Harry Potter and the Trouble With Neurotypicals: Book Four.
Or, "Autistic Potter and the Goblet of Fire."

Notes: I do not own this. J. K. Rowling does. This is just fan fiction. No money is being made. Not by me, anyway.

There may be a few bits and pieces lifted word-for-word from the canon material. I tried to do that as little as possible, though, but there's a lot more in this one than usual because it was unavoidable. Still, lots of details are changed, so don't skip by familiar parts or you might miss something.

Just as a reminder, so I don't have to shoehorn in descriptions in the text of the story as a reminder, but in this fanfic Harry and Hermione, apart from having Asperger's Syndrome, are both black as well.

'Italicized text between single quotes is almost always Parseltongue.'

Chapter 13: “Important Answers”

The next day when classes were over for the day was a MAC meeting. With all the fuss about the Tri-wizard Tournament and the student body's anger at Harry for supposedly putting his name in the Goblet of Fire, attendance had dropped like a stone. Even Harry had stopped going, though that was mostly because he needed to train for the Tasks.

After missing meetings for weeks, though, he'd asked Hermione about MAC and she said there were still people going. Some of their friends, some first years who hadn't been around long enough to follow the anti-Harry anger on behalf of their Houses or just thought the whole thing stupid, Ginny was there, the Weasley twins popped in now and then, and there were also some new Slytherins in the group. Draco had brought Blaise Zabini, Tracey Davis, and Daphne Greengrass into the group, and apparently they were finding the experience interesting and enlightening. Daphne had also brought her younger sister Astoria into the group.

When Harry came in that day, Draco was helping some younger students with their maths. Harry smiled to see his club still going, even if attendance still hadn't recovered from what it used to be. He wondered who was maintaining it, because Hermione was with him and Ron so often he doubted it was her.

Harry got closer and Draco looked up at his approach. He gave Harry a wry grin, kind of an almost sneering smirk.

“So you're still alive after all, then, Harry?” Draco said.

“Er... yeah. I think if I'd died, it would be big news.”

Draco shook his head. “I just meant I haven't seen you around here much lately. A bit odd, considering you started this club.”

“Are you the person who's been keeping it up in my absence?”

“Yes, well, someone had to do it. I'm not quite qualified for the position, but there wasn't really anyone else. So I've been delegating. Having the newbloods get textbooks and stuff from their parents, that sort of thing.”

“Newbloods?”

“Ah, yes. New term several of our members here came up with for Muggle-borns. Since inbreeding is slowly killing off the old blood families, we need some new blood to keep magic alive. Oh yes, that reminds me: 'newbloods' actually replaces both 'Muggle-borns' and 'half-bloods.' That bit was Willem Stone's idea. If the idea is to end the stupid blood purity mania, then there's no need to differentiate Muggle-borns from half-bloods anymore.”

Harry looked around the room and spotted the violet-eyed, brown-haired, third-year Slytherin boy, who was watching their conversation with a blush in his face. His hair was even longer than Harry remembered it, and was braided with metallic green ribbons through it. He was also wearing a silver and green Slytherin choker. Harry couldn't help but classify Willem as 'rather pretty, for a boy.'

Next to Willem was the red-headed black Muslim girl named Qintar Contee, a year below Willem. Last time Harry had seen her, her hair had been in Afro puffs. Now it was in box braids that only went down to her chin. She was still choosing not to wear a headscarf.

“Cool,” Harry said, not really knowing what else to say.

Draco rolled his eyes. “'Cool'? That's the best you can do?”

“Er... really really cool? Sorry, I do think it's cool, and I don't really have any idea what else to say. Except maybe... oh yeah. Thanks for the cool idea, Willem.”

Willem, still blushing, gave a mumbled “You're welcome, Harry.”

Just then, Harry spotted someone else familiar.

“Cedric?”

Cedric Diggory stood up and shook Harry's hand.

“Hello there, Harry. Glad to see you back. Um... after the First Task, I decided to come back here, once in a while at least given the Tournament is still going. I haven't had much luck getting my friends to return, this club is still associated with you and they're still sore. I just can't get them to accept you didn't put your name in. They're stubborn.”

“Oh. Well at least you're here, and trying. Thanks, Cedric.”

“No problem. Er, by the way, can we talk in a private corner?”

Harry shrugged. “Okay, sure.”

With Draco and several others watching them, Harry and Cedric went into an unused corner. Cedric cast a bunch of privacy spells that Harry recognized.

“So, uh, what's this about?” Harry asked.

“Have you made any progress on that puzzle cube?”

“Not really. I've solved all the riddles, but there's an order to them I haven't cracked yet.”

“Damn! Me neither. Though I don't know whether I wanted you to have made progress or not. I kinda want to pay you back for helping me with the dragons.”

“I... well, I was going to say I didn't do it for a reward, but I reckon you'd say the same thing.”

“Yeah. You'd have made a good Hufflepuff, Harry.”

“I know. The Sorting Hat said I'd be well suited to any of the Houses.”

“What, even Slytherin?”

“Yes, even Slytherin.”

“Huh. Well it's a shame we didn't get you instead, but oh well.” He sighed. “Well, I guess if neither of us has made any progress on that cube, there's nothing left to discuss privately. Unless you want to satisfy my curiosity about who you're going to the Yule Ball with. There's loads of rumors flying around about it.”

“You'll find out when everyone else does, Cedric.”

“Right,” Cedric said with a grin. “Of course.”

Cedric tore down the privacy spells. Harry went over to sit by Draco.

“What was that about?”

“I'll tell you later,” Harry said, glancing at the other students.

“Of course.”

“Thanks for understanding. Now, where is everyone? While I'm here, I might as well contribute, but I need an idea where everyone is first.”

~

Harry was sitting at the Griffindor table Saturday morning when something unusual happened; Draco came over to sit next to him. Ron was still in bed, and Harry didn't know where Hermione was at the moment. He looked at Draco, who was looking annoyed about something. This impression was verified when Draco started scooping food onto his plate with unusual vehemence.

“What's the matter?” he asked.

“I asked Hermione to go to the Yule Ball with me. She said she already had a date, but wouldn't say who it was. Said I wouldn't believe her if she said. Which rules out Weasley, I'm sure.”

“Why does it rule out Ron?”

“Because I would believe she'd say yes to him. Though it is a bit odd if he managed to ask her.” Draco sighed. “I guess I'm more hoping it isn't Weasley. She's much too good for him.”

“Hmm?”

“He's a horrible student, and lazy. I hear things about it. Apparently he has Hermione help him on his homework frequently and he's still not doing well in the class rankings.”

“She doesn't do his homework for him, just reads it over and points out corrections that need to be made.”

Draco snorted. “It amounts to the same thing. Anyway, did I say she was doing it for him? No I did not. I know she wouldn't.”

He shook his head. “How he can be getting help from her and still be doing so poorly, I don't understand.”

“Tests,” Harry said.

“Right! Good point. He wouldn't be able to cheat on the tests. Still, with her giving him the answers, you'd think he'd be able to revise for tests with that.”

“So who do you think it is, if not Ron?”

“I don't know. I was hoping you knew. I didn't think to ask before my rant.”

“If I'd known she had a date already, I would have guessed she turned you down, rather than asking what was wrong.”

“Right, of course. Sorry. I just wish she'd tell me who it was. I mean, I assume she said yes to the first person who asked her, as she's not terribly popular and doesn't make much of an effort on her appearance. I just wish she'd known she didn't have to settle for some acne-scarred Hufflepuff berk, or whoever she's said yes to.”

Draco was suddenly very violent against his scrambled eggs, like he was punishing them for his problems. Harry watched this for a few minutes as he ate his own meal.

“Oy, what's he doing here?” asked a voice from behind Harry.

Harry looked up. It was Ron. He was glaring daggers at Draco.

“Why are you trying to kill Draco with your eyes, Ron?”

“Don't change the subject, Harry! I want to know what this git is doing here!”

“Weasley, if the sudden return of your belligerence toward me is due to you asking Hermione to the Yule Ball and being rejected, let me stop you right there. She rejected me as well.”

“Bollocks! She told me I wouldn't believe who asked her, and the only person I could think of that fit that description was you!”

“Really, Weasley? So if Adrian Pucey asked her to the Yule Ball, you'd believe that?”

Ron blinked, taken aback. “Er... alright, so there are other options. But the odds of Pucey doing that are like the odds of me suddenly being able to fly to Jupiter. Which makes you much more likely.”

“Well I'm terribly sorry to disappoint you, Weasley, but no amount of bluff and bluster is going to change the fact that she rejected me as well! I don't know who asked her, but I assure you I want to know just as much as you do.”

Ron examined Draco's annoyed and sour face for several moments, then deflated. “You really are telling the truth, aren't you?”

“Well spotted, Weasley,” Draco said, turning back to his food.

“Right,” Ron said. “But still, you're a Slytherin, yet here you are at the Griffindor table. Why?”

“There's no rule against eating at other tables, Weasley. Not unless it's the welcoming feast or the leaving feast.”

Ron sighed and sat down. “Whatever.”

When Hermione appeared ten minutes later, she froze in confusion at Draco and Ron sitting across from one another at the same table. She looked at Harry and chewed on her lower lip questioningly. Harry shrugged.

“Don't worry, Hermione,” Draco said. “No hard feelings. Come, join us.”

Shrugging, Hermione sat down on Draco's left side, but a person's width away, still looking at both boys worriedly.

“Who're you going to the ball with?” Ron asked the moment she sat down.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed, ignoring the question as she started doling out breakfast onto her plate.

“Ron, don't forget we're going down to Hogsmeade later today to get you some dress robes.”

Draco looked up, opened his mouth to speak. Harry glared at him, and he shut it quickly, going back to his food. Ron didn't seem to notice.

“Yeah, I remember.” He looked up at Draco. “I don't suppose you need anything there? Your parents already got it all for you, I expect.”

“Not that it's any of your concern, Weasley, but I do intend to go down to the village. I may not need anything, but one never knows until something pops out at them.”

“Can you two stop with the passive-aggressive BS?” Harry asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose like Snape sometimes did.

Ron's face turned red. “Sorry, Harry.”

Harry looked to Draco, who slowly looked up.

“What? I have nothing to apologize for. He's the one who was being an arse. I was just responding, rather politely I might add.”

“Okay,” Harry said, going back to his food. After all, that was an excellent point.

“So, Harry,” Draco said after a few minutes, whispering. “Are you going to tell me what Diggory said to you at MAC the other day?”

Whispering back, Harry said, “Just asking about the puzzle box. Neither of us have made any progress. He was hoping he'd made more progress than I have, so he could help out. You know, after I told him about the dragons?”

“I see,” Draco said at regular volume. “Explains why he's been coming to MAC meetings despite it being both his NEWT year and the Tri-Wizard Tournament.”

“Doesn't he get exempted from end of year tests, as a Champion?”

“Well yes. But that likely just means he'll study for his exams over the summer and take them in the autumn or later. It's NEWTs, he's not going to have put in all that work just to not do them.”

That made too much sense to Harry for him to ignore. He nodded, and finished the last of his breakfast.

After breakfast was over, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco went down to Hogsmeade together, even though the tension between Ron and Draco was still fairly high. Ron kept asking Hermione who she was going with, as though hoping to startle an answer out of her, but she remained tight-lipped, doing rather a good impression of McGonagall by the time they were in the village.

Harry and Ron split apart from the group soon after arriving, with Hermione and Draco going different directions from one another as well. They went at once to the local dress robes shop and spent an hour getting something for Ron that wouldn't clash with his hair or cost more than he was willing to let Harry spend on him, which wasn't an easy balance to strike. Finally, though, they purchased a set of dark purple men's dress robes for Ron.

“I still say the green looked better on you,” Harry said as they left the shop with their purchase.

“Yeah, well, you're wearing green aren't you? I didn't want us looking like twins. Besides, green is a Slytherin color.”

“First of all, green is the color of nature. Secondly, the Irish have been pairing red hair with green for longer than Slytherin has existed, probably. Third, so what if it was? You know a bunch of good Slytherins. And fourth, we wouldn't look like twins. You're pale white with red hair and freckles, and I'm dark brown with black hair. We look nothing alike. Besides which, I'm sure lots of blokes are going to end up wearing the same or similar robes for the Yule Ball.”

Ron shrugged. “Maybe you're right. I just like the purple better.”

“The color of royalty.”

“What now?”

“Oh, probably not for wizards, but until a couple hundred or so years ago, making purple clothes was very difficult for Muggles. The natural dyes available to do it were expensive to produce and ship, so only royalty could afford purple. Of course, then Muggle chemists figured out how to make cheap purple dyes during the Industrial Revolution, and now it's one of the most popular colors in the Muggle world.”

Ron chuckled. “I bet the royalty didn't like that change.”

“Probably not. But there wasn't anything they could do about it.”

“Glad the purple wasn't as expensive as back then for the Muggles. You spent more than I'm really comfortable with anyway.”

“We can always return it afterwards, if you want.”

“You can't return tailored clothes, Harry.”

“With as easy as it is to re-tailor them with magic?”

“Oh. Right.” He paused a moment, then said, “Mum would probably insist I keep them, but I reckon by the time I need dress robes again, I'll be too big for this set anyway.”

They caught a glimpse of Hermione as they went around to their usual stops, and Ron looked disgruntled.

“Ron, it's just one dance. So someone beat you to Hermione, it's not the end of the world. It doesn't mean she's necessarily going to date whoever it is who asked her, after the ball is over.”

“It's a possibility, though.”

Harry sighed. He didn't know what to say. Mostly because he thought Draco had a point. Ron was a lazy student, not very motivated to do much of anything, which was a real shame because he had a great, clever mind when he put in the effort. Ron and Hermione had so little in common that Harry was pretty much the only reason they were even friends with each other. Harry couldn't really see anything being there between the two friends. Granted, he also thought Draco's parents would have a fit if he ended up with Hermione, so that wasn't a great option either.

“Anyway, with Hermione taken, you should probably find someone to ask to the ball,” Harry said.

“Yeah, I guess. Got any suggestions?”

“Anyone you fancy?”

“Not really. Well, there's that Veela girl, one of the champions, but if Hermione's got a date already, she surely does as well. And honestly, I think I only like the Veela girl because she's a Veela.”

“Well, how about Lavender Brown or Parvati Patil?”

“Oh. Right. Um... I suppose so. But I don't think I've said more than ten words to either of them before. But uh, I suppose it's worth a try. If I see one of them, I'll ask. I'll just... I'll blurt it out, or something.”

“I could ask for you, if I see one of them first.”

“Oh, would you?” Ron said in a relieved tone. “That'd be a huge load off. This whole Yule Ball business is a real pisser for the nerves.”

Harry grinned. “I get that. It'd be a lot easier for me to ask someone for you than it was for me to ask Luna.”

“Luna doesn't have a sister, does she?”

“No, sorry,” Harry said, privately thinking that if Luna did have a sister who was old enough to ask to the ball, that she and Ron would probably be an even worse match than Ron and Hermione.

~

As it turned out, neither of them got to ask Lavender or Parvati to the ball for Ron, because something completely unexpected happened instead. Draco came up to Ron in the Great Hall at dinner and sat down to talk with him.

“What do you want?” Ron asked grumpily.

“Listen, Weasley, you're angry with me over something stupid. Hermione isn't going with me. If she were, I could understand your anger, but she's not. Anyway, since I'm not sure you'd listen to that logic, I've decided to give you a peace offering.”

“I'm not going to the ball with you, either, Malfoy.”

Draco snorted with laughter. “That's not what I was going to say. Maybe you should listen to find out, instead of making snide comments.”

Ron sighed. “Fine, what is it?”

“I happened to run into Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass while in Hogsmeade. I'm going with Daphne to the ball, because I asked her earlier after Hermione turned me down. When I saw them I inquired of Tracey, casually, if she had a date yet. She said she did not. So I asked her for you. She was a tad reluctant, but I told her you were getting some nice dress robes from Harry, and I promised her that if you were a boorish lout during the ball, that she could hex the both of us. Please don't make her make good on that threat, she knows more hexes and curses than I do. Anyway... If you agree, I'll go tell her and then you can stop stressing out about asking someone.”

“A Slytherin? You want me to take a Slytherin to the Yule Ball?”

“You have at least three Slytherin friends, Weasley; I would have thought you'd be over this ridiculous prejudice by now.”

“Er... well I'm not really prejudiced against Slytherins anymore, not really.” - Ron ignored Draco's snort of disbelief - “But I'm worried what Mum will say if I take one to the ball. Er, one other than the ones she knows are Harry's friends, I mean.”

“How would she even know if you don't tell her?”

“The twins,” Ron said.

“Ah, that is a fair point. Anyway, Weasley, if it helps, you can inform your mother that Tracey Davis is firmly on the anti-dark lord side of things. And that she's a half-blood.”

“So is Voldemort,” Harry said.

Both boys winced.

“If you say so, Harry. Anyway, does that help, Weasley?”

Ron sat there thinking a moment. Then he sighed. “I suppose so. I don't really know Lavender or Parvati any better than I know Tracey Davis. So why not? Sure, go tell her I accept. I hope her robes match with my dark purple ones.”

“Good,” Draco said. “I'll tell her.”

Draco stood up. As he did, Ron said, “Wait, one more thing.”

“Yes?” Draco asked, looking curiously at him.

“You can call me Ron if you like. I get tired of hearing my surname all the time.”

“Good. I'm tired of saying it so much. I'll go tell her for you now, Ron.”

Ron nodded his acknowledgement and Draco left the table, heading back to the Slytherin table. Ron turned back to Harry.

“Now I have to tell Mum I'm going to the ball with a Slytherin she doesn't know. I don't know if that's easier than asking someone out myself or not.”

“Your mum will understand,” Harry said. “If she doesn't, I'll write her about it, give her a piece of my mind if I have to.”

“Thanks, Harry. You're a good friend.”

“You're welcome.”

~

The next day, a Sunday and the day before the Yule Ball, Harry and his friends went to dance classes all morning. After lunch, they all spent time in the Room of Requirement, where Harry was practicing defensive magic for the as-yet unknown Second Task. Luna was sitting cross-legged on the floor, playing with the puzzle box, answering its riddles in different orders. Harry was impressed; he hadn't gotten around to telling her any of the answers, she'd figured them all out on her own.

“Oooh, Harry, I think I found a pattern!” she said suddenly.

Harry stopped what he was doing and sat next to her.

“What did you find?”

“Well, I noticed from all the circled sequences that the ones that failed but had a promising start all start with one, then six. Then I went on to a '1 6 5' sequence, but it failed. So I tried 1 6 4 2 5 3, but that one failed after the first two digits, too.”

“What's next, then?”

With the others sitting nearby, Luna tried the next combo, which was 1 6 3 4 5 2, which failed. They tried some more sequences. They didn't make any more progress until the sequence 1 6 2 3 4 5, which got them up to three digits.

“So it starts with 1 6 2. Let's move on,” Harry said.

They tried 1 6 2 4 5 3, another failure. The last number left to try after that was 1 6 2 5 3 4, which – thankfully – was the right answer. The box opened up, its six sides unfolding like one of those 2D drawings of unfolded cubes, then flipped itself over and re-folded itself inside-out so that the box now had a big green button on the top of it that said “Press me.”

“Oh gods, I see what they did there,” Harry said before they'd even pressed the button.

“Huh?” Ron said, confused.

“That sequence, 1 6 2 5 3 4. Gods, I can't believe I didn't think to try that earlier!”

“See what sooner?”

“Think of the number sequence '1 2 3 4 5 6.' Now start with 1, then switch to the other end of the sequence, what do you get?”

“Er... a six?”

“Yes. Then back to the other end again, and you get '1 6 2.'”

“Ohhh,” Ron said, getting it now. “Then you go to the other end again, and it's 1 6 2 5. Then all that's left is the three and the four, to get 1 6 2 5 3 4.”

“Yes. Front to back to front to back, and so on. Or rather, outside numbers to inside numbers. So if the sequence options had been, somehow, one through ten, it'd be 1 10 2 9 3 8 4 7 5 6. Simple, but kind of clever. It's an easy way to encode a numerical password sequence but not so easy that anyone would think of it right away, if at all.”

“Right. But er, you should probably push the button, see what it does.”

“What? Oh yes, of course,” Harry said.

He reached forward and pressed the button. The box began to speak, then.

“Congratulations, riddle solver, on this first step of your quest!
But weary though you may well be, still you cannot rest.

“ A Second Task awaits you, to test your smarts and mettle,
So mind you listen well 'ere you then can settle.

“Like Odysseus of old, you'll be taken from one you love,
To find your way back to them while watched by those above.

“ Enemies and obstacles you'll fight with wit and wand,
An hour you shall have to find with whom you need abscond.

“To aid you on your journey, a seed I have to sow:
A clue to help you figure out where thou needst to go.

“As Homer in his great work wrote,
Thou shalt be traveling by boat.

“It docks where many people dread,
For danger lies within its spread.

“But tis not to black you need to seek,
Instead tis olive, thou temp'ry Greek.

“From there you go to the distant place,
To meet the challenges you must face.

“Survive the battles, resist the bait,
And escape the traps, lest ye be late.

“But worry not, if late, lost, or lame,
Or even if you fail, for this is just a game.

“ The stakes are not so dire as Odysseus once faced,
But you only have an hour, so please do make some haste.”

The box stopped speaking then, and remained as it was, the button still there. Luna got out some parchment and a quill, writing down the poem as Harry played it a few more times to make sure they had everything.

“A quest themed after 'The Odyssey,'” she said, scanning the parchment. “Sounds fun.”

Harry snorted. “I doubt it. I've read 'The Odyssey,' back in primary school. Odysseus faced a lot of monsters as well as other obstacles. A cyclops, some sirens, a couple possessive goddesses, and a many-headed monster were involved, as I recall. Among other things.”

“Well it's a good thing you've practiced a lot of defensive magic, then,” Hermione said.

“Yeah, but will it be enough? Hmm... I could always use the trick from the first task that I did.”

Ron said, “I'm pretty sure Snape would kill you if you did that. Plus, you don't know how many monsters there's gonna be there.”

“If any,” Antigone said.

“Yeah, but my point is he may have to do it a lot.”

“If this task is so far away from the school, I don't know how the spectators are going to see anything,” Hermione said.

“I think I know,” Antigone said. “I happened to overhear, over the summer, that Dad got an order from the Ministry for several flying omnioculars and half a dozen large magic mirrors for displaying images on. Now I know why, if this task is what those were for.”

“Good to know,” Harry said. “But what exactly IS this task? For instance, what thing of mine that I love am I going to be taken from?”

“I think, Harry, that you mean to ask which person you'll be taken from. The first relevant line is 'Like Odysseus of old, you'll be taken from one you love.' Odysseus was trying to get back to his wife and son. The second relevant line is 'An hour you shall have to find with whom you need abscond.' It says 'with whom.' You'll need to abscond with the person you've been 'taken' from. Not quite faithful to the epic, but I suppose they had to be a little creative with the theme.”

“Right, that makes sense. It also sounds like whoever it is I need to abscond with is going to be held somewhere that we'll both have to escape from, otherwise why use a word that relates to sneakiness and fleeing from consequences?”

“That makes sense too, in a way,” Hermione added. “Odysseus absconded into his own house as a beggar because of all the suitors there. You might have to do something similar to that, Harry.”

“What's all that about a boat?” Ron asked. “Surely you're not going out on the Black Lake in the middle of February? That'd be mad! What if you fell in? The water's bound to be cold enough to freeze to death in it, even with warming spells!”

Harry looked up at Ron in surprise and thoughtfulness. “Black Lake... Hmm... 'But tis not black you need to seek,' the poem said. It said I was looking for 'olive.' But that doesn't make sense either, olives are also black.”

“Only ripe olives are black, Harry,” Luna said. “Olives picked at full ripeness before being pickled or fermented are black. Unripe olives are green, though, and there's a color called 'olive,' which is a shade of green.”

“Oh, right. I feel silly now.”

“Olives are pickled or fermented?” Ron asked.

“Yes. They're much too bitter to eat otherwise,” she answered him.

“So what's dangerous but green, around Hogwarts?” Antigone asked.

“I think it means the Forbidden Forest,” Luna said, pondering. “Yes. Yes, that makes sense to me. Obviously they made a joke of sorts with the connection between olives and Greeks, to point us at something green. The poem is clearly talking about a place, refers to its 'span.' So if not the Black Lake, then the Forbidden Forest is where they mean.”

“Makes sense to me,” Harry said. “I just hope we're right. Is there anything else it could mean? Just so we can eliminate possibilities.”

They all stood there thinking for several minutes.

“There's lots of green around Hogwarts, during the spring and summer and part of the fall,” Ron said. “But dangerous and green? Yeah, I'm with Luna on that one. Can't think of anywhere else that could be. The Forbidden Forest is forbidden because it's known to contain loads of dangerous magical creatures. It's the only thing that fits.”

“It's also dark enough to contain shades of green like 'olive,'” Antigone added.

“Yes,” Harry said, “but catching a boat in a forest? I suppose it could be a flying boat, but the Forbidden Forest is huge! And what if it's a regular boat? Is there a river going through the Forbidden Forest? It might be large enough to have one. So where exactly in the Forbidden Forest am I supposed to go?”

“Well, the first part is probably supposed to be the easiest. Odysseus had no trouble getting to Troy, as I recall. It was getting home that gave him trouble. So I think you should just go into the section by Hagrid's hut.”

“I have a different concern,” Antigone said.

“What's that?” Harry asked.

“Well... how far away is this place going to be? Will it be outside the wards of Hogwarts? If so, how can we be sure someone can't come in and try to kill Harry? What's keeping the Champions safe?”

“Aside from the flying omnioculars?” Ron asked.

Harry sighed. “No, she's right. There are ways, if you're clever and driven enough, to get past those. Something to bring up with Ms. Pennyroyal, then. Have her look into the details, if she hasn't already.”

Antigone nodded. “Right. Well it looks like we solved it. Now you just have to get through the Second Task intact. I'll help you with that however I can.”

“We all will,” Ron said. The others agreed.

With that, they went back to helping Harry practice defensive magic.

Endnotes: Short chapter I know, but the next thing after this was the Yule Ball, which I figure should be its own chapter. And it could've been shorter; first draft didn't have the MAC stuff in it.

I haven't gotten any comments about it, but that on its own is enough for me to point out that in the previous chapter, the title of Xeno's proposed new newspaper – Fortnight Wizarding News – is inspired by the infamous Weekly World News. :D

This time the delay was at least partly wanting to sort out the Second Task's safety issues in the next chapter before publishing this chapter.