Author Note:
So, I bring to with this chapter both good news and bad news. I'll start with the good. The good news is that with this chapter book four finally has come to a close! We have made it through another book of the series and what an exciting one it was! The Triwizards' Tournament saga has come to a close and the good news is that it doesn't end here! While the characters in our story have already come so far, they all still have so much further to go! Which leads me to the bad news(I'm sorry!) The bad news is that you will have to be patient for a little while. Book 5 has been the biggest undertaking I have ever done. To give you some perspective, book five is already 110k words long, book four as a whole was 156k long, and book 5 is not even halfway done. I would venture to even say that Book 5 is not a quarter of the way done!
Along with just the sheer length that book 5 will end up being, with each and every book I try to become a better writer. I am trying to put my best stuff into book 5, therefore I am taking a lot more time with it. Book 5 is where the series breaks free from all its chains and truly the series begins. So many things have been building up to this moment and book five is where we see it all happen. I hope this gets you more excited for book 5 and does not dissuade you from sticking around.
This all being said I often times am unclear with my author notes so I just want to set it all out. 1. The series is not over! I am slaving away to finish book 5 each and everyday and as soon as I finish the last chapter and get all of my edits done I will again start posting to the series, but not a second before I finish the last chapter! 2. In the meantime I will still be checking the forum, my messages, and the reviews everyday. So feel free to reach out to me or post there in the meantime! Your words are the best fuel to my fire and the best way to help me along and finish this quicker is through your words. 4. Lastly, thank you to all my readers who have stuck out with the series this far! You mean so much to me and your support has helped me out so much not only with this series but in life as a whole.
A lot of readers of fanfic don't quite understand how truly hard it is to write and create something of your own, and especially how hard it is to write something this large. Over 19 months of my life have been spent with this series in the back of my mind. While it is nowhere near perfect(trust me I have wanted to rewrite it a thousand times and I most likely will once I finish the first draft of it all) it has surpassed what I ever could have imagined it could. And it is all thanks to you guys! So, I apologize that you will have to wait a little while for book 5, I will try to go fast! But I hope you enjoy the last chapter of book 4 and have enjoyed everything up until now.
Until the next chapter!
Hermione
"Oh-my-god!" She whimpered out through heavy breaths as Harry rolled off her and layed next to her in his bed. "That was incredible."
"Yeah-incredible," Harry replied, his breath just as heavy as hers as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
"You are incredible," she rolled over on her side to face him, her cheeks hurting a little from the large smile plastered all over her face as she stared at her man.
"I know," Harry joked with a smile before rolling over on his side to face her and giving her another peck on the lips.
"I love you."
"I love you, Hermione."
"God, I'm going to miss this school," Hermione pouted, finally starting to catch her breath.
"I don't know how much I'll miss the school, but I definitely will miss you being able to sneak into my bedroom all the time," Harry replied.
"If only I was a Gryffindor," she tried to imagine the prospect of her being a lion, as much as she would have enjoyed being in the same house as Harry it was hard to picture her anywhere else but Ravenclaw.
"I would have failed all of my classes if we were in the same house. I would've been too busy sneaking out into the common room at night to meet you for some late night snogging and never got any sleep!" Harry joked.
"I can't believe you think I am the type of girl to sneak out for some late night snogging Mr. Potter!" she quipped.
"So you don't want to see if Hogwart's astronomy tower is as romantic at night as Durmstrang's is with me tonight for some late night snogging?" Harry asked her seductively, bringing his face inches from hers.
"Of course I do!" She quickly replied, kissing his lips.
"Mhmm I thought so!" Harry laughed as their lips parted.
"You know me too well. I'm gonna miss our tower here," she replied sadly. Though they had only been back to their tower one other night since the Yule Ball she would always hold it in a special place in her heart.
"I am to, we will have to make an excuse one day to come back and visit Durmstrang, even if it is to just visit our tower."
"Are you two re-OH MY GOD! MY EYES!" Marik screamed from the doorway as he walked into the room. Hermione dove under the covers as quickly as she could to hide and cover herself.
"MARIK!" she screamed out at him from under the covers.
"Hermione since when do you have a tattoo on your ass?" Marik shouted.
"I do not!" she screamed back, her cheeks reddening.
"You guys got in here two hours ago! How the hell are you both not-finished and clothed yet!" Marik replied, his voice filled with shock.
"Well see what had happened was-we were finished, then we decided to, well, not be finished and go agai-OW!" Harry started to say but jumped under the covers when she pinched him before he said more than Marik needed to know.
"Yeah, I didn't need to know that. Well you're both finished now, we don't have much more time. Both of you get dressed so I can actually see my girlfriend off before she gets shipped back to France," Marik ordered.
"Fine!" Harry groaned out as his head fell back to the pillow. Hermione peeked her head out from under the covers.
"Um Marik," she mumbled.
"Yeah Mione?" Marik asked, his eyes still closed and covered by his hands.
"Could you go outside for a second so I can get dressed?" she insisted.
"Oh yeah, right, right, sorry!" Marik turned to face the door, knocking his knee on the frame as he did so. "Son of a bitch! I'll wait for you both out in the hall, just be quick. Oh, and Harry."
"Yeah?" Harry asked.
"Nice butt!" Marik laughed and was out of the door just before the pillow Harry had thrown could hit him.
"He's right you know," she said to Harry as she rubbed her hand down his chest.
"About what?
"You do have a cute butt!" she gave Harry's bum a quick pinch and was immediately engulfed in a full body tackle.
It took them a little while to get out of bed and dressed after that but eventually they somehow managed. Today was their last day at the Durmstrang Institute. Classes had all come to an end a few days ago and the last few days following the end of the Triwizards' Tournament had been spent finishing up end of year projects and packing.
They had expected the end of the year to be hectic and crazy but to be honest Hermione and her friends had been disappointed in the lack of celebration at the conclusion of the tournament. She had woken up in the hospital wing the night after the final task to find that all of Hogwarts had already returned home and that life inside the German school had returned to normal. Dumbledore had come to congratulate them all in the hospital wing briefly but other than that it was as if the whole tournament had never even taken place. She had ventured to guess that the lack of celebration was due to a Hogwarts team winning at the Durmstrang school. But still, she had been disappointed to say the least.
With all of their wounds healed and their projects finished she and Harry had spent their last few days trying to make as many good memories as they could in the castle. Much to Marik's dismay Hermione had spent more hours inside Harry's room than he had this past week.
All in all she was going to miss Durmstrang a little when they left. This year had been a good one in her books and although she was welcoming their return to Hogwarts and Britain she was sure she would miss certain things about the school.
"Took you two long enough!" Marik scoffed as they made their way out into the hallway and started towards the dining hall.
"Sorry, we got-distracted," Harry apologized as he wrapped his hand around her waist.
"Eww! I didn't need to hear that either!" Marik groaned.
"Oh stop being so jealous!" she replied.
"Jealous? I am certainly not jealous of you two horny teenagers," Marik tried to argue.
"He is definitely jealous," Harry whispered into her ear.
"Definitely," she whispered back.
"I heard that!" Marik called out.
The main hall of Durmstrang was filled to the brim with students from each of the three schools. Everyone was saying their last goodbyes to their friends and acquaintances from the other schools before they all headed home. She wasn't sure why but it made her happy to see everyone from the different schools together and getting along like this. Their entire year most of the students in the other schools had felt like rivals and enemies but now everyone here looked like they were the best of friends.
"There you finally are!" a voice called out from the crowd. Hermione turned to its source to see Fleur emerge from a group of Beauxbatons students and head over to them.
"Blame the two horny harpies behind me!" Marik replied as he wrapped Fleur in a hug.
"Sounds like you both had a good goodbye then," Fleur said with a smile and gave Hermione a wink.
"That we certainly did," she replied, pulling Harry's body closer to hers.
"Its hard to believe this is all coming to an end already. I was getting used to having Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students in the same school. Its gonna be weird going back to just Hogwart's students," Harry added.
"It did all go by fast didn't it?" Fleur admitted.
"Time flies when you're having fun," Marik added.
"I wasn't having any fun," Fleur joked.
"And I'm leaving!" Marik blurted and pretended to leave.
"Oh come here baby! You know I had fun this year!" Fleur, insisted as she grabbed Marik and pulled him back into a hug and gave him a loud kiss.
"Well we will give you two lovebirds a moment alone. Marik, we will wait for you outside. Take your time," Harry stated and pulled Hermione towards the front door.
"You better wait!" Marik called after them.
"Oh Hermione!" Fleur called out to her.
"Yes?"
"Write me as soon as you get to your house in Paris. We have a long list of places to go and things to do this summer and I am not letting you get out of it!" Fleur ordered.
"I will, I promise! See you later Fleur!" she replied.
"Bye!"
"Was there anyone else you wanted to say goodbye to?" Harry asked as they made their way outside.
"Nope, think I'm all goodbye'd out for the day. You?"
"I'm all good to," Harry answered.
"I feel bad for them," Hermione confessed as they walked the cobbled path leading to the site of their portkey.
"Who is them?" Harry asked.
"Marik and Fleur," she replied.
"Why do you feel bad for them? They both looked happy as always to me."
"Because, who knows when they will get to see eachother again. And even if they see each other over the summer they will have to part ways again when the school year starts. I just couldn't imagine not getting to see you everyday or not knowing when I may see you next," she replied, a little embarrassed at admitting how attached she was. It was true though.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. They will find a way to make it work I'm sure. Marik is certainly wrapped around her finger tight enough that I have no doubt he will do whatever it takes to make it work," Harry replied.
"I hope so, they are cute together and Fleur is good for Marik."
"Not as good as you are for me," Harry spun her in front of her, catching her off guard and dipping her by the waist where he then kissed her again lightly.
"Alright you two, enough of that!" A stern voice ordered from behind them. Hermione opened her eyes only to immediately blush bright red as she put McGonagall's face to the words.
"Professor! Sorry!" she and Harry mumbled out in unison. McGonagall only continued to stare at them.
"Where is the final member of the trio? I'm not used to seeing him not attached to one of your hips," Professor McGonagall asked them.
"He will be here shortly Professor, he was saying his goodbyes," Harry replied and they stood in silence for a few awkward moments.
"By the way, why are you here Professor? I thought the Headmaster was supposed to see us home," she asked Professor McGonagall. So far this year she had only seen their transfiguration professor's familiar face a few times and was surprised to see it again here at Durmstrang now.
"Dumbledore was called back to the castle to attend to-something this morning so he asked me to take care of the escort. Is that okay with you Miss Granger?"
"Yes mam, sorry, I didn't mean it to come out like that," she apologized for sounding rude.
"By the way Miss Granger, I was going to wait to tell you later tonight but seeing as we have some free time here while we wait for the last few students I have some good news for you," Professor McGonagall started to say.
"You do? What is it?" Hermione asked, unable to hide her anxiousness and excitement. There were few times where someone like Professor McGonagall said anything that was good news.
"Well, my contact in the French Paper, Le Monde, I told you and Professor Snape about replied to me this morning."
"What did they say?" Hermione interrupted.
"She said that your essay and research on potential substitutes in the burn healing elixir was enlightening and inspiring. She was very surprised when I told her that you were only a fourth year. Anyways, she wanted me to ask you to send her any more information on the subject that you can and that if you are interested she would like to conduct an interview with you this summer for an article in the paper."
"Are you serious?" Hermione asked her transfiguration Professor in disbelief.
"Miss Granger, in your four years at Hogwarts have you ever known me to be anything but serious?" Professor McGonagall asked her with an unamused expression.
"Good point! This is incredible! I thought that essay was some of my poorer work, I can't believe she thought it was that good!"
"Hermione, you think everything you do isn't your best work. That paper was brilliant and you know it!" Harry interjected.
"You have to say that Harry!" she argued. Of course her boyfriend had to say something sweet like that.
"I don't have to say anything Hermione," Harry started to counter.
"Yeah, okay Harry," she interjected with a smile and gave him a peck on the cheek. He said the cutest things sometimes.
"Well done," Professor McGonagall whispered towards her with a smile.
"Well, congratulations Hermione on getting another interview," Harry added.
"Who is getting an interview? Please tell me we don't have to do another interview? I will literally die if I have to do another interview!" Marik chimed in from behind them.
"Nice of you to finally join us Mr. Ose. I was just telling your friend Miss Granger that she was offered an interview and an article piece for the essay she recently submitted to me," McGonagall announced to Marik.
"The one on the burn elixir? Congrats Mione that's awesome!" Marik replied.
"Thanks Marik."
"So how many articles is that now, eight?" Harry asked her.
"Eleven actually, if you count the one I helped Dumbledore with on the unicorn stable for the Prophet," she answered.
"Eleven now? Damn, and here I think me and Harry both have managed one so far," Marik chuckled.
"I have published two articles I'll have you know! And four if you count the ones Mcgonagall and her partner published with mentions of me in it!" Harry attempted to counter.
"Yeah, we don't count that," she and Marik said in unison. Harry crossed his arms and mumbled something under his breath in defeat.
"Now that everyone has arrived I need everyone to arrange themselves into groups of three and take a portkey. Come now," McGonagall announced to them and the rest of the Hogwarts students gathered around their portkey departure location.
Hermione took a portkey, which this time was large quill feather, from the Professor and held it out so that Harry and Marik could grab ahold.
"Guess this is the final goodbye huh?" she thought out loud as she looked back over Durmstrang's ground one final time.
"Guess so," Harry replied.
"And good riddance!" Marik quipped.
One after another small pops sounded around them as prokeys went off. Hermione braced herself for theirs. The feeling was one that she still had trouble getting used to. Pop after pop sounded and she waited for her world to spin.
"Ummm, soo. . ." Marik mumbled after a few minutes of the last pop sounding. Hermione followed his gaze and saw that every other group had been portkeyed away except for them.
"Yeah. . ." Harry replied, his face a mixture of confusion and concern.
"Guys?" she asked, a little panic in her voice.
"Did we fuck something up?" Marik asked them, leaning in closer to look at the quill feather portkey.
"Don't let go!" she screamed at him as his fingers lost their hold for a brief second.
"Sorry jeez!"
"Sorry Marik, the last thing we need to happen is for one of us to get stranded here."
"I don't think we did anything wrong? How can you fuck up a portkey? You just hold it and wait," Harry said.
"Maybe Professor McGonagall didn't activate ours?" she proposed.
"I doubt Professor McGonagall would make a mistake as big as that," Harry replied.
"Well what else could it be? It's been at least five minutes since the last portkey went off, something has to be wrong," Marik pointed out.
"Maybe we should go to the castle and tell the Headmaster-" Hermione started to say but her sentence got cut off as her world started spinning violently. Twist after turn and bend after bend her body was squeezed and stretched through the portkey. As always, just as she began to grow accustomed to the feeling the spinning slow and her feet landed on solid ground.
"CONGRATULATIONS!" a deafening roar sounded as soon as Hermione's feet hit the ground. Large volumes of applause, cheering, congratulations, and the music of the Hogwarts school song rang through her ears. She fell into shock as her eyes adjusted to the sight before her.
She had arrived in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, which was currently filled to the rafters with students and decorated on its every inch. Three house banners hung from the ceiling one for each of her, Harry's, and Marik's houses. Fireworks had replaced the night sky on the enchanted ceiling and every so often one of them exploded out into one of their names. Above the teacher's table a large banner was strung from one side of the hall to the other. Congratulations to our Triwizards' Champions was written in enchanted ink on it and sparkled and glittered in the light of the Hall.
Everyone in the Hall was standing on their feet. The spectacle looked like one you would see at a house quidditch game or over the summer dueling tournament. At the Ravenclaw table a number of students had tee shirts with custom writing or pictures on it, others were holding signs that they had made. Hermione read at least two signs that were flashing Hermione is our Hero in Ravenclaw colors and a few dozen shirts that had Go Granger Go painted on them.
Over on the other house tables things were much the same. She saw dozens of signs and shirts dedicated to and cheering on Harry and Marik as well. It was a breathtaking sight and one that was bringing tears to her eyes. She had been told everyone at Hogwarts was cheering them on but she had no idea it was like this. This was incredible.
At the Hufflepuff table Alina had managed to make her way on top of the table and was waving a giant flag that had a picture of the three of them printed on it. Filch was pulling at Alina's ankle, trying desperately in the mob of students to pull Alina down but was failing miserably from the looks of things.
At the top of the Hall all of the professors were giving them a standing ovation, all of them, even Snape, had proud smiles across their faces. In front of the teacher's table, at the center of the room, the Triwizard Cup was placed on a pedestal, gleaming and glowing in all of its elegance. Next to the cup was a group of people, a group that took Hermione a few seconds to recognize. There was Professor Kingsley and his wife Majesty standing next to him. Next to the Shackle bolts Hermione spotted both of Harry's parents, with huge, proud, smiles plastered across their faces. And lastly, next to them Hermione spotted her father and mother, both of which were smiling and looking right at her.
Hermione had to pinch herself and rub her eyes to make sure what she was seeing was real. Never in her life did she expect to be standing in the Great Hall and see her parents. After confirming that they were real she bolted towards them in a full on sprint. She jumped into their arms when she arrived at the front of the hall, pulling both of them closely into her as tears of joy escaped her eyes.
"Hermione, dear you are going to break your father's back again if you keep squeezing him like that," her mother joked.
"Sorry! I just can't believe you both are here! How? Why?" she barely managed to stammer out the words.
"Dumbledore told us about this a while ago so your mother and I took off from work so that we could come. He brought us here a little a while ago through the floo," her father answered.
"You knew about this and you didn't tell me?" she asked, pouting a little that they had kept this a secret from her.
"Well we couldn't spoil the surprise now could we!" her mother replied as they broke their hug off.
"Well I'm so happy to see you both! I love you!" she told them through tears, all of this had quickly become too much for her to handle.
"We love you to Hermione. And congratulations dear," her father said and gave her a peck on the cheek. Before their conversation could continue the sound of someone chiming their glass rang through the Hall. Hermione and her family turned to see the Headmaster standing behind the podium.
"If I could have everyone's attention please. At this time I would like to ask the families of the Champions to please return to their table," the Headmaster pointed at a table set up near the front of the room that Hermione had missed earlier. "I would also like our three Champions to remain where they are for a brief moment." They stood where they were as their parents gave final hugs and kisses and made their way over their table. Dumbledore slowly made his way down from the podium to stand next to them by the cup.
"Since the creation of the Triwizards' Tournament very few witches and wizards have had the honor of participating in the tournament; even fewer have had the great honor of being named Champion. The three students standing proudly to my left have achieved a number of notable titles and honorable achievements in the little time that they have been students within these walls; achievements that many students that have come and gone would only have dreamed of achieving.
"Today, however, you three have achieved something that very few in history have. An achievement that will go down in the magical history texts of Europe and be read by students like yourselves for many years to come. Today you three have earned a title that you will carry with you for the rest of your lives and a title that should be worn as a badge of honor for the rest of your days.
"The Triwizards' Tournament is a task that you three have not only been fighting for yourselves but for all of Hogwarts, and all of magical Britain. The fact that this cup finds itself within the halls of Hogwarts today is proof of the power and determination of a culmination of everyone. These three could never have been named Triwizard Champions had it not been for all of the students in this castle competing against them inside and outside the classroom to be the best they can be.
"These three would not be standing here had it not been for the dedication and hardwork that the determined professors behind me have provided everyday of the school year. And most importantly, these three would not be standing here today had it not been for their loving families here with us today. Their achievement today is a moving testament and reflection of their families and loved ones.
"Hermione Granger-Marik Ose-Harry Potter, the three of you are the clearest image of what a true friendship should be. You have pushed one another to the edge countless times throughout this year but throughout your struggles and trials your bounds of friendship remained strong. Myself, your families, Hogwarts, and all of Britain thank you for your friendship; and we thank you for bringing the Triwizard Cup back home to Hogwarts. Everyone here today, I ask you to rise one final time and please give a round of applause for your Hogwarts, Triwizard Champions!"
Dumbledore finished his speech and once again everyone in Great Hall was on their feet, screaming and clapping, cheering and shouting; Everyone of them cheering for her and her friends. To say that she had been unable to hold back the tears would be a vast understatement. The floodgates had opened only a few words into Dumbledore's moving speech and by now she was sure she had a puddle of tears beneath her feet.
The feeling of being a Triwizard Champion was only now finally starting to settle in. Flashbacks of all of the hard work, all of the late nights, all of the tears, and all the pains and blood came streaming through her mind as she looked out over the Hall. Nothing in her life had ever been as challenging as this year had. Juggling task preparations with school had been a great challenge on its own, that combined with actually competing in the tasks had been near impossible.
Being a Triwizard Champion was one of the sweetest feelings she had ever had; it was only made sweeter by the fact that she had earned the title with two of her best friends. The memories of her year at Durmstrang would always be highlighted by the times she had spent with them.
"Hermione," a soft voice whispered into her ear from beside her. She turned to see Harry, a bright smile on his face. "Help us hold up the cup?" She turned her gaze from Harry over towards the Triwizards' Cup and made her way in between Harry and Marik next to it.
"On three?" Marik asked them.
"On three," she replied.
"One."
"Two."
"Three!" they shouted in unison as together they raised the cup up high into the air of the Hall and once again everyone in Hogwarts burst into another round of applause; celebrating a Hogwarts victory in the Triwizards' Tournament.
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