Chapter 31 The second test.

Before the second test, Dumbledore called me and in a short conversation asked me to look after Potter. Naturally, I had no reason to refuse such an assignment, especially since I myself was going to do it.

On the Black Lake, for the second test, three multi-storey platforms for spectators based on pile structures were built quite quickly. The start of the second stage took place from the middle platform. There, on the middle platform, were all the officials, VIPs and some of the students from all three schools. The rest of the spectators occupied the side platforms.

Delivering to platforms was another challenge. In this case, boats were involved, which usually brought freshmen to Hogwarts. Hagrid was in charge of the transportation. It took a lot of time to transport everyone. The platforms were filled only by lunchtime. My departure among champions was one of the last. After me, only Potter went to the launch site. All the other champions were already in place.

The month of May was in the yard. The foliage on the trees had long blossomed, but some trees, bushes and grasses were already in full bloom. It was immediately obvious that it was spring, but the day today was not particularly warm. No, no, let the cool breeze blow, and the sun will hide behind the clouds. All spectators today dressed warmly - for the weather, and the champions gathered for a swim.

The dark waters of the Black Lake on this day with little sun seemed leaden. Slowly shimmering in waves, the water glittered dimly with green hues, preventing the gaze from penetrating deeply, hiding unknown secrets. Probably, this made a certain impression on those who should now step into these very depths and plunge into secrets, but for me there were no worthy secrets and dangers.

I was a little sad - such a mood attacked. Right now I felt that I had no place at this tournament - I was superfluous. I did not have any worries or worries, I did not have anxiety: will I have enough strength? But I know the dangers of this particular tournament better than other champions.

Before the second trial, I had concerns, but they concerned Megan. The organizers could well have attracted her as my "treasure", but nothing happened. Dumbledore decided not to use his sister, not to draw attention to her. It is good when the leader is consistent in his decisions and actions. In vain they say that Dumbledore is mad. It's just that he himself does not know at what level of his multilayer plans all the variables will converge.

The most agitated was Potter, not because of the test, but because of her fears that someone would notice the gills. All that bothered her was to understand at what point to eat a magic plant and do it quietly.

Feelings from the effects of gills are not the most pleasant, especially when first used. Do not think that I did not prepare for the second test at all. Yes, of course, one could get by with a banal head bladder, which would provide a tolerable opportunity for breathing underwater. But a bubble is not reliable. After all, I have plans to become a master of transfiguration. Partial transfiguration of one's own body is one of the essential skills of a master.

I was going to transform the body following the example of the effect of gills. In order to properly understand all the subtleties of transformation, I had to eat gills twice, showering myself with diagnostic spells from the field of medi-medicine. At the first reception, the sensations were so unpleasant and unexpected that I could not comprehend all the subtleties of transformation. So I had to eat the gills again. But now my transformation does not depend on the intake of plants and is not limited to a short period of time.

Before the start, Krum was an example of calmness - outwardly, a kind of imperturbable Ethiopian in the cold - cold (scary), but not shivering, enduring. He was worried inside, but no one saw it.

Fleur was already quite cold and clenched her jaw tightly so as not to chatter her teeth. But her condition was caused by fear rather than cold. In general, Fleur rivaled Potter in terms of excitement.

"Welcome to the second test," Dumbledore announced, using the sonorus spell in a way that everyone could hear. "Every champion had something stolen last night — a kind of treasure. These treasures now lie at the bottom of the Black Lake, - the director pompously broadcast. - The champion should find his treasure and show himself to the surface with it. Begin at the signal of the cannon! - finished Albus the introductory part of the second trial.

Potter, who appeared in front of everyone in an old-fashioned bathing suit, as in the canon events, used gills. Krum, using Transfiguration, applied a partial turn into a shark. Fleur showed up in a modern one-piece swimsuit and used a banal head bubble spell.

As already mentioned, like Krum, I was closer to the path of transfiguration in underwater adventures. The head bubble is a good spell, but it can be knocked down by the bubble itself. Yes, he will recover, but for a few seconds there will be a sharp shortage of air. In addition, the bladder is good when no action is required and there is not a lot of oxygen consumption. Otherwise, it is preferable to use other means.

For this test, I made some more preparations besides the body transfiguration. As a future master, I was supposed to know a lot and be able to. Gump's Laws? For first and second year students, they are absolute, but if you are a little older and are seriously interested in Transfiguration, then their role and meaning change.

For example: Food cannot be transfigured.

During the war, experiments were carried out on captive magicians. The Nazis, the wizards of Grindelwald, gave the prisoners transfigured food to see what happened. All these experiments were well organized, groups of experimental subjects were correctly and balanced, and detailed research diaries were kept. In these experiments, the Nazis not only tortured the prisoners, but answered pre-set questions.

So, the Muggle who ate the transfigured food died with almost one hundred percent probability, here Gump's law can be considered true. But with the wizards it was not at all easy. Some wizards, having eaten the transformed food, remained alive and well, only a temporary mana drain appeared. Their magic itself sustained the Transfiguration without the intervention of the mind. Moreover, some magicians from the control group who ate normal food died after being told that they had eaten transfigurate. Consequently, the interference of the mind in the work of magic could be sharply negative.

Dumbledore was the first to get to the documents on some of these studies. He destroyed something, hid something, and only a small part of this knowledge got into the Department of Mysteries.

Having plunged into the water, I applied the Transfiguration on myself, growing gills, membranes on the arms and legs, and lengthening the toes to the size of fins. He noted the moment when Potter's transformation was over, and she stopped thrashing in the water as if in convulsions. It seems that she fell into the water a little earlier than it should, and managed to sip water before the formation of gills. Further, without being distracted by the rivals, everyone swam in an arbitrary direction, trying to guess the right route. There was no reason for me to rush about in search, like Krum or Fleur, in addition to the test, I had a task to look after the heroine. Moreover, I knew that Potter would find the "treasure" first, it seemed like it should be. So I just followed Henrietta.

How the Grindilow attacked Fleur, I did not see. As we sailed towards the city of mermaids, I and Henriette did not attack. It's time to think that Fleur, who has a fair share of Veela features in her magic and, therefore, a component of the element of fire, has become an irresistible irritant for the grindilow. On the other hand, these critters have always been quite aggressive.

Following Potter, I got to the treasure second, right after the heroine. Henrietta tried to free Ron Weasley. Yes, yes, the girl was with George at the ball, and Ron had to be freed from captivity. The sixth Weasley will get his slice of fame. In my opinion, this task was already more difficult for Potter than for the others, and if George was a treasure, it would be completely hardcore. And so for a rather medium-sized Potter, it will be difficult to drag "Losyash" - Ronald, and George is even larger than the sixth Weasley.

I had to save Padma Patil, with whom I went to the Christmas ball. Krum had to save Granger, who was chosen on the same principle as Patil for me. Fleur's treasure is her younger sister, Gabrielle, who is still a child and is significantly smaller than Fleur in weight and dimensions. And only Potter, who in itself, including because of the Durslean diet, cannot boast of a heroic article, should save the Weasley moose.

Yes, girls grow up earlier. At the age of twelve, after summer, girls come to the seventh grade with "Godzillas". But Anriette on the Dursleys' grubs was not very much to scatter in height, and her age was already a little different. The boys have already caught up and surpassed the girls in weight. The Weasley was noticeably larger than Potter.

I freed Padma, but I was in no hurry to surface. The spells that were cast on the "treasures" made it possible to keep them under water for a long time without danger of harm. They shouldn't have suddenly come to their senses, being at depth. Unlike Potter, my time was also not limited by the hour that the gills provide. My transformation is limited only by my magic.

Krum did not stall for time, emerging from the darkness of the depths, he bit the rope that held Granger and pulled the girl to the surface. Most likely, our underwater "treasures" are actually completely safe. Otherwise, the organizers of the tournament would hardly have been able to "kidnap" Gabrielle and Padma without a scandal. I admit that Dumbledore could have come to an agreement with the Weasleys anyway, and nobody cares about Granger's parents' opinions. But among the audience I noticed Henry Delacour, and he did not seem to me very worried about the loss of Gabrielle. He was just pretending to be concerned about what he was really worried about. I did not see Padma's father, but that does not mean that they could not agree with him.

Potter was torn in half in search of an escape route. Her sensitive soul did not allow to leave at least someone at the bottom of the lake. I myself did not want to leave Gabrielle, but I did not interfere, waiting for Henrietta's decision. Say what you don't say, but a tournament is a rather dangerous event, first of all dangerous for the champions, but it may turn out that not only for them. No matter what the organizers say, no one can ensure complete safety. Most likely, there is cover, Fleur did not die, being attacked by the grindilow. But the cover may not be in time, and that's it - the corpse will turn out.

Fleur had already dropped out of this test. Even if I have not seen her fight with water creatures, it is unnecessary to assume something else. Leaving Gabrielle at the bottom no longer makes sense. However, when Potter attempted to free the girl, she was stopped by the mermaids, unambiguously threatening her with tridents. It became simply dangerous to procrastinate further, Anrietta was running out of time - you can count the air.

With a glance, Henriette asked me for help, she would have burst into tears if all the action had not taken place under water - here, don't cry, you can't see anything. Shrugging his shoulders, showing Henriette his innocence to the situation, he defiantly took a wait-and-see attitude, shifting the entire burden of decision-making on fragile girls' shoulders. She was already ready to throw someone, as it seemed to me, but - no, a spell that cut the fetters on Gabrielle's legs escaped from Henrietta's wand. Putting her wand back into its sheath, the young heroine grabbed the Weasleys with her right hand around the waist, and Gabrielle grabbed her with her left hand, starting to surface. This time, there was no opposition from the mermaids, although I was ready to support Potter. Apparently, the mermaids somehow got the information that the Frenchwoman had dropped out. At least, their calmness on the action of Potter, in contrast to the first attempt, can not be explained by anything else.

However, I was not going to leave Potter completely without help. With magic at the junction of enchantment and transfiguration, he created a stream of water directed to the surface so that the heroine could surface as soon as possible. I was not afraid of decompression sickness. The wizards knew about the problems associated with decompression, and knew how to deal with its consequences, and in the case of Potter, when transforming from gills, such problems should not arise.

He also began to help himself to surface as soon as possible, creating a current to the surface, trying to make us all appear on the surface together.

Liquid Transfiguration is no more complicated than Fire Transfiguration. The difference in the transfiguration of substances in these states of aggregation is only at the border of the media. In the case of fire, you also have to deal with air, and in water (under water), the liquid comes into contact with itself.

The Grindilows, appearing out of nowhere, rushed after us in an attempt to intercept. But where can they keep up with us? Potter surfaced first, a little ahead of me, gently holding Ron and Gabrielle as they spat.

To flounder in the water with the whole company was not fun for me. Using a little bit of enchantment and transfiguration, I stood with my feet on the water - on water like dry, like Jesus. This spell was quite drawn to masterwork, but Flitwick at one time rejected it for such purposes. It turned out to be quite complex and highly specialized. In addition, I actually rediscovered this spell rather than reinventing it from scratch. A similar spell had already existed, but it was lost.

There was no point in putting everyone on the water. The spell fully affected only itself. When applied to other faces, a serious flaw was found - quickly disappeared or did not "stick" to the water at all, which made the water surface incredibly slippery.

I pulled Gabrielle out of the water and literally hung her around my neck. Next, he lifted Padma and, holding her by the waist, moved to the central platform. Patil hung on me like a wounded partisan on a commander, so it was very uncomfortable to walk.

"Well done, Potter," I said to the heroine of magical Great Britain, turning around. - But you will have to get to the finish line on your own.

We surfaced not too far from the platforms, and it was inconvenient to go with a load of girls, so I was not much ahead of Potter and the Weasleys, who were swimming. Here we were all greeted with towels and peppercorn potion, congratulations and general applause.

"You saved Gabrielle," Fleur attacked me with kisses.

`` In fact, Potter saved her, '' did not begin to appropriate other people's laurels.

At that moment Potter just got out of the water and could not resist Fleur's gratitude with all her kissing hugs.

"Silence," Dumbledore shouted, using the sonorus to silence the audience's scream.

- The first place in this competition was won by Victor Krum, but the second place for high moral qualities is awarded to Henriette Potter. If she had not tried to save everyone, she would have completed the task first.

Then again there were endless congratulations and celebration of the end of the second trial. And the next day, Barty Crouch Sr. was found dead in the woods. By the way, Henrietta found him, who, as part of a search team, including Ron Weasley, Granger and Hagrid the forester, combed the forest.

The situation instantly flared up to the level of a scandal, almost like the news of the fourth champion. Dumbledore raised the issue of ending the tournament, but Minister Fudge insisted on continuing the deadly fight. Show must go on. But it should be noted that the director did not strongly demanded the termination of the tournament, so, he said, that's all.

I agree that the Tournament is dangerous for the participants, I can understand that it can turn out to be dangerous for the spectators, but it is already too much for a high-ranking ministry official to die within walking distance from the venue of the Tournament under unknown circumstances.

This situation did not affect me much. In general, I was not worried about the death of Crouch. Until that moment, I did not even remember about it and count it - I did not know that the first victim was not Cedric at all. Well, he died and died - and dick with him, and it makes no difference - from avada or from a heart attack. However, I had two important conversations, one of which was called out with Crouch's death.

First, the director summoned me to his office:

"Arrakis," he began, "the situation is gradually heating up. Someone drew Henrietta Potter into all these events. Whatever this someone is up to, now he has the last opportunity in the third trial. Perhaps I have no right to ask you about this, but the tournament is not as important for you as it is for the others, so I ask you to look after Henriette - this is the main thing.

"Okay, director," I agreed. - This tournament is really not very important for me, but I can not guarantee anything.

"I understand," Dumbledore accepted my excuses.

The second important conversation took place with Henry Delacour:

"Arrakis," the Frenchman called to me.

Approaching Father Fleur, I was already preparing in advance for an unpleasant conversation, expecting that a certain view of the situation would begin to be pushed. Well, that's how it usually happens? First, someone just spits on your opinion and yourself, and then, when problems begin to emerge, then you become important. But at the same time, they do not perceive you as an equal, but simply try to use it, start telling how it will be better and more correct. The question is: who is better? What standards is more correct?

But my assumptions about the mood of the conversation turned out to be wrong. Henry didn't press me, and to a greater extent his words sounded like explanations about Fleur's planned wedding.

"I'm very embarrassed to have this conversation," Henry began, "but I'd better explain myself about the situation with my daughter. You probably already know that she's married? If you didn't know, now you know for sure.

- I know, - put in his word.

"This is a completely political marriage, the necessity of which I will not explain to you," Father Fleur said, smiling tightly. - I ask you not to blame me and not to rush to your decisions. I myself do not really like this situation, so I will delay the final decision with the wedding as much as possible, hoping that the issue will be resolved in a different way.

- Perhaps you need my help? I asked.

"Unfortunately, you can't help me at the moment," Henry shook his head in annoyance. "But I've already postponed the wedding for another year. I would like to see you as Fleur's husband, and not someone else. I have no right to ask, but I ask: do not rush with your decisions.

"Well, I'm not going to promise, but wait a little - this is possible, if there is no political necessity," on the one hand he agreed, but on the other he pricked Henry with his own wording.

That's where Henry and I parted. He left not very happy with the conversation, but not as unhappy as I wanted to hurt him. I still could wait, the checkpoint was not passed. If the story continues, then Fleur will have to run away from the wedding ...

***

Until the last test it was a little less than a month, and I had unexpectedly a lot of things to do. At first, I was going to deal with the Slytherin medallion, for this I had to contact Sirius. On the second test, I saw him, he was among the important guests, and after the test he congratulated Potter on the second place, but it was not the time and the place for me to talk to him. However, having contacted the marauder, I found out that he did "clean up" the house.

- Sirius, - bitterly in his voice, he pressed the words out of himself, - well, I asked you not to throw anything away.

- Who needs this stuff? - my father convinced me of the correctness of his actions. "But don't think, I remembered your warning. Anrietta and her friends put on dragon skin gloves before cleaning, and one of the adults was there all the time.

Sirius, such a Sirius ...

Well, the first case failed without starting. It didn't make sense to rush to look for the right thing in the trash heaps. What was the name of that thieving magician? Mundungus! Surely he has already tidied up everything at least a little valuable, dropping the loot in a pawnshop for a small coin.

I had to give up the thought of destroying this Horcrux. Potter will have to sneak into the ministry under the reverse to steal the medallion from Umbridge. It seems that he should be at this nasty aunt ...

But besides the Horcrux, I had another important business. In the "secret room" I organized, everything was ready for the cultivation of Henriette Potter's homunculus (clone). Sophisticated protection spells were supposed to hide the room from all possible checks. A complex ritual was to ensure the rapid and correct growth of the body. The soul stone was supposed to give the clone magic without the final transfer of the soul.

Potter will have an extra chance - I decided.

Already when the body was ready, I had to seriously tinker, creating a scar on the forehead near the body with an imitation of a Horcrux. It took a lot of time to put a stone with a soul in the body and link it with energy. All the same, with a full examination, the substitution will be revealed. But as far as I remember, Potter never had a full checkup. And the fake turned out to be of high quality, after establishing a connection with the soul, my construct will calmly pass the standard blood and magic protection. The usual medi-medical diagnostic charms will not reveal the substitution either. This construct can live a full life without restrictions. She can even bear children.

However, my defense was not as good as I thought.

- Let me know, Arrakis Black, what are you doing on the third floor in an abandoned auditorium? - asked the director, addressing emphatically politely, but so that there was no doubt - this is not out of respect, but because of the desire to isolate himself from me and my affairs.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, since you're asking, then you saw," I suggested aloud, addressing Albus as I did so. I was very embarrassed at this moment - to put it mildly. Albus sat in his chair without inviting me to sit down. Again, a deuce was what the situation looked like.

- Carrying out a ritual, according to the classification of the ministry - dark, blood magic, which is also prohibited, growing a homunculus - five years of Azkaban, - the director of the "case" listed. "You did it all at Hogwarts under my nose when the murder of Crouch is full of Aurors. Do you have anything to say in your defense?

- Yes, - nodded his head, making up his mind. "This is to give Potter a second chance if something goes wrong. The dark lord must be finally defeated. Hopefully, my idea won't be needed, but it's better to be prepared for the worst.

- Don't you believe in the prophecy? Dumbledore asked.

- Prophecy does not guarantee Potter's victory.

- Yes, here you are right, - the director agreed with the argument.

The director's layered plans were good, but not perfect. Without all the information in a timely manner, it is impossible to draw up an ideal plan. Besides, it is absolutely impossible to take into account everything. Therefore, Albus drew up multi-layered plans, which gave not one opportunity for implementation, but several at once. So he begged the cloak of invisibility from James Potter, preventing him from escaping when attacked by the dark lord. So he threw a book with a blood protection ritual to Lily. There was no strict decision in these actions, but the most likely consequences were.

The director immediately realized that it was the Potters' daughter who was the child of prophecy. A lot of accidents during the uttering of this prophecy, the fact that it was Snape who overheard him, this left little chance for another option. Neville is only a fallback, which may not be an option.

Due to the nature of Dumbledore's plans, I had the assumption that he would not throw my ideas away immediately. Most likely, he will weave my idea into one of the layers of his plan, increasing the reliability of his entire plan. Of course, I hoped that no one would find my "secret room", but there was no particular belief in this. I did not know the breadth and depth of the director's magical connection with Hogwarts. Perhaps he just remembered where this or that door should be. Noticing the strangeness, he began to pick it up and found it.

- It is impossible to foresee everything, - I began to press, feeling the weakness. "You still haven't found who killed Crouch? Our heroine should have an additional opportunity.

- Didn't find, - the director confirmed. - The killer could be one of the guests or someone else. There are a lot of different magicians here now who do not inspire confidence in me.

- Moody behaves strangely, - I threw a line. - Yes, and Karkarov is strange.

"Moody is no stranger than usual," Albus disagreed. - I know him well. There is no one more reliable than Alastor Moody. And Karkarov was all the time in front of his eyes, he could not do it ... Okay, - decided the director, - the protection in your "secret room", I have improved. You just didn't know some of the features, so you couldn't protect her from me. Now none of the teachers can find a corner of your secret creativity. Even I couldn't find it. Only those who know what and where to look will find. All. Go, - the director literally kicked me out the door. - Anrietta will have an extra chance, and your hobby will remain our little secret.

At the end of the conversation, Albus began to pretend to be a kind grandfather, which knocked me out of my mind. I would like to ask what and how best to do with the "avatar", maybe fix something. But I was already outside the door when the coherence of thoughts was completely restored, and I did not want to return to the director's office.

"No. I will not consult with anyone, "I decided.

If the director understood everything, then now he definitely approved everything. And if you have not noticed something, then you should not re-raise the question that has already been resolved in my favor. Yes, it would be nice if someone could check my calculations. Will there be enough connection with the soul? Will the soul transmigrate into a new body? Will Horcrux break when the soul returns to its original body? There were many questions. I answered everything. Question: did you answer correctly?