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CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Plans Within Plans
Bradley and Gemini had been shown into the teachers' quarters, looking confused and maybe a little scared. Harry pacing back and forth in front of them didn't exactly put them at ease. "You know, Dumbledore probably told me more than he should have done,"he remarked. "And less than he should have done. At the same time."
"It could be quite paradoxical at times,"Hermione agreed.
"So I hope I'm not about to do the same thing." Harry turned his gaze on the two teenagers. "Dora's missing."
"We know that,"Bradley replied, sounding a bit irritable.
"Yes, but you might not know the rest of it. We think someone is hampering the search for her."
"Who?"Bradley demanded.
Harry looked at Hermione, James and Lily, the adults in the room, before turning back to the pair. "Probably Professor Krum."
"But we don't think he's working alone,"Hermione added quickly.
"Dora was suspicious of him,"Bradley recalled.
"But what are we going to do?"Gemini asked. "Are we going to look for her?"
"We can't,"James replied. "It'll attract too much attention."
"And we need to get Dad ready for that invitation duel,"Lily added. "We're convinced that it's all mixed up somehow."
Bradley couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So you're going to do nothing?"
"Where Dora's concerned? Yes,"Harry confirmed. "We are going to do nothing."
It took Gemini a moment to get his meaning. "You…you want us to do it?"
"You and whoever you think you can trust, yes. It's probably our best chance."
Bradley and Gemini headed back to their dorm room and shared the information with those around them: Beverley, Maxwell, Flavia, Amanda and, by chance, Aadi. "So that's it,"Bradley told them. "Dora's missing, the people here don't want to do anything to help and the adults don't want to do anything either because they're scared. So it's down to us. That's what Professor Potter said."
"That's not exactly what he said,"Gemini argued.
"What, was the subtext too much for you?"
"So what, do we just head out there now and start looking?"Maxwell asked.
Bradley thought for a moment. "Professor Potter talked about that open duel that's coming up. He seemed to think that's all part of it. I think he wants us to go then."
"Use the duel as cover and then sneak out?"Flavia asked.
"It sounds a bit dangerous,"Amanda suggested. "Wouldn't we be better off here?"
"She's got a point,"Gemini argued. "I mean, if something's happening at the duel, I want to be here to help Grandma rather than going off looking for Dora and not finding her."
Bradley looked at her incredulously. "Well, put it this way. When the duel starts, I'm going to be off looking for Dora. On my own, if need be."
"I'll come with you,"Beverley announced. "Dora's my best friend. I'd have been lost when I started Hogwarts without her. I owe her this."
"I'll come too,"Maxwell offered.
Beverley gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you. But it'll be less suspicious if it's only Bradley and me missing. You stay with the others. We'll be all right."
James and Lily were waiting outside, along with Martin and Emily. Only Harry and Hermione remained in the teachers' quarters. Harry had put on his best duelling robes and Hermione was adjusting his collar. "We can't have you dying looking scruffy,"she remarked with a hint of a smile.
"Always looking out for me,"Harry observed before sighing. "Did I do the right thing?"
"It wasn't just you,"Hermione argued. "We all agreed to it."
"I know Dumbledore trusted us to save Sirius when Fudge wanted to hand him over to the Dementors and it went okay but…looking back, he asked too much of us at times."
"He trusted you. Like we trust Bradley. If there's anyone in this world that loves Nymphadora as much as we do, it's him."
Harry gave her a grateful kiss. "All right. Once more into the breach and all that. You think this is the last time we'll do this?"
"A lot of the time I really don't know. Let's see, shall we?"