The Second Trial: The Lost Library
"Harry Potter must wakes ups sir, he musts!"
Harry heard these words cried into his ear from far too close. As a result, when harry jerks his head back, he feels a momentary suspension, as though gravity has just ceased to affect him, and then his chair continues to tilt backwards taking him with it.
With a loud crash Harry is on the floor staring into a pair of bulbous green eyes as dobby pulls on his shirt.
"Harry mustn't be lates, get up get up."
Harry rolls over with a groan, stands up slowly, and looks at his watch. 8:50. …….. Oh Shit.
"Gah, the second task starts in ten minutes. And I haven't found a way to breath underwater yet." Harry groans as he starts towards the door.
"Harry Potter sir, eat this before you go in. it will help you gets your weezy back." Dobby exclaims as he pushes a slimy green ball into harry's pocket. He also hands harry his swimming trunks, which harry quickly changes into under his robes. (I mean really, did he sleep in them the night before? Dumb movie)
Harry takes off sprinting towards the Black Lake, and arrives just in time to hear Ludo Bagman finish his speech. He Lines up along with the other champions, mentally preparing himself to jump into a lake in late February. Brrrr.
Then suddenly, a young girl with silvery hair and an angelic face pops out of the water not two feet from Harry. Not knowing what's happening, or noticing Dumbledore stop speaking, Harry reaches down towards the girl, and lifts her out of the lake when she grabs his hand. He is then knocked out of the way by Fleur as she runs by with an exclamation of "Gabrielle" followed by some French that Harry didn't understand.
Harry then notices three more heads pop out of the water, also near the platform, and as he and Cedric pull them out, Harry realizes that they are Cho, Ron and Hermione. Immediately after pulling Hermione out, Krum hurries over to her, takes her hand, and pulls a water beetle out of her hair. (My guess is that she was hanging out around bagman, being afraid of Dumbledore, but she flew over when people started coming out of the lake)
Harry passes Ron off to Madam Pomfrey, who is already passing out towels and casting warming charms, and walks over to Dumbledore, who is talking to a merman near the platform. The other champions are quick to follow him.
After talking for a few minutes, the merman sunk into the water and Dumbledore stood up and faced the gathered champions, adults, and students.
"Sonorous", he whispers, followed by "It would appear that the Second Task is being postponed. The Mermish tribe in the Black Lake who had agreed to host this task have declared that they will have nothing to do with a child of a veela, for doing so would break an old Treaty that we humans have forgotten. They have returned the champions hostages, and as such, we need to come up with a new second task for out champions. Professor Karkaroff, Madam Maxine, and I will announce at dinner today what will happen, or if we have come up with a new trial.
After an uneventful day where Harry gave Dobby back the gillyweed, Harry, Ron and Hermione went to dinner, and Harry was on edge, not having any idea what would com tonight. Although all three Heads were present, they seemed to be relaxed and in no hurry to announce the future task. After a tension filled dinner Harry finally got his answer.
Dumbledore stood up, and waited patiently. After the ruckus had died down, he cleared his throat and said, "We have agreed on what the new Second Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament shall be, and we would like everyone to know that the task will happen immediately after dinner. Could the Champions please prepare themselves and be ready to face their trial in one half hour? Thank you"
With that he sat down, and harry turned to Hermione and Ron, and asked "do you have any idea what this task will be?"
Both shook their heads, to Harry's disappointment, and harry left the great hall to 'prepare' himself. Really, all he did was wander around for thirty minutes mentally going over spells, before wandering back into the great hall, where he that the tables had been removed, and on a raised dais in the middle of the room, stood a table with an odd colored object on it. Harry realized that what he was looking at was a book that was slowly changing colors, currently it was changing from plaid to purple.
He walked over to where Cedric and Krum were standing, while Ron and Hermione walked over to join the rest of the spectators. After another minute Madam Maxine and Fleur walked in, with Dumbledore and Karkaroff a few steps behind. Dumbledore allowed Madam Maxine to walk up to the dias, where she reverently picked up the book and turned to look at the champions.
As she began explaining the book, Harry developed and odd feeling. It wasn't so much a bad feeling, so much as he just felt that what happened next would change the world as he knew it.
"This book came into the care of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in the early 1200's" she began (she's the head of the primary school in France, I personally think she just put on an accent when she talks to Dumbledore to mess with him). "It was put into the care of the Headmaster, in the hopes that he could figure out what it was. He learned that this book, titled The Lost Library, is in fact the portal to the lost library of Alexander the Great. It is heavily enchanted, and it will allow anyone who passes it's test to enter the library."
At this, Harry could see Hermione bouncing on her feet, and he knew she wanted to test the book herself.
Madam Maxine continued "Since our Headmaster discovered the purpose of the book in 1223, all following Headmasters and mistresses have tried and failed to pass the test. The test is unique for each individual, but it is five separate challenges back to back, and the person must pass each test before moving on. This will be the challenge. Our champions will take the test, and as the avatar of the library announces the persons courage, we will know which champion is the most courageous. Champions, please step forward."
Harry and the others moved up to the dais, and following Maxine's instructions, they all laid their hands on the book. They were told to keep their hands on the book while Maxine recited the spell to begin the test.
As Madam Maxine spoke words Harry didn't understand, but knew to be Greek, since Alexander was Greek, He felt the feeling in the pit of his stomach flare, and he knew he was starting a new adventure.
He felt a tug behind his eyes, in the center of his brain, much like a portkey, and only had the though "here we go again" in mind as he felt his body pulled into the book via his mind.