The somewhat piercing whistle echoed through the cold air, but it did nothing to dampen the spectators' enthusiasm.
The students in the stands erupted into unprecedented applause and cheers.
Harry, Draco, and Cedric exchanged glances, then leaped into the water like fish, darting swiftly through the lake.
Thanks to their underwater combat suits, Harry and Draco had no need to worry about the temperature. They felt warm and comfortable.
The lake water was murky, but Harry's underwater combat suit let him see the scenery on the lakebed with perfect clarity.
Harry and the others were no strangers to this lake.
They often gathered by its shores to camp.
But they had never seen the beauty beneath its surface.
Because of the vegetation, there were none of the vibrant colors found in the sea. Instead, everything looked dark and hazy, with silence all around.
After a brief look around, Harry Potter began searching for his target.
Harry had no idea what treasured possession of his had been hidden at the bottom of the lake.
The Memory Crystal Ball?
Some keepsake?
Or a bag of Galleons?
Harry had imagined these possibilities more than once, wondering what he would have to find in the lake.
The silent, eerie lakebed was not devoid of life.
At least he could see little fish swimming past him in schools, as fast as arrows loosed from a bow.
Just as Harry was looking around with his guard down, a water snake concealed among the weeds on the lakebed suddenly sprang out and lunged at him.
"Lightning Blade!"
A voice rang out, and a flash of lightning flickered before Harry, vanishing in an instant.
Harry hurriedly turned to look. A water snake as thick as an arm and roughly two meters long had been sliced in half by