Runes Master

Malicious Mermaids

Days passed and Harry was putting more and more time on his egg. The second task was coming fast and he had to figure what this screeching was all about. He figured it had something to do with water since Krum took the habit to take an early swim in the lake every day. He opened the egg for Hermione and Luna without much luck. It was barely three days before the task that something finally came of one of their brainstorming session.

"Water…" said Harry for the twelfth time.

"A clue… did we tried to play it backward?" asked Hermione.

"Yesterday," answered Luna, putting a finger in an ear to block some of the present screeching. "It was a pain in the ass."

"Luna, language!" said Hermione automatically.

"Water…language…" mused Harry suddenly.

Both witches turned toward him, eyes sparkling.

"Mermaids." They both said with finality.

Harry smiled, closing the egg. The silence was deafening. Harry's voice seemed to ring after the long period of loud noises.

"There are mermaids in the lake. How can we translate their speech?"

"Their must be a spell…" said Hermione, browsing in her books.

"Listen to it underwater. The language is pretty much the same, if more Shakespearian. It's simply distorted out of the water," Luna said distractingly.

"Cool! Who can transfigure us a bowl of water big enough for this?" asked Harry, looking at them intently.

The two witches were so enthusiastic to finally learn what this was all about that they didn't even bother to tell him to do it himself. Once a bowl big enough for the egg and their three heads to be totally covered by water was conjured, they listened to the water folks. Many times.

Out of breath, they laid beside a desk, Hermione vanishing the spilled water and Luna turning the bowl back in the chair that it had been prior.

"So…something dear to me. Basically, I'll have an hour to get it back from the bottom of the lake, where the mermaids will hold it from me. I wonder what it'll be. My Firebolt? My collection of essences?" Harry said, looking up.

Luna whacked him lightly on the head, smiling.

"Boys…"she said." Always thinking about their toys. Think deeper than that, Harry. It's not necessarily something. It could be someone."

At that, Harry blanched a little.

"Oh god. I'm so sorry having involved you two girls."

He leaned his head in his hands, not realizing his own words. The said two girls, one at each of his sides, were looking at him and at each other, their cheeks quite pink. The casual and evident way he stated it… Luna cuddled against his right side and Hermione did the same on his left. He was her date after all!

"Don't worry, Harry," Luna said. "If ever they were to kidnap us and detain us in the underwater mermaid castle, I'm sure you'll come in your shiny Quidditch robes mounted on an engorged sea horse to save us."

The three of them laughed out loud at the image, even if the two girls could not help but think it would be awfully romantic.

The next day, Harry was back in his lab, relaxed. He already had essence of gillyweed. He soaked a chewing gum in it, making it absorb as much as it could. As long as he would chew it, it should work. He probably would have to wait a few minutes after spitting it before turning back to normal at the end for the effect to wear off. He was now looking for something to boost his speed. A potion? Rune'd leather bracer? Was he even allowed to? He guessed they would allow some things but this would be overdoing it and not in the spirit of the Tournament. It was more their thing to force an underage boy to participate in a deadly competition.