Chapter 401 - Second Event Ⅲ (1/2)
Back on the surface, Rowan feels the moment the boat surges forward at almost its original speed with a bit of a grin. With a grunt, she wraps her left hand around the glowing orange like magical rope and begins to pull. Her muscles screamed at her, but she firmly kept at. She wasn't bulging with muscles, but she did exercise three times a week vigorously. She was toned and had some nice slim, but toned muscles in her upper arms.
The journey back across the lake felt endless and exhausting as bit by bit Rowan hauled Barrett Boone back to the surface of the lake. Loud cheers that had been faint before began to grow louder and louder as the boat carrying them drew closer. The cheers grew louder and louder until with a loud groan the boat sank into the bank.
Rowan was almost thrown from the force but managed to keep a firm grip on her wand. No longer worried about causing the boat to capsize from her pulling, she began to pull as fast as she could despite her screaming left arms muscles. She pulled and pulled until she felt a cluck of the top of the post hit against the hull of the boat.
Rowan's eyes snapped open as the magical rope disappeared, but the post remained half in the water and in the shallows of the lake. With a disgruntled expression on her face, she grinds her teeth and says, ”Just typical,” before letting out an annoyed huff, and jumping into the icy lake waters. The frigid waters hit her about the lower thigh and feel like thousands of sharp, jagged needles.
Ignoring the cheers from the stands, Rowan points her wand at the wooden post that still holds the bound, unconscious figure of Barrett Boone. Using the first-year charm spell she had ever learned, she says, ”Wingardium Leviosa.”
Shivering at the bitter bone biting cold, Rowan splashes forward keeping Barrett Boone airborne behind her. It was a bit of a struggle to climb up the muddy banks and onto the grounds with her wand hand pointed behind her, but even still, she managed to do so. With a tired grunt, she levitated Barrett Boone onto the ground and released his bounds.
With a sputtering cough, Barrett Boone let out a loud couch, while Rowan unceremoniously flops down next to the awakening form of Barret Boone onto the muddy grounds. Muttering, she removes a lake weed wrapped around her from damp, soggy trouser leg, and shoe.
Suddenly, Rowan winces in pain and holds her aching head as she hears Amundsen scream into the air, ”And we have our Hogwarts champion complete her second task in a most unexpected twist. As expected of one of Professor Dumbledore's apprentices!”
Madam Pomfrey hurries over with thick blankets and proceeds to wrap Barret Boone like a burrito. Drying her clothes as best as she can, Rowan loudly sniffs but is far too tired to properly dry herself or to cast a warming charm on herself. Rather gratefully, she accepts a blanket from Madam Pomfrey, who fusses over them and casts warming charms on the both of them.
With a rather loud cough to gain Rowan's attention, Barrett Boone says through chattering teeth, ”Rowan, I certainly did not expect this, this morning.”
”Neither did I,” Rowan confessed. ”For sure, I thought it'd be Severus.”
Barrett chuckles and softly says, ”I guess that's what I get for asking you to be my girlfriend.”
”Mm serves you right,” Rowan smirked back as Madam Pomfrey quickly returned with hot chocolate for them to drink. The two of them huddle there on the muddy banks and wait for the other two champions to return as they sip their warm drinks. Hopefully, it would be soon, because they still felt cold.