The days leading up to the Yule Ball were filled with an unusual buzz throughout Hogwarts. For most of the older students, the excitement about who was going with whom seemed to dominate every conversation. In the Gryffindor common room, it was no different.

As Harry sat in one of the armchairs near the fire, he noticed the nervous energy around him. Boys from third year and up were pacing, fidgeting, and glancing across the room, trying to muster the courage to ask a girl to the ball. The tension was palpable.

Seamus Finnigan was particularly frantic. "You've got to have a date, haven't you?" he kept muttering, his eyes darting around the common room as though searching for a last-minute option. "I mean, if you turn up alone, you'll look like an idiot!"

Neville, sitting across from Harry, looked equally uncomfortable. "I've been thinking I might ask... well... I don't know yet," he said, his face turning pink.

Harry, though, felt oddly calm compared to the chaos around him. He had his date sorted—Ginny. And for once, he wasn't wrapped up in the usual nervousness about asking someone. He stole a glance at her as she sat with Hermione by the fireplace, chatting quietly. Ginny caught his eye and gave him a smile, which he returned without thinking. He had to admit, spending time with her had been... nice.

He wasn't the only one who seemed more relaxed than the others, though. Ron, who had been panicking a week earlier, now appeared much more at ease. It wasn't just that he had his date lined up with Hermione—there was something else going on with those two. Harry had noticed them speaking in corners, leaning in close and sharing quiet giggles, something unusual for Ron and Hermione, who were more likely to argue than whisper.

They hadn't said anything to him, but Harry had his suspicions. The way Ron's face lit up whenever Hermione was near, or how Hermione blushed when Ron said something teasing—it was all very different from their usual interactions. Harry had caught them sneaking off together more than once over the past few days, and though they hadn't mentioned anything, it seemed clear that something had changed between them.

At first, he felt a bit left out, watching his two best friends drift toward each other. But instead of feeling annoyed or lonely, Harry found himself spending more time with Ginny. They had been paired together during dance practice, which had given them an excuse to hang out more often. But now, even outside of lessons, he found himself seeking her out.

He realized with a slight pang of surprise that he didn't mind it one bit.

It was easy with Ginny. They could talk about Quidditch or laugh about the absurdity of their classmates' panic over the ball. She had a way of making him feel comfortable, even when the weight of the Triwizard Tournament was hanging over him. When they walked together through the corridors, it felt... normal. And Harry couldn't remember the last time something had felt normal in his life.

Still, despite the calmness that Ginny brought him, there was an unease that lingered at the back of his mind—a shadow that never quite left. The Triwizard Tournament was far from over, and the clue from the dragon egg still haunted him.

Every time he was alone in the dormitory, he found himself staring at the golden egg, feeling the weight of his failure. He hadn't figured it out yet. The first task had been dangerous enough, and while he had somehow managed to survive it, the thought of not being prepared for the second task gnawed at him. The egg's loud, screeching noise when opened was maddening, and no matter how much he tried to decipher it, he hadn't made any progress.

He had tried to push it out of his mind, telling himself he had time to figure it out. But as the Yule Ball drew nearer, so did the second task, and Harry knew he couldn't avoid it forever. The pressure of it all—being a champion, the expectations, the danger—hung over him like a cloud.

Even now, sitting in the common room with Ginny nearby and the soft crackle of the fire in front of him, the fear lingered. The other champions probably had their clues figured out by now. Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor had probably solved the mystery of their eggs weeks ago. And here he was, no closer to an answer than the day he had faced the dragon.

Harry tore his eyes away from the fire and looked at Ginny again. She was laughing at something Hermione had said, her face bright and carefree. For a moment, watching her, the weight of the tournament eased.

"Hey," Ginny's voice broke through his thoughts as she approached him. "You look like you're thinking too hard."

Harry shook his head with a small smile. "Just... stuff," he muttered, not wanting to dive into the topic of the dragon egg. "What about you? Looking forward to the ball?"

Ginny shrugged, sitting beside him. "Yeah, it should be fun. I've heard the decorations will be amazing, and the Weird Sisters are supposed to play."

Harry nodded, but his thoughts still swirled between the Yule Ball and the second task. He was looking forward to spending the evening with Ginny, but there was no escaping the sense that time was running out for him to figure out the clue.

"Harry?" Ginny's voice was softer this time, her brow furrowing in concern. "You alright?"

He looked at her and forced a grin. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking too much, like you said."

"Fancy a walk?" Ginny asked, glancing out the window where the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the grounds.

Harry looked at her and nodded, grateful for the chance to clear his head. "Yeah, let's go."

As they stood up, Harry's gaze shifted to his school bag, where the golden egg was stashed. A thought flickered through his mind. "Do you think… maybe we should take the egg with us?" he asked hesitantly. "I've been thinking that maybe it sounds so horrible because we're inside. What if it's different outside in the open space? At least it won't be so deafening."

Ginny raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "It's worth a try. Couldn't hurt to test it out."

Harry grabbed the egg, and together they slipped out of the common room, making their way down the stairs and through the castle. The cool evening air hit them as they stepped outside, a welcome relief from the stuffy atmosphere inside Hogwarts. They walked in companionable silence, following the path toward the lake, the towering trees casting long shadows across the grounds.

As they neared the water's edge, the quiet sound of the gentle waves lapping against the shore filled the air. The lake shimmered in the fading light, and the scene was peaceful, a stark contrast to the noise and chaos inside the castle.

"Here should be good," Harry said, stopping just a few feet from the water's edge. He took a deep breath. His heart raced a little—what if this didn't work? What if he was still no closer to solving the clue?

Ginny crouched beside him, watching as he reached out and carefully opened the egg.

Immediately, the same piercing, horrible screeching sound burst forth, echoing across the water. Harry winced, quickly snapping the egg shut again, his ears ringing.

"Well, that wasn't any better," Ginny muttered, rubbing her ear.

Before Harry could respond, there was a sudden ripple in the lake, and something—or someone—emerged from the depths. A merman, his skin slick and shimmering in the dim light, rose from the water. His pale, sharp features were unreadable as he regarded the two of them, his long tail swaying gently beneath the surface.

Harry froze, startled by the sudden appearance, but Ginny quickly nudged him. "Look!"

The merman raised one webbed hand and gestured toward the egg, then pointed at the water, his eyes watching them closely. His mouth moved, but only a similar screech came out.

Harry blinked, then understanding dawned. "I think he wants us to put the egg in the water."

Ginny nodded, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Let's try it."

With a glance at the merman, Harry carefully stood up, cradling the egg in his hands. He stepped closer to the lake's edge, and with a deep breath, he lowered the egg into the water.

The instant the egg touched the surface, the deafening screeching sound disappeared. Harry leaned in, submerging the egg fully in the water as Ginny crouched beside him, watching in anticipation.

The water rippled around the egg, and then, instead of screeching, a soft, melodic voice began to emerge from it—clear and haunting, like a song carried on the wind. It was mesmerizing, and this time, Harry could make out the words.

"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
To recover what we took."

Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance, the meaning of the clue beginning to sink in. "It's underwater," Harry whispered. "The second task… it's going to take place in the lake."

Harry's mind raced. "So we'll need to figure out how to breathe underwater during the task."

The merman nodded once more, then gave them a final glance before disappearing beneath the surface of the lake, leaving Harry and Ginny standing at the water's edge, the golden egg still shimmering faintly in the twilight.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, both absorbing the revelation.

"Well," Ginny said softly, breaking the silence, "I think that just gave us a bit of an advantage. We know what the task is now... and what you'll need to do."

Harry nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. The relief of finally understanding the clue was almost overwhelming. But it was tempered by a new challenge—how was he going to breathe underwater for an entire hour?

"Thanks, Ginny," Harry said, his voice sincere. "I couldn't have figured this out without you."

Ginny smiled, her eyes warm as they met his. "Anytime, Harry. We'll figure out the next part too."

As Harry and Ginny made their way back up from the lake, the cool evening air seemed lighter now that the mystery of the egg had been cracked. The weight of uncertainty that had been pressing on Harry's shoulders had lifted, and even though there was still the problem of how to breathe underwater, he felt more hopeful.

The path back to the castle was quiet, with only the rustling of the trees and the distant sounds of the magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest. Ginny walked beside him, her arms folded against the chilly breeze.

"We've got to figure out how to breathe underwater for an hour," Ginny said thoughtfully, kicking a pebble ahead of her as they walked. "There must be a spell for that, right?"

"I hope so," Harry replied, his mind still racing through possibilities. "Maybe there's a potion? I'll have to ask Hermione tomorrow. She'll probably know."

Just as they neared the edge of the forest path, a familiar giant figure came into view, walking toward them with Fang, his boarhound, lumbering at his side. It was Hagrid.

"Harry! Ginny!" Hagrid called out in his booming voice, waving them over. "What're you two doin' out here so late?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance before hurrying over to meet him. "We were just at the lake," Harry said, unable to keep the excitement from his voice. "We figured out the clue from the dragon egg."

Hagrid's bushy eyebrows shot up, a smile breaking across his face. "Did yeh now? Well, tha's great, Harry! What's it all about then?"

Harry quickly explained what had happened by the lake—the terrible screeching sound, the appearance of the merman, and how they finally realized the second task would take place underwater. "The problem is," Harry added, "we'll have to stay underwater for an hour. The merman even said we'd need to breathe down there, but we have no idea how to do that."

Hagrid scratched his beard thoughtfully. "Underwater fer an hour, eh? That's a tough one, but... I reckon I know jus' the thing yeh'll need."

Harry's eyes widened. "You do?"

"Yep," Hagrid said, grinning proudly. "It's called Gillyweed. It's a rare aquatic plant that lets yeh breathe underwater like a fish. Grow yeh some gills an' everythin'—should keep yeh down there fer the whole task, no problem."

Ginny's face lit up. "Gillyweed? That sounds perfect! Where can we get some?"

"Well, yeh're in luck," Hagrid said, beaming. "Professor Sprout's growin' a batch of it in one of her greenhouses. There's a great big pool o' it. It's fer the seventh years' aquaculture unit—they're studyin' underwater plants an' such. I can have a word with her, see if I can get me hands on some fer yeh, Harry."

Harry felt a rush of relief wash over him. "That'd be amazing, Hagrid. I didn't even know Gillyweed existed."

"Aye, not many do," Hagrid said with a chuckle, "but it's powerful stuff. Jus' make sure yeh eat it right before the task starts. Yeh'll sprout gills an' webbed hands an' feet, so swimmin'll be easy."

Ginny grinned, nudging Harry with her elbow. "Looks like you've got your answer, Harry. Gillyweed will solve the whole breathing problem."

"Yeah," Harry said, still slightly amazed at how quickly everything was falling into place. "Hagrid, you've just saved me."

"Ah, think nothin' of it," Hagrid said with a wave of his hand. "Anytime yeh need a bit o' help, yeh know where to find me. I'll talk to Professor Sprout in the mornin'. Should have it fer yeh in plenty o' time before the second task."

Harry thanked him again, feeling a huge weight lift off his shoulders. With the clue from the egg figured out and the solution to breathing underwater practically handed to him, the second task didn't seem quite so impossible anymore.