Late that night, Orli lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Barty Crouch Jr. had been dealt with, but someone had still infiltrated Hogwarts and manipulated the Goblet of Fire to make Harry a Triwizard Champion.
What could she do next?
To prevent them from obtaining Harry's blood, she would need to ensure Harry didn't get hurt—but that was nearly impossible. More importantly, she had to stop Harry from touching the Portkey at the end of the tournament… This was no longer something she could handle on her own. She needed help.
Reaching under her pillow, she pulled out the two-way mirror, sneaking out of the dormitory and into the empty common room. Calling Snape at three in the morning was undoubtedly a terrible idea, but she had no other choice. Perhaps he had already discarded the mirror somewhere and wouldn't even respond…
She quickly realized she had been completely wrong.
Almost instantly, those familiar dark eyes appeared in the mirror. Then, Snape's face came into view, looking equally sleepless, his expression a mix of anxiety and impatience.
# Snape "You'd better have a very urgent reason."
Snape's voice came through the mirror.
## Orli "Yes, Professor, it's extremely urgent. It's about Harry and the Goblet of Fire."
Orli spoke quickly and quietly.
# Snape "This is entirely Potter's fault. Not only did he cheat, but he also embarrassed Dumbledore in front of the other headmasters."
Snape said irritably.
# Snape "You don't actually believe Moody's theory, do you? That someone wants Potter dead?"
## Orli "If someone wanted Harry dead, and that person is inside the school with enough power to deceive the Goblet, they've had a hundred chances to act."
Orli said urgently.
## Orli "I think their goal isn't to kill Harry but something far more sinister."
# Snape "Like what? Adding another glorious achievement to the illustrious resume of Harry Potter during his student years?"
Snape scoffed coldly.
## Orli "No, Professor. Imagine if someone swapped an item Harry is certain to retrieve during the tournament with a Portkey, sending him straight to Voldemort..."
Orli's voice trembled slightly.
Snape's expression in the mirror darkened immediately. He seemed to stand up and began pacing. Then, his face reappeared in the mirror:
# Snape "Do you have suspects? Who?"
## Orli "I'm not certain yet, but there are very few people who just arrived at Hogwarts this term and have the capability to do this: Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Ludo Bagman, Amelia Bones… and Professor Moody."
Orli said. She couldn't be sure about Moody's involvement, and her list of suspects was growing.
# Snape "I'm going to see Dumbledore now."
Snape narrowed his eyes.
# Snape "You, stay away from everyone you just mentioned."
## Orli "Professor, I'm coming too."
Orli quickly added.
## Orli "I'll wait at the entrance to the Headmaster's office right now."
Snape was silent for a few seconds before speaking.
# Snape "You'd better know what to say and what not to say."
Orli nodded. He had warned her during the holidays not to show any interest in dark magic in front of others or do anything unnecessary. She knew Dumbledore might already be suspicious of her.
The little mirror in her hand went dark, reverting to an ordinary bronze mirror.
Orli finally lowered the two-way mirror, feeling her arm ache from holding it up for so long. She glanced at the mirror with a hint of surprise: Snape had actually spoken to her for so long? It seemed to be the first time since the term began.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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