Hello! I can't help but be proud of myself. I'm actually sitting down and writing an update which will, for the first time in a long while, be going when i actually intended it to. Woohoo!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter Thirty

By Rosa241

Ron POV:

Hermione sighs once again and closes the book she's reading with far more force than strictly needed. I can feel the frustration radiating off of her and I can't help but agree with her. She's right of course since neither one of us has actually managed to find anything out.

"Maybe we should just call it a day." I manage to wince at the glare that she gives me. If looks could kill people.

"We can't call it a day. We have to help Harry." As much as I would love to do nothing more than just get up and leave the stupid library I know that she's right. Of course she is. The whole reason that we were doing this was to try and help him.

Flashback:

Harry sighs for what has to be the hundredth time as he gets up from the table and leaves the great hall. He claimed that he was tired and just wanted to go and lie down for a while but we could both see that he was faking it.

"I wish he'd just tell us what was wrong." I really do wish we could do something to help.

"It's just all this with the Cho that's really got him down." I know that she's right. He's had a face like a wet weekend ever since he found out that Cho was dating Cedric. Given his fight with Oliver a few weeks back and now this with Harry it's like the guys at the centre of all the problems lately. "Then of course there's all that stuff with Hagrid."

"Rita bloody Skeeter." That pathetic stupid woman had insisted on printing that damn article. Now the entire world was talking about Hagrid like he was some kind of monster. I mean seriously has nobody ever thought before that he might have been part giant. He's huge!

"And he still hasn't worked out that egg." Just thinking about the egg is enough to make me wince. We'd tried to listen to it again last night but after merely a few seconds we'd had to shut it. Merlin that noise…

"We need to do something. Let's go back to the library." I'm starting to think that might be her response to everything. She glares at me when I tell her as much. "Come on we need to at least try and help Harry."

End Flashback

We've been searching most of the afternoon but neither of us has found anything. It's not like we'd really expected to find anything especially since neither one of us has any clue what to look for. It would help if we could at least figure something out. Anything…

So far we've checked just about every single book in the flipping place and nothing. Of course there may be something in the restricted section but we can't get in there without a note from a teacher. Unlike the last time there's no way that we'll be able to trick someone into signing a note. Lockheart was stupid enough to fall for it but there's no way any of the current teachers would be.

Percy POV:

Being released from the hospital wing was both brilliant and completely terrifying. On the one had not having to sit in that room all day was a very, very good thing but on the other hand being out of there wasn't exactly thrilling. Ever since I was released I've found myself constantly watching over my shoulder for…well for anything I suppose. Knowing that whoever did this is still walking round the school is enough to give anyone nightmares. The fact that somehow they'd managed to do it under my nose was bad enough but the fact that they're still out there? That's more than I can take.

Oliver had finally brought up his plan about the egg and I have to admit that it's a good one. He was right of course. No one has managed to listen to it all the way through since it was just so damn awful. If we went far enough away from people then maybe we could listen to it, maybe there would be more to it that so far we haven't heard. Although I have to admit that I'm not looking forward to this.

"Do you think this is far enough away?" He questions as he looks around. Thankfully most people are still in lessons and those who aren't are in the school. Combine the cold weather with the pressure of homework and most people were choosing to stay indoors. It was a blessing for us though since it means that we can actually put Oliver's plan into action without people over hearing.

"It should be." Cringing as I look down at the egg in my hands I almost want to tell him that this won't work but it's better than any of the other ideas we've come up with.

Thankfully the headaches are gone now and I'm left with no symptoms from the poison in my system. Professor McGonagall had argued that I should still be in bed but Madame Pomfrey had surprised us both by saying that getting out would be good. Apparently fresh air would help me to recover, hence why I'd been allowed to go out with Oliver 'for a walk'.

"Right let's be done with it then." He takes the egg out of my hands and stares around for a moment before picking a spot. We'd decided that neither of us should hold the stupid thing since the temptation would be to close it right away. Unfortunately for Oliver he's so focused on not accidentally opening the egg that he misses the giant tree root in front of him. Quite how he can be so clumsy is beyond me.

"Watch out!" My warning falls on deaf ears as he manages to trip right over the root and sends the egg flying out of his hands. The noise it emits as it hits the ground and splits open is worse than I'd remembered. Without any thought for the egg both our hands are straight onto our ears in a fruitful attempt to block it out.

Luck is completely not on our side today as the egg bounces a few times before rolling down the small hill it had landed on. Rolling down faster and faster until it slides down into the water at the bottom. The noise disappears as the egg sinks down into the water and slowly both our hands remove themselves.

"Oh dammit!" He curses as he stands up. Wincing as he rubs his shin from where it hit the hard root.

We both wander over to the lake and after a few minutes of searching manage to spot the golden egg lying a few metres below the surface having dropped onto a small jutting out rock. Despite knowing it won't make a difference I whip out my wand and utter 'accio'. As I knew that it would the egg simply stays in place. Damn!

"Magic doesn't affect it." I explain to Oliver as he gives me a questioning look. "Now what?"

Ignoring the freezing cold water he reaches his hand down into the water and attempts to reach the egg. Of course it makes no difference since it's well out of his reach but he tries all the same. The same thought seems to pass through both our minds at the same time.

There's only one way we're reaching that egg.

"I cannot believe this." His words match my own thoughts as he glares down at the water.

Oliver POV:

I can't help cringing as I realise just how I'm going to reach the stupid damn egg. Oh I can't do this.

"You dropped the egg." Percy mutters helpfully as I look over to him.

"Well yeah but it's your egg. You're the one competing after all." Despite my protests I know full well that I'll be the one going into the lake. As much as I don't want to there's no option otherwise. Percy's only just gotten out of the hospital wing and whilst being outside in the cold may be okay I can't imagine Madame Pomfreys response if I were to allow him to go diving into an ice cold lake.

Yeah I would not want to be the person having that conversation.

"Aw dammit." It takes a moment before I pluck up the courage to remove my jumper and t-shirt. As freezing as it will be without them on I should be able to do this without getting my lower half wet. At least I'll be dry when I'm done although I'll be cold as all hell.

Shaking my head I make the quick choice to get it over with as soon as possible and pass the items to Percy who had the decency to grimace as he looks over at the water. Lying on my stomach I quickly take the plunge and dive my head into the freezing cold ice water below.

The first thing that goes through my mind as I plunge my head through the water is that this almost feels like I've been punched in the face. It takes a moment for me to catch my bearings since the ice creeping around my shoulders is taking all my focus. When I finally remember what I'm doing this for I reach out for the egg before stopping in surprise. Even under the water I can hear the egg still making sounds but this time it's not the ear bleeding screech from before. This time it sounds like something else.

Singing.

Pulling my head out of the water as the breath starts to leave me I cough up the water I'd managed to swallow.

"What's wrong?" Percy questions as he kneels beside me.

"It's singing." He tilts his head in confusion as I scrub a hand over my face, catching the droplets of water that were dripping down my eyes. "The egg it's not screeching anymore, it's singing."

"What?"

We both stare in complete confusion for a moment before he speaks again.

"What kind of singing?" Truth be told I didn't really register anything other than the fact that it was singing before I ran out of air. That and the fact that the water was bloody cold. Far too bloody cold.

"I don't know. Hang on." Before I can think about the ice cold water I plunge my head back down. Whatever singing was going on has now stopped and only silence is heard. Reaching out I manage to grab the egg and push it closed.

"It stopped. Whatever it was singing…it stopped." He takes the egg from me and hands me back my clothes. As I attempt to dry off I can see him staring at the egg in total confusion. "So what now?" I ask as I pull my jumper over my head cringing at my still wet skin.

"I need to listen to it, find out what it said." Looking at the water he shakes his head. Standing up properly he tilts his head for a moment before shaking it. "I'll use the prefects bathroom later. Right now we should get you dried off before class."

As much as I want to find out what it said right now I can feel the coldness seeping into my bones. Okay so I definitely need something warm, something warm and dry. Walking back into the castle I can already see the determination set on his face. I've known him for long enough to know that there was an idea forming in his mind.

What the hell does this mean?

And that's where we'll leave it. So it took some time before I was able to come up with a way for Percy to find out what's going on with the egg. Unlike Harry he didn't have anyone telling him what to do with it and it's not like he was going to think dipping it in water himself. In the books obviously it's hinted that Moody told Cedric (or at least helped him figure it out) about what to do but he's not going to do that for Percy. He's trying to get rid of him after all. I hope this seemed believable but it was really the only way that I could do it without rewriting things. I kind of backed myself into a bit of a corner here with this one. Oops.

Until next time,

Bye x