The first news Scarlet received upon returning to Hogwarts was that the third floor had been reopened.

Not all the traps had been removed, however. The Giant Wizard Chess set remained on display for anyone who fancied a game. Ron, overjoyed by the news, grabbed Harry and Hermione by the arms and rushed to be the first to play.

But the Weasley twins had beaten him to it. After a match with the oversized pieces, they finally abandoned the idea of using life-sized character cards in Wizard’s Gambit.

“It’d be tough to control and a bit much for the faint-hearted,” Fred commented.

“And we’d like it to be child-friendly, even for the little ones,” George added.

“Sounds good. Have you finish setting up the rules for Wizards Gambit?” Scarlet asked as she practice her night training.

“Yep! Now all that’s left is to actually make the game and fine-tune it.” Fred grinned. “We’ve figured out which runic character combinations we’ll use as the programming language.”

“Soon, our beloved Lady Scarlet shall bear witness to our game demo!” George declared, clenching his fist proudly.

“Great!” Scarlet nodded, then asked, “Is Alexis free tomorrow night?”

The twins exchanged glances. “Suppose so. She’s in charge for character design, so she should be free if she’s not working on that,” Fred answered.

“Good. I need her by tomorrow night.”

“For the girls’ secret, yeah?” George teased.

Scarlet hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes. Girls’ secret.”

Fred and George shared a knowing look, now even certain that this secret was anything but ordinary, though they couldn’t guess what it might be.

When the evening of Scarlet’s request arrived, it came all too quickly for Alexis to brace herself.

“You sure this is gonna work?” Alexis asked, her voice laced with nerves.

“As long as you don’t chicken out,” Scarlet replied, glancing at her while leading the way to the headmaster’s office. “And stop making that face you’re making right now.”

“I’ll...try...” Alexis whimpered softly. It felt ominous whenever she thought about meeting the greatest wizard of the era, who, according to fanfics she read, was half the time portrayed as some mastermind behind the scenes.

Scarlet had already been given the password; Professor Dumbledore had granted it to her during breakfast when she requested a meeting. She led them straight to the stone gargoyle, passed through the entrance, and entered with Alexis trailing behind like a timid maid following her lady - or more accurately, like a nervous student following her ageless teacher.

“Good evening, Scarlet,” Professor Dumbledore greeted with a genial nod, his eyes twinkling. “And to you as well, Ms. Everhart. Please, make yourselves comfortable.”

Scarlet gave a respectful bow as she always did. “Good evening, Professor Dumbledore. Here’s the proposal I’ve prepared - a revised and detailed version. I sincerely hope you’ll consider it.”

Professor Dumbledore accepted the proposal, handling it with a gentleness that belied the gravity of the subject. “A formidable task lies with these pages, no doubt. Still, I shall read it with an open mind.” He began scanning the document. As he read, Scarlet tried to gauge his reactions – though, unlike Professor Snape, his pupils experienced subtle changes whenever his emotions stirred, Professor Dumbledore was practiced in masking his thoughts.

One thing Alexis had correctly observed was that Professor Dumbledore was indeed a mastermind – though, as Scarlet saw it, that wasn’t a bad thing. Having a clever and experienced man as an ally was far better than having him as an adversary. Scarlet had no desire to go up against a villain with such a sharp mind.

Professor Dumbledore didn’t take long to read through the proposal. “So, Ms. Everhart,” he began, addressing Alexis after closing the folder in his hand, “you are indeed a Seer, then? That is quite an uncommon gift, and not one to be taken lightly.” He glanced at Scarlet, his gaze both gentle and probing. “And Scarlet, you stand by this claim, even with all its...complication?”

“I do, Professor, if it helps to persuade you.” Scarlet’s tone was firm. Alexis chimed in at once, “I agree, and I fully support whatever Scarlet had planned.”

The Professor studied the two girls in silence.

Sensing his reluctance, Scarlet reached into her bag and withdrew a small box. She opened it, revealing a collection of broken fragments wrapped carefully in a sealing cloth. For the first time, Professor Dumbledore, who had remained impassive until now, straightened, examining the contents intently.

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“This is Rovena Ravenclaw’s Diadem,” Scarlet explained, her voice calm as if reciting from a textbook. “It once held a fragment of the dark wizard’s soul. I destroyed it by stabbing the Horcrux, giving it a lethal blow. Queen Scáthach later took it to the Shadowy Land, ensuring the soul fragment would have no chance of return. You should still be able to detect traces of dark magic on the diadem. It’s a pity the crown couldn’t be preserved intact...but perhaps you can restore it, Professor.”

Professor Dumbledore leaned forward, his fingers lingered over the fragments not touching them, for a long moment. “Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem,” he murmured, almost to himself. “An ancient relic – one that held knowledge and darkness in equal measure.” He straightened, his expression unusually solemn. “You’ve accomplished a remarkable feat in destroying this Horcrux, Scarlet. Few have faced such dark magic and emerged unscathed. You’ve persuaded me, Scarlet. You have my trust and belief. However, Ms. Everhart must remain here at Hogwarts - a safe place where Death Eaters cannot reach her.”

He turned to Alexis, his tone sincere, “I’m sorry, Ms. Everhart, but we cannot risk losing you.”

“Um...” Alexis hesitated. “I get that, and I do want to stay somewhere I won’t be a burden to you all, but honestly, I don’t think Hogwarts is as safe as you think.”

“Oh?” Professor Dumbledore’s eyes, full of curiosity, met Alexis’s. “Ms. Everhart, it seems you have glimpsed much that eludes the ordinary eye. May I ask what it is that gives you such grave doubts about Hogwarts’ defenses?”

“Okay, so...” Alexis bit her lips and glanced at Scarlet, who gave her an encouraging nod. She took a breath, then continued, “I know this sounds weird, but some of the things I’ve read, or seen...There’s more, not included in the proposal since it’s focused only on hunting down the Horcruxes. So...next year, you’re planning to hire Gilderoy Lockhart as our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, right? Well, he’s a complete disaster for the school. He doesn’t teach anything useful; all he does is make us read his books – stories he actually stole from real adventurers. He obliviated them and claimed the tales as his own. It’s criminal. He just ends up weakening the students’ defense skill when, later on, Death Eaters infiltrate Hogwarts.”

Professor Dumbledore raised brow prompted her to continue, and Alexis rattled off the series of impeding calamities.

Alexis leaned forward, voice serious. “Oh, and before that, there’s the basilisk in the Chamber of Secret. If we manage to get the diary from Ginny - or better, from Lucius Malfoy - then we’ll be in the clear. But if it falls into any student’s hands, it’ll release the basilisk, putting everyone here in real danger.”

“Oh! And then there’s Barty Crouch Jr. impersonating Mad-Eye Moody - you hired him as another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and he turned out to be a Death Eater! A student died in the Triwizard Tournament! What else...oh, and Umbridge! She’s not even a Death Eater, she’s from the Ministry of Magic, but she’s so evil she was literally every student’s nightmare. Some fella says she’s even scarier than Voldemort.” Alexis noticed Professor Dumbledore’s dismayed expression and added, “Um...so, honestly? I think the safest place in the world might be that tiny spot right behind Scarlet.”

Professor Dumbledore looked weary, and after a long pause, he replied, “I see.”

Scarlet continued, “Professor, everything’s shifted since I took down Quirrell. So, what Alexis saw may not even happen. We can take it as a reference point, though. I’ll keep a close eye on any new Defence Against the Dark Arts substitute teachers, in case a Death Eater tries to impersonate them. After we’re down with the Horcruxes, I’ll see to them.”

Professor Dumbledore listened with a slight frown but remained composed. “It pains me, Ms. Everhart, to hear that Hogwarts’ sanctuary has failed some of its most vulnerable students, even in a world beyond my own. He paused, collecting his thoughts. “You may have doubts about my role, and I cannot fault you for them. But as long as I am headmaster, I will strive to offer every protection I can.”

He noticed the doubt in Alexis’s expression, but Scarlet gave a firm nod. At least one student here believes in me, he mused.

After a moment, he tapped his fingertips thoughtfully and asked, “Five Horcruxes remain. Besides the one in Harry’s scar, how do you propose we find and destroy the rest?”

“Leave the locket to me; I’ll handle it during the summer break, just as outlined in my proposal.” Scarlet recounted her plan. “As for the diary, we can either wait for Lucius Malfoy to slip it into Ginny’s belongings, as Alexis saw in her vision and as I detailed, or I could take the initiative – pay the Malfoys a visit, persuade them, and end the Horcrux there. Also, I’m curious about the Dark Mark. Mr. Malfoy must have caught my hint from the last time we met.”

Alexis stared, astonished. “You WHAT?”

“I hinted at it,” Scarlet explained. “When I met Mr. Malfoy at the station during Christmas break - when Draco introduced us - I noticed something odd on his forearm, though it was covered under long sleeves. I didn’t connect it with the Dark Mark at the time; I just thought it looked...strange, maybe even a bit familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Now that I know he has the Dark Mark, that sense of familiarity was likely the same feeling I get around the soul fragments. Do you think I could talk him down, give me the diary in exchange for me keeping his Dark Mark a secret?”

“Um...” Alexis thought back to all the fanfics she’d read, plus the original storyline. “He’d do just about anything for his family. That’s his weak spot. Does that help?”

“Probably. At least I know what angle to approach him with.” Scarlet noticed Professor Dumbledore’s odd look and shrugged. “Business tactics. I need to master persuasion if I’m going to win over clients in the future.”

Professor Dumbledore nodded. “I appreciate the trust you’ve both placed in me,” he replied, his gaze warm but thoughtful. “Though your paths may be unorthodox, I sense a great sincerity behind them.” He looked to Scarlet, his eyes twinkling again.” For now, let us process as outlined in your proposal – cautiously. I’ll take on the task of investigating the Gaunt family’s remains, and, if need be, consider the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange.”

The three of them concluded their discussion, and Scarlet left the office feeling thoroughly satisfied.

Alexis, still processing, muttered, “We...we just left? Just like that? He agreed to go along with your plan? Really?!”

“Yes, yes, and yes.” Scarlet replied with a bright smile. “Now get some rest. I’ll try to send him another proposal before the summer break.”

“Another proposal?”

“How to stay safe when you’re up against the Killing Curse.”

“...You seriously thinking a cloak made of ants could protect you from the Killing Curse?”

“Worth a try. Goodnight.”

“...Goodnight.”