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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
- 5
- 6
- 7
After the arrival of the two other schools I sit at the Gryffindor table thinking about fame and how intrusive it must be, Harry and Ron are positively salivating over Krum, as are most of the other students, even the ones from Beauxbatons. How hard must it be to be watched constantly? I get a small taste of it from being friends with Harry but the total scrutiny that's going on right now is appalling.

I listen, ashamed of the other students behaviour. Seamus is currently planning with Dean how he will get Krum's autograph, Ron is practically dribbling over his black pudding whilst staring at one of the girls from Beauxbatons, being drawn into a debate regarding his theory that she is part Veela.

Dumbledore stands and with no words calls the hall to order. “The moment has come. The Triwizard tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just to clarify the procedure which we will be following this year. But firstly, let me introduce, for those of you who do not know them, Mr Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Co-Operation...”

I clap politely along with the rest of the table before glancing at the Hufflepuff table, sure enough Cedric catches my eye and raises an eyebrow at me before very deliberately raising his shoulders in a 'I don’t know' gesture.

Bartemius Crouch Junior was Moody, well, the person we thought was Moody. Dumbledore told me and Cedric that much this morning after catching us at breakfast. What the hell is his father doing here? Does he know what happened? Does he realise his son is now locked up in the most secure prison in the world?

I miss what I assume is the announcement of Ludo Bagman, but join in on the loud applause he gets which he acknowledges with a wave, I also miss whatever Dumbledore says next, something to do with the organisation of the tournament, I do catch that Crouch and Bagman will both be judges along with the heads of all three schools.

After instructions from Dumbledore, Filch carries an old, worn wooden chest to the pulpit next to him. “The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have been examined by Mr Crouch and Mr Bagman and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways … their magical prowess – their daring – their powers of deduction – and, of course, their ability to cope with danger.” Dumbledore says.

I look around the hall as Dumbledore pauses, every eye is trained on the headmaster, I can hear no whispering or shuffling. It is almost as if Dumbledore has cast a petrification spell over the entire great hall.

“As you know, three champions compete in the Tournament, one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector … the Goblet of Fire.”

After tapping his wand on the chest, Dumbledore pulls out a large wooden cup which is plain and rather shabby looking but for the blue-white flames dancing inside and over the rim.

“Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment, and drop it into the Goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the Goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The Goblet will be placed in the Entrance Hall tonight where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.”

Dumbledore then impresses upon us all how dangerous the tasks will be and also about the age line he will be drawing to prevent anyone under the age of seventeen entering and with that the feast is over and we are ordered to bed.

As we reach the doors to the great hall so do the Durmstrang students and their headmaster who takes an unsurprising interest in Harry. As I stand waiting for Karkaroff to stop gaping at Harry I hear a sniffling next to me where Ron is once again staring.

I look up at the tall, imposing figure of Viktor Krum who is discreetly trying to wipe his nose on his sleeve. Shoving my hand deep in my pocket I fish out the handkerchief Cedric gave me yesterday and and offer it to Krum.

“Thank you.” The bottom right hand side of his mouth twitches in what I assume is supposed to be a smile.

“You're Welcome.” I mutter back just before Karkaroff is finished examining Harry and moves on, Krum following behind wiping his nose on what was once Cedric's hanky.

The next morning me and the boys go down to breakfast early, this will probably be our only chance to see the Goblet at work in our lives, so cannot be missed.

As I munch away on a slice of jam on toast the others, along with Seamus and Dean are discussing who from Hogwarts will be putting their name in and who will ultimately be chosen.

“And all the Hufflepuff's are talking about Diggory,” Seamus comments. “But I wouldn’t have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks.”

“Cedric doesn’t give two figs about his 'good looks' Seamus, he's clever and would make a great champion, a fair sight better than Warrington.” I shoot back probably a little too defensibly.

Seamus doesn't seem to know what to say to that for a second, finally he says. “Well, yes he would be better than a Slytherin but it would be nice to have a Gryffindor chosen, Dumbledore did say you need to be brave.”

“Don’t mind her Seamus, Hermione and Diggory have been inseparable since the start of term, I think she has a crush.” Ron says grinning at me.

“I do not have a crush, shut up Ronald.” I say trying to hide my face.

“You loooooove him.” Ron again comments before swiftly dodging my back handed slap aimed at his arm.

“Listen!” Harry suddenly interjects the inevitable fight me and Ron would have got into. I fall silent and listen as cheering can be heard coming from the great hall where the Cup is stationed, soon after Angelina Johnson comes and sits at the table opposite me.

“Well, I've done it! Just put my name in!” Angelina says beaming and blushing at the same time.

The rest of breakfast is made up of us all congratulating Angela and passing on our wishes that she is chosen. We linger after eating in the great hall for a little while to see who else puts their names in. After a few minutes the Beauxbaton students arrive to put their names in the cup in an orderly, almost regimented fashion.

Just when things slow down in the hall and me and the boys are ready to move on to go see Hagrid more cheering can be heard coming outside. I watch as what can only be described as a swarm of Hufflepuff's enter the room with Cedric, red faced but grinning, at their core.

With a push from one boy Cedric crosses the age line in a stumble before pulling out a slip of parchment from his pocket and slipping it gently into the fire. With that the mob cheers again then breaks up, the sea of yellow and black ties surging into the great hall for breakfast.

Cedric approaches me with a spring in his step. “Do you approve?” He asks holding his hands behind his back whilst bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet with a look on his face that reminds me of a toddler on Christmas morning.

I smile up at his beaming face amused. “You will be brilliant of course, just be careful.” I warn in my best mothering tone complete with wagging finger.

Cedric snorts at that. “I will be Granger, don’t you worry.” Silence follows for a few seconds whilst Cedric looks around the room at other students milling in the entrance hall.

I break the silence with a question. “I suppose I should say good luck?” I ask with a quirk of my left eyebrow.

“Yeah I suppose you should.” Cedric again grins at me still bouncing, the imagery of a child is all that seems to fit, one who has had way too many E numbers and sugar.

This time I snort at him. “I'm not sure I should, all this attention seems to be making you a bit cocky.” I challenge tilting my head to the side a little.

Cedric holds his hand to his chest. “Me, Hufflepuff, Cedric 'Honest' Diggory... cocky?”

I laugh at his pouting face which only eggs him on to pout harder.

“Hermione!” I turn to see Harry gesturing to the door, time to see Hagrid. I gesture back to Harry that I will be 'just a minute'.

“Well, good luck to you Mr Diggory, I wish you all the best in your endeavours.” I say doing a small curtsey.

“Now that is more like it!” Cedric states standing up even straighter, holding his nose in the air for a beat before looking back down at me, the humour gone from his face. “Seriously though Granger... I need to ask you something... a favour... well help I suppose...”

I look quizzically at him waiting for further explanation.

“If I do get chosen, which I doubt... would you help me? Dumbledore said teachers couldn’t help but he didn’t say I couldn’t get help from other students and you seem the best person to ask.”

I stare open mouthed for a moment. “Me?” I ask shocked.

“Well yeah, you were brilliant with the Moody thing...” He starts.

“I hardly think you will be able to cry yourself through one of the tasks.” I interject. It might sound like a joke but I am deadly serious, what do I know of wizarding tournaments? I have no idea what the tasks will entail and as I was saying to Harry and Ron last night I highly doubt a fourth year like myself would have anywhere near enough expertise and experience to have anything to do with the tournament.

“Oh come on Hermione.” Cedric pleads. “You are much more than that and you know it, I know you pretty much single handedly got your friends past those traps and stuff set up by the teachers in your first year, and you have managed to keep Harry alive since he has been at Hogwarts when there are always people after him.”

“Hermione!” This time it is Ron who shouts to me. “Come on!”

I hold my hand up to stop Cedric. “I didn’t do those things alone, I had a lot of help... but yes, if it means that much to you I will help you.” I finish with a smile.

Suddenly I am off my feet, being held up by Cedric in his arms, he is spinning us both chanting 'Thank you!' over and over again in my ear. As soon as I start to feel a bit nauseous Cedric stops spinning and places me on my feet again, I stumble from dizziness which makes Cedric laugh and steady me by holding my shoulders. “Thank you.” He says again looking me right in the eye, making sure I have heard him. “If I get it I’m bound to win with the brightest witch of her age on my side.” Cedric adds still grinning and running his hand through his hair absent-mindedly lost in his own world before snapping back to reality. “I gotta go to breakfast, see you later yeah?” He doesn’t stop to hear me answer, just sprints off to the great hall glancing back once to wave at me standing stock still in the middle of the room.
- 5
- 6
- 7
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The Lioness And The Badgers