Nose to the Wind // tomarry

Chapter 20: Keep Up This Charade

On the last day of the holiday, it occurred to Harry that, in his first reality, Barty-as-Moody had been the one to tell Cedric how to decipher his golden egg, but that had been more as a way to indirectly help Harry, and since that wasn't the case this time...

He took a brief jaunt through the Realm of Death to the small crowd of dead watching over the inhabitants of Hogwarts, stopping next to Albus, since he was the first one he recognised (and if someone was watching Cedric, it wasn't on his orders), and asking, "I don't suppose you know if Cedric's figured out the egg, yet?"

Albus frowned. "I don't believe so. Why?"

Harry shrugged. "School pride; not particularly interested in watching Hogwarts lose because no one on the staff could unbend enough to pass our champion a hint."

"Only a hint?" someone nearby asked, flashing him a distinctly Slytherin smile.

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "It's no fun if I tell him exactly what to expect."

Some of the spirits laughed, while others scoffed or made disgusted sounds. Albus just sighed and shook his head.

Harry checked in with those spirits he'd set to watching things at Hogwarts, since he was already there, then made his way home after discerning that the tensions between the Beauxbâtons contingent and everyone else were remaining relatively steady, save a brief spike after Rita's article. Which had been handled peacefully, thankfully.

Once back in his room, he pulled out his messaging paper and wrote to Will, 'You should try to mention where Cedric would hear that Mermish sounds like screeching above ground.'

It was a couple hours before Will wrote back, and Harry could only assume he'd been out with his friends. 'Okay. Why? Is it something to do with the next task?'

'It's related to the tournament,' Harry allowed.

'Does the next task involve the lake?'

'Just pass that on to Cedric.'

'ARE THEY GOING TO FIGHT MERPEOPLE? BECAUSE THAT COULD BE COOL'

Harry sighed at his brother and slipped his messaging paper away, then wandered downstairs to see if Lily needed any help with dinner.

Will would figure out he was being ignored eventually.

-0-

'This,' Will wrote the morning of the second task, 'is super boring. Who thought this was a good idea?'

'Someone in the ministry,' Harry replied before going back to the homework he was working on.

When he glanced back at the paper again a bit later, it was clear Chris had brought his paper, too, because the two had had an exchange about why fighting the merfolk would be a bad idea in terms of future relations between them and Hogwarts, Will had complained about Harry ignoring them, and then he'd suggested he and Chris go on an adventure into the Forbidden Forest, since it was so close.

Harry stiffened. 'WILLIAM HARROLD DON'T YOU DARE,' he quickly wrote back.

Harry was just about to call for Death when Will finally replied, 'I'm not.' And then, before Harry could fully relax, added, 'Yet.'

'If you're bored, go do homework,' Harry wrote back.

'Fred and George are always talking about the cool things they've found inside and I want to see too. You can come and then it'll be safe right?' Will wrote, before adding, in response to Harry's suggestion, 'Ew no way'

'If Fred and George jumped off the Astronomy Tower with no brooms, would you follow them?'

'No but that's why I'm asking you to come so you're my broomstick'