The Fifth Champion

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Charissa took a deep breath and sprinted into the lake as the cannon sounded. She quickly looked around the lake floor for a leaf, hoping her guess would work once more.

Charissa pressed the leaf to her mouth, trying to sing quickly as to not lose breath. She waved her wand at her face, gluing the leaf over her mouth and nose, taking in a deep breath. It had worked. She had convinced the leaf to produce enough oxygen for her to breathe.

Charissa pulled herself through the water, trying to listen intently for the song of what Cedric had figured out to be mermaids.

She saw a flash of blonde hair for a split second, and a pair of eyes met hers. It looked like Draco. Charissa swam towards him, wondering how Draco could be the thing she'd sorely miss. Charissa doubted if she'd miss Draco at all.

The boy was gone. Charissa shrugged it off as another Yule Ball incident. She heard singing off in the distance and immediately changed her course, swimming as fast as she could towards the voices and almost slamming into Cedric, who waved and continued swimming towards the voices as well.

They approached a group of five floating bodies. Charissa identified Granger, Cho, a Weasley, and Isabel. Potter was already trying to free the Weasley. Charissa tapped her wand to the rope tying Isabel down and began to slowly pull her towards the surface.

Of course it made sense that it was Isabel. After Cedric, Isabel was her best friend. It could never have been anyone else.

Cedric had already surfaced. Charissa was halfway to the surface, swimming as fast as she could.

She broke the surface with a gasp as the leaf fell off and she was breathing real air once again. Isabel seemed to have woken up from the trance that the hostages were in and was now swimming alongside Charissa back to shore.

Madam Pomfrey greeted them with towels and blankets. She handed them each a glass of Pepperup Potion. “Who else is back yet?” Charissa asked Cedric.

“Just us and Fleur. She had to quit early.” Cedric replied, arm around Cho.

“You mean I'm second?” Charissa exclaimed. Cedric nodded. She could hardly believe it, having expected to be last. 

Viktor Krum arrived soon after with Hermione swimming after him. Harry Potter was still missing. It was almost a half hour outside the time limit. Finally, he returned, carrying a blonde girl as well as the Weasley. The judges conferred together, Dumbledore standing by a mermaid and speaking to it in the screechy aboveground language the mermaid spoke.

After a time, they turned to announce the scores. “As Mr. Diggory returned first with his hostage, we have agreed to award him 47 points.” Dumbledore said. Cedric, Charissa, and Cho cheered. “You're in first, Ced!” Charissa exclaimed.

“Miss Malfoy, who returned second, has been awarded 43 points.” Dumbledore continued. Charissa grinned. That put her in second. “Mr. Krum returned third, and for that we award him 40 points.”

“As for Miss Delacour and Mr. Potter, Miss Delacour was unable to finish the task, and therefore we award her 25 points.” Dumbledore said. “Harry Potter returned well outside the time limit, but the Merchieftaness has informed me that this is because Mr. Potter was determined to help save the other champions. For a demonstration of excellent moral fiber, we have decided to award him 45 points.”

The crowd cheered loudly. Charissa tallied up scores in her head. With the addition of Krum and Potter’s scores, she had been moved down to fourth place. “The champions will be informed of the final task exactly one month before the task will take place.” Ludo Bagman said, and they were dismissed.