[141] The Scale of Trust

Sunlight streamed over the Black Lake, but the tension remained. A gentle breeze carried a slight chill. The lake rippled.

"Holding your breath underwater for an hour — are you really ready?" Hermione asked, clutching her textbooks, her face full of worry.

"Of course!" Hall said. But when he turned to look at Harry, he noticed hesitation.

"You say so, right, Harry?"

"Yeah — maybe. I guess." Harry's uncertain look gave Hall a bad feeling.

"Probably!?" Hermione stared at them in horror.

"What!?" Draco, who had just approached, heard Hermione's scream and rushed over.

"Harry said he's probably confident," Hermione repeated blankly, her voice rising sharply. "Oh my god, Harry, what do we do? You have to hold your breath underwater for an hour! If you're not prepared, you'll die!"

"Oh, Potter. Well, that's alright then." Draco looked relieved to hear that Harry was not confident. As long as Hall won, that was all that mattered.

Hermione glared at him, then pulled Harry and Hall aside. "Hall, what's going on?"

"Hermione, don't worry. Harry will be fine. Trust me." Hall pushed her gently towards the stands. "Wait here for us to return with the treasure."

Hermione wanted to say something, but Hall was already pushing her away. She walked hesitantly towards the stands, glancing back every now and then.

Once Hall was sure Hermione could not hear, he lowered his voice. "Harry. How's your spell practice going?"

"Don't worry. I've practised plenty."

"Then why were you trying to scare us?" Hall raised an eyebrow.

Harry sighed. "I just don't know if I can last an hour. The duration of a spell depends on the caster's magical power. In practice, the longest I've managed is half an hour."

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Then try to come back before the Gillyweed takes effect. Don't anger the mermaids." Hall had been tirelessly preparing Gillyweed for Harry and making him practise the Bubble-Head Charm. Mermaids disliked magic, so Hall wanted to avoid using spells underwater if possible. But he was a complete landlubber; if something went wrong, Harry would have to save himself.

Harry felt a surge of warmth. "Don't worry. I'll protect myself." He patted his clothes confidently. Hall had drawn a protective ward on his swimsuit underneath. He had done it secretly for the first task; now it was completely open. Harry had asked if this counted as cheating.

Hall shrugged, a sly smile playing on his lips. "It's normal for us to call in outside help when they're sending two twelve-year-olds into such a dangerous competition."

Sirius, overhearing, nodded vigorously. He asked Harry with concern if he needed help taking down the other opponents beforehand. As he spoke, he kept glancing at Hall. Hall returned a bright smile.

Sirius turned away, rubbing his head.

Dumbledore's voice, steady and powerful, echoed across the lake.

"Last night, five champions had something stolen from them. Their treasures. These five treasures now lie at the bottom of the Black Lake. To win, each champion simply needs to find their treasure and return to the surface. Very simple. But there is a time limit — one hour. If they exceed it, they will have to rely on themselves. No magic can save them. The match begins when the cannon fires."

A cannon blast rang out.

Krum, Cedric, and Fleur jumped into the water without hesitation.

Harry took off his shoes and socks, ate some Gillyweed, and waded into the lake. His body began to transform — gills formed on his neck, webbing grew between his toes. He nodded firmly to Hall, took a deep breath, and submerged.

Hall pulled a magically modified diving suit from his bag and put it on. Why had he not prepared one for Harry? The suit was not cheap. Gillyweed, on the other hand, offered excellent value. He gave himself a mental pat on the back.

He leaped into the water.

A cloud of bubbles appeared before him. Hall passed through it and heard a mermaid's song — alluring, melodious. He shook his head quickly, trying to stay focused. He swam towards the bottom of the lake.

Not long after, passing a patch of towering seaweed, Hall lost contact with Harry. The seaweed was incredibly tall, like a wall reaching into the gloom, and one could easily get entangled. Underwater visibility was poor. Hall looked around but could not find any trace of Harry.

There were faint traces of merfolk guards among the seaweed. Hall knew he was heading in the right direction. He calculated that Harry's Gillyweed and Bubble-Head Charm should last him almost two hours. But Ron, who had been at the bottom of the lake for who knew how long, might not be able to hold on.

After a moment's deliberation, Hall abandoned the search for Harry and continued alone.

"Brave warrior, come to us! We are the elves of the lake, and you are welcome!"

The merfolk's song continued to entice him. Hall struggled against the pull, feeling a force dragging him closer from below. At this critical moment, he drew his dagger and wielded it in the water. The merfolk scattered.