chapter26
(all hail hermione's nerves)
"Hermione, Hermione!" Neville was yelled down the hall until he finally caught up with her. Her bent over has hand on her shoulder as he tried to regain his breath.
"Neville, are you okay?" Hermione asked worry on her face for her friend.
Neville looked up a smiling. "God Hermione you walk fast I've been trying to catch up with you since you left the Great Hall." He puffed.
Hermione blushed, "Sorry I was all up in my head. Did you need help with your potions homework?"
Neville shook his head. "No, McGonagall is looking for you something about the next task. Said for you to meet her on the Quidditch pitch straight after dinner."
"Oh," Hermione gasped. She had completely forgotten about the next task with everything that had been going on, her life seemed so hectic as of late it was the last thing she needed. "Thanks Neville, why don't you go back to the Great Hall and get something to drink."
Neville smiled at her again. "I might just do that, cya Hermione," he said waving over his shoulder as he strode back the way he came.
Hermione had been heading for the library as she had a free afternoon, she had had planned on study but as she laid all her books out she just knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate with the next task hanging over her head. Not ten minutes later she was packing all of her stuff up again and racing out to find Harry and Ron.
The boys had been no help they had no idea what the next task was going to be. Hermione had been hoping that maybe Harry had been given a clue during the last task but he had nothing. Ron was sulky again because he had not been involved in the last task and Hermione had had enough.
"Ronald Weasley stop being a spoiled prat and stop sulking about this." She snapped not sure if her lecturing him right now was a good move but she was on her last nerve with him.
"Hermione, don't be like that," Ron threw her a pout, whinging like a school girl. "You know I have every right to…"
"No, I have had enough. Get off your backside, march yourself over to that girl and apologise. Beg, grovel, I don't get care, you make her forgive you. She had been at me for days saying how much she misses you. SO make her stop and while you're at it make yourself stop as well." Hermione yelled, stomping her foot though it wasn't quite as impressive as they were sitting in the Quidditch stands and stomping ones foot while sitting looked kind of silly. But her point was made and Ron sat there gaping. Harry stifled a snort and turned to Hermione grinning, before she could add anything Ron was on his feet jumping down the stairs two at a time.
Harry pulled Hermione into a tight hug. "I'm glad you did that I was close to it myself." Hermione laughed into Harry's shoulder. Things were finally getting back to normal.
Hermione sat in the Great Hall nibbling at her dinner, her stomach was anxious. She wasn't but her stomach was. Harry kept shooting her grins as he glanced up the table every couple of seconds, looking on at Natalia laughing at Ron's jokes as he shoveled food into his mouth. Hermione had once again been right, Ron had simply gone over and opened his mouth to apologise but before he could Natalia was in his arm smiling. Ron had been quite pleased with himself when he had come back to find Hermione and Harry as though the whole idea had been his whole. Hermione just smiled and hugged her friend, happy for him. At one of them should be she thought to herself. Harry had seen her smile falter for a second and had wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder.
Now she sat waiting for dinner to end and her life to continue on with the bizarre events this year had to offer her. The food disappeared before her eyes and she was on her feet like a rocket. She waved goodbye to Harry and Ginny and made her way down to the smiling couple.
"Ready to go?" She asked Natalia.
The girl nodded and placed a lingering kiss on Ron's cheek before gathering her bag and exited the Great Hall Hermione beside her.
"You nervous?"
Hermione couldn't stop her head from bouncing side to side when she had merely gone to shake her head. Natalia just laughed, "Yeah me neither."
The walk to the Quidditch pitch seemed to drag on, Hermione wondered if they had spelled it so the journey would take twice as long as it should. But not before long she saw the tall stands that surrounded the pitch and sighed a breath of relief. It would be over soon.
What met her eyes was not what she had been expecting though. The normal vacant grass oval was covered in 2 meter high hedges as far as she could see. Hermione tried to stop her mouth from gaping but it didn't help her face showed the shock and awe she felt.
Hagrid came striding up beside her chuckling under his breath. "A beauty ain't it? Turned out be'ter than I expected it too. Fine job if I do say so me'self." The half giant boasted.
Hermione turned her wide eyes up. "You did this! It's amazing, they are all so even and perfectly placed, like a maze." The moment the words spewed out of her mouth it dawned on her, the next task was being held in a maze.
Hagrid noticed Hermione's mind click and grinned. "Always 'ere a bright one, yer were." He patted her gently on the head and made to go stand by the other professors at what Hermione could only assume was the entrance.
McGonagall's shrill voice sounded out into the silent night. "Attention! Attention, can everyone stand in front of us so I don't have to shout." She ushered gesturing with her hands until the students were where she wanted them. Once she was happy she turned to Dumbledore who nodded his thanks before stepping forward to address them.
"I can see from the expressions on some of your faces that you have already worked out what it is that has been placed behind us. For those of you who haven't the third task will commence with this maze in just three short weeks. This will give you ample time to refresh your skills on defensive spells, as you will be required to defend and disarm an a ray of obstacles in the maze to reach its centre. At the centre you will find the Tri-Wizard Tournament Cup, the first student to touch the cup will be declared the winner. Seems simple but the maze will be devious and I must warn you that though it just looks like a house hold plant, it has a mind of it's own and will not deter from changing the paths once the task has begun. So be on your toes and be wary of anything that might spring out around the corner." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with excitement.
Hermione held back a snort, of course the old man was excited her got to watch from his comfy position in the stands. She on the other had was quite worried what did he mean exactly by things that might spring out around the corner. Nothing to dangerous she surmised for they were still students after all and the professors would never put anything in the maze that would kill anyone. But Hermione's eyes wondered over to Hagrid who looked just as eager for the task to begin, she would have not put it past Dumbledore to have given Hagrid the choice of what when into the maze and Hagrid's idea of dangerous was always a bit fuzzy.
Hermione wrung her hands, this was the final task and it was only three weeks away. Of course they were going to make this the hardest task out of all of them. What was harder than a dragon, harder then a lake filled with mer-people with spears and razor sharp teeth? She thought she had been nervous before she laughed to herself. She had never really experienced what nervous really was until that moment.