Chapter 2: Let the Games Begin!
-------------------------------------
After arriving back in the common room, Hermione, exhausted, had gone off to bed, and Ron and Viktor did the same (Viktor and one other Durmstrang student were staying with the Gryffindors; three others were with the Hufflepuffs; three more with the Ravenclaws; and a total of four with the Slytherins). As the three went their separate ways, a few students gawked at them openly, but still more whispered behind their backs.
Though both were fairly tired themselves, Ginny and Harry stayed behind to plan the event. After all, if it was indeed going to be held at six the next evening, they had to get to work.
"Okay, so how is this going to work?" Harry asked.
Ginny grinned at him, proud of her own genius. She then told him exactly what she thought they ought to do. Harry agreed with the scheme, but suggested a few adjustments. Eventually, they had the entire plot of the game–for, it was going to be a game–laid out.
"This is going to be brilliant!" Harry exclaimed.
"If we get it done," reasoned Ginny, but he could tell she was excited.
Harry beamed at the girl a year younger than himself, and Ginny turned red. Much as she tried to suppress these feelings, she couldn't help but still have a crush on Harry. He wasn't the greatest-looking boy around, that was true, but he was such a wonderful person. Nevertheless, any emotions she might have regarding him were just former traces of that little-girl crush she'd had not so long ago. That was what she told herself, anyway.
"What?" Harry said, noticing the peculiar way Ginny was looking at him.
Her eyes widened, and she said, "Oh, nothing. I was just...thinking about what imbeciles Ron and Viktor are being."
"No kidding." Their eyes connected, and she was suddenly aware of how close he was to her.
She looked down at her parchment nervously. "So, we'd better get to work on the questions, don't you think?"
Harry shook his head, snapping out of the strange trance he had been in, and said, "Yes. We'd better."
---------------------------
Morning came, and Hermione found out, with much annoyance, that Harry and Ginny had only gotten four hours of sleep. Neither Ron nor Viktor were too worried about it–most likely because they were too busy glaring at one another.
Breakfast consisted of Harry and Ginny laughing and whispering conspiratorially, and a red-faced Hermione trying not to shout at Viktor and Ron, who still had not stopped insulting each other. Lunch was much the same, except, at this point, Viktor and Ron were refusing to speak at all.
Around five, Harry and Ginny told the other three to go to the library for awhile while they "set up." Hermione was naturally suspicious about what exactly was going on, but Viktor shrugged it off, while Ron complained, "The library? There's nothing to bloody do in the library."
"Ron," Hermione scolded, as she led the two boys down the corridor. Looking back at Harry and Ginny, she called out, "Hurry up. Please."
They waved at her in response.
A total of one hour and thirteen minutes was endured in the library. Viktor had spent the whole time reading–or at least looking at the pictures–a book about Quidditch and signing autographs for a group of third-years. Ron stared into space, not really wanting to do anything, nor feeling there was anything to do. Hermione, however, delved into a copy of "Hogwarts: A History–The New, Updated Edition."
Finally, Ginny appeared, breathless, at the library door, panting, "Come on! It's...it's ready!"
The trio followed her with curiosity, as they approached the Gryffindor common room. Upon reaching the portrait of the fat lady, Ginny said, "Chocolate Bats," and the portrait swung open, with the fat lady saying, "Come in."
The common room seemed the same as always, except, Hermione noticed, there were two large chairs floating just centimeters above the ground, in front of the fireplace. On the left of the chair to the left was a stool, above which floated a sign reading: RON–0 points. To the right of the chair on the right was another stool. Above this stool floated a sign that said KRUM–0 points. Floating over the other two chairs, was yet another chair. Above the entire spectacle was a banner that said, in large block letters, "THE BATTLE OF DIMWITS."
"Clever title," Hermione muttered to Ginny, who grinned sheepishly, saying, "It seemed to fit."
"'Battle of Dimwits?' Hey!" Ron cried, looking offended. "No one minds that you've done this?" he asked, gesturing at the display.
Harry approached, and, overhearing his friend's question, said, "Oh, not at all. In fact, mostly everyone's excited to see the showdown."
Viktor, after staring in awe at the display, said, "Everyone? People vill be vatiching?"
"People will be watching!" Hermione yelled in surprise.
Harry and Ginny nodded, the former saying, "It was the only way we could use the common room. They don't want to miss out on the fun."
Viktor said, "Fun? This is not for fun. This is to prove once and for all that I know more about Herm-ee-o-nee."
"You can't even say her name!" taunted Ron. "Do you really think you know more about her?"
"It's about to be settled. Don't get into a fistfight over it now," suggested Ginny.
Ron insisted, "I could take him."
Viktor narrowed his eyes, but only said, "Herm-ee-o-nee, can ve talk?"
Nodding, Hermione excused herself and followed Viktor over to where his stool was floating. He looked a slightly nervous and not a little angry, but, when he turned to face his girlfriend, he smiled. "What is it, Viktor?" she asked him worriedly.
"I vas vondering that if I should lose this...test...vould you still like me?"
She gawked at him. "Of course. How could you even ask me that? Viktor, this stupid test, it's not for my benefit. It's so that you and Ron can get this idiotic argument over with. Besides," she added, "I don't really expect you to win."
"Vhat?!"
"I just mean," she amended, "that it's more likely that Ron will win than you. After all, he has known me longer, and I'm with him for longer periods of time."
He looked upset. "I vill vin!"
"Viktor," she began, but he cut her off, saying, "If I do not vin, I do not stay vith you. Ve are done."
Staring at him like he was mad, she said, "What? Done? Don't be ridiculous."
"My pride vill not allow it."
"Your pride?" she repeated. "Your pride?"
He opened his mouth to respond, when Harry appeared at his stool, looking eager. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's time. People are showing up."
Hermione turned to see her fellow Gryffindors appearing through the portrait hole and from the separate dormitories. They were all sitting on the ground or in chairs behind a red ribbon floating a few feet in front of the spectacle. "Oh dear," she muttered.
Ron and Ginny joined Harry, Viktor, and Hermione around the fireplace. Harry and Ginny both pulled out their wands and pointed them at their throats, muttering, "Sonarus."
"Welcome, fellow Gryffindors," Harry's voice boomed throughout the common room. "You're here today to witness The Battle of Dimwits."
"Harry Potter and myself, Ginny Weasley, will be your hosts, as you watch two boys battle over who knows a girl better." Ginny sounded nervous, but she pulled through it quite well.
The "hosts" pointed to the two chairs floating in front of the fireplace with their wands and shouted, "Accio chair!" Their designated chairs–Ginny to the left, Harry to the right–fell to the ground and scooted right in front of them. Ginny sat. Harry sat. Again, in unison, they pointed their wand at their chair, this time saying, "Wingardium Leviosa!" The chairs floated back to their original position.
Ginny now said, "And now, Dimwit Number One, Ron Weasley, also known as 'The Best Friend'!" Ron protested loudly to being called the number one dimwit, but was drowned out by Fred and George's whoops, either to encourage or embarrass the boy.
Humiliated, Ron pointed his wand at his stool and said, "Accio stool." The stool zipped over to him and he sat. "Wingardium Leviosa." It returned to its spot.
"Dimwit Number Two," Harry said, "is none other than Bulgarian Seeker Viktor Krum, also known as 'The Boyfriend.'" Viktor, also looking quite cross as being referred to as a dimwit, repeated the seating ritual until he was floating in his place underneath his sign.
"But wait," said Ginny happily, "I have a question. Who is the girl? Who are these two dimwits going completely mad for?"
Harry smiled, trying to suppress a laugh. "Well, Ginny, the answer to that question is Hermione Granger. Hermione, please take your seat at the place of honor."
Hermione, assuming correctly that the highest chair was hers, pointed her wand, said, "Accio chair," and, with amazing speed and direction, it came. She sat, and commanded, "Wingardium Leviosa." The whole time, the crowd–as well as the hosts and contestants–noticed, she was bright red.
When she was settled in her place, Harry said, "Okay, now let's explain the rules."
"Very well," said Ginny. "In Round One of the game, Hermione is asked a question, which she answers by writing on a piece of parchment. We take her quill, and her answer is kept to herself, for the time being. Then, the question is repeated for the boys to answer. They also write their answers on a scrap of parchment. When they are finished answering, their quills will be taken away. The boys show their answers, and then Hermione shows her answer. Five questions will be asked in this round. A correct answer is rewarded with ten points."
Harry said, "Round Two is not a round at all, but more of a quick interview. In case you don't already know the three people this entire event is revolving around, you will get to know them better. No points are awarded this round."
"Round Three," Ginny said, picking up the narrative, "is the same as Round One, except correct answers are worth twenty points. Again, five questions will be asked."
"The fourth round is a lightning round," Harry explained. "A question will be asked–which Hermione is not forced to answer–and the contestants send up sparks with their wands if they know the answer. First to send up sparks gets the question. If he answer correctly, it is worth five points. Answer incorrectly, and the other contestant can steal the question. If he answers correctly, it is worth ten points. If neither answer correctly, the question is discarded."
Ginny, already looking exhausted, said, "In the event of a tie, the contestants will be asked one final tie-breaking question. The first to shoot up sparks answers. If he answers incorrectly, the other contestant answers. If neither contestant knows the answer, another question will be presented. In the unlikely case that this question too is not answered, the contestants will be asked to wager an amount of their choosing of their own points and then answer a question. If they are correct, the amount of points they wagered will be added to their total score. If they lose, it will be subtracted."
"Finally, we'd like to thank Neville Longbottom for acting as our judge." Harry smiled brightly at the audience. "Now, let the games begin!"
End of chapter.
A/N: Read and review. BTW, I did make up these rules myself, but I largely based them off of "The Newlywed Game" and "Jeopardy" and really anything else I could think of.