Stranger

Chapter 23 - Frozen

"You're a piece of work, Whitmore."

It was just a few days before the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, and while Cedric and Violet had already deciphered the cryptic message hidden in the golden egg, one significant obstacle remained: breathing underwater.

"You're a sixth-year, Cedric," Violet said, giving him a raised eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "And yet you don't know any spell that might help with this?"

Cedric rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit sheepish. "Well, I focus more on Quidditch than Charms," he admitted with a half-grin. "And I stopped taking Charms after my fifth year."

Violet's lips twitched as if she wanted to smile but was holding back. "That's... not ideal," she muttered under her breath. "It's one of the more useful subjects, you know. Especially for situations like this."

"Yeah, I'm starting to see that now." Cedric chuckled softly but looked a little more serious now.

"Well, luckily for you," Violet said with a hint of playfulness creeping into her voice, "I've got something that might help."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a few thick books, thumping them down onto the table in front of him. Cedric's eyebrows shot up.

"Wait, aren't these for sixth and seventh years? How did you get these?" Cedric's surprise was genuine, and his gray eyes widened in disbelief.

Violet smirked, clearly pleased with herself. "I told Professor Flitwick that I wanted to get ahead, just in case I wanted to focus on Charms seriously." She almost laughed at the incredulous look Cedric gave her.

"And he just let you?" Cedric shook his head, still taken aback. "I'm surprised he trusts anyone that much."

"Well," Violet said, a teasing note in her voice, "some of us pay attention in class."

Cedric gave a mock-offended gasp but couldn't help grinning at her. "Alright, alright. You've got me there."

Violet, enjoying the rare lightness of the moment, let her guard down just a little more. "I've actually started to enjoy Charms quite a bit. Seems I'm better at it than Hermione." She smirked, but the mention of Hermione brought a flicker of unease to her expression. Things had been tense between them ever since the incident in the Dark Arts classroom, and they hadn't spoken since.

Cedric caught the shift in her mood but didn't press. Instead, he reached for the nearest book, flipping it open with a determined expression. "So, what are we looking for?"

Violet snatched the book back before he could start from the beginning. "Not that one," she said, her tone still light. "This one." She pointed to another book in her stack. It was clear she had already gone through it and found exactly what they needed.

Cedric blinked, clearly impressed. "Of course, you've already found something." He shook his head, half-laughing at how ahead of the game she was.

She flipped through the pages quickly, stopping at the one she had marked earlier. "There," she said, tapping the page.

"Bubble-Head Charm," Cedric read aloud.

Violet gave him a small smile, her eyes gleaming with quiet satisfaction. "It's a charm that creates a bubble of air around your head, letting you breathe underwater. Not just for the lake, either—it's useful in other situations too."

Cedric's face lit up, clearly relieved. "That sounds exactly like what I need."

"It's not particularly difficult," she replied, "but it'll take a bit of practice. Meet me down by the boats near the Black Lake later this evening. I'll show you how it works—I've cast it a few times already." She stood, gathering the rest of the books into her bag. "Oh, and bring a towel," she added with a smirk.