Born From Madness (Harry Potter Fanfic)

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Hermione stood up from her seat with Fred as she told Winky to just enjoy her meal before they departed towards the dance floor. They carefully stood in their places before the music began to play and they began to waltz. Hermione felt her heart soar as they waltz around the dance floor with a big bright smile across her face. After a few minutes, people began to join them. She chuckled as she watched McGonagall escorting Dumbledore to the dance floor and shared a grin when she saw Hagrid dancing with Madame Maxime. Suddenly the music paused while the tables shifted to the sides as a stage appeared with musical instruments as then The Weird Sisters trooped up onto the stage. 

"I can't believe it! They got The Weird Sisters here!" Fred cheered as the music began to play. 

(You can play the music or not, it's up to you. I do not own video.) 

Harry sat down as he watched Cho and Cedric dancing to the song. Parvati had left him for another boy, which he didn't mind. Ron was still sulking as he glared at Hermione, who was now having a small dance battle with both Krum and Fred. Soon after a while, Fred came over to towards. 

"Wow! I never knew 'Mione could dance as well as she could!" Fred cheered before sitting down, "She even danced me out!"

"Ah! I see you two gotten to nicknames," Ron mumbled. 

"What's his problem?" Fred asked Harry asked him. 

"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you." Ron shot at him. 

"Seriously, Ron? Stop being such a big baby! Just because Hermione's your friend, doesn't mean she is obliged to be your damn girlfriend when you see it fits your damn needs!  Like when you couldn't get another girl to go with to the ball so you thought you can settle with Hermione, because you had the nerve to think no one else would ask her and then when she tells you she already has a date, you think she's just brushing you off  since you didn't want to admit someone really asked her on to the ball." Fred shot at him before storming off back to the dance floor.  

"Why don't we go for a little walk?" Harry asked Ron, who nodded in agreement. They stood up and hurried along to the entrance hall and towards the courtyard. They hadn't gone far when they heard an unpleasantly familiar voice. 

"...don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor." 

"Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening!" Karkaroff's voice sound anxious and hushed, "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned! Especially if he gets his hands on her!" 

"What exactly makes you think she is the main target when he is so determined to kill off Potter?" Snape told Karkaroff. 

"You know as well as I why he would want her! You read the Daily Prophet! You've seen who her Grandmother is! And you witnessed what she is capable of! She'll be the--" Igor stated to him before fading off in the distance with Snape. 

"Who do you think that was all about?" Ron asked Harry, who shook his head, while they were continuing down the pathway. 

Midnight soon rang out as the Weird Sisters finished playing as everyone gave their last applause then started to head out of the Great Hall. Hermione waited up a bit for Winky, who was jumping around with a bright smile on her face. As Hermione and Fred were making it up to the Gryffindor Tower, a voice called out to them. 

"Hermione! Wait!" She turned to see Cedric running after her, "Hey I wanted to tell you something." 

Hermione told Fred to go ahead without her and to take Winky with him as she turned towards Cedric. 

"I was going to tell Harry since he told me about the dragons, but I couldn't find him." Cedric stated to him, "About the golden egg-- take a bath, okay?" 

Hermione narrowed her eyes like he lost his mind. 

"I'm sorry?" 

"Go to the prefects' bathroom, take the egg with you. Forth door to the left of the statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. Password's 'pine fresh'. I gotta go... I want to say good night--" Cedric cut off as he hurried back down the hallway. Hermione shook her head in confusion as she headed towards Gryffindor Tower. Just as she got there, she found Winky outside of the portrait. 

"Winky what are you doing out here?" She asked Winky. 

"Mister Fred Weasley had requested Winky to teleport you into the dorms so you don't have to go through the common room." Winky told her. 

"Why would--" she started when she heard screams from inside. 

"Well, if you didn't like to see Hermione and me together, you know what the solution is, don't you?" Fred shouted at someone. 

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Ron yelled back. 

"Next time there's a ball, ask Hermione before someone else does! And not as a last resort! And if you're still mad, you take it out on me! You leave her alone!" Fred shouted at Ron. Hermione couldn't help but smile at Fred defending her until a thought came into her head. 

"Winky, do you mind if you could get the gold egg for me?" She asked her. 

"Of course not, ma'am!" Winky cheered before vanishing with a light cracking sound. It wasn't long before Winky came back holding the egg. 

"Thanks Winky," Hermione took the egg, "Why don't you go get some sleep? I'll be up in a minute." 

Winky nodded her head as she vanished again. Hermione turned around as she proceeded to head towards the Prefects' Bathroom. 

Once Hermione filled the tub with water and slipped her dress and undergarments off, she climbed into the tub. She soaked in the warm water and bubbles for a bit till she reached back to grab the egg. She was a bit jealous of the prefects' bathroom but she didn't have time to focus on that. She was trying to figure out what Cedric meant by take a bath with the egg. It took a moment for her till suddenly an idea popped into her head. She dunk the egg beneath the surface of the water then twisted open. There was a bright light and then a light hum like a melody. 

Hermione took a deep breath before sinking beneath the water where she could hear a voice singing...

"Come seek us where our voices sound,
we cannot sing above the ground, 
and while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
an hour long you'll have to look,
and to recover what we took, 
but past an hour-- the prospect's black,
too late, it's gone, it won't come back." 

Hermione shot up her head, closing the egg as she set the egg to the side. She wasn't entirely sure about the poem. Except for the hour long part might mean that's how long the task and it involves something she'll miss dearly, but what it is she wasn't so sure about. As Hermione was climbing out of the bath, she heard noises coming into the prefects' bathroom. She sunk back beneath the water as she watched as someone walked towards the sinks. 

"Bloody hell," the voice-- or voices spoke. She wasn't sure what it was, but it sounded like two voices speaking at the same time. There was a bit of fumbling going on then there was a chugging sound like someone was drinking something before they began walking out, leaving Hermione confused to what had just happened.