What Happened Underwater

-For What?-

I don't own the Harry Potter series, or any of the characters, franchises, or concepts you may recognize.

Ron

So, where were we? Oh that's right. In an underwater tunnel (Of doom). That smelled. Badly. In pitch darkness. About to become captives of the merpeople. So, yeah, we weren't having such a great day.

I heard everyone gasp as the door slammed shut, and immediately I heard two voices chorus "Lumos." I hastily took out my wand and did the same, the three lights exposing the slimy walls and uneven, down-ward sloping floor. We stood there in silence for a minute, our faces eerily lit by wand-light, reflecting our shared feeling of dread. Then Hermione sighed. "Well, I do wish we had more light, but there's nothing for it. I suppose we should open our bundles, then?" Everyone nodded. I opened mine, to reveal-some kind of metal cylinder with-glass at the end, I'm not sure. There was also a surgical mask (not a good sign) and a plastic bag full of what looked like-lemon drops. Of course.

I took a quick glance around, everyone had gotten pretty much the same thing. I picked up the cylinder, perplexed, turning the glass end towards me. I peered at it, until-Aha! - I found a button, which, of course, I proceeded to press. Then there was this really bright light, burning into my eyes, and I dropped, it shouting "Bloody Hell-What was that!" I opened my eyes-there's purple lights; I don't think there should be purple lights- to find that everyone was laughing at me!

Amid giggles, Hermione explained patronizingly "Ron, that's a muggle device called a flashlight. When you turn it on, it uses electricity-" Huh? My confusion must have showed on my face, because she sighed and said "It's lumos for muggles, Ron." Cho was sniggering, and even Gabrielle was laughing. Well, then.

Hermione continued. It's good we have these, now we can see without exhausting ourselves by keeping up the spell. She clicked hers on. Oh, the light faces outward. Gotcha. Everyone else turned theirs on, and muttered "Nox." We took a look around, and looked at one another. Cho said uncertainly "So, I guess we just keep walking until we find something?" Everyone shrugged, and we started walking. Hermione tried to start a conversation, but even she fell silent. It felt wrong, somehow, to be talking here, in this place. The darkness swallowed up your words as soon as they left your mouth.

I have no idea how much time passed, but eventually, just out of curiosity and the need to say something, I said "So, did everyone else get the masks?" There was a moment of silence, and Cho responded "Yeah, what was with that?" Hermione replied "No idea, but it didn't seem very promising." We all chuckled, but it faded quickly. Laughter sounded wrong, too. Remember earlier when I said I felt like I was going to the gallows? Well, scratch that. Now, I was descending into the deepest, darkest pits of hell. And it was a long way down.

Gabrielle

I fingered ze coin in my pocket, smiling to myself. In all ze hurry when we left, I'd forgotten about it. It was my special coin-my lucky franc. The date on it was the month and year I was born. Fleur had found it for me, and I carry it everywhere. I was so scared when it wasn't in my pocket-Now what would bring me luck? But I open the bundle, and there it was, the old proffessuer remembered! It helps me 'keep my chin up' as Papa would say. I think I can do zis. Zis tunnel, it is not so scary. Not anymore.

The girl, Hermione, she is kind. I think she would be a good big sister. I can pretend that she is my big sister, until Fleur rescues me. Ze other girl-Cho? - She seems nice enough, though she and ze red haired one do not like each other. The red one-Ronald? - He is funny! He makes me laugh, just like Papa and Fleur. Thinking of Papa and Fleur makes me sad. I must try to think of other things, but it is not easy.

I reach into my pocket, and slip a lemon drop into my mouth, hoping the sour-sweet will take me away from here. I look around at the bigger people-what if they are like Maman, no sweets before dinner? But I see Ronald slip a lemon drop into his mouth, and I smile. He winks-at me! I blush, sneaking another lemon drop.

Then, we round ze corner, and I hear someone cry out, and someone grab my arm. It is Hermione, and I look down, and see ze hole! It is so sudden, there is ground, and then there is blackness! My toes stick out over the ledge, and I scurry back as she cries "Everyone stop!" We all freeze, looking around the cavern with our lights. Ze hole is not very large, but zere is no telling how deep it is! I would have died, maybe!

All of a sudden, it is not an adventure anymore, and I want to go home. But I must be a strong, big girl, if I want to see the mermaids-If I want to see Fleur. So I will be a strong, big girl, who eats lemon drops and pretends and does not cry, no, I will not cry.

Because I have real big sisters and pretend big sisters and pretend big brothers and real Mamans and Papas and Proffessuers and lucky coins watching out for me, and I will be all right.

Cho

Merlin! The little French girl almost just died! There's a giant hole in the middle of the passageway, no telling how deep it is. That might have been something we could have been forewarned about. 'Oh, by the way, there's a gigantic hole in the middle of the passage, make sure you look out for that!' That would have been helpful.

When we all get over our mini heart attacks, we shine the light all around the passage, checking for holes. It appears to be the only one, but still, this doesn't look ancient, it looks as though the hole was newly formed… well, can't worry about that now can we? After a minute, Hermione says "Well, we can't stay here."

I think slyly 'Oh, real genius. Such leadership' but then I hush the thought. She's only trying to help. She speaks again "Any ideas on how best to proceed?"

Ah, the one time having a muggle construction worker for a father is useful. I speak up. "I think we should hug the wall on this one. The stone should be sounder near the walls. Single file, try to be light on your feet. I'd say throw a stone, but I don't think we have any student size ones."

Hermione looked impressed. "Good idea, Cho."

We all just kind of stood there for a second not looking at each other until Ron said I guess I'll go, then." He looked at me. "Which wall?"

I cursed internally; they both looked the same. "Er, the right wall." The one furthest from the hole would probably be best. He opened his mouth, smirking, but I cut him off "You know what I meant." He shrugged, and walked cautiously to the side turning sideways up against the wall, and beginning to shuffle down the passageway. We could see where it narrowed ahead, once we made it there we should be fine. We watched with bated breath, once he was half-way, Hermione said "Okay, I'll go, then Gabrielle, and Cho, you can bring up the rear." A bit miffed, I said before thinking "Fine by me, I don't have a death wish." Hermione didn't throw it back in my face like she could've she just shook her head at me. Condescending little basket-case. She took a deep breath, and started edging along, rather fast, then in about a minute, Gabrielle did the same, her eyes flickering between the hole and the passage. I waited a little bit, then took a breath and followed.

So it was actually pretty stressful, but you couldn't really get scared because you're just walking, you know? But once we all made it to the narrow end, we all let out a breath, looked at each other, and just kept walking. The tunnel was getting wetter, and leveling out, so I knew we must be getting close.

So all we could do was keep walking, so keep walking we did. And walking. And walking. Until finally, after the walls had softened to Earth and there was an inch of water squelching beneath our feet, we saw a sign. All our flashlights gravitated towards the first sign of civilization in Merlin knows how long. Hermione read aloud "Caution: Dangerous Fungi, do not breathe in spores, only to be harvested for use in approved potions." We all looked at each other in disbelief, and took out our masks, feeling rather silly as we put them on. I was watching Hermione, hoping I would get a glimpse of the extra object she had in her bundle, but I couldn't see anything. We looked at one another, then away, and we rounded the corner, only to stop and stare at the-I kid you not- glowing, green mushrooms that filled the tunnel. Not an inch of the floor or walls or ceiling wasn't covered in the fungi. Everyone just kind of stood there, and I thought half-jokingly that nothing would be a surprise any more. It' been a weird day, but this is a chart-topper. And I get the feeling we aren't through yet.

Hermione

I'm pretty sure this wasn't in 1,000 magical herbs and fungi… or maybe it was. I bet Neville would know. Wait, now I remember, these are those mushrooms required for the draught of living death. Oh… probably don't want to breathe it in, then.

I was past all concern about whether stepping on them would release more spores, or whatever, so I just started walking. I looked back at the others, and Gabrielle stepped forward as well, jogging to catch up, and I caught ahold of her hand. I saw Ron and Cho follow. The mushrooms felt strange underfoot, and small shimmering clouds rose from them after my feet lifted, but with the mask I felt safe taking small, shallow breaths. In a few short minutes, the mushrooms started thinning out, until there was one every foot or so. Eventually, the last mushroom's green glow faded to darkness, and we stopped and took off our masks. If we stopped for too long, I wasn't sure we'd ever start again. I sighed, popped a lemon drop in my mouth-oh, what?- and forged on.

After I'm not sure how long, an hour, no more, the tunnel widened, and we saw a circular cavern on either side of us the rock arched upwards until it faded into green-blue, and to the front of us, was a wall of blue-green water. The cavern was perfectly circular, it was like being in a bubble, eerily silent and ethereal.

We all looked at each other, and then down. At our feet, there was a pool filled with water, shallow except for one point, which probably served as a tunnel to the rest of the lake. This was the place, the end of the line. Only… where were the merpeople? Tentatively, I called out "Hello?" Ron and Cho looked like they wanted to hush me, but they knew it had to be done. We saw a shadow under the water, and it grew larger and larger, until we could make out distinct heads and bodies. With a quiet splash, 5 merpeople rose from the depths.

No, they were nothing like the ones in the movies. Of course I hadn't expected Ariel with her singing sisters and fish friends, but this… But they were beautiful, in their own way. They were beautiful in the same way that the wolf's howl is, or a shooting star, or a glowing toadstool. The beauty and wonder of being different, truly unique… magical. And I was glad, glad I'd chosen to remember these creatures with their green, slimy skin, splayed tails, haunting eyes and their hair like seaweed, because they were true merpeople, they belonged to the lake, and the lake belonged to them, it was in them as much as they were in it. And I thought, that I'd like to belong like that.

But then, I did, at Hogwarts. It was where I belonged, it was just the others that belonged there too. And I looked at these creatures, and I saw no thirst for power, no ulterior motives, no malice or distrust or prejudice. Just simply being and doing, and I do believe that I saw love, however naïve that sounds. The largest one stepped forward, and said in a scratchy voice that spoke of murky depths and countless songs "You must come, young magic ones. It is over."

Honestly, at this point, I was close to just giving up. With Cho just doing her best to make everyone miserable, Ron shooting me weird looks, Ron and Cho's hatred for each other, and Gabrielle being all brave and then there's me, just trying to move things along-for what? So we can be captured already? I'm just so sick of these games- Dumbledore's, Voldemort's, the Ministry's, and even the ones we play of our own free will. I'm tired of figuring things out logically, sick and tired of the endless wondering about things I can never really know. I am just so tired, and I'm ready for it to be out of my hands.

So I looked at everyone's face, Gabrielle's wonder-filled eyes, Cho's delicate disgust, and Ron's blatant curiosity, and I said with a half-smile "So be it."

Because sometimes, that's really all you can do.

~end~

A/N: I… actually am not happy with this at all. I'm low on sleep, school is starting, I felt awful about not updating, and guilt forced this out of me. I like some parts, but others I just… glowing mushrooms? Da heck, brain.

Well, my sleep-crazed insanity aside, I am so so sorry for not updating, but the plot bunnies struck. Four of them, actually. Plot bunnies that wouldn't let me leave them alone until they were each 20+ pages long and resolved. So I have been writing, just… not this. And if you care enough to read the previous chapters again, I think it'd be worth it, especially 1, 2, and 3, as I added things and just made them better.

Also, if you care enough, and aren't too mad at me, I have more stories! One, Resolutions, is under They Never Learn, and it's Marauder-era. Another has its first chapter posted, it's called Forgetfulness, and it's a Marauder era RemusxMary. One, yet to be posted, is a marauder-era reveal fic with a twist. As you can tell, I've been obsessed with the Marauders lately, particularly Remus. He's my favorite :p. Oh, and if any of you read BBC Merlin fics, I'm soon posting one of those, too. :/ Basically everything but this, but no more! I promise I will update at least once a month, every two weeks if I can, and if I don't, please send me angry PMs until I do. I love you guys. :3 Ad seriously?! 50 follows! That's amazing! Thanks, and sorry.

Love, Leviosa