Thea's dark hair flew around her face, as she made her way deeper and farther away from the light.
Blowing some bubbles out infront of her, she tried to relax. However, she wasn't going to lie. This was truely awful. What were they even doing down here?!

The worst part was that she had lost sight of her classmates a while back.
Freezing, Thea made herself look to the left. She instantly recognised a Grindylow. Trying not to scream, Thea's eyes widened. Averting her eyes, she swam away as fast as she could, gripping onto her wand as tightly as she could.

Alyssa was swimming keeping a lookout vigil for the Grindylows when suddenly Bartholow Henry, the Giant Squid appeared right in front of Professor Scabior and told them that they weren't too far away. 'Wait a minute. Too far from what?' Alyssa thought to herself. So there WAS a reason why they were swimming down here in the lake. Alyssa was both excited and wary at the same time. Now that they were nearing their destination, that probably meant that danger was also lurking nearby. She reached down to her wand holster just to make sure that her wand was still within reach.

First it was scary seeing the Grindylow, then it was super dark, and now the squid came back and told them they were close.

Oakey wasn't to happy with no light to see in front of him. He wasn't about to swim off course and bump into one of those devil creatures. Holding his wand out he concentrated on the spell lumos and the tip of his wand light up He looked around to where he was. No Grindylows and surrounded by other classmates on all sides he felt safe and concentrated on nox The light went out and he swam on.

Oh thank Merlin... if Mr Henry could speak to them then they must be safe... right? This was horrible... she hated the idea of what was in these waters... Clutching her wand tight - no easy feat with webbed fingers - Aurora repeated relashio in her head. Just in case. She couldn't see the professors but she could feel the movement in the water that meant everyone was swimming in that direction so she followed quickly, determined not to get left behind.

The booming voice of the Giant Squid seemed to awaken the sound of the merpeople, singing the song they had sang in 1994.

"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this;
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And recover what we took,
But past an hour - the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

This 'thing' the students had been searching for without knowing it was suddenly illuminated in the light cast by a passing school of anglerfish.

....People. They appeared to be tiny people at first glance, all suspended from some sort of merperson bridge between two of their underwater structures. The tiny people all appeared to be strung up by their wrists, like tiny little hostages.

In reality, each was simply charmed to look like a person highly valued by each of the students; but in this dark, murky madness, there is no way the students could possibly know that. To them, it seems their professors have played a mean trick and taken their loved ones hostage.

An hour long they had to look; but how long did it take to swim all the way here?

Auggie had been continuing to swim int he direction their Professors had been leading them until he stopped, suspended in the icey water, to listen to a song that was beginning to be sung in a squidy voice.

....

The Gryffindor wasn't sure if it was just from the water or from the lyrics of the 'song' but chill bumps began to rise all over his arms and legs and then as they came into sight of some buildings and bridge-like things he saw them.

HOSTAGES.

Many people, tied by the wrists, all seeming to be unconscious. Who were they? Auggie gasped as he watched their hair swirl around until he began to panic. He had just seen his little sister, Slyvia among them.

Oakey could not hold himself together as he saw what was before him, tons of hostages hanging from a bridge! He eyed each of them wondering who they were?! Why were they down here!? What did the Merpeople, THE PROFESSORS wish to accomplish by doing this!?

He continued scanning each of the hostages until he came across one that looked familiar! IT WAS HARVEY! How!? HOW?! HOW!? did he, why did they!? Oakey was in extreme shock from seeing his Foster Father hung like a Christmas ornimate.He couldn't decide whicH emotion to settle on sadness, depression, rage! If it wasn't so watery and dark down here everyone would see that he had tears in his eyes.

Amelia almost had a hart attack as suddenly something moved out towards them. But then she heard the voice of Bartholomew Henry, and she relaxed a little.

Though his words troubled her.

Close to what? What the heck is going on here?

This was worrying her.


And soon she felt justified with her worry as she heard a song and focused hard on the lyrics. Something they treasured was taken from them and they had to get it back. But what? And what were those tiny shapes she could see moving in the water?

She was getting a very uneasy feeling now. This chilled her to the bone.

Moving closer (but not too close), she squinted. People. It was people taken as hostages and tied up.

She looked at them closely to see if there was anyone she knew and...

OMG! Zayden!

LuLu swam over to see what the heck tbe little things were further away.. Merpeople.. she opened her mouth it was so wide that the giant squid himself would probably fit into it! She looked at the long row of people some she knew and others she had no clue who they were, OH of course.. the tri wizard tournement it was the same case, same song, same capturers.. But why? WAHAT? and NOOO!!

She looked among the many people... She spotted a long and brown haird figure it was her brother? BUT he.. he had left to get married! He was in England? she was excited yet mad.. and furious with the proffesers what sort of nasty and devious trick was this? WHAT did she do?

The second set of voices were not as pleasant as the giant squids. No, at all, and what they had to say inflicted further disquietude in Eino. Suddenly, he noticed a tiny white dot from a distance, coming towards him. As the dot of light grew, Eino realized that they belonged to several aquatic creatures that were passing by. This light was being emitted by the these creatures, but it didn't seem like they were coming directly towards Eino, and the rest of the students as he could see more now. As the area was illuminate, Eino's attention turned to the outlines of the structures that had been possibly built by and belong to the merpeople. His eyes moved along a larger structure until they met the various people who were floating with their wrists attached to it. He couldn't identify them, and initially had thought that they were the merpeople who previously sang.

Eino kicked his legs and continued towards them. As he neared them, Eino realized that these people were did not look conscious. The merpeople song... It said they took something? So, this was a replica of the 1994 Triwizard Tournament task? If this was an indication of the direction for future Care of Magical Creatures Eino was undoubtedly going to drop the class. Playing Triwizard tournament champion was not what he exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to learn how to care for magical creatures. Still, they had something that belonged to him, right? Who could the merpeople have taken, but mostly importantly, how?

The song was eerie and it gave her goosebumps goosebumps. She turned to the scene nearby and saw something suspended from a bridge. Jezzabelle stared at the items and stared. Each had a face. Each of them all had a face and the one face that was in the sea of faces looked familiar could have brought tears to her eyes.

Her grandfather, or at least it looked like her grandfather, was among those people. It was impossible though. He had passed away three years ago. There was no way he could be here. Not possible. She started to freak out and she stopped swimming all together. It wasn't possible. He was dead. He....he...couldn't be there...he just couldn't. She was frozen by her sadness and couldn't think straight. What trick was this?

TAylor looked up when she heard the mermaid's song and saw her twin and other people trapped!!!! Are the professors nuts?!? Isn't this illegal? She looked up at her twin.... Trinity!

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Narrator

The booming voice of the Giant Squid seemed to awaken the sound of the merpeople, singing the song they had sang in 1994.

"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this;
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And recover what we took,
But past an hour - the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

This 'thing' the students had been searching for without knowing it was suddenly illuminated in the light cast by a passing school of anglerfish.

....People. They appeared to be tiny people at first glance, all suspended from some sort of merperson bridge between two of their underwater structures. The tiny people all appeared to be strung up by their wrists, like tiny little hostages.

In reality, each was simply charmed to look like a person highly valued by each of the students; but in this dark, murky madness, there is no way the students could possibly know that. To them, it seems their professors have played a mean trick and taken their loved ones hostage.

An hour long they had to look; but how long did it take to swim all the way here?

She looked down and saw her good friend Ame, but that couldn't be possible. She held back tears seeing her down there.

Justin stayed as close to the professors and just as he was getting the hang of how to swim fluently he heard the voices of the Merpeople. They had taken someone dear to his heart hostage along with many others. Suspended them from the bridge. His heart began to beat rapidly and his determination grew as he swam up next to who he thought was Minerva. He looked over and smiled at the figure who was too hard to make out.

Minerva was swimming when she heard the merpeople singing. Then she saw her, Minnie felt the panic up in her chest seeing her mother tied up underwater. All the memories of summer and being taken came flying back and now her mother had been taken. She went forward towards her mother quickly, but then looked around what if this was just a trick.. She didn't know what to do her mind was mush she didn't know what to do.

Daichi swam deeper in to the lake together with the class. He had a hard time trying to see in front of him as the darkness seemed to swallow him up. Still with that weird feeling that something bad was going to happen he kicked his legs in order to keep swimming.

All of the sudden, he heard a loud booming deep voice coming from nearby and he instantly recognized that it was the Giant Squid. He couldn't help it and for the first time a small smile tucked on his lips.

Having forgotten the firm NO and the slap on the grounds, Daichi looked around but didn't see him. "BWE MWH PWTH NWH?!" the third year had wanted to shout *be my pet, now?* to the Giant Squid but only a weird sound and bubbles formed in front of him.

Daichi gave up trying to have Mr.Henry as a pet for now and swam with the others until he heard a song.... who was singing when he couldn't even talk underwater? In the distance, he noticed light as he swam towards it , wand clutched in his hand in case something happened.

Coming closer, Daichi let out a yell when he saw that the light were from those scary looking big teethed fish and he stopped swimming for a moment to catch his breath. This was NOT cool. Controlling his breathing, the Slytherin could now see where the others in his class were and he swam a little up and towards them.

He frowned seeing the looks on the students faces as he studied them before he too looked around. Why were people tied up?! WHAT WAS THIS!? Daichi checked the faces and was relieved that it were none that he knew....until....

"DAD!" His father's eyes were closed and he seemed to be in a deep sleep. Was he....no..no that couldn't be true! Tears streamed down his face which could not be seen for they were underwater but he still wiped them with his swimsuit. Sadness was mixed with anger all of the sudden when he turned to the Professor's who he could see now. THEY had prepared this lesson so THEY had done this...what ever this is! In his sadness and anger, Daichi couldn't think straight and swam towards the closest Professor he could see *coughWilliamsonCough*and hit him on the arm for him to do SOMETHING cause...

THIS IS NOT FUNNY!

They had reached. Finally. As the passing school of anglerfish lit up the lake, Dash couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. Now the students would be able to see the apparent hostages who were all tied up.

He turned around, watching in confusion as students just floated, completely in shock.

The man's face screwed up angrily, as he quickly began to point to the tied up people then upward.

WHY was everyone just LOOKING!? They did not have much time before the gillyweed effects ended.

They had two choices, either go now or SAVE those people and then leave.

Someone...or something...bumped into Sierra as she swam along. She pushed her body to the other side, trying to get away from whatever this was. Person? Grindylow? W³ and The Scabs? The world may never know.

What Sierra did know, though, is that she wanted away, far away, from whatever it was. She kicked her way through the way, swimming fiercely until she heard an odd sort of song flowing its way through the water.

She looked around, her eyes first coming around a terrifying looking fish. Dear Merlin that thing was U-G-L-Y. She wouldn't do anything to indicate she thought that, though. No sense in getting a terrifying looking fish angry at you. Nope. Not at all.

So she looked further into the water and saw... Was that... A brief wave of panic shot through Sierra. She had to get to her--NOW! She kicked further through the water. What was wrong with these professors?! Were they mad or something?! If she was on land, she'd have sighed and rolled her eyes. As it was, though, she was in water, so all she did was hover in place while she figured out the best way to get to where she needed to go.

Kurumi felt the water shift around her, but it was still to dark to see anything. However, when the voice of Mr. Henry boomed nearby, Kurumi sort of did a few summersaults underwater in surprise. At least now they didn't have to worry about grindylows?

Waving in all directions, since she really couldn't see to be sure where he was, Kurumi pressed on.
Hearing the song sent a shiver down Kurumi's already goosebumped skin. To recover what we took? Kurumi watched as a group of anglerfish swam by, momentarily illuminating the scene in front of them and Kurumi gasped bubbles.

Wait. Why?! How!? So THAT was why he wasn't in the lesson?! Losing her cool for just a moment Kurumi pressed forward, he wand in hand towards the figure of a certain Slytherin. Was it really him? It was far too dark to be able to see, still Kurumi swam forward. Had they shrunk him as well?! This HAD to be all Professor Scabior's doing. It HAD to be.

They only had an hour...and surely it had taken almost half that time to get out here. Which left not too much time to untie these people and bring them back to the shore. Kurumi swam forward until she was right beside him. Oh thank Merlin, he was normal size. Funny how distance can play tricks on your vision, especially in the dark.

Frantically, Kurumi fussed with the string that was suspending him in the air, erm, water. She managed to get his right side free, but began panicking that this was taking far too long and that he and her would both drown down here. Yeah, sure professors. Important lesson for us all about fear. Thanks. Wand out now, Kurumi calmed herself as best she could and pointed her wand directly at the string. "Diffindo!" she murmured, as bubbles came out of her mouth.

Strings severed, Kurumi tried her best to swim with his body under her right arm, using her legs are her primary means of propelling herself forward and back the way they had come.

Jezzabelle recovered coming to the conclusion that rather it be real or not she had to get him out of there and then cry later. She pulled and pulled on the string. Not again. she couldn't bare the thought of failing at this and losing him a second time. No. She couldn't let him go like this. "Diffindo!" She watched as the rope gave way and she grabbed his body and told her self in her mind not to look at it. She kicked off following Kurumi back the way they came. she kicked as hard as she could know having no other way of using her arms.

Amelia was about to lose it. What were these people doing? Why were they allowed to be taken? Zayden shouldn't be down here, and she thought it was a really nasty trick kidnapping her boyfriend.

Swimming over to him as quick as possible, she wanted to cry right now. She didn't have much time left to save him.

She started looking for something sharp she could use to cut away his bonds with.

Minerva took off after her mother. She got there and fumbled with the tie. Finally breaking her mothers floating body free. She could feel the anxiety in her and the panic. She put her arm around her mother and began to swim as quickly as she could to the top. Her mother slipped from her grip and she swam down a bit grabbed her and began upward again.

So the students were all suddenly adept with the severing spell under water? Huh. Fancy that.

William hadn't been startled when Barty had shown up, nor had he shown much surprise as the anglerfish had gone by, being much more interested in following after them than going after the tied-up "people." He was, after all, expecting the class to run into this surprise eventually. They had reached their destination at last, and judging by the reactions of the students around them....

"OWWW!" Willy mouthed, more shocked than hurt as a Slytherin punched him in the arm. A long and angry stream of bubbles came out of his mouth as he pointed at Daichi, then pointed to the hostages, then pointed up to the surface of the lake, and back to him urgently.

GO. NOW. Rescue your person and get the hell outta dodge! That was clearly what William would have said, had he been capable of speech.

Shame no one seemed to like Scabior's idea much... it was, after all, semi-accurate from a historical standpoint. Williamson shook his head and kicked off toward the merpeople, clearly swimming right up to the Chieftaness and starting to communicate with her in broken mermish.

It was not a good thing to be in a panic right now, but she still was. It made it even harder for her to find something, but she wasn't giving up. She didn't want to use her wand though, because she had some weird fear that she might accidentally hit Zayden instead of the binds when she was in this state.

Finally she found a small rock with a sharp edge. She grabbed it and started hacking away at the binds that held him until he was released.

He drifted a little in the water, but she grabbed him and with all the power she had she started trying to swim to the surface with him.

Thank Merlin he was smaller than her. But he was still pretty heavy.

Everything had seemingly gone still and quiet until their earlier class guest Mr. Henry made an appearance once more. Maybe the giant squid had been the one watching and making movements? It could have been but before he could think more on it the lake was suddenly brighter then it had been between the school of fish and the sudden appearance of merpeople.

Quote:

"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this;
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And recover what we took,
But past an hour - the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

Why did that seem familiar? Gideon didn't know but listened to the words of their song and tried to think of what it could mean when the items they were near became clearer as the students floated there. People...like before...like in the tourniment from his Great Aunt's time at Hogwarts. And when he kicked himself a little closer a form with familiar curly hair stood out making Gideon believe it be his mother at first. His breath hitched and heart stopped remember the ill look on her face when she had nearly died. However a current moved the hair to reveal the face to be his sister's instead.

KACIE!

Oh no oh no...it can't be her!

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen his sister much if at all in the class when he had looked for her and meerly thought she hadn't been there yet or was caught amongst the other students. There was only one way to be certain and the merpeoples' song echoed eerily in his mind reminding him of the time limit to their presence under water as well as it being something...someone they valued. His sister certainly ranked up there and he was supposed to protect her and keep her safe, he would never forgive himself if she was harmed and he didn't do all he could.

Gideon took off, kicking and paddling quickly and following the examples of a few of his classmates moving towards the captured humans. He was wary of the merfolk as well as the grindylows they had been warned against but he did indeed have to work quickly. Not bothering to try and undo whatever was tying her to the bridge (was it seaweed?) he took out his wand seeking to cut it with a quick strong "Diffindo!" It took a couple attempts in his nervousness but she was finally loose and the fifth year grabbed hold of her as she floated free.

Then hearing the professor's yell, he didn't think twice not needing any more urging. The boy swimming quickly towards back towards the surface and hoping everything was going to be all right.