The evening before the second task, Orli spotted Harry from afar at the library entrance. They still seemed undecided about whether to use the gillyweed she'd given them, so they kept frantically searching through books for alternatives.
She walked past alone in the corridor, her face expressionless, determined not to worry about them anymore. Just then, she caught sight of Dumbledore in the distance.
"Orli? Still on your own?" He looked her over, then glanced toward the library.
"Are you looking for me, Professor?" Orli didn't answer his question directly.
"Yes... Actually, it should have been Minerva coming to find you. But I decided I'd speak with you first," Dumbledore said with a gentle smile.
"You probably know that the second task begins tomorrow morning. Perhaps Harry has mentioned it to you—the challenge involves finding one's most precious treasure underwater, with a time limit of one hour."
"Yes, Professor," Orli nodded.
"In fact, this 'treasure' refers to a person who is extremely important to each champion," Dumbledore continued. "For example, Madame Maxime chose Miss Delacour's little sister. For Krum, we all agreed it should be Hermione. And for Cedric, there's no question—he and Cho make such a sweet pair."
Orli waited silently for him to continue.
"I hesitated between you and Ron for a moment, but I believe Harry's 'treasure' should be you." Dumbledore studied her intently. "Would you be willing to spend an hour underwater in the lake? Of course, we'll ensure your safety absolutely—I've already spoken with the chieftain of the Black Lake merpeople."
"Professor, I think you should choose Ron instead," Orli replied. "I don't believe I'm that important to Harry—at least, judging by recent events, Ron would be a much better choice."
"No, Orli. Quite the opposite, actually. I've always believed you're an extremely important friend to Harry—he's simply too young to understand many things clearly," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Some friends can walk alongside us as companions, while others help point us toward the right path. The latter are far rarer, and infinitely more precious."
"If you're willing, please go to Minerva's office shortly. She'll explain all the details—of course, you won't be able to return to your dormitory tonight. You and Hermione can keep each other company there." Dumbledore smiled and turned to leave.
Orli stood there hesitating for a moment before finally making her way to Professor McGonagall's office. There, she found Fleur's little sister Gabrielle, who looked no more than eight or nine years old—not even old enough for school yet. Her cloud-like hair was braided into an adorable plait behind her head. Soon after, Cho Chang and Hermione arrived as well, both looking around in confusion, clearly unaware of what was happening.
Just then, Professor McGonagall entered from outside.
"Girls? Excellent, it appears you're all here," she said, sweeping a stern gaze over them. "Everything I'm about to tell you must be kept in the strictest confidence. And from this moment forward, none of you may leave my office until you wake up tomorrow."
Hermione shot Orli a surprised look, but Orli couldn't explain. Fortunately, Professor McGonagall quickly cleared up the confusion:
"The second task of the Triwizard Tournament begins tomorrow morning, and you will all be part of the competition—as the champions' most precious treasures, you'll remain in the merpeople's settlement, waiting for the champions to come and rescue you."
Gabrielle shrank back into her little chair, looking frightened. Cho and Hermione both blushed slightly.
"But of course," Professor McGonagall continued reassuringly, "you'll be in a deep sleep, so there's absolutely no need to be afraid. All arrangements have been made to guarantee your safety."
"Now, everyone come and collect a sleeping bag. You'll be spending the night here with me." With a flick of her wand, she cleared the office floor, then conjured four identical sleeping bags on her desk. She tapped an empty serving platter gently, and it immediately produced a large pitcher of hot milk, along with a tray of ham sandwiches and sliced turkey.
Everyone ate a little before crawling into their sleeping bags. Hermione's was right next to Orli's.
"Are you Harry's 'treasure'?" Hermione whispered.
"I'm not even sure I qualify," Orli mumbled gloomily. She wanted to say more, but her mind quickly grew heavy and foggy. Just before she drifted off, her eyes flickered toward the pitcher of milk.
Of course. Sleeping Draught, she thought with her eyes closed.
A potion so expertly brewed that even she couldn't detect it could only have come from Snape's hand. So did Snape know she'd be spending tomorrow at the bottom of the lake?
Her mind slipped into blank darkness.
Author's Note: I suspect Dumbledore just wanted to arrange four beautiful girls at the bottom of the lake for a more aesthetically pleasing scene—wouldn't want Ron disrupting the formation, hahaha.
Also, he probably had deeper motives—perhaps using this opportunity to test Snape's feelings for Orli. That cunning old bee~
In the original, the "treasures" were put under Dumbledore's enchantment, but I've tweaked it slightly here.
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