Wish Upon A Star

Portkey

Ashlyn knocked on the Headmaster's door.

"Enter," said Dumbledore.

Ashlyn pulled the door open and entered the familiar office.

"Good morning, professor," Ashlyn said at the smiling man behind the mahogany desk.

"Good morning, Miss Clarke," Dumbledore said motioning her to her usual chair.

"Professor, it's about Mr Crouch," Ashlyn said once she had taken her seat.

"Continue," Dumbledore prompted.

"I am sure you know that Crouch hasn't been going to the Ministry and he sends instructions by owl to his assistant,"

Dumbledore nodded slightly, asking her to continue

"Sir, Mr Crouch must have been imperiused. By his son," Ashlyn said

"And?" Dumbledore asked.

"...I'm not sure, sir," Ashlyn confessed

"What would you have done, Miss Clarke?"

"Well, I guess I would have just let everything go as per the plot. If it changes, then it will become be hard to predict the future," Ashlyn explained

"I really do hope you know exactly what you are doing, Miss Clarke," Dumbledore said in his cheery voice, but Ashlyn knew better. The twinkling light had left his eyes.

"I am already putting my school, and my students at risk," he continued

"I know, sir. I'll do everything to save Cedric, I swear," Ashlyn said

"Nothing much happens until the third task, sir. I am not sure how I am to get to Little Hangleton, though," 

"Little Hangleton, you say," Dumbledore mused

"I came to the conclusion that I will have to wait for them at the graveyard. If I enter the maze, then it might be counted as cheating. And I can't apparate yet, and you can't apparate within Hogwarts' grounds anyway," Ashlyn continued

"Then it leaves us with one option," Dumbledore said simply. "A portkey,"

"But, sir, aren't unauthorized portkeys illegal?" Ashlyn said distressed.

Dumbledore gave out a hearty laugh. 

"Miss Clarke, might I say, you have a wonderful sense of humour," Dumbledore chuckled. "I am sure an unauthorized portkey would be the least of the Ministry's worries if they were to charge you,"

Ashlyn blinked, then she realised. She had broken laws a hundred times already. She saw herself while travelling through time, heck she even had a small conversation with herself. She set a supposedly, wanted mass murderer free and was basically in cahoots with him. Goddamnit, she was a freaking unregistered animagus. She was even planning to abduct a prominent person and keep them locked for around half a year too.  Screw it! A portkey would just be another medal for her lawbreaking. For a fourteen-year-old, she certainly was booking herself a cell in Azkaban.

"Right," Ashlyn said sheepishly,

"I suppose you are feeling more at home now," Dumbledore said kindly.

He was right. Ashlyn now thought of that time as a dream rather than a part of her life. In fact, she didn't want it to be a part of her life anymore. It was not exactly wonderful per se. She would keep the memories, but she didn't want to go there anymore. It was though she had always lived here, in the wizarding world. And she would always live here...