[2] storm of rage ~ harry potter × marvel

34- Photograph

Skyler sneaks into the bathroom of the Slytherin House. It's around midnight, and no one's there. She fills the tube and undresses herself. Once the tube is filled with water, Skyler lets herself glide inside the warming liquid. She takes the egg from the ground and puts it in the water, where she opens it. Skyler quickly goes under water herself and hears the clue for the Second Task:

'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,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour – the prospect's black
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.'

"Alright, why are these things never clear?" Skyler mutters out loud, as she listens again. And again, and again. Eventually, she knows the entire rhyme as she knows the back of her hand. Drying herself and the egg, Skyler instantly goes to the library. She has to figure this out, and she needs to write this down.

∞∞∞

"Alright. The Second Task happens in the Black Lake. So, what lives in the Black Lake that sings?" Skyler whispers, as she searches through the books.

"Lakes over Europe... Lakes and their dangers... Ugh! Nothing about the Black Lake! Damn it. Another student must've taken it." Skyler says, talking to herself. 'But the other question,' she thinks, 'how am I going to hold my breath for an hour?' At the moment, she's standing Second Place in the Tournament, together with Cedric. 'But second isn't first, so it's not good enough.' She thinks bitterly, as she continues her search through the library that has never failed her before.

∞∞∞

"Damn, you look awful." Blaise says when he sees Skyler in the morning with breakfast. Skyler glares at him.

"Thanks, Blaise. That's exactly what a girl likes to hear when she's slept bad." She tells him sarcastically. Theo and Draco join them at the same time.

"Wow, Sky... you look... eh, did you have a good night sleep?" Theo asks, subtle as ever.

"You see, Blaise? At least try to make it sound nice?" Skyler says. Blaise just puts his hands in the air.

"You honestly think that I care about your appearance, Sky? I just wanted to know what happened to you to make you look so... tired?" He says in defense.

"The library failed me." Skyler mutters. The three boys gasp dramatically.

"Oh, no! The library failed you," Draco states worriedly, "with what?" He adds curiously.

"The Second Task. Someone is going to steal something from me, something I can't miss, and take it into the Black Lake." Skyler breathes out, looking down at her food.

"How did you find out?" Theo asks seriously. Skyler sighs and hands him the paper with the indication.

"The high screeches from the egg, if you put it under water, it's sung by beautiful voices. I've searched every book in the library. Hogwarts: A History, Hogwarts and Its Secrets, Lakes in the Wizarding World. Nothing! What could be in the Black Lake that is able to sing, talk and steal something probably?" She exclaims softly, as she puts her head in her hands, rubbing her temples.

"Well, I know everyone's heard of the Giant Squid. But you also have Grindylows and the Merpeople Colony." Blaise says simply.

"There are Merpeople? As in mermaids?" Skyler asks shocked. Blaise, Theo and Draco nod, causing Skyler to groan.

"I'm going to die! How am I supposed to keep my breath for an hour andfight all those creatures in the Lake?!" She says.

"Can't you just transform into a fish or something?" Theo shrugs.