Marauders' Godson Book 4: The Goblet of Fire

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Professor Snape said Moody's searched his office as well?" Onyx asked. "What... d'you reckon Moody's here to keep an eye on him as well as Karkaroff?"

"Yes," said Edward quietly, "but not for Dumbledore."

Topaz gave him a sharp, thoughtful look before Banishing his cushion where it was supposed to go -- a box at the front of the room, where a few other cushions were already sitting.

They were in Charms learning the Banishing Spell -- or in Draco's and Onyx's case, trying to learn the Banishing Spell. They were doing well at Banishing cushions, which were in piles on the students' desks, just not where they were supposed to go. One of Draco's had knocked Flitwick off of his chair, and one of Onyx's had smashed through the window.

"What?" Draco and Onyx gave him alarmed looks and lost their concentration: Draco's cushion zoomed through the air and smacked Flitwick in the face, and Onyx's slammed into the chandelier and burst into flames.

"Aguamenti!" Edward said quickly, pointing his wand at Onyx's cushion. The jet of water that spewed from his wand extinguished the fire.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," said Flitwick in a severe tone, getting to his feet. "And I must ask Mr. Onyx Black and Mr. Malfoy to kindly pay attention to their spellwork, or someone may get hurt."

Onyx and Draco blushed with embarrassment, and scowled when Flitwick set them homework.

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Edward, Harry, the triplets, Draco, Hermione, and Ron began the now-familiar, tedious studying, trying to figure out how to get past the second task. Edward thought it would be a good idea to use the Bubblehead Charm, but he needed a spell to cast on himself so he wouldn't freeze to death in the lake.

Harry, however, could not perform the Bubblehead Charm, and so was trying to figure out a different way to breath underwater for an hour.

Each time they studied, three of their friends did homework, Hermione or Topaz tried to find a spell for warmth, Harry and Onyx or Ron tried to find a spell or plant that would allow Edward's half brother to breath underwater for an hour, Ruby or Draco researched what creatures lived in the black lake, and Edward studied up on defensive spells to teach Harry once the second task was over.

They succeeded on most of this: they found a spell for warmth, memorized the creatures of the black lake, and found several good defensive spells. Unfortunately, even with the help of the Restricted Section and Madam Pince, they could not find a spell or plant that would help Harry breathe underwater for an hour.

With two days left until the second task, Edward decided he would teach Harry the Bubblehead Charm, when they weren't trying to find a simpler solution. This didn't really help, because it was such a complex spell that Harry just grew frustrated.

One day left before the second task, Edward and his friends found themselves in the library once more, and this time everyone was helping. Harry was frantic and nauseous, so Edward decided that being caught without someone doing homework was better than Harry not being able to do the task.

Halfway through the session, Ron threw down his book, and Onyx followed suit. "I don't reckon it can be done," said Ron tiredly. "There's nothing. Nothing."

"Oh very helpful, Ronald," snapped Ruby, turning a page so angrily that she ripped it.

Edward silently repaired it as Hermione said, "There must be something." She was so tired that her nose was an inch from the book.

"They'd never have set a task that was undoable," Topaz pointed out.

"Well he can't master the Bubblehead Charm in a day -- actually, in half an hour, because of curfew," said Onyx, "and we can't find anything that will help him breathe underwater for two seconds, let alone an hour."