"Harry, you told me you'd figured out the egg weeks ago!" Hermione exclaimed, frustrated. She and Harry were standing on the Wooden Bridge. "The task is two days from now."
"Really? I had no idea," came the sarcastic response. "I suppose Viktor's already figured it out."
"Wouldn't know. I haven't spoken to him since the ball." Or to Draco.
"Right."
"You are trying to figure this out, aren't you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It just means these tasks are designed to test you, in the most brutal way; they're almost cruel. And um...I'm scared for you. You got by the dragons mostly on nerve. I'm not sure it's going to be enough this time."
"Hey, Potter!" Harry turned around to see Cedric Diggory.
"Cedric," he acknowledged.
"How are you?" the older boy asked.
"Spectacular," Harry replied, trying his best not to sound sarcastic.
"Look, I realize I never really thanked you properly for tipping me off about those dragons."
"Forget it. I'm sure you would have done the same.
"Exactly. You know the prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor? It's not a bad place for a bath. Just take your egg and mull things over in the hot water."
__________________________
"Come seek us where our voices sound.
We cannot sing above the ground.
An hour long you'll have to look,
to recover what we took."
Harry finished telling Hermione and Ron about what happened in the Prefects' bathroom.
"So you're saying that..." Ron started, "Myrtle was ogling you this whole time?"
"There are merpeople in the lake?" Hermione said at the same time as Ron. She turned to the redhead and said, "That's what you got from his story? That Myrtle was looking at him? Who cares? The important part is that Harry is going to have to breathe underwater for...what was it again?"
"An hour long you'll have to look," Harry supplied.
"Right. Potentially problematic."
"Potentially problematic?" Harry repeated. "When was the last time you held your breath under the water for an hour, Hermione?"
"I hate to break up the skull session," Moody said as he walked into the aisle. "Professor McGonagall would like to see you in her office. Not you, Potter, just Weasley and Granger."
"But sire," Hermione pleaded, "the second task is only hours away and-"
"Exactly. Presumably Potter is well prepared by now, and could do with a good night's sleep. Go. Now! Longbottom!"
The boy poked his head around the corner.
"Why don't you help Potter put his books back?" Moody asked, but it was really an order. Neville nodded.
"You know, if you're interested in plants, you'd be better off with Gorshok's Guide to Herbology. Do you know there's a wizard in Nepal who's growing gravity-resistant trees?"
"Neville, no offense, but I really don't care about plants. Now, if there's a Tibetan turnip that will allow me to breathe underwater for an hour, then great. But otherwise-"
"I don't know about a turnip, but you could always use gillyweed."
_________________________________
Draco and his friends got situated on the viewing stands in the middle of the Black Lake. He assumed that these stands had been built here recently and just for the Tournament because he'd never seen them before.
YOU ARE READING
Draco Malfoy and the Goblet of Fire (BOOK 4 of 7)
Fanfiction*FULL SERIES COMPLETE* This is book 4 of the Draco Malfoy Series. I highly recommend that you read the first three before this one. With attacks at the Quidditch World Cup, a crazy new professor, and a kindling friendship with a certain Gryffindor p...
