Chapter 7 - Just a dream

Hermione and Cedric had talked for over a good hour in the library, about everything to nothing at all. She didn't know if they were friends now, she didn't think so. But she had enjoyed talking to him. He was a quiet guy but when there was something to talk about, he could surely get the conversation going. She had learned that evening that he was pretty clever, so she hadn't lied to Ron. She smiled at the thought.

It was Friday the thirtieth and every student from Hogwarts was waiting outside the grounds. Everyone was excited and looked everywhere to find something odd.

"There!" a sixth year yelled.

Everyone looked towards the Forbidden Forest where the sixth year had pointed. Something huge was rushing over the forest and students began yelling out guesses of what it was, but it wasn't clear until it had landed. It was a big carriage as the size of a house and horses as big as elephants were dragging the carriage.

Dumbledore began clapping and the students followed his lead. Dumbledore stepped forward to speak to the oddly large woman that had just stepped out from the carriage.

"My dear Madame Maxime. Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr," Madame Maxime rumbled in a feminine form of Hagrid's voice. "I 'ope I fine you well?" It was a French accent which probably meant the big lady was the Headmistress from Beauxbatons.

Hermione saw the students climb out off the carriage and went to stand beside the big woman.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madam Maxime asked while looking at her surroundings.

"He should be here any moment," Dumbledore replied. "Would you like to wait out here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think. But ze 'orses-"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," Dumbledore assured her.

"My steeds require – er – forceful 'andling. Zey are very strong..." Madam Maxime said, doubting anyone but she, could handle so big animals.

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," Dumbledore beamed.

Madam Maxime looked defeated but trusted Dumbledore. She – with her students – walked into the castle while the Hogwarts students again were waiting for the other school to arrive.

Not long after, bubbles were coming from the lake and had every students plus the teachers' attention.

"It's a mast," Harry exclaimed as a tall, black-looking pole rose from the center of the lake, followed by the rest of the boat.

Hermione watched the delegation from Durmstrang go ashore and watched the Headmaster walk over towards Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore," he called out. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied and shook his hands.

"Dear old Hogwarts," Karkaroff sighed as he looked up at the castle a smile fastened on his face.

Karkaroff waved one of his students forward. He looks familiar, Hermione thought but couldn't place the name. Fortunately she had Ron to do it for her.

"Harry – it's Krum! I don't believe it! Krum, Harry! Viktor Krum!"

How could I forget? She thought to herself sarcastic and rolled her eyes at Ron.

"For heaven's sakes, Ron, he's only a Quidditch player," Hermione hissed.

"Only a Quidditch player? Hermione – he's one of the best Seekers in the world! I had no idea he was still at school!" Ron exclaimed disbelievingly

"Really!" Hermione rolled her eyes again. She, Harry and Ron walked into the Great Hall and took a seat at the Gryffindor table

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly – guests," Dumbledore began when all the students had taken a seat. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable," he paused for a moment. "The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" He sat down and started a conversation with Karkaroff.

They all began to eat. The house-elves had outdone themselves. There were tons of different kinds of food. Some native some foreign.

"What's that?" Ron pointed to a rather large bowl of some sort of seafood stew.

"Bouillabaisse," Hermione replied as she helped herself to some of the stuff Ron had pointed at.

"Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" a girl from Beauxbatons asked.

"Yeah, have it," Harry replied as he got the dish for the girl. Hermione glared at Ron who gaped at the girl and was in some kind of trance. It was first after Harry began to laugh at him Ron got back to the reality.

"She's a veela!" Ron said in a hoarse voice.

"Of course she isn't! I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot," Hermione snapped at him. But that was wrong. Nearly all the guys were staring at her. Hermione looked over to the Ravenclaw table to the girl Ron was talking about, jealous in her eyes.

"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl! They don't make them like that at Hogwarts," Ron babbled to Harry as he wiggled in his seat to see the girl.

"Humph," Hermione snorted. She looked around at the people in the Great Hall and when her eyes fell on Cedric, her heart did a back-flip but she didn't had time to question why, when she saw Ludo Bagman and Mr. Crouch.

-----

He had putted his name in the goblet right after the feast by his friends' request. They had all come with him he even saw Cho smiling at him and stared at him when he putted the name in.

There was no way back now…

All his friends clapped him on the shoulder and the younger ones looked at him in admiration. He thought of Hermione and what she would think of him. Probably not as proud, that was why he didn't tell her that he was going to join for real. It wasn't like he would be selected. There was a slim change of that. There were people who were a lot better than him, so why would it matter if I told her?

It wouldn't.

Cho came right after smiling up at him and told him that she was sure he would be the one selected. He smiled back at her thankful of what she said. He looked at her friends who were doing signs like 'now was the right time' and 'ask her out'. All kinds like that, it all meaning the same. But still he didn't. He didn't feel it was right. At least not yet.

-----

The next day was spent mostly with Hagrid and the Blast-Ended Skrewt. This morning Fred and George had drunken an Aging Potion and ended in the hospital with big white beard. It had been a marvelous sight.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were now sitting at the Gryffindor table and stared at the goblet. They were waiting for the goblet to be ready to reveal the three Tournament Champions. The whole Gryffindor were hoping Angelina Johnson would be Hogwarts Champion. She had putted her name in the goblet this morning, too.

"Any minute," Dumbledore said. The goblet was sparkling with blue flames. It was almost hurtful to watch, but just then the flames turned red and a parchment from the goblet flew into Dumbledore's hands.

"The champion for Durmstrang will be …" There was a pause where everyone were silent. "Viktor Krum," Dumbledore announced.

"No surprises there," Ron yelled as everyone cheered at him while he rose from the Slytherin table and walked along the staff table, and into the adjacent room. When he was gone, silence fell to the Great Hall once again. Another piece of parchment was spitted out of the goblet and Dumbledore caught it again.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"

"It's her, Ron!" Harry yelled to Ron as the girl who looked like a Veela, raised from the Ravenclaw table and walked out of the Great Hall like Viktor Krum had done. What's so good about her? Hermione thought and glared at the girl.

Even more silence than there had been before because it was now, they would find out who the Hogwarts Champion was. Dumbledore caught the last parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory!" Hermione's stomach did a back-flip when Dumbledore roared the name. Almost every girl and all from the Hufflepuff table screamed in pleasure.

"Excellent! Well, we now have our three Champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster," Dumbledore called after Cedric disappeared into the next room and everyone had calmed down once again. "By cheering you champion on, you will contribute in a very real-" He stopped abruptly as the goblet changed and red flames were sparkling once again.

Another parchment sprung out of the goblet and Dumbledore caught the fourth parchment.

He didn't say anything for a while and every students and teachers stared at him and wondered what the parchment read. When Dumbledore had gained his composure, he read the parchment out loud.

"Harry Potter."

Everyone in the room stared at Harry in shock. He looked as shocked as them. How came his name in the goblet? I'm sure he didn't put his name in it by himself, Hermione thought. She was frightened by that Harry was going to participate in the Tournament. It was kind of the same feeling she had got, when Dumbledore had yelled Cedric's name, but still different.

"I didn't put my name in," Harry said to them all expressionless. "You know I didn't."

"Harry Potter! Harry! Up here, if you please," Dumbledore called again.

"Go on," Hermione urged him and pushed him lightly on his back. She saw Harry walk up towards Dumbledore and further out the door where the others had walked out. Whispers began to start. She heard the word cheater in most of the discussions.

Hermione and Ron went up to the Gryffindor common room together. She saw the twins and Lee Jordan, their best friend with a lot of snacks from the kitchen. She looked at Ron. He didn't look happy more the opposite. He looked miserable but his eyes exposed hatred. I don't hope anything will come between the two of them.

"I'm tired. I'm going to bed," he grumbled.

Hermione nodded but she too, after Ron had walked away, went to bed.

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It was the Triwizard Tournaments first task.

A giant Monster with dark, brown hair all over its body was walking across the field towards a black haired boy. He was supposed to fight against it, but the boy was frozen in place. The Monster looked hungry at him with its big yellow eye. She wanted to help the boy but her legs couldn't move. She looked around. Everyone just looked awaiting at him.

The monster came closer and closer to the boy and in some way she did too, even though she didn't move. It was like she floated within the Monster.

The boy looked familiar to her. When she came close enough she could see his green eyes through his round glasses. Her eyes wandered from his eyes up towards his forehead, scared of what she would see.

A scar!

Harry!

The Monster stood right in front of him. Harry didn't move, – it didn't look like he could. To scared. She wanted to yell at him, to say he should run, but words didn't come out of her mouth. The Monster lifted him with its hairy arms, up towards its nasty mouth.

It wanted to eat him!

But before it did, Harry's hair began to change, his scar faded and his body got taller. His hair lightened till it was brown, his eyes went from green to gray and his glasses disappeared.

The boy still looked familiar but not at all like Harry.

The Monster opened its mouth and swallowed Cedric Diggory in one piece.

-----

Hermione sat abruptly up and looked around. She saw Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, her roommates fast asleep.

Just a dream… Her heart was beating fast so it hurt. She was sweating all over her body. She lay down again and tried to calm herself down.

Just a dream …

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