A Glimmer of Hope

Fleur presumed the Merpeople lived toward the center of the lake allowing them to be as far away from human contact as possible. She started in that direction, confident in her abilities. Fleur was a strong swimmer.

Her parents' home was on the Mediterranean Sea and she swam all the time during the summer, but as she swam deeper and deeper into the darkening waters, she soon found out this was different. The stress from racing a clock and racing to save her sister soon found her energy levels dissipating at an alarming rate.

The air bubble that surrounded her head kept a constant pressure. The sometimes painful pressure change in her ears that she'd normally suffered as she swam so deep didn't affect her now. The problem she discovered with the bubblehead charm was she couldn't hear anything in the water.

Her first indication of a problem was when she felt a pull at her ankle. She looked down and found long fingers wrapped around it; Fingers that led to the arm and body of a pale green creature with sharp little horns.

"Grindylow," Fleur thought as she aimed her wand at the horned creature and sent a hex at it. The spell barely had an effect. Frustrated at the lack of power in her spell, she tried again, but again the hex had little effect.

"NO!" She exclaimed as she saw another Grindylow appear out of the darkness and grab her other ankle.

Again and again Fleur sent spells at the creatures but as before, they barely made a difference in her fight. She kicked out at them as well; but as she'd get rid of one, another would grab onto her. She fought and fought, but already tired before the fight, she felt what little energy she had left slowly ebbing away. Through her struggles a single line of thoughts ran through her

mind. "Gabrielle, Gabrielle! I must get to Gabrielle," She no longer cared about the Triwizard tournament; she only wanted to get to her sister and make sure she was safe. As she continued to struggle, another feeling developed deep inside of her, fear.

The stories of Champions who had died in previous tournaments came to mind and were amplified by the darkness and the isolation around her. The fear grew stronger as she became weaker. She could see her sister's face in her mind's eyes; a face she wondered if she would ever see again; if she would see any faces again.

A movement caught Fleur's eye as a shadow seemed to form in the very darkness of the water. The fear she felt increased even more as she thought another monster was coming to join the attack, but then a jet of water rushed past her and hit two Grindylows who had a grip on her left leg. Another stream of water followed and another. Each forced several Grindylows back until finally the creatures gave up the fight and fled.

Fleur turned to face the shape emerging from the murky darkness with her wand at the ready. She didn't know if it had been a friend, or possibly a natural enemy of the Grindylow that she'd now have to fight. Slowly the shape changed until she saw those eyes; eyes of emerald green that almost glowed in the gloom that surrounded them. "Harry?" Fleur mouthed.

Harry gave her a small smile, but never stopped looking around for further dangers. As he did, Fleur noticed the gills that protruded from his neck.

"Of course, Gillyweed," She thought. "I should have thought of that," The next time his eyes swept toward her, she looked more closely at her rescuer. His green eyes again seemed to call to her.

She reached out and touched him and smiled to tell him thanks. The smile he returned was not a smile she'd grown used to from men; it was not the smile of someone trying to hide the lust he felt because of her allure, it was one of warmth, of friendship; of caring. He then shrugged, and motioned with his hand toward the center of the lake and waited for her to lead the way.

Fleur was confused, though thankful of his help. She looked again at the young man who swam beside her as they proceeded deeper into the lake.

She noticed with a smile that his black hair was as messy underwater as it was all the other times she'd seen it.

"Why didn't he leave me?" She asked herself. "He would be ahead in the competition, should be," The puzzle that was Harry Potter intrigued her as they continued on toward their hostages.

Fleur set the pace of their swim. She could see the elongated webbed feet the gillyweed had given Harry and knew that he could have easily outpaced her, but he didn't. He kept to the same speed as Fleur, looking around as he swam for more grindylow or other dangers that might exist.

For some reason though, and she knew she'd never be able to explain it, Fleur felt at ease, even safe, swimming in the lake that had threatened her just minutes earlier.

Fleur was startled when the ghost of a girl materialized from the darkness. Though Fleur could not hear what was being said, she could see that Harry seemed to be on polite terms with her. "He even went to a ghost's Deathday party," She remembered her Headmistress saying.

"Was it this ghost?" She wondered as she watched the two.

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