Author's Note: Welcome back to the Hunt! As a reminder, any clues the teams face in the story are also going to be present for you the reader to try and solve as well (remember: clues, solutions), and if something seems wonky, let me know, and I'll see if I can make it clearer. As always, JK owns the Potterverse.
Having been interning for her aunt in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement over the summer, Susan Bones could certainly solve a cipher when she recognized one. It just took her a little longer to realize it than Hermione did, that's all. Nothing to be ashamed about, being beaten by the brightest witch of their age, as she'd often heard Hermione called. A quick squeeze of her shoulder by her teammate Megan Jones suggested that Susan's thinking had made itself very clear on her face, and she knew that it was far too early in the competition to worry about not being first.
"Sorry, Meg, I just keep thinking that I could have figured it out faster. It's silly, I know, but it bothers me," admitted Susan as the pair ran for the docks.
"No worries," replied Megan. "First leg and we're not last, we're doing just fine."
Susan smiled, knowing that her easygoing partner wouldn't be troubled by much of anything. She was fortunate to get paired with someone friendly, though she supposed she could have gotten along with just about anyone she'd been paired with. She could hear Seamus and Draco bickering behind her, and thanked Merlin she hadn't gotten stuck with either of them as a partner. Draco was certainly intelligent when he wanted to be, but was rather full of himself, and a knut would get you a galleon that Seamus would have spent most of the hunt trying to get into her knickers, given what she'd heard about him for the last few years. While she hadn't gotten paired with her best friend Hannah Abbott (who she knew was only about 50 meters back with her teammate Theodore Nott) as some people had had the good fortune to do (and wasn't it ironic she was thinking of Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass as that team sped by), she was quite happy to have gotten Megan as a partner, and hoped they would do very well.
Farther back in the pack, Anthony Goldstein was also considering his fortunes, and wondered who exactly he must have offended to be stuck with Ernie MacMillan as a partner. Certainly Ernie was a competent wizard, but his pomposity was rather grating, and the fact that he had solved the cipher before Anthony would bother the Ravenclaw for longer than he would likely admit to. If it wasn't for him, Ernie wouldn't have even known that they were looking at a code and not some ancient language. Pushing that unhelpful thought out of his mind as he ran, Anthony tried to focus on the boat dock ahead.
Having arrived at the dock a few moments behind Susan and Megan, Terry Boot and Su Li discovered that they were right in the middle of the pack, approximately 6th if Terry's guess was accurate. Sitting on the shore were 10 of the boats normally used for the first year ride across the Lake. Susan and Megan were just climbing into one as Su pulled another envelope from a box standing on the dock.
Clue #2: "Do the Headmaster a favor and go visit his friend the Chief. Make sure you bring enough to share, or your visit will end abruptly."
"Enough to share?" questioned Su. "What does it mean, enough to share? Share what?"
Terry looked around, and noticed that the greenhouse closest to the Lake had its door standing ajar. "I'm not completely sure yet, but I bet our answer is in there," said Terry, indicating the open door. He and Su jogged over, and inside found a large tank filled with a slimy-looking plant, labeled "Gillyweed".
Out on the Lake, Padma Patil and Sally-Anne Perks glided along the water in their boat, nearing the location of the Merfolk village. Sally-Anne separated the Gillyweed they'd brought along into three portions, and handed Padma one. At a questioning glance, she explained, "It's not the most common knowledge, but Gillyweed is a bit of a delicacy for Merfolk. The clue said 'bring enough to share', but it didn't say how many would be sharing it. I think we're intended to bring the Merchief a portion as well."
Padma considered Sally-Anne's conclusion for a moment, figuring that even if they didn't need the additional portion for the Chief, it was sound logic regardless, and began consuming her portion as their boat slowed to a stop next to another boat already floating above the village. Feeling the gills suddenly appear on their necks, Padma and Sally-Anne dove for the water, with their next destination (and hopefully their next clue) directly below them.