"Coin...key...key...coin. Koin...Cey?"

Fergus and Henry exchanged nervous glances as Hope continued to mutter herself at the table in the library. With the tournament's key and coin in her hands, she continued to look back and forth but she couldn't figure out anything that would be able to link the two.

"Hope, are you feeling okay?" Fergus called out to her in a gentle tone. But Hope didn't respond.

"Earth, Water, Fire," Hope said to herself. "We did Earth and we did Water, so that means Fire is left as the final task. But what could fire have to do with this coin and key? Maybe if I rub them together it'll make fire!"

"Hope," Henry sighed watching as the girl tried to make fire with the two items. "That's...that's not going to work. Look, you need to give your brain a break and think about something else."

"Like what?" Hope said setting the pieces down on the table. "I can't focus on anything else right now, my brain keeps telling me to think of the key and this stupid coin. But it hasn't gotten me anywhere. They mean nothing when it comes to each other. I don't see how this is the hint to the next task."

"Maybe you're not supposed to see it," Henry told her. "Maybe they don't want you figuring it out. Remember what Harry, Cedric and Fleur told us about the first task. They wouldn't have known about it unless they were told. Hagrid brought Harry, Harry told Cedric and Fleur was told by her professor at the time. They didn't figure it out on their own. That could be what they want to happen in this case too."

Hope leaned in to listen as Henry went on giving his theory.

"Their first task was Fire, like you guys figured out. It's in reverse order this time around. So, maybe you aren't supposed to figure out the Fire task," Henry said.

"Then why tell us there's a hint with the objects we were given?" Hope questioned.

"That was probably a distractor," Fergus said. "You know, like in quidditch when we make up false plays to distract the other team. They want you to focus on the key and the coin so that you guys will be completely blindsided for the final task."

"Wow, how kind of them," Hope grumbled. 

"It's supposed to be hard, Hope," Henry said. "Up until now, the competition has been easy on you guys, in comparison to the first one."

Hope gave him a look, as Henry completely neglected her being attacked and dragged down to the bottom of the lake by the grindylows. 

Fergus nudged him roughly in the ribs to get the boy to look over at his girlfriend. Henry quickly noted the badger face and cleared his throat.

"I mean...I'm sure you're going to figure it out because you're incredibly brilliant and.."

"Yeah, yeah, save the sweet talk, Ry," Hope said with a smirk. "So, did you two hear that Angry Quidditch Baby and the Dragon Handler are actually back on speaking terms?

Henry and Fergus gasped dramatically causing her to roll her eyes with a giggle. 

"Come on now, guys," she began. "It's a good thing, things have been so awkward between them since the Yule Ball incident. I'm glad they're talking. I hate going back and forth between two people when they're fighting. "

"I don't even know why they stopped talking to each other in the first place," Fergus admitted. "I mean, Elliot didn't actually do anything except lie that he had a date to the Yule Ball so that he wouldn't be asked to go."

"You don't see anything wrong in that at all?" Hope questioned him.

"Not really, but judging by the face you're making at me right now, I should, right?"

Hope shook her head at him before pushing herself up from the table to go retrieve a book she would need for her potions homework. 

"Have you heard anything about the final task and what it entails?" Nixie asked Remus as she arrived at his office in the early evening that day. Sirius was already there as the two were waiting on her.

"No, I haven't, why?" Remus asked.

"What do you mean, why?" Nixie questioned him. "You know the final task is going to be the most difficult. You granddaughter is involved in said task, I would think you would be a little bit more concerned. Especially with how you reacted with over the girl sharing a kiss with another boy that wasn't Henry."

Remus glanced up at her. "I am concerned and incredibly nervous but I'm trying not to show it for Hope's sake. The last task really spooked her, enough that she didn't sleep well for awhile afterward. Now that she seems to be recovered, I really don't want to psych her out even more, Nixie. If I think about it more, I'm going to panic and if I panic, she'll panic."

"No," Sirius said. "You'll just be the one panicking, Moony. She might take after your side of the family a great deal with the Lupin genetics, but be mindful that the Weasley is in there. Remind yourself of who her father is and how stubborn he is. "

"Someone's still bitter about losing the bet," Nixie muttered.

"Not now, Nini," Sirius huffed at her. "Anyways, as I was saying...Hope has picked up on the stubborn streak and the strength from both sides of her family. She's not a panicker, she's a problem solver. Over the last two tasks, you heard what Stella and Eliza said, she's the one who figured out. You both need to hold onto some confidence for her because Hope hasn't let anyone down yet. She's going to figure it out and everything is going to be fine. I call her Little Lupin Weasley Spawn for a reason and she's lived up to the name very well."

Nixie and Remus looked up at each other.

"Nixie, did you happen to remarry someone else recently? Who's this person sitting in my office?"

"Come on, Remus," Nixie chuckled leaning on her friend's shoulder. " We all know Sirius has his brilliant moments..."

Sirius beamed. "Thank y-"

"....however rare they may be."

"HEY!"