Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Preparations and Hints

With classes starting again, Arthur resumed his established schedule of lectures and research. Though now, one more activity was added to his already packed timetable.

Almost every night, after the castle fell silent, Arthur would slip into the Room of Hidden Things, step through the repaired Vanishing Cabinet, and emerge seconds later in the basement of his Beverly Hills mansion. With the time difference, California was still in the late afternoon or early evening. This gave him several precious hours to work on Plan C – the backup strategy for monitoring Captain Marvel’s arrival.

Finding Maria Rambeau became his obsession. Carol Danvers’s best friend and fellow pilot, whose Louisiana home featured prominently in his fragmented memories of the movie, would be a crucial piece in his detection network. If Captain Marvel didn’t crash at one of his monitored Blockbuster locations, she’d likely seek out her old friend, making Rambeau’s home the perfect place for secondary detection spells.

Tracking her down proved proper difficult. Military records were scarce and classified, forcing Arthur to employ increasingly creative magical methods. He spent several exhausting nights bypassing mundane security systems and carefully nicking data from restricted US Air Force personnel databases. His persistence paid off when he finally pinpointed her address: a quiet rural property outside New Orleans, Louisiana.

The journey to Louisiana itself became another challenge – flying to Louisiana while hidden, navigating unfamiliar territory, and setting up complex alert charms around Rambeau’s farm without being detected by US agencies or MACUSA wizards. The spells would notify Arthur instantly if anyone besides Maria and her young daughter entered the property, giving him precious advance warning of Carol’s arrival.

This intense schedule was taking its toll. Between attending classes, keeping up appearances at Hogwarts, studying his rare magical texts, executing his nightly missions across continents, and squeezing in maybe four hours of sleep – Arthur was properly knackered. But within a week, his determination paid off. Plan C stood complete and fully operational.

Detection spells now hummed silently at key LA Blockbusters and, more importantly, around Maria Rambeau’s home. The waiting game had begun. Would Carol Danvers arrive next week? Next month? Would she crash through a shop ceiling or quietly seek out her old friend? The specifics remained fuzzy in Arthur’s memory, but he was confident that between his California and Louisiana networks, he wouldn’t miss her arrival.

Arthur’s interest in this single incident in the Marvel universe exceeded anything back home. The Triwizard Tournament and the eventual return of Voldemort felt like nothing compared to this in Arthur’s opinion. Compared to the cosmic threats and god-tier beings hinted at in the Marvel universe, the Dark Lord seemed almost… small fry.

—

Back at Hogwarts, life continued. The second task loomed, still over a month away. Since Arthur already knew what it entailed, he didn’t need to waste time figuring it out. He already had a plan that would blow everyone’s minds again, and he could hardly wait to pull it off.

He couldn’t help but notice, however, the mounting anxiety radiating from Harry Potter. Without Cedric Diggory in the picture as a fellow champion this year, and apparently lacking the insight from ’Moody’ that canon Harry received via him, Potter seemed utterly stumped by the golden egg’s screeching clue. He looked increasingly stressed and knackered as the weeks passed.

One dreary afternoon in late January, Arthur was leaving the library, his arms laden with books, when he nearly collided with Harry and Hermione Granger emerging from the same doors. Ron Weasley was conspicuously absent.

“Hey, Arthur,” Harry mumbled, looking up distractedly.

“Hello,” Arthur replied. “Had fun during the holidays, I assume?”

Harry managed a weak smile. “Not really. Had too many things happening. Wish I could’ve skipped the Ball like you did. Seriously, how did you manage that? Wasn’t it compulsory?”

“Compulsory according to tradition, not according to the actual rules,” Arthur replied coolly. “Have you not bothered to read the official Tournament Rulebook?”

“Rulebook?” Harry looked blank. “No. Didn’t find one in the library, and, well,” he shot a dark look down the corridor, “the professors haven’t exactly been forthcoming with helpful information.”

Hermione elbowed him lightly. “Harry! It’s rude to talk about the professors like that. They’re probably very busy.”

“Only when it involves helping me,” Harry muttered under his breath.

“Yes, the Professors do love trouble seekers,” Arthur said, his lips quirking into a half-smile. He turned to Hermione. “A pleasure to finally meet you properly, Miss Granger. I heard you stunned everyone at the Yule Ball. A pity I missed it. I’m Arthur Hayes, by the way.”

Hermione blushed slightly but met his gaze directly. “Thank you, Mr. Hayes. It was nothing special, really. And yes, I know who you are. I’ve… heard rather a lot about you.” There was a hint of cautious curiosity in her eyes.

“As a dreadful example of what Muggle-borns ought not to become, I presume?” Arthur asked dryly.

“Err…” Hermione stammered, unsure how to respond.

“Don’t listen to that rubbish, Hermione!” Harry interjected quickly. “Arthur’s alright. He helped me with the Summoning Charm before the first task, remember?”

“Only after you told him about the dragons,” Hermione pointed out skeptically.

“But he already knew!” Harry insisted.

“And how can you be certain he truly knew beforehand?” Hermione countered, ever the logician.

Arthur sighed inwardly. This bickering was tedious. “Well, I shall leave you two to your… spirited debate,” he said, starting to move past them. “Do try to prepare adequately for the second task, Potter.”

Observing their dynamic, the easy back-and-forth, the underlying affection beneath the arguments, Arthur found himself mentally siding with the ’Harry and Hermione’ pairing over the canon ’Ron and Hermione’. Even a Krum-Hermione pairing would be better in his opinion. The Bulgarian seeker, from what Arthur had observed during their few encounters, was an introvert with a fierce exterior. He seemed like a decent sort—certainly better than Ron.

“Nothing spirited about it,” Harry grumbled. “And don’t remind me about the second task. I haven’t got a clue where to even start preparing. That bloody egg just screeches!”

Arthur paused again, an unplanned impulse surfacing. “Oh? Haven’t cracked the golden egg’s clue yet? Tsk, tsk. Bit behind schedule, aren’t we? You’ll be in for quite a shock on the day if you go in blind.”

Harry stared at him. “What?! You’ve already figured it out?”

“Cracked it the night I received it,” Arthur stated matter-of-factly. “My preparations are complete.”

“Show off,” Harry muttered, though without real heat, mostly just frustrated envy.

“Well,” Arthur said, turning to leave again, “I do hope you manage to solve it. Though I strongly recommend you learn how to swim if you don’t already know.”

Hermione gasped. “Swim? What? Does the second task involve water? The Great Lake?” Her sharp mind immediately leaped to the logical conclusion.

Arthur offered her an approving nod. “A bright mind indeed, Miss Granger. But that’s the only hint you get from me.” He gave Harry a final look. “See you at the task, Potter. Cheerio.”

He walked away down the corridor, leaving Harry and Hermione staring after him, Hermione already muttering about merpeople and Grindylows.

Arthur felt a flicker of confusion at his own actions. Why had he given Potter that hint? He hadn’t planned it. Was it just lingering nostalgia for the characters from his past life’s fiction? A sense of pity for the boy constantly manipulated by others? Or, a more unsettling thought occurred to him, was some external force – fate, destiny – nudging him to ensure the canonical events stayed vaguely on track, even as he forged his own path?

He shook his head, dismissing the thought. His actions were his own. Probably.

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