𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 | √

⎡59⎦

Cedric's P.O.V.

"Good luck Ced!" "You're gonna do great!" "Make us proud Diggory!" I was being greeted by many "good luck"s as I walked towards the Black Lake.

I smiled genuinely but there was one thing I couldn't get off my mind. Where was Hazel? I had hoped to speak to her this morning before the task to run through the million and a half scenarios I had anxiously dreamed of the night before, but the last I'd seen her had been at the library before she was summoned to McGonagall's office.

It was strange for Hazel to miss breakfast, especially on such an important morning. I ran through a list of things I might have said that could have upset her in the last week or two, but my nervous mind kept telling me to focus on the merpeople and the lake. I made it to where the boats were and hopped into one where I was taken to the platform for the champions, some students, and the professors. I shivered slightly as I took my jersey off, leaving me only in my shorts and 'Diggory' top. I jumped up and down slightly in attempt warm up as I looked down at the black lake. As I glanced into the icy water beneath me, a horrifying thought occurred to me.

What if HAZEL was what I needed to rescue?

I knew that Dumbledore would not knowingly put her in danger, but the idea that she was trapped at the bottom of the lake made my gut clench. She was my better half, my motivation, my prize... What if I couldn't rescue her in time? What if I failed? Would she leave me?

"Welcome to the second task." Dumbledore's voice sounded around the area. "Last night something was stolen from each of our champions. A treasure of sorts. These four treasures, one for each champion, now lie on the bottom of the black lake. In order to win each champion need only find their treasure and return to the surface. Simple enough. Except for this,"

I looked over to Harry on my right who seemed to be shoving something down his throat.

"they will have one hour to do so and one hour only."

I scanned the crowd for Hazel once more and saw a few people with Diggory banners being held up. I waved courteously. My heart was racing. I looked over at Harry who was seriously choking now and received a harsh hit on the back by Moody.

"After that, they'll be on their own. You may begin at the start of the cannon."

The cannon immediately went off and all of us, except Harry, plunged into the icy water. We all swam away in different directions. Once I was far enough away from everyone else, I grabbed my wand from the strap on my leg and performed the bubble head charm. A bubble of air appeared which stuck tightly around my face and mouth supplying me with oxygen to breathe.

"Hazel you're amazing," I muttered as I began to search for the thing that was most valuable to me.

. . .

This was hard. Dumbledore was right. The cold water was making my blood cold and as I swam downwards the water became darker and murkier. It is only after passing several Grindylows that I finally began to make out a soft tune. It sounded like the singing of the merpeople. One swam past me causing me to lurch back. I decided to follow it. Soon I noticed an arch rock with 4 ghostly looking figures tied down to the bottom of the lake, their heads lolling effortlessly as they floated suspended