The Potter Twins and the Goblet of Fire {4}

30. The Third Task

"I earned my place in the tidal waves, I can't escape this feeling that something ain't right" ~ Tidal Waves, All Time Low

"Dumbledore reckons You-Know-Who's getting stronger again as well?" Ron whispers, horror struck. 

Everything we saw in the Pensieve and nearly everything Dumbledore told us we have relied on to Hermione, Tay and Ron - and, of course, with Sirius, whom we sent an owl to the moment we left Dumbledore's office. It's quite late at night, though I don't think any of feel like sleeping with all this new information. 

I watch as Ron stares into the common room fire, and gives a small shiver, despite it being warm in the room. 

"And he trusts Snape?" Tay asks. "He really trusts Snape, even though he was a Death Eater?"

"Yes," I say. 

Hermione has not spoken for about ten minutes, and she's sitting with her forehead in her hands, staring at her knees. 

"Rita Skeeter," she mutters finally. 

"How can you be worrying about her now?" Ron asks, in disbelief. 

"I'm not worrying about her," Hermione says into her knees. "I'm just thinking...remember what she said to me in the Three Broomsticks? 'I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl.' This is what she meant, isn't it? She reported his trial, she knew he'd passed information to the Death Eaters."

"Yeah, but he didn't pass information to the Death Eaters on purpose, did he?"

Hermione shrugs. 

"And Fudge reckons Madam Maxime attacked Crouch?" Ron asks, turning back to Harry and me.

"Yeah," Harry says, "but he's only saying that because Crouch disappeared near the Beuaxbatons carriage."

"We never thought of her, did we?" Ron says slowly. "Mind you, she's definitely got giant blood, and she doesn't want to admit it - "

"Of course she doesn't," Hermione says sharply, looking up. "Look at what happened to Hagrid when Rita found out about his mother. Look at Fudge, jumping to conclusions about her, just because she's part giant. Who needs that sort of prejudice? I'd probably say I had big bones if I knew that's what I'd get for telling the truth."

Hermione looks down at her watch, and her eyes widen. 

"We haven't done any practising!" she exclaims. "We were going to do the Impediment Jinx! We'll have to really get it down tomorrow! Come on, Harry, Haylee, you need to get some sleep."

Hermione, Tay and I climb upstairs to our dormitory, ignoring the quiet snores coming from Lavender's bed. As I pull on my pyjamas, I think about Neville; true to our word, we didn't say anything about his parents. As I climb into my four-poster bed, I think about how horrible it must be to have your parents be alive, but not recognise you. Harry and I get sympathy for being orphans, and even that statement isn't true anymore. Neville deserves it more than we do; why should we have this incredible miracle when Neville gets nothing?

I feel a sudden rush of anger and hate towards the people who tortured Mr and Mrs Longbottom...I remember how the crowd jeered at Crouch's son and his companions as they were dragged into the court room...and I understand now...I remember how the pale, screaming boy died a year later...

It's Voldemort. It all comes back to Voldemort...he's the one who torn these families apart, who ruined all those lives...

*~*

Ron, Hermione and Tay are supposed to be revising for their exams, which will finish on the day of the third task, but they're putting in most of their efforts into helping us prepare.