We've taken what you'll sorely miss

(And while you're searching ponder this) We've taken what you'll sorely miss

* Set in Hogwarts, during 6th year, in February.

It's the morning of the second task, and Maya is nowhere to be found. Lucas has gone from angry to upset to seriously concerned.

It's bad enough they've been at odds since the Yule Ball, where he accused her of fraternizing with the enemy after she went to the dance with Josh Matthews. (Josh may be Riley's uncle, but he is after all from a competing school, and Lucas's rival in the Triwizard Tournament.) (Okay, he might have overreacted to the extent of going too full-on-Riley on that one.)

But despite the increased friction between them over the past couple of months, they've still hung out together with their friends as per usual, studied together, had their meals together (no one really pays much mind to sitting strictly at their house tables anymore), and only separated at the end of the day to sleep in their own house dorms.

Until their stupid fight three days ago. And now, she clearly doesn't intend to come and support him as he participates in whatever life-threatening activity he has to complete as part of the second task. Lucas has never felt so angry and miserable in his entire life.

He could have never imagined that Maya — his best friend in the whole world (don't tell Zay!) — would skip being there for him altogether on this most important day at this most important time in one of his most stressful years at Hogwarts. (He's lucky they got done with their OWLs last year, and don't have to give the NEWTs until next year, because with Quidditch practice, preparing for the Triwizard Tournament tasks, and the piles of homework the teachers keep heaping upon them, Merlin's underpants, he barely has time to sleep!)

Farkle and Smackle have helped him prepare for the second task. (Lucas knows he's supposed to work out the clue on his own. But the instant he pried the egg open at Zay's suggestion at his winning-the-first-task victory party, and the loud and screechy wailing filled the Gryffindor common room, Smackle immediately got a look in her eye that told him she knew exactly what was going on with the egg.

Smackle has no qualms about helping him. The only reason she isn't competing herself is because she's a few months too young to be allowed. The age restriction imposed twenty years ago still stands, and Headmaster Feeny refused to let anyone who isn't over the wizarding age of majority (seventeen years old) put their name in the goblet of fire. Which meant practically no one other than the seventh years and Lucas, who had repeated a year after being expelled from his previous school.

What's more, this year onwards, the tournament is "Tri-wizard" only in name. After complaints from the other wizarding schools around the world about not being included in the friendly competition between Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons, there are a total of eight champions competing. Which means the honour and glory of winning the competition are significantly higher.

And so, incensed at not being allowed to participate due to some silly age restriction despite being the brightest young witch to attend Hogwarts since Hermione Granger, Isadora has made it her personal mission to... ignore some rules and mentor Lucas into winning the Triwizard Tournament. Besides, it's not as if the other contestants haven't received help from their fellow schoolmates or even their accompanying headmasters or headmistresses.)

At Smackle's suggestion, Lucas listened to the golden egg underwater while taking a bath in the Quidditch captains' bathroom. (Thankfully, she didn't insist on being present for that!) When he discussed the Merpeople's song with her and Farkle, they deduced that he has to retrieve something indispensable from the Hogwarts lake.

After a few days in the library — which is practically Smackle and Farkle's second home, so it doesn't look suspicious that they spend all of their time there while Lucas just happens to be a few desks away, doing his own research — he and the two geniuses compiled a list of magical methods and charms that would allow him to survive for an hour underwater. There's gillyweed, partial transfiguration, the bubble-head charm, assorted scuba spells, and even a Muggle scuba diving suit. "Do not underestimate the power of Muggle technology," Smackle had said. "And most wizards' inability to understand how it works."