Let's Blame Magic

Chapter Thirty-Five

  With a day before the second event, Harry rounded up his friends and gathered them in the library where they spent all of free time and part of lunch researching the clue Harry received last night.

   “Tell me again, Harry. What did it say?” Hermione said as she paced through the shelves of the book. Ariella sat on top of the table with her back pressed against the bookshelf while Ron sat next to Harry looking dreadful and bored as Harry.

   “Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground.” Harry muttered annoyed as he pressed his face against a moldy dusty book.

   “We already know that means there are merpeople in the Black Lake. Why are we still here?” Ron rested his chin on the pile of books Harry took off the shelves and stacking them into a tower.

  Ariella had a book on aquatic life laid open on her lap as she scanned through the pages, helping Harry decipher the rest of the riddle. Hermione badgered Harry to continue with the riddle as she tried to analyze every word as if they had a double meaning to it all. The only issue Harry really had was trying to be able to breathe underwater for an hour. Ron began to doze off as Harry recited the riddle for Hermione for the thirteenth time that day.

   “An hour long you have to look to recover what we took.” He mumbled as he turned his head to face Ariella and Hermione.

   “So, Harry has to find something that’s been taken away from him.” Ariella pointed out the obvious.

   “Has anything been missing, Harry?” Hermione asked.

   “If I knew that, I would have mentioned it ages ago.” Harry said bluntly. It was becoming a habit for Harry to become easily agitated as the day of the challenges grew near. “I don’t think you guys are seeing the problem here.”

   “Holding your breath underwater? Yeah, it’s going to be tough.” Hermione said oblivious to Harry’s actual concern.

   “Going to be tough? When was the last time you held your breath for an hour?” Harry lifted his head, now slouching over the book as he stared at Ariella’s blank face and Hermione’s face of defeat.

   “What about the Bubblehead charm?” Ariella pointed out “That’s what Cedric is doing.”

   “He actually mentioned something about the tournament to you?” Hermione turned around with a look of surprised painted on her face.

   “Well, how do I put this? We were supposed to meet up earlier today and he comes with his head, soaking wet. If winter wasn’t dying down, I swear he would have been a walking Popsicle. He didn’t really have much choice but to tell me.” Ariella laughed as she placed the book that was on her lap, to the side as the dust between the pages scattered.

   “I don’t know how to do that spell just yet.” Harry turned back to his book.

   “What about you, Ariella? Do you know that spell? Maybe you could teach-” Hermione suggested but Ariella shook her head to their disappointment. After all that’s been going on in the castle, Professor Flitwick barely took the chance to teach proper lessons until after the Yule Ball, which was two days ago.

  Ron began to snore which captured everyone’s attention, Hermione nudged Ron’s rib cage which cause him to jump as he brought his head up in mid snore. Ron looked confused as he shifted his gaze off Hermione, Ariella and finally at Harry.

   “Did I miss anything?” He said worried

  Everyone scoffed as they turned back to their books, Ron shifted uncomfortably before he rested his head against the tower of books. The four began to bury their noses in the books, some to get some research done, the others to use as a pillow. They attention shifted as a voice from a table over caught their attention; sitting next to the window was Ambrosia with Draco hovering over her shoulder as she asked for his help.