After the Yule Ball Harry and Hermione became more affectionate with each other than they had been. Hugs were exchanged and even the occasional lingering kiss on the cheek as the two grew closer together. The experience of the Yule Ball cemented in Harry's mind that even if the whole concept of soulmates turned out to be nonsense he could see himself in a serious relationship with Hermione. He could not remember being happier than he was right now. Even his two week relationship with Ginny paled in comparison and he and Hermione were not even dating yet.
The day after the Yule Ball both Cedric and Fleur tried to talk to Harry about the golden egg. Harry reassured them that he was well aware of the clue and shared his own suspicions about people close to them being taken as hostages, much to the other two champions dismay. Harry and Hermione also had a discussion about what happened in the library with Viktor Krum. Harry did not take it well and was all set to rush out and find the Drumstrang Champion.
"Harry, please cursing him isn't going to solve anything." Hermione pleaded with him.
"Who said anything about cursing him? I'm going to beat his face in with my bare fists; much more satisfying." Harry growled in response. Rather than try to explain to an enraged Harry that Krum was far bigger and stronger and that a physical confrontation had no chance of ending well for the younger seeker Hermione pushed Harry onto the couch they had been having a discussion on and, in a small voice said "Will you just hold me?" She had to hide her smirk when Harry's arms came around her and all attempts at leaving to find Krum ceased. She was sure she could talk some sense into him once he was calm again, but in the meantime she certainly wasn't averse to being held like this.
The remainder of the winter holidays were spent experimenting with Gillyweed to determine the duration of its effects by weight. They would then measure out doses that would allow Harry's transformation to end reasonably quickly after he finished the task rather than having to spend a full hour in a freezing lake in Febrauary. Harry himself also studied up on various tracking charms and made time to help Colin develop the pictures he had taken which numbered in the thousands. The boys ended up being very grateful to Hermione for her occasional help in sorting the pictures. After one session they decided that Harry would brew the development potion continuously while Colin developed the pictures. It took them until the new year to get everything developed and delivered to the people on the pictures. Several shots of the champions entering the Hall and of the mass of students on the dancefloor after the ball had been opened had been delivered to the staff to be used as promotional material should there be a request for that from the media. Hermione sent copies of her photos and a letter detailing the entire event off to her parents with Hedwig and was in a good mood for the rest of the day.
Rita had apparently still crashed the party in her beetle form and the story on Hagrid was published. Harry and Hermione responded by rallying students, mainly from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and leading them down to Hagrid's hut to demand that he stay on as their teacher. The half-giant was overwhelmed by the support and promised his students he would be back at the start of the new term.
The start of term may have meant that classes resumed but to Harry and Hermione it also meant that their friend was returning to the castle. At the feast to welcome back the students who had returned home Luna came sprinting through the doors as one of the first off the train and grabbed her friends in a tight hug.
"You two look wonderful. The Fluttering Cheripods seem to really like you a lot more now." Harry grinned at his Ravenclaw friend as she nattered on at them about her holidays with her father and asked them a hundred questions about their own time spent in the castle without pausing for breath or answers. Answers Hermione was only too happy to give once Luna finally ran out of breath.
When classes resumed the next day so did the trio's schedule. Free time was largely spent in the Room, though both Harry and Luna insisted on attending Hermione's tutoring sessions in the Library much to Krum's obvious consternation. As the second task drew closer Harry made sure to tell the girls how he had learned the Bubble-Head Charm and non-verbal casting as a backup measure; both demanded more private tuition. Harry promised them that as soon as they managed a corporeal Patronus they would move on. As it was, both girls had managed a formless shield but not an actual guardian yet. The result of his admonishment was that Harry spent the next hour giving another lesson on the charm. Hermione's Patronus actually managed an indistinct form earning her congratulations from her friends. Harry's studies into Runes and Arithmancy were roaring along and Luna was joining him in learning as much as they could. Hermione felt they would catch up to where the fourth year classes were by Easter. She also thought that if Harry absorbed these two subjects this quickly he would make a spectacular curse breaker or enchanter one day. He clearly had no interest in spell-crafting, his lessons taught her that much. Use what you know. Drill a few spells into your bones that you can rely on rather than learning a thousand spells in passing. He had told them that several times when he helped tutor them in Defence.
During his private sessions in the Room Harry worked on combat training and the new spells he had found in the Room's books. He hadn't managed the Heaven's Shield Charm again after the first task and was working hard to master it in conditions where adrenaline wasn't screaming through his body. To relieve some of the monotony of working and failing at one charm Harry was also practicing some basic healing although he couldn't honestly say that he could heal more than bruises and scrapes after a month of practice. On several particularly ambitious days he had also started in on Gaia's Embrace meeting with no more success than he had with the Heaven's Shield Charm at first.
On the 13th of February all training was suspended as Harry and Hermione chose to celebrate Luna's birthday with her. The gifts and attention she received that day would leave Luna smiling for a week. Several days later Harry received three packages at breakfast. He later shared them with the girls who tried to refuse the gifts they were being given. Harry would have none of it and eventually managed to out-stubborn his friends.
On the evening of the 23rd of February Harry and the girls felt that he was a ready as he could be for the task the next day. He had a plan and a backup plan and was fully capable of using the magic required for both. They all agreed that further practice would only unnerve him and had retired to their common rooms at Luna's suggestion. Harry and Hermione sat leaning against each other on a two-seater in front of the fire. The other Gryffindors where being oddly quiet out of respect for their champion and the task he would face the next day. Harry and Hermione were companionably silent as they were each lost in their own thoughts of what the next day would bring. A cough brought both of them back to full awareness. The twins were standing in front of them looking slightly nervous.
"Hermione, McGonagall wants to see you in her office as soon as possible." Hermione and Harry exchanged looks. Harry looked distinctly worried while Hermione just looked resigned.
"I'll be alright, Harry." Hermione said softly. Harry just looked at her a moment longer before he lowered his head with a shuddering sigh.
"Go get changed then." He said and she gave him a wan smile before heading up to the girl's dormitories. Harry's gaze returned to the fire a good deal more brooding than it had been.
"Harry, do you know what's going on?" George sounded unusually worried. Harry lifted his eyes to the twins and nodded. When he didn't volunteer the information Fred asked "Well, why does McGonagall want Hermione then?"
"To stick her to the bottom of the Black Lake as the hostage I must rescue tomorrow." Came the morose answer that left both of the pranksters gaping. "We've got a plan but I'm not happy about the whole thing. Hermione refuses to let someone else take the risk though." Both twins just stared at Harry. When their Head of House had asked them to fetch Hermione they hadn't suspected this. They didn't know how on earth they were supposed to reassure their honorary little brother. None of them knew how long the uncomfortable silence lasted before Hermione came back down the stairs. To the rest of the occupants of the tower she didn't look as if she had changed at all. As soon as she set foot in the common room Harry was at her side casting as many tracking spells as he knew on any surface that wasn't covered. The rest of the house looked on in fascination but didn't interrupt. When Harry was done he grabbed Hermione in a tight hug.
"I will have you out of there as fast as possible, my Lady." He whispered into her neck. She squeezed him a little tighter before loosening her hold to lean back and look him in the eye.
"Promise me you will be careful, my Champion." she demanded softly. The teasing nicknames they had been using failed to produce a smile on either teen as they felt deadly serious all of a sudden.
"I promise." Harry's response was more of a croak than anything else but he had given his word. As the two friends drew apart Hermione leaned back in for a brief moment and very gently brushed her lips across Harry's before turning on her heel and marching determinedly towards the door flanked by the Weasley twins who were giving Harry apologetic looks. The thud of the portrait hole closing brought about a change in Harry that the whole room could see. The wizard who had slain a dragon in single combat shone through clearly as he whirled around and stalked up the stairs to his dorm. Once the Gryffindors were fairly sure he was out of earshot the speculation and rumors started. Most agreed that Hermione would somehow be involved in the second task and that Harry was not happy about it. Those who held this theory unanimously agreed that they would not want to be the obstacle that faced Harry Potter's wrath on his way to Hermione Granger's side.
Upstairs Harry was oblivious to all this as he called for Dobby and asked for a vial of Dreamless Sleep Potion. He would need his strength tomorrow and knew he wasn't getting to sleep by himself.
:-:-:-:-:
The morning of the 24th was as chilly as one might expect a mid-February morning in Scotland to be. Harry was up with the sun and getting dressed. He first pulled out the contents of the mysterious packages that had been delivered earlier in the week: Dragon-hide armour lined with Acromantula silk. His girls each had a suit and Hermione was wearing hers now, under the Black Lake. Harry couldn't stop his hands from forming fists as that thought crossed his mind. Shaking himself he dressed in his armour before pulling on a set of robes. He made sure he had his wand strapped to his wrist in its holster and that he had his carefully portioned Gillyweed in a pouch at his waist. The small balls of the magical plant should give him gills for ten minutes at a time and he had enough for an hour and a half. After double checking that he had everything Harry made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
When he got there very few people were awake yet. Those that were already down left him to his own devices much as his House had the night before. He noticed Cedric and Fleur walking in. Both looked pale and their expressions were strained. Viktor Krum by contrast was almost jovial, especially considering his usual expression, wearing a confident smirk that Harry felt was wholly inappropriate to the situation. The Hall slowly filled and the noise level increased as the supporters of the various champions yelled insults and taunts at each other. The twins were running their usual book, but in much more subdued fashion.
At nine o'clock the champions were asked to head to their tent and prepare themselves. When they got there the tent was divided into four separate sections and they were each ushered into one. Harry realized that this was done to give them a chance to change into their swimming gear and took off his shoes so that he wouldn't have to waste time doing that at the lakeshore.
Once again the sound of many footsteps thundered past the tent as the spectators made their way to the stands. Harry was starting to get restless when he heard professor McGonagall's voice calling out to him.
"Mr. Potter? It's time." Harry stood and squared his shoulders. He was determined that Hermione would not spend a minute longer underwater than absolutely necessary. As he strode from the tent he gave McGonagall a jerky nod without really seeing her. The champions gathered on the shore as Bagman started talking up the event to the spectators in the stands behind them. Harry didn't listen, he was too focused on what he had to do. When a whistle sounded he jumped forward with the other champions, tearing off his robes as he went. Harry never noticed the reaction his skintight armour caused in the stands any more than he noticed Fleur Delacour in a silver one piece. He cast an Imperturbable Charm on his watch and grabbed one of the balls of Gillyweed and charged forward into the frigid water. After swallowing the slimy mess he took a deep breath and dove in, completely submerging himself. The pain in his neck told him the plant was working but he waited until it had subsided to open his mouth and start gulping water through his gills.
The transformation of his hands and feet allowed Harry to cut through the water like a torpedo as he followed the pull of the various tracking charms he had placed on Hermione. Compared to last time the task was much easier with all the preparation Harry had done, but he found himself unable to appreciate this fact in his single-minded determination. The Black Lake was large enough that it still took him nearly ten minutes to reach the village where the hostages were being held. Keeping an eye on his watch allowed him to swallow another ball of Gillyweed to prolong his transformation.
When the hostages came into view Harry barely noticed that they appeared to be the same ones as the last time around. In fact he didn't really notice anything except the long, chestnut locks floating around one of the hostages. Hermione! Finally seeing Hermione caused Harry to put on an extra burst of speed. Just before he reached her Harry flicked his wrist to draw his wand and fired a non-verbal cutting curse at the strand of seaweed tying her to the lakebed. Hermione hadn't drifted up more than a few inches before Harry had her in his arms. I've got you, my Lady. I've got you and we're getting out of here. This time Harry didn't hang around to do the noble thing and see to it that everyone was rescued, this time he kicked his legs as hard as he could and started pulling Hermione back up to the surface and safety.
The swim back up to the surface was slower than the race down had been since Harry was down two limbs to use for propulsion and also carrying a water-logged Hermione. His relief at having gotten Hermione and his desperate hold on her meant that he wasn't looking at his watch. He only noticed that another ten minutes had passed when he felt the pain in his neck letting him know that his gills were receding. As fast as he could Harry fished another ball of Gillyweed from his pouch and swallowed it. He focused on holding his breath until the gills returned and not letting go of Hermione. As a consequence he noticed he had drifted close to the seaweed beds by the time he had his transformation back under control. Remembering that there were Grindylow packs that sheltered there Harry swam a little higher and kept a vigilant eye out for anything that seemed to be coming near them.
It was this constant scanning of the seaweed that allowed Harry to spot a swarming pack of Grindylows ahead. He would have just ignored them and given them wide berth if a break in the swarm hadn't revealed a cloud of silver-blond hair. He knew that Fleur had been rescued from the Grindylows last time while he had collected her sister but the memory of what had happened with the Horntail forced him to intervene. He pulled Hermione as tightly to him as he could and flicked his wand back into his hand. A barrage of Revulsion Jinxes and Stunning Spells left Harry's wand and slammed into the Grindylows before they were even aware of the threat. By the time they had found the wizard attacking them more than half the pack had been incapacitated in some form. The rest quickly decided that retreat was the best option available to them and pulled their brethren with them leaving their prey floating in the water. Harry swam over to Fleur and noticed that her Bubble-Head Charm had failed. He non-verbally cast a new one as well as a Reviving Spell. Fleur's first gasp of air upon reawakening was followed a lengthy coughing spell as water was expelled from her lungs. When she seemed recovered enough to continue Harry tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention.
The French witch's eyes widened as she saw her youngest competitor floating in front of her holding his hostage close to him but watching her with concern. She had felt her Bubble-Head Charm fail, she was sure she had. That meant that the one she was wearing now was courtesy of the young man in front of her. How the hell did he know a spell she had learned less than a year ago? If he was anyone else she would have thought that he was under the effects of her allure but he had never shown any signs of being entranced by her. Would a fourteen year-old, British wizard really help someone like her? Fleur was having trouble believing it but as she studied him, trying to find answers, she was surprised again.
Harry made sure she was looking at him before he pointed in the direction of the hostages. He was about to continue on when he noticed that Fleur hadn't moved and was still looking at him. Thinking she might not have understood, Harry swam over and gave her a gentle shove in the direction of the underwater village and pointed again. This time she swam a few strokes before she paused and looked back at him again. Frustrated, Harry just pointed a final time before turning around and kicking off again. He didn't have time to sort Fleur out, not when Hermione was still unconscious in his arms. Keeping a safe distance from the seaweed Harry followed the lakebed up towards the shore. He hadn't checked his watch when he was desperately gulping down Gillyweed. He knew one thing though: he was close now and there was no way he was going for a ten minute swim while Hermione was on shore without him.
Finally Harry noticed a change in the water ahead of him as it grew lighter and shallower. He was close to the shore. A minute later Harry started slowing down even though he was kicking more vigourously than ever. Looking down he could see the webbing shrinking on his feet. Harry kept kicking furiously as he took in big gulps of water, trying to get as much oxygen in his bloodstream as possible. He was only a few yards short of the shore when he felt the pain in his neck return. He kept his mouth shut and kicked a few more times so he was in the shallows. As soon as his feet hit the solid lake bed he stood straight up, lifting Hermione above the water. Both teenagers gasped as they cleared the surface sucking in lungfuls of life-giving air.
Hermione was momentarily disoriented by finding herself dripping wet in someone's arms. When she looked up and saw a pair of worried emeralds looking back she relaxed. As Harry started wading towards the shore Hermione rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart still beating wildly with the stress and exertion of the task but with every step it seemed to calm slightly. When they reached the shore Harry saw the five judges arguing but ignored them. He never noticed that the Gryffindor section of the stands was leading the Hogwarts students in screaming themselves hoarse at his early return. He strode towards the champions tent and into the partition he had used earlier. Once there he set Hermione down gently on her feet.
"Winky!" The elf popped in with a shy smile on her face.
"Yes, Master Harry?" she asked.
"Could you get Hermione a towel and something dry to wear, please?" Harry asked. Winky just curtsied and popped out. Harry turned back to the wet and shivering girl in his arms. "You need to dry off and get into some warm clothes or you'll catch your death." Then he gathered his courage and returned the chaste kiss Hermione had given him last night and walked out to stand guard outside the partition. It was a good thing he did because just moments after he had heard Winky pop in Headmasters Dumbledore and Karkaroff swept into the tent followed by Madam Pomfrey.
"Harry, my boy, you have my congratulations on completing the task so expediently. There are some complications we were hoping you could clarify for us, though." Dumbledore said as Madam Pomfrey started scanning Harry who was eyeing the two men suspiciously.
"And what colossal mistake have you made this time?" He wasn't feeling respectful in the slightest since he was still freezing cold and dripping wet. Neither Headmaster had a chance to reprimand him on it as they were interrupted by an agitated mediwitch.
"Mr. Potter, what are you wearing? I can't get a single reading from my diagnostic spells." Harry looked sideways at his healer. Upon hearing that it was dragon-hide and that he intended to change out of it soon she seemed unable to decide whether to berate him for wearing something that blocked her diagnostics or praising him for wearing protection into a dangerous situation. She resolved her dilemma by forcing a pepper-up potion into his hands and telling him to drink it. She then turned to head into the partition only to find her way blocked by a steely-eyed Harry Potter. As she opened her mouth Harry cut her off.
"Hermione is currently changing in there. She was also wearing dragon-hide under her robes as an extra layer of protection and something dry couldn't hurt." When the mediwitch gaped at him he asked her "Did you not expect us to prepare after hearing the clue from the last task?" Madam Pomfrey grumbled a little but settled down to wait. If Miss Granger was changing into something warm and dry she was already doing the medically sound thing and Potter didn't look like he was going to listen to arguments about healers having seen it all before; damn Gryffindor chivalry.
"That actually brings us back rather neatly to why Headmaster Karkaroff and I are here," Dumbledore inserted himself back into the conversation. "As it happens we did not, as you put it, 'make a colossal mistake'. You did, my boy. Could you tell us why you rescued Ms. Granger?"
"Because you people put her at the bottom of a freezing lake." Harry was looking at his headmaster as if he was severely doubting the man's mental fitness. Dumbledore just smiled genially while Karkaroff seemed to be gnashing his teeth.
"I am afraid you misunderstood me, my boy. I meant why did you not save your own hostage?" Harry was confused. Who else could he have possibly had to save? Gabrielle would be rescued by Fleur and Dumbledore couldn't have known about that in the first place.
"What are you talking about? Hermione was my hostage and I rescued her." Harry said curtly. He really wasn't in the mood for Dumbledore's eccentricities right now.
"I am afraid not, my boy. Mr. Weasley was your intended hostage. Mr. Krum was supposed to rescue Ms. Granger." Dumbledore was still smiling and twinkling away. Karkaroff had apparently reached boiling point though.
"You deliberately sabotaged my Champion, boy! I will see you punished for this. Severus was right: you are nothing more than an attention seeking brat with delusions of grandeur." He snarled at the teen in front of him. Harry's temper had been about to explode at Dumbledore's insinuation that he should have let Krum get within touching distance of Hermione, but Karkaroff's rant gave him a chance to get a hold of it with both hands. When Harry spoke his voice could have chilled the arctic winds.
"You tied the single most important person in my life to a lakebed and then expected me to leave her down there while I swam back with someone who has already proven he would happily see me die to satisfy his jealousies? Who's diseased mind thought that would work?" He turned a glare on Karkaroff that was as cold as his tone. "The last and only time your champion spoke to Hermione she had to draw her wand to defend herself from his inappropriate and unwanted advances. You can tell him from me that if he ever tries that again there won't be enough left of him to stuff inside that snitch he seems so fond of chasing." Dumbledore tried to step in and play peacemaker.
"Surely, Harry, you must see that Mr. Krum has far fewer friends available here for us to call upon than you do?" he said in a soothing voice. Harry wasn't for being soothed though.
"If his treatment of Hermione is any indication it wouldn't surprise me if has no friends available anywhere for you to call upon. Even if I were to acknowledge your point it still doesn't answer why, with all my friends available to you, you would pick someone I wouldn't lift a finger to rescue as my hostage and ask me to ignore my best friend. Either your selection of the hostages is deeply flawed or your clue was. 'We've taken what you'll sorely miss' indeed." Harry snorted as a thought occurred to him. "Weasley is an entirely more appropriate hostage for Krum anyway. This way he can rescue his most rabid fan." This was too much for Karkaroff's rapidly dwindling self-control.
"You are just a nasty, little cheat, boy!" The spittle sprayed from Karkaroff's lips as raged at Harry. "How else could you have completed the task so much faster than the best our schools have to offer?!" Rather than rage back, Harry simply smirked.
"I was entirely confident in your incompetence and general disregard for the students well-being so I placed tracking charms on Hermione that led me straight to her." Karkaroff was purpling now, giving Harry an odd insight into what a thin Vernon Dursley might look like. He ignored the foreign headmaster and turned to his own. "Did you even bother to ask Hermione anything before you stuck her down there?"
"No they didn't, Harry." Harry whirled around at the sound. Hermione was standing just outside the partition glaring at the two headmasters whom Harry promptly forgot about. Grabbing her into another hug, he asked her "How are you feeling?" She squeezed him once before stepping back.
"I'm feeling well, Harry. You on the other hand are cold and wet and should be getting changed." She didn't get to say much more as Madam Pomfrey could finally get at her patient and was diligently scanning her as she shoved a pepper-up potion in her hands. Harry turned back to the two educators who were still standing in the tent looking a bit trout-slapped.
"Gentlemen, I believe we have answered your questions satisfactorily. You made a series of ridiculous, almost insulting, assumptions which caused your current confusion. I can't help but wonder what blunders you have planned for the third task. If you'll excuse me." With that Harry walked into the partitioned section of the tent Hermione had just vacated and found that someone, presumably Winky, had left him a dry change of clothes and a warm fluffy towel. Several minutes later he emerged fully dressed only to be ambushed by the school healer who could finally run her diagnostics. Upon determining that he was apparently disgustingly healthy she left the tent to await the next champion to return with their hostage.
Harry looked over at Hermione and smiled at her. He knew that there were supposed to be safeguards for the hostages but he felt better with her out of harm's way entirely. She walked over to him and slid her arms around him resting her head on his chest.
"I'm 'the single most important person in your life', Harry?" she asked him after a minute of just enjoying each other's presence. Harry blushed; he had forgotten that a tent was in no way soundproof. Of course Hermione had heard him say that. Still, it was the truth and he didn't even want to try and deny that.
"You are." He told her softly and heard her sigh. In that moment Ephialtes' words, Harry's time in the room with Hermione, their date at the Yule Ball and the time they had spent together since then swirled around Harry's mind until they crystalized into a decision. "Hermione?" Harry waited until she was looking up at him. "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?" She started blushing just as badly as Harry was.
"You mean…like a date?" Hermione's nervousness gave Harry a slight confidence boost as he realized he wasn't the only one feeling like that. He started to smile.
"Not like a date; a date." Hermione's lips were stretching into an answering smile.
"I'd like that, Harry." she said. Both of them were grinning like loons now. Harry couldn't stop himself from leaning in towards Hermione but he managed to stop just short of her lips, giving her a chance to draw away. She didn't need one and closed the rest of the distance between them and they shared a gentle kiss before pulling back and blushing furiously. They shared a look and smiles that managed to convey both nervousness and great joy, as well as the fact that they both felt slightly overawed by their own daring.
"We should head out and see how the task finishes up." Hermione suggested. Her tone indicated that staying hidden away was not an option, much as she wanted it to be.
"You're right, we should." They shared another look that agreed there would be time for exploring the new dimension to their relationship later, preferably when there was no chance of anyone walking in and ruining the mood.
When Harry and Hermione emerged from the tent it was to renewed cheering from the Gryffindors. For the first time Harry noticed that there were quite a lot of flags in that section of the crowd depicting the same thing: a black dragon pierced by a red sword. Dean must have been really busy was Harry's only distracted thought on the matter, his mind still mostly focussed on the kiss he and Hermione had just shared. He thought he could see the twins jumping up and down, screaming something he couldn't hear at this distance. He waved at them and was shocked to find that the noise level coming from the stands could actually go up.
Harry and Hermione settled in at the edge of the lake, seated close together for extra warmth and the comfort they drew from the contact. Harry summoned a blanket from the pile near the judges that was meant for the contestants as they emerged from the lake and wrapped it around himself and Hermione while she cast warming charms on the both of them. The result was two very comfortable Gryffindors. Harry checked his watch and saw that there were only about ten minutes left of the one hour time limit.
At one minute past the hour Cedric and Cho broke the surface and began swimming to shore. They were immediately accosted by Madam Pomfrey who was checking them over and Professor Dumbledore who looked like he was asking them questions about what had happened under the lake.
Seven minutes outside the time limit two silver-blond heads broke the surface of the lake and Fleur started to pull her little sister to shore. When they were once again on land the earlier scene repeated itself except with Madame Maxime questioning her champion who was gesturing enthusiastically much to Madam Pomfrey's consternation. When the healer cleared both sisters and Madame Maxime had the answers to all her questions Fleur dragged Gabrielle over to where Harry and Hermione were sitting.
"You saved my life. You warned me about ze dragon and now you 'ave 'elped me to save my sister." The words were tumbling out of Fleur's mouth as if she had no control over what she was saying. "Zank you, 'Arry Potter." She bent down and gave him a kiss on each cheek. Harry could feel a slight blush make its way to his cheeks and also Hermione's questioning gaze.
"I kind of helped Ms. Delacour out with some Grindylows." he muttered in answer to her unasked question. Fleur though seemed to take offense at this statement and proceeded to regale Hermione with the story of a brave boy who had rescued an unconscious veela from certain death. Harry's discomfort with the praise she was heaping on him was so familiar to Hermione that she couldn't help but laugh. Her laughter then had to be explained to the French witch, who in turn passed the joke on to her sister leaving Harry the source of much merriment for several minutes.
In the meantime, sixteen minutes outside of the time limit, a shark's head had breached the water, followed by a wand changing it back into the extra surly looking visage of Viktor Krum. He pulled up a ginger head of hair and promptly swam for shore, leaving Weasley sputtering in the middle of the lake. The moment he reached the shore he stalked off to Karkaroff and began complaining loudly in Bulgarian. Ron only made it to the shallows before Percy, who was once again standing in for Crouch Sr., reached him and started dragging him out of the water and towards Madam Pomfrey.
Cedric and Cho had joined the rest of the champions and hostages who had already been checked over and were clearly having a grand time judging by the amount of laughter. Harry, desperate to avoid further uncomfortable stories, asked Fleur to introduce her younger sister and was smilingly scolded for calling her Ms. Delacour.
"Zis is Gabrielle. She does not attend Beauxbatons yet but was allowed to come to Scotland to watch me compete. I 'ad never intended for 'er to be zis close to ze action." Harry smiled at the younger girl and held out his hand.
"Hello, Gabrielle. I'm Harry Potter." The little girl blushed mightily and shyly took Harry's hand with her own. He gently shook it and when he let go she looked up at Fleur and said something Harry didn't understand but that brought a snort from Hermione and a smile from Fleur. Harry looked between the two in confusion until Hermione translated.
"She thinks you're a very nice boy and that Fleur should go out with you. Apparently you would make a good brother." Ignoring the snickering coming from Cedric and Cho, Harry turned to Gabrielle.
"I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I already have someone I am very much looking forward to going out with." Harry couldn't keep himself from looking over at Hermione who was looking very pleased through a blush of her own. About time someone else felt a little embarrassment Harry thought fondly before turning back to the younger girl. "Can we still be friends?" When everything was translated the little veela nodded happily and hugged her new friend much to his surprise. By the time the judges were ready to announce the scores the entire group was on a first name basis. It was Bagman who was given the honor of addressing the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The judges have reached a decision on the scores for the second task. Mr. Harry Potter showed excellent preparation having placed a Tracking Charm on his hostage to allow him to find her quickly. He then made use of measured doses of Gillyweed to great effect. Mr. Potter was the first to return with his hostage, well inside the time-limit of an hour even after having stopped to help out a fellow champion experiencing difficulties. Most judges feel that such moral behavior merits full marks. However due to some confusion about the assigning of the hostages Mr. Potter's score is forty-eight points!" The stands roared their approval of Harry's score. It was high enough that he was guaranteed first place going into the final task and that news was quickly spreading among the students.
"Mr. Cedric Diggory performed a marvelous Bubble-Head Charm and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty-four points!" The cheers may have been led by the badgers this time but were just as loud as they had been for Harry.
"Ms. Fleur Delacour also used the Bubble-Head Charm. She was ambushed by Grindylows and would have had to quit the task if Mr. Potter hadn't driven the creatures off, reapplied the Charm and revived her. However she was third to return and we award her thirty-eight points!" The cheers Fleur received were a bit more restrained and polite than Harry's and Cedric's had been.
"Finally, Mr. Krum used an incomplete self-transfiguration but was the last to return with his hostage. However, since he did not require any assistance we award him forty points!" Krum's cheers came mostly from the Drumstrang and Slytherin students, though that may have had something to do with the way he was glaring at the other champions.
"This means that Mr. Potter currently has a commanding lead with 98 points, followed by Mr. Diggory with 82 points, Mr. Krum with 80 points and Ms. Delacour with 76 points. The third and final task will take place on the 24th of June at dusk. The champions will be notified of what the task is exactly one month before it takes place. Thank you all for your support and see you in June!" The champions and their hostages made their way back up to the castle behind a rush of students wanting to prepare celebrations in their honor. The Hogwarts students were especially pleased since both of their champions were currently leading the foreigners.