UNTOLD | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 3)

[ 24 ]

"Harry, tell me again!" Hermione ordered, wandering about in circles as she held onto the Golden egg. They were all now in the library after Harry told them about the hint he had gotten from the egg. Cedric had advised him to put it underwater to hear the given hint which was also...

"Come seek us where our voices sound," the boy replies, repeating the poem for the hundredth time. 

"That's the black lake. Obvious!" she exclaimed, passing by Ron who was peacefully snoring, clearly too bored to listen on. The girl clicks her tongue and shoves the egg to the red-headed boy, causing him to jump awake, muttering a short curse under his breath. "Will you help a little, Ronald?" she asks, annoyed.

"Will you stop going round and round? You're making me dizzy!" he snaps back, causing Hermione to glare at him.

"Alright, enough. You two love birds," Aine sighs, catching the egg that Ron had tossed over to her. 

"An hour-long you'll have to look..." Harry uttered on, tapping his chin on the dusty thick book, he already felt defeated even before the second task began. 

"Again, obvious. Though, admittedly, potentially problematic," Hermione frowns and Harry jerks to her, "Potentially problematic? When's the last time you held your breath underwater for an hour, Hermione?" he retorted, his anger rising again and Hermione shuts her mouth, realizing that she was only fuelling his anxiety.

Aine patted his hand, calming him down as he sighs loudly, "The plan now is to figure out how you can hold your breath long enough."

"Yeah, how? We barely got a day to learn a new spell that could help!" the boy groans, pulling his hair as he slumps his face back onto the book.

"We'll figure something out," Aine reassures, eyes gazing blankly at the thousands of towering books and yet she wasn't thinking about books. She was thinking about what could help with holding your breath underwater. Spells obviously wouldn't work since there wasn't enough time for her friend to master it as he did before in the first round. This means they had to use another approach that doesn't include learning spells or enchanting, but all the methods Aine could think of involves enchantments and incantations. There's the transfiguration method and the bubble-head charm, but time is limited. She chewed on her lips, there must surely be another way...

"Look, Harry, we can do this. The four of us can figure it out!" Hermione consoles the boy before a voice echoed from behind, "Hate to break up the skull session. Professor McGonagall wants you in her office," said Professor Moody, Harry immediately standing up only to be shot down, "Not you, Potter, just... Weasley and Granger."

Aine exchanged glances with her two friends who shrugged, before Hermione interjected, "But, sir, the second task is only hours away, and—"

"Exactly. Presumably, Potter is well prepared by now—" Moody turns to the champion, "and could do with a good night's sleep. Go. NOW!" he barked, Ron flinching at the sudden outburst and Hermione huffs, rage in her eyes but she said no more but sharing one last look to Harry and Aine before stomping away with Ron.

"Longbottom! Why don't you help Potter put his books back?" The professor instructed without turning to look at the boy who was behind him, minding his own business. 

"Oh, yeah. Sure," Neville replies, walking over as Moody clumps away, eyeing Aine who stares back at him. He grins and she raises a brow before the man shook his head, turning down the library shelving as he left.

When he was gone, Aine placed the egg back onto the table before helping Harry in placing the massive books back with the guidance of Neville. The atmosphere was awkward and solemn as the three Gryffindors return them, Neville, taking the courage to talk, finally spoke out, "You know, if you're interested in plants. you'd be better off with Goshawk's Guide to Herbology," he introduces to Harry, pointing at the book he was reading earlier.