Towers - Fred Weasley

38

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EBONY HAD JOINED RON AND HERMIONE. Professor McGonagall wanted to talk to each one of them but they had no clue what it was about. They stand together, rather confused as their professor looks rather grim and moody. 

"So, undoubtedly you know what the second task is?" 

"Yes."

"No."

Ebony frowns and looks towards Hermione and Ron who had both answered 'yes'. She had no clue what was about to happen tomorrow, she didn't talk to Cedric enough to know. 

"The second task takes place underwater in the Black lake." Professor McGonagall explains. "It will push the champions to survive underwater for an hour while they have to look for a treasure." 

Sounds easy enough. According to Ebony, there's a lot of spells for underwater breathing and a lot of methods in the forbidden section of the library. There are a hundred ways to go at it.

"You will be the treasure." Professor McGonagall states. 

"What?" Ron asks surprised.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asks, bewildered.

"You're kidding?" Asks Ebony who looks rather calm.

"I didn't want this either but it's tradition to have an important person to the champion be their treasure. Fleur will have to save her little sister, Victor will have to save Hermione, Harry has to save Ron and Cedric will have to save Ebony." Professor McGonagall explains.

"Question, Minnie." Ebony says. "What happens to us if they don't succeed?" 

"Let's just hope they do." 

'Hogwarts, place of safe'

'Place of Bullshit!'

Ebony is taken to a different room where she is presented with a dark potion. She feels incredibly annoyed but decides, for her sake, not to complain about it and just drink it.

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CEDRIC, FLEUR AND KRUM ARE BESIDES THE JUDGES' TABLE, watching Harry sprint towards them.

"I'm ... here ..." Harry pants, skidding to a halt in the mud and accidentally splattering Fleur's robes.

"Where have you been?" asks a bossy, disapproving voice. "The task's about to start!"

Harry looks around. Percy Weasley is sitting at the judges' table – Mr Crouch has failed to turn up again.

"Now, now, Percy!" Ludo Bagman says, who is looking intensely relieved to see Harry. "Let him catch his breath!"

Dumbledore smiles at Harry, but Karkaroff and Madame Maxime don't look at all pleased to see him ... it was obvious from the looks on their faces that they had thought he wasn't going to turn up.

Cedric had hoped to see Ebony before the task would begin. He wanted his 'good luck hug' but she was nowhere to be seen. Even when he had asked both Fred and George, neither of the two had seen her. He is a bit worried for her sake but decides not to dwell on it too much. 

Bagman returns to the judges' table; he points his wand at his throat as he had done at the World Cup, says "Sonorus!" and his voice booms out across the dark water towards the stands.