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Chapter 6: The Fall of a Beauty

Hermione was practically glowing when the mail arrived the next morning as a large tawny swooped down and dropped an envelope in her lap. She tore it open, and saw it was from Viktor apologizing for the weekend.

She felt her heart beat a little faster just by his writing.

Hedwig swooped down also and dropped a letter. Harry jumped up and caught it.       

            "Look, it's from Viktor," she gushed, shoving it under Ron's nose.

            "I don't believe this," Harry said, reading his letter.

            "Huh?" Ron asked, one eye on Hermione's letter and one on Harry.

            "I… I've been selected to represent Hogwarts at the Championship Quidditch match!"

            "The what?" Hermione asked.

            "Charlie told me about that," Ron said, nodding. They pick seven players from Hogwarts, Durmstrag and Beauxbatons to compete. The team who wins gets Galleons for the school or something. It's a pretty big deal. They even have some sort of banquet."

            "It's up at Durmstrag," Harry said. "Herm, didn't Viktor tell you about it?"

            "Well, of course he did," she lied, her cheeks going  pink. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

In reality, Viktor didn't tell her a damn thing about it, but rather than letting Harry know, she went along with the lie.

So, this was it. Beauxbatons had been a pushover for Durmstrag, and now they faced each other in the Quidditch game. Hermione looked on eagerly from the stands. She may have been wearing Krum's robes, but her heart beat red and gold. And so the game was underway.

Krum and Harry were neck and neck for the snitch. It glittered just a head of them. And then, something happened that made Harry lose his concentration. He heard a jumble of screams, something crumbling, one he recognized instantly as Hermione's. And he stopped abruptly, and turned back--- let Krum have the Snitch--- and saw the stands Hermione was in, in complete rubble. His heart leapt into his throat as he raced his way over.

Krum let out a cry of a triumph as his hand circled around the small walnut sized ball. He arched a brow and saw everyone bustling over to the collapsed stand. No one applauded him. He had beaten Harry Potter at catching the Snitch, but no one cared.

He swore furiously and let the small ball go. Where was Hermione? Where was his fans?

And then---

            "Anulita Baker, from the Prophet, Mr. Krum, congratulations on winning the match,"

Viktor saw a small woman below him, quill in hand. He grinned, flew down to her, and they walked off.

Harry spotted Ron and Lavender running over from Gryffindor's stands.

            "Where is she, Harry?" Ron asked in a shaky voice.

Harry's heart leapt in his throat. Where was she? He had to find her…

Harry, along with a dozen other witches and wizard were levitating debris in search of the people. And then, at long last, he spotted a tangle of bushy brown hair.   

            "Here!" he cried to Ron and Lavender.

Together, they shifted enough for Harry to be able to pull her out from under a large metal pole. Lavender's eyes filled with tears at the sight of her.

Hermione's eyes were closed, and her right wrist was stretched at an odd angle.

            "Hermione," Harry whispered, trailing a finger down her cheek. She was warm, thank God for that.

Hermione gave a sudden jolt of movement, and she moaned.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she grimaced in pain. "My arm…" she whimpered.

It was like someone stabbing Harry's heart. He hated seeing her in such pain. He scooped her up and carried her off to the hospital wing.