After the Christmas holidays, it was back to business. Classes had started again. And the antisepsepation for the second task was building, it was now only a month and a half away for it to take place.

The Daily Prophet seemed to like printing new things about the Tournament these days, well maybe not about the Tournament, but mostly about Harry Potter. And his life.

One report said that Hermione had once been his girlfriend and that she had broken up with him to go out with Victor Krum. When Avalon read it out, Ginny seemed angry.

"What a load of rubbish!" she shouted. "Hermoine is his best friend. Nothing more!" she added angrily before walking away from breakfast.

"I guess that hit a nerve." Sharon said as she sat down in the newly empty seat. "I know. things about Harry always has a way of pushing her buttons." Avalon replied. "Yeah, I know. Anyway. What are we doing today, I saw that Potions is cancelled." Sharon said. "Which means we have 2 hours free this morning." She added.

"I know it sucks." Avalon replied. "Only you can hate the fact that Potions is cancelled." Sharon replied. She smiled.

"It's my best subject." Avalon said playfully, "yes we all wonder why." Oona said laughing. "Oh stop it." Avalon said.

"I can't believe she did it again!" they heard Hermoine scream. And they heard her reading the same article that Avalon had just read to her friends. "I told you not to upset her." Ron Weasley said, sounding slightly bored.

Dumbledore stepped up to the lectern. "I'm sorry students, can I have your attention for a moment?" He said. "I know I usually leave announcements for dinner, but I have to tell you this now. Miss Rita Skeeter has been banned from the grounds, if you see her on the grounds please let one of your teachers know, thank you." He said sounding slightly angry before leaving the Great Hall.

"That sounds serious, no one has ever been banned from the school. Well apart from Sirus Black, but that's obvious." Lucy said. "Let's just get to class." Sharon said.

Over the next few days, the school was abuzz with speculation as to what the second task would be. So much so that it seemed no one paid much attention to anything else.

After dinner on Wednesday, Avalon went for a walk in the school grounds. She saw a magenta robe appear behind one of the trees.

She walked over to it and before she knew it, she was face to face with Rita Skeeter. Next to her magenta robe, she was wearing jewelled, old-fashioned glasses. And a green ribbon in her blonde Srirley temple curls. There was a strange grin around her red lips.

"You shouldn't be here. Weren't you banned?" Avalon asked. "Oh, and what is a little student like you going to do about that, huh, little girl?" she asked. "Give you a chance." Avalon said. "A chance?" Rita said in a mocking voice.

"Yes. Either you leave now and I won't tell anyone or I will call a professor." Avalon replied. "Well, well, well aren't you a little goody too shoes," Rita said. "Rebels are more fun little girl." She said.

"Last chance." Avalon said. "Now I am going to give you a choice, little girl. So listen carefully. I can either make your reputation or completely destroy it, let me wander around for a while and I will make you a hero, turn me in and I will make you a villain." Rita said.

"You don't have that much power." Avalon said. "Just watch me, little girl." Rita added.

Avalon scowled at her. "Avalon?" she heard Snape call out. "In here, Professor. With an unwelcome guest." Avalon said smirking at Rita.

"You just ruined your own life, little girl." She said just before Snape joined them.

"Miss Skeeter!" he said in his well-known cold voice that he reserved for almost everyone. "And I thought you were not supposed to be on the grounds." Snape continued. "Funny, I don't remember hearing that." Rita added to him, "That was me asking nicely, now leave Skeeter!" he said.

She looked from Snape to Avalon.

"You will both regret this mark my words." She said. "Don't you dare threaten her!" Snape said, stepping in front of Avalon. "I'm not, I'm just stating a fact." Rita said. "Leave now!" Snape said, sounding very final.

Rita opened her mouth to say something, but after looking into Snape's eyes, she thought better of it and blew air out of her nose. "Fine, I'll go." She said and walked away.

The days went by and Avalon had almost forgotten about the threat Rita Skeeter had made to her.

But the day before her next task, Avalon knew why it had been a bad idea to cross Rita Skeeter.

The new headline on the front page was about her.

"New Heartache for Harry Potter."

The headline read: "It's been a few weeks since Harry Potter's unfortunate heartbreak at the hands of Miss Hermione Granger. Now it seems that poor Harry has taken a liking to those who end up hurting him.

Avalon Prince, an unattractive, unremarkable, unintelligent young lady, has her sights set on fame.

Yourse truly believes that she wants fame so that she can increase her popularity.

Sources report that she briefly dated Neville Long Bottom. If the name rings a bell to those like me who lived through the Wizarding War, you would be right.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

He is the rather idiotic son of Frank and Alice Longbottom. The famous Aurors who were tortured into madness.

After breaking this poor young man's heart, she set her sights on George Weasley, with whom she attended the Yule Ball. At school, the Weasley twins are seen as famous trickster heroes, but luckily George saw sense and broke it off.

But then it was time for her next victim. Yes, readers, none other than Harry Potter! Some may be in doubt as to the nature of the attraction. She seems to bear a slight resemblance to his late mother. Bless the boy's heart.

Fred and George Weasley joined them. "What's she saying this time?" asked George, pulling the paper out of her hands. He took a moment to read it. "Well, I don't remember us being together." He said smiling. "But you dated and dumped both Nevile and Harry huh." Fred said as he read over his brother's shoulder.

"No. Definitely not." Avalon said, feeling as if it was important for her to tell Fred that she had never been out with one of those boys before.

"Well, you know what they say." Fred said. "What?" Avalon asked. "What Skeeter said is always 100% " Fred started. "Not true," George filled in for his brother, grinning.

"Don't worry Avalon, this will be over before you know it, the second task is tonight. She is going to write about this tomorrow and how Harry is such an amazing athlete at his young age and his tragedy." Fred said.

She smiled weakly. "Something strange though." He added. "What's that?" asked Avalon. "Well, you know Harry Ron and Hermione are as inseparable as you, my sister and Luna." He said. "Yes, and?" Avalon asked in her turn.

"Well, I have never seen my brother or Hermione anywhere. I have seen Harry, it is just strange." He said. "Neville said McGonagall wanted to talk to them," Ginny said as she sat down, "can't be too bad if McGonagall is part of it." Fred said.

"Easy for you to say." Harry Potter's voice came from behind them. "You don't have to spend an hour in the Black Lake looking for something." He added. "What do you mean?" Avalon asked him. "That's the clue in the egg." Harry said. "Enlighten us." George said.

"Well the full clue is come see us where our voices sound we cannot sing above the ground, an hour long you have to look to recover what we took. But after that the prospects black its gone and wont come back or something." Harry said. "Creepy." Fred replied.

"Insightful Fred." Ginny said sounding annoyed, "Look, we'll all see what it means this afternoon. "George replied, ignoring his sister. "I know." Harry said.

That afternoon everyone made their way to the Black Lake. A new dock had been built and stands added. "What are we going to do staring into the Black Lake?" Ginny asked.

They were interrupted by the Weasley twins running past, shouting loudly and taking bets on who would come back alive from the depths of the lake. the lake.

"Welcome to the second task." Dumbledore's voice cut through. "Something precious was taken from the champions last night. Something they cannot live without." He added.

Avalon looked over to where the champions were. Fleur seemed very nervous and very frightened. Avalon didn't quite understand.

"You have one hour to retrieve the treasure." Dumbledore's voice cut through. "At the count of three, all champions will enter the water." He said. She saw Harry quickly put something in his mouth and swallow. "3, 2, 1," Dumbledore said and a cannon was fired. The champions jumped into the water and disappeared from sight.

"Yep Ginny, I think you were right." Avalon said. "What do you mean?" she asked. "We're going to stare into the black lake for an hour."

"Very entertaining," Fred said as he sat down next to Avalon. "Oh so exciting." George said as he sat down next to Luna.

"So what do you think the treasure is?" Ginny asked. Suddenly they heard a crack. Fred and George jumped as they saw Deek appear. Ginny Luna and Avalon laughed. "It's only Deek idiots," Ginny said.

"Sorry sirs, Deek didn't mean to startle you." He said. "Its ok Deek," Ginny said gasping for breath. "It was priceless." She added. "Why are you here?" Avalon asked.

"Deek wanted to know if he could join my friends." He said. "Oh yes of course." Avalon said. "Thank you miss." Deek said. "If we're friends, Deek, don't call me Miss." Avalon said. "Deek can't help it Miss, I always will." He said. "OK, fine. Then Miss is just my nickname." She said smiling. Deek sat down beside her.

"Do you know what the treasures are that they need to find Deek?" Fred asked. "Oh yes sir." Deek said. "Care to tell us?" George asked. "Oh yes of course. The treasures are 4 different people." Deek said matter-of-factly.

"Wait what?" Ginny asked. "Yes Miss, for Mr Potter it is Mr Ron Weasley. For Miss Delacour it is Little Miss Delacour. For Mr Digory it is Miss Chang and for Mr Krum it is Miss Granger." He replied.

"You mean my little brother has been drowning down there for over an hour?" Fred said sounding angry.

"Oh no, no of course not, Sir Mr Dumbledore put them under a spell so they are safe." Deek replied. "All the Champions have to do is find them in the time limit." Deek replied in a matter-of-fact voice.

"And if they don't, they'll drown?" George asked sounding scared. "Deek doesn't know sir." He said sounding ashamed. "It's not your fault Deek." Avalon said putting an arm around his tiny shoulders.

At that point, Fleur was pulled out of the water by a green, slimy looking creature. "What about her Tresure?" Fred asked, understandably concerned. "Do you really think Dumbledore would let anyone die?" said Luna. "No. Not if he can help it, but what if he can't?" Fred said, sounding more worried by the second.

Fleur was handed over to the teachers now. And was given her mark. Which was not good. She was sat on a chair and given a towel and a blanket. She looked desperately at the water.

Only 15 minutes had passed and no one seemed to be coming back soon.

"If anything happens to my brother, I will kill Dumbledore." Fred said, sounding both angry and frightened. "It will be alright Fred." Avalon heard herself say.

"I hope for the sake of the school that you are right Avalon." He said sounding threatening.

About 15 minutes later Cedric arrived with Cho Chang. Fred, George and Ginny grew paler by the second.

With 2 minutes to go, Victor Krum and Hermoine emerged from the water. They swam to the other side of the dock and climbed out. They were also covered in towels and blankets.

Before she could blink, the clock they had hung above the water chimed. It meant that Harry's time was up. Blind panic seemed to seize the Weasleys as they started to make their way over to where the judges were standing.

Avalon couldn't quite explain it, but she seemed to feel the fear. Suddenly, the smooth surface of the lake began to ripple.

"Fred George Ginny look." Avalon shouted. Within seconds, Ron and a little girl emerged from the water. Coughing, they swam to the others. Fleur threw herself onto the dock. "GABRIELLE! She cried, holding out her hand to the little girl.

Avalon looked back at the Weasleys, they all seemed very relieved except for Ginny. "Where's Harry?" she asked, sounding frightened.

She did not have to wait long for an answer. With what appeared to be boiling water, Harry emerged from the lake. Ginny let out a small squeal of relief.

Harry swam to the dock where everyone else was. He was followed by an army of mermaids. Dumbledore knelt down to what appeared to be the leader of them and they had a brief, shrieking conversation. "Dumbledore understands that noise?" Luna asked. "It seems so." Avalon replied.

After a few minutes, Dumbledore stood up again and called the judges to him. "Fred. Isn't that your brother?" Avalon asked, noticing Percy. "So it is, where is Crouch?" He said. "At the Yule Ball, he said that his boss had taken ill." George added. "I think it's more than dragon pox." Fred finished.

"Wait, dragon pox?" Avalon asked. "Right." George said. "We forgot you grew up Muggle style like Harry." Fred cut in. "It's like Muggle chicken pox, except it's green." George explained. "But it must be more serious if he sends that Prat." Fred finished.

"Deu to sercomstances explained by the mere folk." Dumbledore started to say. "Who told me that Harry was indeed the first to reach the hostages, but was determined to make sure that everyone was rescued before he left, and that he risked himself to save not only his own hostage, but also young Miss Delacour," he explained. "We have decided to award Harry second place for outstanding moral fibre." Dumbledore finished. The entire Hogwarts student body burst into cheers.

"Come on, let's get to them. " George said. Ginny and Avalon followed the twins over to where the champions were standing. On the way, Avalon fell over because her shoe was untied. When she got up she noticed that the others had gone ahead.

She quickly tied her shoes and started walking again, as she passed some trees she heard a rustling. It sounded bigger than an animal.

"Hello?" She said. As she started to walk on, the rustling got closer. "H. Hello?" She asked again and like a flash a man came out of the bushes, he had greyish hair that looked unkempt. Twigs were sticking out of his hair here and there. His pinstriped robes were rumpled and torn in places. His moustache was bushy and uneven. His cheeks were sunken and his complexion was grey and ill-looking. There was a wild, slightly unhinged look in his grey eyes. He stepped towards Avalon, who quickly backed away.

"Dumbledore." He said, coming even closer. Avalon did her best to back away even more, but her back hit a tree. The man grabbed her by the trough and began to squeeze. "need to talk. Dumbledore." He said. "Sir, I can't breathe." Avalon managed to say. "NEED DUMBLEDORE," the man shouted, squeezing harder.

"HEY LET HER GO YOU CREEP." She barely heard Fred or George say. "DUMBEDOORE!!" The man shouted again. Everything started to go black before her eyes. Her breathing seemed to stop.

But suddenly it was over and she could breathe again. As her vision cleared, she saw Fred fighting off the strange man. Coughing, Avalon sat up again. The man who had attacked her lay motionless on the ground.

"Avalon, are you all right?" Fed asked her as he knelt beside her. She nodded her head. Before she knew it, her and Fed's lips met in a brief but passionate kiss. "Sorry." Fred stammered as he pulled away. "I'm sorry." He repeated. Surprised as she was, she had to admit that this short kiss made her feel like fireworks were exploding inside her. Was this what it felt like to be in love?