The Second Task

Author's note/ I own neither Naruto nor Harry Potter. We all know that right? Well i'm not sure how we came here. I've been working on my other WIPS but for some reason this one shot kept coming to me. Naruto and Harry potter, there can't be a better combo. I wrote this to entertain myself and nothing more, hope someone else enjoys it. Also anyone following my other works, so sorry i swear i am making headway on them, but writing oneshots helps me get the creative juices flowing. In this work there aren't alot of answers, anyways i hope you enjoy this romp through the magical world of Harry Potter featuring characters from Naruto.

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It's the second task.

Naruto hadn't known what to expect. It wasn't this. He's cold under the black lake. He can't stop yet, though. He has to find his treasure, the thing he would miss most. He's already got a sinking suspicion as to what that thing might be. Sakura was no where to be found, before he'd taken the plunge into the lake when the task first started. It has to be her, the merpeople have taken her from the castle.

The water has a green glow, and it swirls around him as he kicks forward.

Thank merlin for Ino Yamnaka and her love of herbology, or Naruto would never have known about gillyweed. He surely would have drowned or been forced to forfeit by now. He could not abandon, Sakura. He couldn't leave her here under the black lake, he's scared he won't find her in time. He bites his cheek and kicks harder regardless of the burn in his legs.

The first task would have certainly left him with permanent burn scars if it hadn't been for Shizune, the school's mediwitch. The first task Naruto felt he was lucky to have muddled through. He hadn't expected to get the gold egg off the dragon, he fully expected to bungle the whole task.

Naruto hadn't expected to even be a part of the triwizard tournament. No one had. Even more than that though he hadn't expected Sasuke Uchiha of all people to help him get to the second task prepared.

Sasuke had found him around a week ago, cornered him when no one was around in the castle corridors. Naruto half thought he was about to try to beat him up, he'd been so shocked he hadn't even drawn his wand to defend himself.

"Put the egg, in water, in a bath." Sasuke had gritted out, with his hand gripping Naruto's arm uncomfortably tight. His eyes darted around making sure they weren't seen.

"Wha-" Naruto tried to understand. "Why are you helping me?" Naruto asked dumbly.

Sasuke, for all Naruto thought, despised him. Sasuke's family was one of the highest pureblood families in society. They were rivals on the quidditch field. Naruto was seeker for Gryffindor, and Sasuke for the Slytherin's.

"Just do it." Sasuke shoved back from him, and was gone quicker than he could think of anything else to say.

Naruto had stared after him, watching his Slytherin green robes and dark hair retreat down a staircase. Naruto stood there so long the staircase began to shift under him.

What was that? He wondered. Could it be a trick of some kind. If Naruto put the egg under the water was it going to explode in his face, or would it unleash some kind of unknown spell on him?

By that point in the competition Naruto hadn't made any headway, and all he had to go on was Sasuke's help. With every part of him screaming against it, he had taken it up to one of the bathroom's when no one else was there. Ran himself a bath, and didn't even care when a particularly annoying ghost kept trying to bother him. When the egg slipped beneath the water, that was when he heard it the mer song. It was haunting, and beautiful. When he'd told Sakura about the clue, leaving out Sasuke of course, she had known immediately it would be something to do with the black lake. That was where Sakura had enlisted her best friends help. Ino had come up with the gillyweed, and even secured it for Naruto.

Naruto had a great group of friends. None of them cared about blood status. Ino though, she had been born pureblood seemed to reject every pureblood tradition there was. No arranged marriages for her. Sakura was muggleborn, and she was proud of that fact. She never let the Slytherin's get the last word when they tried to come at her. Naruto liked that about her alot. Sakura wasn't some damsel in distress, she could jinx the balls off of anyone. Those damn mermish people had taken her while she was asleep he was sure of it.

At the academy, the school called them the Golden trio. Naruto, Sakura, and Ino. They were all lions, and delighted to be sorted into Gryffindor as genin. The three of them were similar in many ways, but they were all from different backgrounds. Naruto was a half blood for example. His mother had been a pureblooded Uzumaki, one of the last in fact. There was one other Naruto was aware of but she was a squib, and as far as he knew had never set foot in the magical world.

Though they died long ago he still wondered about them, his parents. They'd both been Gryffindors, and that was about all he knew. No one ever told him much of anything. If the dark lord Orochimaru hadn't killed them when he was a baby, Naruto expected he'd have liked them alot, his parents.

Naruto spies a current of swirling water to his right. Somethings swimming near him, around him. Is something following him? He continues on. He passed more piles of discarded trash. A broken cleansweep broom, a rusted over cauldron, and sweet wrappers. His toes drag the sandy lake bottom, and he resists the urge to shiver.

Naruto hasn't any clue where exactly he's swimming he figures forward is the best place to go. His wand is drawn, he's not sure if he'll be attacked by anything. Shikamaru told him once that there was a giant squid in the lake, and though all the other Gryffindors thought it was rubbish Naruto believed it.

Dammit. Sakura. 'Where are you?' He asked to no one but himself.

His hands have scales, and he's sure he must have gills since he's breathing underwater, but he'd been to chicken to touch his neck to check.

Naruto was already planning the long list of grievances he would be taking up with the headmaster when he got out of this lake, Sakura in hand.

It was true only jonin were allowed in the competition, but it certainly hadn't been Naruto's fault the stupid goblet of fire threw his name out along with Sasuke Uchiha's to represent the academy. Naruto was only a genin still. This was way above his pay grade so to speak. Even though Sasuke was the same age as him, they were not on an even playing field.

Without a family to raise him in the wizarding world, Naruto had been saddled with growing up in the muggle world. Alone. Until he was 11 he hadn't known the academy even existed. How was he supposed to compete with the Sasuke Uchiha's of their world, who had grown up in a Magical home already knowing most of this stuff? Naruto wasn't embrassed to be one of the only genin their age in fact he didn't take much stock in the system they were ranked in at school. All it decided was what they were allowed to do as far as the spells and coursework they took. It didn't mean Naruto wasn't capable of harder material, it was that he hadn't earned it yet.

Sasuke probably already knew all the unforgivable's Naruto thought to himself glumly. Sasuke Uchiha's family had involvement in the first wizarding war, back when the dark lord had first taken power. They had been Orochimaru's greatest supporters. The Uchiha was a family of dark wizards by what everyone always told him. Sasuke had certainly never given him a reason to doubt that.

Anytime Naruto did something or said something embarrassing, it seemed Sasuke was always lurking nearby to tease him or torment him about it. In first year someone (not hard to guess who) had charmed his soap to change his hair a different color everyday, it had lasted an entire month. Sasuke, Shino, and Neji had laughed themselves silly from the Slytherin table the first time Naruto appeared in the great hall with that. His hair has been a brilliant shade of fuschia. That had just been the first in a long line of things Sasuke seemed to get enjoyment from doing to him. After that years worth of exploits followed. Dung bombs in his trunk, his shoes had been jinxed to kick him when he tried to wear them, someone had pointed out which owl was his in the owlery and now Naruto got copious amounts of letters from silly first years asking him on dates. Naruto could not prove it but he swore Sasuke only joined the Slytherin quidditch team for the chance to humiliate him further. He'd knocked Naruto off his broom once, if Sakura didn't have such a fast wand hand Naruto would have eaten dirt on the quidditch pitch. Luckily the fall hadn't been terribly far, and she'd cushioned it to the point he'd not even broken a bone, just some nasty bruising. Naruto guessed that was why Sasuke seemed to lay off him the rest of 3rd year. A teacher must have told him off for it. Maybe even the headmaster.

Sasuke Uchiha had started the newest school year back to his old ways though. Maybe even fiercer than ever. Before the goblet chose them as champions that is. The first week of classes Naruto had to duel him for Defense against the dark arts, and Sasuke had charmed a snake to slither across the table tops they stood on. Everyone in the school knew Naruto Uzumaki was deftly afraid of snakes. They freaked him out, the scaley, dry looking skin was gross yes. Naruto let people think that was all there was to it, but it was more than that. What really disturbed him about snakes though was that he could hear them talk. A secret he never shared with anyone, and he was content to keep. Early in his magical education he had learned of the significance Snakes had to the man who murdered his parents. As such, he avoided those creatures, and Slytherin house whenever he could.

Naruto had frozen up not knowing what to do in the duel, and Sasuke asked in his fakest voice. "You aren't scared, are you?"

Sasuke was declared the winner. As he passed Naruto his shoulder brushed his and he whispered haughtily. "Scaredy cat." No one else had heard it.

Sasuke Uchiha was a dick.

Naruto just couldn't figure it out. Why after all the things he had done and said to him, would he help Naruto? If Sasuke hadn't given him the help, Sasuke could have sidelined him for this task and could have been one step closer to winning the cup.

Sasuke was cunning, intelligent, everything you could expect from a Slytherin, and that's how Naruto knew. There was something Sasuke was gaining from helping him, he certainly wasn't doing it out of the kindness of his heart...if only he could figure out what it was.

The current is less strong as Naruto wades through, and he can see light ahead. A clear patch so bright it nearly blinds him. When he gets closer he's so relieved to see her he grabs his chest. Sakura.

There are torches magically spelled to stay lit under the water, lighting the area around 4 people. Their eyes are closed, like their sleeping or frozen. All of them have a rope attached to their foot secured to a wooden stake at the bottom of the lake floor. It's keeping them from floating back to the top.

"Oh." Naruto realizes. He's the first to get there.

He swims forward to get a better look. 2 girls. 2 boys. 3 of them are students from the academy.

Sakura's pink hair is like a halo of cotton candy, underneath the murky water. She could be a princess in one of the muggle video games Naruto's played. Beside her are Konohamaru Sarutobi. Shikamaru Nara. Then farthest away from Sakura is a girl Naruto doesn't know but recognizes she's the younger sister to the champion from Kiri.

He swims toward the nameless girl first, deciding he will just take them all since he doesn't see any of the other champions. He starts to undo her bindings and he grabs Shikamaru's intending to unbind them both in one go.

Before Naruto realizes it there's a sharp point to his throat. A scaly little fish creature glares up at him.

"Only one." It hisses at him. The threat clear.

"But they-" How was he expected to just leave them all?

No way was he leaving without Sakura.. Konohamaru had really grown on Naruto since they met and now he considered him his best guy friend even though he was a year younger. Then there was Shikamaru his fellow Gryffindor and friend.

The water next to him spun as it was disturbed. The champion from Suna had appeared, Temari. Her eyes dead set on Shikamaru. She smiled at Naruto as she unbound his leg, his eyebrows must have been raised off his face. She had a bubble around her face, it must be how she was breathing underwater he realized. Shikamaru was what she would miss most, interesting.

Naruto didn't give a damn if he won the cup, he didn't even want to compete to be honest. He decided he would try to wait just a little longer for the others to be claimed. Naruto couldn't live with himself if any of them drowned at the bottom of the black because their champion hadn't come.

Wait.

Just 3 left.

Naruto started to do the math in his head. With Shikamaru claimed it was Sakura, Konohamaru, and the nameless girl. It was obvious to Naruto the nameless girl belonged to Kiri, and he was proven right a few minutes later when her sister appeared and saved her.

Just 2 left.

But wait. Now Naruto was entirely confused. Just Sakura, and Konohamaru. Sasuke was the only champion not to have appeared yet, and.. that meant one of them was his. The person he would miss most.

A warning flare went off in the distance. The task was about to end, and Sasuke was still MIA. Should he try to save the both of them, so what if he got stabbed a few times by the merpeople? Shizune could probably fix him up right?

Naruto had never seen Sasuke interact with Konohamaru. He was sure he never had. Konohamaru was a genin, and a year younger than them, he was also in Gryffindor which Saskue hated almost as much as Naruto. So why would he be Sasuke's most prized person? But Sakura being his most prized person was also insane. She was muggleborn, purebloods tended to think muggleborns were dirt, and Naruto didn't believe Sasuke had any kind of exception for the pink haired Gryffindor.

Naruto looked down at the watch Ino had made him wear. Sasuke was running out of time.

Naruto desperately wanted to see who Sasuke would claim, but he knew he needed to get moving or they were goners.

What a sick game this was. In Naruto's opinion even the jonin weren't up for this. Students petrified and sent to the bottom of the black lake, what was the headmaster thinking?

Naruto started to undo Sakura's binds first, but a pale hand shoots out and grabs him, it startles him. Naruto would have sighed in relief at the sight of Sasuke if he could sigh, but it was muffled by the water.

Like Temari, Sasuke had a giant bubble around his face. His brow was scrunched, concentrating, and it was more emotion than Naruto usually saw on him.

Sasuke locks eyes with Naruto still holding his wrist. Sasuke motions with his long black wand between himself, and Sakura. Naruto gave him a nonplussed stare.

What. The. Fuck.

None of this is tracking. Naruto was probably the person Sasuke hated most, and Sakura had to be close second. She was bossy, and smart and always getting better scores than Sasuke in their classes. Everyone knew it pissed him off. So why was he claiming her as his most prized person.

Naruto's mouth gapes open as the thought occurred to him. They weren't- surely there wasn't anything- going on between them?

Sasuke rolls his eyes at Naruto. Then detangles his fingers from the grip he'd had on Sakura. Sasuke nudges Naruto over with his shoulder, and Naruto blushes when he realizes Sasuke's shirtless. What had happened to his school issued suit? Naruto wondered, and tried not to stare at his chest, and notice how well defined it was.

Sasuke turns his eyes back to Naruto, and looks annoyed Naruto hasn't moved. He rolls his eyes again. Naruto can practically hear what Sasuke would say if he could speak.

'Get a move on. Dead last.'

Sasuke pulls Naruto's hand over and makes him grab Konohamaru's robes. Then he's blasting a spell at the rope, detaching him from the tether. Sasuke motions with his hands for Naruto to go, to surface.

Another flare. They have less than a minute. Before the task is over and they drown.

When Naruto remains rooted. He's frozen just like when Sasuke spelled up that Snake. Sasuke swims closer to him, and to Naruto's astonishment he grabs his face between both of his rough palms, forcing him to look at him. His eyes are searching, for what Naruto can't fathom. His thumb slides across his cheek tenderly, and Naruto's whole body reacts and unlocks. He surges backwards putting some space between them. Mouth agape again.

'Go.' Sasuke mouths at him. Pointing to the top of the lake with his wand.

As Naruto starts to kick with Konohamaru in tow, he looks back to make sure Sasuke is indeed bringing Sakura with him.

When the four of them have surfaced the black lake, and the roar of the crowd deafens them all. Naruto finds Sasuke immediately. Sakura, and Konohamaru are both struggling to swim, and Naruto and Sasuke are struggling to keep them afloat as they begin to recalibrate themselves. Waking up in the black lake has to be jarring after all.

Sasuke's stare is intense, and his eyes never once leave Naruto as they drag their charges to the dock, and safety.

Sasuke shoves Sakura upwards out of the water, with one arm. Sakura scrambles away from Sasuke as soon as her feet touch the wooden planks, further confusing Naruto. Then Sasuke motions for Naruto to pass off Konohamaru to him. Sasuke shoves him up, and someone grabs the kid who looks like he might cry. Naruto and Sasuke are the only ones left in the water. Their chests are both heaving, both of them exhausted. Sasuke wrenches himself up from the water, next ignoring the hand offered from one of his housemates. Sasuke is barely out of the water, still dripping wet and someone's already draped an emerald towel around his shoulders.

Naruto tosses his wand up onto the wood, preparing to pull himself out despite his protesting arm muscles. Before he can take hold of the deck Sasuke's leaned back over the water, and fished him out like he doesn't weigh a thing.

Naruto's pulled straight into Sasuke's arms, until their chests are flush together. Both still breathing hard. Sasuke wipes some water off his brow with the towel, then he tugs it off his shoulders and wraps it around Naruto's. No one seems to being paying them much mind, even though they are surrounded. Everyone's watching as Temari receives a medal for her win in the task.

People are still cheering, shouting, canons going off to celebrate everyone making it back. Naruto can't hear what the people are saying around them.

Suddenly Sasuke rocks back on his feet, and sits with his feet dangling back into the water. Naruto stands there dumbfounded. With trepidation he sits next to him mirroring his same position. People aren't crowding the edge of the dock, and Sasuke lays all the way back his elbows propping him up as he stares at the water.

Naruto doesn't even know what he would say, or what he would ask Sasuke if they could hear each other. So he just sits there looking out over the water of the black lake, with one of the only 2 heirs to the Uchiha family.

When his breathing is back to normal, and the sound of the crowds have mostly dissipated as they've dispersed. Sasuke nudges Naruto with his shoulder, and a smirk on his lips.

Instead of unnerving him, it makes Naruto feel warm and tingly, in places he didn't even know could tingle.

"3rd place, isn't bad." Sasuke says to him breaking the silence between them. "For a scaredy cat." He says in a teasing tone, reminiscent of how he typically talks to Naruto, but no where near as severe.

With Sasuke's towel still around his shoulders Naruto laughs out. "Yeah, i guess." But he really wanted to instead ask if Sasuke was flirting with him. "4th place, probably isn't so great."

Then Sasuke laughs.