The Tale of Dark Hermione

Year 4 - The Champions

Dumbledore turned around again shocked as he caught the last paper. "Harry Potter..." He said it was quiet in the hall. Hermione's heart sank knowing that this was not good. She looked and found Harry trying to sit down also shocked and he held some fear in his eyes.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore shouted angrily and Percy pushed him to go up there. This time there were no happy cheers, just dead silence. Harry took the paper confused and walked back into the back room.

"GO TO YOUR COMMON ROOMS!" Dumbledore shouted and soon the students were cleared out. The other school going to where they were staying, too. 

Hermione was in the common room with the other Slytherins as they talked about what happened.

"Granger when and how did Potter do that. Put his name in?" The Slytherin Prefect asked.

"Do you really believe Potter is that smart to be able to get past the wards around that thing. Everyone here knows the only reason why he's alive is that I've been there telling him not to do anything stupid and when he does I seem to be there to help him not be killed in those situations. So no I don't beileve...no I know it wasn't him." Hermione said angrily. 

While in the trophy room Harry was being interrogated by the Professors and the other heads of schools. Dumbledore had Harry by the shoulder nicely.

"Harry, did you put your name in the goblet?" Dumbledore asked him as the others were angry saying he's a liar.

Harry was about to cry, "No...I didn't..."

Everyone saw his sincerity in his eyes and in his voice and knew he was telling the truth. 

"He can't compete he's too young!" McGonagall yelled worried.

"I have to agree with McGonagall, with the amount of knowledge he possesses he'll be dead within the first five minutes of the first task," Snape stated plainly.

Bagman and Crouch were worried, "The rules are clear though...anyone picked by the cup HAS to compete...the magic around this Competition is too powerful to work around that."

Crouch nodded in agreement, "That is true...Mr. Potter must compete."

The adults grew grave until Cedric spoke up, "There might be a way to help Potter!"

Everyone looked at him, "How?" Krum asked him confused.

"The laws of the Competition does say that whoever was chosen must compete, but originally this competition wasn't just for seventeen-year-olds. It was for all ages until everyone said it was too dangerous for the younger years. There were also laws back then, were if a campion was at more of a disadvantage than the other champions they could have a partner to even it up. What if we put his age as a disadvantage and he could have a partner of his choice. It will all still be legal in the laws of the competition." Cedric explained and looked at all their faces. 

Everyone was thoughtful of that, "That could work...Does anyone have a problem with that?" Bagman asked the group.

The other champions shook their head agreeing it was fair. While one person spoke up, Igor Karkaroff, "I'm fine with it on one condition it has to be someone around the same year as him. Otherwise, an older kid will do all the work. This way it could even out with the task and research for the duo."

The other's were hesitant of that but agreed.

"Hermione!" Harry spoke up. Dumbledore frowned at that. "I want Hermione Granger as my partner..."

Snape raised an eyebrow, "That's smart for once Potter."

"Are you sure Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore almost beggingly asked trying to change his mind.

"I'm sure...everyone knows she smart well beyond our year...maybe even the seventh years and she's saved me more times than I can count," Harry said looking directly in Dumbledore's eyes. 

Dumbledore nodded and sighed motioning for Snape to go get her. 

In the common room, the Slytherins were still in the decision of Harry when Snape quickly opened the door and walked in.

"Is there a problem Professor Snape?" Blaze asked as everyone watched the grumpy Professor.

"Where's Ms. Granger?"

Hermione walked away from the wall towards Snape, "Yes, Professor?"

"Come with me..." Hermione nodded and followed him out of the common room. The other Slytherins were too curious to go to bed so they decided to wait for her return.

Once she was before all the Professors and champions she spoke, "You wanted to be me, Headmaster?"

"Yes...you see Harry did not put his name in the goblet."

"Yes, I know...that knowledge is not accessible to students here. It had to be by someone who used dark magic on it. My guess is that...with the competition laws...there can't be two people from the same school selected. So the most logical observation is that his name was filed in a different school name." Hermione spoke to Dumbledore plainly and he was shocked by the number of deductions she already concluded in the short amount of time.

"We don't know the details yet, but I believe you may be correct Ms. Granger. Now the reason why you are here is that we labeled Harry's age as a disadvantage."

"Which means he can use the partner system of the old competition laws," Hermione finished for Dumbledore. He nodded at her.

"The reason why you are here is that Mr. Potter has asked for you to be his partner..."

Hermione's was shocked at that, "Here I thought you would choose Weasley a hundred percent over me."

Harry shrugged at her smiling.

"Ms. Granger, do you accept this role?" Dumbledore asked.

Hermione blinked, "Of course I do...if I didn't he may end up dead within the first task."

Harry scowled at her at that and Snape smirked.

"Good good...there will be more news later...now off you go to bed." Bagman stated for the champions to leave they all nodded and left.

Hermione returned to the Slytherin common room quickly where most people were still waiting.

"What happened?" Malfoy was the one to ask.

"Unforutally for me they pulled some back laws of old and now Potter since his age is so young he can have a partner and guess who he has chosen," Hermione smirked. "It seems a Slytherin will, after all, be in the competition in a weird way."

"Bloody hell that dangerous!" A fifth-year girl said running her hands in her hair.

"What is with you Slytherins this year...I'm still the same Mudblood as before." Hermione glared at everyone.

"You may be a mudblood, but your still a Slytherin. For once this year we are looking over your unfortunate upbringing. I have to admit but for a mudblood your the scariest Slytherin I've met yet." Another sixth year spoke.

"For once we don't mind you as much...just don't die in this thing...show that Slytherin is more than what everyone thinks," Daphne actually said which surprised Hermione. Hermione, after all, was pretty cruel to her, but in that cruelity, she guesses she gained Daphne's respect. 

"Don't worry I know I won't be killed by whatever silly task those judges have in store for us."

It was history right then Hermione gained more respect in Slytherin than ever before. Pansy would certainly will have problems with that, but she would be the only one.