Chapter Thirty Three

Harry wasn't sure how well simply taking the egg for a nice bath was going to work, but so far he had no idea what else to be doing. Daphne had agreed to wait up for him in the common room that night when Harry slipped out, under the invisibility cloak, the egg safely tucked in his school bag and the Marauders Map out in his hands.

Thankfully, there wasn't anyone between him and the prefects' bathroom as he moved though the corridors.

"Pine Fresh." Harry whispered to the door, it creaked open and allowed Harry to slip in. Inside Harry made up his mind to become a prefect.

Everything was smooth clean marble, in the middle of the room was the largest bath Harry had ever seen. It was the size of a small swimming pool, with dozens of small taps around the edges.

Harry put his bag down and turned on a tap, a stream of hot water and rose scented bubbles poured out, the next tap had large bubbles in pink and blue. Harry amused himself turning on each of the taps in turn until the bath was full, it hadn't taken anywhere near as long as he'd expected considering how big it was.

Harry took the egg out of his bag and set it down carefully next to the large bath before slipping into the water.

On his way over he'd been convinced Cedric had been pulling his leg, how could having a bath possibly help work out the clue?

Now he was here however Harry had a pretty good idea of what was going on. There was a mermaid, well a painting of one, on the wall, she was snoozing peacefully in her frame.

"Hello Harry."

Harry jumped at the mention of his name, "Myrtle! What are you doing here?" he pulled a group of bubbles closer to him to make sure he was covered, "I've not got any clothes on!"

Myrtle giggled rather annoyingly, "I wanted to see you, you never come and visit me any more."

Harry wasn't really sure what to say to that, "Sorry, I guess I just felt weird going into the girls toilets."

Myrtle nodded, "I see." her lower lip started to quiver, "You just didn't want to see me."

"I'm seeing you now." Harry pointed out, "And I've been really busy. This whole being a champion thing is tough."

Myrtle brightened up a little, "I think there is a chance you might die, that's what the others have been saying."

Harry knew where this was going and managed not to roll his eyes, "Well if I die I promise I will come visit you everyday."

Myrtle managed to blush a horrible grey colour and beamed at Harry, "Oh Harry." She floated over and sat down on the edge of the bath, making Harry even more pleased for the thickness of the bubbles.

"I'd try putting this egg thing in the water if I was you." Myrtle said, "That's what Cedric did."

Harry nodded, "Yeah I was thinking that."

"Really?" Myrtle said, a put out, "How did you know?"

Harry shrugged, "Well the big bath, Percy said that the Mr Crouch spoke Mermish and Hagrid and Mum once said that some languages sound different when they're not in their natural habitat. Unicorns sound really loud and aggressive in an open field but in the forest they sound a lot more gentle, because the trees mute the sound down."

"Interesting." Myrtle said, playing with a strand of her hair and sounding anything but interested, "So are you going to try it?"

Harry nodded and grabbed the egg, it wasn't easy with his hands slick from the oils and bubbles in the water but he managed to balance it on the bottom of the bathtub and crack it open. The room wasn't filled with a horrible screeching at least, just a few bubbles slowly rising constantly from the open egg.

Harry took a deep breath and plunged his head under the water. It was beautiful, the most clear and yet slightly eerie voiced filling the water around him.

'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,

And to recover what we took,

But past an hour- the prospect's black

Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.'

Harry pushed himself back up to the surface of the water and took a deep breath, rubbing the water from his eyes.

"Did you hear it then?" Myrtle asked.

Harry nodded, he reached over and dug around in his school bag, thankfully finding a quill, parchment and ink pot.

He balanced them on the edge of the tub and took another deep breath before diving under the water again. He repeated this several times until he had written down every word of the song and double checked he'd gotten it right before putting everything safely in his bag.

"So?" Myrtle asked, she had taken to lying on her stomach, a few inches from the ground, head propped up on her hands, waving her feet in the air.

"Yep I'm sure that's all of it." Harry smiled.

Myrtle rolled her eyes, "No. I mean have you figured it out?"

Harry rubbed the back of his head, "Well… are there Merpeople in the black lake?"

Myrtle nodded, "Yep. I get flushed down their sometimes when I'm not expecting it. There are all sorts of things that live in the lake… they don't look like her though." Myrtle said nastily at the picture.

"Well that makes sense." Harry nodded to himself, "About the Merpeople, not you getting flushed down the toilet, that's terrible."

Myrtle shrugged, "Not so much, gets me out and about I guess. You're working this out way too fast, it took Cedric ages." she pouted.

"Sorry." Harry muttered, "I wonder what they're going to take? Something I'll really miss… my wand maybe? How on earth am I meant to find a stick in the middle of a lake?"

Myrtle shrugged again and picked at a spot on her chin, "I'm sure living people have lots of things that they would miss if it got stolen from them."

"Don't really want to loose anything I own." Harry said, "Especially something I'll really miss."

"Well an hour is a fairly long time to look for something..." Myrtle huffed.

Harry sighed, "Yeah..." an hour was a long time, a very long time to have to hold your breath for.

Harry wasn't a bad swimmer, not really, but he wouldn't be winning any prizes for his skills either and it didn't matter; he could be the best swimmer in the world, no one could hold their breath for that long.

He thought about asking Myrtle but he knew she would throw a fit if he mentioned breathing, "Myrtle, I need to get out."

"Really?" Myrtle said, her bottom lip quivering, "You're going so soon?"

Harry nodded, "I need to get some sleep and it's getting very late."

"Will you come and visit me?" She asked, beaming at Harry.

"Umm…I can see… I mean I might be busy..."

Myrtle crossed her arms over her chest, "I wont leave unless you promise to come and see me! I wont even close my eyes!"

Harry gritted his teeth, "Yeah, sure. I will come visit you."

Myrtle grinned, "Thank you Harry!" she zoomed through the wall and left Harry to dry off and get dressed, although he had a horrible feeling she was still spying on him.

Harry tucked the egg back in his bag and opened up the Marauders map. He was wondering if his father was still up. Harry might not know how to breath under water but there was sure to be a potion that would let him.

"Mr Crouch?" Harry mumbled to himself.

There was a dot, floating around in the Potions cupboard but it didn't read 'Severus Snape' but 'Bartemius Crouch'. Mr Crouch was meant to be so ill he couldn't come to the Yule ball, what on earth was he doing snooping around Hogwarts late at night.

Harry wasn't really proud of his curiosity, but he knew it was greater that most peoples; he also knew he could rarely control it.

It didn't take him long to find himself walking down the corridor, safely tucked under the invisibility cloak, towards Snape's office. The corridors seemed fairly busy, considering the time of night.

Harry scanned the map with his eyes, trying to keep one eye on the small dot of Mr Crouch. Then, half way down the staircase, Harry felt his leg sink and get trapped. It was the stupid and very annoying trick step, Harry hadn't been paying attention and now it was far too late.

He felt himself wobble and fall over, catching himself before smacking his head off the stairs in front of him. The egg however, still wet from the bath, fell out of his bag and crashed down the stairs, flying open.

The screeching filled the corridor, followed by a loud shout from Mr Filch.

"PEEVES!" Mr Filch, dressed in a shabby dressing gown, came stomping along the bottom of the staircase, "What do you think you're playing at?! You'll wake the whole ruddy castle!"

Harry was trying to catch his breath while not moving, something that really wasn't easy. He noticed the corner of his bag was showing under the cloak and tucked it back in, it was then he noticed the Marauders Map was lying three steps in front of him, wide open.

Mr Filch was still ranting about Peeves, who was no where to be seen. He walked over to the egg and snapped it shut.

"An egg my sweet?" Filch said, picking it up, "This is a Tournament clue, PEEVES! You've been stealing again! This belongs to a school champion!"

Harry was praying that Filch didn't come up the stairs and find him, even hidden under the cloak Filch would see him on the map. He had a horrible feeling that Mrs Norris, the horrible old cat, could already see him.

Filch started to walking up the stairs, egg tucked under his arm, screaming his head off at Peeves.

"Mr Filch?"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, both at the voice, and the fact Filch had stopped walking.

"Professor Snape." Filch said, slightly awkwardly.

"What on earth is going on?" Snape asked.

Filch made his way back down the stairs and showed Snape the egg, "Peeves, Sir. He'd been stealing again."

"Mr Filch you know as well as I do that Peeves can't get in my office." Severus muttered.

"This egg was in your office Sir?" Filch asked, "Potter left it there or something?"

Severus shook his head, "No it wasn't in my office. I heard banging and wailing."

Filch nodded, "Oh right. Yes that was Peeves Professor. He threw it down the stairs."

Severus looked around them and nodded, "I see. When I went past my office the torches were lit and the store cupboard door, slightly open…"

"But Peeves couldn't of…"

"I know that." Severus said, an edge to his voice, "I seal my office with a spell, no one but a wizard could break. I would like you to help me search for the intruder."

"But..." Filch looked at the egg and longingly up the stairs, "You see Professor, the headmaster will have to listen to me this time."

"No one likes Peeves, Filch, but we have more important things to worry about than a stupid poltergeist at the moment!" Severus pointed out, "Think, what if it was a student who..."

They were interrupted by the sound of clunking on the stone floors, Harry recognise the noise as Professor Moody's fake leg. He was wearing an old nightshirt under his travelling cloak and looked over the strange scene.

"Pyjama party is it?" Professor Moody growled.

Filch looked over Moody with apprehension, "We heard noises Professor. Thought we should come and check them out. It was Peeves again, throwing things around the place, and stealing. Someone also broke into Professor Snape-"

"That's enough thank you Mr Filch." Severus said coolly.

Moody looked over Severus, Filch and then up to Harry. His magical eye fixed on Harry. Harry tried to make an awkward face at Filch to explain without being able to say anything.

Moody smirked for a second before returning his poker face into place, "So someone's been trying to get into your office Snape?"

"It isn't important." Severus said firmly, he seemed a little on edge now Moody had turned up.

"I would say it was very important." Moody countered, "Who would want to break into your office?"

Severus shrugged, "A student I would think. It happens occasionally, the odd student determined to break the rules or show how clever they are by making extra potions."

"Think they were after potions ingredients eh? Not got anything else to hide?" Moody asked, raising a scarred eyebrow.

Snape glared at him, "You know full well I have nothing to hide Alastor. You have searched my office pretty well yourself."

"Auror's privilege." Moody smirked, "Dumbledore told me to…"

"Dumbledore happens to trust me!" Snape snapped, "And my wife."

Moody shrugged, "Of course Dumbledore trusts you, he's a very trusting man. Believes in second chances. But me? I don't think spots come off all that to often. You know what I mean?"

Severus clutched at his left forearm. Harry felt a rush of hatred towards Professor Moody for being so horrible to his father.

"Get back to bed Severus." Moody told him, waving his hand towards the corridor which lead towards Snape's office.

"You've no right to send me anywhere. I have as much right as you to prowl around these corridors." Severus said, throwing his arm down, angry with himself.

"Prowl away. I look forward to running into you in some dark corridor. You've dropped something by the way." He pointed to the map on the stairs.

Severus flicked his wand, "Accio parchment." his eyes grew wide at the sight of it, "Thank you for pointing it out to me."

Mrs Norris gave a loud meow, alerting the two wizards to the fact Mr Filch was still standing there, listening to them both.

"Mr Filch, I suggest you go and inform the headmaster that Peeves has been up to no good again. I will join you shortly." Severus said.

Filch nodded, grinning broadly at the idea of getting Peeves into trouble, "Right away Sir." and hurried off up the staircase.

Harry managed to squish himself into the edge of the banister enough to let him up without being discovered.

Severus waited, in awkward silence, for Filch to go, "Where is he?"

"What you talking about now?" Moody growled.

Severus held up the piece of parchment, "This is Harry's. I know you can see through the invisibility cloak."

"I'm here Dad." Harry said, pulling the cloak off himself, "I got caught in the stupid step."

Severus and Moody made their way up the stairs and pulled Harry out, one arm each.

"And what are you doing out of bed so late?" Severus demanded, "And smelling of lemons, and your hair is wet. Have you been in the bath?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah I was trying to work out the egg, did pretty well actually. But that's not the point. I know who was in your office. That's why I was coming down here."

"Not the most sensible of plans." Severus said, "Someone is out there trying to hurt you…"

"Who was it?" Moody asked, not caring so much about Harry being out of bed.

"Well that's the weird thing. It was Mr Crouch." Harry said, "The name was very clear on the map. He's meant to be sick, so ill he can't do his job."

"So what is he doing snooping around the school in the middle of the night?" Severus mused to himself.

"I don't know, but I thought I should tell you." Harry said.

"Well, they say I'm crazy and obsessed with catching dark wizards but even I'm no where near as bad as old Barty." Moody growled.

Harry was surprised. He would have thought that someone like Professor Moody would have gotten on well with Mr Crouch, from what Lily had said they both had similar methods of dealing with dark wizards; but there was real hatred, burning in Moody's eyes.

"Well he's not here any more." Moody declared, his magical eye whizzing around in it's socket.

"Do you think it might be because of all of the suspicious things that have been happening?" Severus inquired.

"Like what?" Moody asked.

"Well my name ending up in the Goblet of Fire, the attack at the world cup." Harry said, "It's been a bit of a chaotic year when you think about it."

Moody nodded, "Yeah it might be. You're a clever boy Potter, wouldn't surprise me if Crouch was thinking along those lines."

"Well, Dad's got nothing to hide." Harry said firmly.

Severus smiled fondly at Harry, "Thank you, Harry. Now you should be off to bed."

Harry nodded, Moody was still looking at the map, "Mind if I borrow this?"

"Oh, umm." Harry said, he was very attached to his map, apart from anything else it made it very easy to sneak around the school without getting caught.

"That was James's." Severus told Moody.

Moody nodded, "I thought it might have been. You Pa was very good at playing around with magic. I'll take good care of it, promise."

Harry nodded, "Yeah, sure."

"Good boy." Moody growled, "This might be exactly what I've been needin'." He waved goodnight to Harry and glared slightly at Snape before walking away down the corridor.

"You didn't have to loan him the map Harry." Severus said.

Harry shrugged, "I know but it seemed like he needed it and what harm could it do? If Dumbledore has asked him to keep an eye on people he's almost certainly keeping a look out for whoever put my name into the tournament. I want to know who that was."

Severus smiled, "Good point. You really should be getting to bed though. Before I have to take some house points for you being out of bed." he looked up the stairs, "I should go and join Filch, I can't imagine Dumbledore is very happy being woken so early in the morning."

Harry grinned, he hugged his father and walked back up the staircase with him before parting ways on the landing and heading back to his dorm room. Daphne was still up to let him in, with a mug of steaming hot chocolate for him.

"How did it go?" She asked, curling her legs underneath her.

"Pretty good." Harry said, taking a sip of his drink and sitting down next to her, "I got the clue from the egg, we can go over it in the morning with everyone. I also saw something weird, Mr Crouch was in the castle, looking around Dad's office and supply cupboard."

Daphne looked at Harry, stunned, "Really? That is strange, he's meant to be ill."

"So ill he can't come to the Yule ball, or go to work but can snoop around Hogwarts late at night." Harry said, "As I said, it was odd." he drained his cup, "I need some sleep."

Daphne nodded and gave him a quick hug before go up to the girls dorms. Harry walked slowly up to his own dorm room.

The other four students were already asleep, so Harry was as quiet as possible getting changed and climbing into bed. Tucking the egg back into it's hiding place under the bed. He fell asleep quickly and dreamt of a graveyard.