Despite Sirius' approval of their plan to get Harry through the tournament, Hermione still wanted a second opinion. While Sirius and Harry caught up with each other, Hermione slipped out of Gryffindor Tower to find Thorfinn. When she did find him, he was surrounded by other Slytherins. A quick splitting hex to the seam of his bag, spilled the contents all over the floor, forcing him to stop. Grinning, she ducked around the corridor as Rowle swore.
"You can't afford a decent bag, really?" One of the other Slytherin boys asked, snickering at Thorfinn.
"Watch it Toshka," Rowle said, rolling his eyes at his housemate. Bending a knee to gather his scattered belongings Thorfinn added, "Don't wait up for me. I'll catch up."
Thankfully for Hermione, none of his classmates argued with Rowle. She waited silently for his friends to disappear.
"Alright Baby Girl," Thorfinn called out. "I know you're there." Despite purposefully using a spell he'd recognize as hers, Hermione couldn't prevent the wave of irritation at how easily he identified her. He grinned at her as she stepped out into the corridor.
"Resorting to stealing my spells again?"
"Had to get your attention," Hermione answered, feigning nonchalance with a shrug. She refused to give her hormones control. The seventh year stood up and towered over her while he smirked at her.
"You always have my attention. Though you rarely seem to realize it. Care to explain your decision to suddenly dung bomb the library?"
"Not particularly," Hermione answered. "You already heard what I told Professor Snape."
"Jealous of Krum's fan club then? I suppose you plan on snaring him for yourself?"
"Of course not!"
"Careful Baby Girl," Thorfinn teased as she glared at him. "He might not be able to handle you."
"My interest lies elsewhere, if you must know," Hermione blurted out, before a bright red stained her cheeks as he towered over. Her eyes widened as her own words washed over her, and she pivoted to why she'd sought Rowle out.
"What would happen if Harry refused to participate in the tournament?"
She wasn't expecting Rowle to suddenly tug her towards him, much less maneuver the two of them into the nearest classroom. Hermione realized immediately that the room was oddly shaped. In fact, it was much larger than the rest of the classrooms, but Hermione was more concerned with Thorfinn's reaction, even more so as she watched him ward the door.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Rowle answered, conjuring two chairs for them. "I don't want to be overheard. Princess you have a habit of blurting out the wrong information where others can hear you."
"Excuse me?"
"Sometimes it's better to be discreet," Rowle told her. "Now, who else knows that Potter might not compete?"
"No one. Professor Dumbledore has informed Harry that he has no choice, and that it's a binding magical contract, but Harry never signed anything!"
"Depending on the magical contract used, he wouldn't necessarily have to sign anything," Rowle told her. In fact, you could create a library with just books about them. The Goblet of Fire has always been well guarded. My guess is that it uses the magic of the selected champion to bind them."
"Harry didn't touch it, the parchment, or go near the goblet," Hermione said. "Exactly how would it have the ability to bind him? His magic hasn't been in contact with it."
"That you know of," Thorfinn corrected her. "Even if someone else put Potter's name in, stealing a sample of his magic would be as simple as snagging one of his school essays. Remember the Goblet only needs a scrap of parchment with a name on it."
"What's the consequences of breaking it?" Hermione asked persistently.
"It could endanger his magical core and those of the other champions," Rowle said.
"Which would be too much to risk," Hermione muttered thoughtfully. "What about if Harry participated in the tasks, but made no effort to complete them? It can't penalize him for failing right?"
"Honestly, I don't know," Rowle admitted, looking at her with an amused expression. "Dumbledore would though."
Hermione scoffed, "He's forcing Harry to participate. I doubt he'd provide helpful information. He'll just emphasize the magical contract. Honestly, it's just another one of his bloody tests."
"Careful Princess," Thorfinn warned, suddenly looking at her seriously. "Dumbledore has quite a bit of power and supporters. Not everyone will take kindly to hearing such an accusation without substantial evidence."
"Well he's prone to making stupid decisions when it comes to Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, as her temper got the better of her. "Not even Sirius wants Harry anywhere near the tournament, and he's prone to brash actions."
"Sirius Black?" Thorfinn asked sharply. "Hermione, why are you in contact with a mass murderer?"
Hermione stared at Thorfinn's face, suddenly hyper aware at poor ability to lie, and internally cursed herself for the slip up.
"Don't be scared," Rowle said his voice gentler, no doubt expecting her to bolt. "Tell me why you're in contact with a fugitive, particularly one who killed 12 muggles, and tried to kill Potter last year."
"He didn't! Sirius didn't do it," Hermione protested reactively. "Pettigrew set him up, and Sirius realized he was near Harry, so he broke out of Azkaban. He'd been living as a rat."
"An Animagus," Rowle repeated while watching her with a critical eye. "Solid strategy. Having a Black hunt you down would be enough to force anyone into hiding."
"Dumbledore refuses to clear Sirius' name, and the Ministry is incompetent. They never gave Sirius a trial; they just locked him in a cell. You can't tell anyone Harry and I are in contact with him!"
"Baby girl, listen to me," Rowle spoke softly as though he knew she was likely to bolt, "I swear on my magic that I won't share that you know where Sirius Black is unless concealing it harms you."
Hermione nodded jerkily, before she spontaneously launched herself at Thorfinn and hugged him. If he was surprised, he didn't show it, and simply hugged her back.
While Hermione was reassured when she departed from Thorfinn, and made the trek back to Gryffindor Tower, eventually facing her housemates began to diminish her mood. Reaching the tower, Hermione saw Harry sitting in an armchair by the fireplace, and joined him.
"He's staying nearby in Hogsmeade," Harry told her, referencing his godfather. Hermione nodded as she sat down next to him. "Where'd you disappear to?"
"I wanted a second opinion," Hermione admitted. "Apparently if you outright break the contract you can fracture your magical core and that of the other champions."
Harry promptly grimaced at her before teasing her, "Who'd you ask, Malfoy?"
Without missing a beat, Hermione grinned at him, "Yes. I waltzed up to Draco Malfoy and demanded information about magical contracts. After reminding me that he abhors muggleborns, he obliged me over tea in the kitchens."
"You're so full of it," Harry said, laughing at her determined face and farcical story. Unfortunately, the two were interrupted by their disgruntled housemates.
"So now you're not just losing a catastrophic amount of points, but your cuddling up to blood purist Slytherins?" Ron asked smarmily. Looking up, Hermione and Harry saw that there were several Gryffindors, from different years, gathered behind him, and all were glaring outright at them.
"I'm shocked you can pronounce the word catastrophic, much less use it correctly in a sentence," Hermione answered, her good mood evaporating entirely, despite Harry's snickers. Predictably, Ron's ears turned bright red, and Hermione was positive their housemates would be laughing as well if they weren't so angry at her.
"You'd think with brothers life Fred and George he'd understand a joke when he hears one," Harry muttered. "Who knew he'd take after Percy."
"Don't talk about my brothers!" Ron retorted before grinning nastily at Hermione. "Apparently you've been keeping secrets from Potter. She's been slinking around with Thorfinn Rowle. Clearly she's decided that a Death Eater scion is worth slumming it for."
"Apparently Granger's been keeping secrets from you Potter.
"I'd watch your mouth if I were you," Harry growled at Ron.
"I don't think so," the student answered. "Granger sabotaged our chances in the house cup, and now she's been seen cozying up to the enemy. Clearly she's a traitor to our house."
"Yes, because having friends in another house automatically makes one evil," Hermione said sarcastically. "Honestly are you really this desperate for attention? You're just jealous that Harry's in the tournament."
"Personally, Granger's our hero!" Fred interrupted pushing his way through the crowd with George and Lee Jordan on his heels.
"300 points?!" George added.
"They've never lost that much," Lee told Hermione, rolling his eyes. "Honestly I'm more annoyed that they won't shut up about how you're secretly a little deviant, and now they might honestly be in love with you."
"Lee!"
"Shut up!"
"We can woo Granger ourselves," the twins said as Fred winked at Hermione, who was slowly turning bright pink.
"Of course we can. Haven't you seen our beauty? Not like ickle ronniekins. He got the bad genes."
"Oi shut it!" Ron growled at his brothers, who ignored him. Instead, George dropped to his knees in front of Hermione.
"Oh temptress, will you accompany me to Hogsmeade?"
"Us," Fred corrected his twin. "He means us, we'll allow you a protective chaperone, Potter?"
"Sure!" Harry said, clearly struggling to contain his mirth. "Hermione would be delighted to have you escort her on a proper date to Hogsmeade, and I will happily supervise to make sure she behaves."
"Excellent man!"
"We look forward to dazzling you with our prowess!"
"Let's see Rowle compete with us."
"I'm going to murder you," Hermione hissed at Harry, who was too busy grinning to take her seriously.
Unfortunately, dismissing Ron would prove to bear far reaching consequences that Hermione and Harry failed to anticipate. Furthermore, despite the Weasley twins' assistance in diffusing the hostile crowd, Gryffindors remained angry at both Harry and Hermione. Ron managed to incite their housemates along with himself over Hermione's newly discovered affiliation, loss of house points, and Harry's forced participation in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
Waking up in the morning, Hermione realized her own roommates, particularly Lavender and Parvati were purposefully taking longer in the bathroom than they normally did to use up all the hot water and make Hermione late. Considering all she needed to do in the morning was brush her teeth since she'd showered the night before, it didn't particularly matter.
However, when Hermione grabbed her homework off her desk and realized one of her roommates drenched her work in ink incensed her.