Jane and Luna were leaving a class, when Jane turned to her and suddenly asked something, which she had been wondering about for a long time. "Luna, how do you do it?"

"Do what," Luna asked.

"You never get upset, by anything."

"Once something happens, it's already happened, and getting upset about it is not going to change anything. Besides, some things happen for a reason, even bad things."

"Good point," Jane said. Later that day, she found Neville and Hermione, and told them about that conversation.

Jane was studying, in the library, when Neville sat down next to her.

"Neville," Jane whispered, "did you figure out your egg?"

"No," he whispered back. "When I opened it, it made a loud noise that hurt even my ears."

"Oh no."

"Don't worry. I'll figure it out, eventually. Anyway, do you have any interest in going to the ball?"

"Um… not really, but I'll go with you if you want."

"No. It's fine. I'm sure either Hermione or Luna will want to go."

Jane walked into the Hufflepuff common room and saw Sasha. "Hey Jane," she greeted.

"Hi," Jane said.

"Are you going to the ball with Neville?"

"No. I don't want to go to the ball. He's going with his Hermione."

"You don't want to go to the ball?"

"No. I don't."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. It sounds kind of scary, and I want to go home for Christmas."

Sasha laughed. "And how would going to a ball be scary?"

"Well, I'm bothered by crowds and loud noise."

"I wish someone would ask me, so I could go to the ball?"

"Well, good luck!"

"I can't believe someone would turn down the offer."

Jane walked away, bothered by the bitterness in Sasha's tone.

Jane's mother and sister picked her up. This was Jane and her family's first time at the Hogwarts Express Station without the Longbottoms.

Before going home, they went to the local zoo to see Mrs. Snake.

"Hi, Mrs. Snake," Jane greeted, approaching her enclosure.

"Hello" Mrs. Snake greeted. "What exciting things have happened at school this time?" she asked.

Jane started telling her all about the tournament, and everything.

Tracey listened, closely. She could not understand parseltongue, but she heard it as parseltongue and she liked listening to it.

Jane finished, with the mention of the egg.

"Some things sound different when I'm swimming, than when I'm not. Maybe he should try going underwater."

On the way home, Jane wrote a letter to Neville, telling him Mrs. Snake's advice. Once home, she ran over to the Longbottom's house and knocked on the door. Mrs. Longbottom answered. "Mrs. Lonbottom," Jane said, "may I use Ingrid? I have an important message for Neville."

"Yes."

The next day, Ingrid came back. She flew up to Jane, with one letter for Jane and one letter for Mrs. Longbottom. Jane took the letter from her, and Ingrid flew home.

Jane,

Mrs. Snake was right. I took a bath with the egg and put it underwater. The clue was a song, about how someone who can't sing above the ground was going to take something from me and I'll have to find it and take it back within an hour. I think I'll have to breathe underwater for an hour, but I can probably get some gillyweed for that.

I also told Cedric. He seemed happy to know.

I'm relieved that it sounds like it doesn't have anything to do with torture. The sound it made when I opened it above the water sounded like somebody getting tortured. It was horrifying, but I think I have everything under control now.

Love,

Neville