I do not own Harry Potter, only the OC

Hello guys, Badger here. Before we begin, I want to apologise beforehand if the quality of this chapter is not up to par with the quality of my other stories. I had a massive scare regarding my dog today, who had some kind of fit or seizure this morning. I'm not sure what caused it and neither did the vets. As you can imagine, it was a massive scare to me, especially as my dog is 16 and I've had him for nearly my whole life since I was 4 years old.

Whilst my parents took him to the vets, I wrote up this chapter to try and keep my mind occupied and not worry and panic over what might happen to my dog. However my headspace wasn't entirely there so again, if its affected the quality, I apologise.

Oh and don't worry, he is fine now. A little disorientated and wobbly on his legs, but ultimately fine.

Anyway, sorry to bring down the mood, but its what happened and, honestly, I just needed to get it off of my chest and just talk about it to someone, as I'm still a little shook from it.

Read on, try to enjoy and I will see you at the end.

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Chapter 12

You Wouldn't Happen To Have Some Gillyweed, Would You

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Barty Crouch Jr hid away inside his office, brewing his newest batch of Polyjuice Potion. He had used his last potion this morning and was now making another batch to last a least another month, before the next Defence Against the Dark Arts class started. Trying to remove the hairs from Mad-Eye Moody, whilst he was squirming and thrashing made the idea of killing the former Auror even more tempting to the Death Eater. It would save so much hassle.

Once he had finished his newest batch, Barty planned to check up on Potter and see if the boy was on track for the Second Task. He eavesdropped on the Tournament Officials talking, where he overheard that they were able to successfully negotiate with the Merpeople in the Black Lake, to allow them to house fake hostages within their colony for the TriWizard Tournament for the Champions to rescue. The Second Task was reportedly happening after the Yule Ball, so Barty had plenty of time to make sure Harry was ready and prepared. He had already tipped of the solution to solving the clue to the Diggory child.

Hopefully the Hufflepuff Champion would do the honourable thing of telling Harry, repaying the boy for informing him of the dragons for the First Task.

…

Harry was pacing back and forth in the unused classroom he has often frequented, alongside James and Daphne, for the last few weeks. He had sent them a note a while ago, asking them to meet him as soon as they possibly could. That was around an hour ago. Maybe two. Harry wasn't entirely certain as he spent that whole time pacing back and forth, aimlessly, replaying what the Golden Egg had informed him. Daphne's speculations about the irritable screeching being Mermish turned out to be true. However, all that did was leave Harry with even more questions than he had before, after learning what the Mermaids was telling him inside the Egg. If there was one thing Harry hated, it was riddles. Especially convoluted riddles, that made his brain hurt. No matter how many times he repeated the bloody words in his head, Harry was still on square one with no way to step off of it.

Yes, he knew he had to swim in deep waters. Yes, he knew he had to search for something he'd sorely miss. And yes, he knew he would only have an hour to search. But that was it. He cursed off the names of the Tournament officials several times already, for having to make the Tournament more complicated than it should be. 'We've taken what you'll sorely miss', in particular, had been throwing Harry a loop. The 'what' is what Harry had been thinking about as he paced back and forth. There were a few things Harry held dearly to his heart.

Hedwig for one. She was his first ever birthday gift, and friend, and he loved her dearly. However, Harry highly doubted the Tournament officials would put an animal at risk, purely for entertainment for the those watching the Second Task. Then there was the Firebolt Sirius had gifted him, the previous year. Harry loved flying more than anything. It's the only time he felt properly free, and as the Firebolt was a gift from Sirius, the only proper family Harry had left, it's one of the few possessions Harry cared about deeply. But despite that, it's not something Harry would risk his life to save, should it be taken from him. Then there was Sirius himself. His godfather had quickly worked his way into Harry's heart, at the end of the previous school year. If it wasn't for the rat, that was Peter Pettigrew, escaping before he could be turned over to the authorities, Sirius would've been a free man by now.

And it's for that reason why Harry believed Sirius wouldn't be the thing he'd have to search for, should the Tournament officials use people instead of possessions. Dumbledore was one of the judges and officials overlooking the Tournament, and as much Harry currently hated the Headmaster, he knew that the man was smart enough to not risk Sirius' life, for something as trivial as the TriWizard Tournament. Harry's pacing had been interrupted, when the classroom door opened where James and Daphne entered, engaged in a conversation. Upon seeing Harry already waiting for the two of them, they put their stuff down.

"We got your note…" Daphne said, "Were you able to learn what the Egg was saying?"

"Yes" Harry nodded, "The screeching was definitely Mermish, as soon as I put the Egg under the table, it turned into singing…"

"Seems you were right, Daphne…" James said, before turning to Harry, "So what were the sirens of the sea saying?"

Harry sighed, before telling the two Slytherins the same song he had heard, word for word. James and Daphne seemed even thoughtful and confused then Harry. James was now pacing back and forth himself, muttering incoherently to himself.

"'We've taken what you'll sorely miss…'" He said in thought

"That's the same thing I've been thinking, since I've gotten back from the Prefects bathroom…" Harry said, "There's a few possessions I care about a lot, but I wouldn't risk my life to get them back…"

"Unless the 'what' is actually 'who'…" Daphne spoke up

"Do you really think the Tournament Officials will use people for the Second Task?" James asked, looking at his fellow Slytherin as he stopped pacing

"It wouldn't surprise me, Merpeople can be quite savage, and territorial should outsiders enter their colonies…" Daphne said, "However, you two are focusing on the wrong things…you're currently focusing on the 'who' when you should be focusing on the 'where' and 'how'…"

"I haven't really taken those into consideration yet, I've been more concerned with the 'who'…" Harry said, sheepishly, "If they're only found underwater, where do you think they could be holding the Second Task?"

"Well…there is the Black Lake…" James replied, "In Hogwarts: A History, it's stated that there are many creatures that live and lurk around inside…I wouldn't be surprised if there was a colony within the waters…"

"The Black Lake?" Harry asked, "Are you sure? I mean…that thing is deep…how am I going to be able to swim in there, as well as hold my breath, for an hour?"

"You'll be surprised…" James shrugged, "There are a few spells that can do such a thing, like the Bubble-Head Charm…and failing that, there's a plant that can temporarily change your anatomy to allow one to breath underwater…"

"You mean, Gillyweed?" Daphne spoke up, "That's not a bad idea…however it's not exactly easy to acquire and I doubt Professor Snape has a supply in his ingredient's cupboard…"

"Plants…" Harry muttered to himself, before speaking up, "Maybe Neville could help…"

"Neville?" James asked, as he and Daphne shared a look, "Neville Longbottom? I'm not saying no but, how can he help?"

"Well, Neville is a big fan of plants, Herbology is his favourite subject and he's really good at it too…" Harry replied, "If anyone could find a way to acquire some Gillyweed, he probably could…"

"It's not a bad idea…" Daphne said to James, before she turned to Harry, "I believe we saw Longbottom heading towards the library, as we made our way here…he might still be there…"

"Okay…" Harry nodded, "I'll head there now…"

"Whilst you're doing that, me and Daphne will try and find the instructions for the Bubble-Head Charm…" James said, "That way we have a backup plan, just in case…"

Harry nodded, saying his goodbyes to the two of them, before making his way out of the classroom and heading towards the library. As he walked, Harry thought about the upcoming task. Harry already hated the idea of swimming in deep bodies of water. He hated the idea even more, if the task was to be held at the Black Lake like James suggested. Harry knew the Black Lake was deep too. Incredibly deep. Due to how dark the water was, it was hard to tell just how deep it was. And that was only half of it. James had mentioned that the Black Lake was full of creatures and Harry has had the displeasure of seeing one or two, during his classes on Care of Magical Creatures.

Specifically, the Grindylows. Whilst small in size, they were incredibly vicious to anything and everything, including towards other Grindylows. Harry dreaded the idea of swimming in waters, where they inhabited.

And then there was the most notorious occupant of the Black Lake. The Giant Squid. Harry had no idea just how big the Giant Squid was, but considering the size of the tentacles he's seen occasionally pop up out of the water, it must've been massive. More so than the Basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets. From what Harry has read and heard regarding the Giant Squid, it could be territorial but was ultimately harmless. Especially towards Hogwarts Students. Hell, one of the new First Years for this year had reportedly been saved by the Giant Squid, after falling into the water during the boat ride. However, regardless of whether the Giant Squid was indeed harmless or not, Harry wasn't a fan of the swimming up close to it and find out.

As he was walking down the corridors, Harry soon came to a halt when he heard voices nearby which sounded like they were coming from a nearby classroom. Being careful to not make a noise, Harry crept over to the door to listen in, curious as to what was being said. Carefully placing an ear to the door, he listened in where he could hear two voices on the other side, slightly muffled. One of which he immediately recognised as Professor Snape and the other sounded like Karkaroff.

"You can't ignore this Severus, you know what it means the same as I do…" Karkaroffs voice said, before the door suddenly opened

Harry had to quickly jump away from the door, when it suddenly flung open where the conversation between the two immediately halted, when they noticed Harry standing on the other side of the door. Professor Snapes eyes widened for a brief moment, before it dropped back to its usual snarl. Meanwhile Igor Karkaroff, the Headmaster of Durmstrang, had a panicked look on his face when he saw Harry. The Durmstrang Headmasters sleeve was rolled up, where Harry noticed a tattoo on the man's forearm. Usually, Harry never paid attention something as insignificant as a tattoo. However, this one seemed to be glowing on Karkaroffs forearm and looked like it was moving.

The tattoo in question consisted of a snake coming out of a skulls mouth. It looked familiar to Harry, reminding him of the dark mark he saw a Death Eater shoot into the sky, during their attack at the Quidditch World Cup. It made Harry's eyes narrow, as he looked at the tattoo on the man's arm, wondering if it was just a coincidence or if the tattoo and the Dark Mark were connected and one and the same. When Karkaroff realised that Harry noticed the tattoo on his arm, he panicked and rolled his sleeve back down, covering it once more. A snarl came across the man's face and he went to speak but was cut off by Snape who spoke up first.

"Potter…" Snape drawled smoothly, "Eavesdropping on private conversations now, are we?"

"I…I wasn't…" Harry stuttered, stepping back briefly

"I have to get going Severus…" Karkaroff quickly said, "I have students to attend to…"

Snape didn't say anything, as the Durmstrang Headmaster quickly barged passed Harry and quickly scurried off down the corridors. Harry watched the man disappear, before turning back to Snape to see the Potions Professor was still glaring at him, with the usual cold expression Snape has given Harry ever since his first Potions lesson in First Year.

"I do not appreciate being lied to Potter…" Snape said, "Just as much as I don't appreciate those who steal from me…"

"I haven't stolen anything from you!" Harry exclaimed incredulously at the accusation

"Don't…lie…to me!" Snape replied, in a cold tone, "Several ingredients have been stolen from my ingredient's cupboards…whilst I do not know what reasons you have for stealing from my supplies, but I'm sure you feel smart, using the advantage of not having to attend lessons to carry out your petty thievery…"

"I did no such thing!" Harry said, clenching his fist in anger, "How come you're suspecting me of doing it?!"

"The ingredients taken out of cupboard weren't just any ingredients…" Snape replied, "They were ingredients, specifically used for brewing Polyjuice Potion…something I'm sure your annoying friend Miss Granger knows perfectly about…"

"She's no longer my friend…" Harry replied, coldly, "Seeing as she's the one who stole the supplies last time, how about you go and bother her about it…I don't know anything about the stolen ingredients…"

"For some reason, I find that very hard to believe Potter…" Snape sniffed impassively, "I know you have something to do with it, and when I prove it, I will see that you're expelled…"

Harry's eyes flared in anger, as Snape then barged passed him and made his way down the corridor, his cloak billowing behind him as he made his way back down toward the Potions classroom in the potion's classroom. Harry clenched his fists, his nails close to drawing blood as they dug into his skin. Sometimes he couldn't stand the man. It made Harry question Dumbledore's reasoning and sanity for keeping him around. It's well known that Snape is loathed by most of the students and Harry was almost certain that most of the staff did too.

Harry's fists unclenched, as he brushed himself off. He had better things to do. He turned around and continued heading towards the library.

…

Inside the library, near the very back, Neville sat alone with a few books about plants and herbology, for his Herbology homework. There was a small smile on his face, as he read through the contents, excited to learn everything he could. He was so engrossed and immersed in the book he was reading through, he didn't notice Harry enter the library or walk up to him. Not until Harry was right behind him and put a hand on Neville's shoulder, causing the boy to jump in shock and let out a small scream, which immediately made the librarian, Irma Pince, to shush the boy and telling him to be quiet.

Neville blushed out of embarrassment, mumbling a sheepish apology as he patted his chest to try and calm his racing heart, before turning to Harry.

"Dear Merlin, Harry…" Neville said, letting out a shaky breath, "Were you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Sorry Neville, didn't mean to scare you…" Harry replied, trying not to smile

"No harm done I guess…" Neville sighed, putting his book down, "How have you been…still keeping yourself alive during the Tournament?"

"Been trying my best…" Harry smiled, "In fact, speaking of which, I need your help…"

"Really?" Neville asked, a little surprised, "I mean…I'll always help you, if possible, Harry but, I'm not exactly the best when it comes to magic…"

"You don't have to worry Neville…it's not about magic, in fact I need help with something that only your expertise can help with…" Harry said, "You see, the Second Task includes swimming in a deep body of water, possibly the Black Lake, where I'll have an hour to search for something…in order to help complete the task, I need a way to help breath underwater for about and hour and I was wondering if you know how to acquire…"

"Gillyweed?" Neville finished before Harry could, and started flicking through the pages of one of his books, landing on the page about Gillyweed, "I understand why you'd want to use Gillyweed…not only does it allow you to breath underwater, but it changes your body anatomy temporarily, to that of a sea creature, allowing you to traverse faster through water too…"

"Really?" Harry asked, a little surprised, "James and Daphne didn't mention that…do you think you'll be able to acquire some for me, before the Second Task?"

"Well…it's a rare plant but I think I might be able to…" Neville nodded, "My aunt always orders some plants from some store that has rarer or exotic magical plants, which she then mails to me…I don't remember the name of the store, but I can send her a letter, asking if she can send try and get some Gillyweed…"

"Thanks Neville…" Harry smiled, breathing a sigh of relief, "I owe you one…"

…

That's the newest chapter. What did you think?

I know it seems like an odd place to end it, but as I wasn't in the right headspace when writing, I couldn't think of another way to end it, so this felt like the right way to do so. However, I would say that, instead of Harry seeing Karkaroffs Dark Mark like he did in canon, there was supposed to be an encounter with Hermione, where she tried to get his forgiveness .

I decided to change it and save the encounter for a future chapter, possibly the Yule Ball. Honestly, it's been a while since I worked on this story, I'm not entirely certain what to do with Ron and Hermione, but I'll think of something.

Anyway, that is all for now. Once again, I'm sorry for bringing the mood down at the beginning of this chapter, but I hope to see you next time, in whatever story I see you in.

Badger Out

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