Plans Within Plans

Durmstrang Ship, October 30st

Harry walked confidently onto the Durmstrang Ship, making it a few minutes from the start of curfew. As he stepped onto the deck of the ship, Harry met the gaze of several of the seventh and sixth years that had yet to go to bed. Unconsciously, he withdrew his wand and started to twirl it between his fingers, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips when the older students looked away and resumed their conversations.

Spotting Viktor and Kira in an isolated corner of the ship, Harry strode over to his friend. "Viktor, I need your help with something."

"Oh for fuck's sake, Potter," Kira spat. "Can't you see that Viktor and I are talking? Go bug Rosier or something."

Sending a poisonous glare at Kira, Harry snapped, "Oh, I'll be getting her in a minute, Megara. I have less than a day to figure out how to break down or evade a ward cast by Albus Dumbledore." Turning to his friend, Harry added, "I could really use your help, Viktor."

Kira laughed. "Well, you can forget me helping, Potter. I plan on actually getting some sleep tonight, not wasting my night watching you fail to do the impossible."

"Kira," Viktor snapped, angrily. "Harry is our friend."

"He's your friend, Viktor. If you want to piss away the rest of our evening with Potter and Rosier, go ahead, but I have better things to do." With that, Kira set off towards a group of sixth years on the other side of the boat.

His shoulders slumping, Viktor turned to his friend, only for Harry to cut him off.

"Don't apologize for her, Viktor, I don't want Kira's help. You're infinitely more talented than she ever could be." Harry grinned slightly. "Besides, I have no doubt that she and Calypso would come to blows within an hour or two of us getting to work."

Viktor watched as Kira sat down next to a lanky sixth year before turning back to Harry. "You're probably right."

Feeling a surge of emotions from Viktor, Harry quickly broke eye contact and cleared his mind. He had enough to think about with the age-line, Viktor could deal with his and Kira's relationship issues another time. "Right, let's go get Calypso."

With a final look at Kira, who was now smiling and laughing with the other sixth years, Viktor solemnly nodded his head and followed Harry downstairs. "What did Dumbledore want to talk to you about?"

"He wanted to give me some advice on how not to enter my name into the Goblet of Fire." Reaching Calypso's door, Harry knocked twice before continuing, "I was just going to have you enter my name on a piece of parchment. You're of age, and I would therefore never have to cross the line to have my name entered."

Viktor blinked as Calypso's door opened. "And Dumbledore said that wouldn't work?"

Smiling at his girlfriend, Harry said, "Come on Calypso, let's get to work. We need to figure out how to get past the age line."

"Come inside," Calypso said, going back into the room. "I hope you don't mind, but I pulled some of your books while you were talking with Dumbledore. I figured I'd get a head start."

"Harry," Viktor repeated, "Why wouldn't your plan work?"

"Plan?" Calypso asked.

Eying the books on warding and advanced Charms that Calypso had taken from his room, Harry replied, "I was going to write my name on a piece of parchment and have Viktor drop it in the Goblet for me, thereby avoiding the age line entirely."

"And Dumbledore said that wouldn't work?" Calypso asked, clearly disappointed.

Picking up a book on warding, Harry shook his head. "No, Dumbledore said my name would be considered, but based upon the characteristics the Goblet uses to select the champions, he didn't think I would be selected."

Calypso frowned. "And you believe him? He could just be trying to keep you from easily entering the tournament and showing up Hogwarts."

"I would be happy to enter your name, Harry," Viktor said quickly. "You know I don't really care much for this tournament anyway."

Remembering what Dumbledore had said about Viktor not wanting to compete, but doing so reluctantly, Harry fought back a scowl. "Thank you, Viktor, but no. If I want to be the Durmstrang Champion, I need to earn it. I think that, more than anything, was what Dumbledore was trying to convey to me. That the Goblet only selects the worthy, and cheating my way past the age line wouldn't do that."

"Harry, don't dismiss the easy option so quickly." Calypso argued. "Did Dumbledore tell you that you would absolutely not be selected if you did this? And is he certain about how the Goblet selects its champions?"

"I don't think anyone fully understands the Goblet, Calypso," Harry said tiredly, "but Dumbledore almost certainly has a better idea than anyone else, and I trust him. Dumbledore wouldn't lie to me. He knows just why I want to compete, and he won't stop me from entering. He just wants me to do it right."

Throwing her hands into the air in frustration, Calypso snapped, "You figured out a way past the age line, why do you want to find another way?"

"Enough." Harry said coldly. "I've made my choice. Dumbledore assured me there is another way to surpass the age line, so I just need to figure it out."

"Harry, don't you think you shoul –"

"Calypso, I'm done arguing!" Harry exclaimed. Sweeping his wand across his body, Harry summoned every book Calypso removed from his room and had them stack themselves in two neat piles in front of him. "I won't have someone else place my name in the Goblet. Now, are you going to help me, or not?"

"Don't be an idiot. Of course I'll help you." Calypso said impatiently."But don't expect me to jump through the same hoops as you. Viktor, you'll enter my name, right?"

Viktor simply nodded.

"Thank you," Calypso said sincerely before turning back to Harry. "Okay, so, what do we know about age lines?"

"The name says it all," Viktor said simply. "It will repel anyone under seventeen that tries to cross it"

Biting her lip, Calypso said, "Okay. Obvious answer: Aging Potion."

Harry shook his head. "Too obvious. Dumbledore would have thought of that."

"Don't assume that Dumbledore is infallible," Calypso countered. "Technically, anyone over seventeen can put your name in; that's one big loop-hole, Harry."

"Fine," Harry conceded. "An Aging Potion. What else?"

"Why don't you just throw the paper?" Viktor asked. "If the line only stops you from crossing, why can't you charm the paper to fly into the Goblet?"

"That's a good point." Taking out a piece of paper, Harry quickly scribbled the ideas onto it. "I wonder if I can just summon the goblet? Get it outside the age line."

"Harry," Viktor said hesitantly, "Didn't you say that some wards can cancel each other out?"

Slowly, Harry nodded his head. "Kosarev mentioned it, but I have no idea how it's possible. I'd need a lot more time to figure out how to bypass the age line that way."

"What if you just layered an age line directly on top of Dumbledore's," Calypso thought out loud. "If your age line was set to fourteen, would it let you pass?"

Thinking hard. Harry said, "I don't know what will happen. It's possible Dumbledore's age line would simply over-power mine."

"Or maybe they would cancel each other out," Viktor said enthusiastically.

"We don't know that, Viktor, anything could happen."

Glancing out the window, Viktor frowned. "Whatever you decide, Harry, you need to make some decisions quickly. An aging potion will take time to brew, and you will need to learn how to cast an age line if you wish to go that way. It will be dawn in a few hours, and who knows how many times you will need to adjust your plan."

With a single look out at the horizon, Harry said, "Viktor's right. Calypso, can you start gathering the ingredients for the aging potion? I'll start practicing the age line. Viktor, can you go check to see if you can summon the Goblet."

When everyone nodded and went about their tasks, Harry looked tiredly in the mirror. Noting his exhausted appearance, he walked over to his desk and removed a pepper-up-potion. Downing the liquid in one gulp, smoke came out of Harry's ears, and he suddenly felt like he'd had a full night's sleep.

"Okay, time to get to work."