Chapter 3

Harry's council, as the girls had taken to calling themselves, had grown from just Hermione and Luna, to now include Su Li, Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Sally Anne Perks, Neville Longbottom (at Hannah and Harry's insistence since Harry felt he needed at least one mate) and unofficially Professors Vector and Babbling. They met in an abandoned classroom down the hall from the charms classroom, and they soon had it outfitted for training Harry in the skills that the group decided he needed for surviving the tournament and life in general. Each of the women brought their own specialties to the table and they were amazed at how fast Harry picked up the practical aspects of magic, forcing them to reach deep into their own knowledge to continue challenging him and making him grow in his magical repertoire.

It was into one of the strategy sessions a few weeks before the second task that Harry burst in the door, slightly out of breath, and shouted. "We have a big problem. I can't swim!"

"Harry, calm down and take a few breaths." Once Harry seemed to have gotten control of himself, Hermione encouraged him to talk to them. "Now tell us why that should concern you."

"The next task is going to be in the Black Lake, and they are going to take something I will miss more than anything and put it at the bottom of the Lake for me to retrieve. The problem is, I can't swim, heck, I can't even take a bath without feeling a bit of panic."

"Why is that Harry? I don't think I have ever seen you panic about any danger, so why should water scare you?" Alicia asked.

Harry all of a sudden became rather shy, and mumbled under his breath that no one understood.

"What was that Harry?" Daphne said as she stared at this Harry that was not the confident young man she had come to know.

Harry began to look around in a panic, getting ready to bolt from the room, when he was hugged first from the left by Luna, and then the right by Hermione. It was Luna who spoke. "Harry, it is time you told your friends the truth about your life and why you have the fears you do. We are here for you and I promise that none of us will pity you for your experiences. We may feel sad for what you had to live through and want to help you work past it, but we are your friends and will not look down on you for what you reveal."

Harry's shoulders sagged, and then he allowed Luna and Hermione to lead him to a couch, where he sat and told his story with his two friends on either side of him. He told of his cupboard, not knowing his name, being a slave, test dummy, and punching bag to his relatives, and of the starvation and abuse. When asked about the fear he had for swimming, he looked scared before he finally told them the truth.

"I am pretty sure that I have died at least three times while trying to swim." The gasps of everyone when he said that almost made him stop, but the two holding onto him gave him the courage to go on. "The first time was at the community pool when aunt Petunia took Dudley and me to learn to swim when we were six. Dudley and his friend Piers pushed me head first into the side of the pool, and then when I was dazed, they pushed me under and used me as a step so they didn't have to tread water. When it was finally noticed by anyone, I had been under for more than fifteen minutes. Dudley and Piers told everyone I had gone under after telling them I could hold my breath for a long time. The ambulance was called, and I was taken to Hospital where they were going to pronounce me dead, when I began to cough up lungs full of water and then I began to breath. When my uncle brought me home from Hospital, he beat me for not dying like a normal person and instead showing my freakish ways, and then he threw me into my cupboard with no food for three days." It appeared that everyone in the room wanted to say something about his vile relatives, but the looks that Luna and Hermione gave to them stopped them from interrupting Harry's story.

"The second time was silly really. Uncle Vernon sent me out into a thunderstorm to divert water from forming puddles in my aunt's garden. I remember creating unobtrusive little waterways that fit into the artistic esthetic of the garden, and I was quite proud of the way they had turned out. I went to the other side of the house, intending to continue with my work, when a flash of light lit up everything around me and I knew no more. When I woke up, I was in hospital again, only this time, I was nowhere near home. I was pulled out of a lake about four hours North of Surrey by people on a boat that was heading to shore before the storm hit. They tried to revive me, but they kept getting shocked when they touched me. I don't remember how I got to that lake, and I don't remember how I got back to Privet Drive after staying in hospital for almost a week. All I know is I went to sleep in the bed in the room I had been placed in, and the next time I woke, I was back in my cupboard and ignored for almost a week."

"The last time was the summer after my first year at Hogwarts. I had been moved out of my cupboard, and into Dudley's second bedroom, or the room of broken toys as I liked to call it and everything was going fine until one of the neighbors decided to invite all of the kids in the neighborhood to go to a water park for their daughter's birthday. They were new to the neighborhood, and so they thought that it would be a good way for their little girl to make new friends. They insisted that all of the kids go, and that included me since they had seen me gardening in my aunt's prize winning garden, and I had helped them carry in packages to decorate their new home. We went to the water park, and I stuck to the shallow pools most of the day, trying to learn how to swim. When I felt confident enough, I got a float and went cruising around on the lazy river that drifted around the park. It was coming around a corner where the river was partially sucked into giant tanks to power the slides and wave pool that I somehow got pulled off my float and dragged under, getting trapped against the grate by the water. I remember trying to get anyone's attention as the water pressed down on me, but they were always just out of reach and slowly everything went black."

"When I woke up, I was in the back of an ambulance with a sheet covering my face, and I listened as a young woman sobbed as she described how they had shut the pumps down for the night and were turning off the lights to the park when someone noticed my body floating on the surface of the lazy river. Emergency dispatch was called immediately, but they could not revive me no matter what they tried. When we got to hospital, I found myself frozen as I was wheeled down a hall and out another set of doors. I heard someone say my name, and I thought it was Dumbledore, then I once again woke up in my bed, this time with bars on the window and locks on the door, with a cat flap that my food was passed through until Fred, George, and Ron came to rescue me in their Dad's car."

All of those present, including Neville who was sitting silently behind Hannah, were horrified at the trials that Harry had gone through in his short life. If anyone had looked around, they would have found that all of those present were fighting back tears as they realized that Harry would not be comfortable feeling that everyone pitied him.

It was quiet, soft spoken, kindly, unassuming Neville who blew his top and destroyed the silence that had blanketed the room like a rough, itchy woolen blanket. "How dare they write all those stories about the fabulous life of Harry Potter The-Boy-Who-Lived and present them as truth. Every child in the magical world has been read stories about your supposed adventures, and the training that you have received since your parents died, and we now find out that they are utter bullshit! Sorry for my language, Hannah, but for the last three years, everyone in this castle, and in the greater British Wizarding world, has held you to a standard that you had no hope of meeting. Every time we have tried to approach you, Ronald I am The Best Mate of THE BOY WHO LIVED Weasley has blocked us and has informed us that if you wanted us as friends, you would have answered the letters we sent you as kids or the ones we sent you over the summers between school years."

"You ... you sent me letters?" Harry asked in confusion. "I have only ever received letters from Ron, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley, and only Hermione writes with any frequency. Well, I did receive a letter from the Ministry of Magic warning me about underage magic use, but that was done by a house elf, not me."

By now, Neville was standing, and the normally mild mannered Gryffindor was so angry that waves of magic were pouring off of him and making everyone's hair stand on end. With a look of absolute resolve upon his face, Neville drew his wand and said, "I, Neville Franklin Longbottom, heir of the Longbottom Clan, and future head of House Longbottom, hereby pledge my loyalty as tradition and honor dictate to House Potter and it's last heir in the form of Harry James Potter, Lord and Protector of the Law of Wizarding Britain and all of her Provinces and Protectorates as decreed by Royal Charter in 1644, so mote it be." Neville then dropped to his knee and bowed his head before Harry.

Harry had no idea what was going on, but he knew he needed to stand and acknowledge what Neville had just proclaimed. When he stood, he felt a weight appear on his left side at waist level, and when he looked down he found the sword of Gryffindor strapped to his waist. He held the scabbard with his left hand and drew the sword with his right hand, immediately almost dropping it when a ring appeared on his right ring finger. It was only the flood of information that seemed to flow directly in his mind, and the magic of the sword which was among other things, enchanted to never fall from the hand wielding it. Harry stood straight and true, placing the blade upon the top of Neville's head, then tapping the left and then right shoulder while he intoned in a voice that contained more than just Harry. "The Realm judges you honorable Lord Longbottom, and accepts your pledge of loyalty in this time and in the future time of change that is coming."

Everyone looked shocked at the fact that Harry and Neville were both wearing the rings that denoted them the Head of House for their families. It was Luna who broke the tableau when she squealed and clapped excitedly, before jumping around and yelling.

"This is going to be so much fun. The geezers who are hurting our world will never know what hit them." Luna shifted gears so quickly that it left everyone gaping when she got an evil grin on her face and said to everyone. "Gather round people, it is time to plan the downfall of the meddler, as well as senior psycho and his junior psycho bunch, and the rebuilding of our world from the harm they have done to it." Everyone thought her idea was a good one; it was her periodic bouts of maniacal giggling, and evil laughter that gave them all pause at the future they were planning. They all drew the line when she purposed Death to the evil overlords by fluffy, cuddly bunnies as their battle cry, it actually seemed a little too menacing the way she said it.

The day of the second task had arrived, and Harry no longer feared water or the upcoming task. Harry's council, by taking a suggestion of Neville's about how Hannah had helped him overcome his fear of flying by giving him good memories on a broom and adapting it to help Harry, had spent the last three weeks curing Harry of his hydrophobia bit by incremental bit. It started first in the prefect's bathroom with Hermione and Susan in bathing suits, holding him up in the water while he learned the different strokes of swimming. Each girl, excluding Hannah who wanted Neville to see her like that first, wanted their turn in helping Harry accumulate good memories of his time in water, and Hermione had to write home for more suits after the pureblood girls saw hers. After he began paying more attention to the girls and their suits instead of the water in the bath, they arranged with the help of Professor McGonagall, to transfigure a lap pool, and then used Runes to build a current that he could swim against, always with at least one partner right by his side. Again, when Harry got comfortable, they expanded the pool to fit the entire group and many free hours were spent playing in the water with Harry and Neville constantly blushing as the girls surrounded them in bathing suits that Hermione had her mother provide.

Now standing before the Black Lake, wand in hand and plan in the front of his mind, Harry had no fear of the water before him, only of failing to get to his best friend before time ran out. Harry had arrived at the shore long before anyone else in his nervousness, and began pacing back and for like a caged cat wanting to run free. His thoughts were filled with what he would do to the organizers of the stupid farce he was forced to participate in including his headmaster, if his Hermione had anything happen to her. He was working himself into a nervous wreck when several sets of hands grabbed him and began dragging him away from the lake and toward a tent set behind the spectator stands. He was about to fight off whoever had grabbed him, when he recognized the girl now looking him in the eyes as he continued to be forced away from the lake.

"Harry, you need to calm down and focus or you will be no use when the task begins in a bit over an hour and a quarter." Luna admonished him. "Take a deep breath and then relax. We have a cot set up for you to rest on, and once you have relaxed, there are something's that you need to know that you and I will discuss before it is time for you to leave."

Harry was a bit surprised when he was dragged through the tent which looked like the hospital wing of the castle into a second room of the tent that was set up like a lounge with sofas and pillows spread out around one cot which he was placed upon. He tried to sit up and look around, but two sets of hands held him down, while another peeled off his robe leaving him only in his shorts and t-shirt. Before he could protest, the two sets of hands began to kneed and rub the tension out of his muscles, causing blood flow to increase and getting him loose for the first time since Hermione had left the common room with Professor McGonagall the night before. Harry really wasn't sure how long he lay there, but he found that his eyes had closed when Luna started talking to him and he had to open them to see her.

"Harry, I need you to listen to me very carefully about the upcoming task. When you get to the hostages, you will need to rescue not only Hermione, but Fleur's hostage as well. Fleur's hostage is her little sister, and both Fleur and Gabrielle are Veela, which was not taken into account when they picked her to be Fleur's hostage. While the spell they were placed under is designed to keep them asleep until their head breaks the surface of the water, on a Veela who is a creature of fire and not meant to be in water, the spell will break before the hour is over. If you do not bring her with you when you get Hermione, then she will drown before anyone can rescue her." Luna grabbed Harry's chin and made him focus on her face. "Harry, promise me that you will get only Hermione and Gabrielle and get back to the surface and the judges stand as quickly as possible. I know that you will want to stay and make sure everyone is safe, but only Gabrielle will be in any real danger down there. Promise me Harry, it is important."

Harry looked deep into Luna's silvery gray eyes, searching for confirmation of what she told him, and seeing what he was searching for, he nodded and said, "I promise Luna, there and back as quick as possible. If you say that they are the only two in danger, than who am I to argue with the mysterious knower of truth and guide of my path? Besides, it would take someone completely daft to ignore you after all the times you and Hermione have steered me right."

Luna gave Harry a bright smile and quickly gave Harry a peck on the cheek for luck, before pulling a hat out of her bag that was almost bigger than she was. Harry stared at his unusual friend as she held what looked like a hat made out of a real lions head.

"Luna, what is that?"

"This is my friend Encyclopedia. Daddy and I found him hurt in the jungles of Em Buri Buri in the dark heart of Africa, and the only way to save him was to carry him to the nearest witch doctor and Daddy and I agreed that it was not right to transfigure to something that did not show his noble character, especially with the Crooning Zapanamarbats around. Those creatures would soon have told the entire jungle about Encyclopedia's disgrace and then no one would fear him. Daddy wanted to make him invisible, but I thought that he would get more respect if he could still let his kingdom know that he was alive and well, so daddy and I made him a hat. When we found the witch doctor a month later, Encyclopedia decided he liked me and the fact that I fed him Nargles and Blibbering Humdingers whenever I found them, so he decided to stay as he was after Dr. Vercombo healed him up. I just got him by owl post yesterday from my father so he could help me cheer for the Gryffindor Champion, I hope you aren't offended."

"Luna, I am the only champion from Gryffindor."

"Oh, that is wonderful news Harry; I was worried that you wouldn't like us cheering for the competition instead of you." Luna then gave him another peck on the cheek before she put on her lion hat and made her way to the stands. Harry was left behind, his face holding a bemused look that was often seen on people who Luna talked to after she left, at least those who had a sense of humor. Luna was happy that she was able to distract Harry from his nerves, allowing him to loosen up so he would do well in the task before him.

It came as almost a shock to Harry when the other champions arrived for the task, and everything was a blur until his mind was cleared by the blast of a cannon, signaling the start of the task and the hour time limit. Harry watched as the three older champions jumped in the water, all of them using spells that Harry knew were seventh year at least. He stood there on the edge of the lake gathering his focus and his magic around him like he had been taught by his friends. Energy began to crackle along the surface of his skin as he prepared to follow the plan his advisors had mapped out for him, when a grating voice broke his concentration.

"Stupid Potty has no idea what to do. What's the matter scarhead, can't you swim? Poor stupid mudblood is at the bottom of the lake waiting for you to rescue her, not knowing that you will never get her and she will die under the black waves." Draco's words and the laughter of the Slytherins cut into Harry's heart, but instead of making him doubt himself, they made him even more determined.

Harry was angry. He was angry at Draco, angry at the tournament, angry at the people in charge, angry at his life at his relatives house, and angry at the stupidity of the person that put his Hermione was at the bottom of this God forsaken lake in the middle of February in Scotland in wintertime. Harry gained his focus back quickly, fueled by his rage, and as he let his magic out, it seemed as if something broke in him that was holding him back and Harry knew that he would succeed.

Harry pointed his wand of to the side of the lake, where a log was floating amongst some reeds. He didn't so much cast a spell as he released his magic, willing it to do what he wanted, and the log was soon skimming across the water to him and coming to rest in the water's edge. Harry concentrated on the runes that had been drilled into his head by his friends, as well as the shape that the log needed to be transfigured into. The log soon was hallowed out, with runes appearing down the top as it flattened out and took the form of a bench seat. What no one could see was the rune clusters that formed on the inside of the hallow log, with the control and power runes that went up through the front, into the handle bars that the former tree grew for Harry to grab. When Harry was done, what floated before him was still a log only by the fact that it was made out of wood and was sort of rounded on the sides, the result of what Harry did had more than one person in the crowd wanting to try out the thing they dubbed Harry's toy if it worked as good as it looked.

Harry quickly pulled off his robe to reveal that he was wearing a full body suit of black with his name emblazoned on the back. It was only the muggleborn and raised among the crowd that realized that Harry was wearing a wetsuit that would help keep him warm in the lake. The crowd now watched silently as Harry walked into the water and then straddled his creation. He laid his hand on a plate of runes behind the steering handles, and soon everyone heard a low thrum that was really more felt than heard by ear. The unusual craft turned slowly, orientating toward the center of the lake, and it was not noticed by many that the back was now perfectly aligned with the judges' stand and the part of the stands that held Draco Malfoy and his house of snakes. If anyone had been paying attention, they would have seen that Daphne and Tracey were sitting well in the back, and had subtly raised a shield in front of themselves, and the strange girl wearing the lion on her head from Ravenclaw.

Harry seemed to waiting for a signal, and it came less than ten minutes after the start of the task when a mighty lion's roar sounded from behind the Slytherin section, making everyone including the judges, turn and look up in the stands at where it came from. While everyone had turned away, Harry reached for the handles, and activated the controls that he and his friends had modified from his precious Firebolt. A surge of power went through his craft, and for a moment, it seemed that the front of the hollow craft was sucking in all the water around the front. With a roar of its own, Harry's craft leaped forward carrying him across the water; while behind him a massive rooster tail of near freezing, Scottish lake water arched up and then came down upon the distracted judges and the entirety of the Slytherin house.

Harry screamed in joy as he flew across the water on his way to his destination. This was almost as good as flying his Firebolt, and he was definitely keeping this after the task was done, though he wasn't sure how he was going to use it during his stay at Durskaban Prison in the summer. He was so focused on the experience of speed and fun that he forgot to pay attention where he was and he soon realized that he had passed the place he had been heading for. Backing off the power, Harry turned his craft around and headed back to the place that the rune screen was indicating Hermione was being held. When he reached the spot, he slowed until he was drifting, and then he implemented the next phase of the plan by once again placing his hand on the rune screen in the console in front of him.