The week since the students from the other schools arrived had gone quickly for Rhea as she sat down at the Ravenclaw table next to Fleur. The two of them had only managed two more sessions before the night of the Champion's Selection, but none had really been truly successful. Sure, Rhea could last longer with her altered defences but it was never enough to keep Fleur's Allure from dragging her back into her hellish memories. Rhea had felt guilty over Fleur missing out on the Feasts for the first day so the two had worked out a rotation where each would have a meal at the Great Hall while the other had theirs in private. Fleur never said anything but Rhea could tell she appreciated the gesture. Tonight though Fleur and Rhea were keeping their own mental defenses up as they kept their attention on the Goblet of Fire and the showboat that was Dumbledore.
"Welcome, students! Tonight is the night when the Goblet of Fire makes its final selection. Remember, once chosen, the champions must stand alone. They will receive no direct help from their fellow classmates or staff until the completion of the Tournament, with the exception of Medical work. The Goblet appears to be ready to reveal to us the first Champion!" Rhea looked at the Goblet as the flames turned red. She knew that Fleur had put her name in it and she hoped that she wasn't selected. She knew she was capable of competing and maybe winning, but the whole Tournament gave her a bad feeling. From the red flames, a slip of parchment shot out and Dumbledore picked it out of the air. "The champion for Durmstrang is … Victor Krum!" The hall exploded into cheers and claps. Rhea along with a few others, though, clapped because it meant that the Quidditch Tournament was now fair game, with the single most dangerous player now officially banned from participating.
The flames from the Goblet turned red again and a piece of … something shot out. It took Rhea a second to recognize it and she groaned. Fleur had a smug look on her face. Dumbledore caught the circular adorned paper, "The champion for Beauxbatons is … Fleur Delacour." Rhea was polite and clapped for the Veela while she stood up and gave a soft bow to her classmates before she followed Krum out towards the Trophy Room. Rhea hoped and silently prayed that her premonitions didn't ring true. The flames turned red again as Hogwarts eagerly awaited its Champion. Rhea knew that Cedric chose not to take part and was happy for him. Cho was also quite happy as they had already made plans to go to Hogsmeade together. There was also no way of missing Henry Potter's placing his name in the Cup. Her ears still rang from the moment the Lions cheered. Even Fleur said she heard it from the carriage.
Rhea watched as the flames of the Goblet took their signature red colour for a third time and spat out a third piece of parchment. Dumbledore catches it and sighs softly before speaking with a more energetic voice, "The Champion for Hogwarts is… Henry Potter!" Rhea clapped softly to be polite as she did a small victory cheer in her head. Her intervention at the start of the blasted thing kept from someone putting her name in. Now she could rela- Rhea's mind froze as she tuned out Dumbledore's words. The Goblet was switching from blue to red and she could feel its magic trying to tie her down. She closed her eyes and focused on the building thread of magic. For a second she wanted to scream as she felt the Goblet try and bind her. Except it kept failing over and over again. Rhea frowned and thought about its reaction. If it wasn't binding her, why was it reaching out to…
Allowing her Death Magic to fill her body, Rhea focused on the band of magic trying to bind her. She'd have to apologize to Luna later, the girl was going to get a nasty chill from being so close to her. She pushed her Death Magic through the tattered bond with the cup and allowed one thought to fill her magic with intent. Halley Potter is dead . The magical energy recoiled and snapped back to the Goblet as the flames spat out a fourth piece of parchment, to the utter surprise of the entire Great Hall. However, as Dumbledore reached out to grab it, the parchment crumbled to ashes, and the name on its side vanished from sight before anyone could see it. Rhea breathed out a sigh of relief while Luna looked at her with a question on her lips, as Dumbledore shook off whatever had just happened and continued explaining everything to the students before sending them off to bed.
Instead of following everyone to the common rooms, Rhea waited beside Madam Pomfrey as her friends gathered around. She watched Hermione come towards her with a bit of sadness on her face. "Sorry, I won't be able to join you. Gryffindor Tower will be throwing Henry a party. I can get away to my room and do a few small rituals but nothing major. I wish you could have the ritual here at school." Rhea pulled her into her arms and hugged her, earning an "eep" from Hermione's lips. "It's ok, the full rituals help but the small offerings and remembrances can ease the deceased spirits just as well. Have a good night of Samhain, Hermione. See you at Breakfast." Hermione nodded into her shoulder and stepped back, a few odd phrases passing Rhea's lips as she pulled away, before Rhea and many of the study group followed Madam Pomfrey out to the Floo in her office.
Hermione waited in the Gryffindor common room with the others and gave her own cheer when Henry walked into the room, his proud smirk there for all to see. She convinced everyone she wanted an early night and went to her dorm room. Alone, she lit a few candles and wrote down her Grandfather's name and Halley Potter's into strips of paper. She whispered her prayers and watched as the paper with her grandfather's name burned slowly on the metal plate she placed it on. She swore she smelled more than just burning paper, as a hint of her grandfather's cologne and brand of cigar filled her mind. She hadn't expected anything tonight. The oddest thing happened when she lit the corner of the paper with Halley Potter's name on it. Instead of burning outright, the fire just cinched the edges, refusing to turn inward. The next thing to happen was seeing Halley's name visibly vanish from the slightly singed paper before it finally caught on fire and turned to ash.
The small ritual she performed remained stubbornly in her mind as her roommates opened the door and spent the next 30 minutes getting ready for bed, Parvati and Lavender talking about the Tournament and Henry's chances against two older students. Hermione was worried about Henry too. He'd been having headaches and fitful dreams the last few months. She eventually fell asleep and dreamt of her grandfather taking her sledging down a snow covered hill, her whoops and his laugh filling her mind. Her dream ended with an odd image of a girl looking at her surrounded by an endless field of stars. She had the Potter's messy hair and Lily Potter's eyes but her skin… Hermione starts awake as the last trace of her dream settles in her mind. The Halley Potter in her dream had deathly pale skin and wore a white dress. There had been no hands or feet at all for her to see.
The Bones Manor reminded Rhea a lot of Peverell Castle that one time she went to visit it, though they stayed out of the containment wards. There was an energy here that was more geared towards Death Magic than what she had felt at Black Castle or Hogwarts, though the feeling of it was that of a faded legacy. The Peverell Castle had felt like a live wire compared to this place and the aggressive reaction it had to her father's presence was enough reason to steer clear for now. She wondered if the Bones' family had been Priests of the Olde Ways, protecting a Temple of Death even now, despite forgetting what had been here all along. She had a lot to ask of Regent Bones and Susan when the night was over. She looked around as her friends began to set up the offerings at the points of the Dodecagram star ritual circle she had traced. Her parents and the adults were watching as Rhea led the formation and setting of the Ritual Circle. Because of the lateness of the hour, Sabrina had suggested that Rhea perform most of the ritual herself. Those who knew her gift agreed.
Rhea looked around and saw Susan, Draco, Theo, Daphne, Astoria and Luna finishing their parts as well. This would be their first Ritual with her and it would also be one they had a part in building. She had promised Hermione a proper Samhain Ritual next year, so having her friends learn and understand how to make one with her would make that promise all the more real, ensuring that next year they could build one at Hogwarts. She looked back and saw the proud look on most of the adults' faces as each prepared their own prayers for the night. Madam Bones alone looked worried though considering who she and Susan would be calling, Rhea wasn't surprised. The Bones' family had suffered many losses from the war, with Susan never having the chance to know her parents. Tonight, Rhea wanted to change that, even if it was for a brief moment. She saw her friends take their place sitting on their knees in the circle, while the adults did the same in the outer circle Sabrina had set. Show time. Rhea took a deep breath.
"On this night of Samhain, I, Rheannon Black, speaker of Persephone, bring commencement to this ritual of Calling. Persophone, beloved maiden of spring. Persephone, beloved wife of Hades. Persephone, beloved Queen of the Underworld. Your speaker asks for a boon for those gathered here tonight when the Veil between our worlds is at its thinnest. Let them spend a night's watch with their loved ones who reside in your domain. Let the wounds opened by grief and loss be healed by your mercy. Let the Dead venture forth on this night so that the Living may better spend their days before joining you in your resplendent halls." Rhea walks slowly towards Draco, a branch of yew leaves bathed in herbs and oils in her hand as Nyx lands on her shoulder, the owl closing her eyes. "Oh Persephone, grant Abraxas Malfoy the right to spend a night's watch with his Grandson, a fate denied to both by the rigours of life. Let the two know each other so that the living Draco may better know himself." Rhea shook the yew branch over Draco and the boy slipped into a deep sleep, dropping onto his side gently.
Rhea turned to Susan, who was looking at her with tears in her eyes. She, along with her Aunt, was the hardest to convince to take part in the ritual tonight, if only because they above all but one here had lost the most. Fear of hope was nothing new to Rhea. "Oh Persephone, beloved daughter, grant the right of a night's watch to Sarah Bones, mother of Susan Bones, so that mother and daughter may know the same blessings carried by you into your realm. Let the wounds of a war begin to heal for one born within its final year." Rhea swung the branch around Susan's head and watched as her eyes closed, her body going limp as she gently settled into her side. Rhea proceeded to do the same for Daphne and Astoria who wished to speak to their grandmothers from both sides of the families. She stood before Theo, "Oh Persephone, bringer of life and warmth, allow Sypha Nott the right to a night's watch with her son, Theodore Nott, their last parting tainted by fear and madness. Let the scars upon the son be healed by a mother's love." Theo shook as Rhea bathed his head in the oils from the Yew Branch, before slipping into a restful sleep. Rhea turned lastly to Luna.
"Oh Persephone, final judge at Fate's end, please grant Pandora Lovegood the right to spend a night's watch with her daughter, Luna Lovegood. Let the wounds inflicted by Fate's harsh hand begin to heal for one burdened with the sight of a mother's passing." Rhea buried her hands in the yew branch and drenched them in the oils and herbs before cupping Luna's chin and kissing her forehead. "Go and find your peace." Luna's face filled with tears but her lips became a smile as she joined the others in their sleep. Rhea turns and watches the adults do their part and also join their loved ones at the edge of the Veil. Rhea kneels on the ground and closes her eyes. "Oh Persephone, I ask for no visitors for myself this night of Samhain. Grant your speaker a small favour and allow Hermione Granger a fragment of peace deserving of one who wished to take part but was bound by hands not her own. Grant me a night's watch spent in the peace of the Veil, as was your gift to me for so many years." Rhea's mind slips from the moment at the ritual and once she opens her eyes she sees a starry night sky, puddles of water covering the ground as if blessed by a spring rain. She smiles as she begins to run, the cool feel of water on her naked feet and the soft pleasant wind of the cold spring nights driving her forward. Here Rhea lets go of the burdens of memories and possible futures. Here she is but a soul, fueled by the joy and innocence of youth.
Amelia Bones wanted to strangle Sirius Black. The man who she had once had a crush on had convinced her to host and take part in a Samhain ritual along with the other members of the Neutral bloc and their closest allies. The Abbotts weren't known for celebrating Samhain as much as Imbolc and Beltane so their absence was expected. She met the recently married Lady Black and for a moment she had felt a measure of envy, not to mention a touch of lust. The woman was beautiful and Sirius Black was a lucky mutt for marrying her. No, Amelia wanted to strangle the dog of a man because he hadn't told her how she would spend her night. To see her brother, feel his hands on her back as she cried into his shoulder. Amelia was equally the happiest she had felt and the maddest.
So of course said mutt just walked up to her and gave her a soft smile, his wife holding on to his side, both their faces covered in tear tracks. She couldn't just- nevermind, his wife was a legilimens apparently as she whacked him on the back of the head for her. She was going to be inviting her for a cup of tea if not coffee. She wanted to know what kind of bullet she had dodged by not dating the man while they had both been Aurors. Lady Sabrina Black looked at her and smiled softly, "We do apologize for not warning you, but it's hard enough to explain without the proof you now carry with you." Amelia sighs, "Noted." She looked at the kids still in the circle though only Rhea was still up, though her eyes were closed. "Will your daughter be alright?"
Sabrina looked over and nodded. "We have a standing rule with her, no surprise discussions with the deceased on Samhain. We had a bit of a scare when Rhea called on a family member who had a lot to say to her. Tonight she was going to go into a restful state. She won't discuss it, though I have some vague notion of where she is and I think she will probably be the only one without tears here tonight." Amelia looked around and saw the Greengrasses, Lord Nott and the Malfoys getting up from their own experiences. They had all cried. She called Mipsy and had the elf prepare the guest rooms and a bit of tea. Tonight was going to be a long night. She looked towards the teens again. "Should we be concerned we woke up before they did?"
The Lady Black shook her head. "You can leave an elf to look over them, but I imagine they will linger close to morning. They will wake up tired and in need of sleep but they will be good to go in a few hours. Samhain rituals take less of a toll on the young apparently. Also, Nyx will make sure they are all fine." Amelia looked at the group, "Nyx?" Sirius pointed at the black owl. "My daughter's Death Omen of a famili-Owww!" Sirius looked towards his wife whose fingers now had lighting jumping between them. She raised one eyebrow and he paled. "I'll go join Cyrus and Lucius." He made a less than dignified exit. Amelia looked at the Lady Black, "How safe is a Death Omen familiar?" Said familiar landed on Sabrina's shoulder and looked at Sabrina in the eye. The lady Black sighed, "Safer than leaving them at school actually. Death Omens don't usually kill, they simply allow for the living to have a chance at preparing for the inevitable. "
Nyx took off and landed on Rhea's shoulder. "Unless they are familiars and in that case, they only kill those who dare threaten their masters, while also containing their death perception trait. That and Nyx are extraordinarily aware of our concerns. So Nyx will outright protect everyone in that circle so long as Rhea wishes it." Amelia looked over at the sleeping kids and nodded. Good enough. "So, what exactly just happened?" The Lady Black smiled mischievously at her, "Nothing much, just your typical Samhain ritual with a Necromancer in the mix." Amelia paled and then looked at the children. Her shoulders slumped. Susan's request now became much more urgent. The last thing the Ministry could afford was to have a Necromancer at war with the Head of the Aurors. Amelia was already seeing the mountain of paperwork form at her desk. Definitely a lot of coffee.
Hermione watched her friends walk softly into the Great Hall and divide amongst their house tables. Theo, Draco and Daphne were surprisingly close today as were Luna, Astoria and Rhea, with Susan hugging Hannah and Sally, the latter having the redhead lean against her. "Wonder what they got up to last night. You think there is a dead muggle somewhere lying in a ditch right now?" Hermione bit back her initial retort and looked at Ron. "You know that last night was Samhain right? Halloween for others? They all went home and took part in a family ritual." Ron scuffed, "Doesn't mean they didn't kill someone for it. Just last week they lifted a ban on large communal rituals, despite Dumbledore warning everyone that such things were dangerous and were easily abused. No one listened to him beyond the Potters and their bloc. Even the Abbotts sided with them."
"The rituals are part of their family history. We can't exactly tell them to give up a part of what makes them magical. Would you ask the Potters to give up their home? Or for Hogwarts to be replaced because it's part of that long history?" Ron was about to respond when Henry plopped down on the bench beside her. He looked horrible. "What happened?" Henry shook his head, "Had a nightmare about Voldemort. I … I think he has a body now, but it's not the one he really wants. There was a man with him and a snake. They are planning something but I couldn't hear them clearly." He began to butter some toast as Hermione looked at him with concern, "Did you tell your dad and Dumbledore?" He nodded. "Dumbledore is going to rally the old Order Members and try to recruit new ones, but with the way things are now, they don't expect much unless something happens."
Hermione looked at him with concern as Dumbledore stood up. "Just a reminder students, today we have the first rounds of qualifiers for the Dueling Competition. All those undecided have until tomorrow night to sign up and take part in the final day of Qualifiers. The Quidditch competition sign ups will also be concluded on the same night and the Flying Instructors for each school will make their own announcements the day after. For our Triwizard Champions, the Weighing of the Wands ceremony will take place a week from now so any last minute concerns for your wands should be dealt with before then. Enjoy your breakfast." The students around just started to chatter as Hermione turned to Longbottom, "You staying in the Dueling Tournament?" Neville nodded, "Yeah, can't let our year be represented by Slytherins." She shook her head. She knew Daphne and Theo and that representing the school wasn't a bad thing, though Susan had a better chance of winning. Those two worked just as hard to win, though. This wasn't going to be an easy competition for Neville to get selected. At least Rhea was steering clear, or he wouldn't have a chance at all.
Watching the Qualifiers went as expected. The tournament only had 2 slots per year group, with 4th year and above being the only years participating, so Hogwarts had to go through a lot of students to choose the best. Susan and Daphne tore through the competition, with Theo and Neville not far behind. Rhea was seated next to Moody and Flitwick, ready to care for any injuries. The first major one was Finnigan, whose explosive Confringo took both students out. Rhea had applied burn ointment and some bandages before sending both students to Pomfrey. After that things got heated when Neville dueled Theo. Since it was a competition qualifier, they had lifted some spell restrictions and Neville went full offensive magic, with a lot of bone breaking and shattering curses. One made Hermione scream as it looked like Theo was going to get a Bone Shattering Curse to the face.
Hermione knew the shield that popped was Rhea's, it was smooth silver and solid, absorbing the curse in a second. Moody called the match and both Moody and Flitwick went into a debate, where they both asked Rhea a few questions. Moody's gruff voice filled the stands. "Both Longbottom and Nott are disqualified. Nott for losing the match and Longbottom for aiming a potentially lethal curse at Nott's head." There was a lot of shouting from the Gryffindors before Flitwick shouted them all down. "Were this in the Dueling Class, Mr. Longbottom would be facing suspension. Be glad we were merciful enough because of the Tournament's rules! And 50 points from Gryffindor." Hermione flinched as she heard her friends grumble. The professors had been right, that could have been bad if it had connected.
The first day of the Qualifiers ended as expected, with Susan and Daphne as the front runners. Rhea had been glad at her friend's success but she was still cold from the Longbottom and Nott fight. The Qualifiers ended with the ladies championing 4th year as they faced off against the other schools. Rhea had cheered when both Susan and Daphne won the 4th year braquet. They were now able to fight the fifth year students, who had a chance at reclaiming a spot if they beat the 4th year champions. Sadly, Rhea had another meeting with Fleur. Rhea entered the infirmary and sat down in front of Fleur. The two of them concentrated and… Rhea woke up again lying down on the bed, her mind just reliving another gruesome memory. Sure, her defences held for actual minutes this time but not much of an improvement.
So a pensive Rhea was straddling the edges of the Black Lake as she and Fleur took a breather, privacy wards attached to Rhea's clothes moving along with them. Fleur's soft french voice broke the silence. " I believe we are taking the wrong approach with these exercises. We are covering the reaction, but not the source of the problem. " Rhea looked at her and raised an eyebrow, " How exactly would we address the root cause? I can't forget a part of myself that as much as I hate, has helped define me. " Fleur nodded, " No, that would probably be ill advised. I would have to check with my Maman but Veela do have a method to help other Veela who suffered abuse and experienced something similar to you. The method could work but it's rather… intimate. " Rhea just stared at her, "I am not sure if that statement fills me with hope or a mounting feeling of dread."
Fleur huffed, " Well, the current approach isn't working unless you count spending less time on your back an improvement. I of course would ask for the information from the conclaves to be shared with your family and Healer but if you all approve, I wouldn't be against being the one to help you. " Rhea thought about it and didn't seem that much different from their current arrangement. " Ok, what would be the method? " Fleur flushed, " Part of the problem is that the Allure is triggering these memories because they are the only memories that you associate with sexual activity. If we create more positive memories of sexual intimacy and help remove the association from your mind, it should resolve the problem. " Fleur had to double check her eyes because she wasn't sure if Rhea had reacted at all. She was perfectly still. The stillness was broken with a word. "No."
It was Fleur's turn to stare at Rhea. " Why not?" Rhea's face turned furious, even if her voice stayed low, "Because I won't do to you what was done to me!" Fleur recoiled and tried to figure out where Rhea's logic was coming from. " You wouldn't be raping me, it would simply be sexual intercourse! " Rhea cursed a few words in Greek, some of which Fleur did catch. " It may not be rape but it would be intercourse without intimacy. I don't care. It's too close to what happened in my case. I won't agree to do this if there is no point to do it. I doubt a clinical interaction would somehow over shadow the trauma of rape!" Fleur just stared at the 14 year old girl who in some ways was too bloody mature, especially when she had a point. Still, maybe they could make this work. "Would you like to date me?"
Rhea's brain short circuited again. "Would I like to date you?" Fleur just looked at her, appraising her body. "Oui, would you like to date me? Because while we may have a 3 year gap in age, you have been exceedingly mature about everything. You are bloody selfless at times, deeply caring, confident but not arrogant and intelligent. That and you are quite beautiful, even if those dreadful robes Hogwarts students wear hide much of what you have to offer. These are all traits I find attractive. So, would you date me?" Rhea just stared at Fleur, "You are just looking for an excuse to get me to have a physical relationship, I don't want it like this." Fleur bristled, "Oui, I am looking for an excuse, but I am not lying about finding you attractive. Do you feel the same for anyone else?" Rhea sighed.
"The girls I am closest to are all too young and I would rather suffer through all my memories repeatedly before traumatizing them, so at this very moment, no. You'd…be the only one I could see myself being physical with." Fleur beamed and Rhea couldn't deny that she was really pretty when she smiled like that. "I won't fool around with this Fleur, we do this, its full courtship until I feel I am ready for some intimacy. Got it?" Fleur nodded and pulled her by the hand back towards the carriage. Rhea admitted quietly to herself that Fleur's hand on hers felt nice. She was utterly screwed.
It was now one week before the First Task took place and Rhea was having an emotional crisis. Her Healers and parents had looked at the new information the French Veela Conclave had sent out and had agreed that Rhea needed to build more positive sexual experiences to help her overcome her trauma. Her mom had come to Hogwarts and spent a few hours talking to Fleur, from which the French Veela came out utterly scandalized. All Fleur would tell Rhea was that her Mom had a lot more "experience" with different forms of intimacy and wanted to make sure Fleur didn't get too carried away. Rhea remembered some of the things she'd catch whenever her parents failed to silence their room before getting intimate and blushed. She had been doing that a lot this last week.
Compounding the whole mess was an Interview the Daily Prophet did of the Champions of the Triwizard Tournament. Or what Rhea called, "Henry's Interview and Honorable Mentions", as so much of the article was focused on Henry, it was utterly ridiculous. His dismissal of the other competitions, including the Dueling Tournament Susan and Daphne were blazing through was quite grating. Her friends would soon be duelling the Sixth Year students from the other schools who had already lost to their top duelist pairs. If they win against the Sixth Year Champions, they get a shot at beating the 7th Years and winning the whole Tournament. Moody and Flitwick were now personally overseeing their training, meaning they would have the absolute best chance at beating the Sixth Year Champions from Beauxbatons and then prepare for duelling the four 7th year representatives that lost before facing the 7th Year Durmstrang Champions.
Trying to keep her attention from the attention seeking prat, Rhea was looking up what to do on a date with Fleur. The whole Hogsmeade weekend thing didn't feel right and while she "technically" had to stick to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, her being able to leave without notifying the wards could serve her well in this matter. But where to take her? It's November so beaches are bloody cold, the weather is dreadful and Magical Britain has almost nothing to offer. Rhea pulled out a notebook she kept and started reading up on non-magical events she had read about and wanted to experience. While her attention was stuck on her reading, she did notice her proximity wards trigger. Having a school full of strangers had her and Moody swapping ideas, much to Flitwick's amusement and horror. "Rhea?"
"What can I do for you, Hermione?" Rhea's eyes remained on the notebook in front of her as she kept discarding options. "What do you know about fighting Dragons?" Rhea's mind remained focused but she did feel some amusement at the question. "Henry finding the Triwizard Tournament too boring now?" Hermione sat down on the chair in front of her, dropping a massive book in front of her. "A bit of light reading there?" Hermione blushed in slight embarrassment. The entire study group had been appalled at her definition of "light reading material" though Rhea's wasn't much better. She just made sure the books were altered to be lighter and more comfortable to hold. The Magical Egyptian Book of the Dead was still sold in tablet form, though with charms on it to make it weigh less than a person.
"Dragons are the First Task." Rhea was about to make a snarky remark about him deserving to face off against the one magical creature that wouldn't care about his ego when the image of Fleur facing the beast popped into her head. Rhea sighed as she placed a bookmark in her notebook and placed it in her bag. So much for relaxing before watching Henry flail in the First Task. "Ok, let's get the obvious question out. How stupid are Wixen?" Hermione looked insulted but Rhea was serious, "Are the Wixen organizers stupid enough to send a NEWT or lower student to face a magical creature directly that usually takes a team of fully trained Handlers to control safely or are they stupid enough to use a majestic firebreathing creature as an obstacle in a Death Sport of a Tournament?"
Hermione sighed but conceded the point. "Fine, Henry doesn't have to fight a Dragon but he has to get past it and what?" Rhea tapped her fingers on the study group's table. "If they're going for symbolism, there is no chance it's the non-magical idea of rescuing a maiden, but Dragons are known for hoarding shiny treasure and protecting their nests." Hermione was writing down in her own notebook, "Well Hagrid had said they were nesting mothers." Rhea stopped tapping her fingers. "I need to re-address my notion on the stupidity of Wixen. Anyone who moves a Nesting Mother and their eggs is suicidal on principle. On what you just mentioned, I am going to go with the stupid idea that he needs to steal an egg, probably a fake shiny one for the sake of the Dragon Handlers livelyhoods."
The first gen witch tapped her notebook. "Will you help me brainstorm ideas to help Henry?" Rhea didn't even wait. "No." Hermione looked offended, "He could die!" Rhea stared at her, "We all will die, he's just crazy enough to actually go looking for a swift death. Why should I keep him from it?" Hermione stared at her like she couldn't understand, "How could you be so blase about it? You said it yourself, he was going to be in the Tournament regardless." Rhea snapped at her, "Because rather than treating this seriously as he should, it's all a big joke to him. I don't even have to ask if you read the Prophet, I saw you this morning. That isn't a profile of a hero brave in the face of danger, it's an egotist's ramblings about how great he is and how no one can do better. Tell me I am wrong!"
Hermione wanted to yell at her, she wanted to tell her she was a horrible person for not caring about Henry dying, but the words got stuck in her throat. Henry had said that he was surprised Rita had published his interview almost verbatim, and that he was proud to be representing the school as the best Hogwarts had to offer. Rhea's words hurt because Hermione is Henry's friend but she can't deny they ring true. Still, she couldn't let him face it alone. "Please, he's my friend. I can't just help him. It would be wrong." The two stared at each other, Hermione not daring to look away. Rhea closed her eyes and sighed. "I am not going to help Henry. I am going to brainstorm ideas with you that could help any of the Champions. If you take them to Henry that's your choice, but I am not getting involved in this tragedy waiting to happen for him." Hermione beamed.
Rhea looked at her and glared. "And once we are done brainstorming ideas on how to keep moronic wixen alive in the face of dragons, you are going to help me figure out a good place to take someone out on a date in bloody November. Preferably near London or another major city." Hermione nodded and was putting her quill to paper when she stilled, "But … we aren't allowed to leave school grounds." Rhea growled out. "I'd like to see someone try and stop me. Now let's get started before I lose any feeling of charity I am currently running on. My first thought, was the Summoning Spell. Sure, the organisers could spell the faux egg against it, but let's be honest, they could overlook something so simple. Also, it's damn versatile. Your butt can confirm this." Hermione groaned as she began to write ideas down. She knew it was going to be a long brainstorming session and Rhea was in enough of a bad mood to make her work for it. Letting her have her date outside of Hogwarts was sounding like a better idea already.