September 1: Orentation

As had become tradition, Blaise and Harriet gave bowing lessons to the first years. When that was done she got her schedule and looked for a quiet place to sit and look it over. Tom motioned her over.

"Any new and exciting projects planned for this year?"

"Not of the top of my head," said Harriet, "What do you think about all this rigmarole for the contest."

"It seems awfully suspicious to me," said Tom, "There's been talk of bringing back the triwizard tournament since it was banned, but no one took it seriously because … it was banned for a reason. This is looking more like an exchange student program, with sportier tests to keep everyone else interested, and advertise the strengths of all the schools. It could be very interesting."

"They said seventeen-year-olds and up, will you qualify by whatever date is important?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to try out?"

"Probably," said Tom, "Maybe I'll just challenge some students from other schools to some random games of trivia and prowess and see if I'm obviously outmatched."

"And do what with that data?"

"If they would walk all over me anyway, it doesn't matter whether I'm Hogwarts' best, I'd rather let someone else take the blame for Hogwarts not winning."

"Oh, I see. Yeah, that does sound your style," said Harriet, "but … why do you hint that that is a plausible prediction?"

"The two eastern European schools are up to fifteen year programs, Hogwarts is only seven."

"Good point," said Harriet, "Are they doing tiered competitions, OWLs together NEWTs together and Journeymen together? Wait, except forget about OWLs, if it's only seventeen and up."

"Not that I've heard," said Tom, "What I have heard is that they're bringing only seventh and eighth year students or only seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds, which isn't the same thing."

"Right," said Harriet, thinking about Dietrich and Ann who were over seventeen but Dietrich who'd had half a year of formal magic schooling and Ann who'd had three but it was four or more years ago. It wasn't that they'd been idle, just that magic hadn't been their focus lately, until this year.

Those inequalities made her so angry sometimes. It might take her a day or two to start thinking like and acting as Matirni, first of her line, instead of Lord Potter, on Holiday as a muggle.

Tom cleared his throat, "You've dropped a sheet."

"I've got my class schedule. I'm not sure that's mine, what is it? A brochure for … with a calender and meeting pass … books available from the restricted section? KEEP THIS PASS! … are you sure I dropped this?"

"Yes, It gets passed out to forth years. The calender is for tracking the moon's phase and your potions schedule," said Tom, "May not be important to you this year, but keeping track of it for next year or the year after, is said to be highly recommended."

"What?"

"Bury it in the bottom of your trunk for all I care, just keep it. Alright?"

"What do you care?"

Tom raised an eyebrow, "I've read the prefects' handbook, alright."

"Right, so what's this all about? Something more secret than spimming?"

"After a fashion."

"So I should go to this meeting?"

"You should, or you should keep track of that ticket in case you decide to go next year instead, probably something to discuss with Luna."

"Oh."

"After you've had a full night's sleep, from the sound of it."

"Good!" said Harriet, "I for sure need to do that."

"The motion carries," said Riddle, "Go to bed."

"Yes cousin."

October 30: Delegates arive

Almost the instant the wheels of the humongous coach touched the ground, a hissing crackle filled the air. Across a totally clear patch of sky a small bushy ball of lighting danced, tracing a black line in its wake, that seemed to sag and shiver ominously.

The hum and hiss seemed to come from the line, the lightning itself crackled. With no warning the lightning burst to five times it's previous size and left two wheals hanging in the air spinning rapidly below the black line, and vibrating to the same hum as the line itself. Immediately after the wheals the lightning shrank back to it's previous size and descended at an angle only to expand again to leave another huge wheal suspended only a few meters above the ground. This one larger than the previous pair and spinning horizontally. Then the lightning itself paused, still suspended. But the line and its hum did not stop, and the wheals and their spinning did not stop.

"It's the lightning not the line that is the tear in space-time," said someone, "The line is just a cable, though what it's pulling toward us I haven't a guess."

"Cable car," said someone else, "see, back over there."

And they were right, a huge cable car approached at several tens of miles an hour, perhaps hundreds, the perspective was strange because the cable car, like the coach, was too big. In fact it seemed to be at least three stories tall, perhaps with additional space for basement and attic. At any rate it was moving fast enough for there to show St. Elmo's fire at most corners. When it ran over the blocks the noise was like nearby thunder, and then it was descending and slowing and another ball of lightning was eating up the cable behind it.

By the time it had reached the lower wheel the cable car had almost reached a standstill. Figures could be seen in all the windows looking around, waving or shading their eyes.

After a stately turn around the huge wheal it came to a stop and the machinery on top of the cable car lowered it to the ground and let go of the cable, which shortly after had vanished between the two balls of lightning which themselves merged and vanished.

A second later a door lowered to form a ramp, and another much more normal pair of doors opened to reveal a crowd of students waiting to pile out. They emerged and paraded up to the castle in stately columns , but their capes and furs were in all colours.

"That has got to be Koldovstoretz."

"Which one is that?"

"Russians. Means the 'old conjurers' or something."

"Oh."

"I heard it meant 'place of magic'."

And then the air was filled with a totally different whistling noise.

"Merlin, is that—?" said someone.

"Is … that what it looks like?"

"If you think it looks like a magic carpet big enough to land aeroplanes on, then yes." Which led to enough comments for Harriet to deduce that most of the purebloods didn't know what aircraft carriers were. Not that she really thought that this particular magic carpet was that big.

"Not moving as fast as the others," said Theo with an ironic lilt to his voice, "I guess they had to leave a bunch earlier."

Harriet glanced at him, "What kind of opera glasses are those?"

"These are omnioculars," said Theo, "I finally got them put back together for the Quidditch world cup, I don't know how I survived without them for five years."

"How far apart did you have them?" said Pansy, without removing her eyes from her own pair.

"All the way," said Theo.

"Then I'm surprised you didn't lose parts."

"I've been following excellent lab protocol for most of my life," said Theo, "Why do you think I have so many bags and notebooks?"

Pansy and Millicent snickered, Blaise groaned. Theo's organisational methods or seeming lack thereof were legendary.

The carpet rippled and cornered sharply. Someone screamed, everyone pointed. Black dots were fluttering down from the edge of the carpet.

"Don't worry, they're over the lake," sang out Lee Jordan.

"And that is why magic carpets are outlawed in Britain," said Professor Vector.

"Is it really people?" said someone.

"Yes," said Theo finding and tracking them with his omnioculars, "first one is in green, which I believe means cultural and diplomatic studies, had a broom but lost it, second one is in brown, no broom or anything else evident, brown means philosophy and magical theory, I'd say something about philosophy possibly not helping much in this situation but that would be mean, third is tiny and in auror red, so martial arts if I remember, fourth is in blue, I don't know that one."

"Wards," said Pansy, "blue is wards, runes, and curse breaking."

"Nice," said Theo, "you just happen to know that."

"I've been considering transferring to Brown Academy after Hogwarts, for my wards mastery," said Pansy, "What's your excuse?"

"A friend asked me to help him research alternate educational venues." He cleared his throat, "Something told me that reviewing my notes might come in handy."

"Can you tell if the martial artist has red with green trim for muggle and squib weapons, or red with blue trim for magical defence, or red with—"

"Red on green, I think," said Theo, "I notice that she's used her cloak to stabilise her fall, she's upside down but... Actually the first three have all done that, the fourth is … yes, he's on a broom but diving after the others anyway. I don't know if he can catch up with them … maybe if they keep using their robes to keep from falling any faster."

"First is falling slower than his broom," said Pansy, "her broom? Long hair anyway. Any second now it's going to pass her, ah she sees it… and she caught it. And she's safe."

"Second has turned into a bird."

"Merlin," said Harriet, "Constantine." She covered her eyes.

"That's three out of four that don't want to go swimming today," announced Lee Jordan.

"Constantine, Slytherin, Merlin!" said Harriet.

"That's not how we swear around here," whispered Draco half a second ahead of Blaise.

"Slytherin, Merlin! Voldemort!" whimpered Harriet.

"What actually is your problem," said Tom.

"My family drives me crazy," said Harriet.

"I beg your pardon," said Tom.

"Not you," said Harriet, "the drama addicts over the lake."

"You know who they are?"

"200 galleons says it's my cousin and my two brothers."

"And the fourth?"

"Whoa, I was wrong, it wasn't a bird," said Theo, "Now that it's closer … evidently it was a dragon."

"No," said someone else, "it really was a bird smaller than him, and now it's a dragon bigger than him."

"Huh?"

"The dragon has caught the tiny muggle," said Theo, "broom rider in blue no longer looks intent on preparing to demonstrate the Wronski feint."

"They're all headed this way," said Pansy.

"Of course they are," said Harriet weakly.

"Stand up," said Draco, "someone might think you don't want them to see you. Don't you love your family Harriet."

Harriet stuck her tongue out at Draco but stood up.

"Charming," said Draco.

"OK, so brown robe with dragon is Dietrich, obviously," said Tom, "I presume little blue is Moit."

"Yes," said Harriet, "small red squib is Dietrich's arms-woman, Green is Ann."

"Ann the legendary plot disentangler?" said Tom.

"Yes," sighed Harriet.

"Excellent, I've been wanting to meet her. It is good she didn't break her neck, that would have been a waste."

Harriet seemed to have nothing to say to that.

"Nope," sang out Lee Jordan, "The dragon has turned back toward where the carpet is landing. And if the bubbling in the lake means anything, the last school is about to arrive."

The entire student body of Koldovstoretz seemed disappointed by that pronouncement.

And right at that moment a third or more of the riders decided the magic carpet was no longer dangerously high and took off on brooms or small magic carpets of their own. All evidently in perfect control.

"That is so unsafe," said Professor Vector. Most of the gryffindors snickered at her. Several gryffindors students were heard to make plans to befriend a magic carpet owner and learn what they were all about.

A few moments later the carpet was down and being unloaded.

Meanwhile the woman in green alighted a few meters away and held her broom up in the air while still striding forward at the same speed. The blue clad rider took the broom and stuffed it in the sling on his back while also setting down, soon he had his own broom secured with hers and scampered after her and leaped at the last moment.

And landed on her shoulder as a red fox.

Without seeming to notice, she strode on, when she was in range she called ahead. "Master Nott," said the green clad woman, looking right at Theo.

"Um," said Theo, "you seem to have me at a disadvantage."

She nodded as if that was the way things were supposed to be, she drew her wand and held it pointed at the sky between thumb and forefinger, on display rather than ready for use or combat, "You may tell Augustus you saw Glenda Matirni of Matirni here. With a new wand, and a new sponsor."

Several people hissed or turned to look. Theo shivered.

"If he tells you to run for your life, ignore him. His blood or gold would satisfy my anger, yours would not."

"Um," said Theo.

She nodded again and holstered her wand, "That is all," then she took another step forward and whispered something long and complicated in his ear. He shuddered.

She stepped back, and held up one finger and then two.

He shivered.

She held up one finger again, and then two. She turned to walk away.

"Um," said Nott.

She turned back.

"Does Rumpelstiltskin come from your part of the world?" he said.

She smirked and her eyes glittered, "Rumpelstiltskin, or his story if not that precise way of saying his name, predates the rise of Rome, and the story will continue to work as long as there are contracts, and human or goblin babies to warn about entering into them frivolously."

His mouth hung open. She held up one finger and then two.

His mouth worked and he held up one finger and then two, and nodded.

She turned away again.

The fox on her shoulder yipped and jumped at Harriet. To her surprise, she managed to catch him. "Well hello, Rdeča," she cooed, "you're an idiot. Still adorable and incorrigible, but an idiot."

He yipped again.

She turned to see where Ann had gone. She seemed to be hugging half the upper year hufflepuffs. Tom turned back from that spectacle.

"You remember Tom," she cooed, "Tom remembers you, though without the fur coat."

Tom nodded sagely, then turned smug, "I take it you've found at least one additional circumstance when sacrifice was not inappropriate?"

Rdeča yipped again and looked at the ground, after a glance at Harriet's eyes he looked at the ground again and leaned. Tom took a step back and Rdeča jumped down, landing with two human feet and with no fur or tail or anything else foxish.

Tom took another step back and bowed neutral generic respect. Moit bowed in return. Cadet of house to Heir of client. Tom's face froze while he calculated that. Then he bowed again Heir of client to Cadet of house in personal debt. Moit didn't get it and was about to ask, then he did get it, and returned the bow properly modified.

Tom turned away smugly and went to mingle with the approaching Durmstrang and Koldovstoretz students

Draco cleared his throat, "Someone mind explaining what's going on?"

"This is my little brother Moit," said Harriet, "he just tried to hold something of his Mom's over Tom, and oddly Tom accepted that but replied by holding something of mine over Moit. Moit likewise accepted that."

"I got all that," said Draco, "Nice to meet you, Master Matirni, I meant. Nott, who is she really and what was that all about?"

"That was about … if Augustus' stories are to be believed … that's who was the newest client line, if she hadn't 'turned out to have more crazy than the Lestrange brothers and uncles put together. But luckily she went line traitor, and we're safe.' Except evidently she's here and we're not safe. Except maybe she's not nearly that crazy and it's only Augustus who isn't safe."

Daphne cleared her throat, "No offence, but given the stories I've heard about Augustus…"

"I know," said Theo, "Believe me I know."

"What was the one and two thing?" said Pansy.

"Let's just say," said Theo, "If any of you marry Augustus, don't get too attached to your first born."

"What are you going to tell him?" said Draco.

"Nothing, I'm going to tell him nothing," said Theo, "she said 'may tell him' several times, she never said 'please'. The only direct order she gave was to ignore him if he panics on my behalf, once she's gone again, I shall consider telling him, maybe if I get especially jealous of any particular success he seems to be having on the romantic front, I might do some blackmail."

A couple people snickered but no one seemed to have anything to say to that.

Theo turned to Harriet, "Explain again the family connections between them all, and you?"

"Da's oldest brother lives in Eastern Europe, has lots of kids, most of them have already graduated I guess. Da's middle brother runs the English circus, she's his heir, she already runs the drama stages, is director for one of them. Or was before she found a new sponsor and a school that didn't care that she'd gone here for three years, or what kind of politics had gotten her kicked out. That or they cared more about centuries of family history associated with her name than some random Britt's family name they'd never heard of. No offence Theo."

"None taken," said Theo.

"I still don't get how she counts as anything less than half blood, or how your family came to be sponsoring her."

"It was at least a generation ago," said Theo, "which is to say, I have no idea."

"OK, whatever," said Harriet.

"I've followed all this except one thing," said Moit, "What's a line traitor?"

"Opposite of a blood traitor," said Draco, "when client line or its half blood representative walks out on an established contract instead of the house or its pureblood representative."

"Got it," said Moit.

"Alright," said Theo, "Finish the introductions. The animagi are your brothers?"

"Technically, 'skin walkers'," said Moit, "Yes, we claim her. Even if she got the raw deal to be a metamorph instead."

Harriet stuck her tongue out at him. Then tried to punch him in the shoulder.

He grinned and ducked under it and gave her a hug. Harriet gave no indication of minding that.

"Ooh," said Tracy, "does Luna let you hug boys?"

Harriet shrugged, "if Luna objects she'll let me know."

"In that case," said Blaise and darted for her. Harriet put up a fist with the index finger raised, "Blaise, I like you, but keep your creepy magical pheromones off me."

Blaise stopped short, "I beg your pardon."

"You really want me to explain what I just said, right here in front of everyone?"

"Nah, that's alright," said Blaise, "did you see all the veelas getting off the Beauxbatons carriage?"

"No, what are those?"

All the boys rolled their eyes, so did several of the girls, "How did you not notice?"

Harriet shrugged, "Maybe I did notice something, but that doesn't mean I have enough information to connect it to the two other keywords veela and Beauxbatons carriage."

"All those with hair like mine, but a couple shades prettier," muttered Draco.

"Oh, them," said Harriet, then shrugged, "What about them?"

"That's it," said Tracy, "we all wondered, but now we can be sure. Harriet will still be riding unicorns in her NEWT year."

"Sure, probably," said Harriet, intentionally ignoring the hint, "though I must say I'm partial to thestrals also."

"Constantine," said Moit, "That's right, Harriet, I'm here finally, you've got to show me the unicorns."

"Sure," said Harriet, "riding club meets on Tuesday afternoons, you're welcome to join us, day after tomorrow."

"Awesome!" said Moit.

"So … what's your other brother and his muggle weapons expert getting up to?" said Theo.

"They returned to the magic carpet," said Harriet, "I didn't see after that, I'm not the one with the omnioculars."

"After the carpet landed, they unloaded everything from it and erected a framework under it to turn it into a tent or something," said Flint, "a few of them have come back out since then and started heading this way. Though a bunch have stopped at the Black Lake to chat with the Durmstrang students."

"Speaking of," said Harriet and turned to Moit, "is Tunde actually a muggle, or just prefers muggle weapons?"

Moit turned to her and stared, "Um, mu?"

Harriet closed her eyes, both 'not actually a muggle' or 'does not prefer muggle weapons' and something else that broke the easy assumptions or categories, "About like Dietrich then?"

"Nothing like Dietrich," said Moit, "Except for the part about being one of a kind."

"Ah, alright."

"Speaking of," said Moit, "I should go find 'Glenda'." He hurried away.

So they mingled with students from the other schools until the Beauxbatons students started to arrive, and everyone suddenly realised how cold it was outside and welcomed everyone into the great hall where soon appeared mugs and steaming pitchers of hot coco and mulled cider.

.

Much to everyone's consternation, the four jumpers (as they were soon called) did not instantly join the gryffindors, as any sane person would expect of them. Nor did they sit with Harriet and therefore with the slytherins as many of the purebloods expected once they knew the family connection. Instead they predominantly sat with the hufflepuffs, and Glenda talked incessantly with Maxine O'Flaherty and Heidi MacAvoy, with enough interaction with Cedric Diggory that Cho Chang started coming over from Ravenclaw to sit between them. Glenda didn't seem to notice and started interviewing her for news as well.

But Moit would sit with his sister from time to time, and Dietrich would sit with anyone who invited him, at least the first two times, and Tunde would sit just far enough away to be unobtrusive.

Slytherin arises

Tom Riddle IV tried to ignore the company as he finished packing up the debate club's meagre belongings and shrunk and pocketed the trunk. There once had been a time when he wouldn't be caught dead doing menial work like this when he had so many able minions available. On the other hand a fair percentage of these minutes were worth more than their weight in gold and he wasn't going to be letting any slip away without a good reason.

He was aware that it didn't help his image with the contingent of seventh years who'd visited today for no obvious reason. But the fact that they stayed behind afterwards was definitely telling.

"Alright," he said, "What can I do for you all? Since you didn't come here for the banter."

"Are you going to enter the competition?"

"I've considered it," said Tom, "Not exactly the kind of fame and fortune I tend to work for."

"Ah, but we must all start somewhere," said a boy, one of the lesser Flints, if he didn't miss his guess. Was that a hint at his lack of visible parents throwing money around. He wondered what he'd think if Tom told him that he could have robbed him blind any time since the previous summer. He still could in fact, and now without needing to go through the head of Magadan.

"True," said Tom, "I'm not against incremental steps toward any goal, but I am still weighing whether winning the tournament would actually further my goals, and whether the cost of either winning or loosing could be invested better elsewhere."

"Are you saying that you think you'd loose?"

"I'm saying that I could enter to intentionally loose, just as willingly as entering to win, if it furthered my goals."

"So you could win it."

"That remains to be seen," said Tom, "You're missing my point: if winning the tournament cost me something worth more than a measly one thousand galleons. I'd be a fool to enter."

"That's true," agreed Lucy Salmae, exceptionally rich half-blood cadet branch of the house of Prince. One of the few here who Riddle couldn't rob blind. The power differential was palpable even if she didn't know it. She thought she was just one among many. The heirs of Death Eaters knew she was not.

"Not all of us are as rich as you," said Flint.

Riddle sighed, Flint was cunning, as long as you were playing for the same stakes he was. Which was to say, if you were playing the same game he was, he could anticipate your moves and stay a move or more ahead. Lucy wasn't playing his game; she had money, she played for status. Mostly she played for the status and advantage of her house and trusted her House to recognise her help. Flint played for himself, mostly he played for money though he'd taken a year off last year to play for skin.

Riddle smirked, he had friends who'd lend him all the skin he wanted and be glad he was showing proper approval, he once had collected allies who'd obey any order, be it a demand for a tribute of money or blood or skin.

No, Riddle had read his own story and was ready to play the grander game this time. He'd had his vengeance on his all his lesser foes. As to his first true enemy, he'd stripped him of international influence and control over the minds of the next generation, his wand had been forfeit to a muggleborn, and he'd written the book that was quickly eroding from him both enemies and allies. The game the old man had mastered was ending, and Tom was setting the board for a new game. And the old man didn't even seem to know it yet.

"Isn't that right, Riddle," said Flint.

"I apologise, Flint," said Tom, I was gloating over the downfall of my enemies, I couldn't hear you. He'd love to see their faces if he said that."I was thinking about something else, and I still don't see how any of this has to do with me, perhaps you could explain that part again."

"The glory of slytherin house," said Flint.

"At the risk of offending," said Tom, "That sounds like a griffendor's reason. Though most Hogwarts' winners have been gryffindors or ravenclaws."

"Sure, more importantly gryffindors or hufflepuffs who had friend or allies in ravenclaw," said Flint, "gryffindors can and do win by gryffindor means for gryffindor ends, but more hufflepuffs win by ravenclaw means. And frankly I'm tired of both cases, we all are. But it shouldn't be too hard to win by slytherin means, we rarely trail behind the ravenclaws in tests, we often build webs of alliance much more optimised than what hufflepuffs are known for."

"You're saying that a cabal of us working together would reduce the risk and increase the chances of success," said Tom.

"And that having a slytherin champion representing the school would drastically reduce hate speech against all members of our house, it always has in the past. Except when the champion in question was especially hateful. Usually such effects can be seen to linger a full generation or more."

"So," said Tom, "Who is our champion to be?"

"That's just it," said Lucy, "without knowing what the tasks are, it is difficult to judge who would be best. There are rumours that the goblet can measure the magical power of each entrant, and other rumours that it can see through time and pick out the candidate most likely to survive the contest. What we propose merely is this, we pledge to aid any champion from house Slytherin, we encourage every eligible slytherin to submit their name, may the best slytherin win and represent the strength an glory of slytherin ideals to the world. And we'll all help in whatever way we can."

"I'm ready to offer whatever help I can be outside my studies," said Tom, "I'm still not yet ready to put my name forward. Especially if I'm splitting the prize with the lot of you."

"No one is asking anyone to work without the hazard pay the prize money represents."

"Ah," said Tom.

"Without meaning any offence, Riddle," said Flint, "but are you afraid that your name would be drawn or afraid your name won't be drawn?"

There wasn't a non face-losing answer to that.

"Because what we're all afraid of is one of us being selected, if it should have been you, or vice-versa," said Lucy.

That was a valid concern. And if one had already conceded that having a slytherin champion would be a moral good end, it would be unethical to use a means that provided a less than optimal champion.

"We're all entering together then?" said Tom.

"Yes," said four of the others who had been leaving the talking to Flint and Lucy.

"Alright," said Tom, "but there is still one weak point in your argument, we must be sure that the goblet really does choose the best champion, and not just a random champion. All the school board's precautions against younger student's entering suggests to me that the goblet is not quite as trustworthy as all that."

"How are we going to find that out, all the records of previous champions … are far enough out of date that finding evidence to prove or disprove the validity of its previous selections is difficult if not impossible."

"We're going to visit the arithmancy and runes professors and ask them to explain how the goblet functions," said Tom, "And we're all going to listen, and we're all going to look for loopholes that could in any way be used, abused, or allow for it to make a mistake selecting any but the best champion."

They grumbled slightly at that but they all agreed that it was a sensible step.

"Finally," said Tom, "We're going to swear not just to support a champion from slytherin house, but any deserving champion from any house and in fact, from any school. Our cabal is not to win the championship for slytherin, but to use the championship to improve the reputation of Hogwarts in the eyes of Europe, and the reputation of slytherin house in the eyes and minds of all Hogwarts."

"Agreed," said Lucy right away, as if she'd thought of that but hadn't figured out how to say it.

The others agreed as well, though more slowly.

"Also," said Tom, "I have two relatives that I'd like to be in attendance when we question the professors on the workings of the Goblet. Please invite anyone else that you think will improve the tenor of the discussion."

Null schemes

"You could have told me!" said Moit, as they made their way to dinner after riding club.

"Told you what?"

"That unicorns are a kind of rhinoceros not a kind of horse."

"Oh," said Harriet, "Sorry."

"How could you forget to mention something like that?"

"It's right there in the Latin name for rhinoceros, I didn't think of it past the first two or three days, which was … four years ago."

"Humph," said Moit, "I mean they're kind of cute with shaggy hair, but … not at all the kind of cute I was expecting."

"Right," said Harriet.

"Anyway…" the conversation paused as they fought with the castle doors, which seem to have gotten much creakier with twice as many students using them five times as often.

"Hello Matirnis," said Luna who seemed to have been waiting for them.

"Hello Luna," they each said.

As they passed the goblet, Moit said, "Are you going to put your name in?"

"Wasn't planning on it," said Harriet, "the age line, the arresto-momentum sphere, and all that."

"I can think of three ways around that," said Moit.

"So are you going to put your name in?"

"No," said Moit, "I'm new to the whole wand use thing, I'll be happy to learn spells to tie my shoes or something."

"I still don't know one for that," said Harriet, "But I do know one for conjuring an insane amount of rope that will try to tie up whatever is in the general vicinity of what you aim it at."

"Creepy," said Moit, "will it burn?"

"Will what burn?"

"Would it be good to tick off Dietrich when he's being huge?"

"Oh," grinned Harriet, "I'm not sure."

"Is Harry going to enter?" said Moit.

"That … is a good question," said Harriet, "Luna, is Harry going to enter?"

"No," said Luna, "But he'll get a chance to play anyway, if he wants it."

"Good to know," said Harriet, "How does that work?"

"Someone else will put his name in," said Luna, "He can show up because of a rumour of a binding magical contract."

"Oh dear," said Harriet, "But you say he can get out of it?"

"No," said Luna, "But … if he doesn't want to play, there are ways make sure that it doesn't bind to him."

"Ah," said Harriet, "what should I know?"

"Slytherin wants to know how the goblet works," said Luna, "There will be a meeting about it soon, Tom will invite you, go with him. If you still don't understand, ask me again." In other words, it would be suspicious if Harriet understood too much before then.

The goblet flames

Harriet felt a hand on her shoulder, it was a familiar weight and size so she put her hand over top of it. The ring made from a bottle cap with the top punched out and a glamour applied could only be one person.

"Hello Luna," she slid over to make room, "What's up?"

Luna settled onto the bench beside her. "Nothing, yet. But the ceremony starts soon. Remember don't be the first to stand up unless you want the magic to bind to you."

"Thanks for the reminder," said Harriet and turned to Luna. There was no one visible beside her. "Is the cloak necessary?"

"Most of the ravenclaws can't think straight when they see me over here, so if I keep them from seeing me, so they can go on thinking straight."

"Right, never mind."

"It will come in handy later."

"Alright."

Harriet returned to eating.

Luna picked up a fork and helped herself to Harriet's plate.

In Sicily, sharing food with Luna had been cute, and close enough to undetectable that Harriet was fairly sure only Ann had noticed, especially since they hadn't really used plates half the time, though sometimes they simulated with handkerchiefs, or more rarely they had transfigured the handkerchiefs into plates, especially at first, but that had gotten to be a bother. With real plates it was significantly more obvious where the boarder lines normally should run, and when Luna violated those lines.

Harriet had grown accustomed to that sense of violation, and had taken to forcing her territorial instinct to relax either by shrinking her own sense of territory so Luna's antics wouldn't count as violations, or by drawing the boundary wider to include Luna. She was still coming to terms with what either action ought to mean, she really should confront Luna about it soon, but not here or now. Also she wasn't quite sure Luna wasn't doing it on purpose, perhaps with some idea that it was a bonding ritual, or a normal step in the process of becoming partners. Perhaps it was. But Harriet's parents, though they would share plates at times, usually it was an act borne of necessary, and done in such a way that it expressed, 'I went and got food for you and only had my own plate to carry it back on, here serve yourself as if my plate is the platter,' not, 'your food is mine just like everything else of yours,' no … what Luna did felt more like, 'oh, food, I'm still hungry, thanks,' Harriet wondered if Luna's earlier trouble in ravenclaw had some basis in … a natural reaction to some instinct that Luna was simply lacking, and without it she'd never picked up, or had been very slow to pick up some normal sector of politeness. Luna wasn't a sociopath by any of the normal standards. But surely, with thousands of years of vicarious experience one would think she would have learned a lot more politeness and tact.

Unless… was there something even more obvious to someone with Luna's vast experience, was Luna's style of politeness optimised for something other than what normal people optimised for?

"Luna," said Harriet.

"What Harriet."

"I've asked several times since you warned me, 'is it best for England?' and we've come up with a strategy based on what you've warned me."

"Right."

"Is there something else that it would be better for me to ask?"

"You mean like, 'What is best for the Family of Magic?" said Luna, "or what is best for Life in the Galaxy."

"Right," said Harriet, "What is best for the Family of Magic, should Harry participate in the contest?"

"Doesn't matter."

"What is best for Life in the Galaxy, should Harry participate in the contest?"

"Doesn't matter."

"That wasn't helpful," said Harriet, "What's best for the European Family of Magic?"

"Either Harry should participate, or he should … or you should focus on revising and helping all the champions to cooperate. Four of the five champions are potential dark lords or ladies, some are only one or two disasters away from losing faith in society and karma and choosing instead to protect what they value by their own will and magic alone. Every task has the potential to kill a contestant, the middle task is least dangerous to the contestants and most dangerous to Europe and life and peace of this planet."

"What do you recommend?" said Harriet.

"Harry need not participate," said Luna, "but you should make sure he attends the second task and is ready to rescue any who would slip through the safeguards put in place by the adults."

"Anything that I should know?"

"Does Harry want to compete?"

"I don't think he needs the fame or the money," said Harriet.

"True," said Luna, "You always answer that, but that is never what I'm asking."

"Would it be good for him in some other way?"

"He could learn lots, by preparing for the tasks." said Luna, "and get out of homework or something, rumour said."

"Certain assignments, not all of them," said Harriet."The decision is his," said Luna, "That is what I keep telling you, the recognition that matters most is what is in his own heart and in the minds of the other contestants, not that which is in the newspapers."

"Fine."

"The decision is his," said Luna, "Which is as it should be, which is lucky since he didn't get a choice whether his name was put in the goblet."

"Right."

"And here goes," said Luna.

Headmaster Smith got up and began explaining the procedure of the evening's ceremony. Finally he started the goblet off.

First came, "Victor Krum of Durmstrang," Krum stood and went forward to much applause. He made his bow to renewed applause and went into the antechamber to the side of the Great hall. "Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons," one of the more powerful veela stood and followed Victor. She seemed much less moved by the applause, and didn't bow for the crowd. "Dietrich Matirni of …" a long squint, several grunts from someone nearby, "Brown Academic Institute of Life and Magic," proclaimed the headmaster. Either he had trouble with Cyrillic or Dietrich's handwriting was terrible. Possibly both.

Next came "And for Koldovstoretz" said Headmaster Smith, and more squinting. Then he passed the parchment to a female Russian Professor, Stesha Antipova, who looked sick or disappointed and passed it to the male professor who raised an disapproving eyebrow and pronounced, "Anoushka Litvak."

A brown haired girl, danced up to the front in such a way that Harriet had to wonder if she was really 17, or if an enemy had cast a more classical variant of the tap dancing curse on her.

On the other hand, in spite of the dancing it seemed she moved fast enough that only about three people had time to clap before she disappeared through the side door into the portrait room.

"And finally for Hogwarts, Tom Riddle, the fourth."

Tom stood and moved with poise, he acknowledge the crowd, and accepted their acclamation, but did not give a hint of basking in it. Just acknowledge their right to their opinion. Then he to was gone.

The international professors, or at least the important ones began to make their way to the side hall and Headmaster Smith began to make closing comments so that everyone would feel allowed to finish eating and go to bed.

The goblet belched out another parchment. He caught it from the air but did not read it immediately, first he glared at the goblet for several seconds.

"It's still waiting for him to read it," said Moit, "You can see it. It's got to be the name of another contestant."

"Harry Potter of Brown," said Headmaster Smith mechanically.

Silence.

Luna's hand pressing down hard on Harriet's thigh, and a whispered, "don't stand unless you want it to bind to you."

"I remember!" Harriet whispered back.

.

The last professor from Brown Institute, who hadn't followed Dietrich into the next room, the one with red robes with green trim, just like Tunde's. The one who no one paid attention to and who was not known to speak in public, just like Tunde, exploded to her feet, "For the last time!" she shouted, "There is no 'Harry Potter' at Brown Institute, there never has been, not with a noble title and not without, not with a scar, and not without. And certainly not here, in this year's group of seventh and eighth year students." She wrinkled her nose in disgust and sat down.

Conversation exploded, interpretation and speculation abounded.

Luna let go, "That went well, it tried to bind her with the contract and found that she lacked magic of the shape it could attach to."

Harriet closed her eyes, so someone could have lost their magic from her lack of interest in fame. Luna should have told her. But then Luna probably knew the chances, perhaps had even helped to deal the chances, of this particular thing happening.

So that's what that rumour had been about, "Did you tell the literary club and the conspiracy club that Harry Potter attends Brown?"

"Me?" said Luna, "No, why would I tell a lie like that. I merely pointed out that all his family went there, except you, and that he was so interested in defence that you were under orders from him to read the whole defence section of the Hogwarts library."

Thus setting them all individually to investigate the obvious implication. By interrogating the only available defence professor from Brown.

"And it's not called the conspiracy club," said Luna.

"Never mind that," said Harriet, "Are you coming?"

"Would I be wearing Harry's cloak otherwise?"

"Mu."

Harriet stood up and made her way forward, that seemed to shut up most of Hogwarts, then get them explaining to the other schools that she often acted as Harry's agent.

Argument

Everyone in the Antechamber was surprised to see her of course, and she collected several insults and as many hints to leave. Only Senior Professor Moody seemed unsurprised, and he'd probably seen her coming through the wall.

"I'm not here as a contestant," said Harriet, "I'm here as witness because someone put, in 'Harry Potter,' which happens to be the name of my sponsor, and it is my duty to represent his interests as best I can, until he arrives."

"Did you get his name put in for him?" said Professor Moody.

"No," said Harriet, "I did not. I heard rumours a while back of others conspiring to, but nothing I could trace."

He looked surprised, perhaps at there being rumours that he had not managed to detect.

Headmaster Smith entered of course, Professor Snape was there as Riddle's head of house, Professor Vector was there because she was Deputy Headmistress, What was Dumbledore doing there? What was Professor Moody doing there.

"Professor Dumbledore, Professor Vector," said Headmaster Smith, "you two are probably best able of my staff to judge what has gone wrong with the goblet and what we must do about it. Any of the rest are welcome to match wits with the artefact's creators, in the mean time, let me go over some things for the contestants."

So he gave a speech that wasn't that much different than the previous one, at dinner, except this one gave the dates, times, and places where the contestants should meet rather than where the onlookers should gather. He also went over some terms and conditions on participating and on how the prize would be awarded.

Toward the middle Moody raised an eyebrow and went to the door just before someone knocked.

"I'm here under the impression I'm as reluctantly invited as I am reluctant to attend," said a familiar voice that made Harriet's ears prickle the same way that seeing herself in a magical photograph made her eyes prickle, or holding a time turner and trying to hold onto the thought of turning it one too many times.

"Glad you could make it, my boy," said Dumbledore.

"Try 'Lord Potter,' Mr. Mugwump," said Lord Potter.

Headmaster Smith cleared his throat. Lord Potter waved for him to proceed, "Sorry to interrupt, please go on, Harriet will fill me on what I missed. Speaking of." He turned to Harriet, "You may return to your friends or studies for the moment if you prefer. Thank you for your time."

"I am at your service," Harriet curtsied, anything to get her eyes off him and his sand-yellow and off-white striped acromantula silk robes. She went out. He was looking like a rich idiot's caricature of what a Bedouin that struck it rich and wanted to look like a Pharaoh would dress in, except someone had the sense to steer him toward the muted pastels. Or he was also aiming for desert camouflage and desert comfort, yes, that fit his persona. It didn't fit the stereotype of the biome surrounding Uagadou, which was rumoured to be hidden in the Mountains of the Moon.

Interesting that she'd seen the exotic outfit in her mind's eye when she'd planned this with Luna and yet not realised how out of place it would look in Hogwarts, or why she thought it fit Potter's character. Or come to terms with the fact that she might just be trying to one up her brothers.

That made her eyes light up. There were different kinds of fame, and her kind didn't hurt anyone. Not like what Snape complained about Harry's father.

.

She ran, first to her dorm to grab her second wand (Italian made, Holly, Nundu sinew, 29 cm, well behaved but a bit slow), her new broom (a present from Dietrich) and to trade out portkey sets. Harry's portkeys went most of the same places but his rings were a bit heavier and more masculine. Also she'd bought all of his in sets of four, for efficiency's sake so there were less than half as many needed. Then she made her way to the nearest secret tunnel to Hogsmeade and conjured a mirror and transfigured all her clothes to look like Harry's pseudo-Egyptian monstrosities. She was glad Luna had insisted they make a short trip of their own to meet her Da and his naturalist club's trip to the Sinai Peninsula, she wasn't clear how native Egyptian wizards dressed there, but she had a good sample how foreign wizards were likely to dress while trying to fit in.

She became Harry Potter, Lord of Potter, Wizengamot Lord and slightly annoyed to have travelled all the way to Scotland on short notice, yet amused to have a chance to visit family, and excited to have an excuse to find out more about the contest.

He exited the tunnel and made his way to a discreet location to climb on his broom and head for Hogwarts, he landed at the gate and checked to see if the wards would let him in or if he'd have to knock. They did. He mounted his broom again and flew to the front door and made his way to the antechamber at the side of the great hall. He knocked and pretended not to know Professor Moody from anyone else. Harry had only officially met Professors Snape and Dumbledore, and Madams Pomfrey and Pince. And no one here knew the story that he regularly traded with Harriet. And if anyone had shared that with them, they could hardly blame him for pretending what he was already known to be pretending.

He urged Headmaster Smith to finish and Harriet to leave if she wished. She'd gone of course.

Headmaster Smith droned on. When he finished he turned the floor over to Dumbledore who seemed to have naturally become the spokesperson of the group of 'enchanted artefact, runes, and contract experts'.

Dumbledore seemed to face only him, "Just to verify, did you put your name in the goblet or cause it to be placed there?"

"I did not," said Harry with a lazy smirk.

Dumbledore didn't seem to quite know how to interpret his amusement, finally he went on. "So far as we can tell, by spelling and abbreviating the name of Brown Academic Institute of Life and Magic differently than how all their students were instructed, the goblet was forced to pick your name as a sixth school's only contestant."

"Fine," said Harry, "Harriet already predicted that much."

"So I'm afraid you are bound by magical contract to participate," said Dumbledore.

"Hypothetically, Does that mean that this bound person will feel a compulsion to join the proceedings, or that if he or she refuses, he or she will face stipulated consequences?"

"It appears that if 'he' refuses to participate 'he' will lose his magic," said Dumbledore.

Harry nodded, "And how does the Goblet determine, which Harry Potter out of all the Harry Potters in the world is the one to which the magical contract is intended to bind."

Dumbledore blinked and turned back to consult with the others.

"That's what I was trying to say," said the severe man in blue robes, "you must find the culprit, not the victim."

"It's quite plain that someone must participate," said Dumbledore.

"Not if the name was written rather than signed," said another, "it tracks the magical signature both in the parchment and in the nearest being when the parchment arrives, I don't care how good it might or might not have been forged, this parchment isn't his signature."

"What!"

Finally they handed the parchment over.

"No," said Harry, "that is not how I normally sign my name." But it was fairly close. Who had access to anything he'd signed as Lord Potter?

They asked for a sample. Harry eyed them coolly, "Definitely not," he said, "There's no way I'm fool enough to create a sample of my a magical signature with that menace in the room." He indicated the goblet.

Moody growled grudging approval.

The argument went on for over a quarter of an hour, it seemed like most everyone was ambivalent whether he participated. Only Dumbledore, Moody, Snape, and the headmaster from Durmstrang seemed especially interested, everyone else seemed to want no part of the discussion, or only wanted to pick holes in bad logic. Or other kinds of status seeking, ("Surely you don't expect anyone this young to compete?") ("But just in case, you know, Surely you don't want him to lose his magic?") and on and on.

"Do you have any sensitives available?" said Harry when he'd had about enough.

"What?" said Professor Moody.

"Sensitives," said Harry, "Squibs, people who can see magic rather than wield it. What does your eye see?"

His natural eye twitched to the side informing Harry where Luna was, though he'd already had an vague idea.

Harry turned, "Beloved, do you have a set of those odd little glasses handy?"

A hand appeared and pushed back a hood, revealing the glasses in question and sunny blond hair and earrings made of a root a bit more magically active than radishes. "These glasses?" said Luna.

"Yes," said Harry, "and you've already been acclimating your eyes to them I take it?"

"Yes, Harry," she said, "What did you want me to observe?"

"Could you tell who entered their names?"

"Yes," said Luna, "At first, but the threads linking them to the goblet faded as it eliminated those it didn't approve of."

"Right, can you see who is currently bound to it?"

"Oh, no one is bound to the goblet anymore," she waved to indicate, "they're all bound to the contract."

"Ah," said Harry, "Am I bound to the contract?"

"No, why would you be, you weren't here and didn't respond when the sixth parchment was read."

"Was someone else bound in my place?" said Harry

"Not exactly," said Luna, "The contract tried to bind the angry defence professor from Brown, but she didn't let it."

"There we go," said Harry, "Am I needed for anything else?"

"No, Lord Potter, thank you for your time," said Headmaster Smith, "Take your reporter friend with you when you leave."

"Gladly," said Harry.

Headmaster Smith cleared his throat, "Miss Lovegood, Press is welcome to attend the wand weighing and speak to the contestants after events, otherwise please respect everyone's privacy."

"I wasn't here to spy," said Luna, "I was here to wait for Harry, and see who was trying to arrange his death."

"That's a rather serious charge," said Dumbledore.

"Oh, I quite agree, Professor," said Luna, "Luckily he'll have to try harder next time."

"Just a moment," said Moody, "Can you see who put Harry's name in?"

"I could but that link vanished when the last parchment came out," said Luna, "It's not really any wonder that he was deemed more powerful than any of the other students who might have also misspelled their school name."

"I see," said Moody.

"Not as much as I do," said Luna. She turned to Harry, "by the way may I take these off yet?"

"Yes, Luna," said Harry, "And that silly cloak too if you like."

"I'd rather keep it on," said Luna, "I wanted to give you a tour of the astronomy tower." She led the way to the door.

"That's fine," Harry shrugged as if he didn't know any rumours about that, "After that do you think we could visit Hufflepuff? Harriet and Glenda always talk about it in such glowing terms."

"Maybe we should do that first," said Luna, "Before your relatives leave for the life-magic carpet tent."

"That's fine," said Harry, "Lead on. … and is that 'live, magic-carpet, tent' or 'life-magic carpet-tent' or something else?"

"It's the tent made from a magic carpet of the life and magic institute of Brown."

"Oh."

The voices resumed behind them and Harry breathed a sigh of relief, "what do you really want to do?" said Harry.

"We should visit and be seen visiting all your nearby relatives," said Luna, "we really should start with Hufflepuff, we can visit Tom and Harriet in slytherin later, after curfew."

"OK," said Harry.

"Also you should give away your belt and left shoelace, or get the tracking charms off them before you leave the castle."

"Ah, did you happen to notice who put those on?" said Harry.

"Our two suspicious professors."

"Defence and Transfiguration?"

"Yes."

"Lovely."

"Thanks," said Luna.

"You're welcome," smirked Harry and offered her his hand.

{End Chapter 3}