Hermione was easing up. In all honesty she hadn't felt safe not since the world cup. But now that she was on the train back to Hogwarts she felt a little safer. In truth though she was expecting at any moment for the train to come to a halt and for death eaters to swarm in. The night they had attacked the camp site Hermione had never been so scared in her life. It had been a true test for her, and though the others had assured her that she had passed with flying colors, she wasn't so sure of herself. Crouch had applauded her dueling skills and her bravery, but Hermione didn't feel so brave. She had nearly been shaking the whole time until Mr. Weasley had found her and the young man she had been tending to. Which later she had found out had been Viktor Krum the "great" seeker.

Hermione furrowed her brow. She had been somewhat stupid not recognizing him. She had after all just seen him nearly win the world cup. She had been too scared though to tell celebrity from ordinary person. In all truth though the status of famous didn't mean much to her, she was after all the friend to the boy who lived. To Hermione you weren't truly famous until you had secured yourself in history and she doubted that catching a snitch had done that for Krum.

"Mione you okay?" she looked up to see Harry looking at her worriedly from behind his glinting glasses.

"Oh yeah sorry just went off in my thoughts for a moment." She said with a smile. "Are you alright? How's your head doing?" Harry had been knocked out momentarily after being kicked in the head during the attack.

"Oh all healed but I'm still having headaches here and there… You think magic would extend far enough to get rid of them." He said.

"When we get to the school Pumfrey can take a look." Ron said.

"Just what I want to do, go up and see the nurse. I'd rather go straight to the great hall and find out exactly what the big deal at the school is." Harry said.

"My parents were pretty excited." Ron said.

"Hermione do you have any clue?" Harry asked.

"I was sworn to secrecy by Ron's parents but it should be a fun time… If not dangerous. Then again what would Hogwarts be for us without a bit of danger?" She asked settling back into her seat on the train while her friends smiled. Though she knew some of what was going to happen she wasn't all sure. There were limited resources as to what exactly was going to happen. All she knew was there was going to be a tournament, with other participating schools and seeing as they were heading to Hogwarts, her school would be hosting every one. She smiled, excited that she would be meeting new people.

-o-

Hermione, Harry and Ron sat at their table waiting for the headmaster to come up to the podium. Ron and Harry were staring at Dumbledore with intense eyes just wanting to get the announcements over with so they could eat while Hermione was looking over the familiar great hall. She truly felt safe now, and heavily relieved that Harry was in the capable hands of Dumbledore. Every summer since meeting Harry Potter she was in constant fear for his life.

That's why she had taken to writing him every night if she could. Though he only replied to the ones that were important which was usual one out of the dozen she wrote a day. But if she didn't write to him she felt like she was leaving him by himself knowing that Ron only wrote once a week. Besides in many ways Harry was her link to the magical world. Though she loved her muggle life, the wizarding world had many advantages.

"Here it comes…" Ron said nearly bouncing in his chair.

"Boys…" Hermione and Ginny muttered together with a smile.

"Are you two even a bit excited?" Fred and George asked them.

"Hermione here already knows what's going to happen." Ginny said.

"So do we but we're still excited!" George said with a laugh.

"How do you two know?" Hermione asked eyeing them.

"Duh Hermione we're brilliant at potions." Fred said.

"We slipped Dad a truth serum."

"That's highly illegal." Ginny said.

"No its not." Hermione Fred and George said together.

"It's just frowned upon." Hermione said.

"Right you are." The twins said smirking before turning to see Dumbledore at his podium.

-o-

"Vould you look at that?" Jamous hit Viktors chest lightly so he could look at a group of girls in blue dresses line up in front of the doors of the great hall while a wiry looking man rushed in through a slight crack in double doors. He was more interested in him then the seemingly lovely ladies. "Do you not see them Viktor?"

"Yes I see them." He said looking them over with a little interest. They batted their eyes at him while smiling and waving slightly before their giant of a headmistress clapped her hands to get them to stay attentive while throwing him a glare. He frowned and looked to his friend who was winking at one of them. "I vouldn't." Viktor said.

"Why not?" Jamous asked.

"Because they are not good trust worthy vomen."

"Who cares about trust worthy? You are such old man, looking for a wife already are you?" Viktor just smiled as he watched the young girls begin to file into the great hall in a very choreographed matter.

"Ready yourselves." Karkaroff said motioning for everyone to get in line as the doors closed to conceal them. "Not you Viktor." he was pulled by his headmaster. "Stand beside me." It made Viktor sick the way his headmaster used him for such trivial things such as attention.

"Don't worry comrade it vill be over soon." Jamous said clapping his friend on the back.

"Dah…" Viktor said with a nod. Soon enough he heard the name of his school called out the doors swung open and the long line of Durmstrang students began to file in.

-o-

Hermione watched as the girls flooded the hall. Smiling and winking at every male they saw. She turned to Ginny who had the same annoyed look. Hermione was all about not judging its book by its cover. But she did make predictions on books by their covers and by their blue covers she predicted a very difficult year with the young women.

"They are very pretty…" Ginny whispered next to her as she watched Harry fawn over them practically drooling as he watched them rush by.

"You could give those girls a run for their money any day." Hermione said and her young friend looked to her with a small smile.

"So could you."

"Ah you're just being sweet now." she said bumping Ginny who laughed lightly.

"Now introducing the proud sons of Durmstrang!"

"Now it's our turn to fawn and drool." Ginny said making Hermione laugh lightly before she began to watch tons of young men file into the great hall. Their cockiness of how they entered spinning large sticks in front of them made her glare. She wondered momentarily if the large sticks they spun represented something else, such as their male "ego".

"Oh my…" a few girls gasped.

"It's Viktor Krum." Ron said. Hermione looked to see the young man walking in way ahead of his headmaster with a somewhat determined look. She frowned as she watched the headmaster behind him look at Viktor with an animalist expression. That was not the look of a caring kind hearted headmaster.

Viktor passed the many tables of envious boys, and drooling girls. He didn't want to look; he hated it when people stared at him. The only time it didn't bother him was when he was on his broom and it was the middle of a game. He wished he had been given the choice to stay back at the school, where everyone had just accepted him as who he was a young man, student, and by chance world athlete. He knew that here it would be different, and he was sure that no one was going to see past his Quidditch title. He followed his brothers and sat at a table that lay beneath the large banner of a snake. As the many students around him stared and gawked, he smiled to himself as he thought back to Hermione, the girl who had saved him. The girl who was the only one to ever not recognize him as the "famous" Bulgarian seeker. He had wondered many times if she had even knew who he was. He wondered if she even knew what Quidditch was.

"Hey there." He turned to see a tall lean blonde boy sitting next to him.

"Uh… Hallo." Viktor said with a polite nod.

"The names Draco, Draco Malfoy." He put his hand out. His headmaster had told him of the boy, though Viktor already knew him from reputation. His father had warned him many times of the Malfoys. His father had told him to watch out if he ever came in contact with one. Though his headmaster had told him that when he met Draco he was to embrace him as a comrade. Viktor would settle thankfully for a hand shake.

"Viktor Krum.' He said.

"I know." Draco said with a smile. "I saw you play at the world cup… Rotten call. You should have won."

"We all think so." Jamous said from beside his friend. He knew that when Malfoy had said it wasn't genuine but for flattery. But Jamous was a different matter, he had been his friend before the trophies, and Quidditch matches, so whatever Jamous said he knew he could trust, as long as it didn't pertain to women.

"You know… I was a player myself. Seeker as well." Malfoy stated.

Here we go… Viktor thought.

"Really Vat's interesting." Jamous said nudging Viktor under the table.

"Did you play Vell?" Viktor asked trying not to smile at his friends antics.

"He was right foul at it." Blaise said earning him a deep glare from his friend.

"This true?" Viktor asked.

"No Blaise here just hates competition; he was just sore he didn't get on the team."

"You still play?" Jamous asked.

"No." Blaise said answering for Draco.

"No." Draco said still glaring at the boy.

"That's right; it was canceled this year for tournament." Viktor said.

"No he was kicked off his first year." Blaise said looking at Draco with challenging eyes.

"Due to injury." Draco said looking to Viktor.

"Vwat happened?" Jamous asked.

"He hurt his wiwi." Blaise said making others howl in laughter while Draco kicked him harshly under the table. Viktor and Jamous put on cold faces though both knew that later that night they were going to tell the whole story to the whole ship.

-o-

The dinner past quickly after an upsetting announcement ( Upsetting to any high strung wizard under the age of 17.) so Hermione wiped her mouth and placed her napkin in the middle of her plate and watched it instantly disappear.

"Well I'm off to the library to see if they need any help down there, I'll be back before nine." She said.

"See ya." Came the muttered replies of her friends. She smiled as she headed off down the great hall. She knew she was one of the first to leave, but she didn't want to dilly dally not when the wondrous calm library awaited her. She walked out of the great hall with a pep to her step thoroughly ready for some much needed study and school prep.

"Well well well…" Hermione froze and turned to see Draco standing next to a few Durmstrang boys.

"Oh it's just you." Hermione said turning and heading away.

"Wait right there mudblood!" she turned and smiled tilting her head.

"Mud blood? Witty." She said her eyes dancing. "Now if you don't have any more insults I will be heading off. Good night." With that she turned and headed out. Viktor came out along with Jamous just in time to see a familiar retreating form. He tilted his head trying to place the female gate. The way she walked off, was very familiar to him but he couldn't remember when he had seen such a thing.

"Mudblood!" Viktors head snapped to look at Draco while the girl continued to walk away. He pulled out a wand and aimed, a bright red light shot towards her she turned and stepped out of the way, it hit the stone well beside her shattering it completely. She looked over it and then back to Draco with a smile.

"What is going on out here?" McGonagall asked rushing out. "Miss Granger what happened?"

"Granger?" Viktor asked wide eyed. The girl had been somewhat far away. Now he recognized her.

"Malfoy attacked the wall." Hermione said. "It was being bad and I guess he felt the urge to punish it."

"What?" she turned to look at the boy when she went to look back Hermione was gone.

"Viktor what is it?" Jamous asked seeing a smile across his face.

"It is nothing." He said. "But I must go now." Jamous watched his friend walk off in the direction of the girl who had just left. He smirked before he caught sight of three blue clad students heading off swaying their hips as they did.

"Oh oh oh…" he whispered rushing to them and throwing his arms around their shoulders. "Hallo Beautiful vomen…" he said making them giggle.