Lucinda Evans - still in progress

Chapter 11 - The Second Task

"We still 'aven't figured out the hint of the egg," Madame Maxime says sternly. "The second défi est seulement une week from now. We really need to figure it out! Does nobody 'ave any ideas?"

Madame Maxime looks around the table but nobody responds. Mer and I look at each other and I can tell we're thinking the same thing: 'I didn't know this was a team challenge?' 

"Afin, we need a plan. Somebody must have an idea, non?" she sighs while taking a nip of her glass.

"Madame, why don't you give the egg to the two of them?" Mathilde nods in our direction, "You said they were still too young to participate but would be helpful with thinking out strategies."

"C'est vrais," Madame Maxime sighs again and now turns to us, "The two of you have three days to figure this out because then we'll need to work on our strategy."

-----

"Yeah, sure. Why not? Give the task to us so we can solve it for Fleur!" To say Mer is slightly irritated would be an understatement. "Can't Miss Beau-Visage do anything by herself? She's in her last year, for Merlin's sake, and she still can't do anything alone!"

"What would Madame Maxime do if we're unable to find out the clue by Sunday evening?" I ask a little concerned. I know all too well how much our Headmistress hates to lose.

"Who cares?! Fleur is the one who needs to participate in the tasks next Friday, not us," Mer looks at me with eyes burning from excitement of rebellion until she sees my face. I'm sure it is covered with concern, "It's just a game, right? Figuring out the egg, it's just a game we need to solve by logical thinking and we're smart, don't deny that. You know that is the only reason she agreed with Mr Malfoy to take us with her. We can do this!"

Two days past and we didn't find a thing. The only thing we noticed, besides the horrible sound, was that there were little bubbles in some sort of jelly substance.

"That's it!" Mer cries out, "The bubbles! The first task were dragons, they breathe fire. But the inside of this egg is a fluid. I bet it's a water challenge next!"

"Don't you think that's a little too obvious. I mean it can be just a coincidence."

"You know my favorite saying, no?" Mer says with a playful look in her eyes. 

"Nothing is ever a coincidence," I recite her mantra while rolling my eyes, "But what are we supposed to do? Hold in underwater, or so? That's just stupid."

"We can try, can't we?" she clearly has these twinkling stars of pure excitement in her eyes like she is about to solve the biggest mystery in the whole wide world. We walk over to the bathroom and start filling the sink before putting the egg in and opening it.

To my surprise, it doesn't scream like it usually does. We can hear a vague melody coming out of it, but it is still not understandable. 

"I think you need to be under water to hear it more clearly," I say and Mer immediately puts her head into the sink.

When she comes back up, water dripping down on the floor, "Ok, write this down;" She dictates what she heard while I write down what she says. When she's done I look at the paper and Mer starts drying her hair.

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,