The Second Task
It was February 23, 1995. It had been almost two months since the students had returned from break and almost three months since Harry had retrieved the Golden Egg from the dragon during his first Triwizard task. About a week prior, Cedric had told Harry to take his egg up to the Prefects bathroom and encouraged him to think things over in the hot water. When Harry had submerged the egg under the water, he had quickly figured out that there must be merpeople in the Black Lake. Moaning Myrtle, a ghost that normally occupied the abandoned girls’ lavatory, had confirmed his theory, although she had been quite disappointed that he had figured out the clue so quickly.
Now, it was evening before the Second Task and Hermione joined Ron and Harry in the library. They had been researching what the clue could mean for the past hour and Harry was growing frustrated.
“Again, Harry,” Hermione implored. “Maybe there’s a detail we’re missing.”
Harry groaned and rested his chin on the open pages of his textbook.
“Come seek us where our voices sound,” Harry started.
“The Black Lake,” Hermione deducted. “Although that’s obvious.”
“An hour long you’ll have to look,” Harry continued. Hermione scoffed as she paced down the aisles of the library bookshelves.
“Again, obvious, though potentially problematic,” Hermione heard herself say. Harry rounded on her and snapped.
“Potentially problematic? When was the last time you held your breath under water for an hour, Hermione?” he demanded. He was heated and his eyes flashed with anger and frustration. Hermione flinched. She watched Ron’s eyes flicker between the two of them. He said nothing. Hermione sighed softly.
“Harry, I’m just trying to help,” she said after a moment. She crossed over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. “We will get through this together, alright? You, me and Ron, we will figure this out.”
At the sound of a man’s throat clearing, Hermione turned around, as did the two Gryffindor boys. They came face-to-face with Professor Moody.
“Evening, Professor,” Hermione greeted. “How can we help you?”
“I hate to break up this little chat but Professor McGonagall would like to see you in her office,” Mad-Eye Moody replied. Hermione nodded and looked to Ron and Harry. Ron got up from his seat on his wooden library chair and Harry started to pack up his books. Mad-Eye held up his hand to stop Harry. “Not you, Mr. Potter, just Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger.” Harry looked confused but stayed put. Hermione grimaced and shot Harry an apologetic look and Ron looked between the professor and their best friend, unsure of whether to follow or not. Moody turned around. “Come on, Weasley!” he barked. Hermione grabbed the elbow of Ron’s left sleeve and pulled, forcing him to leave Harry alone. Begrudgingly, they followed their Defence Against the Dark Arts professor out of the library.
“Would you mind telling us what’s going on?” Ron asked. “Only, McGonagall never usually wants to meet with just us. Harry’s always – ”
Moody cut him off, his tone as gravelly as his voice sounded. “Mr. Weasley, this matter does not concern Mr. Potter and unless you three are truly attached at the hip, I think you’ll do just fine without him,” he quipped. Hermione and Ron shared a surprised glance from behind Moody’s back. “I saw that,” the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher added. The Gryffindors had forgotten about his magic eye. They lowered their heads, meek, and continued to follow.
They didn’t need to walk far – McGonagall’s office was also on the first floor, albeit on the other side of the castle. When they reached her office door, Moody rapped thrice on the solid wood with his staff, hard enough that the sound echoed on the inside of her office walls. They could hear rapid footsteps inside and then the door swung open.
“Alastor, are you trying to break down my door?” McGonagall asked, looking surprised and a little cross. “Thank you for fetching Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, now go.”
Mad-Eye Moody rolled both of his eyes at the Deputy Headmistress’s attempt at dismissal.
“Excuse me, Minerva, but I’ll not be sent away like a little schoolboy,” he growled, a little offended.
Minerva McGonagall almost giggled, she was so amused, and she raised her eyebrows at the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
“It’s truly amusing that you think you have a choice,” she replied, her Scottish lilt heavy. “Alastor, I remember when I taught you and I have no difficulty with reprimanding you like a schoolboy if you choose to act like one. Now, if you please, I have to have an important discussion with Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, and you are postponing it. So, if you don’t mind…” She trailed off and grabbed Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger’s arms gently to bring them into her office. She then closed the wooden door of her office in Mad-Eye’s face.
She then smirked and ushered Ron and Hermione to seats opposite her desk. “Come in, you two. Sit, sit. Leave Professor Moody out there in the corridor to fuss as long as he wants to.” She sat down in her carved office chair; her brown-honey velvet robes draped around her elegantly. She adjusted her glasses on the tip of her nose and then placed her hands on the desk.
Ron chuckled from his place in his seat. He sat down and fidgeted; pulling at the bottom of his knitted jumper with his hands so that it would sit more comfortably. He moved his legs so that they were spread wide as he sat. “That was bloody brilliant!” he said with smirk of his own. “I can’t believe you told him off like that.”
“Yes, well,” McGonagall said as she adjusted her glasses on the tip of her nose. “Sometimes, even the grumpiest old Professor needs to be corrected and put in his place every once in a while. But we should keep that just between us, hm?”
Hermione cleared her throat. “What did you need from us, Professor?” she asked of their House Head. “We were sort of in the middle of helping Harry with something.”
“Yes, I’m aware,” Professor McGonagall replied. “Mr. Potter has a big day tomorrow, I’m sure he is under immense pressure. It is noble of his two best friends to want to help him in his time of need.”
“Which is why we need to get back as quickly as possible,” Ron interjected. “So, not to be rude, Professor but – ”
Professor McGonagall’s eyes sharpened, a look that told them that they needed to be quiet.
“Yes, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, I quite understand. However, you will not be returning to your dormitories tonight. And you won’t be returning to Mr. Potter. I have a favour to ask of the both of you and it involves the Second Task. As you may or may not know, based on helping Mr. Potter, the task is encouraging the champions to search in the Black Lake for an hour to find something important that has been taken from them.”
“Right,” Ron agreed. “We understood that far.”
“Well,” McGonagall added. “We are taking people that are important to each the Champions. If you agree, you will be placed under a charm that will put you to sleep. You will be able to breathe underwater and will be fine. While unconscious, your bodies will be taken to the village of merpeople down in the Black Lake and they will be tethered with rope so that you don’t float away.”
Hermione sucked in a breath. “Does Harry get two treasures?” she asked. McGonagall shook her head.
“No, Miss Granger. Mr. Weasley has been chosen to be Mr. Potter’s treasure that he has to save. You have been chosen to be Mr. Krum’s treasure.” Hermione gasped and looked to Ron.
“Viktor?” she asked as she looked back to McGonagall. “But why?”
“You are seemingly the most important friendship connection that he has founded in quite some time,” McGonagall replied. “He took you to the Ball, you are seen around the school together quite often – though less so, in recent weeks. But we believe you are the closest thing to a treasure he has at the moment.”
“What happens to us if we aren’t rescued within the hour?” Ron asked.
McGonagall sighed. “We will come down and pull you from the lake ourselves. You won’t be at risk of drowning. Professor Flitwick has formed the charms himself over many years, you will be perfectly safe.”
Hermione had a small quip. “Will the Champions know that? That we are safe and no harm will come to us?” She knew how Harry’s thinking could be: very black and white, an all-or-nothing game. So much of his short death had been life-or-death situations already, it was hard to convince him of anything else.
McGonagall rubbed her wrinkled temples with her fingers. “We are not even allowed to the Champions what or who the treasures are, let alone the outcome. But I would assume that they would know – we obviously wouldn’t let anybody die in this tournament.”
Hermione and Ron nodded in unison.
“When do we get charmed then?” Ron asked. “Right now?”
“You are to go upstairs and change into your school robes,” McGonagall instructed. “You can eat your dinner in my office here with me. After dinner, we are to go to Professor Flitwick’s office. You will be charmed and the charm will last until 10:35am, including the hour of the task and the five minutes maximum that it will take for us to retrieve you from the lake should you fail to be rescued.”
Hermione gulped. “Do we get to tell anyone else?” she asked, thinking of Fred. “I mean, we don’t want to disappear for almost twelve hours.”
The Gryffindor Head of House shook her head. “Not a word to anyone. We have to keep the suspense of the Second Task. Now, upstairs, the both of you. And please, no words to anyone.”
Hermione and Ron nodded again and they both rose. Hermione crossed her arms in front of her chest and followed Ron out of the classroom, promising that they would return soon. When they re-entered the first-floor corridor, Ron looked to Hermione. He twiddled his thumbs in front of him as they walked.
“Bloody hell, Hermione, what do you reckon we’re going to do?” Ron asked. He seemed worried. Hermione shrugged.
“Obviously, Ronald, we are going to be charmed and be a part of this task,” she replied. “I don’t think that we would really be in danger, I mean, Flitwick is one of the best-known charmers in the entire wizarding world. Do I necessarily like the idea of being unconscious while underwater? No, absolutely not. But if it has to happen, it has to happen.”
They started up the Grand Staircase towards the seventh floor and passed Cedric and a few of his Hufflepuff friends heading in the opposite direction. He gave them a small smile and motioned for them to stop walking.
“Hey, did Potter end up figuring out the clue?” Cedric asked of them when they did as motioned and stopped climbing the steps. Ron nodded, surprised that Cedric was even talking to them.
“He did, at least, we think so,” Ron replied. “Definitely something about the lake.”
Cedric nodded knowingly. “Brilliant,” he said. “I’m glad he got it. I figured I would repay the favour since he told me about the dragons.”
Hermione smiled softly. “We’ll be cheering for the both of you tomorrow, Cedric,” she promised. “Have a good night.” She patted Ron on the left shoulder to motion for him to start going up the stairs and turned around. She heard Diggory mutter a goodnight to them as they left.
“Who do you reckon is going to be his treasure?” Ron asked over his shoulder. Hermione ran her hand through her hair.
“If I had to guess, it’s probably going to be Cho,” Hermione replied. “I mean, if they picked me off of the basis that I was Viktor’s friend and date to the Ball, Cho is his actual girlfriend. So it would make sense. But if we’re thinking about Fleur, I have no idea. I suppose we’ll figure it out in the morning when we all wake up from the task and see for ourselves.”
They reached the seventh floor and headed to the Gryffindor common room. Upon entry, they crossed the common room and headed up the stone staircase towards their two different dormitories. When Hermione entered the fourth-year girls’ dormitory, she showered and re-dressed in her school uniform, as instructed by McGonagall. She inhaled deeply to ground herself. She didn’t like that she was going to disappear on Fred for several hours and he would have no idea. And while they were promised safety, there was always the off-chance, as with everything, that something could go wrong. It didn’t sit right with her.
She groaned and rubbed her forehead. Being friends with Harry meant that life had its ups and downs and she could never anticipate what was coming next. While she wasn’t exactly comfortable with this whole idea, Hermione supposed that she would just have to grin and bear it. She fixed her hair with a few light touches of her fingers and decided to head down to the common room to wait for Ron. When she reached the scarlet-and-gold clad room, she spotted Lee. The Gryffindor sat in front of the fire on the floor with his legs crossed. He rested his elbows on his knees and had his chin resting on the cradle of his hands. Lee seemed to be transfixed as he watched the fire’s flames.
Hermione sighed and crossed the common room to sit on the scarlet couch behind him.
“Lee, are you alright?” she asked. She reached forward to tap his left shoulder. He jumped a little at her touch and turned his head around to face her.
“Not really,” he replied. “Merlin, it’s been almost two months and I still feel bad about what happened – with you and Fred and Angelina, that whole mess. I mean, I know Fred forgave me pretty quickly. But some days, I still feel off.”
Hermione nodded knowingly. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” she said after a moment. “But just know that Fred and I have talked privately about this. And he does care about you very much.” She gave him a little grin. “Even though all those things happened, he doesn’t see you as being the aggressor. Again, you started the game – but you couldn’t expect what it would turn into.”
The silence between them was comfortable and then Lee spoke up. “For the record, I do like you and Fred together. You ground him a little so his dreams don’t go too mental and he lifts you up, gives you some life. I like that. He needs that – you need him.”
“I do too,” Hermione replied. “He makes me feel different. And I think I like it. I’m having a lot of fun with Fred.” She stood up from her seat on the couch as Ron came down the stairs and excused herself from the sixth-year Gryffindor. “Have a good night, Lee.”
“Will I see you lot tomorrow?” Lee asked as she and Ron made to leave the common room. Ron and Hermione shared a quick glance and before the brunette could reply, the redhead chose to answer.
“We’ll be there,” he promised. “You, and Fred and George, you should save us seats. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Hermione followed Ron out of the common room and together, they returned to McGonagall’s office. The Deputy Headmistress made sure that they were served dinner by a house elf in her office and talk moved amicably between what their classes were like, if they needed help with anything. When they had finished and Ron finished his third helping of dessert, McGonagall stood up from her office desk and walked around it.
“When you both wake up after this charm, you will most likely be in the lake. It is important that you try and remain calm. If you are in the water, we do not want you ingesting it. The charm also keeps your body warm for as long as you are in the water – when you wake, the sudden lack of heat may send your body into shock. But it’s nothing that quick heated towel won’t fix,” she said as she ran Hermione and Ron through what to expect. “It is also imperative that you expect that your clothes will stick to you since they are wet – some people that come out of this charm in similar situations can sometimes feel claustrophobic due to the sensation.”
Ron nodded and blinked rapidly, as if having a hard time ingesting all of this information at once. Hermione, however, was steadfast and her eyes were trained to McGonagall’s face, never leaving.
“Professor, once again, can you promise that there is no real threat of harm to our lives?” she asked quietly. “If I can’t say goodbye to Fred and tell him what might happen, I need you to promise that I will be okay. And if we can’t say goodbye to Harry, you need to promise us that we will return to him. Ron and I, we’re all he has.”
Professor McGonagall nodded. “Miss Granger, while I do see your concerns, I have been assured that Professor Flitwick is more than skilled enough to perform this charm. Both you and Mr. Weasley will be perfectly safe.”
It was Ron’s turn to inhale deeply. “Alright, I’m in,” he said at last. He held his left hand out to Hermione, who took it hold of it with her right. She laced her fingers with her best friend’s and steeled herself. They heard the door of McGonagall’s office open behind them and to their surprise, Flitwick entered the room.
“I’m so sorry for intruding, Minerva, but seeing as Mr. Diggory’s treasure was finished with so quickly, I had the free time to come here to help two others.”
“Oh no, please, Professor Flitwick, do come in!” McGonagall said with a grin on her face. “These are our brave treasures for Mr. Potter and Mr. Krum: Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger.” At the mention of their names, Ron and Hermione both stood up, still holding each other’s hands for support. Ron’s grip tightened.
“Ah, Mr. Weasley – Mr. Potter’s best friend! Yes that makes sense, indeed,” the Charms professor squeaked as he moved to stand before them. “And Miss Granger for Mr. Krum – I did see you two dancing at the Ball at Christmas, did I not?”
Hermione gave a little laugh, partially caused by nerves. “Yes, Professor, although I’m dating one of Ronald’s brothers now,” she admitted. Flitwick’s answering smile was gentle.
“Ah, yes, Fredrick Weasley. Yes, I’ve heard the gossip. Well then!” The wizard of small stature lifted his wand. “I am going to ask that you both sit back down in your chairs, it will make this easier for me.”
The Gryffindor students complied. Now, Flitwick’s reach extended up to their chins rather than at their stomachs. Flitwick gave an amused little giggle.
“Now, I am going to tap my wand on the top of your head. You are going to feel a cooling, trickling sensation go down your head, as if I’ve poured ice water or cracked a cold egg upon your crown. As it trickles down to your shoulders, your eyes are going to feel tired and you’re going to feel tired. When you next wake up, you are going to either be in water or on the wooden platform in the middle of the lake. As I’m sure Minerva has already warned you, it may be a shock but you need to remember to relax.”
Hermione closed her eyes. “I can go first,” she said. She let go of Ron’s hand and placed her hands on her lap. “You can go ahead, Professor, I’m ready.” The Charms professor muttered as he fiddled with his wand, removing it from a hidden pocket in the sleeve of his robes. His fingers twitched slightly as he brought the wand up to the top of her head and then she felt a gentle tap on the crown of her head. She closed her eyes as the cooling sensation trickled down her head like Flitwick had told her it would. She could hear Ron’s voice, as if he sounded underwater or far away.
“Hermione? ’Mione, are you okay? How do you feel?”
Another voice, McGonagall’s. “She’s perfectly fine, Mr. Weasley. Now you just sit back.”
She opened her mouth to reply but her words wouldn’t pass her lips. She felt the gentle tickle of her eyelashes against the tops of her cheeks. It made her giggle and she felt her head loll back. The next thing she knew, everything went black.
The Next Morning…
Fred and George walked up and down along the docks of the Black Lake. They carried large wooden trays, supported by leather straps around their necks. They walked around, asking those heading down to the boats if they wanted to place bets on which Champion would win the Second Task. Professor Sprout actually looked like she would place a bet until Madame Hooch continued to shoo her forward away from the sixth-year twins. Malfoy and his goons had sneered as they approached and placed quite a tidy sum against Potter, wanting Diggory to come in first.
When it seemed like most of the Hogwarts students, faculty, and other visiting students and families had all headed to the enchanted boats, Fred looked to his twin brother.
“Have you seen Hermione? I didn’t see her this morning – or Ron. I was hoping that we could sit with them to cheer on Harry,” he asked. He watched George shake his head.
“No – Harry hasn’t seen them either and I saw him head into the event with Neville, of all people. It’s not like them to not be around,” his twin replied. “Maybe they’re just running late.”
“What are our bets looking like?” Fred asked, trying to change the subject off of his worry for his girlfriend’s whereabouts. George chuckled and grabbed his brother’s jacket sleeve, giving him an aggressive shake in his excitement.
“Oh, Freddie boy, we are in the money any way we slice it,” he said, chuckling once more. “The odds are that Harry will come in last. He is the youngest, the shortest, has the least amount of magical experience and the least amount of muscle out of the men. Next, our bets are showing that Viktor is estimated to come in third. Fleur is voted for second which leaves good old Ced at first.”
Fred nodded. “Good, good – we need our share of the money,” he replied. “If we really want to make our business a thing in the next year or two.” He looked down at his wooden tray, filled to the brim with coins. “Let’s pack this up at the common room and hurry or we will miss the last boats.”
True to their mission, the twins counted up their betting money as they travelled back up to the castle. Business was good – very good, and if it was any indication of the future, Fred was chuffed to know that they were both stellar salesmen.
When they returned from the castle back to the Black Lake, Hagrid was overseeing the last few boats. The half-giant waved his large hand, urging them to hurry.
“Where have the two of ye been?” he asked, noting that both Fred and George looked slightly out-of-breath since they had raced back down to the water. Fred doubled-over on the dock and placed his hands on his knees to brace himself.
“Betting money – back at castle – came back down,” Fred managed to say through gasped breaths. “Have you – seen Hermione?”
Hagrid shook his head as he got onto the last boat and helped Fred and George into the enchanted vessel after him. “No, as a matter of fact, I haven’,” the half-giant replied. “Or Ron, for that matter. Maybe they were one of the first groups.”
Fred looked to his twin. George shook his head.
“No, we have been down here since the beginning,” Fred said. “We haven’t seen either of them.”
Hagrid’s large brows furrowed together, momentarily giving the appearance that a furry caterpillar was on his forehead. The boat set off, headed towards the immense wooden stands erected in the middle of the lake. “That’s not like the two of them to go off, especially not withou’ Harry.”
Fred nodded once, as if what Hagrid had said confirmed his theory. “That’s what I’m saying.”
George squinted as the stands loomed closer. “Maybe they’re involved in something with the Second Task,” he suggested. “Would Hermione have been allowed to tell you if she was, Freddie?”
Fred bit his lower lip. “I don’t know – but I hope she’s safe, wherever she is.”
When they reached the wooden stands, Hagrid joined the rest of the Hogwarts staff while Fred and George managed to find some standing room on the bottom platform near Seamus, Lee, Neville and Dean. Lee handed them some black and red flags, embroidered with the word “Potter” on one side.
“How did the bets go, gents?” Seamus asked from behind Lee. “Did you two make some good money?”
“All of its situational,” replied George. “But yes, we are set up to gain some money either way. Cedric is the fan-favourite to win.”
“What about Harry?” Dean asked as he peered over the edge of the stands into the dark depths of the Black Lake. Fred looked over the edge too. The water lapped at the posts of the stands slowly and the surface was almost calm. He looked over to the other part of the stands where the four Triwizard Champions were gathered and Harry looked positively sick with nerves. Fred watched as the Chosen One took something out of his pocket and stared down at it. Whatever it was, Harry looked repulsed.
“He’s last,” Fred replied. “He’s the youngest and the least experienced within magic.” He kept looking around the rest of the people in the stands, trying to find the red hair of his youngest brother or the brunette curls of his girlfriend. He couldn’t spot them anywhere in the stands.
“Have you seen Hermione?” he asked of Neville. The unorthodox Gryffindor shook his head and looked to Seamus and Dean, who also shook their heads in response.
“No, she wasn’t in the common room with the others this morning,” Neville replied. “Krum asked us earlier when he got here. He said he hadn’t seen her since yesterday at breakfast and was wondering if we had seen her. I said I saw Hermione and Ron in the library with Harry last night but that’s all I know.”
A crackle was heard through the air and then the Headmaster could be heard clearing his voice, the sound amplified by the Sonorous charm his wand produced pressed against his throat.
“Welcome to the second task! Last night, something was stolen from each of our champions. A treasure, of sorts. These four treasures, one for each champion, now lie on the bottom of the Black Lake. In order to win, each champion need only find their treasure and return to the surface. Simple enough.”
Fred watched as Mad-Eye Moody crossed over to stand behind Harry. The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor growled something in Harry’s ear and Fred observed that Harry popped the mystery substance into his mouth. The Weasley twin knocked his brother’s elbow with his own.
“What do you think he took?” he asked of George. His twin shrugged and they both looked over to Harry.
“Whatever it was, he’s having a hard time getting it down,” George observed as they both watched Mad-Eye Moody smack Harry’s back to help him get whatever it was down his throat. The Chosen One gagged and swallowed hard.
“Except for this,” Dumbledore continued. “They will have but one hour to do so, and one hour only. After that, they’ll be on their own. No magic will save them.” The Headmaster then addressed the Champions. “You may begin at the start of the canon.”
Filch set off the canon. Fred watched as Cedric, Fleur and Krum drove into the water. Harry was pushed into the water by Mad-Eye and he flopped in rather ungracefully. Neville gasped loudly from beside Fred and all of the gathered Gryffindors turned around to face him.
“I gave him Gillyweed,” Neville explained. “I told him it could help him breathe underwater.”
“For how long?” Seamus asked, eyes widening in surprise.
“I’m not sure,” Longbottom answered. “I gave him enough to last the hour – or so I think, based on my calculations. But I wanted to help.”
“Help?” Dean repeated as they all watched Neville sink to his knees on the platform. They couldn’t see any sign of life from Harry below the surface.
“Oh my god,” Neville exclaimed as his hands furled into his hair, panicked. He stood up and turned around, groaning. “I’ve killed Harry Potter!”
All of a sudden, all gathered on the platform spotted a large object emerge from the water. It appeared to be Harry, but he had grown large flippers instead of feet and his hands appeared webbed too. Harry shouted in elation as he surfaced and that shout was echoed in gasps of admiration and surprise from the gathered crowd. They watched as Harry flipped in the air and dove back into the water. Neville turned around quickly enough to see Harry dive further into the depths of the Black Lake. Fred cheered loud enough that his voice was already growing hoarse. It was set to be an interesting hour.
As they waited for news of the Champions below the water and how they were faring, the witches and wizards gathered in the stands murmured aloud, wondering who or what each of the treasures were for each competitor. At around half-an-hour into the task, news came that Fleur needed to be rescued. Some of the emergency witches and wizards assigned to assist pointed their wands into the waters. Fleur emerged after a minute or two on the surface of the water, the markings of suckers along her neck and arms, a sign that she had been attacked by animals with tentacles – Fred wasn’t daft, most students who had passed through third-year of Defence Against the Dark Arts had learned about Grindylows. The creatures were ghastly in appearance; they were water demons with a green pallor, small in size, horned with long spindly fingers. They had tentacles on the lower half of their body, having adapted to life in the water, and used their fingers and tentacles to drown their prey. Luckily, Fred noted as Fleur was brought onto the stands, she looked alright save for the sucker marks. A few of the Beauxbatons girls brought her a powder blue robe to keep her warmer than her swimsuit would. Madame Maxime started rubbing the student’s arms up and down to keep her warm. Fleur’s eyes looked around the gathered Beauxbatons ladies and when she didn’t see what she was looking for, she started muttering.
“Gabrielle, Gabrielle, ou est Gabrielle?” she demanded in French of her friends. “Where iz she?” The other girls looked around and shrugged but tried to soothe Delacour anyway. Fleur pushed them off. “Gabrielle!” she screamed at the surface at the water. “Gabrielle!”
Fred’s heart sunk. “People,” he murmured. He moved forward to the platform’s edge and placed his hands on the top rail of the wooden rail line. His eyes searched the water again. “George – the treasures are people.”
He felt his twin put a hand on his left shoulder. “How do you know?” he asked.
“Gabrielle is her sister,” Fred said quickly. “So that means that each of the Champions have a person down there. Harry would have Ron, Cedric probably has his Yule Ball date, Cho – Krum isn’t dating anybody so they would have picked a friend, or someone who he was interested in. No one fits that profile except for – ”
Fred felt his stomach sink and the grip his twin had on his shoulder tightened. “She’ll be okay,” he heard George say. “He will save her.”
“What happens if he doesn’t?” Fred asked. “I can’t lose her, Georgie, not now.” He pulled out of his brother’s grip and started pacing. “Georgie, I can’t.”
“They have half-an-hour, yet,” George said, trying to appease his brother’s worry. “Krum is brawny and quite clever, though no one really gives him credit for it. Maybe he’ll come in first place! And even if he can’t save her for whatever reason, do you really think that Harry would let anything happen to her?”
Fred started picking at the loose skin on the cuticle of his right thumb. When he spoke, his voice shook. “I have a bad feeling.”
Fred felt smaller arms wrap around him and looked down to see that his little sister, Ginny, had pushed her way through the crowd to comfort him when she had spotted him spiralling. She looked at him with her warm brown eyes and gave him a small smile. “It’ll be okay, Fred,” she promised. “Harry will keep her safe. If Hermione is down there, between Krum and Harry, she’ll be okay.”
Fred wrapped his left arm around his sister’s shoulders and gave her a slight squeeze. “Thanks, Gin, I appreciate it,” he said with a small smile. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine if she’s fine.” He let his little sister go and walked back to the edge of the platform. It had been about ten minutes. No one else had come up and no one had reported any other news on the Champions. He started to pick at the skin of his cuticles again. He couldn’t help but be shaken.
Five minutes more and there was finally motion at the surface. The crowd all came to their feet and moved to the edges of the platform stands. A flash of yellow could be seen first, and then Cedric’s head appeared above the water, followed by the raven head of Cho Chang. Fred’s eyes trailed her face – he watched her take in her first official breath above air that she had had in Merlin knows how long and her eyes opened, panicked. Cedric wrapped his arm around her waist and supported her as they half-swam, half-floated to shore. His Bubble-Head charm disappeared as they reached the platform, revealing how he had managed to remain safe under the water. Fred walked over to Cedric as he was pulled from the water and handed a towel.
“First place, Ced! Well done!” he congratulated, trying to hide his nerves. The seventh-year wiped his face dry with the towel and brushed it underneath his nostrils for extra care at clearing his airways. Diggory looked over at him and gave him a small smirk.
“Thanks, Weasley,” he said. Cedric started to turn away from him, to turn his attention back to Cho, but a hand on his right arm stopped him. Fred had halted his movement. The Hufflepuff looked down at where the Gryffindor had latched onto him and grimaced. “Weasley, if you don’t mind, I need to make sure my girlfriend is – ”
Fred didn’t let Cedric finish speaking. “Is she down there?” he blurted. His eyes met those of Cedric’s and he knew that he probably looked crazed, frantic. “Is Hermione down there?”
Cedric pulled his arm out of Fred’s grip. “Weasley, you need to relax,” he replied as he turned his body so that he could make sure a towel was wrapped around Cho. He continued to speak as he took care of his girlfriend, whose lips were blue. “They’re all fine down there, although it is rather unsettling seeing them just float. They are breathing, charmed so that they’re asleep under the water. They’re tethered by their feet. Cho, tell him you were fine.”
Cho nodded and tried to smile, despite her chattering teeth. Having woken up in the water, her body had been oblivious to the temperature of the lake and had momentarily gone into some kind of shock. She was feeling better now that she had the warmth of a towel around her.
“I was dreaming, Fred, I had no clue I was down there. For all I knew, I was still in Flitwick’s office.”
“Flitwick?” Fred asked. “What do you mean?”
“He came around and charmed us,” Cho replied. “He was the one who prepared us to be the treasures.”
Fred looked from the faces of Cho and Cedric back to the water. “Is she down there?” he asked of Cedric. “Hermione, is she down there?”
Cedric nodded. “Yes, Harry is down there trying to free Ron right now and Fleur’s little sister is down there, too. But I don’t know how they’re going to save her, we are only supposed to take one treasure.” He looked from Fred’s face to Cho’s and back again. “But yes, Hermione is down there waiting for Krum. He wasn’t too far behind me on the swim down, we were all trying to keep track of each other and make sure we were safe. Mind you, I didn’t see Fleur after a while so I don’t know if she’s okay.”
“I’m here!” Fleur exclaimed as she pushed through the crowed. “Oh, Diggory, my Gabrielle, iz she alright?”
Cedric patted Fleur’s shoulder. “She’s down there, but I think they’ll bring her up if the hour passes and she can’t make it out herself.”
“Make it out herself?” Fleur repeated. “She’s only a child, ’ow iz she supposed to - !”
They were cut off by more sounds of splashing and cheers from the stands. The Durmstrang boys started chanting, their roars deafening over most of the bottom platform.
“Krum! Krum! Krum!”
Fred pushed some students aside to see that Krum’s head, morphing from a shark back to his regular form, had appeared above the surface of the water. And a familiar head of long brunette hair was beside him, choking and spluttering as she took in water. Fred’s heart ached in the moment. He watched Hermione push some of her hair out of her face and she gasped again, inhaling a breath deep into her lungs. Fred moved to the edge of the platform, near the ladder and held out his hand. Viktor caught Fred’s movement out of the corner of his eye and supported Hermione in swimming over to the platform.
Hermione’s POV
Hermione’s first cognisant thought when she re-surfaced was Breathe. Her mouth automatically opened and as she gulped in air, she took in water. She choked and spluttered and tried to inhale again. Her hair was in her face, slicked to her skin. She pushed it away. Viktor’s strong arm was around her waist, holding her afloat as her body started to wake up out of its sleep-induced charm. He was pulling her through the water. When she turned her head, her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the tall wooden, multi-tiered platforms. They were much larger and intimidating up close. She then scanned over the crowd of people and felt instant relief as soon as she saw Fred’s face and his hand outstretched for her as he leaned outward from the ladder of platform. Krum hoisted her out of the water and Fred’s hand grabbed her right elbow lightly, pulling her up from the icy lake. She felt Fred wrap a towel around her and watched over her shoulder as Krum was pulled into a huddle by his fellow Durmstrang students. She buried her chilled face against the warmth of Fred’s coat and snuggled into his chest. “Fred,” she said in a sigh. “Freddie, I’m sorry – ”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Fred asked as his heartbeat quickened. “’Mione, why didn’t you say anything? I was worried sick when I couldn’t find you and – ”
“We weren’t allowed to,” Hermione spluttered. “Ron and I, we weren’t allowed to say anything, McGonagall asked for us last night.”
As the clock struck the hour, 10:30am, Ronald and the Delacour sister, Gabrielle, surfaced without Harry. Both were gasping and struggling for breath. Fleur boldly moved through the crowed, shoving both professors and students alike out of her way.
“Gabrielle, ma belle, vien!” she called through her relieved tears. Hermione and Fred watched as Ron helped Gabrielle swim to the platform. She was smaller and struggled to paddle her way through the small waves the wind now caused on the surface of the lake. Fleur pulled Gabrielle from the water and the two Delacour sisters were immediately enveloped in a sea of powder blue as the other Beauxbatons girls surrounded them, tittering animatedly like swallows in a lavender bush, and just as flustered and feathered.
Hermione’s gaze was directed back to Fred as he cupped her chin with his finger and tilted her head back in his direction. “I love you,” he told her confidently. “Please try not to scare me like this again, that was the most scared I have ever been.”
Instead of saying anything, Hermione stood on her tiptoes and brought her lips up to Fred’s in a passionate kiss. As hers were cold and his were warm, the kiss felt a little odd at first but as they warmed to the sensation and grew more comfortable, he deepened their kiss. His tongue swept along the bottom of her mouth, asking for entrance, and his arms tightened around her waist. She sighed and was about to allow him access to her mouth when someone clearing their throat broke them apart. Fred pulled back from her very slightly and both he and Hermione looked over to the right to find that Ron stood there with the arms of Ginny and George wrapped around him in a hug.
The youngest Weasley boy smirked at the sight of his best friend and brother snogging.
“I see that I’m not as important,” he teased. “But aren’t you happy I’m alive?”
Hermione let Fred pull away from her and watched him cross the platform to hug his little brother. “Of course, I am,” he replied. “You gave us a right fright when we couldn’t find you, either.” Hermione decided to let the Weasleys have their moment and walked over to where Krum stood with some of his mates. Viktor turned around as she approached and she hugged him when he stepped forward to meet her.
“Thank you for saving me,” she said as they pulled apart. Viktor grinned.“Of course, Herm-own-ninny – as I always tell you, you are my friend. You mean a lot to me,” Viktor replied. “How are you feeling?”
Hermione still shivered. “I’m just cold,” she answered. “Nothing some Butterbeer at the castle can’t fix.” She looked over Viktor’s shoulder back at the waters of the Black Lake. “Did you see Harry when you were down there with me? Was he okay?”
“He was trying to free Ron,” Krum answered. “Untying his ankle. I think I scared him, actually, I had to come close to him in order to approach your rope at the right ankle that I could detach you and pull you along – but I had to use my shark teeth. And I think I made him nervous.”
“Wouldn’t you be nervous if you saw a shark swim straight for you?” Hermione asked with wry smile. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Her eyes never left the water. “I just wish I knew that Harry was okay. Why did Gabrielle and Ron come up without him?”
“Hermione!” a voice called. The brunette spun on the spot to see that Ron was waving her over. She cast a quick look to Viktor in a goodbye and hurried back through the crowd over to her best friend.
“What is it?” she demanded. “Is something wrong? Is it Harry?”
Ron shook his head. “Look over there,” he urged. He pointed his chin to where Dumbledore, Barty Crouch and McGonagall were gathered right at the ladder’s edge. They seemed to having a heated discussion about what to do. It had only been another minute, but Harry was without magic to save him in the depths of mostly unexplored waters in an old Scottish loch.
McGongall was speaking loud enough that most on the bottom platform could hear her. She seemed outraged that nothing had already been done to help Harry.
“Albus, it’s been an hour!” the Gryffindor Head of House was arguing. “Whatever he’s using to keep him breathing underwater may have worn off. We need to send in a rescue team to find him.”
“I have faith in Harry,” Dumbledore replied, his tone calm. “Just wait, Minerva.” The Headmaster’s blue eyes didn’t leave the water. McGonagall groaned.
“He could be drowning, Albus!” McGonagall retorted, loud enough for those nearest to hear. “We need to do something! Why are you not acting?”
It was Barty Crouch’s turn to speak. “Mr. Potter will be given a few more minutes to try and surface on his own. After that, we will send a party.”
McGonagall’s mouth dropped open. “Albus, this should not be a debate,” she practically snarled as she turned her attention from Barty back to Dumbledore. “Potter needs help.”
Professor Dumbledore said nothing.
Hermione bit her lower lip in fear. Fred moved to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her to keep her safe. “None of that,” he murmured in her ear. “No worrying yet, okay? You just need to take deep breaths and keep focusing on warming yourself up. Your lips are still blue.”
When she felt the heat of his body through her damp towel, Hermione couldn’t help but melt into him. “I’m scared, Fred,” she whispered. “I’m scared for Harry.”
Without warning, a large surge of water splashed upward from the surface of the lake. Most people stepped back and screamed in surprise. The first thing everyone saw was a wand, poking out of the water in the center of the splash, followed by the rest of Harry’s body. As the Chosen One flopped onto the wooden platform, choking and gasping for air, his gills and webbing on his hands and feet disappeared as the Gillyweed fully wore off, leaving markings of scales on his skin. Hermione pushed her way out of her boyfriend’s arms and ran over to Harry, Ron following close behind. Dumbledore’s hands were around Harry’s neck, supporting his airway and Seamus was already wrapping a towel around Harry’s neck, demanding to the crowd behind him to get Harry another. The crowd went crazy, screaming and cheering.
“I want all of the judges over here now,” Dumbledore demanded as he walked away from Harry, followed by McGonagall and Crouch. Hermione stood to the side as she watched Fleur approach Harry fervently and kneel before him, her baby sister in tow by the hand.
“You saved ’er even though she wasn’t yours to save. My little sister! Thank you!” Fleur kissed each of Harry’s cheeks. Then Fleur was crossing the platform over to where she and Ron stood. “And you! You helped!” Fleur kissed each of Ron’s cheeks as he spluttered that he had helped a bit. As the Beauxbatons witch hurried off with her sister, Ron touched his cheek.
“Merci,” he murmured. Hermione rolled her eyes and then ran over to their best friend. She sunk to her knees in front of him.
“Harry, are you alright?” she demanded, taking off her own waffle-knitted towel and draping it around Harry to try and give him extra warmth. She heard Harry’s sounds of protest but continued on. “You must be freezing. Personally, I think you behaved admirably.” She momentarily took note of the fact that Seamus was also rubbing Harry’s back to try and generate more warmth for their friend.
“I finished last, Hermione,” Harry replied, sounded defeated. So stubborn, Hermione groaned inwardly. She took hold of the top of his head and kissed it, grateful that he was just alive, and then cupped the sides of his face tenderly.
“Next to last,” Hermione corrected meaningfully. “Fleur never got past the Grindylows.”
Now that all of the Champions were safe and the judges had deliberated. The spectators obviously knew who were going to be first and second; Diggory and Krum had performed well. Dumbledore tried to call for attention over the din but couldn’t be heard until he used the Sonorous charm once again.
“Attention!” the Headmaster bellowed, so loudly that most of the spectators had to cover their ears. “The winner is… Mr. Diggory, who showed innate command of the Bubble-Head charm! However, seeing as Mr. Potter would have finished first, had it not been for his determination to rescue not only Mr. Weasley, but the others as well, we’ve agreed to award him second place – for outstanding moral fiber!”
“Second place!” Hermione exclaimed as she watched her best friend’s face go slack. He was gobsmacked. Ron cheered from beside Harry with Seamus, Dean, Fred and George close behind. The Durmstrang boys booed at the decision, sad that their champion had been robbed of a runner-up victory. But it was decided.
About ten minutes later, Fred helped Hermione out of the enchanted boat onto the dock of the Hogwarts grounds, while George leant a hand to Harry and Ron. The twins were taking the piss out of Harry.
“Right on,” George encouraged, mid-discussion. Second place for Harry was a great position to be in heading into the third task.
“All that moral fiber, eh?” Fred teased.
“Moral fiber?” Ron chimed in. “Blimey, Harry, even when you go wrong, it turns out right.” They could all see Mr. Crouch on the shoreline, clearly waiting for Harry. George gave Harry one last goad, “Yeah, well done, moral fiber” and then the four of them left Harry alone to speak with Mr. Crouch while they headed up to the castle.
By the time they had reached the Gryffindor common room, Hermione’s cheeks had regained some colour. Still, being in the chilled waters of the Black Lake in February had caused the cold and dampness to seep into her bones and she found it difficult to stay warm. Her teeth continued to chatter occasionally as she talked to Ron and the twins about what the final task might be. They didn’t suppose there was a clue about the next one like there had been from the first to the second. They climbed the stone steps of the main staircase to the dormitories and Hermione made off to split up when Fred stopped her by gently grabbing her wrist.
“I want you to collect your shower things in a bag and your warm clothes and come with me,” he told her with a little smile. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing devious, I promise.”
Hermione smirked at her boyfriend. “Why don’t I believe you?” she asked with a little laugh. Fred shrugged.
“You don’t have to,” he answered simply. “But, if I can interest you at all in what I’m offering, I’ll just wait here on the landing. You can go and come back.” He held up his hands as a sign of surrender and innocence, as he so often did. Hermione sighed and pressed her lips to his briefly before she took off on the split staircase that led to the girls’ dormitories. She gathered up a pair of thick, waffle-knit black joggers, warm socks knitted by Mrs. Weasley, suede slippers lined with fur and Fred’s hooded Irish Quidditch jumper, easily her most favourite item in her closet in a rucksack. She went into the showers she shared with Lavender and Parvati and collected her shampoo, her body wash and her spelled conditioner, along with her hairbrush, and placed all of these items into the bag as well. When she descended the stairs, still in her wet things from the lake, Fred kissed her forehead in greeting and took her hand in his.
“Come with me,” he whispered with a grin. The brightest witch found that she was only too happy to follow him blindly along. They left the common room, saying goodbye to the portrait of the Fat Lady and Fred led them down to the fifth floor. As they took a few turns along the fifth-floor corridors, Hermione realized where they were going.
“Fred, we can’t go here!” she protested as they passed a few other students on the way back to either their common rooms or the Great Hall for some food after the events of the morning. “This bathroom – with the tubs - it’s for Prefects only.”
Fred smirked. “Let’s just say, a few people owe me favours for getting them out of trouble,” he replied. They reached the Prefect bathroom doors and, as no one was around, he murmured the password to the door that allowed them entry. It unlatched and swung upon an inch. Fred pushed the door open and pulled Hermione inside after him, closing the door behind them both. When they had entered, Hermione was surprised at the sheer size. It was larger in size than the abandoned one she had seen on the second floor with Moaning Myrtle, much larger, and vastly bigger than the average ones for students. It had a large ornate tub with many holes for jets and beautiful stained-glass windows, with mermaids and underwater scenes. It was peaceful. Fred walked over to the bath and turned multiple taps. Some faucets began to pour warm-to-hot water while others had scented soap in various shades of pink, purple or blue rippling in rivers from their stems. Soon, the tub was full of bubbles. Hermione giggled at the sight.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked of Fred. “Are you going to get in?”
Fred shook his head. “This is just for you,” he promised. “I’m going to give you an hour of pampering – I figured you would need it after what you’ve been through today. So I will close my eyes, like a gentleman, and you can slip into the water. When you’re ready, I can help you shampoo and do other things to your hair and then when you’re done, we can leave together and go back upstairs. Either that or we can find a couch in the library with our name on it, go have an afternoon snuggle with a book. Whatever tickles your fancy, really.”
Hermione was in awe of Fred. She hadn’t expected something quite so heartfelt or sweet.
“Freddie, you’re – this is – exactly what I need after this morning,” Hermione replied. “But you’re wrong about one thing – you’ve seen most of me naked before, I don’t think you need to cover your eyes.”
Fred laughed and closed the distance between them, walking around the side of the tub from the edge where the faucets were placed over to side that housed the tub’s steps. He put his hands lightly on her waist.
“If I watch you undress, I can’t promise that you will make it into this tub, Miss Granger,” he began. “And I promised that I would be gentlemanly with my endeavours this morning.” He leaned down to kiss her sweetly. “Now, you just tell me when you’re ready.”
He then turned around so that his back was to her and out his hands over his eyes for good measure. Hermione giggled and started to undress out of her damp, wet clothing. She piled her clothes at the base of the steps and then set her bag down a few feet away. When she was in the tub and up to her shoulders in bubbles, she turned her head to look at Fred. He was still facing away.
“I’m ready, Freddie,” she called with a grin. Her boyfriend turned around and the smile that broke out on his face was one of pure innocence. It was sweet. He walked closer to the edge of the tub and sat down on the tile and rolled up his sleeves so that the fabric wouldn’t get wet from the water. His hands then found her shoulders and between the pressure of his digits and palms, he started to massage the tension knots out of her muscles. Hermione allowed her head to roll back and rest against the tile’s edge, melting into his touch.
The next hour passed by, slowly and then all at once, as Fred truly pampered her. Her shoulders and arms were massaged and Fred even asked her to place her feet, one at a time, on the ledge of the tub to give them a massage as well. The only cheeky thing he had done was place a light kiss on the inside of her right ankle before lowering her foot back into the water. Fred had then shampooed and conditioned her hair diligently, and like he had promised, he remained a gentleman and looked away as she washed the rest of her body. When she was ready to get out of the bath, he pulled the drain from the tub and she ran her wand over her body and hair to dry herself. She stepped out of the tub and crossed over to the bag that housed her change of clothes. She slipped on a fresh set of underwear, her knitted socks and her joggers with Fred’s jumper on over top. When she had placed her suede slippers on her feet, she tapped Fred’s shoulder, gesturing that he could turn around. When he did, his eyes grazed over her with admiration.
“You look much better,” he said with a grin. “Your lips aren’t blue, anymore.” He leaned down and brushed his nose against hers. “Could I sneak a kiss?”
Hermione smirked slowly. “I have a better idea,” she replied. “ - To thank you for having pampered me for the last hour and being such a gentleman, I think I should do something for you that is rather unladylike.” Before Fred could react, Hermione dropped to her knees and started to unbutton his trousers. She looked up at him through her lashes and her smirk grew some more.
“Something the matter, Freddie?” she asked as she watched her boyfriend gulp hard. “If you don’t want to, you can tell me.”
Fred shook his head quickly. “No, ’Mione, you can – you just, um, you’re not usually so eager.”
Hermione giggled. “Let’s just say that I’m feeling grateful today,” she replied.
She unzipped his trousers and lowered them down his legs, pulling his boxers down as well, freeing his member from its confinement. One thing she could say, Fred was always at the ready. She took him into her mouth before he could say anything more, more practiced with the technique as they had been doing this for a few months. Fred’s head lolled back and he rested against the stone wall of the bathroom. Hermione alternated between stroking him, sucking him and both at once. She had been able to take him into her mouth easier and had even started to do a few different things, like swirling her tongue around the tip of his cock. Fred’s hands collected and pulled at her hair. She liked when he did that, when he lost control.
The most recent time they had done this, he had held her head in one place and had thrust his hips, fucking her mouth. She had opened her throat further on instinct and that had truly been the best experience. Between her moaning and gagging as he had pushed into the back of her throat and Fred’s grunts of desire as he lost control, she had been soaked with desire and want. After he had finished and then pulled her upright so that he could slip his fingers into the skirt of uniform, it had taken him mere seconds to get her off with his fingers.
Sure enough, it only took a few minutes for Fred to moan her name and then he was cumming down her throat. She liked making him feel this good. When she swallowed all he gave her, she stood up and smiled innocently up at her boyfriend.
“I’ll get you back for that,” he promised as he fixed his outfit and righted himself. “When you least expect it, you will be pinned to the wall, I will sink to my knees, pull your knees over your shoulders and eat you out until you don’t remember your own name.”
Hermione bit her lower lip. “Do you promise, Freddie?” she asked. “Because that sounds like heaven.” The Weasley’s mouth curled upwards at the corners and his eyes darkened.
“Oh, it’s more than a promise,” Fred replied. “It’s a certainty. One that I definitely plan on making good on.”
Hermione gathered her things in her rucksack and when Fred had checked over the bathroom to make sure there were no signs that they had been there, they left the Prefect’s bathroom and headed back up to the seventh floor to the Gryffindor common room. Harry had rejoined the rest of the Gryffindors by then and was regaling them all with the events of the second task from his point of view as they were all sat around the fire. Fred and Hermione sat on the arms of Ron’s chair as they listened intently. Harry was definitely the hero of the day – all of that moral fiber indeed. But the third task was coming in a few months – and Harry needed to be ready. They all did. Anything could happen.
A/N: Here it is, a belated Christmas present! Sorry for not posting prior to Christmas, I fell ill and had to take care of myself! Hope you enjoy! As always, comments and kudos are appreciated!