Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any character, story element or plot item originally published in the Harry Potter books or movies that I may refer to in this story. I'm merely playing in the sandbox.

The morning of the second trial, Harry sat in his tent. He was incredibly confused. Winky had done an inventory and found nothing missing. For that matter, she was certain no one had entered the tent.

"Ready for today?"

"Yeah, wetsuit on and ready to go." He stood, adjusting the robe he wore over it. "I have a dive knife, wand, gillyweed and a few goodies in my utility belt." Harry smirked as he patted his side.

"I never should have introduced you to that comic."

"I am the night." Harry growled out. Moony was walking in as he said that.

"James would have loved that." He glanced around. "Did anything go missing?"

"No. No one entered the tent other than the four of us in the last twenty-four hours. Winky checked and nothing was missing." He thought for a second. "Sorry, five. Dobby came in to meet with Winky."

Remus shook his head. "I think Luna was right. They didn't think to change the riddle to accommodate your accommodations." He shook his head. "We'll be sitting on the shore. I've already warded an area to match the stones that we use, so Sirius and I will be there to…I guess play Gin Rummy. We're likely to be staring at the water until everything happens." He shrugged. "I've already hidden a fire pit and some food and chairs and a table. We'll grill and enjoy ourselves while the others freeze on wooden benches."

"Wait, seriously?" As Sirius opened his mouth, Harry flicked his wand at him and silenced him.

"Yes. You need to stop saying that." Moony shook his head. "Based on what I saw at the water's edge, there's a set of bleachers, but no scrying devices visible. Those take some time to setup, even in small scale, much less in large scale."

"Well, that's ridiculous."

Sirius was waving his hands around at this point, but they just kept talking, ignoring him. Finally, Sirius grabbed Harry by the shoulders and shook him. "Oh, are you still here?" Harry smirked, then negated the charm, allowing him to speak.

"I wasn't going to do it! I was just going to tell you what Moony was…well never mind. I hate all of you."

Moony and Harry laughed, then the three of them headed to the exit, popping out with Dobby and Winky. They made their way cloaked by the Go Away Disks, separating as they passed through the main entrance of the castle. Harry took his time, walking down to the lake. He had intended to be early but found that several of the bleachers were half full. He studiously ignored them.

After the judges and the Champions arrived, Harry dropped the avoidance field and seemed to apparate into view. Dumbledore eyed the effect curiously, but several others seemed to cry out in fear. He simply shrugged, then looked at the Champions. Cedric seemed confused, Viktor looked angry, but Fleur looked devastated.

"Guys, what's wrong?"

"My sister. She is gone!"

"Hermione is gone, too."

He looked at Cedric, who shrugged. "I don't know. All of my friends and property are accounted for."

"They took people for this? Are they insane?"

As though summoning them, the question brought the judges over. Harry ignored them. His gaze panned over the crowd, and he easily picked out the two missing faces. "Cedric, they took Cho for you."

"But I dumped her weeks ago."

"Well, I don't think they took Luna for you, unless you two were dating now."

"No way, she's like a little sister more than girlfriend material to me, Harry." Cedric turned to face the judges and as Bagman spoke, he cut across the aging sportsman. "What is wrong with you people?"

"You had the riddle; I can't believe you didn't pick up on it."

"It said 'something'. A person is not a thing, Bagman. No wonder the goblins want your head, bet you thought when you cheated them in the betting pool at the World Cup it was okay because they were 'things.'" Harry stepped forward, having the satisfaction of seeing the wizard take a step back. "And yes, before you ask, quite a few people know about this. That's why your little betting pool failed, and you had to try to bet with the twins again." Having elves gather information was paying immensely here. "Bet they made you wait for a slip until the gold passed a test, unlike the leprechaun gold you gave them last time."

"I…you have an hour to get your hostages back."

"What happens if we don't?" Viktor growled.

"You heard the riddle…you might not…" He never finished the words before three bludgeoning curses blew the man into the water. Fleur had collapsed to the dock, sobbing.

"No, Fleur, we're going to get everyone back. Then I'm coming back and calling him out…or my trainer will. Moony would eat this fool without shifting into his werewolf form."

The others nodded. "This is not a game. We will make sure everyone reaches the surface."

"You may not work together on this." Crouch said. "The rules deny you that opportunity. If you work with each other, you will be in violation of the contract."

This seemed to solidify something in Fleur, and she rose, walking over to him and leaning forward, growling something in French. The man replied back but seemed to wilt under her gaze.

"We're going. I'm getting my sister back."

Bagman was still floundering in the water and Harry looked over at the others, then made a decision. He knew how long the gillyweed would last, and he had a diver's watch courtesy of his godfather, he was going to be the last one back and make sure that everyone made it back. The score didn't matter to him. "Everyone comes back."

When they all nodded that they were ready, Cedric fired a spell at the bell, starting the competition off as the chime rang out, starting the clock. Harry watched the others go first, then looked at Dumbledore, who seemed baffled by what was going on. "If Bagman causes any trouble, I will call him out."

He stuffed the weed in his mouth and dove in, not waiting for the transformation as he shed his robes in the dive, slipping into the water. As soon as the change occurred, he was kicking as fast as possible. In his mind's eye, he had an image of the map from the classroom wall in the Chamber. Moony and Sirius had expanded it during the year, focusing on the lake as soon as Luna had solved the language part of the riddle. He knew exactly where the village was.

He started in that direction when he noticed spellfire to one side. There were several flares, but something told Harry to approach. Fleur was being grabbed by Grindylows and was clearly losing the battle. Not wanting to hurt her, he delayed casting before getting closer. Once he felt safe too, several piercing curses lanced out and struck the water demons. Several were just blown apart, thin flesh on the shallow water creatures not standing up to the energies in the spells.

Soon, he was helping Fleur to the surface. As she neared it, she seemed to rouse, shaking him off. "My sister!"

Unlike her in her Bubblehead Charm, he couldn't speak. Instead, he met her gaze and squeezed her hand firmly, as well as he could with the webbing in the way. She seemed to understand and nodded. He gave her a final push upward and she made her way back to the docks, though everything in her posture indicated defeat. Better pick up the pace.

He turned back in the direction of the merpeople's village, then cast the Aquamenti Charm pointed behind him. He'd enjoyed the experience, another of Luna's recommendations, in the ocean around the beach. The memory spurred him to pour more power into the spell, forcing his body to shift into a more streamlined position. Now, he darted through the water like a torpedo, pushing along at three times his swimming speed. If the situation hadn't been so dire, he might have enjoyed this.

He was the first to the village. Hearing the singing, he approached the village center and found a large statue. He wasn't sure what it represented but found the four hostages tied to the base of it by strands of lake weed. He released the spell propelling him and swam closer, then paused. He waited for the others.

Viktor was first. He had done a partial transfiguration into a shark. As he appraised the place where Granger was, Harry waved at him, then produced his dive knife. Viktor's transformed head nodded, then cut the frond. Equally vocally hampered, he gestured, and Harry shook his head, then touched his watch. Seeming to understand, Krum flipped the knife around and handed it back to him, hilt first. Harry took it, sheathed it and waited.

Cedric was next, waving off Harry's knife and using a cutting charm on the frond. For a moment, Harry was almost amused. Leave it to a Hufflepuff to be able to cut a plant without touching anything around it. Sprout would be proud.

Once the other two were retrieved, he approached Luna first. He had to pause at the sight of the swimsuit. She knew. Pushing the thought aside, he cut her free, then moved to Fleur's sister.

A merman jetted forward, interposing himself between him and the young girl. "Your hostage only." Harry tried to convey with gestures that the only three would be coming down, but the warrior shook his spear at him. "Only your hostage," the water being repeated.

Harry's eyes narrowed and he glanced around him. Several of the merfolk were spoiling for a fight, he could see them gripping their spears and tridents and edging forward. Harry took a deep breath, a strange sensation in the water.

Just as the merman seemed to think he was giving up, his wand snapped forward, stunning him. He pivoted, kicking off the warrior to get a spin going and volleyed bludgeoners into the crowd. Most dove for cover, some of the others simply blasted backward. He took the moment he had, cut the little blonde girl free, then grabbed her with his free arm. There was a moment where he fumbled with his wand before getting it pointed away from them and he cast the water spell again. He blasted away from the village backwards.

While he couldn't see where he was going, he could see the pursuing merfolk falling far behind him. When he had enough lead, he shifted the two girls into a different hold, making it easier on him, then fired the spell so that he could face forward. He actually breached the surface some distance from the dock. The gills were fading as he neared the water and he panicked, overpowering the spell. Both girls woke.

Luna pushed away from him, starting for the dock, but stopped when she saw Harry. Harry was struggling under the little girl as she panicked, pushing him back under the water to try to push herself out. She was babbling in French, the part he could hear, but he couldn't even try to respond in English, not without getting mouthfuls of the lake.

Just as he was about to stun the girl to save both of them, He felt Luna's hand on his arm. She was rubbing the girl's back, and the girl was settling. Finally able to take a good breath, both Hogwarts students helped the girl to the dock. A large man's hand reached down to the girl, then Cedric and Viktor both offered their hands, each taking one of them.

Harry fought for his breath after that ordeal, then looked over to Luna, who was being wrapped in a blanket. "You knew."

"I did."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What would you have done?"

He thought for a moment, then looked at Bagman glaring at him. "Started with him...still going to." Then he took in Bagman's condition. One eye was blackened, and he was in cuffs. "Uh...maybe not?"

"I have him, Monsieur Potter." The large man who held both Fleur and her sister stepped forward, the girls moving to a woman who could only be their mother. "I am Laurant Delacour, a member of the French Aurors, to use the British term. I owe you for what you have done for both of my daughters."

"Fleur is a friend...plus with what Bagman said, I wasn't leaving anyone down there."

"Harry, you don't think we would allow someone to get hurt, do you?"

Harry turned to look at Dumbledore incredulously. "Ignoring the past Trial of this Tournament, I invite you to look at the last three years I've been in school here." With that, he turned and gestured to the medical tent. "We should get everyone looked at. Even us, it's cold out here."

Laurant nodded and gestured for Harry to lead the way. Inside the tent, Hermione was already being seen to. Cho was sitting on the furthest bed, some of the boils and the scarred word still on her forehead. Harry ignored her.

"What have you done now, Potter?"

"Went swimming, Madame Pomfrey. I know you're still mad at me for filling your infirmary with know-it-all Claws, but I told you how that curse worked. The fact that they can't apologize sincerely to Luna is not my fault. It is their parents and their own." Harry had already vented his anger at Bagman as he walked down the dock. It had no place here.

This seemed to bring her to a quiet sternness, so Harry accepted it. "Let me check you out."

"No, start with Fleur and the girl. They are Veela and water is not good for them."

"Gabrielle," Fleur offered.

"Fleur and Gabrielle," Harry nodded to her as he corrected himself. "Luna was down there longer than I was, too. I have no idea when they took her down, but I was early at the event, and they were already there. Plus, she was down in a swimsuit, and I had a charmed wetsuit."

The Champions agreed, though Fleur insisted that Gabrielle was checked first. As they were being seen behind curtains, Laurant sat with the guys. "How did you get around the contract?"

"Crouch was lying. It was assumed that none of us would assist each other. If it was true, my offering my knife to Viktor and Cedric would have qualified as aid, not mentioning my actually assisting Fleur back to the surface."

"How did you know?"

"Moony was very thorough on examining the contract and the rulebook."

"Good idea. I wish I had been told about the events. I would have forbidden Fleur from participating if I'd known she'd be under a nearly frozen lake, not mentioning that fool Bagman's kidnapping of my daughter this morning."

"What?" Cedric asked. "He didn't really, did he?"

"Stunned her and grabbed her from the back of the group coming into the castle for breakfast. She told me as we were talking in the brief moment, we heard that he had conjured a puppy to draw her away."

Harry shook his head. "Great. So, when is France going to war with Britain?"

"We're not. I didn't manacle the man. Your Head Auror was in the audience, and she did, handing over custody unofficially to me. She's holding him until we can get to the Ministry and make the paperwork final." He grinned ferally. "I am looking forward to Fudge fighting me on this. I will threaten war. I am one of the leaders in the Auror Corp for France."

"I'll testify that he said that the hostages were in mortal danger. I certainly had to fight the merfolk to bring Gabrielle back."

"I thank you."

Soon, they were each called back. Other than a case of minor hypothermia, they were fine. Laurant asked if they would all like to join him for lunch, he wanted to treat them. "Bring your tutor, as well, Harry. I have a few questions for him, if he can bring the contract and rulebook as well."

Harry glanced around and all of them seemed to agree, so he shrugged. "I'll ask Moony." He drew his wand and sent a Patronus to him. They were surprised, then saw a wolf pass through the tent wall. "I can meet in the Three Broomsticks. If we go elsewhere, that's a good starting point to avoid being followed."

Harry nodded. "Sounds like it's on. Let me know the times and I'll message him back. The details were worked out and the ladies all stepped forward. Viktor hugged Hermione, which surprised Harry, but only because of the fact that the aloof Viktor was being so warm to her. He didn't look at her. Cho simply slipped past, avoiding him. Luna came up and thanked him, then was nearly bowled over by Gabrielle, who half tackled Harry. He patted her back gently, then looked at Laurant.

"She's thanking you."

"I'm glad I could help," he said, looking at her. Her father repeated his statement in French, then she let go and hugged her father. Fleur wrapped her arms around him and kissed both cheeks. "Thank you, Harry. You're a gentleman and have proved all of the rumors wrong about you. Thank you."

Harry didn't know what to say, simply hugged her back, then stepped away. Luna was looking at him in a way he couldn't read, then she smiled. "You are almost comfortable around others again."

"Almost. You're cheating again."

"You see me with your eyes. I see other ways. It is no different." She walked up and took his hand, squeezing it lightly. "I knew you'd come for me."

"I wish you had told me, Luna. I don't care about this competition. I would have come for you before it all started. No reason to stay under a lake all morning."

"You know what that would have done."

Harry nodded. "Sometimes I wonder if this world is worth staying in. I could live muggle."

Several of the others around expressed shock, even Hermione, but Luna just shook her head. "I'm not worth losing your magic for."

Moony walked in. "I didn't hear back, so I assumed you were talking." He looked at Harry and clearly figured out what was going on based on Luna's last statement. "Harry, we talked about this Tournament. We're going to get through this and then deal with the other issues."

Harry nodded, not sure how to respond other than that. The look he was getting from Luna bothered him. As he considered that, she squirmed a little. Guess that extra sense of hers is uncomfortable. She should turn it off or something.

Luna took a breath, then glanced over at the others. "Can we go to lunch now, since everyone's here? I don't want to go back to the castle right now."

Laurant nodded, then gestured to the doorway. "I know an excellent place in a small town in Wales. It is a good distance from most magical communities, even though there are some who live there." He glanced for a moment at Harry. "Your parents, for instance."

"Ah, the Lion's Head, right?" Moony piped up from behind Harry.

Laurant nodded. "You know it?"

"James and I used to meet there after they went into hiding. He used disguise charms and I'd pass news from the magical world to him. It helped them knowing what was going on." Laurant gestured to the tent flap.

They were met by the judges on the way out. "There is the matter of the scoring."

Harry waved his hand idly. "I'll pass."

"You endangered a young lady who did nothing but allow me to escort her to a ball. I do not care for your numbers." Viktor glared, Hermione standing near, but not looking at anyone.

"You thought I would miss Cho? I don't wish her harm, but knowing who she really was, I don't want anything to do with her." Cedric shook his head. "The score is meaningless."

"I did not finish, so my score will not help me in anyway." Fleur was quiet. "You could have killed my sister and I both with this challenge." Laurant put his hand on her shoulder, and she fell silent.

An older woman with a monocle approached. "Bagman will be in a holding cell waiting for you. Extradition should be no issue."

"Amelia, a pleasure as always. Thank you." Laurant spoke grandly to the woman, a warm smile on his face towards her. Harry watched as his face turned stony toward the judges. "I expected better from you all, especially you, Maxime. You know a Veela's susceptibility to cold and water. To combine them and leave one without a defense in that environment is..." He switched to French, though whatever he said made his youngest blush.

"There was supposed to be no danger. The statement about an hour was just hyperbole." Dumbledore spoke for the group, though the Ministry judge grumbled to himself, Crouch did not seem to understand them not obeying the rules. Karkaroff was glaring at everyone, though Harry was pretty certain he did that all the time.

"You don't get it, do you? Why put a person down there? Why not put a fake? Carve their name in a log and give them a room to hide in the castle? They could have been drinking tea and eating snacks waiting on it. They could have been watching through a scrying device of some kind. Speaking of that, why were the entire three schools present staring at a lake for an hour?"

He shook his head. "We as competitors in this Tournament are all going to eat. Laurant is going to treat us as he promised, or I can pay from the Potter accounts. Moony can access them as the named steward. He found the Will that named him as such if my godfather could not serve…another thing that the British Magical World botched for me." He shook his head. "Try to think through the next event better. It's bad enough that we are being endangered in this 'game' but leave others out of it."

Luna took his hand and squeezed it, shaking her head. Harry nodded at her. "Madame..."

"Bones."

"Are you related to..." Harry paused. "Susan?"

"Yes, I'm her aunt."

Harry nodded. "I guess the wizarding community in Britain is small enough you'd have to be related. I'll invite you and treat you to lunch if you'd like to join us. Another Auror should answer any safety issues."

"I will meet you there. I don't have appropriate clothing." She eyed the group and Laurant laughed.

"Are you a witch or a nonmagical?" With a few castings, Harry and the others were in normal Muggle clothing.

"This will last until you end the spell or sometime tomorrow morning. I wouldn't challenge that." The larger man laughed, and Luna looked down at the pale blue sweater dress. It had matched the color of the dress and coat the father had created for his daughters and Harry thought suited them well. Probably thinking of the school robes.

"Fine." Bones sighed and changed her clothing. "I hate transforming these robes. They're always the wrong size when I revert them."

"The French have always made finer robes."

The good-natured posturing between the two continued as his wife joined them and they walked down to the gates.

A/N: So, I apologize, I honestly forgot what day it was. We've had some family drama the past few weeks and I even had to look at the reviews to see if I posted last week.

The "jet ski" charm as I called it…I can't give credit as I can't remember who I saw do it first. I will admit I borrowed that idea from somewhere.

Also, punctuation is important. The line above was almost "We are going to eat Laurant" or something like that, I've already changed it. Remember, punctuation saves lives and prevents cannibalism.