The Golden Wand [Harry Potter/Percy Jackson]

Chapter 45: Valentine's Day

Hermione POV:

I was the fourth competitor to arrive. I got back to Hogwarts at 11:54pm, meaning I was just moment away from heading into the 8th day. The minute I stepped off the Night Bus I was tackled by Piper, who engulfed me in tight hug and refused to let go for several minutes. 

"I'm so sorry!" She cried in my ear. "I shouldn't have left things the way I did between us. I take back everything I said at the Yule Ball, I'm so-"

But I just laughed. "Piper!" I smiled. "Piper, I don't care! The past is in the past, I forgive you!"

And, truly, I did; for I had learnt, during my week of living hell, that petty arguments between friends hardly mattered in a world where every day might be your last. 

After the announcement and reporters and the sea of people who wouldn't stop irritating me, I eventually found my way to Tonks and Annabeth and the three of us hid in the competitors' tent, enjoying the quiet. 

"40 points," Annabeth reassured me. "That puts you in fourth place."

I sighed, hating the word fourth. I was too competitive to be in fourth place, but too exhausted to care enough at that moment. Tonks scowled at me, reminding me for the umpteenth time not to move as she dressed my head wound in a healing salve. I spent that night eating chocolate and letting Tonks heal me, slowly falling into a deep sleep that I much needed. 

And the following day the competitors came rolling in. The exciting part had been at mid-day, when the whole wizarding world watched as Fleur, Percy and Harry raced neck-and-neck to get to Hogwarts first. Harry flew through the air on his Firebolt, following the path of the train tracks below him, where steamed the Hogwarts Express. Fleur, who had been in London, had hijacked the train the night before and was now speeding towards Hogwarts, battling a very pissed off Trolley-Lady as she did so. And over them both flew Percy, seemingly asleep, hanging from the arms of a blazing blue Phoenix - Poseidon. 

Fleur, standing on top of the Hogwarts Express, deflected a spell from the Trolley Lady and it rebounded directly towards Percy. Poseidon's feathers ruffled furiously just as the train rounded the corner and the three competitors caught sight of the crowd at the gates, but suddenly Poseidon veered off course and went crashing into Harry. The two toppled out of sight, Fleur dived off the train and onto the platform below, and she sprinted towards the school gates to be announced as the fifth competitor to complete the trial. We all then waited in anticipated silence for Harry and Percy to reappear, and sure enough not a minute had gone by when - blazing out from behind the trees, glowing brighter than the winter's sun - Percy and Poseidon soared through the air. The boy looked like a God. 

Harry arrived a few minutes later, limping down the muddy road with his Firebolt in one hand. Later that day, Adrian arrived in a flying car, and there was some discussion as to whether points should be deducted from his score because he was sighted by so many muggles. On day nine, Jason arrived on his broom and a few hours later, stepping off of the Night Bus just as I had, Draco arrived. I pushed through the crowd to get to him, and when I reached him I forgot about everyone else in the world for just one moment - we kissed, and it wasn't until I heard the click of a hundred cameras right next to my face that I realized we were being watched. 

On Christmas day, Krum arrived seconds before the day's end. And when the clock struck 12, Cedric climbed onto the stage and, with a fake sad-face, announced that Ginny Weasley had failed the competition. The crowd booed, Luna and Ron the loudest amongst them. Dumbledore clapped his hands once and Ginny appeared, barely conscious and in desperate need of medical attention. 

On Boxing Day we watched the highlights of the trial's events on the TV; the news reporter spent an extra long time going through Ginny's progress, which had ended at the hands of a Radical Wizard Cult known as the Velnio Banda - A Satan-Worshipping group of giants living in Lithuania who had planned to sacrifice Ginny on New Years Day. Ginny had done well to stay alive. Harry and I clenched our fists at the sight of the cult, and the next day we made Tonks promise that she would send a team of Aurors to Lithuania to deal with the Velnio Banda immediately. Ginny, on the other hand, didn't seem upset that she was out of the competition - frankly, she seemed quite relieved.