I do not own the world of Harry Potter. I only own Kyrene, Jared, Lycoris and Kaelyn.

A/N: Sorry!!! I really didn't mean for it to take this long, but classes were coming to a close then exams. I worked on this as hard as I could but I didn't finish it until today. I'm also hoping to have the next one out by tomorrow at the latest. I'm hoping for tonight though. Anyway, this chapter isn't as good as I wanted it to be but I hope you'll forgive me. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, added this to their alerts/favorites and added me to their alerts/favorites. Again, sorry about Angel Legend if you read that but it's taking some extra planning for the next chapter. Hope you enjoy the chapter!!

Nineteen: The Second Task

The Hogwarts Express wasn't as busy as usual, many having chosen to stay behind with the other schools. Jared sat with the Slytherin's and Ravenclaw, feeling a little out of place. He hadn't seen the twins when he was getting on with his half brothers and sisters. Hermione and Luna were reading, Ginny was asleep against the window, Harry was asleep in Draco's lap and Draco was reading.

Jared was leaning against the side of the door, staring out the open window into the hallway. His eyes started to glaze over as he got caught up in his thoughts. Pictures played across his eyes and he started to smile, a slow, happy, true smile.

"Jared dear!"

Jared snapped his head up, blinking at the twin heads grinning at him.

Harry woke up and smiled up at the twins, sitting up and shifting closer to Draco, giving the twins room to sit beside his brother.

Fred shifted Jared over slightly so he could sit next to the window and George on the other side.

"We were looking everywhere for you," George said.

"And here you were, with the Slytherin's," Fred sighed.

"I can't believe we didn't think of that before." George shook his head.

"I'm disappointed in us, Gred."

"As am I, Forge."

Harry giggled at the nicknames, "Gred and Forge?"

"Of course, Harry."

"Everyone needs a nickname."

"It makes the world a happier place."

Jared snorted and shook his head, leaning against George's shoulder.

Luna stared up at the stairs from her place in the entrance hall. They moved slowly but surely, changing whenever they felt like it; how they used to be when Hogwarts liked the headmaster. Something happened. That much she was sure about.

Her blue eyes narrowed as she continued her study of them, up passed floors and towards the astronomy tower. What did he do?

"Luna?" Hermione's voice came from beside her and Luna turned to her.

"The herder did something," Luna whispered, turning back to the stairs. "See? The stairs moved as they used to."

Hermione looked up, studying the stairs. Her eyes widened when she realized Luna was right. "What happened?"

"I do not know," Luna whispered, "A spell or ritual; something that would get Hogwarts to accept him."

Hermione nodded, turning back to study her mate.

Luna turned and smiled at her. But, it wasn't a happy smile, it was sad and troubled. "I didn't see it. I don't believe Kyrene did either; she's been too worried about her baby."

Hermione just smiled back. "We'll figure it out."

Luna nodded as she linked her fingers with Hermione's and started towards the Great Hall.

The portrait of Sir Lancelot studied the two girls as they left as more of his fellow portraits started to return to their rightful places. He turned and looked up, studying the portraits that were starting to appear. Most looked confused and studied their surroundings with wide eyes, like a child seeing this place for the first time.

"What hath happened?"

Sir Lancelot turned to the portrait of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. "I do not know, my king."

"We shall listen, then," Queen Guinevere said with finality, nodding her head to prove her point.

"Of course, my queen," King Arthur said, patting the hand of his queen.

Jared walked alongside Neville, rubbing his thumb over the gillyweed he had in his pocket. His eyes searched the crowd for Fred or George but neither of them was present.

"Maybe they're already in the stands," Neville suggested as the two of them got into a boat that started across the Black Lake towards the silver metal stands towering over the water.

Jared sighed, "Maybe. But they told me they would see me before I had to go."

Neville just smiled sadly at him, patting his shoulder as they neared the metal towers.

The four champions were lined on the middle tower at the bottom, closest to the water, Fleur and Jared at either end. Dumbledore started speaking; Jared only caught snippets of it. He was concentrating on the water, and his head snapped up when Dumbledore said something had been taken. At that moment, Jared knew where the twins were.

"Put that in your mouth," Moody snarled at him and Jared did, choking slightly as it slithered down his throat.

The canon was fired as Jared was pushed into the water by Moody, struggling as he felt his body change. His throat felt like it was closing in on itself, suffocating him. His hands clawed at his neck but nothing was there; it was inside. He slowing felt the air returning to his lungs and his hands slowly fell away. He blinked in shock at the webs now between his fingers and toes as a grin slowly made its way over his face.

After putting on a little show for the people in the stands and unknowingly calming Neville's racing heart, he started swimming through the seaweed and algae infested water. The seaweed danced with the waves as he swam through the water, searching for his twins. Fish swam by him, flicking their tails across his face and seeming to laugh as they swam away.

He passed through a path lined with seaweed to see an arch at a top of a small hill under the water. The top was thicker than the beams holding it up with intricate designs running across the stone. Within in the arch were five bodies; two red heads tied together, their eyes closed and their red hair swaying gently with the waves. Beside them was a girl with blonde hair, Cho Chang and Fleur's younger sister.

Jared swam up the hill, his eyes set on the twins, studying them from head to foot, making sure they weren't harmed. He swam to them, trying to untie the rope around their ankles.

Cedric came a couple of minutes later with Jared still trying to get the rope untied. Cedric tapped his wrist before swimming away with Cho. A shark, who was actually Victor Krum, came next as Jared was holding onto the twins arms and searching for Fleur. Victor just grabbed the rope holding the blonde girl up and dragged her away.

Jared could feel the gillyweed starting to fade as he tried swimming up with the twins and the young sister of Fleur. His neck started to feel itchy as he started swimming towards the surface, the web between his fingers slowly starting to disappear.

The students cheered in the stands when Cedric and Cho came up as well as Krum and

Something grabbed his ankle, pulling him back down. Jared gasped and quickly looked down, seeing miniature creatures hanging onto his ankles. He looked at the three people he was holding onto and pushed them up to the surface. He watched them as he was pulled further down as they broke the surface before grabbing his wand out of the holster on his ankle.

"Stupefy!"

The creatures all froze, floating around in the seaweed infested water as Jared tried to breath, only to realize the gillyweed was finally done. He floated there for a few seconds, staring down his wand towards the bottom. He shook his head and said, "Accendio", shooting up out of the water and onto the bottom platform.

He coughed out water as his twins and Dumbledore surrounded him, one of them giving him his towel and the other kissing his cheek over and over and over again. Jared smiled brightly up at them as the other kissed his lips.

"He's alright!" Dumbledore said, starting to stand up. "He's alright, Barty!"

"I want all the judges over here!" Dumbledore shouted, moving to the back of the bottom platform.

"You saved her even though she wasn't yours to save." Fleur said as she knelt down beside him. "My little sister; thank you!" She said, grabbing his face out of the twins' hands and kissing both his cheeks.

Jared blushed when she let go and kissed both twins on a cheek before standing and wrapping an arm around her sister and leading her away.

"You were amazing, Jared-dear." George said.

"I finished last, George."

"Next to last," Fred said. "Fleur never got her little sister."

Jared smiled shakily, shivering as Fred pulled him to his chest, wrapping his arms and the towel around him.

The Durmstrang students were cheering loudly on the platform, their voices booming around the lake.

Dumbledore made his way to the front, waving his hands to try and get the attention of the students. "Attention!" He yelled, though the students continued to cheer. He touched his wand to his throat and yelled "Attention!" the sorounous spell echoing his voice around the lake. "The winner is," he paused, his voice still under the spell even as his hand fell away. "Mr. Diggory! Who showed unique command of the bubble head charm.

"However, seeing as Mr. Potter would've finished first had it not been his determination to rescue not only both twins but the others as well; we've agreed to award him second place!"

Jared's mouth was open as George came up behind him, crushing him between the two as the people cheered around him. The Bulgarians booed while the others cheered.

"For outstanding moral fiber," Dumbledore finished.

Jared snorted as the twins ushered him over to a boat, getting on with the other boys from his dorm. When he stepped onto the dock he was pulled into a hug from his half brother.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Harry whispered, hugging him tighter. "I was so worried!" He pulled back, keeping his arms on Jared's shoulders. "I can't believe you did that! It was very nice of you to save all the others, but I don't want to lose my brother when I just got him."

Jared smiled sheepishly, "Sorry; I just had to help her."

Harry smiled, "I understand. You did amazing."

Jared smiled at his brother as he was pulled away by his mate and sisters, waving as they disappeared.

Purple eyes were narrowed as she studied the castle lights that twinkled against the night sky, perfectly normal as it has been for centuries. Something happened. What? She does not know.

"What have thou done? Herder, thou did not follow thy fates plan. I should stop thou, but I do not know how. What thou have done is a mystery." She sighed, twisting her hands together as she studied the three souls that surrounded her. The grey souls looked up at her, their blank eyes staring back into hers.

She smiled a chilling smile as she looked at the one in the middle. "Thou, sir, shall look over the herder. Thou are to discover what he hath done. He is not to know thou are there."

"Yes, mistress," his voice was smooth as he bowed before floating across the lake and towards the castle.

"Herder; I shall discover what thou have done. How thou have changed the direction of the fates. I will discover the truth." She whispered, before she turned and headed into the Forbidden Forest, the remaining two souls following behind her.