"Thank you for coming to fetch me," Fleur said gratefully.
Hermione smiled. "Of course. I know how close you and Evan are."
"And Dobby said they were okay?"
Hermione nodded slowly. "He did, but Dobby's a bit strange. He has an odd sense of what constitutes as help so I don't know if they're completely okay or not."
"They are in the Infirmary though," Fleur frowned.
"Honestly, the usual place for Harry," Hermione said with shocking placidity, "after any event." She shook her head and smiled, an expression of wry fondness. "He has his own bed there."
"That concerns me some," Fleur said, smiling as well.
"It did before, but at least I know he's being cared for," Hermione said prosaically. She and Fleur opened the door to the Infirmary and both witches' eyes popped open and they stared in the same way. "What happened?!" they both shouted, looking at each other with mild surprise for a moment.
Evan winced and it was not completely due to the pain from healing. "Bit of advice, don't point out how they did that the same way and at the same time."
"What, like you just did?" Harry replied, looking down at Evan with an amused look.
Fleur and Hermione rushed to the bed and looked down at Evan with concern. His chest was bandaged and lines of magic glowed on the bandages. He laid in bed and despite lying very still and looking slightly uncomfortable, he seemed to be in high spirits. Harry, who sat beside him, looked relatively unscathed. He had a smaller bandage applied to his head, covering his scar, and it also had some lines of magic on it. He also looked very high-spirited, though on closer inspection, it was clear that the two boys were also giving each other pawky looks.
"What happened?" the girls repeated together again.
"Should I point it out now?" Harry asked snidely.
"Don't come crying to me if you get into it because of it," Evan replied just as snidely.
"What happened and don't say 'you're fine'!" Hermione snapped, making both Harry and Evan turn to look at her with an identical wariness.
"I need to learn that," Fleur muttered.
"Things are fine, better than even," Evan said, shuffling back on the bed a little. "We did what we set out to do and things worked out."
"Then why are you lying in a bed with your chest bandaged up?" Fleur asked sternly. "And with Harry also wounded?"
"Perfectly acceptable risk," Evan said glibly. "And I'm healing. I'll be fit in no time. Harry'll be fine too. Turns out, he still has a brain and it wasn't damaged at all so no loss there."
"He did something risky and didn't warn me of it!" Harry exclaimed.
"Hey Hermione, Harry really likes the smell of vanilla and honey because that was the smell of the shampoo you used before and when you hugged him, he really liked the smell of it and has always had since," Evan said, glaring at Harry who flushed.
"Really?" Hermione asked, cheeks pink, eyes shining.
"The only reason Evan isn't closer to you is because you got together with someone else in his plane and he thinks he's being noble!" Harry said, glaring back. Fleur blinked at that and Evan growled.
"That's it, come here!" He reached out with one arm to grab Harry's shirt.
"Stoppit! The both of you!" Pomfrey stalked over and pointed at them severely with both boys in mid-grab and push. "I'm tired of breaking up your fighting! Stop provoking each other and I swear, the next time I break up a fight, I am tying you to the bed Mister Evan! Literally and physically!"
"Poppy Pomfrey!" Evan gasped, hand to his mouth. "At least buy me dinner first!"
Fleur put a hand to her mouth while Harry winced and Hermione's eyes popped open again. Pomfrey leaned over Evan and glared at him, making him physically recoil. "Any more out of you and your dinners for the foreseeable future will be gruel. Tasteless, plain, gruel. Do I make myself clear?" She walked away, head high, not even waiting for an answer.
"Healers are supposed to heal! Not hurt!" Evan shouted after her, wincing from the strain. "That was cruel, even for you!"
"You'll live unless I intend for you not to!" Pomfrey shouted back.
"She's lucky she's good at her job," Evan grumbled.
"You mean you're lucky," Harry said.
"Both of us I guess," Evan sighed.
"Seriously, explain what happened," Fleur demanded, conjuring chairs for her and Hermione.
Harry looked at Evan who sighed and laid back and closed his eyes after snapping his fingers. "Go ahead, tell them," Evan said. "I'm healing and they're going to get it out from us eventually anyways. More you than me because you're spineless when it comes to her."
"Argue later, explanation now," Hermione said when Harry opened his mouth to retort.
Sighing, Harry did explain. He told the horrified girls about the Horcruxes, how that Riddle made several. His voice softened a little when he said that he was one, making Hermione squeak and hug him mightily while Fleur looked on with concerned sympathy, both at him and at Evan was still laid there with eyes closed. Harry then went over the ritual and what they did to break the Horcruxes and both girls listened with even more horror at what had happened at the end.
"Thank goodness you're alright," Hermione gasped, hugging him harder. "The both of you."
"That was very dangerous and risky," Fleur said, her voice shaking a little.
"Better than the alternative," Evan said quietly. He did not fight when she took his hand, feeling better when she squeezed it, feeling her magic pulse.
"So it's over then?" Hermione asked, looking at Evan.
"Save for Riddle and the last one," Evan said. He smiled coldly. "When I deal with those two last bits, then it'll be over. And don't worry, Harry won't be involved with that." He opened one eye and glared at the rebellious Harry. "Though we know how that statement usually works when it involves us."
"Unfortunately," Hermione sighed and both Evan and Harry glared at her, making her and Fleur giggle. "So why exactly are you two fighting now then?"
"He was going to let me die so I could be a cherished memory in his heart," Evan sniffed.
"No I wasn't!" Harry said loudly, quieting when Pomfrey glared at him from across the hospital wing. Evan's charm kept her from hearing but she could see the outburst and gave him a look due to it. "You should have told me you were going to try and be noble and sacrifice yourself for me, you prick."
"You're a Potter, not a Black, Mister Kettle," Evan retorted. "Maybe learn to not panic in those kinds of situations!"
"You two can fight when both of you are healthy again, and not a moment before," Hermione said sternly, glaring at them.
Fleur smiled as both boys turned sulky and quieted down. She continued to hold Evan's hand and she looked down at him softly. "You truly do not think that about him, do you?"
"Not really," Evan confessed. "More that I'm pissed that he tried to get himself killed again and I had things under control."
"But you are actually happy with how things are and glad he is well."
"Well duh. I mean, you telling me you wouldn't get mad at Gabrielle for doing something dangerous, especially for you?"
"No, you're right about that," Fleur sighed. "So you're being very annoying to work out his feelings of guilt while getting some self-righteous annoyance out at the same time."
"I'm efficient," Evan said and smiled when she snorted. "Also, justified, not self-righteous."
"Both can be the same and true," she demurred. She threaded her fingers through his. "I am very happy to hear that you are well and will recover."
"You want to beat me at my best, right?" he replied cheekily.
She pinched his hand gently with her other hand. "Of course," she sniffed. "That and I care very much for you." She frowned. "So that is the truth of it then? What Harry said?"
"I've told you as much before," Evan said defensively. "I don't want to mess around too much with what things could or would be."
"And I have refuted that view too," she replied, her frown deepening. "Evan Potter, I like you now as you are and because of who you are and what you do. I care not about the other that my other self was with. I want you. And if I have to mount you when you have healed up to withstand it, then I will. If that is what it takes to get through your extraordinarily thick skull."
Evan blinked a little at that, flushing slightly. "You should know that Hermione speaks French by the way."
Fleur looked over and smiled at a furiously blushing Hermione. "Sorry," she said throatily.
"Oh no, don't mind me! I wasn't eavesdropping on purpose!" Hermione said and looked away, missing Harry's look of confusion.
"I'll explain when you're older," Evan smirked, making Hermione choke and Harry scowl while Fleur laughed merrily. He looked back up at Fleur and for a moment, he looked vulnerable and it had nothing to do with his current state or the fact that he was in a hospital bed. "You're not wrong, I can be pretty dense when it comes to that sort of thing about me."
"Clearly," Fleur said dryly. She softened. "So you do care for me in the same way?"
"If that wasn't clear."
She smiled victoriously. "And you like me for me, yes?"
He nodded. "You're enough like my Fleur for me to be familiar, but you're different in other ways too. You're your own version, and I think it's wonderful and beautiful."
"Then enough of this silly reluctance. I understand you still have your goals to accomplish, but I will aid you in those. Save for beating me in the Tournament because that is my goal."
He laughed. "I can live with that."
"And I promise to buy you dinner first, I know you take such things into consideration," she said, eyes dancing. "But after all that is done, we have much to do and discuss with each other."
"I can live with that," Evan said softly but warmly.
-0-
"And you are sure you are well?" Viktor asked, looking at Evan with friendly concern.
It was the next day and Evan was still in the Infirmary, recovering from the cleansing incident. He was better, thankfully, but Pomfrey and Andromeda were being thorough so he was there for the duration of his healing. Under their ministrations, he was healing fully and well.
Viktor and Cedric came to visit and to speak with him, and neither of them were surprised to see Fleur there already. Both had been told of what Evan thought the next Task would entail and after confirming with Fleur and each other, they were all in agreement on the likely task parameters.
Evan had been amused and pleased when Viktor had cast his privacy charm around them first when their conversation meandered into the sharing portion. "That's pretty good."
"Cannot quite do it wandlessly and took me some time to be able to do it silently," Viktor said.
"I had to learn how to do it those ways out of necessity," Evan shrugged.
"What's the best way to learn?" Cedric asked.
"As if your life depended on it," Evan said, eyes a little hard. Cedric laughed at that but Viktor gave Evan a careful look and Fleur shook her head a little.
"So lots of little fish with scales like gems," Cedric mused. "Of different sizes but mostly on the smaller side. Most will try to escape, others will fight back, and have to do it underwater. I wonder how we're supposed to keep a hold of them."
"We will probably be given bags of a sort," Viktor said. "Or some place to contain them."
"Perhaps we will have to deliver them somewhere and be held separately and safely," Fleur said. "I do not think they will want us to kill the fish."
"Probably a combination of both, to test us on how we can move and on time management," Evan said, chewing on something. "Or risk management even. If you're holding onto a bunch, do you spend the time to deliver them for safekeeping or do you risk losing them if you're going for more."
"Makes sense," Cedric nodded. "What are you eating by the way?"
"Bacon butty, want one?" Evan asked, holding a plate out.
"I thought Madam Pomfrey blocked Dobby from bringing you food," Fleur said with a frown.
"Dobby yes, Inky no. She's great too and volunteered to bring me food instead," Evan said shamelessly. "And even if she tried that, she can't stop Wisty or Hedwig." Both snowy owls barked in agreement as they enjoyed their own bacon butties, sitting on the posts of the bed. He smiled and bit into another one at Fleur's flat look. "What? I'm healing and need the nutrients."
Viktor took a sandwich with a grin. "And they are your nurses as well?" he asked, nodding to the two owls.
"Nurses, caretakers, the best really," Evan said and smiled when they hooted lovingly and nuzzled him.
"Will you be ready to compete in time?" Viktor asked. "Perhaps we can push the date back some. I rather you compete at your fullest without risk."
"I'll be fine, but thanks for your concern," Evan said. "I'll be almost full recovery a day or two before the Second Task."
Viktor nodded and then waved his wand, dispelling the privacy charm. "I do not think we will be trading secrets on what we plan to do," he said while chewing.
"Feel free to share but I'm not sharing what I'm doing," Evan grinned.
"Not even with her?" Cedric asked, grinning at Fleur.
"No, I will defeat Evan fair and square as you say," Fleur said with a sharp smile. She reached for a butty and scowled at Wisteria who thwapped her hand with her tail feathers, causing them to glare at each other.
"Tough luck mate," Cedric said with a grin.
Evan snorted and then held his middle. "As if you don't like it when you and Cho fight on the pitch."
"You know what, fair," Cedric laughed. "Say, while you're currently somewhat indisposed and oddly in a good mood to be chatty, who was my hostage going to be?"
"You still haven't given up on that?" Evan groaned.
"He is not wrong, you do seem to be in a good mood despite the circumstance," Viktor said.
"Ehh, let's say the accident had foreseen consequences that'll be good in the long run," Evan said. "Fine. It's moot now anyways. Cho was going to be your hostage."
"Oh, well that's obvious now," Cedric mused. "She hates swimming though so wow, that was a big ask for her."
"And me?" Viktor asked eagerly.
"Hermione, believe it or not. You asked her to the Ball and she said yes," Evan said.
"Huh." Viktor blinked a few times and then shrugged. "She is a lovely girl and very smart, I enjoy speaking to her about magic in the library. But that is a surprise to me."
"You already told me it would have been Gabi," Fleur said, still nettled at the possibility of that happening. "I still cannot believe they went through with it and Papa and Maman allowed it."
"They probably underplayed how dangerous it was, purposely," Evan grumbled.
"Who was yours?" Cedric asked. "Ginny? I know she's made eyes at Harry before."
"Ron, believe it or not," Evan said. "He was my best friend though and us not being friends for a while took its toll I suppose."
"If they kept it now, it'd probably be Harry," Cedric said. He winked. "Or Fleur. How would you be a Champion and a hostage at the same time?"
"She'd find a way," Evan smiled.
Fleur smiled back. "Or perhaps Wisteria."
"I wouldn't allow that, her or Hedwig! Owls belong in the sky and in cuddles, not under the cold water." Evan wrapped up the owls in his arms who cheeped and fluffed up against him, snuggling into him. "Besides, they can rescue themselves. They're very good at rescuing."
"That does not surprise me," Fleur said, enjoying the sight.
-0-
The day of the Second Task was cold and bright. While winter was on the latter months before the coming spring, it was still very cold. The Black Lake made it feel even colder. No obstacles blocked the driving wind and the water lapped at the shores, splashing and appearing even more fiendishly cold. The winter sun did its best but the rays did not warm much as they shone down.
The shoreline was covered in not just bleachers and seats, but large round crystals that were either floating in front of some collection of seats or set in the ground. In the center of the viewing area, a large table filled with sand sat there and the sand was constantly moving and shifting.
"In less than an hour, the Champions will be on their way to complete the Second Task," Dumbledore said to the waiting watchers. "They will be tasked to hunt for their prey." He waved his wand and several glittering images appeared over his head. They were fish and were it not for their very fancy looking scales of all sorts of colors, they would appear to be normal fish in the shape of anchovy. Some however were much larger than anchovy.
"These are Gemfish," Dumbledore explained. "A species of magical fish that as you see, have scales that are much like actual gems in color and composition. They also have similar value as regular gemstones. Much like gems from the earth, they can have differing value based on quality and clarity. Now you might wonder why do we not simply raise vast schools of gemfish and well, they can be quite difficult to handle. Some are very evasive and elusive, others are incredibly violent. Hardly the safest and I am told that the profit margin leaves much to be desired."
He smiled at some chuckling. "The Champions will have two hours to hunt and capture as many as they can. We will have tanks here to hold their catch and at the end, the winner will be the one who has captured the most value. Killing the fish will cause the gems to lose their luster and so they are not to do that to the best of their ability. Not only that, they will have to contend with the other dangers of the Lake."
He pointed to the sand table. "The Shifting Table will show us in near real time where they are in the Lake and what is going on. The Viewing Crystals you see will show our Champions and will constantly shift in viewpoint, located on the charms that will be attached to each Champion. This is so we can watch with them for just staring at an expanse of water does not make for scintillating entertainment." He smiled at more laughter. "So get comfortable everyone and let us cheer for our Champions!" He applauded energetically as the waiting students and watchers cheered.
"That's so cool," Harry said. "And much better than going for some hostages."
"I'm glad Evan made them change that," Hermione nodded. "Oh sorry!" She had leaned against Harry and accidentally squished Hedwig who was sitting in his jacket. Hedwig popped her head out of the collar to bark at her, giving her a look. "Is Wisteria in there too?" She smiled when Wisteria popped her head out and barked warmly.
"I'm jealous of your hooters," Luna said. "I bet they're very warm." She blinked at the collective coughing and gasping around her. "What?" She smiled broadly as Wisteria and Hedwig climbed out of Harry's jacket and walked over his shoulder to her, nestling down on her shoulders, fluffing up against her. "I was right!"
"Yes you were," Harry wheezed, patting a coughing Hermione on the back.
"Excuse me, may we join you?"
Harry and his friends looked up to see Sophie with Colette and Aimee, but not only them, a small girl was there with an older woman and man. Sophie looked very much like them and they all smiled warmly.
"Of course," Harry said and they made space around the viewing crystal they were sitting beside.
"Thank you! This is my cousin and my tante and oncle: Gabrielle, Apolline, and Sebastian. Fleur's sister and parents of course. And this is Harry Potter and Hermione, did I say that correctly? Yes, Hermione. That is Luna, and Ronald? Ron. And I'm afraid we have not met."
"Ginny," Ron said, introducing his sister. "My little sister. And this is Neville."
"Hello," Neville said shyly and Ginny waved.
"A pleasure to meet all of you," Apolline said with a wide smile. The air around her shimmered slightly and warmed while making Ron, Neville, and Harry blink a little but Harry threw off the Allure faster than the other two. "And I wanted to make your acquaintance," she said to Harry, taking his hand and shaking it. "We owe your brother much."
"I still cannot believe they contemplated it," Sebastian said angrily, throwing a look at the judges. "But yes, we wanted to meet with you and with Evan of course eventually." His eyes twinkled. "We have heard much about him."
"Fleur's in loooooove," Gabrielle said with the malicious glee that only a younger sibling could have when divulging an older sibling's feelings. She and the three older French girls giggled together.
"Not that she'd admit it," Sophie smiled.
"Well Evan's a great guy," Harry said stoutly. He winced a little. "He can be a bit annoying to some people though, truth be told. Or what's the polite word for it?"
"Entertaining I suppose if you're not the target," Hermione smiled.
"Better than what the twins will do to you," Ron grinned with Ginny nodding.
"Just as well," Sebastian said comfortably. "Fleur has high standards and thrives when challenged."
"He's good at that," Harry said with a weak smile.
Apolline chuckled. "I look forward to meeting him properly then."
-0-
The four Champions stood on the floating dock in the middle of the Lake. The wooden platform bobbed with the waves as the Champions made their final checks. Cedric wore a Quidditch jersey over his swimming trunks, twirling his wand in one hand as he made sure the bag to hold the fish was secured to a belt around his waist. Evan wore a wetsuit, the material enclosing his arms and legs and body. He also had a belt on with pouches hanging off and he touched them in turn, making sure the ties were tight and the straps secured. Viktor stood there in a long robe, looking more comfortable than the others in the chilly air. Fleur was also wearing a long robe but she took it off as the time to start drew closer, revealing that she too was wearing something similar to a wetsuit that clung to her.
She tied her long hair into a braid and gave Evan a smoldering smile. "Like you what you see?" she asked with a teasing lit to her voice.
"You'd have to be dead or not into women to not," Evan grinned.
"We will have to go somewhere warmer and I can wear what I usually do around water," she said, winking at him.
"Are you sure you two aren't working together against us?" Cedric asked, grinning at them.
"She likes to win too much and I'm annoying," Evan sighed dolefully, making them laugh. "Okay, now I just feel inadequate," Evan said when Viktor took off his robes, showing bare chest and expansive muscles.
"Many do," Viktor chuckled, flexing a little. "It is only natural."
The crowd on the faraway shore began to chant, counting the numbers down. The Champions got ready. "Good luck everyone," Evan said, smiling easily at the others.
A loud gong rang and a cannon's roar shook the sky and the crowd cheered as the Champions sprang into action. Cedric cast a Bubble-head Charm on himself, encasing his head in a clear round bubble. He dove in and aimed his wand behind him. Casting the Water Propelling Spell, he swam off speedily, pushed along by his magic.
Viktor leapt into the water and his body transfigured as he flew through the air, sliding into the water with nary a splash. His upper body was now the form of a shark, complete with fin and teeth. He pierced the water and swam energetically, taking off without any delay.
"Speaking of inadequacy," Evan snorted. He was about to jump in after putting a long cylindrical object length-wise in his mouth before he noticed movement to his side. He turned and his eyes widened, jaw dropping open and the cylinder dropped from his mouth and hanging from a chain.
Fleur had pulled out a small boat that looked at home in a bathtub and threw it into the water after tapping it with her wand. The wand grew in the air and hit the water with a splash, growing to the size of a small one-person sailboat. She flicked her wand and the sail unfurled as she hopped in gracefully, settling down beside the rudder. With one hand on the tiller, she winked at him as the sail billowed out, filling with air from her wand and it sailed away at a good speed.
"You stole that idea from me!" Evan shouted, half-irritated at himself for not thinking of that himself while also quite impressed. "From Godzilla!"
"Merci beaucoup!" Fleur shouted, blowing him a kiss, her laughter ringing merrily on the wind.
Evan shook his head and put the cylinder back in his mouth and dove in, smiling around it.
-0-
"That's my girl!" Sebastian said proudly as the watchers applauded as Fleur sailed over the Lake.
"Very clever!" Apolline cheered.
"Won't that be harder for her to see the fish?" Neville asked as they watched through the crystal. It routinely flicked through the viewpoints of the different Champions but as if picking up on their collective interests, it mostly focused on Evan and Fleur. They were also close enough to the Shifting Table to see it change constantly, showing the Champions moving through the sand acting like water.
"She has a plan for that," Colette said smugly.
The students and watchers all clamored around the different viewing apparatuses, chatting and cheering. They gasped when Viktor cut through the water and happened upon a small shoal of gemfish that darted away from him. Their iridescent gem scales gleamed in the water and despite the dark depths, stood out like stars of red and green and blue.
With his transfigured fins, Viktor caught up to them and held his bag open, scooping some up while others broke off. He aimed with his wand and shot a spell at one. The spell was unfortunately fatal and the gemfish died, its ruby scales turning dull and brown.
"Gemfish, while resistant to most forms of magic, are still fragile to more focused kinds," Dumbledore said as the crowd winced and made noises of sorrow. "As you see, when the fish dies, the scales lose their quality. Experts know what spells can and cannot be used, as well as modulating the force of the magic and the intensity."
He chuckled when Viktor opened his transfigured jaws wide and gulped the dead fish down in one bite. "Our Champion is doing a good job of not leaving waste!"
"Oh there she goes!" Aimee said excitedly.
Fleur had stopped the boat over a certain spot, her eyes trained down into the water. With a flick of her wand, a large net flew over the side in a large arc, the net opening like a flower as it flew through the air. The weights dragged the net down and with another wand motion, the rope came back up to the boat with the net. Others cheered as she managed to catch a variety of gemfish and she put them in a container filled with water gently.
"She must have a charm to help her find them," Ginny said admiringly.
"A gemfinder actually," Sophie said smugly. "A goblin item. Helps them find ores and precious stones through the earth. We had to make it work in water and it was well worth the effort."
"So cool," Ron nodded.
"How's Evan doing?" Hermione asked eagerly.
As if listening, the crystal shimmered and they watched as it changed to Evan. He was swimming well, having transfigured shoes into fins, and he had a weighted fishing line dangling from his hand. He swung it slowly through the water and after twirling for a moment, the weight at the end pointed in a direction and he swam towards the way pointed. He too came across a small shoal of gemfish. He spun the weight around in a circle and soon a few of the fish with pearl scales came swimming over, attracted by the lure. He looped them neatly in his bag and swam off, leaving the rest of the fish behind.
"Why did he do that?" Gabrielle asked, watching excitedly.
"Not all of the fish are worth the same points," Hermione explained to the little girl. "He must be aiming for specific ones to gain the most points for the least amount of effort."
"A good tactic," Sebastian said, nodding with approval. "What is he using to breathe?"
"He made it," Harry grinned proudly. "Based on a Muggle rebreather. It filters out his breathing and turns it back into air he can breathe with some water around him. He wanted something more robust than the Bubblehead and he said he hated the taste of the gillyweed."
"Go Evan!" Luna shouted and Wisteria and Hedwig danced on her shoulders, joining her cheering with loud barking.
-0-
Cedric was the first to return to shore. He waved as people shouted and cheered as he ran to his container and emptied his bag. The large tank showed the captured fish easily and a variety of fish swam about within the water, seemingly unbothered by being removed from the Lake and put back into the water. With another wave, Cedric ran back into the Lake to continue the hunt.
The judges examined the fish and a tally appeared over the tank, showing the point value of the fish within. This led to a robust discussion among the watchers guessing what each fish was worth and how many points others were.
The Task continued and not a soul looked away or was bored. The Champions routinely returned to the shore with their catches and the point totals continued to climb. Not everything went swimmingly for them either.
Cedric dove into a large patch of seagrass after some fish and was assaulted by grindylows. The horned magical creatures attacked him and he fought back, sending them fleeing with cutting spells and jolting spells, but he lost his prey and was injured in the process.
Viktor was also attacked by kelpies, horses with long manes of seaweed and finned hooves. They attacked him as he swam past a sheltered cove and while he escaped, they tore through his bag and released his catch. He had to swim all the way back to shore to grab a replacement, losing valuable time.
Fleur occasionally dove into the water when she needed to. Her last cast had snarled her net and when she went down, it was caught along the lakebed. After untangling it, she came back to her boat and pulled it in, unwittingly bringing back large spider-crabs known as crake with it. They had been caught in the net and attacked her with ill-temper, making her shriek as they swarmed her, pinching and clawing. She had to blast them off her boat and nearly capsized it, much to the amusement of her friends and sister.
Evan had dived deep after some fish with diamond scales, managing to catch them. However, the fish attracted the attention of something that came darting out some rock caverns at the bottom of the Lake. It was a long sinuous form with a maw full of razor-sharp teeth and seeing Evan as more meaty prey, charged at him.
"What is that?!" Colette shrieked.
"That's a Welsh Water Wyrm!" Rubeus Hagrid, groundskeeper and Professor for Care of Magical Creatures, shouted excitedly. "Didn't know we had any in the Lake!"
"It's a dragon?!" Hermione screeched as they watched Evan swimming to evade it.
"Close! It's more a large eel," Hagrid said. "Lovely creature." He winced as it nearly bit Evan in half, missing by scant inches. "Also very territorial and a carnivore."
"Will he be okay?!" Gabrielle asked, eyes wide and glistening.
"He'll be fine," Harry said, not understanding French but understanding the sentiment. "He's got this."
Evan swam, using his wand to propel him around to dodge the fangs and clawed fins of the Water Wyrm. An errant slap by the fins of the eel knocked the rebreather from his mouth and he scrambled after it, holding his breath. He managed to put it back into his mouth, breathing in air, but was punished for it, taking a broad hit directly on the stomach. He growled with pain, feeling his recently healed wounds throb from the blow. He turned desperately and then caught something at the corner of his eye. He flourished his wand and jetted away from the Wyrm at an angle, kicking his legs.
"Oh dear," Dumbledore said, worried as everyone watched with bated breath. "Mister Potter is doing an incredible job at evading the Water Wyrm. He is using what I believe to be the water summoning spell to propel himself and knock the eel off course. He is-dear Merlin!"
Everyone gasped and screamed as another large sinuous form appeared but instead of going after Evan, it struck the giant eel a glancing blow. Another form appeared, and another and the eel thrashed as it was slapped about by tentacles as large as it was. With a screech, the eel dove deep, fleeing. The predator had turned into prey for a moment.
Evan kicked and broke the water's surface, coughing and gasping. He turned to his savior and smiled. "Thanks Tennley!" he said, and kissed the giant squid beside a large eye, the large beast having surfaced with him. The giant squid wiggled her tentacles at him encouragingly and waved with one as he swam back to shore.
"And it seems our Giant Squid has helped our Champion," Dumbledore said with a large sigh of relief while the crowd cheered.
"There is a giant squid in the Lake?!" Sophie shrieked and many of the visitors gasped in shared shock.
"I never knew it was that friendly," Ron said with awe.
"Are you okay?" Pomfrey asked when Evan got to shore.
"I'm fine," he said, putting his fish into his tank. He frowned as the score tabulated above it and he saw he was behind the others.
"I feel like I should check you again, you took a hard hit and you're still recovering technically," Pomfrey said.
"You can check me after, I still have a Task to win," Evan said.
"It looks like the rarest fish has appeared!" Dumbledore said as a large and impressive specimen flashed across Cedric's view. The scales were bright gold and the fish was much larger than the others. "The Golden Gemfish! The scales are a combination of precious high-quality gold and platinum scales and are highly regarded for beauty and wealth."
"It's probably worth the most because it's the Wizarding World and they do stuff like that all the time," Evan said, eyes lighting up. He looked at the Shifting Table and saw both Cedric and Viktor heading towards it with Fleur not far behind. He looked at the table and the crystals before nodding. "Right, let's do this."
"What are you doing?" she asked, alarmed.
"Something that might work," Evan said cheerfully. He dropped all his things save for a silver knife, the fishing line, a handkerchief, and his wand. He then transfigured his fins back into shoes and he started casting rapidly, tapping his shoes until they glowed.
"That might work?" Pomfrey repeated, frowning at him as she tried to follow his spellcasting.
"I mean, I've never done it before but in theory, yeah it might." Evan finished and nodded as he tapped his feet on the ground experimentally. "Right." He knelt down in a runner's stance, hands on the ground, legs bent.
"What are you doing?!" Pomfrey asked, acting as if she would stop him.
"Finishing the Task!" Evan took off and ran right into the Lake. Everyone watched and more than a few laughed, expecting him to fall into the water. The laughter died as everyone watched on in shock.
"He's running on water, of course he is," Hermione said, shaking her head.
"Go Evan!" Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and Gabrielle shouted with the others joining in right after. Hedwig and Wisteria barked loudly and proudly, flapping their wings.
Evan was running on the surface of the water. The charms he swiftly weaved together made it so that he did not sink and that he was able to run swiftly over the water as if he was on dry land. A small trail of magic flew out behind him, making the water's surface glimmer for moments before fading away. Evan grinned and ran faster, heading towards a large golden shape in the water. He then looked ahead of the shape and ran off at an angle before stopping at a certain spot and started running in a large circle.
"What is he doing?" Aimee asked.
"No idea," Harry said, "but it looks cool."
The surface of the Lake shimmered beneath him as he ran, tracing the circle again and again. He let the fishing line dangle in the water and it floated into the middle of the circle before sinking deep into the water. Evan continued to run and when he saw the magic circle his footsteps left behind turn more solid, he poured his magic into the fishing line. His magic traveled down the line and pulsed out into the water.
The giant golden gemfish changed directions, neatly dodging spells from both Cedric and Viktor. Attracted by Evan's magic, it swam on, gaining speed and Cedric and Viktor tried to catch up. The fish tore right through Fleur's net and nearly caused her to capsize again by swimming just beneath the surface. It homed in on the lure at the end of the line, eyes glinting hungrily.
As soon as it swam beneath the line of magic on the water, Evan cut his left palm with the knife and threw drops of blood into the water and aimed with his wand. "Mico Frigidus!"
The blood reacted to his magic and dissipated immediately, and the magic took root in the circle. The water within the circle instantly became ice, trapping all within, including the golden gemfish. A large cylinder of the Lake became a giant ice cube akin to a small iceberg and Evan threw his head back and laughed as the cylinder bobbed to the surface, lying lengthwise, showing the golden gemfish trapped within, preserved perfectly.
"Incredible!" Dumbledore said loudly while people shouted and cheered. "Mister Potter has caught the Golden Gemfish by freezing it in place!"
Still laughing, Evan transfigured the length of line that was sticking out of the ice into a wooden mast and enlarged his handkerchief and stuck it to the mast, turning it into a sail. With a flourish of his wand, he filled the sail with wind and jauntily sailed the iceberg back to shore. He waved as he passed Cedric and Viktor who had surfaced and watched with large mouths. Viktor fell back into the water, his laughter a guttural gurgle while Cedric threw his hands up and shook his head, grinning.
"You stole that from me!" Fleur shouted as Evan passed, glaring at his sail and mast.
"Credit where it's due!" Evan tapped the handkerchief sail and it turned red, blue, and white, a perfect facsimile of the French flag. He bowed low as he passed her. "Merci beaucoup, Mademoiselle Delacour!" he shouted with a smile that could be seen from anywhere on the Lake and the shore.
"I hate you!" Fleur shouted though she could not stop from smiling either.
Wild applause filled the air as Evan sailed the iceberg to the shore and he hopped off, landing neatly. With a wave of his wand, he floated the ice into the air and he held it over his tank. "Do I need to make it fit inside?"
"I do not think that will be necessary," Dumbledore chuckled while Karkaroff muttered angrily.
By the time the other Champions reached the shore and put their last catches into their tanks, the Task was over. The scores were tabulated and the judges conferred with one another. "Each of the Champions approached the Task with different yet equally clever means," Dumbledore said to the waiting crowd. "Mister Diggory used the Bubble-head and a strong combination of charms. Mister Krum showed impressive transfiguration to hunt his prey. Miss Delacour used a combination of transfiguration and charms to great impact. Mister Potter, showed ingenious application of spells and a strong display of using magical items. So proud of them, all were given full marks based on ability. Now, as far as score goes, it will go strictly by the value of the fish, with each of the Champions coming in within a scant point of one another! Mister Krum scored the most points by catching the most fish with Mister Potter coming in second by catching the Golden Gemfish and the others he obtained. Miss Delacour comes in third with a good variety of catch and value with Mister Diggory coming in last. Well done, Champions!"
He led the applause and the Lake's waves seemed to join in, lapping at the shore to join the noise and celebration. "In roughly two months' time, we will have the final Task and the conclusion of the TriWizard Tournament. It will be a grand affair that will showcase all of the talents that our Champions have to offer. Thank you everyone!"
There was a near festive atmosphere right after. The majority of the gemfish were put into special tanks for transport back to their homes but a few were kept in the more open tanks for people to look at closely and to admire. The Hogwarts house elves, joined by their compatriots from other schools, appeared with tables and food, allowing everyone to eat and mingle as they discussed what just happened. Evan carefully released the Golden Gemfish by rapidly transfiguring the ice back to water and the fish swam with no change to health or temperament.
"That was brilliant!" Ron said when Evan joined them.
"Thanks!" Evan said, high-fiving him. "Didn't know if it would work but am glad it did."
"How did you attract it?" Hermione asked.
"Like some…birds," Evan said carefully, "fish are attracted to shiny things. Gemfish are also very magical and congregate in places that are naturally magical. So I pulsed my magic through the lure and brought it to me. Also knew it was more used to freezing temperatures so I figured flash freezing it in ice wouldn't kill it. Thankfully. It's a pretty fish." He grinned when Hedwig and Wisteria hopped onto his shoulders, hooting proudly and tugging on his hair.
He smiled cheerily at a scowling Fleur. "Hey, if anything, I should be mad at you for nicking what I did in the First Task."
"As if you are the first one in history to grow something large from something small," she retorted.
"Oh certainly not, just fun to accuse you of doing that to needle you." He summoned his cloak and draped it over her shoulders, tucking the edges around her.
"Play with fire and you get burned," she warned, smiling sincerely at his gesture.
"Oh I've learned that from a very early age," he replied before he blinked a little, looking down. "Oh hey there Gabrielle."
"You know who I am?!" the little girl said delightedly, leaning on him.
"Of course I do," Evan replied with a smile. "You look just like a Delacour and your sister and she talks about you all the time."
Gabrielle's smile was as bright as the sun and she climbed up Evan who, while mildly surprised, held her easily. "I like him! Can we keep him?!"
"Perhaps that can be arranged," Apolline grinned.
"Gabi! Get down!" Fleur scolded.
"No!" Gabrielle turned to Evan. "Usually only me and Sophie and her other friends can make Fleur that angry. I like you!"
"Getting to know the family better," Harry said, grinning at his brother. "You know, this is sort of the opposite of what you were doing before."
Evan sighed but smiled back. "You're not wrong."