Chapter 24 – The Second Task
Now that we were officially a couple, George and I switched sitting at the other's table during lunch every day, sometimes even during dinner. It was the night before the second task, and I was sitting at the Gryffindor table with George's arm around me as we ate dessert. Angelina still kept glaring at me, but I tried to ignore the girl as much as possible. After dessert disappeared, I stood up from my seat.
"I'm helping Cedric out before the task. I'll see you tomorrow at the lake?" He nodded at me with a smile, and I leaned down to capture his lips. "Bye." I waved to the others before I walked over to Cedric who was waiting for me at the doors. Cedric nodded at the Gryffindor table, presumably to George before we walked out of the great hall. When we were out of eyesight, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"So, I want to practice the bubble-head charm before tomorrow."
"Alright." I looked up to him. "Do you know what you need to find in the lake?"
"No." He frowned. "I think we won't find out until we're in there."
"Promise me, you'll be safe?" I wrapped my arm around his waist and squeezed.
"I promise." He kissed the top of my head. "Let's go to the empty classroom on the fourth floor."
"Do you have the book with you?"
"Yep." He tapped his bag with his finger. We walked to the classroom, talking about what things he might encounter in the lake. When we reached the empty classroom, we hopped on the desks and faced each other. We practiced the spell on each other, and when he perfected the bubble-head charm, we focused on the basics he might need tomorrow. It was nearly nine when a house elf popped up in the room. Cedric and I jumped a little from the sudden intrusion and looked at the elf with raised eyebrows.
"I'm asked to fetch Missus Northon." The elf piped up.
"Fetch?" I chuckled. "For what?"
"I don't ask questions; I do as Professor McGonagall tell me."
"Alright." I said slowly as I looked to a confused Cedric. "I'll see you in the common room, okay?" Cedric nodded as I walked over. "I don't know what McGonagall needs, so if it takes too long, try to get some sleep. You'll need it. I'll see you in the common room or tomorrow at breakfast." I kissed his cheek and hugged him. "Be careful."
"I will." He held me tight, his head buried in my hair. I pulled away and gave him a strained smile before I followed the elf out of the classroom.
The elf walked in front of me as we walked the empty corridors. When we reached the end of the hallway where McGonagall's office was, Hermione and Ron appeared from the other side.
"Hermione, Ron? What are you two doing here?"
"Fred and George picked us up at the library, they said McGonagall needed to speak with us." Ron answered.
"Me too." I said with a frown as different scenarios played out in my head.
"Strange." The three of us said together, and the elf disappeared with a pop.
"What?" I turned to the spot the elf disappeared from confused. "What's going on here?" I turned back to the two fourth years, who had the same look of confusion spread on their faces. "Do the boys know what's going on?"
"No." Hermione started. "They just said Professor McGonagall wanted to see us and that she looked grim. I'm guessing George didn't know you were summoned too."
"I don't think so. I was practicing with Cedric on -" I was interrupted when the door a meter away from us opened and just like Hermione said, the professor looked grim.
"Good." She said with a strained smile and Ron and Hermione turned to look at her. "You are all here, come on in."
The three of us shuffled into the office in dead silence. When my eyes found young Gabriella, Fleur's little sister, something clicked. And I wasn't the only one, Hermione and I gasped at the same time when we made the connection. The little girl and Ron still oblivious to what was going on. Hermione and I shared a quick look with each other before we settled down on the chairs in front of the professor. The professor started to explain what was expected from them for the second task and when Gabriella started to tremble in fear, I placed my hand on hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. After an hour, we all agreed to partake in the second task. Professor McGonagall reluctantly pulled out her wand and casted a spell on each of them. When she stopped in front of me, she smiled apologetically. I smiled at her and gave a short nod. The last thing I saw was the end of her wand pointed at my chest, then everything turned black.
Cedric walked back into the Hufflepuff common room an hour later after a house elf picked Gwen up. His eyes scanned the room for his best friend but couldn't find her, he did find his two other best friends huddled together in a corner. He dropped his bag to the ground and flopped down on the chair next to them.
"Have you seen Winnie?"
"No, weren't you with her?" Lyra asked with a frown.
"I was, but a house elf came to get her for a meeting with McGonagall."
"I'm sure she'll be out here any minute." Odin tried to reassure him.
"Why don't you get some rest? You haven't slept much the last few days."
"You sound just like Gwen." He managed a small smile. "I'll try to get some sleep. Don't think I can produce much right now anyway." Cedric stood up as he rubbed an eye. "See you in the morning." He picked up his bag and headed to his dormitory.
He tried to get some sleep, but it didn't come easy. He tossed and turned all night wondering if Winnie had come back and what the hell was waiting in the lake for him in a couple of hours. It was only six in the morning when he gave up and jumped out of bed. He dressed himself into a training suit and headed out of the common room.
The castle was quiet, dead quiet. The great hall wasn't open yet, so we walked out of the grand doors of the castle and walked to the stands for the second task. The stands were high and towered over him and the black lake. He peered over the water but couldn't see anything. He sat down on the edge of the stands and let his legs dangle on the side, just above the water. His gaze was disrupted when he saw a man coming out of the water. He leaned forward on the stand and squinted his eyes as he tried to have a better look. When he saw the white beard and long hair, he thought it may have been the headmaster. But when he put on his half-moon spectacles, he knew it was Dumbledore. The headmaster was completely dry even though he just stepped out of the black lake, not a single drop in sight. Cedric jumped up on the stands and quickly made his way over to the headmaster. But once he passed by the tree, the headmaster was gone. He looked around confused around him, but he was nowhere in sight. After one last look around with no success, he walked back inside. When he entered the great hall, it was already packed with students. When they notice him walk in, they all started to clap and holler at him, but he didn't take it in. His eyes scanned the room for Winnie, but to no avail. She wasn't sitting at the Hufflepuff table or at any of the others. His eyes found George's and he walked over to him in a hurry.
"Hey, George."
"Hi, mate. Nervous?"
"Hm." He hummed as he looked around. "Have you seen Winnie?"
"No, I thought she was with you." George's voice full of worry as he looked from Cedric to his twin.
"She was... McGonagall called for her last night, and I haven't seen her since."
"What?!" The twins jumped up and scanned the room.
"She wouldn't just let you go through this alone." Fred frowned.
"No..." Cedric said slowly when something popped up in his mind. "No, she wouldn't."
"Cedric?" George touched his shoulder to get him out of his daze. Cedric's eyes went wide and looked around the great hall to see if he could spot someone else. When he saw Fleur look around frantically and Harry doing the same, it hit him.
"To recover what we took." He whispered.
"What?"
"Winnie." Cedric said with a trembling voice, and he looked up to George. "Winnie, she's in the black lake." The twins' faces went white as they took in this information. "I got to go." Cedric didn't wait for the twins to answer or didn't turn when they called his name. He nearly ran out of the great hall; he ran and ran until his lungs couldn't handle it anymore. He slid down against a tree and let his head fall between his legs. His hands, legs, everything was trembling with fear, anger. Anger for letting students put under the water for Merlin knows how long, in a lake filled with dangerous creatures. And fear, fear of not getting her to safety in time, fear of losing her in the water forever. He didn't look up from his legs until he heard the students come to the black lake and take seats at the stands. He took in a trembling breath and stood up before walking towards the lake.
The stands were filled with students that shouted and sang, making the black lake vibrate from the noise. Cedric was standing numb at the edge of the stands; he saw Viktor talking to Karkarof in hushed whispers; Fleur wringing her hands nervously as she looked around. Harry doing the same as he paced the wooden floorboards. He looked up to the first floor of the stands, were the usual loud and rambunctious Weasley twins stood, were now quiet and pale as they looked over the lake. He didn't hear the headmaster make his speech, he just saw the others take a stand next to him and when he heard a whistle blow in a distant, he dived in and began the search for his best friend.
I knew what had happened, Professor McGonagall explained it all slowly to us and the last thing I remembered was a wand pointed at me. But still, the moment I woke back up, that I gasped for air and my body was instantly freezing, I was at a loss, I was in shock. I started to look around frantically, and when the screams, shouting and chanting reached my ears and sunk back under the water. I felt strong arms going around my waist and they pulled me back out of the water.
"Stay with me." Cedric's voice whispered next to my ear.
"Ced." I sighed in relief and let him guide me to the edge of the stands. Cedric pushed me up on the wooden floorboards before he climbed the ladder and dropped down breathing heavily next to me. Before I had time to hug him, warming blankets were draped over us, stopping the hardest shivers. Cedric gave me small smile and I lunged forward, wrapping him in a tight hug.
"I'm so sorry."
"What?" I pulled back with a confused look.
"It was my fault you were in there, in danger."
"No, Ced." I cupped his cheek, making him look up at me. "We knew what was happening, they explained it all. We could have declined. We were never in real danger." I smiled at him before I pulled him back in a hug. "I'm sorry I worried you, I didn't have time to warn you."
"It's okay." He squeezed me against him. "What matters the most is that your safe."
"And your scores, you are the first one back." I grinned when I pulled back.
"Yeah, that too." He chuckled. I turned when I heard running footsteps coming closer. George and Fred pale as can be dropped down next to me and pulled me between them.
"Hey, hey. I'm fine, I'm fine." I said buried in George's neck. I pulled back and looked at the twins. "Ron and Hermione are down there too. But don't worry-" I quickly added at their frightened faces. "Dumbledore promised us it was completely safe."
"I was so worried." George cupped my cheek. "When Cedric came to look for you... I knew something happened." He leaned his forehead against mine. "Don't you ever do that again!" He tried to say sternly.
"I'll try." I said before I looped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He smiled broadly at me when I pulled back, he turned to Cedric and surprisingly pulled him into a hug. Yeah, okay they had gotten closer over the last two months, but this something different. And by the surprised look on Cedric's face, he didn't expect that either. Fred and I shared a grin before we turned back to the hugging boys, Cedric patting George's back awkwardly.
"Thank you. For keeping her safe." I heard him whisper to Cedric.
"Always." He whispered back; his eyes fixed on me.
George pulled back and clapped his shoulder. "You did great, mate."
"Oh Helga!" I gasped when I saw a half-transformed shark break the surface. The others' heads snapped to the black lake, just as it transformed back to Viktor Krum's face.
"That's going to give me nightmares for a week." Fred shook his head before his eyes found Hermione. He jumped up and helped her onto the deck. "Are you okay?" His eyes looking for any sign of pain.
"J-just c-cold." She smiled as her teeth clattered. Fred didn't even turn around as he accepted a blanket from George and pulled it over her shoulders. She smiled shyly up at him, I saw Viktor look at them with a frown and I quickly called them over. I sat between Cedric and George on the side, George with his arm around me and rubbing me warm. Fred sat down next to his twin, with Hermione on his other side, doing the same movements as George did with me. Viktor was having a heavy conversation with Karkaroff before he walked over and sat down next to Hermione and start whispering to her. Fred frowned a little before pulling his arm back and looked over the lake. If he would have turned around, he would have seen Hermione saddened look at the loss of touch.
Fleur arrived without her younger sister and was nearly screaming for her as she paced the deck. As the minutes ticked by the crowd above us started to quiet down, so the only noise that was echoing over the lake was the still frantic Fleur. Then suddenly a mop of red hair appeared in the water, next to Fleur's sister. Ron helped the young girl onto the deck and Hermione was peering over the side.
"Where is Harry?" Her voice higher than usual. Just as I went to wrap my arm around her, Harry shot up out from the water and landed harshly on the wooden deck. "Harry!" Hermione screamed and lunged herself at her best friend. Ron and Gabriel had already a thick blanket draped over them and a third one came flying over to Harry. Hermione pulled his blanket over him and started talking. I leaned back against George in relief as everyone was safe. And it wasn't until that night that I found out about the points, because I was just relieving everything in my head, right until the Hufflepuff commons turned empty and Cedric retold me what Dumbledore said. That night, Cedric and I fell asleep on the couch in the common room. My head on his shoulder, and his leaning on my head while his arm was wrapped protectively around my shoulders.