The Second Task
Potter Castle was a vast structure, holding many rooms, and many more secrets. This same castle also housed a multitude of artifacts and trophies from the prior Lords of the House. Nathaniel Potter's sword and flintlock pistols from his days as a pirate, the gold medal from the Order of the Golden Fleece, gifted to Hadrian Potter as a reward for his service in the Holy Roman Empire by Emperor Maximilian, the fifty skulls of French knights taken from the Battle of Crecy (Gnarl had fond memories of that battle, as he had helped collect those skulls, identifying the ones felled by John Potter) and the bloody Saracen banners taken by Magnus Potter following the Battle of Arsuf.
The most impressive artifact, however, was among the oldest: the armour of Octavian Potter, the man whose mere reputation as a wizard and warrior kept the Vikings from encroaching on Wales. It's a full suit of steel armour, forged in the image of the mighty dragons from which he was descended, and enchanted, so it is said, by his mother with knowledge of magic only the dragons know. That armour had marked Octavian Potter as a powerful warrior and wizard, a man to be respected and feared.
Yes, the Potter family had a vast array of trophies and artifacts which marked them out similarly: a family of powerful wizards that produced warriors and knights, generals and admirals. These men would help shape history and leave their mark through the empire on which the sun would never set.
But the most vital source of this power was knowledge. And it was fitting, then, that the Potter family had one of the most extensive libraries in all of magical Europe. Thousands of books and scrolls, from across the world, cover every magical and non-magical subject that one could imagine. And the care of this library, and all the knowledge contained within, fell upon one house-elf in particular, the one that Gnarl now sought out as he popped into the library. Standing at attention not a few feet away from him, was that same house-elf, wearing pitch-black robes and a hood pulled over his head.
"Mortis, I assume you know why I'm here."
"Indeed, Gnarl. I have conducted the research you requested of me into the survival of Tom Riddle, and I have found something vital."
"Enlighten me then."
"Going through the records, I found a journal kept by Gabriel Potter during the Black Death. It mentions a Dark Wizard referred to as 'Andronikos.' According to the journal, Andronikos was active in spreading the Plague across Europe and is believed to have been using the Plague in an attempt to create a massive horde of inferi, a true army of the undead. But he was also reported as having been killed on no less than five separate occasions, yet would reappear days later alive and well."
"I remember. Gabriel was far down in the line of succession, so I had little contact with him during that period. I assume he discovered the cause of this newfound immortality?"
"He did. There are several ways to keep the soul from moving on into the next life, keeping them 'grounded' so to speak, in the mortal realm. Most involve ritual circles and are complicated in the extreme. However, the method Andronikos used was to create an artifact of the vilest magics and store half of his soul within it. A horcrux."
Gnarl's hair stood on end at the very mention of the word. A horcrux, it just had to be one of those foul creations. An object or being infused with half of one's soul... only the most truly depraved and desperate would sink to such depths as a mutilation of the core of their very being. It was no wonder the creator of them was remembered as 'the Foul.' Still...
"What makes you so certain Riddle has one of those vile creations?"
"You mentioned an encounter Harry had with Riddle during his first year at Hogwarts when Riddle used a teacher as a host like a parasite. This would mean his physical form was destroyed in the original encounter when Master Harry was a year old, reducing him to a wraith-like state. When the host died, his soul was released, bound to the world as it is, and appeared as a dark cloud with a face. Even for a soul as malevolent as Riddle, it should not appear this way. The only explanation is the soul has been mangled, in the extreme, by whatever method he has used to ensure his survival. The only way that could happen, is if his soul has been split...multiple times."
"Multi- are you saying he has created multiple horcruxes!?"
"It stands to reason. The diary Harry destroyed sounds like the perfect example of a horcrux, possibly even the first Riddle created, given the shadow it was able to create by draining the girl's life from her."
"By my scales, there's no telling how many he could have, let alone where he put them!"
"Indeed, but there is some good news. Despite his efforts, Andronikos' secret was uncovered by Gabriel, and he was able to find it, an artifact of the Romans, whose legacy Andronikos sought to emulate through conquest. Riddle would most likely have used objects of great value to him personally, or to his worldview. And, with Basilisk venom or Fiendfyre, they can be destroyed, rendering their creators mortal."
"But how do we find them?"
"I don't know, and the journal does not state how he located the artifact, only that its discovery allowed Gabriel to finally kill Andronikos permanently, reducing his horde of inferi to dust in the aftermath. But I shall continue to search the archives until I find an answer."
"See that you do. The Second Task begins tomorrow, and unless I miss my mark, the Third Task is when Riddle will make his move. If we don't have a solution to this horcrux problem by then, young Harry will be in for the fight of his life."
As he looked down at the Lake, Harry began feeling anxious. And he wasn't entirely sure why. Ever since the term ended, Andromeda had transformed the training room into a makeshift swimming pool, using a transfigured bucket to create a large enough pool for him to practice swimming, something he desperately needed. It had done its work, and while he was still new to the whole experience, he was no longer liable to drown within the first five minutes. And, thanks to the clumps of gillyweed he carried with him, he could breathe underwater the entire time.
But still, he was anxious, looking down at the Lake as the rest of the students began taking seats in the stands overlooking the water, which seemed bottomless from where he stood.
He knew they weren't. True, no maps existed of the Black Lake, and the Marauders Map didn't give him any ideas either, but he knew what to expect. Or at least he had a good idea of what was down there. Merpeople, Kelpies, Grindylows, and maybe even the Giant Squid, were all liable contenders as potential obstacles he'd need to overcome to retrieve whatever had been taken from him.
He and his friends had been in the library late into the night reviewing everything they knew about them. He, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and even Daphne and Tracey had stopped by at one point to offer a few ideas. Harry already knew his strategy, now he just needed to finalize how he was going about it. But McGonagall had interrupted them, sending them off to bed so Harry would be ready for the Task. Strangely enough, she had asked to speak with Hermione while they had been sent on ahead, and Harry had to admit, he was feeling curious about what McGonagall had wanted.
It must have been important, as she hadn't shown up at breakfast. He'd have to ask her when the Task was finished, maybe she'd be able to...
"Harry, are you alright?"
Turning his head, Harry saw Percy approaching him, clipboard in hand, who had spoken.
"Sorry, Percy, just...anxious, I guess."
"I don't blame you. Even I don't know what's waiting in the Lake. But you'd better get a move on, they'll be starting soon, and the Champions need to be at the docks before then."
"Right. Lead on then." Taking that as his cue, Percy began walking down to the Lake, where a large tent had been set up close to the newly constructed docks. The tent was where the Champions would change into their swim gear and, if needed, be treated for any injuries acquired during the Task. Trying to distract himself, Harry continued to make small talk with Percy.
"So, how's the job going?"
"Excellent. Working for the Ministry is a rewarding job, in its special way. For the Second Task, I've also been asked to fill in for Mr.Crouch."
"Still not feeling well, I take it?"
"Sadly, no. Much as I enjoy the trust the Ministry has placed in me with my newfound responsibility, I do wish it wasn't because of Mr.Crouch's misfortune."
Harry bit his tongue. Ever since learning that Barty had been partially responsible for his godfather's imprisonment without trial, his opinion of the man had soured considerably. Right now, he dearly wished to tell everyone the truth, that Crouch had sent an innocent man to Azkaban for 12 years while the true criminal, the one who betrayed his parents was free.
But unlike before, it wasn't just him and his friends dealing with this. Andromeda had gotten involved and, thanks to Remus, had brought Peter's survival to the attention of the DMLE. While he wanted dearly to see his godfather's innocence declared now, he was willing to wait for the trial that was sure to come. Then Snivellus and the Minister will eat their words.
"Welcome to the Second Task! Last night, something was stolen from each Champion. A treasure most dear. These treasures now lie on the bottom of the Black Lake. To win, they must find their treasure within one hour. After that, their time is up, and no magic will save them. Champions, take your positions! You will begin at the sound of the cannon."
Dumbledore's voice echoed across the Lake, as Harry and the other Champions took their places. He was already in his swimming clothes, and Andromeda had helpfully gotten them enchanted with Warming Charms, so that even in the middle of February, Harry was feeling quite comfortable. But that was of no importance. Right now, he was scanning the area for two things, one would be needed for the Task, and the other was for personal reasons.
He found the first item easily enough, a large chunk of driftwood floating in the water. It was close enough that Harry could easily summon it, and have it ready for use in moments. But the second, and most important thing he was searching for was nowhere to be seen. Hermione was nowhere to be seen. It didn't make sense... she'd never miss something like this, even before they became a couple. As friends, she had always stood by him, but now she was practically the most important...
'Wait, the song said, "We've taken what you'll sorely miss." No... no they wouldn't...'
Scanning the stands again, he was certain now. Hermione wasn't in the stands. And she wasn't watching from some hidden vantage point. She was the treasure he'd sorely miss. After all, after living a life without knowing anything about love, what would he treasure more, than his girlfriend?
Before he could reveal this to the other Champions, the cannon went off, and they dived into the water without hesitation. Which meant he had no time to lose. Not when Hermione was in danger!
"Accio Driftwood!"
The spell worked perfectly, the driftwood flying into his hands quickly. Now that he had some wood, it was time to get started. Moving his wand in a pattern reminiscent of a sextant, Harry muttered the incantation under his breath. Gnarl had gone over this spell with him so often he could perform it in his sleep. With a final tap of the wand, he tossed the driftwood into the water and watched it change.
It grew in length, to about 20 feet long, and about 8 feet wide. From the center and the back, two separate masts sprouted and rose high in the air. From these masts emerged black sails, a blood-red dragon emblazoned upon them. Rope and rigging emerged from nowhere to spiral about the place, and within moments, the simple piece of driftwood had grown into a cog, a medieval ship, ready to carry its master where he wills.
Jumping aboard, Harry thrust his wand toward the center of the lake, and the ship responded in kind, readily obeying its master's command. Sailing from the docks, Harry could hear the throngs cheering for him, but that was irrelevant. All that mattered now was finding Hermione and getting her, and the other hostages, back to the surface. And then throw whoever came up with this insanity into the Lake with a boulder strapped to their backs.
Rushing to the bow of the ship, Harry knelt at the side and aimed his wand downwards, quickly incanting 'Sonus Vistus' as the entirety of the Lake came into view for him. Outlined in silver, he could see the depths of the Lake entirely, and it nearly overwhelmed him. Only one thing kept him focused enough to press on and ignore the throbbing in his brain: the knowledge that Hermione was down there. She'd been there for him for so long, it was time to return the favour.
Again and again, he set forth the pulse of magic, pouring more and more of his magic into each pulse, watching as it mapped out the depths for him with perfect clarity. He could see the massive forests of seaweed, the leaves shimmering as they swayed in the water, the rock formations that marked out the bottom of the Lake. He could even see the other champions. One of whom had turned their upper half into a fish, or maybe a shark. The distance made it hard to judge, but he could more clearly see the others. They were all heading deeper, looking for the 'treasure' hidden at the bottom of the Lake. With luck, they'd all be able to find their...
WAIT!
There, further ahead, he could see it. Four figures, floating near the bottom of the Lake, were tied to rocks to keep them from floating away. It had to be them.
Pulling one of the clumps of gillyweed out of his pocket, and shoving it into his mouth, Harry jumped into the water, trying to ignore the horrendous taste. As he began swimming, he felt the gillyweeds effects take hold. Gills sprouted out of his neck, allowing him to breathe underwater, and he felt a tingling in his hands and feet. Looking at his hands, he saw the webbing forming between his fingers, and instinctively knew his feet were receiving a similar treatment.
With nothing left to do but swim, Harry faced the hostages and kicked hard toward them. He had to make every second count if he wanted to finish this.
Above the waterline, the rest of the students, and the judges, observed the Second Task with keen interest. Thanks to Dumbledore casting a special spell, the onlookers could see quite clearly into the Lake and thus could see the Champions as they made their way towards their 'treasure,' all while listening to Bagman and his commentary.
"And there goes Harry Potter, using gillyweed if I'm not mistaken! Quite clever, and using it after sailing further into the Lake means he can make the most of the gillyweed's duration. But Viktor Krum is going strong, using self-transfiguration to become a shark... partly. But at least he got the important part done! Cedric Diggory's close though, making excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm. Harry's taken the lead so far, but Viktor and Cedric each look ready to close the cap. Meanwhile, Fleur Delacour is pretty close. Her Bubble-Head Charm is doing well, but she's starting to lag behind the others. She'll have to pull out all the stops to take the lead on this one."
Andromeda was listening, barely. It still irked her that Bagman came up with this Task, and unless she missed her mark, Harry would be looking for payback on whoever came up with this insanity. On the upside, he seemed to be retaking the lead in the Task. He seemed to be the only one heading directly for the village, and the hostages, now that she thought of it. The others were following a general pattern of descending to the bottom of the Lake while trying to keep an eye out for clues to their destination. Krum in particular was swimming in a wide arc, covering as much ground as he could.
But Harry was on a direct course for the village. Which meant, whatever that spell he was casting aboard his boat was, it was meant to find what he was looking for...which likely meant he already knew exactly what the 'treasure' was.
'Well, I'll keep him from doing anything permanent to Bagman.'
"But wait, it looks like Fleur's encountered some grindylows! Nasty creatures, and territorial to boot. And there's a lot of them! She'll have to cast hard and fast if she wants to escape this attack!"
Andy leaned forward in her seat, watching as the grindylows swarmed Fleur. She suspected that the girl would be the first to be attacked. Even ignoring the longstanding tensions between the Veela and the merpeople, Veela were creatures of fire and air. Water, especially water from a Scottish lake in February, wasn't something they did well in. In fact, despite her strong start, she'd been steadily falling behind the others as the Task dragged on. The poor dear wasn't at her full strength, and she doubted her chances against the grindylows. If they had attacked sooner, maybe she'd get away. But this far in? No, this was the moment she was eliminated.
Turning back to Harry, she was pleased to note he was actively avoiding the seaweed. Remus had gone to great lengths to instill in Harry knowledge of the creatures of the Lake, and in particular, the grindylows. The nasty creatures liked to ambush their prey in the seaweed, so Harry staying out of it meant he was less likely to be ambushed by the vermin.
This leant further credence to her belief Harry knew exactly where the hostages were and knew the exact route he needed to take. It was impressive, of that there could be no doubt. But it still raised questions in her mind, on how he knew. To her knowledge, there were no maps of the Lake, and she knew for a fact that the trio had spent hours in the library searching for anything even remotely resembling a map or a guide to the Black Lake. Which meant that spell was connected to this knowledge...somehow.
'Did Harry invent the spell? Or did he find it somewhere? Well, I'm sure Hermione will find out after this insane Task.'
'Just one more little push...'
Harry could see it now. Deep within the Black Lake, hidden from the prying eyes of the surface, he could see the merpeople colony. And as he drew closer, he could the merpeople themselves. They were a far cry from the images of merpeople depicted in paintings. They had grey skin, dark green hair, yellow eyes, and silver fishtails. Not exactly the kind of creature sailors would throw themselves into the ocean for.
But their looks mattered little to Harry. What mattered was their creepy singing, a chorus repeating the clue contained within the golden egg. Only this time, they were counting down how long he had left. He'd made it this far with no complications, so he still had plenty of time. Now that he could see the hostages, he also realized he was the first to arrive. Hermione was floating there, alongside Cho, a young girl with blonde hair, and a girl from Durmstrang. Cho was dating Cedric, while the Durmstrang girl was Viktor's Yule Ball date. So the young girl was Fleur's...sister? Cousin? It didn't matter. What mattered was getting them out of there.
Swimming up to Hermione, he resisted the urge to kiss her and looked about the area. He couldn't see anything clearly, so he resorted to his magical map. Casting 'Sonus Vistus' in every direction, he soon had a clear view of his surroundings. He could see the grindylows lurking in the seaweed. He could see the schools of fish swimming about, as they tried to avoid the attention of anything else within the Lake. And he could see the outlines of two of the Champions...but not the third.
Putting more power into the spell, he tried again and again as the minutes ticked by, trying to find the missing Champion. As the other two drew closer, he could see more clearly who they were. Even underwater, he'd recognize Cedric Diggory anywhere, and from the second, he observed flashes of red as they twisted and turned in the water, which meant it was Krum. But Fleur was nowhere to be seen. Finally, as Cedric entered the clearing where the hostages were being kept, Harry realized that she must have been eliminated.
Which meant he had to get her and Hermione out of there. NOW.
Quickly casting 'Diffindo' at the rope holding Hermione, Harry reached out and pulled her close. No matter what happened, he would protect her. Turning to the young girl, he readied his wand and was prepared to do the same for her. But the merpeople had other plans, as one swam up to him, holding their spear up to his throat.
"Only one!"
Instinctively, Harry prepared to turn his wand on the merman, only for a red spell to hit him from behind. The spear fell from the merman's hands and sank to the bottom, as the merman floated there, eyes glazed over. Turning his attention to the source, Harry saw Cedric above, wand pointed downwards, and Cho in his arms. Nodding in acknowledgment, Harry took the time to sever the rope holding the last girl while Krum swam circles around them, blocking the merpeople from interfering.
With nothing left to lose, Harry pulled the girl towards her and swam upwards with everything he had. He knew time was short, having waited for the others to arrive, so he needed to move fast. Despite the added weight of carrying two unconscious girls, Harry soon caught up to Cedric, as did Krum, his date in his arms.
Moments later, they breached the surface, Harry taking in deep breaths as the gillyweed began wearing off. The timing couldn't have been better. Especially as the boat was still there, the spell having yet to wear off. Sadly, that was when the little girl in Harry's arms began struggling to break free, calling out 'Fleur! Fleur!'
Harry, not knowing a word of French, had no idea what to say or do. The girl was wet, cold, and likely terrified as she woke up being held by someone other than the one she was expecting. But as she had done time and again before, Hermione came to the rescue, gently gaining the girls' attention with both her words and tone of voice. Slowly, the girl stopped fighting, and turned to look at him...and focused on his lightning scar. When she breathed the words 'Arry Potter' he responded by giving her a little grin, before shifting her weight, and bringing his wand to bear.
With a quick flick of the wrist, the boat he had conjured sailed towards them, allowing Harry to levitate his girlfriend, then the little girl, onto the boat. Once they were both aboard, Hermione drew her wand, and levitated him onto the boat, as he began casting Drying and Warming Charms on Hermione, the girl, and himself. From behind, he heard Cedric's voice ring out.
"Permission to come aboard?"
Turning to face him, Harry saw Cedric and Cho swimming up to the boat, with Viktor and his date just behind them. Without any prompting, Harry and Hermione first levitated Cedric and Cho onto the boat. With them aboard, and Cedric beginning to cast Drying Charms, it was simple to repeat the process for Viktor. With everyone settled, Harry gave a wave of his wand, and the boat was off...aiming directly for the judges. Standing next to Fleur's hostage, Hermione looked perplexed.
"Harry? Why are we going to the judge's stand and not our friends?"
"Because I want to get a few good hits in on Bagman before he decides to run."
"Harry!" Hermione was scandalized by the idea of assaulting one of the judges.
"No, no, I like where this is going." Cedric, of all people, was speaking up in Harry's defence. "So do we hit him with Incarcerous first, or just start cursing once he's in range?"
"I was thinking something light at first, maybe a few Stinging Hexes, then we start using the nastier stuff. I still want to use some of my elemental spells."
"Cho, please...help."
"Hush Hermione. This is how boys work through their issues. Besides, it's fun watching them get like this."
As the girls whispered, Krum spoke up. "Question. Do we just hit Bagman, or do we go for other judges as well?"
"Well, Bagman's the only one we can probably get away with. Plus, this was probably his idea anyway, so they'll be more inclined to forgive us." Harry shrugged his shoulders. "It's a win either way."
"Harry, Bagman didn't decide who went under, the Goblet of Fire did."
Harry, Cedric, and Viktor all turned to look at Hermione. She briefly balked at the realization all eyes were on her, but she pressed on.
"The judges wrote out the names of the Champion's friends and loved ones, and entered them into the Goblet of Fire. The Goblet then made the choice last night of who would be the hostage." Hermione wrapped a free arm around the shoulder of the young girl. "Dumbledore also had a deal with the merpeople, to have them return us once the hour was up. So we were never in any danger to begin with."
...
...
...
...
"...So, just a few Stinging Hexes then?"
"Harry..."
Raising his hands in surrender, he continued. "Alright, alright Hermione, you win. I won't do anything to Bagman."
"MAMAN! PAPA!"
The girl, who until now had been silent, suddenly shouted with joy, waving her hands as the docks came into sight. With careful maneuvering, Harry was able to pull the boat up to the dock that held Fleur Delacour, an older woman who must be the child's mother and a man who must have been the girl's father. The girl quickly jumped off the boat once it was close enough, and ran into Fleur's waiting arms, the pair babbling in French the whole while. When they separated, Fleur came rushing up to Harry.
"You saved my little sister, even when she was not yours to save! Thank you!"
Fleur quickly wrapped Harry in a hug, kissing his cheek as she did so. Thanking him again for saving 'Gabrielle' she returned to her sister's side and joined their mother in fussing over the girl. But Gabrielle seemed no worse for wear. She was even sporting the same grin she had on the boat ride in and had enjoyed herself. It was cute and even somewhat wholesome to see.
Before he could pursue that line of thought anywhere, Hermione pulled up next to him, wrapping her arms around him, drawing his attention. When Harry turned to look at her, she kissed him on the lips, smirking as she pulled away.
"Can't help but rescue the damsel in distress, can you?"
Harry grinned in response. "Comes with being the Boy Who Lived."
Hermione chuckled, but before she could say anything, Dumbledore's voice rang out.
"Attention everyone! We shall now announce the score. In fourth place came Fleur Delacour. While she might not have reached her hostage, she was freed from the Lake, and so the judges have decided to award 30 points for her effort. In a tie for second and third place come Cedric Diggory, and Viktor Krum. Cedric displayed effective use of the Bubble Head Charm, while Viktor made impressive, if incomplete, use of self-transfiguration. For the skills displayed, we award each of them 50 points. And finally, in first place, comes Harry Potter, who used gillyweed, and an impressive transfiguration spell to achieve victory. As the first to arrive, and for ensuring the safety of both his, and Fleur's hostage, we award the full 60 points."
As the points were being distributed, the schools applauded their respective winner, though none more so than the Gryffindors cheering on Harry. For both the First and Second Tasks, he had managed to pull off a perfect score. If there were any doubts he could win this Tournament before, they were definitely dispelled now.
"The third and final task shall be held at dusk, on June 24th. Exactly one month beforehand, the Champions shall be told what is to come. Thank you all for coming, and good fortune to the Champions!"
"Excellent work, Master. Only one Task remains, and the Tournament is yours!"
Somehow, in the back of his mind, Harry knew it wasn't going to be that easy.