Black [1]

Chapter 43

"Place your bets!" I hear the twins shouting as we start heading down to the Black Lake, clearly trying to find some way of making money for their future shop. I can't help but feel a little bad. I'd give them my own money, but I can't access it till I'm eighteen, and I don't want to leave them waiting.

"Not going to lie, this is a little scary," Madison tells us, and I take note of how her hand seems to be permanently intertwined with Kal's, as it has been for the last two months since they got together. A little gross, I'll be honest, but maybe that's just me being a teenager. "I mean, what if something goes wrong?"

"Like drowning or asphyxia due to inhalation of water, air embolism, cardiac events, or the mermen just decide they hate Harry and impale him with a trident," Taylor says boredly, thumbs hooked at the top of the skirt she's wearing despite it being cold outside. "I hope something happens. The last one was boring as hell. No one even died."

I turn to glare at her. "None of that will happen. It's going to be fine. Everything's going to be right and dandy, and it's so obvious I'm scared because I just said 'right and dandy'. Oh Merlin, someone help me."

We climb into the boats by the pier, and they start to lead us towards the standing towers in the middle of the Black Lake. I nearly fall as we climb out, managing to grab George's offered hand at the last second. 

"Thanks," I mumble, stepping onto solid wood before pulling my friends out, one by one. Being Harry's close friend, I'm allowed to stay on the bottom platform with him, but the others are told to go up the stairs to higher platforms, leaving me with Neville, Seamus, Dean, the twins, Harry, and sadly Moody.

"Welcome to the second task," we hear Dumbledore's voice booming through a spell. "Last night something was stolen from each of our champions. A treasure of sorts." That's when I realise Hermione and Ronald aren't here with a frown. I know Ron's a flake, but Hermione? "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: they will have one hour to do so and one hour only. After that they'll be on their own."

"You've got this," I tell Harry reassuringly, attempting to quell my own doubts as I squeeze his shoulder. He turns to me nervously, but when I hear Moody's heavy tread behind me I immediately veer myself backwards, standing by the twins and Neville.

I swear I see Harry start to choke, but before I get the chance to jump forward and ask what's going on, the cannon goes off and Moody pushes Harry into the water. "Where's Harry?" I quickly go towards the edge, trying to peer into the murky green-blue water and spot him. The Gillyweed has to have worked.

It's after about a minute of him not surfacing that I properly start to worry, Neville beginning to tear out his hair in anguish beside me. "Oh my God! I've killed Harry Potter!"

That's when Harry suddenly jumps out of the water, cheering and doing a flip, and the crowd starts screaming in relief. I fall backwards onto the platform, just raking my hands through my hair and closing my eyes for a moment.

Another minute passes. "So, what?" I groan, huffing. "Are we expected to stay here for an hour and wait while all the adventure is going on down there?" The twins sit on either side of me, shrugging their shoulders in response with their eyes glued to the water.

I'm not sure how long it is after that before I break the silence again, already fed up with waiting. I always have something to do, whether it's read a book, study, even sneak some food from the kitchens! Oreo and Crookshanks are usually good company, but they're not here. "On Merlin's saggy arms, if I have to wait here then I'll just jump into the lake myself. I don't know if it's worse to see Harry almost die in the first task or to not know what's going on now."