The Four Champions
Hermione wanted to laugh. This had to be some kind of sick joke, some Slytherin prank to get Harry in trouble. There was no way that Harry had put his name in the Goblet of Fire.
She looked over at him, just like every other person in the Great Hall had. He seemed stunned; his face was paused in an unbelieving stare.
There was no applause. Hermione heard the buzzing of students build up like angry bees were filling the Hall. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw some students rising to get a better look at Harry, who remained frozen.
She didn't know what to say, what to do to fix things, and that wasn't a feeling that Hermione was used to dealing with. Hermione Granger didn't do uselessness.
Yet there she sat.
She looked over at Ron, whose face held the same blank stare as hers she was sure.
Finally, Harry turned to face them.
"I didn't put my name in. You know I didn't."
Did she know? Did she really believe this was an accident, that Harry had nothing to do with it?
She blinked, taking in his face again.
Of course she did.
Poor Harry.
"Harry Potter!"
For a split second, everyone's eyes snapped back to Dumbledore, who was calling for Harry again.
"Harry! Up here, if you please!"
Hermione shook her head, snapping back to herself. "Go on," she whispered, giving Harry a slight push.
She watched as him get on his feet, trod on the hem of his robes, and stumbled slightly. Her heart beat picked up in her chest. The beating got faster the closer he got to Dumbledore, until he was standing right in front of the elder wizard.
She watched as Dumbledore said something to Harry, though the distance between them gave her no inclusion in the actual words passed on to her friend.
Harry moved off along the teachers' table. She saw Hagrid seated on the end, and her heart dropped when she saw him give Harry no indication of the four-year long friendship they shared.
The moment the door the other champions passed through shut behind him, the buzz turned into a roar of voices as seemingly everyone in the hall began talking at once.
The loudest voice belonged to Karkaroff, who protested violently to Harry's name, though in the storm of noise it was impossible to distinguish babble for actual thought. She tried her hardest to tune him out, and turned to Ron.
That proved to be a mistake when she saw the fury building in Ron's baby blue eyes.
"Ron," she muttered. "Ron, you don't really think that Harry –?"
"Looks that way, doesn't it? Can't believe he didn't tell me." Ron grunted in response.
"You're not serious?" she hissed. "Harry would never go behind your back like that."
"What other explanation is there?" Ron asked, glowering, and for once, Hermione didn't have an answer.
She suddenly felt sick.
Suddenly, the Hall was silent. Hermione spun in her seat to look at Dumbledore, who was standing back at the podium and holding up his arms for quiet.
"I think it's time we return to our dorms," he said serenely, before turning on the spot and hurrying into through the door the champions had entered, half of the Head's table following.
Hermione didn't want to leave. She wanted to wait right there with Ron for Harry to come back, so she could assure him that they believed him.
But when she looked over, Ron wasn't there. He was already a good few feet away from her, and she jumped to her feet.
The roar had picked up again instantaneously as students bunched together to discuss what had happened, and Hermione struggled through the bustling crowd to keep up with Ron.
"Ron...Ronald honestly…"
"Leave it Hermione," he snapped at her. "Of course he didn't tell me, who care about poor Ron Weasley," she heard him grumble as he stalked away from where she remained rooted to the spot.
"You okay Mi?"
"You guys believe that Harry was framed, don't you?" Hermione asked urgently, turning to face Fred and George. They shared a look between the two of them, and a knot formed in Hermione's stomach.
"You don't believe him," she accused, her heart breaking for Harry. Was she the only one on his side?
"It's not that Mi," Fred insisted. "It's just that…"
"It's suspicious," George continued. "We want to,"
"Believe him, but how can we,"
"Be sure?" finished George.
Hermione sighed. "Because he's Harry."
And she walked away from them.
xXxXxXxXx
Fred and George pushed and shoved, racing through the crowd to catch up with Hermione. They didn't catch her until they reached Gryffindor Tower, where a celebration party was in the works, though Harry was nowhere in sight.
"You're right," they said together, and Hermione's eyes brightened, though the worried frown never left her face.
"Be nice to him, alright?" she said tiredly, hugging them both before going up to bed.
You guys shower me in the sweetest reviews, and I thank you with a grotesquely short chapter. I hope you enjoyed it despite the length though, because it was interesting and rather tough to write. We will never know what went on in the Great Hall while Harry was being interrogated, but I hope you find my version believable. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by Friday night, Saturday afternoon at the latest.
A little tidbit to look forward to; that chapter will be stuffed with Fremione xD
Cheers my loves, and please review to assure me you still love me despite the lack of length.
