Chapter 46 — Daughter of the Lake
He was running fast—so fast that in Professor Corvey's field of vision, the small figure grew larger and larger.
Fythorne? Corvey thought. That child really is dedicated.
At first he assumed Russell was simply out training, but the moment he caught sight of the boy's anxious expression, a knot tightened in his chest.
He set down his plate.
With a flick of his wrist, the robes hanging on the rack flew toward him, draping themselves neatly over his shoulders.
Corvey shoved open the window—
and jumped straight out.
A broom shot from the window behind him, and he caught it mid-air, swinging onto it in one smooth motion before speeding toward Russell.
---
Russell had nearly reached the base of the castle when a figure dropped from the sky, landing directly in front of him.
"Expelliarmus!"
Russell reacted on instinct, a bolt of red light flashing from his wand—
—and only then recognized the face of the man he had just attacked.
Professor Corvey.
But the spell was already cast.
"Protego."
Corvey's reflexes were razor sharp.
A transparent shield flared to life in front of him, deflecting the Disarming Charm effortlessly.
"Professor, I—I'm so—"
"No time for apologies."
Corvey cut him off with a grin.
"Excellent Disarming Charm, by the way—we'll discuss points later."
His expression hardened.
"What happened, Fythorne?"
Russell quickly explained what had happened by the Black Lake—how he and Cedric had been practicing the Repulsion Charm, and how Cedric had accidentally blasted a mermaid out of the water.
"Get on," Corvey said, patting the back of the broom and motioning for Russell to climb on.
He wasn't worried about the mermaid's health.
What he feared was the Black Lake merfolk declaring hostility against Hogwarts.
Though they had long abandoned their humanity, their numbers were still significant—and wiping them out entirely would create a political mess no one at Hogwarts wanted to handle.
Russell didn't hesitate.
He climbed aboard, and the broom shot forward, following his directions.
"Professor, is this from the Lightyear series? It's way faster than the school's Cleansweeps," Russell said, genuinely impressed.
"Hah! Sharp eye. It's a brand-new Nimbus 1900, fresh off the market. Cost me a fortune, but I had to have it the moment it released."
There was unmistakable pride in Corvey's voice.
Clearly a Quidditch fan—he and Professor McGonagall probably chatted often.
"Professor—there! Cedric's right there."
Russell pointed downward.
Corvey angled the broom and descended.
But when they touched down, the sight in front of them left both of them utterly dumbfounded.
The mermaid who had been lying unconscious on the ground was now wide awake—
and ferociously clinging to Cedric's arm like her life depended on it.
Cedric, wearing the very definition of I'm innocent, was desperately trying to pull free.
The two of them were locked in such a bizarre stalemate that Russell and Professor Corvey froze for half a second just taking it in.
The moment Cedric spotted them stepping off the broom, he yelled as though salvation itself had arrived:
"HELP—HELP ME! PLEASE!"
Corvey couldn't help the amused twitch at the corner of his mouth.
His wand traced a graceful arc, and Cedric felt a powerful force yank him backward, pulling him free from the mermaid's grip.
The mermaid snarled and made to lunge at Cedric again, but Corvey wasn't about to give her the chance.
"Petrificus Totalus."
The mermaid froze mid-movement, arms snapping to her sides, tail stiffening like a plank before she toppled over with a dull thud.
Cedric was breathing hard.
"Cedric," Russell said, narrowing his eyes, "what exactly happened while I was gone? Why did she suddenly wake up?
Don't tell me you tried to save her—with mouth-to-mouth?"
"Mouth-to-what? That sounds horrible!"
Cedric made a face of pure disgust and rushed to the lake to scrub off the sticky residue the mermaid had left on him.
"As for why she woke up, I really don't know," he said after shaking the water off his hands.
"You'd just left, and I thought I'd take a closer look at her—since, y'know, I've never seen a mermaid before."
"Then she suddenly opened her eyes and pounced on me! She was mumbling something in that weird gurgly voice and—Merlin's beard—those sharp teeth! And the smell… gods, the smell."
He sniffed his robes and instantly recoiled.
These robes were dead. Even if they could be cleaned, his psyche wouldn't recover.
Russell glanced at Cedric, then at the mermaid.
And a bold theory took shape.
"Cedric… hear me out. There's a possibility—the mermaid might've fallen in love with you."
Both Cedric and Corvey turned to stare at him as though he had grown a second head.
"Ahem." Russell cleared his throat. "I'm not making things up. I have evidence."
"What evidence?" Cedric marched up to him threateningly.
"If you don't give me a decent explanation, you're dead."
"In the Muggle world," Russell began dramatically, "there's a fairy tale called The Little Mermaid…"
He recited the ending with exaggerated emotion.
"In the end… the little mermaid dissolved into sea foam, disappearing under the sunlight."
He wiped an imaginary tear.
"Such a tragic love story."
He clapped Cedric on the shoulder.
"This is a golden opportunity, Cedric. Treasure it."
"Treasure my—!" Cedric rolled his eyes.
"If she looked like that little mermaid, maybe I'd consider it. But this? This is—no."
Russell shrugged.
"The daughter of the lake is obviously not as pretty as the daughter of the sea. That's just how it is."
Cedric shook his head.
"And I'm not a prince. She definitely doesn't look like a princess."
"Ah… but reality often contradicts expectations, Mr. Diggory."
A gentle, aged voice drifted toward them.
"Professor Dumbledore—you're finally here!"
Corvey let out a breath of relief.
Russell and Cedric, however, stiffened instantly.
It felt like being caught doing something terribly wrong.
"If I had arrived any later," Dumbledore said mildly, "the merfolk of the Black Lake might have accused you two of kidnapping their princess."
Cedric's jaw dropped.
"P-Princess? She's really a princess?"
"But of course," Dumbledore replied warmly.
"And if you'd like to be her prince consort, I can help arrange it."
"NO—absolutely not!" Cedric frantically waved his hands.
Dumbledore chuckled and turned his attention to Russell.
"Mr. Fythorne, is it?"
"Yes, Headmaster."
"This seems to be our first proper meeting. Esmeralda wrote to me about you—she asked me to take good care of you.
Unfortunately, I've been rather busy lately and haven't had a chance."