Unprecedented occurrences

What happened to Crouch?

"Yes and my mind is my most treasured weapon. I would keep as safe as I can. It could even protect your mind from being broken by the infamous Cruciatus curse." She said absently.

"Then I suppose I should leave you be, it's time for me to visit Myrtle"

Hermione chuckled but not at the woman but how she enjoyed Myrtles presence, when Helena turned to leave Hermione spoke again "Will you ever tell me where your mothers diadem is?"

"It is no use to anyone, it's tainted and carries darkness."

Hermione frowned "Yes but I don't wish to use it , I simply want to return it." She replied truthfully.

Helena turned to look at her, her face stuck in indecision but in end shook her head "It's better lost, for the good of everyone." leaving behind a confused Hermione.

"Tainted? Because of what she did? Or something else?"

••••••••••••••

June 2nd 1995 Hermione walked beside a shivering Fleur, she wrapped her arm around the French witch in an effort to help stave of the cold night. She had no idea why Ludo bagman waited until the evening to show them whatever it was he was about to show. She glared at the back of the man's head.

"Come now, this way"

"He really doesn't have an off switch does he?" She asked quietly.

Fleur chuckled, leaning more in Hermione enjoying the higher body temperature the younger witch had. "Perhaps not." She whispered in response.

Hermione had realized they were making their way to the quidditch field, well what used to be the quidditch field. Ludo stopped abruptly and waved over to hagrid.

"Can any of you tell me where we are?"

"The quidditch pitch" replied Hermione glancing at the growing hedges.

"Precisely but this will also be the venue for the third and final task for the Triwizard cup!" He clapped for emphasis and pointed to hagrid "Hagrid has been growing it and soon it will be fully grown, we reckon just in time for the final task isn't that right ?"

Krum frowned "What is it supposed to be?" He asked stoically, his expression barely changing. Hermione on the other hand paid attention to the way the hedges were being grown.

"A maze" she replied absently, ignoring the bright smile on Ludo's face because the longer she stared the more disturbed she became. The man was unbelievable jolly, she wondered whether he was on drugs , maybe he'd been smoking some of these trees.

"Right again Miss Black, this right here is a maze. The third task is simple. All you have to do is find the cup in the maze."

Fleur shivered as a wind blew by them, she noticed Hermione's tight expression, her own expression was confused. This seemed to good to be true. There was no way after facing dragons and merpeople that the third task would be so easy. "It cannot be so easy"

At Fleur's comment Ludo smiled impossibly wider "This is why you've been chosen as champions, you read between the lines. Brilliant, now as you say Miss Delacour." He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper "The maze will be filled with dangers .. one's you must overcome to reach the cup and return victorious "

Hermione's eyes fell to hagrid , the half giant mysteriously looked away from her and she cursed. With hagrids love for strange creatures and cross breeding she wouldn't put it past him to have Aragog hiding in there. Or another Norbert."

"That's all off you go, be ready the 24th of June is the day of the final task and depending on your determination and strength any of you could reign victorious."