The Unsolved Riddle.

Drowning Snake.

Heat crawled up castle walls, students were in and out of the building as often as they could and the effects of the first two tasks had run through the school. Harry was less of a recluse and the lake was regularly visited by students who wanted to recall what had happened. The second task seemed to have stirred an unhealthy obsession from students who had never before paid any attention to it. Those who enjoyed swimming in the lake found themselves alone less and less, especially by Durmstrang students who thoroughly enjoyed the cool water.

"Evanesco." Right in front of their eyes, the rock faded from view but the spell only proved to discourage the Ravenclaws around Eliana as their small rocks were all present, a few had lost a chip and Padme had managed to vanish half of her rock but nothing more had happened. Eliana, however, managed to do it right every time she tried it.

The distant sound of the same spell being cast sounded out behind Eliana but her mind ran across the water that swam around her. Hogwarts was still visible but the lake was relatively deep where she stood. Eliana sat on a large boulder that she wouldn't dare to try and vanish, but just as the soft sound of moving water had soothed Eliana into closing her eyes and dreaming of life back at home, loud steps echoed behind her and cheering followed through the grounds. "What's this? Ravenclaws can't do a simple bit of transfiguration?" Eliana didn't bother to open her eyes but her ears were tuned to what they had to say and the muffled grumbles of her friends weren't ignored either. "You're not as smart as you make out to be. Maybe Ravenclaw is just as bad as Gryffindor." Eliana still didn't make a response as she hoped that her friends would talk but the laughter of Pansy Parkinson ran through her body with a jolt.

"Oy! Abaza, look at us." Malfoy's attitude had turned even more sour with every task that Harry had sailed through and he had taken to picking on anything that could move.

"I prefer this view. But, If you can't hold a conversation without making eye contact then may I suggest conversing with a basilisk?" Eliana turned and found herself face to face with Vincent Crabbe and instantly Eliana recoiled and sneered. "You stink." Eliana stood carefully and brought her figure in to meet with her friends who were packing away, trying not to roll their eyes at him.

"Do you know what? Prove that you're smart and we'll leave you alone." Su moved to open her mouth but Eliana cut in and smiled, her friends could see the mischief waiting just below the surface which caused them to step back and give her free reign over the Slytherins.

"Okay, I bet I can make all of your feet leave the soil. Without using real magic. Muggle-magic, deception." Laughing, the Slytherin students agreed to see what she would do.

"Okay, Mudblood, but your friends can't be anywhere near us and you have to stand on the stone." Draco pointed to the stone Eliana had just stood from and instantly the Ravenclaw students obeyed his rules.

"The first step is to stand in a straight line and close your eyes." Hesitantly, Slytherin students closed their eyes as Eliana informed them that it wouldn't work if they didn't do it. "And then start by remembering your age. Nod when you have it." Immediately, Slytherin students did as they were told and Eliana narrowed her eyes, not sure why they were agreeing with her. "Now add 100." Slowly, too slowly, students agreed and Eliana tried not to laugh at their stupidity. "Now take away 60." Silently a few nods came but Crabbe and Goyle were too caught up in the maths and eventually, they shook their heads to tell her that they couldn't do it. Padma ended up having to tell them the number that they should have had. "Multiply the number by ten." Nods were quicker and Eliana had to regain her composure as she fought off a smile before she spoke again. "With this number, take the first digit, if you have 675 then take the six, and then double it." Quickly the students agreed and then Eliana glanced at her friends who were watching closely. "Now, don't open your eyes, to put power in Muggle-magic, you need to move so walk that many steps forward." Trying to get it over quickly, all of the Slytherins walked forward and Eliana watched as every single one of them, at the same time, found themselves a few feet below the surface level as they plunged into the lake.