Hermione Granger and the Goblet Of Fire (Completed)

Chapter 6 - The Game

"So that's a house-elf?" Ron whispered "Weird things, aren't they?"
"Dobby was weirder" said Harry. Hermione stared at Winky. Surely there was some kind of rule against sending a house elf somewhere they didn't want to go? Hermione wondered what kind of cruel person was Winky's master, sending her to the Top Box when they must have known she didn't like heights. Besides, there are enough places for everyone in the Top Box who had a ticket, surely Winky didn't need to be there!

She tried to distract herself by skimming through her program
"'A display from the team mascots will precede the match'" she read aloud
"Oh that's always worth watching" said Mr. Weasley "National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show"
The box filled slowly, until it was almost completely full. Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, came with the Bulgarian Minister. Mr Fudge was having to mime everything he said to him, as he didn't know Bulgarian
"I'm no great shakes at languages;" he told them "I need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat... Good job too, these Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places... ah, and here's Lucius!"

Hermione turned. Filing into the seats behind them was Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin boy in their year whom Hermione had despised from the moment she had met him. He was followed by a man with long, white blonde hair who greatly resembled him and a woman who Hermione assumed was Mrs Malfoy. She was blond as well, and very proud looking, with a turned up nose and an aloof demeanour
"Ah, Fudge" said Mr. Malfoy, shaking Mr Fudge's hand "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?"
"How do you do, how do you do?" said Mr Fudge "And allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk - Obalonsk - Mr. - well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind. And let's see who else - you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?"

That was one way of putting it. The last time Mr Malfoy and Mr Weasley had met, two years beforehand in Diagon Alley, they had had a fight, and they had to be pulled apart by Hagrid, a huge man whom Hermione pressumed had giant blood in him
"Good lord, Arthur" Mr Malfoy whispered "What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"
"Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur" said Mr Fudge, who hadn't heard the last remark "He's here as my guest"
"How - how nice" said Mr. Weasley tersely, with a forced smile

Mr. Malfoy's eyes lingered on Hermione, who stared defiantly back. The Malfoys were 'pure blood', in other words, they were totally descended from wizards. They were also one of the pureblood families who believed that anyone like Hermione, who had Muggle parents, were of a lower status. However he couldn't do anything standing right next to the Minister of Magic, so he sat down without a word
"Slimy gits" Ron muttered, and they turned back to the field

Ludo Bagman ran into the box, his eyes bright with excitement
"Everyone ready?" he said eagerly "Minister - ready to go?"
"Ready when you are, Ludo" said Mr Fudge
Ludo took out his wand and pointed it at his throat
"Sonorus!" he said, and the next time he spoke his voice echoed over every inch of the pitch
"Ladies and gentlemen... welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"
There was a loud cheer in response. The advertisements on the large blackboard disappeared, to be replaced with:
BULGARIA: 0 IRELAND: 0

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce... the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"
The scarlet clad Bulgarian supported whooped and cheered
"I wonder what they've brought" said Mr. Weasley "Aaah! Veela!"
"What are veel-?" began Harry, but he was about to find out, as a hundred Veela walked onto the pitch

From what Hermione could tell, Veela were just moderately pretty women, but when music started playing from somewhere and they started dancing, they had a very strange effect on the boys. Bill's eyes had gone wide, and he looked completely entranced. Fred and George were leaning so far forward on the walls of the Top Box, Hermione was scared they might fall off. Ron had got up, his eyes glazed over, with his arms in front of him as if he was about to dive into a swimming pool. Charlie, however, was humming along to the music, apparently paying no attention to the Veela
"Ron? Ron!" Hermione said, waving a hand in front of his face "Ron, snap out of it!"
Hermione jumped as Harry got up as well and put his foot on the wall of the Box
"Harry, what are you doing?" said Hermione, bemused