Fourth Year Begins.

Welcome to Fourth Year, which will be dealt with in depth...get ready for a ride.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Hermione’s summer had flown by and she had enjoyed every minute of it.

The nice witch that her parents had met, Mrs. White, was bright and had a knack for Transfiguration and Charms.

Hermione was well on her way to becoming an animagus, having sat through the meditations to figure out her form.

She’d been shocked when she realized that her animagus form was the Western Taipan snake.

In her research, she’d discovered that the western taipan, also called the fierce snake, contains venom that is a veritable witches brew of deadly neurotoxins, procoagulants and myotoxins that paralyze muscles and causes hemorrhaging of the blood vessels.

Hermione was awed to discover that her animagus form was something so fitting, considering her true heritage.

She was anxious to return to school and tell Nagini the good news.

When she went to Diagon Alley to get her supplies for school, she noticed that there was a lot of interest in the upcoming Quidditch World Cup: Bulgaria against the Irish National Team.

Hermione had no interest in the sport, she’d never attended a single game at school.

She got her books, robes and other supplies in record time, leaving back through the Leaky Cauldron and headed back home.

September 1st came too quickly and once again she was alone on the Hogwarts Express.

Her hair had gotten longer, and she had managed to put on some of the weight she’d lost over the last school year, although her mother thought she was still too thin. She grown a couple inches and had her teeth fixed over the summer, so they weren’t quite as noticeable. She was starting to fill out as well, and her normally flat chest was now a simple B cup.

Casting a disillusionment charm on herself, she sat back and watched the countryside go by.

Hearing a sound outside her compartment, she noticed Malfoy looking into the compartment with a puzzled expression on his face.

He had grown over the summer, and his hair was a bit more wind-swept.

Hermione had tried not to give much thought to the conversation she’d overheard on the train ride home last year, but she’d thought about it more than she’d care to admit. Seeing Malfoy now clearly looking for something, or someone?

Made Hermione nervous.

She would be happy if she never had to see the blonde again.

When the train stopped, Hermione warded her compartment and dressed in her new robes. She grabbed her beaded bag that she had been given by Mrs. White over the summer. Hermione had discreetly placed an undetectable extension charm on the bag and it would only open for her as it was tied to her magical signature. She felt her right index finger and rubbed over her concealed family ring distractedly, waiting for everyone to leave the train before she disembarked.

Unfortunately luck was not on her side as she approached the last carriage and both Malfoy and Greengrass were waiting together. When Daphne spotted her, she nudged Draco who looked over at the little witch approaching them with that same vacant dead expression on her face.

Daphne stepped up into the carriage with Draco’s help and Hermione waited for the blonde to get in as well so she could enter. Draco stared at her impassively, seemingly waiting for her to approach. When it seemed like neither one would move, Daphne gestured for Draco to take a seat. The boy looked at the little witch morosely and sighed in resignation, stepping up and taking a seat next to Daphne.

Hermione then moved towards the carriage and careful not to make eye contact, sat as far away from the two as she could get.

Daphne watched the witch, who seemed to be as emotionless as the last time she’d seen her.

Her clothes seemed a bit less baggy and her face was a little fuller, but she still seemed underweight.

As the carriage moved, Daphne cleared her throat and addressed Hermione directly.

“How was your summer, Granger?”

Hermione stared at the girl with the same confused look she had given her at the end of last year, but did not say anything.

Draco, who was closely watching the little witch sighed this time in exasperation.

“Don’t you know it’s poor manners to ignore someone when they address you, Granger?”

Daphne elbowed Malfoy, who just grunted, while Hermione just looked at them woodenly.

She had no intention of speaking with either one of them.

Did they honestly think that after tormenting her for the last three years that she would sit there and make idle chit-chat with them?

They were barking if they thought she would willingly make small talk.

Glancing away from the two Slytherins, she missed the worried look that Daphne gave Malfoy and the way in which Malfoy frowned at her.

When they’d finally reached the castle, Hermione quickly stepped off the carriage and hastily made her way into the Great Hall. She was so focused on escaping her two classmates she missed the arrival of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons schools for the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Quietly, Hermione made her way to the end of the Slytherin table to sit by herself. She didn’t look at anyone, but simply took a book out of her bag and started to read. Malfoy had entered the hall and immediately noticed Granger sitting off by herself, her nose buried in a book. Daphne came up silently behind him, looking over at Hermione sitting all alone. She gave Draco a nod and purposefully walked over to where Granger was sitting, noticing the looks of astonishment on her classmates faces before sat directly across from Hermione.

The witch in question however, didn’t look up nor acknowledge Daphne, but from the way her hands tightened on her book, Daphne knew that Hermione was aware someone was sitting across from her.

Malfoy just stood there considering his friend who nodded at him to leave, while further down the table—Pansy was doing a fairly decent job loudly complaining about Daphne sitting with the ‘filth.’

There were some snickers and chuckles but it soon stopped quickly. Hermione didn’t dare look up to see what had happened but she imagined that Malfoy must have given them a look shutting them up.

Bloody hell!

This was going to be more awkward than when they’d just ignored her.

Dumbledore at that moment, stood up and made the announcement about the visiting schools, the Tri-Wizard tournament and suddenly, the ceiling started behaving erratically—catching Hermione’s attention when a weird looking man with a strange eye and a limp came wandering into the Great Hall from the back, and cast a spell stopping the commotion.

Dumbledore went to greet him and Hermione figured that the man was probably their new Defense Professor. He seemed a bit unhinged and he was drinking out a flask and shuddering in disgust.

Hhmmm, that was odd.

Hermione’s eyes narrowed at the man’s reaction, remembering something similar when she had drank Polyjuice last year.

Could the wizard be Polyjuiced?

And if so why?

Hermione continued to watch him closely, not realizing that Malfoy was noticing her sudden interest in the new Professor.

When the students were introduced from Beauxbatons Academy, Hermione rolled her eyes at the way the boys all swooned over the French witches.

How utterly predictable.

But soon, the wizards from Durmstrang entered in with fanfare of chanting and fire.

The last wizard that walked into the Great Hall looked familiar, but Hermione simply couldn’t place him.

Both the witches and wizards seemed to be fixated on the young wizard, so he was probably someone of importance.

It was a few moments later after all the introductions had been complete, that the young Bulgarian Wizard walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down next to Malfoy, who seemed to be awestruck by the older wizard.

Daphne, watching where Hermione’s attention had gone, quietly spoke up.

“That Wizard is Viktor Krum. He’s a famous seeker for the Bulgarian Quidditch team.”

Hermione glanced over at the witch, not realizing she’d been so obvious in her observations and just nodded before returning her attention back to her book.

Daphne smiled slightly and caught Draco’s eye and nodded which caused the blonde to breathe in a small sigh of relief as he nodded back to her.

Perhaps all was not lost after all.

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