The Girl with the Green Tail

Chapter Four: The House Elf's Plan

"Mermaids?" Ron asked Harry, after Harry went and told him and Hermione about what he had discovered in the Prefect's bathroom. "Are they serious?"

Hermione stepped in, her bushy brown hair tucked behind her ears. "Defending yourself against the mermaids isn't troublesome. You're already excellent with spells and charms, Harry," she said, "but we need to start thinking of a way that you can breathe underwater for an hour."

"Oh, no, Hermione, I thought I'd just grow gills overnight and use those!" Harry snapped.

Hermione stared at her shoes gloomily. "Well, it was just a suggestion," she explained.

"Where exactly are we gonna find a spell that'll let Harry breathe underwater?!" Ron asked, his red hair tucked behind his ears, like Hermione's, and his blue eyes wide in confusion.

Hermione gave Ron a look, that told him exactly what he needed to know.

Ron sighed. "Looks like another trip to the library."

The library was Hermione's favorite place in the whole school. As a muggleborn, she did not have any experience in the field of magic. Therefore, she enjoyed checking the magical books out of the magical library for magical studying... Because of her ever-growing interest in the study of magic, she is the smartest witch of all the fourth year Hogwarts students. Most people tend to call her the "Brightest Witch of her age".

They left the red and gold decorated walls of Gryffindor Tower, and passed through the tunnel guarded by the Fat Lady's portrait, which guards the entrance to the Gryffindor's tower. The library wasn't quite far from the tower, and they were in the library in less than ten minutes.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all looked in various books off of many shelves, but could not find a single spell, hex, or charm that would allow a wizard to breathe underwater.

The headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, - a tall man with half-moon glasses and long white hair, with a nice long white beard to match - came to the place where the three Gryffindors were studying various charms, spells, jinxes, and hexes alike.

"Excuse me, Harry," Dumbledore began, "but I'll need to borrow Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger for the rest of the night."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other. Then, Ron and Hermione left with Dumbledore. Hermione turned back and said, "Good luck, Harry." Ron said, "See you tomorrow."

Harry was left to study alone. Ruffling his untidy black hair, he began to look in many other books, but still found no luck. After about six more hours of searching, Harry was extremely exhausted, for the time was 4:32 AM. Fatigue overcame him, and he could no longer search. He fell asleep against "Spells of the Most Famous Wizards in the Nineteenth Century", with his black circular glasses still on his face.

                                                                                                  ~~~

"Harry Potter!" exclaimed a high-pitched voice. "Sir, Harry Potter mustn't be late today!"

Harry was slow to sit up, but when he did, his eyes met the tennis ball-sized green eyes of Dobby the house elf. "Dobby...?" he asked. "What are you-"

"No time to explain, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby said hastily. "Harry Potter will be late if he doesn't get ready for the second task immediately!"

Harry began to panic. Not only was he running late, but he was unprepared. "Wait! I don't know what to do about the task! I still haven't found a spell!"

"Dobby has found the perfect solution, sir!" Dobby said proudly, holding up a handful of what looked to be seaweed.

"What is that?" Harry asked.

Dobby exclaimed, "Gillyweed! It will allow Harry Potter to breathe underwater, just like a merman!"

Harry hastily thanked Dobby, grabbed all he needed for the next task, and ran off to the lake, where the second task was being held.

The announcers proclaimed the beginning of the second task; each champion must find what the mermaids took from them, and bring them back to the surface. Whoever was first would win.

With the beginning announced, Harry ate the gillyweed, and began to feel lack of air.

Not knowing what was going on, he fell into the water. The gillyweed had given him gills! Regaining his breath, Harry began to swim, looking for the place where the merfolk had hidden his possession.