i

"Alohomora!"

The golden egg opened, and a familiar wail echoed through the Hufflepuff common room. Ernie winced. Susan covered her ears, and Zach cursed loudly. "Could somebody shut that bloody thing up?"

Cedric snapped it closed. "Sorry," he murmured. He had been so sure that the way to make the clue intelligible was to open the egg without actually touching it. Obviously not. Perhaps how you opened the egg made no difference. The wail could be a code of some kind.

Hannah cleared her throat. Cedric turned to face her, but she seemed to have trouble meeting Cedric's eyes and finally settled for staring at his shoulder instead. "Look, Cedric, we're all proud that the Hogwarts champion is from Hufflepuff. It's just…" Her face reddened, and she trailed off.

"What is it? You can tell me. Is something wrong?"

"I, um, --"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Zach slammed his Transfiguration book onto the table. "What she's trying to say, Diggory, is that you should take that egg of yours somewhere private because you're driving us barmy. The Hogwarts champion might be exempt from exams, but some of us," he gestured towards the rest of students, "still have to study."

Cedric grimaced. "Is that what you all think?"

"Yes," said Clive Stebbins, "we all talked it over and decided that, as much as we'd like a Hufflepuff victory, we'd like some peace and quiet more." Several of the first years were nodding in the background. So were Bones and Macmillan. He knew the wailing was annoying, but he hadn't realized that the situation was this bad.

He nodded once, more to himself than to them. "I'll just have to work outside from now on. The fresh air might do me some good." He grinned at them. "Maybe the Giant Squid can give me some tips."

He had not even realized how much tension there was in the room until it was gone. Several people laughed and clapped him on the back, congratulating him for being such a good sport. Had they been expecting him to be angry with them? He didn't need the common room to work. They did. He scooped up his things and went in search of a more appropriate place to work on the second task.

Cedric took his time wandering through the grounds, enjoying the fine weather. It was unseasonably warm for late November, and a gentle breeze caressed his cheeks. He walked until he came to a grassy patch not far from the Quidditch pitch. It seemed unnaturally silent without the crack of Beaters' bats and the cheers of the crowd. No one was likely to come this way. He sat down.

He studied the egg. Even if he was right, and the wailing was some kind of code, there were dozens of possibilities. Where to start? Justin had once told him that many Muggles believed that their music contained secret messages when played backwards. It seemed preposterous to Cedric, but it was worth a shot. He opened the egg and pointed his wand.

If possible, the noise was even more hideous when played in reverse. He tried speeding it up and slowing it down. Both were gibberish. He smiled grimly. At least he could add a few more items to his ever-growing list of things that did not work. The next logical thing to do was to go to the library and research magical codes and ciphers. He checked his pocket watch. If he hurried, he could just get to the library in time to find a few relevant books before it closed. He stood.

"That was a very interesting noise. What is it?" asked a dreamy voice.

Cedric started and turned. Luna Lovegood stood behind him, twisting a strand of hair between her fingers. She stared at him with her silver eyes. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. It was a moment before he realized that she expected an answer. "That's what I'm trying to figure out, actually. It's supposed to be a clue of some kind. I was just heading to the library to do some more research."

"Hmm. I wonder if it might be the mating call of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack? No, those are higher pitched." She smiled at him. "I wish you luck, Cedric Diggory. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go look for my lucky bracelet."

Cedric had no idea what a Crumple-Horned Snorkack was, so he focused on the part of the conversation that he did understand. "You've lost something?"

"Yes, a bracelet. I keep it in my pack when I'm not using it. It dilutes the luck, you know, if you wear a charm all the time. I'm quite sure I had it this afternoon." She inclined her head toward a nearby clump of trees. "I went in there to do some sketches. It must have fallen out then. Normally, I would trust that it would come back to me if it was meant to, but I have a Transfiguration test tomorrow. I would like to have the luck."

He did the maths in his head. Luna was a third year. Flitwick did not cover Summoning Charms until fourth year. If she wanted to find her bracelet, she would have to search for it physically. He looked towards the clump of trees. They looked oddly menacing in the dying light. "Do you need some help? I could try to summon it for you if you like."

"That's not necessary," said Luna. In any case, you have a task of your own."

"It's no trouble. I could save you a lot of time."

She looked uncertain but finally nodded. He readied his wand. "Accio bracelet!" he shouted. Nothing happened. Perhaps he had not been specific enough. "Accio Luna's lucky bracelet." Still nothing. He thought for a moment. In order for a Summoning Charm to be effective, you had to have a general idea of the object's location. He was working with too large an area. "This has not been my day for casting spells."

"Thank you for your help. I suppose I shall simply have to look for it on my own." She moved towards the trees.

He laid a restraining hand on her arm. "Would you like me to come with you? I may be rubbish at spells today, but I'm very good at spotting small, shiny objects. They didn't make me Seeker because of my good looks." He gave her his most charming smile. "Besides, I'm a prefect. Finding lost things is practically part of my job description."

She looked skeptical. "What about your egg? You said that you were going to the library. You won't have time to help me and do your research."

Merlin's beard, she was right. He would scarcely be able to make it to the library as it was, let alone if he went gamboling through the woods. He would have to wait until tomorrow to get the books. He wanted to win the Cup, wanted it more than he had ever wanted anything. Every day he wasted was a day that he could have used to prepare for the next task. Viktor or Fleur might have already figured out their egg. Surely, the tournament was more important than some bracelet. He did not even know Luna that well. They might have been neighbors, but he could count on one hand the number of times they had actually spoken.

Cedric stopped himself. It did not matter how well he knew Luna. He would have helped a perfect stranger if it weren't for the upcoming task. He had meant what he said. One of his duties as prefect was assisting other students in whatever way he could. If he abandoned that duty the first time it was inconvenient, then he was not a worthy Hogwarts champion. "The library will be there tomorrow."

She thought it over, then motioned for him to follow her.

It did not take long for him to be glad that she had allowed him to come with her. The trees grew close together, blocking out most of the remaining sunlight. Two wands meant twice the light. He led the way and kept an eye out for any hazards that might escape her notice. "What does your bracelet look like?"

"Well, it's silver and rather thick. There are some charms attached. It's engraved with my name and the date September 4, 1989." He must have looked puzzled because she added, "My mother bought it for my ninth birthday."

Cedric sucked in a breath. Mrs. Lovegood had died in late December that same year. Cedric had been home for the holidays, and he and his family had attended the funeral. This bracelet would have been the last birthday gift that Luna had received from her mother. No wonder that it was her lucky charm. "We'll find it, I promise."

They trudged onward. He could see only a few feet ahead. Behind him, Luna hummed softly. She seemed completely undisturbed by the situation. Branches clawed at them and tore Cedric's robes in two places. He was tired and sweaty and felt like he'd just been in a Quidditch match, only he hadn't caught the Snitch.

He was just about to ask if she was sure that she had lost the bracelet here when he saw it. It was only by sheer luck that he saw it at all. He had been pointing his wand at the ground, scanning for any roots that he might accidentally trip over when he noticed something glittering in the wand light. He picked it up. It was caked with dirt, but it was undeniably a silver bracelet. "Is this it?" he asked.

She took the bracelet from him. "Scourgify," she said. The dirt fell away. He moved behind her and pointed his wand over her shoulder so she could read the inscription. "This is it," she breathed. She tucked the bracelet into her robes. "Thank you."

"It was nothing."

"Of course it was. You took time out of preparing for the tournament to help me. I am in your debt, Cedric Diggory, and I always pay my debts." She grabbed the hand that wasn't holding a wand. "I promise you that I'll do everything I can to help you with your egg."

Her solemn, oddly formal tone unnerved him slightly. She had made a promise, not signed a magical contract. Still, it was best to take the offer in the spirit that it was intended. "I'm honored.," he said, sincerely.

They walked back to the castle in companionable silence. He bid her goodnight at the bottom of the Grand Staircase. Clive looked up from his book when he entered. "Well, did the Giant Squid give you tips?"

"It's better than that. I've got a Ravenclaw for a research assistant."

ii

"I wonder if a special kind of wand might help. There's an article in this month's Quibbler about a special cleaning charm that can only be done by wizards using a mahogany wand."

Cedric looked up from his copy of A Warlock's Guide to Magical Mysteries. "I doubt that. You can cast any kind of spell with any kind of wand. It's the talent of the wizard that makes the difference."

Luna's brow furrowed. "No, the source was quite sure that people who used other kinds of wand couldn't do it. My father's wand is oak, and nothing happened when he cast it." She gave him a superior look as if she had proven her point.

He resisted pointing out that the spell was probably a fake, and nothing would have happened even if Mr. Lovegood had used a mahogany wand. "There's no record of magic acting differently depending on the wand."

"There's the Elder Wand."

He sighed. Suggesting that the wailing noise was the mating call of a Crumple-Horned Whatsit had been funny, even endearing. Stories of a Rotfang Conspiracy were mildly exasperating. Now she expected him to take fairy tales seriously? "The Deathly Hallows are just a story." It was time to steer this conversation back to the egg. He plucked a book at random from the pile in the middle of the table and handed it to her. "Have we checked this one yet? They all start to run together after a while." That, at least, was the truth. He'd spent less time in the library reviewing for his OWLs than he had in the last few days trying to crack the egg's secret.

"Yes. You got the Revealing Charm we tried yesterday from it, remember?" She put the book back in the pile. "Anyway, the Deathly Hallows are not just a story. Lots of people believe they're real. My father even went looking for them when he was young."

He massaged his temples. Luna regarded him with a faintly pitying look. "You look tired. Should we continue this tomorrow?"

"I think that might be best." Tomorrow he would have his wits about him and could focus on magical objects that actually existed.

Try as he might, however, Cedric could not stop thinking about the Hallows as he walked back to the dormitory. That had always been his favorite story. For a month after his grandfather had died, he had been sure that every rock he saw was the Resurrection Stone in disguise. Was that why Luna still believed in a children's story? Did she hope that someone could find them and bring her mother back? He shook his head. It was perfectly understandable, if tragic. Luna was smart enough to be a Ravenclaw. She shouldn't be chasing after things that didn't exist. He could almost understand her believing in nargles. New magical creatures were always being discovered. The Deathly Hallows would have made it into the history books if the legends were true.

The history books. Of course. The Triwizard Tournament was a centuries-old institution. Perhaps if he researched what past champions had to accomplish for the second task, he would receive some insight into what awaited him. He did not delude himself into thinking that the tasks would be identical, but it seemed likely that they would at least follow a similar structure. Now, all he had to do was decide the best way to find what he was looking for. The obvious course of action was to return to the library and find yet more books. There was bound to be at least one history of the tournament in Hogwarts' vast collection of knowledge. On the other hand, it might take hours to find the pattern that he was seeking. There had to be a faster way than poring over musty old tomes.

Perhaps there was. Before she had married his father, his mother had worked briefly for the Daily Prophet as an investigative reporter. She had loved to tell stories of grilling this or that Ministry employee because "when you want the truth, you don't wait for the press release." When she had needed background for a story, she had consulted the experts. He would follow in her footsteps and find an expert to interview about the history of the tournament. The, er, person most likely to be able to help him was Professor Binns. He shuddered. The thought was almost enough to send him scuttling back to the library.On the other hand, he would need every spare moment to actually prepare for the task once he had deciphered the clue. A few minutes' boredom was a small price to pay for eternal glory. He squared his shoulders and went off in search of Binns.

Binns' office was on the second floor. Cedric rapped on the door three times. There was no answer. He tried again. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, a thin, reedy voice called, "Come in."

The hinges creaked as Cedric swung open the door. He coughed. The room was covered in dust, and smelled as if it hadn't been cleaned since Binns was alive. Binns hovered just above a rickety chair and was marking essays. He peered at Cedric through ghostly spectacles. "Ah, Mr. Daggley. What do you want? I'm quite busy, so be quick about it."

Cedric told him what he wanted. "The Triwizard Tournament?" asked Binns. "Each one was different, of course, but you were correct in supposing that they shared common elements. The first task was traditionally a contest pitting each champion against a magical beast. In 1632, they had to face a blinded basilisk. Only one survived..."

He continued in that vein for another quarter of an hour, describing the magical creatures featured in past tournaments and the resulting grisly ends of various champions. Cedric might have been horrified or fascinated, except that Binns' monotone made it difficult to stay awake. When Binns paused momentarily, Cedric seized his chance. "What about the second task? Did the champions always have to decipher a puzzle beforehand?"

"Indeed. It most often took the form of a riddle containing a clue to the location or nature of the upcoming challenge. For example, the last time the Triwizard Tournament was held, each champion was required to sneak into a specially prepared giant's lair and retrieve his or her own wand. The clue took the form of a couplet written in one of the giants' languages."

"Thank you, professor." So the wailing might be in a foreign language of some kind. That was something, at least.

Binns stared at him. "Anything else, Mr. Daggley?"

"No, thank -- is there any truth to the legend of the Deathly Hallows?" Where had that come from? Luna must have been affecting him more than he realized. He would be wearing vegetable jewelry next. Still, hearing confirmation from an expert that it was only a story could be valuable, if only for his own peace of mind. He doubted that any force on Earth could make Luna stop believing in anything.

"The idea that Death itself created objects for any witch or wizard is something best left to superstitious fools. The notion that these options would give the bearer mastery over death is preposterous. The last verifiable account of the Wand of Destiny was in the mid-twelfth century."

Cedric's eyes widened. "The Wand of Destiny?"

"The Wand of Destiny is sometimes identified with the Elder Wand. Certainly, history records that many who wielded the wand did extraordinary things after acquiring it."

"So at least one of the Hallows exists?"

Binns scowled at him. "A wand commonly identified with a mythical object did exist. The last verified owner lived centuries ago. Any more recent reports, including rumors that the Dark Lord Grindelwald possessed it, are from unreliable sources."

Suddenly, Cedric was a six-year-old boy who wanted only to know why Grandpa Archie had gone away without saying anything. "What about the Resurrection Stone?"

"There is no record of its existence. It was most likely grafted on to the genuine history of the wand, along with the cloak, to make a more suitable story."

It had been a foolish hope, but Cedric found himself disappointed anyway. He nodded his thanks and bid the professor a good afternoon. He owed Luna an apology. She had been right -- mostly, anyway -- about at least one of the Hallows; he had been wrong to dismiss her out of hand.

He found her sitting by the lake and joined her. "You look troubled," she said by way of greeting. "Does it have something to do with the egg?"

"Not really. I came out here to talk to you." He cleared his throat, and she looked at him expectantly. "You were right. The Elder Wand isn't just a story. I figure if you're right about that then you might be right about other things."

"Does this mean you'll stop almost laughing when I try to tell you about nargles?"

He hadn't realized that she'd noticed that. "Of course. In fact, why don't you tell me about them right now?"

She grinned at him.