The Forging of the Bonds

Chapter 11. The task concludes.

Mike ran to the center of the island, where two poles with banners stood. The Durmstrang pole was already taken. One of the Krum twins was twenty feet away, running towards the shore.

The Durmstrang student suddenly turned and raised his wand. "Protego!" Mike shouted, at the same time as his opponent yelled "Stupefy!" The spell bounced off his shield.

Enraged, Mike began a curse of his own, but then the other twin yelled something to his brother, who broke off and ran. Must be trouble with their hydra, Mike thought. Good thing, too.

He sprinted towards the Hogwarts pole, and pulled it out of the ground. Then he ran back.

"Malfoy, get in the boat and start!" he yelled. "Expecto Patronum!"

A large eagle emerged out of his wand and charged the monster. The Patronus could only do harm to Dementors, but its bright light could distract and temporarily blind the hydra.

Malfoy was shocked, but, quickly recovering, she ran to the boat. He jumped in after her. "Hold this," he said, passing her the staff. He grabbed the rudder.

"Why should--"

"Shut up and fight it!" he snarled. His hands were already covered in blood from gripping the steering handle too tightly. If I knew, I would have brought gloves.

Malfoy sent a stream of hot water, which again had no effect. Mike, however, appreciated a delay of even a fraction of a second.

Malfoy didn't have time for a spell. She swung her sword with enormous force, and loped the hydra's head off.

Mike screamed in horror. "Oh, now you've done it!" he yelled at her.

"My sword!" she shrieked. She didn't manage to hold on to it, and the weapon had disappeared into the lake.

"Fuck!" Mike said.

The hydra, now with three heads instead of two, attacked the boat.

"Stupefy!" Elizabeth yelled, but the scaly skin absorbed the attack.

Hydras are reptiles, Mike remembered. He pressed the rudder with all his strength, trying to evade the enemy.

"Aaah!" he heard Malfoy yell. The girl couldn't hang on, and fell into the lake.

Crack! The rudder handle couldn't take the tightness of the turn either. Mike lost his steering mechanism.

"Shit!" he said. But he wouldn't give up.

Summoning as much power as possible, he cast the spell. Good thing I chose to take Advanced Transfiguration, he thought.

The boat beneath him transformed. He felt sharp points forming underneath his feet... the tips of the oars split into five tip points each, and along with the rest of the boat, turned dark green. Within seconds, Mike was standing on the back of a large crocodile. The animal wasn't quite whole--it was missing the tip of its tail, which Mike supposed was the consequence of the boat having a broken rudder.

He cast the bubble-head charm on on himself and dived into the lake, leaving the crocodile and the hydra to duke it out.

He swam almost straight down. "Lumos," he said. The tip of his wand produced a light to counter the murk that quickly grew with depth.

He found Malfoy, helplessly sinking. She still clutched her wand in one hand and the prize staff in the other. Mike quickly swam up and brought her head into the bubble.

She coughed. Damn, I don't know anything about this. I've got to get her to the hospital wing.

He held her with one arm, using the other to keep her head in the bubble. He paddled towards the shore with his legs.

He didn't know how long it took him. It might have been fifteen minutes. It could have been an hour. But finally, it was shallow enough that he emerged from the water, carrying an unconscious Malfoy in his arms.

His father and mother, Malfoy's father, and Professor Potter ran up to him.

"Mike!" his mother yelled.

Professor Potter looked at Malfoy. "She'll be all right," he told her father. "Let's get her to Madam Pomfrey."

Potter took the girl from him, and together with her father, they carried her away. Mike sat down. Until now, he didn't realize how heavy she was--or how tired he'd become. Or, for that matter, how cold the lake had been.

His mother cast a drying spell.

"Mike, Mike!" Dave and Kate ran up. "Sorry we couldn't get here earlier," Kate said. "You all right?"

"I guess. Krum--"

"What did he do?" his father demanded.

"Tried to stun me when I came to get the pole." He growled.

"Is that allowed?" Kate asked.

His mother looked at her. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Hermione?" His father looked shocked.

"In the tasks when contestants entered together, all bets--except, of course, stuff that's illegal anyway--like the Unforgivables--are off. That has been the case in every Tournament since its inception. Attempts to sabotage the competitors' chances before the task are forbidden, but during the event, anything goes."

She suddenly realized something. "Mike, did you know that?"

Mike nodded, and grinned. "Yes. That's why I was ready."

His father clasped him on the shoulder. "Congratulations, son."

"Come on, Mike," Dave said. "Let's get back to the common room."

As they departed, he heard his father telling his mother, "I was right. He would have done better alone."

Mike was shocked, first at his father's words, and then at the realization in his mind. He has no idea how wrong he is.