Author's Notes:
Standard Disclaimer: It all belongs to JKR. That you JKR for letting us play with your toys.
I will continue to use the occasional song lyric in the story and will give credit at the time when needed.
This is the fifth book in my Slytherin Harry series.
Book 1 Harry Potter and the Muggle's Daughter.
Book 2: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Book 3: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Book 4: Harry Potter and the Blood Traitor's Daughter
Book 5: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
If you haven't read books 1-4 you won't know what's going on. But the bonus is you've got four completed books before you even get to this one!
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
CHAPTER XXIII
The Same Thing That's Going to be Wrong With You Three
HPHPHP
Harry had taken gillyweed exactly eight times to train for this and very quickly found he should have done more. Using his body and muscles in ways he'd only done so a few times taxed his conditioning to its limits. His gills burnt for oxygen the same as his lungs while the muscles of his stomach joined with his legs in begging him to slow down. Harry grit his teeth and pushed harder. Kick after kick, stroke after stroke, minute upon minute, meter after meter he kept on. Light penetrated the darkness and he slowed the last twenty meters. Taking care not to let the hostages break the surface he poked his head up long enough to orientate himself. Diving back to a depth of about five meters he set off. If anything, moving horizontally was more difficult than vertically and he had probably twice the thousand or so meters he'd already covered bringing them to the surface. For fifteen minutes he kept a pace as harsh as any he'd ever managed whilst running and just when he thought it couldn't possibly be much further the wreck of the Durmstrang suddenly materializing ahead nearly gave him a heart attack. Pulling the three hostages to the hulk he used a sticking charm with a timed release of ten minutes, thirty-two seconds to hold them in place. The charm would fail a few seconds after the task was supposed to start.
Turning back, he set off. The swim back was easier only because he could feel like he was moving without an anchor to slow him down. His gills and muscles burned while his heart pounded, threatening to hammer its way out of his very chest. Four minutes before the task was supposed to start he surfaced to confirm his location and dove.
"Accio Samantha Diggory!" Cedric shouted. The runic symbol of his sister's name in his palm surged with magic. As much as the tuned spell tried to bring her to him, it tried to make them meet in the middle as well. Even having practiced it with Rowena was not enough to prepare him for the force of it when it truly mattered and he stumbled forward, breaking the spell. Bracing himself, he cast the spell again. Samantha rocketed out of the water at him. He dropped his wand and caught her, getting bowled over in the process. Samantha screamed and started sobbing. "Shhhh," Cedric soothed, "it's me, Sam. It's your Ced."
Fleur stared at them for about two seconds before whipping around, bracing her feet and shouting, "Accio Gabrielle Delacour!" Gabrielle burst out of the water just as quickly as Samantha had. Fleur hit her with a Repelling charm a second later, preventing herself from being bowled over. Gabrielle gasped and looked around wildly.
Viktor sighed disgustedly and summoned his cousin. Fifteen seconds from the task starting three of the hostages were in the arms of their champions. Thirty seconds later all hell broke loose.
Harry reached Ginny exactly fifty-eight seconds after the official start of the task and two seconds before she woke. With all the times she'd practiced this it took her only a moment to regain her bearings. She immediately reached for her hairpin. "Ginny stop," Harry said.
Ginny whipped her head around so quickly she put a crick in her neck. Her wand was on him just as fast.
Harry held his hands up. "Easy, Love."
"H–Harry?"
"It's me."
"What are you doing here? Didn't it work?"
"It worked perfectly. We just had to change the plan."
"Why? And how do I know that's really you?"
"Because if I was trying to kill someone during this, I'd do it when they were most vulnerable. I would be most vulnerable after I freed you from the merpeople and was hauling an unconscious person up from the bottom of the lake. And I'm me because of a handprint on a tree near your paddock."
Ginny frowned. "The bindings?"
"I think so. That or touching you."
She glanced at the ropes around her waist. "So the second I'm free sets whatever in motion?"
"That's my bet." She peered past him. "Figured as long as I didn't touch you early I'd be safe from the Goblet."
"They're out?"
"Dropped them at the wreck of the Durmstrang about ten minutes ago, so I hope so."
Ginny arched a brow. "You've already swam three people back to the Durmstrang?"
"Yes."
She frowned. "Where are the merpeople?"
"Nimue stopped by when I first got here; told them to leave. Told them to go to some cavern and stay there. Said we were lucky that the nuance of Deity commanding the merpeople to leave didn't constitute helping me."
Ginny considered. "That sounds… ominous."
"Pretty much."
Ginny nodded slightly. "Right then. So how do you want to play this?"
"Well, I'd like to cut you loose, get to the surface, get on our brooms and get the hell out of here—"
"But we're stuck underwater till the gillyweed wears off?"
"Yep."
"How long have you got?"
"An hour. I just took another dose."
Ginny considered. "Now or wait?"
"I'm thinking it'd be really bad to be dealing with whatever and suddenly not have gills."
Ginny nodded. "My thoughts exactly." She reached for her hairpin. A tap of her wand returned it to a sheath that she strapped to her leg. Pins two through seven became a spear gun and bolts for it while a last pin became a knife. "Ready?" she asked, tightening the last strap.
"Ginny?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
She tipped her head. "Forget it, Potter. Just cause I promised I'd say yes doesn't get you out of getting down on your knee and asking."
Harry slowly started to grin. "Well, when you put it like that." Ginny ripped the knife through her restraints. Harry grabbed her hand and they raced away.
Daphne ignored the mess down on the beach and kept her eyes on the massive mirror – the press release said it was fifteen meters by twenty – the ministry had created just for the task. Hundreds of smaller mirrors placed throughout the loch were supposed to relay images of the champions as they made their way to rescuing the hostages. Ginny's image, still tied to an altar, shimmered into view. She grabbed Luna's arm. "She's awake!"
"Where's Harry?" Luna asked.
"There," Neville said.
"Look!" someone shouted, finally noticing the giant mirror over the commotion down on the beach.
"It's Harry!" Anwen cried. By the time anyone else took notice Ginny had sliced through her bindings and she and Harry had swum out of sight. The mirror outside the rotunda picked them up for a second before they left it behind and the giant mirror went blank.
Ginny led Harry out of the rotunda and the two raced for the surface. For about a minute nothing happened but then an ominous groaning permeated every drop of water in the loch. It seemed to come from above, below, left, right, front and back all at the same time. It was followed by a strange pattern of clicks. The two stopped. "What was that?" Ginny hissed.
Harry looked around but they were still too deep for light to penetrate so he could see nothing. "No idea." He grabbed her hand. "Come on, we've got to get to the surface." Before they could move, what felt like a wave barreled over them. With barely a thought they darted left. Something… big rushed past. The two were sucked into it's wake and dragged along behind.
"Argh!" Ginny cried when she was hit by something in the current. Her hand was pulled from Harry's and in the dark he quickly lost her.
"Ginny!"
"I'm fine. Just got hit by something."
Harry lit his wand. "Can you see me?" Ginny swam into view a second later. "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed.
"What?"
"You're bleeding." He reached for the gash on her forehead.
Click. Click. Click.
Ginny froze. Another pressure wave washed into them. Grabbing him they darted away. "Put it out," she screamed. Somehow Harry managed to keep hold of her as they were tossed about in the wake of whatever was chasing them.
"We have to get to the surface!" he shouted when they stopped tumbling.
"Come on!" Ginny cried.
Click. Click. Click.
Harry felt a pressure wave building from beneath and blindly aimed his wand down. "Defodio Maixima!" he cried. The spell only made it about twenty feet before the water ate its energy away and it fizzled out. Before it did though, the light from it revealed a massive beast barreling up at them. Ginny shoved him away and the thing blasted between them. Harry was smashed in the face and went tumbling down the side of the beast's body. Knocked unconscious he floated helplessly in the water.
"Harry!" Ginny cried. She turned frantically but they were still too deep for light to penetrate. "Harry!"
Click. Click. Click. ClickClickClick.
"Accio, Harry!" Ginny screamed. The spell sent her flying through the water towards him and a moment later his head impacted her stomach. They were tossed about in the wake of the creature and Harry's elbow slammed into her face. "Oww. Damn. Mother of Nimue," she swore.
Click. Click. Click." Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and swam for everything she was worth. In everything they'd somehow made it beyond the dark zone. She could almost see her hand in front of her face. Once again she felt the wave of pressure building. She stopped, grabbed a bolt for her spear gun, locked it in and fired. Not waiting to see the results, she grabbed Harry, feinted left and then back to the right. The windmill of water enveloped them as they managed to avoid the creature again. She wrapped Harry tight, holding him with her arms and legs so they wouldn't be separated again.
"Little help would be nice, Potter," she complained, surging up again. Harry remained dead weight to her but by the time the beast had found them again she'd managed to make it to within ten meters of the surface.
Click. Click. Click. ClickClickClick.
Ginny turned and for the first time actually saw the creature. Her heart about stopped. It looked a bit like a cross between a crab and the giant squid; only it was about a hundred feet long. Its body was armored and four giant arms ended with claws big enough to cut Hagrid in half. Six eyes the size of a quaffle were attached to stalks above a beak-like mouth she was sure could cut through the timbers of the Durmstrang. "Meep," she squeaked. The thing was nearly on her when she snapped out of it and directed a repulsion charm at Harry. The two were propelled away from each other and the beast barreled between them. Tentacles flailed about, reaching for her. She was smashed in the side but thankfully the thing was nearly as clumsy as it was big and she was small enough to avoid getting caught by its grasping tentacles. She watched it turning to come after her again in disbelief. "A kraken," she gasped. "A Kraken… A KRAKEN." The beast focused on her. Ginny bolted. Unburdened by Harry she was just fast enough to stay ahead of it. At least she was as long as the gillyweed lasted. Hoping she wasn't heading towards Harry she raced away.
"Really was a stupid task," George said. "I mean there hasn't been but about three seconds of anything on the mirror." He, George, Lee and the girls of the Gryffindor quidditch team all nodded their agreement.
"Not to mention a bit of a joke," Lee said. "I mean summoning them? So far the whole tournament's been nothing but summoning."
"Except for the whole dragon breaking free deal you mean?" Angelina asked pointedly.
"Well, there is that," Lee agreed.
"But still," Fred said.
"It was just summoning," George said.
"Look!" Anwen shouted. Luna grabbed Daphne's arm. Somewhere out in the loch Harry had floated past one of the thousands of relay mirrors.
"He's unconscious," Neville breathed. Harry floated out of range of the mirror and empty water filled the giant viewing surface again. An instant later a different relay mirror caught Ginny racing past. The scene went crazy when the relay mirror out in the loch was sent spinning about by the passage of something very large.
"Was that the squid?" Gwyneth asked.
"The squid is right there." Veronica pointed to where the creature was splashing about near the sunken wreck of the Durmstrang.
Ginny's heart thundered like a herd of galloping gargoyles in her chest. Her gills ached and her muscles burnt like dragon's fire. She didn't know how long she'd been going, she only knew she couldn't keep it up. Up ahead she caught a flash in the water. A MIRROR! She surged ahead; grabbing it she whipped around, holding the mirror so that it would show the beast as she doubled back on it.
"They should be back now," Hermione said.
"It's only been half an hour," Bill placated.
"It took him less than half an hour to find the others and bring them back," she countered.
"There she is," Daphne cried.
"What's she doing?" Hermione asked.
"Mother of Nimue," Neville whispered when the image of the kraken filled the giant mirror. A second later the kraken was gone and Ginny's face filled the giant mirror. The mirrors couldn't relay sound, but everyone watching could read her lips as she mouthed, "HELP!" Seconds later nothing but water and bubbles could be seen on the mirror.
There was a half second of stunned silence before Cedric bolted for the water. Fleur raced after him with Viktor a half step behind her.
"Mr Diggory," Flitwick called. "You can't help." But Cedric had already stuffed gillyweed in his mouth and dived under.
"Miss Delacour," Madam Maxime shrieked. But like Cedric she was already under water.
"Vhat are you doing?" Karkaroff shouted, but like the other two Viktor had already dove under.
"I'm going too," Hermione said.
Sirius grabbed her arm. "You can't."
"Why not?"
"Because if he hasn't already incurred the wrath of the Goblet, you interfering before the task is over just might push it over the edge," Sirius said.
"If the choice is his magic or his life, I'll take his life."
"The Goblet just may take that too, Hermione," Bill said.
"And what about Ginny?" she demanded, focused on Bill. "He wasn't punished when Ginny helped with the dragon," Hermione pressed. Bill blinked.
"You think the Goblet recognizes when something is outside the scope of the task?" Sirius asked. Bill bolted for the water. "Stay here," Sirius ordered and raced after him.
"What the hell," Lee said.
"What's he doing?" Katie asked.
"There goes Fleur," Alicia said.
"And Krum," Angelina added.
"Recon they went to help?" Fred asked.
"She hates Harry," Katie said. Just then Bill and Sirius ran for the loch and dove under
"What the hell is going on?" George asked.
Fred groaned. "We're idiots." He pulled an old bit of parchment he and George had found way back in first-year from his pocket. He tapped it with his wand and quietly said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." The original copy of the Marauder's Map came to life.
"What are you doing?" George asked.
"The map shows part of the loch, maybe it'll show Ginny and Potter too." See, there's Diggory." He pointed to the dot rapidly approaching extents of what the map showed. Very quickly Cedric's dot disappeared. Fleur and Viktor quickly followed him off the edge. Bill and Sirius disappeared a few seconds later.
"It was worth a shot," Angelina said.
"We might still know before anyone else when they're on their way back," Katie offered.
"Are you sure this thing's always right?" Alicia asked.
"Never let us down before," George said. "Why?"
Alicia pointed to a dot at the very edge of where the map showed. "Why are there two Karkaroffs?"
Ginny dropped the mirror and bolted. Unfortunately she was no longer able to keep a pace that was faster than the Kraken. Her wand slid into her hand as she dodged it again. She waited till it's body was past before taking aim. "Reducto!" The spell slammed into one of the tentacles, completely severing it. The kraken seemed oblivious to the loss of its appendage, whipping around it jetted after her. She dodged up and over, barely managing to avoid it's snapping claws. "Reducto!" she cried. Her spell missed as she went tumbling in the beast's wake. She was slammed by a tentacle or three and suddenly it had her.
"Reducto!" she screamed. The tentacle holding her was torn to shreds but the thing must have had a hundred of them. Another latched on and wrapped round and round her. Her wand was knocked from her hand and a claw was moving towards her. Frantically she triggered the release for her spare wand. "BOMBARDIA MAXIMA!" she shrieked.
The spell smashed into what she would have guessed was a wrist joint. There was a massive explosion of shell and flesh.
"SKREEEEE!" the Kraken screeched.
Cedric had been swimming for about five minutes when he came across a massive school of perch. The fish scattered around him, revealing the source of their frenzy to be a twenty-foot tentacle trailing blood from where it had been torn from the body a very large squid.
"What is it?" Fleur asked. She'd managed to catch him now that he'd stopped.
"Squid," he said. "I think."
"But zee squid is not zat large, yes?"
"No, it isn't," Cedric agreed. He pointed to the stump. "And that looks like spell damage."
"Vhoa," Viktor said on joining them.
Click. Click. Click.
"Wat was zat?" Fleur asked.
"BOMBARDIA MAXIMA!"
The three whipped around. "Zat was Ginny!"
SKREEEEE!
"Vat vas that?" Viktor asked.
Cedric placed his wand flat on his palm. "Point me, Ginny Weasley," he said. His wand whipped around, floated off his palm and drifted away. He grabbed it, sandwiched it gently between his hands and tried again. "Point me Ginny Weasley." His wand spun around, pointing out towards the middle of the lake. Without a word he set off. The other two followed.
"Vere did you learn that?" Viktor asked.
"Hermione… I think she may have invented it herself."
"But she is only fifteen," Viktor protested.
"Believe me," Cedric said, "I'm well aware of how old she is."
Click. Click. Click.
The three stopped. "That was louder, right?" Cedric asked.
"Oui/Da."
"But vhere?" Viktor asked.
"I don't know," Cedric said. "Sound travels different in water and it seems to come from everywhere at once."
"Reducto! REDUCTO! REDUCTO!"
"Ginny!" the three cried together.
Harry blinked his eyes open. "Ergh," he groaned, reaching for his head. "The hell?" he thought when he realized his hand was moving through water.
Click. Click. Click.
Harry's eyes widened. "Ginny!" he cried coming fully awake. He looked around frantically but couldn't see her anywhere.
Click. Click. Click. ClickClickClick.
Harry spun around, looking everywhere for where it was coming from but couldn't find anything. It's gotta be after her! he thought. "Accio Ginny!" he shouted. He was jerked forward about ten feet before suddenly stopping. "ACCIO GINNY!" he thundered.
"Take that you bastard," Ginny screamed just as she felt a summoning spell hit her. She was nearly wrenched free of the beast but it tightened its hold on her. She pointed her wand at the offending appendage. "Reducto! REDUCTO! REDUCTO!" Another explosion of flesh and she was free. Half a second later a summoning spell was rocketing her through the water.
Harry zoomed through the water. Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Thirty seconds and he was suddenly in a cloud of flesh and bloody water. He slammed into something solid a moment later. "Offha," Ginny gasped.
"Ginny!" Harry cried.
She grabbed his hand and started pulling him away. "About time you showed up… Hope you've got a plan."
"I don't even know what it is. How am supposed to have a plan?"
"It's a kraken."
"A what?" Harry yelped.
Click. Click. Click.
"Nimue I hate that sound," Ginny muttered. She stopped and turned.
"Did you say kraken?"
The beast appeared out of the gloom. Harry goggled at the thing. "Got a plan yet?" Ginny asked.
The kraken stopped its advance about fifteen meters away and started circling. Never once were its eyes off of them. Harry snapped out of it. "Planning's Hermione's job."
"Ha," Ginny said. "I took off one of its claws. Teach it to put those slimy tentacles on me."
"Only one?" Harry asked. "What about the other three?"
"I was just getting it ready for you."
"You seem to have been doing just fine."
"Noppa, your turn."
"Why me?"
"Off the scale, three in ten-thousand, knight in shining armor, damsel in distress, duh." The kraken was so large it had completely encircled them… and the circle was getting smaller. "This is a problem." She blasted a tentacle that got too close. "Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't feel so good. So, you know, be quick about it."
There was a half second delay in Harry responding. "What do you mean you don't feel so good?" She didn't answer. "Ginny?" Her wand floated past. He spun around. Ginny was unconscious and drifting away from him. The Kraken struck. Grabbing them both.
"Reducto!" Harry snarled, blasting the tentacle holding Ginny. He unleashed a dozen more, savaging the tender flesh of the creature but there always seemed to be another tentacle grabbing for them.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a barrage of spells slammed into the kraken and Ginny was free. "Potter!" Cedric called.
"I've got 'er!" Fleur cried. Victor aimed a spell at the tentacle holding Harry, blasting him free.
"Get her out of here!" Harry shouted.
Fleur grabbed Ginny and pulled her away but before she could escape a tentacle wrapped around her ankle and pulled her back. She was wrapped tight in less than a second, completely disappearing from sight as Ginny floated free. Severing charms from Cedric and Viktor sliced through the arm, freeing the French girl. All three were quickly caught and wrapped up before they could get away.
Harry blasted his way free to see the kraken pulling a desperately struggling Fleur towards its gigantic beak. Time slowed and between blinks Harry saw a dozen twists and turns forward. Time rushed forward again and he launched himself between flailing tentacles. Left, right, under, back right, a Reducto at the arm looming in front of him, through the haze of blood and flesh and his wand was suddenly an inch from the kraken's beak. "DEFODIO MAXIMA! BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" he snarled.
The boring spell smashed a six-inch hole in the beast's beak. The blasting hex was three feet deep in the kraken's body before it exploded. The Kraken jerked and went slack. With it's body protected by shell a foot or thicker, the explosion had only one place to go; out through the bottom. A river of blood and gore spilled out and stained the water red. Harry was ground zero for the backlash concussion the explosion pounded into the water. He was left reeling like a bludger had enveloped him, pummeling every inch of his body at once. Spots formed in his vision. He shook his head, fighting to keep from blacking out again. Senses clearing he gaged on the blood stained water filling his gills. Fighting back the urge to vomit he swam for clearer water. Able to process oxygen again he shouted, "Accio, Ginny." He went shooting through the water till her limp form slammed into him. He shook spots from his vision again while desperately grabbing at her. "Ginny!" he shouted. He shook her but there was nothing. The sensation of her bare skin on his was sharp and sour and just wrong. Poison! The answer came to him. The kraken's suckers poisoned a person just like a jellyfish. Nearly every inch of her exposed skin was covered in angry red circles the size of a pound coin. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit," he swore. He had to be covered with wounds as well, but Ginny didn't have Kaa's protection… none of the others did.
"Harry," Cedric called, racing up to him.
"Wat is wrong with 'er?" Fleur asked.
"The same thing that's going to be wrong with you three in about five minutes," Harry answered grimly.
Fred glanced down to where the judges were gathered. Karkaroff was right there next to Percy. Mr Dewer had been strangely absent from the proceedings since the first task. Percy had filled in for him at the Ball and was sitting in as a judge for him today. George grabbed the map from Fred. "If he's there, then who's this?" he asked, pointing at the second dot with Igor Karkaroff beside it?"
"No idea," Fred said.
"Could be someone else with the same name," Lee said.
"Seems a bit of a coincidence," Fred said
"Recon we should say something?" George asked.
Alicia grabbed the map. "Professor McGonagall," she called hurrying to her.
"Not now, Miss Spinnet," she said, never taking her eyes from the giant mirror.
"Please, Professor, this is important."
"Oh, very well, what is it?" Alicia pointed to the two dots depicting Headmaster Karkaroff on the map. Professor McGonagall frowned. "What is this?" she asked.
"It's a map, Professor," George said. "The Marauder's Map."
"We ni– Err, found it first-year," Fred said.
"It shows the whole school and where everyone is."
"There's all of us," Angelina pointed out.
"All them down there," Alicia pointed to the judges and everyone.
"Professor Lupin in the friends and family area," Lee said. "Even Granger's parents show and they're Muggles." He frowned. "There appears to be a dot missing beside Professor Lupin."
Professor McGonagall's eyes widened. "You called it the Marauder's Map?"
"Yes, Professor."
She snatched the map from Alicia. "Come with me." She hurried over to Remus.
"Remus," Professor McGonagall demanded. "Is this real?" She shoved the map in his face.
He stared at it for a second. "Where on earth—"
"That isn't important. Is it real?"
"Why's she asking him?" Fred whispered.
Remus took the map and examined it. Lily leaned in. "That looks like the original."
"No idea," George answered. "Who's that?"
"Don't know," Lee said. "But on top of keeping their hood up they weren't showing on the map. Sounds female though."
Remus took his wand out and tapped it to the map. "Mischief Managed."
"That took us months!" Fred, George and Lee cried.
Professor Lupin focused on them. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he said. Three jaws dropped. "Moony," Remus said with a slight bow. "At your service."
"It is real then?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Appears to be."
"And is it possible to trick it?"
"The real, Moony?" Fred asked, a tone of awe in his voice.
"Trick it?"
"Make it appear one person is in two different places. She pointed to the two dots depicting Karkaroff." His eyes widened.
"As in Padfoot, Moony, Wormtail and Rumble?" George asked.
"Enough!" McGonagall snapped.
"Sorry, Professor," the boys said.
"Polyjuice," the hooded woman said.
"It should see through it."
"Well something is tricking it."
"They'll never let me near her," Remus said.
"I'll go," Lord Greengrass said. He took the map and hurried away.
"You lot stay here," Professor McGonagall said and ran after him.
Fred, George, Lee, Alicia, Angelina and Katie all stood there awkwardly. Remus glanced at the woman beside him – she still hadn't removed her hood. "We've just been waiting for her brothers to pull their heads out anyway," she said. Angelina snorted.
"Don't know who you are," Lee said.
"But if you're talking about these two," Angelina said, jerking her thumb at the twins.
"We like you," Alicia and Katie said.
"Oi," the twins complained.
"Sit down," Remus sighed. "And try not to ask too many questions."
"It was suggested one of them was polyjuiced," Lord Greengrass said quietly.
"But why?" Director Scrimgeour asked.
Minister Bones thought about it. "Because the real Karkaroff is doing something he doesn't want us to know about. Like trying to kill our extra champion."
"That's a big stretch based on a bit of parchment," Director Scrimgeour hedged.
"Someone entered Potter in this tournament. Karkaroff's renouncing of the Dark Lord was always suspect. Potter has done nothing but piss the man off since. In a cast of unlikely suspects, and this," she waved the map, "he's the most likely… Don't let either one out of your sight. I want them both detained, but I want it done quietly. If I'm right and we're smart about this we might find a lot bigger fish than a less-than-repentant Death Eater.
"Yes, Ma'am," Director Scrimgeour said. He nodded to Kingsley Shacklebolt and Tonks. "You two on that one." He nodded to the Karkaroff with the rest of the judges.
"Yes, Sir," auror Shacklebolt said. "Come on." Tonks followed without a word. Five minutes later the two had surreptitiously positioned themselves near the man.
"What do you mean?" Fleur asked.
"Poison," Harry said. "You're all covered with sucker marks."
Just then Bill and Sirius raced up. "Let's go," Bill said. "Before you're all unconscious." He lassoed himself to Ginny and set off. Harry quickly caught him and lassoed himself to Ginny as well. The two surged ahead. The others followed with Sirius bringing up the rear in case anyone else fell unconscious before they reached shore.
There were only about ten minutes left to the task when a streak of silver flashed out of the lake and dashed to Madam Pomfrey. It coalesced into the form of a seagull. "Ginny, unconscious," the gull spoke in Bill's voice, "poisoned, source, kraken venom, numerous other injuries, unknown severity. Fleur, Cedric and Viktor, all poisoned. All conscious. Unlikely to remain so. Harry, conscious, likely poisoned, numerous other injuries, unknown severity. Suspect Kaa's protection remains in effect. Kraken, deceased."
There was a moment of silence where it looked like Madam Pomfrey had been stunned but then she was a flurry of action. "Minerva, I'll need water tanks to keep them in till the gillyweed wears off."
"Of course," she said, waving her wand.
"Professor Paddington," the matron went on, "I can put them in stasis. Combined with an all purpose anti-venom it will slow the effect of the poison, but I'll need the antidote."
"I'll need the venom of the beast to brew it," the potion's professor replied. "It would best if from the specific creature."
"On it," Professor Moody growled and step/thunked his way to the loch.
Madam Pomfrey turned to Hermione. "My office," she handed her a key. "Bring me every phial of the all purpose anti-venom. It will give us the time we need."
"Yes, Ma'am." Hermione grabbed the key and bolted. Neville went with her. The matron turned to the table her supplies were on and started readying them.
"Excuse me, Matron Pomfrey," Daphne said. "If it will help, I have a bezoar."
"So do I," Luna added.
"Keep them, I have plenty."
"Is there anything else we can do to help?" Daphne asked.
"Stay out of the way," Matron Pomfrey said shortly.
"Yes, Ma'am," Daphne answered meekly. She and Luna backed away.
Madam Pomfrey stilled. "Forgive me, child. I know you're afraid. Rest assured I can treat your friends. The venom of the kraken is potent, but nothing like that of the basilisk."
"Ginevra and the others don't have Kaa's venom protecting them," Luna whispered.
"I understand that. And I'm afraid she will be sick for a very long time, but if that is our biggest concern, I promise you, she will recover."
"Yes Ma'am," Daphne said. "We'll just stay of your way."
"What's that?" someone shouted.
Everyone turned. A hand, waving frantically, was sticking out of the water about ten feet from shore. It disappeared and a second later Ginny was lifted briefly from the water.
"Hagrid," Professor Dumbledore ordered, "fetch her." The half giant splashed into the loch, scooped Ginny up and ran back to place her in the tank.
Madam Pomfrey stepped to the tank and immediately feared she'd spoken too soon about Ginny's prognosis. The girl was covered in lacerations that refused to clot in the water. In fact, the water in the tank was quickly staining red as she bled out. Worrisome as that was, none of the cuts looked so bad a simple Episky wouldn't suffice and the loss of blood was easily enough managed with blood replenishing potion. What frightened her though, was every single inch of Ginny's exposed skin was marked by angry red circles about an inch in diameter with the center of each appearing like a blackhead, marking the microscopic puncture wound the kraken had made to deliver it's venom. She had expected one or two, not hundreds, possibly thousands. She turned as Hagrid placed an unconscious Fleur in the next tank. The French witch looked nearly as bad as Ginny. They must be drowning in venom… How big was the beast?
"Poppy," Professor McGonagall said.
"Right." Wand flashing, she got to work.
Some three hours after pulling Ginny and the four champions from the loch, Madam Pomfrey addressed Bill, Charlie, Andromeda Tonks, Mr and Mrs Granger and Remus Lupin. "Mr Potter suffered three different concussions, twenty lacerations, one of which will scar permanently, excessive loss of blood and poisoning. He's sleeping now and should be mostly recovered in two days, maybe three. The protection of his familiar, as well as the antibodies he gained from being poisoned two years ago are effectively dealing with the venom of the kraken. Miss Weasley has also suffered numerous lacerations and excessive blood loss. One, possibly two, of the lacerations will scar permanently. I've dealt with those and, as with Mr Potter, given her blood replenishing potion. She also suffered a concussion, but not so severe as Mr Potter." She paused.
"And?" Bill asked.
"Without the advantages Mr Potter has, as with Miss Delacour, Mr Krum and Mr Diggory, I've placed your sister in stasis so that Master Paddington will have time to brew the necessary antidote."
"That will take two days," Professor Paddington interjected. "As one might surmise, it is a very delicate concoction that," he checked his watch, "in one hour, will require my near constant attention. One false step will see it ruined. I will need someone to run my classes during that time."
"I will make arrangements," Minerva said. "If nothing else a few days of study hall won't hurt anyone."
"Thank you, Minerva."
"No offence, Master Paddington," Bill said, "but can my sister or the others afford a mistake if you have to start over?"
"I should be very concerned at any delay," Madam Pomfrey said.
"I am confident in my abilities," Master Paddington said. "Rest assured I am brewing three separate batches just in case."
"Thank you, Master Paddington."
HPHPHP
"All right," Bill said, "We can wake him up now."
"Go on then," Minister Bones said.
"Enervate," Bill said.
Director Dewer blinked his eyes open. It took him a few seconds to figure out where he was and that he was being watched by Minister Bones, Director Scrimgeour, Head Auror Shacklebolt and a hooded unspeakable. A second later his head dropped. "Please tell me they're all right," he said, defeated.
"You know what's happened?" Scrimgeour asked.
He took a slow breath and focused on the Minister. "You better get a quill, Amelia."
HPHPHP
Author's notes:
Well, that's the second task completed. I wonder how many of our poisoned champions are going to survive?