Dumbledore and Ludo Bagman stood beaming at Alex and Daphne from the bank as they swam nearer.
Meanwhile Madame Maxime was trying to restrain Fleur Delacour, who was quite hysterical, fighting tooth and nail to return to the water.
"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?"
The trio slowly made it back to the bank where Alex slid to his knees in exhaustion, having no more energy. Daphne, Dumbledore and Bagman pulled him upright; Fleur had broken free of Madame Maxime and was hugging her sister.
"It was ze grindylows… zey attacked me… oh Gabrielle, I thought… I thought…"
"Come here, you," said Madam Pomfrey. She took Alex and Daphne over to Hermione and the others, and wrapped Alex so tightly in a blanket that he felt as though he were in a straitjacket, and forced a measure of very hot potion down his throat. Steam gushed out of his ears, but it helped.
"You did it Alexander, you did it."
"Well -" Alex said looking at Hermione, but stopped - he had just noticed Karkaroff watching him. He was the only judge who had not left the table; the only judge not showing signs of pleasure and relief that Alex, Daphne, and Fleur's sister had got back safely. He was just glaring at Alex. "Yeah, that's right," he said raising his voice slightly so that Karkaroff could hear him.
"You haff a water beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny," said Krum. Alex had the impression that Krum was drawing her attention back onto himself; perhaps to remind her that he had just rescued her from the lake, but Hermione brushed away the beetle impatiently and said, "You're well outside the time limit, though, Alex… Did it take you ages to find us?"
"No…I found you ok…" Alex said. "I just thought….yeah, I found you okay." Alex said looking at Daphne, noticing that she was looking at him as well they both turned away, both blushing.
Alex focused on Dumbledore who was crouching at the water's edge, deep in conversation with what seemed to be the chief merperson, a particularly wild and ferocious-looking female. He was making the same sort of screechy noises that the merpeople made when they were above water; clearly, Dumbledore could speak Mermish. Finally he straightened up, turned to his fellow judges, and said, "A conference before we give the marks, I think."
The judges went into a huddle. Madam Pomfrey, satisfied that Alex was warm, went to fetch Fleur and her sister. Fleur had many cuts on her face and arms and her robes were torn, but she didn't seem to care, nor would she allow Madam Pomfrey to clean them.
"Look after Gabrielle." She told her and then she turned to Alex. "You saved 'er," she said breathlessly. "Even though she was not your 'ostage."
"Well you weren't there and I guess I took the song to literary." Alex said, "I guess I was pretty stupid."
Fleur just smiled and swooped down on him and kissed twice on each cheek, surprising Alex, who blushed. And right now he couldn't help but thing that this hero thing might have some benefits.
"And you ´elped." She said and hugged Daphne who looked a bit shocked that Fleur had kissed Alex, However she got even more shocked when Fleur kissed her on the cheeks as well.
"You are welcome?"
Just then, Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice boomed out beside them, making them all jump, and causing the crowd in the stands to go very quiet.
"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…
"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."
There was applause from the stands.
"I deserved zero," said Fleur throatily, shaking her magnificent head.
"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."
Enormous cheers from the Hufflepuffs in the crowd.
"We therefore award him forty-seven points."
Alex´s heart sank. If Cedric had been outside the time limit, he most certainly had been.
"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."
Karkaroff clapped particularly hard, looking very superior.
"Alexander Black used gillyweed to great effect," Bagman continued. "He returned last and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Young Mr. Black was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."
"For that great display of heroism most of the judges," and here, Bagman gave Karkaroff a very nasty look, "feel that this moral fibre and merits should have full marks. However…Mr. Black's score is forty-five points."
Alex´s stomach leapt - he was now tied for first place with Cedric, and he was just fourteen years old. This was amazing. There were many cheers and applause.
Fleur was clapping very hard too, but Krum didn't look happy at all, but still clapped while he attempted to engage Hermione in conversation again, but she was too busy cheering Alex to listen. Cedric was clapping as well, but it looked like he regretted that he hadn´t waited along with Alex.
"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."
Alex quickly got in some dry clothes earning a smile from Madam Pomfrey, who began everyone back to the castle to the castle to get into dry clothes as well. Alex just smiled as he watched Daphne follow the nurse. He had saved her and it had felt great. He was just about to follow then so could talk with Daphne when he spotted Lisa a few feet away she had tears in her eyes, and Alex knew why. Before he could say something Lisa turned and ran. "Shite," Alex mumbled before running after her.
…
Alex finally caught up with Lisa near the forest, "Lisa wait!"
"WHAT FOR BLACK!" Lisa screamed and looked at Alex furiously, "shouldn't you be with Daphne."
"Lisa I look it is just-"
"Just what Alex? I tell you what! It just that the person that matters most to you isn´t your girlfriend, but another girl!" Lisa paused, "I can´t believe I been so stupid."
"You are not-"
"Just shut up, I mean I should have seen it. You and Greengrass. The way talked with her, acted around her and even locked at her when we studied potions. It is pretty obvious." Lisa gave him a cold look, "so tell me do you like her?"
"Lisa look-"
"The truth, just try the truth Black. You owe me that much."
Alex couldn't look at her, he never had felt so ashamed in his life. He felt like the biggest jerk that ever had walked the castle, and maybe he was. "Yes I have feelings for her."
Alex looked briefly at Lisa seeing her eyes was beginning to tear up. "I knew it, is just arrg! So what was I then a distraction?"
"No I have feelings for you, it is just-"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Lisa snapped. "Why are you with me? I was just a fun time right?"
"No of course you isn´t"
"Then WHY?" Lisa screamed. "Why did you kissed me at the Yule Ball. You could had said you liked someone else, but no you had to kiss me. You just had to date me," her voice was trembling now. "Why did you do it when you knew you liked her?"
"I told you why I had feelings for you back then, romantic feelings, and I thought - I mean really thought that those I had for Daphne would go away. I wanted to be happy with you and I was, it just well m-my feelings for Daphne didn´t went I way and it just well." Alex paused not knowing what to say. "I am sorry Lisa."
Lisa paused and studied Alex for a few moments. "Okay so you like both of us. But which of us to you like the most then. It is me or is it Daphne, I mean it was her they took wasn´t it? So tell me then who is it and don´t you dare lying to me. "There was a pause where Alex tried to speak, making Lisa even more angry. "I knew it, it is her isn´t?"
"Yes I am sorry." Alex said in a low voice.
"You are sorry? You ask me to the ball, we have a great time, we kiss and now you telling me that you suddenly or always liked some else more. Just what kind of person are you huh? Who does that to a person? Do you get a kick out of hurting girls and trying things out?"
"Lisa I"
"I said shut up," Lisa screamed, as she pushed Alex. "Have you done something with her Black huh?" one more push. "Have you?"
"What look Lisa I-"
"Stop lying to me" she yelled again. "Can´t you at least be honest? What have you done?
"We uh I maybe – no," Alex signed, "I kissed her okay."
"While we were together?" Alex nodded and were slapped by Lisa. "You bastard," she yelled and slapped him again, "your swine." Another slap, "cheating bastard," another slap "Just say something!" she scrammed, another slap, "to explain yourself."
"Sorry," he whispered making Lisa slap him again.
"Anything but that." She cried hammering her fits into Alex´s chest. "How could you? How could you? I liked you." She stopped hitting and began to cry.
Alex hadn´t thought he could had feel more ashamed about himself when he had kissed Daphne, but now he felt like the biggest jerk that had walked the earth. Now he just stood there in front of a crying girl, and he was the sole reason for the pain. Alex took a step forward in attempt to hug her. Lisa stepped away and eyed Alex angrily. "Is this a game to you?"
"No," Alex feeling confused. "I just uh-"
"What is Daphne busy then?"
"No,"
"Yeah okay so what? You are going to have a long good snog with her in the dungeon."
"What? No - look we not involved Lisa. That kiss we had it shouldn't had happened."
Lisa snorted, "you just can´t stop lying your cheating basted."
Alex flinched. "I am not lying; I am not involved with Daphne."
"Oh please, I know that you been with her, I bet the two of you have gotten a lot of good snogs behind my back."
"No, no it just happen once, it happen yesterday. We were just training for the task, and I just kissed her, it only were for a few seconds okay. I was going to tell you."
"But you didn´t and if you really had wanted to tell me then you would have told me in the morning, instead you just let me snog you." Lisa paused and looked disgusted "Merlin you make me sick."
Alex didn´t respond. "You know what the worst part is Black, it is that I actually liked you. But you know what? It is over Black! Got it we are over, so you can just run back to that little bitch."
For the first in this augment, Alex got angry. "Don´t call Daphne that."
"Why not? She messed around with you while she knew you were taken – heck she is still seeing your cousin right that just mean she is a cheating basted just like you."
"Just stop Lisa, Daphne didn´t do anything, if anything you should blame me and I have said sorry."
"Oh don´t worry I am blaming you," Lisa sneered, "I should have dumped you long ago. I mean everyone said you were a loser, cheat and psychopath."
"Hey-"
"And I defended you like an idiot, and maybe I was. I mean why did I not see it before? Who else spend that much time with their friends when they have a girlfriend- but no you hang around all kinds of girls; Ganger, Davis and that bitch to Greengrass."
"Look just stop-"
"SHUT IT!" Lisa yelled before continuing in a lower but in a sneering voice, "You bloody basted to a cheater. I am done with you Black, so just piss off and don´t speak to me again loser." She turned on her heels before matching away leaving Alex behind.
Alex felt pretty angry right now. Sure what he did was wrong, but Lisa had been out of line too right? It wasn´t Daphne´s fault so there were no need to calling her names.
But deep down Alex knew he deserved all of Lisa´s anger. He had acted like an arse towards her. He looked briefly at the castle. He could see Lisa going back to the castle and further ahead he could see that rest of the students already was at the entrance doors, but he didn´t really want to get inside, instead he just sat at tree and buried his face in his arms and gave frustrated yell.
Alex finally decided to head to the castle when the cold was too much. Once inside he went straight to the common room and was bit by applauses. Alex gave a fake smile and went to his dormitory so he could get some books and then he wanted to go study in the chamber, there he knew he could be alone.
"Hey Alex," Harry said as Alex walked inside. "Congratulations with the task. It must be pretty great that it is over."
"Yeah," Alex signed, "I feel bloody great."
"You don´t look great!" Harry said looking at him, "in fact you look awful. What happened?"
Alex looked around to see if they were alone, they were and went over and closed the door. "Lisa just dumped me."
"Oh," Harry said, "sorry about that." He paused; it looked like he considered something. "Was it uh because of Daphne?"
Alex gave Harry a sharp look, "why do you say that?" he half snapped.
"I saw it!" Alex gulped was he talking about the kiss? "I mean we all did, that Daphne was your hostage and all that. I mean doubt Lisa would be too happy about that – what did you think I was talking about?"
"Nothing, and yeah it was because of that" Alex lied as begun grabbing some books. "Look I got to go okay, but hey do me a favour okay promise me that you won´t tell anyone about that." He added before heading down to the chamber, so he could study, train and more important not be around anyone,
…
Chapter end