His Slytherin Queen

Ch. 16 Idle Threats and Second Tasks

Hermione Zabini was pissed. She'd been fuming since the night of the Yule Ball. She hated seeing her twin so depressed, and he had been just that since that night. To make matters worse, he was avoiding her, and he was avoiding Theo, and he was avoiding Slytherin house. Hermione had had to watch him be like that for two weeks, and she had had enough of it.

So when Theodore walked out of the boys dorms with a small smile on his face, she marched right up to him, murder in her eyes and a glare on her face. He took a step back, the smile dropping from his face when he saw her marching towards him.

"You," she growled, "are breaking my brother's heart."

Theo opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione didn't let him speak.

"He's ignoring all of us and avoiding all of us because you won't-"

Just then, Blaise walked out of the dorms as well and cut her off. "Leave him alone, Ari."

"But he..." she started. She trailed off when Blaise draped his arm around Theo's shoulders and placed a soft kiss on top of the shorter boy's head.

"Oh," Hermione said. "Well in that case, Theodore Nott, welcome to the Zabini family."

Theo smiled. "Thank you, Hermione."

She nodded. "If you hurt my brother, I will make you wish you were never born," she said before walking away.

The last thing she heard was Blaise's laugh, and his assurance to his new-found boyfriend that he would never let his twin hurt him.

Hermione smiled to herself, glad to know her twin was happy, like he deserved.

~*~

The winter holidays ended, and with that came school work, homework, and the second task.

Hermione was usually able to keep her friends off the topic of Harry Potter during this time, keeping them busy with their work from various teachers, as well as any other activities she could think of to keep them preoccupied. Still, as the date of the second task grew closer, the attention of her friends returned to Harry Potter and the unfairness of his selection as a champion.

Draco was the worst about this, as was expected.

Still, Hermione managed to convince him to mostly let it go. There wasn't much hope for the boy in her opinion, but it was quite obvious that someone was attempting to rig the competition in his favor. Hermione was almost certain that whoever it was that had put Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire meant for him to win. She just wasn't quite sure why.

The night before the second task was supposed to take place, Hermione was called to the Headmaster's office. When she asked why she was being summoned, Snape only told her that there was a matter regarding the second task that she was needed for.

When she arrived at the Headmaster's office, she was met with the judges of the tournament, Dumbledore, and three other people, including Ron Weasley and Cho Chang, alongside a blonde girl that looked somewhat like Fleur Delacour. 

Once Hermione was seated, Dumbledore took the time to explain to all of them why they were there. He told them that the second task would require the champions of the tournament to dive into the Black lake and retrieve the thing they were most scared to lose. Dumbledore explained that the four of them would be those things.

Way to reduce us all down to object instead of people, Hermione thought privately.

"I have a question then," Hermione stated once Dumbledore finished explaining.

"Ask away, my dear."

"If I'm to assume correctly, Weasley would be that which Potter is most afraid to lose, Chang would be that for Diggory, and Miss Delacour's sister for her, yes?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"That would then imply that I am the one Viktor Krum is most afraid to lose, and I believe there might be some continuity issues there. We only met just recently, and our interactions have mostly been limited to those in regard to the Yule Ball. Would you care to explain why I am the one being asked here and not someone closer to him?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "I understand your concern Miss Granger, and while your being Mister Krum's date to the Yule Ball did play a role in this decision, I assure you the boy is quite infatuated with you."

Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "If you insist, Headmaster."

Dumbledore nodded, then went on to explain how they would be involved in the second task. He explained that they would be put into a magical sleep, placed in an air bubble, and held "hostage" at the bottom of the Black Lake. He assured us that we would be perfectly safe down there, and should their respective champions fail their tasks, no harm will come to any of them. A member of the staff will retrieve them from the Lake, and they will be returned to their respective schools promptly.

Each of the individuals there agreed to the terms laid out before them. Hermione pursed her lips as she did so, mulling over whether or not she truly wanted to do this, but ultimately conceded.

Dumbledore then tapped each of their heads with his wand, and the world faded to black.

~*~

The next thing Hermione knew, she was sopping wet and gasping for air, held tight against Viktor Krum's chest. She looked around, noticing Diggory and Chang  nearby. She was helped up onto the dock and given a towel to dry herself with and a blanket for warmth. The moment she stepped away fromt he dock, she was bombarded by her twin and her friends.

"I was so worried about you! When you didn't show back up to the dormitory after being called up to the Headmaster's office, I was starting to panic. Who knew they'd endanger students like that!" Daphne exclaimed.

Hermione laughed. "I was never in any real danger. Dumbledore explained that we'd be perfectly safe, and we'd be retrieved by a staff member should our respective champions fail. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, but I doubt he'd like the lawsuit if any of us actually died on his watch."

"Still. That was really reckless of the judges to do for a second task," Blaise said.

Hermione nodded. "I agree. I also don't understand my selection for Krum, but Dumbledore assured me he was 'quite infatuated' with me."

Draco's expression darkened at that, but no one took much notice.

"Come on, we should go back up to the stands and see the results of this stupid task," Theodore suggested.

The other Slytherin students nodded and followed him back up to the stands. The second task had already been completed while they'd been talking, so all that was left was to listen to the scores given by the judges.

For failing to rescue her hostage, but for a show of proficiency with the bubble head charm, Fleur Delacour was awarded 25 points out of 50.

For being first to retrieve his hostage and his proficiency with the bubble head charm, Cedric Diggory was awarded 47 points out of 50.

For being second to retrieve his hostage and for his use of partial transfiguration, Viktor Krum was awarded 40 points.

And for being last to retrieve his hostage, but given moral points for also retrieving Delacour's hostage with his use of gillyweed, Harry Potter was awarded 45 point.

Hermione shook her head. It's almost as though the idiot wanted to endanger himself. Either way, the second task was over with, and all that was left to do was wait for the final task.