Chapter 6 - Dumbledore's Announcement and the Start of Term

"So! Now we are all fed and watered."

"Hmph!" Hermione crossed her arms and slouched grouchily in her seat as she watched Dumbledore beam around at the students. She ignored much of his speech after this out of anger until Harry began to gasp.

"What?" This was enough to catch Hermione's attention and turn it back to the older wizard as he continued to speak.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I'm sure you will all enjoy it immensely." At this, Hermione began to wonder if he was talking about the same thing that Percy and the other Weasley's had been.

"Unless it's got anything to do with freeing the slaves that you have in this castle, I might not give you my attention," Hermione thought wryly as Dumbledore continued.

"I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts–" Hermione's stomach was clenched into a ball of nerves as tension mounted on what might be coming to Hogwarts this year, but the tension was drawn out as there was a distraction. The doors of the Great Hall got flung open as thunder rumbled and in walked a cloaked man. Halfway through his clunking walk, he pulled back his hood to show dark gray hair. Hermione was trying desperately to get a good look at the man, but to no avail, at least not until he reached the staff table. A flash of lightning from the enchanted ceiling lit up his face and Hermione gasped in surprise as his face became visible to her.

"Oh my!" It was extremely weathered and scarred as his mouth held a lop-sided frown and his eyes looked greatly out of proportion and discolored as one of them was small and dark and the other large and a bright, vivid blue. What shocked Hermione further was that this eye was moving like that of an iguana, back and forth freely without motion of the other eye. Hermione felt that if she had eaten, she probably would have been gagging back her food in fear of puking. Hermione continued to watch in awe as the man shook Dumbledore's hand and sat down at the staff table, and much to her displeasure, he began eating while Dumbledore continued to speak. "May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Professor Moody." Hermione didn't have time enough to ponder who he was as Harry spoke her mind.

"Moody? Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?" Harry looked to Ron who shrugged and answered in an unsure manner.

"Must be."

"What happened to him?" Hermione had once more turned her attention back to him as she tilted her head and tried to look at him from a different angle. "What happened to his face?"

"Dunno," Ron whispered as he too looked curiously at Moody. Hermione was forced to tear her attention from him though as Dumbledore continued to speak after clearing his throat.

"As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century." Hermione's anticipation was enough to strangle her as she became impatient. 'C'mon already! Sheeze! Just tell us and get it over with.' "It is my great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" Hermione looked down the table to one of the Weasley twins as the whole of the student body broke out into laughter.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore laughed, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar..." 'Oh, great... more delay' Hermione thought angrily as she wondered what in the world was the Triwizard Tournament. Hermione suddenly became overly thankful for Professor McGonagall as the Deputy Headmistress cleared her throat loudly to let the Headmaster know that he was getting off subject. "Er– but maybe this is not the time... no...," Dumbledore sighed, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament... well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely."

"Yes, yes, wander freely. Just explain it already... I mean who cares. Malfoy is probably the only one who knows and no one cares about him," Hermione hissed to herself. Dumbledore proceeded to explain the tournament, something shocking making Hermione feel slightly nervous as he brought the explanation to an end. "Death toll?" Hermione's voice shook with worry as she repeated what Dumbledore had just mentioned as reason for the tournament's closure. Hermione's anxiety was apparently not shared, making her resume her angry feeling. 'Dolts, the lot of them' Hermione thought as she looked around at the students who had begun to buzz excitedly about the event.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which has been very successful." 'Gee, I wonder why... death toll maybe' Hermione thought sharply. "However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt." 'Oh, gee, something more headed by Bagman. I wonder what will go wrong with this one!' Hermione's thoughts were becoming more and more irritatedly smart as Dumbledore's speech progress. "We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger."

"I should hope so," Hermione mumbled to herself as she sighed and moved a bit in her seat to get comfortable as she felt that there was still a good more bit of speech to come.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween."

"How exciting... Other schools," Hermione whispered, dropping her annoyed and enraged tone for the first time that night since she found out house-elves made the food.

"An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money," Dumbledore proceeded to announce.

"I'm going for it," Hermione heard one of the Weasley twins murmur. She shook her head and gave a sigh of laughter as his face dawned a look of happiness at the thought of being Hogwart's champion.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, bringing all attention back to himself, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year." 'No wonder the other schools' list of students is short-listed' Hermione thought to herself as she rested her elbow upon the table and her cheek upon her fist. "Only students who are of age – that is to say, seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put forward their name for consideration." 'Hmm... sensible. Now if only he'd free the house-elves he'd be my hero for sure' Hermione thought in a bored fashion as Dumbledore went on. "This is a measure we feel necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions that we take, and it is highly unlike that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no under-age student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen."

"Your begging has fallen on deaf ears if you were talking to Fred and George," Hermione sighed as she looked down the table at the furiously plotting twins. Hermione turned back to Dumbledore as he continued to say that the students from the other schools would be arriving in October and that he wished everyone to make them feel welcome before proceeding to tell everyone that bedtime was drawing near and that they should retire for classes in the morning. Hermione went to get up with all the other students as Dumbledore sat down and began conversing with Moody, but she stopped with she noticed the twins, Ron, and Harry weren't coming. "Come on, we'll be the only ones left here is you don't move," she said as she felt a yawn coming on. She was tiring of talk and complaining of age limits and she wanted nothing more than to go to bed. Harry then asked a question that Hermione had been wondering in the back of her head as they walked through the corridors.

"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?"

"Dunno," one of the twins answered. Hermione never really was sure which one was which unless they smiled, she always thought that Fred had a more Cheshire type appearance to his smile. "But it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George..." 'Ah, Fred... always a bit more of a trouble-maker than George, even though George isn't usually far behind' Hermione thought to herself as she shook her head at Fred's determination.

"Dumbledore knows if you're not of age, though," Ron said pointedly. 'And I thought he wasn't all that smart' Hermione giggled inwardly as she agreed with Ron.

"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champions is, is he," Fred said with a sly grin that made Hermione sure it was Fred and not George. "Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names." 'Five years at this school and they're still not wise enough to know Dumbledore's smarter than that' Hermione thought with mild exasperation and worry as they turned and corner and started up some stairs. Then something hit her, Dumbledore had said there was a death toll, and this didn't stop them from wanting to enter, her worry increased as she thought of Mrs. Weasley getting a letter about Fred and George dying in the tournament. Shaking the thought from her head, she spoke up.

"People have died, though."

"Yeah, but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway where's the fun without a bit of risk?" 'That's Fred and George for you, I guess' Hermione thought, though she still wasn't comfortable with their wanting to enter. That's when Fred did something stupid, at least by Hermione's standards. "Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?" 'Oh, no' Hermione sighed to herself.

"What d'you reckon?" Hermione watched Ron turn to Harry who shrugged and looked slightly interested. 'That's it, get Harry involved. As if he doesn't get into enough trouble every year, you go dragging him into this!' "Be cool to enter, wouldn't it," Ron said. "But I s'pose they might want someone older... Dunno is we've learned enough..." 'He's faced You-Know-Who, how much harder could this be. Oh, great, now they've got me started' Hermione groaned silently. Hermione was shocked from her thoughts though as Neville sort of sneaked up on them and began speaking. She started to drown them all out as she watched the stairs for the one you sink in, she hated this staircase. Without warning, Neville went through the exact stair Hermione was worried about falling through and had to be pulled out by Ron and Harry. Once Neville was free, they continued up to Gryffindor Tower and on inside thanks to George who knew the password. They entered as Hermione tried to stifle a rather large yawn, heading straight for her dorm stairs, throwing a dirty look at the loudly crackling fire as she did.

"Slave labor," she muttered as she began climbing the stairs. "I suppose my bed was made by them too," she continued to complain as she pulled back the covers before changing into her dressing gown. But Hermione was too tired to worry about this as she climbed into her bed and snuggled under the covers. "I'll worry about it in the morning... I'm going to get them their deserved rights, I swear it," she promised before nodding off.

The next day at breakfast, the schedules were passed out and Hermione gave her usual opinion on how Divinations was nothing more than nonsense. Ron, as usual, was totally detached from what she was saying and struck up a new subject about Hermione eating breakfast.

"You're eating again, I notice," he said.

"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," Hermione sighed haughtily.

"Yeah... and you were hungry," Ron laughed. Hermione didn't answer, but her cheeks tinged a pinkish shade as she went about eating her breakfast as the morning post came in. The rest of the morning went just like the many mornings from the previous three years. Their first class was Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, then there was Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins where Hagrid had them taking care of Blast-Ended Skrewts. As usual, Draco Malfoy was being his same, annoying, and jerk-like self, so Hermione had to intervene.

"Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful," Hermione snapped. Draco had been scoffing off about the Blast-Ended Skrewts and Hermione had apparently heard enough of his arrogant hissing. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?" Hermione knew that there was one exception to this question and that was Hagrid, but no one but her, Harry, and Ron need know that. Malfoy shut up after this, or at least reduced his comments to nothing more than angered muttering as Hermione went back to listening to Hagrid explain about the Blast-Ended Skrewts. The class had ended and that meant that it was now time for lunch, and in Hermione's case, a hurried lunch and a trip to the library. After lunch, Ron and Harry went to Divinations while Hermione went to Arithmancy. After those classes, Hermione caught back up with her two best friends and they were on their way to dinner when Malfoy's usual taunt and torment turned up in the corridor.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"

"What?" Ron was already not in the mood because Professor Trelawney had given them quite a bit of homework.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley! Listen to this!" Draco shook a copy of the Daily Prophet and began reading from it. "It seems as thought the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office." Draco looked up from his reading with a snide, sneering smirk as he continued to speak. "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?"

"Oh, honestly," Hermione grumbled as she looked around and saw that everyone was now standing still in the hall watching what was taking place as Ron shook with fury and turned red while Malfoy went back to reading from the paper.

"Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene." Draco looked up once more from the paper and grinned maliciously at Ron through narrowed eyes. Draco further continued to instigate things when he told Ron that there was a picture. "And there's a picture, Weasley! A picture of your parents outside their house – if you can call it a house! You mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

"What a childish thing to say," Hermione mumbled as she felt something terrible coming on while Ron shook more vigorously with rage.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy," Harry retorted as he turned to Ron. "C'mon Ron..."

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter? So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?" Draco was really starting to play with fire now as he got not only Ron mad, but Harry as well.

"You know your mother, Malfoy? That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were there," Harry shot back. Both Hermione and he were now holding Ron back to keep him from charging at Malfoy who had lost his I'm-better-than-you smirk and replaced it with a flushing pink face.

"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter."

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," Harry ordered angrily as he turned away from Draco. Hermione watched as Draco went to pull out his wand, but something happened along the way. At first, Hermione wasn't quite sure what was going on because she couldn't see for the large group of students around them, and then next thing she knew, spells were flying through the air, but not from Draco.

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!" Hermione had been so preoccupied with finding out who was casting the spells, that it took her a few minutes to notice that Draco had been turned into a cowering, white ferret. The screaming that had accompanied the banging spells had stopped and Moody continued to speak. "Did he get you?"

"No, missed," Harry answered. Hermione could see that he too was in a state of shock from what had just happened.

"LEAVE IT," Moody shouted in the next second.

"Leave – what?" Harry was even more confused now, maybe even as confused as Hermione was shocked to see a teacher attack a student like that.

"Not you – him!" Hermione looked over to the direction in which Moody had just jabbed his thumb and saw a scared looking Crabbe about to pick up the white ferret. 'How did he know that? Malfoy and them are behind him, he couldn't possibly see them' Hermione reasoned in her head before looking from Harry to Moody. She grimaced as she saw his electric blue eye was no longer looking outward, but instead rolled into the back of his head. Hermione's shock only deepened though as Moody continued his punishment on Draco.

"Oh my," she breathed as Moody turned to Draco and sent his little ferret form bouncing from floor to midair and back again.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," Moody growled at Draco as he made him bounce higher, the squeak of the ferret increasing as well. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do..." Hermione was beginning to feel sick, but Ron and Harry looked as though they were tore between amusement and shock. "Never – do – that – again–," Moody grunted.

"Professor Moody!" Minerva McGonagall's voice was like music to Hermione's ears above the sound of the squealing ferret.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Moody greeted as though he was doing nothing wrong.

"What – what are you doing," McGonagall asked in an apprehensive tone.

"Teaching."

"Teach – Moody, is that a student?"

"Yep."

"No!" Hermione had never seen McGonagall so distraughtly shocked. After turning Draco back, Minerva turned to Moody who looked still like he had before, as though he had done nothing wrong. "Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might have mentioned it, yeah," Moody replied somewhat airily, "but I thought a good sharp shock–"

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak with the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that, then." Hermione let out the breath she had been holding, but drew it in once more as Moody's voice broke out again. Apparently Draco had said something about his father, but it seemed to have no effect on Moody. "Oh yeah? Well, I know your father of old, boy... You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son... you tell him that from me... Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"Yes," Draco hissed.

"Another old friend. I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape... Come on, you..." Hermione turned slowly and followed Harry and Ron into the Great Hall, a gigantic grin on Ron's face as they went.

"Don't talk yo me," Ron said, his eyes cast toward the enchanted ceiling.

"Why not?" This day was just getting odder and odder to Hermione, first Moody and Malfoy, and now Ron not wanting her and Harry to talk to him.

"Because I want to fix that in my memory forever," Ron replied. "Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret..." Hermione knew it was wrong to laugh because what Moody did was wrong as a teacher, but she couldn't help it, it was in a way funny. Besides, she felt she was entitled to giggle about it at least a little bit because Malfoy was always calling her a Mudblood. Then again something in her head said 'no' as she spoke up on the matter.

"He could have really hurt Malfoy, though. It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it–"

"Hermione! You're ruining the best moment of my life," Ron protested. She said nothing to this, but began eating rather hurriedly again, just as she had at lunch.

"Don't tell me you're going back to the library this evening," Harry asked with a slight hint of disgust in his voice as he watched her woof down food.

"Got to. Loads to do."

"But you told us Professor Vector–"

"It's not school work," Hermione answered thickly after swallowing a rather large bite and turning to grab her things. It was true that she had no homework, but she had things that she felt were more important to her to do than sit around the dinner table talking.