Chapter 1

Harry tossed and turned in his four-corner bed in a futile attempt to achieve the state of sleep he so desperately needed. Finally, he collapsed in defeat. It was no use, tomorrow was creeping closer and closer and with it the second task of the Triwizard tournament in which Harry was an unwilling participant. The final hours were ticking by and he had failed. He had gone through the entire library and found nothing that would help with tomorrow's task. At this point he had two choices, sit on the dock and look like an idiot while the other champions finished the task without him or reveal the secret he had been keeping as long as he could remember. The idea of not even trying appalled him, but he shuddered to think what would happen if the wizarding world found out about him, and it would be the whole wizarding world because the press was on the lookout for a good story. So that settled it, revealing his secret wasn't an option and he had failed to find a way to make a human survive underwater. The only thing left to do was sit on the dock, wait out the task, and hope that whatever they took wasn't that important.

Later:

NO! Surely, they wouldn't… RON! Thoughts spun chaotically through Harry's mind as he struggled to come to terms with the latest development as he approached the black lake. The crowd rumbled in anticipation as though this were the greatest entertainment. His friend was currently at the bottom of the lake! How could their fellow classmates be okay with this?! 'The taunting clue that should have warned him spun in his mind.

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 be back

Won't be back?! Harry looked desperately to the professor's present as he stepped onto the dock. How could they allow this? If he failed, his friend would drown! The professors avoided his pleading gaze, all except Snape, who met his gaze with his usual sneer. Harry panicked. His friend was down there and only had an hour before he… NO! He wasn't even going to think it. Harry faced the lake with the other champions his mind going a mile a minute. He had the ability to save him, but to do it here in front of 3 schools, various members of the press, and ministry officials? He had never told anyone, not even Ron and Hermione. He had wanted to tell them, had thought he could trust them, but after they turned on him when his name came out of the goblet, he couldn't chance it.

STOP! He forced his thoughts to be still. He didn't want to do this, but he had no choice. Harry took a deep breath as he waited for the signal to sound, to end life as he knew it. After a moment the whistle echoed shrilly and the other contestants raced forward into the lake. Harry let of a breath and dove forward.