Fleur Delacour dived gracefully into the water, slipping into the darkness like a silver fish. Marc Pierre and Sophie Roberts followed close behind.
Durmstrang's two Champions entered the water too. Krum leaped in bare-chested and plunged downward under a Bubble-Head Charm.
"Krum's moving fast!" Bagman exclaimed. "Has Durmstrang's fight for redemption begun?"
Underwater, Krum swam with all his might, his powerful body cutting through the water like a torpedo. A near-mad determination burned in his eyes. Zero points in the First Task had been a humiliation for Durmstrang, and he had to make up for it.
Meanwhile, Will had already taken his "Fish Carriage" deeper underwater.
Visibility was even worse here. Will could barely see his hand in front of his face. He waved his Wand. "Lumos!"
It was as though a small sun had risen from the Lake bed, brightly illuminating the water ahead of Will's "Fish Carriage."
He steered the Fish Carriage onward...
Harry had grown used to the Gillyweed. At first, his cheeks had hurt terribly and he had struggled to breathe, but now he was fine. He swam toward the nearest marker.
Gradually, a faint light appeared ahead.
It wasn't sunlight, but some kind of cold glow. Harry narrowed his eyes and saw a small underwater village. Crude houses built from Rock and coral dotted an open stretch of Lake bed.
Merpeople swam between the houses. Their gray skin and long green hair looked especially eerie in the cold light.
Harry saw the hostage.
Beside a huge shell in the center of the village was a large, semicircular area with no water. Inside it stood a great Rock, with someone tied to it.
He looked carefully. Yes... it was Ron. Of course it was. Harry had come to rescue his best friend, Ron.
He had no