February 1995
The screeches could be heard long before Hermione could be seen. Harry, Ron, and Neville ran for the Great Hall, congratulating each other as Ginny's screeches could be heard. While the Great Hall held breakfast, it did wasn't much more welcoming than the oncoming female storm.
"What does this Reeta Skeeter have against Hermione?" they found Viktor asking Fred and George.
"We have no idea." They replied as the fourth years took their seats.
"More importantly," Viktor asked, turning on George. "What is going on between you and Hermione?"
"Nothing," George answered honestly.
"That is not what it looked like at the task," Viktor growled.
"Ah! That. Ask my dearest twin." George laughed, pushing Fred toward the angry quidditch star.
"Uh… Uh… I… Uh…" Fred stuttered.
"That is what I thought. Stay away." Viktor warned, storming off to the Slytherin table.
"Fredrick Weasley!" Hermione screamed. "Why!? Why would you do that?!"
"She's upset with Fred?" Ron asked, cocking an eyebrow at Harry.
"Don't try to understand women folk, Ron. It's a losing contest." Neville said wisely, finishing up his weekly letter to Olivia.
"What have I done!?" Fred asked, confused.
"You-you-you! You know what you've done!" Hermione screeched.
"Tell me exactly what I've done." Fred challenged, crossing his arms.
"You-you!" Hermione spluttered.
"You pulled her away from Viktor is what you did!" Ginny accused, flying at her brother.
"What's this got to do with you, Ginny?" Fred asked, holding her away from his body as she kicked at him.
"Viktor was going to take me flying this afternoon! He was going to teach me the Wronskie Faint, arsehole!" Ginny screamed, kicking at Fred's shins. George took pity on his twin and pulled their spitfire sister away.
"You pulled me away from Viktor and you didn't let go! Why did you do that?" Hermione asked, leveling a glare at Fred.
"If I recall correctly, Miss Granger," Fred started, getting angry. "You didn't exactly pull away. In fact, you liked it."
"Of course, I didn't pull away! You were warmer than him!" Hermione announced, suddenly confused by her own feelings.
"Oh, is that all I am? A heater?" Fred asked.
"I don't know, okay?! What do you want from me?" Hermione exploded.
"Talk to me when you figure it out." Fred stormed away. He had forgotten, for a moment, that he liked her, not the other way around.
"I don't understand what just happened," Hermione confessed to Ginny. Ginny just rolled her eyes and pulled the older girl down for breakfast.
"You seem to have an infestation of wrackspurts." Luna informed Hermione in her signature airy tone.
"For the love of! There are no such things as-" Hermione started, but Ginny dove to cover her mouth.
"What do you think is causing it?" Ginny asked.
"The article. It's cluttering her headspace. Plus, Fred just stormed out. I assume she hasn't yet figured it out?" Luna asked, directing her questions to Ginny.
"Not even close," Ginny smirked. Hermione, tired of being treated like a child, bit Ginny's hand.
Molly Weasley was never one to make a scene...when she attended Hogwarts. Now that her children were there, and being treated poorly, she decided to take the matters into her own hands. It was the morning meal on a Saturday when she walked in, looking at the Gryffindor table.
Ron and Harry were sitting there, talking with Neville and Dean about the upcoming Quidditch season. "Mum," Ron's face went white as the cream cheese in front of him. "Wha-"
"No time to waste, where are the others?" She asked, finding Draco at the Slytherin table staring wide-eyed.
"Is this about the garden gnomes? Because Harry and I were just messing and then they all started to get riled up and-"
"I'm here to put a stop to Rita Skeeter and her lies." She said loud enough for everyone in the Great Hall. Then, some Ravenclaws started to clap at the statement before the whole Hall was cheering. Draco stood up and walked over.
"I'll go get everyone from the common room," Dean said standing up and clapping Harry on the back.
The others followed Molly into a classroom on the third floor, where Xenophilius Lovegood sat with a quill and parchment. Fred was standing next to him, a bundle of parchment under his arm.
"Oh, good, you found them," Minnie said walking into the room followed by Ginny and Hermione.
"Mum, what's going on?" Ginny said, hugging her mother.
"It's about time this is all set straight," Molly said, stroking her head. "Who would like to begin?"
March 1995
Snape did not like children. That was what Harry decided after he'd been separated from Hermione and Ron for 'whispering excessively.' It wasn't like they were whispering during lecture, just during the practical. From his vantage point, Harry was just able to make out Snape and Karkaroff whispering themselves. Karkaroff's sleeve was pulled up and he was gesturing in what could only be described as total panic.
Harry leaned forward, trying to get a better idea of what was being said. Suddenly, Snape whirled around and glared at him. Then, Karakoff was shooed away and Snape came back to class. Harry made a note in his potions homework to owl Sirius. It wasn't like Snape would ever see his first draft. Hermione would rather die than let them turn rough drafts in.
"I'm telling you," Neville said, walking around the classroom, "Moody would never think about teaching us defensive spells that would put someone in St. Mungo's for the rest of their lives, he wouldn't! I've been following him, you know, down to Snape's office,"
"Neville, they aren't even friends," Draco sighed, shifting his chair from two feet to four. "I think I would know since he hasn't even spoken to me or Severus about his new baby boy."
"Maybe it's because everyone knows you can't stand him," Ginny said, with a small shrug. "You're missing the point, they aren't friends, so why are they meeting? Some Death Eater thing?"
"Moody isn't a Death Eater, he finds them." Neville pointed out.
"Maybe they are working together for Dumbledore?" Ginny countered.
"There's only one way to find out," Neville said, staring at Draco with a smile.
Draco groaned, "I have to go home for Easter."
"Well, I'm sure Daphne will be sorry to hear it," Ginny said as she reached the door. "Tell your sister hello for me."
"How does she know that?" Draco said, his face pale.
"She's Fred and George's little sister. The better question is how long has she known." Neville said, following Ginny. "Enjoy the holiday."
April 1995
Harry and the rest of the Champions followed Hagrid down to see what had become of the Quidditch field. It was normally perfectly kept, but now, it was massive and staring them in the face for what it might hold.
"Behold, the final task!" Hagrid said with pride.
"It's a maze," Cedric said, looking for clarification. "That's it?"
"Just a maze?" Hagrid laughed, "Ther'e be more in ther'e that I'd reckon I'd not mess with myself. This way all you can prepare for what might be waitin' in there."
They didn't stay long, only enough for the champions to know that there was no way they would be able to blast through the maze.
Once they all had their questions, well, some of their questions answered, they headed back to the castle, but Harry and Krum stayed behind, consumed with talk of Quidditch, they didn't hear what was coming up behind them. When the hand reached for Krum's shoulder, they both screamed.
"Mr. Crouch?" Harry said, looking at the demented man.
"Dumbledore!" He screamed, "I need-I need Dumbledore! He must know! I have to tell him-I have to-" he went on like a madman.
"I'll go get him, stay right here," Harry said, then, to Krum, "Don't let him leave your sight."
Harry ran as fast as he could to the castle from the Forest. Once he got there, he ran into the Headmaster's office, interrupting a meeting. He told the room the story, as they all followed him to the scene. Harry stopped when he could see how things had changed.
Krum laid on the ground, motionless, Crouch gone. "I swear, Professor," Harry said in between breaths. "He was here and he looked-"
"Looked what, Harry?" Dumbledore said calmly.
"Mad, crazy, possessed, something. He wasn't himself."
"You did this!" Karkaroff hissed. "You did this to my Champion!"
"No, I swear!" Harry said, backing away.
"Enough," Dumbledore sighed. "Harry, go to your house and do not leave until a professor comes to get you. This will be handled."
"But Krum-"
"Will be just fine, go. And do not linger."
"Okay," Harry started after he had gathered the usual crew. "Sirius says a lot of things. First, he congratulates us on the Quibbler article."
The gathered crowd cheered their agreement.
"Second, he says that Crouch Jr. was tried as a Death Eater." Harry read.
"We knew that. He was captured trying to torture Mum and Dad." Neville confirmed.
"Third, Crouch Sr. lost everything and was demoted when Junior was convicted. He also says that Junior died in Azkaban years ago." Harry continued.
"What does this have to do with anything!? Why would Sirius give us extraneous information?" Hermione cried.
"Oh, bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed, getting to the next part of the letter.
"That's my line, mate." Ron laughed.
"What's the matter, Harry?" Ginny asked, rolling her eyes at her brother.
"Listen to this crock of shit! 'Harry, I want you to be very careful. Something weird is going on here.' How can he write that AND expect me to be careful? Why would he set me up for failure like that?" Harry ranted.
"Maybe he just expects you to stay out of trouble?" Neville asked. He made it almost all the way through without bursting into laughter.
"Remind my why I invited you, you wanker," Harry said through a glare. That set Ginny and Draco off as well.
"Really, Harry. You need to let the whole Crouch Jr. thing go." Hermione advised. When Harry made to argue with her, she added. "You've got so much going on with the whole Tri-Wizard Tournament. You don't need to stress yourself with this. Let Ginny, Luna, and I handle it."
"Why you three?" Draco asked, taking offense at not being included.
"Oh please, I caught you and Daphne Greengrass in a broom cupboard, sans Ginny. You boys don't have the focus for research. Stick to helping Harry with those charms Sirius taught us last summer. And the defensive ones I found this year." Hermione delegated.
"Look at you, the nargles are already starting to dissipate," Luna commented.
"On that note, everyone go. Do." Hermione dismissed them.
Ginny, Luna, and Hermione were sitting by the lake, working on homework, per Hermione and Luna's request. It was a lovely sight, with the May air crisp and the end of the year, including the last task, fastly approaching. It only took a second for Fleur to find the three. She approached them with a wave as each girl put her homework down .
"Ginny, thank 'ou again for ze map," Fleur said, giving the girl a hug.
"It really isn't a big deal, again." Ginny laughed. "You don't have to thank me every time you see me."
"But I must!" She laughed, "I wanted to geeve 'ou zree thiz. It'z an invitation to spend part of your holiday wiz me and my family." She told them handing each girl a pale blue card with a ribbon.
"Wow," Hermione said, staring at it. "This is… France."
"I do live zere," Fleur laughed. "Let me know before I leave, yez?"
"I will," the girls let out in a course.
"Oh, and Ginny," Fleur smiled, "Zat boy haz been staring at you, no? Perhaps you should see what he wants. Or rather, what you really want." She said, referencing the article.
Ginny blushed as she walked away, turning back to her friends. Hermione and Luna both gave her a look, ignoring, for once, their homework.
"She's right you know," Luna said with a smile.
"In order for you to know what you want, maybe you should start with someone you don't know," Hermione stated, staring back at the boy. "Michael Corner, Ravenclaw, fourth year."
"Perhaps you should take your own advice, Hermione. I do know who he is," Ginny said with a blush. "We have talked."
"Harry and Draco have been urm, seeing other people. It isn't like you three are bound to one another. You can date, or in their cases, snog, someone else."
"So, go talk now," Luna said with a smile.
"Anything's possible if you've got enough nerve," Ginny said, picking up her wand, walking away from her friends to the group of boys. "I guess that includes my first date."
The news spread around the school like wildfire. Barty Crouch was dead. Everyone was in an uproar, wondering if the last task would be held, now that someone was dead. The owls were busy with parents warning their children to be safe since there was a killer on the loose. Even Sirius and Molly had written their children, telling them to be on guard.
The Prophet's front page was dedicated to Crouch's life, his work for the ministry, only leaving out the tragic past of his family.
With the final task only a few weeks away, anything could happen.
Kat: So, I must apologize to everyone who commented on the last chapter. I dropped the ball. If you commented on the last chapter, I'll send you a sneak at the next chapter. If you comment on this chapter, as well as the other chapter, it will be longer. It was finals week.
Gabs: Also, I do not do the PM thing. Kat takes care of that. Probably because I'm useless.
Kat: Nah, I'll keep you around. We own nothing!
Gabs: That's because of the thing coming up…. You know. School. And vacay! Thanks to all the reviewers! Remember! Teasers! Unless it's finals week!
XOXO
Gabs & Kat