So Much for No Strings Attached

Chapter 10 The Civilisation Under the Lake

The next day a letter from Sirius came requesting the next Hogsmeade weekend. Weasley and Granger were sitting with him so he had to send the date. Harry had no idea what he would say if the man knew. But the man was incredibly loyal to James Potter loved him like a brother. Would he still feel the same way if he knew that James Potter had become James Slytherin after marrying Lord Voldemort? What side was Sirius on? Was he originally on Voldemort's side before being drugged? Or did he help kidnap dad? Harry didn't think he'd be able to handle anymore betrayals.

Harry had realised that if he wanted to beat Dumbledore and the traitors then he had to start by gathering allies. Harry didn't know who would be loyal to him when the truth about his birth came out. But the Slytherins a voice whispered in his head. He'd have to talk to the Slytherins. See which ones were good enough Occlumens to keep Dumbledore out and were loyal to the Dark.

He'd have to talk to Snape. After all Snape was the Head of Slytherin House if anyone knew who he could trust now that he had to start gathering allies it was Snape. That thought actually made Harry feel a lot better the fact that he had some sort of plan.

The day of the Second Task arrived with Harry feeling relatively calm. Harry supposed that it was the fact he felt more prepared with the swimming lessons from Lucius. True enough this time he would be wearing a MWS, a Magical Wet Suit, that Lucius had bought him as a good look present. It looked pretty much like a Muggle wet suit and Lucius informed him that it had been patented by a Muggle-born who was the daughter of Marine Biologist. The only differences were that there were Heating Charms that kept the body at room temperature for three hours after the spell being activated, if you triggered the panic alert then it would become buoyant and bring you to the surface of the water and had a wand holster built in. Apparently it was the top of the range which didn't surprise Harry considering his lover's expensive tastes which was mainly used by Magizooligists that specialised in underwater Beings and creatures. He had told Weasley and Granger that he had ordered the MWS when he had worked out the clue knowing how cold it would be so they didn't ask any questions about where the suit had come from.

Harry was the first of the champions to arrive at the lake. Fleur, Cedric and Viktor joined him. He couldn't help but look incredulously at Fleur Delacour. He knew all the straight boys were gawping at the part Veela but he just couldn't understand her stupidity. He knew she came from France but surely she knew that diving into a lake in the north of Scotland in the middle of February in nothing but a skimpy, silvery swimsuit was almost suicidal. Harry's opinion of the French girl had just plummeted. She was more like Lavender Brown more concerned with looks and making a profitable marriage than anything else. Harry shook his head once again before deciding if the French girl got hypothermia it wasn't Harry's business. Harry was in it to survive and hopefully win, to prove that he was more than just a famous name and the son of the Dark Lord.

Krum and Cedric looked slightly better off than Fleur; at least they were wearing shirts other their swimming trunks. They wouldn't be very streamlined but at least they'd be warmer. True enough Cedric was shivering slightly in the cold February wind. Harry couldn't help be envious of the spectators who were warm coats or cloaks and hats.

It seemed that only Krum that didn't seem to feel the cold. True enough if what he had been telling Granger at the Yule Ball - and wasn't that memory soured by betrayal - that Durmstrang was often frozen so Krum was probably used to it although Harry doubted he would be swimming in the frigid rivers and lakes wherever Durmstrang was located.