The Black Lake was truly vast.
Despite his enhanced vision, Alaric couldn't spot the traces of the four champions.
He regretted not placing magical markers on each of them before diving in.
Suddenly, he heard a faint singing underwater.
Alaric listened carefully. It seemed to be a chorus of female voices. He swam towards the direction of the singing.
After advancing several dozen meters, he could clearly hear the entire song.
Alaric recognized it as the merpeople's chorus, having studied their language deliberately.
Now more certain of his objective, Alaric decided to first find the merpeople and inquire about the situation.
Not only were they the owners of the Black Lake, but they were also numerous and could locate the champions much faster than Alaric alone.
Additionally, the merpeople had assisted in organizing the second task of the Triwizard Tournament.
They were responsible not only for guarding the champions' treasures but also for creating challenges for them.
Following the sound of the song, Alaric found that the merpeople were located in a large patch of waterweed.
The surrounding water plants grew increasingly dense. Suddenly, shadows flashed around him.
Alaric stopped and looked around, realizing he was surrounded.
They were a group of creatures with horns, pale green bodies, tentacle-like legs resembling octopus tentacles, gaping mouths with sharp teeth.
They were Grindylows, small pets bred by the merpeople.
The Grindylows saw Alaric as prey and rushed towards him in droves.
Alaric frowned and finally drew his wand, launching an attack against the creatures.
Underwater, offensive spells seemed to change in appearance.
Instead of appearing as light or sparks, they manifested as scalding columns of water.
The Grindylows hit by these spells exploded violently, turning into debris along with their surroundings.
The shockwave pushed Alaric away.
Taking the opportunity, Alaric swiftly swam forward.
The Grindylows attempted to pursue him but were left far behind.
However, these creatures were persistent, relentlessly flailing their tentacles as they followed him.
Meanwhile, the merpeople's song grew nearer.
The song was identical to that in the golden egg.
Only one hour.
To seek and take back what we took...
Soon, Alaric saw a large rock in the murky lake ahead, adorned with many merpeople wielding spears, chasing what looked like giant octopuses.
Harry swam past the rock, following the mermaids' song.
...Don't delay any longer, half the time has passed.
Lest what you seek here rots...
Suddenly, rough stone dwellings appeared all around, covered in patches of algae.
Harry saw faces through the murky windows... These faces were nothing like the mermaids depicted in the prefects' bath...
The mermaids' skin was iron-gray, their long, tangled hair a dark green mess.
Their eyes were yellow, their incomplete teeth also yellow, and they wore necklaces of pebbles strung together with thick ropes.
As Alaric swam by, they grinned at him maliciously.
A couple even emerged from the caves, spears in hand, using their powerful silver fish tails to splash through the water.
Alaric continued to swim swiftly forward, surveying his surroundings.
Soon, there were more and more stone dwellings, some surrounded by gardens. He saw a door with a small Grindylow tied to it.
Merpeople emerged from all directions, curious gazes fixed on him, pointing with webbed fingers and whispering behind their hands.
Meanwhile, the Grindylows that had been tracking Alaric had long since stopped, lingering outside the mermaid village, glaring resentfully at him.
It seemed they were indeed bred by these merpeople.
After turning a corner, Alaric came upon a peculiar sight.
It appeared to be the square of a mermaid village, surrounded by houses with a large group of mermaids floating in front.
Some mermaids were singing in unison, calling for champions to approach.
Behind them stood a rough statue: a large mermaid carved from boulders, its tail firmly bound with four people.
Among these four, Alaric recognized three.
On the far left was Cho Chang, the treasure Hermione was seeking.
Next to her was the Gabrielle, followed by Ron Weasley, whom Harry was looking for, and finally, a boy from Durmstrang whom Alaric thought might be Krum's good friend.
Alaric turned to the singing mermaids, who looked at him with confusion.
It was understandable; mermaids only recognized the four champions to ensure each champion retrieved their own treasure.
"I am Alaric, one of the judges of the tournament," Alaric spoke in Mermish.
"I hope you can help me."
The mermaids looked even more surprised at him, as if they were seeing a rare creature.
"You speak our language!" one of the older mermaids exclaimed.
"Very few wizards can speak Mermish nowadays."
"That's why I'm one of the judges of the Triwizard Tournament," Alaric quickly added.
"I need your help to locate the four champions. I'm responsible for ensuring their safety."
"Hmm, wizards really pamper their young," the mermaid wrinkled her brow.
"A trial should carry life-threatening risks, or it loses its meaning. We merpeople never coddle our young hunters; only then can they grow."
"But wizards don't rely on hunting to survive," Alaric chuckled at the mermaid's theory.
"Although we hope young wizards perform well in this tournament, we don't expect them to make a living from it. We're a little different from you."
"Well, I still don't understand you wizards," the mermaid shook her head and swam into the village.
Soon, several mermaids swam off into the surrounding waters.
"Don't worry, your young ones won't be in great danger," the older mermaid reassured Alaric.
"In fact, we've stationed most of the Grindylows near the village. So when they're really in danger, you'll already be able to see them."
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