I was standing on the shore of the Black Lake. I saw Amber dive under the waters.
"No… Amber!" I cried. I could feel her force of will, hoping to save what she had lost. She surfaced, face down.
"You! Harry, you let her drown!" Darion rounded on me.
"It wasn't my fault! Darion, stop that!"
"Dobby must hit Harry Potter, he must wake up!" I heard.
"Woahyou'renotDarion…" I muttered, jumping.
"Harry Potter has to listen to Dobby. Amber Granger is at the second task, which starts in ten minutes, and she-"
"Ten… ten minutes?" I asked. I nearly fell back into the book. "I can't find anything for Amber. She can't…"
"Amber Granger will do the second task. I know what it is."
"What is it, then?"
"Amber Granger must delve into the Black Lake, find her Wheezy, and take it from the merpeople."
"Wheezy? I never heard of that…"
"Her Wheezy, your Wheezy… Wheezy who is giving Dobby his 'top'…" Dobby said, pulling at one of the straps on his 'top'… I had always wondered where he got that…
"Wait… they have Ginny?"
"The thing Amber Granger will miss most, Harry Potter! And past an hour, the prospect's black:"
"Too late, it's gone, it won't come back!" I ended, panicking outright. "What does she have to do?"
"She must eat this, sir… Gillyweed! It allows the eater to breathe underwater!"
I took the slimy weed from Dobby.
"I'll do my best."
*BOOM*
The cannon. I was too late. I reached the Black Lake, and couldn't see Amber anywhere. What happened. Tearing Dumbledore a new one was seeming pretty tempting…
But no… Ginny was down there, and attacking Dumbledore would solve nothing. I ran towards the shore, shoving the Gillyweed into my mouth.
"Harry? What are you doing?" nearly everyone asked. I ignored them. I couldn't breathe. I took a risk, and long-jumped into the lake.
The cold water was like nectar. I took several gulps of it, and felt the water come back across my neck.
Gills.
I propelled myself forward, my body becoming more hydrodynamic as I went. I couldn't find Amber, the merpeople, Ron, the other champions… nor any of the dangerous creatures that I thought may have taken residence in the lake. I swept my eyes around, hoping for a glimpse of anything.
Hello, Harry! Who could only be Moaning Myrtle swept in front of me.
I said what would probably be interpreted as 'Myrtle!'
Ginny's over there. I don't know why you bothered, Harry… she's not in danger.
Shove off, Myrtle! I said, my larynx making my voice understandable at least. Myrtle huffed away, and I went where she indicated.
Shock of a lifetime: seeing the four girls tied down at the bottom of the lake.
Second shock, a dolphin was attacking the merpeople, trying to reach Hermione.
Hey, don't pick on the lunged one! I shouted. The merpeople grinned at me. Leered, more like.
Harry? What are you doing here? I thought I heard Amber, but I couldn't know for sure. The dolphin chose that moment to echolocate.
I pulled out my wand. The merpeople were terrified, and scooted away. Almost at that very moment, Cedric arrived.
"Harry? What… be careful down here!" he called.
Time of my life, Cedric, I responded. Cedric cut Cho free, and pulled her upwards. I swam down to Ginny. Her ropes seemed hacked off very roughly, and didn't quite free her.
I'm sorry, Harry. I couldn't cut well in dolphin form, Amber's voice again. The dolphin's echolocation again. I looked closely at the dolphin, who was busy hacking away at Hermione's bonds. On the side of its cheeks were gills.
I didn't know you could self-transfigure… I was outright shocked.
Harry, you spoiled the surprise! I didn't want you to know!
Know what?
Nothing. It's a secret.
I'm listening.
We are at the bottom of the ocean, in dolphin and merman form, trying to rescue your girlfriend and my sister. Not the best time to try and find out a woman's secret.
…Point taken. Ginny free, I went over to Hermione, but a shark had rushed.
Eek!
It's Krum. His butt's showing. I pointed out.
Whoops. Sharkrum, as he would likely be called, took Hermione, slipped her on his back, and left.
Now we have to get out of here…
But what about her? Amber asked, echolocating at the final girl.
Fleur.
She should have got here before Krum. He can't drive a shark.
So what now?
…What else do we do? I bite, you finish. Amber swam over to the girl, and gnawed her ropes away, allowing me to grab her.
It was a very tricky ascent. Holding Fleur's hostage wasn't as easy as I thought it was, and Amber seemed to struggle to ascend and keep Ginny holding on at the same time.
Believe it or not, that wasn't the hardest bit.
The hardest bit was when a whole horde of Grindylows emerged from the weeds beneath us, and started to attack, trying to drag us down.
Amber, get Ginny awake! We need help bad.
I have a plan.
Amber suddenly shivered from snout to fin. She slowly began to rotate, allowing a golden light to emerge from her being. She flashed, and became a…
What on earth is that thing?
The closest I can come to replicating the Loch Ness Monster.
Amber had expanded to about the size of a small island. Her four fins had moved to a quadrupedal arrangement, and her tail became a stunted affair. Her neck had extended into the length of a giraffe, ending in a dinosaur's head. She was right. This thing was the Loch Ness Monster.
Why?
In-joke.
Amber reached around, and plucked Ginny from her back. She then reached out, getting Ginny above water. She gasped for air, before being brought back under. Seemingly protected by a charm of Amber's, she took out her wand, and aimed it directly at me.
"Relashio!" she cried. The Grindylows released their grips, allowing me to climb onto Amber's back. Amber ascended to the ocean's surface.
"Amber!" Hermione cried. Ignoring Krum completely, she sloshed out to the Black Lake's shallow waters, and put her arm around the Loch Ness's neck. She cooed, and plucked Fleur's hostage off her back, and placed her next to Fleur.
Hermione, you may want to get off now. I can't reach the shore.
"Oops. Sorry, Amber," Hermione said, backing off. Amber swum forward, slowly turning back into her human form.
"OK, now you can hug me," Amber chuckled. Hermione's arms flew around her. I didn't have long to appreciate it: Fleur Delacour had taken me to the side.
"You saved her, even though she wasn't your hostage…" she said, before kissing me on the cheeks.
"Thanks for the gratitude, but I'm taken," I joked. Fleur gave a nervous chuckle, and moved on to Ginny.
"And you helped! You saved Arry!" Fleur told her. She embraced Ginny.
"And I'm the one doing the taking."
"You two are truly a riot. Gabrielle, come along. Say your thanks."
"Attention, students of all schools! We have reached our conclusion as to the scores. If you would all pay rapt attention…
"Fleur Delacour showed proficient use of the Bubble-Head Charm, but was forced to retire midway through the task. She will be awarded twenty-five points.
"Cedric Diggory also showed correct use of the Bubble-Head Charm, and was first to arrive with his hostage. We award him fourty-seven points!
"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was effective nonetheless. Fourty points!
"Amber Granger used complete Transfiguration, also using animal-to-animal, something long perceived as impossible. She, however, was last to arrive with her hostage, and in the company of another student. She was first to arrive at the hostages, but her delay was not only her concern for Ginny, but her sister and Gabrielle Delacour. Most of us believe this to be a case of moral fibre, and would merit full marks. However, no thanks to Mr Karkaroff here, Miss Granger's score is fourty-three points!"
The vast majority of Hogwarts and Beauxbatons students cheered at this news. Durmstrang and Slytherin grunted, and left.
"Well, you did well… Amber," Krum stated, holding out his hand. Amber shook it.
"Thank you, Krum. And may we all have the best of luck in the third task."
This chapter... this chapter is Cursed Summer. This is probably the oldest chapter of the bunch.
And yes, the loss of two points here is not only to balance her last score, but as punishment for Harry going under. I bet he's kicking himself now.
The title here is a reference to Welcome to Hell, and how deep the Chamber of Secrets is. Sea level jokes never come out quite right...
Neither can live while the other survives.