Hogwarts castle late afternoon.. and through, soaring over the grounds to the dense trees of the Forbidden Forest, circling the crimson glow of the clearing, where newly erected stands teem with students.

Arena tournament Stage 1

The crowds are cheering, people are taking bets. Descending into the clearing itself, where Fred and George conduct a few last minute transactions.

"Step up, mates! Who fancies a flutter on tonight's bloodbath?"

"Smart money's on Krum to survive!"

"One'll get you ten if Potter dies. Ow!"

Hermione pops George hard in the arm, glowering disapprovingly as .."We'd cut Harry in, of course".

She then made her way to the tent, and suddenly bumped into Snape.

"Miss Granger? You should be at the stands watching Mr. Potter killing himself". He snarled. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to see Harry in a tent. He must be tensed alone there, perhaps he needs me a bit. Excuse me, Professor".

Hermione walks. Snape watched her for a while, then made his way towards the teachers ' stands.

Harry is pacing nervously. Hermione is standing by the tent door whispering in.

"Pssst! Harry? Is that you?"

He leaned closer. "Yeah".

"How are you feeling? OK?"

Harry nods. Hermione glances about. Fleur sits in stony silence. Krum lies on a bench. Diggory paces. "The key is to concentrate. After that you just have to..."

"Battle a dragon".

Hermione enters the tent and they hug. A bright camera flashes, Rita Skeeter the journalist approaches.

"Young love! Ohh how.. stirring. If everything goes unfortunately today you might make the front page".

Krum approaches Rita. "You have no business here. This tent is for champions.. and friends".

Everyone turns, stunned to hear Krum speak. Skeeter studies him appraisingly as does Hermione, then smiles thinly.

"No matter. We've got what we wanted". Rita leaves and Dumbledore enters.

As she exits, Dumbledore enters from the opposite end. With him are Karkaroff and Madame Maxime and Barty Crouch.

"Good day champions".

As they assembled, Hermione stood between them.

"Gather round please. Now you've waited, you've wondered and at last the moment has arrived. The moment only four of you can fully appreciate".

The champions gather around him in a circle. Dumbledore noticed something familiar.

"What are you doing here Miss Granger?"

"Oh um.. Sorry I'll just go". As she exits, she quickly runs back to the stands.

Dumbledore voiceover the loudspeaker. Moments later.

"Three of our champions have now faced their dragons and so each one of them will proceed to the next task. And now our fourth and final contestant".

Harry enters the rocky arena. The crowd is cheering his name. He sees the golden egg sitting alone, he makes a run for it but the dragon appears.

Harry's forced to retreat behind a rock as the dragon flames him. Harry stumbles and falls around the arena.

"Your wand harry! Your wand!"

Hermione screamed. Her scream makes Snape notice her from the stands he sits on. Harry summons a broom. He jumps on and flies off, the dragon gives chase. The dragon bursts through the crowd and they look stunned.

Later that. The crowds are mostly silent. We see Harry flying towards and the crowd erupts.

"Yes! Yes!"

Hermione screams of Harry's successful battling with the Dragon. She cried so hard. Snape smirks as he watches her jumping happily and Harry goes straight for the golden egg.

Gryffindor common room. Night. Harry is lifting the golden egg, people around him cheering.

The Weasley twins have Harry sitting on their shoulders. "Harry, maybe you shouldn't.." said Hermione.

A cheer goes up and the boys pass the egg hand over hand. As Harry takes it, he plays his fingers into position, waits for the room to positively crackle with anticipation and then ... stops.

The others jeer mutinously. He grins. Open it. And a horrible screeching wail fills the room.

As Harry snaps shut the egg, one voice carries. "Bloody hell. What was that!" Ron appears in the doorway.

Harry looks. Hermione looks. Everyone looks. It's Ron, standing by the portrait hole, hands on ears. His eyes shift uneasily, suddenly aware he's in the spotlight.

"Alright everyone, go back to your knitting. This is gonna be uncomfortable enough without all you nosey sods listening in".

As the hum of conversation resumes, Harry glares at Ron. "I reckon you'd have to be barking mad to put your own name in the goblet of fire".

"Caught on have you. Took you long enough".

"Wasn't just me who thought you'd done it. Everyone was saying it behind your back".

"Brilliant. That makes me feel loads better".

"At least I warned you about the dragons".

"Hagrid warned me about the dragons". Harry corrected Ron.

Ron shakes his head. "Oh no no, I did. Don't you remember? I told Hermione to tell you that Seamus told me that Parvati told Dean that Hagrid was looking for you. Seamus never actually told me anything, so it was really me all along. I thought you'd be alright, you know, after you figured that out".

"Who could possibly figure that out? That's completely mental".

"Yeah it is, isn't it? Suppose I was a bit distraught".

Hermione cries. "Boys". Finally, Harry and Ron make up. Best friends are always be bestfriends.

Great Hall. Day. Cho sits with a fellow Ravenclaw girl who whispers in her ear and giggles. Cho smiles enigmatically and casts a faint glance toward Harry, who responds by dribbling water down his chin.

As he dabs his mouth quickly with his napkin, Parvati and Padma Patil identical twins stroll by and cast him identical come hither look.

"Hi, Harry".

Hermione was reading a newspaper. Her face is grumpy.

"Look at this!"

Hermione one scowls at the Daily Prophet. Under Skeeter's by line and photo hair in ringlets this time, a headline screams: HARRY POTTER'S SECRET HEARTACHE

"I can't believe she's done it again". As she read.

Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey sources report is none other than the Bulgarian bon-bon Viktor Krum.

No word yet on how Harry Potter's taking this latest emotional blow. "You and Krum. That's rich". Ron chuckles. Hermione glowers at him. "I just mean ... I know you. Krum's famous".

"Who's more famous than Harry Potter? And he's your best friend".

"Yeah, well, that's different, isn't it?"

Hermione shakes her head in weary puzzlement as a young boy walks up holding a package. "Parcel for you Mr Weasley".

"Thank you Nigel". The boy stares in jittery awe at Harry. "Not now Nigel. Later. Go on".

As Nigel stumbles off, Harry and Hermione eye Ron. He shrugs. "I told him I'd get him Harry's autograph".

Unwrapped the package. "Oh look mum's sent me something. Mum sent me a dress?"

Harry watches Ron lift a lace trimmed gown from the box. "Well it does match your eyes. Is there a bonnet?"

"Nose down Harry". Ron walks up to Ginny. "Ginny, these must be for you".

"I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly".

Hermione, back of her hand to her mouth. Hermione laughs.

"What are you on about?"

"They're not for Ginny, they're for you! Dress robes".

Ron frowned. "Dress robes? for what?"

Library day. Hermione alone. Krum walked behind her. This time he must say something to her before it's too late.

She almost hit Krum with the book she held as she turned behind. She jumped, patted her chest.

"Do you Bulgarian always do that? Creep behind someone like that".

Krum wasn't mad, just smiled. His eyes on Hermione. "I've been watching you, Hermy-own-ninny". said Krum. "As I arrived here, I spent my time in the library because of you".

"Library is for everyone. Not because of me, `` said Hermione.

"Can we talk?" Krum points at the empty table. Library seems to be quiet, so the two got a chance to talk.

No Krum fan club is around. Hermione took a seat, so did Krum.

"Skeeter woman making things up. I thought you and Harry were in a relationship. I ask Harry about you".

Hermione's laugh makes Krum smile in blush. "We're just friends. We never have been. You ask Harry about me?" Krum nodded his head. "Well that's rich".

"You talk about him very often".

"Yeah, because we're friends".

Krum nodded his head again. "I try to find the nerve to talk with you. Following the announcement of the Yule Ball.." His eyes look up at her. "Hermy-own-ninny.. I ask you to be my date".

Hermione blushed and smiled. No one ever tries to ask her. But this Bulgarian did.

She accepted Krum and became his date. With that.. Krum reaches her hand and kisses it. She never felt this feeling since she had a crush on Gilderoy.

This Krum makes her happier than ever.

"I was annoyed when your fan club followed you in here and made noise while I'm try to read".

"I'm sorry. I didn't know how to approach you".

She smiled. "I must teach you how to pronounce my name correctly". Both Hermione and Krum laugh.

Hill. Day. Harry, Ron and Hermione study. Suddenly Viktor Krum was training, he looked at Hermione and smiled. Behind Krum, a group of girls are following him around.

Hermione rolls her eyes.. as she watches the annoyed girl's behind him gaggle pass in pursuit.

"Thick heads, isn't it?"

Hermione hears from Ron. She ignored it.

Great Hall. Morning. Harry and Ron sit together gloomily surveying the room.

"This is mad. At this rate we'll be the only ones in our year without dates". Severus Snape walks past and slaps Ron over the head. "Well, us and Neville!"

"But then again he can take himself".

Harry and Ron grin. Hermione looks over disapprovingly. "It might interest you to know that Neville's already got someone".

Ron gasps.

"Now I'm really depressed".

Fred hands Ron a note, it reads "GET A MOVE ON OR ALL THE GOOD ONES WILL HAVE GONE!".

Ron lookup. "Who're you going with, then?"

Fred looked around, mouthing. "Oi! Angelina! Want to come to the ball with me?"

"Me?" She smiled and blushed. "All right, then".

Fred winks at Harry and Ron. Ron turns, eyes Hermione.

"Oi, Hermione! You're a girl".

Hermione glances up witheringly. "Oh well spotted".

"Come on. It's one thing for a bloke to show up alone. For a girl it's just sad".

"I won't be going alone because believe it or not someone's asked me!"

With that, she snaps shut her book, rises up then she hands the book to Snape with his eyes on hers. She turned back to sit.

"And I said yes!"

"Bloody hell". Hermione storms off. "She's lying, Right?"

Harry shrugged. Ron frowning. "Look. We've just got to grit our teeth and do it. Tonight when we get back to the common room, we'll both have partners. Agreed?"

Harry hesitated, then.. nods. "Agreed".