"Sirius?"
Hermione had barely entered the Hospital Wing when she spotted a familiar figure talking to Harry.
"Good afternoon, Hermione. Ron."
Sirius smiled and greeted the two visitors who had come to see Harry.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"I came to see Dumbledore, and Albert while I was at it." Sirius casually peeled an apple. "But Albert doesn't seem to be at Hogwarts. No idea where he went. I asked the Weasley twins, though. They said Albert probably ran off on a date."
"Is it because of Peter Pettigrew?" Hermione immediately guessed the reason.
"More or less."
Sirius did not particularly want to discuss it in front of the children. Turning to Harry, he asked, "Have you figured out the Golden Egg's secret? How is your preparation for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament going?"
"The Golden Egg's secret has already been uncovered. Apparently, you have to open it underwater to find out what it is," Harry said dryly. He had only received the news not long ago and had not had the chance to test it before falling ill and being admitted to the Hospital Wing.
"Albert said the Golden Egg's screaming is actually the voices of merpeople. Their voices sound lovely underwater, but become terrible once they reach land," Hermione explained to Sirius. "The second task will take place in the water, but breathing underwater won't be easy."
"If the second task involves going underwater, there aren't many options." Sirius cut the apple, placed the slices on a plate, and handed them to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. "You could use the Bubble-Head Charm. It lets you breathe underwater, but that method carries certain risks."
"What risks?"
"If the Bubble-Head Charm wears off before you surface, you're finished. You won't last long underwater