Chapter 41 The Second Task
As much as I wanted to talk to Severus about everything that had just happened, I knew Moody would be watching me on the map. Though he seemed inclined to help me the last thing I needed was for him to see me and Sev chatting it up in his office. So I did the next best thing I could think of. Once I was safely back in my room I went to my trunk and dug out a particular old looking piece of parchment. Climbing into bed I lit the tip of my wand and began to write.
Sev are you still awake? I asked knowing he was.
Yes. My office now.
Can't. Moody has the map. He'll be watching. This is the best way to talk.
I see. What would you like to talk about?
I know who's was in your office. It was Crouch. That's what Harry's map said. The Map's never wrong.
I have my own suspicions about who was in my office. But you are wise to be cautious of Professor Moody.
So should I assume you're not going to tell me anymore on the matter.
Goodnight Allison.
Ok I won't ask anymore. Night Sev.
Monday morning was the first chance I had to talk to Harry, Hermione, Ron and Emily. We were in charms class working at a table by ourselves. On that day we were practicing the banishing charm.
"So that's when he took the map." I told Harry expecting him to be angry with me for losing it.
"Well at least it's not in Snape's clutches." Harry said. "Don't worry Alice, I'm sure Professor Moody will give it back when he's done. He probably just wants it to keep tabs on Snape."
"Well if you're sure it's in good hands…" I said letting my voice trail off. "Not to change the subject but does anybody have any ideas about surviving underwater for about an hour?"
"Of course, the ideal solution would be for you to Transfigure yourself into a submarine or something," Hermione said. "If only we'd done human Transfiguration already! But I don't think we start that until sixth year, and it can go badly wrong if you don't know what you're doing..."
"Yeah I'd rather not be maimed for the rest of my life. A botched transfiguration is probably worse than getting splinched." Shaking my head I asked if they had any other suggestions. I asked Fred and George next if they had any ideas, they said short of trying to invent something they were out of ideas. When a week past and none of us had come up with anything, I decided it was time to try things the old fashion way. I dedicated all of my free time to studying in the library. Sometimes Hermione or Emily would join me and almost every day Fred would sit with me. He would sketch out ideas for new projects with George or even pick up the occasional book to help me. It was nice having Fred around. He always kept things light and helped me laugh when I began to get stressed out. The night before the second task I still had not found the answer to my problem. I sat in the back corner of the library surrounded by walls and towers of books. I had begun to consider giving up the search. I buried my face in a stack of books, Which is probably why I didn't notice Neville sitting beside me until he spoke.
"Hello Alice."
"Ah! Uh I mean hey Neville. Sorry didn't see you there! I was just lost pondering my ultimate failure as a witch." I told him.
"Are you working on something for a class?"
"No, stuff for the Tournament." I answered shaking my head. "I wish I had figured out the clue earlier, then maybe I would have half a chance at this!" I dramatically gestured around to the small castle of books I had built around myself.
"What are you trying to find out?" Neville asked curiously picking up a book from the nearest stack.
"I'm trying to find a way to breath underwater. I've been at it for weeks. Hermione and Fred were helping me earlier, but George said Professor McGonagall needed them for something. I just don't know what to do, the task is tomorrow!"
"Slow down Alice." Neville said pulling a book out of his backpack. "Lucky for you, I've been reading ahead in our Herbology book." He flipped open his Herbology text book to a page titled "Gillyweed". Neville handed the book over to me so that I could read the description.
"Gillyweed is a magical plant native to the Mediterranean Sea. When it is eaten by a witch or wizard, one grows gills and webbing between the fingers and toes, allowing them to process oxygen from water and navigate underwater more easily. There is some debate among herbologists as to the duration of the effects of Gillyweed in fresh water versus salt water, but the effects of Gillyweed in fresh water seem to last about an hour."
"Neville this is perfect!" I jumped up still holding the book.
"Too bad there's no way for you to get any before tomorrow." Neville answered looking grim.
"Well I could always ask Professor Snape or Professor Sprout. I'm sure at least one of them is still up at this hour. Oh thank you Neville! This is so perfect, oh I could kiss you!" I slammed the book shut and handed it back to him. "But I wont of course because that would be awkward. But how about a hug?" I asked holding my arms out to him. He hugged me back smiling.
"Don't mention it Alice really. I just hope you win tomorrow."
"We'll see I guess! But I've got to go Neville, I will see you tomorrow after the task!" I handed Neville back his book and raced off. Going off the Severus' office was not an option. If Moody was watching the map he would surly notice me heading down there. Back in my room I found the parchment I had used the other night.
I need a favor. I scribbled quickly.
Figured out the second clue have we?
Is there any way I can have some Gillyweed?
How do you expect me to get it to you by tomorrow morning?
Owl? At Breakfast tomorrow, the morning post. I suggested.
A wise suggestion. Though he said nothing more on the subject, I knew that the next morning there would be an owl with my name on it. After breakfast I tucked the Gillyweed away in my pocket, and raced down to the lake. There was already a large crowd gathering by the edge of the lake. I made my way over to the side of the lake where the judges table was. Once all four champions had arrived Ludo Bagman lined each of us up and spaced us ten feet apart. Bagman instructed us to strip down to our swim suits while he addressed the crowd.
"While all our champions ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle, they have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then." He said noting that we were already to compete. One . . . two . . . three!" The first thing I did when the whistle blew was cast a warming charm over myself. It was mid-February and the was bound to still be freezing. I then tucked my wand inside my swimsuit and started chomping on the gillyweed. I waded into the water chewing the slimy rubbery gillyweed. At first nothing happened. To the audience it must have looked as if my charmed had failed. Suddenly I felt as if I was suffocating. I tried desperately to breath but it only made me feel dizzy. To make matters worse there was now a piercing pain on either side of my neck. I rubbed a hand down the side of my neck where the pain was. It was then that I felt two large slits just below my ears. Gills, I had grown gills. The Gillyweed had begun to work and I had no choice but to dive in the water. Though my body was warm, the water I was breathing felt icy. Once underwater I gulped in several breaths of liquid. While I breathed in the water I stared at my hands. They had turned a seaweed green, and I had grown webbing between each finger.
It was a peaceful kind of quite under the water. I would have been content to stay floating there under the surface all day. However I had a Triwizard Tournament Task to complete. The depth of the lake made it difficult to see more than ten feet in any direction. The lake was large and I had my doubts that I would be able to find whatever it was that the Merpeople had taken from me. As I swam around I didn't see and sign of the other champions or the merepeople.
"How are you getting on?" I tried to scream, but it turns out that one of the effects of Gillyweed is the inability to speak.
"You want to try over there!" she said pointing. "I won't come with you. I don't like them much, they always chase me when I get too close. ..." I nodded to show her that I understood what she was saying. I swam off in the direction Myrtle pointed. After twenty minutes I heard a sound off in the distance.
"An hour long you'll have to look, And to recover what we took..." At the sound of the merpeople singing I swim faster in their direction. I soon came to a large rock with a painting of merpeople on it. They were carrying spears and chasing what looked like the giant squid.
". . . your time's half gone, so tarry not Lest what you seek stays here to rot. ..." I next passed a cluster of crude stone dwellings with thatched algae roves. That was when I caught my first glance at the merpeople. They had grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks.
They leered whenever I swam past one. Some of them emerged from their caves to watch me closely. Their powerful, silver fish tails beating the water, spears clutched in their hands.A whole crowd of merpeople was floating in front of the houses that lined what looked like a mer-version of a village square. A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Four people were bound tightly to the tail of the stone merperson. Hermione, Fred, and Cho Chang were tied next to each other. The fourth person was a girl I didn't know, but she didn't look to be much older than eight. All four of them appeared to be in a very deep sleep. Their heads were lolling onto their shoulders, and fine streams of bubbles kept issuing from their mouths. As I neared the hostages I was expecting the merpeople to lower their spears and charge at me. Thankfully they didn't. I swam up very close to the hostages. They were tied to the statue with thick slimy pieces of seaweed.
I briefly considered asking of the merpeople for a spear, but I knew better than to mistake their indifference for friendliness. There were rocks littering the bottom of the lake, I dove down and snatched the sharpest one I could find. I started sawing away at the seaweed ropes that had Fred bound to the statue. Once Fred was free he floated lifelessly in the water. It was creepy. I looked around there was no sign of any of the other champions. Without a second thought I began sawing away at the ropes that bound Hermione. Several strong grey hands grabbed at me as half a dozen mermen dragged me away from Hermione.
"You take your own hostage," one of them said to him. "Leave the others ..."
"No way!" I shook my head.
"Your task is to retrieve your own friend . . . leave the others …"
"She's my friend too!" I shouted, but no sound came out. I struggled against the mermen but they were strong. I wouldn't have time to take Fred to the surface and return for the others within the hour. The merepeople pointed excitedly above us. I looked up to see Cedric swimming our way. There was an enormous bubble around his head.
"Get lost!" He mouthed to me looking panic-stricken. "Fleur and Krum are coming now!" I felt relieved as I watched Cedric free Cho and pull her away out of sight. I decided to wait for the other champions, time was getting short and I did not want to see Hermione or the other girl lost to the merepeople. There was screeching as another figure approached us. It was a human body in swim trunks with the head of a shark. It was Krum, and it looked as if he had transfigured himself but badly. Shark-Krum swam straight to Hermione and began snapping and biting at her ropes. Unfortunately for Kurm, having a shark head as big as his makes it impossible to bite anything smaller than a dolphin. Fearing that he may bit Hermione in half, I swam over to Krum and offered him my sharp rock. One she was free, Krum grabbed Hermione around the waist and rose rapidly to the surface. That left only Fleur. We couldn't afford to wait much longer. When Fleur had still not shown five minutes after Krum left, I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands. I plucked up my sharp stone again and tried to close in on Fred and the little girl. I was getting frustrated and there was no way I was letting these mermen keep their hostages. I pulled my wand out from my swimsuit. The merepeople's eyes were now open wide.
I held up three fingers. Letting them know that they had three seconds to get out of my way. By the time I had counted to two they had scattered. I raced forward and freed the small girl from the statue. I had failed to consider how I would get Fred and the girl up to the surface, but I figured slow and steady would be the best way to go. I stored my wand away again, grabbed the girl by the waist and Fred by the neck of his robes. The merpeople were following up to the surface after me. I was certain they would try to pull me back down to the watery depths. My arms and legs were begging to ache from pulling along the two bodies along with me. A searing pain began to burn on the sides of my throat as the effects of the Gillyweed began to wear off. Tugging along Fred and the girl became increasingly difficult when I had to hold my breath as well. I kicked and pulled, finally we broke the surface of the lake. I gasped breathing in delicious air. Now that we were on the surface I let go of Fred and the girl. Around us green haired heads began popping up to the surface, their expression changed to a smile. Fred and the little girl were now wide awake, treading water. The little girl looked scared and confused but Fred was blinking water out of his eyes smiling.
"It's awfully wet here." He commented splashing around. "Why did you bring her? With us?" Fred ask curiously.
"Well when Fleur didn't show, I couldn't just leave her…"
"You didn't take that song thing seriously, did you? Dumbledore wouldn't have let any of us drown!" Fred laughed still splashing as we made our way toward the edge of the lake.
"The song said -"
"It was only to make sure you got back inside the time limit." Fred said shaking his hair out as we got to the bank. There was no point in feel bad about it. I knew I had done the right thing by staying whether the danger was real or not. I helped Fleur's hostage out of the water before climbing out of the lake myself. The Merpeople followed us all the way up to the banks. Once on land Madam Pomfrew swaddled us in thick blankets. Fluer came rushing over to us, her eyes on the little girl.
"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?"
"She's fine!" I answered shortly, the exhaustion finally taking its toll. I sat on the bank next to Fred. He wrapped an arm around me as we stared at the lake. Dumbledore was crouching at the water's edge, deep in conversation with what seemed to be the chief merperson, a particularly wild and ferocious-looking female. He was making the same sort of screechy noises that the merpeople made when they were above water; clearly, Dumbledore could speak Mermish. Finally he straightened up, turned to his fellow judges, and said, "A conference before we give the marks, I think."
The judges went into a huddle. Fleur had many cuts on her face and arms and her robes were torn, but she didn't seem to care, nor would she allow Madam Pomfrey to clean them.
"You looked after Gabrielle, you saved 'er. Even though she was not your 'ostage." Fleur gushed.
"Yeah." I answered breathlessly. I couldn't think of anything else to say and thankfully I didn't have to. Ludo Bagman was now addressing the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows. Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points." There was a polite applause from the stands.
"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour." The hufflepuffs erupted into enthusiastic cheers. "We therefore award him forty-seven points." I couldn't help but feel discouraged. If Cedric was outside the time limit then I definitely had been.
"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."
Alice Potter used gillyweed to great effect." I gripped Fred's hand at the mention of my name, and waited anxiously for my score. She returned last and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in her return was due to her determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely her own. Most of the judges, feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However Mrs. Potter's score is forty-five points."
"Well done Alice! You're tied for first place with Cedric." Fred said wrapping his arms around my shoulders.
"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," Bagman continued. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions." Just like that it was over. I had passed the second task and was now tied for first place in the Triwiard Tournament.