Everyone had been crowding Imelda and throwing congratulations her way since she'd been selected as champion, regardless of whether they spoke to her beforehand or not. For the first couple of day, she was specifically surrounded by her fellow Slytherins as they gave her coins. According to Ominis, she bet on herself being selected champion, which was very true to her character, and she made a tidy profit. I was finally able to run into her without five others in tow, but with the fresh and confident look in her eyes, you would've thought she was surrounded by fans.

"Hey, Ravenclaw!" Imelda smiled as I came closer to her. "Looks like you might become the best flyer at Hogwarts. It just took me leaving."

I smiled and shook my head. I learned last year that this was how she showed affection to her friends. "I'll try not to let it go to my head," I told her. "Seriously, Slytherin," I said, returning her jest, "if anyone here can win this, it's you. I wanted to give you this before you left, even if it's still a ways off. I just didn't want to fight through your admirers."

It was a brand new Slytherin quidditch jersey with her name on it. I know Imelda was disappointed to miss another quidditch season, now that it's come back, but Natty assured her that they have quidditch at Uagadou, and she would probably be able to play.

"Thank you, truly. Now," Imelda clasped her hands behind her back and shifted her feet, "I don't often do this, but…" she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she looked vulnerable, and slightly nervous. "Any advice from the savior of Hogwarts?"

I put all joking aside – Imelda doesn't often admit to needing help, let alone ask for it. I didn't want her to feel she couldn't do it again. "Trust your instincts, but do what you can to learn about your opponents. They come from different schools – Uagadou itself is known for casting without wands – so their styles of magic are different. It might give you the upper hand in a duel, and it might help improve your own magic."

She nodded. "Thank you."

I gave her a friendly smile. "Of course. Best of luck, not that I think you'll need it," I said, giving her a hug, "you'll make us all proud."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It wasn't just Professor Hecat who warned the sixth-years about the intensity of their courses. I heard a similar speech from all the professors, and they weren't joking. While Sharp's class was intense last year, this year I found myself putting my hair up in a ponytail, sweating and swearing over my cauldron. Even Garreth was focusing intently on the assignment on hand, rather than trying to brew chaos for his own amusement.

After measuring, chopping, mixing, and straining, I bottled my somewhat lumpy concoction in a glass vial and presented it to Professor Sharp.

"Hmm…" He squinted at the vial and stirred the liquid around. He tilted his head from side to side as he considered his verdict. "This would indeed rid the drinker of a magic-induced fever," he said, "but it would take longer than usual to work because it was stirred clockwise, not counterclockwise."

My shoulders slumped. Sharp must've noticed, as he then conceded, "It's not bad, Ms. Bloor, and it's a simple fix you'll remember next time. The most important aspect is that it would serve its purpose. This is still more than an acceptab-"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by the sound of a small explosion. He rubbed his forehead with his hand and turned round , limping, to deal with the mess.

"Ha! Back to zero, Weasley!" I heard from the back of the room.

"Oh shut up, Leander! I was just trying to follow instructions this time!"

I shook with a silent laugh as I started to clean up my station.

"Lyra? Do you have a moment?"

Sebastian was standing to the right of my potions station, hands clasped behind his back and a question in his eyes. We haven't really spoken since the apology in the Undercroft two weeks ago. We said hello to each other, and we worked together in class when we needed to, but we haven't had a real, unprompted conversation.

"Oh. Sure. What is it, Sebastian?"

"I still haven't been able to get the water out of the Undercroft. I've read through so many books, and there are still more to reference. I was going to spend some time in the library after dinner tonight. Would you like to join me? We might find a solution faster if it's not just me doing the research."

"I admit I haven't looked as hard as I thought I would – the curriculum this year is very intensive," I said as I kept wiping the surface of the table. "So yes, I suppose you're right. I'll join you."

He gave a smile, and there was a small spark of that kindness I remembered from last year. "Fantastic. I'll see you then."

"Yes. I take it Ominis will meet us there too?"

He blinked, as if the question threw him off-guard. "Oh, yes. I just… still need to ask him, but I'm sure he'll be there. It would be good to have a prefect on our side in case we lose track of time." He walked away, towards Ominis' station, where I presumed he would ask Ominis the same question.

Poppy, who was positioned at the station across from me, raised her eyebrow at me in a silent question.

"Small thing," I whispered. "We're going to the library to do some research."

Poppy made a noise of approval as she started to clean out her cauldron. "A good place to start." She grew more serious. "Do you want me to coincidentally look for a book sometime later?"

I snorted. "No, Ominis will be there, I should be fine. It'll be nice to do something, just the three of us."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I entered the near-empty library to see Sebastian leaning over a table piled high with books. He was sorting them into two piles when I approached him. He had clearly been here for a little while before I arrived. "Hello, Sebastian."

He turned his attention to me and smiled. "Hey. I was pulling all the books that might have something to help us," he gestured to the table. "I separated them by subject matter. Those books are all about water," he said, pointing, "and these are all about a variety of spells."

I nodded. "Sounds good." I rolled up my sleeves to cope with our proximity to the fireplace and picked up a book, reading the title. "I'll start with Cleaning Spells." Before I opened it, I looked around. "Where's Ominis?"

"He's joining us a little later. We've been talking a little bit in the common room, actually."

I gave him a genuine smile. "That's good." I opened the book and went to the index to see if I could narrow down what I had to read. Before I could sit down at the table, however, I heard Sebastian clear his throat. I looked up at him again. "Can…" He was nervously clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides, and looked at me like he didn't know how to speak.

I gave him an inquisitive look, unable to guess what he was thinking.

"Can we just talk for a little? Please? I don't know how else to start."

I had to admit, neither did I. This was good enough of a time and place as ever.

I closed the book and sat down. "How was your summer?"

Sebastian sat down next to me. "A little extra long, technically." He looked at me cracked a small smile, which I returned. "I spent it trying to figure out what to do with my life." He sighed and ran his hand through his brown hair. "I went back to Feldcroft. No one there knows… what happened, so no one questions my being there. I got a letter back from Anne, essentially saying to leave her alone and that she would find me if and when she forgives me, but also that she was in a safe place so I shouldn't worry about her. As if that were possible."

"I won't lie to you, Lyra, for the first part of the summer, I was doing anything I could to keep looking for a cure. Anything. Without going into too much detail, one… escapade I went on made me realize how lonely I was. I didn't have Anne, I didn't have Ominis, and I didn't have you. I fell into a depression; I only got out of bed for food, and I ate the bare minimum necessary for survival. It made me wonder – if I ever found a cure, would Anne really believe me? Then, if I wasn't working towards a cure, what else was I supposed to do? So," he seemed to perk up a little with that word, "I decided to change my goals. The first was that I would focus more at school to become a healer – I thought it made sense, considering I really did enjoy learning about different ways to make people feel better."

I touched his shoulder. "That's a great idea!" I said with genuine feeling. "What about the other goals?"

"The only other one I have is to have you in my life again."

He said it with such sincerity and vulnerability that it caught me off guard. And… surely he meant me and Ominis? This time last year, I would've eaten up everything he was saying, wishing he meant me and only me. Last year Lyra would've felt her heart racing.

But things were different now, and I needed to respond. I released his shoulder. "Sebastian, I – "

"There you are!"

I beamed in the direction of that voice. "Hello, Ominis!"

I saw him move his wand about as he found a chair at our table. "So, I assume these tomes are what we're working with?"

"Yes," said Sebastian, turning towards him. "Books about water, and books with generic spells. I was just telling Lyra about my summer."

"Ah, I see." He picked up a book and I saw him point his wand on a page, translating it into braille. "Did she tell you about the Uagadou prank she experienced? It made me laugh when I read it."

I chuckled and starting describing the animagus encounter again.

So it went for the next two hours, as I insisted I didn't want to be caught loitering in the library late in the night again. We read but also took breaks to talk. It wasn't the same, but tonight made me feel like we would get close.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"The only other one I have is to get you back in my life."

I was admittedly snooping for a couple minutes prior, but in that moment, I realized he told Lyra to meet him at an earlier time than me. And I realized why.

She said she would never fancy Sebastian again, but that didn't stop me from turning cold. This couldn't possibly be jealousy. Not when the two of us were friends – just friends who didn't want to lose each other like the way we thought we lost Sebastian. Never mind how I thought about caressing her face again, or holding her hand.

The right thing to do would be to give them privacy and let Lyra unpack his statement. For all I know, I could be wrong, or she didn't think Sebastian's behavior meant anything significant. Either way, she could speak for herself.

"There you are!" I said, emerging from behind a bookshelf.

I didn't always do the right thing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next couple of days were like clockwork. I went to class, met with my friends at some point between lessons for a break, checked the Room of Requirement before dinner, ate, and then went to the library. Unfortunately, the final part of my day – trying to de-flood the Undercroft – was also consistent in the sense that nothing worked. We still had several books to read through, so I wasn't giving up hope just yet. Tensions were thawing as far as Sebastian was concerned, but what made me happy was seeing how Ominis was getting close with Natty and Poppy. He didn't need to be called over to chat with us – instead, he looked for us and walked over. He had inside jokes with them, and was clearly comfortable around them, no matter what they talked about.

"I have to say I agree with Poppy," I heard him remark as I approached the three of them before potions class, "Professor Black would be the one I would kill in this hypothetical situation. And even though this question was not asked with me in mind, I would also marry Professor Sharp."

"Even when the third option is Leander?"

"I can't say I'm attracted to any of these men – or men at all – but yes, even with the third option being Leander," he argued. "With Black as a definite kill, it's an easy decision."

I put in my two cents as I got comfortable. "I'm also team Poppy on this one, Natty, sorry," Leander isn't worth the kill."

"Fine, fine. Okay, what about Professor Ronen, Albie Weekes, and Mr. Moon?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It wasn't until the first of October when Imelda, Professor Black, and Madam Kogawa (Imelda's choice of staff) finally left for Uganda. The morning of her sendoff was a full-out celebration, complete with confetti, banners, and the Hogwarts band playing their hearts out. Everyone, no matter their house, sported the green and white colors of Slytherin as we waved her off. She departed on a thestral-pulled carriage, just like the way we came into the school, and she waved back at us until she was out of sight.

As we all walked inside, the excitement died down and we got ready for class. "It's a shame Hogwarts isn't hosting the tournament," Natty said, "we won't get to see any of the trials. And the irony of a Hogwarts student going to Uagadou isn't lost on me."

I patted her on the back as we walked down a corridor. "I'm sorry, Natty. I'm sure you would've done great. But I'm also sure half the school will buy a subscription to The Daily Prophet just to get as much information as we can."

"You might be surprised," the both of us looked over to see Ominis grinning from ear to ear.

"Something you'd like to share with the class, Professor Gaunt?" Poppy probed.

"Absolutely not, but there is an interesting announcement coming at dinnertime. I'll even give you a hint – Chovick told me about it."

"Unless a muggle is going to be serving us food, that hint does absolutely nothing for me," I retorted.

Ominis tsked. "Then I guess you'll simply have to wait."

I considered different theories all day, but none of them seemed to hold up. Ominis' hint was that the Muggle Studies professor was in on it – so was a muggle competing in the tournament or something? Was one of the trials having to blend into the muggle world? That one would be tough for the wizards that insist on wearing robes everywhere.

Needless to say, I had my eye on Professor Weasley during dinner. She carried a box to the front of the Great Hall and made it levitate. Muttering some other incantations, she made it grow bigger and bigger until it became recognizable from where I was sitting. "A radio?" I asked aloud.

"What's that?" asked Samantha Dale.

"It's a muggle invention," I explained, now realizing why Ominis gave us his hint, "I'm not exactly sure how it works, to be fair, but you can speak into a device, and then anyone with a radio – that box – can hear you, even if they're miles away. They play music, too."

I saw Samantha frown. "This may be the one time I regret not paying more attention in Muggle Studies class."

"Attention students," Professor Weasley declared, as if we weren't already looking at her, "thanks to the ministry, particularly the muggle relations division, we may actually be able to hear what goes on during the Triwizard tournament."

Excited whispers circulated the hall as Professor Weasley turned back to the radio. As she moved her wand, I could see the knobs on the box moving. Suddenly, the sound of static filled the room, and shrieks erupted as we all covered our ears with our hands. Suddenly, the static went away and we heard a voice. "You are now listening to the Triwizard Channel, testing our connection today. We are at Uagadou, establishing this station so wizards worldwide can hear the process of the Triwizard Tournament. No more waiting for newspapers to deliver information! This message will be on repeat for the next 12 hours."

"Ah, so it does work," said Professor Weasley, as the message began to repeat. "Excellent. While I cannot make it mandatory, if you would like to listen to the opening ceremonies, please be here tomorrow at noon. Classes at that time will be rescheduled. And," she smiled at us, "treat it like a sporting event, not a meal. You will be able to sit wherever you like."

All the students cheered, grateful yet again that Professor Black was out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So you knew it would be a radio?"

Ominis and Sebastian were in the library before me, having the benefit of leaving the Great Hall from the same table.

He flashed me a big smile like before, one that I couldn't help but return, even if he didn't see it. "Yes! Someone will be over there to act as an announcer, like in quidditch, and they might be able to get microphones close to the champions, depending on the task at hand. This is such a good example of the muggle and wizarding worlds coming together!"

"It does sound really exciting," said Sebastian, offering me a book. He had a weary look on his face, and I looked at the empty table and realized why. "Last one?"

Sebastian also glanced down at the empty table. "It appears so."

Feeling much more somber, I sat down and began to read. After about 45 minutes, we all had our books closed shut. "Let's give things a try now, I guess" I said as I sat up.

We walked to the Undercroft in silence, but when we entered, that silence was broken with cries of disgust.

"Oh my GOD," I said, covering my nose with my shirt, "there was no way it was this bad yesterday."

Sebastian coughed and I heard Ominis gag. The stagnant water had been in the Undercroft for so long, mildew and mold and Merlin knows what else must have made their way inside and grown. The disgusting stench was overwhelming, and my every instinct screamed at me to get out.

"Okay, we cast quickly and then we go," said Sebastian, his voice muffled as he also had his shirt over his nose.

We did just that – nothing happened, and we couldn't seem to exit the Undercroft speedily enough. It was amazing how the smell somehow didn't permeate through to the Defense against the Dark Arts tower, but I was glad for this little miracle. We all took deep breaths, trying to get the scent out of our nostrils as fast as possible.

In between breaths, Sebastian put his back against the wall and slid down to the floor. "I'm calling it." He said, "I think it's a lost cause at this point. I'm so sorry, Ominis."

I felt terrible for Ominis. The Undercroft was his safe haven, and I remember how outraged he was when simply one other person (me) was let in. I couldn't even imagine how he felt, knowing he couldn't retreat there and remain undisturbed.

Ominis sighed and joined him. "It's alright," he replied, long over his initial suspicions of Sebastian, "we did all we could. It was fun while it lasted."

I followed suit, and the three of us sat there on the tile for a moment, just catching our breath and silently lamenting on our loss.

Sebastian finally spoke. "Now what? Where do we go from here? Maybe where we had crossed wands?"

Ominis made a subtle tilt of his head toward me. It was an unspoken rule between us – we never told Sebastian about the Room of Requirement. We weren't ready to trust him, or to fully forgive him. I'm not ready to bear my soul to Sebastian, per se, but I think I can let him in more without trepidation. Ominis clearly thought the same – he wouldn't have made a move if it were out of the question. Still, he knew it was my secret to share, so he stayed silent.

"There's one place we could go."