A New Plan

That evening, as soon as they stepped into Dumbledore's office, they saw a timetable on his desk.

Harry Potter sat across from Professor Dumbledore and looked visibly surprised to see the two of them.

"Professor, are these the two... helpers you were talking about?"

"Yes, Harry. No one could be better suited than those two."

Dumbledore's tone was gentle and assured, as though he were merely stating a fact that needed no proof.

He sat behind the desk piled high with silver objects, his fingertips pressed together, a barely perceptible glint of satisfaction in his blue eyes behind his Half-moon Spectacles as they flickered in the candlelight.

Harry turned, his green eyes moving back and forth between Clara and Cedric behind his round glasses.

He looked surprised, but not opposed to the idea.

In fact, after spending the past few days being misunderstood by the entire school and glared at by the Hufflepuffs, his expression looked more like relief at seeing two people in this office who wouldn't stare at him suspiciously.

Cedric went without saying. From the day after the Goblet of Fire Champions were selected, he had been speaking up for Harry and stopping those people from wearing badges that insulted him.

And Clara Albert was one of the few who still smiled at him after the fourth Champion appeared.

Though she didn't look like much of a fighter, there had to be a reason Dumbledore said "no one could be better suited."

"All right, children, I've discussed this with several professors, and just in case, we still need to give you some special training." Dumbledore clapped his hands, and a piece of parchment appeared out of thin air.

"Clearly, I believe giving the two Champions extra training is perfectly reasonable. As for Miss Albert, I think we can use studying Defence Against the Dark Arts as the reason. I think Professor Snape will be very fond of you. After all, he probably won't find a third person who knows Sectumsempra."

Standing beside the desk, Clara felt the corner of her mouth twitch.

Merlin. Ever since the start of term, she hadn't dared raise her head in any of Professor Snape's classes, terrified that he would suddenly call on her and say in that sneering way of his, with a look that could bore two holes through a person-

"Miss Albert, as someone who has already mastered advanced Dark Magic, surely you haven't failed to remember even the simplest Calming Draught recipe?"

She had hidden for two whole months, only for Professor Dumbledore to shove her right back into the center of Snape's attention with a single remark.

Although she had to admit that Professor Snape's special training was useful, and sometimes, when she practiced alone, she inexplicably missed it, she still didn't want to face him.

"So Professor Snape will be involved too?"

But someone found it even harder to accept than she did.

Harry's tone was now openly wary.

His relationship with Snape could even be described as extremely bad-after all, Snape had never concealed his bias against Gryffindor, especially Harry.

"Severus is an expert in Occlumency," Dumbledore said, his voice as steady as if he were stating an accepted fact, "and one of the people at Hogwarts who knows the most about Defense Against Dark Magic. He will be responsible for your Occlumency, because your scar has been hurting all this time, and for Defense Against Dark Magic for all three of you. Of course, Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall will also be responsible for advanced training in charms and Transfiguration respectively."

"But..." Harry looked up weakly at Clara. After all, he apparently wasn't the only one who had suffered headaches and fainted in class since the start of term.

"Harry, Clara's symptoms are somewhat different. She doesn't need it."

"All right, all right. Then why isn't Moody teaching our Defence Against Dark Magic Class? After all, he..."

Cedric and Clara exchanged a glance. Clearly, just as before, Dumbledore hadn't told Harry the whole truth.

"Harry, Moody's teaching methods are too extreme and not very suitable for the three of you. I certainly don't intend for you to learn the Unforgivable Curses."

Harry nodded, accepting the idea, and Dumbledore sent him back to the tower first, keeping Clara and Cedric behind.

"I haven't told Harry the truth, and not only because of his scar." The old man waved his hand, and the cups on the desk automatically changed into fresh ones, containing two cups of hot milk. "I thought it was too late for tea. Please, both of you, sit down."

Clara and Cedric sat down and waited for Dumbledore to continue.

"Harry is too young and can't keep things to himself yet. I'm afraid that if I told him Moody was an impostor, he would let it show in their everyday interactions. From what Cedric has told me, Barty Crouch Jr. is an extremely vigilant person. So, for now, let's allow him to focus on preparing for the first two tasks. He has enough to worry about already. Now, let's discuss the plan I've prepared."

Dumbledore rummaged in a drawer and took out an ancient badge, placing it in front of them.

A memory flashed through Clara's mind. It seemed that in the previous time around, he had also given her one, but the two were a little different.

"This is a Teleportation Charm that has expired, but I'm only using it as an example. After all, it's a little troublesome to make." Dumbledore smiled. "I'll find a way to make two: one for Mr. Diggory to carry, and the other for you."

Clearly, the arrangement took them both by surprise.

"As we discussed last time, we don't know why Voldemort is still alive. I believe we can only understand that by going to the scene.

"So, Cedric, I need you to carry this Teleportation Charm and touch the Goblet of Fire Portkey. The instant you arrive at the graveyard, activate it, and I'll be transported there immediately.

"At a time like this, the rule against using Apparition in the school is really rather inconvenient. It would take a long time just to reach the gates. Fortunately, this Teleportation Charm can solve that problem."

"As for Clara, I'll give the other one to you. Although I'll have Diggory and Harry practice the Summoning Charm diligently, we must ensure that there won't be an accident like last time. So I'll leave this Teleportation Charm with you. As soon as you see me teleport away, activate it and pull the two of them back to the castle from the graveyard."

"The main reason for the special training is that no one has used this Teleportation Charm for a very long time. I'm concerned about whether it will still work as well as it did a hundred years ago."

"Actually, I originally wanted to make another Gabriel Protective Charm. At its core, it's also a form of teleportation, transporting the wearer to the host's side.

"But it clearly has its limitations. It can only bind two people. This time we need a more flexible tool, so I've chosen this Teleportation Charm, which I created myself many years ago."

Dumbledore drew a simple diagram in the air with his wand-three points of light, labeled D, C, and A.

"When Cedric touches the Portkey, he'll be transported to the graveyard with Harry. Once he arrives, he'll activate the first one, and I'll immediately be transported in the opposite direction. The instant I teleport away, Clara will activate the second one and forcibly pull the two of them back to Hogwarts from the graveyard.

"One more thing, Cedric: you must hold on to Harry's hand. Take it as soon as you reach the graveyard. The Teleportation Charm will recognize the first person you touch, but if Harry isn't within your reach, it may pull only you back."

For Cedric, this was undoubtedly an enormous challenge.

He was the trigger for the entire plan, and if anything went wrong at that point, they could very well lose everything.

Clara turned to look at him, a faint trace of worry in her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that." Cedric noticed her gaze, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly. "It's not my first time going there. Besides, this time you'll be outside to back us up."

Clara tugged at the corners of her mouth, trying to look a little more relaxed.

"The main thing is, I still don't remember all the details of what happened at the graveyard last time. I might not be much help to you."

"No, Clara, quite the contrary. It was precisely because of what you did last time that Cedric was able to return to the present with such complete and clear memories."

Dumbledore walked over to her and patted her shoulder. "Besides, with your Defence Against the Dark Arts, I believe you'll be a very reliable instructor for the other two students. After all, Professor Snape really isn't that easy to talk to, is he?"

Cedric and Clara said nothing more. For the moment, neither could think of any flaws in the plan or ways to make it better.

Since Dumbledore had proposed it, it was already very nearly perfect.

"Then it's settled." Dumbledore clapped his hands, bringing the evening's conversation to a brief, decisive close. "Special training begins next Monday. Professor Flitwick will inform you of the exact times. The Teleportation Charms will take some time to make; I'll finish them before Christmas. Until then, your job is to train hard—and carry on as normal."

Cedric and Clara walked side by side on the way back to Hufflepuff. It was already past the time when students could move freely around the castle, but Professor Dumbledore had prepared permission slips for them in advance.

"Clara, you don't need to be so nervous," Cedric said softly. "There's actually enough time to react. Before, Harry and I just didn't realize what was about to happen, but that won't be the case this time. Besides, you should believe in yourself. You're more reliable than you think."

"You certainly have a lot of confidence in me." Clara looked down, raised an eyebrow, and sighed.

Before either could say anything else, a shriek came from above.

"Oh, look who it is! Two little sweethearts, meeting in secret after curfew!"

Peeves slid out from around the corner of the corridor, hanging upside down from the ceiling. A wicked grin spread across his round face, the kind he wore when he caught students wandering at night. He held an armful of chalk stolen from who knew where, and was evidently throwing it around everywhere.

He turned a somersault and hovered in midair, pointing one finger at Cedric and Clara while his other hand clutched his chest dramatically, as though he had uncovered some earth-shattering gossip.

"Hufflepuff's Prefect and little bookworm, out for a midnight stroll! I'm going to tell Filch! No—I'm going to tell the Bloody Baron! No, I'll write a song! Peeves's song of the nighttime wanderers, dedicated to our dear Diggory and his-"

He leaned close to Clara, tilting his head as he studied her like a malicious bat hanging upside down.

Clara looked up at him without changing her expression. She watched Peeves calmly, waiting for him to finish his song.

She knew Peeves too well—the more flustered you got, the more excited he became.

"Prefect Diggory, it seems Filch is going to arrest us while he's cleaning tonight," she said, her tone so flat it was almost provocative. "Do you think Professor Dumbledore will come bail us out?"

Peeves's smile froze for a second.

He clearly hadn't expected that reaction—a fifth-year girl, walking the corridors with a Prefect in the dead of night and caught on the spot, not only wasn't flustered but was smiling and asking whether a professor would bail them out?

And she had called Cedric "Prefect Diggory"-a form of address so proper that, for a moment, his nose for gossip didn't know which way to turn.

"Oh, Dumbledore knows what you're doing? Are you secretly dating..."

Cedric's ears reddened slightly. Clearly unable to listen any longer, he gave the wand hidden in his sleeve a small flick and cast a silent Silencio at Peeves.

It took Clara only a second to guess who had done it.

Sixth-years had already begun learning Nonverbal Spells, and Cedric really was an exceptionally gifted wizard.

"We went to talk to Professor Dumbledore about the relationship between the spark that set off the seventeenth-century Giant Wars and the founding of the Ministry of Magic-"

Clara decided to tease Peeves in return, pretending not to know a Nonverbal Spell had been cast on him.

Peeves pulled an exaggerated face, clearly uninterested in the subject. He probably thought the two of them were terribly boring; he rolled over and glided away along the ceiling.

"Boring!" At the corner, the Nonverbal Spell wore off. Peeves gave a huff, turned his head, and stuck his tongue out at them. "You two are more boring than every other student I've caught wandering at night! Even the Weasley Twins know to run!"