Death Parts Us

Part 12~Golden Egg

"Sly," Hermione began scolding, "you told me you'd figured the egg out weeks ago. The task is two days from now."

'Really? I had no idea.' Sly sighed heavily, leaning against the bridge. 'I suppose Viktor's already figured it out.'

Hermione shook her head. "I wouldn't know, we didn't talk about the tournament. Actually, we didn't really talk at all, Viktor's more of a physical being." Hermione blushed a little at the double meaning behind her words, trying to think of a better way to describe it while it went straight over Sly's head. "I just mean he's not particularly... loquacious. Mostly he watches me study. It's a bit annoying actually. You are trying to figure this egg out, aren't you?"

Sly nodded, raising his eyebrow cheekily. 'What's that supposed to mean? Us Hufflepuffs are very smart.'

"I know it's just... I mean these tasks are supposed to test you, in the most brutal way. They're almost cruel. And... I'm scared for you. You got by the dragon mostly on luck that she too could speak parseltongue, I'm not sure it's going to be enough this time."

'On the bright side, I can't die.' Sly grinned slightly as Hermione shook her head.

"We don't know that. All we know is that you can't die from that curse."

'Or Basketlist stare,' Sly corrected as Hermione sighed.

"Let's just not go testing that theory."

Sly nodded when someone called out his name. Hermione patted Sly's shoulder before walking away, leaving Cedric to talk to Sly alone. 'Cedric.'

"How are you?"

Sly paused. 'Spectacular.' It's particularly hard for Sly to convey sarcasm in words but the slanted words with little sparkling sparkles were particularly powerful.

"Look, I realised I never really thanked you properly for tipping me off about those dragons."

'Forget about it. I'm sure you would have done the same for me.'

"Exactly. Us Hufflepuffs stick together. You know the prefect bathroom on the fifth floor?"

Sly narrowed his eyes before nodding.

"It's not a bad place for a bath. Just take your egg and mull things over in the hot water." Cedric left as Sly blinked.

What was that?

~~~

Pulling off his clothes, Sly settled in the bath, confused. This was ridiculous. Opening his egg, Sly hissed. Yep, by the screaming, this was ridiculous.

"I'd try putting it in the water if I were you," the familiar- yet dreadful- ghost appeared out of the corner of the bathroom, floating impossibly above the ground.

'Myrtle!'

"Long time no see." Myrtle launched through the air, floating across the bathroom. "I was circling a blocked drain the other day and could swear I saw a bit of polyjuice potion. Not being a bad boy again are you, Sly."

Sly winced at her wording, shaking his head. 'Polyjuice potion, nope. Haven't done that recently. Did you say try putting it in the water?"

Myrtle nodded, jumping through the water and diving into the water. When she surfaced, she swam closer to Sly. "Well, that's what he did. The other boy, the handsome one, Cedric."

Sly tried to ignore Myrtle, picking up the egg and dunking it in the water. Opening it, Sly gaped. It wasn't screaming. Dunking under the water, Sly listened to the song.

"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 to recover what we took. But past an hour, the prospect's black. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

Sly resurfaced from the water, blinking as Myrtle faked a cough. 'Myrtle, there aren't Merpeople in the black lake, are there?'

Myrtle hummed, grinning. "Very good. Took Cedric ages to riddle it out. Almost all the bubbles were gone." Myrtle snapped closer as Sly decided, it was time to leave.

~~~

"Sly, tell me again," Kevin ordered, pacing back and forth in the library.

'Come seek us where our voices sound,' Sly began reciting. 'We cannot sing above the ground.'

"The black lake, that's obvious," Kevin riddled out again.

'And while you're searching ponder this: we've taken what you'll sorely miss.'

"So, they're going to take something, or maybe someone you'll notice being gone," Kevin deduced.

'An hour-long you'll have to look to recover what we took.'

"Again obvious, you'll have an hour to look."

'But past an hour, the prospect's black. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.'

"Once more, obvious," Wayne interrupted, huffing. "At least we don't have to worry about Sly drowning."

The group nodded. They already knew Sly couldn't drown though it wasn't a pleasant feeling to have water filling up his lungs, he would live.

"We do have the problem that Sly can't swim," Roger interjected. The group knew that too. Neither Sly nor Roger could swim, a fact that was slightly problematic a few years ago.

Sly hung his head as Roger nudged him. "Don't look so down, we'll figure something out. All of us."

The group nodded when Mad-Eye interrupted the group. "Hate to break up this scholar session but Professor Dumbledore would like to see Mr Williams in his office."

Roger blinked, looking between his friends and Mad-Eye. "But, sir, the second task is only hours away and," Roger was cut off before he could finish.

"Exactly. Presumably, Weasley-Potter is well prepared by now and could do with a good night's sleep. Go. Now!"

Roger huffed, patting Sly's shoulder as he left.

"So, how exactly do we teach Sly to swim in three hours?" Kevin tilted his head as Wayne grinned. "Why do you look like that?"

"It's just a thought but... who says Sly has to swim?" Wayne smirked as Sly paled, not liking where this was going. "I might have an idea from practice."

~~~

Returning to his room, Sly collapsed on his bed. He definitely did not like this plan. Glancing at the pillow, Sly ran his fingers over Naos's scales. He picked up the note beside the pillow.

'Good luck on the tournament, cub! I hope you figured out that glue in time. Soon I might be able to come see you. I can't wait to see you in person. See you soon, hopefully. Bye. Padfoot.'

Well, that was a little unsettling. Hopefully, his little pen pal wasn't a mass murderer or something. Putting away the note, Sly curled up, trying to get a peaceful night's sleep before the second task.