"Text" – Thoughts
"Text" – Spellcast
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does
Chapter 9 – Realization
Date: Saturday, November 5th 1994
Location: Classroom 1D
Harry and Ron were loitering in classroom 1D, waiting for their 'guest' to arrive. Like many other classrooms on this floor, the walls were simply grey stone, enchanted, of course but rather plain. The classroom itself was vacant, with a few random chairs and tables that littered the floor.
"Where do you think she is?" Harry asked after a while, receiving a shrug from Ron. The two boys had finished their 'practising' for now and were leisurely resting as they waited. It had already been an hour since the end of breakfast and so Tracey Davis appeared to be late.
"Should we use the map?" Ron asked as he took a bite out of a chocolate frog he had been eating as a 'snack' in between the training they had been doing. Harry frowned and gave his best friend a negative response as he looked around the room. From the corner of his eye, he spotted movement across the room. An inconspicuous distortion appeared in the space between the front of the room and Harry, who had his wand drawn and was about the cast a Full-Body Bind when–
"Wait!" Tracey cried as she dropped the disillusionment charm that she had been keeping up. The girl was impressed with the perceptiveness that Harry had displayed, as her disillusionment charms were very advanced for their age group. Harry kept his wand up as he sharply questioned "What were you doing, Davis"
Tracey bit back any snide remarks and simply answered "Alright, alright I'll answer, just lower your wand" Harry arched an eyebrow but did as she asked. Breathing deeply, Tracey answered the question "I was a bit earlier than you two to get here, figured that I could watch your practise and see what I needed to do to help" she explained
"And why didn't you reveal yourself when we were done?" asked Harry, whose suspicious look never left his face. Tracey gave Ron a slightly pleading glance but the redhead had already looked away. Sighing, Tracey responded to the interrogation "An old teaching tactic my father's trainer once used was to see how long it took for the trainees to detect the teacher. To be honest, I didn't expect you to even be able to find me but hey, you exceeded my expectations" she explained, giving a small shrug at the end. Harry nodded, satisfied, as he dropped his suspicions.
"So, what are you going to teach us?" asked Ron, finally joining the conversation. Tracey looked relieved as she thought about the question. As she had expected, Harry was remarkably powerful for their age, though his spell library was woefully small. "Do you two know the reductor curse?" she asked, receiving synchronized nods. "The explosion curse?" more nods "How about the blasting curse?" she gave a subtly impressed nod as she made her decision. "Alright, here's a spell that you probably don't know – 'Virgaium', the tunnelling charm" she said. Harry and Ron nodded as Tracey began her lesson on the useful spell.
Hermione Granger was not having a good day.
No, scratch that.
Hermione Granger was having a terrible day.
Actually, it's a bit worse.
She was having a terrible week.
Ever since she had inadvertently been ousted as having 'manipulated' Harry to not making ore friends, she had become somewhat a social outcast. Most people didn't associate with her out of habit, or simply because she was assumed to still be in close contact with Harry Potter, the boy-who-keeps-getting-blamed. Harry, and by extension Ron, didn't talk to her either because of that incident. Hermione didn't know which one hurt most.
As she took out another book from the pile she had stacked up in the library, she thought to herself. Honestly, it really wasn't her fault. Though, she could have been a little less overbearing when it came to the boys, but that was just her personality wasn't it? A scruffy looking Viktor Krum walked into the library at that instant and sat on a close-by table. Hermione ignored the Quidditch superstar as she continued to think.
"It's only natural for someone to want to monopolize their friends, right?" she asked herself. With a gloomy sigh, she realized that she had returned to her primary school social status – the bookworm who knew a lot but no-one cared much for. Hermione noticed a group of giggling girls fumble into to library at this, causing Madam Pince to hiss irritantly. Hermione shook her head as she focused on the root of her current problems.
Daphne Greengrass. Her nemesis, of sorts. Many thought that she had a greater rivalry with Pansy but in truth, her relationship with the Greengrass heir was far more volatile. Yes, Daphne had never outright attacked Hermione, verbally or otherwise (a stark opposite to what Pansy had done over the years), but the blonde favoured using subtle attacks, sly tactics and other shenanigans that made Hermione's toes curl. She let out a low hiss as her irritancy at Daphne hit a maximum.
"She thinks she is so perfect, with her good looks and pure-blooded resources" Hermione thought angrily. "Doesn't have to work a day and everyone still fawns over her" This brought her back to an incident that happened the previous year, an anger-inducing memory that she had tried to bury.
Flashback
"Greengrass, Daphne" said Professor Septima Vector, who was calling out the class register. The woman looked up in surprise as recognition dawned on her face. "You are Genevieve Lancaster daughter, aren't you?" she asked, to which Daphne nodded. "She and her friends were excellent students of mine, I expect you to do very well in this field. Hermione glanced at the blonde Slytherin, who held an impassive face with slightly upturned lips. Frowning, Hermione continued to steal curious looks at the blonde as the professor called out the rest of the register as the class formally began.
Professor Vector began a lecture on what Arithmancy was, which Hermione listened intently to, despite having already read her textbook (and two other ones) cover to cover. Soon, the professor had stopped explaining the course and began to ask starter questions to the class.
"Who is the most famous arithmancer to date? she asked. Two hands shot up straight in the air. "Already trying to get ahead" Hermione thought as she noticed Daphne's hand raised "Doesn't the teacher like her enough already?" The blonde looked back at Hermione with a slightly hostile look, causing Hermione to frown. Not noticing this, Vector chose Daphne to answer "Bridget Wenlock, for the discovery of the properties of seven and twelve", causing Vector to give her approval.
After a few more minutes of lecturing and work, Vector asked yet another question. "What law is attributed as the key to modern Arithmancy?" Silence reigned across the room yet again as two familiar hands shot up. "Again?" thought Hermione, who was beginning to get irritated. Daphne Greengrass was never like this, usually blending into the background in classes unless called. So why was she doing this now? Daphne once again got to answer the question, causing Hermione to frown, anger seeping into her. "That was MY question!"
The lesson continued in a similar pattern, every time Vector asked a question, no-one but the two girls would raise their hand. Hermione got to answer a few of the questions posed, though a majority fell to the Slytherin, who answered eloquently yet concisely. After the next hour of agonizing lack of questions (on Hermione's part), the lesson ended. Hermione decided to approach Daphne, who was swiftly packing her things into her moleskin bag.
"Greengrass" Hermione said neutrally. Daphne looked up at her, a look which Hermione determined seemed patronizing etched on her face. Daphne didn't respond, merely staring into Hermione's eyes. Hermione almost took a step back at the unnerving nature of the stare but held her ground "Why did you have to answer so many questions?" she asked, a hint of impatience edging into her speech.
Daphne's expression changed momentarily as she answered the bookworm's question "I'm simply good at the subject." With this, Daphne sauntered off to her next class, leaving Hermione lost, bewildered and most importantly, irritated. "How dare she?!"
End Flashback
What originally was a small irritation only got exacerbated every Arithmancy class. While the class quickly became Hermione's favourite, her irritation at the Greengrass heir only increased at an equal rate. The two fought bitterly to answer the Professor's questions, to the point where some of the other students had set up a small betting pool to see who would 'win' the more amount of questions.
The one time when Hermione missed a question, Daphne had immediately caught onto her mistake and had given the correct answer before Hermione could even react. The victorious smirk that Daphne had on her face cemented the hatred that Hermione now had.
In present time, Hermione continued to seethe as she looked at the book in front of her. Back then, everything was so simple. Harry and Ron were her friends and it was them against the world. Greengrass was a distant worry, as she never interacted with Harry or Ron at all, allowing Hermione to keep that part of her life aside. Now, Harry hated her, Ron couldn't pick a side and Greengrass and Davis were probably about to sweep in and steal Hermione's friends from her for good.
Hermione wasn't going to let that happen. No, she had already almost lost her friends once and she wasn't about to let that happen again. Breathing deeply, she placed her full concentration on the large red book in front of her, titled The Triwizard Tournament: An Extended Account. She was going to show Harry (when he came around) and Ron that she was the only person they need to help Harry in the tournament.
Across the school, Daphne bit back another sneeze which seemed to be plaguing her today. Tracey was still training Potter and Weasley in preparation for the tournament, a task which Daphne thought was ultimately was useless. After all, know-it-all Granger was probably teaching them everything they needed anyways., probably even disregarding poor Tracey as she tried to help.
Daphne sniffed, an air of pompousness surrounding her. Harry James Potter. Her current greatest source of irritation. Meeting Harry Potter was a great blow to Daphne's self confidence in character analysis. At times, he acted like a clueless Gryffindor and at others, a resourceful Slytherin. She didn't understand him and it highly annoyed her. It didn't help that she now always felt guarded when she was in proximity with him, another thing she didn't get.
"Maybe I would understand him more if I followed Tracey's advice…" she thought. As always, hindsight was a bitch. Daphne frowned as she mentally kicked herself for not doing so sooner. "And now I won't have a chance, with Granger sticking next to him at all times" Daphne's irritation at Harry began to fade, as her anger at her Gryffindor rival was rekindled as she remembered the start of their enmity.
Flashback
Daphne had slowly walked into classroom 7A, the room where Arithmancy was taught. Sitting at the front was the slightly old Professor Vector, who looked appraisingly at her prospective students. Daphne had heard many stories from her mother about how bedazzling Professor Vector was when the elder Greengrass was still at school. Genevieve Greengrass often sang the praises of the old arithmancer, and the admiration was well reciprocated as Eve had made a small fortune on some of the spells she and her friends had made. As a result, Daphne had decided to take the class herself, to see if she has the talent that her mother has.
The old professor began with the customary welcoming speech before she began calling the register. Daphne listened intently as her name was called.
"Greengrass, Daphne" Daphne raised her hand as she looked into the professor's eyes. "Oh no" Daphne thought as she saw the look that Vector was giving her. She had seen this look on many other teachers before, none directed at her but seen often enough. Snape had given Tracey this look, very briefly of course but long enough for Daphne to catch it. Professor Lupin had given the same look to Harry Potter (though Daphne already knew why). Now, the same vibrant and expecting gaze was directed at her, causing the young Slytherin to almost cower in pressure.
"You are Genevieve Lancaster daughter, aren't you?" she asked. Daphne wanted to curse but bit back her frustration as she stiffly nodded. The pleading thought "Really, Professor Vector, please don't compare me to my mother!" briefly floated through her mind as Daphne tried to school her emotions as best as she could. "She and her friends were excellent students of mine, I expect you to do very well in this field" said Vector, as she gave the blonde another approving nod as the roll call continued. Daphne cringed but said nothing.
It wasn't that Daphne was embarrassed of her mother, far from it. Eve Greengrass worked as somewhat of a charms mistress, inventing useful spells for daily use or enchanting objects to do so. According to many people, friend and foe alike, the elder woman was somewhat of a prodigy in the field (a claim she relentlessly denied as she cited the combat spells made by her friends). Daphne held her mother's abilities in high regard but, like with her father's duelling prowess, Daphne felt somewhat overshadowed by two exceptionally powerful people. Perhaps Daphne was just a person with high standards, but nonetheless, she always measured herself up to her parents' seemingly insurmountable capabilities.
The Arithmancy class formally as Daphne was brought out of her thoughts. Professor Vector began to give an awe-inspiring speech on the subject. Naturally, Eve had given her daughter a few lessons on her favourite branch of magic but the Greengrass woman's speech on Arithmancy was a far cry from the amazing nature of the magic that Vector had invoked in Daphne. The young girl was immediately captivated by the speech, her thoughts fully trained at the woman ahead of her, missing the suspicious glances that was thrown at her by Hermione.
The lesson progressed at a rather slow speed, going over the course's syllabus for far too long (Daphne blamed the presence of Stephen Cornfoot and Kevin Entwhistle) before Vector called on the first question of the day. "Who is the most famous arithmancer to date?" she asked. Daphne of course knew this; a piece of knowledge she had held on to since she had first picked up a book on her mother's best subject. "Well, I hope I can show my proficiency in the subject now" Daphne's hand shot straight up to answer the question, uncontested apart from one other hand.
Daphne glanced briefly backwards exasperatedly and looked at Hermione. The bookish Gryffindor frowned but didn't comment as Vector picked Daphne to answer. Trying to keep her tone neutral, Daphne replied "Bridget Wenlock, for the discovery of the properties of seven and twelve." Vector smiled in approval saying "Well done, your interest in the subject certainly matches your mother's." Daphne tried to keep herself from cringing as she weakly smiled at the Professor, who simply went back to lecturing the class. Daphne felt a strange feeling emanating from behind her and sent a furtive glance in the direction, spotting a frowning Hermione Granger. "What's her deal? It's not like she doesn't answer every other question in every class." Daphne frowned but went back to listening to the Professor.
As the class progressed, Daphne continued to listen intently as she took down notes and attempted to answer every question that the professor posed. Honestly it wasn't that difficult for the Greengrass scion, for the answers for all of them were drilled into Daphne's head when she first started learning Arithmancy. Each time, the professor gave a nod of approval, though her expression didn't change, a sign that Vector viewed her ability as a product of her mother's ability rather than her own. Daphne was determined to change this.
However, her greatest obstacle was the person behind her. Hermione Granger had been intermittently glaring at her as the lesson progressed. Although Daphne was usually able to brush off other people's opinions about her, Granger's incessant looks were becoming highly irritating, to the point where her concentration was split in three, severely irritating the blonde. Daphne did not hate many things, but pests who interfered with her goals? That went on the short list.
After the class ended, Daphne was quietly packing her belongings, ready to go to charms when one of the sources of her frustrations walked in front of her. Daphne looked up and cast an appraising glance at Hermione Granger. The two had never formally interacted outside of in-class work, which was close to non-existent between the two of them.
"Greengrass" Hermione said neutrally. Daphne looked up at her, trying to mask her irritation at the bushy haired girl "What do you want now, haven't you annoyed me enough today?" The blonde kept as neutral a look as possible but did not reply, trying to prevent her emotions from escaping.
"Why did you have to answer so many questions?" Hermione asked, an impatience and irritation evident in her tone. Daphne almost lost control of her mask as she felt incredulous at the Gryffindor in front of her. Her body froze up as she tried to calmly answer: "I'm simply good at the subject." Immediately after, Daphne strode towards the door as quickly as she could, only one thought on her mind "How dare she?!"
End Flashback
Things just got worse between the two from there. Daphne shook her head to rid herself of the irritation. "Damn Potter" she mentally grumbled. "For his sake, he better be grateful for what I am going to do" Daphne took out a fresh sheet of parchment and began to write.
Dear Father,
"Achoo!" sneezed Harry, accidentally firing a white flash of light from his wand. Ron, who was sitting across from him, panicked as the unintentional stinging hex struck him in the face, knocking him back and off the table he was sat on. Tracey and Harry ran over to the fallen Gryffindor, who moaned in discomfort.
"Mate, I'm sorry!" Harry exclaimed as he examined his best friend, whose face bad began to erupt in growth of different sizes.
"Is it bad?" Ron asked. Harry shifted uncomfortably at this.
"You look like an avocado, who had sex with an older avocado…" Tracey quipped. Harry and Ron stared at her curiously as she held up her hands in defence. "Hey! I call 'em as I see 'em." Harry turned back to his best friend as they shared a mutual shrug.
"Well, let's get to the hospital wing," said Harry as he stood up. The room they were in was mildly damaged, with a few broken and singed pieces of furniture that lay about the room. A few small holes also lay across the ground, hastily refilled by the trio using the Gemino charm on the floor around it. Harry and Ron got up, the latter groaning slightly as they looked at Tracey.
"Thanks, Da–" started Harry as Tracey gave him a look "Tracey. Thanks for all the help. If you don't mind, could you come to another one of these sessions?" Tracey nodded and said "Just tell me when and where, I'll see if I can show up." Harry smiled at her. Ron tried to as well but his face's disfigurement turned the grin into a somewhat unsettling grimace. The best friends gave her a wave as they strode towards the hospital wing, leaving Tracey alone in the room.
The brunette too got to her feet as she began to walk back to the dungeons as she lost herself in her thoughts. She didn't know what to expect when she agreed to train Harry Potter for his upcoming challenge, with all the conflicting rumors, whispers and facts that seemed to float around. Put simply, the boy-who-lived was an enigma to some extent. In the 'session', Tracey found that Daphne's assessment of Harry to be very correct (not that she expected otherwise). Harry Potter was not a particularly fast learner but was able to occasionally make leaps of logic and grasp concepts (or spells) to learn faster than his usual pace. Ron's learning was more logic based, often analogies would be able to get through to him faster than conventional teaching.
Inwardly, Tracey was impressed at her new 'students'. Although most evidence suggested otherwise, Harry and Ron were not particularly powerful wizards … usually.
Flashback
"Alright, on three. One… Two… Three!" Tracey instructed.
"Confringo!" came matching cries from Ron and Harry. The stone blocks that had been conjured for their training shattered under the strength of the Blasting Curses, a thundering noise accompanying the rush of dust that blanketed the immediate area.
"Aw man" moaned Ron as he noticed the difference between their blocks. Harry's one was obviously more fractured, while the core of Ron's block was still mostly intact. Harry blushed in embarrassment as Tracey frowned.
"Alright Ron," she said as she walked towards the boy. "Imagine that the rock is an acromantula!" Ron paled briefly as he frowned. "What does that have anything to do with my power?" he wondered aloud. Harry stayed silent but listened intently.
"Just trust me, alright?" Tracey said, moving closer towards Ron. The redhead's frown persisted but he complied. As he closed his eyes briefly, Tracey put an illusion charm on the stone block, seemingly transforming it into a small sized acromantula. Once Ron opened his eyes, he rapidly paled and yelled "Confringo!" Immediately, the stone block was obliterated in a flurry of fine dust. Only when it cleared did it become apparent that the stone was not the only casualty of Ron's overpowered curse, as the enchanted stone tiles that made up the floor of classroom were also destroyed, a meter large hole tunnelled into the classroom floor.
"Wow Ron! That was amazing" exclaimed Harry, who joined his friend in a round of whooping. Tracey's jaw had dropped at the damage that Ron had (accidentally) wrought. "How powerful is he?! Is his will and intent that strong?
End Flashback
In the past, Tracey had gotten many tips from her auror father on spellcasting. Naturally, she learnt of the cornerstones for magic: Magic Power, Concentration, Emotion, Intent and Will. The first was obviously trainable, the second was a case-by-case matter and the third a nebulous quantity that could easily be influenced or fluctuate. The fourth and fifth, however, were almost as much of wildcards. As it is often tied to emotion, the 'will' of a wizard to perform magic varied on how said wizard is feeling but is also tied to the wizard's character and upbringing.
It is because of this variable that some wizards are more prone to darker magicks, or why some wizards seem more powerful at times that others and to a lesser extent, why squibs and muggles cannot perform magic.
Intent on the other hand was more situational. This forms the basis of some of the more powerful magicks that exist in the world, such as some of the darker curses or stronger protection spells. The intent, or rather the strength of the wizard's intentions could mean the difference between a perfectly casted spell and a lethal magical explosion due to internal conflict.
Back to Ron, Tracey had observed the boy quite often. As lazy as Ron acted, his natural ability was often overlooked in preference of Harry's feats or Hermione's intellect. As such, Tracey could see that he usually felt no need to work hard to hone his skills and as a result, the former two cornerstones generally fell low on him. Tracey did not expect any more than equal results as what Harry achieved when she told Ron to visualize the acromantula (which she remembered was his greatest fear) but his actual ability almost astounded her. "If even Ron can be so powerful, maybe some of the rumors about Harry are true after all" Tracey thought as she entered the Slytherin common room.
No-one noticed her entrance, a fact that Tracey took advantaged of as she hurriedly made her way into her dorm. Her eyes not fully adjusted to the darkness of the dungeon, she walked headlong into another person as she turned a corner.
"Ach" grunted Daphne, as she picked up the parchment she was holding. "Watch where you're going Tracey" The brunette mumbled an apology to her best friend as her eyes fully readjusted to the dim lighting.
"What's that?" she curiously asked. Daphne didn't answer as she picked up the parchment and walked past her best friend. Tracey's curiosity was peaked as she began to follow the Greengrass scion. "Wait up!"
The pair walked silently through and out of the common room. Upon arriving at ground level, Daphne made a quick turn towards the West Tower, walking quickly with Tracey hot on her heels. "Seriously, Daphne! Why are you walking so fast?" Daphne ignored her as the pair continued their journey. After a few minutes of walking, the pair arrived at the Owlery, where a red colored owl swooped down from a rafter.
Daphne took out her parchment at placed it into a compartment tied to the owl's foot. "Deliver it to Greengrass Manor" she said. The red owl hooted in reply and took off, leaving a red colored streak in the sky as it flew south. Daphne watched as her family owl flew away before she turned around and almost walked into an impatient looking Tracey.
"Alright, spill. What is with the cloak and dagger business?" Tracey asked. "Last time you were like this, I'm pretty sure Marlon Thicknesse was almost expelled." The two recalled a particularly nasty memory and the 'fitting' retribution that Daphne had inflicted on the older boy. Daphne's lips briefly upturned as she glanced at Tracey. "It was just a letter to father, nothing much else," she said casually.
"Then why were you being so secretive about it?" interjected Tracey. Daphne groaned at her friend's quick thinking. She was about to elaborate when Tracey carried on. "Don't give me the 'it was nothing important' speech again. Daphne Greengrass does not do anything without a reason, so tell me – what is it?" Daphne's gaze narrowed as she stared at the quick-witted brunette, who returned the gaze with equal fervour. A few terse moments passed, not a sound passed apart from the owls' hooting above them.
The moment passed as Tracey threw her arms up in mock defeat. "Alright, fine. I'll make you a deal. You tell me what is up with you these days and I'll give you a piece of information you want from me. Deal?" Daphne grumbled slightly but considered the offer. This would be a great chance for Daphne to learn why Tracey was acting so strangely after those DADA classes. It wouldn't really be much of a loss for Daphne either, so she nodded to accept the offer. Tracey smiled and began to speak.
"Alright, so what is going on with you this week? You're distant, more so than usual. I'd guess it had something to do with Potter getting into the tournament, seeing as you seem colder towards him…" The accuracy of Tracey's musing was not much of a surprise to Daphne, though it irritated her nonetheless. With a sigh, Daphne began to explain. "Yes, you are indeed correct," Daphne started, causing Tracey to give a miniature whoop of joy "It's just …" Daphne paused. It had been almost a week since the tournament's champion selection and Daphne was no closer to figuring out why she was so discontent with the youngest of the champions. Tracey looked at her friend questioningly as Daphne continued.
"Alright… I honestly don't really know why. I felt happy that he showed cunning," she said, her tone warbling slightly. Tracey's frown deepened. "You know he didn't put his name in right?" she asked. Daphne scoffed at her friend's answer. "Of course he did, how else would his name have ended up in the cup?"
"Someone else put it in, how would you explain how his name got in?" Tracey retorted, the volume of her voice rising. Daphne was beginning to get irritated as well as her volume and tone matched Tracey's. "Potter probably used some strange dark magic, who knows what he can do?"
"Yeah well, I do! Considering that I've been training him all morning!" replied Tracey. Daphne gave a humourless laugh "Of course you wouldn't know, why would Harry Potter, the Gryffindor Golden boy, use dark magic in front of you? He probably practises it on his own…" Daphne rambled. The pair glared at each other for a few more moments before Tracey spoke to reply.
"Really, Daphne? Are you even listening to yourself? Harry Potter is not like that; we both know it. It's not like he has the resources, or ability to cast something like that. Plus, he isn't one of our housemates. He's a bloody Gryffindor for crying out loud!" Tracey's volume had reached a yell, causing Daphne to briefly recoil at the ferocity displayed by the usually cheerful girl. The brief instance of pause made Daphne reconsider. Yes, she didn't know much about Harry Potter but was he as self-sacrificial or ambitious as she had made him out to be? As loosely defined as the term 'dark magic' was, it generally required some form of negative emotion or sacrifice to power the spell. Many Slytherins didn't care, only thinking to further their own goals but Harry Potter?
Tracey sighed with relief as she saw Daphne's change in expression. Tracey hated yelling, especially at her best friend but sometimes it really was the only way to get through to her. A few moments passed again, the owls that vacated their perches returning as the scene quieted down. After a while, Daphne looked up at Tracey. "Alright fine, Potter didn't do it. But how did his name get into the cup?" she wondered aloud. Tracey's smile turned into a frown as Daphne turned to her.
"Alright, my turn." Daphne spoke "Why are you always so morose after DADA classes?" Tracey's frown deepened but she had expected this. The younger girl cast her eyes downward slightly, her voice lowering to that of barely a whisper "I think my grand-uncle is being impersonated." Tracey's voice was embittered, showcasing the amount of thought that she had put into this thought. Daphne's eyes narrowed. This possibility had sort of occurred to her in passing when the blonde was trying to think of reasons for why Tracey was brooding, though she had almost immediately dismissed it. After all, who in Britain could ambush Mad-Eye Moody?
"So you think Moody isn't himself?" Daphne clarified, to which Tracey nodded. "And you think Potter and Weasley can help you with figuring out what is going on?" Tracey's eyes widened comically, causing Daphne to giggle slightly "Just as you've been saying. A Slytherin doesn't do anything for no reason." With a teasing smile, Daphne sauntered off back to the common room, with Tracey once again chasing her. "Wait!"
Date: Friday, November 11th 1994
Location: Gryffindor Tower
The next few days rushed by like a blur for Hermione as she poured over countless books, recounts, reports and news articles that described the Triwizard Tournament. If she were not in such a one-track mental state, she would probably have marvelled at the different magicks that were used by previous tournament competitors.
However, even after a few days of research and analysis, Hermione was still barely closer to finding out what the first task would be about. "The tournament really lives up to its reputation and variability" she thought after a long night's reading session, as she turned the pages of a book titled The Duels of Centuries, The Triwizard Tournament. Really, there were many very interesting (and gruesome) tasks that littered the tournament's rich history, including one where the champions were trapped inside an arena filled with various deadly traps and beast as they were told to kill each other to escape. Another interesting one featured a plant based chimera like beast, a fire wyrm and a water spouting magicrustacus, where the champions had to pick one of the three to fight alongside them in a series of challenges.
However, despite how surprisingly much information Hermione was able to get from the various resources that the Hogwarts library boasted, she had yet to figure out anything that could really help Harry. The only things she could see as a common factor was that many of the challenges featured dangerous creatures as part of or even all of the champions' quest and that each tournament seemed to feature tasks revolving around the four classical elements - Earth, Water, Air and Fire. With an umpteenth sigh, Hermione closed the heavy and worn book. There was only one person Hermione knew who could have some idea about dangerous magical creatures, who luckily was one of Hermione's few (remaining) friends. With the same steely resolve she had used to keep herself going through the past week, she decided to visit Hagrid the next morning. With this final thought, Hermione packed away the books she had borrowed from the library and hurried into her dormitory.
As Hermione walked into the dorm, she spotted Lavender and Parvati engaged in an excited conversation and didn't show any acknowledgement to Hermione's entrance. On the other side of the room, Fay and Kellah were lounging on their beds, engrossed in casual conversation as they gave Hermione a distant wave. The bushy haired girl gave the pair a half-hearted wave in return as she placed her belongings back where she usually kept them, on the left side of the bed. Without a word, Hermione got herself ready for bed and went to sleep.
The morning came quite fast for the bushy haired bookworm as she arose far earlier than any of the others in the dorm. Right as her eyes opened, she quickly got herself ready as she strode out of her dorm, into the common room and out to the Great Hall for a quick breakfast. It had become somewhat a routine for Hermione to wake up early since her friendship with Harry and by extension Ron had been 'on hold'. Tears almost sprang into her eyes as the thought passed her head. She missed her friends dearly and wanted them back. It would be so easy, you know, for her to sneak into the boy's dorms, wake them up and apologise profusely. Harry would probably forgive her pretty quickly and Ron never even seemed mad at her to begin with so it would work out. However, Hermione was blocked from doing this not because of anything other than her stubborn pride. The same pride that was currently driving her to go see her largest friend as quickly as possible.
After a quick meal in the almost empty Great Hall, Hermione quickly trudged down the steps to go to the small hut on the edge of the forbidden forest. She had been here countless times, both for lessons and with Harry and Ron to visit the good natured gamekeeper. This time however, was special as it was the first time she was there alone. Making her way through the grounds brought back many great memories for the bushy haired girl, who's heart yearned for her friends once more. Gathering up her courage, she knocking sharply on Hagrid's door.
"Come in! It's not locked" said Hagrid from inside. With no small effort Hermione pushed open the heavy door and entered the strange smelling hut that Hagrid lived in.
"Oh hullo Hermione" said the large man in a jovial tone. He looked around briefly and asked "Where's Ron an' Harry?" Hermione immediately looked downward in sadness but tried to mask her disappointment. If Hagrid noticed her emotions, he either ignored it or simply refused to comment.
"They're … busy" Hermione lamely stammered, wanting to mentally curse herself for using such a bad excuse. Hagrid frowned slightly but replied "Well, tell them to drop by once in a while, how about next week?" Hagrid's joyous smile shook Hermione out of her wallowing, as she weakly returned the gesture.
"So, what brings you down here?" Hagrid asked as he walked over to a close-by table and took a slab of cauldron cake from it and offered it to Hermione. "Cauldron cake?" Hermione quickly shook her head "I already had breakfast but thanks for the offer" she replied. "As for why I'm here, I was wondering if you could tell me about any er… beasts that are coming to Hogwarts soon?" she asked. Hagrid's smile dimmed a little.
"Are yeh asking me if I know wha' the firs' task is?" Hagrid asked in a slightly disapproving tone. Hermione froze briefly but nodded anyways. "Can't tell yeh, I'm afraid" the large man said, shaking his head, "Fairness and all that…" Hermione's shoulders slumped as she felt herself run into another dead end. Sighing softly, she looked back at Hagrid. "Is there anything you can tell me?" she asked, in an almost pleading tone. Hagrid's brow furrowed, the immense plain that was his face crinkling in effort. After a few moments of pondering. Hagrid shook his head
Hermione's face fell a bit further. "Well, I best get going, I need to get back to trying to figure out what the tasks are" she said, standing up. Hagrid's face fell too as he called out to the bushy haired girl. "Oh yeah" Hermione turned back an tilted her head in response. "Tell Ron that his brother is visiting soon!" he said. With that, he waved Hermione out of his hut, a gesture Hermione took graciously.
As she walked back to the castle, her mind was back at work. She quickly deduced that it was Hagrid's way of giving her a clue of some sort. Ron's brother? Hermione had met all six of them of course and since the twins were still in school, they couldn't 'visit'. Next was Percy, who Hermione remembered was working as the secretary of an important ministry official. Would he visit? That seemed likely but how would Hagrid know this?
Hermione turned o the next brother she recalled, the eldest Bill Weasley. She recalled that the young man currently worked as the youngest (current) curse breaker at Gringotts. Hermione shook her head. No, Bill wouldn't be likely to visit, not for a task at least. As she walked up the steps, Hermione tried to wrack her brains to remember who Ron's second brother was. Suddenly, she froze where she stood.
Of course.
The second brother, Charlie Weasley.
He worked overseas, in Romania to be exact.
Hermione quickly turned white, her stomach felt queasy as she understood the implications of this. This was no time for stubborn pride, or waiting for Harry to realize that he needed her. Her best friend was going to die if she didn't help him, and Hermione was not going to let that happen. With speed comparable to that of a jet, the young Gryffindor sped towards the library.
Meanwhile, Daphne and Tracey had made it to the Great Hall for their breakfast. Around them, the denizens of the snake pit were casually conversing about their weekend plans. The best friend pair ignored the chatter around them as they focused on eating. In the week that had passed, Daphne had gotten noticeably less cold towards Harry, a change that had bewildered the boy, who had asked a giggling Tracey what was going on after a training session.
"Daphne is just being Daphne," she assured him, not really helping with his confusion.
Despite this however, Daphne continued to stay away from the training sessions that Tracey attended with Harry and Ron, not really giving a reason to Tracey when she was asked. Secretly, Daphne was still wary of Harry Potter, unreasonably perhaps but it was simply Daphne's way of doing things.
A loud rush of wind gusted down at the students, as a wave of owls flew in from the magical ceiling. Daphne easily spotted her family's red owl speeding towards her.
"Finally," she muttered, though only loud enough for Tracey to hear. With practised ease, Daphne popped a treat into the owl's beak as she took out the parchment that was contained inside the owl's pouch. Unsheathing her wand, Daphne tapped the Greengrass insignia that was emblazoned on the document as she whispered her family words, causing the letter to reveal its contents. Tracey curiously peered over Daphne's shoulder to try and catch a glimpse of what was written on the letter. Suddenly, the letter dropped from Daphne's hands onto her lap.
Tracey jolted in surprise and quickly glanced around the hall for signs of spellcasting. Finding no immediate threats, her eyes widened slightly as she saw Daphne's face rapidly paling. Reaching over to pick up the letter, Tracey skimmed through the contents written by Lord Greengrass until her eyes fell on the last line of the letter. She too whitened significantly as she stared in horror and shock at those words.
… a clue for the first task, what should you never tickle?
Regards,
Lord Cyril A. Greengrass
Nos Metere quod non Seruerimus
Spells Mentioned/Used:
Reducto – Reductor Curse
Bombarda – Explosion Curse
Confringo – Blasting Curse
Virgaium – Tunnelling Charm
Next Time: A Challenger Approaches
