The day of the second task arrived as promised. The seats that had surrounded the Fire Dragon Arena last November now rose in tiers along the shores of the Black Lake, packed to capacity. Gentle ripples stirred the lake, reflecting the bustle of the crowd. The judges sat at a long table covered with a golden tablecloth at the far end of the stands.
Apart from Harry, Jerry, Fleur, Cedric, and Krum were all present, standing quietly beside the judges' table as they waited for the task to begin.
"Oh, it seems we're still missing someone!" Ludo Bagman said.
"Harry Potter isn't here. Has he got scared and decided to forfeit?" There was a note of gloating in Karkaroff's voice.
"I... I'm here!" Harry called, panting as he sprinted toward them. He stumbled in the mud and came to an abrupt halt, accidentally splashing muddy water onto Fleur's robes.
"Where on earth have you been?" a stern voice demanded irritably. "You were almost late! Or did you forget there was a task today?"
"Easy, Percy. Let him catch his breath," Ludo Bagman interjected with a broad smile.
Dumbledore gave Harry an encouraging smile. By contrast, Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked distinctly displeased; their expressions made it obvious that they had expected Harry not to show up.
"Jerry, how could you send Dobby to steal something?" Harry demanded in a low voice after taking his place beside Jerry.
"So Dobby managed to get the gillyweed to you!" A sly smile curled Jerry's lips.
Harry gave Jerry a deeply resentful look. On his way there, Dobby had mysteriously pressed the gillyweed into his hands and told him that he had stolen it from Harry Potter's least favorite professor. Harry did not even need to think about it. Jerry must have sent Dobby.