Oblivious to what was happening, Krum swiftly swam away for the other two champions. It wasn't long before he realized the situation. Fleur had veered in the wrong direction, swimming away from the Merpeople village, while Cedric had crossed the thick aquatic plants.
Cedric was making good progress and needed to reach the Merpeople village as quickly as possible to guide the Ravenclaw girl to safety. This didn't affect Evan's plan; after all, Cedric was a strong opponent, and Ron wouldn't find it as easy to deal with him as he would with Harry.
Before three hours had passed, Evan, Harry, Cho Chang (Autumn), and Poliakoff found themselves tied to the tail of the Merpeople statue. They appeared to be sleeping soundly, their heads slumped against their shoulders and bubbles occasionally escaping their mouths.
Now appearing as Gabrielle, Evan was positioned between Cho Chang (Autumn) and Harry. His silver hair flowed gracefully in the icy lake water. Then, in a sudden burst of awareness, he opened his eyes.
Dumbledore had cast a spell on him, and although it wasn't very powerful, it had woken him up prematurely. However, Evan could still breathe underwater, much like when he had consumed Gillyweed. He couldn't help but admire Dumbledore's magical prowess; creating this complex magical blend was no easy feat.
He cautiously dropped his wand, and the string binding him to Harry unraveled automatically. He moved his body, taking in the surroundings. Harry and Cho Chang (Autumn) still appeared asleep, with no sign of the Merpeople paying them attention. They seemed more focused on the festivities taking place around them.
In a small square, a shadow could be seen moving toward a modest stone structure. Evan's movements were subtle, and he couldn't risk being discovered, especially since the competition was about to begin. Moody's magical eye could see through the lake water, and Evan needed to remain inconspicuous.
Using the magic in his sleeve, he had created a strong, slippery, and resilient black string connecting him to Harry. Unraveling or destroying it would be challenging, ensuring that Harry wouldn't leave his side.
Evan anxiously checked the time, and when an hour had passed, he swallowed another dose of Polyjuice Potion to maintain his disguise. He was puzzled by the absence of the champions; what were they waiting for?
During this time, Merpeople emerged from all directions, observing the four hostages curiously. Their surroundings filled with the enchanting melodies of singing, quite different from the haunting sacrificial song he had heard earlier.
"It's been only an hour, and they must find and retrieve what was taken from us," one of the Merpeople sang.
"Do not delay any longer; half the time has passed. Otherwise, you will lose it forever," another chimed in.
These lyrics are from inside the golden egg, directing the champions to rescue their most important people.
Evan slowly opened his eyes and observed the murky lake water. Two imposing Merpeople guarded them with tridents while others encircled them, singing and dancing merrily. Most of the Merpeople wore Evan's precious ornaments, although their greyish skin, yellow eyes, and uneven teeth somewhat detracted from the picturesque scene. Despite this, it resembled a vibrant and festive gathering.
However, the scene now appeared more sinister, resembling a gathering of evil creatures rather than a celebration.
Time passed, and the champions failed to appear. Evan wondered what was causing the delay. Were they encountering difficulties?
As Evan was increasingly concerned, Cedric Diggory finally arrived at the edge of the Merpeople village. He wore a giant air bubble around his head, distorting his features comically.
Cedric landed in the water, causing a large cloud of black silt to rise. He looked around in confusion, his gaze falling upon the curious Merpeople. He then spotted the four hostages tied to the tail of the Merpeople statue.
Cho Chang (Autumn) was slumped over, her silver hair resting on the young girl's shoulder, seemingly unharmed. However, the Beauxbatons girl, Fleur's sister, appeared lifeless, her complexion pale. She must have been treated roughly; it seemed she had spent time with Evan and the others.
Cedric hesitated before pulling out a knife from his pocket. He swam over and cut the string holding Cho Chang (Autumn), allowing her to float upward. But shortly after, he paused, visibly concerned.
Something was amiss; the absence of the other three champions was puzzling. The Merpeople, while appearing mischievous, also seemed capable of harming the hostages at any moment. Cedric couldn't leave them behind. He decided to wait, hoping the other champions would arrive soon before he left with Cho Chang (Autumn).
More than ten minutes passed, and the surrounding Merpeople suddenly erupted in cheerful screams. Cedric looked up to see Viktor Krum, transformed into a half-shark, swimming toward them with Ron and Fleur behind him.
Cedric nodded to Viktor, his head encased in a giant air bubble, as he swam to the hostages. He focused on rescuing Cho Chang (Autumn) and quickly swam away with her.
However, he soon stopped, growing concerned. Something was amiss, and it wasn't just the absence of the other champions. These Merpeople seemed malicious, and there was a possibility they might harm the hostages at any moment. Cedric couldn't abandon them but couldn't leave Cho Chang (Autumn) either. He decided to wait a while before departing, hoping the other champions would arrive soon.
After more than ten minutes, the Merpeople cheered again as Krum transformed into a shark, followed by Ron and Fleur, who finally arrived. Cedric greeted Viktor and swam over to help untie the remaining hostages, starting with Harry.
Krum swam over to Poliakoff, who was still tied up, but the Merpeople refused to let him take Harry. They insisted that Krum's task was to rescue his own friend and that he should leave the others behind.
Krum didn't respond verbally; instead, he raised his wand, sending a water jet toward the nearest Merperson. Upon contact, the Merperson's green skin turned red, and they fell unconscious.
The other Merpeople, though outnumbering Krum, hesitated to challenge his magic. The shark-headed Krum showed dominance, and the Merpeople dispersed in fear.
Krum's shark head opened wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and the Merpeople scattered in all directions, disappearing beneath the water's surface.
With that, Krum freed Harry and began swimming away from the Merpeople village, carrying Evan and Harry deeper into the lake.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Underwater, Cedric held Cho Chang (Autumn) just before leaving. He noticed a group of panicked Merpeople, at least twenty, were in distress.
"What's the matter?" he asked the Merpeople, but his words emerged as bubbles due to the water.
The Merpeople responded with sharp, grating sounds and excited gestures, indicating something was amiss. Cedric couldn't understand them since they spoke a language unfamiliar to him.
With their green hair, the Merpeople motioned downward, hinting for Cedric to follow them. "The champion with the magic-enhanced shark head has gone berserk," explained an especially fierce-looking, ugly female Merperson. She spoke in an unusual, almost alien manner. "He intended to take someone else's hostage. We must inform Dumbledore!"
"What? Krum attacked you?" Cedric exclaimed, his concern growing. He hesitated momentarily, then handed Cho Chang (Autumn) over to a female Merperson and joined another group of Merpeople to investigate further.
Cedric had a good impression of Krum despite his quiet nature. They had bonded over shared interests and knowledge. Why would Krum attack the Merpeople and try to take other champions' hostages? Cedric couldn't fathom the reasons behind this.
As they approached the Merpeople village, Cedric saw Krum swimming away with Harry and Gabrielle in another direction. The boy called Poliakoff, who had been taken hostage, lay forgotten on the ground.
Cedric and the Merpeople soldiers hurriedly followed, but Krum was a swift swimmer. Ivan and Harry were tied together with a cord, being pulled along unceremoniously by Krum.
After a minute, they encountered a tumultuous scene in the murky lake water. Armed with lances, many Merpeople were pursuing something resembling a giant squid. Ivan had seen a similar rock on the lake bottom before.
Could this be a portkey? Did Barty Jr. hide it here? It was a daring move, as the rock was close to the Merpeople village and well-concealed, making it difficult to discover.
Krum placed Ivan and Harry on the giant rock and hesitated before separating them, attempting to tear the cord that bound them together. Ivan winced in pain as Krum exerted great force, prompting Cedric to intervene.
As Cedric and the Merpeople engaged in a skirmish with Krum, using their respective spells, Krum's movements were not as agile, possibly due to some form of control over him, resulting in slower reactions. The Merpeople soldiers joined Cedric's side and had no choice but to fight. Although Merpeople couldn't use magic, they had their own combat methods, wielding lances and charging into the fray.
In this chaotic battle, Krum tried to retreat with Harry but was hindered by a Stunning Spell and fell unconscious.
"It's unbelievable; this guy must be out of his mind!" Cedric exclaimed, still trembling from the fight. The Merpeople quickly tied Krum with water plant cords. Cedric then went to check on Ivan and Harry.
The Triwizard Tournament had become exceptionally challenging with this unexpected turn of events. Cedric brought them back and reported the underwater incident to the judges.
"Don't come any closer; leave this place!" Ivan suddenly shouted, emitting a series of bubbles. Cedric was taken aback and fell onto the rock as he approached.
"Why is this silver-haired girl waking up?" Cedric thought, but he felt a pulling sensation behind his navel before he could process this.
In the lake water, Ivan, Harry, and Cedric floated together. The giant rock that had been with them was spinning rapidly, preventing any of them from leaving. It was dragging them forward amidst the howling currents and swirling colors.
Suddenly, they found themselves tumbling to the ground.
"Where are we?" Cedric exclaimed in pain. "What's happening?"
Harry, beside Ivan, opened his eyes, bewildered, and struggled to expel water from his mouth, breathing heavily.
"Cedric, Gabrielle, what's going on?" he panted. "What happened?"
"I want to know too. Nobody told me about a portkey during the second task!" Cedric said, clutching his wand. He looked around, noticing they were no longer underwater. The water plants and Merpeople from before had disappeared. Only the giant rock with Merpeople hunting designs remained, confirming that their underwater experience had been real. The surrounding mist obscured their view, and they could barely make out the outline of a distant low mountain.
"Gabrielle, do you know anything?" Harry asked with surprise. Then, he seemed to realize something and turned pale, gazing anxiously at the distant low mountain.