Chapter 21 – Revenge & Trouble

Cho Chang began to throw things inside her dorm. Marietta was sitting on her bed, watching her enraged friend as she picked up books and threw them across the room. Cho managed to knock a lamp off the nightstand, topple a bottle of ink off a desk, upset the nightstand, and she was about to throw the glass unicorn that Cedric had bought her when Marietta stopped her.

"Cho! Cho!"

"What!"

"Stop! There's got to be a better way to do this," Marietta suggested as he got up off the bed and wrenched the glass figurine out of Cho's hand before safely storing it in her best friend's trunk.

"A better way! A better way!"

"Yes, a better way," Marietta repeated as she grabbed Cho by the shoulders and sat her down on her bed. "We need to get revenge on him-"

"No, not him... that's not good enough," Cho hissed. "HER!"

"But how?" Cho shook her head as she sat there thinking, brooding upon what she could do when her eyes landed on something. Her face lit up with a mischievous smile while her eyes sparkled viscously.

"Well, we'll need some copies of the Daily Prophet and some undiluted bubotuber pus," Cho replied.

"What are we going to do with that?"

"You'll see... let's just go get the stuff," Cho laughed maliciously as she grabbed a copy of Witch Weekly off the floor and ran for the door with Marietta in tow.

The next day at breakfast, Hermione seemed to be in a better mood and Ron was playing along since his dark prediction about the food that would appear proved false. They were sitting in silence with Harry when the morning post came in with a swooshing sound and the whirling colors of many owls flying overhead.

Hermione stared up at the ceiling eagerly as the owls passed over. She was waiting for one to deliver her something.

"Percy won't've had time to answer yet," Ron said between bites of food. "We only sent Hedwig yesterday."

"No, it's not that," Hermione answered. "I've taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet. I'm getting sick of finding everything out from the Slytherins."

"Good thinking! Hey, Hermione, I think you're in luck-," Harry began, but he stopped when a large gray owl came soaring down at Hermione

"It hasn't got a newspaper, though," Hermione pointed out. "It's-"

Hermione stopped here though as four barn owls, a brown owl, and a tawny landed in front of her along with the gray owl. Harry and Ron seemed to be just as confused, and it was only after Harry spoke that Hermione realized all the letters really were for her.

"How many subscriptions did you take out?"

"What on earth-?" Hermione took the letter from the gray owl. She opened it and began to read as the owl took flight. "Oh, really!"

"What's up?" Ron and Harry were really bewildered now as Hermione turned red and took another letter from one of the barn owls.

"It's – oh, how ridiculous-"

She pushed the letters at Harry as she took some more from the remaining owls. All of them said things like: You are a wicked girl. Harry Potter deserves better. Go back where you came from Muggle.

"They're all like it! 'Harry Potter can do much better than the likes of you...' 'You deserve to be boiled in frog spawn...' Ouch!" Hermione dropped the letters she had been reading when she opened one of the envelopes and something exploded out onto her hands. It burned immediately and began to itch as boils started appearing.

"Undiluted bubotuber pus!" Ron sniffed the envelope as he held it gingerly between his thumb and index finger.

"Ow!" Hermione had grabbed up a napkin and was trying to rub off the foul pus, but it wasn't working. Sores were multiplying all over her hands at a rapid pace and she looked to be in great pain as tears welled in her eyes.

"You'd better get up to the hospital wing," Harry suggested. "We'll tell Professor Sprout where you've gone..." Hermione jumped up and rushed off as Ron started mouthing off about something. Many people were watching her run past as she continued to rub her hands with a napkin, but none were happy like one person was.

"Job well done, Marietta," Cho laughed evilly as she looked over to Cedric who stood up with concern written on his face as he watched Hermione rush out, tears streaming down her face.

"Aren't you going to go after him?"

"No, not yet," Cho answered. "I'm going to let him comfort her and find out what happened and then I'm going to execute part two of my plan. After I'm done, she's going to wish she never messed with my boyfriend."

"Sometimes I think you should have been in Slytherin," Marietta laughed.

"I know," Cho chuckled along as she grabbed her books and followed her friend out of the Great Hall for class.

"Hermione?"

"Cedric?" Hermione was sitting in the hospital wing with her hands soaking in some thick, gooey purple potion Madam Pomfrey had put into a large bowl.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... Madam Pomfrey said that this will go away in a couple of days," Hermione said with optimism. "Shouldn't you be in your first class right now?"

"I told the professor I didn't feel good," Cedric sighed as he sat down and kissed Hermione's cheek. "Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"Really, Cedric, I'm fine. It's feeling much better now that I have this potion on it," Hermione said as she pulled her hands up out of the concoction and watched her fingers drip slowly with the purple syrup-like liquid. "I just can't believe that people believe that awful woman enough to do things like this."

"You know, it might have been the Slytherins... I wouldn't put it past them," Cedric said softly, anger flecking his voice. "Most people know Rita Skeeter is a liar... Try not to pay too much attention to it."

"I won't. I really don't want to give people the satisfaction of knowing they bother me," Hermione said with pride swelling in her chest and voice.

"That's the spirit," Cedric laughed as he put his hand on the back of her head and pushed her forehead to his. They looked into each other's eyes, Hermione feeling butterflies grow inside her stomach, and a smile spreading across her flushed face.

Cedric leaned in and kissed her, making her draw in a deep breath and hold it there. She couldn't help but shiver. It felt like someone had dumped a cup of ice water on her head, but she loved that feeling. It was always a good feeling to her.

Goosebumps had broken out on her arms and Cedric laughed as he rubbed her arms to try and make them go away.

"Mr. Diggory?"

"Ah, Madam Pomfrey," Cedric said as he jumped up off the bed where he was sitting next to Hermione.

"What are you doing here?"

"Um... well, I uh- I was just checking on Hermione. Professor-"

"Sprout saw that I wasn't in class and probably sent him up," Hermione finished for him.

"Very uh- well, then. You should be getting back to class, though," Madam Pomfrey said in an unsure way. "The second class of the day is about to start."

"Okay, then," Cedric said in agreement as he walked to the door. Hermione watched him, and when Madam Pomfrey's back was turned while wrapping Hermione's hands in bandages, Cedric signaled to Hermione that he would be outside the Hospital Wing waiting for her.

Cedric had been waiting for about five minutes when Hermione emerged. He walked her to the Gryffindor Tower, Cedric sneaking inside with her and waiting in the common room while she went up to her dorm and got her books for Care of Magical Creatures.

They were on their way down the seventh floor corridor when the bell for the end of the first class rang. They made it to the fifth floor without anyone noticing, or at least saying anything, about them holding hands.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Cedric by the arm and spun him around, wrenching his hand painfully from Hermione's which he was holding gingerly because of her bandages.

"What do you think you're doing!" It was Cho Chang and she was looking furious.

"What do you mean 'what am I doing'? I'm walking Hermione to class," Cedric hissed. He had had just about enough of Cho and her grouchiness. It was getting old, and fast too.

"Well, does that mean you have to hold her hand? Which I might add seems pretty bad. What is that from, Granger? Hate mail?" At this, Hermione narrowed her eyes and glared at Cho.

'She did it' Hermione thought. 'No, wait, that's stupid. This is Cho Chang, she's not a Slytherin.'

"Remember, Cedric, you're my boyfriend. Now, why don't you get over here and carry my books to my class," Cho demanded as she glared Cedric up and down, her burning gaze stopping on Hermione's bag that was on his shoulder along with his own.

"C'mon, Hermione, let's go," Cedric said quietly after a few seconds.

"Cedric!" By now, everyone in the corridor was watching and Hermione was feeling a bit nervous.

"Cho," Cedric mocked. "I'm going to be late for class, now, excuse us." Cedric put his hand on Hermione's shoulder and guided her away from an angered Cho and her scandalized looking friend, Marietta.

"Cedric, do you really think you should have done that?" Hermione could feel Cho glaring holes in her back, and when she looked back over her shoulder, Cho stomped her foot as everyone pointed and sniggered at her.

"Done what?" Cedric was laughing as he and Hermione started down the stairs to the fourth floor.

"Make her mad like that," Hermione answered in a worried way.

"Don't worry about it. I want her to break up with me... remember?" Cedric grabbed Hermione by the elbow and pulled her behind a statue. He leaned down and placed the sweetest kiss on her lips that he could give her.

It was like butterflies fluttering against her lips. A warmth grew from her lips where his brushed against them. Hermione closed her eyes and tried to savor the moment, but someone behind Cedric cleared their throat.

Hermione and Cedric parted and they looked up to see Viktor Krum. Hermione's eyes bugged out of her head as Viktor stood there looking confused, his eyebrows knitted and his arms hanging awkwardly at his sides.

"Herm-own-ninny, can I talk vith you?"

"Um- ce-certainly, V-Viktor," Hermione replied as she slipped past Cedric toward Viktor while pink rose up onto her cheeks.

"Hermione! Um- your bag," Cedric called as Viktor put his arm around her lower back and began to guide her off down the fourth floor corridor.

"Oh! Thanks," Hermione said bashfully as she turned back to get it, but Viktor beat her to it as he reached out a long arm and took it from Cedric, placing it on his own arm.

"I'll see you at lunch or something," Cedric sighed as he adjusted his own bag on his shoulder while nodding to Hermione.

"Sure," Hermione said with a smile. "Thanks... bye." Hermione's smile faded though as Cedric nodded again, but Viktor gave a nod back and gave a bit of a forceful push on her lower back to turn her away from Cedric and start her off down the corridor.

They entered the library, much to Madam Pince's displeasure as she watched them with hawk eyes while they made their way to the back of the library. Viktor pulled out a chair for Hermione and she sat down, only to have him push her in a bit roughly. She took a deep breath and pushed herself away from the table a little as he dropped her bag on the table with a dull clunk and sat down next to her.

"So uh- what... did you want to talk with me about?"

"Are you dating Cedric Diggory?"

"What!" Hermione became wide-eyed and nervous. "What- what would," Hermione seemed to be choking on her own words as she tried to laugh this off. "What would give you that idea?"

"You vere kissing him in the hallvay back there," Viktor pointed out. As he looked a bit heartbroken. Hermione started to feel miserable. She had been ready to tell Viktor, but she had never expected it to be like this.

"Viktor... I- um." Hermione really didn't know what to say. She had never had to do anything like this before. How did one even go about doing this?

"You vere vith him all along, veren't you?"

"Oh, no, I promise I wasn't. Listen... you're really nice and everything... Can't we uh- can't we just... just be friends?"

"Herm-own-ninny... I really like you-"

"I'm so sorry," Hermione sobbed. Tears were forming quickly in her eyes and her heart was sinking lower and lower with each word he spoke.

"I haff never felt this vay about any girl before... I told you that-"

"I know, I know. And I'm sorr-"

"I just vish you could see in me vhat you see in him," Viktor sighed as he stood up.

"Viktor, you've a great guy and all. And there's a girl out there somewhere for you who's so much better than m-"

"I don't vant better. I vant you, Herm-own-ninny," Viktor said softly as he bent down and placed a kiss on her cheek before turning slowly and leaving.

Hermione spent the next ten minutes in the bathroom crying. She wanted to see Cedric at that very moment. She prayed that he would walk into the girls' bathroom, scoop her up in his arms, and kiss away her tears.

"That's not going to happen, though," she sighed heavily as she wiped her tears on her sleeves and sniffed loudly. "I guess I should get to class, then."

Hermione picked up her bag and walked out of the bathroom. Her second class was almost over as she jogged down the stairs and took long strides down the corridors to get there faster. She finally made it to the front doors in the entrance hall and she sniffed loudly again before walking out.

She walked slowly across the lawn, her eyes set on the class of Slytherins and Gryffindors gathered around Hagrid's hut. She had to cheer up. She couldn't let the Slytherins see her like this, and she certainly couldn't let Harry, Ron, and Hagrid see her like this. But as hard as she tried, she couldn't smile.

So, with a heavy heart and a frown, she walked over to where Harry and Ron were standing with Hagrid while watching some strange looking, magical creature jump in and out of a dirt patch. Hermione stopped next to them and sat her bag down, as she stood back up, she noticed Pansy Parkinson staring at her. Hermione ignored this as she heard Hagrid call out to the class.

"Well, let's check how yeh've done! Count yer coins! An' there's no point tryin' ter steal any, Goyle," Hagrid bellowed. "It's leprechaun gold. Vanishes after a few hours."

Hermione watched Goyle empty his pockets as everyone around her counted up their coins. She was about to start talking to Harry and Ron when Hagrid turned back to the Golden Trio and began to talk to her.

"What yeh done ter your hands, Hermione?"

"I got some hate mail for the article that was in Witch Weekly and one of the envelopes had bubotuber pus in it," Hermione replied as she looked down sadly at her bandaged hands.

"Aaah, don' worry," Hagrid sighed. "I got some o' those letters an' all, after Rita Skeeter wrote abou' me mum. 'Yeh're a monster an' yeh should be put down.' 'Yer mother killed innocent people an' if you had any decency you'd jump in a lake.'"

This came as a shock to Hermione. Physical pain like her hands was one thing, but one just didn't say cruel things like that to another human being. Hagrid was a gentle and loving man, how could people say things like that to him when they didn't even really know him? It made Hermione mad as well as shocked her, how could people be so cruel?

"No!"

"Yeah," Hagrid said. "They're jus' nutters, Hermione. Don' open 'em if yeh get any more. Chuck 'em straigh' in the fire."

Hermione made a mental note about this and nodded as she turned to Ron as Hagrid handed him the prize he had won for having the most coins. Something was wrong though. Ron looked upset as he stared down at the Honeyduke's chocolate bar in his hand.

"What's the matter? Wrong flavor?"

"No," Ron replied to Harry. "Why didn't you tell me about the gold?"

"What gold?"

"The gold I gave you at the Quidditch World Cup," Ron reminded. "The laprachaun gold I gave you for my Omnioculars. In the Top Box. Why didn't you tell me it disappeared?"

Hermione felt an awkwardness as Harry seemed taken aback as though he didn't know what to say. She was trying to think of something to say to help Harry out, but she herself didn't feel much like talking.

"Oh...," Harry sighed. "I dunno... I never noticed it had gone. I was more worried about my wand, wasn't I?"

'Good one, Harry' Hermione thought as they bid good-bye to Hagrid and left for the Great Hall for lunch. She was thoroughly happy about this because she would get to see Cedric, but something was still nagging at her. Rita. Rita Skeeter.

Hermione felt anger boil up inside her. She had caused her all this trouble. First Harry, then Hagrid, and now her. Hermione also had a feeling that had Rita not put out that article about her, Harry, and Viktor, Viktor wouldn't have thought so much about their friendship and it would have made things easier earlier in the library.

Hermione hadn't been listening to Harry or Ron as they entered the Great Hall and took their seats. She was so angry now. She was about to slam her fist down upon the table, but there was a loud clank of a fork hitting a plate. Hermione looked over and saw Ron stabbing a potato. This brought her back into the conversation that Harry and Ron were having.

"I hate being poor," Ron complained. Hermione looked to Harry, she had no idea what was going on, but Harry seemed just as surprised. "It's rubbish. I don't blame Fred and George for trying to make some extra money. Wish I could. Wish I had a niffler." Hermione thought that this might be an opportune time for a joke or a bit of humor.

"Well, we know what to get you for Christmas," she said brightly. "Come on, Ron," she frowned when she noticed it did nothing to cheer him up, "it could be worse. At least your fingers aren't full of pus."

Hermione huffed as she struggled with her fork and knife. She couldn't hold them. Her hands just slipped up and down the handles of them, and her fingers were bandaged together so she had no use of them. Anger filled her once again as she gave up with a rumble from her stomach.

"I hate that Skeeter woman! I'll get her back for this if it's the last thing I do!"