True to Ron's wishes, Harry dropped the subject of Hermione, at least for the rest of that day. And it was relatively easy to avoid, since Hermione seemed so terrified of talking to Ron and Harry that she avoided them. Harry couldn't understand why. Quite obviously Ron and Hermione had a thing for each other. So why didn't they say so, instead of avoiding each other like that?
"Idiots," Harry murmured to himself the next day, Friday, in transfiguration, as he watched Ron and Hermione both glance at each other then turn away, blushing furiously. At the end of the lesson Professor McGonagall called Hermione, Ron and Harry up to her desk, and she was looking most severe. "I hear you three caused quite a commotion in Potions class the other day," she said, frowning at them all.
"Yes, professor," said Harry, Ron and Hermione, looking at the ground.
"Professor Snape originally planned to find a suitable punishment for you himself. However," she said, and her thin mouth twitched, as though she was fighting a smile, "Professor Dumbledore intervened…and he has asked me, as head of your house, to deal with you in a less...er…acrimonious way. He felt that Professor Snape's choice of punishment was a little…er…over-reactive." She couldn't fight the twitch any longer, and her mouth slid into a smirk.
Harry, Ron and Hermione grinned involuntarily. Harry couldn't help wondering just what punishment Snape had wanted to set for him? "Your detentions will be served tonight at eight o'clock. You are required to scrub out every school cauldron until they are like new. Without magic. Believe me," she said sternly, looking at their dismayed expressions, "you'd much rather have this punishment than what Professor Snape wanted to give you. You are dismissed."
They hurried out, and despite the thought of scrubbing out more than a hundred cauldrons for the night, Harry and Ron exchanged a grin.
"Not too bad," Ron admitted, a little grudgingly. "I mean, McGonagall's fair isn't she?"
"Well, we weren't exactly clever," said Harry, "I mean, picking a fight in Snape's class? We're lucky we weren't fed to the giant squid!"
At eight o'clock, the three of them met up in the school storage room, where many cauldrons had been stacked up on each other, along with several bottles of Magical Mess Remover, and three scouring sponges. Professor Sinistra of the astronomy Department was supervising the detention, but this wasn't so bad because she fell asleep within five minutes of the detention. For Harry's part, he had no trouble with the task as he had lots of practice scrubbing things with the Dursleys. Ron wasn't having a good time of it, however, but Harry expected this. Ron seemed doubly distracted by Hermione, and kept glancing up at her. Hermione, however, worked in silence, scrubbing determinedly and looking anywhere but at Ron.
At ten o'clock, when the job was only half done, and Harry, Ron and Hermione were feeling dizzy from the Magical Mess remover fumes, Professor McGonagall came in as Professor Sinistra had a first year class to take which she was already late for.
"Don't think you three are being left un-supervised," she said sharply as she bustled the yawning Professor Sinistra out of the door. "I'll be back in a moment."
Ron shrugged his shoulders as he scrubbed morosely. "They really don't trust us, do they?"
"Who?" said Harry abstractly, as he tried to dislodge a lump of something yellow from the bottom of his cauldron.
"The teachers," said Ron, "I mean, it's like they're expecting us to set the place on fire or something."
"Well, you can't really blame them, can you?' said Hermione quietly.
Ron jerked his head up and stared at her. "And why not?"
"Well, after all the stuff we've done since we came here?" Hermione said reasonably, not looking up. "I mean, in first year when we had to smuggle Norbert out of the castle? And then in second year when you two flew that car to school, and we stole ingredients to make the polyjuice potion. And then, third year, we-"
"Okay, fine," said Ron, "We get the point." He grinned at Hermione suddenly. "Speaking to us again, are you?"
Hermione finally looked up, slowly. "I…I wasn't not speaking to you," she said, a note of surprise in her voice.
"Sure you weren't," said Ron knowledgably. "You were just running away from us every time you saw us."
"I wasn't, I just…well, I just didn't…well, I'm a little embarrassed, to tell you the truth!" she burst out. She bowed her head again and began scrubbing the cauldron she was holding even more vigorously than before. Harry looked at Ron, who was still staring at Hermione with an unreadable expression on his face. Finally, he said, "You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Nothing."
Even with her face half-hidden behind her bushy hair, Harry could see it redden. A that moment, the door opened again and Professor McGonagall bustled back in, leading in none other than Viktor Krum, who looked equally as surprised as Hermione did when they saw each other.
"Sorry to inconvenience you like this Mr. Krum," Professor McGonagall was saying. "I appreciate this, it's just that all the Professors are busy…"
"Is okay," Krum said gruffly, "I do not mind."
Professor McGonagall gave Harry, Ron and Hermione a warning glance. "Now, just because Mister Krum is not a Professor doesn't mean you will not treat him with respect, all right? Get on with it, you three. It's past ten o' clock and there's still a lot of cauldrons to go."
She closed the door behind her. Viktor Krum pulled up the chair that professor Sinsistra had been sitting on and stared, perplexed at the three of them. "I did not realise it would be you in detention," he said.
"Yeah, well," said Ron irritably. As always, being in Viktor Krum's presence made him nervous.
"But what haff you done?" said Krum.
"We sort of…got distracted in Snape's class," said Harry. "And well…that's not a very sensible thing to do, considering it's Snape."
Viktor Krum nodded slowly. "I haff only met him once…he is a severe man, yes?"
Ron laughed, "Severe, right Yeah, that's one way of putting it."
Harry glanced at Hermione. "Hey, are you okay?" he said. For Hermione was trembling, her lip was wobbling, and she looked very upset. Ron and Krum both looked at Hermione curiously too, and she tried to act normal. "Fine," she said, in an oddly hoarse voice. "I'm okay. Just a bit tired."
"Tired?' repeated Ron incredulously, "you look like you're about to throw up! What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" Hermione said irritably. "It's probably the fumes from the Magical mess remover. Nothing's wrong."
"There must be something wrong," said Harry doubtfully.
"Do you feel sick?' asked Ron.
"Oh, what would you two know?' Hermione snapped. "I'm fine, I tell you!"
"Maybe we should take her to Madame Pomfrey," said Ron to Harry. Hermione glared at the two of them, and Viktor Krum, unable to hold in his concern, said, "they are right, Hermy-own-nee-ninny. You look most upset. I vill escort you to the matron, yes?'
Ron stood up quickly, wiping his hands on his robes. "I'll take her," he said. He was eyeing Krum with pronounced mistrust. "I know the way, anyway."
Krum smiled almost like he was amused, but there was nastiness behind the smile. "You do not trust me to escort her safely?" he said in a low voice.
"Not as far as I could throw you," said Ron, pleasantly. Harry held back a smile at the look on Krum's face. Ron held out a hand to help Hermione to her feet but she didn't take it.
"I'm just fine, okay?' she said. "Maybe I will step out for a few moments. I just need some fresh air…"
"Vould you like to walk around the lake?" said Krum also getting to his feet. Ron held out an arm in front of Hermione, almost protectively, and he scowled at Viktor Krum. "No way," said Ron, "You'll probably push her in too!"
"Ron!" gasped Hermione.
"Vot?' said Viktor Krum. "Vot are you talking about, Veasley?"
"Ah-ha, so it's "Veasley" now, is it?" said Ron, smirking at Krum, "No more pretending to be polite, I see." Harry grinned at Ron, while Viktor Krum glared and Hermione gasped.
"Oh Ron, stop it!" she said. "Sorry Viktor," she added, turning to Krum, "it's just that Ron has this crazy idea that you pushed him in the lake, you see- I know, it's silly but-"
"Is not silly," said Krum, shrugging his rounded shoulders. "I did push him in."
Not even Ron was expecting this. He opened his mouth in surprise, and Hermione stepped forward so quickly she stumbled and fell onto Ron. Harry got to his feet too. So Ron had been telling the truth!
"So you admit it?" Ron grunted, holding her up. Hermione, blushing a little, pushed Ron away gently.
"You're not serious?" she said, turning to look at Krum. He shook his head earnestly. Hermione gaped. "You…but…Viktor, why?"
"Is it not obvious?' said Krum, glowering at Ron. "Veasley is jealous. He alvays has been. He tries to make me look stupid in front of you, many times."
"Wait a minute," Ron started, but Krum continued, now looking at Hermione.
"I don't like the vay you are so close. It makes me jealous. And he…he doesn't deserve a girl like you. You are far too goot for him."
"How do you know?' said Harry, suddenly, feeling anger swell up inside him. "You don't even know Ron!"
"I know enough," said Krum, folding his arms, "to know that Veasley is conniving, devious and…and malv-elvo-lent…" He meant to say "malevolent" but couldn't seem to pronounce it properly. "He's very bad tempered and violent, and…And besides…isn't he from a very poor family?"
It was all Harry could do to keep Ron from leaping at Krum, although he felt like throwing a punch at that smug, sallow face. He'd always thought Krum was alright! But as Harry struggled to hold Ron back, and watched Viktor Krum smirking all his face, he felt sick to the stomach.
It was Hermione, however, who shocked everyone most of all. With one quick step forwards, she pulled her arm back and –SMACK!
Viktor Krum fell back with surprise. Hermione had just hit him around the face with all the force she could muster. His cheeks burned bright red, and he stared, stunned, as Hermione threw a furious diatribe at him. "How dare you!" she yelled, "you have absolutely no right to judge Ron that way! No right at all!"
"But Herm-own-ninny, I-" Viktor Krum tried to say something but Hermione cut him off.
"What does it matter how rich his family is? If you think that actually makes him less of a person then you're wrong...you're just…worse than Draco Malfoy! And, and…and you may be a famous rich Quidditch player, but that doesn't make you a better person than he is! You may be rich, but when it comes to courage and loyalty and…and friendship, Ron will always be a hundred thousand million times richer than you!" She spat out the last word, as though speaking of him made her ill. Harry glared at Krum too, supporting Ron, who seemed to have gone weak at the knees. He was staring at Hermione, looking stunned. Hermione had never stood up for Ron so vehemently.
Viktor Krum drew in a breath through his nostrils. "Very vell," he said quietly. "I vill go."