Watching Harry struggle to decipher the clue from his golden egg was getting old. Honestly, the poor guy had enough on his plate without trying to interpret a screeching puzzle. So, being the helpful guy I am—and definitely not because I was tired of seeing him fumble—I decided to step in.
In the common room, I found Harry staring at the egg like it might spontaneously reveal its secrets if he stared long enough.
"Alright, Potter," I said, plopping down beside him. "Enough of this nonsense. Want the answer or not?"
Harry looked up, startled. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," I said, pointing at the egg, "that thing's not going to solve itself. Open it underwater, and you'll hear a mermaid song. They'll tell you your task is to retrieve something important from the Black Lake."
Harry blinked at me, clearly processing. "Mermaids?"
"Yep. They'll have your 'most treasured thing,'" I added, throwing up air quotes. "Probably Ron or Hermione. It's all part of the drama."
He looked at the egg and back at me. "How do you know all this?"
"I too am a champion remember?" I replied.
---
Of course, knowing the clue was one thing, but figuring out how to survive underwater for an hour was another. I couldn't exactly let Harry go and drown himself—my conscience wouldn't allow it, and frankly, it'd make this entire tournament a lot less interesting.
I decided to teach him some basic methods to breathe underwater. First, we covered the Bubble-Head Charm. Simple, effective, and foolproof. But Harry, being Harry, was questioning its reliability.
"What if I mess up during the task?" he asked, frustration evident.
I sighed. "Alright, Plan B. Gillyweed. It's a plant that lets you breathe underwater. It'll be gross, but it works like a charm. I'll get some for you if it comes to that."
Harry still seemed unsure, so I added, "Or you could grow some gills and fins through transfiguration. Your choice."
"Let's stick to the Gillyweed," he muttered, looking slightly green at the thought of self-transfiguration.
"Good call," I said with a grin.
---
With the Second Task looming and Harry more or less prepared, January rolled around, and you know what that means—time for another spin at the Gacha system. As usual, I wasn't expecting much, but this time, luck was on my side.
The first spin landed on [Presence Concealment]. Now, this was interesting. The skill essentially made me unnoticeable unless someone was actively looking at me or I chose to reveal myself.
The second spin was even better—[Crouched Invisibility]. It worked exactly as it sounded: if I crouched, I became completely invisible to anyone or anything. The downside? Well, crouching wasn't exactly the most dignified position to fight or move in, but it had its uses.
"Two stealth skills in one go," I muttered, leaning back in the Undercroft. "Not bad."
Of course, the two skills had some overlap. Both made me harder to detect, but [Presence Concealment] was more versatile. I could walk around freely without being noticed. [Crouched Invisibility], on the other hand, was absolute—it didn't matter if someone was staring directly at me. As long as I was crouched, I was invisible.
The third spin gave me money which I stored in the CS bank at least it wasn't dirt or food.
I spent the rest of the day testing the skills out, marveling at how well they worked.
---
As January progressed, life at Hogwarts returned to its usual rhythm. Classes, homework, and preparations for the Second Task filled most of our days. The excitement from the Yule Ball had died down, and the castle was once again steeped in the cozy monotony of winter.
In my quieter moments, I found myself thinking about the tournament, my role in it, and the larger picture. While helping Harry felt like the right thing to do, it was also clear that Voldemort's plans were still in motion, even if Barty Jr. and Peter Pettigrew were out of the picture.
For now, though, there was nothing to do but wait. The Second Task was only weeks away, and Harry seemed more or less ready. My own preparations were minimal—after all I didn't require Oxygen to live.
---
February rolled in, bringing with it the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament. But before I dive into that let's talk about my monthly Gacha spins.
This month, luck handed me a lightsaber and a few rusted items. Now, I know I had gotten a rusted spoon once but these items were different they were part of a set and if you are thinking "What are you going to do with rusty junk?" Well, turns out, collecting these pieces and completing the set unlocked a title—[Rusted Knight]. The title came with a neat little perk: any weapon I wield could now inflict rust. Yeah, actual rust. It was especially useful against regular weapons, making them brittle or downright useless. Magical weapons were immune, of course, but still, not a bad skill to have in my arsenal.
I couldn't help but wonder what rewards awaited me if I completed either the King Arthur set or the multiverse set.
---
The day of the Second Task dawned cold and overcast, the Black Lake looking more ominous than ever. The premise of the task was simple: rescue someone "important" to you from the lake. For Harry, it was Ron. For Fleur, it was Gabriel. For Krum, it was Hermione. For me? They'd apparently nabbed one of the twins—Fred or George. Honestly, I couldn't even tell which one they'd taken. I'd been hanging out with both of them so much this year but I still doubted who was whome.
The four of us stood at the edge of the lake, waiting for the whistle to blow. I glanced at Harry, who was nervously fiddling with the Gillyweed I'd handed him earlier.
"You'll be fine," I muttered. "Just swallow it and dive in when the time comes."
He nodded, looking slightly reassured.
---
The whistle blew, and I dove in without hesitation. Since I don't need oxygen to breathe, so I didn't bother with any fancy spells or magical plants. I just swam straight into the frigid depths, relying on my enhanced physique and natural abilities to navigate the underwater labyrinth.
The water was dark and cold, but my enhanced senses made it easy to spot the hostages tied up near the merfolk village. Sure enough, there was "Fred-or-George," looking like he was in a deep sleep, and Gabrielle Delacour, Fleur's little sister, floating nearby.
The merfolk watched me warily, their tridents gleaming as they guarded the hostages. I swam up to them, keeping my movements calm and deliberate. No need to start a fight when I could just untie everyone and leave.
---
Instead of just rescuing the twin—let's just call him Fred for simplicity—I also grabbed Gabrielle. Fleur was my Yule Ball date, after all, and letting her little sister stay tied up underwater didn't sit right with me.
The merfolk didn't interfere as I cut through the bindings. Maybe they were impressed, or were just too scared to approach me because of the massive amount of Mana I was releasing. Either way, I grabbed both hostages and started swimming back to the surface.
As I broke through the water, the crowd erupted into cheers. Fred was grinning ear to ear, clearly enjoying the attention, while Gabrielle clung to me, looking both scared and relieved.
I deposited them on the platform and turned to face the judges. Fleur was already there. She looked at me with a mixture of gratitude and surprise.
"You saved her?" she asked, her voice soft.
"Of course," I replied, shrugging. "Couldn't just leave her down there, could I?"
Fleur smiled, and for a moment, I thought she might hug me. Instead, she gave me a kiss on my cheek and simply said, "Merci, Monsieur Wayne."
---
The judges deliberated for a while, but the results were clear. I'd not only completed the task quickly but had also gone the extra mile by saving Gabrielle. They awarded me first place, much to the chagrin of one certain champion and his cheater of a Headmaster—looking at you, Krum and Igor.
Harry finished a little later, looking relieved that the Gillyweed had worked. He gave me a thumbs-up as he climbed onto the platform, and I nodded back.
---Note
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