Hailey wasn't sure how long she needed to take a bath to work out the secret of the golden egg, she decide to do it at night, when she can take as much time as she wanted. Since Cedric gave her permission to the use the prefects' bathroom, she decided to use it because far less people were allowed in there, so it was less likely that she would be disturbed.

She had planned it out carefully, because she didn't want to get caught out of bed and out-of-bounds by Filch. The Invisibility Cloak would be essential and Hailey decided to the take the Marauder's Map, which would be use. The map showed the whole of Hogwarts, which included many shortcuts, secret passageways, and most importantly, revealed the people inside the castle, as miniscule labeled dots, moving around the corridors, so Hailey would be forewarned if somebody was approaching the bathroom.

On Thursday night, Hailey snuck up to bed, put on the Invisibility Cloak and crept back downstairs. She waited for Mandy and Michael to come through the door so she can sneak out.

"Good luck," Michael muttered to Hailey as she past him.

It was awkward walking with the Cloak on, because she was holding the golden egg under one arm and holding the map to her face with the other hand. The moonlit corridors were empty and silent. By checking the map at strategic intervals, Hailey was able to ensure that she wouldn't run into anyone she wanted to avoid.

She made it to the statute of Boris the Bewildered. Boris was a lost-looking wizard that wore gloves on the wrong hands. She founded the door that Cedric told her was located and went to it. She leaned in close to it and whispered, "Pine fresh."

The door creaked open and Hailey walked inside. She bolted the door behind her and pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, looking around.

The bathroom was softly lit by a splendid candle-filled chandelier, and everything was made of white marble, including what looked like an empty, rectangular swimming pool sunk right into the middle of the floor. There was about a hundred golden taps all around the pool's edges, each with a different coloured jewel set into its handle. There was also a diving board and long white linen curtains hung at the windows; a large pile of fluffy white towels sat in a corner, and there was a single golden-framed painting on the wall. The painting all featured a blonde mermaid was fast asleep on a rock, her long hair over her face, which fluttered every time she snored. Hailey couldn't help but think that it would be worth it to become a prefect just to use the beautiful looking bathroom.

Hailey moved forward towards the pool-sized bathtub, her footsteps echoing off the walls. She wondered how this was supposed to help solve the mystery that the egg contained. She set a fluffy towel, the cloak, the map, and egg at the side of the bath, and then knelt down to turn on a few taps.

One tap gushed pink and blue bubbles the size of footballs, another poured ice-white foam so thick, Hailey was sure it could've supported her weight if she cared to test it; a third sent heavily perfumed purple clouds hovering over the surface of the water. She amused herself by turning the taps on and off. There was one that sent water bouncing off the surface of the water in large arcs. When the deep pool was full of hot water, foam, and bubbles, which took a short time considering the size of the tub, Hailey turned all the taps off, pulled off her dressing gown, pajamas, and shoes, before getting into the water.

The bath was so deep, her feet barely touched the bottom, and she did a couple of lengths before swimming back to the side and treading water, staring at the egg.

Even though it was enjoyable swimming in hot and foamy water that emitted different-coloured steam wafting around her, she had no stroke of brilliance or understanding come to her.

Hailey grabbed the golden egg and opened it. The wailing, screeching sound filled the bathroom. It was echoing and reverberating off the marble walls. She closed the egg and hoped that Filch didn't hear it.

"I'd try putting it in the water, if I were you," a girl spoke.

"Myrtle!" Hailey shouted in outrage and embarrassment. How long had the ghost had been sitting cross-legged on the bath tap? "I'm not wearing anything!" The foam was really dense and they were girls, so it shouldn't have mattered. When did Myrtle show up?

"I showed up when you were in the bath," Myrtle said. "Your friend hasn't been to see me for ages."

Hailey was briefly confused on who Myrtle was talking about and then remembered that the ghost meant Michael, because she was fond of him. She crouched down a little so she didn't show to much. "Oh...well... he's not supposed to go into those toilets because he's not a girl, you know? It's for girls."

"He didn't care," said Myrtle miserably. "He used to be in there all the time."

That was true, but because of the out-of-order nature, it was the convenient place to brew Polyjuice Potion. Hailey lied, "He got told off for going in there." Ron got told off by Percy after they got leaving the girls' toilets. Percy ignored Michael's presence. "He thought it would be better if he didn't go back. He's really busy doing practice O. and dealing with Rita Skeeter's newspaper article."

Myrtle was picking at a spot on her chin. "Oh...I...see. Well... anyway...I'd try the egg in the water. That's what Cedric Diggory did."

Hailey opened the egg and dropped it in the water. It made a weird gurgling sound instead of screeching.

"You need to put your head underwater, too," Myrtle said, delighted in bossing Hailey around. "Go on!"

Hailey took a deep breath and stuck her head underwater to hear eerie voices singing:

"But past an hour—the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

She removed her head in shock, and became agitated that she had missed the clue. She stuck her head in the water again to grab it. Apparently it was on a loop:

"And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour—the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

It looped again.

"Come seek us where out voices sound,
We cannot sing above ground.
And while you're searching, ponder this:"

Hailey emerged for air.

"I think you need to do it one more time, to hear it," Myrtle said.

Hailey stuck her head under the water to hear it again.

"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour—the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

She dove down three more times to listen to it, before she finally had it memorized. As she closed the egg and set it aside, she still didn't get it. She had to find people who couldn't sing above ground. She trod the water for a while, thinking hard. The clue only worked underwater, so it made sense for whatever people that can't sing above ground to be underwater.

"What could have a human voice underwater?" Hailey asked and looked at the picture of the snoozing mermaid.

What did she know about merpeople? She knew that some wizarding people looked down on merpeople and that the earliest known merpeople were in Greece and called sirens. She also knew that they can't sing above water and need to be underwater…

"There's merpeople in the Great Lake?" Hailey asked Myrtle, balking at the idea.

Myrtle nodded, "Ooh, very good. It took Diggory much longer than that. And that was with her awake too." She jerked her head toward the mermaid. She had a great dislike on her glum looking face. "Giggling and showing off and flashing her fins..."

Hailey tried bringing the topic around, "Okay, so, the second task is to go and find the merpeople in the lake…and…and…"

She trailed off, feeling excitement drain out of her. She didn't know how to swim well, because she never had any practice. Dudley had lessons when they were younger, but Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon probably hoped that Hailey would drown one day, never bothered getting her lessons. A couple of lengths of the bath were fine, but going out in the lake, which was large and deep…where merpeople lived at the very bottom…How was she going to breathe?

"Earlier you mentioned someone named Rita Skeeter," Myrtle started.

Hailey was confused, "Yeah, why?"

Myrtle said, "I heard about her when she was at Hogwarts. She loved gossiping about everyone. When she got tired of that, she spread rumours, and sent her fair share of girls crying into my toilet, just like Olive Hornby."

Hailey was confused, "Who?"

"Olive Hornby," Myrtle looked agitated at being reminded. "She used to make fun of my glasses. She once came into the bathroom, 'Are you in here sulking, Myrtle?' she said, ''Professor Dippet asked me to look for you—' and then she saw my body…ooh, she didn't forget about it until her dying day, I made sure of
that…followed her around and reminded her, I did. I remember at her brother's wedding—"

Hailey stopped listening because she started thinking of the merpeople's song. What did the song mean about taking what she'll miss? They were going to steal something of hers, something that she needed to get back. But the thing was, what were they going to take? What did she have that she'll miss?

"—and then, of course, she went to the Ministry of Magic to stop me stalking her, so I had to come back here and live in my toilet," Myrtle continued. "What has Rita Skeeter published that has Michael dealing with?"

Hailey shrugged, "Oh, just that she says that Michael and I are in a relationship."

Myrtle looked offended, "What?"

Hailey shrugged again, "Yeah. She said that we're in a relationship. He hugged me before the first task and she got a picture of it." Myrtle looked insulted. "I mean, last year, he kissed me, even though it was an accidental."

Myrtle did a big sob and shot up the tap, releasing a giant wave of pink bath foam. It sent Hailey underwater.

How was Hailey supposed to know that Myrtle would react like that? In a way, it was kind of comical.

She got out of the bath, retrieved the egg from the bottom of the bath, climbed out, dried herself off, and pulled on her pajamas and dressing gown again. She put her shoes on, retrieved her map, Invisibility Cloak, and golden egg.

Out in the dark corridor, Hailey examined the Marauder's Map to see if the coast was clear. The dots that belonged to Filch and Mrs Norris were in their office. The only dot that was moving was Peeves, who was in the trophy room. Hailey took a step to Ravenclaw Tower, when she something on the map.

In Snape's office, was a dot that was flitting around. It was labeled Bartemius Crouch.

Hailey stared at the dot, confused. Mr Crouch was supposed to be too ill to go to work or come to the Yule Ball, so why he was he in Hogwarts at one in the morning? Hailey watched as the dot moved around, pausing every now and then. She needed to see what Crouch was up to.

She walked down the stairs as quietly as possible, though she noticed that the faces in some of the portraits turned at the squeak of a floorboard and the rustle of her pajamas. She crept along a corridor, and halfway down, she pushed aside a tapestry, which contained a narrower staircase. It would take her down two floors. She kept looking at the map, wondering why Mr Crouch, a law-abiding man, was sneaking around someone's office at one in the morning.

Hailey's leg suddenly sank right through a trick step that Neville always forgot to jump over. She wobbled and the golden egg, still damp from the bath, slipped out from under her arm. She tried to grab it, but it fell down the long staircase, hitting every step, being as loud as a bass drum. The Invisibility Cloak slipped and she grabbed it, with the Marauder's Map fluttered out of her hand and slide down six stairs, where she couldn't reach it, because her leg was knee-deep in the trick staircase.

The golden egg fell through the tapestry at the bottom of the staircase, burst open, and began to wailing loudly in the corridor below. Hailey pulled out her wand and struggled to touch the Marauder's Map to wipe it blank, but it was to far away to touch.

Hailey straightened up and pulled the cloak over herself, panicking.

"Peeves!" It was Filch's hunting cry. Hailey heard his rapid, shuffling footsteps coming closer and closer, his wheezy voice raised in fury.

"What's this racket? Wake up the whole castle, will you? I'll have you, Peeves, I'll have you, you'll….and what is this?"

Filch's footsteps halted and then there was a clink of metal on metal and the wailing stopped. Filch had picked up the egg and closed it. Hailey stayed very still, with one leg jammed tightly in the magical step, listening. Filch would most likely pull aside the tapestry, expecting to see Peeves…yet there would be no Peeves…but if he came up the stairs, he would find the Marauder's Map…and yet, despite the Invisbility Cloak, Filch would see the dot labeled 'Hailey Potter' standing right there.

"Egg?" Filch asked quietly at the foot of the stairs. "My sweet!" Mrs Norris was apparently with Filch. "This is a Triwizard clue! This belongs to a school champion!"

Hailey felt sick and her heart was beating rapidly.

"Peeves!" Filch roared, sounding gleeful. "You've been stealing!" He ripped the tapestry below and Hailey saw his pouchy face and bulging, pale eye stare up the dark and to Filch, deserted staircase.

"Hiding, are you?" Filch asked softly. "I'm coming to get you, Peeves…You've gone and stolen a Triwizard clue, Peeves…Dumbledore'll have you out of here for this, you filthy, pilfering poltergeist…"

Filch started to climb up the stairs, with his scrawny, dust-coloured cat at his heels. Mrs Norris's lamp-like eyes, so very like her master's were fixed directly on Hailey.

Hailey had occasionally wondered whether the Invisibility Cloak worked on cats…Hailey felt sick with apprehension, watched Filch drawing nearer and near in his old flannel dressing gown. Hailey tried to pull her trapped leg free, but it merely sank a few more inches. Any second, Filch would spot the map or walk right into Hailey—

"Filch? What's going on?"

Filch stopped a few steps below Hailey and turned. Of course it had to be Snape, to make the situation worse. He was wearing a long grey nightshirt and he was looking livid.

"It's Peeves, Professor," Filch whispered sound malevolent. "He threw this egg down the stairs."

Snape quickly climbed up the stairs to stop beside Filch. Hailey gritted her teeth, and hoped her rapid beating heart did give her away.

"Peeves?" Snape asked softly, looking at the egg in Filch's hands. "But Peeves couldn't get into my office…"

"This egg was in your office, Professor?" Filch asked quietly.

"Of course not," Snape snapped. "I heard banging and wailing—"

"Yes, Professor, that was the egg—" Filch interrupted.

"—I was coming to investigate—" Snape interrupted too.

"—Peeves threw it, Professor—" Filch interrupted again.

"—and when I passed my office, I saw that the torches were lit and a cupboard door was ajar! Somebody has been searching it!" Snape exclaimed.

Filch started, "But Peeves couldn't—"

"I know he couldn't, Filch!" Snape snapped again. "I seal my office with a spell none but a wizard could break!" Snape looked up the stairs, straight through Hailey, and then down into the corridor below. "I want you to come and help me search for the intruder, Filch."

"I—yes, Professor—but—" Filch looked up the stairs, almost yearningly, right through Hailey, who could see that he was very reluctant to forgo the chance of cornering Peeves.

Go, go with Snape…go, Hailey pleaded silently. Mrs Norris was looking around Filch's legs…Hailey was sure that the cat could smell the perfumed foam and Hailey damned herself for filling the bath with the stuff.

"The thing is, Professor," said Filch plaintively, "the headmaster will have to listen to me this time. Peeves has been stealing from a student, it might be my chance to get him thrown out of the castle once and for all—"

"Filch, I don't give a damn about that wretched poltergeist; it's my office that's—" Snape started, but there was a clunking sound, making him stop abruptly.

He and Filch both looked down at the foot of the stairs. Hailey saw Mad-Eye Moody limp into sight through the narrow gap between their heads. Moody was wearing his old traveling cloak over his nightshirt and leaning on his staff as usual. He growled up the stairs, "Pajama party, is it?"

"Professor Snape and I heard noises, Professor," Filch said at once. "Peeves the Poltergeist, throwing things around as usual—and then Professor Snape discovered that someone had broken into his off—"

"Shut up!" Snape hissed to Filch.

Moody took a step closer to the foot of the stairs and Hailey saw his magical eye travel over Snape and then onto herself.

Hailey's felt a jolt go through her. Of course Moody could see through Invisibility Cloaks, she thought. Hailey was sure that Moody could see the full strangeness of the scene: Snape in his nightshirt, Filch clutching the egg, and she, Hailey, trapped in the stairs behind them. Moody's lopsided gash of a mouth opened in surprise. For a few second Moody and Hailey stared into each other's eyes. Moody closed his mouth and turned his blue eye upon Snape again. He asked slowly, "Did I hear that correctly, Snape? Someone broke into your office?"

"It is unimportant," replied Snape coldly.

"On the contrary," growled Moody, "it is very important. Who'd want to break into your office?"

"A student, I daresay," said Snape. Hailey could see a vein throb horribly on Snape's greasy temple. "It has happened before. Potion ingredients have gone missing from my private store cupboard…students attempting illicit mixtures, no doubt…"

"Reckon they were after potion ingredients, eh?" asked Moody. "Not hiding anything else in your office, are you?"

Snape's face turned red, and the vein in his temple seemed to be pulsing rapidly. He spoke in a soft and dangerous voice, "You know I'm hiding nothing, Moody. As you've searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself."

Moody gave a twisted smile, "Auror's privilege, Snape. Dumbledore told me to keep an eye—"

"Dumbledore happens to trust me," Snape interrupted. He sounded like he was speaking through clenched teeth. "I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!"

"'Course Dumbledore trusts you," growled Moody. "He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chance. But me—I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d'you know what I mean?"

Snape grabbed his left forearm with his right hand, as though something hurt him.

Moody laughed, "Get back to bed, Snape."

"You don't have the authority to send me anywhere!" Snape hissed, letting go of his arm as though he was angry at him. "I have as much right prowl this school after dark as you do!"

"Prowl away," replied Moody, his voice full of menace. "I look forward to meeting you in a dark corridor some time. You've dropped something, by the way…"

Hailey was horrified when Moody pointed at the Marauder's Map, which was still lying on the staircase six steps below her. Snape and Filch turned to look at it. Hailey raised her arms under the cloak and waved furiously at Moody to get his attention, mouthing, "It's mine! Mine!"

Snape reached for it, looking like he had figured out what was it was.

"Accio Parchment!" Moody shouted. The map flew into the air, right through Snape's fingers, and soared right down the stairs into Moody's hands. In a calm voice, Moody said, "My mistake. It's mine—must've dropped it earlier—"

Snape kept looking from the egg in Filch's arm to the map that Moody was now holding. Hailey could tell that Snape was putting two and two together.

"Potter," Snape said quietly.

"What's that?" asked Moody calmly, folding up the map and pocketing it.

"Potter!" Snape snarled and turned his head. He looked right were Hailey was standing, as if he could suddenly see her. "That egg is Potter's egg. That piece of parchment belongs to Potter. I have seen it before, I recognize it! Potter is here! Potter, in her Invisibility Cloak!" He stretched out his hands and began to move up the stairs. Hailey could've sworn she say Snape's nostrils dilate, as if he was trying to sniff Hailey's out. Hailey was trapped and leaned backwards, trying to avoid Snape's fingers, but any moment now—

"There's nothing there, Snape!" Moody barked, "But I'll be happy to tell the headmaster how quickly your mind jumped to Hailey Potter!"

Meaning what?" Snape demanded, turning to look at Moody, but hands still outstretched, inches from Hailey's chest.

"Meaning that Dumbledore's very interested to know who's got it in for that girl!" Moody exclaimed, limping nearer still to the foot of the stairs. "And so am I, Snape…very interested…" The torchlight flickered across his mangled face, so that the scars and the chunk missing from his nose looked deeper and darker than eve.

Snape looked down at Moody, so Hailey couldn't see the expression on his face. For a moment, the three adults didn't move or say anything.

Snape slowly lowered his hands. In a voice of forced calm, he said, "I merely thought that if Potter was wandering around after hours again…it's an unfortunate habit of hers…she should be stopped. For—for her own safety."

"Ah, I see," replied Moody softly. "Got Potter's best interests at heart, have you?"

There was a pause, because Moody and Snape were still staring each other. Mrs Norris gave a loud meow, still peering around Filch's legs, probably looking for the source of the bubble-bath smell.

"I think I will go back to bed," Snape stated curtly.

"Best idea you've had all night," said Moody. "Now, Filch, if you'll just give me that egg—"

"No!" shouted Filch, clutching the egg as though it were his first-born son. "Professor Moody, this is evidence of Peeves's treachery!"

"It's the property of the champion he stole it from," stated Moody. "Hand it over, now."

Snape swept downstairs and walked passed Moody without another word. Filch made a noise to Mrs Norris, who stared blankly at Hailey for a few more seconds, but turned and followed after her master. Hailey heard Snape walking away down the corridor; Filch handed Moody the egg and disappeared from view too, muttering to Mrs Norris, "Never mind, my sweet…we'll see Dumbledore in the morning…tell him what Peeves was up to…"

A door slammed and Hailey was left staring down at Moody, who placed his staff on the bottommost stairs and started to climb laboriously towards her, making a dull clunk on every other step. Moody muttered, "Close, shave, Potter."

"Yeah…I—er…thanks," Hailey replied weakly.

"What is this thing?" asked Moody, pulling the Marauder's Map out of his pocket and unfolding it.

"Map of Hogwarts," answered Hailey, hoping Moody was going to pull her out of the staircase soon, because her leg was starting to hurt.

"Merlin's beard," Moody whispered, staring at the map. His magical eye was going haywire. "This…this is some map, Potter!"

"Yeah, it's…quite useful," Hailey replied. Her eyes were starting to water from pain. "Er—Professor Moody, d'you think you could help me—?"

Moody looked confused, "What? Oh! Yes…yes, of course…" He took hold of Hailey's arm and pulled. Hailey's leg came free of the trick step and she climbed onto the one above it.

Moody went to gaze back at the map. "Potter…You didn't, by any chance, to see who broken into Snape's office, did you? On this map, I mean?"

"Er…yeah, I did…" Hailey admitted. "It was Mr Crouch."

Moody's magical eye looked over the entire surface of the map, looking alarmed. "Crouch? You're—you're sure, Potter?"

"Positive," replied Hailey.

"Well, he's not here anymore," said Moody, his eye still looking over the map. "Crouch…that's very—very interesting…" He continued looking at the map for nearly a minute.

Hailey was sure that the news meant something to Moody and she very much wanted to know what it was. She wondered if she should ask. Moody scared her slightly…yet Moody had just helped her avoid an awful lot of trouble. "Er…Professor Moody…why d'you reckon Mr Crouch wanted to look around Snape's office?"

Moody's magical eye finally left the map and fixed, although quivering slightly, on Hailey. Hailey had the odd feeling as if Moody was sizing her up, probably wondering if he should answer or not, or how to tell her.

"Put it this way, Potter," Moody finally answered, "They say old Mad-Eye's obssessed with catching Dark wizards…but I'm nothing—nothing—compared to Barty Crouch." He continued to stare at the map.

Hailey was now wanting to know more. "Professor Moody? D'you think…could this have anything to do with…maybe Mr Crouch thinks there's something going on…"

"Like what?" asked Moody sharply.

Hailey wondered how much she should saw. She didn't want Moody to guess that she had an source of information that was outside Hogwarts, which might lead to tricky questions about Sirius. "I don't know. Odd stuff's been happening lately, hasn't it? It's been in the Daily Prophet…the Dark Mark at the World Cup, and the Death Eaters and everything…"

Moody's eyes widened, "You're a sharp girl, Potter." His magical eye roved back to the Marauder's Map. He said slowly, "Crouch could be thinking along those lines. Very possible…there have been some funny rumours flying around lately—helped along by Rita Skeeter, of course. It's making a lot of people nervous, I reckon." A grim smile twisted his lopsided mouth. "Oh, if there's one thing I hate," he sounded like he was talking to himself more than Hailey, his magical eye was fixed on the left-hand corner of the map, "it's a Death Eater who walked free…"

Hailey stared at him, wondering if Moody meant what Hailey thought he meant.

"And now I want to ask you a question, Potter," said Moody using a more businesslike tone.

Hailey winced, knowing that that was coming. Moody was going to ask where she had gotten the map, which was a very dubious magical object—and the story of how she got her hands on it wouldn't only incriminate her, but her own father, Fred and George Weasley, and Professor Lupin, their last Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Moody waved the map in front of Hailey, who braced herself—

"Can I borrow this?"

"Oh!" replied Hailey, not expecting that. She was very fond of the map, but on the other hand, she was relieved that Moody wasn't asking where she'd got it, and she did owe Moody a favour. "Yeah, okay."

"Good girl," growled Moody. "I can make good use of this…this might be exactly what I've been looking for…" Hailey wondered why Moody needed the map. "Right, bed, Potter, come on, now…"

They climbed the stairs together, Moody was still examining the map as though it was a treasure the like of which he had never seen before. They walked in silence to the door of Moody's office, where he stopped and looked up at Hailey. "You ever thought of a career as an Auror, Potter?"

"Sort of," replied Hailey, taken aback.

"You should consider it some more," said Moody, nodding and looking at Hailey thoughtfully. "Yes, indeed…and incidentally…I'm guessing you weren't just taking that egg for a walk tonight?"

"Er—no," replied Hailey, grinning. "I've been working out the clue."

Moody winked at her, his magical eye was going haywire again. "Nothing like a nighttime stroll to give you ideas, Potter… See you in the morning…" He went back into his office, staring down at the Marauder's Map again, and closed the door behind him.

Hailey slowly made her way back to Ravenclaw Tower, lost in thought about Snape, Crouch, and what it all meant. Why was Crouch pretending to be ill, if he could manage to get to Hogwarts whenever he wanted to? What did he think Snape was concealing in his office?

And Moody thought she, Hailey, ought to be an Auror! Interesting idea…but somehow, Hailey thought, as she got quietly into her four-poster ten minutes later, the egg and the cloak now safely back in her trunk, she thought she'd like to check how scarred the rest of the Aurors were before she chose it as a career.