Harry just tuned her out and made sure Hermione was alright. He cast drying and drought charms on them both before moving to do the same to young Jonesy. Fleur had already looked after her sister's needs, and he figured the champions could take care of their own.
A few moments later, Daphne hurried in and engulfed the both of them in a hug. "Thank Merlin you're both alright!" she softly exclaimed while holding on to the both of them.
"We are, love," replied Harry, just as softly. "We are." Pulling her head back a little to look them both in eyes she asked, "Did the plan go off alright? From what I could see it did."
"Yeah, it did," said Harry. "I only had to hit two of the merfolk in the face with weak bludgeoning curses to get them to back off. The rest of the time they just threatened. They weren't happy I took their toys away from them."
"Well, you've got the judges all arguing now," she said. "Karkaroff is trying to claim Krum should get the maximum points and first place for the task because Krum was the first back to the surface. Maxime is arguing that, as the elder Miss Delacour was the first onto the dock with her sister when you pushed them all back in the boat that Delacour should receive the maximum points and first place. But the others are arguing that you were the first to reach and rescue your hostage, which was the point of the task, so you should receive maximum points and first place.
"There're also arguments that you interfered with the task for the other competitors except Diggory and, therefore, you should be disqualified. And that points should be deducted from Krum and Delacour because you had to step in to help them. It's a mess."
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" exclaimed Diggory. Harry didn't realise they were all listening in.
Diggory turned to the other two champions and brought them into a huddle, as Harry sat with his wives. Daphne blushed and looked sheepish at him and softly said, "Oops!" This just made Harry lightly chuckle while Hermione grinned back at her. Not more than fifteen seconds later, their mini huddle broke up. Diggory turned to Harry and said, "Come on. We're going to see the judges."
Harry gave a little grin and shrugged his shoulders. "Okay," he said as he climbed back to his feet, ready to follow the other three. "But, as I've made clear, I'm really not interested in the points."
"Maybe not," replied Krum. "But, vee are."
Just as they were standing, Daphne suddenly reached out with the lid and glass halves of a glass jar and snagged something from Hermione's hair between them. Quickly pulling the two from Hermione's hair, both Harry and Hermione's eyes widened at what she'd caught within the jar, as she screwed the lid down firmly - one animagus water beetle. And the beetle was frantically trying to escape.
Holding the now sealed jar in her left hand she pulled Harry's knife from its sheath on his thigh and quickly stabbed a couple of holes into the lid, before handing the knife back. Hermione's hand came up with her wand and she cast an Unbreakable charm on the jar.
As the three grinned at each other and followed the three champions back out of the tent, Daphne slipped the jar into her pocket. "We'll have a chat with nosey Miss Skeeter back in our apartment, later."
The four contestants, plus their four hostages and Daphne, all walked back down to the dock where the judges were gathered and still arguing.
As they walked onto the dock, Bagman saw them and his eyes lit up. He was about to say something when Diggory pulled his wand out and cast a Cannon Blast charm into the air.
That frightened just about everyone within ten feet. But, it did silence the judges, which was the effect he was going for.
"Since none of you could see what was going on below the water, perhaps you should ask us what happened before you think of awarding anyone points, hmm?" he asked.
Harry cocked an eyebrow in amusement at that. He never saw, before, that Diggory had a firm backbone and could stand up to authority figures like that. Especially, when three of those authority figures were the Heads of schools.
"Now, Cedric my boy," said Dumbledore. "We'll be with you in just a moment." "Yet, vee are wif you now," said Krum with his somewhat laconic style of speaking.
"Zey are... correct," said Delacour. "We will not accept points unless our views are 'aird."
With the three Heads, Bagman and Crouch the elder all looking back in surprised shock at the four competitors, Dumbledore looked to Harry and asked, "Is this your view, as well, Mister Potter?"
With a snort, Harry replied, "I've told you before, Headmaster; I really don't give a shit about the points. However, these three do; and I'm here to present a... united front, so to speak."
With his disappointed grandfatherly persona going full blast, Dumbledore said, "Very well. Then it behoves us to listen to what you have to say."
"Dumbledore; surely, you can't..." began Karkaroff.
Dumbledore didn't even turn to look at the man. He just held his hand up in a stop gesture and expected silence. He got it.
"Mister Diggory?" he enquired. "I take it you wish to put your views?"
"We do, Headmaster," he corrected. "Harry won this event, just as he clearly did in the first task. You lot robbed him of his rightful points for that task. You will not rob him of his rightful points for this one. He will get full points and, if you can swing it, he'll get bonus points for clearly saving the lives of both Miss Delacour and her hostage, her sister. "This whole... farce... is supposedly about friendly competition between the schools. You, as the judges, obviously seem to have forgotten that. However, we have not. And Harry staying behind to assist Victor, before then saving the lives of both Miss Delacours, epitomised that. I daresay the only reason he did not remain behind to assist me is because he had to get the Delacours out of there."
He turned to look questioningly at Harry.
Harry nodded back at the boy before returning his attention to the judges. "Obviously, those who set up this event clearly forgot two important facts," he said. "First, Veela... as creatures of fire and air... are grossly disadvantaged by an event held underwater. That created a very unfair playing field.
"And,
second,
you
all
were
so fucking stupid as to utterly forget that Veela and Merfolk are mortal enemies; and that the feud between them has existed for centuries. We, however, did not. That's why I stayed back. I was worried the merfolk were going to seize their opportunity and kill both. By the way they attempted to attack as I assisted Miss Delacour, it appears we were correct.
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