Two days before the next trial, Hermione's getting worried about Bloom.
She hasn't figured out the egg's clue, and they're running out of time.
The trials - or tasks, that's what everybody else is calling them - are designed to test you in the most brutal way possible - they're just short of out-and-out cruel.
Hermione and Krum didn't talk about the tournament - they didn't really talk at all, he's more of the silent type.
A man of few words and a lot more action.
He mostly watches her study, it's kind of annoying when someone's breathing down your neck as your trying to figure out arithmancy.
Cedric walks over and says "Bloom, I realize I never thanked you properly for tipping me off about the dragons."
Bloom shrugs, and says "No problem - like I've been telling people, I'm not in it for the glory, or even willingly for that matter. Besides, you'd have done the same for me."
Cedric nods, and says "Right. You know the Prefect's bathroom on the 5th floor?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Not a bad place for a bath. Why don't you take your egg down there and mull things over in the hot water? Worked wonders for me."
Bloom grins, and runs to get her egg and a towel.
That night, Bloom turns visible to reveal her Charmix outfit and her egg.
When she gets into the water up to her neck, she gasps when the water hits her wings, then nearly melts at the wonderful sensation of the heat of the water.
She doesn't dare open her egg, knowing it'll just screech again - and this time it'll make her go deaf and get caught with all the echoes it'll make.
Myrtle suddenly flies in, and says "I'd try putting it under the water if I were you."
Bloom grins, and Myrtle grins back.
"I was floating around a blocked drain, and thought I saw some Polyjuice Potion. Has Harry been a bad boy again?"
Bloom grins and says "Nope! We don't have to sneak around much this year. Except for this of course. You said under the water?"
Myrtle nods, and Bloom takes a deep breath and dives under. When she opens the egg this time, she hears voices singing.
"Come seek us where our voices sound. We cannot sing above ground. An hour long you'll have to look, to recover what we took."
Bloom takes her head out of the water, and asks "Myrtle, there wouldn't happen to be merpeople in the Black Lake - would there?"
Myrtle giggles and claps her hands excitedly.
"Good, very good! Took Cedric much longer to figure it out! Almost all the bubbles were gone!"
Bloom learned a spell in her spellbook to let her breathe underwater for as long as she wants, but she'll blow her cover instantly - that's where an illusion spell comes in so it looks like she's doing something normal for this wizarding world.
"Myrtle, would you happen to know of anything that would let me breathe underwater?"
"Hm, no, sorry Bloom. But your still more than welcome to share my bathroom if you die."
Myrtle looks sad at the idea, and Bloom says "Thanks for the offer Myrtle, I'll come visit after the second trial, task, whatever they're called."
"I thought everyone was calling it a task."
"In my view, a task is easy. A trial is not."
"Fair point."
Bloom climbs out of the water and does the illusion spell once again - then uses her magic to dry herself and flies back to the Gryffindor room.
Fyra is happy to see her, and starts rubbing her head against Bloom's affectionately.
She and Hermione go over the riddle - which seems fairly straightforward, as riddles go.
They're in the black lake - they can't be above ground, so the lake's the only nearby source of water where someone won't disappear out into the sea - but the hour to look for something the merpeople took is more worrying.
Not only what exactly was taken, but the fact that your supposed to hold your breath for an hour down there.
Bloom has that part covered, she just needs a way to cover her cover.
Neville overhears her asking if there's something she can eat to make her breathe underwater, and suggests Gilliweed.
At the Lake, Bloom has an illusion of Gilliweed in her hand its effects on her.
She's memorized the spell for breathing underwater, and the illusion is up.
She pops the fake Gilliweed in her mouth, after Ron notices Harry and Hermione aren't there.
She activates the breathing spell as she fake-starts choking, then they all dive into the water.
Good thing Bloom's a strong swimmer, she quickly makes her way to the bottom and starts looking for the 'treasure' the merpeople took.
She sees Fleur get stuck and is unable to free herself, so she circles back and frees the girl with a spell.
She looks at Bloom in shock, only to smile at her a moment later and start making gestures with her hands that can only mean thanks.
Bloom waves her hands and then points to where her connection with Harry is taking her - because he's down here!
She suddenly realizes what was taken from each champion: someone important to them.
Hermione said these things were cruel, she wasn't kidding.
Up above, Dumbledore declares "It seems Ms. Bloom has freed Fleur Delacour and they are continuing forth!"
The crowd cheers, and then they see Bloom and Fleur find four people tied at the ankles: Harry, Hermione, Pavarti, and a blonde girl who looks like Fleur.
Fleur starts frantically untying her sister, while Bloom starts working at the seaweed around Harry, Parvati and Hermione.
Vicious merpeople suddenly appear, and Bloom says "They're all my friends!"
"Only one."
Bloom goes pale, until Viktor appears and takes Hermione, and Cedric comes for Parvati.
Bloom rips the seaweed off Harry's ankle at that, and drags him up to the surface.
Viktor looks like a shark with legs, and speeds off with Hermione, Cedric has a bubble of air around his head - Bloom has her hidden spell.
She and Harry shoot past Fleur and her sister - time is almost up!
They're maybe ten feet from the surface, when Bloom suddenly yanks Harry up by the wrist and throws him out of the lake hard.
She does the same for Fleur and her sister - then swims for it as the merpeople come after her.
Harry, Fleur, and her sister are staring at the lake intently - they just got thrown out of it like she skipped a few stones out - but the lake suddenly starts boiling.
Harry knows what this means, Bloom's mad at the merpeople.
Cedric and Viktor come up, and Cedric looks at Harry for a moment.
Suddenly, Bloom emerges from the lake and quickly makes her way to shore.
Harry, Fleur, and her sister all pull her up, and Fleur says "You saved me, and then you saved us both! Thank you Bloom!"
Bloom takes the breathing spell off, and has the illusion seem like the Gilliweed suddenly wears off.
She says "No problem Fleur."
Ron comes up with a towel, and Hermione runs over.
"You did it Bloom! You must be freezing though! Personally, I think you behaved admirably."
Professor Dumbledore says "Attention! The winner of the second task is…Mr. Diggory! For showing unique command of the bubblehead spell. The judges all agree Ms. Bloom would have finished first if it weren't for her determination to see everyone safe - so, we've decided to award her second place for outstanding moral fiber."
Bloom's roughly toweling her hair dry, and Ron complains "Blimey, even when you go wrong it turns out right!"
Fred teases "All that moral fiber, huh?"
George adds "Well done, 'moral fiber.'"
Fred suddenly asks "What happened with the lake? It started boiling!"
Bloom gives him a look and says "Take a guess fellas."
They look stunned for a minute, then Fred gives a wolf whistle at Harry.
Harry smacks the red-headed boy in the arm as Bloom turns red again.
They find Barty Crouch waiting for them on the steps, and he congratulates Bloom for an outstanding performance.
Professor Moody walks over and says "Bartimus! Not trying to lure any of these kids into an internship, are you? Last kid who went into the Department of Ministries never came out!"
Barty walks away, and Moody says "And they say I'm crazy!"
Later, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Bloom are walking through the forest with Hagrid.
"I remember when I met you all. Biggest bunch of misfits I've ever set eyes on. And here we are, four years later."
Bloom says "We're still misfits, Hagrid. Me most of all."
Harry puts an arm around her, and Ron, Hagrid, and Hermione carefully look anywhere but at them.
Ron and Hermione share a grin, as Hagrid says "Maybe, but we've all got each other. And Bloom, soon to be the youngest tri-wizard champion in history!"
They walk through the forest, Bloom singing 'Waking Up in Vegas' for the fun of it, when Harry suddenly holds his head in pain.
He then sees Barty Crouch lying on the ground, lifeless.
AN: Uh-oh, looks like someone had it out for Crouch. Who though? And what's the last trial/ task going to be? Read more to find out! PS. finally finished reformatting my other story - took forever! - but now updates will be coming more for both stories! Enjoy!