The Fifth Champion

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Charissa sat on the dock, her feet dangling into the cold water of the Black Lake. The golden egg sat beside her, unwilling to give up its mysteries. Charissa sighed. Cedric had told her all that the egg contained was a screechy noise.

The wind bit into her skin. Charissa pulled her jacket around her tighter. It was mid-December. They still had three months to figure the egg out.

Charissa reached around to pull out her Charms book. She was supposed to be working on the Impervious Charm, but hadn't gotten around to the essay. Unfortunately, it was also due the next day.

“Oof!” Charissa’s hand hit the egg. It teetered precariously on the edge of the dock. Charissa reached out to stabilize it a second too late. The egg fell into the lake, landing with a splash and beginning to sink.

Charissa cursed, and took off her jacket. She needed to get the egg back, whatever it took. Taking a deep breath, she dove into the freezing water.

The cold shocked her. Gasping and coughing, Charissa immediately came back up for air. She treaded water for a bit, trying to warm up.

The egg kept sinking. Slightly warmer, Charissa dove back down. Luckily, the lake was fairly shallow by the dock, so she wouldn't have to dive too far down.

The egg hit a rock and cracked open. Charissa instinctively covered her ears, expecting the shrieking. Instead, she heard singing.

“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.”  The egg sang.

Confused, Charissa grabbed the egg and resurfaced. The egg instantly began to screech. She drowned it again. The voices returned, murky through the water this time. She dived under, listening to the song again. It seemed, as the song said, the egg couldn't sing above water.

“I know how you feel.” Bubbles flew out of her mouth. Charissa quickly pulled herself half onto the dock, setting the egg back down and writing the song on parchment to analyze later.

Not wanting to get out due to the cold wind just yet, Charissa dove back below the water, twisting and darting through the water like the fish that swam next to her. Laughing, Charissa resurfaced for air.

“Charissa?” Isabel asked, walking onto the dock. “What are you doing?”

“Swimming!” Charissa exclaimed. “Come join me!”

“No, thanks. In case you hadn't noticed, it's the middle of winter.” Isabel said, sitting down on the edge of the dock.

Charissa swam back over. “Come on, it's not that cold.” She grinned. Isabel shook her head again. Charissa grabbed Isabel’s leg, diving under the water and pulling Isabel in.

They both resurfaced, Isabel gasping in the cold. She splashed Charissa. “Seriously?” She laughed. “It's bloody freezing!”

“It's wonderful!” Charissa dove under and twisted through a front flip.

The pair splashed and darted through the water for another fifteen minutes before decided the water was too cold, and crawling out. Dripping wet, Charissa handed Isabel her jacket and picked up her books and the egg. “Here,” She said. “Warm up a bit.”

“What about you?” Isabel asked, her teeth chattering.

“I'm fine.” Charissa said. The cold seemed to have brushed off her skin like wind.

After they had changed (and received some odd looks), Charissa rushed off to go find Cedric.

“Cedric!” She exclaimed, catching him in a corridor. “Cedric, I figured it out!”

“Figured what out?” He asked, looking a bit dazed.

“The egg.” Charissa said. “What else?”

“Right.” Cedric said, lowering his voice. “Charissa, not here. We aren't supposed to get help remember?”

“Oh yeah…” Charissa trailed off. “You look dazed. What'd you do?”

“Asked out Cho.” Cedric said. “And she said yes.”

Charissa squealed. “I've got to go find Amber.” She decided, sprinting off and running into Draco. “Charissa, why's your hair soaked?” He asked, startled.

“Yeah, I was wondering the same thing.” Cedric said, helping Draco pick up his things.

“Went swimming.” Charissa said impatiently. She turned to run off again.

“You mean to say you went swimming in the lake?” Draco said.

“Yes, where else?” Charissa bounced from one foot to the other. Seeing as they had nothing else to say, she turned and sprinted off to find Amber.

That night in the common room, after about an hour of squealing and Yule Ball discussions, the other girls finally decided to head off to bed, leaving just Cedric and Charissa.

“So,” Cedric said. He looked relieved to have the squealing girls away. Charissa had to admit, as excitedly nervous as she was, they were getting quote annoying. “Are you going to explain why you were swimming in the lake or not?”

“Oh, right.” Charissa remembered. Her hair was still damp. “I-uh- turns out the secret to the egg is to put it underwater. It sings.” She finished plainly.
“Do I even want to know how you came to figure that out?” Cedric sighed.

“I just sort of knocked the egg in and had to go get it.” Charissa explained.

“And decided to go swimming as well.” Cedric added.

“Exactly!” Charissa grinned.

“Thanks for telling me, but next time don't freeze in the lake.” Cedric laughed.

“Don't mention it, it's only fair.” Charissa said. “And it wasn't cold at all!”

Cedric laughed again then sighed. “Must be the dragon in you.”

Charissa looked away, gazing into the fire. The mention of dragons had accidentally made her soaring mood come crashing down. “Right,” She said. “Must be.”