Hermione Granger and the Goblet Of Fire (Completed)

Chapter 22 - Black is Back

Hermione blinked several times. It was a lot brighter than she remembered. She looked up and saw the sun high in the sky. She could hear cheering coming from the shore. She frantically looked around her and saw a shark next to her. She yelped and was about to swim away very fast when she realised that it had legs
"Viktor?" she gasped. Viktor raised his wand and the shark head slowly turned back into his normal one. If only Harry knew how to do that

Wait... Harry! Harry didn't know what to do! And Ron... Hermione looked at the shore. Cedric, Cho and Fleur were there, wrapped in large blankets, but Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen. Nor was Fleur's little sister, which was strange
"Are you alright?"
Viktor was watching her, looking concerned. Hermione took several deep breaths, frantically treading water. No one looked very bothered about Ron and Harry's absence. Besides, if Harry hadn't turned up, then Ron would've been retrieved before the task started. Harry must have found out what to do then
"Yeah, I'm fine" she said "just... confused"
"Ve should go to the other champions" said Viktor

They swam to the edge of the lake, where Cedric and Cho helped them climb onto shore. Fleur didn't move. She was shaking, and staring out into the lake. Various cuts and scratches marred her beautiful face, but she didn't seem to care
"She got attacked by the grindylows" said Cedric before Hermione could ask "I think she thinks her sister will get hurt without her or something"
Hermione thought about going over to talk to her, but decided against it when Cho muttered "I've tried"

Just then, Madam Pomfrey bustled over and wrapped them in multiple blankets each. The judges were all there as well, with Percy Weasley instead of Mr Crouch. Percy looked a lot younger than usual, and was watching the lake with a similar expression to Fleur

"Herm-own-ninny" said Viktor quietly, when Madam Pomfrey had stopped checking for signs of pneumonia or something "can I haff a word?"
"Oh, yeah, sure" said Hermione. Viktor took her to one side, away from everything else
"Are you doing anything over the summer?" he asked
"Oh, um, I don't think so, no" said Hermione "why?"
"Vood you like to visit me?"
Hermione blinked. Too much was happening in too short a space of time for her to process it in time. It seemed like she was in the library with Ron and Harry only a few minutes ago
"What?" she said slowly "Over the- do you mean in Bulgaria?"
"Yes" said Viktor "I vood like you to see my home. I think you vood like it. Vood you like to come?"
"I- Are you sure?" Hermione stuttered "I mean, staying with you... surely you would get annoyed with me eventually?"
Viktor shook his head
"I haff never felt this way about any other girl" he said
Hermione blinked. Huh?
"Well, I-"

The crowd had began to cheer again. Hermione turned. Harry and Ron had emerged from the water, accompanied by Fleur's little sister, for some reason. Several seconds later, about two dozen merpeople appeared alongside them. They looked nothing like traditional mermaids, with greyish skin and long dark green hair, sort of like kelp. Hermione ran over to shore. Percy waded into the lake to help Ron up, looking quite unprofessional, and Fleur had to be restrained by Madame Maxime to stop her from following Percy
"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?"
As Dumbledore and Bagman helped Harry up, Fleur escaped Madame Maxime's arms and charged towards her sister, hugging her hard
"It was ze grindylows... zey attacked me... oh Gabrielle, I thought... I thought..."

Madam Pomfrey forced some Pepperup Potion down Harry's throat, which made his ears smoke, and Hermione rushed over to him
"Harry, well done!" she exclaimed "You did it, you found out how all by yourself!"
"Well-" said Harry, glancing to the judges table, where Karkaroff was eavesdropping "Yeah, that's right"
"You haff a water beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny" said Viktor
"You're well outside the time limit, though, Harry..." said, Hermione, flicking the beetle off her hair into the water "Did it take you ages to find us?"
"No... I found you okay..."