Rachel was very aware of how many people were looking at her when she entered the Great Hall the next morning with Millie and Theo. The looks she was getting from most of the room were not particularly friendly.
"Cheater," someone from the Ravenclaw table said loudly as they passed by.
They sat down and Rachel served herself a piece of toast and put some scrambled eggs on top of it. She didn't particularly feel like eating. Then again, she hadn't slept well last night either.
"It will be alright, people will get over it," Theo said. "Besides, Millie and I will keep them away from you."
Rachel nodded and once again hoped that Severus would find a way to get her out of the tournament. "Thanks."
A few minutes later, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle sat down across from them.
"So, you can tell us, how did you get past the Age Line?" Draco asked.
Aware conversation around them had stopped, Rachel braced herself. "I'm only going to say this once. I didn't get past the Age Line. I didn't enter my name in the Goblet," she said firmly.
"How much did you pay to have someone do it for you?" Draco asked.
Rachel got to her feet and walked away, half aware that Millie and Theo were scrambling to follow her.
They were intercepted at the doors by Hermione, Neville, and Ginny.
"Want to sit outside until it's time to go down to Potions?" Hermione asked.
Rachel nodded. She didn't care how cold it was outside, she just didn't want to be in here. They went through the entrance hall and out the front doors. Rachel went down a few steps and then sat down.
"I thought this might happen," Hermione said, sitting down next to her.
Rachel looked at her, suddenly feeling guilty. Was she that predictable? "You thought I might lose my temper and storm out of the Great Hall?"
"No, I suspected that people were going to be rude to you over this. There are a number of people who are taking this very poorly," Hermione said.
"By which she means Ron," Ginny said, shaking her head.
"And some of the other Gryffindors," Neville added.
"They're idiots if they think Rachel entered her own name," Theo said. "When Professor Snape brought Rachel down to the common room yesterday he told us outright that she didn't, but that doesn't stop people like Draco from trying to bother her."
"I don't know what we do about Draco," Hermione said.
"If he bothers Rachel, I'll take care of him," Millie said. "Theo, you can't because you have to try to make friends with him, and the rest of you aren't in our common room."
"Thanks," Theo said.
"Rachel, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it now, but in the near future we should talk about the tournament so we can help prepare you for it," Hermione said. "And there's also the matter of figuring out who entered you in the tournament in the first place, because obviously they mean you harm."
Rachel sighed. "Professor Snape is trying to get me out of the tournament, he also said he'd look into whoever put my name into the Goblet, but he thinks it's a Death Eater or someone acting on instructions from a Death Eater."
Hermione put her arm around Rachel's shoulders. "Well, let's let Professor Snape work on that, and in the meantime we'll keep you safe and keep those idiots from bothering you."
Rachel leaned in against Hermione. "Thanks. I just don't want to deal with anyone. And I don't want to do this tournament."
"I know," Hermione said, briefly tightening her grip.
"Did they tell you what the task was?" Neville asked.
"It's supposed to be a surprise. We can only go in with our wands. It's on November 26th," Rachel said. "But Professor Snape is trying to find out what it is."
"Well until we know what it is, I think we should spend our research time on defensive spells, and maybe a few offensive ones. Even if they aren't useful in the task, they might be useful in case someone tries something," Theo said.
"Do we have a list of people who we think might be Death Eaters or who would take instructions from Death Eaters?" Ginny asked.
"I know some of them. Rachel, I assume Professor Snape has told you who to watch out for?" Theo asked.
Rachel nodded. "The Carrow twins. Their mother and uncle are Death Eaters. Jacob Turner and Avery Acker both have parents who are Death Eaters. Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle all have at least one parent who is a Death Eater. Alice Jugson, she's a seventh year now."
"Malcolm Baddock, he's a new first year. And Michael Pike," Theo added. "And of course Professor Karkaroff, and we don't know about any of the Durmstrang students. Out of those, only Alice and Avery are old enough to have gotten past Professor Dumbledore's age line, and the Durmstrang students of course."
"That's more than I was expecting. That's nearly a sixth of the Slytherin House," Hermione said.
"I know. One of the advantages of me trying to become friends with them is that I can hear what they're saying. They ask about Rachel, and I get the impression that at least some of them are reporting back to their parents," Theo said.
"At the very least Pansy and Draco are, Professor Snape told me as much," Rachel said. "What do they want to know about me?"
"Anything I'm willing to tell them, which isn't much. I'm still trying to play the line that we're nothing more than a study group, so most of what I tell them is about what we're studying. I stick to class topics, because I don't want to hand the Death Eaters a list of spells that you know," Theo said.
"Are any of them like you, where they disagree with what their parents are doing?" Hermione asked.
"If they are, they're keeping it to themselves. Which is only wise, really," Theo said.
"I don't know most of them well, but I don't think Pansy is a bad person. And, for all that Draco is a pain in the neck sometimes and has a lot of prejudice, I don't think he is either," Rachel said.
"Where do we draw the line, then? I mean, obviously not everyone who has a Death Eater parent is bad, look at Theo. But how do we know who is a danger to Rachel, or to us?" Ginny asked.
"I would say by their actions, but to a certain extent they have to obey their parents," Hermione said.
"I think their actions can tell us how much we can trust them, just not necessarily if they're a bad person," Neville said. "If Pansy and Draco are reporting on Rachel to their parents, we know we can't trust them. But that doesn't mean that they're bad. Though Draco can be very rude."
"He can," Rachel agreed. "But I'm not sure he knows how to be anything else. I've met his father a few times now, and he's pretty scary."
"Lucius Malfoy is not a man you want to cross if you can help it. My father has told me some stories about him," Theo said, grimacing.
"I don't know how we help Draco, or Pansy, if they don't want our help," Hermione said.
"Maybe we have to wait until they do want our help, or until we have something to offer them that they do want," Millie suggested.
"I'm not sure what that would be," Theo said. "We're going to be late for Potions if we stay out here much longer."
Rachel got to her feet. They weren't any closer to answers, but their conversation had given her a lot to think about. "Thanks for sitting with me."
"Of course, where else would we be?" Hermione asked. They went back up the steps and nearly bumped into the Weasley twins, who were apparently on their way to Herbology.
"Just who we wanted to see," one of the twins said.
"Fred, don't," Ginny warned.
"We won't tell anyone, just tell us how you got past the Age Line," the second twin said.
Rachel sighed. "I didn't. I didn't enter my name."
"See, we tried an Ageing potion. Wound up in the hospital wing shaving off our beards," the first twin said.
"Since then, we've had the thought, what if you wrote your name on pieces of parchment, balled them up, and threw them in while you were standing outside of the Age Line. Is that how you did it?" the second twin asked.
Rachel couldn't help but smile as she pictured that. "Good guess, but no. I didn't put my name in the Goblet."
"You'll tell us one day!" the first twin called as they continued on their way.
"Is making something up to tell them a good idea or a bad idea?" she asked Ginny as they went inside.
"Only if you can think of something really crazy," Ginny said. "I've got Transfiguration. I'll see you at lunch."
"Bye," they called as the fourth years turned to go down into the dungeons.
"You should ask Luna to come up with something. I bet she'd have a good idea about how to do it that would baffle the twins," Neville suggested.
Rachel nodded. She might just have to do that.
"For homework, look up some countercurses and practice them. I want you to come prepared to demonstrate at least three countercurses to the class next week. Snow, I want to speak with you, stay after," Professor Moody said as he dismissed the class for the day.
Rachel wrote down the assignment in her planner. The only good thing about having a lot of homework was that at least it helped her keep her mind off the tournament for stretches of time.
"Do we want to do the same thing as last time, we wait in the hallway and you stand where we can see you?" Neville asked.
Rachel glanced at Professor Moody. She did feel uneasy about him but she didn't think he was a Death Eater, or the person who had put her name in the Goblet.
"I think it's best that we do," Hermione said.
"You can stay in the room, I'll just use a privacy ward," Professor Moody said as he walked over to where Rachel and her friends were gathered.
"Thank you, sir," Hermione said. "We're trying to keep Rachel safe, and-"
"And you don't know me. Good. Just because someone is in a position of power doesn't mean that you can trust them," Professor Moody said, pulling out his wand and the brief shimmer of a privacy ward appeared around Rachel and himself. "So, who do you think has it out for you?"
"Death Eaters?" Rachel asked, not entirely sure what Professor Moody was going for.
"Yes, Death Eaters. Who else?" Professor Moody asked.
"Maybe some of the students who have parents who are Death Eaters gave one of them instructions to put my name in the Goblet," Rachel said.
Professor Moody nodded. "Not just parents who are Death Eaters, but any relatives who are Death Eaters. Do you know of anyone with a vendetta against you that isn't associated with the Death Eaters?"
"No, I get along pretty well with almost everyone," Rachel said.
"I heard some boys got expelled after they attacked you in your first year. Did they have siblings who are still at Hogwarts?" he asked.
"I don't know. I don't even know their names," Rachel said.
"You need to keep track of these things. Always know who your enemies are. What about the Wickes boy, did he have siblings? Close friends?" Professor Moody asked.
Rachel shook her head, feeling uncomfortable to hear Leander referenced so casually. "I don't know. Not that I know of."
"Well find out. Now, Karkaroff is also a suspect, he has plenty of reasons to want you dead. Watch out for that Krum boy in particular. Don't turn your back on him," Professor Moody said.
Rachel frowned. Viktor had been really nice to her so far. He was still pretty shy, even with the members of the Quidditch team, but he worked well with them.
"Now, what about Snape?" Professor Moody asked.
"What about him?" Rachel asked warily.
"He could have put your name in the Goblet. He has the motive and the opportunity," he said.
"No, Professor Snape has always been kind to me. He's trying to help me," Rachel said. He couldn't possibly really think that Severus was behind this, could he?
"He could be playing a long game, wants to do it in a way where he would be the last suspect," Professor Moody said.
"No. He wouldn't do that," Rachel said.
"You do not know what he is capable of, I promise you that. Has he told you about his days as a Death Eater?" Professor Moody asked.
Rachel shook her head. She knew very little about Severus' past, but that didn't matter. She knew who he was now.
"He is a dangerous killer. Never forget it. You have to be careful. There is nowhere you are safe from the Death Eaters right now. They've been maneuvering into positions of power these past thirteen years, they know what's coming. Do you?" Professor Moody asked.
"The Dark Lord is trying to return," Rachel said. Her chest hurt now and she was trying not to reach to rub at her throat.
"Damn right he is," Professor Moody said. "If you see anything, come to me. I'll make sure it gets to Dumbledore."
"Yes, sir," Rachel said, having absolutely no intention of telling Professor Moody anything. "May I go now?"
"Go on," Professor Moody said, dispelling the privacy ward.
"Are you okay?" Millie asked as soon as they were out in the hall.
"Fine," Rachel said, giving into the urge to reach for her throat and rub it to try and make the burning sensation go away.
"What did he want?" Theo asked.
Rachel glanced back at the open doorway. "Not here."
"Sure, let's go," Hermione said.
They rounded the corner and nearly bumped into Cedric Diggory.
"Sorry," Rachel said quickly.
"No, I wasn't looking where I was going. Can I talk with you for a minute?" Cedric asked.
"Here?" Rachel asked, glancing at her friends.
"How about in the library, just for a minute," Cedric said.
"She's staying within sight of us," Millie said.
Cedric blinked at her. "I just want to speak with her. We know each other from Quidditch."
"How about we stand at the end of one of the shelves and my friends can stand at the other end, where they can see us but not hear us?" Rachel offered.
"How about I just cast a privacy ward?" Cedric suggested.
"That's fine too," Rachel agreed. She mentally added that to her list of spells she needed to learn.
"Here, step over here, I can't get my privacy wards that small yet," Cedric said.
Rachel stepped away from her friends and watched as Cedric cast the privacy ward.
"I just wanted to ask you if you were okay. I haven't had the chance to speak to you since that night," Cedric said.
"I'm okay," Rachel said. It was partially true, at least. She was okay as long as she didn't think about the Triwizard Tournament or about people wanting to kill her.
Cedric nodded. "We'll be alright. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore has made the Tournament safer than it used to be. But it's okay to be scared. I am too, a little."
"Yeah, me too," Rachel admitted.
"You really didn't put your name in the Goblet?" Cedric asked.
"I didn't," Rachel said.
"I wouldn't think that you would. I've told my Housemates to back off, but they're a little bit intense right now. I'm sure after the first task they'll see that you didn't sign up for this," Cedric said.
"Thanks," Rachel said.
"Okay. Well, I have an essay to write, so I'm going now. Let me know if I can help you though," Cedric said, dispelling the privacy ward.
"Thanks, Cedric," Rachel said again.
"What was that all about?" Neville asked.
"He just wanted to ask if I was okay, all things considered," Rachel said.
"That was kind of him," Hermione said. "Shall we continue on?"
Rachel nodded. She was done with private conversations today.
They found Ginny and Luna in the study room, each of them with a book open and busily writing on pieces of parchment.
"What did Professor Moody want? That didn't look like a pleasant conversation," Theo asked.
"He wanted to know who might have put my name in the Goblet. He thought Professor Snape might have done it," Rachel said, setting her bag on the table.
"What? That's ridiculous, he's your guardian," Hermione said.
"If he wanted you dead he could have killed you a hundred times over already and made it look like an accident," Theo said.
"Do you think I should tell Professor Snape that Professor Moody thinks that?" Rachel asked.
"I would," Millie said.
"If I was Professor Snape, I would want to know," Luna said, looking up from her work.
"If it were my parents, I would tell them," Ginny agreed.
"Okay," Rachel said. She wasn't exactly sure how she'd bring it up, but it seemed like it was something she needed to do.
"I think we need to reserve a period of time on the weekend for that countercurses assignment. Today, let's start with Arithmancy equations and see if we can get through them before dinner," Hermione said.
Rachel nodded and tried to refocus and block Professor Moody's words from her mind.
Severus looked up from the second year essays he was grading as he heard his office door open and then close. It was only Thursday, but he'd asked Rachel to come have dinner with him tonight.
Rachel stepped through the wall. She looked tired and stressed. Severus couldn't blame her in the slightest, though he decided to ask if she was having trouble sleeping again. He didn't want her to become dependent on a Sleeping potion in order to sleep, but he did want her to get at least some sleep every night.
"How was your day?" he asked as she came over and sat down on the couch.
Rachel sighed. "It's been a long week. It's like being back in second year again, when most of the school thought I was the Heir of Slytherin. Everyone thinks I put my name in the Goblet. The Hufflepuffs are mad because Cedric should be the only Hogwarts champion. I don't know why the Ravenclaws and the Gryffindors care so much, but they do."
"Is anyone in particular bothering you?" Severus asked.
"No. My friends are making it so that if someone wants to get to me they have to go through them first. Which I appreciate, but I wish they didn't have to do it in the first place," Rachel said.
"Have any hexes or curses been cast?" Severus asked. He would not sit idly by while Rachel was being attacked in the halls.
"No. Just people saying really rude things," Rachel said.
"If a person stands out to you as bothering you, I want you to tell me who they are and I will deal with them," Severus said firmly.
Rachel nodded. "Oh. There's something else I have to tell you. There's something wrong with Professor Moody."
"What do you mean?" Severus asked, trying to parse that statement.
"Twice now he's had conversations with me about watching my back and that Death Eaters are a threat to me and that the Dark Lord is coming back. All of which I know. But this last time he was talking about you, and saying awful things about you. I told him that you are kind to me and that you're protecting me, but he wouldn't stop," Rachel said, sounding distressed as she reached up and rubbed at her throat.
"I'm sorry that happened. Moody's vendetta against me is personal, he should not bring you into it," Severus said, trying to decide what to do. Going to Albus was the obvious solution, since going to Moody directly would probably have the exact opposite result of what he wanted.
"Why was he saying stuff like that?" Rachel asked.
"Without knowing exactly what he said, I can't tell you for sure, but what I can tell you is that he holds my past as a Death Eater against me. In his mind, there's no such thing as a reformed Death Eater," Severus explained.
"Even though you were fighting against the Dark Lord?" Rachel asked.
Severus nodded. "He felt that I had tricked Albus, got into his blindspot, and that I was truly working for the Dark Lord's agenda. I'm afraid none of that will change as long as I bear the Dark Lord's mark."
"His mark?"
"The Dark Lord's highest honor, only given his truly loyal Death Eaters. It's a brand on the left forearm. He uses it to summon the Death Eaters to him. Once you feel it burning, you know the location you're supposed to apparate to in order to join him," Severus explained, placing his hand over his left forearm. He didn't particularly want to show Rachel his Dark Mark, but he would if she asked.
"That seems like a really bad idea," Rachel said after a moment. "And how did people like Lucius Malfoy explain that away? Surely the Dark Lord wouldn't have Marked someone who was Imperiused to follow him."
"That's true, but money changed hands and he and others knew people in high places. Those trials were never about the truth," Severus said.
"And they didn't just use Veritaserum on them?" Rachel pressed.
"No. They cast themselves as victims, and as a rule the MLE does not use Veritaserum on victims of crimes," Severus explained. "If I had to guess, I'd say there was a Death Eater that we didn't know about somewhere in the MLE that was making arrangements for them, it all went too smoothly to otherwise be explained.
"Maybe the same person at the MLE who got Pettigrew out," Rachel said.
"Perhaps," Severus agreed. This was not what he had called Rachel here to discuss. "I need to speak with you about the tournament."
Rachel bit down on her lip while she looked at him. "Professor Dumbledore can't get me out, can he?"
"No. Both he, myself, Filius, and Minerva have examined the Goblet and the scroll that was brought from the Ministry archives. We can't see a way to tamper with it that would not potentially activate the curse for either yourself or all of the champions," Severus said, watching Rachel closely.
She nodded. "I had hoped, but I hadn't really expected it to work."
"I understand," he said. "Albus has petitioned Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman to allow me to assist with preparations for the tournament so that he can tell me what the tasks are. Obviously the timing is a little suspicious, but I believe he will succeed. If not, he will direct someone else to tell me about the tasks, and then I will prepare you."
"He can't just tell you directly?" Rachel asked.
"He can, but he needs plausible deniability in case there are accusations that he or I helped you cheat," Severus said. "We'll find a way to make it work."
Rachel nodded again. She looked worried. "What if I can't do it? What if the tasks are just too hard?"
"You are intelligent, resourceful, and have strong magical abilities. With my help, I don't see that the tasks will be insurmountable. Just because you're three years younger than the other champions does not make you less capable. They just have more experience and practice and know more spells. I believe that you can do this," Severus said. He had to believe that, for both of their sakes.
"Okay," she said, not looking any less worried.
"Let's have dinner and afterward we can go through some defensive spells that might be useful," Severus said, getting to his feet. Until he knew what the tasks were, this was the best he could do.
"I have some kind of bad news," Rachel said, once the entire group was seated in the study room Friday afternoon. "I have to compete in the tournament. Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Professor Flitwick, and Professor McGonagall all tried to do something to the Goblet, but they weren't able to fix it."
"Well, if they can't do it, I don't imagine there is anyone who can. I hope they learn a lesson from this and if they decide to continue with the tournament in the future, they don't use the Goblet of Fire," Theo said.
"Agreed. The penalty for withdrawal is barbaric," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Did Professor Snape tell you what the first task is?"
"Not yet. Professor Dumbledore has to find a way to include him in the arrangements for the tournament so that he can justify telling him about the tasks," Rachel said. She thought that was kind of silly, the reason Severus would want to know the tasks was entirely obvious. But if Professor Dumbledore thought it was necessary she couldn't argue with him.
"And the first task is on the 26th?" Ginny asked.
"Yes," Rachel said.
"That gives us three full weeks to prepare. I've done some reading and I made a list of spells that seem like they could be useful in a variety of circumstances, with a focus on defense and protection. I think until we know the specifics of the task, that's our best bet," Hermione said.
Rachel found that her chest was hurting a lot, like someone was squeezing her lungs, and her throat was burning. She tried to take a deeper breath and found that she couldn't. She put her hand against her throat and tried hard to breathe.
"Rachel," Luna said. "The wrackspurts are all over you."
Rachel closed her eyes and focused on taking another breath. Why was this happening?
"Rachel?" Millie asked, sounding worried. "Do you need to go to Madam Pomfrey?"
Rachel shook her head. She didn't want to go to the hospital wing.
"I've read that sometimes when people are feeling a lot of anxiety, like in an anxiety attack, they find it hard to breathe. Is that what's happening?" Hermione asked.
Rachel nodded. "I'm okay," she managed to say.
"Do you want a Calming draught? We could go get one for you," Neville asked.
"No, I'm fine," Rachel said. "I just. I don't think I can do this."
The room was quiet for a long moment.
"It's understandable that you're scared. Anyone would be," Hermione said, sounding uncertain. "I think we have to hope that there's a mechanism for allowing you to leave the task if you've tried and found that you can't do it. Maybe that's something to ask Professor Snape about."
"How will the Goblet know that I've really tried though?" Rachel asked. She didn't want to go out there, fail, and then lose her magic anyway.
"Clearly it has a mechanism for evaluating people somehow as it's able to select students for the tournament. In the book we read, there were people who failed tasks and they didn't lose their magic, because they went on to compete in the later tasks. I think as long as you're really trying that it will accept that. If all else fails, start using whatever spells you can think of, to show that you've reached the limits of your abilities," Theo suggested.
"This is absurd," Millie said. "I don't understand how they can do this and get away with it."
"I can't believe the Goblet doesn't have a failsafe for someone entering someone else's name," Hermione said. "Rachel, we're going to do everything we can to help you. And Professor Snape will too. I'm certain that he'll have some ideas for how you can at the very least stay safe while you're doing the task, even if you can't complete it."
Rachel nodded. She knew that. It was just hard and she did not want to do this.
"Did Professor Snape say anything about the investigation to who might have put your name in the Goblet?" Theo asked.
"No, but I told him about what Professor Moody said to me. Apparently Professor Moody has had a problem with Professor Snape ever since they were in the Order together. Professor Moody thinks he's still working for the Dark Lord," Rachel explained.
"Even though Professor Dumbledore trusts him?" Neville asked.
"Yeah, Professor Moody thinks Professor Snape is in his blindspot, whatever that means," Rachel said.
"If Professor Moody got his injuries from Death Eaters, I could see why he would be wary of anyone who used to be one," Luna said.
"I suppose," Ginny said. "My dad knows him from the Ministry. He said he was the best auror there was in the fight against You-Know-Who."
"I think it left him with some mental scars in addition to his physical ones," Hermione said. "Do any of you know what PTSD is?"
Rachel nodded. Torey had talked to her about it and explained how some of what she experienced - the nightmares, anxiety at reminders of things that she'd experienced, and some other things - were the result of what had happened and how that could be explained as PTSD.
"Is it a muggle thing?" Theo asked.
"Well, it's psychology, which is how muggles categorize mental health. PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, can happen when people have experienced trauma and they have responses to that, like nightmares, anxiety, constantly being on guard, and a heightened startle response. The way he acts, particularly when Death Eaters are mentioned, makes me wonder if he's struggling with it," Hermione explained.
"Can anything be done about it?" Neville asked.
"There are treatment options, but that generally requires someone to see a therapist, or a Mind Healer, I suppose. I haven't found a lot of information on Mind Healing," Hermione said.
"It's not a branch of Healing that many people go into. My mom knows a few Mind Healers and she says they're always super busy because with most Healing you see the Healer once, or for a few days, and then you're better. With Mind Healers, it takes a while," Millie said.
"My therapist is a Mind Healer as well, but I don't know much about it. Mostly we just talk," Rachel said.
"Somehow I don't think Professor Moody would take it well if we suggested he see a Mind Healer," Theo said.
"Then maybe someone like Professor Dumbledore could suggest it to him, if it was suggested to him first," Hermione said.
"I could tell Professor Snape, maybe he could tell Professor Dumbledore," Rachel offered. She didn't like Professor Moody that much, but she wanted him to get help if he was struggling.
"I think that's a good idea," Hermione said. "Do you feel like you're able to breathe a bit better now?"
"Yeah. My chest still hurts, but not as bad as before," Rachel said. She wasn't sure what had helped it to stop.
"I'm glad it's somewhat better," Luna said.
"You said you had a list of spells?" Rachel asked Hermione.
"I do. Do you want to look them over and you can decide where we should start?" Hermione asked.
Rachel nodded. It was time to do this.
"How was your week?" Torey asked as she sat down.
"Bad, actually," Rachel said, pulling her feet up onto the couch.
"Did something happen?" Torey asked.
Rachel sighed. "Do you remember how I told you that there was going to be the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts this year?"
"I do," Torey said.
"I was chosen as one of the champions, because the Death Eaters are trying to kill me. And Professor Dumbledore says I have to compete or I'll lose my magic, so now I have to do the tasks, and people have died in the Triwizard Tournament before. Lots of them," Rachel said, the words coming out all jumbled together. "And most of the school thinks that I cheated to get my name entered, which I didn't. I'm not even old enough to have entered."
"Obviously there's a lot of concerning things there, but I want to start with the part about Death Eaters trying to kill you. Can you tell me more about that?" Torey asked.
"Severus thinks that it was either a Death Eater who entered me into the tournament, or someone acting on orders from a Death Eater. They want me to get killed in one of the tasks, so they don't get in trouble for murdering me. Either that, or if I don't compete, the Goblet is cursed so that I'll lose my magic, making me very easy to kill," Rachel explained. "It's not just that they want me dead, now they're actually trying to kill me."
Torey nodded. "Are Severus and the staff at Hogwarts taking steps to protect you?"
"They're trying to find out who entered me and Severus is telling me to be very careful and to stay close to my friends," Rachel said.
"Do you feel like that is adequate protection?" Torey asked.
Rachel shook her head. "Not really. If they can get into the school to enter my name, then wouldn't they just as easily be able to capture me or kill me? I don't think my friends and I are a match for Death Eaters."
"I don't think you would be, nor do I think you should be expected to be. Can we bring Severus in on this conversation?" Torey asked.
"You don't believe me?" Rachel asked.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't being clear. I do believe you, Rachel. I believe what you tell me and I think that you're a very honest person. I wanted Severus to join us so we could discuss how to protect you and how to see to your safety during the tournament," Torey said.
"I don't think there's anything else he can do. I have to go to school and to classes, and I have to compete in the tournament," Rachel said.
"I understand, but there may be other things we can come up with to help you be and feel safer. In situations where someone might be in danger, I think it's useful to have some plans, so that way you know what to do if something happens, and you know how Severus will help you," Torey explained.
Rachel nodded. That made sense.
"Is it okay if Severus joins us, or would you like to talk about things more first?" Torey asked.
"It's okay," Rachel said. She didn't have much else to say other than the fact that she was scared. More scared than she could remember feeling in a long time.
Torey got up and opened the door. "Severus, could you join us for a little while, please?" She stood back and Severus entered the room a few moments later.
Severus sat down on the couch. "I take it Rachel has told you about the Triwizard Tournament?"
"She has," Torey said, returning to her seat. "I also understand that this may be the work of Death Eaters."
"That is what we believe. I've already questioned my upper year students, but none of them have been forthcoming. I have not used legilimency on them, because the Headmaster believes that's beyond what is called for in this situation. Karkaroff, the Headmaster of the Durmstrang students, is another possibility, as he was also a Death Eater," Severus explained.
Torey nodded. "Can you tell me about what plans are in place to protect Rachel?"
"I will be assisting Rachel with the tournament. The Headmaster is working to allow me to be included on the plans for the tasks, and then I will devise an appropriate strategy and train Rachel in whatever spells or skills she might need," Severus said.
"What about outside of the tournament? Is there a possibility that the Death Eaters could reach Rachel while she's at Hogwarts?" Torey asked.
"There's always a possibility, but it's slim. Obviously you cannot apparate in Hogwarts or on Hogwarts grounds, which reduces the possibility of kidnapping. I've instructed Rachel to stay close to her friends in the hallways and in the common room, since I believe she's less likely to be attacked if someone is with her. I think it's unlikely that any Death Eaters would give instructions for Rachel to be attacked while she's at Hogwarts," Severus said.
"Really?" Rachel asked.
"Yes. The Death Eaters are wary of Albus, more so than even the Dark Lord was. I don't think they will act unless they feel certain they can succeed, and simply being in Hogwarts offers you some protection. I don't think any of the students who have Death Eaters as relatives will try to hurt you, though I want you to remain cautious. I also don't think it's likely that Karkaroff will try to hurt you, though I want you to stay away from him, just in case," Severus said.
"Is there something that Rachel can do if she feels like she's in a situation where she's being threatened or where someone might hurt her?" Torey asked.
"She can send me her Patronus, requesting help, or if Minerva, Filius, or Poppy are closer, you can send your Patronus to one of them. Any of us will come help you as quickly as we can, you just have to tell us where you are," Severus said, turning to Rachel.
Rachel bit down on her lip. "You really think it's safe at Hogwarts?" she finally asked.
"Nowhere is ever completely safe, but it's as safe as I can make it. I'm also going to continue to teach you defensive spells, so that if you get into a dangerous situation that you can protect yourself, at least long enough to get away or for help to arrive," Severus said.
"And there's no way to get her out of this tournament?" Torey asked.
"No, Albus has exhausted every possibility," Severus said.
"Does any of this help you feel safer, Rachel? Do you feel like you know what to do if someone is threatening you?" Torey asked.
Rachel thought about it. "Maybe a little. I know I can't just hide in Severus' quarters or at home. And I know my friends will protect me, and several of us can cast the Patronus charm to summon help now. I'm just scared. I'm scared I won't see it coming."
"That's understandable. I'm sure you weren't expecting to be a champion in the tournament either. The best we can do is prepare for what we think might happen," Torey said.
Rachel nodded. She'd kind of figured as much.