𝘼 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙

The second task

For a few days I had been helping Harry trying to figure out his second task major problem which was how to breathe underwater for an hour and live enough to tell the tale. That hadn't been easy and we were going absolutely nowhere until I finally persuaded him that we should've asked Ron and Hermione's help. Seeing Hermione's rage however I was having second thoughts and found myself hoping she wouldn't kill him herself.
"You said you had it already worked out, Harry!" Hermione was furiously looking at Harry while speeding down the corridor to the library. I surely didn't want to get in the middle of that and Ron's terrified expression confirmed that was a wise choice
"Hermione I only said that because I didn't want to hurt Hagrid, he's so confident I will win I didn't have the strength to break it to him" Harry said.
"What an idiot!" She said very loudly before we got into the library.
We all started collecting books of all sorts that we thought could help us in the research even though I was positive me and Harry had already read a lot of them as I saw him taking out of Ron's pile the ones we had already searched thoroughly.
"You already read all of these and found nothing?!" Hermione whispered but just because she was too respectful of the rules because I was quite sure she would've rather yelled that.
"Yes, that's why I convinced him to ask for help. We couldn't do it alone, but now we need to work as a team" I said getting in the middle because all that was just slowing us down "Hermione listen, we help him survive the second task and then you can punch him like you did to Malfoy, deal?" I said and heard Ron laugh from behind my back, Hermione as well wasn't able to hold back a light smile.
"Let's get to work" she said sitting down at a table and we all followed.
We put every second to use, none of us speaking a word to the others unless we thought we had found something and I thought I had never saw Ron so focused on a task.
It was almost dinner time, the library was empty aside from us, when Ron closed the last book on his pile "There's nothing... closest thing was that charm to dry ponds... but i don't think it could work on the lake"
"This is just wasting my time... who would want to curl his nose hair?" She scoffed snapping her book shut.
"I would" Fred Weasley said "be a talking point, wouldn't it?"
"What are you doing here?" Ron asked looking surprised of seeing them in the library and, now that I was thinking about it, I didn't recall seeing them there much. Being both in my year I should've noticed.
"Looking for you and Hermione, McGonagall's waiting for you, join her in her office" George said.
We all exchanged some strange looks as we couldn't afford to lose time like that.
"We'll see you again in the common room, bring all the books you can" Hermione said. We nodded in response and looked at them until they disappeared into the hallways.
"So why are you hanging out with the kids?" Fred asked sitting on the desk beside me.
"Why is this your business?" I asked.
"Because you could hang out with us instead" George replied "We're cooler" he winked at me and I was pretty sure Harry was fulminating them both in his mind because his thoughts were very confused and most of them curse words. That was funny, I must admit.
"What's the catch? Five years you spoke to me just if you had to and now we should hang out together?" I said starting to collect my stuff piling the books one over the other.
"We heard what you did for harry, helping him with the first task..." Fred said "You caught our attention, you should be flattered"  continued George.
"Not to mention the way you talked to Snape, after the incident with Hermione's teeth" Fred said.
"Oh that, of course, pure badass" agreed George helping me carrying the books since I wasn't able to lift all of them on my own while Fred helped Harry.
"Yeah well, it happened and it shouldn't have, I won't help you prank Snape and I strongly advise you not to do it" I said as I had a very bad feeling.
"We're not doing any of that!" George squealed.
"But we appreciate your prankster mindset very much" Fred said.
"Well guys, as long as you don't get me in trouble with Snape, as we're already navigating fairly troubled waters... we can 'hang out' whenever you like" I said and saw Harry's face but this time it wasn't because of Fred and George but because of my metaphor involving water, he was pretty sensitive about that. "Sorry Harry..." I said.
"Nevermind" he said trying to play it cool in front of the older boys.
"Cool" they said and winked simultaneously at me before leaving me and Harry alone in the common room.
"That was weird" Harry said sitting down and opening another book.
"I know right, I fear whatever they have in mind" I said really praying that they didn't mean to prank me because I really didn't need any further public humiliation "Let's get back to business" I said but before I could focus on my reading I heard a voice in my head.
Where the hell are you?!
Severus...
Of course, who else would that be?
Oh my God, I forgot we had to prepare the potions for the second task.
You better get here within the next five minutes miss Avery.
"Harry I forgot I had to help Snape brew some potions for tomorrow...." I said feeling extremely guilty for having to abandon him.
"Okay... don't worry, I'm sure Ron and Hermione will be here soon" he said.
"I'll be back as soon as I can" I said and I hurried out of the Common room straight to Snape's dungeons hoping it was closer.
"Thank you for joining me Miss Avery please take your time" he said sarcastically as I entered his office. I gave him a side glare as I still wasn't able to speak after the marathon I had been running in the hallways.
"Get to that cauldron for the Pepperup Potion, you should be able to handle it, it's pretty easy" he said and I did as I was told as he already looked pretty fussed and I didn't want to be the chosen victim of his vent.
"You haven't lost your tongue, have you?" He asked forcing me to speak.
"No" I said briefly.
"What is it now?" He asked.
"I'm sorry, my mind was elsewhere, I'm very worried for Harry" I said and I saw him distinctly rolling his eyes even though I was trying to focus on looking at the potion trying not to ruin it.
"You should focus on your job rather than thinking about Potter" he said harshly.
"The fact is that he still has no idea how to survive in the lake for one hour..." I explained "I hope Ron and Hermione will find a way to help him"
As I said that I got a weird feeling from Snape that I didn't like.
"What?" I asked looking up at him. Screw the potion.
"What?" I haven't said anything" he murmured.
"Exactly, what are you not saying?" I asked.
"They won't be able to help Potter tonight" he said and I felt the blood drain from my face.
"What do you mean..." I said not wanting to make wrong assuptions.
"They had to take them to prepare them, they're what he has to look for in the lake" he said and fortunately he didn't look happy about it because I was ready to jump at his throat at any manifestation of enjoyment.
"You're telling me he's going to be completely alone the night before the second task for which he is not even ready yet?!" I said, kind of too loud.
"They're going to be fine, Dumbledore won't let anything happen to them" he said even though he didn't sound very persuading.
I decided I had had enough and entered his mind for the first time without asking him permission and I was taken right into McGonagall's office along with Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime and Snape.