Black Rose (Draco Malfoy)

Slipping

Chapter 15: Slipping

The second task of the Triwizard Tournament was on Wednesday morning. I was not sad to be missing Herbology; it was still not my favorite subject. After breakfast, I headed outside with Ginny to join the forming crowd. Fred and George stood out with their red hair. I caught George's eye, and we both looked away.

"Let's go over here," Ginny said, pulling me to a different area of the stands.

I cast her a grateful look. Once we had found a spot, I dared to question her about her brother. "How's George doing?"

Ginny shrugged. "He's holding up I guess. He's not been as obnoxious as usual."

I frowned and shifted uncomfortable.

"Don't worry," Ginny said. "He'll get over it."

I nodded. I was sure he would be alright. I just feared that our friendship would never be the same. I gazed across the crowd, trying to see if I recognized anyone. I easily spotted Draco. I looked away quickly, but I could not hide the smile that immediately came over my face.

Ginny was looking at me with raised eyebrows. "What is it?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I'll tell you later." I would have to spill everything to her eventually. She was one of the few people I thought I could trust on this subject. As I looked at the crowd again, something seemed to dawn on me. "Hey, do you see Ron and Hermione?"

Ginny stood on her tip-toes and peered across the crowd. She was frowning when she settled back down. "No, I don't. That's peculiar. I would have thought they would have been in the front row."

"Exactly," I said.

I did not have time to ponder the question, for the second task soon began. "Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle," the announcer's voice boomed across the stands. "They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One...two...three!"

Taken from them? What could that possibly mean? I exchanged a glance with Ginny; she just shrugged. I watched as Krum, Cedric, and Fleur dove into the lake. Meanwhile, Harry was slowly wading into the water. I waited, but nothing happened to him.

"I hope he knows what he's doing," Ginny whispered.

I nodded. When was something magical going to happen? He needed to breathe somehow. I craned my neck when I saw Harry clasp his neck with his hands. A second later, he was fully submerged in the water. "I guess he figured it out," I said.

"Let's hope he can catch up to the others," Ginny muttered.

It seemed like we were waiting forever for something to happen. The crowd was growing restless. Eventually, Fleur's head popped out of the water. It was announced that she had had to forfeit. I clenched my teeth in frustration. I still did not know the purpose of the task.

Finally, Cedric emerged with Cho, and understanding filled my mind. It was a person they had to rescue. Then Ron and Hermione...

"Harry has to save Ron," Ginny said with a gasp.

I smiled grimly. "Looks like it."

Krum was the next to finish, bringing Hermione with him. I was glad to see that my friend was okay. By this time, the crowd was going wild. I clapped and cheered for the rest of them as I waited or Harry. "Where was he?"