Cedric gave her one of his winning smiles when Hari entered the champions tent the morning of the second task. She smiled back, but didn't have time to chat as Fred and George had snuck in behind her.
"You're gonna be okay, right Hari? You have a plan?" George asked.
"I'm gonna be fine, guys. Have you seen Ron and Mione, though?" Both boys shook their heads in response. "Alright, then. Go get good seats," Hari said with a wink.
"Champions!" Bagman called. "Gather round!"
"I'll see you guys after, okay?" she said to the twins, and they nodded gravely before heading for the stands.
"I'm sure you all know by now that we've taken something from you and hidden it at the bottom of the lake! You'll have an hour to retrieve your item."
The four champions walked out of the tent, still wearing their robes for warmth, and made their way to the dock. Once they were there, they shed their robes. Hari was still wearing her owl-ordered swim suit, though she'd transfigured it to resemble the champions style.
Bagman counted down and when he got to one, Hari shoved the gillyweed she'd obtained from Snape in her mouth and jumped in the water as gracefully as she could manage (which was not very graceful). The transformation was a little more painful than she was expecting, but it was over quickly. She took half a second to marvel at the feeling of breathing water before taking off towards the mer-village.
She didn't encounter many obstacles and ended up being the first one there. Seeing Ron was a bit of a shock; she hadn't thought they'd take people. But then again, the intelligence of adults often leaves much to be desired. Sharpening her nails, she cut Ron free and headed up to the surface with him. After he woke up, she told him to swim to shore, and headed back down to make sure the others got out safely.
Cedric arrived first, and took his friend Jax. He motioned for Hari to follow, but she shook her head. Logically, she knew that they wouldn't let any harm come to the hostages, but she'd also almost died every single year she'd been in 'the safest place on Earth,' so she stayed behind. Krum arrived shortly after Cedric, and took Hermione up without sparing Hari a glance.
She waited until she felt the gillyweed start to fail, then cut the ropes of the small girl and headed up to the surface. She was getting close to the surface when she felt grindylows take hold of her ankle. She pushed the girl up towards the surface as the creatures began dragging her under. A few well-placed stunners and she was free again. Making it to the surface once more, she helped Fleur's hostage get to shore.
The girl wasn't a strong swimmer, and Hari was tired. She could hear Fleur yelling in the distance, then a splash. Cedric made his way to them quickly and took the child, while Hari trailed behind.
"What were you thinking?" Cedric asked frantically as she got out of the water.
"I couldn't just let her die," Hari snapped back.
"You saved my Gabrielle!" Fleur cried and embraced Hari, kissing both of her cheeks and then moved on to do the same to Cedric before giving all of her attention to her little sister.
"You took the song seriously?" Cedric asked. "They wouldn't have let anyone die, Hari!"
"Just like they wouldn't let students get petrified? Or like they wouldn't let a troll get into the castle?"
"Alright," Cedric relented, deflating a bit and raising his hands in surrender, "You've got a point."
Fleur was given twenty-five points for her attempt, Cedric was given forty-five for coming in just after the time limit, Krum was given forty, and Hari, to everyone's surprise, was given the full fifty points since her hostage arrived well within the time limit, and she showered 'honor and courage' by staying behind to ensure all the hostages made it out.
Hari was in the lead with ninety-five points, Krum was in second place with eighty-five points, followed closely by Cedric with eighty points, and Fleur was in fourth place with sixty-five points.
With the second task behind her, Hari decided it was time to talk to Hermione about her fears. She wasn't sure how Ron would handle her accusations, so she waited until he was in Divination to drag the girl into a hidden alcove and set up their usual privacy wards.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked, looking a little worried.
"Mione," Hari began, "I don't think Dumbledore is our friend." She'd originally planned to ease her best friend into the idea, but Hermione had always appreciated it when she was straight forward.
Hermione's face fell slightly, but she didn't look confused. She looked guilty. "I've been thinking about that too."
"For how long?" Hari asked.
"Summer after first year," she admitted.
"Mione," Hari sighed, slightly scolding her friend for not saying anything sooner.
"I don't have any proof," Hermione said in defense of herself.
"You still should have said something!" Hari snapped back. "It's the basilisk all over again!"
"I'm sorry," Hermione said softly.
"What do you have?" Hari asked, ignoring the apology.
"Well," Hermione said, straightening up a little and going into teacher mode, "The trials leading up to the Philosophers Stone were too easy. Except maybe the troll, which we didn't even have to deal with. Everything else was way too easy. I think the mirror was keyed to you specifically. Dumbledore told you that he charmed it so that only someone who wanted the stone but didn't want to use it could get it, but…" Hermione paused and then shook her head, "I've been looking into intent based magic, and it's really fickle. It's possible, of course, that Dumbledore was able to accomplish it, but I think it's much more likely that you were the only person who would have been able to get the stone out. Especially since you said it appeared in your pocket as soon as you saw your reflection.
"Moving on to our second year, why wouldn't he have just ordered mandrake leaves to revive the petrified students? Colin Creevy was petrified for a majority of his first year! It doesn't make any sense that he waited until the school's mandrakes were mature. The potion isn't even that expensive. Also, an object like the diary should never have been able to get into the school, which makes me think that the wards are being tampered with. Dementors, too, should never have been able to get so close to the school." Hermione looked away and chewed on her bottom lip. "I think he's testing you, Hari. I think he's turning us into child soldiers."
"I know he is," Hari agreed. "I think he'd been doing it for decades."
They sat there together for a moment, letting the burden of knowledge settle onto their shoulders before speaking again.
"Let me tell you I've got," Hari sighed. "After making a magically binding vow with Asha, the horntail, I looked into vows. The wording is really important. When Dumbledore made his vow to me, he said 'I did not know the extent of what was happening in that house,'" Hari paused, waiting for Hermione to connect the dots.
"The extent," she whispered, horrified.
"He knew at least some of what was going on," Hari nodded sadly. "There's also – and Mione, I know what your going to say, so don't say it," Hari warned, and Hermione nodded, "There's a prophecy."
Hermione's face did exactly what Hari had expected it to, but the girl didn't speak.
"The dragons have a prophecy about me," Hari said. "I went to see them after the first task, and well, it's complicated but they gave me gifts and told me of their prophecy about me."
"What did they give you?" Hermione asked, the greed for knowledge evident in her eyes.
Hari laughed before she could stop herself, "Never change, Mione. The gifts will take a while to explain, so I'll start with the prophecy:
"The one with the strength to unite all draws near.
Born as the seventh month dies,
Marked for death before her birth.
Forgotten by love and cursed with power,
Death calls her friend.
Vanquisher of false lords and kings,
She will be marked first as their equal,
And then as their better,
For she has a power they know not.
The False Lord of Light will test her,
And attempt to control her,
Blinded by her false destiny.
The False Lord of Dark will hunt her,
Desperate for her death,
Blinded by his own ignorance.
The outcome she seeks is far easier than she believes,
But cannot be accomplished alone.
Await the founders return,
Or all will be lost."
"The false Lord of the light," Hermione whispered.
"Yeah," Hari said.
"What's your false destiny?"
"I'm not sure," Hari admitted. "My guess would be killing Tom. What else would he be testing me for?"
"That's a reasonable assumption," Hermione muttered, already deep in thought. "The false lord of dark should be Tom, right? Though I'm not sure what makes him false…"
Hari looked away, knowing the guilt showed on her face. She didn't know, but she had an idea.
"What?" Hermione asked without a sliver of judgement in her voice.
"I need time to flesh the idea out," Hari said, biting her bottom lip.
"What about the founders return, though? It can't be the actual founders, can it?" Hermione said, gracefully changing the topic.
"I don't know, Mione, I've honestly been trying not to think too hard about it," Hari admitted.
"It is a lot," she replied in that 'I know, dear, it's alright' voice she uses, while patting Hari's hand gently. "What about the gifts?"
"I haven't mastered them, but my memory is phenomenal now, hence my improved grades and test scores. I'm physically stronger than should be possible for a human. I'm more in tune with elemental magic now too. The Chinese Fireball gifted me with 'the flame,' which is basically just fire magic. But being in tune with one form of elemental magic makes the others easier as well. I don't need my wand anymore."
"At all?" Hermione gasped, and Hari nodded.
"I can do everything I've tried without it, and I don't lose any strength. It's actually easier to gage the power I'm putting into my spells without it, but it's been difficult to practice."
"Wandless magic is supposed to be really difficult, Hari! That's amazing."
Hari just looked down, still unaccustomed to praise.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Hermione asked, though her voice carried no accusation.
"It's dangerous," Hari let out a self-deprecating laugh and rolled her eyes. "Everything about me is dangerous. The dragon's said I should keep it quiet for as long as I can."
"You aren't dangerous, Hari. You're just… complicated. It isn't like you seek out dangerous situations, they just happen to you. And that isn't your fault."
Hari leaned in for a hug and Hermione met her eagerly, holding on for dear life. They stayed like that for a long time, only parting when their arms were sore and achy.
"There's something else I should tell you," Hermione said cautiously, then pulled a jar out of her bag.
"What is that?" Hari asked, eyeing the jar suspiciously. It appeared to contain a simple beetle.
"Rita Skeeter," Hermione said, grinning.
The realization hit Hari fast, and she grinned back at the other girl. "You're brilliant."
"Thank you," Hermione said softly, trying to hide a blush.
"I know she sucks, but what exactly did she do to earn your wrath?"
"She listened in on a, um, a very private conversation."
Hari raised her eyebrows at Hermione twice, and both girls fell into a fit of giggles.
Having Hermione on board was a relief for Hari. She finally felt like she could breath again. They'd owl-ordered a couple of matching journals, then charmed them to work as one so each girl could scribble down notes at any time of the day or night without having to find a quiet area and put up privacy wards. The shared secret brought them even closer than before. Ron would have noticed if he ever set foot in the library. He'd gotten closer with Dean and Seamus this year, and had been spending more and more time with them.