Chapter Two: The Fledging
They managed to get the tents up eventually, mostly due to Hermione's directions and Harry's work. Though they had to admit, Mr. Weasley's utter fascination with the mallet and pegs was amusing to bear witness to. Probably as entertaining as witnessing Harry and Hermione's reactions upon stepping into said tents for the first time was for everyone else.
While Mr. Weasley and the twins worked to set up the rest of camp, Harry, Hermione and Ron went in search of the campsite tap. Harry and Hermione found themselves enthralled by what they saw all around them. Witches and Wizards from everywhere around the world putting up their tents with banners supporting their countries and schools, children, some barely toddlers, flying around on toy brooms and performing magic. It was amazing! Even Ron seemed riveted by some of the strange things they saw, momentarily distracting him from lecturing Hermione on Victor Krum's apparently endless virtues.
Lucky for Hermione, the three of them were too distracted by the memory of Archie and his floral nightie on their walk back to camp for Ron to start on Krum again. Instead, he simply looked on in slightly bemused amusement at Harry and Hermione's uncontrollable laughter.
Once she had finally gotten their laughter under control, Hermione turned to her companions, "Did you - oof!"
Someone knocked into her left shoulder, water to slopping to the ground as she wobbled before a hand caught her around the arm in a strong grip to steady her.
"Sorry! I wasn't-"
She looked up and her lips quirked into a wry smile.
"Oh, don't be, I'm quite used to it by now," Hermione said cheekily.
Cedric Diggory's head shot up. He looked momentarily shocked before smiling broadly, "Must be fate."
"If this is fate then we're really screwed," she replied with a laugh.
"Eh, fate is overrated anyway," he said blithely.
Hermione chuckled, "I've always thought so."
"You want to come back with us? We've finished setting up camp and Mr. Weasley's getting some food going," Harry asked companionably, oblivious to Ron's rather obvious attempts to discourage just such an invitation. But Harry found he really couldn't find fault with the Hufflepuff, despite the fact he had beat them in Quidditch the year previous.
Cedric smiled and nodded, "Yeah, definitely, thanks. Dad won't miss me, got distracted almost as soon we finished pitching the tent. He's making the rounds with all these ministry officials here."
"Let's go then."
As they set off towards the Weasley camp they automatically split off into two groups. Harry and Ron were walking a little ways ahead going on about Quidditch and Krum, while Hermione and Cedric followed, the latter relieving the former of the pale of water she had been carrying, and chatting idly.
By the time they arrived back at camp the weather had turned quite warm and Hermione had shed her jacket. Cedric had to remind himself not to stare and failed miserably when the jacket fell away to reveal a slim figure, toned arms and full breasts accentuated by a deep green tank that clung to her like a second skin. She happened to look over at him then, and he quickly averted his gaze, awkwardly clearing his throat. Hermione smiled quizzically to herself, unsure of what to make of his apparent interest in her. It wasn't so much that she minded the attention, she was just unaccustomed to being observed in that way.
"You've been ages," said George when they finally got back to the Weasleys' tents.
"Met a few people," said Harry, setting the water down.
"And brought one back," Ron muttered in an undertone, looking around, "Haven't you got that fire started yet?"
"Dad's having fun with the matches," said Fred.
And so he was. Mr. Weasley was kneeling in front of the fire pit unsuccessfully trying to light a fire, and it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. A collection of burnt and slightly smoking matches littered the ground around him, however, he looked as though he was having the time of his life.
He looked up briefly at their arrival and beamed, "Cedric, my boy, I thought we'd be seeing you again soon! Couldn't stay away, eh?" He exclaimed, all good humor and joviality.
"No, it doesn't seem I can," Cedric smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, stealing a glance at the witch beside him who smiled back quietly. "I hope you don't mind, Mr. Weasley."
"Not at all, my boy, not at all! The more the merrier! Oops!" he said, managing to light a match and then promptly dropping it in surprise.
"Here, Mr. Weasley, let me," Hermione said kindly, though she and the rest of the group were fighting laughter. She tossed her jacket on the picnic table and gently took the box of matches from him and showed him how to do it properly, though it was another hour before it was hot enough to cook anything.
Fortunately, there was no shortage of entertainment in the meantime. The group were all sat around the front of the tents, spread out on the picnic table and the makeshift log seats surrounding the fire pit. They watched as more tents popped up all around them while harried Ministry officials ran up and down the unofficial thoroughfare, greeting Mr. Weasley as they passed.
Cedric and Hermione had settled in quite comfortably side by side on one of the log seats by the fire. They alternated between listening to Mr. Weasley and Cedric quietly filling Hermione in on other pieces of information about a few passing people.
Before long, the fire was ready, and they had just started cooking eggs and sausages when Bill, Charlie, and Percy came strolling out of the woods toward them.
"Just Apparated, Dad," said Percy loudly, bristling at a passing Auror that had brushed past him in a hurry. "That department is just a load of rowdy thugs, no respect for authority! You know, Mr. Crouch says-"
The Weasleys and Harry made various sounds of disappointment in response to the new arrival. Even Cedric groaned quietly at the sound of Percy's voice, and Hermione laughed silently at their reaction. She caught Cedric's eye surreptitiously and they laughed as Percy abandoned his lunch every few seconds in order to jump up and greet passing Ministry officials, at one point springing up so suddenly his plate nearly landed in the fire.
They were all chatting amiably and ignoring Percy when Mr. Weasley himself jumped to his feet, waving and grinning at a man who was striding toward them. "Ah, Ludo!" he said. "The man of the moment! It's thanks to him we've got these fantastic tickets!"
The group all looked at the man approaching. His bumblebee striped Quidditch robes made him stick out almost as much as Archie and his floral nightdress. He had an enormous picture of a wasp was embroidered across his chest and the bulky build of that told of a once strapping man now slightly weathered by age. His large blue eyes, short blond hair, and rosy complexion however, leant him the appearance of an overgrown schoolboy.
"Hello!" Bagman called happily. He had a jaunty spring in his step, looking almost as though he might start skipping at any moment, obviously in a state of great excitement.
"Arthur," he puffed as he reached the campfire, "what a day for it, eh? Perfect! Not a cloud in the sky…and not one hiccough in the arrangements…Hardly anything for me to do but enjoy the day really!"
Behind him, a group of haggard-looking Ministry wizards rushed past, jabbing their fingers at some sort of fire that was sending bright pink sparks into the air in the distance. They all exchanged discreet glances of mingled amusement and concern at Bagman's obliviousness. Amusement won over when Percy hurried forward with his hand outstretched.
"Ah - right," said Mr. Weasley, grinning, "well, you know my lot, Percy - he's just started at the Ministry - Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, Ron and Ginny. And these are their friends, Hermione Granger, Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter."
Bagman did a small double take at heard Harry's name, but refrained from openly gawking, for which Harry was immensely grateful.
"Marvelous, marvelous! Now, what do you say, Arthur, fancy a flutter on the match?" he asked eagerly, jingling what sounded like a large amount of gold in the pockets of his robes.
"Oh go on then," said Mr. Weasley. "Let's see...a Galleon on Ireland to win?"
"A Galleon?" Ludo Bagman looked slightly disappointed, but recovered himself quickly. "Very well, very well...any other takers?"
"Oh, well, they're a bit young to be gambling, Ludo," said Mr. Weasley. "Molly wouldn't like -"
"We'll bet thirty-eight Galleons, ten Sickles, three Knuts," said Fred as he and George quickly pooled all their money, "that Ireland wins, but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch. Oh and we'll throw in a fake wand."
Hermione nearly groaned when Fred and George bet all their savings on a million-to-one odds, but bit her tongue. She saw Cedric wince when they shook on it with Bagman, and figured he was likely thinking along the same lines.
Bagman, Hermione decided, was more apt to be a Quidditch team manager or trainer rather than a Ministry official. He was unnervingly oblivious to the hiccoughs around him. Not to mention he seemed a bit too fond of gambling.
Then, Bagman made the mistake of mentioning Barty Crouch, at which the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione all groaned, much to Cedric's confusion. It soon became all too clear however.
"Mr. Crouch?" said Percy, suddenly abandoning his look of disapproval and positively wriggling with excitement. "He speaks over two hundred languages, you know! Mermish and Gobbledegook, Troll…"
"Please, anyone can speak Troll," said Fred dismissively. "All you have to do is point and grunt."
Percy threw Fred an extremely foul look.
"What of Bertha Jorkins, Ludo? Any news on her yet?" Mr. Weasley asked as Bagman plopped himself down on the grass beside them all.
"Not a peep," he said comfortably. "Memory like a leaky cauldron that one! Probably got turned around and ended up in Australia instead of Albania! She'll probably turn up in the office sometime in October thinking it's still July."
"Don't you think it might be time to send someone out to look for her?" Mr. Weasley offered tentatively.
"How long has she been missing?" Hermione whispered to Cedric.
"Almost two months now." Cedric whispered back. "She really is prone to getting lost though, not surprised no one's gone looking yet."
Hermione raised her eyebrows at that, wondering what to think of that logic.
"Barty keeps saying that," Bagman's eyes widened innocently at Arthur's suggestion, "but we really can't spare anyone at the moment."
Just then, Barty Crouch himself Apparated at their fireside. Hermione could immediately see why Percy idolized him. Percy was a great supporter of following the rules and Mr. Crouch had adhered to the rule about Muggle dressing so rigorously he might have passed as a barrister in his full suit and tie.
"Barty! Pull up a patch of grass," said Ludo exuberantly, patting the ground beside him.
"No thank you, Ludo," said Crouch, and there was a bite of impatience in his voice.
"Mr. Crouch!" said Percy breathlessly. "Can I get you a cup of tea?"
"Oh," said Mr. Crouch, looking over at Percy in mild surprise. "Yes - thank you, Weatherby."
Fred and George sputtered into their cups. Percy was suddenly very interested in the kettle. The others all looked ready to burst with laughter and Hermione quickly disguised her laughter with a cough and bit her lip to keep another laugh from escaping.
"Keeping busy then, Barty?" asked Bagman breezily.
"Fairly," said Mr. Crouch dryly.
"I expect you'll both be glad when this is all over?" said Mr. Weasley.
Ludo Bagman looked appalled.
"Glad! Why, I don't know when I've had more fun! Still, we've got plenty to look forward to, eh, Barty? Eh?"
"Ludo, the Bulgarians are waiting," said Mr. Crouch sharply, cutting Bagman's remarks short. "Thank you for the tea, Weatherby."
"What was Bagman talking about, Dad?" said Fred at once.
"You'll find out soon enough," said Mr. Weasley, smiling.
"That is classified information, Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it," said Percy stiffly.
"Oh shut up, Weatherby," said Fred.
—
A sense of excitement rose like a buzzing swarm over the campsite as the afternoon wore on. By dusk, the air itself seemed to be vibrating with anticipation and the group were surprised to hear the opening chords to a particularly loud rock song emanating from their campsite.
Everybody looked over in bewilderment at its source. The twins had set up a muggle stereo just outside the tent and discreetly amplified its sound using a Sonorus Charm. Hermione doubted the Ministry officials would ever catch on considering they've probably never seen such a device in their lives.
The music could be heard through the entire campground and possibly beyond by Hermione's reckoning. It was almost dusk and it seemed everyone's pent up excitement had found a new outlet. Witches and wizards everywhere on the campgrounds had begun to dance almost as violently as the twins were and Hermione suddenly recognized the song. She shouted over at the Weasley twins once they were closer, "How on earth do you two know The Beastie Boys!"
Fred danced his way over to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her up from her spot beside Cedric and, twirling her around, "Have you forgotten, my dear Hermione..."
George passed Ginny off to Fred and caught Hermione mid-twirl and spun her around once more, "That our father is rather obsessed with the muggle world!"
"It's embarrassing enough sometimes, I'll admit! But it does have its perks!" Fred yelled as he Ginny danced recklessly.
Hermione laughed as George spun her away and into Harry's awaiting arms. He dipped her dramatically at one point, looking marvelously out of place with the music and they both roared with laughter.
Cedric watched her dance with the twins, one of whom then spun her into Potter's arms. She was a sight to behold. Her light brown hair fanned around her as she danced. He found himself longing to hold her in his arms once more.
She threw her head back as she and Potter laughed heartily when he dipped her low in the middle of the song and Cedric thought he could've fallen in love with her then and there. He couldn't remember ever feeling this happy before. Something inside him lit up when he saw her, he felt lighter, better, like he could do anything, be anyone when he was with her. He didn't feel he had to worry about being perfect, about keeping his cool and laid back facade up when she was around, he could just be. It was liberating. She was his freedom.
The song was reaching its end and Cedric edged his way to her side as the song changed and she spun out of Harry's arms. He caught her easily about the waist and smiled at her surprised yet pleased expression.
The song changed and Hermione found herself in a pair of now very familiar arms. She smiled up at Cedric as he linked their hands and danced, pulling each other here and there, spinning and brushing against each other intimately and laughing with reckless abandon while the Weasleys and Harry all watched surreptitiously, silently enthralled by the couple. Harry and Ron had the same thought.
Maybe it was fate.
The song ended abruptly and with a literal bang. The muggle boom box whirred pathetically for a few seconds before emitting a high-pitched noise and blowing apart in front of the tent. Everyone in the vicinity ducked as parts of the radio went flying. Cedric's Seeker reflexes kicked in almost immediately as he tucked Hermione into his chest and crouching low to avoid the debris.
Fred and George looked gave each other guilty, almost panicked looks as the rest of them looked on in shock. As soon as they spotted Mr. Weasley walking back over they fairly lunged to cover up the remains of the radio and shoved it all hastily into the tent.
As soon as night began to creep over the sky, the final remnants of pretense disappeared and the Ministry seemed to have bowed to the inevitable. There were now blatant signs of magic everywhere. Salesmen appeared every few feet, pushing carts full of extraordinary goods. From luminescent rosettes thats squealed the names of the players, to tiny models of Firebolts that whizzed about, and miniature figures of the players that strolled about, preening.
"Been looking forward to this all summer, saved all my pocket money," Ron told Harry as they strolled through the salesmen, buying souvenirs. Though Ron purchased a dancing shamrock hat and a large green rosette, he also guiltily bought a small figure of Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker. The miniature Krum walked backward and forward over Ron's hand, scowling up at the green rosette above him.
"Wow, look at these!" said Harry, picking up a pair of odd looking binoculars.
"Omnioculars," said the saleswizard eagerly. "You can replay...slow everything down...and they flash a play-by-play breakdown if you need it. Bargain - ten Galleons each."
Ron looked positively devistated, glancing down at his shamrock and miniature figure in utter misery. Hermione smiled with a shake of her head and a subtle eye roll.
"I told you not to get that stupid figure," she said, paying for two pairs of omnioculars and handing him a pair, sporting a look that brooked no argument.
Ron seemed to sense this and accepted the omnioculars with a sheepish grin and, their money bags considerably lighter, they went back to the tents where all but Fred and George were sporting green rosettes.
A deep, booming gong echoed down from somewhere beyond the woods and green and red lanterns blazed into life in the trees, lighting a path to the field.
"It's time!" said Mr. Weasley, looking as excited as any of them.