Dumbledore rather agreed with Tris's assessment that Voldemort was a compulsive sort.
He also agreed that Voldemort might not have had time to make a sixth Horcrux.
"In that case, perhaps we can shift our focus a little," Dumbledore said.
Dumbledore was still smiling as he said this, yet Tris inexplicably felt the aura around him change.
Was that... perhaps... killing intent?
Surely I was just imagining it?
After this whole business, Tris's earlier agitation suddenly eased considerably. Really, what the hell had he been panicking about? Yes, his meddling had changed a lot of things.
But hadn't he also kept Old Dumbledore alive? And they'd gathered all five Horcruxes.
So what the hell was there to be afraid of?
If that idiot Voldemort actually dared show his face, Old Dumbledore could keep him occupied while a few other powerful wizards joined forces and killed the bastard. Simple as that.
And so the students of Hogwarts, especially those in Slytherin, noticed that Tris, who had spent some time looking miserable and preoccupied, seemed to brighten up all at once. He was smiling at people again.
The next month or so passed uneventfully-or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that currents stirred beneath the surface.
Everyone at Hogwarts eagerly awaited the arrival of the other two wizarding schools and the official opening of the Triwizard Tournament.
One other thing worth mentioning happened during that time: Hermione formed a little group-the Society for the Promotion of House-elf Welfare.
It all began during the Quidditch World Cup, when Hermione saw how many wizards treated house-elves. Then she witnessed Crouch's particularly nasty treatment of the house-elf named Winky, which sparked her sympathy for and interest in house-elves as a group.
She spent some time learning about them afterward and concluded that wizards