Chapter 256: "The Surface Eruption"

The surface of the Black Lake erupted in a series of dramatic splashes as Fleur Delacour, with her sister Gabrielle clutched tightly in her arms, emerged from the murky depths. The crowd, which had grown increasingly restless during the long wait, erupted into thunderous cheers. Their earlier boredom was instantly forgotten in the excitement of the moment, replaced by a palpable energy that electrified the air.

Ludo Bagman's magically amplified voice boomed across the lake, cutting through the cheers and applause. "Ladies and gentlemen, the second champion has returned with her hostage! It's Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons, and just in time too. Only two minutes remain before the one-hour time limit expires!"

As Bagman's words echoed across the grounds, a team of mediwizards rushed forward to help Fleur and Gabrielle. Fleur looked exhausted, her usual grace replaced by trembling limbs as she struggled to swim the last few meters to shore. The toll of her underwater ordeal was evident in every labored movement.

Just as Fleur and Gabrielle were helped onto the platform, the lake's surface churned once more. Viktor Krum surfaced with a powerful surge, towing a spluttering Hermione Granger behind him. The Bulgarian champion's partial shark transformation had receded, leaving him fully human again. Seconds later, Charles Potter broke the surface, supporting a coughing Ginny Weasley.

Bagman's voice rang out again, excitement coloring his every word. "The third and fourth champions have finally arrived! Viktor Krum claims third place, with Charles Potter right behind him in fourth. Unfortunately, they've both exceeded the time limit by a few minutes, which will cost them some valuable points. Nevertheless, let's give them a round of applause for completing this challenging task!"

The crowd's cheers swelled as all the champions and hostages were finally accounted for. The air was filled with relief and celebration. However, the joyful atmosphere didn't last long. Fleur, after making sure her sister was in the care of the mediwizards, suddenly turned back towards the lake. Her face, which had been filled with relief, now twisted with panic.

"'Arry!" she shouted, her voice hoarse and urgent, silencing the nearby crowd. "'Arry is still down there!"

Her words sent a ripple of confusion through the crowd. Murmurs and worried whispers replaced the cheers as people tried to understand what was happening.

Even Bagman's usually confident commentary faltered. "I... what's this? It seems Hadrian Potter is still in the lake? But... but he was the first to finish the task. What could be keeping our champion?"

Ignoring the offers of blankets and Pepper-Up Potion from the mediwizards, Fleur rushed towards the judges' table. Her silver hair, usually so perfectly styled, was now a tangled mess, and her eyes were wide with worry. "Professors!" she cried, her accent thicker in her distress. "You must do something! 'Arry is fighting the merpeople! 'Is intervention allowed us three to come up. 'E saved us all!"

Dumbledore rose from his seat. "Miss Delacour," he said, his voice calm but urgent, "please, try to calm yourself. Tell us exactly what happened down there."

As the other champions were being treated by the medical staff, Fleur quickly recounted the chaos in the merpeople's village. She described the battle between Charles and Krum, the accident that had angered the merpeople, and how Harry had arrived just in time to save them all from a potentially disastrous situation.

"He defeated the group surrounding my sister and me," Fleur explained, her hands gesturing wildly. "'E told me to take Gabrielle and go, that 'e would 'andle everything. But there were so many of them! The entire village was in an uproar!"

The judges exchanged worried looks as they listened. Madame Maxime placed a comforting hand on her champion's shoulder, while Dumbledore's brow furrowed in thought. "Don't worry, Miss Delacour," he said, his voice reassuring. "I will speak with the Merchieftainess and resolve this. We will make sure Mr. Potter returns safely..."

Before Dumbledore could finish, the lake's surface exploded again. This time, it was no ordinary splash. A figure shot out of the water like a missile, surrounded by a swirling vortex. The crowd gasped as Harry Potter arced through the air, his body twisting gracefully before landing with catlike precision on the judges' platform.

Water cascaded off him as he stood up, not a hair out of place. His eyes, bright with excitement, scanned the crowd before settling on the stunned faces of the judges.

"Sorry for the delay," Harry said with a roguish grin, sounding as casual as if he'd just returned from a walk instead of an underwater battle. "I had some... diplomatic matters to attend to."

The silence that had fallen over the crowd at his dramatic entrance shattered into cheers, whoops, and applause. The sound was so deafening it seemed to shake the air. Bagman's voice, when he finally found it, was filled with excitement and awe.

"Unbelievable! Simply unbelievable!" he shouted, barely audible over the crowd. "Hadrian Potter returns in the most spectacular fashion imaginable! Whatever was holding him up seems to have been thoroughly dealt with."

Fleur, her face filled with relief, ran forward. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around Harry, hugging him fiercely. "'Arry!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "You're safe! I was so worried!"

Harry hugged her back, his voice soft and reassuring. "I told you I'd handle it, didn't I? It was a walk in the park, really. Nothing to worry about."

What happened next took everyone, including Harry, by surprise. Fleur pulled back slightly, then, in front of the entire crowd, cupped Harry's face in her hands and kissed him deeply.

The crowd fell silent for a split second, as if the world itself had paused to witness the moment. Then, as realization set in, the crowd erupted in gasps, whispers, and a few good-natured cheers.

As they broke apart, Harry's eyes were wide with surprise, a faint blush on his cheeks. Recovering quickly, he quipped, "Well, this is certainly a first. I've never been rewarded like this for saving the day at Hogwarts. I must say, I rather like it. Everyone else, take notes—but I'm afraid I take rewards from girls only."

Fleur blushed slightly at his words, while the crowd reacted with a mix of cheers and jeers. Taking advantage of the commotion, Fleur leaned in close, her lips barely moving as she whispered through their mental link. "If you even think about kissing other girls, I'll..."

Harry's mental reply was quick, tinged with amusement and affection. "No need for threats, mon chéri. This was just to keep our secret safe. I wouldn't dream of kissing anyone else. Why would I, when I have the best right here?"

They separated quickly, aware of the many eyes on them. The other champions, now recovered from their ordeals, approached Harry with a mix of awe and gratitude.Viktor Krum stepped forward first, extending his hand in respect and thanks. "Potter," he said, his voice gruff but sincere, "you really saved us down there. I owe you one."

Harry shook Krum's hand firmly, a smile on his lips. "Think nothing of it, Viktor. Accidents happen, especially at Hogwarts—though I must admit, this one was more exciting than most. I'm just glad everyone's safe."

Before the conversation could continue, Dumbledore cleared his throat, bringing the focus back to the matter at hand. "Mr. Potter, while we are all relieved to see you safe, I believe you owe us an explanation. What exactly happened in the merpeople's village?"

Harry's expression turned serious. "Nothing out of the ordinary, really—just the usual fights and day-saving that seem to be a habit around here." His tone then took on a more pointed edge. "Though I have to ask, Professors—did you have no safety measures in place? No monitoring charms to ensure everything was going as planned?"

The headmasters of the three schools looked taken aback by Harry's direct questioning. Before they could respond, Harry continued, his eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Never mind. If you haven't learned after all these years, I doubt you ever will. You should probably prepare for a diplomatic visit from the merpeople. They have some strong words about today's events—words I'd be interested to hear in Mermish, I must say."

As the judges absorbed Harry's words, their expressions a mix of chagrin and concern, the lake's surface rippled again. Several merpeople emerged, including the imposing figure of the Merchieftainess. Seeing this, Dumbledore and the other judges quickly excused themselves, moving to meet the clearly upset delegation.

"Greetings," Dumbledore said in Mermish, his tone conciliatory. "We must express our deepest apologies for the disturbance caused in your village."

The Merchieftainess's expression was stern, her yellow eyes flashing with barely contained anger as she replied. Her voice, harsh above water, carried clearly to those nearby. "Your champions brought chaos to our home, Dumbledore. This was not part of our agreement. The shark-man and the young one fought like beasts, endangering our people and disturbing our peace."

Dumbledore's expression was grave as he responded. "We are truly sorry for this unfortunate turn of events. We will send our best healers to care for anyone injured."

Karkaroff, his dark eyes narrowed with suspicion, interrupted, "What of Hadrian Potter? What role did he play in this mess?"

At the mention of Harry's name, the Merchieftainess's features softened slightly, surprising the assembled wizards. "Ah, so that is the warrior's name. The one you call Hadrian Potter brought order to the chaos your other champions created. He protected the hostages and calmed the waters, showing both great power and admirable restraint. You should be thanking him—without his intervention, your champions might not have returned as they did. My people are angry, but it could have been much worse."

Karkaroff scowled at the praise of Harry, his voice dripping with disdain as he spoke. "Surely Potter's interference was against the rules of the tournament? He had already completed his task and had no business returning to the village."

The Merchieftainess turned her piercing yellow gaze to Karkaroff, her voice sharp. "Without his intervention, blood would have been spilled this day. In our waters, such actions are honored, not punished. Your rules mean little when lives are at stake."

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, stroking his long beard. "Thank you for your honesty. We apologize again for the disturbance caused to your village and your people. Is there any way we can make amends for this incident?"

The Merchieftainess conferred briefly with her companions, their harsh whispers creating an eerie melody that made the nearby humans uneasy. After a moment, she turned back to Dumbledore, her expression serious. "Give me until nightfall to discuss this with my people. Remember, Dumbledore—my people were hurt in one of your games. We will require proper compensation, or this could escalate into something much more serious."

Dumbledore inclined his head. "Of course. Take all the time you need. We await your decision and are prepared to offer fair compensation for the trouble we have caused."

As the merpeople disappeared beneath the waves, the judges exchanged significant looks. Ludo Bagman, who had been listening intently, let out a low whistle.

"Well," he said, his voice unusually subdued, "it seems young Mr. Potter has made quite an impression, both above and below the water. This tournament is certainly turning into one for the history books."

Madame Maxime nodded, her large, handsome face showing concern. "Indeed. And it seems the other champions don't stand a chance against him. His abilities are... formidable."

With this new information to consider, the judges returned to their table to finalize their scores. The crowd, sensing that decisions were being made, fell into an expectant hush.

Ludo Bagman's voice boomed across the lake again. "Ladies and gentlemen, the judges have reached their decisions. The points for the second task will now be announced!"

The crowd in the stands grew silent as Bagman began to read out the scores.

"In fourth place, Viktor Krum," Bagman announced, his voice carrying a note of regret. "While Mr. Krum showed impressive transfiguration skills with his partial shark transformation, his altercation with Mr. Charles Potter and the chaos that followed in the merpeople's village have resulted in a score of 25 points."

Karkaroff's face twisted with fury, but the other judges nodded in agreement. Krum accepted the score with a stoic nod, seeming to understand the reasons behind it.

"In third place, Charles Potter," Bagman continued. "Despite facing numerous challenges and showing bravery, Mr. Potter's actions contributed to the disturbance in the merpeople's village. Taking this into account, he is awarded 30 points."

Charles nodded glumly, accepting the score as fair given the circumstances.

"In second place, Fleur Delacour," Bagman announced, his voice brightening slightly. "Miss Delacour demonstrated excellent charm work and commendable bravery in protecting her hostage. However, she needed assistance to complete the task. Taking all factors into consideration, she is awarded 42 points."

Fleur accepted the score with grace, though a flicker of disappointment crossed her face. Her schoolmates from Beauxbatons applauded, proud of their champion.

"And in first place," Bagman's voice rose dramatically, building suspense, "with a perfect score of 50 points, Hadrian Potter!"

The crowd erupted into cheers so loud it seemed to shake the ground. Bagman had to wait for the noise to die down before continuing.

"Mr. Potter not only completed the task in record time but also returned to ensure the safety of his fellow champions and their hostages. His extraordinary display of magic, quick thinking in a crisis, and diplomatic skills in dealing with the merpeople have earned him top marks from all judges."

As the applause began to fade, Dumbledore stepped forward to address the crowd, his voice magically amplified to carry across the grounds.

"This task has shown us the importance of not just individual achievement, but also of cooperation and heroism in the face of unexpected dangers. Mr. Hadrian Potter's actions today embody the true spirit of the Triwizard Tournament. Let us all learn from his example of courage, skill, and compassion."

With the official proceedings over, the crowd began to disperse, excitedly discussing the day's events. Harry once again found himself at the center of attention, surrounded by admirers and well-wishers. But this time, it didn't bother him as much as it once might have. Harry had grown used to the spotlight, though he still preferred the quiet company of his close friends and allies.