Chapter 14. The Second Task
Without wasting any time, Harry, on Hermione's initiative and under her strict supervision, hurriedly began writing to Sirius. After sending off the owl, he barely made it to his classes, but to his relief, the lessons went smoothly today.
"And you said you had figured out the riddle!" Hermione scolded Harry.
"Well, I knew right away that you didn't believe me," he muttered in response.
"It's a good thing there's almost a month until February twenty-fourth! We still have time to come up with something for you," Hermione said.
"Well, what ideas do you have then? How is Harry going to stay underwater for an hour?" Ron wondered.
"I'm more interested in how Fleur is going to stay underwater for that long. Do you have any ideas, d'Arc?" Hermione asked.
In response, Fleur muttered something incomprehensible, vaguely resembling "I have it all figured out." Harry had no idea what she had figured out or to what extent, as they had only learned about the contents of the riddle the night before, and Fleur had been with them all morning. He had no clue what she could have come up with during that time.
"Well, if all you can do is hold your breath for an hour or if you have an aqua lung..." Ron replied to Fleur.
"Aqua lung!" Harry caught on to the idea. "What if I summon an aqua lung from the nearest Muggle town for assistance? I summoned a broomstick last time."
"Well done, Harry!" Hermione smiled. "But as soon as you pass the task, you will be expelled from Hogwarts for violating the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. Do you realize how many Muggles would see an aqua lung flying through the air? Did you think about that?"
"Oops..." Harry deflated instantly.
He certainly hadn't thought about that.
Soon Hagrid was teaching magical creature care again and the days passed by. Every day, Harry waited for news from Sirius and completely forgot about Barty Crouch. Now, along with Ron and Hermione, they went to the library at every opportunity, searching for new spells or potions, but they didn't come across anything useful. Jeanne also spent a lot of time in the library, but she preferred to study books separately and hardly shared any information about what books she was reading. Only a couple of times Harry managed to catch her in the company of Snape, taking Jeanne to the Restricted Section. What could she be reading there? Harry was burning with curiosity, wanting to know more, but he was afraid to demand answers from Jeanne. Meanwhile, unexpected changes occurred with Professor Moody - one day he appeared before the public clearly exhausted and seemingly thinner, and his magical eye moved with difficulty. At the same time, Moody became even more suspicious, but he treated the students with the same, if not greater, warmth and care. He never tired of repeating the same words in every class:
- Vigilance above all!
In the Great Hall, Moody ate noticeably more than usual for about two weeks and with such a lively appetite that even the biggest eaters were amazed by him.
- Well, Potter? - Moody addressed Harry in one of the classes. - Have you come up with a plan of action?
- Sir, we've searched the entire library except for the Restricted Section, and... I was thinking, as you advised me last time, to use Entrancing Charms, but what should I summon? I can't use an aqua lung, and I don't know how to swim with it...
For a moment, Moody was surprised by Harry's words.
- I advised you?
And immediately grinned.
- So you already know what the second task is all about. Then I will give you another piece of advice now. Sometimes, you need to trust your friends, including those whom you may not take seriously.
Harry was surprised.
- Who do I not take seriously? - he wondered.
- Think about this question carefully and quickly. Time won't wait for you.
Days before the second task were gradually becoming fewer, and each day seemed to last longer. Every morning, waking up, Harry caught himself thinking that the previous day lasted a thousand times longer than the one before it, and that the next day would inevitably lengthen a thousand times more. Determined to make it to the end of the day, Harry always went to his classes, and then spent the rest of the night in the library, leaving only when the stern librarian, Madam Pince, forced him to. This routine repeated day after day. What would people think of him? What would happen during the second task? Would he approach Bagman and say, "I'm sorry, I'm not ready"? The whole audience would laugh at him and Fleur would say, "I knew it, he's just a little boy." Let them laugh, let him not make it past the second task. What difference would it make now? He had already dealt with one battle against the Hungarian Horntail. These tasks were not his forte. The other participants were stronger, smarter, and older than him, they would manage... But what about Jeanne, his fellow classmate? What if she made it through, and he didn't? Then no one would find any excuses for him as to why a seemingly fragile girl shorter than him passed the second task, while he had come up with nothing. Covered in a cold sweat, Harry buried himself deeper and deeper in dusty volumes, afraid to embarrass himself in front of the whole school. No, not just the school, but the whole world! Newspapers worldwide would publish dozens of articles about how the famous Harry Potter defeated Voldemort but lost to his classmate.
Please inform me of the date of the next trip to Hogsmeade.
That was Sirius's response. Not a word more, not a word less. Seeing such a short letter, Harry immediately fell into despair. He had been hoping for at least one word of encouragement from his godfather.
- Only on the next weekend, - Hermione said.
A couple of short strokes of the quill on the parchment, and the owl had already carried Harry's response to its recipient, leaving him bewildered and saddened. There were two days left until the second task.
Harry continued to diligently search through library books, but the next evening he and Ron and Hermione were separated by the Weasley twins, who had come for them from the dean. Surprised as to why they suddenly needed Professor McGonagall, Hermione and Ron went with Fred and George, leaving Harry alone with the books.
Madam Pince came and escorted Harry out of the library, but he was determined to find some way... No. He wouldn't lose that easily!
Fifteen minutes later, under the Invisibility Cloak, he continued to dig through the library books. There must be something in the next one. No? Then the next one. Well, something surely had to be in the third...
Morning crept up on Harry unnoticed, and Dobby woke him up with his hands.
"Sir, there are ten minutes left until the second task," the house-elf mumbled.
"Ten minutes?!" Harry exclaimed in horror. "How is that possible?"
He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep without finding a way to stay underwater for an entire hour.
"Sir Harry Potter must go to the task," insisted Dobby.
"No way, Dobby. I'm doomed! I don't know how to stay underwater for an hour without air! And you, what will you do to help me? You don't even know what the second task entails..."
"Dobby knows how to help Mr. Harry Potter!" Dobby replied. "Mr. Harry Potter must trust Dobby. Harry Potter must dive into the lake and save Wheezy, sir! Dobby knows that Harry Potter didn't find the right book, but Dobby found it!"
"Well, tell me what you came up with then," Harry said skeptically.
He couldn't forget the closed barrier on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and the incident with the Bludger during the Quidditch match was still fresh in his mind.
"Harry Potter must eat this," the elf squeaked, reaching into his shorts pocket and pulling out a clump of gray-green slimy rat tails. "These are gillyweed, sir. Eat them and dive into the lake."
"What are they for?" Harry asked suspiciously, looking at the slimy clump.
"They'll help you breathe underwater, sir."
"Dobby, are you sure about this?" Harry asked desperately.
"Dobby is certain, sir," the elf nodded. "Dobby overhears a lot, sir. Dobby lights the castle's torches and mops the floors. Dobby heard Professor McGonagall and Professor Grubbly-Plank talking about the next task... Dobby won't let Harry Potter lose Wheezy!"
It was clear: they had kidnapped Ron. Harry jumped up, threw off the Invisibility Cloak, stuffed it in his backpack, grabbed the seaweed from Dobby, put it in his pocket, and rushed out of the library. The elf followed him.
"Dobby needs to go to the kitchen, sir," squealed Dobby in the corridor. "Dobby will search. Good luck to you, sir."
Harry sprinted down the corridor and, skipping three steps on the stairs, shouted, "Thanks, Dobby! Goodbye!"
Never before had Harry run so fast. It seemed like if he were racing Jeanne, he wouldn't be any slower. Rushing (the thought "I'm late!" echoed loudly in Harry's head upon arrival), he reached the lake, abruptly stopped, and accidentally splattered Fleur's cloak with mud.
"Where have you been?" Percy Weasley grumbled discontentedly. "The task is about to begin."
Only then did Harry notice that Percy was taking Barty Crouch's place.
"Are you alright, Harry?" Ludovic Bagman asked as he approached. "Do you know what to do?"
He nodded frantically. His breath was catching after a tough run, and his side was stabbing. Making any sound in such a state seemed like a great accomplishment to him.
"Well, our participants are ready for the second challenge," roared the voice of Ludovic Bagman. "We will start on my whistle. They have an hour to find what has been taken from them. So, on the count of three: one... two... three!"
Harry took off his cloak and shoes, realizing that they would only hinder him in the water and get completely soaked. He stuffed slippery seaweed into his mouth and started chewing on it diligently. They tasted slimy and unpleasant, almost like rubber. He entered the icy water, still chewing the gillyweed and tried his best to ignore the jeering and laughing spectators. The Slytherins were particularly good at mocking, they were masters at it. "They know how to provide moral support," thought Harry.
In an instant, everything changed. Harry felt gills open up on his neck, his lungs emptied, and an invisible mask seemed to be placed over his face. Immersed in the water, he felt like he was getting a fresh start. A sip of water became more valuable than a breath of air, and Harry swiftly swam to save his friend.
At the bottom of the lake, a whole mermaid city unfolded before his eyes. Numerous houses formed streets, with their own unknown bustling life. Harry could have stopped and looked around, but he was afraid of wasting precious time, so he swam towards the sound of a familiar song. Along the way, he encountered Moaning Myrtle, who pointed him in the direction he continued swimming until he finally stumbled upon the captives. Ron, Hermione, the unknown French girl he saw with Fleur, Cho, and Neville. The prisoners were peacefully sleeping, and tiny bubbles of air were floating out of their mouths as they slept. Harry saw fierce tritons with spears surrounding him.
Harry quickly freed Ron. As he looked around one last time, he didn't see anyone else. Were they not going to be rescued? Harry started sawing Hermione's rope with a sharp stone, but the tritons grabbed him and said, "Only one prisoner!"
"But she's my friend too!" Harry objected.
Soon, Cedric appeared. He swam towards Harry with an air bubble surrounding his head and said, "I got lost! Fleur and Krum will arrive soon!"
Harry felt an incredible sense of relief after hearing those words. Cedric took out a pocket knife, quickly cut Cho's rope, grabbed her, and swam away. Harry waited anxiously. What if they didn't make it in time? But soon, Krum arrived. He stood out with his head transformed into a shark's head. Swimming towards Hermione, he tried to bite her rope with his new teeth, but he failed. Harry handed him a sharp stone. Krum took the stone, cut the rope without looking at Harry, and swam up with Hermione. A second later, Jeanne emerged. She moved so quickly she seemed like a swift torpedo. With her bare hands, she ripped Neville's rope and swam to the surface with him. Harry couldn't even comprehend what had just happened. A second ago, he was pondering - how did she prepare for the dive? He didn't see any air bubble around her head or any traces of body transfiguration. Gillyweed, perhaps?
Realizing how much time had passed, Harry pointed his wand at the vigilant tritons, but they only laughed. Dousing them in scalding hot water with a spell, Harry cut the ropes, grabbed Ron and the French girl, and swam to the surface with them.
- You absolute idiot! - Jeanne scolded him afterwards. - Did you really think someone would let the students drown?
- How was I supposed to know? - Harry retorted.
- You could have finished first! - Jeanne scolded incessantly. - Why did you waste so much time there?
- Oh, come on. - Ron defended his friend. - At least he showed noble qualities and earned extra points for it. Who's complaining about that?
Jeanne let out a cry that sounded like the roar of an enraged bull in response.
- By the way, your historical namesake would have approved of his actions. - Hermione joined the conversation.
In response, Jeanne gave her such a look that Hermione cowered and wanted to flee to the ends of the earth, just to get away from here.
- Well, at least the third task won't be such a secret. - she quickly found something to say.
- Yeah. At sunset on the twenty-fourth of June... - Ron murmured thoughtfully. - And the participants will be informed about the task a month in advance. Stop sulking, d'Arc. As if they didn't offer it to you to save...
He immediately stopped himself, deciding not to anger his already disgruntled friend.
- Anyway, I would be surprised if you were satisfied with anything.
- I wonder, why do you have such complexes? - Hermione pondered. - You study well and pass the tasks. Why are you always so dissatisfied? With your talents, you should appreciate every moment of life.
- Oh, shut up. - Jeanne blushed in response and ran off to the girls' dormitory.