Hermione Granger and the Goblet Of Fire (Completed)

Chapter 7 - The Death Eaters

There was a loud BANG from the other side of the trees, and several people screamed. Somewhere, a baby started crying
"Scare easily, don't they?" Malfoy laughed "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to - trying to rescue the Muggles?"
"Where're your parents?" snarled Harry "Out there wearing masks, are they?"
"Well... if they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I, Potter?" said Malfoy
"Oh come on" said Hermione angrily "let's go and find the others"
"Keep that big bushy head down, Granger" jeered Malfoy
"Come on," Hermione said again through gritted teeth, and she shoved the other two down the path

"I'll bet you anything his dad is one of that masked lot!" said Ron angrily as they walked along. His fists were clenched and his ears had gone red
"Well, with any luck, the Ministry will catch him!" said Hermione "Oh I can't believe this. Where have the others got to?"
Fred, George and Ginny had gone. The only people their age they encountered were a group of pyjama clad teenagers, who were arguing. When they saw Hermione, Ron and Harry, a girl with curly , copper coloured hair ran up to them
"Où est Madame Maxime?" she asked "Nous l'avons perdue-"
Hermione closed her eyes and tried to translate. Where is Madame Maxime? We-
"Er - what?" said Ron, snapping Hermione out of her trance
"Oh..." The girl walked back over to her group "'Ogwarts" she muttered, and the rest of them looked crestfallen

"Beauxbatons" whispered Hermione as they walked on
"Sorry?" said Harry
"They must go to Beauxbatons" said Hermione. "You know... Beauxbatons Academy of Magic... I read about it in An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe"
"Oh... yeah... right," said Harry, who clearly didn't have a clue what she was talking about
"Fred and George can't have gone that far" said Ron, getting out his wand and lighting it as well. Harry put his hand in his pocket, intending to do the same
"Ah, no, I don't believe it..." he said after a second "I've lost my wand!"
"You're kidding!"
Hermione and Ron did a quick search of the surrounding area, but Harry's wand was nowhere to be seen
"Maybe it's back in the tent" said Ron nervously 
"Maybe it fell out of your pocket when we were running?" Hermione wondered
"Yeah" Harry mumbled "maybe..."

There was a rustling in the bushes nearby that made them jump. Winky was running through the forest as quickly as she could, but she looked as though something was pulling her back
"There is bad wizards about!" she squealed as she fought this invisible force "People high - high in the air! Winky is getting out of the way!"
She disappeared into the darkness
"What's up with her?" said Ron "Why can't she run properly?"
"Bet she didn't ask permission to hide," said Harry. He was thinking of Dobby: Every time he had tried to do something the Malfoys wouldn't like, the house-elf had been forced to start beat- ing himself up.
"You know, house-elves get a very raw deal!" said Hermione angrily "It's slavery, that's what it is! That Mr. Crouch made her go up to the top of the stadium, and she was terrified, and he's got her bewitched so she can't even run when they start trampling tents! Why doesn't anyone do something about it?"
"Well, the elves are happy, aren't they?" said Ron, much to Hermione's indignation "You heard old Winky back at the match... 'House-elves is not supposed to have fun'... that's what she likes, being bossed around..."
"It's people like you, Ron" Hermione snapped "who prop up rotten and unjust systems, just because they're too lazy to-"
There was another loud BANG
"Let's just keep moving, shall we?" said Ron

They continued to walk along a path. They kept an eye out for Fred, George and Ginny bit the only creatures they came across was a group of goblins. A bit afterwards, they came across three Veela, surrounded by a large group of wizards in their twenties, clearly trying to out boast each other
"I pull down about a hundred sacks of Galleons a year!" yelled one "I'm a dragon killer for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures"
"No, you're not!" roared his friend. "You're a dishwasher at the Leaky Cauldron... but I'm a vampire hunter, I've killed about ninety so far-"
"I'm about to become the youngest ever Minister of Magic, I am." shouted a spotty young man of around twenty. Hermione heard Harry snort. Hermione grinned as well, until she noticed that Ron's face had gone black, and soon he was shouting "Did I tell you I've invented a broomstick that'll reach Jupiter?"
"Honestly!" said Hermione, grabbing one of his arms as Harry and she frog marched Ron away