Eda had already solved the clue hidden inside the golden egg.
For the next month or so, all she needed to do was come up with a solution that was both efficient and effortless.
Eda didn't know exactly what creatures lived beneath the Black Lake.
It seemed that, besides the giant squid she had been longing to see, there were also merpeople.
That's right.
The horrifying screeches that sounded like pigs being slaughtered on land became beautiful, melodious singing underwater.
The voices belonged to the merpeople.
When people think of merpeople, the first image that usually comes to mind is the beautiful mermaid with the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish, like the one from The Little Mermaid.
In reality, however, only merpeople from warm waters were attractive.
For example, the merpeople living in the Caribbean Sea were famously beautiful.
The Black Lake at Hogwarts, on the other hand, was in cold waters.
So there was absolutely no point expecting the merpeople living there to be good-looking.
They were ugly.
Very ugly.
Merpeople were savage by nature and fiercely aggressive.
The kind that killed without hesitation.
Whether it was their irresistibly enchanting singing or the beautiful, almost supernatural appearance of warm-water merpeople, both were simply methods they used to lure prey.
Sure enough, fairy tales were all lies.
How could merpeople possibly fall in love with humans?
And how could they ever turn into sea foam?
Despite their appearance, merpeople were officially classified as "beings" by the Ministry of Magic.
Although the merpeople themselves looked down on that classification, they were still invited to participate in gatherings of the International Confederation of Wizards.
In Eda's opinion, the merpeople were likely to be the greatest obstacle awaiting the champions.
Not because they were naturally combative.
But because they were highly intelligent.
They had their own language, possessed remarkable artistic talent, and could create sculptures, jewelry, music, and other works of art.
They were also skilled weapon makers.
Just imagine it.
In the pitch-black water of the lake, a group of heavily armed merpeople who killed without blinking rushed toward you.
The very thought was terrifying.
Besides that, there was another major difficulty in the second task.
The underwater environment of the Black Lake itself...
Rumor had it that Hogwarts' drainage system emptied into the Black Lake...
Which made things...
Rather... complicated..
Compared to all that, something like a fear of deep water hardly counted as a problem.
First there had been the "Viking pirates."
Now there were sewer merpeople.
The second installment of this bizarre crossover was simply incredible.
After uncovering the golden egg's secret, Eda didn't keep it to herself.
Instead, she chose to carry on the grand Triwizard Tournament tradition.
So that evening, she went to find Harry and give him the answer.
Before the first task, Harry had secretly told Eda about the dragons.
Even though she had already heard about them from Charlie, she still remembered Harry's kindness.
Repay a penny with a dollar.
That suited Eda perfectly, since she was someone who never forgot either kindness or grudges.
When Eda found Harry, Hermione was in the middle of scolding him.
He still hadn't solved the golden egg's mystery, and Ron was getting scolded right alongside him.
The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming.
Even Eda blushed with embarrassment.
Looking at Hermione, she almost saw Professor McGonagall standing there instead.
Compared to Eda, Harry had taken the tournament much more seriously.
He frequently took out the golden egg, opened it, and listened carefully, hoping to discover its secret.
Unfortunately, the only thing the sound reminded Harry of was thirty musical saws playing at once.
Nothing else came to mind.
Harry had also tried all sorts of different methods.
He had once closed the golden egg, shaken it vigorously, and then opened it again to see if anything had changed.
Obviously, nothing had.
It hadn't even turned into a bad egg.
Harry had even foolishly tried asking the golden egg questions, sincerely hoping it would answer him.
He shouted at the top of his lungs over its shrieking.
Needless to say, he got absolutely nowhere.
...Why was that strangely adorable?
Standing behind Hermione, Eda gave a light cough, interrupting her lecture.
Today, Hermione had "changed back" into the girl everyone was familiar with.
Her thick hair was once again bushy and untamed.
Only her front teeth seemed noticeably smaller.
In truth, Hermione had always been pretty.
She simply never cared much about her appearance. She would much rather spend the time she could use to dress herself up reading and studying instead.
Although Hermione's emotional intelligence seemed to go online and offline at random, even with her messy hair and unpolished appearance, she still possessed an intellectual kind of beauty.
Perhaps that was what people meant by, "A well-read person naturally carries themselves with grace."
"Mind if I borrow a few minutes of your time?" Eda asked.
"Of course not, Eda," Hermione answered without hesitation, completely ignoring Harry and Ron. "Eda, you have to talk some sense into Harry! The second task is almost here, and he still hasn't got the slightest clue. It's unbelievable!"
As she spoke, Hermione sat down between Harry and Ron.
The two boys silently scooted aside, not daring to speak or even move.
Should I quietly walk away... or bravely stay?
Eda blushed again.
She herself had only figured out the golden egg's clue today, and only after Professor McGonagall had given her a hint.
What right did she have to criticize Harry?
"Harry, I really have to criticize you a little here. I'm telling you..."
She might not have had the moral high ground...
But Eda's skin was thick enough that she didn't need one.
After lecturing him for a few moments, Eda felt much better.
Hermione also felt much better.
As for Harry...
Who cared? Harry's feelings weren't important.
"Harry," Eda asked, "do you know what media sound can travel through?"
The same style of hint.
Simply telling Harry the answer outright would be no fun at all.
Sound... transmission media...
Isn't this Hogwarts? Why is Eda asking something like that?
Harry wondered, completely failing to grasp the meaning behind her question.
"I know!" Hermione said immediately. "Solids, gases, and liquids."
Whether the question had some deeper meaning or not...
Whether there was some hidden purpose...
The important thing was answering it correctly first!
"Correct. Unfortunately, there's no prize," Eda said.
Seeing that Harry was still completely confused, she had no choice but to use her backup plan.
Fortunately, she had come prepared.
"If you want to solve the golden egg's clue," Eda continued, "take it with you when you have a bath. It'll help you a lot."
First she asked about the transmission of sound.
Then she told him to take the golden egg into the bath.
What kind of advice was that?
Harry was even more confused than before.
Eda's mysterious hints left him seriously questioning his own intelligence.
Beside him, Hermione fell into thought.
The confusion in her eyes gradually deepened.
The clever girl was already beginning to understand what Eda meant.
She just wasn't completely certain yet.
"As for where to take your bath," Eda said mysteriously, "I recommend the prefects' bathroom. There, you'll receive the final hint."
"Remember, the password to the entrance is 'Fresh Pineapple.'"
With that, Eda left.
She left behind a Hermione who had finally understood, a thoroughly bewildered Harry, and an even more bewildered Ron.
"Harry," Ron asked as he scratched his head, "what was Eda talking about just now? Did you understand any of it?"
"I honestly didn't either," Harry admitted. "The only thing I got was that she wants me to sneak into the prefects' bathroom with the golden egg and take a bath."
Listening to the two boys, Hermione felt a headache coming on.
Eda had practically spelled it out for them.
And yet neither of them had realized it.
Stay close to vermilion and you'll be stained red. Stay close to ink and you'll be stained black.
She had known these two for so long.
The fact that she hadn't become just as dense as they were was practically a miracle.
"Listen, Harry," Hermione said angrily. "Tonight, put on your Invisibility Cloak, take your golden egg, and do exactly what Eda told you."
"And if you still can't find any clues..."
"Then don't even bother coming back!"
After saying that, Hermione stormed off.
She desperately needed to calm down.
If she stayed any longer, she was afraid she'd blurt out the answer herself.
"Are girls always this strange?" Ron asked, watching Hermione walk away. "Why can't they just explain things directly? Why do they always have to be so mysterious?"
Harry pondered the question seriously before giving an equally serious answer.
"Ron... honestly, I don't really understand either."
"Can I come with you tonight?" Ron asked again. "Bill and Charlie told me the prefects' bathroom is incredibly luxurious!"
Originally, Eda had only intended to make use of Myrtle as a messenger.
Her reward would simply be getting to see Harry again.
Who would have thought it would turn into a buy-one-get-one-free deal?
Myrtle had really hit the jackpot this time.
...
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