Chapter 927: The Savior's Unfair Advantage?
Chapter 927: The Savior's Unfair Advantage?
It was unclear if it was because Albert hadn't asked the trio to keep it a secret, or if other students had seen them diving into the lake, but news of Albert's underwater adventure quickly spread throughout Hogwarts Castle.
As speculation mounted that this incident was related to the second task, the secret of the golden egg seemed to leak as well, and the mystery of the Merpeople's song was soon common knowledge. Now, everyone was curious about the champions' hostages.
A betting pool had started in the Hogwarts black market, with rumors of a tenfold payout for correct guesses.
The second task of the Triwizard Tournament was slowly unfolding before their eyes, and many students suddenly realized why they had often seen Krum swimming in the Black Lake. The Durmstrang champion had been preparing for this very moment.
As for Albert, he was undoubtedly ready, and had even located the Merpeople's village.
In fact, most Hogwarts students didn't even know that Merpeople lived at the bottom of the lake, and the revelation had sparked numerous rumors and tales about them.
According to Fred and George, the Merpeople village was well-hidden by aquatic plants, making it difficult to find. Champions would have to navigate through these dense areas, facing the constant threat of Grindylows lurking in the grass and attacking unsuspecting passersby.
The Weasley twins had already shared their own harrowing experience, warning others that without proper preparation, one could easily be overwhelmed by a swarm of Grindylows. A single misstep could result in being dragged into the lake and drowning.
Now, many worried about Harry Potter's safety, fearing he might drown during the second task. Empathizing with his situation, they didn't believe they could accomplish such a daring rescue themselves, especially after hearing that it had taken Krum over a month to even locate the Merpeople's village. This only solidified their concerns. Aside from the challenge of the rescue itself, simply daring to dive into the frigid waters in this weather was a daunting prospect. Not drowning would be an accomplishment in itself.
Draco Malfoy of Slytherin went so far as to openly bet that Harry Potter would need rescuing as soon as he entered the water, mocking that five minutes underwater would be enough to freeze or drown him.
Ron, undeterred, borrowed a substantial sum from Harry to place a counter-bet with Malfoy, wagering on whether Harry would drown during the second task and if he could successfully rescue his hostage.
Malfoy wasn't foolish enough to take Ron's bet directly, but he remained stubbornly vocal, stating that if Ron dared to bet on Harry coming in first in the second task, he would take that bet with a substantial sum and a magical contract to bind the deal. He even took the opportunity to mock the Weasleys for their poverty.
However, to Malfoy's surprise, Ron boldly accepted the challenge, proposing a wager on Harry's success in the second task with a five-fold payout, along with a magical contract. He even offered to put up a thousand galleons.
Not to be outdone, Malfoy engaged in a heated argument with Ron. But when Ron insisted on finalizing the bet and signing the magical contract in person, Malfoy, despite his stubbornness, realized something was amiss. He quickly made an excuse about needing more time to consider, and slinked away.
After that incident, whenever Ron crossed paths with Malfoy, he would casually ask, "So, have you made up your mind yet?"
Malfoy's cheeks would twist in anger, and the two would nearly come to blows each time, only to be stopped by Mad-Eye Moody, who always seemed to be passing by at the right moment.
Ron took great pleasure in taunting and irritating Malfoy, releasing some of the pent-up frustration he felt towards the Slytherin. This newfound hobby kept him in a good mood for several days.
To be honest, Ron was curious about Albert's confidence in ensuring Harry's victory in the second task. Why was it Albert and not the Weasley brothers making such bold claims?
The Weasley twins didn't have a thousand galleons to their name, and even selling themselves probably wouldn't raise that kind of money.
"What a pity," Ron sighed softly.
If only Malfoy had agreed, they could have won a substantial sum, and Harry's second task would have been a breeze.
It was truly a missed opportunity that Draco Malfoy hadn't impulsively accepted the bet.
"Malfoy may be a jerk, but he's not stupid," Hermione chimed in, sharing her concerns about Harry's chances in the second task. "Anyone with eyes can see that there's something fishy going on."
She had gathered intelligence from both Albert and the Weasley twins, and the situation didn't look promising. According to them, the water in the Black Lake was icy cold, and the lake was incredibly deep. Even for a proficient swimmer, it would take a significant amount of time to traverse. And Harry, unfortunately, was not a strong swimmer, despite his recent efforts to improve. The most likely scenario was that he would run out of air from the Bubble-Head Charm before even reaching the Merpeople's village.
Their worries were not without merit.
"Why don't we ask Sirius? Maybe he'll have some good ideas," Ron suggested to Harry, who was quietly copying his Divination homework.
"Sirius isn't in Britain," Harry replied, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "He went to the Netherlands, I think." He couldn't help but worry about his godfather, especially after the content of the letter he had received some time ago.
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, confused. "What's Sirius doing in the Netherlands?" they asked in unison.
"He heard that Pettigrew was spotted there, so he went after him," Harry explained, his tone conveying his hatred for Peter Pettigrew, and his desire for revenge. But more than that, he was concerned for Sirius' safety.
Harry didn't want Sirius to be distracted by his personal matters, which was why he hadn't contacted his godfather lately.
However, what Harry didn't know was that with Albert's help, Sirius had become an enhanced version of himself, and it was Peter who should be worried, not Sirius.
"Hermione, do you have any good ideas?" Ron asked, turning to the bushy-haired girl who was immersed in a stack of books.
"Not really," she replied, her eyes scanning the pages intently. "I've been studying Albert's warming charm, which might come in handy for Harry." She couldn't fathom how Albert had managed to locate the Merpeople's village so quickly, but she was certain that the Grindylows were meant to be an obstacle for the champions.
"Grindylows aren't that difficult to deal with on their own, but a swarm of them underwater can be a real problem," Ron added, setting down his book. "A lot of spells don't work well in water, so we should probably try those Obstacle Curses that Fred and George recommended."
"Lupin will be coming to Hogwarts this weekend," Harry suddenly announced. "He'll accompany me to the Black Lake to search for the Merpeople's village and see what other challenges we might encounter."
"You're not going to Hogsmeade?" Ron asked, surprised.
"Completing the second task is more important," Hermione asserted, shooting Ron a stern look. "We need to be prepared. I'm worried that Harry might not make it to the village and rescue you, his 'precious,' in time. Drowning in that lake is a real possibility."
"Dumbledore won't let anything happen to the hostages." Ron shrugged, but he still believed that Harry should give it a try before the second task, although he was reluctant to admit it, Albert was often quite reasonable in what he did.
"You must be well prepared before diving into the lake, Harry," Hermione instructed solemnly.
"I know." Harry was a bit irritable, feeling that his previous preparations might not be enough to get him through the second task smoothly.
"Actually, there's no shame in failing," Ron consoled, "after all, it took Krum over a month and he still couldn't find the Merpeople village."
To be honest, Ron didn't think Harry could win the final championship unless Harry was incredibly lucky and someone handed the champion's cup to him.
"If you really can't find another way, you can ask Albert for help. I'm sure he'll be willing to lend a hand," Hermione shared the same wish as Ron, hoping that Harry would safely complete all the competitions.
"Hmm."
Harry gave an noncommittal response. If it were before, he would probably choose to complete the task alone, but now Harry didn't have the courage to say that he could do it alone.
After all, during the first task, Sirius had helped him a lot, and the idea of using a broom came from Albert.
As the second task drew near, if there was any good news lately, it was probably that the weather had started to warm up. It wasn't as cold as before, but the water in the Black Lake was still chilling to the bone, making Harry reluctant to dive in.
To be honest, Harry was worried that he would freeze to death after diving into the lake.
It was no joke; his arms felt like they were on fire after being immersed in the lake for just a short while.
He felt he needed a warming charm to prevent himself from freezing to death after diving into the lake.
When Harry awkwardly went to look for Albert, he was told by Fred that Albert had gone out somewhere yesterday and hadn't shown up for Apparition class today.
"That guy's probably off on a date again."
"A date?"
Hermione was distracted, remembering how a few days ago, Krum had asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him, but she had refused because of Harry's situation.
Of course, Hermione's impression of Krum was actually quite good.
"Doesn't he need to practice Apparition?" Ron blurted out.
A single class cost a galleon! What a waste.
"Of course not, Albert mastered Apparition a long time ago." Fred's matter-of-fact tone left Ron speechless.
"Oh, Harry, are you going to dive into the lake to look for the Merpeople village too?" George asked.
"Yes, I think I should be well prepared. The second task is even more difficult than I expected." Harry replied dryly, "I heard Albert can use a warming charm, I want to ask him about it."
"You mean the warming charm, that spell is probably a variation of the Drying Charm, if you want to learn it, I can teach you." George guessed the trio's intention and introduced, "This spell is probably a variation of the Drying Charm. If you want to use it effectively, you need to cast it on your clothes. If you're wearing a lot of layers, casting it directly won't be very noticeable, that's probably the issue you're facing."
"Yes." Hermione nodded.
"The trick is that this spell must be cast on your clothes. If you're wearing multiple layers, cast it on your innermost garment. Of course, if you plan to dive into the lake, it's best not to wear too many layers, and it's also a good idea to have someone keep watch, just in case you accidentally drown or encounter any dangers."
After a brief discussion with Fred and George, Harry and Hermione quickly mastered the correct usage of the warming charm.
"Albert must have a way to help Harry get through the task with ease, right?" Ron suddenly asked.
Fred, George, and Lee Jordan exchanged glances and shrugged, "We're not really sure about that, you'll have to ask Albert yourself."
They wouldn't reveal the secret of the underwater breathing potion without Albert's consent.
"Ron!" Hermione frowned, feeling that Ron's words were quite rude.
On their way back to the castle, Ron said to Harry and Hermione, "Albert must have a way to help Harry get through the second task easily, otherwise, with his personality, he wouldn't have gambled with Malfoy. That guy never does anything without a guarantee."
"Get through the second task with ease?" Harry and Hermione looked at each other, finding this idea quite bizarre, but the possibility was likely not low.
What could it be?
Harry racked his brains but couldn't come up with anything. Of course, he wanted to win the competition with ease.
However, sometimes, no matter how hard you tried, you just couldn't think of a solution.
Harry didn't intend to ask further.
The next day at noon, when the temperature was at its highest, Harry and Lupin met at the edge of the Black Lake, prepared, and dived into the lake together.
They stayed underwater for about twenty minutes and almost caught a cold.
"How was it?" Ron asked.
"Not good," Harry replied. The bottom of the lake was freezing, and swimming in his robes was uncomfortable and slow. The fabric became heavy after absorbing water, and the parts of his body that weren't protected by the warming charm felt icy. It was an unpleasant experience.
"The situation is not ideal." Lupin frowned, feeling helpless as he couldn't offer much assistance. He withdrew his wand, removing the chill from their bodies and drying off the lake water.
"I felt like my hands and feet were about to lose sensation. Maybe I need to prepare gloves, and it's probably best not to expose my skin to the water at all. That way, I should be able to stay warm," Harry suggested. He felt he needed some Muggle diving equipment; while he could use the Bubble-Head Charm instead of a breathing apparatus, the diving suit could solve the issues of his clothes absorbing water and feeling cold, and he might be able to swim faster.
To be honest, swimming at the bottom of the lake was slow and exhausting, and he might need some auxiliary tools.
Harry shared his thoughts with Lupin, who agreed and promised to get a Muggle diving suit for Harry by next week.
As for winning the Triwizard Tournament?
Harry just wanted to complete the task, and that was all.
(End of Chapter)
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