Chapter 382 Gillyweed, Dobby's Assistance
"I really wasn't ready," Harry said, embarrassed.
Aaron found it hard to believe. He had given Harry the clue on Christmas Day, and it had been almost two months, yet he still wasn't ready.
"Alright! I shouldn't have expected anything from you.
Honestly, what stage are you at?
Are you unsure about fighting the Giant Squid, or don't you know how to deal with Grindylows, or perhaps you don't know how to find the Merpeople?"
Hearing this, Harry swallowed with difficulty, his face slightly pale.
He had only focused on how to breathe underwater, but he had overlooked the terrifying creatures in the Black Lake.
"Uh... I want to know how to breathe underwater."
Aaron paused, a hint of surprise in his eyes as he looked at Harry. "You're kidding, you haven't even sorted out the first step?"
"I've tried my best. We've scoured all the books in the library related to water, but we still found nothing," Harryexplained anxiously. "Underwater breathing, for us fourth-years, is simply impossible."
"Be precise with your words, I'm also a fourth-year."
"You're an exception!" Harry quickly added, "Now only you can help me."
Aaron rolled his eyes. He swore that if it weren't for the fact that Adrian didn't want any major accidents in the Triwizard Tournament, he would have turned and left.
"The Bubble-Head Charm. This spell creates a large air bubble around your head, which can block foul air and can also be used for underwater breathing, barely lasting an hour.
Cedric and Fleur are planning to use this spell," Aaron said, then changed the subject. "But you can forget about this one; not many older Wizards have mastered the Bubble-Head Charm."
"Are there any other methods?"
"Of course there are, but..." Aaron looked at Harrydoubtfully. "With less than two days left, are you sure you'll have time to learn a new spell?"
"You're not going to make me prepare scuba gear, are you?"
"Not at all, not at all.
There's a plant called Gillyweed. If you eat it, you'll grow gills, and your limbs will turn into flippers, allowing you to move freely underwater for over an hour."
Harry's face immediately lit up with joy. Gillyweed sounded much more reliable than a spell.
Not only could he breathe underwater, but his hands and feet would also become the most useful tools, saving the magic of using the Bubble-Head Charm, giving him a huge lead over the other champions right from the start!
"Where can I find this herb?"
"The Mediterranean," Aaron said, half-jokingly.
"What?" Harry's enthusiasm was doused with cold water. "The competition is the day after tomorrow. The Mediterranean is so far away, a round trip wouldn't even be possible.
Doesn't Hogwarts have this herb? The furthest I can go is Hogsmeade; beyond these two areas, I'm truly helpless."
"So you're quite lucky," Aaron said with a meaningful smile. "Hogwarts just happens to have Gillyweed. It's in a certain Professor's private storeroom."
Harry paused, then clapped his hands and said, "Professor Sprout, I should have thought of it sooner.
All of Hogwarts' greenhouses are hers. Gillyweed must be in her possession. She would definitely give this herb to Cedricto give him a greater advantage in the Triwizard Tournament."
"As expected of Harry Potter," Aaron gave a thumbs up. "Perhaps you're right; besides Professor Snape, Professor Sprout might also possess this extremely rare herb."
Boom!
Harry's heart was struck by a bolt from the blue, and a sense of despair enveloped him.
If the Gillyweed was in Professor Sprout's hands, though difficult, it wasn't without hope.
He had revealed the content of the first task to Cedric, which meant the Hufflepuff champion owed him a favor, and even if it meant leveraging that favor, Cedric would have to help him?
As for whether being a scoundrel would affect his character, he no longer cared.
Ever since Cedric stole his dance partner (though he probably didn't know Harry had feelings for Cho Chang), their relationship had unilaterally plummeted to freezing point.
But if the Gillyweed was in Snape's hands, then it wouldn't just be difficult.
At least being a scoundrel wouldn't be enough; he'd have to be ruthless to have a chance.
Harry forced a smile, "Besides these two, are there any other methods?"
"Hmm... Viktor Krum has been practicing diving these days. I deduce that he must have mastered a form of Transfiguration, but it won't be an Animagus. You could go ask him."
"Heh heh! Can you suggest something suitable for a fourth-year Wizard like me?"
"Uh... that's a bit much to ask," Aaron said, stroking his chin. "Currently, Gillyweed is the most suitable for you, but I certainly wouldn't make Professor Snape uncomfortable for your sake."
"Is that so?" Harry said in a muffled voice. "Still, thank you for telling me this."
"You're welcome," Aaron waved his hand. "You can try to find others. Moody, Hagrid, and even all of Gryffindor, they would all be willing to help you."
"Understood," Harry nodded dispiritedly, turning to walk towards Ron and Hermione.
Seeing his lifeless expression, Aaron had no intention of helping. He wasn't Harry Potter's babysitter; he had already done his utmost by providing this much information.
"How did it go?" Ron asked eagerly.
Harry silently shook his head. "Let's just keep looking in books for other ways, okay?"
"He didn't tell you?" Hermione frowned slightly. "That doesn't sound right!"
"No, he did tell me, and very clearly too," Harry said bitterly. "A spell called the Bubble-Head Charm, but I can't learn it in two days. And an herb called Gillyweed, which makes you grow gills and flippers when eaten, but that herb is in Snape's possession."
Hermione and Ron exchanged glances. They would rather believe Harry could learn the Bubble-Head Charm in two days than believe Snape would give him the Gillyweed... For the rest of the time, the three of them immersed themselves in the library.
From morning until afternoon, they constantly flipped through various magic books, desperately wanting to find a third way to breathe underwater.
Harry's pressure was even greater, because the difficulty of the second task, besides underwater breathing, also involved dealing with underwater creatures, but he dared not tell the two, because just the underwater breathing part had driven them crazy.
The next day, they repeated the first day's actions, but in addition to disappointment, they received a dose of despair.
Because Professor McGonagall sent Fred and George to call Ron and Hermione to her office. The reason was unclear, but they tacitly agreed that the Triwizard Tournament tested the champions' abilities, and others could not help.
At eight in the evening, Madam Pince closed the library, ushering them out.
Harry's mood grew heavier. Upon returning to the common room, he was about to put on his Invisibility Cloak to go to the library, but before he could act, Dobby suddenly appeared at his bedside.
"Dobby, what are you doing here?
Never mind, it doesn't matter what you're doing. I need to go to the library now, don't stop me."
"No need to go," Dobby said. "Dobby knows what Harry Potter is looking for. Dobby found it for him."
"What?"
"Gillyweed," Dobby produced a slimy, grayish-green object. "Harry Potter needs this."
"You..." After a brief moment of secret delight, Harry's face became incredibly solemn. "I'm very grateful to you, Dobby, but... you stole Snape's herb."
"He doesn't know Dobby stole it," Dobby said guiltily. "How did Harry Potter know where Dobby found the Gillyweed?"
"Aaron told me," Harry sighed weakly. "He only told me yesterday, and today the Gillyweed is stolen, and I'm using Gillyweed in the second task. Anyone with a brain knows I stole it."
"Mr. Gaius shouldn't tell Professor Snape, should he?"
"Hard to say, but whether he says it or not doesn't matter anymore.
As long as I use Gillyweed in the competition, Snape will definitely be able to tell," Harry said with a bitter smile. "Dobby, put it back!
I'm not doing the second task. I'll just give up on that thing."
"No," Dobby shook his head firmly. "That's not just any ordinary thing. That's Harry's Weazel. Dobby cannot let Harry lose his Weazel."
"Weazel? What Weazel?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"The person who gave Dobby a sweater for Christmas."
Hearing this, Harry was stunned for a moment. After he came to his senses, he quickly took off his Invisibility Cloak and walked to Ron's bed, only to find the covers empty.
"Merpeople took Ron, so that means Hermione too..."
"It's just as Harry Potter thinks; they are the champions' most beloved possessions," Dobby said. "If more than an hour passes..."
"All hope gone, completely vanished, never to return." Harryremembered the song from the golden egg, and a look of horror appeared on his face. He decisively took the Gillyweed in his hand.
Hermione had Aaron on her side, so he didn't need to worry at all. But if he couldn't save Ron, he would probably spend the rest of his life in regret.
Compared to Ron's life, offending Snape was completely negligible. In any case, their relationship couldn't get any worse.
"Dobby, you've really helped a lot this time."
"As long as I can help Master, that's good," Dobby said, embarrassed.
"One more question, how did you know Ron would be taken by Merpeople? And how did you know about Gillyweed?"
"Dobby is a House-elf. One time while cleaning, Dobbyoverheard Professor Moody and Professor McGonagalldiscussing the hostages being held.
They mentioned Gillyweed, and Professor Snape's private storeroom just happened to have this herb, so Dobby just..." Dobby suddenly paused, hitting his head repeatedly against the bedpost, "Bad Dobby, bad Dobby..."
Harry quickly pulled him away. "Dobby, stop it. You don't need to feel guilty for stealing. All in all, thank you very much for what you've done for me, but now you should go back. The other House-elves might be looking for you."