Born From Madness (Harry Potter Fanfic)

121

"Is Hermione... um... alright?" Ron mumbled to Harry as they noticed there was something off about Hermione the morning after. As she was eating her breakfast, there was a devilish smirk plastered on her face, but it wasn't as creepy as the deranged look in her eye. It was like she finally gone insane. 

"I'm not entirely sure... but I have a really bad feeling." Harry stated as he felt chills running down his spine. 

"You don't think... she would..." Ron started but didn't dare finish that sentence. 

"Would do what?" Harry asked him. Ron leaned over till he was inches away from his ear. 

"Would send that... that... that dementor on someone? Would she?" Ron asked, darting a look at Hermione, who was now cutting into her sausage. 

"I wouldn't think so," Harry claimed, though he didn't want to admit that he feared even Hermione, who was a caring person, was capable of doing something as horrible as send a dementor on someone. 

"Maybe you should... try and... um talk to her about it?" Ron suggested to him. 

"Uh... thanks for coming with me," Harry said to Hermione as they walked down the hallway. Harry kept hold of his Marauder's Map to ensure they weren't interrupted by anyone. Especially Snape or Malfoy and his goons. 

"No problem, Harry. I have no problem helping you with understanding the clue. I've already know it has something to with the merpeople--" Hermione started till Harry cut in. 

"Actually I wasn't talking about the tournament. We just wanting to ask you about what's going on?" Harry confessed to her. 

"I beg your pardon?" 

"We're just wanted to make sure you're okay," Harry admitted to her. 

"Well, I'm fine," Hermione said. 

"You seem like that... but at breakfast We couldn't help but see that you had a look about you like you did something... something awful." Harry explained. Hermione shrugged her shoulders. 

"Well I didn't do anything. Besides, I have too much--" 

"HERMIONE! LOOK!" Harry cut in and shoved the Marauder's Map to Hermione. She glanced down as she spotted it as well. Right around the bottom left-hand corner (where Snape's office was) there was a dot, but instead of the dot being labeled 'Severus Snape' it was labeled Bartemius Crouch. 

"I thought he was sick?" Hermione asked, not understanding why he was here. 

"Well come on, we got to see what's he up to?" Harry told her. 

"Wait! Harry! What if it's... Barty Crouch Jr.?" Hermione asked. 

"Then stay behind me and if something happens to me, don't stay around to help me, just run." Harry told her. They slowly made their way towards the office. They were rounding the corner when they saw Snape and Filch coming at the same time. Hermione and Harry hid behind a suit of armor as they listened in. 

"Someone's been stealing from my private stash! I know who the culprit is but i sadly don't have enough proof to prove it was them!" Snape grumbled. 

"And who's that?" 

"Mr. Potter, Mrs. Granger, and Mr. Weasley! It's obvious it's them!" 

Harry and Hermione looked at each other in disbelief, but weren't entirely surprised to see Snape blaming them for something that they didn't do themselves. 

"Did I hear that correctly, Snape?" A voice suddenly spoke up, "Someone broke into your office?" 

Hermione and Harry turned to see Moody making his way down the steps. Snape look uncomfortable with confirming this. 

"It's unimportant." Snape stated. 

"On the contrary!" growled Moody, "It is very important! Who'd want to break into your office?" 

"A student or three, I daresay," Snape claimed, "It has happened before. Potion ingredients have gone missing from my private store cupboard... students attempting illicit mixtures, no doubt..." 

"Students attempting illicit mixtures? Sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it, Snape? I remember you and Hermione's Grandma doing the same thing when the two of you were at Hogwarts. Always trying to outsmart the other in who could make the better potion." Moody mumbled, "Sure you're not hiding anything else in your office, are you?" 

"You know I'm not hiding anything, Moody!" Snape growled, "you've searched my office thoroughly enough." 

"Auror's privilege, Snape. Can't be too careful!" 

"Dumbledore happens to trust me," Snape said with clenched teeth. 

"'Course Dumbledore trusts you. He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second changes. But not me-- I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, do you know what I mean?" 

Snape suddenly grabbed his left forearm like he was hurting him for some reason. 

"I suggest you two prowl away... and I would also be glad to tell Dumbledore how your mind was quick at thinking it was Hermione and Harry, who stole from your office, Snape. He's interested in knowing who's got it for the two and so am I!" Moody mumbled. Snape glared at Moody as he rushed out of the corridor with Filch behind him. 

"You two can come out, now, if you like?" Moody called to them. Hermione had forgotten Moody's eye could see them. Hermione and Harry came from around the corner. 

"Thanks for not ratting us out." Harry told Moody. 

"What is that?" Moody asked, pointing at the parchment. 

"A map of Hogwarts, sir." Harry explained to him. 

"May I?" Moody asked him. Harry lent it over to Moody, who proceeded to look it over, "This is-- some map! You wouldn't happened, by any chance, see who broken into Snape's office, did you?" 

"Yeah! It was Mr. Crouch... or his son. We're lending in on his son more. You see sir, he's been..." 

"After Hermione?" Moody cut in before moving his eye over to Hermione, "yeah, heard about that. You know what's he got it in for you, Granger?" 

Hermione shook her head that she had no idea. 

"Well, keep your guard up, lass. You're going to need all you got if you're going to face the likes of Barty Crouch Jr. Mad fellow, he is! Now, I want to ask you a question, Potter?" Moody said in a serious tone. Harry seemed to stiffened, probably fearing what Moody's question was going to be. 

"Can I borrow this?" Moody suddenly asked. Harry nodded his head that Moody could hold onto the map, "Good boy! I can make good use of this! This might be exactly what I've been looking for... you might want to consider being an Auror, Potter. Now off with you two, you guys got a task to deal with tomorrow." 

Moody limped off as Hermione and Harry watched him vanished down the corridor. 

It was freezing cold the next morning. Hermione had practiced using the bubble head charm while Harry was given something known as gillyweed by Dobby. They were walking down in their swimsuits, which was torment due to the cold water, on their the way to the lake when they noticed they couldn't find Fred or Ron. Harry suggested that they might already be down at the docks. 

"Ah! There they are!" Bagman called out as they approached the docks then stood toward Fleur, Cedric and Viktor, "already-- Now that we have all our champions ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One... two... three!" 

Then the whistle blew. Hermione waved her wand as she performed the bubble head charm then proceeded into the lake. The water was freezing and seemed to turn even her blood to ice. But Hermione didn't allow that to affect her as she swam through through the lake and proceed on her way to find what she was looking for. 

She was passing a large seaweed looking area when she felt there was something off. She felt there were eyes on her. She shook her head, thinking nothing off it until something grabbed hold of her ankle.