No one knew whether it was because Albert had not told the three of them to keep it secret, or because other students had seen them diving in the lake that day.
In any case, news of Albert diving into the lake quickly spread throughout Hogwarts Castle.
As everyone speculated that it had something to do with the Second Task, the secret inside the Golden Egg was leaked by someone and became common knowledge. The mermen's song was no longer a secret either. What everyone was most curious about now was who the Champions' treasures would be.
Someone in Hogwarts's black market had opened betting on it. Rumor had it that anyone who guessed them all correctly could win at ten-to-one odds.
The Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament had quietly unfolded before everyone. Many students suddenly realized why they had often seen Krum swimming in the Black Lake: the Durmstrang Champion had been preparing for the upcoming contest all along.
As for Albert, he had undoubtedly already finished preparing. He had even found the Mermen Village directly.
In fact, Hogwarts students had never even known that mermen lived beneath the Black Lake. Once they learned the news, all sorts of rumors about mermen began circulating through the school.
According to information leaked by Fred and George, the Mermen Village was well hidden by aquatic plants and not easy to find. The Champions would need to pass through areas thick with weeds, where Grindylows often ambushed passing swimmers.
The Weasley Twins had already used their own experience to tell the other Champions that, without proper preparation, it was easy to be surrounded by a large group of Grindylows. One careless mistake could even get them dragged into the depths and drowned.
Many people were now worried about Harry Potter's safety,