Astra || H. Potter [1]

[33] Troubles Below

[Outfit Above]

Later that week, the night before the second task Ophelia, Hermione, and Ron were in the library with Harry trying to find a way for him to breathe while in the Black Lake. "Harry, tell us again." Ophelia said. "Come seek us where our voices sound." Harry repeated. "The black lake, that's obvious." Hermione nodded as she walked towards where he and Ophelia sat. Looking up at Ron, Ophelia used her magic to nudge him awake, cutting his snoring off. "An hour-long you'll have to look." Harry continued as he rested his chin on a book. Hermione shrugged slightly. "Again obvious, though I must admit potentially problematic"

"Potentially problematic?" Both Ophelia and Harry asked with furrowed brows and wide eyes. "When was the last time you held your breath under the water for an hour Hermione?" Hermione glanced at Ophelia and nodded her head the slightest bit towards Harry. With a small shake of her head, Ophelia moved closer to Harry and set a hand on his jumper clad arm. "Harry, we can do this. The four of us will figure it out." Behind them, Moody appeared at the opening to the shelves.

"Hate to break up this scholar session but Professor McGonagall would like to see you in her office."  Harry turned in his chair about to stand up when moody stopped him. "Not you Potter, just Lupin and Granger." Ophelia stood up slowly as a worried frown pulled on her lips. "But sir, the second task is only hours away and..." Moody cut her off. "Exactly. Presumably, Potter is well prepared by now and could do with a good night's sleep. Go." Having not moved Moody spoke more sternly. "Now!" Harry gripped onto Ophelia's hand not wanting her to go yet, he still needed her help. "I'll see you first thing tomorrow...alright?" Ophelia said with a sympathetic expression, she squeezed his hand before releasing it and exiting the library with Hermione.

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Harry anxiously wrung his hands together, his nerves were higher without having seen either Ophelia or Hermione. If he wasn't faced with the task he would be more focused on finding them. "Do you know where Ophelia and Hermione are?" Harry asked Ron as the redhead approached him minutes before the task was about to start. Ron shook his head nervously. "No...I was about to ask you the same thing." Before Harry could say anything else Dumbledore began speaking over the loudspeaker.

"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 on 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 one hour to do so and one hour only. After that, they'll be on their own."

Mad-Eye looked down at Harry. "Put that in your mouth." He told him slowly, Harry responded by quickly shoving the gillyweed into his mouth but began choking from the taste. "You may begin at the start of the cannon." Dumbledore said and the cannon fired. All of the champions beside Harry dived into the water. Harry's arms flailed as he was shoved into the freezing lake, once in the water the gillyweed started to take effect. His hands and feet became webbed and he started to swim through the dark vast water.

Harry swims along the rocks and the fish as singing voices start echoing around him, not far from him Fleur gets trapped and screamed. Harry paused and looked at her for a moment seeing she was going back to the surface before continuing on. He hears muffled screams and finds Hermione, Cho Chang, a blonde girl from Beauxbatons, and the last person that worried him. Harry's eyes widened as they settled on Ophelia's unconscious figure. Her blue eyes were drooped shut and her long, dark brown curls were drifting around her in the water.

Before he could make a move Cedric appeared beside him and the two looked at each other before the Hufflepuff began to untie Cho. Cedric spared a glance at Ophelia, part of him wanting to take her but the other part knowing Harry would. Harry begins to try and release Ophelia and Hermione but the vicious merpeople appear ready to fight him. "But she's my friend too!" he argued while pointing at Hermione. "Only one." The merperson warned.

What looks like a shark approached at high speed, from its legs you can tell it was Viktor, he grabs Hermione and spares a glance at Harry and Ophelia silently warning the boy to bring her up before it was too late. Harry continued breaking the ties on Ophelia's ankle freeing her, he again looked over at the small blonde girl from Beauxbatons before loosening her ties and bringing them up to the surface.

The merpeople angrily charged at Harry attacking him, with a grunt Harry pushed Ophelia and the little girl towards the surface, both of them woke up with a gasp when they came above the water. The small blonde beside Ophelia whispered and began to bob up and down as she tried to swim. "Here, hold onto me." Ophelia wrapped an arm around the small girl who clung to her in fear and pushed through the cold waters towards the docks. "'Phelia!" Someone shouted as two hands grabbed her arms pulling both her and the little girl up.

Ophelia continued coughing as the cold air hit her lungs, two large warm blankets were wrapped over her shoulders as she sat down next to Hermione. Ophelia looked around and noticed only she and Fleur's sister came up, Harry was not in sight. 'Wait. Where's Harry?" She asked breathlessly. Both Ron and Hermione shared a worried glance. Ophelia began to remove the blankets and tried to get back into the lake when two arms wrapped around her and gently pulled her back. "No stop! Harry's still down there!" Releasing her Ron crouched down next to her as Hermione wrapped an arm around her. "Harry is coming. He is." Hermione said with a short nod. Suddenly Harry is shot out of the water and onto the platform next to them.

Hermione, Ophelia, and Ron both got up and rushed over there to assess their friend. "Harry!" Ophelia wrapped her arms around the boy and squeezed him tightly. "God Phe you're freezing." Harry said as the girl pulled away. "Says you." She returned with a small teasing grin. Fleur then came to stand above them both. "You saved her, even though she wasn't yours to save. My little sister!" Fleur thanked Harry by kissing both of his cheeks as her sister hugged Ophelia tightly.

"Thank you! And you..." Fleur then looked at Ophelia who had just released her sister for a second time. "You helped!" Fleur hugged Ophelia, surprised the brunette with her strength. "Harry!" Hermione called as she wrapped him in another blanket. "Hermione." Hermione rubbed his arms up and down trying to return some heat to him. " Are you alright? You must be freezing! Personally, I think you behaved admirably."

"I finished last Hermione." Ophelia cupped Harry's face in her hands and kissed his cheek. "Next to last." She corrected him. "Attention!" The three of them looked up as Dumbledore was using the loudspeaker once more. "Attention! The winner is...Mr. Diggory!" Cedric and his friends cheered loudly. "For showing unique command of the bubblehead charm. The way I see it, Mr. Potter would have finished first had it not been for his determination to rescue not only Ms. Lupin but the others as well. We've agreed to award him second place!" Ophelia once again wrapped her arms around Harry as the two were being warmed up by Hermione and Ron. All of the Gryffindors roared with applause and cheers for Harry. "For outstanding moral fiber."

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That was a lot but boy do I have some things coming up. Y'all will both like me but possibly not like me it is yet to be completely decided 👀.
Xoxo
- A