Albus Dumbledore was enthralled. His head and pointed hat rose slowly from the gap at the centre of this epic structure, and his eyes twinkled with merriment as he whispered words like 'charming!' and 'marvellous!'. And when one of the model trains came to a halt at a crossing marked by a tiny flashing read light, he actually clapped his hands together in glee.

"This is just splendid!" the old wizard exclaimed. "I may have lived for almost 150 years, but the quaint and the quirky will forever delight me. Look at this detail! The tiny trees, lights in the windows of buildings, the individual train spotters so intricately painted. This is truly great work, Mr Granger!"

Hermione's father beamed and puffed out his chest a little. "Thank you, Professor. I was intending to make a model of Hogwarts itself at the very top of the line, but having never visited the castle I have no idea of its dimensions."

Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "My dear Mr Granger, there are those of us who have been intimately familiar with Hogwarts for many decades, and even the very wisest of us couldn't guess at her dimensions. And even if we could, she'd likely change them just to play games with us. The castle holds many secrets, and I doubt she will ever reveal them all."

"Speaking of games, Mr Dumbledore, I believe we came up here to discuss one," Catrin Granger cut in. "You and my husband can play with his train set later, once you've explained what this is all about."

Hermione tutted from the corner of the great model. "Mum, they aren't games. They are tasks. This is a magical tournament we are talking about."

"Though is there really much difference?" Dumbledore asked, benignly. "They both test skill, both are observed as entertainment for others. Game is a perfectly reasonable description."

"Perhaps, but what isn't reasonable is how I'm involved," Hermione huffed. "I think I can guess the who in this scenario, probably even the why. But I'd appreciate it if you filled in the how for me, Headmaster."

"Now that is reasonable," Dumbledore smiled. He stepped out from the centre of the model train set and began t pace the room. "The best place to start is with the Task itself. I am going to give you some private knowledge of the event, information that you would have been given anyway once you return to school ... but that's a surprise that Professor McGonagall has waiting for you, so I shall leave it to her to disclose.

"But, before we go any further, I humbly ask for your guarantee that the things I tell you here will be kept strictly to yourself. I do not want any of the Champions getting wind of what awaits them, or for the student spectators to know what is coming, either."

"I promise I wont ruin the spectacle for anyone else," Hermione returned in an irritated tone, folding her arms across her chest. "Though why Professor McGonagall wants me involved is something that bothers me. What can I have to do with anything?"

"That will be explained to you in due course," Dumbledore replied, dismissively. "But I thank you for your promise, even though I know you only mean 99.9% of it."

"Are you calling me dishonest, Sir?" Hermione asked, honestly a little hurt by the rebuke.

But Dumbledore simply chuckled gently again. "Not at all, Miss Granger. I am merely certain that whatever I tell you, however strict the confidence we enter into, you will most certainly tell Harry Potter about it at some point in the future. Indeed, I fully expect that within five minutes of my leaving here this evening, your quill will be rushing over the nearest piece of parchment that you can find, to relay all the information to Mr Potter."

Hermione blushed in the soft light of the attic room. "How ... how do you know that Harry and I are pen-pals?"

"The rumours and gossip of the Hogwarts corridors is not confined to the students," Dumbledore smiled. "It reaches the ears of us teachers, too."

Hermione crossed her arms again as her frown returned. "There is no gossip. Harry and I are just friends, despite what you may have heard.

"Of course you are," Dumbledore replied, piously.

Hermione felt herself grow cross at what she saw as veiled sarcasm. She turned to her mother and father in turn with an earnest expression. "We're just friends. Honest."

"Be that as it may," Dumbledore continued as if without interruption. "I know you are his confidante, and he is yours. I fully expect you to tell him everything that I tell you."

Hermione had to concede that truth. In any case, it seemed pointless to lie ... there was just a unnamed quality about Dumbledore's eyes that made Hermione feel as if he were x-raying her whenever she spoke.

"Okay, so let's say – for arguments sake – that I probably will do that," Hermione began, defensively. "You can rely on Harry's discretion, Sir. He doesn't really talk to anyone but me, so he wont blab anything around school. And if I ask him to keep a secret for me, I'm totally confident that he'll do it."

"I share your confidence, Miss Granger, which is why I have no issue with Harry having knowledge of this, too," Dumbledore replied. "In fact, with what I am about to suggest, I am actually counting on it."

That comment took Hermione by surprise. It seemed to bring a sense of gravity to the moment. So Hermione sat down on a stool nearby.

"What's this all about then?" she asked, cautiously.

"As I said earlier, the Champions competing in the Triwizard Tournament all recently underwent a magical examination, in preparation for the Second Task," Dumbledore explained. The results of this examination informed how the goal of the Task would look for each competitor."

"An examination?" Hermione's mother asked. "What sort of an examination?"

"The Triwizard Cup – the trophy on offer for the winner of the Tournament – conducted a thorough assessment of each student who applied to represent their school," Dumbledore began. "It considered levels of skill, attitude, physical endurance, and a whole host of other parameters. It then decided who was the most worthy Champion for each school and selected them accordingly."

"I've never liked that," Hermione huffed. "I'm wary of inanimate objects that can think, reason and decide for themselves. I don't trust anything if I can't see where it keeps its brain."

"A logical and sensible approach," Dumbledore smirked. "But rest assured that the Triwizard Cup is quite harmless. And, apart from selecting the Champions, it gave us the information we needed for this next Task."

"Each Champion was going to lose something of value, you said?" Hermione's father repeated from earlier. "What sort of things are we talking about?"

"And how does that involve me?" Hermione added insistently.

"Perhaps some context," Dumbledore replied. "The Task itself will be held in the Great Lake, in the realm of the Mer-People."

"Yes, I remember hearing that Cedric Diggory had decoded the message in his golden egg from the First Task when he discovered that it was in Mermish," Hermione nodded. "Always struck me as a bit odd that he thought to put it under water."

"Mr Diggory is a clever and creative student," Dumbledore offered. "I'm sure he tried many things to decipher the message."

"Still seems a bit suspect to me," Hermione returned haughtily. "He cottoned on to it so soon that it was almost as if someone pointed him in the right direction. Maybe you should look into that."

"I am satisfied that the competition is being held in the best spirit of camaraderie and integrity," Dumbledore smiled. "But back to the point at hand. The concept of the Second Task is to place an object of great value at the centre of the lake, an object unique to each Champion. They then have to overcome obstacles and challenges that will test a range of magical skills in order to reach their prize. Should they fail, they will lose that thing forever.

"In Mr Diggory's case, he has had to give up his broomstick. This is not only a family heirloom, passed down from father to son over several generations, but represents his love of flying. Not only is he an avid and talented Broomsman, but he also has plans to pursue a career as a professional Quidditch player once he leaves Hogwarts.

"However, if he fails in this task, a spell will be cast on him that will inhibit his magical interaction with broomsticks. In short, the magical connection will be blocked ... and he will never be able to fly again."

Hermione's eyes went round in surprise. "But that ... it could ruin all his plans for the future!"

"It could, so the stakes are high. More incentive to succeed," Dumbledore whispered.

"Wow," Hermione hushed. "And what about the French girl?"

"Miss Delecour has given up three strands of her hair, which will be placed in a reliquary at the heart of the Lake," Dumbledore explained. "These represent a special magic that she has. You may or may not be aware that she is part-Veela, and there is a point during every lunar cycle when this side manifests powerfully within her. She transforms – much like a werewolf – or she would, if her special magic did not allow her to control it. Without tis control, the transformations – which are quite painful, I understand – would happen and endure for an unknown period of time.

"Miss Deleacour will lose this control, if she fails to overcome the challenges she will face under the waters of the Lake."

Hermione sat back in shock. "That could change her life ... no, that could ruin her life! There are high stakes, Headmaster, but this is bordering on cruel."

Dumbledore raised a hand to silence the protests. "The Champions all knew there would be serious challenges in this Tournament. They entered into it willingly."

Hermione wasn't sure she could accept that, but she had other things to confront. "That just leaves one Champion ... Viktor Krum."

Dumbledore closed his eyes gravely. When he spoke his words were slow, measured and a little bit angry.

"Yes. Viktor ... Krum. We did not expect a young person competing in this Tournament to name a person for this task. In fact, we put in inhibitory magic to prevent it. But, somehow, Mr Krum has circumvented these controls and nominated a person as the thing that he could not stand to lose."

"And that's our Hermione?" Catrin gasped in horror. "How? Who is this boy?"

"He is something of a Quidditch prodigy," Dumbledore returned. "An international sports star at seventeen –"

"Seventeen?" David Granger hissed angrily. "He is seventeen? What's he taken in interest in our girl for? Most of her peers are fourteen. That she is one of the oldest in her year group is irrelevant."

"I quite agree, which makes this development all the more concerning," Dumbledore nodded. He turned to Hermione with a serious expression. "Miss Granger, you must tell me everything about your interactions and involvement with Mr Krum. I must understand the origins of this."

"You and I both, Professor," David added, coming up on the wizard's shoulder.

But Hermione didn't baulk in this face of this twin-pronged interrogation. She squared her jaw, sat up straight and glowered at the men in front of her in turn.

"There is nothing to tell," she insisted, grittily. "He started taking an interest in me a few months ago, interest I neither welcomed nor courted. I spoke to him a couple of times, at social gatherings connected to the Tournament, but that was it. Then, out of nowhere, he invited me to be his date at the Yule Ball, an invitation I politely declined. That was it. And I've had nothing to do with him since."

Dumbledore stroked his long beard. "Is there any reason you can think of for why Mr Krum would choose you as his goal for this Task?"

Hermione considered the question a moment before offering her response. "It might not be as nefarious as you think. Krum's ego was hurt by my rejecting him. He's famous, and I don't think he's used to being denied anything. I think he likes his fame and the attention it gets him. It probably didn't help when he saw who I did go to the Yule Ball with."

"And who was that?" David asked.

"Harry Potter," Hermione and her mother chorused in unison, causing colour to steal over Hermione's cheeks.

"Ah, I think I see," Dumbledore nodded. "So you believe that Mr Potter, as a rival in the public interest stakes, was the worst possible person that Mr Krum could lose your hand to. It deepened the blow for him."

"Professor, please don't put it like that," Hermione winced. "Harry and I are -"

"- just friends, of course," Dumbledore cut across. "Forgive me, I forgot that a moment."

"But what does any of this have to do with you being at the bottom of a Lake as some sort of trophy girl?" David implored. "I don't understand that."

"I think I represent Krum's fame, his adoration," Hermione explained. "He can't live without it. If he reaches me during the Task, he keeps the fame ... and, maybe, I'll be magically enchanted by him as a result."

"A reasonable assumption," Dumbledore agreed, gravely.

"But if he fails, and his fame dies ... what happens to you?" Catrin demanded, suddenly angered.

"I ... I don't know. I haven't really thought that far," Hermione mumbled, shivering with the possibilities.

"Could ... could she die, Professor Dumbledore?" David whispered at his side.

Dumbledore removed his half-moon spectacles and rubbed his eyes. "It would depend on the definition of the Task. If it is only fame that Mr Krum reveres, then Miss Granger should be unharmed if he succeeds. But if his intentions are also on her personally ..."

"Then I'll die if he can't have me," Hermione completed, darkly. "And if it isn't fame, and I'm wrong and it is me that he can't do without, then maybe he will sabotage the task on purpose. He knows I want nothing to do with him, so maybe this is his way of making sure that if he can't have me, no-one can."

Catrin cried out in dismay. "Surely not! No-one's ego is that big, that implacable. He'd have to be a monster to do something like that."

"Infatuation can make a person do the most irrational things," Dumbledore offered, sagely. "Blinded by hurt, he may not thinking in a sensible manner."

Hermione stood and began pacing in front of the window. She was thinking rapidly, breathing hard. She wanted to ask Dumbledore how he intended to stop this, but part of her already knew the answer. The Tournament was a magically-bound contest, and if you became involved, you stayed involved. Dumbledore would only confirm that, to the horror of her parents.

So Hermione tried a different tack. "I believe this is the point, Headmaster, where you tell me that you have a brilliant solution to this predicament.

Dumbledore span on his high-buckled boots and his eyes shimmered with the light of adventure, as if he had met a kindred conspirator.

"Well, I did have one idea which might be considered inspired," Dumbledore hushed in muted excitement.

"What is it?" Hermione pushed.

"The rules of the competition clearly state that the Champions will have to overcome challenges during each Task," Dumbledore started. "The Second Task makes this blatant ... if the Champions fail to achieve their goal, they face the consequences. It is impossible to know Mr Krum's motivations from where we are, but I struggle to believe that he would wish to put you in danger. It is much more likely that he will want to reach you during the Task, to win your favour through magical means, as he failed to woo you naturally."

"Woo me?" Hermione scoffed. "I am not a Jane Austen heroine, Headmaster!"

"Quite," Dumbledore smiled. "But I am still confident that I am correct about this."

"You mentioned challenges," Catrin took over. "I'm going to guess that your great idea is to put obstacles in this Viktor Krum's path, ones that will stop him reaching Hermione."

"He will face obstacles enough, but he will likely overcome them. He is quite prodigiously skilled," Dumbledore replied. "No, that plan may not be enough. My suggestion is slightly more direct and to the point. And this, Miss Granger, is where your minor dishonesty to me earlier could prove invaluable."

Hermione blinked in surprise, but didn't really know where this was going. "Go on, Headmaster."

"My idea comes in the definition of challenges," Dumbledore went on. "The Champions will face magical creatures who dwell in the Lake, the dangers of the murky depths. They will have to pass all these to reach their targets. What the rules don't restrict is that these challenges could come from outside the Lake, too. For example, if someone wanted to sabotage a Champion's chances by reaching their target first ... there is nothing in the rules to prevent that."

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "He can get to me first and keep me away from Krum! I'm sure he'll do that, Headmaster. I'll tell him all about this, tell him how to find me, and he'll come for me when the time comes."

Dumbledore's expression changed in that moment, and he sighed deeply. "That is my core idea, but it may not be that simple to execute."

"Why not?" Hermione snapped back. "Seems fairly straightforward to me."

"Yet you are forgetting, Miss Granger, that this is a magical Tournament we are discussing, and things have to be considered in those terms," Dumbledore reminded her. "It will not be as simple as giving Mr Potter a roadmap to interfere. He has to be driven, genuinely motivated, to break the magical parameters of the Tournament and make himself an obstacle for Mr Krum."

"I'm not sure I understand that, Professor," Hermione complained.

Dumbledore sighed, patiently. "Try to realise, Miss Granger, that these tasks are designed with rules and regulations which must be adhered to. For example, if a Champion tried to get outside help to complete a Task, they would be immediately disqualified from that Task. Similarly, if someone from outside tried to help a Champion, they would be repelled from the Task arena."

"Ah, I think I see," Hermione nodded. "So if say, during the First Task, one of the Champions called for a dragon-keeper to subdue their dragon, so they could get to the egg, that outside person would not be able to enter the dragon enclosure to help."

"Precisely," Dumbledore confirmed. "That Task is configured to test the Champion's talent, and outside help is not permitted."

"Wait ... dragons?" David Granger asked. He looked very pale. "Real dragons?"

Hermione simply tutted at her father and shook. "So under those terms, I suppose, a person trying to thwart a Champion couldn't enter the Task theatre, either. Magical barriers would throw them back."

"I am so pleased that you have grasped this so quickly," Dumbledore beamed. "Quite easily the cleverest witch of the age."

"Forget about that now," Hermione huffed. "I'm more concerned about this little blip in your plan, Sir ... if Harry can't get past the magical barriers, how is he supposed to save me."

"Ah, now this is where the brilliance of my plan comes in," Dumbledore replied. "A magical barrier is only as effective as the magic which set it. This is simple metaphysics. Strong magic is required to cast barriers of this nature, but if it meets with magic of a more potent and powerful intent, then it can buckle ... and it can be breached."

"I think I am beginning to understand," Catrin smirked from across the room. "These Tasks are protected from outside sabotage, but if someone has power enough to get involved, then they can get past these restrictions. You are counting on Harry Potter being powerful enough to do this."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Logic is clearly strong in this family. Yes, that is the crux of my idea. But magical power may not be enough ... intent and determination may be equally as important."

Hermione nodded as understanding began to settle on her. "So Harry is going to have to want to get to me ... I mean, really want to get to me. And for that ... he's going to have to believe that I am in genuine danger. So I'm going to have to be in genuine danger."

"I think that will be the only way," Dumbledore agreed, gravely. "It is a risk, I won't deny it, but from what I hear from Harry's Godfather, I am convinced that you being in peril will be inspiration potent enough for Harry to break through the Triwizard barriers in order to rescue you."

"What have you heard?" Hermione asked, suspiciously.

"I'm afraid that must stay between Sirius Black and I," Dumbledore replied, evasively.

"Just friends, eh?" Catrin asked her daughter in a teasing tone.

Hermione simply scowled at her mother. "Yes. Just friends. But Professor, what if I tell Harry about this plan, he understands that this is just to thwart Krum and not save me, will his resolve be enough to break into the Task?"

"No, I would think not," Dumbledore confirmed. "We may have to be creative in our little ruse, in order to stir Harry's passions."

"I won't lie to him, Professor," Hermione frowned. "Harry is my best friend, and I won't risk the trust we've built between us. He doesn't open up easily and he might not forgive me if I betray that."

"I would not ask you to do that," Dumbledore assured her. "I happen to think that Harry emerging from his shell is a very good thing for him, and I would not wish to be responsible for his retreating into himself again. I am merely suggesting that we keep certain details from him until after this is over. Harry needs to understand the gravity of the Task, to fully appreciate the cost of failure. Then, when he realises that you are the subject of the Task ... that you may be in serious danger ..."

"He will come for me," Hermione hushed, quietly. Her belly twisted into complicated knots as butterflies tried to take flight there.

"And it will take a force of nature to stop him," Dumbledore completed. "I know this is a lot to ask, but I am sure Harry will understand everything when we emerge safely on the other side."

"I'm sure he will," Hermione agreed. "But how will we set this up? What must I do?"

"Leave the details to me," Dumbledore said as he rose from his seat. "I may need to set up a situation where Harry is separated from you for a short time. I believe that by stoking his emotions in a controlled way, he will be even more roused to action when the time comes. Trust me, I will not put Harry in any danger or bring him to harm."

Hermione wasn't sure she liked that, but saw the merit of the plan. "And what about me? What should I say?"

"Write to Harry, tell him about this," Dumbledore advised. "Be excited, say how you are going to be involved in the Task preparation once you are back at Hogwarts and speculate on how. Over the coming weeks, build on the magnitude and severity of failure for the Champions. When the Task comes around, Harry must know how serious the situation is. This is vital, Miss Granger ... it may be the difference between a resounding success, and catastrophic failure."

Hermione swallowed hard, shuddering slightly as the weight of the task head nestled heavy around her shoulders. She crossed the room and led Dumbledore from the attic and back to the front door. They exchanged a solemn look as they prepared to part.

"Well, thank you for the visit, Professor," Hermione began, bracingly. "I wish you had better news."

"As do I, but I trust this will all work out well," Dumbledore replied in a similar tone. "And when it does, our attention must be turned to how Mr Krum managed to get you involved in the first place. I may be required to request your assistance again."

"I'll be ready," Hermione assured him. "Now, I have a letter I need to write. Good night, Headmaster ... oh, and Merry Christmas."

Dumbledore inclined his head. He took three steps into the dark night, turned behind a snow-dusted bush on Hermione's lawn, and was suddenly gone. Hermione watched on, as a dozen balls of light rapidly sped back to the previously empty streetlights of the cul-de-sac. Light flooded down into the street, falling on Hermione's sheltered doorway. On a ledge nearby, a pair of large amber eyes turned to look at her.

Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"Got you involved too, did he?" Hermione whispered, scratching the snowy owl on the back of her neck. "Funny man, isn't he, Dumbledore? Well, better get to it. I won't be long, but my letter just might be."

Then Hermione closed her front door and made her way to her bedroom, with almost no idea how she was going to do this. How much she had to tell ... and how much more did she have to conceal.