Harry Potters Twin Book Four

Second Task Brilliance

The next morning I was determined to find out what wailed out of water and what sang underwater. I was never interested in sea creatures - that included the magical ones too. But I knew someone who did.

"You told Hagrid you found out!" Hermione shrieked while pacing the room.

I had just woke her up to ask her but now she was freaking out.

"He was crying!" I defended myself. "What was I supposed to tell him?"

"Oh, I don't know... Maybe... The truth!" Hermione stopped pacing and glared at me. "You or Harry winning this tournament means alot to Hagrid, and you lied to his face. Do you have no remorse?"

"I had other things on my mind, thanks!" I yelled back, tired of holding in my anger.

"What is possibly more important then the tournament?" Hermione asked, her hands on her hips. She studied my expression. "Cedric Diggory? Are you mad?"

"Well, excuse me for caring about my relationship with my boyfriend," I snapped, blushing a bit at how easily she could read me.

"Why don't you just ask him, Nixie?" Hermione asked, she seemed so stressed out I felt like comforting her. "It would save us all some trouble."

"I don't want to be the only one who couldn't find out how to get passed a simple task," I said. Now that I listened to myself say it, I couldn't believe how petty it sounded.

"So your pride is more important than your own life?" Hermione asked quietly. "Nixie, I love you, but sometimes you need to work out your priorities."

I laughed softly. "I love you too, Hermione; but sometimes you need to skip the lecture and just go on to the helping."

Hermione smiled and we both stared at eachother from across the empty dormitory. Both of our minds wondering the same thing. . .

"Why did we stop being best friends, Nixie?" Hermione asked, ecoeing my thoughts. "I keep trying to remember but I can't."

I frowned at her. Now that she had said it, I remembered exactly why we stopped. "Hermione, you started to ignore me."

Hermione jumped, startled. "What? No I didn't."

"Yes, you did," I nodded. "It was right before the first task. You worried about Harry, and you started to forget about me."

Hermione's mouth made a comical 'o'. "And here I was thinking that we seperated because you ditched me for Cedric Diggory."

"Impossible," I laughed. "So. . . Best friends, again?"

"Forever," Hermione and I crossed the room and engulfed eachother in hugs. "Oh, I missed you, Nixie."

"I would miss me too," I teased.

"Oh, shut up," Hermione and I parted. Before I flipped my hair over my shoulder I noticed Hermione wiping a tear from her eye. "Now. . . tell me what you need help on."

"What wails when it's out of water but when it's in water, it. . . sings?" I asked, feeling foolish.

Hermione made a loud tutting noise. "Isn't it obvious? A mermaid!"

"A mermaid?" I pondered this. I've never studied merpeople. The only one's I had ever seen were on a children's cartoon. "But where would DUmbledore get a mermaid?"

"I hear there are loads of merpeople in the Black Lake" Hermione shrugged. "Maybe you have to catch some. Though. . . that would be extremely difficult."

"Don't be stupid, Hermione; I don't have to catch one." I snorted, getting dressed.

"How do you know?" Hermione asked suspiciously, starting to get dressed herself.