Hufflepuff boy - Cedric Diggory x male oc x Viktor Krum

33

"The egg was singing to us. Mersong." Cayden said. Sitting in the library at night time with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Elias, Malia, Cedric and Viktor. "Come seek us where our voices sound..."

"That's the Black Lake. Obvious." Hermione said, nodding.

"An hour long you'll have to look..."

"Again. Obvious. Though, admittedly, potentially problematic." Hermione said.

Cayden furrows his eyebrows in concern, looking at Cedric and Viktor who have the same expression. "Potentially problematic? I don't know about you, Hermione, but last time I checked I couldn't hold my breath for an hour!" He exclaimed, before calming himself down. "Or." He said, looking at them who looks at him with questions. "I could ask Professor Sprout for Gillyweed."

"That could work." Cedric said, nodding.

"What does Gillyweed do?" Harry asked, confused.

"Grant you to breathe underwater." Cayden said. "It will give you gills, webbed hands and feet, and adaptation to cold water."

Ron jumped when a hand was placed on his shoulder, looking up at Professor Leveret who softly smiled down at him.

"Hate to break up the session, but Professor McGonagall's asked to see you in her office." Delphine said, looking at Cayden and Cedric who look up at her with confusion. Viktor looks more confused because he doesn't go to Hogwarts.

"Now, Professor?" Hermione asked, looking up at Professor Leveret.

"Yes." Delphine puts a stop to Cayden, Ron, Elias, Malia and Cedric before they could stand up. "Not you five. Just Harry, Hermione and Elias." She said, watching them frown at each other and sit back down. "That was a great idea about Gillyweed, Cayden. You should go ask Professor Sprout tomorrow." She said lastly before leaving without waiting for their response.

"Well... It's getting late." Malia said, stretching her arms over her head, groaning at the cracking sound.

"Yeah, we should go to bed." Cedric said, agreeing with her.

They all stood up and placed back their books before leaving the library and walking down the empty corridor. Ron and the Hufflepuffs break out to go on their way, saying goodnight to him before walking away.

Viktor kissed Cayden and Cedric's goodbye on the cheek, whispering goodnight to them before leaving. Not before nodding to Malia, telling her goodnight as well.

≪ °❈° ≫

Cayden, towel draped over his neck, looks down at the slimy green coil of leaves undulating in his palm. He had gotten the Gillyweed this morning from Professor Sprout who was eager to give it to him, telling him good luck on the task while she was at it.

"Your attention please!" Professor Daumbledore exclaimed, gaining everyone's attention. "Welcome to the Second Task. Last night, unbeknownst to our Champions, something they value exceptionally was taken from them." Cayden looks up at this, turning his head to look at Cedric who has his eyebrows furrowed. "That something now lies at the bottom of the Black Lake. Their mission this morning is to retrieve it. Champions, you may begin."

Mr. Filch fires the cannon.

Professor Dumbledore shakes his head. "... now."

Cayden stuffs the Gillyweed into his mouth, chewing and swallowing as he jumps into the water. He coughs a few times before he feels his neck starting to grow gills. He looks at his hands mutating which is turning ghostly green, webbed.

Cayden kicks deeper into the water, feet flashing like flippers. He glances at his left, looking at Viktor who is using the transfiguration to turn into a shark. He quickly swim deeper into the water, easily gliding through the shimmering shafts of luminescence, passing from shadow into light, back into the shadow.

Cayden drifts deeper and deeper, bubbles trailing from his gills. Dark velvet grasses twitch in the current, caressing his skin. The water grows darker, and then a curious silver light flickers and a creature-- graceful and swift-- flashes into his view.

Cayden stares, transfixed, then swims after the slithering creature, its radiance blinding. Slowly, it takes shape into the mermaid from the painting in the Prefect's bathroom.

She gazes briefly back-- long golden tresses drifting like smoke across her eyes-- then flits away. Cayden swims towards her, closing the distance between them, when she disappears on him.

Cayden slows, glancing around. All around, black weeds undulate eerily. He moves, then the black weeds come apart. No, not weeds. It's Grindylows.

They have their fangs bare, moving to swarm Cayden.

Cayden reaches for his wand lashed to his ankle, but his webbed fingers fumble it. The wand tumbles in a roiling cloud of bubbles. A Grindylow reaches for it, when Cayden snatches it away.

Cayden pointed his wand at the Grindylow and a jet of fiery red bubbles rockets from the tip of his wand and strikes the Grindylow dead in the chest, leaving a scarlet welt.

Howling in a gargled rage, it corkscrews away.

Wheeling, Cayden fires at the approaching mob. The nearest pair peels off in opposite directions, avoiding the blast, and the one behind takes it between the eyes. It floats away, cross-eyed and confused.

Cayden wheels again and again, sending a jolt after jolt of fiery red bubbles at the attacking Grindylows. Again and again, they corkscrew away, dazed and defeated. Finally, none remain.

Cayden studies the rippling currents, when one more Grindylow emerges from the shadows. Then another. And another. And more still until Cayden finds himself surrounded.

Wand poised, Cayden waits. The water demons twitching menacingly. Then, as one, the Grindylows raised their tiny fists, shaking them angrily and darting up and away.

Cayden watches them vanish like ink above him, then the curious silver light flickers across his eyes. He turns and finds the mermaid drifting dreamily. As she darts off, Cayden swims after her, and the siren's song from the golden egg is heard.

Cayden follows the mermaid into a clearing and stops. Lashes to a craggy rock, four people drift eerily, eyes closed, bubbles trailing like pearls from their mouths: Gabrielle Delacour. Elias. Hermione. Harry.

Cayden swims forward, tugging at the ropey vines that bind them. They are strong and thick. Cayden glances at the mermaid, but her unblinking eyes regard him impassively through her veil of hair.

Cayden takes out a blade from his arm, swimming towards Harry's rope and cuts it with a flick of the blade. He glances around at the others, already knowing that they will be saved when the task ends. He wraps his arms around Harry and swims up, looking down and sees Cedric doing the same thing with Elias.

Cayden looks up at the approaching surface, pushing Harry up first before pulling himself up, watching Harry take a gasp of air. He starts swimming towards the platform with Harry in his arms, giving Harry to Nikola who pulls his twin brother up before pulling him up.

Cayden looks at Severus, finding him clapping softly with Delphine beside him making him smile at the sight. He turns back to Harry and wraps a towel around his shoulders. He looks at the water as both Cedric and Viktor come out of the water with their respective people.

Cayden helps Hermione and Elias up onto the platform as Cedric and Viktor get up onto the platform, placing themselves on either side of Cayden.