Chapter 3
I still can't believe that I can't go with Fleur! Champions can't go with other Champions. Stupid rule... I can't believe Ron didn't think I had a date. Harry and Ron are going with the Patil twins. Fleur is taking her sister... Luckily for me, after finding out about the 'Champions can't go with other Champions' thing, Draco had asked me to go with him. Fleur and Minerva had both been a little jealous about that but Draco and I are friends. He's not one of my mates and we're both gay. They felt better about me going with Draco than anyone else though. But, they both said that they would've preferred I was going with Fleur (stupid rule!). Draco and I went together and we had a good time (apart from the jealous looks coming from Ron and the argument we had after the ball). Time passed and I told Harry and Ron about my relationship with Fleur. Ron was pissed and said some rude, hurtful things but Harry was very supportive. We are both not talking to Ron. More time passed and now it's time for the second task. "Ready?" Harry asked.
"Have to be," I chuckled nervously. The signal went, Harry ate the Gillyweed and I cast the Bubble-head charm before we both dove into the lake with Fleur and Victor. When I made it to the 'prizes', I saw Gabrielle, Krum's best friend (Tykel), Draco and Ron. I started to untie Draco and I saw Victor with a shark head. He bit through the ropes and took Tykel up to the surface. Harry came next and tapped his watch when he noticed me watching him. "Where's Fleur?"
"I don't know," Harry replied. We waited a minute for Fleur but she didn't show. "We need to help her. What if she had to go back up?"
"We can't let Gabrielle die." I used my wand to cut through the ropes on Draco as Harry did the same with Ron. Harry used his wand to cut through the ropes on Gabrielle and some merpeople showed up.
"Only one," one hissed as she shoved a trident in his face.
"But, she's my friend too!" Harry yelled.
"Harry, time's running out. Take Ron and go. I'll help Gabrielle." My parents told me all magical creatures respect the royalty of other magical creatures. My bubble-head charm should still hold if I shift but I can't shift in front of Harry.
"But--"
"Go!" Harry nodded, took Ron and left. I shifted when Harry was out of sight. My wolf side was a huge, black wolf. It was the same colour as my hair. However, ever since I came of age, I have had red eyes in my wolf form. All Lycan royalty have red eyes once they come of age. I have to use a glamour in my non-wolf form to hide my eyes. They bowed and I shifted back.
"You may take them, your highness," the same mermaid said. I took them both to the surface just as the signal for the end of the hour came. More of the year passed and so did the third task. Harry and I both reached the cup.
"You take it," Harry said.
"No. You saved me. You take it," I said.
"Together?" Harry asked and I nodded. "On three. One. Two. Three!" We both grabbed the cup at the same time. We were transported to a graveyard. A guy came over and flicked his wand at Harry. The statue behind him grabbed him and Harry couldn't get free.
"You!" I yelled when I realised who it was. "What are you doing?" He cut his hand off and it fell into the cauldron. "Ew! That's disgusting!"
"Hermione, be careful!" Harry yelled. I tried to set him free but was stopped by someone using magic to bind me.
"Hey!" I was turned around a came face-to-face with a guy who looked half-human/half-snake.
"Who are you?"
"Hermione Merope Riddle! Who are you?" The guy looked shocked. Whether it was my words or my tone, I don't know. "Leave Harry alone! He's done nothing to you!"
"Is he your friend?"
"Yes!"
"Mione, don't! That's--"
"I am Lord Voldemort," the guy said. "Tom Riddle. Your father... And, Dumbledore took you from me. Your friend killed me... Temporarily, at least," he chuckled.
"He was just a child! It wasn't his fault!"
"No, it was his Mudblood mother's fault. What happened to you? Where did Dumbledore take you?"
"He put me in a Muggle orphanage and my parents adopted me." He looked pissed.
"He put you in... You were raised by Muggles!?"
"Squibs. Like us with the whole... Their parents were from the Nott, Selwyn, Parkinson and Yaxley families." He nodded at my words. "But, I was raised in the muggle world. My parents and I moved in with my magical guardians during my first year."
"And, Potter is your friend? Does he know what you are?"
"Not yet... Whose my other parent? I took a heritage test to find out who my parents were but it only named you and not my other parent. Who are they?"
"I'll tell you some other time... They are aware of you, Hermione. If their name didn't show up then--"
"They don't want me," I realised.
"They didn't want me, Hermione. When they realised the extent of my hatred for those not of pure blood... You may be their child but you're also mine. They didn't want anything to do with me and that included you."
"You killed my parents and tried to kill me!" Harry yelled.
"No. I killed your parents because they attacked me first. It was me or them and I thought they had taken my child from me. Losing my mate and my child that same day had me in a terrible, emotional state but I didn't try to kill you. I went close to you and your mother killed me with her dying breath. I had just lost my child, I wasn't going to kill another child."
"Liar! Dumbledore told me--"
"Do you really think Dumbledore is incapable of lying? He knows what happened that night and is my enemy. He lied to you. Do you have any proof he's telling you the truth? I can show you my memory of that night if you allow me to. I'll send someone to you and they will bring you so I can show you the memory. I don't harm children. Don't tell Dumbledore of this but you can tell him you saw me."
"What the hell is a mate?" Harry asked.
"Hermione will explain that to you later."
"How did Dumbledore know my name? I was told the orphanage knew my first name which means that Dumbledore did."
"Your other parent knew your name, Hermione. You were taken. It could've been said at any time," he told me before he summoned his followers and talked to them. He released Harry and pointed to the cup. "Your way back." Harry and I touched the cup at the same time. Harry looked like he was in shock.
"He's back," he kept whispering. "Voldemort's back." Moody pulled the crying Harry away from the crowd. The next few days went by with Harry not speaking to me. I spent all of my time with Fleur, Min or Draco. On the last day of term, Harry approached me at breakfast. I was sitting with Draco and Fleur.
"Harry?"
"Can we talk?" I looked at Fleur and she nodded. I stood up and left with Harry. "Look, I'm sorry I haven't talked to you recently. I've just been a little confused about what Vold-- Your dad... Said to me. But, I was hoping that I could learn the truth. And, I still want to know what a mate is."
"No."
"No?"
"I can't tell you, yet. If... Dad... Was telling the truth, then it's best Dumbledore doesn't know that we know. He's been trying to use Legilimency on me since I started. Luckily, my Occlumency walls are strong but you don't have any."
"What's Legilimency and Occlumency?"
"Legilimency is accessing someone's mind, memories and thoughts. It's usually against their will and can be done without them realising. Occlumency is the way of stopping that from happening. It protects your mind, memories and thoughts from unwanted access." Harry looked pale.
"So, you're saying people could've seen my memories and read my thoughts without me even knowing?"
"Yes, Harry. I'm assuming you'll let me teach you Occlumency?"
"Please do, Mione."
"Okay, I can have Narcissa retrieve you for the weekends every week on Friday after lunch and bring you back after lunch on Mondays."
"Why would the Dursleys allow that, though?"
"If they're as bad as you've told me, wouldn't they like to get rid of you for three days a week? Besides, they don't have magic and Narcissa is not underaged. They'll probably be terrified of her."
"Who is Narcissa?"
"She's one of my three magical guardians. Magical guardians are wizards or witches who are supposed to take in and care for a child when their parents can't. You should've had magical guardians named when your parents died. I don't know why you were put with your Muggle relatives. I can have Narcissa look into that. My magical guardians are Narcissa Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. Bellatrix is in Azkaban but my parents and I live in Malfoy Manor. Despite the fact that my parents are squibs, as my parents, they are respected. To a certain degree, at least. They're still non-magical."
"You live with the Malfoys!?"
"Yes, it's why Draco leaves me alone. You'll understand better when I explain it after Narcissa teaches you Occlumency and feels your walls are sufficient enough. Draco's actually a really good friend. He only treats you the way he does because you upset him when you denied his friendship. He really wants to be your friend, Harry. Ron... Ron wasn't a good choice for either of us. Look how he treated us when he found out about us being champions. Or how he treated me when he found out I'm gay. I refuse to continue to be his friend, Harry. He really hurt my feelings and he keeps doing it. He almost got me killed in our first year because he upset me so much! I spent the whole day crying because of him! Just like you, he didn't want anything to do with me when he found out about my father. He wasn't happy when he found out we could both speak Parseltongue. He argued with me over Crookshanks last year... He hasn't been a good friend to either of us, Harry. I refuse to continue to put up with it."
"When you put it that way... I don't want to be his friend anymore. Please tell Mrs Malfoy I'm grateful for the lessons... And, tell Draco I'm sorry for choosing to not be his friend. I hope we can start again the next time we see each other."
"Of course... Do you mind if we sit with Draco and his friends on the train today?"
"No. I'd like that. Thanks, Hermione. You've given me something to look forward to this summer." We smiled at each other.
"Maybe you can start spending Christmas with us. It's really fun. Draco always starts a snowball fight. He always gets in trouble for tracking snow into the Manor. He drags me into Quidditch matches with him."
"I thought you hate flying?"
"I do. I'm afraid of heights. But, I like broom flying and I enjoy Quidditch. Ron made fun of me the first time we played, remember? He really hurt my feelings so I only play with Draco, Narcissa, Lucius and my parents."
"Your parents?"
"They have traces of magic. There's just enough for them to be able to ride brooms and see magical creatures but not enough to go to Hogwarts, have a wand or do accidental magic."