Nico di Angelo and the Goblet of Fire

Chapter 13: The Mysterious Egg

Harry, Ron, Nico and Hermione were sitting by the lake, doing schoolwork.

Hermione was going over Ron's potion essay, making corrections here and there, the soft scratching of her quill the only noise for a while.

Harry was examining his egg, turning it over in his hands. He'd had already unscrewed the egg in the common room, and only gotten loads of ear-splitting screaming. Since then, he hadn't opened the egg and still had no clue how he would get any information out of it.

Nico sighed and leaned his head against the tree. "Just open it," he suggested tiredly, "Maybe being outside will change something."

Harry looked at him hesitantly, but unscrewed the egg. A shrill noise was the only thing that came from it. Immediately, everyone around them covered their ears except for Harry, who was still holding the egg.

"SHUT THAT THING UP!" Fred Weasley bellowed at them.

Nico then snatched the egg from Harry and threw it into the lake. Instantly, the noise stopped. "Finally," Nico groaned. "That's one way to shut it up."

Harry scowled at him. "Now I have to go get it."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"You were the one who threw it in!" Harry accused.

"Mmm-hmmm." Nico hummed. "But that doesn't mean I'm getting it back for you. I don't want to go into the lake."

Harry groaned, but still took off his shoes and cloak. "Fine."

Nico let out a low laugh.

Harry walked to the edge of the lake, nervous. He put his feet in and flinched-the water was freezing.

Harry turned back to glare at Nico one more time, but Nico seemed very unperturbed. Harry shook his head, turning back to the lake and wading in farther. He could see the egg around fifteen feet deep, and twenty feet out.

He treaded out to the egg until he was directly above it. Harry was already getting tired-he'd never been a good swimmer. He ducked his head under the water so he could see the egg, and sure enough, it's swinging gold surface was right below him.

Harry took a deep breath and dove, but he only managed to get ten feet under. He swam back to the top, lungs heaving. He took another breath, and this time made it down to fifteen feet.

He had just gotten a hold of the egg when he heard singing. Singing that was coming from the egg.

"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 grasped the egg, kicking hard to get back to the surface. He then stroked to the shore, where Hermione was waiting worriedly. "Are you alright? It was ridiculous of Nico to do that to you-"

Harry grinned, cutting her off. "I'm fine. Besides, I solved it."