IT'S CHANGED! (SNILY)

CHAPTER 45 The Second Task

"SEVERUS!"

He jumped up from the bed, his heart beating fast and his chest heaving with pants. He held his wand in his right hand, almost as immediately as he heard a yell. Who the hell was shouting so early in the morning?!

He rubbed his eyes and opened the curtains around his bed, making way for light and to see who was it. He groaned. It was Mulciber, standing with his hands on his hips and looking at him, annoyed.

"What Alvin?"

"GET UP!" Mulciber yelled again.

Severus flinched. "Stop shouting!"

"APPARANTLY, YOU DON'T HEAR SOFT TONES!"

"Fine! I am up and can hear efficiently! Now, speak, whatever you wanted to"

Mulciber rolled his eyes and sat back on his bed. "What's the time?" he asked calmly.

Severus shrugged and yawned. "How am I supposed to know?"

"Check it"

"You can do it yourself but fine…" he waved his wand whispering, "Tempus", that made the time come floating in the air. It was few minutes to eight in the morning.

"It is almost eight, Severus" Mulciber said matter-of-factly.

"So?" and then the realization came floating to him as the numbers vanished from the air. His eyes widened. "It is almost EIGHT!"

"Exactly" Mulciber nodded his head. "So, I believe you must get going"

"Obviously! Couldn't you have woken me up a little early?!" Severus got up from the bed, and went collecting his robes from above his trunk.

Mulciber huffed. "Slughorn asked me to go and wake you up when I thought you are already up! Sleepy head"

"I slept late at night, stupid" he snarled, half-heartedly.

"That doesn't permit you a late morning too, and that too on the day of the second task"

"Uh… yeah" he pulled the curtains again and stripped himself down.

"Umm, Severus?" Mulciber seemed hesitant.

"Yes?"

"All the best"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Alvin" he drew himself to full height, placing the robes on his shoulders and opening the curtains again, stepping out.

Mulciber stood up and patted his shoulder. "Well, get the gold for Slytherin"

"Spare the theatrics, Alvin" he rolled his eyes again. "And we are Slytherins, we remain at silver"

"I am aware"

"Then, may I leave?"

"Sure" Mulciber spread his hands, in a gesture to allow him to go.

Severus nodded and left for the bathroom before leaving the dungeons slowly, before taking the speed and running to the second-floor ladies' lavatory. He still blushed at the sign, but dismissed it soon.

"Myrtle!" he called out.

A gasp was heard and then the ghost floated out, grinning. Myrtle gasped. "Severus…" she came closer and without any warning kissed his lips. Who gave her the permission for doing that again? He dismissed the thought, as he stumbled back at the sudden force.

"Calm down, Myrtle" he asked, steadying himself. "We need to get to work, first. We don't have much time"

"Well, then… at least time for another little kiss?" she asked making her best puppy eyes.

That didn't affect Severus in the least but he still walked closer to her and closed his eyes, savoring the… iciness of her lips and the cold that she radiated. Blah, that wasn't called savoring, enduring rather.

She even used the tongue, making him gag but he couldn't. Her tongue on his felt like a strip of ice lacing itself with every muscle of his mouth. He pulled back then, before he could no longer speak.

He looked her in the eye. "You need to help me first, Myrtle…"

She shrugged and floated in the middle of the bathroom. "Come"

He did. They now stood at a distance of almost two feet, facing each other. "Now?"

"Take a deep breath, just as before going down the water" she instructed and she followed. "Hold in the breath and don't leave until I ask you to"

He showed a thumbs up, holding in breath. It couldn't be that difficult.

Myrtle was speaking again. "Now, close your eyes and don't think of breathing…"

He closed his eyes but not thinking about breathing was hard when you didn't have access to it for a while. All sorts of breathing exercises came to his mind just yet.

"Good. Now, raise your hands, palms up"

He did and soon felt a cold touch on them. Myrtle had placed her palms over his. And just when he was taking it all in an internal turmoil began building up inside of him. he had to remember that she asked him not to breath, but the urge was overwhelming.

He was feeling as if his insides were churning. He was just about to open his mouth when he heard Myrtle again.

"Just a little bit more, Severus… don't breathe… concentrate on my voice… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Breathe!"

He opened his mouth all of a sudden, gasping for breath but he couldn't. He looked at Myrtle with panic, feeling as if would soon be dead. As if he was nothing. As if he was dead!

"Myrtle!" he almost yelled in terror. "I can't breathe"

She smiled. "But you also wouldn't die… ghosts wouldn't die, you know. Look at yourself"

He looked down, at himself and gasped. He was… transparent! He looked at Myrtle again. In all his panic he hadn't noticed before that she was absolutely solid. He could even see the acne on her face. The round black rims of her glasses. Her brown hair and her dusty blue eyes. She was alive again!

"You-You can breathe?" he stammered.

She nodded happily. "I do" she said and took a deep breath. "And you can float in the air"

"Yeah?" he had to do nothing but to direct his body in the direction he wished to go. He lifter himself and he was above the floor! Floating! In the air! He was a damn ghost!

"See…" Myrtle said as he seemed to dissolve into another wave of panic. "It is just for an hour or so… I wouldn't be able to hold this form for long, Severus"

"I get it" he lifted himself higher and twirled himself in a circle, laughing. "This is fun"

"Just because you are new to it" she rolled her eyes.

Severus came back again, standing in front of her. "I can use my wand, couldn't I?"

She nodded. "You are not an actual ghost, just in the form temporarily, so, yes, you can use magic, although I can't" she sighed.

He took his wand out and gave it a wave, enforcing an illusion charm on himself to look like in solid form, until he was on land. "You can go and eat something, while you are a human… or in just the form"

"I'll go to the kitchen… being a human, able to breath again is so good. I hope I would have never died" she seemed about to cry, when Severus cleared his throat, making her look up at him.

"We must be going… there isn't much time left for the task to begin" his eyes widened as he looked at the watch. Only twenty minutes past nine. He didn't see what Myrtle was doing at that time, as he hurriedly ran out of the lavatory… floated rather.

The corridors were empty but as soon as he approached the Entrance Hall, the students were spreading out. Going to audience the task, perhaps. And he couldn't float in front of them, so, he got down to the floor and pretended to walk, although, it felt like he was weightless.

People were staring at him and whispering incoherently, with him getting the gist that they simply were stating about how late he was. He looked at his watch again, while running, and sped up. He wasn't left with much time. He came out of the castle and noticed the same seats that were used in the first task for the audience were once more assembled around the Black Lake. There was a separate golden table at the edge of the Lake, where sat the judges. And beside them stood James, Elias and Fin.

Severus rushed till there. He wasn't out of breath, but he could feel the adrenaline flow up in his body. The judges jerked their heads up at his arrival.

"After all, Severus" a cheerful voice met his ears, and he looked up. Ludo Bagman was looking at him, grinning. "I knew you'd come, although a little late"

"Yes, sir" Severus stood straighter.

Bagman was about to pat his back, when he jerked back, making Bagman seem confuse for a moment before chuckling. "A little touchy boy, aren't you?"

Severus flushed and gave a shy smile. He jerked back, not because he was a little touchy, but because his ghost form would be revealed if anyone had to touch him.

He turned to the audience and saw Dumbledore twinkling in his direction, while Madam Maxime and Karkaroff looking at him with distaste. They would have expected him not to come. Severus scoffed. He did come. And as this, Mr. Crouch seemed totally oblivious to the situation around, writing something on a few parchments he had brought. And Mr. McFarlan was simply smiling like he did all the time.

Ludo Bagman bowed to the judges and then headed to the front of the field to address the crowd, keeping his wand on his throat. "Sonorus! I believe I am audible?"

An affirmative from the crowd he continued. "So, the second task will begin soon as all are champions are here. They'll have an hour to retrieve what have been taken by them… Our beautiful audience can see the entire task on that projection…" he pointed towards a huge screen above the lake, floating in the sky. It was blank white now, and it was a thing that Severus had just noticed and would have made his breath tighten in his chest, if he could breathe.

But anxiety rose up to his throat as his eyes froze at the screen. Now, everything they did would be shown on the projection to the audience! He had expected to go down without anyone looking but that wouldn't be fulfilled now…

He looked around at the other champions, who didn't seem surprised by that modification. He probably, already knew about it. Then why didn't him?!

Elias thought of being ready for the task first of all. So, he took his robes and trousers off, immediately, standing, now, in his swimming trunks. He hadn't expected a loud gasp from the crowd at seeing his bare chest. He smirked and turned his face back, where he would have made an eye-contact with James for a fraction of a second.

But James took it as a challenge. Severus rolled his eyes. Stupid Gryffindors. So, James began stripping himself up too, his smirk getting bigger with every increased gasp. He too off his robes and the gasp reminiscent to Elias, was earned by him at the very starting. He then, split his shirt open, showing off his muscly body, again earning a few roars of excitement. And Severus would have remained in a doubt if some of the people wouldn't have pleasuring themselves there and then. The last, he turned a little pricey for the crowd as his show of himself in just a pair of red swimming trunks was a slow process of removing his trousers. And that is when the loudest roar of excitement and gasps was heard. How many people were a part of the James Potter fan club, anyways?

James waved to the crowd, just as he used to do in the quidditch matches after getting hold of the snitch. His eyes met Fin's for a fraction second, while this, and the competition began again.

Fin narrowed her eyes and walked to the front, to be properly visible to each person sitting in the open-air stands. She lifted her chin and stood in a pose very similar to a well-prepared model before holding her robes and dropping them in a swift move, revealing her well-toned body in simply a blood-red tank suit. Well, people were going crazy by this time. Severus rolled his eyes, as his eyes met with that of Fin. He wasn't interested in any showing off of his scared body parts.

He stood there, arms fold on his chest, waiting for Ludo Bagman to blow the whistle and everyone to start. Just then the Bagman, began speaking again.

"My very excited audience, patience, please… On my whistle, the second task will begin… 3… 2… 1…" and the shrill sound of the whistle was heard, piercing their ears.

The adrenaline flowed with a rush in their bodies as they began running towards the lake.

Severus struggled a little with his robes but kept running, although, Ludo Bagman wasted no time in noticing it. He waved his wand, disappearing his clothes leaving him in only his under wears.

He froze and his eyes grew wide in shame, and he didn't know if that was an instinct or a cry for help but he shouted. "I am not wearing swimming trunks!" and tried to cover his body.

Bagman didn't waste time to give him one of emerald green, either. It wouldn't have been even ten second for the people to properly see him but the gasps they threw were louder than anyone's making charges of he didn't know what, run through his body. People gasped on his scared bare chest and legs. He smirked and began running again.

Severus saw Elias and Fin for the last time, spelling bubble-head charms and James changing into a shark before they all set out of his view, diving in the water. Severus paused for a second and looked up at the screen where, now everyone was visible except for him as he was out of the water, before taking a deep breath -that wasn't real- and diving down.

It was like he didn't even come in the water. He couldn't feel any fluidity around him. No cold like before. It was simply like normal floating in the air. He shrugged and looked at himself, sighing. He had already changed into the transparent form again as the illusionment spell had dissolved. His almost transparent self would even be visible on the damn screen now and everyone would know that he had turned into a ghost for a while. He sighed.

Then, he saw the other three champions… one in his shark form, swimming hastily downwards, when the reality came to him once more that he was in a competition. He looked around and the frowned. He was able to see under the water. Being a ghost was great in way too many matters.

He simply swam then, with a speed, unimaginable to him or any of the others. He was so deep in the blink of an eye that he had left the other three champions behind. Even the fishes around him seemed confused. Severus smirked at that. The surroundings were darker here and he couldn't see much, just enough to make out things at a nominal distance.

He turned to take any hint that he could but there were none. He had to swim further in the lake, so he began doing so. Getting past all that came with heightening darkness and deafening silence. Forests of rippling, tangled black weed, wide plains of mud, glimmering stones and everything… until… he was even deeper. He had entered an area of strange grey light. He squinted to see if he could find anything but again, he remained empty-handed.

He took his wand out and gave it a flick, producing white light from its tip. He moved it in every direction but he still didn't find a single thing. What had the Mer-people taken that was the dearest to him? And where were they?

He looked around once more noticing the rippling weeds moving with the water, as if were dancing. The facts came back to him and he backed out immediately from the weeds, seeing a few weird looking weeds that didn't seem too real. They were of course, Grindylows! He smirked, though. He was a ghost.

He chuckled and got closer to the weeds again. "You can't get me again, stupid Grindylows" he taunted, as the not-too-real weeds, or rather the hands came upwards and spread its long thin fingers at him. Severus held his wand at the front, to lit the area to attain visibility.

The Grindylows attacked themselves at Severus, holding their needle-like fingers out but getting past him. He was about to swim away from there in horror but then he noticed that they didn't even affect him. He sighed in relief, laughing.

"I told you" he said to the absolutely confused looking Grindylows.

At the time another of the things caught his attention that seemed to be the far source of the strange grey light. And his eyes widened with realization. He was near the window of the Slytherin common room. He swam further straight to himself, leaving the Grindylows behind and reaching a dirty glass. That was it! He was at the window of the Slytherin common room! That too from the other side!

He floated nearer, pressing his hands on the glass and peeking inside to see only a very deserted common room… except for -he squinted- a shadow that just ran to the exit of the place. His eyes widened. Who was that? And why did they run like that? Almost the entire school was in the audience sitting beside the lake, observing the task.

Perhaps, just a firstie who would have lost their way. He shrugged and dismissed it before realizing that the last he saw a Mer-person was from here. Then, accordingly, they must be down somewhere. At least he knew that he was at the right path.

So, he swam deeper. He yawned at the time it was taking to reach the place. How would they come up the surface of water in an hour if it would take so long to float down?

He was able to see absolutely nothing, other than his wand's light or hear anything other than his wand cutting the water that he passed with speed. But then, he cupped his palm behind one of his ears, trying to listen if he was correct in the assumption that he had heard something. Yes! He had!

An hour you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took…

Severus gasped. There it was! There were the Mer-people… with the thing he loved the most. He positioned himself once more to swim deeper down, and soon came across a large rock. He went nearer and assumed that the paintings were of the Mer-people who were carrying spears in their hands…? They had spears?! And here he thought they'd be better than the Grindylows. He swam past the rock, finding the exact position of them, hearing the continued song.

… your time's half gone, so tarry not.
Lest what you seek stays here to rot…

Severus' eyes widened at the song as he paused suddenly. The time was half way gone?! He needed to hurry! He swam in the direction of the source of the song and was into a place where crude stone dwellings were stained with algae, surrounded him. There were dark windows where he saw faces… faces very similar to the Mer-person he had seen at the window, the other night.

An involuntary shiver ran down his spine, as they swam across him. Oh… so, even after the transparent body he was able to feel the vile emotions. They had emerged from their dark caves to see who had arrived, with their silvery fishtails. Severus had to admit that those parts of their bodies were fascinating.

Severus went on swimming further into the territory. This had to be the place for what he had to take. As he did, the dwelling around him increased in numbers and he found gardens of weeds around some of them while more Mer-people began surrounding him, pointing at him with wide eyes, talking behind their hands to one another.

Severus ignored them before suddenly finding himself in a position that met a horrified sight. A whole crowd of Mer-people were floating in front of some houses that seemed to him as some sort of a village. They were singing the angelic song to call the champions towards themselves, behind whom, Severus could make out a large rock. He assumed that, that is where the things they would sorely miss were kept, swimming closer.

His breath would have frozen in his chest if he could breathe at that point. His eyes wide in fear and anticipation. This couldn't have happened! There were four people tied to the rock… Peter, Sirius, Charm and Lily! Why Merlin?! The thought didn't even cross his mind! What could have been more precious to him that Lily?! And who the fuck had brought Charm here?! Certainly, that stupid ass of Elias! While he had enough faith in James and Fin to get the other two hostages back in their degrees… the only one he doubted was Elias.

All of them seemed in deep sleep. Their heads resting on one another's shoulders while tiny bubbles kept coming out of their mouths. Severus didn't waste anymore time to get them, he swam with extreme speed towards them before pausing just in front of Lily. She was bound with thick, strong-looking, green, weedy ropes. How was he supposed to break those open?!

He looked around to the spear in one of a muscular looking Mer-person's hand, who seemed to be the main guard of the task. And Severus was more than sure that he couldn't borrow the spear from him. His mind ran frantically to everything he could use and the last option remained was his wand. He lifted it up and pointed towards Lily, before lowering it. What is it hurts her too? He had to do something else.

Yes! Of course! He was a ghost! They could mess up with the temperatures, couldn't they? He pushed his hand between Lily's waist and the thick rope, pulling it apart from her enough for her to not feel the rise in temperature. He took a deep breath -that was again not real- and urged himself to increase the temperature of his hand. And it worked! Because he began to smell the burns of the rope. After going slowly for a while, he pulled the loosened rope down, finally freeing Lily.

He almost laughed in relief. Lily was free! But then what about Charm? Was that moronic Elias going to come to get her? Or was he vomiting somewhere out of nervousness? Severus very slyly tried to grab hold of the ropes around Charm too, but a spear suddenly appeared in front of him. He turned to the owner, who was shaking his head disapprovingly.

"She is not yours!" the Mer-person grumbled. "Take what is yours" he pointed towards Lily.

"But I am almost sure that Amedee wouldn't come to fetch Charm!"

"Take yours only!" the Mer-person hissed, irritated.

Severus put his hands on his hips, scoffing. "And what would you do with her, if he doesn't come? Hmm?"

The Mer-person's eyes went wide, seemingly flustered. "That is none of your business!"

Severus shrugged and pointed his wand on one of the other Mer-person, making the one he was talking to even more pissed off of him.

"What are you doing?! This is not the part of the task!" he yelled with rage.

Severus smirked. "You don't want your friends to get harmed, just as that I don't want her to get harmed, either" he pointed at Charm.

Before the Mer-person could say anything a great rumble of wave went through them. Severus turned to the source, finding out that a shark had arrived at that place. James!

James didn't take any longer than Severus to cut off the ropes from around Sirius's waist. He flipped Sirius' body on his back before pausing to look at Peter and then around himself.

"Fin and Amedee hasn't arrived yet" Severus said scornfully. "Are they coming?"

The shark turned to him, shaking his head. He turned to Peter again, and began biting off the ropes around him before another Mer-person brought his spear in front of the shark to stop him.

"You can take only yours, and that's not your"

The shark opened its mouth angrily, baring all of his sharp teeth, still doing no effect on the Mer-person.

By the time this was going on, another wave went through past them. Fin! She had arrived with her head in a bubble. She looked confusedly at Severus and the shark but then sailed towards Peter. Again, surprised to see him, freed already. She shrugged and grabbed him to soared upwards, without any difficulty.

The shark looked at Severus and blinked before rolling his eyes and placing Sirius on his back and soaring upwards too. Now, who was left was Elias. Severus sneered at Elias to where ever he was in the entire damn lake.

Severus couldn't wait any longer than that. He had to take Charm and Lily, both and get going. Waiting for Elias was useless and he didn't want of his friends to rot in the lake. He went, ignoring the Mer-people who were trying to guard Charm but failing as everything they threw at Severus, went past through him.

"I am a ghost!" he snickered at them, burning the ropes around Charm too.

And that is when another bubble-head arrived looking extremely worried, as if about to break down to tears. Severus rolled his eyes. Elias, after all. He simply held on to Charm and sent her floating in Elias' direction, who couldn't look anymore grateful to him.

Elias held Charm at the waist and soared upwards, leaving Severus behind.

Severus sighed. He was a ghost for Merlin's sake. He'd be faster than any of them. So, he held Lily by her waist, sticking his tongue out to the Mer-people and taking himself with her, upwards in the water.

He soared upwards, coming with the league to James the shark when something very strange happened. No one had expected to see a black hue spreading around them, chocking all their senses.

Severus couldn't feel much but James surely seemed dizzy by that as he made a painful noise. His eyes were dripping down and Sirius was about to fall from his back. Severus went and adjusted him again on his back to at least keep him secured from falling down again.

He looked around, moving Lily's body with himself, but found absolutely nothing other than the black hue that had surrounded them. And that is when realization struck him with full force, making his eyes grow wide. The attack on Hogsmeade was simply a rehearsal, the actuality was about to be followed now.

A deep stretch of suction was felt by Severus at the back of his neck as he clenched his eyes closed. Suddenly making him feel lethargic and lifeless. What was that? It had felt like a dementor had appeared on his side, but there was still nothing other than the black hue. If it was an attack then what were the Death Eaters up to? Why weren't they showing themselves up?

But for now, he didn't have to think of that. The most important thing was to get all three above water and out of this dangerous zone of lake. So, he swam to James the shark and held on his tail, while keeping Lily steady with the other hand.

He pursed his lips as the weight was high. Wait! Was he able to feel weight again? He was converting! He was getting his human self again! He needed to be fast! Another deep stretch of suction of energy struck him at the back of his neck, making him almost drop the three people he was carrying.

He could feel the cold water know, making his teeth chatter, but the water was still away from his nose. He couldn't breathe yet. He was still a part ghost and that was an advantage. He pushed forward, upwards taking all of them with himself. The black hue around him didn't recede, sucking up on every ounce of energy he possessed, although the darkness did compress as the light from the out began forcing itself in. He was close.

A bunch of pictures ran through his mind… his father hitting him in a corner of Spinner's End with his belt… Lily wearing the diadem and her eyes turning red… his father about to take his trousers off and he running to the park… the basilisk… the attack on the Purebloods… Charm upset and blaming him… his mother's dead body… He struck down Selene with the killing curse Lily not being with him anymore…

He blinked his eyes, furiously. Why did he see all of that? Were there dementors around? Dementors in the Black Lake? How was that possible?

And suddenly he felt a stinging rode pushed up his nostrils. He turning into more and more human again. He needed to hurry. He couldn't stay in water anymore or else he'd die. They couldn't be very far from the surface. So, he mustered all his strength and sent the shark with Sirius on his back with Lily upwards. They would float till there.

He spread his arms in a gesture to start swimming upwards but the dizziness was flowing through his mind. The water felt too cold making his senses fall numb while his legs refused to wok, but he did all he could to reach the surface.

And finally, when he was about to lose all hope, he was there. In light. Air with oxygen where he gasped for breath. The loud noises, he could hear, now. People cheering and roaring. A hand was offered to him to help him up on land again, that he took, coughing uncontrollably.

When he thought that he could seem less idiotic with that spree, he looked around. Lily, James and Sirius were wrapped in thick blankets, looking pale. That is when he noticed that he was shivering and suddenly the cold felt too immense to make him almost fall down, but a particularly similar blanket was wrapped around him too. The warmth spread through his body, making him feel awakened again. He looked in the front, ignoring the shouts in the background for a while. The screen was gone.

"Thank you, Severus" it was James, speaking from his side.

Severus frowned. "Oh… that was nothing"

"Riding a shark, would have been fun, wasn't it?" James wiggled his eyebrows at Lily and Sirius who both had sour looks on their faces.

Sirius gave a mild sneer. "I was unconscious, for the matter of fact and it was nothing fun"

"I am in total agreement" Lily scoffed. "You could have better become an octopus, to hold us better than the shark that slipped our bones from one corner to another"

"My back is hurting" Sirius said in her favor.

James held his hands up in surrender. "It was Severus that adjusted you both on my back"

"There was a Death Eater attack inside the water and you two are thinking about your aching backs!" Severus said that so fast that both Sirius and Lily only just blinked.

"A Death Eater attack!?" they breathed.

"I believe so… it was draining…" his eyes widened. "Raquel"

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapters.
Please comment for me to know how you felt about them.
Thank you.