Woo hoo. Weird chapter but good
Harry jiggled around on the spot nervously. He stood on an enormous diving board reaching out around ten meters over the misty waters of the Black lake.
Where's Hermione? This question was the only thing on his mind. He remembered asking everyone at breakfast but no one had seen her. He molded the Gilliweed into a ball and scrunched his hand into a fist, watching with mild interest as green slime squelched out between his fingers.
To his left were Krum, Cedric and Fleur, and from above him came the cheers of the crowd. The onlookers sat in small booths, about twenty to each, which were suspended in midair, dotted over the lake. In the middle of the lake a large platform floated. The judges and Filch sat at the platform.
A cannon slid into place beside them, Filch standing near. Its purple shell was gleaming in midday sun. Filch bent behind the barrel, fumbling with something out of view. Before long a spark lit up the shade, and a deafening CRACK drowned out the thunderous cheers of the watchers.
Harry popped the slimy Gilliweed in his mouth before diving in with the other three contestants. The cold hit him with the force of a thousand icy daggers, penetrating his mental barriers and causing him to panic. Only for a moment though. Then the effects of the Gilliweed kicked in.
His body tingled with warmth as he watched his feet and hands become webbed. Without a second's thought he pushed off the sand and into the darkness of the lake. He was all alone in the murky waters. The other champions were nowhere in sight.
He pushed through a forest of seaweed. The slimy strands brushed his face and arms. He saw a flash of blue behind him. Harry kept his guard up, aware of all his surroundings. It was much easier the first time.
He passed through the ruins of a palace. A mermaid residence perhaps. Harry thought. He swam through the debris and imagined what it was like before. He let his mind wander but snapped back to attention when he saw a fishy tail whip around the corner.
Harry put on a burst of speed and followed, what he assumed, was a mermaid. He pursued the mermaid out into the open water where he heard the eerie song that he had first heard from the egg. He saw about fifty more mermaids standing around what, to Harry, looked like four black blurs.
He swam closer, trying to get a better view. All the mermaid's eyes followed him, the gills on the sides of their neck opening and closing with every breath they took. These mermaids were almost nothing like what the way Muggles portrayed them. For one thing, they certainly weren't beautiful but instead had clammy green skin, stringy hair and bodies far too big for their miniscule heads.
As Harry drew closer the four blurs came into focus. They were people. Four people were floating, ropes tied to their ankles, which were anchored at the lake bed. On the far right was a youth from the Bulgarian Quidditch team Harry recognized as Julian Ducareff, next to him was Cho Chang, alongside her was a small girl with silvery- blonde hair, and beside her was Hermione.
What the hell were they thinking, using innocent people for sport! Harry thought outraged. Calm down Harry, just finish and you can complain later. Harry swam up to Hermione, who was in a state of deep sleep. She looked eerie and lifeless and Harry just wanted to get out as soon as possible.
He attempted to untie the ropes but they were knotted too tightly. He glanced around, searching for something sharp to split the bonds. What looked like Cedric Diggory was swimming gradually towards him . It looked like he had a huge bubble around his head. He arrived, pulled out his wand and cast a severing charm on the ropes. The rope snapped and Cho floated upwards to be pulled into Cedric's firm grip. Before he left Cedric tapped his watch, indicating that time was almost up.
Harry nodded and watched him swim up to the surface. You idiot Harry! Why didn't you think of using a severing charm? Harry pulled his wand from the holster that was attached to his leg. "Diffindo" he said, pointing at the ropes. Hermione drifted into his arms and he followed Cedric up to the surface.
He was almost there, so close he could see the sun, poking its cheery head out from the clouds. He was only a few meters away when he felt it. A tug at his leg, pulling him downwards.
He struggled against it but the pull was too strong. He started sinking back into the blackness. He released Hermione and watched her float up just as he felt the air leave his body.
Harry turned his attention to what was pulling him down. Wrapped around his leg was a slimy tentacle. A dozen more joined it and pulled down together as a combined force. Harry gasped for air and felt the oxygen leave his brain. He gave one struggle of desperation before finally giving up and blacking out.
Harry woke to find himself in a large cave. He was sitting on a rock completely surrounded by water. Slime dripped from the walls and the cave was completely dark except for a flickering torch on the rock.
He groggily rubbed his eyes and sat up straight. He cast back his memory but all he remembered was him struggling for life against twenty tentacles. What have you gotten yourself into this time Potter? he asked himself.
Got to get out of here. he thought. He stuck his toe in the water and to his surprise it started bubbling madly. He immediately pulled it out again. "What? What did I do?" he asked no one on particular.
Out of the bubbling water ascended about twenty things that looked like garden except with tentacles instead of feet. They formed a semicircle around the cave and in the middle rose a giant frog-woman. She rose up to her waist and kept her bottom half in the water. She had clammy green skin, the hands of a frog, large eyes and on her head was an enormous turban.
The frog-lady opened her large lips and spoke, "Harry James Potter."
"Um- y-y-yes? Hey… how do you now my name?"
"I know a lot of things mister Potter."
"Who are you? What do you want from me?"
"My name is… not important. And you are here for me to give you some significant information."
"What kind of information?"
"I am going to tell you how to defeat your mortal enemy." She said calmly. Harry just stood there, too stunned to move.
"Y-y-you What?"
"Do you want to overpower Lord Voldemort or not?"
"Well sure but how?"
"All you need to do is pour this on him." She said, holding out a glass vile. It contained a red liquid, swirling with pinks and yellows. Harry hesitantly took it.
"What is it?"
"That, my boy, is pure love. Now that I have told you all I had to tell you are wasting my time. I am very busy. It's not very easy being a wise woman you know. One of my minions will take you back to the surface." The bubbles started again and the frog-woman and her minions descended back into the water again. All except one, who stayed with Harry.
"Put this on," it said gruffly handing Harry a necklace. Harry put it on. It was pointy and hurt his neck but if it helped him reach Hogwarts it was good enough for him.
"Come on. The necklace will let you breathe underwater." The thing said and disappeared into the water. Harry pocketed the pure love in the pocket of his swimming trunks and followed the creature.
They swam in silence all the way up and when they reached the surface it was already dark. The octopus/ garden gnome took him to the beach.
"Necklace please." It said extending a slimy hand. Harry happily obliged as the necklace was terribly uncomfortable. Without another word Harry turned and headed for Hogwarts.
After almost walking into the Forbidden forest, stepping into two holes and falling into a puddle of mud Harry finally reached Hogwarts. Sopping wet, covered in mud and with odd bits of seaweed and twigs stuck to him. Harry pushed open the majestic, oak doors of the great hall. The hall was decorated differently as to what Harry remembered it ever to have been. It had black Hogwarts banners and a large photo of Harry at the front. It also felt different. No one was saying a word and almost everyone had a tear in their eye.
What's all this… Oh my God they think I'm dead.
"So who's funeral is it?" he asked loudly from the doors. Every head turned to him with a look of confusion on their faces.
"Harry?" a small voice came from the crowd.
"The one and only." He said grinning. Hermione rushed from the front of the hall into his awaiting arms with such force they both crashed down to the ground. Hermione sobbed into his shoulder sad but mostly happy and relieved. When she finally got up they were both covered in mud.
Harry hugged her tightly again and whispered into her ear, "You know I'd never leave you." Then the whole hall erupted in cheers and all the Gryffindors came up to hug him or pat him on the back. Ron pushed through the crowd with a big grin on his face.
"Thought you were gone mate."
"Guess again. Harry's back and he's here to stay."
A/N: So what do you think? Shorter than the other chapters but equally as important. I had that frog-lady idea at the last minute it was pretty random but I think it worked well. Notice how my writing's improved since the first chappie? I don't know why.
XOXOXO Laura.