Chapter 3- Champions
Ginny sat on Hermione's bed and the older girl nervously sat down while closing the curtains. "Look Ginny, I didn't want to hurt you but me and Harry got together a little after the World Cup. We didn't want to start a lot of drama so we kept it quiet." Hermione explained. Ginny nodded at the explanation.
"I'm not mad. Merlin, I am actually kind of happy for you both. I mean, I am jealous. It's hard not to fall in love with him." Ginny said. Hermione knew about her crush on The Boy Who Lived and she felt uncomfortable.
"No, I don't mean the stupid Boy Who Lived nonsense. I mean Harry. It's hard not to fall for him." Ginny said reading her expression. "I grew up on stupid stories about his exploits, and when I meet him, he is just a humble and scared boy. Hell he saves me from a basilisk and he acts like its just what normal people do. Doesn't even see himself as a hero. How could anyone not fall for that?" Ginny asked.
Hermione smiled as she took her hand. "I want you to be assured. You will find someone who loves you for you. And they will support the dreams you have." Hermione said. Ginny smiled and have Hermione a hug. "Thanks for not getting angry with me." Hermione said. "Your secret is safe with me." Ginny said and then she left the dorm for her own bed.
The next morning, her alarm woke her up at what she called "too fucking early o'clock." And she got herself dressed for the morning run at five am.
Coming down the stairs in trainers, gym shorts and one of Harry's jerseys, she saw Ron and Harry waiting for them. "Ginny found out." She said as she kissed Harry. "Everything good?" Harry asked. "Yea, its all good." Hermione said.
The trio went to the Quidditch pitch and began doing their stretches to warm themselves up. Then they ran several laps around the pitch, then stopping for their calisthenics. Pushups, sit ups, pull ups, squats, and planks. By the time they were done, they were exhausted but headed to the castle to shower and change.
Harry came down, still sore from the weights he was lifting the previous night and Ron was sore in places he forgot could get sore.
"I might bloody go see Pomfrey, these sores are bloody hurting." Ron said. Haryr shook his head. "Need the pain for the gains." Harry said. Ron grumbled but agreed. Hermione came down to join them but was wearing a different jersey. "I think we might need to reveal our relationship at least." Hermione said. Harry was happy at the thought. "Hopefully you won't get any howlers." Ron said. "I already know how to deal with those. Fire works wonders on those dreadful things." Hermione said as she took Harry's arm.
Heading into the Great Hall, Harry and Hermione got several looks as the pair walked arm in arm while Ron walked next to them. For the moment they were oblivious to the looks they were getting. Luna though headed over to them. "Hello Hermione. I see you have had a productive time. Hermione laughed. "I do more than snog Harry. For right now we are trying to get in shape." She said. Luna looked at her curious. "Does Ronald no longer wish to be round shaped? Is that why he doesn't eat like a hungry dragon?" She asked. Ron blushed as he started laughing. "I just know how bad it is to see me eat." Ron said.
"Everything ok in your dorm?" Hermione asked. Luna nodded. "Professor Flitwick is calling a house meeting tonight. And Corner is buying my books back while Marietta is buying my robes and some of the other clothes they destroyed." Luna said. "Well until then, I can ask Ginny if she can lend you some clothes." Ron said. Luna smiled at him. After breakfast, Luna went to go hang out with Ginny while the trio headed to the library.
"Ron, why didn't you ever try and date Luna?" Hermione asked. Ron shrugged his shoulders. "I always saw her as another sister. Mrs. Lovegood used to babysit us when mum got overwhelmed." Ron said. "When she died, Luna stayed with us for a few months. Percy and I used to distract her with puppets. If he didn't have a stick up his arse, he could be a genuinely good guy." Ron explained.
Using a pass from Dumbledore, the trio perused the restricted section and found several defense books, and even what would be considered grey texts. Harry found some obscure texts about elemental spells of fire, ice, lightning, and earth. He wrote those down for further research. Ron was reading about runes and symbols, ones that you could make in a snap that made your spells stronger as long as you were in the area. He even found a few spells that focused your magic to your limbs and made your punches and kicks hurt more. Hermione approved of that one.
Hermione found a few defensive spells that could also be used for offense, like a reflective shield that sent spells back. She also found a rune that made skin as hard as steel. And finally a blunting spell that made blades not cut you up. This would be useful when they trained with blades instead of finding wooden replicas.
That evening, Hermione joined the boys in the room for their weight training. Ron and Harry were working their legs while Hermione worked her arms and core. The trio worked out for a few hours before they felt they were done. The walk back to the dorm was slow as Ron and Harry's legs were hurting. In a few weeks, this won't be a problem, but for now they hurt.
The first Runes lesson with Dumbledore was more difficult than normal. Mostly because he was cramming two years of Runes. Despite having rune knowledge from the future, they still needed to learn the basics. Dumbledore was a hard teacher, making Harry wonder how he was when he taught transfiguration.
Ron though found drawing runes to be easy. Dumbledore asked about this. "Bill would have me draw basic runes with him for homework when I was younger. I guess he wanted to get me interested in runes later. I feel stupid for not following this. He was disappointed I picked Divination over a useful class." Ron said.
Dumbledore was pleased by their works, and he was also pleased by Hermione's progress with her spell work. She learned the thunder spell relatively easily but her ice spell was more powerful than his own.
When Hermione had done leg day in the Room, she had a hard time walking at first so Harry had a solution. "Up you go." He said as he picked her up. Her slight squeaky yelp gave both boys a grin as they headed back to the dorm.
Ron was catching up on his homework when Lavender sat next to him at one of the desks. She was wearing her more pretty clothing as she sat near him. Ron looked up and gave her a smile. "So, I see your looking better." Lavender said. Harry and Hermione looked up and grinned as Ron was talking with Lavender.
Ron put his scroll away and was helping Lavender with her Defense homework. "You seem to have a good idea of defense." Lavender said. Ron smiled. "Hang around Harry, you tend to get into a few mysteries." He said with mirth.
"Oi, Lavender, what are you doing hanging around with that pauper?" Came a voice that made Ron's blood run cold. He looked over and saw Cormac, younger, no longer with perpetual blood over his lips, with his perfect teeth. Lavender rolled her eyes. "Well, unlike you, Ronald hasn't been trying to look down my shirt." She said. Cormac laughed. "That's the only good part of you." Cormac said. Ron then had a brief flashback, of Cormac holding Ron in a cage.
Lavender was captured and Ron tried to save her. He had brought her in, bound and gagged, and sniffed her in front of Ron after he was caught breaking into his camp. He groped her and laughed. "Only good part of her." He laughed as he tortured her in front of Ron.
Ron shook his head to shake the memory. They agreed not to go after Cormac for crimes he had not committed yet. Especially since Parvati became a viscous cannibal, but they kind of understood her after her family forced her to kill Padma.
"Shove off McGlaggen. Your not that interesting." Ron said. Cormac laughed. "And you think you are. Hey how about I make an offer for that sister of yours. She must be worth five galleons at least." He laughed. Ginny did not find it funny and while he was laughing, fired a Bat Bogey hex at him. He was on the ground getting pelted with bat wings from his nose.
"Next time I'll jinx your underwear to tighten around your balls." Ginny glared as she walked up the stairs. Everyone laughed at Cormac as he was on the ground getting his with the fleshy wings.
Angelina Johnson sat with Harry for a moment. "This is why he will never make the team. I don't care how good he is, I get creep vibes from him." She said to Harry. Hermione nodded, remembering how many times he tried to corner her in school, then his offers of being a slave to him. Once she was cornered by his man and her magic wasn't as strong so she fought them with a sharpened spoon. He sent one back missing parts between his legs.
The last week of October, was the day the other schools were scheduled to arrive. They would arrive a week before selection to put their names in the Goblet and also get to know the school. Ron though asked an important question. "What would stop an older student from entering a name in the Goblet?" He asked. Dumbledore smiled.
"The age line originally did not have intend warded into it. This time, I put something extra in it." He said. He wrote Ron's name on a piece of parchment and with a swish and flick he hovered it above the goblet. Before he could drop it, the parchment was set on fire and singed. "This will prove if a confundus charm was used as last time. I did not inform the staff about this." Dumbledore said.
At lunch, Hagrid was guiding in the massive carriage from Beauxbatons and Filch guided the massive ship from Durmstraung to the docks. Both contingent of students came in and Ron saw Viktor Krum enter with his school. Harry remembered the time they were on the run in Russia and Krum kept them hidden in the fortress school. He still owed Viktor a seeker race.
Ron caught a glimpse of Fleur Delacour. He looked down as he remembered the brother/sister relationship he formed with her. Gabrielle was also a favorite at the Burrow as she found Ginny to be a fun and attentive family member.
"I hope we can get her and Bill together." Ron said. Harry nodded. The Durmstraung school sat with the Slytherin students, with Krum sitting near the seventh year students. The Beauxbatons students with Ravenclaw.
Harry sat with Hermione by the lake as they pet the Giant Squid's tentacles. "You think you will be in the tournament again?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded. "When has my luck ever been that good?" Harry asked. Hermione smiled. "Well, if you do. You won't be as alone as you were. I'll always be there for you." Hermione said. Harry smiled and found the squid putting the pair together and them laughing.
Halloween was a rough day for Harry. Even after Voldemort's death it was still a hard holiday. First Halloween after Voldemort, Ginny and him broke up, the next, the knowledge of the Entropy. A bad Halloween was when Umbridge killed Fleur and Bill. Ron never spoke of it, but Harry knew he killed Umbridge with his axe.
At the Halloween feast, the trio ate in silence, Hermione holding Harry's hand. As soon as the feast was over, Dumbledore stood up.
"We now begin the selection process for the Champions of the Tournament. Eternal glory awaits those who win the tournament. As well as a nice prize of a thousand galleons." Dumbledore said.
The ancient goblet lit up in blue flame and a paper came out. Dumbledore caught it. "The Champion for Durmstraung is Victor Krum." He announced. Everyone cheered as the sullen looking seeker was taken to a back antechamber.
The second paper was caught by Albus. "For Beauxbatons, Ms. Fleur Delacour." He said. Ron cheered loudly with the rest of the schools. Harry smiled, glad he was supportive of his family. She may not be his siter-in-law yet, but Ron had a strong family attachment.
"For Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory!" Dumbledore announced and the hall stood up and cheered for Cedric as he walked into the side room.
"That ends our selection process…" Dumbledore began, but the cup flared again and another paper came out.
Dumbledore caught it and looked at the name. "Oh God Damnit, HARRY POTTER!"
