Little Phoenix (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

39. Breathing Underwater

"Come seek us where our voices sound/We cannot sing above the ground/And while you're searching, ponder this/We've taken what you'll sorely miss/An hour long you'll have to look/And to recover what we took/But past an hour - the prospect's black/Too late, it's gone, it won't come back," Cedric said, explaining what the egg had said when he listened to it under water. "I've written it here if you want to analyze it."

"You know me so well," Nic laughed, taking the parchment. As she scanned over the lines, Cedric waited. He had pieced together what most of it meant, but he appreciated Nic's perspective all the same. And besides, who knows if he got it right? "Well obviously the task is in the lake," Nic said finally. "You have a time limit of an hour. They're taking something from you that you care a lot about, and if you don't find it in an hour, it's gone for good."

"I wonder what they're going to take," Ced remarked quietly.

"That's actually not a bad thing to think about," Nic replied. "What are the things you value the most?"

"Like objects or people?" Cedric asked.

"Both," Nic replied. "We're dealing with some of the most powerful wizards alive. Anything is possible."

"Well, as far of people go...there's you, Dad, and Tyriq," Cedric replied. "For objects...I guess my broom and that's about it."

"Gosh, what if they do put people down there?" Nicki worried.

"Stop worrying," Cedric interrupted, grabbing hold of her hands. "Let's stop worrying about people in lakes and instead worry about how we're going to get me to breath underwater for an hour."

"Over an hour," Nic correctly. "We're not taking any chances, Ced." After three hours of scouring the library, they came up with the Bubble-Head Charm. "It should work and it isn't time restrictive," Nic explained. "It should get you through alive."

"That's good," Cedric replied.
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Finally the night before the task had arrived. Cedric and Nic were in the library, reading up on merpeople and learning what they could about them. Nic opened her mouth to tell Cedric something when Hannah Abbot approached them, saying, "Nic, Professor Sprout wants to see you."

"How long will it take?" Nic asked.

"Not sure," she replied. "But she said it wouldn't be a quick thing, probably take a few hours." Nic and Cedric shared a scared look before she stood.

"Thank you, Hannah. I'll had over there soon." Once she was gone, Nic looked back to Cedric.

"Looks like it might be people," Cedric said quietly.

"Dumbledore wouldn't let anything happen to me," Nic countered, although Cedric could tell that she was scared. "Besides, maybe it's nothing."

"Maybe," Cedric replied, but it was obvious he didn't believe it. Standing, he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Just, do what you can to be careful."

"I will, I promise," she replied. With a sigh, he kissed her forehead. "See you later." When Nic arrived at Professor Sprout's office, she looked very grim. "Evening, Professor."

"Evening, Nicki," Sprout replied. "So..."

"Let me guess," Nic interrupted shakily. "The stolen thing is a person so you're about to put me in the bottom of the lake?"

"There's nothing to worry about," she insisted. "Nothing will go wrong...hopefully."

"Right," Nic whispered. The door opened and Dumbledore entered. Nic shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She was on edge, not down with what she knew was about to happen.

"Nicole, you have no reason to be scared," Dumbledore assured, sitting in the chair next to her. "Now, Nic, because of your problems with anxiety, we're doing this a little bit differently for you. You will still be aware the entire time. You just won't be able to move. If you want, you can also get some of your anxiety potions from your dormitory it help."

"But why me?" Nic countered. "I'm not the only person Cedric cares about."

"The Goblet chose you for Cedric for this task," Dumbledore explained. "We don't have another option. The others are meeting in my office. Come." Nic shook as they walked together towards the office.

She stopped by her dorm and got her potion and headed to the office. Once inside, they were met with Hermione, Ron, and a little girl who looked much like Fleur. Nic was a little less scared now that she wasn't alone, but once they were seated in chairs and facing Dumbledore with his wand raised, her anxiety hit her with full force. Quickly she downed the potion and waited. Before she could think about it much, everything faded to a strange haze. She could still see what was happening but it was as if in a dream.
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In a sleepy, dreamy haze, Nic watched as they were placed at the bottom of the lake and Harry appeared. Soon after Cedric. He grabbed hold of her and swam up to the surface. The moment she reached it, the haziness cleared. "You okay?" Cedric sputtered, helping her to the dock.

"Yeah," she replied. "Just really tired."