Amour

THE DARK MARK

The caretaker took out the lantern after he saw the light flicker on, in the first floor of the opposite house.Slowly he tiptoed up to faint voices coming from the room at the end of the stairs;one was squeaky,mouse-like,another was sure and confident and the third was slow and raspy,very much like a snake.As he peeped inside the room he saw two men bent-kneed in front of an easy chair where the third person,very small and frail ,was sitting wrapped up in blankets.As the caretaker stood watching,a broad and elongated snake slithered past his feet and he jumped in shock.The noise he made attracted the attention of the men in the room and the snaky voiced man said,"Well well...look who's here..."Then came a blinding green spark and Hermione jerked awake.She realised she had been dreaming and she was actually back in The Burrow,spending the holidays with the Weasleys.She got out of bed and started getting ready as they were to go to the Quidditch world cup.They reached there by portkey and after the match ,were camping outside the stadium when they heard shrieks and shouts from outside.They came out of the tent to discover they were being attacked by death-eaters.While Mr.Weasley went off to fight them,the kids were ordered to find a refuge.In the mad scramble to find protection Hermione got separated from the group and got carried away by the crowd to the opposite direction.She desperately tried to get back to her friends but she was pushed around and fell down.She blacked out when her head hit something........................................
Snape apparated to the now almost empty field outside the stadium.Dear god,am I too late?He had got information from his sources that some of the death-eaters had planned an attack to infuse terror in the minds of the people.He quickly rushed to the spot when he came to know that Hermione and her friends were supposed to be there to watch the match.As he searched through the destruction of the death-eaters,he found the Weasleys and Harry under a shade."Where's Hermione?Is'nt she with you?"he demanded."She was...but she got lost in the crowd."Ron stuttered.Snape turned away from them without another word.Got lost?They couldn't even take care of their friend.What was Arthur doing?Where do I find her now?Please God,let her be all right.After some time he spotted her sitting amongst the rubble and ran to her.She had been trampled on but otherwise looked okay."My scar...it's burning."she said and pointed upwards.He looked up to see the dark mark emblazoned in the sky.The mark on his hand had been throbbing but he had ignored it while looking for Hermione.He pulled her up by the hands and she told him urgently,"There was a man  here,before.I saw him produce the dark mark.I have seen him before...in a dream..."Before Snape could make sense of what she was saying,they were surrounded by Aurors."Put your hands in the air!""You are condemned of producing the dark mark!""She did not do it."Snape raised his hands in protest."You can check her last performed spell."They quieted down when they saw a Hogwarts teacher vouching for her.But nevertheless,they checked her wand and Hermione was proved innocent.The Weasleys and Harry backed her story and they were permitted to go."It's good to see you,Professor Snape,after the long holiday."Hermione said."Its good to see you too,Hermione."Snape said,as they walked hand in hand back to the portkey.......................
The dark mark had made headlines but the talk of their school was the imminent arrival of guests from two other magical institutions:Beaxbatons and Durmstrang.The boys were excited about new girls in the school but Hermione kept thinking about the man who produced the dark mark and the way her scar had burned.Her sixth sense told her something bad was brewing.With the entrance of the girls from Beaubatons there was a loud cheer from the boys and Hermione raised her eyebrows at Snape at the teachers' table.He smirked and shook his head.Then came the fiery entry of the ruddy boys from Durmstrang and the ladies 'oohed' and 'aahed'.Hermione joined in the celebration without giving particular attention to any of them but it did not escape Snape' s notice that the Durmstrang headboy,Victor Crum was eyeing Hermione.All the other girls are drooling over him,thankfully Hermione doesn't have any interest.Or does she..?What if she is deliberately choosing not to look at him since I'm here?Snape was scowling at the boy so that he missed the introduction of a new professor of magical history,Professor Alastair Moody.He was an ex-auror and a trusted man of Dumbledore but he with his one magical eye,revolving in its socket and his overall unkempt attire was disliked immediately by Hermione.Dumbledore then declared the reason for the arrival of these guests;Hogwarts were to host the Triwizard tournament that year,where one champion from each school would compete to win the prize money and the winner's cup.But unfortunately,only the final year students were allowed to put their name in the Goblet of fire,which would chose the champion.This was received by boos from the junior students, who wished to participate but Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.Atleast this year,the attention would be off me and I would finally be totally concentrated on my studies.She thought.