CHAPTER 6: The Second Task

'Bloody hell! Fred! Fred, get back here!'

Amy tried to open her eyes, but the darkness didn't seem to want to leave her mind. Where was she? She heard someone run over and kneel down beside her.

'Amy!' The mystery someone said. Their voice sounded familiar. 'Amy, can you hear me?'

'Fred, she's soaked.' She felt someone touch her clothes gently. 'Calairo.'

Suddenly, the cold wetness around her seemed to disappear to be replaced with a warm, airy dryness. She tried opening her eyes again, but the darkness still surrounded her. It took her a few more seconds to remember what had happened and realise she was still under the body-bind curse and couldn't actually open her eyes.

'Amy?'

'Do you think she's stunned?'

'Enervate!'

Silence.

'Finite incantatem?' The voice Amy didn't recognise said tentatively. Amy's eyes flickered. It took her a few moments to realise she could move again. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked in the bright sunlight. She tried moving her fingers and smiled weakly when she realised they could move again. Suddenly she was hit with by a coughing spasm and started coughing and choking.

'She's awake!' A flash of orange passed in front of her vision and she felt herself be lifted up again, but, this time, by a pair of strong, warm arms.

'Come on.' Amy heard him say. 'We'd better get her to Madam Pomfrey.' Amy felt him start walking and began to feel sleepy as the slow rhythm of his footsteps and heart combined, relaxed her. He smelt nice. Like… like a tree.

'She must have fallen in the lake…' He said to his companion. 'How did you find her?'

'I saw Montague and his friends running away just as you left.' Amy realised the mysterious unknown voice was female. 'I thought it looked suspicious so I came to check. I got there just in time to see the Giant Squid chuck her onto the bank next to the tree.'

'They must have pushed her in or something.' He said darkly as they began climbing the marble staircase, ignoring the stares of their fellow students.

There was silence for a few minutes and then Amy heard another voice.

'Mr Weasley what's wro- Dear Merlin! What have you done to the poor girl!'

'It wasn't me!'

'A likely story, I'm sure!'

'It wasn't him Madam Pomfrey,' the mysterious female voice said hastily.

'Very well then…' Amy heard the woman sigh. 'Put her down here…' She felt herself be lowered onto a soft bed and let her eyes blink open again. She saw she was in the spotlessly clean and white hospital wing.

'Miss Cassidy?' Amy turned her head slightly and saw Madam Pomfrey standing next to the bed and looking at her, trying to calculate the extent of the problem. 'Can you tell me what happened?'

She opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She suddenly noticed how tired she was. She felt as if she'd run a marathon and then stopped for a ten-mile bicycle ride on the way home…

'We found her next to the lake.' The mysterious female said. Amy turned her head to the other side and saw Fred Weasley standing next to a tall, dark girl with braided hair who Amy recognised as Angelina Johnson, the Gryffindor Chaser.

'We think she might have been pushed in.' Fred added.

'Dear me…' Madam Pomfrey looked alarmed at this. 'Well I won't bother her with explanations now, she's got a sprained wrist -nothing I can't cure-, and she's exhausted. We'll have to get to the root of the problem tomorrow, once she's rested. So Miss Johnson, Mister Weasley, if you please…' she indicated the door. They both nodded.

'Get better soon.' Fred smiled at her.

'Yeah.' Johnson said. 'Get better.'

Amy followed their walk to the door with her eyes and then shut them once they'd left.

'Here you are Miss Cassidy.' Madam Pomfrey said. Amy opened her eyes again and saw the nurse standing there with a steaming goblet. 'It's a potion for dreamless sleep.' She explained. Amy sat up slightly, took the goblet with her hands –which she noticed were shaking- and drank. Handing the goblet back to Madam Pomfrey she lay back down and closed her eyes, welcoming the darkness of sleep.

Amy's eyes flickered and opened. Glancing around, she saw she was in the hospital wing. What was she doing here? She wondered.

Suddenly everything came flooding back. Montague body-binding her. Dropping her in the lake. Feeling the darkness envelope her as she lost consciousness. Being carried by Fred to the hospital wing. A woody smell. Madam Pomfrey and a goblet of miraculous sleeping potion.

She tried sitting up and groaned as her head complained at the sudden movement. Lying back down again, she lifted her hand, put it to her forehead and winced. She had a big bump on her forehead that was probably black and blue, though she had no memory of where she could have gotten it. She must have banged it on the ground when the Giant Squid saved her.

'Ah Miss Cassidy.' Madam Pomfrey came bustling in, carrying a bar of chocolate. 'You're awake, good.' She began breaking the bar into pieces.

'When can I leave?' Amy asked her, sitting up again, slowly this time.

'As soon as you've eaten this and I've checked you over.' The nurse replied, handing her a large piece of the chocolate. Amy took it obediently and nibbled on it as the nurse began checking her over.

'You seem OK, Miss Cassidy. That wrist of yours seemed to have fixed up no problem.'

'My wrist?' Amy frowned. 'What'd I do to my wrist?'

'Well it was sprained when Mr Weasley and Miss Johnson brought you in.' Madam Pomfrey said, her tone pointed. 'Which reminds me, I would like to know what happened to you yesterday.'

'Er…' Amy thought quickly. She didn't want to tell Madam Pomfrey the truth. Amy was no idiot. She knew Montague's parents were, or were acquainted with, Death Eaters, and that if he got kicked out of Hogwarts for nearly killing her, they'd be after her to finish the job their son hadn't accomplished. 'I- err… slipped. I wasn't watching where I was going and slipped and landed in the water.'

'And you don't know how to swim?' She asked, looking at her shrewdly.

'Not really.' Amy fibbed, squirming slightly under her intense scrutiny. Actually, Amy was a very good swimmer. She had spent a few summer holidays as a little girl with her cousins in the South of France, where she had learned to swim, dive and surf (a Muggle sport where people "rode" waves on a long slim board).

'Because if you were attacked Miss Cassidy this will have to be reported immediately to the headmaster and-'

'No.' Amy said a bit too quickly. 'I mean, no. It's fine. I just slipped. I promise I won't do it again.'

'Hmm…' Madam Pomfrey said suspiciously. Amy held her gaze, praying once again that she could still look convincing enough in her lie.

Finally the older woman turned away.

'Very well then, you'll be free to go once you've finished the chocolate Miss Cassidy.'

Amy sighed thankfully once the door to the nurse's office had shut. She finished the chocolate, took her clothes from the end of the bed and quickly changed in the small bathroom at the far end of the ward. Grabbing her bag and books, which she presumed Johnson had brought up with them yesterday, she left the hospital wing.

Thanking Merlin it was Sunday and early, which meant that most students were still in bed, asleep, Amy quickly made her way to the Ravenclaw common room. She flopped down on one of the blue sofas and sighed, rubbing her aching temples. She lay there for a few minutes before mounting the stairs up to her dormitory.

'Amy!' She felt herself suddenly engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. Vaguely she registered the sound of someone closing the hangings around their bed with a swish.

'Daisy-' Amy choked. 'Need – breathe…'

'Oh! Sorry!' Daisy let go of her. Amy saw her face looked pale and harassed. 'Where have you been! We were all so worried when you didn't get back last night…'

Amy glanced round and saw Cho and Marietta asleep in their beds. Kia was sitting on Daisy's bed, as pale and worried-looking as Daisy herself, and Bethany had the hangings shut around her bed.

'They fell asleep about two…' Daisy said, seeing her glance in Cho and Marietta's direction. Amy smiled briefly.

'So what happened?'

'Montague pushed me in the lake.'

'What!' Daisy shrieked.

'You spent the night in the lake?!' Kia's eyes widened. Amy smiled weakly.

'Close.'

'Amy, explain!'

Amy sighed and recounted last nights' events. Kia and Daisy gasped, paled and exclaimed as she recounted how they had dumped her in the lake and how Fred and Johnson had found her.

'You have to tell someone!' Daisy whispered.

'I've told you haven't I?' Amy retorted.

'I mean…you have to tell a teacher or something!'

'And what? He'll get expelled?'

'Yes!'

'And how long d'you think it will take for his parents to come finish off the job he didn't?'

Daisy opened her mouth but shut it again.

'D'you think he did it on purpose?' Kia asked in a low voice.

Daisy snorted.

'Come on, Kia… Amy's been beating him in every duel for-'

'It's possible though.'

'What!' Daisy exclaimed. 'Kia are you-'

'I mean, for all you know he might have forgotten to take the body-bind off and then couldn't see you under the water to take it off.' Kia said reasonably.

'Kia!' Daisy exclaimed, 'she nearly drowned! Who throws someone in the lake and just forgets to take the curse off!'

'Yeah well we all know Montague not the sharpest knife in the block…' Kia shrugged.

'But-'

'Any idea how you got out?' Kia asked, interrupting Daisy.

'Johnson said she saw the Giant Squid drop me onto the side of the lake. Now I'm glad I didn't go turn him red.' Amy said with a small smile.

Daisy snorted. Kia just looked bemused.

'You were going to turn him red?'

Amy smiled properly.

'I'm hungry. You guys coming for breakfast?'

'Amy!' She turned round, hearing her name called. Daisy, Kia and herself were just leaving the Great Hall after a big breakfast of scrambled egg and bacon on toast. She saw one of the Weasleys heading towards her and grinned.

'I'll see you in the common room later OK?' she said to her friends. They nodded and went up the marble staircase leaving her standing on her own.

'Hey.' Weasley said, drawing closer. There was a sudden smell of wood in the air and Amy grinned: she'd found the way of distinguishing them.

'Hi Fred.'

He stopped suddenly.

'How'd you know I was me?'

'Ignoring how ingrammatical that was,' she rolled her eyes. 'I'm clever.' She grinned at him.

'Yeah, so clever that you think ingrammatical is an actual word.' He rolled his eyes back at her.

'It is!'

'Is not!'

'Is too!'

'Ungrammatical is the right word.' He said triumphantly. 'Look it up. Ingrammatical doesn't exist.'

Amy opened her mouth and shut it again.

'Hmph…'

'Fred one, Amy zero.' He grinned. Amy rolled her eyes at him exaggeratedly.

'Well, I just wanted to check you were OK after yesterday.' He said, looking at her carefully.

'I'm fine.' She smiled. 'Thanks for taking me to the hospital wing.'

'Anytime.' He grinned.

'And tell Johnson I said thanks as well.' She added.

'Course.'

He frowned suddenly, 'so are you going to explain to me how you ended up in the lake?'

'I slipped?' she tried with a smile.

'Nice try,' Fred was still frowning, 'but put it this way, I know it had something to do with Montague. I'm just waiting to get the whole story off of you before I go beat him up.'

'How would you get into the Slytherin common room?' Amy asked, trying to veer the subject off of the lake incident.

'We have ways.' He said darkly. 'And don't change the subject. How did you end up in the lake?'

Amy stayed silent.

'Amy…' He said warningly.

Amy hesitated. Should she tell him the truth?

'Montague levitated me in with a body-bind curse.' She admitted finally with a sigh.

'He did what?!' Fred yelled. Amy shushed him quickly.

'Can you keep it down?' she glanced around. 'I don't want everyone to know…'

'Amy, if you tell on him then, with any luck, he'll get-'

'Expelled?' Amy raised an eyebrow.

'Well…yeah!'

'Have you ever met Montague's parents?'

'No.'

'Me neither. And I intend to keep it that way.'

'Ah.' Fred said, suddenly understanding. 'I get it.'

'Good. Which is why I'm not going to let you go beat him up.' She said pointedly.

'You're just going to let him get away with it?' he said indignantly.

'Course not.' Amy snorted.

'Good. 'Cause we nearly lost out best potion maker thanks to him!'

'Thanks.' Amy rolled her eyes. 'Glad to know my potion-making skills would have been missed.'

'You know what I mean… So what are you going to do to him?' Fred asked eagerly.

'I haven't actually-' Amy stopped suddenly, a grin spreading slowly over her face.

'Amy?' He asked uncertainly as she grinned dreamily at him. 'You OK?'

'Yep.' Amy's grin grew broader. 'Actually, I think I might have just thought of a way for you guys to pay me back…'

'Hang on.' George shook his head. 'Let me get this straight. She wants us to make Montague's life hell as payment for her helping us out with the potions?'

'Yep.' Fred grinned. 'And we agreed.'

'We did?'

'Yep. I decided that it would work well for everybody.'

'And how did you figure that out?'

'She gets her payment, and gets to see Montague's life made hell -so she's happy; we get to pay her back for her help -so you're happy-, and we get to make one of our Slytherin friends' life hell –so I'm happy.' He explained happily.

'Good point.' George said with a grin. 'And I can understand why she'd ask us…after all-'

'We are the best!' Fred grinned at his brother.

'Any ideas?' George raised his eyebrows questioningly.

'Actually…' Fred grinned. 'Now that you mention it…'

'Amy! You have to come to the second task!'

'No.'

'Please!'

'Nope.'

'Amy!'

'I'm not coming Daisy.' Amy said determinedly.

'But why?' Her friend wailed.

'Because Kia informed me that she was going to be sitting with you guys and I know that if she is, then Bethany will be as well.' Amy retorted.

'So?' Daisy pleaded. 'You can still come and-'

'No.' Amy turned back to her Astronomy chart. 'I refuse to sit anywhere in a ten-foot radius with that girl.'

'You sit closer than that with her in class.' Daisy pointed out. Amy glared at her.

'OK, OK.' Daisy said finally, holding her hands up. 'Don't sit near Bethany. I get it. But you still have to come! The Tournament is the biggest event of the century and you're missing everything about it! The Yule Ball-'

'It's not like I wanted to miss that.' Amy muttered.

'OK, sorry.' Daisy conceded. 'I know you wanted to stay. But you could come to the task! Oh pleeease Amy!'

'No.'

'How about if we sit on our own, apart from the others?' Daisy suggested hopefully.

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Because I don't feel like it.'

Daisy banged her head on the table as Amy carried on writing the names of the planets calmly.

'What will you do if you don't come though?' Daisy said, rubbing her forehead.

'Read.'

Hey,

You guys want to meet up tomorrow for research?

AC
Can't. We're going to cheer Harry on at the lake.

Why aren't you going?

GW

Didn't feel like it. Didn't fancy hanging out with Bethany for hours on end.

Plus I thought it might be a good time

to do some research without my dorm-mates interrupting.

AC

Amy,

Why don't you come with us?

It will be fun. We can introduce you to Lee in a neutral environment in case

you want to kill each other as well. Though I doubt it.

I think you guys will get on great.

Come on!

GW
I'll think about it. AC
That means yes. McGongall wants to talk to us.

See you by the lake tomorrow.

'Amy!' George waved. 'Over here!'

Amy smiled and waved back. Slowly, she made her way through the crowds of people hanging around the perimeter of the lake to where he and another boy were standing.

'Nice scarf.' George grinned down at her. She was well wrapped up in a thick polar-neck turquoise sweater, black gloves, her black cloak and a red scarf.

'Thanks.' She grinned back. 'Thought it would be nice to show Harry some support with you guys.'

'Very good choice.' George said, with a nod. 'You need one of these though…' He handed her a red flag decorated with a picture of Harry's face and the words Harry Potter, Gryffindor's Champion written in gold script.

'Nice.' She grinned.

'Lee's idea.' George nodded at the dark-skinned boy next to him. Amy looked at him properly for the first time and noticed that he was actually extremely attractive. She liked his black dreadlocks.

'Hi.' He said, holding out his hand with a smile. 'Lee Jordan, Charms and Transfiguration expert at your service.'

'Amy Cassidy.' She took his hand and shook it with a smile, 'Potions and Astronomy expert.'

'You're good at Astronomy?' George said, looking at her surprised. 'I didn't know that.'

Amy shrugged.

'My uncle is the Beauxbatons Astronomy professor. Spending summers at his house is an educational hazard.'

Lee grinned at her again and she found herself smiling back at him widely.

'So how are you after your little dunk in the lake?' George asked her.

'I'm fine.' She shrugged, looking sideways at Lee. 'Looking forwards to getting him back though.'

'That's where we come in.' Lee grinned.

'Fred's had a couple of great ideas…' George grinned.

'Excellent.' Amy said happily.

'It's great to meet you at last, by the way.' Lee said as George turned to the stands.

'You too.' She replied, turning slightly pink.

'The guys have been telling me a lot about you.' He was still grinning at her. 'Seems you're quite the mini Snape.'

'Thanks.' She grimaced. 'I've heard you're quite the mini McGonagall too.'

'Ouch.' He grinned. 'Touché.'

'So where do you guys want to sit?' George said, still scanning the stands behind them.

'I don't mind.'

'Not fussed.'

'I think there's three seats over there.' George said, pointing.

'OK.'

'Whatever.'

'Or how about over there?'

'Sure.'

'Whatever.'

'Come on then.' George said, turning back to them.

Amy jerked her gaze away from Lee's dark brown eyes and turned to George.

'Oh, yeah, sorry.'

'Lets go then.' Lee said, sending another smile her way before turning and following George into the crowd, towards the stands.

Amy sighed with a smile.

'This is going to be interesting…'

'Where's Fred?' Amy said, glancing round as they took their seats, suddenly realising why everything seemed slightly quieter than usual.

'With Angelina.' George answered vaguely.

'Over there.' Lee took her arm and pointed. She shivered slightly as his fingers touched her skin but felt a dead weight hit her stomach as she saw Fred's bright orange head sitting about halfway down the stands with a dark, braided head Amy recognised as Angelina Johnson's, the Gryffindor Chaser and her co-rescuer from the lake. She saw he had his arm around her and was whispering something in her ear.

'Are they going out?' She turned away with raised eyebrows.

'Yeah.' Lee said.

'Since about the Yule Ball.' George said, searching the grounds carefully. 'Where the hell is Harry?'

'How come no one told me!' she asked, indignantly.

'We don't tell you everything.' George said, turning to her with an amused look on his face before resuming his search. 'We haven't known you that long…'

Sensing Lee's eyes on her, Amy forced her face into a neutral expression.

'Did they go to the Yule Ball together then?' she asked carefully.

'Yeah.' George said, still peering around.

'So who did you guys go with?' she asked, interestedly.

'Katie Bell.' Lee said promptly. George just grunted.

'What does-' Amy imitated the noise he'd made, '-mean?'

'It means he didn't go with anyone.' Lee grinned.

'Thanks mate.' George said, thumping Lee's shoulder.

'Anytime.'

'How come you-'

'There he is!' George exclaimed suddenly. Amy got the feeling he was more relieved at being able to change the subject, than at Harry's actual appearance.

There was silence for a bit as they watched Harry bend over and get his breath back before being put into position, in line with the other champions, by Ludo Bagman. Amy noticed George and Lee glance at each other with a scowl.

'What-' Amy's question was interrupted by Ludo Bagman's suddenly extremely loud voice.

'Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One…two…three!'

Amy and everyone around her burst into cheers and applause as Cedric, Krum, the pale and beautiful French girl, Fleur Delacour, and Harry entered the lake. They watched, still cheering as the three older students pointed their wands at themselves and muttered furiously. There were gasps as Krum's head suddenly began to morph into that of a shark. He quickly dove into the lake and disappeared under the surface. Both Cedric and Delacour seemed to have tried the same charm ('Bubble-Head Charm!' Lee yelled. 'Genius!'), though Amy thought that Cedric's looked slightly more…solid. Well, as solid as a bubble could be. They both dived into the lake and the crowd turned their attention to Harry who just seemed to be standing, shivering at about waist-height in water. The people around them were muttering and some were giggling at what seemed like Harry's defeat. Amy spotted Madam Maxime, the Beauxbatons headmistress; and Karkaroff, the Durmstrang headmaster, smirking at the judges' table.

'What is he doing!' George said clutching his hair desperately.

'I don't know.' Lee said exasperatedly. 'He seems to-'

'Gillyweed!' Amy yelled, understanding suddenly as she saw Harry clap his hands to the sides of his neck. 'He's eaten Gillyweed!'

'What's Gillyweed?' Lee asked George in a whisper.

'Brilliant Harry!' Amy yelled, oblivious to the pair of them.

'Never heard of it.'

They watched as Harry dived under the silvery grey surface and disappeared behind the other champions. There were sighs all around the stands and slowly the noise level grew as people began chatting.

'I didn't think he was going to do anything.' Amy sighed, slumping back into her seat.

'Join the club.' George shook his head. 'What was that you said he ate?'

'Gillyweed.'

The boys looked at each other.

'Come again?' they said in unison, turning back to her.

Amy sighed and rolled her eyes.

'It's a plant. An aquatic plant.'

'And this Gillyflower-'

'Gillyweed.'

'Right. That.' George nodded. 'It makes you…'

'Grow gills.'

'Woah!' They said, broad grins spreading over their faces.

'Cool!'

'So that means he can-'

'Breathe underwater. Yes.'

'Wicked!

'How long does it last?'

'An hour.'

'But what happens if he's…you know…' Lee trailed off, glancing at a sudden, worried-looking George.

'Lets just hope he gets back within the time limit.' Amy said, turning back to the lake with a grim look on her face.

'Oh Merlin, where is he…' Amy muttered, scanning the surface of the lake with a worried look. The other champions were all back, standing in a huddle, wrapped in big white blankets and watching the surface of the lake with the rest of the school for a sign of the last champion.

'Dumbledore's not going to let anybody die…' Amy heard Lee say comfortingly. She turned back to the boys to help Lee comfort poor George who looked like he was about to be sick. As Cedric had burst to the surface with a gasping, shivering Cho, Amy and the rest of the school had realised that the items taken form the champions weren't items at all, but people close to them, which meant that Harry's charge was…

'Ron!' The three friends' heads snapped round and they gasped as they saw Harry clutching a dazed-looking red-head Amy recognised as George's younger brother Ron by the scruff of his neck and a coughing and spluttering white-haired girl Amy didn't know, in the centre of the lake.

'He's OK.' George said, slumping back into his seat with relief. The crowd around them were cheering their heads off as Harry and Ron began to pull the small, pale girl behind them as they slowly swam over to where the judges and a tall red-haired boy Amy didn't recognise where waiting. As they came closer to the bank, the tall boy waded into the lake to get to them. He pulled Ron by the neck of his robes and got him onto the bank where he promptly threw his arms around Ron, who seemed to struggle against him.

Amy smiled and glanced down. Fred seemed as relieved as George that Ron was OK.

'Told you he'd be fine.' Lee grinned at his friend, who was slowly recovering his colour

George muttered something that sounded rather like: 'Mini Hermione…' from between his fingers that were covering his face.

Lee grinned at Amy who found herself grinning back at him.

'Look the judges are going into a huddle…' Amy pointed at the judges table as they put their heads together. They watched silently for a few moments before Lee chuckled.

'Looks like Ron's getting a bit of action over there…'

Amy looked to where Ron had been standing and saw Fleur Delacour swoop in and kiss Ron twice on each cheek. Amy began to laugh as George gaped at them.

'He's- she's-'

'Oh yeah…' Lee laughed.

'His face matches his hair…' Amy laughed helplessly, bending over.

'Ladies and gentleman, we have reached our decision…'

Ludo Bagman's voice boomed around the lake and the crowd immediately silenced, awaiting the points.

'Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and-'

'Blah blah blah…' Amy muttered. 'Tell us the marks already!'

Lee glanced at her, amused.

'Impatient aren't you?'

'Shh!' Amy said, pretending not to have heard him.

'Hey you know-'

'-Twenty-five points!'

Amy cursed.

'I missed it. It's your fault.'

'Me!' Lee looked innocently at her. 'But I didn't do anything! I just said-'

'You were talking! Why were you talking? I-'

'-Forty-seven points!'

'You did it again!'

'I didn't do anything!'

'Yes you did! You were talking so I missed it! Now I don't know who's got twenty-five or-'

'-Forty points!'

'See!'

'But I wasn't the one-'

'Will you guys shut up?' George said in a low voice. 'They're about to say Harry's points!'

'But who got the other points?'

'I think it was Krum, Fleur-'

'No I think it was Cedric, Krum and F-'

'It was Fleur, Cedric and Krum. Now will you shut up the pair of you?' George said grinding his teeth.

'…score is forty-five points!'

Everyone around them started clapping and cheering.

'How many does that leave him with now then?' Lee asked, cheering and whistling loudly.

Amy was calculating mentally.

'Harry and Cedric are tied for first place!' she yelled suddenly, making George jump. 'Woohoo! Go Harry!'

The boys stared at her as she jumped up and down, screaming and whistling.

'Is she always this enthusiastic?' Lee asked, observing as Amy waved her flag around manically.

'I don't think so.' George frowned at Amy. 'Last time we met face to face she was definitely more normal than this.'

'I think that's a good thing.' Lee grinned.

'Hey guys I'm going to go check on Fred and Ron OK?' George said standing up as the crowd began to disperse and head back to the castle for lunch.

'Sure.' Amy smiled.

'See you later.' Lee nodded.

They watched in silence as George scrambled down the stands to his twin where they exchanged a couple of words. Amy saw Fred turn to Angelina, say something and then smile and give her a kiss. She left and both boys jumped down the rest of the benches to where their younger brother and friends were standing, wrapped in huge fluffy white towels.

'So…' Lee said.

'So…' Amy said, suddenly feeling shy.

'D'you want to go in?' Lee said, indicating the castle.

Amy thought for a minute and then smiled as she realised she didn't want to leave just yet.

'Actually I want to stay for a bit. I feel like walking round the lake.'

'Can I join you?' Lee asked.

'Sure.' She smiled.

'We don't want you being ambushed again, do we?.' He grinned at her and she grinned back.

'So, do you play Quidditch?' Lee asked as they began their stroll.

'I used to.' Amy said.

'You don't anymore?'

'Nah.' Amy shook her head. 'I tried out for Seeker in my third year, but Cho -Cho Chang, that is- beat me to it.'

'So you just gave it up?' Lee raised his eyebrows.

'I don't know…I just kind of grew out of it I suppose.'

'Nobody grows out of Quidditch.' Lee announced.

'Plus my dad wanted me to focus on my studies more…' Amy admitted with a roll of her eyes.

'Is your dad very strict then?' He asked interestedly.

'Not really strict…He's more…I don't know...'

'Serious?'

'Yeah, you know, he used to be a Ravenclaw… Top marks in his O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. Prefect and Head Boy. Head of the International Magical Law Department at the Ministry…'

'Woah.' Lee eyebrows went up again. 'Big time achiever then?'

'Just a bit.' Amy grinned. 'I think that's what he wants from me.' She said, her grin fading as she looked out onto the lake. 'He was very disappointed when the prefect badge went to my friend Daisy instead of me.'

'But you get on all right?'

'We used to.'

'Used to?' He asked cautiously, noting her suddenly sad expression.

Amy sighed sadly, still looking at the glittering surface of the lake.

'Lately he just ignores me all the time. I haven't received one owl from him this term. And after basically ordering me home for Christmas, he then just pretended I wasn't there…' Amy shut her eyes briefly and grimaced. 'You know? I think you're making me talk too much.'

'Don't worry about it.' He smiled. 'My lips are sealed.'

'Thanks.' She smiled.

'What about your mum?'

'What about her?' she asked, her smile fading slightly.

'Well is she as strict as your dad?' He asked.

Amy smiled slightly.

'No. She's amazing.' Or was, she thought.

'No.' she thought firmly, feeling her eyes begin to well up. 'You are not going to cry, Cassidy…Not now…'

'That's good.' She heard him say. She closed her eyes and smiled slightly.

'Yeah. What about you?' she asked, changing the subject

'What about me?' he grinned. 'I promise you I'm not a prefect either.'

'What's your family like?' Amy smiled, turning back to him.

'Well I live with my mum and dad in London. Mum's Jamaican –a Muggle- and Dad's English and a wizard. I've got a little sister called Georgia and-'

'How old is she?' Amy interrupted.

'Six. She's a little terror.' He said shaking his head.

'Haven't you heard?' Amy grinned. 'Little kids are supposed to be terrors. Otherwise, they don't as kids.'

'I wasn't ever a terror! I-'

'Yeah, I bet you weren't.' Amy laughed.

'OK, well maybe I was.' He grinned. 'But I bet anything you want that you weren't.'

'Was too.'

'Nope. Don't believe it.'

'I used to pretend to my cousins that Cockroach Cluster was actually chocolate and peanuts.'

'So? We've all done that. Fred still does.'

'Yeah well we all know Fred's actually still kid-like.' Amy laughed. Lee grinned, liking the sound of her laugh.

'What else? 'Cause if that's all you got Cassidy, you don't count as a kid.'

'I used to turn my babysitter's hair purple.'

'That's not-'

'She was a Muggle.' Amy grinned. 'Dad had to obliterate her memory.'

'Still doesn't count. Now do you have anyth-'

'Hey, look. We're back.' Amy said. Lee looked round and saw that she was right. They were indeed back at the stands, which were already being Vanished by McGonagall.

'You hungry?' Lee asked as they stood by the path leading up to Hogwarts.

'Actually I am.' She grinned. 'Walking always makes me hungry.'

'Same here.' Lee grinned back at her.

She felt her mind go blank, and couldn't think of anything to say. They stood there for a few minutes, just looking at each other. She couldn't tell what her own expression was but he was smiling at her. She felt another little squiggle in her stomach as they continued just standing there.

'Um…Maybe we should go in…' she heard herself say.

'No! Damn it! You don't want to go in! What are you saying!'

'Oh Merlin…' Amy thought with an inward groan. 'Not you again.'

'Yup. Me. Now what are you doing?!'

'Um, yeah.' Lee said, breaking their eye contact. 'Yeah we should probably…' he trailed off and turned and led the way up the path.

'See! Now he thinks you don't want to be with him! Go after him!'

'Hey Lee!' Amy called running after him. 'Wait for me!'

'Oh, sorry.' He said, turning back to her. They walked up the path in silence.

'Tell him you enjoyed spending time with him!'

'No!' Amy thought inwardly. 'I barely know him!'

'You know you like him!'

'I do not like him!'

'Do too!

'Do not!'

'Do too! Just say it!'

'I enjoyed talking to you Lee.' She said out loud as they went inside.

'Likewise.' He grinned at her. 'We should do it again sometime.'

'Ha! Yes! I rule!'

'Shut up!'

'Sorry?' Lee looked alarmed.

'Hehe…Now you look dumb…'

'Sorry…' she turned red. 'I didn't mean to say that out loud.'

He laughed.

'You're one very special witch Cassidy.'

'Thanks… I think.' She said, frowning slightly.

'Don't worry.' He grinned down at her as they reached the doors to the Great Hall. 'That was definitely a compliment.'

AUTHORS NOTE: I am soooo sorry!! This has taken me forever to get up... First I had writers block, then my computer busted, then the other computer busted, then we got it fixed but had no internet, then I had writers block again, then I started school and now finally I can post... Load of lame excuses but there you have it. I promise I'll try not to take so long next time!

This chapter hasn't been one of my favourite to write, I didn't like doing the second task. But the story's beginning to go where I need it to, so it's OK. This is actually the second version of the same chapter. I'd originally planned for Amy to fight with Daisy as well... But I changed my mind. I thought two separate fights with friends would just make my life way too complicated. Oh and Amy's of course P

Thank you so much to my reviewers! I love you guys!

Disclaimer: I own nothing that isn't mine.

REVIEW!!! (please??)