He had gills! All of the sudden his lungs felt as if they were taking in long drafts of an ice cold, sludge-like substance and his legs began to grow back feeling as blood flow returned. Harry wasted no time in jumping into the water in front of him and bursting forward with a wave of both webbed hands. He felt alive in the water as his gills filtered the water of oxygen and his scaly skin thrived in the cold depths. The way was very clear to him, the gillyweed seeming to turn him into a creature of the water as he glided along naturally, as if he had the ability his entire life.
The bottom of the lake seemed to thankfully lack the giant squid. Though where they could have hidden it, Harry shuddered to think. Soon he came to some of the fish life, large bass and many tinier fish that he scarcely recognized.
This was especially true when he saw a great white fish with gigantic teeth that did not at all resemble a shark. It had very large, bulging eyes like a cartoon, but they were black with big red irises and a shrunken pupil in the middle. Its jaw was covered in big greasy brown teeth that were as jagged as a rhino's horn. Harry's eyes widened, but his hand went directly to his wand, tugging it free.
The gigantic white fish charged, its cold, black eyes locked on him as he took aim. "Depulso!" He bubbled from his mouth. A sharp rush burst from his wand and hit the fish like a wall of bricks fired from a cannon. The smashing sound was even audible in water as the fish was launched across the lake, hitting a jagged boulder from the lake's floor. It was still twitching, but obviously having no more willpower to go after Harry.
He took a deep gulp of water and then kept on his way. Harry made sure to keep a constant three sixty visual, knowing that these waters were meant to test him. Even with his fish-like form, the audibility in water wasn't great. It all felt so slow and dull. The silence was terrible, almost as if it were anti-sound or something. It was eerie how everything seemed to sway, or was that just his vision?
Before he knew it, there came the grindylows. Those gnarly little creatures swam at him with their long fingers as he got close enough to the water's floor. As one of them grabbed his ankle, he already took aim at the other. "Stupefy!" He sent a jet of red bubbles directly into its face, making him withdraw immediately and spin vertically into the grindylow holding Harry's ankle and interrupting its grapple.
As both of them floated off, however, there came at least a dozen more! Harry looked at all of them in something of a state of panic! He swam backward as fast as he could with a wand in his hand, not willing to give it up. They came on quickly, though, obviously having far more experience underwater.
If this many latched onto him, there would be no escaping them pulling him down. He would need to send red sparks to the surface before they buried him under the water-logged surface beneath. That was when he remembered he needed to save her! If he didn't get to Hermione, as the song went, she would be left here to rot! A snarl crossed Harry's face as he pointed his wand directly between the first two of them that came near him.
"Expulsio!" He fired them both straight back into the crowd. As it hit their center, it burst the water, causing the surface of the lake to go everywhere! The water creatures went every which way and Harry swiped his wand against one of their noses as it flew straight toward him. The Grindylow gave him a very rude gesture as it floated away, unable to move otherwise. He had swim fast and he had to find her now!
He had no idea where the prisoners were and if he wasn't quick, his anxiety was going to start to overcome his rational thought. All sorts of scenarios were playing out in his head in this horrific environment. Just then, the image of a silver, translucent girl appeared before Harry from within the plant life nearby. It nearly made him jump out of his scales as his heart caught in his throat.
"Myrtle!" He bubbled. Moaning Myrtle placed a finger to her lips and shushed him softly.
"I can't understand you anyway. They're over there." She pointed toward the path beside her, leading toward the center of the lake. Harry waved his thanks toward her and began to swim with all of his strength.
There came something that looked like the lost city of Atlantis, were it built by very small people, and completely out of gray stone. The people looked at him as he swam by, still and grinning with tiny sharp fangs for teeth. They were an offshoot of bluish black that was hard to recognize in this lighting, but their scaly bodies and beady eyes were still quite visible to him.
Then, there they were. All of the hostages were tied to the surface of a stone platform, in the middle of what looked like the kingdom's town square. Around them were four guards armed with short spears. There were more, though, and they were peppered throughout the city. All of them apparently turned out for the Tri-Wizard Tournament to see the strange surface dwellers. Some of them even looked happy and waved.
Harry beared his way across the city's vertical skyline, or what would be considered that. It felt strange flying across the sky of another city. If he ever imagined himself as a hero, it certainly wasn't with scales and gills.
There she was.
Hermione Granger's hair was spread around her head in the water, which was hardly different from its normal appearance. There was Cho Chang, a boy from Durmstrang and a small girl who bore a striking resemblance to Fleur. Harry was quick as he swam to her, putting his wand away, as he didn't sense any hostility from the strange underwater creatures. They simply stood and stared at him as he came by. It was a bit unnerving, if he was being honest.
Then, seemingly from nowhere, came the giant jaws of a shark! This wasn't just any shark, though. From the body, and the swim trunks it was wearing. It was Krum! Viktor came forward with his gigantic jagged teeth, threatening to bite at him! The strange, misshapen, humanoid form he took on was quite formidable, but Harry was faster by far and he got out of the way. Krum turned toward Hermione and gazed at her, ready to swim toward her.
"Descendio!" Harry rasped out more bubbles as his wand sent a jet that locked onto Viktor's ankles, pulling him down deeper into the depths. The fish-like people around him all cheered! However, as he swam near once again, this time, Krum sent a bubbly jet straight into Harry's stomach, knocking the breath from his gills as he was thrust upward. The pain was terrible, but soon the pressure was released as he got far enough away.
Before Krum could even think about swimming back up toward her, though, Harry was quick to blast his wand out of his hand with "Expelliarmus!" and he was pushed straight down into the platform below the hostages, nearly breaking the stone with his tough but still very badly injured back.
With no one left to save the Durmstrang student and Krum unconscious, Harry sent up a jet of red. Then, he turned to Hermione. He brushed her cheek with his hand and leaned his forehead to hers, a rush of relief sweeping over him. He backed away, then aimed his wand toward her chain. "Diffindo!" He sent bubbles out his mouth as the chain was cut. Then he caught her as he began to float upward. He met Cedric on his way toward the surface, making sure to direct him the right way. Then there was another coming to check on the red spark. It was Angelina Johnson with a bubble charm over her head and a big red spot on her swimming robes.
On the surface, the crowd cheered wildly for Harry as he emerged with a soaked, but very much alive Hermione wrapped in his arms. He didn't care about the glory, nor did he care about the points or the next task in that moment. All he cared about was that she was safe. There were pictures, of course, but that was nothing new.
"You really had to fight him off from saving me? Did he think that would woo me? Is he mad?" Hermione asked, both of them in his fourposter, the silence charm around them, so long as they spoke at a whisper.
"Obviously. It looked like he was going to bite me as soon as he got close enough." Harry remembered how he charged toward him. Then he looked over at Hermione as she was illuminated in the blue flame that she conjured in a clear glass bowl between them. It did wonders for her eyes and she thought likewise.
She leaned into him and they shared another moment, warm and with each other. "Are you sure you don't want me to tail that Durmstrang headmaster? I really think I can determine his true intentions."
"It is too risky." He said for the seventh time that day. "If anything, we need to lie low for now. He's really angry that I beat Krum. Were you really going to hex him with my wand?"
"Of course I was. He nearly hexed you. She reasoned and he honestly couldn't argue. Karkaroff's wand was nearly flush with Harry's face before Hermione pulled his wand from his side and Dumbledore blasted his wand from his hand.
"I believe he narrowly beat Mcgonagall to it. Is there a question as to why all of you are faster than me on the mark?" Harry asked and Hermione gave his cheek a tiny little pat.
"Because you just swam for over an hour, you silly boy. Your arms were exhausted, are you really trying to be Superman?" Hermione asked, incredulous.
"Well, yes, but don't tell anyone." Harry couldn't help a grin as Hermione had to lean into him to keep from being heard. Her laughter continued for a good long pause before she was able to smile at him with a little chuckle.
"I love you." Hermione whispered to him as she leaned her head to the side and he leaned down to her, whispering the same. They kissed.