Chapter 4 - The start of SPEW

Hermione couldn't get her eyes away from him. She had acted stupid. He hadn't really done anything to her, but she had been in a sour mood and nothing much had to be done to get her upset. But that didn't give her the right to let it out on him.

She wanted to apologies.

Not long after he had leaved she had walked back to Harry and Ron. They hadn't talked much to each other the rest of the way to Hogwarts, so her temper had cooled down.

And now she realized how stupid she had acted.

"Who are you looking at?" Ron interrupted her thoughts.

Hermione looked away from Cedric and turned her attention to Ron.

"No one."

"But I saw you were staring at the Hufflepuff table," Ron insisted.

"I wasn't staring at anyone. I was just … away for a moment - thinking," she said, hoping he would buy it.

Ron didn't look convinced, but didn't push the matter further. He took his own attention back to his food again.

Hermione looked back up to the Hufflepuff table and when her eyes found their goal they widened.

He was staring back at her.

His gray eyes bore into her browns. And she couldn't look away.

But soon after, he broke the gaze and started a new conversation with one of his friends.

She too turned her attention back to Harry and Ron. But she found their conversation quite boring and her gaze was again turned to the Hufflepuff boy.

But not long after, her gaze went to Nearly Headless Nick, a ghost, who had got into a conversation with Harry and Ron about Peeves who had cursed trouble in the kitchen. She hadn't listened closely to what they were saying until she had heard Nearly Headless Nick say something about house-elves.

She had accidentally knocked her goblet of pumping juice and spilt the contents on the white tablecloth, but right now she didn't care.

"There are house-elves here? Here at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked him in a shocked voice.

There was. For his part over a hundred. Hermione was surprised by that because she had never seen just one. She was more surprised that they wasn't paid or given any vacation. She had thought Dumbledore would pay his house-elves if he had any, but obviously not.

She thought of it as slavery.

She didn't eat more at the feast.

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Cedric could feel someone's eyes on him. He looked around and saw Hermione. It looked like she was talking to her good friend Ron Weasley.

So the things people had said about her had been true. She wasn't one for jokes and has fun. He hadn't believed the people who said that, some of them being his friend. He thought everyone liked to have fun once in a while.

He hadn't lied to her, when he said he just needed a place to think. His friend was always talking about a fifth year girl. He knew her. She was one of the prettiest girls he knew. Cho Chang. His friends had said that they thought she had a crush on him and that he should try to go for her. She was nice too. She had a lot of friends and was popular. He was pretty sure that a lot of guys liked her. But he wasn't too sure that she was the girl he really wanted.

And when he saw it was Hermione who was in the compartment he would rather talk to her. Obviously she hadn't been in the same mood, as she had seemed rather irritated on him.

She had looked cute. The half annoyed expression on her face had actually looked cute, and her nose high in the air too. He couldn't help back a grin which were a big mistake he later found out. Maybe he shouldn't have told her that he was laughing at her. But it wasn't in a bad way. She had just looked so damn cute.

He could see her try to control her temper. It was obviously that she wasn't in a good mood. When he saw her rise from the seat he couldn't help his word to come out of his mouth. He really didn't want her to leave, but he had already ruined the atmosphere in the room. And when she was first in the room, she really shouldn't be the one to leave.

It had been funny though, to see her surprised face, with her mouth open from confusion and astonishment. He was close to let out a small laugh again, but he had to keep a straight face this time and told her he was leaving so she could stay.

He had gone back to his group of friends.

He saw her looking back at him with a bewildered face when she noticed he was looking back at her. It was obviously that she hadn't expected that. He didn't smile just held the gaze, but one of his friends interrupted him.

"What do you think, Cedric?"

He broke the gaze to look at his friend and tried to find out what he meant. No such luck.

"Ehm… about what? Sorry wasn't listening there."

He saw his friend looking chocked but he didn't really care and just waited for him to spit it out whatever they had been talking about.

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"You're JOKING!" Fred Weasley exclaimed after Dumbledore had announced that the Triwizard Tournament was taking place here at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore wasn't joking.

He had said the heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would be arriving with their contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions would take place at Halloween.

Hermione was excited to meet people from other schools. She had read a little about the schools. Beauxbatons was a school in France, but could only be found if you really knew where to look. Durmstrang was a school located in the north Europe, some place where it was cold. She had also heard about Durmstrang school was teaching dark magic.

Everyone was in a joyful mood until Dumbledore spoke again and everyone went silent.

"I know all of you are eager to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, but the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on the contenders this year, only students who are of age – that is to say, seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put forward their name for consideration."

Hermione saw Fred and George looking furiously at Dumbledore. They were in their sixth year and their seventeen birthday were in April. They were some of them who had wanted to join, but Hermione thought it sensible, and was glad Harry – and Ron – couldn't join the tournament.

She new Ron wanted to join. He felt like he needed to join, because he was the youngest of the Weasley boys and he felt pressure on him.

Bill and Percy had both been head boy. Charlie had been a prefect and Quidditch Captain and was a legendary Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The Twins were famous in the school and were on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, too as beaters. Ginny was the only Weasley girl in centuries, and Ron didn't find himself special at anything except to be one of Harry Potter's best friends. Ron wasn't on the Quidditch team, he wasn't such a good student and he wasn't popular at all. It was hard to be him, because he felt everyone expected something more from him.

And here was one of his opportunities.

One he couldn't join.

She felt sad for him…

"This is a measure we feel necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions that we take, and it is highly unlike that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no under-age student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen," Dumbledore continued.

Hermione looked over to the Hufflepuff table. Cedric looked thrilled and was smiling at his friends who looked like they were urging Cedric to join, but she wasn't positive.

Dumbledore told further that the two schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, were coming sometime during October and was staying the rest of the year. After his long speech was finished he bid them all goodnight.

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"Are you serious?" Ron asked in disbelief. "But we haven't even got homework yet and it is the first school day!"

Hermione had just told Ron and Harry the next day after lunch, that she was going to the library. She shrugged her shoulders. It wasn't because of school she was going to the library, no. This was about the elves. She wanted to read more about them and maybe start an organization for house-elves rights and encourage people to start treating them better.

"See you at dinner," she replied and then walked off in the direction of the library.

Hermione was well-known in the library, or more than well-known. Since her first arrival in her first year it had become one of her favorite places in the school and had spent a great time there during the years.

Hermione was one of the few Madam Pince, the librarian, trusted her books with. She was very suspiciously and strict and had even placed nasty spells on the books to make sure they were returned on time.

Hermione took all the books she could have in her arms that were about house-elves. She placed the books on a table in the far corner away from other students.

She sat down and began to read.

When the bell rang to her Arithmancy class she quickly sat the books back to the shelves and walked quickly to the class. She hated to be late.

She didn't look where she was going and didn't see the tall boy coming her way.

Crash. She felt to the floor.

She looked up and saw Cedric staring in amusement at her. He held an offered hand to her and she took it.

"Sorry. I didn't see you," she muttered.

"That's obviously, Granger," he grinned.

There was silence for a moment.

Apologies!

Hermione took a deep breath. "Cedric?" she then asked breaking the silence.

"Yes?"

She hesitated at first but then said in an ashamed, quiet voice. "Sorry about yesterday. I wasn't in a good mood. I shouldn't have got upset that easily. Sorry."

He just nodded and smiled at her.

She looked at him into his gray eyes. They were beautiful actually. Not cold like Malfoy's but warm and nice.

For a moment she forgot she had classes, until she saw the time and her eyes widened.

"I'm going to be late for class!" She exclaimed in both surprise and disappointment. She quickly walked away with a hurried goodbye.

When she was near the end of the corridor she looked back at him.

He was watching back at her in a wide grin.

She turned hastily away again, her face red.

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Authors note: (Changed) That was the next chapter! Hope you liked it. please leave a review! Thanks!