The Boy Who Hated Living

The Lake

The next morning he was standing with Hermione on one of the bridges at Hogwarts and Hermione didn't seem happy. "Danny you told me you'd figured the egg out weeks ago, the task is two days from now."

"Yeah I know, and I didn't say I figured it out I said I had it handled, and I don't know why your so mad but as far as I know I didn't do anything." Danny sighed and messed up his hair a little, "I guess Viktor already figured it out didn't he?"

"Wouldn't know, didn't actually talk about the tournament, actually we didn't really talk at all, Viktor's more of a physical being." Danny laughed a little before he could stop himself and he did everything he could not to laugh even more. Hermione seemed to quickly catch on as well, "I just mean he's not particularly aquatious."

Danny nodded, "Yeah, sure."

Hermione hit him lightly on the arm, "Mostly he watches me study, it's a bit annoying actually." Hermione then looked a bit serious, "You are trying to figure this egg out aren't you?"

Danny sighed, "I've tried everything, I even tried singing to the damn thing in a desperate attempt to get it not to screech at me."

"Danny these tasks are supposed to test you, in the most brutal way they're almost cruel." She tried to get him to look at her, "And, um, I'm worried about you, you got by the dragons mostly on nerve, I'm not sure it's going to be enough this time."

Danny then heard someone call to him, "Phantom!" Danny glanced at who it was before he started walking in the opposite direction, "Hey Phantom!"

Danny mentally sighed, "Cedric."

Danny decided to turn to Cedric and he looked at him, Cedric looked ever so slightly nervous, "How are you?"

Danny gave him a sceptical look, "Look if your just talking to me to insult me or something I don't want to hear it."

Cedric looked slightly alarmed, "No!" He sighed, "Look I realized I never really thanked you properly for tipping me off about those dragons."

Danny shook his head, "I just didn't want you going in blind when I knew something that could help you."

"Exactly." Cedric smiled a little, "You know the prefects bathroom on the fifth floor?" Danny nodded, "It's not a bad place for a bath, just take you egg and mull things over in the hot water."

Cedric walked away and Danny whispered to himself, "Was that a flirtation?"

Death seemed rather amused by that and assured him that, no, it wasn't, but was in fact helpful advice. That night Danny snuck into the bathroom and when he got into the water the fossetts for the different soaps automatically turned on. He had the egg with him at the edge of the bath and he looked at the scars he had everywhere.

The most recent one was on his stomach, if someone else had caused the wound you probably could have seen his organs. This scar was the first visual reminder he'd ever gotten from one of his episodes and it bothered him. He decided to push the scar out of his mind and focus on trying to figure out what he was supposed to do now.

There was a stain glass window of a mermaid and it looked at him, even the windows could move. Danny sighed, "Okay Death, any helpful advice?"

After a few seconds he heard a girls voice, "I'd try putting it in the water if I were you."

Danny looked over and was a bit surprised, "Myrtle?" Death then tossed the egg in the water and Danny sighed, "Really, you just had to do that didn't you?"

Myrtle ignored what he said to Death and smiled, "Hello Danny, long time no see." She then noticed that he was in the bath and Danny felt the urge to go under the water and drown himself. Myrtle then flew above him, "I was circling a blocked drain the other day and could swear I saw a bit of polyjuice potion, not being a bad boy again are you Danny?"