Chapter 626: Harry Potter in His Teenage Years
In the late afternoon, Harry clutched the heavy Golden Egg in his pocket as he and Ron arrived at the edge of Black Lake. He had finally found a secluded spot—just in case anyone saw him jumping into the freezing water in the middle of winter, looking like a complete fool.
—The Prefects’ Bathroom must be warm as hell, Harry thought with a bitter twinge.
But then he remembered Cedric and Qiu Zhang walking arm-in-arm down the corridor, and the idea of spending even a second in Cedric’s luxurious bathroom made him shudder. Determined, he’d rather freeze to death than go there and listen to the clue from the Golden Egg.
“Seriously, mate,” Ron said, hugging his thick blanket tightly, eyeing the pitch-black lake water with worry, “are you actually going to jump in? There’s a Squid in there! And the water’s gotta be freezing!”
“I know,” Harry forced a casual tone, though his voice trembled slightly. “But Squids don’t attack students—they usually rescue them if they fall in!”
He tried to make his expression look relaxed, but his hands were clenched. “Don’t worry, I’ll be out in a minute. Just a few seconds!”
He gritted his teeth, afraid that any more hesitation would drain his courage completely. With a decisive motion, he began stripping off his clothes.
Just as he pulled off his shirt, a cold wind cut through him, making every hair on his body stand on end. Instant regret hit him—so he yanked off the rest of his clothes even faster, tossing them into Ron’s arms before biting down hard on his lip and stepping into the water.
God, it’s cold.
The water burned his skin, sending sharp stabs of pain through his legs. He shivered violently as he waded in, the cold reaching his waist. Then, with one deep breath, he held his breath and plunged forward, burying himself beneath the surface.
He quickly cracked open the Golden Egg.
> Come, seek… Heart of Steel lies hidden in the dark… When the three are one, you shall know the way… Only Wisdom and Courage may pass…
He listened once, confirming it matched exactly what Wade had written down. Without delay, he kicked upward, breaking the surface—only to realize he’d drifted far from the shore. He was now floating aimlessly, still far from land.
“Harry! Watch out—behind you!” Ron suddenly screamed from the bank.
Harry whirled around. A ripple spread across the water, rapidly approaching. He dove back under and turned—several Merpeople were surging up from the lakebed, their long, webbed fingers outstretched.
Panic surged through him. He flailed with his arms and legs, sprinting toward the shore—but compared to the Merpeople’s speed, he felt like a snail.
They’re catching up!
He heard the unmistakable crack of water parting behind him—close enough that he could almost feel the sharpness of their claws against his back. Then, without warning, a violent burst of water erupted from beneath him, knocking the Merpeople back.
“Hurry, Harry!” Ron shouted, having just cast the spell. He grabbed Harry by the collar and dragged him, stumbling and gasping, toward the shore. The water dragged at their legs, each step a struggle, the splash of their movement echoing across the lake.
Harry choked on water as he finally emerged, gasping for air. He collapsed onto the grass, coughing violently.
“Cough cough cough—”
Ron pounded his back, still trembling, eyes locked on the now-calm lake.
“Bloody hell… Why did they attack you?”
“I… I think they thought I was trying to cheat,” Harry panted. “This is the second task’s arena… The voice in the Egg—it’s a Merpeople song. That’s what drew them here…”
Ron swallowed hard, still dazed. “So… you’re actually going to dive into Black Lake for the second task? In front of those… things? The Ministry of Magic is mad! Do they actually want you dead?”
He’d once been envious—secretly a little jealous—that Harry had been chosen as the school’s Champion. But now, Ron was deeply relieved he hadn’t been picked.
“There’ll be a way,” Harry said, shivering uncontrollably. “Wade knows the location of the Tournament, and he’s not worried at all.”
Ron shivered again. “Let’s get back. Bloody hell, I’m soaked!”
Harry nodded wordlessly, too numb to speak. He scrambled to his feet, snatched his clothes from the ground, and threw them on in a clumsy, half-hearted rush.
“Warm Breeze… Warm Breeze… Ah-choo!” Ron sneezed, rubbing his nose. “What was that spell again? Wade’s spell…?”
Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him along. “Don’t even try it. Right now, I just want to get to the fireplace.”
…
After that ordeal, predictably, both boys caught cold. Madam Pomfrey forced a potion down each of their throats.
Later, when Harry carried his assignment to the Umbrella Room, his ears still felt like they were on fire.
At the moment he’d emerged from the water, his heart had nearly leapt out of his throat. But now, looking back, all he felt was a rush of adrenaline and exhilaration.
He recounted his entire experience to the group. When he finished, the entire Home exchanged uneasy glances—something strange in their expressions.
“I remember…” Padma said slowly, “Sirius Black’s house is in Hogsmeade. Why didn’t you just take the Golden Egg and listen to the clue in his bathtub?”
Harry: “…?”
—Wait… you can actually do that?!
Padma nodded. “Probably because it’s not Hogsmeade weekend yet—and you couldn’t wait?”
Fred stroked his chin. “But I told you about several secret passages! Did you forget them?”
Harry: “…?”
Thanks, but please, no more reminders of how stupid I’ve been.
“Well,” Hermione added carefully, “I heard the professors’ dormitories all have bathtubs. So you wouldn’t even need to break school rules…”
She paused, then whispered, “Of course, it’s against the rules for a professor to help the Champion… but borrowing a bathroom? That’s not really a violation, is it?”
Harry stared blankly. No words.
Wade chuckled. “Harry’s little adventure may have been reckless—but it was valuable. At least it gathered some intelligence from the Merpeople.”
Harry was grateful for the small bit of dignity Wade had restored. But when he thought about it, what exactly had he learned?
That Merpeople swim fast?
That’s common knowledge.
He’d wanted to ask Wade how to survive underwater without oxygen. But now… for some reason, he didn’t want to.
When Hermione pressed him later, Harry forced a calm tone. “I’ve… got some thoughts. Just need to understand things better.”
Hermione, believing him, beamed with satisfaction.
Behind the scenes, Harry spent days buried in books—without any luck. He even sneaked a question to Sirius Black. His godfather, as always, gave a straight answer.
“Simple,” Sirius said. “Just one spell. You’ll be able to breathe underwater just fine.”
“Come to Hogsmeade tomorrow,” he added. “I’m free. I’ll teach you the Bubble-Head Charm.”
(End of Chapter)
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