───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────   

"You said you'd already worked out that egg clue!" said Hermione indignantly. 

Blair smiled cheekily at her. "Didn't want you to worry, Mione." Hermione's face softened before she glared at them again. 

The two of them, along with Harry and Ron, were sitting at the very back of the Charms class with a table to themselves, trying the Banishing Charm from time to time. Harry and Blair recounted the events of last night to them in low whispers. 

 "Snape said Moody's searched his office as well?" Ron whispered, his eyes alight with interest as he Banished a cushion with a sweep of his wand. "What... d'you reckon Moody's here to keep an eye on Snape as well as Karkaroff?"

"But it's odd if that's the case. Dumbledore trusts Snape." Blair said as she Banished 2 cushions that flew into the air before dropping into the box they were all supposed to be aiming at. 

Ron's eyes widened. "Maybe Moody thinks that Snape put your names in the Goblet of Fire."

"Oh Ron," said Hermione, shaking her head skeptically, "we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry's life, remember?" She Banished a cushion and it flew across the room and landed in the box.

"I don't care what Moody says," Hermione went on. "Dumbledore's not stupid. He was right to trust Hagrid and Professor Lupin, even though loads of people wouldn't have given them jobs, so why shouldn't he be right about Snape, even if Snape is a bit-"

 "— evil," said Ron promptly. "Come on, Hermione, why are all these Dark wizard catchers searching his office, then?"

"Why has Mr. Crouch been pretending to be ill?" said Hermione, ignoring Ron. "It's a bit funny, isn't it, that he can't manage to come to the Yule Ball, but he can get up here in the middle of the night when he wants to?" 

"You just don't like Crouch because of that elf, Winky," said Ron, sending a cushion soaring into the window.

After making a cushion fly perfectly into the box, Blair spoke up. "I don't like him too, don't worry, Mione. But you have to admit. It was kinda odd. Why would Snape think that we were stealing his supplies? I trust Professor Dumbledore, but I still don't trust Snape."

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Harry and Blair wrote a letter to Sirius, explain all about what happened the previous night. Then, they faced their most urgent problem: how to survive underwater for an hour on the twenty-fourth of February. They thought of several plans, but none of them worked out quite well.

Harry, Blair, Hermione and Ron stayed at the library though lunchtimes, evenings and weekends, searching for any spell that could help them breathe underwater. They even asked Professor McGonagall for a note of permission to use the Restricted Section, but still. They couldn't find anything. Blair felt herself pale every time she looked at the Black Lake.

Time passed quickly, but they were still clueless on how to survive. Monday soon came, and Blair smiled as she saw the brown owl return with Sirius' letter. Harry read out the letter:

Send date of next Hogsmeade weekend by return owl.

They were all surprised at how short it was. Hermione handed Harry a quill. "Weekend after next. Here — take my quill and send this owl back straight away." 

Blair smiled when she noticed it was one of the quills she gave Hermione for Christmas then whispered to Hermione. "You saw what it wrote, right? It's true. You really are beautiful." 

Hermione blushed a deep shade of red before whispering back. "I know, Wood. I heard you a countless times before." Then, she winked and left Blair gaping at her.

"What's he want to know about the next Hogsmeade weekend for?" said Ron. 

"Dunno," said Harry dully. 

 Blair was feeling the same. She was starting to think that she could talk with the Giant Squid and ask him for help. It didn't help that the Skrewts she loved so much were gone. Hagrid brought out some unicorns instead.

Blair and Harry lingered on at the back of the class. Hagrid nudged the two of them. "You okay, Blair, Harry?" 

Blair worked hard to muster up a smile. "Yeah." 

"Jus' nervous, eh?" said Hagrid. 

"Bit," said Harry. 

"Blair, Harry," said Hagrid, clapping a massive hand on their shoulders that they stumbled a bit, "I'd've bin worried before I saw yeh two take on tha' Horntail and tha' Vipertooth, but I know now yeh can do anythin' yeh set yer mind ter. I'm not worried at all. Yeh're goin' ter be fine. Got yer clue worked out, haven' yeh?"

Blair and Harry nodded, but still... they didn't have a clue on how to survive for an hour. 

"Yeh're goin' ter win," Hagrid growled, patting their shoulders again, so that Blair had to steady herself not to fall face flat on the floor. "I know it. I can feel it. One of yer will win." Blair and Harry shared forced smiles a the threat of the Second Task that hung above their heads.

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Blair was starting to lose hope. She flipped through the pages, but they couldn't find a spell, a potion or anything to help.

"I don't reckon it can be done," said Ron's voice flatly from the other side of the table. "There's nothing. Nothing. Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds, that Drought Charm, but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake."

"There must be something," Hermione muttered, moving a candle closer to her. Her eyes were so tired she was poring over the tiny print of Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes with her nose about an inch from the page. "They'd never have set a task that was undoable."

"They have," said Ron. "Harry, Blair, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked, and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate." 

"There's a way of doing it!" Hermione said crossly. "There just has to be!" 

Blair chuckled lowly at how wounded Hermione sounded. Her books had never failed her before.

"I know what I should have done," said Harry, resting, facedown, on one of the books. "I should've learned to be an Animagus like Sirius." 

Blair groaned. "Or maybe Polyjuice Potion like Hermione did- Ow!" Hermione pinched Blair's side and glared at her, not wanting to remember the memories.

"Yeah, you could've turned into a goldfish any time you wanted!" said Ron. 

"Or a shark," yawned Blair. They were all exhausted. 

"It takes years to become an Animagus, and then you have to register yourself and everything," said Hermione vaguely. "Professor McGonagall told us, remember... you've got to register yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office... what animal you become, and your markings, so you can't abuse it..."

"Mione, he was joking. I think I'll just dive in and hope I don't die." 

"Oh this is no use," Hermione said, snapping shut Weird Wizarding Dilemmas. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind," said Fred's voice. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?" 

The four looked up to see that Fred and George had just emerged from behind some bookshelves. 

"What're you two doing here?" Ron asked. 

"Looking for you," said George. "McGonagall wants you, Ron. And you, Hermione."

"Why?" said Hermione, looking surprised. 

"Dunno... she was looking a bit grim, though," said Fred. 

"We're supposed to take you down to her office," said George. 

Ron and Hermione stared at Harry and Blair, who suddenly felt bad. Maybe, she noticed how much Ron and Hermione were helping them.

"We'll meet you back in the common room," Hermione told Harry and Blair as she got up to go with Ron — both of them looked very anxious. "Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?" 

"See you, Mione." Blair smiled reassuringly at Hermione, who felt a little relieved.

Hermione and Ron followed Fred and George out of the library. Hermione fiddled with her fingers, feeling anxious. "Did she say anything?" 

"Nothing. Just wanted to see you two. You didn't get into trouble, did you, Ronald?" George asked skeptically. 

Ron rolled his eyes. "How many detentions have you two gotten? Blair's the only one who could rival yours. The three of you might have gotten up to 500."

Fred waved him off. "Oh, I reckon it might be 600. We know when to stop." 

"And Little B does too," said George. 

Hermione and Ron shared anxious glances as they arrived at McGonagall's office. 

George knocked once on the door before opening it. "Professor Minnie! We got the troublemakers."

"Thank you, Mr. Weasleys," said McGonagall sternly. "You may leave." 

Ron and Hermione stepped in after Fred and George left. Hermione looked around and saw McGonagall, sitting at her desk with Dumbledore, Moody and Madam Pomfrey standing around her. Then, she saw a little girl by Madame Maxime's side.

Hermione then saw two more people, sitting in front of McGonagall's desk. A Durmstrang student, who she often saw around Krum, and Ginny, who smiled slightly when she met eyes with Hermione and Ron. 

"Miss Granger, Mister Weasley," said McGonagall. "Please, have a seat."

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other before sitting down. "Now, as you all know, the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament is tomorrow," said Professor Dumbledore. "In this task, each of the champion will lose something of value to them, something they will sorely miss. But this is not an item that they value the most, it is the person they will miss the most. For Miss Delacour, it is her sister, Gabrielle Delacour."

Gabrielle Delacour gave a sniff and clutched onto Madame Maxime, who whispered these words into her ear. Hermione felt pity for the little girl, who looked so fearful.

"For Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley." Ron's eyes widened slightly. 

Dumbledore turned to Hermione with a twinkle in his eyes. "But it seems that both Mr. Krum and Ms. Wood chose you, Miss Granger." Hermione blushed a deep shade of red. All heads turned to her. 

Ron snickered beside her. "You are her treasure, indeed, Hermione."

Dumbledore let out a chuckle. "It's all down to your choice, Miss Granger. If you choose Mr. Krum, Ms. Weasley here will be Ms. Wood's hostage, but if you choose Mr. Krum, Mr. Stancioff will be Mr. Krum's hostage. So, who do you think will miss you the most, Miss Granger?" 

Hermione blushed and smiled before looking up at Dumbledore. "I made my decision, Professor."

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────   

By eight o'clock, Madam Pince had extinguished all the lamps and came to chivvy Blair and Harry out of the library. The two of them tried to carry as many books as they can as Hermione requested before they went back to the common room. They sat in the corner and continued to search, but still... nothing. 

People wished them luck, but Blair just smiled because she didn't trust her words. It soon turned midnight, but still no Ron or Hermione.

Blair and Harry decided to go back to the library under the Invisibility Cloak. With their wand tips alight, they pulled down several books and read through them as time passed by. And soon, Blair couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. They closed, and her head fell softly on the book.

"Miss Blair! Harry Potter, sir!" Blair groaned and slapped away the finger poking her face. 

Harry started grumbling. "Stop poking me-" 

"Dobby must poke Harry Potter and Blair Wood! You must wake up, sir, miss!" Blair's eyes fluttered open. She stretched and fixed her hair.

"Harry Potter and Blair Wood need to hurry!" squeaked Dobby. "The second task starts in ten minutes, and Miss Blair and Harry —" 

Blair shot up out of her chair. "T-ten minutes?" Harry sighed deafeatedly as he looked down at his watch. Blair felt a weight on her chest. What was she going to do?

"Hurry, Harry Potter! Blair Wood!" squeaked Dobby, plucking at Harry and Blair's sleeves. "You is supposed to be down by the lake with the other champions, miss!" 

 "It's too late, Dobby," Harry said hopelessly. "I'm not doing the task, I don't know how —" 

"Harry Potter and Blair Wood will do the task!" squeaked the elf. "Dobby knew Harry and Blair had not found the right book, so Dobby did it for them!"

Harry and Blair exchanged surprised glances. "What?" Blair asked in confusion. "But you don't know what the second task is —" 

"Dobby knows, miss! Harry Potter and Blair Wood have to go into the lake and find their Wheezys —"

"Find our what?" Blair felt even more confused. 

"— and take their Wheezys back from the merpeople!" Dobby said. 

 "What's a Wheezy?" Harry asked. 

"Your Wheezys, sir, your Wheezys — Wheezy who is giving Dobby his sweater and his sister!" Dobby plucked at the shrunken maroon sweater he was now wearing over his shorts.

Blair gasped in realization. "They've got Ron and Ginny?" If she wasn't in such a hurry, she would have wondered why Ginny was her treasure when it was Hermione she valued the most.

"The thing Blair Wood and Harry Potter will miss most, sir, miss!" squeaked Dobby. "'But past an hour —'" 

"— 'the prospect's black,' " Harry recited, staring, horror-struck, at Blair before looking back at Dobby. "'Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.' Dobby — what've we got to do?"

"You has to eat this, sir, miss!" squeaked the elf, and he put his hand in the pocket of his shorts and drew out a ball of what looked like slimy, grayish-green rat tails and a ball of a blue glowing plant. "Right before you go into the lake, sir, miss — gillyweed and corffdwir!"

"What's it do?" said Harry, staring at the gillyweed. Blair took the corffdwir and examined it, unsure. 

"They will make Harry Potter and Blair Wood breathe underwater, sir!" 

"Dobby," said Blair frantically, "listen — are you sure about this?" 

"Dobby is quite sure, miss!" said the elf earnestly. "Dobby hears things, miss, he is a house-elf, he goes all over the castle as she lights the fires and mops the floors. Dobby heard Professor McGonagall and Professor Moody in the staffroom, talking about the next task... Dobby cannot let Harry Potter and Blair Wood lose their Wheezys!"

Blair gave Dobby a hug and shoved the corffdwir into her pocket and ran out of the library with Harry at her side and Dobby at their heels. 

"Dobby is supposed to be in the kitchens, sir, miss!" Dobby squealed as they burst into the corridor. "Dobby will be missed — good luck, Miss Blair, Harry Potter, sir, good luck!"

"See you later, Dobby!" Harry and Blair shouted simultaneously, and they sprinted along the corridor and down the stairs. Stares followed them as they sprinted past people, and they ran to the Black Lake. They saw the crowd but immediately ran around the other side of the lake, towards the judges. Fleur and Krum watched Harry and Blair sprint towards them as they sat beside the judges' table. 

Blair rested her hands on her knees and panted. "We-We're here."

"Where have you two been?" said a bossy, disapproving voice. "The task's about to start!" 

Blair looked around to see that Percy was sitting at the judges' table, probably to fill in for Mr. Crouch. 

"Now, now, Percy!" said Ludo Bagman, who was looking intensely relieved to see Harry and Blair. "Let them catch their breaths!"

Dumbledore smiled at Harry and Blair, but Karkaroff and Madame Maxime glared at them. Blair stood up straight as she finally caught her breath. Her sides were hurting, but she had no time. Ludo Bagman was now moving among the champions, spacing them along the bank at intervals of ten feet. Blair was on the very end of the line, next to Harry, who was still trying to catch his breath. 

"All right, Harry, Blair?" Bagman whispered and moved Harry and Blair a few feet farther away from Krum. "Know what you're going to do?"

"Yeah," Harry panted, massaging his ribs. Blair simply nodded. 

Bagman gave Harry and Blair's shoulders a quick squeeze and returned to the judges' table; he pointed his wand at his throat as he had done at the World Cup, said, "Sonorus!" and his voice boomed out across the dark water toward the stands.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One... two... three!" The whistle echoed shrilly in the cold, still air; the stands erupted with cheers and applause.

Without looking to see what the other champions were doing, Blair pulled off her shoes and socks and robes, pulled the handful of corffdwir out of her pocket, stuffed it into her mouth, and waded out into the lake. 

Blair looked at Harry before she swallowed the corffdwir hard. It tasted like water. Then, she waited for something to happen. She could hear the laughter and catcalls and saw nothing happening to both of them. Blair clenched her fists when suddenly, Blair felt her body change. Tt turned into something flowy. Blair looked at her hands to see that it looked like... water.

Blair smirked and dove into the water, with Harry following after her. She was surprised at how natural it felt to be deep in the water. It felt pleasant. Blair and Harry nodded at each other. They separated and started to look for Ginny and Ron. Small fish passed by Blair as she swam deeper in the lake, but there was no sign of any of the other champions, merpeople, Ron, Ginny and the Giant Squid.

Seaweed tickled Blair's feet. She saw Harry having a hard time with the Grindylows at his feet. She took out her wand and pointed it at them. "Stupefy!" Harry mouthed a thanks and they went on. 

Blair kept on swimming and swimming until she heard humming. "Come and seek where our voices sound."

Blair started swimming faster as she followed the sound. Her eyes widened when she saw them. Merpeople. The merpeople had grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks.

Blair quickly swam past them while they clutched the spears in their hands. She was surprised to see a whole crowd of merpeople emerge. She looked around and found what looked like a mer-version of a village square. A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder.

Four people were bound tightly to the tail of the stone merperson. There was a little girl who liked Fleur, Ron, Hermione and a student from Durmstrang, but there was no Ginny. 

Blair's eyes lit up with realization. It wasn't Ginny. It was Hermione all along. Hermione was her treasure. The person she would miss the most.

Blair smiled widely and sped towards them. She inspected the ropes of weed and looked around to see a sharp, jagged rock. She dived and snatched it and returned to the statue. She hacked at the ropes binding Hermione and after several minutes, they broke apart. Hermione floated, unconscious, a few inches above the lake bottom, drifting a little in the ebb of the water.

Blair was about to go up when she looked around, and there were no signs of any of the other champions. She turned back to Ron, raised the jagged rock and began to hack at his bindings too- 

At once, several pairs of strong gray hands seized her. Half a dozen mermen were pulling her away from Ron, shaking their green-haired heads, and laughing. "You take your own hostage," one of them said to her. "Leave the other."

Blair shouted. "No way!" 

"Your task is to retrieve your own. Leave the others." 

"He's my friend too! And I don't want them to die either." Blair yelled, gesturing towards Ron and the other hostages.

Blair struggled to fight off the mermen, but they laughed harder than ever, holding her back. Blair started thinking of plans on how to come back for the others when Harry came swimming toward them. Those holding Blair loosened their grip. 

"Got lost!" Harry mouthed, looking panic-stricken. "Fleur and Krum're coming now!" 

Blair got out of the merpeople's grasp, gave Harry the stone and he cut Ron free. Blair motioned him to go before her. Harry nodded before pulling Ron upward and out of sight.

Blair looked around, waiting. The merpeople started screeching animatedly. Blair turned and saw something monstrous cutting through the water toward them: a human body in swimming trunks with the head of a shark... It was Krum. He appeared to have transfigured himself — but badly. The shark-man swam straight to the boy and began snapping and biting at his ropes.

The trouble was that Krum's new teeth were positioned very awkwardly for biting anything smaller than a dolphin, and Blair was quite sure that if Krum wasn't careful, he was going to rip the boy in half. Darting forward, Blair hit Krum hard on the shoulder and held up the jagged stone. Krum seized it and began to cut the boy free. Within seconds, he had done it; he grabbed the boy around the waist, and without a backward glance, began to rise rapidly with him toward the surface.

Blair frowned. There was no sign of Fleur. She had to do something. She snatched up the stone, which Krum had dropped, but the mermen now closed in around Hermione and the little girl, shaking their heads at her. Blair pulled out her wand. "Get out of the way!" 

The mermen suddenly stopped laughing, and they looked at her, scared. Blair thought that they were probably all bark and no bite.

"You've got until three!" Blair shouted; She held up three fingers to make sure they got the message. "One..." (she put down a finger) "two..." (she put down a second one) — They scattered.

Blair darted forward and began to hack at the ropes binding the small girl to the statue, and at last she was free. She seized Hermione around the waist, grabbed the little girl's hand, and kicked off from the bottom, but it was very slow. Blair's eyes widened in panic when her eyesight started blurring, and there were grindylows coming. She could feel the effects of the corffdwir wear off. She had to save Hermione and Fleur's sister first. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at Hermione and the little girl. "Ascendio!"

Hermione and the little girl went flying to the surface. The grindylows were now holding Blair down, preventing her from moving. Blair focused hard and suddenly, a powerful force came from her body and blasted away the grindylows. Blair tried rising again and started feeling faint before she pointed her wand to herself. "Ascendio!" 

Blair went flying through the air and onto the deck, gasping for breath. The crowd in the stands was making a great deal of noise; shouting and screaming, they all seemed to be on their feet, but Blair looked around, worried for Hermione and the little girl.

Then, she felt Ron and Harry wrap towels around her. Ron smacked her on the shoulder. "Blair, you prat, you didn't take that song thing seriously, did you? Dumbledore wouldn't have let any of us drown!" 

"Fleur didn't turn up, I couldn't leave her, the song said-" Blair panted while leaning against Ron and Harry for warmth. 

"It was only to make sure we got back inside the time limit!" said Harry.

Blair grinned sheepishly when someone suddenly attacked her with a hug from behind. Blair looked behind her to see that it was Hermione. Blair hugged her back just as tight and lifted Hermione off the ground a little. "You're okay." 

The two of them pulled away, smiling at each other when Madame Pomfrey came and wrapped more towels around Blair before forcing a potion down her throat.

Hermione smiled at her proudly. "You two did it! Well done!" 

"You haff a water beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny," said Krum from behind Hermione. 

Hermione brushed away the beetle impatiently and said, "You're well outside the time limit, though, Blair. Did it take you ages to find us?" 

"No, we found you fine." Harry said.

Blair was starting to feel stupid. Why did she have to think that they would really die? Why didn't she just grab Hermione and go? But she just couldn't leave Fleur's sister there. 

Blair turned her attention somewhere else and saw Dumbledore was crouching at the water's edge, deep in conversation with what seemed to be the chief merperson, a particularly wild and ferocious-looking female. He was making the same sort of screechy noises that the merpeople made when they were above water; clearly, Dumbledore could speak Mermish. 

Finally he straightened up, turned to his fellow judges, and said, "A conference before we give the marks, I think." The judges went into a huddle.

Madam Pomfrey had gone to fetch Fleur and her sister. Fleur had many cuts on her face and arms and her robes were torn, but she didn't seem to care, nor would she allow Madam Pomfrey to clean them. 

"Look after Gabrielle," she told her, and then she turned to Blair. "You saved 'er," she said breathlessly. "Even though she was not your 'ostage." 

Blair rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Yeah."

Suddenly, Fleur bent down, kissed Blair twice on each cheek. Blair felt her cheeks redden. Hermione looked furious before Fleur turned to Harry and Ron. "And you two – you 'elped -" She gave them kisses as well. 

Blair smiled nervously at Hermione's unamused face when Ludo Bagman's magically magnified voice boomed out beside them, making them all jump, and causing the crowd in the stands to go very quiet. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows...

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points." Applause from the stands. 

"I deserved zero," said Fleur throatily, shaking her magnificent head.

"Harry Potter, who had used gillyweed, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour." Enormous cheers from the whole crowd and Blair cheered Harry on; "We therefore award him forty-seven points." 

Then, Blair's heart sank. If Harry had been outside the time limit, she most certainly had been.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points." Karkaroff clapped particularly hard, looking very superior.

"Blair Wood used corffdwir to great effect," Bagman continued. "She returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Ms. Wood was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in her return was due to her determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely her own." Harry, Ron and Hermione all gave Blair half-exasperated, half-commiserating looks. 

"Most of the judges," and here, Bagman gave Karkaroff a very nasty look, "feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However, Ms. Wood's score is forty-five points." Blair's stomach leapt — she was now tying for first place with Harry.

Harry, Ron and Hermione, caught by surprise, stared at Blair, then laughed and started applauding hard with the rest of the crowd. 

"There you go, Blair!" Ron shouted over the noise. "You weren't being thick after all — you were showing moral fiber!" 

Fleur was clapping very hard too, but Krum didn't look happy at all. He attempted to engage Hermione in conversation again, but she was too busy cheering Blair on to listen.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," continued Bagman. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."

Blair smiled widely. It was all over. She didn't have to worry until the twenty-fourth of June, and she had to buy Dobby some new clothes to thank him, but for now, Blair had all her attention on the witch beside her. Hermione laughed and smiled as if there was no tomorrow.

As they lagged behind Harry and Ron, Blair slung an arm over Hermione's shoulder and beamed when she did not try and take it off. "So, Granger. You're my treasure, eh?" 

Hermione rolled her eyes but suddenly smiled at Blair. Blair's mouth dropped open. Oh, that smile. It could take away all the sadness in the world with just one glance and bring warmth into the cold dark world.

"You didn't see anyone else down in the Black Lake for you, did you? Let's keep it that way." Hermione smirked and patted Blair's cheek lightly before she walked on. 

Blair stood there with her mouth still open. Did Hermione Granger just flirt back with her? Blair snapped to her senses and ran after her. "Oi, Granger! What do you mean?" 

Hermione laughed and started running. Blair chased her with a grin on her face. She could have all the cheers and all the gold in the world, but she wouldn't care any less. The best reward, the greatest treasure for her was this, having Hermione Granger by her side.

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