Chapter 20 ~ The Shell

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''Ah, Professor Batyaeva, can I borrow Potter and Archeron for ten minutes or so?'' Professor Mcgonagall entered the potions dungeon briskly, Lily and Albus rising to their feet as she entered. They had been expecting this. Today they would get their clue to the next task.

Professor Batyaeva nodded and addressed the two of them. ''Off you go then. Remember, I want one essay on the properties of Sea Thrift.'' She winked at them as they exited with the headmistress, Albus and Lily smiling back as they went. They would definetaly be needing Sea Thrift.

''The second task always involves the black lake.'' Albus had told Lily the previous week in a planning session for the tournament. ''So we need something which will allow us to breathe underwater.'' He had come up with Gillyweed, but she had said Sea Thrift would be more suitable. Albus had never heard of it, but Professor Batyaeva had.

''Sea Thrift.'' She had held up the jar of dried violet flowers similar in appearance to Lilies. ''The flowers, when dried in the smoke of a special, very rare wood named Laell wood, stimulate the temporary growth of gills and a mer-like tail.'' Albus had shuddered at this, the idea of receiving gills and  webbed hands plus feet were just about all he could manage, and growing a fish tail didn't sound like fun to him. Lily and the Professor, however, assured him that it was an easy, painless process and that it was the most efficient way of getting around underwater, the effects lasting over two hours if you remained in the water.

Albus and Lily followed the headmistress into the chamber adjoined to the great hall, where the chosen champions had clustered once they'd been announced in November. The Beaxbatons, in the lead with points, were smiling confidently, as were the Durmstrang, so Lily and Albus hastened to add the emotions to their faces also. 

''Ok, so, gather round.'' Katie Bell stepped forward, the three heads and the other two teams also surrounding her. ''Each team will receive one of these shells.'' She pulled three clams out of the bag, closely resembling Oysters. ''It is up to you to discover how you may open them, but once they are opened, they give you a good clue to what the upcoming task will involve.'' Miss Bell looked round at the three teams and their heads, all of which were examining the shells. ''Anyway, next task is on the 17th of February. You will be required to present yourselves in here at ten o'clock in the morning.'' She grinned at them all enthusiastically. ''Good luck!''

***

Two weeks later, Lily and Albus still hadn't worked out how to open the shell. In the end, they just needed a bit of help from Rob.

Sunday afternoon in the Griffindoor common room - Fred, Rob, Albus, Lily Potter, Rose and Lily Archeron were alone in the common room. Fred and Rob were attempting to finish their heap of homework, Lily and Rose helping them, Lily was trying to read ''A History of Magic''and Albus was simply staring at the tournament shell with a hopeless look on his face, chin resting on one arm and the hand of the other holding the shell. 

With a sigh, Albus abandoned all attempts to try and think of a way to open the shell and instead slammed it down onto the table. Rob, having been handed back his essay by Rose, was checking the corrections, and his low hum filled the room. Almost immediately reactions began to fire from everyone present.

''Come on mate, give it a break!''

''I know you're obsessed with ''Oliver!'' but, please...''

''Oh shut up Rob, I'm trying to-''

Albus broke off mid-sentence and his friend stopped his amused humming of ''Om Pah Pah''.   ''What-''

Albus put up his finger to quieten his friend, closely watching the shell. ''Rob.'' He kept his voice low and stood back from the shell, everyone now quiet, intrigued by the reaction. ''Sing again.'' 

Rob, bemused by it all, began in his best cockney accent;

''There's a little ditty

they're singing in the city

'specially when they've been

on the gin

or the beer-'' *

Albus was still staring at the shell. Because of the small gap appearing between the two casings of it. 

''If you've got the patience

you're own imaginations

well tell you exactly what you want to hear.''*

Rob looked at Albus, Albus gesturing for people to rise...   ''All of you! Come on!'' Pointing his wand at the old piano in the corner, it started to play the cords, and, though slightly unsure, they all began (with the exception of Albus);

''Om pah pah, om pah pah,

that's how it goes,

Om pah pah, om pah pah,

everyone knows!''*

Despite it being for the opening of the shell, the mood lightened, and with Rob's idiotic dancing, they all rose their voices and began to gambol about the room, though Albus still inspected the shell.

''They all suppose what they wanna suppose!

When they hear Om Pah Pah!''*

Albus was dragged up and Rob began his solo happily;

''Mister Percy Snodgrass
Would often have the odd glass -- 
But never when he thought anybody could see.
Secretly he'd buy it,
And drink it on the quiet,
And dream he was an Earl
With a girl on each knee!''

And then came another rampaging chorus before Lily Potter was lifted onto the coffee table;

''Pretty little Sally
Goes walking down the alley,
Displays her pretty ankles to all of the men.
They could see her garters,
But not for free-and-gratis--
An inch or two, and then she knows
When to say when! ''

The joyous singing continued until the last chaotic lines, to which everyone gave good volume justice;

''When they hear OM PAH PAHHH!''*

There was a dramatic ''flop'' from all of them except Albus and Lily. They gathered around the shell, Lily lifting it up so Fred, Lily Potter, Rose and Rob could see.

It was glowing a strange, eerie blue light, now fully open.

Rose and Lily Potter shrieked in shock, both Rob and Fred gasping slightly as the inside of the clam revealed an eye. 

And the eye, glowing sea green, faded. The circle that had been the eyeball became black. Then it began to brighten, Lily and Albus leaning forward...

In the circle came an image. The black lake. The underwater mer village. A treasure chest. An underwater temple. And in the temple, three doors with keyholes.

*This song, as some readers may know, is from the musical ''Oliver!''. Again, I OWN NOTHING. Have a listen to it if you don't know it, I put it in because I thought it suited Rob's character. (though not in any relation to Nancy)