I do not own Harry Potter but, fuck JK Rowling.
The school year starts like any other, as if the Quidditch World Cup never happened. I couldn't tell if I was relieved or angry. On one hand, the normalcy felt amazing but, on the other hand, the Ministry covering such a large disaster up was disconcerting. I woke up a day later back in the Burrow and, at first, I thought it had been a dream; at least until I tried to sit up, then the pain let me know it had really happened and Ginny let me have it when she realized I was awake.
"Hermione Jean Granger! What were you thinking?! You are fifteen Mione'! You almost died; do you want to die a fifteen year old?" she ranted
"You know I'm not-"
"Okay fine, seventeen, you want to die a seventeen year old miss time traveler?! You're luckyluck that guy got you to me when he did, you were barely alive."
"I know Gin I-"
"What would Harry and Ron had done without you? We can't win this without you."
"I couldn't leave them. They were scared and alone."
"Mia, so were you. I'm not upset with you I'm just worried. You aren't supposed to be the reckless one."
"I know, I'm supposed to be the smart one."
I watch as the scenery flies by through the train window.
"What do you think Hermione?" Ron's question pulls me from my thoughts.
"I'm sorry what?" I ask.
"You okay Mione'? its not like you to zone out?" Harry's concerned face draws my attention. He didn't know how bad the Incident, as we had started to call it, had been for me. How close he was to losing me. He needed to focus now more than ever, I can't be worrying him with my absentmindedness.
"Oh I'm fine, just wondering what I should start studying on first. What was the question?"
"Blimey Hermione, we haven't even gotten off the train yet. I said, Charlie said something is happening at school this year, we're trying to guess what it is." Ron, as always, speaks through the copious amounts of snacks in his mouth.
"I'm not guessing anything until you finish chewing your food." I groan, handing him a handkerchief. "Really Ronald, talking with your mouth full is-"
"Disgusting and rude" Harry and Ron say in unison with a grin.
"Exactly." I deadpan. I truly loved my best friends but, they were such boys sometimes. It's a good thing I had Ginny or else I'd have gone completely mad by now. "As for what's going on, I haven't the faintest clue but, if its Charlie that told you, I'd have to guess it was something to do with dragons. Maybe he's teaching a course or something."
"But then, why wouldn't he just say that?" Ron questions.
"Your brother is a dragon tamer Ronald…He has a flair for the dramatic."'
The smell of dinner and old oak tables makes me feel safe while the twinkling in Dumbledore's eyes makes me feel uneasy. Still, I had hope. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad.
"Attention students; I have a couple exciting announcements to make."
Or maybe not, the Headmaster has that mischievous glint in his eyes that meant nothing but trouble.
"First, I'd like to introduce your new Defense Against the Dark Arts; professor Alastor Moody.: He says in his booming voice as an unfamiliar man steps out from the shadows.
"Woah, he's an Auror, one of the best. People call him Mad Eye Moody." Dean Thomas recounts in awe.
Although, taking a look at him, I think I'd prefer Snape. There was something off about the new teacher but, I couldn't put my finger on it. Aside from the whole magic eye and steel leg.
"You mean we might actually learn something useful this year?" Ron jokes.
"You'd have leaned a lot the previous years if you had studied." I remark, Ron is a great wizard, at least he would be if he applied himself.
"Oh bugger off Mione" He grumbles after sticking his tongue out at me like a child.
"Very mature Ronald, now if you don't mind, I'm going to head to the Library" I say while standing and gathering my things.
"And!" Dumbledore voice freezes me in my tracks. "Hogwarts has been bestowed the honor of holding one of the most prestigious of tournaments."
My mind runs a million kilometers a minute before settling on the only possible answer.
"The Triwizard Tournament." My whisper is overshadowed by the Headmaster's loud voice. "This tournament is, fundamentally, a test of magic. Three schools are participating and a champion will be chosen from each school. Eternal glory! That's what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament, but to do this, that student must survive three tasks, Three extremely dangerous tasks."
"Has he gone completely bonkers?! This tournament was shut down for a reason!" I say the words before I can stop myself and Harry looks at me with worry.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
"People have died during these tasks, students have died." I explain. The Ministry shut this down years ago, why would they change their mind?
"Now, due to new Ministry approved guidelines, No one under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to participate."
I let out a relieved sigh. That means neither Harry nor Ron would be able to do something as stupid as enter. A glance across the tabled assured me Ginny was just as happy as I was.
"Well that's bollocks" Ron pouts. "Just think of it, Eternal Glory! Woulda been nice."
"I don't think its as nice as you think it is mate." Harry grins with a relieved look in his eyes.
At least Harry has the right idea. It'd be nice to watch other people be idiots and put themselves in danger for once.
"Now! Introducing Our fellow competitors, the lovely ladies of Beauxbaton's Academy of Magic!" The doors open to flutter of blue as beautiful girls file in, each one prettier than the last. I try to quell the sinking feeling in my stomach as I watch them, as graceful as swans. My eyes caught Ginny's once more once again, she was just as happy as I was.
Not at all.
"Woah is that their Headmistress? Shes huge!" Ron laughs.
Although I agreed, the lady was tall and looked a bit arrogant, I still smack Ron upside the head for his rude comment. I catch Snape's eyes and he gives me a small nod.
"Wonderful performance ladies, simply wonderful!" Dumbledore claps along with the rest of the stu- well male students.
"Wonderful? All they did was blow kisses and do a flip or two." I hear Lavender Brown grumble from a few seats down. She wasn't wrong.
"And now, for the strapping men of Durmstrang Institute."
Now, I am not by any means one of those lovesick girls that drool over cute guys but, even I'm impressed at how uniformly attractive the boys of Durmstrang were. It was quite ridiculous.
Maybe I'm hanging out with Pavarti and Padma too much…
"Hermione, this is the year I get a boyfriend." Ginny sighs with a silly grin.
"Like bloody hell you are" Ron mutters grumpily. "Oi Mia why are you still packing up your stuff?"
"I said I was going to the library and I plan on doing so as soon as everyone is settled. For once, this year's 'dangerous activity' has nothing to do with us and I am going to take full advantage of that." I grin. "This year all I'm doing is studying and homework. I can't wait."
"Of course you can't" Harry chuckles.
"Is that Viktor Krum? Holy hell that's actually Viktor Krum!" I wince, never hearing Seamus' voice go that high, and manage to lock eyes with the boy Headmaster Karkaroff was parading around like a prize poodle.
Where do I know him from? I feel my head tilt on its own vocation as I try to remember. He, Victor – I'm assuming, follows suit and gives me a small smile before turning his head forward and sitting at the Slytherin table.
"Oh my god Mione! He looked right at you!" Ginny sighs dreamily. Sometimes it was hard to connect this silly girl with the girl who, for all intents and purposes, saved my life a few weeks ago. "The youngest seeker in professional quidditch ever smiled at you!"
Ah so that how I know him. He's the Bulgarian seeker from the World Cup.
"You're dreaming Gin. Why would he look at Hermione?" Ron laughs.
"Maybe because she's pretty Ron?" Ginny bites back.
"What no shes-"
I fold my arms across my chest, waiting for him to finish his sentence. It wasn't news to me. Ronald had always been open about how plain and bookish I was. At this point, it was fun watching him squirm himself into a hole.
"She's just Hermione." He finishes lamely. Flinching when he realizes just how bad that sounded.
"Yeah well Just Hermione is going to the library. Good luck doing all your own homework for the next two months Ronald." I hiss, turning on my heel and slipping out of the Great Hall. At least now I had a reason to refuse doing his work.
She seemed so familiar to him and he couldn't understand why. He noticed her at first because she was standing with her bag packed and ready to go during their entrance and again when she left the hall in an angry flurry of cloaks. The group she had been sitting with were all chuckling save for a boy who was red in the face.
"Oi Viktor what looking at?"
"Nothing you vould be interested in Damyan." He frowns.
"You vound me, I just vant to know what has interested my baby cousin so quickly."
"You are two months older and two ventimeters shorter than me." A small grin appears and disappears on the younger Krum's face. "I am no longer baby cousin." He chuckles, purposefully steering his cousin in a different direction.
"Ah you alvays be, baby cousin. Has Lelka Sophia had any luck finding that girl who saved Zhi? Her arm is completely healed right?"
"Da, healers did a good job, her hand von't ever be the same though." He draws a deep breath. "She hasn't stopped looking, she drive herself mad iv she keep trying."
"She just vants to properly thank her is all." He laid a hand on Viktor's shoulder. It had been a constant topic in the Krum household. Sophia Krum was adamant about finding the girl who saved her life and, frankly, so was Viktor. He couldn't get the fierce witch out of his head.
"I know, I do too." He sighs and glances back at the Gryffindor table to watch another girl stand up; and his breath catches in his throat, he'd know that head of hair anywhere. It had stood out so brightly against the darkness of that night. "Cousin, I am not veeling well, I am returning to ship."
"Oh okay do you vant- and he is gone."
"Okay, that's it, I'm going to find Hermione and see if she's okay. There's too much testosterone around right now and honestly, I don't feel like dealing with it anymore." The redhead snaps. The Hogwarts and Durmstrang boys had been glaring at each other since dinner started. She rolls her eyes. "This does not mean you're off the hook yet Ron, you still have to apologize to her tomorrow." When her brother doesn't give an answer and instead continues to stare down across the Great Hall, she scoffs. "I've officially lost my appetite."
"I'll make sure he apologizes in the morning, don't worry Gin." Harry grins.
"At least you're still sane Harry." She chuckles with a blush tinting her pale cheeks.
"I'm just happy that this year in no way, shape, or form, has anything to do with me."
"Now, don't jinx yourself Potter." She jests before following in Hermione's footsteps.
Ginny had almost made it to the third floor when she knew she was being followed. Ducking behind a corner and into an alcove, she waited.
"Ah laĭna" The man swears, turning the corner behind her. Viktor wasn't sure what had happened; one moment he was following the redhead, next moment he had a wand under his chin.
"What do you want? Why are you following me?" She asks angrily.
"Is dis normal for English vomen? I just haff question." He wasn't sure if he'd survive the year if this is how all English girls were.
"Wait, are you?" She takes her wand away from under his chin "Lumos. You're Viktor Krum!?"
"Da, I am." He nods; grateful to no longer be at the end of a wand. "And I haff question."
"I unfortunately do not believe its whether I'll go on a date with you." She sighs and he shakes his head with barely a hint of a grin. "Bummer."
"Vas it you at the Vorld Cup? The healer in the voods?" he asks, preferring to get straight to the point.
"How did you- bloody hell that was you?! I'm glad you're okay, how is your family?" Recognition flares in her bright eyes. Viktor Krum was the last person she had expected to be the man that saved her best friend yet, she was glad it was. Hermione had, begrudgingly, admitted to her that she had wondered about the woman and boy she had save and the man that saved her.
"Vey are doing well, Mama is healing nicely but she vould like to properly thank the girl who saved her. Do you know where she is? Vhere I can send owl to yes?" His hopeful eyes didn't match his stoic face and Ginny had to bite her cheek to keep from grinning.
"Send and owl to? Viktor you don't need to do all that." Ginny chuckles, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"My mama-"
"No, I mean, you can just go talk to her. She goes to school here. She's a grade above me." She watched as his frown faltered for a moment, obviously caught off guard by the news. He hadn't expected a witch that was able to duel as she had to still be a student.
"…Oh." He wasn't sure but in the faint wand light he could have sworn he saw her roll her eyes.
"You're lucky I caught you when I did, I was just going to find her. The library was already closed so she's most likely in the prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor. Every year she gets the password but she never tells me where from. I mean, of course she shares it with me but, I want to know her connections." The girl, Ginny Weasley- he had just learned, rambles. He follows along, listening idly. It was refreshing compared to the quietness of Durmstrang.
"Okay we're here." She announces, stopping before a large wooden door. "Let me go in first, you know to make sure she's decent." Turning towards the door she knocks twice. "Stroopwafels" The door clicks and she heads inside.
Leaning against the wall, he waits a few moments before hearing clattering and a big splash followed by "You did What?! He's Where?!"
One big thud later and the door opens.
"Iz everything okay?" he asks the readhead when she exits the bathroom a bit worse for wear.
"Oh yeah she's fine, the first day back is always a bit hectic for her. Anyways, I'll be…uh not here." She says giving him a thumbs up before disappearing.
The door opens again and the girl from the Great Hall, the one that had stormed out. steps out almost shyly. Wide eyes stare up at him in shock.
Viktor had always been a naturally observant man and couldn't help taking in the way her cheeks were flushed red and how her hair was piled on top of her head in a mass of curls.
Not to mention the black silk robe, if you could even call it that, it barely reached past her mid-thigh, that clung to her because of the steam.
No, bad Viktor. You are here for reason and reason is not because she is most beautiful thing you've ever seen. He berates himself/
"Hi" She smiles "I'm Hermione Granger, I heard you were looking for me?" Holding her hand out for a handshake.
Ami maĭnata. Tya e edinstvenata
His own thoughts catch him off guard as he continues to stare at the woman before him.
Her hand lingers in the air for a moment before he breaks out of his stupor.
"Da, I am Viktor Krum" he smiles faintlygrins, taking her hand and kissing the back of it as his mother had always told him to do when meeting someone of importance. "Are you okay? I heard a loud bang?" he asks.
No that was not the reason you came here. He tries to ground himself mentally, hoping to get straight to the point as he had with the redhead.
"Ah yeah my robe fell." She waves it off, hoping he wouldn't notice the way her cheeks had begun to redden in embarrassment.
"That sounded a lot heavier than robe." He surprises himself when an easy grin slips onto his face. She wasn't very good at lying.
"Okay, I was in the robe. Is that why you wanted to see me?" she looks up at him, crossing her arms across her chest protectively. A habit she had picked up after being petrified her second year. The gesture made her feel secure whenever she was nervous.
"Are you by chance girl vrom Vorld Cup?" He bites back the unusual chuckle that tries to climb his throat, instead letting out a small cough.
He almost regrets asking when he sees her smile falter before she nods.
"Yes, I am, you helped me, right? I'm sorry I didn't recognize you; I was pretty out of it by the time you got to me. How is your mum? Is your brother okay?" Her concern for his family was shinning on her face like a beacon and it left an oddly warm feeling in his stomach.
"Da they, are both vine. Mama just wants to vank you personally for helping her. You safed her and my brother. You do not need apologize, I did not recognize you either." The awkward tension in her relaxes at his words and she smiles brightly.
"Yeah I'd hope I look a little different not covered in soot and blood." She laughs "I don't need any thanks, I did what anyone would do in the moment. I'm just happy they're safe but, since you're here, I'd like to thank you for helping me, a minute later and I'd have been… well not here." How easily she spoke of death intrigued him. He knows many a wizard that would not have been able to stare death in the face as she had. She was peculiar. Peculiar enough to pique his interest.
"I von't need any vanks, I did what anyone vould do in the moment. I'm just happy you're save." The stiffness in his posture waves as he attempts to not be so formal. Hermione was treating him like a normal person and he would do the same for her. She laughs and smacks his arm harder than he expects.
"Ha Ha I get it." She rolls her eyes. The two sit in almost companionable silence for a fe moments before Viktor speaks once more.
"If I become Champion, Mama will be here for first task, she vill want valk to you." His doubt in his ability to be chosen causes her to raise a brow in disbelief.
"What do you mean if? Your headmaster is betting on it. Otherwise why else would he march you down like a stallion during your entrance."
"You vink I'm stallion?" his grin falls when she looks up at him with a serious expression.
"It's probably not my place but, do you want to enter the tournament? Do you know how dangerous it is? Every year either someone dies or is seriously injured. Being in constant mortal danger isn't for everyone. I believe you can do it, don't get me wrong you handled yourself extremely well during the World Cup and you're one of the youngest people I've ever seen use that spell but, is it worth it?" She asks.
"You sound like Mama" He smiles "I vant to enter, I vant to prove to self I can do it."
"Men" she grumbles with a roll of her eyes.
"Uh, hey Mione', I hate to interrupt but curfew was about five minutes ago and you know how Filch gets at the beginning of the year. Please tell me you-" Ginny intervenes
"Have the cloak? You know I do." She smiles. "It was nice seeing you again Viktor, you'll be integrating into some of my classes so we are probably going to be seeing each other quite a bit. "Accio Invisibility Cloak."
A purple cloak flies into her hands moments later.
"Vandless magic?" He raises an eyebrow as she just grins.
"Just the simple stuff, wait Viktor, where are you going? Do you know how to get there?" She asks.
He nods "Accio Firebolt." Moments later his broom comes through the window and into his hand. "Just simple stuff da?" He shrugs.
"What?! No fair I want to be able to do wandless magic too." Ginny pouts, pulling the cloak around herself.
"Vait, she's gone. Vhat?" he asks with wide eyes.
"Again, nice seeing you Viktor" Hermione waves before disappearing as well.
If all English women are like this he thinks to himself It won't be the tournament that takes me out.