Written for the Ultimate Hermione challenge. Prompt: Hufflepuff!Hermione.


Hufflepuff Hermione


Hermione Granger didn't know Harry Potter that well. A few words exchanged in Herbology didn't count for much, but she felt the first tentative steps towards friendship when she had been out collecting plants for Herbology, when she decided to visit Hagrid.

She hadn't been the only one. She had walked back to the castle with Harry and Ron, and Ron was dragged into the willow, with Harry rushing after him.

Hermione had been torn between alerting a Professor, or helping. But helping won over in the end. She raced after Harry.

The events that followed had helped form the start of a friendship. The friendship had a solid foundation, because Harry was as loyal as any Hufflepuff and Hermione had helped his Godfather escape.

...oOo...

Hermione grinned across the tables at Harry, before turning back to her friends. Hannah raised her eyebrows. "Harry Potter?"

"Hmm?" Hermione asked, not sure why they had only said Harry's name. She glanced over again, to find him talking to his friends.

"Tell us," Susan almost begged, grasping Hermione's hand across the table. "Last year, you two barely spoke, then at the end, before the holidays, he's hugging you and promising to write to you. What is going on! Are you… is he your boyfriend?"

More than two sets of eyes were on her, and Hermione shook her head. "I helped him with a personal issue and we became friends over that, nothing more. No, I won't tell you what it was," she added when Ernie opened his mouth.

"I wasn't going to ask," he replied sulkily. "I was going to point out that the teachers are all getting restless. I think they're going to announce the names soon."

Hermione perked up at the idea. She glanced at the table, waiting eagerly to find out who was going to participate in the Triwizard Tournament.

...oOo...

Hermione was angry with her friends, though, perhaps they were angry with her and her refusal to wear one of the horrible badges that someone had come up with.

Why they even offered them to her, she didn't know. Her friends knew she was friends with Harry, and she wasn't going to abandon that friendship, even if he did put his name in the cup… though something told her that he didn't.

She did notice that Harry and Ron weren't talking, and wondered what had happened. Ron Weasley seemed angry over something, and Hermione could only guess why.

She found Harry studying in a quiet corner of the library and dropped her bag down. "I don't think you put your own name in."

"Oh? And why is that?" he asked, not unkindly. "Everyone else thinks it, even Ron."

She blinked. Her assumption had been right after all. She had contemplated that being the reason, for a while, before dismissing the idea.

"You've told me how you hate the fame, plus I doubt you're magical is powerful enough to get over Dumbledore's age line. I'm sure he would have had spells to stop an older student putting a younger student's name in, and also, confusing the cup."

"Confusing the cup?" Harry asked.

"Yes. I've read up on the Triwizard Tournament. The cup knows that there are only three names, yet it provided four. That shouldn't have happened. Had it been an older student putting your name in, you would have just been under the Hogwarts students - but no. What I think happened was that the cup was convinced somehow that there were four schools, and you were the only name from the fourth school, therefore your name was chosen."

"You make a good point," Harry said. "But I don't get it, Hermione. Why are you here? Your house hates me."

"I know, but do you see a badge? You don't rescue an escaped convict and break so many school rules, just to go back to being acquaintances. We're friends… right?"

Harry's face lit up at the word. "Of course we're friends. I just thought hanging out with me would make things difficult for you."

"No: my refusal to wear one of the badges is what's making things difficult for me," she replied. "So - the first task could be anything. Let's brainstorm over spells that would be handy in any situation. I'll make a list of -"

"Dragons."

"Excuse me?" Hermione said, frowning at Harry.

"The first task. It's dragons. I've seen them. I told Cedric about them. We have to face dragons."

Hermione's mouth dropped open for a long moment. "This isn't a joke, is it?" she asked.

Harry shook his head.

"Well, let's get studying. Cedric has more knowledge than you, and friends helping him. Viktor Krum and Fleur - they have their classmates to help them. You need help too, Harry. I'm going to do my best to get you through this competition."

Harry reached out, grabbing her hand. "Thank you," he said. "It's nice to feel that someone has faith in me."