Chapter 646 The Prefects' Bathroom And The Golden Egg
While Evan was diving into the lake, Harry and Ron also slipped away from the Common Room.
They walked slowly as Ron concealed the heavy Golden Egg under his robe.
"Lavender is so excited; we should have done this earlier. By the way, Harry, do you have the invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map?" asked Ron nervously, avoiding the three first-year students who were staring at them. "No one can tell how long this bath will take us. We must be careful not to be seen on the way back."
"They are with me," said Harry, eyeing Ron's bulky clothing. "Did you say you've already solved the clue of the golden egg?"
"Lower your voice!" Ron said in a whisper, glancing around. "You know, if I hadn't said that, Hermione wouldn't have let me go to Hogsmeade. I had an important date with Lavender. Besides, let's clarify this thing now!"
"Why did Bagman tell you this?" Harry continued, "Why would he help you cheat?"
More than twenty minutes ago, Ron told Harry what had happened at the Three Broomsticks during the day.
The true content of Ludo Bagman's conversation with Ron was that he revealed the secret of the Golden Egg.
Bagman said that as long as Ron bathed and carried the egg with him, all clues and secrets of the second task would become clear.
In any case, it was suspicious, and Bagman had no reason to help the champions.
If it were Harry, he definitely would not accept his help. It would make him feel very guilty.
"What's going on?"
"He said he wanted to help me because of my father," said Ron, shrugging. "I'm not sure if what he said is true, but it's no big deal. Without help, I can't figure out what the bloody egg is shrieking about. Remember... cheating is a tradition in the Triwizard Tournament. In the first task, I suppose the other three champions must have also accepted help from others. They cannot rely solely on their own abilities to solve difficult problems."
"Bagman and Hagrid are not the same," said Harry. "We should talk to Evan and Hermione."
"They must have gone somewhere for a date, hiding in a corner to be alone!" Ron said impatiently. "Don't worry, Harry! It's just a bath with the Golden Egg. Even if Bagman lied to us, there's nothing to lose if we try. At worst, it would be a bit foolish."
"Alright," Harry nodded hesitantly. "Did you say it's in the bathroom?"
"It's the prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor," said Ron. "Fred and George told me. They know from Percy. I've never been there before! But usually, there's no one there, and the password never changes."
More than twenty minutes later, they arrived at the end of the corridor on the fifth floor, in front of the statue of Boris the Bewildered, a wizard with gloves on the wrong hands.
Ron led Harry to the door next to the statue, approached it, and muttered the password, "Pine Fresh!"
The door creaked open. Harry and Ron entered and locked the door behind them, nervously looking around.
"It's really spacious in here!" exclaimed Harry. For the first time, he realized it wasn't so bad to be a prefect. This bathroom was ten times larger than the common boys' bathroom. Apart from other privileges, it was worth it just for being able to use this bathroom.
Ron also nodded, impressed by the sight.
If there was a word to describe this, it would be luxury!
In front of them, the room was softly lit by a magnificent chandelier full of candles, and everything was made of white marble, including what appeared to be an empty rectangular pool sunken in the middle of the floor. Around the edges of the pool were about a hundred golden taps, each with a differently colored jewel embedded in its handle. There was also a diving board. Long white linen curtains hung at the windows; a large pile of fluffy white towels was in a corner, and on the wall, there was only one painting framed in gold. It depicted a blonde mermaid sleeping soundly on a rock, her long hair cascading over her face. It moved every time she snored.
They advanced, looking around, and the echo of their footsteps resonated on the walls.
Ron approached the edge of the pool, placed the golden egg on the ground, knelt down, and turned on several water taps.
Harry did the same and opened the taps. He was surprised to find out that these taps mixed different types of bath foam with hot water, although it was not bath foam like he had experienced before. One tap produced pink and blue bubbles the size of soccer balls; another poured out thick, ice-white foam that Harry thought could have held his weight if he dared to try it; a third released heavily scented purple clouds that floated on the water's surface.
In the bath, Harry and Ron had fun for a while opening and closing the taps, especially enjoying the effect of one tap whose stream bounced off the water's surface in grand arcs.
In the blink of an eye, the deep pool filled with hot water, foam, and bubbles. It was incredibly quick, considering its size.
They looked at each other and quickly shut off all the taps, took off their clothes, and slid into the water.
"It's so comforting," whispered Ron softly.
"It's wonderful," Harry agreed. If he could, he hoped to bathe here in the future.
It was delightful to swim in warm and foamy water with colorful steam clouds floating around them.
The two swam back and forth in the water several times and played merrily for a while before remembering the serious matter of that night.
"What should we do?" Harry raised the Golden Egg in his wet hands.
"I don't know, open it first!" said Ron, swimming towards Harry to assist.
Suddenly, a pitiful and shrill sound filled the bathroom, reverberating and bouncing off the marble walls, yet sounding as incomprehensible as ever, if not more so with all the echoes.
"Close it, close it!" shouted Harry.
Ron slammed it shut again, both panting and paling, worried that the sound might attract others.
"It was so foolish of me to take a bath with the Golden Egg. Bagman must be making fun of me!" said Ron regretfully.
"I would try putting it in the water if I were you," said a voice beside them.
Ron was so startled that he dropped the egg, which resounded as it hit the bathroom floor.
