Percy and Ariana Jackson

Part 15, arrival

Harry's POV

the students from the two other competing schools had arrived, sitting with the Slytherins and Ravenclaws, and the goblet had chosen its champions, including me, who was forbidden from entering the contest anyway, and I had already competed in the first task, still trying to puzzle out the golden egg. Hermione had filled us in on the bedroom storm last night and Ariana's uncontrollable trauma. we kept a wide berth from her, but she was chipper and generally cheerful as if the storm last night had expelled whatever she had been reliving. she was currently trying to convince Fred and George to jump in the lake on a Saturday afternoon

"Come on!" She was halfway in

"No thanks, we enjoy having all our limbs" they echoed to each other

"The squid won't hurt you." she pleaded. they crumbled as she made puppy-dog eyes. they waded into Ariana, who dipped beneath the surface without a ripple, and must have yanked them under because their heads disappeared.

Fred and George popped up some twenty minutes later, thoroughly soaked and shivering but delighted

"Mate, I never knew what the bottom looked like!" Fred shook the water out of his hair

"The squid was so friendly!" George remarked. Ariana stepped out of the water

"Hey, I can dry you off" she offered, then waved her hand and the moisture on their robes flew back into the lake.

"Wicked!" they both gasped  

"How'd you do that?" Hermione demanded, marching to the shore from the tree

"I could always do that" Ariana shrugged, then dived gracefully back into the lake. 

"Ugh." Hermione moaned. a long water tendril shot out and dragged her under. Ariana's head popped up as Hermione's head popped up beside her

"Why?" Hermione screamed

"I just want to show you" Ariana slid under again, Hermione in tow. Ron chortled.

Hermione popped up again twenty minutes later, a look of complete wonder on her face. Ariana commanded the water off her robes as she walked toward us

"How did she stop the giant squid from eating you?" Ron whispered

"She didn't. we passed it and it just waved and moved on" she still looked amazed. Ron stood up. 

"I need to see whatever they saw." He tromped on over to Ariana, who gladly took him under for twenty minutes too. he came back with the same facial expression as Hermione.

"Mate, you gotta go down there" He smiled softly

"I'd rather not" I crossed my arms  

Ariana's POV

All the kids who I had taken underwater look absolutely stunned when they came out. I had offered Harry the same opportunity, but he turned me down. I was looking for the Gryffindor tower when I ran into Flitwick

"Ariana! Dumbledore wants to see you" he patted my arm    

"Right! where's his office?" I asked meekly

I had given the gargoyle the password and watched as it leaped aside, then climbed the stairs to his office

"Ariana. I presume Flitwick found you?" he was sitting in his high-backed chair

I took a seat "Yeah. he said you wanted to talk"

"The Triwizard cup's next challenge is going to be underwater. I need someone who can move quickly in the lake and be able to travel anywhere within its limits to assure none get injured during the challenge"

"You need me to be in the lake while the challenge is on so that you have eyes on them" I simplified

 "Yes, in a sense. you are able to manipulate the waves and currents. that means if a contestant gets hurt, or starts drowning.."

"I get to save them, sending them back to the surface and eliminating them from the competition" I finished "but I cannot reveal myself to a contestant if they do not fit the standards. I can show my face to ones I send up to safety, but not to the ones still able to continue." I finish

"Yes," he said, "do you agree?"

"I agree. I swear on the river Styx that for the duration of that trial, only contestants I am saving may see my face" A crackling of thunder sealed the pact

"What kind of pact was that?" he inquired

"The kind that if I break, I suffer a fate worse than death" I slid out the door.