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Harry just couldn't bring himself to wipe the happy； confident smile off Hagrid's face。 Pretending he was interested in the young unicorns； he forced a smile in return； and moved forward to pat them with the others。
By the evening before the second task。 Harry felt as though he were trapped in a nightmare。 He was fully aware that even if； by some miracle； he managed to find a suitable spell； he'd have a real job mastering it overnight。 How could he have let this happen？ Why hadn't he got to work on the egg's clue sooner？ Why had he ever let his mind wander in class…what if a teacher had once mentioned how to breathe underwater？
He sat with Hermione and Ron in the library as the sun set outside； tearing feverishly through page after page of spells； hidden from one another by the massive piles of books on the desk in front of each of them。 Harry s heart gave a huge leap every time he saw the word 〃water〃 on a page； but more often than not it was merely 〃Take two pints of water； half a pound of shredded mandrake leaves； and a newt。。。〃
〃I don't reckon it can be done；〃 said Rons voice flatly from the other side of the table。 〃There's nothing。 Nothing。 Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds； that Drought Charm； but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake。〃
〃There must be something；〃 Hermione muttered； moving a candle closer to her。 Her eyes were so tired she was poring over the tiny print of Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes with her nose about an inch from the page。 〃They'd never have set a task that was undoable。〃
〃They have；〃 said Ron。 〃Harry； just go down to the lake tomorrow； right； stick your head in； yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked； and see if they chuck it out。 Best you can do； mate。〃
〃There's a way of doing it！〃 Hermione said crossly。 〃There Just has to be！〃
She seemed to be taking the library's lack of useful information on the subject as a personal insult； it had never failed her before。
〃I know what I should have done；〃 said Harry； resting； face…down； on Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts。 〃I should've learned to be an Animagus like Sirius。〃
An Animagus was a wizard who could transform into an animal。
〃Yeah； you could've turned into a goldfish any time you wanted！〃 said Ron。
〃Or a frog；〃 yawned Harry。 He was exhausted。 〃It takes years to bee an Animagus； and then you have to register yourself and everything；〃 said Hermione vaguely； now squinting down the index of Weird Wizarding Dilemmas and Their Solutions。 〃Professor McGonagall told us； remember。。。 you've got to register yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office 。。。what animal you bee； and your markings； so you can't abuse it。。。〃
〃Hermione； I was joking；〃 said Harry wearily。 〃I know I haven't got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning。。。〃
〃Oh this is no use；〃 Hermione said； snapping shut Weird Wizarding Dilemmas。 〃Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets？〃
〃I wouldn't mind；〃 said Fred Weasleys voice。 〃Be a talking point； wouldn't it？〃
Harry； Ron； and Hermione looked up。 Fred and George had just emerged from behind some bookshelves。
〃What're you two doing here？〃 Ron asked。
〃Looking for you；〃 said George。 〃McGonagall wants you； Ron。 And you； Hermione。〃
〃Why？〃 said Hermione； looking surprised。
〃Dunno 。。。she was looking a bit grim； though；〃 said Fred。
〃We're supposed to take you down to her office；〃 said George。
Ron and Hermione stared at Harry； who felt his stomach drop。 Was Professor McGonagall about to tell Ron and Hermione off？ Perhaps she'd noticed how much they were helping him； when he ought to be working out how to do the task alone？
〃We'll meet you back in the mon room；〃 Hermione told Harry as she got up to go with Ron…both of them looked very anxious。 〃Bring as many of these books as you can； okay？〃
〃Right；〃 said Harry uneasily。
By eight o'clock。 Madam Pince had extinguished all the lamps and came to chivvy Harry out of the library。 Staggering under the weight of as many books as he could carry； Harry returned to the Gryffindor mon room； pulled a table into a corner； and continued to search。 There was nothing in Madcap Magic for Wacky Warlocks。。。 nothing in A Guide to Medieval Sorcery。。。 not one mention of underwater exploits in An Anthology of Eighteenth…Century Charms； or in Dreadful Denizens of the Deep； or Powers You Never Knew You Had and What to Do with Them Now Youve Wised Up。
Crookshanks crawled into Harrys lap and curled up； purring deeply。 The mon room emptied slowly around Harry。 People kept wishing him luck for the next morning in cheery； confident voices like Hagrid s； all of them apparently convinced that he was about to pull off another stunning performance like the one he had managed in the first task。 Harry couldn't answer them； he just nodded； feeling as though there were a golfball stuck in his throat。 By ten to midnight； he was alone in the room with Crookshanks。 He had searched all the remaining books； and Ron and Hermione had not e back。
It's over； he told himself。 You can't do it。 You'll just have to go down to the lake in the morning and tell the judges。。。
He imagined himself explaining that he couldn't do the task。 He pictured Bagman's look of round…eyed surprise； Karkaroffs satisfied； yellow…toothed smile。 He could almost hear Fleur Delacour saying 〃I knew it。。。 'e is too young； 'e is only a little boy。〃 He saw Malfoy flashing his POTTER STINKS badge at the front of the crowd； saw Hagrid s crestfallen； disbelieving face。。。
Forgetting that Crookshanks was on his lap。 Harry stood up very suddenly； Crookshanks hissed angrily as he landed on the floor； gave Harry a disgusted look； and stalked away with his bottlebrush tail in the air； but Harry was already hurrying up the spiral staircase to his dormitory。。。 He would grab the Invisibility Cloak and go back to the library； he'd stay there all night if he had to。。。
〃Lumos；〃 Harry whispered fifteen minutes later as he opened the library door。
Wand tip alight； he crept along the bookshelves； pulling down more books…books of hexes and charms； books on merpeople and water monsters； books on famous witches and wizards； on magical inventions； on anything at all that might include one passing reference to underwater survival。 He carried them over to a table； then set to work； searching them by the narrow beam of his wand； occasionally checking his watch。。。
One in the morning。。。 two in the morning。。。 the only way he could keep going was to tell himself； over and over again； next book。。。 in the next one。。。 the next one。。。
The mermaid in the painting in the prefects' bathroom was laughing。 Harry was bobbing like a cork in bubbly water next to her rock； while she held his Firebolt over his head。
〃e and get it！〃 she giggled maliciously。 〃e on； jump！〃
〃I can't；〃 Harry panted； snatching at the Firebolt； and struggling not to sink。 〃Give it to me！〃
But she just poked him painfully in the side with the end of the broomstick； laughing at him。
〃That hurts…get offouch…〃
〃Harry Potter must wake up； sir！〃
〃Stop poking me…〃
〃Dobby must poke Harry Potter； sir； he must wake up！〃
Harry opened his eyes。 He was still in the library； the Invisibility Cloak had slipped off his head as he'd slept； and the side of his face was stuck to the pages of Where There's a Wand； There's a Way。 He sat up； straightening his glasses； blinking in the bright daylight。
〃Harry Potter needs to hurry！〃 squeaked Dobby。 〃The second task starts in ten minutes； and Harry Potter…〃
〃Ten minutes？〃 Harry croaked。 〃Ten…ten minutes？〃
He looked down at his watch。 Dobby was right。 It was twenty past nine。 A large； dead weight seemed to fall through Harry's chest into his stomach。
〃Hurry； Harry Potter！〃 squeaked Dobby； plucking at Harry's sleeve。 〃You is supposed to be down by the lake with the other champions； sir！〃
〃It's too late； Dobby；〃 Harry said hopelessly。 〃I'm not doing the task； I don't know how…〃
〃Harry Potter will do the task！〃 squeaked the elf。 〃Dobby knew Harry had not found the right book； so Dobby did it for him！〃
〃What？〃 said Harry。 〃But you don't know