"Hey, girls… I have an idea!" Amber called out to me and Hermione. We dropped our conversation to hear her out.

"Listen, sound waves travel slower through water. If I go to the Black Lake, put the egg underwater, and listen to the sound, I may be able to make sense of it!"

"So why do you want us to help?"

"Hermione, I want you to write down what I hear. But mainly, I may need to get into my swimwear to go underwater, and I'm not comfortable swimming alone in a public place like this. Did they expect every champion to have a private bathroom?"

"Eh, sure, we'll help. Get what you need now."

Amber went underwater at one of the sheerer coasts. Her theory was, she could get closer to the shore while keeping her head the only thing above water.

"Alright… I'm going in," she said, before submerging. She stayed underwater for thirty seconds before rising.

"What did it sound like?"

"It was a poem… it'll take a couple of tries to get it to you. Hermione, quill ready?"

"Got it right here, Amber."

The poem went something like this:

Come seek us where our voices sound;
We cannot sing above the ground.

And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss.

An hour long you'll have to look;
To recover what we took.

But past an hour, the prospect's black:
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back!

Amber preferred to stay in the water for the sake of it during our discussion.

"Come seek us where our voices sound?"

"The Black Lake. That's obvious."

"We cannot sing above the ground?"

"Merpeople?" Hermione asked.

"You know, I did not think of them. It's so obvious!" I responded.

"Don't feel bad, Ginny: Merpeople are the most commonly recited myths in the Muggle world, along with Loch Ness and Bigfoot. But… these aren't just dugong, aren't they?"

"Nope. They live deep, Amber, so don't bother jumping."

"An hour long you'll have to look?"

"An hour for the task. That's the trouble spot: how will you breathe for an hour?"

"We'll study that," Amber said simply.

"Hey! Ginny!" someone called. It was a boy.

"Amber, get down!" I called. "Hey, Harry! Hey, Ron," I continued.

"Hello, Ginny… Ron was just thinking… do you want to come to the ball with me?" Harry was almost panicking, how fast he was speaking, before turning bright red. I was trying my best not to squeal.

"Of course I'll come with you, Harry. Why wouldn't I?" I responded. Harry gave me a huge hug in thanks, before leaving. Ron patted Hermione on the back, giving me the impression he was asking Hermione out.

*Cough* *Cough* Amber called.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Amber."

"It's all right. Ron never looked."

"Harry?"

"I don't mind him looking, do I?"

"Duh. How could I forget?"

"What else?"

"We've taken what you'll sorely miss," Hermione recited, looking at Amber. She had taken several strokes backwards.

"What does the poem say about passing an hour?"

"Too late, it's gone, it won't come back," I told her. The colour drained from Amber's face. "That's bad, isn't it?"

"They wouldn't… they couldn't… they shouldn't… I'm making a mistake… they can't… Ginny… Harry… oh no…" she said. It was unnerving, seeing her this scared.

"What's wrong, Amber?"

"The thing I'd miss most… it's you, Ginny!"

Before the Yule Ball, I was panicking only a little. Not only was my life going to be put in Amber's hands, this was also my first time alone with Harry. I had given Dobby, who had rudely interrupted this morning, an old top of mine that was reaching the end of its tether on someone my size, but even that small bit of generosity had no calming effect.

I was trying to put on my dress, but my hands were shaking so badly I couldn't finish tying it together. Amber came over, and tied it for me. We were getting prepared in the same room, so she could also handle another issue.

"Ginny, remember, the first dance is mine."

"Remind me, why couldn't you go with Darion?"

"He's gone with a Ravenclaw third year he took under his wing. It was… I forget the name, but it had something to do with the moon. Cress? No, that's a guy's name… whatever. Point is, I'll need Harry for the first part, and then he's all yours as soon as I can get off the dance floor."

"What will you do then?"

"I'll ponder that riddle. Maybe there's something I missed, something that would make you not the thing I'd miss most. Our friendship is coming back to bite me, and as much as I hate to admit it, I'd like it very much if we weren't friends."

"Amber, I have complete faith you'll rescue me. And if you don't, Harry will tear Dumbledore a new one."

"Ginny, if Harry would do that to Dumbledore, I think you two are definitely fated to be in love."

Me, Amber and Hermione descended the stairs together. I had Amber's hand like a lifeline, feeling a blush grow on my cheeks as Harry grinned at me.

"Hi, girls? So who has the first dance?"

"Me. Then you'll have Ginny to yourself."

"That… is a blunt way of putting it." I shivered slightly. Harry put an arm around me as we entered into the Great Hall. We sat down at a table, and I only now noticed how beautiful the hall had become. Ice decorations that made Amber look jealous bedecked the halls, and several sculptures were dotted around.

"Hey, Darion! Over here, you bald eagle!" Ron called. Darion waved, and brought his date over.

"Guys, I'd like to introduce my protégée, Luna Lovegood," Darion said, gesturing to the girl.

"Hello, 'guys'… Yes, that word seems to fit," Luna said. Harry and Ron chuckled. Me, Amber and Hermione cooed.

"Well… you seem to be getting along with her. Amber, sorry I couldn't have come with you, but Luna kinda really needs me. Maybe next year?"

"You're too kind, Darion. You know there's no Yule Ball next year," Amber said, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Amber's falling for someone other than Harry?

I was tired. Me and Harry managed to dance for about an hour, and I was ready to take a seat for a bit. Hermione smiled at me.

"Tired as well?" she asked.

"Yeah. Harry's gone for a walk. I have no clue how he has the energy…"

"Ron mentioned that too. Boys…"

"May I sit here, girls?" a deep, accented voice asked. It was Viktor Krum.

"Oh… sure, Krum," I told him. He sat down.

"You look wonderful. Are you the girl from the library?" he asked Hermione.

"Don't get her started…" I muttered, but too late. Hermione, lit up by her favourite subject, started babbling like mad. I had no idea how Krum understood a word.

"Hello, Ginny," Luna said, sitting next to me.

"Oh, hi, Luna. Where's Darion?" I asked, making some room for her.

"Off dancing with Amber. She's a nice girl, you know. I'd love for her and Darion to get together."

"Oh… well… I'm kinda happy for them too."

"You're just happy because she's in love with someone other than Harry."

"Yes I am, Luna."

"I'd be careful if I were you. Harry Potter has a sister that no one has seen since the big murder. Daddy has a picture of what she should look like. Looks a lot like you…"

This genuinely worried me. A secret twin to Harry? That sounded implausible, and I think Lovegood may have been the name of that parody magazine The Quibbler's publisher, but still… Luna knew too much about Harry's sister for it to be one of those random things…

I did set up a couple of things here. A couple of important things.

Amber knows that she has moved on from Harry, so she pretty much knows Ginny'll be taken by the merpeople. She may be completely wrong, because she is a character in a story she shouldn't know the ending to, but she has a valid theory...

And yes, Hermione and Viktor's conversation is to establish that yes, Hermione will be taken as she was in canon. And yes, this may be important to the next chapter. Because sisterhood.

Neither can live while the other survives.