The Age Line

"It's time," said Daphne, shaking her sister awake. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

"Five more minutes," Oleandra mumbled into her pillow, before reluctantly rising from her bed.

Professor Dumbledore had said that the Goblet of Fire would be placed in the Entrance Hall this very night, and at four in the morning, the Slytherin Trio had figured that there wouldn't be too many people awake at this hour to bother them while they tested the Age Line's limits. Or maybe it would be the opposite, and the place would be swamped with teachers.

Oleandra and Daphne tiptoed alone out of the common room and up the stairs out of the dungeons. Sadly, they hadn't managed to convince Tracey to come with them; she seemed oddly averse to adventures of any kind, especially since their slightly disastrous trip to Nidavellir.

"Psst!" Oleandra heard a voice whisper loudly as she was about to step onto the Grand Staircase to head to the Entrance Hall. "Over here."

Oleandra whirled around; there stood Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister. She was holding a large piece of parchment, which she recognized as the Marauder's Map.

"You were looking for us, Ginny?" said Daphne.

"Not exactly," said Ginny. "I was investigating something when I saw your names come closer."

"We were about to try our hand at bypassing the Age Line," said Oleandra. "Wanna come with us?"

"I was about to head there myself," said Ginny. "But first, a precaution. If you wouldn't mind?"

Ginny tapped each of their heads in turn; Oleandra felt as if a raw egg had been cracked over her head, and she slightly shuddered as the cool sensation travelled down from her scalp to her toes as she gradually turned invisible.

Oleandra activated her Mystic Eyes and found that she could once again perceive Ginny and Daphne. To prevent themselves from getting separated, she grabbed them both by the hand. Ginny gave a small start when Oleandra touched her; she probably hadn't been expecting her to find her hand while she was completely invisible.

The three girls made their way up the staircase, but just as they were about to enter the Entrance Hall, Oleandra noticed a faint blinking glow on the floor.

"Hold on," she said, "there's something there."

"Specialis Revelio," whispered Ginny, freeing one hand to wave her wand. "Oh, you're right. Good catch, there's a Silent Caterwauling Charm there."

Ginny made quick work of the silent alarm spell. But just to make sure no nasty surprises were awaiting them at their destination, Ginny fetched Harry's Marauder's Map from her pocket and set it on the floor, where it stopped being invisible once she'd let go of it. Oleandra quickly found the location of the Entrance Hall on the map, and two labelled dots.

Bartemius Crouch (inside the room)

Argus Filch (lurking outside behind another door)

That's strange, what was a judge doing here in the middle of the night? Last-minute inspection of the Goblet of Fire, perhaps?

"How strange, how very strange," murmured Ginny. "What could he possibly be up to…"

Oleandra didn't think it was that out of the ordinary, but she'd rather stay out of Mr. Crouch's way if she could help it. And then she realized she'd have to perform magic in front of him if she became champion. How was she supposed to win a magical tournament if she couldn't use her wand!?

"They're gone…" Ginny said after a while. "Come on, let's hurry up."

The three girls quietly entered the Entrance Hall, at the centre of which the Goblet of Fire quietly blazed, bathing the room in a mystical blue light. A golden line encircled the Goblet, but through Oleandra's Mystic Eyes, she could perceive its true nature: a gigantic sigil!

"Oh, you're making this too easy," Oleandra gloated. "The Age Line is just a runic circle? Piece of cake."

Oleandra approached the Age Line and identified each of the runes that it was made up of.

"I don't see anything," Daphne said. "What runes?"

"There's Elhaz, Protection. And Mannaz, Man." Oleandra said to herself. "Yera, Year, followed by a counter for the age. There's also ALU, Ansuz, Laukaz, Uruz. Sowelo, the Sun, and Dagaz, time. Add them all up together, and you've got yourself an Age Line. Not bad, Professor…"

Oleandra retrieved a piece of chalk from her pouch and drew a few lines on the stone floor, next to the runes that only she could see, thanks to her Mystic Eyes. The Age Line wavered slightly, before turning a lighter shade of yellow.

"There!" Oleandra said with satisfaction. "Now the Age Line will only allow people under seventeen to pass!"

"After you," said Ginny.

In theory, she'd be fine: her body was thirteen. However, Age Lines weren't exactly in her area of expertise. What if it checked her soul's age? Technically, the fused soul of Tom Riddle and Ginny Weasley was two years old at this point, but maybe it would take the sum of their ages and divide the number by two? It wouldn't be funny if an Age Line, of all things, was what exposed her in the end!

"Here goes nothing," said Oleandra, taking a deep breath.

She wiggled her foot tentatively over the line. Nothing. Oleandra then put one foot inside the boundary, then the other; at this point, her body was fully within the circle's confines. Still nothing; it seemed like her modifications had worked. Oleandra turned around and flashed Daphne and Ginny a thumbs up, before starting towards to the Goblet of Fire.

A distance of ten feet separated Oleandra from the Goblet at this point. But unbeknownst to her, the stars twinkling in her soul were beginning to dim with each step she took. Imperceptibly, Oleandra began to slow her steps, before coming to a complete stop five feet away from the Goblet.

At this point, Oleandra began to reconsider her life decisions.

'Just what the Hel am I doing?' she thought to herself. 'It's four in the morning, and here I am sneaking around, trying to get myself killed in a Tournament I have no business entering. This is stupid, I'm going back to sleep.'

Oleandra turned on the spot and walked out of the circle, feeling refreshed.