Light and Darkness

YEAR 6: THIRTY-FOUR

YEAR 6:

THIRTY-FOUR

It was the morning of the second task and I hadn't heard anything back from Hermione. I decided to give it another day or two before freaking out and just get ready to go see the second task. I met Jaz, Terence and Adrian in the common room, wrapped up in warm clothing ready to leave. "Let's go sleepy head, all the good places will have gone." Jaz smiled, wrapping her scarf around her neck. It was strange that Adrian and Terence had decided to come to the task with us, but we thought it better not to question it and just go along with it.

We approached the Black Lake where there were large stands set up in the middle of the lake and students already taking their seats. There were several boats going over at a time just at the small dock at the edge of the lake. "Place your bets, place your bets here!" I heard the familiar cries of Fred and George Weasley. They walked up and down the dock with a case displaying the odds for each champion. "Ah, Pandora." Fred smiled, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek.

I blushed slightly, "I don't want to distract you from your work. I'm heading over with Jaz, Terence and Adrian now if you want to follow over."

Fred smiled and nodded, "I'll be over shortly."

I turned to Jaz who sighed and shrugged her shoulders. I then noticed why she was acting this way and saw that Terence and Adrian had already gotten into a boat and were nearly halfway over to the stands. "Why did they leave?" I asked shoving my hands in my pockets and walking down to the dock and got into the first free boat there was.

"The second you started speaking to that Weasley, Adrian left and Terence felt obliged to follow him." Jaz shrugged. Several Hufflepuffs climbed in afterwards and we were soon on our way over to the large stands. "Like I, myself, don't agree with whatever you have with that Weasley but I can see that you're happy, so I choose not to say anything and not to speak about him. But Adrian is just acting weird."

We eventually arrived at the stands. All of the bottom level was full, so Jaz and I made our way to the middle level and managed to get a space right at the railings. The stands filled up pretty quickly. Eventually, Dumbledore's voice echoed around the lake, "Welcome to the second task. Last night, something was stolen from each of our champions. A treasure of sorts. These four treasures, one for each champion, now lie at the bottom of the Black Lake. In order to win, each champion need only find their treasure and return to the surface. Simple enough, except for this; They will have but one hour to do so, and only one hour. After that, they are on their own. No magic will save them. You may begin at the sound of the cannon."

Without hesitation, the cannon fired and Cedric, Krum and Fleur all dove into the lake, Potter falling in moments later. There was then a brief moment of silence, "Wait, so is that it then? We have to wait here in the cold for an hour for them to come back?" Jaz turned to me with confusion written all over her face.

I shrugged my shoulders, "It appears so." All of a sudden, Potter flipped out from the lake and dove straight back in, showing off his gills and webbed hands and feet. The crowds surrounding Jaz and I cheered and began chanting for Potter while the Hufflepuff's remained cheering for their own Cedric and the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students remaining loyal to their champion.

Time ticked by slowly and the cheering died down after most people had realized that none of the champions could hear nor see them. "This is stupid." Jaz sighed resting her arms on the railings and bending over, "How long has it been?"

I sighed, "About twenty minutes - oh wait, look something's happening."

All of a sudden, a girl emerged from the water. It was Fleur. She coughed and spewed and was dragged up into the stand and wrapped in towels to warm her up. She was crying and seemed in a hysterical state. Dumbledore spoke over her hysterics, "The Beauxbatons champion, Miss Delacour, has unfortunately been forced to retire so she will take no further past in this task." The crowd applauded her while Madame Maxine tried to calm her down.