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The Lioness And The Badgers	By : sawahhaych Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Cedric Views: 7550 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter (Although I am British I am unfortunately not the amazing JK Rowling!). I do not make any money from the writing of this fic.

Chapter List
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Dreams have a way of either alleviating all your worries and neurosis or of solidifying them so strongly that they follow you around for days like the proverbial black cloud.

This particular nightmare is new, not in the general message, that is usually the same either my own personal failure or those I love dying. The scenario was different though, at least my method of torture varies which is less maddening than having the exact same dream over and over.

In my dream I was dressed in long black robes with one of those American style graduation caps on my head, the rest of our year were all there too and all the teachers, we were sitting at our house tables and Dumbledore was calling out names to hand over diplomas to say we had completed our education at Hogwarts. I watched as people were called up, Harry, Ron, Neville but my name didn’t get called when it should. I sat in silence, my mind whirring, not knowing what was going on but having to wait until Dumbledore had finished with everyone else.

I approached the head table where Dumbledore was in deep conversation with Snape, they were talking about Quidditch trying to agree who should win the house cup, Snape commented that Ravenclaw had played well this year but Dumbledore wouldn’t hear of it, Hufflepuff was the best in his eyes and he had the scarf to prove it which he spelled to wave in Snape's face, the tassels tickling his large crooked nose.

“What do you want, Mudblood?” It was Dumbledore who spoke. I stuttered not able to answer for a second, all words seem to have deserted me, Dumbledore's eyes were blood red not the usual pale blue I was used to.

“She hasn’t got her diploma, for such a know it all, she is rather thick.” Snape put in. Tears welled up in my eyes, I didn’t want to cry but I couldn’t seem to help it, tears ran down my face but I didn’t flee, I just stood there, crying, looking at Snape and Dumbledore still unable to find my voice or form any coherent thoughts past the word mudblood swirling around in my brain.

Then Dumbledore stood and addressed the whole room which was suddenly filled not just with my year but the rest of Hogwarts, and my parents, and children from my primary school who never liked me. “Hermione Granger, the snivelling little twit is upset that she hasn’t got a diploma.” The room broke out into hysterical laughter and some applause at seeing my distress.

Snape was the one to reveal all. “Hermione Granger is and always will be an insufferable little bitch who will never be good enough to impress anyone, what she has failed to grasp is that she has not graduated from Hogwarts, she is a Mudblood and doesn’t deserve to be here so to that end...” Snape then gestured to Dumbledore who had risen from his seat and had moved to stand next to me.

“I hereby banish Hermione Granger from the wizarding world, all wizarding books and artefacts will be confiscated and destroyed.” At which point Dumbledore proceeded to take my wand and snap it in two before burning the two pieces.

Needless to say when I was awoken by Ginny in the dark I was at once relieved but also in a bad, self deprecating mood.

“Come on Hermione! It's the Quidditch world cup!” I shoot a death stare at Ginny's retreating back. When the hell did she turn into a morning person? I glance out the window … or a middle of the night person. My watch reads an ungodly hour, I frown at it before planting my feet on the floor.

Before I know what's hit me I am pushed out the front door of the burrow by Ron with a piece of cold toast in hand and a large rucksack slung over my shoulders. I guess staying up reading next terms texts books wasn't such a good idea with an early start planned the next morning.

I trudge along as Mr Weasley explains about how everyone will arrive at the world cup, I zone out as he tells the others how Portkeys can be anything, usually something that can be mistaken for litter so that Muggles don’t accidentally Portkey themselves anywhere. I tend to do this, if I know the material already and don’t think I will glean anything else from it then I stop listening, I try to be polite and still nod as if I am but I have been caught out a few times by my parents mostly.

We have been walking for at least an hour, if not more. The same dark, dank green and brown landscape passing by with every step. I clutch at a stitch in my side as I catch up to the others on top of the hill, the others with their longer legs and excitement have been practically jogging along for parts of the journey.

“Now we just need the Portkey.” Mr Weasley says looking around the general vicinity. “It wont be big … come on ...”

With that we all split up, looking around for any little piece of rubbish. A large rock catches my attention, as I wonder if this could be the object of our search when a shout makes me jump.

“Over here Arthur! Over here, son, we've got it.”

Spinning around I see two figures being approached by the others. “Amos!” I hear Mr Weasley shout back. I make my way over and spot Amos Diggory and his son Cedric.

I have never really seen Cedric close up before, I have of course heard all the other girls go on about him, how he is oh so tall and handsome and amazing ... the list goes on. What I see before me is a boy about the twins age, tall yes, handsome most defiantly, with his bright grey eyes and hair all messed up by the wind on the hill, amazing I am not so sure. I have heard he is supposed to be clever but I haven't actually seen any evidence of this.

Whilst I have been studying him his father says something that makes him blush, he then says it wasn’t Harry's fault he fell off his broom. Typical, Quidditch talk...

“Must be nearly time.” Mr Weasley comments after some more boasting from Mr Diggory. “Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?”

“No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn’t get tickets,” Mr Diggory replies. “There aren't any more of us in the area are there?”

“Not that I know of, Yes, it's a minute off … we'd better get ready …” Mr Weasley finds me and Harry with his eyes. “Just need to touch the Portkey, that’s all, a finger will do”

I cram myself in between Harry and Ginny and touch the boot with my index finger, just as I touch the leather Mr Weasley finishes the countdown and one of the strangest feelings in the world washes over me.

I land with a thud on my back, winded. I lay there for a second to get my breath. “Need a hand up Granger?” I look up to the towering form of Cedric Diggory holding his hand out to me. I take his hand and he pulls me to my feet. “Takes a bit of getting used to, I fell on my arse more times than I care to remember before I got the hang of it.” I smile at that, I thought he might laugh at me but no, he is sympathetic and trying to make me feel better, I guess the talk of him being a 'nice guy' are true.

“Thank you” I say as our hands unclasp. Cedric just shrugs and looks around.

We are in another large field, Mr Weasley is in conversation with another wizard who most defiantly isn’t a muggleborn or had much to do with muggles at all judging by his attire. It always perplexes me that wizards find it hard to dress as muggles, it isn't really any different than how they dress themselves minus the cloaks but for some reason as soon as the world muggle is used it seems they all go a bit barmy, overzealous maybe, to fit in.

The trek starts again, this time at a more pleasant pace now we are not in any danger of missing anything, it is barely 7 am and the game doesn’t start until tonight. I am glad I thought to bring some books with me.

We part ways with the Diggory's at a small stone cottage where it takes Mr Weasley entirely too long to count out muggle money for the farmer who is then Obliviated for asking too many questions by a ministry wizard.

Mr Weasley finds our plot and me and Harry are left with the unenviable task of putting up two tents, luckily for me I have done this a couple of times camping with the Brownies as a smaller child but poor Harry who has never had a holiday in all his life hasn’t a clue, but we manage.

Whilst I have read about expanding charms before I have never seen one. As I step into the tent I am immediately reminded of the TARDIS from Dr Who and smile to myself, sometimes I am used to magic with its laws and rules, in its own way it is logical, you just need to think about it more than normal things but then something like this its just... well... it really is magical, something so absurd that you cannot help but be in awe of it.

The morning keeps bringing me to this thought, of wonder at the world I now find myself in, I have read all about how many wizards are in the world, where there are colonies of them, other schools around the world like Hogwarts, though not with the same high reputation, yet I have never seen this amount of witches and wizards at the same time in one place.

I have always thought that Hogwarts was big and Hogsmede whilst only a little Village did just have in it wizards and witches, I know there are places like this around Britain however the sheer size of this crowd is mind boggling. Yet this is just one field, I know there is at least one more like it where the Diggory's are camped.

Walking with Harry and Ron to get water from the tap in the corner of the field I stare, completely amazed, Ron has to keep telling me and Harry to get a move on. Ron doesn’t understand, he is used to this kind of thing, he didn’t even bat an eyelid at the wondrous tent which is bigger on the inside, his eyes didn’t linger on the tents which had chimneys and gardens attached and he most certainly didn't comprehend that me and Harry hadn’t seen anything like this in our whole lives.

“Would you two get a move on, I’m starving!” Ron whines over his shoulder.

“I very much doubt that Ron.” I say throwing Harry a 'help me' look.

“Come on mate, me and Hermione haven't seen anything like this before, we cant help it if we want to look.”

From then on Ron doesn’t say anything about us hurrying up, but he does throw glances over his shoulder every few seconds with a scowl.

“Come on Harry.” I say grabbing his arm. “Lets get this over with and stop him moaning then later we can look around all we want without Mr Grumpy annoying us.” Harry shares a smile with me before meeting eyes with a sour faced Ron.

“Yeah, that's probably best, don’t want the poor boy starving do we?” Harry grins at Ron

Ron pulls a mock hurt face which looks much more like he us constipated than anything, we all burst out in giggles and hurry on to the tap. Ron can blow his top sometimes but today, being at the world cup final is not one of them.
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The Lioness And The Badgers