Chapter Four: The Secret and the Trial
"Lavender?" Hermione pulled herself out of Harry's arms to face her friend. It was quite obvious that she had been kissing someone. Her lips and cheeks were flushed, and her hair was unkempt. Finding Hermione in this position was very amusing for Lavender. She had kissed guys before, but she doubted Hermione had. Hermione was such a bookworm, and Ron and Harry accepted her as one of the guys, or so she had thought. Harry held Hermione's hand as she talked to Lavender.
"Lavie. You can't tell anyone."
"I thought Harry was just a friend. That's what you are always telling me," she teased her. Hermione blushed, and looked down at the floor. She swore, Lavender was enjoying humiliating her like this in front of Harry.
"Well he was, until today," Hermione stammered.
"Okay then. Well I guess I can keep quiet about it. I mean, Ron would feel left out if he heard. He's used to being part of the group, but if you two become a couple, he'll be a loner."
"I am sure you wouldn't mind fixing that for him, would you Lavie, dear?" Hermione winked suggestively. Now it was Lavender who was blushing.
"Fine then. I think I'll leave you two alone, to get back to your, er, kissing." Lavender headed out of the dormitory, playing with her long golden hair. She hated Hermione at the moment, why did she have to spill that she fancied Ron? Well, it had been her fault; she had purposely embarrassed Herm infront of her new boyfriend after all.
***
Two weeks passed, and the trial date had been set. Hermione had decided to be brave, and not fear the trial. She had nothing to be afraid of. If anyone needed to be scared, it was Krum. Hermione was now going to inflict pain on the young man who had inflicted pain upon her. Harry was very impressed that his young witch friend was not crying herself to sleep and having nightmares about the trial. She was a true Gryffindor.
The day of the trial finally arrived. The Ministry escorted Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Professor Dumbledore to the Azkaban Courthouse. As Hermione stepped out of the car she caught a glimpse of Krum being taken out of another Ministry car with his hands bound by magical handcuffs. Their eyes met, and Krum looked sad, and frightened, rather than angry. Hermione wondered why.
Shortly after, everyone was seated, and the Judge was preparing Hermione for her testimony. She sat in a chair by the Judge's podium, and fiddled with her wand.
"Miss Hermione Granger!" the Judge called. She arose and stood before the crowds of people, there to watch the trial of the famous, young seeker.
"Krum and I were dating last year after I met him through the tri- wizard tournament," Hermione spoke clearly. She didn't tremble at all, and her eyes were locked with Harry's the entire time. It seemed to her as though energy jolted from his emerald eyes to hers, and she maintained the power to speak her testimony well without the typical fear that one saw in a courthouse. She spoke for about five minutes, the entire time gazing down at her beloved Harry. "And then he performed the Cruciatius curse on me." Hermione finished and sat down.
Then Veritaserum was used on Krum, and he admitted to using an unforgivable curse against his ex-girlfriend.
"Case closed! Take him away!" the judge exclaimed.
As Krum walked by Hermione his deep brown eyes gazed into hers. "It wasn't me. It was Voldemort who attacked you Hermowninny."
Hermione sniggered. "Oh, yes I am sure it was!" And with that she went down a short flight of stairs to meet her two best friends and the Headmaster. As she traveled back to Hogwarts, Krum sat in his Azkaban cell. He was miserable as it was, but then dementors were stationed outside his cell. Then the horrible visions of the past came to him.
"Viktor!" it was Professor Karkaroff. He had a white cloth over his head, and he had just conjured the dark mark. "We must celebrate. Voldemort has returned!"
Krum was shocked to find that his Headmaster had rejoined the Dark Side now that the Dark Lord was back, and steadily regaining power. He shook his head.
"No! You are a traitor!" He shouted. "You have betrayed the magical world!"
"Imperio!" shouted Headmaster Karkaroff. A warm and fuzzy feeling entered Krum, and all his intelligence fled from his mind.
"I have orders from Voldemort to capture that brilliant witch named Hermione. That Granger girl will be a wonderful asset to the dark world. Now go to her, and perform the Cruciatius and Imperius curses on her. Then you shall be rewarded by Voldemort when you bring his captive to him."
Krum had no power to defy the orders of Karkaroff, he had never had much skill in overpowering the unforgivable curses. He had spent too much time improving his Quidditch skills. Now he would pay for it.
"Now go to Hermione. Apparate to her. Soon she shall belong to Voldemort!" Karkaroff laughed a terrible laugh, and disapparated, Krum knew not where.
Viktor awoke on the hard, cold stone floor of his cell as a moldy dish was thrown at him. "Food." he thought. He was ravenous, and the thought of food made him forget about how he had shouted "Crucio" at Hermowninny, his own dear Hermowninny, upon the command of Karkaroff.
"Damn the Imperius curse!" He threw the food bowl at the wall. "It tore my love away from me, and brought me here! To this dump!!!" His emotion overtook him, and he began to cry. It was all Karkaroff's fault! The old death eater had caused all of Krum's problems, and he had forced him to hurt Hermowninny, the woman he loved, and would always love.
"Lavender?" Hermione pulled herself out of Harry's arms to face her friend. It was quite obvious that she had been kissing someone. Her lips and cheeks were flushed, and her hair was unkempt. Finding Hermione in this position was very amusing for Lavender. She had kissed guys before, but she doubted Hermione had. Hermione was such a bookworm, and Ron and Harry accepted her as one of the guys, or so she had thought. Harry held Hermione's hand as she talked to Lavender.
"Lavie. You can't tell anyone."
"I thought Harry was just a friend. That's what you are always telling me," she teased her. Hermione blushed, and looked down at the floor. She swore, Lavender was enjoying humiliating her like this in front of Harry.
"Well he was, until today," Hermione stammered.
"Okay then. Well I guess I can keep quiet about it. I mean, Ron would feel left out if he heard. He's used to being part of the group, but if you two become a couple, he'll be a loner."
"I am sure you wouldn't mind fixing that for him, would you Lavie, dear?" Hermione winked suggestively. Now it was Lavender who was blushing.
"Fine then. I think I'll leave you two alone, to get back to your, er, kissing." Lavender headed out of the dormitory, playing with her long golden hair. She hated Hermione at the moment, why did she have to spill that she fancied Ron? Well, it had been her fault; she had purposely embarrassed Herm infront of her new boyfriend after all.
***
Two weeks passed, and the trial date had been set. Hermione had decided to be brave, and not fear the trial. She had nothing to be afraid of. If anyone needed to be scared, it was Krum. Hermione was now going to inflict pain on the young man who had inflicted pain upon her. Harry was very impressed that his young witch friend was not crying herself to sleep and having nightmares about the trial. She was a true Gryffindor.
The day of the trial finally arrived. The Ministry escorted Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Professor Dumbledore to the Azkaban Courthouse. As Hermione stepped out of the car she caught a glimpse of Krum being taken out of another Ministry car with his hands bound by magical handcuffs. Their eyes met, and Krum looked sad, and frightened, rather than angry. Hermione wondered why.
Shortly after, everyone was seated, and the Judge was preparing Hermione for her testimony. She sat in a chair by the Judge's podium, and fiddled with her wand.
"Miss Hermione Granger!" the Judge called. She arose and stood before the crowds of people, there to watch the trial of the famous, young seeker.
"Krum and I were dating last year after I met him through the tri- wizard tournament," Hermione spoke clearly. She didn't tremble at all, and her eyes were locked with Harry's the entire time. It seemed to her as though energy jolted from his emerald eyes to hers, and she maintained the power to speak her testimony well without the typical fear that one saw in a courthouse. She spoke for about five minutes, the entire time gazing down at her beloved Harry. "And then he performed the Cruciatius curse on me." Hermione finished and sat down.
Then Veritaserum was used on Krum, and he admitted to using an unforgivable curse against his ex-girlfriend.
"Case closed! Take him away!" the judge exclaimed.
As Krum walked by Hermione his deep brown eyes gazed into hers. "It wasn't me. It was Voldemort who attacked you Hermowninny."
Hermione sniggered. "Oh, yes I am sure it was!" And with that she went down a short flight of stairs to meet her two best friends and the Headmaster. As she traveled back to Hogwarts, Krum sat in his Azkaban cell. He was miserable as it was, but then dementors were stationed outside his cell. Then the horrible visions of the past came to him.
"Viktor!" it was Professor Karkaroff. He had a white cloth over his head, and he had just conjured the dark mark. "We must celebrate. Voldemort has returned!"
Krum was shocked to find that his Headmaster had rejoined the Dark Side now that the Dark Lord was back, and steadily regaining power. He shook his head.
"No! You are a traitor!" He shouted. "You have betrayed the magical world!"
"Imperio!" shouted Headmaster Karkaroff. A warm and fuzzy feeling entered Krum, and all his intelligence fled from his mind.
"I have orders from Voldemort to capture that brilliant witch named Hermione. That Granger girl will be a wonderful asset to the dark world. Now go to her, and perform the Cruciatius and Imperius curses on her. Then you shall be rewarded by Voldemort when you bring his captive to him."
Krum had no power to defy the orders of Karkaroff, he had never had much skill in overpowering the unforgivable curses. He had spent too much time improving his Quidditch skills. Now he would pay for it.
"Now go to Hermione. Apparate to her. Soon she shall belong to Voldemort!" Karkaroff laughed a terrible laugh, and disapparated, Krum knew not where.
Viktor awoke on the hard, cold stone floor of his cell as a moldy dish was thrown at him. "Food." he thought. He was ravenous, and the thought of food made him forget about how he had shouted "Crucio" at Hermowninny, his own dear Hermowninny, upon the command of Karkaroff.
"Damn the Imperius curse!" He threw the food bowl at the wall. "It tore my love away from me, and brought me here! To this dump!!!" His emotion overtook him, and he began to cry. It was all Karkaroff's fault! The old death eater had caused all of Krum's problems, and he had forced him to hurt Hermowninny, the woman he loved, and would always love.