Ginny and Hermione stood alone in the entrance hall, the goblet floating before them, surrounded by a swirling ring of red smoke. The rest of the girls had already come and gone.
Ginny stared at the goblet, her voice low. "Looks eerie, doesn't it?"
Hermione didn't respond immediately, her gaze locked on the goblet as if something about it pulled her in, entrancing her.
Ginny broke the silence again. "You wanna go first?"
Hermione blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "No, you go ahead."
Ginny stepped into the circle of red smoke cautiously, her face tense as she passed through. Nothing happened. The smoke parted easily, harmlessly. Ginny leaned close to the goblet, whispered her name, and then stepped back with a shrug, as if the whole thing had been far less dramatic than expected.
Hermione, still curious, asked, "How did it feel?"
Ginny gave a half-smile, brushing off the tension. "Totally normal."
Hermione stepped into the red circle, the mist curling around her legs as she approached the goblet. Leaning in, she whispered her name softly. As the sound of her voice faded, she noticed the blood inside the goblet swirl slowly, almost as if reacting to her presence. Something drew her closer. Without thinking, she reached out and touched the goblet's surface.
Instantly, a burning sensation flared in her chest, right where the three-symbol wand was etched into her skin. Hermione gasped, her hand pulling back, but the heat pulsed through her like a warning.
Ginny, alarmed, stepped forward. "Hermione, are you okay?"
Hermione nodded weakly, trying to shake off the sudden intensity. But before she could respond further, her vision went dark, and her eyes closed involuntarily. She was back. Back in the dream.
She stood beneath the crescent moon, its pale light casting long shadows in the silent woods. Before her, the raven appeared once more, its dark wings shimmering under the moonlight. It let out a sharp caw before bursting into shadows. The dark tendrils spiraled around her feet like before, but this time they rose into the air, twisting and turning as if they were trying to communicate something.
Hermione felt compelled to follow. She trailed the hovering shadows, stepping over broken twigs and branches. The shadows led her to the edge of a steep hill. And below was an entire herd of Skarooths.
Her eyes flew open, and she stumbled backward out of the red circle, gasping for air. Ginny caught her by the arm.
"What happened to you?" Ginny asked.
Hermione steadied herself, her heart still racing. "I don't know... I saw Skarooth. Not just one... a whole herd."
Ginny's eyes widened. "I thought we left that beast in the past."
Hermione shook her head. "As long as I have the symbol and the Skarwand, I don't think we've truly unlocked that puzzle."
The Great Hall buzzed with anticipation the following day. The goblet floated ominously at the front as Professor Dumbledore stood behind it, his face calm but focused. Whispers filled the room, rising and falling like waves as everyone eagerly awaited the announcement of the lucky students selected for the Beauxbatons trip.
Hermione and Ginny sat together. Across the hall, students were glancing nervously toward the goblet, while others, mostly boys, watched with envy, knowing they weren't even eligible.
Dumbledore raised his hand, silencing the hall instantly. "Good morning, students. As you know, we are about to announce the five girls chosen by the Goblet of Blood to visit Beauxbatons for the summer exchange."
Dumbledore reached out, and a thin wisp of smoke formed into a name. He held the paper high, his voice calm but firm. "The first student selected is… Ingne Kross."
The hall went dead silent. All eyes turned to Ingne, sitting alone at her table. There was no applause, only a few murmurs of shock. She hadn't made it easy for anyone to forget her dramatic outburst the previous day.
Ingne stood, her expression blank, as if daring anyone to say something. She slowly walked to the front of the hall, her eyes never leaving Dumbledore's, who watched her with calm eyes.
Whispers began again—nervous ones, half-concealed by hands cupping mouths. Hermione glanced at Ginny, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, reading out the next name. "Padma Patil."
This time, the hall erupted in cheers from the Ravenclaw table. Padma smiled and stood gracefully, glancing quickly at her twin, Parvati, who gave her an encouraging nod. She walked forward, her eyes wide with excitement, clearly relieved to have been chosen.
The third name floated out of the goblet in a wisp of red smoke. Dumbledore read it aloud. "Cho Chang."
Another round of cheers, louder this time, erupted from the Ravenclaw table. Cho stood, looking both surprised and pleased. She made her way to the front, nodding politely to the applause.
Meanwhile, Hermione and Ginny exchanged glances. "I don't think we're going," Ginny whispered, her tone almost relieved. "There's no way our names will come out after all that."
Hermione nodded, though a small part of her felt a twinge of disappointment. "Yeah, probably not. I guess we'll just—"
Dumbledore's voice cut through their conversation. "Hermione Granger."
Hermione froze. For a moment, her mind went blank. Ginny's eyes widened in shock, her hand grabbing Hermione's arm.
"You got in," Ginny whispered.
"I-I did," Hermione stammered, still in shock. "I thought maybe... but I didn't think it would actually—"
Hermione stood slowly, feeling every pair of eyes in the hall on her. The walk to the front felt longer than usual, her legs stiff. She tried to push away the nervous energy bubbling inside her, but the image of the Skarooth herd from her vision the night before flashed in her mind. What was this trip going to bring?
Dumbledore called out the final name.
"The fifth and final student… Luna Lovegood."
The hall erupted in murmurs of surprise. Ginny's face fell as the realization sank in. Hermione glanced at her, equally shocked.
Ginny forced a smile, but the disappointment was clear. Luna, with her usual dreamy expression, stood up from her seat and walked toward the front, unaware of the tension she'd just caused.