As the days went by, the excitement for the Yule Ball was almost impossible to ignore. The whole school was buzzing, and it got so chaotic that even the professors were having trouble keeping things under control.
My routine stayed the same, though. I spent some time practicing dancing with Hermione, something we were actually getting pretty good at, and the rest of my time in the Room of Requirement working on my spells (also something that I was pretty good at.)
In between all that, I got a reply from Sirius, delivered by Hedwig. I still don't really get how owls can track people so precisely when wizards don't seem to have a proper way of doing it.
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Dear Harry,
Congratulations on getting past the Horntail! Whoever put your name in that goblet shouldn't be feeling too happy right now! I suggested the Conjunctivitis Curse since a dragon's eyes are its weakest point, but your way was miles better. I'm impressed.
Don't get complacent, though, Harry. Although given your performance, I'm sure you can win the tournament easily, your real challenge isn't the tasks, it's the person who put your name in the goblet. They still have plenty of opportunities to hurt you. Keep your eyes open and focus on staying out of trouble.
Keep in touch, and let me know if anything unusual happens.
~PADFOOT
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"He's right, Harry" Hermione added, looking concerned. "While competing in the tournament, we should also keep in mind the mastermind behind all this and try to figure out who it is."
"And speaking of the tournament, have you decoded the clue for the second task yet?" Hermione asked after we finished reading the letter.
I leaned back in my chair, glancing at the golden egg sitting on my bedside table. Its metallic sheen caught the light from the nearby window.
"Kind of," I said with a shrug. "The screaming noise when you open it doesn't really make sense until you submerge it underwater. Then it starts making sense."
"And what was the clue when you opened it?" Hermione asked, looking happy that I had decoded it.
"Well, it went something like this."
Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching ponder this;
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour, the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.
I sighed, leaning forward. "The clue talks about something I'll miss being taken and that I've got an hour to find it. My guess? They're going to take someone/something important to me and hide them underwater."
Hermione frowned, concern flashing in her eyes. "That's… a bit intense, isn't it? I mean, what if you can't get to them in time?"
"I don't think anything will happen. They'll probably return it, disqualify me, and give me a low score, or a zero," I said, trying to reassure her.
"But either way, I'll just have to prepare and make sure it doesn't come to that," I added.
Hermione nodded at that, looking thoughtful as she tried to decipher more from the clue.
"Given that it's going to happen in water, it's probably in the Black Lake. We could also scout the location to see if we can find anything more to help us. And if the task requires going underwater, you'll need to think about the safest and most effective way to do that, too."
"Well, let's check out the Room of Requirement to see if we can find anything that might help us," I suggested after she finished analyzing the clue.
With that decided, we made plans to visit the Room after finishing our lectures. That evening, with the help of the Marauder's Map, we went to the Room and checked out various books that could assist me. We discovered multiple methods for surviving underwater.
With so many methods to choose from, it was now up to me how to tackle the second task. But before that, I had both Christmas and the Yule Ball to look forward to as well.
Hermione and I continued to research and prepare, but we also made sure to enjoy the festive atmosphere. Decorations filled the castle, and the warm glow of the Christmas lights made the whole place feel magical.
I awoke suddenly on Christmas morning to see Dobby standing in front of my bed, looking particularly excited. His wide, eager eyes sparkled as he bounced on his toes, practically vibrating with enthusiasm.
"Harry Potter, sir!" he squeaked, his voice high-pitched and full of joy. "Dobby has come to wish you a Merry Christmas, sir! And, oh, there is something else, something wonderful, sir!"
I rubbed my eyes, still groggy from sleep. "Uh, thanks, Dobby. Merry Christmas to you too," I said, sitting up in bed, half awake.
Dobby's ears perked up even more, and he almost seemed to glow with excitement. "Oh yes, yes! Dobby has a special gift for Harry Potter, sir! Something he has been working on for you!"
Dobby then handed me a small package, which turned out to be socks.
"Dobby is making them himself, sir!" the elf said happily. "He is buying the wool out of his wages, sir!"
The left sock was bright red and had a pattern of broomsticks upon it; the right sock was green with a pattern of Snitches.
"They are wonderful, Dobby. Here, I have a gift for you as well," I said, smiling at the thoughtful gesture, and handed him a wrapped present from under my bed.
Dobby's eyes widened, his hands trembling as he took the gift. "For Dobby, sir? Oh, thank you, thank you!" He tore into the paper eagerly and revealed a cozy sweater and a pair of socks, both in bright colors.
"Dobby has never had such beautiful clothes!" he gasped, his voice thick with emotion. "Harry Potter, sir, Dobby will treasure these forever!"
I chuckled, feeling a warmth spread in my chest. "I'm glad you like them, Dobby."
"Dobby must go now, sir, we is already making Christmas dinner in the kitchens!" said Dobby before apparating to the kitchens.
Now that I was awake I decided to check my other presents that I had gotten, which were pretty good with the obvious exception of the Dursley's, which consisted of a single tissue.
Hermione's gift was a bit more thoughtful. It was a leather-bound journal, the pages inside lined with an elegant gold trim. I couldn't help but smile, knowing it would come in handy for recording all the new spells I was practicing.
Ron, a bulging bag of Dung bombs, a typical prankster gift. Sirius had gone for something more practical, a handy penknife with attachments to unlock any lock and undo any knot. Hagrid's gift was a vast box of sweets, including Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Fizzing Whizbees.
Mrs. Weasley's usual package arrived as well. This year, it included a new green sweater with a picture of a dragon on it (I assumed Charlie had told her all about the Horntail) and a large quantity of homemade mince pies.
After finishing with my gifts, I met up with Hermione in the common room. She was wearing the locket I had given her as a gift. Her smile made it clear she liked it.
"Looks great on you," I said, walking over to her.
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione replied, touching it gently. "It's perfect."
We spent most of the morning in Gryffindor Tower, where everyone was enjoying their presents. Then went to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers.
After that we went to the grounds which were covered with snow where we had a snowball fight with the Weasley twins which due to some sneaky magic I won.
Later, we returned to the common room, where Hermione decided to head back to her room to get ready for the Yule Ball.