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Harry stood on the platform, his heart thudding in his chest as he looked out over the vast expanse of the Black Lake. The surface of the water gleamed under the early morning sun, cold and unwelcoming. He shivered slightly, despite the adrenaline pumping through his veins. The crowd behind him was buzzing with anticipation, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

He couldn't stop thinking about Hermione. He knew she was going to be okay—that she was just under a sleeping enchantment at the bottom of the lake, waiting for him to rescue her. But even though he knew there was no real danger and no actual time limit to save her, his worry lingered. His mind flashed back to last night when, unsurprisingly, Colin Creevey had come to take her away for the task. Harry had tried to put on a brave face and pretend he was unaffected, but seeing her leave, knowing she'd be underwater for hours, had sent a chill down his spine. Now, staring out at the cold, dark water, that concern had returned and was gnawing at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw the other champions preparing themselves. Krum was pacing, muscles tense under his robes, and Fleur was already kneeling by the edge of the platform, staring down at the water with determination and a little bit of concern. Cedric, calm and composed as ever, was stripping off his outer robes, revealing his swimming attire underneath. Harry knew he needed to focus on the task, but his mind kept wandering back to Hermione. He shook his head, trying once again to clear it.

Pulling off his shirt, Harry smiled to himself when he heard a loud, teasing whistle rise from the crowd. He didn't even have to look to know it was Fred or George. He rolled his eyes, chuckling under his breath, but as he folded his shirt, he caught a glimpse of movement from the judges' table. It seemed they were watching and waiting for him. As if on cue when he made his way to the edge of the platform, the signal to begin rang out across the platform, and without hesitation, the other champions dove into the water.

Instead of following suit and immediately plunging into the lake, Harry took a step back and turned to the castle, as he pulled out his wand, calmly raising it, and shouted, "Accio kit!"

The crowd began to murmur as they saw him standing still, wand raised, rather than diving in like the others. But Harry wasn't concerned about keeping up with anyone. His plan was different. He turned slightly toward the lake's shoreline and added, "Accio rock!"

The rock arrived first, of course—zooming toward him like a bullet. Harry caught it with ease, its cool, smooth surface pressing into his palm. With a quick flourish of his wand, he transfigured the rock into a thin metallic armband. Afterward, he enchanted it to resize automatically once he put it on, ensuring it wouldn't fall off or cut off circulation during the task.

With that completed he looked up and watched as the object he'd summoned from the castle shot out of the castle and soar toward him, Harry felt a flicker of pride. His carefully prepared strategy was falling into place. The small object, zoomed through the air, catching the morning light before landing neatly in his outstretched hand.

A few scattered claps erupted from the students who were all watching him, as there were no other champions in sight, and Harry began to hear excited whispers ripple through the crowd. People craned their necks, curious about what he had summoned. As he unwrapped the bag, he knew those unfamiliar with Ancient Runes were likely bewildered. When he finally pulled out the contents—his rune carving kit—he heard confused murmurs from the spectators.

Ignoring the noise around him, Harry turned his attention back to the armband. He knelt down, balancing the kit on the edge of the platform as he began to carve swiftly and precisely. He'd spent weeks preparing for this exact moment, experimenting with different rune combinations, testing them for stability, duration of effect, and their strength. This was the culmination of that work.

He started by carving the Laguz rune into the armband, symbolizing water adaptation. After he channeled his magic into it, it would allow him to breathe underwater and see clearly in the murky depths. He moved on to the Ehwaz and Eihwaz runes—symbols of speed and protection, respectively. The Ehwaz rune would help him swim faster, and the Eihwaz rune would shield him from the lake's pressure as he descended and at least a limited amount of protection if he were to run into any hostile underwater creatures, although he didn't want to make use of that because if he relied on that it would drain the magic in the armband at a much faster rate possibly draining it completely and leaving the other runes inert … which would certainly be a problem if he was still underwater at the time. Finally, he etched the Kenaz rune into the metal, which would provide warmth in the frigid water.

As he worked, Harry made sure to focus his intent clearly. He knew rune magic was unpredictable if the carver wasn't careful. If he messed this up, he could end up setting himself on fire instead of staying warm or turning himself into a puddle rather than being able to breath underwater. He paused for a moment as he finished, letting his fingers rest on the cool, etched metal, before making sure every rune was perfect. Smiling to himself at his work and holding his breath, he began to channel his magic into the runic sequence he had spent weeks perfecting. There was a tense silence around him as the crowd watched, waiting to see how his plan would turn out.

For several agonizing seconds, nothing happened, and Harry felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple. Then, all at once, the armband gave a gentle, rhythmic vibration—a subtle but clear sign that the magic had settled properly into the runes. Harry exhaled slowly, relieved. It was ready. The warmth from the Kenaz rune spread through him, steady and controlled, keeping the chill from the light morning breeze that was coming off the lake at bay.

He slid the armband onto his bicep, feeling it resize immediately to fit snugly. Standing up, finally ready, he turned and waved to the crowd, who were watching him anxiously, clearly puzzled as to why he hadn't jumped into the water yet. Some people in the stands pointed and whispered to each other, their confusion growing. Harry smirked to himself.

Turning around, he walked to the edge of the platform and paused, his back to the crowd. His fingers tightened around his wand, and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a brief moment. His thoughts drifted to that magical evening under the stars, his first kiss with Hermione after the Yule Ball. It had been unexpected, spontaneous, but perfect in every way. The memory brought a warm smile to his lips.

Opening his eyes, Harry raised his wand high above his head and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"

The crowd gasped in unison as a blinding silver light burst forth from the tip of Harry's wand, forming into the most solid, brilliant version of his stag Patronus he had ever seen. The magical creature erupted onto the platform with an practically physical presence, hooves almost audibly thudding against the wood as it materialized completely.

The students, especially those closest to him, jumped back, startled, and Harry couldn't help but chuckle as he saw a few students on the edge of the platform actually tumble backward into the lake, their surprised shouts drowned by the noise that the appearance of his patronus had caused. The stag circled Harry gracefully, running around him, glowing like a beacon in the early morning light, before finally coming to a rest by his side, facing out over the lake.

As Harry leaned in closer to his Patronus, he overheard the awed whispers from behind him.

"What spell is that …"
"Merlin … is that really a Patronus …"
"How can he even do that?"
"My father works for the Ministry, and even he can't produce a corporeal Patronus!"

The voices swirled around him, a mixture of disbelief and admiration. Harry smiled slightly but kept his focus and forced himself to ignore them. He leaned over and whispered to his Patronus, "Go to where Hermione is. Circle above that spot in the water."

The stag flicked its ears, understanding the command immediately. It turned its gleaming head and took off in a graceful arc, leaping into the air and galloping across the surface of the lake. The crowd gasped again, watching the Patronus streak away like a silver arrow, its hooves skimming right above the water as it headed into the center of the lake, toward the depths where Hermione lay.

Harry took one last glance at the majestic figure of his Patronus bounding across the lake, then turned back to the crowd and gave them a quick wave. Without wasting another second, he jumped backward off the platform, plunging into the cold water below.

The moment he hit the water, Harry knew the runes had worked perfectly. The biting cold he had braced for didn't come. Instead, the warmth from the Kenaz rune enveloped him like a cozy blanket, and he felt no discomfort at all. His lungs, too, felt normal—no tightness, no urge to gasp for air. The Laguz rune was doing its job, allowing him to breathe underwater as easily as if he were still standing on the platform. He smiled, relieved that everything had gone according to plan.

Harry popped his head above the surface one last time to check on the direction of his Patronus. The shimmering stag was still visible, a silvery blur in the distance, still running in the direction of the center of the lake. The crowd's cheers grew louder when they saw him break the surface, but Harry had no time to bask in the applause. With a determined nod, he took a deep breath and dove back underwater, swimming with far greater speed than he ever would have been able to without the help of the Ehwaz rune.

The water rushed past him as he swam, his movements effortless, like he was gliding through the depths. The light from the surface grew dimmer as he descended slightly, but his vision remained sharp and clear, thanks to the magic. The underwater world around him was eerily beautiful, with swaying kelp and darting fish, but Harry kept heading in the direction of his Patronus, occasionally popping up to confirm his heading, the second time he popped up to check on his Patronus he saw that it was circling directly above a spot in the lake, the spot above where Hermione was being held.

About halfway to his destination, as he was speeding through the water, something caught his eye causing his to stop. He saw Fleur Delacour just below him, surrounded by a thrashing mass of Grindylows. She was struggling, her movements frantic as the creatures clawed at her with their long, spindly fingers. He had almost swam right by, his mind focused entirely on Hermione, but something made him pause. It was the honest look of fear on her face and seeming difficulty with the entire herd of Grindylows that caused Harry to stop and began descending to help her. However as he got within thirty feet he hesitated, watching as Fleur raised her wand and released a massive ball of underwater flame the circled around her several times before dissipating. The magic certainly had it's intended effect as the Grindylows scattered in fear, disappearing into the depths.

Harry eyes shot open in surprise as he nodded in approval, impressed by her spellwork. However, his satisfaction quickly turned to concern as he noticed the spell had come at a cost. The fiery spellwork had partially collapsed Fleur's Bubble-Head Charm, and she realized it at the same time he did. Panic set in on her face as she clutched at her throat, she raised her wand to her face but seemed unable to calm down enough to fix the spell. After a couple seconds she seemed to give up and desperately began swimming upward toward the surface. Her movements were erratic, frantic, and Harry's heart twisted at the sight of her tear-streaked face filled with fear and regret.

He wanted to help but didn't know the Bubble-Head Charm well enough to cast it properly underwater. All he could do was watch as Fleur frantically swam past him, her panic palpable. His heart ached for her as she fought her way to the surface, her chest heaving with desperate breaths. He watched her until he saw her head break the surface safely, but after seeing that look of fear in her eyes, he knew the damage had been done. Fleur wouldn't finish the task.

With a renewed sense of urgency, Harry turned and pushed forward, his eyes locked back on the direction of his Patronus. As he swam closer, the brilliant stag continued its graceful circle above the spot where Hermione was trapped. Once Harry reached the location, the Patronus let out a final burst of light and faded, its job complete. Harry knew she was directly below him now.

Smiling and taking a deep breath, he kicked his legs and dove straight down, his speed still enhanced by the runes. The water grew darker as he descended. As Harry swam deeper into the lake, the shimmering sunlight from the surface grew dimmer, replaced by the cold, greenish hue of the depths. For several minutes, there was nothing but the soft rustling of the water around him and the occasional fish darting past. The rune-carved armband continued to vibrate gently, its magic ensuring Harry's comfort and enhancing his speed. He felt calm, but there was also a growing anticipation as he neared the merpeople's village.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Harry finally saw the dark, jagged structures of the village come into view. It was a strange sight to be sure, with odd coral buildings and looming rock formations making up the majority of the underwater settlement. As he approached the edge of the village, he noticed a merperson guard stationed nearby, spear in hand. The guard eyed him warily as he swam closer.

Harry gave the guard a polite nod and, in a rough attempt at their language, greeted him. "Hello, I'm one of the champions from the tournament, here to save my hostage."

His attempt at speaking the merpeople's language, though stilted and awkward, seemed to catch the guard … well, off guard. The merperson blinked in surprise before nodding robotically and motioning towards the square in the center of the village. Harry followed the gesture, his eyes landing on the four figures floating in the water, tied to the tail of a large stone merperson statue.

He spotted Hermione immediately, her figure unmistakable. She looked peaceful, as if in a deep, dreamlike sleep, her hair fanned out around her in the water. Relief washed over him at the sight of her unharmed. Scanning over the other hostages, he noticed something different—Ron had been replaced by Padma Patil. That made Harry smile, realizing that Hermione was indeed his hostage and that Krum and Padma must have developed a connection. He was glad for them and certainly made him feel slightly less guilty for winning Hermione's affection.

As Harry began swimming toward Hermione, out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement in the crowd of merpeople that had gathered to watch the task. A figure detached itself from the group and began approaching him. One he recognized from his previous conversation with Professor Dumbledore. It was the Merchieftainess, the leader of the merpeople.

They reached the hostages at the same time. Harry greeted the chieftainess again in Merish, earning a look of surprise mingled with respect.

"You learned our language for this task?" the Merchieftainess asked, her voice deep and resonant, though slightly garbled underwater.

Harry nodded slightly, trying to remain humble. "I learned a little—only little phrases. It's a hard language," he replied, his words broken but understandable.

The Merchieftainess smiled, a gesture that was quickly followed by a booming laugh. The sound echoed throughout the water, and soon many in the crowd of merpeople were laughing too, especially those close enough to have overheard the conversation. Harry grinned sheepishly, glad they appreciated the effort.

Once the laughter subsided, the Merchieftainess gestured toward the hostages. Harry wasted no time. He raised his wand and cast the Severing Charm, cutting through the ropes that held Hermione to the statue. Her body floated free, and Harry gently caught her, holding her steady.

Before leaving, Harry turned to check on the progress of the other champions. Cedric was nowhere in sight, and Krum had yet to arrive. Despite knowing the hostages were not in real danger, he felt uneasy about leaving without making sure the others were safe.

A few minutes passed, and during that time, after getting past his surprise that Harry didn't immediately leave the Merchieftainess asked Harry a few more questions, curious about his decision to learn their language. Harry struggled to keep up with the conversation, stumbling over his limited vocabulary. Just as the exchange was becoming more challenging, Cedric finally appeared, swimming toward the hostages.

Cedric wasted no time freeing Cho, who was his hostage. Once she was safely detached, he turned to Harry, urging him to swim to the surface with him.

"Come on, Harry, let's go!" Cedric called through the water, his voice muffled but clear enough.

Harry shook his head. "Go ahead, I'll catch up. I just want to make sure the others are coming."

Cedric hesitated but eventually shrugged, and turn to swim upwards. Harry couldn't resist a playful jibe as he called after him, "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure I'll still beat you to the surface, even with your head start!"

Cedric snorted, laughing as he shot Harry an obscene hand gesture before swimming off at full speed, Cho in tow.

Less than a minute later, Krum arrived, looking a bit battered but determined. He freed Padma quickly, giving Harry a brief nod of acknowledgment before swimming back toward the surface. Harry waved in return as Krum disappeared into the darker waters above.

Harry waited for another minute, glancing around for Fleur, just in case she had managed to get back into the water. His heart sank when she still didn't appear, knowing that it was clear she wouldn't make it to complete the task.

Turning to the Merchieftainess, Harry pointed toward Gabrielle. "The champion coming to save her is her sister. She ran into trouble and isn't coming. Let me save her."

The Merchieftainess regarded Harry thoughtfully, her stern expression unreadable. "The rule is only one hostage per champion," the chieftainess said, her voice firm but not unkind.

Harry squared his shoulders and repeated, more firmly this time, "I will not let harm come to her. Let me save her. This tournament means nothing to you, but her sister will worry until she sees her safe. I don't want her to worry any longer."

For a moment, the Merchieftainess simply stared at Harry, as if weighing her options. Then, slowly, a hint of a respect formed in her eyes. Finally, after a long, theatrical pause, the chieftainess nodded, as if she had made a reluctant but inevitable decision.

Harry inclined his head appreciatively. "Thank you," he said, grateful.

The Merchieftainess swam back, giving Harry space. Harry swam over to Gabrielle, carefully casting the cutting charm on her ropes. As the ropes fell away, he gently took hold of her by the collar of her shirt and began swimming upwards, Hermione held securely in one arm and Gabrielle in the other.

Swimming with two people was more difficult than Harry had anticipated, but the Ehwaz rune continued to help with his speed, and the warmth from Kenaz kept him comfortable as they ascended. It took longer than it had on the way down, but after several minutes of steady swimming, Harry finally saw the shadowy outlines of the support pillars for the platforms above.

With one final push, Harry broke the surface of the water, popping up right in front of the platform where the judges were waiting. He took a deep breath, relieved to have made it back safely. The cold air hit his face, but he barely noticed it, his mind still focused on the task.

Almost at the exact same moment that he had surfaced, the sound of the cannon echoed across the lake, signaling the end of the task. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as they saw Harry not only return with Hermione but also with Gabrielle. He heard shouts and whistles from the stands, along with the sounds of frenzied French being shouted out.

Harry smiled, lifting his head to look at the crowd. He had made it back just in time. Holding onto the edge of the platform, he glanced down at Hermione, who was looking at him with a large smile on her face. Gabrielle stirred slightly, her small form barely moving in his grip, but she, too, was unharmed.

The cheers of the crowd grew louder, and Harry couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. He had done it!

Kind Regards,

FavoriteAuthor

If you like this content do not hesitate to smash that like button and subscribe. Haha but seriously if you do enjoy the story - do favorite it, other than messaging me or leaving a comment it's the only way I know if you are enjoying the stories and chapters.

Story Note 1 – As with the first task, decided to rewrite it in a different way that would make it more enjoyable for you to read and hopefully make sense for Harry based on the skills he should have for a fourth year. Obviously the Patronus is beyond that level but he had already done it. And I think the rune carving while more advanced than what I predict an average fourth year student could produce would still be within the range of plausibility. Additionally, rather than try and drag this chapter out and make him fight off three bands of Grindylows before sitting down and meeting with the Giant Squid to ask for directions and then stumbling over the submerged wreckage of a great ship that had once belonged to the founders, I chose to write the story the way I felt it would have actually occurred. Let me know if you liked the chapter!

Story Note 2 – In the end, I felt that even though Harry knew the other hostages including Gabrielle didn't need to be rescued as they weren't in any danger, I felt that Harry has a whole saving people thing that wouldn't have let him just leave them without making him feel guilty. Especially knowing the mental trauma Fleur was experiencing. So, I hope I wrote that part in a believable way even though Harry obviously knew that the others were going to be alright.

Story Note 3 – I bet Fleur will be happy. Can only imagine how that is going to affect everything and everyone.

Thanks to those of you out to those of you who enjoy my stories, I promise to keep updating the stories as long as you enjoy them, and a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to leave feedback or reach out to me directly.

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rmw5763, starboy454, cameron1812, Hudy Leak613, jkarr, - Thanks so much for the review and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

John Mainer - I agree Luna is also a terrific and incredibly fun character to write! Especially when some of the things she talks about ... end up coming into effect ...

Hands Off MY Wolfie - Without a doubt, while I believe BCJ is certainly a serious threat as long as Harry avoids sticking out too much he should be able to fly under the radar and the mirrors will ... possibly have some importance ...

Fenrir070 - Super happy that you enjoyed the character dynamics, Definitely something I have been working on in all my stories but really happy when they come off successfully! He's such a good actor! And in Jessica Jones as well!

dennisud - I would imagine that if Harry and Daphne needed help there would certainly be help available. Although part of this project was for Harry to accomplish something new.

Cassandra30 - I definitely agree but that hasn't happened yet and it might not. However, that isn't to say that change is impossible without that event.