Cornelius Fudge sat down next to Dumbledore. He was wearing a pinstriped, dark green robe, and he casually tossed his signature lime-green bowler hat onto the table. Catching Maurise's eye, the Minister offered an exceedingly genial smile.
"Right then, Champions," Ludo Bagman bounded over, clapping his hands with high spirits. "We have just a few minutes left before the task begins. Let me just confirm: you all know what it is you are supposed to be doing, correct? Maurise, I heard your golden egg was cracked. Have you deciphered the clue?"
"I have," Maurise replied. "Do not worry, I know exactly what I need to do."
Harry, Krum, and Fleur all nodded in confirmation as well.
"Excellent!" Ludo paced excitedly in front of them. "You have a few moments left to make any final preparations before you take the plunge. Goodness me, it is terribly cold today, isn't it? I took a quick dip myself a little while ago to test the waters... I must say, in my younger days, I certainly could have..."
"Enough rambling, Ludo," Fudge interrupted sharply. "Let the champions prepare themselves in peace."
"Of course, of course." Ludo's smile remained as brilliant as ever.
Fudge immediately turned and began speaking in hushed, urgent tones with Dumbledore. It likely had nothing to do with the tournament, as Fudge's expression was exceptionally grim. Dumbledore remained as serene as ever, nodding occasionally, his gaze occasionally drifting toward Maurise and Harry.
Maurise glanced at his fellow champions. Harry, Krum, and Fleur all looked incredibly nervous.
He turned to Fleur, who was standing closest, and asked, "Do you have any idea what it is we are supposed to be retrieving?"
"I have no idea," Fleur shook her head, her silvery blonde hair loose. "Mr. Bagman refused to tell anyone."
Her long hair was clearly ill-suited for underwater maneuvering. Perhaps noticing Maurise's gaze, Fleur smiled, her tone turning confident. "I have cast a Charm on my hair. There is no need to worry about it hindering me."
Maurise withdrew his gaze and nodded, not pressing the issue.
In his opinion, searching for something at the bottom of a lake was vastly safer than facing down a fire-breathing dragon. Dumbledore had undoubtedly arranged for rescue personnel—and if Maurise's guess was correct, it would be the Merpeople who lived in the lake.
He had actually discovered a massive Merpeople village during one of the Ship in a Bottle's underwater excursions. He had even tried to initiate contact. Unfortunately, he didn't speak Mermish, so he was reduced to clumsy hand gestures. The Merpeople were reasonably friendly; although they were initially reluctant to communicate, their attitude had improved significantly after he demonstrated a bit of his bone-summoning magic. They clearly appreciated his magical prowess...
"What about you, Maurise?" Fleur suddenly asked, snapping him back to the present. "Have you formulated a plan?"
"More or less," Maurise replied. He had indeed made some preparations for this task.
Fleur stared at him for a few seconds, the corner of her mouth ticking upward. "You truly believe you are going to win, don't you?"
Maurise was silent for a moment before answering honestly. "Yes. Subconsciously, that is exactly what I believe. I cannot deny it."
That was genuinely how he felt. Denying it to feign humility would just be hypocritical.
"We shall see about that," Fleur said, her voice practically dripping with competitive fire.
After spending so much time around him, she had a fairly good grasp of Maurise Black's personality. Beneath that calm exterior lay an incredibly confident—perhaps even arrogant—young man. And this absolute certainty of his had completely ignited her own desire to win.
Harry watched the exchange between Maurise and Fleur with deep confusion. He couldn't quite figure out if they were good friends or bitter rivals.
Just then, Maurise noticed a crystal ball sitting in front of each of the judges. They looked incredibly familiar.
'Aren't those the surveillance crystal balls Fred and George invented?'
So this was the 'massive project' the twins had been boasting about.
He looked up and noticed several balloon-like contraptions floating high above the lake. If his guess was correct, those balloons possessed the same surveillance capabilities and were likely broadcasting a live feed of the underwater action to the judges' table.
"It's nearly time!"
Ludo Bagman's booming voice rang out. Maurise shelved his wandering thoughts and focused entirely on the impending task.
Bagman quickly ushered the champions down to the very edge of the Black Lake, lining them up.
"Sonorus!"
Ludo cleared his throat, his magically amplified voice booming across the stands.
"Testing, testing. Can you all hear me? Excellent! Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention!" Ludo's voice was thick with dramatic tension. "Today, our four champions will dive into the treacherous depths of the Black Lake to recover their most precious treasure! They have exactly one hour! If they fail to return within that hour... the consequences will be unthinkable!"
"And to our wonderful audience: once the champions reach their destination, you will be able to watch them retrieve their treasures live via the viewing screens above! A massive thank you to George and Fred Weasley for providing the technical support for today's event!"
The stands erupted in deafening cheers.
Maurise grew even more curious about the 'treasure.' 'Unthinkable consequences? What kind of unthinkable consequences?'
"And now," Ludo turned to face the champions, raising his wand. "On the count of three, the Second Task will officially begin! One... two... three..."
"Begin!"
Without bothering to strip down, Maurise strode directly into the freezing water in his full robes. The shoreline was shallow, forcing him to wade a fair distance before it was deep enough to swim. Beside him, he could hear the others splashing and wading into the lake as well.
Soon, the icy water crested over Maurise's head.
Unpanicked, he swiftly cast the Bubble-Head Charm over his mouth and nose. Then, he grabbed a handful of his own robes and gave a sharp tug.
The grayish-black fabric rapidly began to shrink and transfigure, shifting and folding until it formed a streamlined, mechanical underwater propulsion unit firmly strapped to his back. It was entirely mana-driven, incredibly lightweight, and highly efficient.
This was the preparation he had made. Swimming to the center of the lake under his own power would take at least half an hour; it was far more sensible to rely on magical engineering.
With a hum of magical energy, the thruster engaged. A powerful, sustained thrust propelled Maurise forward. He adjusted his trajectory and shot toward the center of the lake like a torpedo.
The underwater landscape of the Black Lake was as murky and overgrown as ever. Thick tangles of kelp drifted lazily, and the occasional fish darted past, scattering in terror at his approach.
The only notable difference today was the sheer abundance of Grindylows. These pale green water demons, with their sharp fangs and long, spindly fingers, weren't exceptionally dangerous, but they moved with startling speed and were highly aggressive.
Fortunately, Maurise's thruster was much faster.
Approximately five minutes later, Maurise heard the faint, ethereal melody of the Merpeople's song drifting through the water ahead.
'I'm heading in the right direction.'
The singing grew steadily louder and clearer.
Finally, Maurise burst into the Merpeople's village. The murky water abruptly cleared, granting excellent visibility.
To Maurise, all Merpeople looked roughly identical, with their grayish skin, dark green hair, and the crude spears they carried. Dozens of them were swimming out of their rudimentary stone dwellings, watching his approach with blatant curiosity.
Maurise drifted toward one with particularly long hair and offered a friendly wave. "Hello there."
The Merperson whipped its tail and bolted straight back into its stone house.
"..."
It seemed they still weren't particularly keen on communicating.