Marauders - Always - Part One

CLXXVII: Hermyown

The shutters were thrown wide, the sun glaring in through the east-facing window, right on the sleeping face of Viktor Krum. He swore lowly in Bulgarian and groaned, pressing his face into the pillow of his bed. The hulking form of his new trainer blocked the sun for a moment's relief, then shifted and the rays seemed capable of beaming through even closed eyelids.

He had barely slept - having been conned into meeting Cedric Diggory and Fleur Delacor in the dead of night on the grounds behind the green houses to discuss what they were going to do about the problem of Harry Potter - for the hundredth time.

"Zare 'as got to be a way we can stop 'arry from competing!" Fleur had insisted, rapping her tiny fist against her flattened palm.

Cedric had brought along his overly energetic friend - Harvey or Hubie or something like that - who was apparently not a night owl as he glared blearily at Fleur, "If the Ministry says he has to play --"

"Eet is hardly play what we are to partake even, 'erbert!" Fleur had said passionately.

Cedric had been leaning against Herbert with his eyes closed. Of course he doesn't care enough to stay awake for the discussion, Krum thought bitterly. Anyone low enough to steal the allegiance of another man's mentor and trainer is low enough to use a boy as a human shield to win some stupid trophy, and not even feel a spot of remorse for it.

"You know what I mean," Herbert muttered, frustrated. "If they can't even get him out of it, there's nothing we're going to do."

"Yes, it is important that we begin to focus on our own preparations for the tournament," Viktor said, then added, "Not all of us have the benefit of a well established mentor."

"And just what do you call the incredible hulk?" demanded Herbert sharply.

"He is new, I do not call him anything," Krum replied coldly.

"Eet would be very good if we each could try to find something weech might disqualify 'arry from ze tournament," Fleur said, raising her voice to be heard over the two boys.

"Like what?" Cedric asked sleepily. "We don't want to get the lad into trouble or anything - he's a decent kid."

"Better to be seen trouble than eet eez to be dead!" Fleur said sternly.

"Usually at least," Herbert joked.

It was Fleur's idea that they search the library for old information on prior tournaments and seek any and all information they could about champions who had been disqualified and why, what had happened as a result of the disqualification, and then to follow up with researching what they themselves might be able to push Harry out of their group.

"The weighing of the wands is tomorrow," Herbert said, "Sabotage his weighing."

"Excellent idea, 'erbert," Fleur had said and the boy had flushed at her attention. "Now, who of us weel go and research 'ow we might do zat?"

"Well I can't, I have classes tomorrow," Herbert said and Cedric nodded in agreement.

"We all have obleegations," Fleur said.

"Yes but tomorrow is Transfiguration," Cedric said, "And nobody skives on Professor McGonagall without being half-dead in the infirmary - she doesn't take that sort of thing lightly."

Fleur looked at Viktor.

That was how he had ended up promising to skive off training with The Incredible Hulk, as they had referred to his trainer, to go and research in the library. It was impossible to say no to a veela and Fleur had just enough of her grandmother's blood in her to persuade even Viktor Krum to do as she asked.