Where I Found You

Hermione took a sharp breath when she broke the surface of the water, the brightness was difficult to adjust. She couldn't understand why she was even in the water, as she tried to comprehend what was happening, she felt an arm around her waist taking her to the dock where a massive group of people was standing and cheering.

"Are you okay?" It was Viktor.

"Yes, I think." She was freezing, to be honest. "What happened?"

"This was the task." He held her tighter.

What?

She immediately looked around to see Harry, but he was nowhere to be seen. Does that mean he got lost? He might've delayed making proper research for the task, but she thought he figured something out. Turning her head to the right, she saw Fleur on the dock under piles of towels, crying her eyes out. Was she hurt? What was going on?

A couple of hands reached out in front of her and she held onto them to climb up. She didn't know where the towels came from, but thanks to them she was immediately getting warm.

"That's Harry Potter!"

A girl's voice pierced the dulled air and Hermione stepped into the crowd to find him. He was laying on the ground with Ron and a small blonde girl was crouched next to him. Fleur went to hug the girl and thanked Harry. It had to be her sister, she remembered seeing her walking around the castle with Fleur before.

"Harry, are you okay?" She immediately checked his head and neck for any scars, but thank Godric there weren't any. 

"I'm good, how about you?" He checked her body for any scars.

"Just a bit cold," she felt herself shiver once again and gestured to the lake. "What happened there?"

"I broke the rules." He half-smiled. 

"Of course you did." She shook her head knowingly, he was good, alright. She didn't need any more detail at the moment.

Igor Karkaroff was encouraging the Durmstrang students to cheer for their champion. They were clapping, patting him on the shoulder, and shouting his name. Viktor himself didn't seem bothered at all, he liked being in the centre.

"ATTENTION!" Dumbledore was holding the tip of his wand to his throat to be heard by everyone, but it was actually hurtful to their ears. "The winner is...Mr. Diggory! Who showed an innate command of Bubble-Head Charm!"

All the Hogwarts students went wild, Harry on the other hand was clapping halfheartedly. The others were mumbling about how if he didn't try to save the others he would've been the winner. Even though it was his choice, this fact still upset him.

"However, seeing as Mr. Potter would have finished first had it not been for his determination to rescue not only Mr. Weasley but the others as well, we have agreed to award him...second place! For outstanding moral fiber!"

Harry's mouth was agape, finishing second while expecting fourth was an unexpected turn of events. Hermione's eyes widened and a huge smile broke out across her face.

"Second place, Harry, second place!"

Joy took hold of Harry as he watched his surroundings. He seemed more shocked than happy but it was understandable since he was supposed to be the last. Hermione hugged him and went back to find Viktor. He was talking to his friends when she saw him. He noticed Hermione, after saying something to the others, he walked towards her.

"So... we were the things that were taken from the champions?“ She fought the urge to smile.

"Yes, that vas also probably the reason the headmaster wanted to speak vith you."

"Yeah, probably."

She tried to remember what happened, but it was all a blur. She could remember going to his office and knocking on the door. She went in and sat down. There was an image of tea, she could taste the bitterness of it as she tried to remember. It was all black after that, she hadn't suspected for one second that Dumbledore would try to hurt her. He didn't of course, but still... she feel betrayed anyway. He could've just asked.

"Uhm, Hermione?" Viktor called.

"Sorry?"

"I vas asking if you want to go somewhere varm?"

She clutched the towels around herself more firmly. It was cold and she needed some warmth, but it didn't particularly mean she had to be with someone. She examined his stance, he didn't seem to have been affected by the cold. He must've been used to it at Durmstrang. She didn't know exactly where Durmstrang was, but the number of times he mentioned the cold and the amount of furs on their uniforms said it all.

"I think I'll take a shower," 

He didn't move a muscle yet his eyes softened anyways. "Okay, ve can meet later."

She gave him a smile and broke through the crowd leaving watermarks behind her on the wooden floor. The people were scattering away and as she walked further, the idea of giving them only towels seemed more and more ridiculous. If she was in charge of this event, she would put up a tent for the students to go and change their clothes, not give them towels! Her clothes were soaking wet and we're getting heavier with each step.

"You need a hand?"

A small, freckled hand reached out and curled around her arm. "Thanks, Ginny, it won't make the weather any warmer, but it's good to have a company."

"I've got my wand," She reached into her robe and pulled out her wand. Giving it a little wave was all it took for the hot air to stream out of its tip and dry her clothes.

The gush of air made her forget the coldness and she relaxed her shoulders she didn't realise she was tensing. "That feels much better.”

The road from the lake to the dorms was much tolerable thanks to Ginny's drying and warmth spells. She knew the champions had to stay a bit longer for the interviews, so she went straight to her room and took her clothes and hair products, going to the shower.

She slipped out of her clothes and took a step in. She had to slowly increase the heat otherwise the water would sting. After shampooing and washing her hair, she turned the faucet to the red side just a bit. The heat change tingled her skin at first, but she soon got used to it and increased it a bit more. She didn't know why she felt so tired, she didn't even do anything. Maybe they used some kind of spell to slow their heart rate under the water, that would make sense. Her body was trying to adjust that's all. It was still unreal that she was chosen as whom Viktor deared the most.

The thought made her question herself, if she had been selected as a champion, who would they choose for the task? The immediate answer was Harry, she held him dear to her heart. She was proud to be his friend and it wasn't because he was the Chosen One. He was important to her because he was the only one that understood her muggle side. He was important because he always admired her and her skills. He was, surprisingly at times, the most skilled and courageous person she had ever been friends with. Being a 14-year-old wizard at a tournament where everyone else was older and more skilled than him must have been a terrifying experience, but he managed to overcome it well.

The second would be Ron, although she had complicated feelings towards him, she would always have his back and trust him to have hers as well. He was the embodiment of Gryffindor's loyalty and when he put his mind to something, no one could dare stop him. He shared his house and meals with her even though he didn't have to. Yet, she still couldn't understand why someone this considerate would say such mean things to her.

She turned the faucet off and stepped out to get dressed, the drops dripping from her hair were the only sound she could hear. After blowing her hair dry, she went to her bed to rest her eyes. The warm water had relaxed her muscles and her skin was now clean and soft. She thought about talking to Harry, but she assumed he was already in his bed by now or celebrating with the others. She hoped he wouldn't mind her absence.

•-•

When Hermione went to the common room, she saw everyone chattering quietly between themselves. She looked for her friends and saw the twins, as she walked towards them she noticed Ron and Ginny as well. She felt out of whatever the hell was happening.

"What's going on? And where's Harry?"

Ron looked at her while keeping his mouth shut and glanced at his brothers. Fred narrowed his eyes glancing sideways and drew nearer. They were all acting so secretive and she regretted going to bed that early, she didn't like not knowing what was going on.

"Barty Crouch was found..." he whispered, "dead."

Her hands went over her mouth, they nodded knowingly. "What? Who- I mean, h-how can that even happen?"

"They don't know who did it, but it was Harry who found him, in the forest." Ron cut in.

"Harry?!" 

Why it always had to be him...

"And Krum," Fred added with a slight mischievous grin on his lips.

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. "Why always Harry?" They all looked at each other as they shrugged. "Do you guys know where he is now?"

"With Dumbledore and possibly a few other high-ranked old men," replied George.

Hermione went silent as she took it all in. Someone was killed in Hogwarts, one of the safest places in the Wizarding World, and the killer was still out there. Barty Crouch was a respected ministry officer and also a judge for the tournament. It made sense that a man with such authority must've had numerous enemies over the years. But it still seemed like the dumbest choice to kill a man on school grounds, especially when there was a tournament happening. There were Ministry officials and reporters everywhere. Who could dare to do this?

"It must be traumatising for them to see someone dead in front of them. Should we go and find Harry?"

"I think it's best to let him speak when he feels ready," said Ron looking at Hermione. He was right, he must've been feeling overwhelmed by elders asking him questions about it. It was best to let him be.

"You're right, let's not stress him any longer."

"You could ask Krum, Hermione," George suggested.

"No. We don't talk about the tournament, besides, it would be the same for him as well. If he wishes to tell me, then he will."

"Alright, alright, we get it." Fred's dreams seemed to crash.

"I think I'll go out and get some air," said Hermione.

She grabbed her coat and wand and left to find someplace silent. The news seemed to have gotten out rather quickly, all the students were looking either panicked or anxious. She didn't want to be alone, but her Gryffindor friends were too eager about almost anything. Maybe she could find Luna or better, Viktor. He must've been feeling terrible as well, maybe she could help him.

Hermione didn't know how to find him exactly, normally he was the one to find her, but she thought going to The Great Hall was her best choice since he was spending time there a lot socialising with the others.

The Great Hall was a bit less crowded than usual, but the intensity of the chattering was the same. She looked at the Slytherin table where most of the Durmstrang students were seen at. Viktor was silently sitting and eating while his friends were talking to the Slytherins. She took a breath to calm her nerves and proceeded to walk to the table. Few Slytherins noticed her coming to their table and raised their eyebrows, Slytherin had been the only table she hadn't sat yet.

When she stood behind Viktor, the whole table went silent, but Viktor was way too lost in his thoughts to notice. She touched his shoulder and waited behind him to notice her.

"Hermione, vhen did you kome here?" He moved a little to open up a space for her to join. She eyed the table's reaction and smiled at him as she slowly sat down. She could see the unbelieving look on the Slytherins' eyes without even looking at them.

She looked around at the people who were waiting for her to speak just as he did. Viktor noticed this and coughed to warn them, which seemed to be successful. Even though they carried on with their conversations, they were still all ears. Sneaky Slytherins, of course.

"I wanted to see you, how do you feel?" She wanted to keep it safe and casual.

His eyes lighted up by her question, but someone else's went black. 

"If you're asking about the incident, I'm good. How iz your friend?"

She was hesitant to speak about Harry at a Slytherin table since they were ready to bully him at any chance. In the meantime, Malfoy turned his head and looked at her not so discreetly. He wasn't far away and he was now particularly interested in their conversation. 

She looked back at Viktor. "I don't know, to be honest, I think he's still with the professors."

"Makes sense. Actually, he found the body, then he called me. They asked a few questions to me and let me go. I hope he's okay,"

She smiled at him. "I'm sure he's alright, he's tough," she said the last part looking at Malfoy. He scoffed and smirked devilishly as if to get on her nerves.

Few other Slytherins rolled their eyes and lost interest in their conversation, Harry wasn’t as interesting as she thought he would be to them. As the time passed, she got more and more comfortable sitting at the table and even discussed the topics she had been dying to talk about. Other Durmstrang students were also interested and stated their opinions and she wondered what it would be like to have this group of people around her all the time. Although the thought seemed intriguing for a moment, she knew she was happy with her own people.

She noticed other Slytherins, including Malfoy, wanting to join in their conversation, but they all held themselves back. They were neither leaving the table nor talking to her, but she still wanted them to say something. She always thought they were quite intelligent if it weren't for their rivalry and stupid other reasons. 

But that was also the good part about this; they were rivals and Slytherins were known to be ambitious.

"Do you guys know about those?" Hermione pointed to four hourglasses on the wall.

Durmstrangs peeked at it and turned curiously. "They represent each house. Whichever house gets the most point, they win the House Cup," she paused before continuing, "and Gryffindor's record is quite remarkable."

Slytherins were straining their jaws, they looked at each other as if they could communicate telepathically. She would eventually get them to talk.

A brown-haired, muscular guy turned to her. "But what happens when you guys win?"

"You see those up there?" She pointed at the flamas on the ceiling. "For example, when Gryffindor wins, they turn red and gold which looks really good—"

"Like we need to see any more of those colours," Malfoy cut in, it was about time.

She looked at him blankly. "Oh, so you want green and silver?"

"You mean the better looking ones, yeah that's what we want to see," he played with the quill in his hands.

"I'm sad to tell you that it won't be happening any time soon," she gave a fake comforting smile.

He lifted one eyebrow and another Slytherin girl standing up drew her attention. "Be careful Granger, your friends are not here."

"But I am." Viktor almost growled. She couldn't help but smile, but it didn't last long when she heard Malfoy scoff once again. Hermione gently squeezed Viktor's arm and looked at the girl. She had seen her in Charms classes before, she wasn't very good and normally Hermione would just say something a bit meaner about this, but she was ready to make a change.

Hermione glanced back at Viktor. "It's alright," then turned to look at everyone's faces one by one. "I'm with my new friends," she smiled at everyone and the table got dead silent. If she wasn't counting Crabbe who was almost choking on his drink, then yeah, pretty much silent. The girl slowly sat down and Malfoy lifted his head, eyeing her suspiciously. Of course, he wouldn't believe her, "I meant to say that Ravenclaw is far ahead of both of our houses."

They peeked at the hourglasses and their muscles relaxed visibly. "Yeah, yeah, they are.." The girl seemed to be in a conflict within herself when she finally decided to continue. "So, what will your house do now?" The girl spoke and her friend pinched her arm.

"Dumbledore will find a way to spoil them of course," said Pansy Parkinson. She didn't like Pansy one bit but, they were having an almost cordial conversation at the moment and she wasn't thinking of ending this little experiment of hers yet.

"I don't have a clue, to be honest. I will surely do my part in classes, but it's a team effort, so I can't really tell what's going to happen." They all contemplated what she just said. "Oh, and by the way, the Professors give out extra points if you write a paper on a subject of your own choosing,"

"They do??" Theo spoke. She wouldn't have noticed him if he didn't speak, but he was very interested much to her surprise.

Her heart started to beat a bit faster at all the Slytherins' curious reactions and she nodded. "It can be up to 30 points," she lowered her voice as if she was telling a big secret to her friends. "It has to be from the textbook of course."

She didn't think they would actually get 30 points, but what she said was completely true, maybe this could be a good motivation for them and a challenge for her.

"So that was all you?" Crabbe asked. Him speaking to her without looking irritated or grossed out. That was a first.

She waved her hand. "Of course not, I don't get 30 points each time, but the chances are higher in Ravenclaw, just so you guys know,"

She heard someone breathe out quite loudly and saw Malfoy's chest lowering. His arms were crossed and he was warily looking at her way. She was surprised he could manage to stay quiet when his friends spoke up, but didn't dwell on it.

"I had no idea, that makes a lot of sense actually," Theo added. He didn't know what to do with his hands and started playing with his sweater, "well, uhm, uh- thanks, I guess."

Malfoy's eyes widened and the others immediately turned to look at Theo, but no one said a single word. She smiled and excused herself from the table, she was very much done here.

"Do you vant me to come vith?" Viktor stood up. 

She touched his arm gently. "You should rest a bit, I will go see Harry," he nodded and sat down to continue chatting with his friends.

She walked out of the Great Hall and passed the fruit bowl portrait, looking for her friends. They were probably still in the tower. She made a move to turn left but someone grabbed her arm.

"Vik— Malfoy, what are you doing?" The action brought a small memory forward and she jerked her hand.

Malfoy looked at her movement and shook his head slightly. "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing? What are you doing Malfoy?"

"What was it that you were doing?" He asked with a subtle hostility to his tone that seemed more like confusion. Normally, it would be completely hostile.

She took a deep, calming breath. "I need you to be more specific, what was I doing exactly?" He was starting to get on her nerves.

"Stop acting innocent, Granger. You know damn well what I'm talking about. What were you trying to do with us in there? Get information? Belittle us in front of them?" His voice was starting to rise a bit more.

"Don't be absurd! I don't use my mind for such things, being sneaky is your specialty after all," she crossed her arms. "I wanted to spend time with Viktor and you guys were happened to be there, so... I included you to the conversation. Like a decent person would."

"You think this little game of yours will make them like you?" He laughed, "stop trying to ridicule yourself; getting a few points won't change the way they think about you," he smirked with pride.

"I never cared about what you or your friends think of me. This is a year about making friends and I tried to be at least a little friendly—"

"You will never be friends with us,"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not planning on having tea parties, Malfoy. Now if you don't mind, I want to go and see my friend," she said emphasising on the last word.

She didn't waste a second and left him there, he had something to say or not she wouldn't know, but this was getting more and more childish. She wouldn't be friends with them either, but they could try to be at least a bit respectful to each other for the sake of everyone.

At least she would try.