The Purist / DRAMIONE (COMPLETE)

An Unfortunate Interruption

Hermione and Ron had had a blazing row in the common room right after the ball. However, due to some unspoken agreement, they were still speaking to each other but extremely politely. Harry and Ron quickly told her about Hagrid's disposition.

"Well, I thought he must be," Hermione shrugged. "I knew he couldn't be pure giant, because they're about twenty feet tall. But honestly, all this hysteria about giants. They can't all be horrible... it's the same sort of prejudice that people have towards werewolves... it's just bigotry, isn't it?"

It was after Care of Magical Creatures when Hermione found out what Rita Skeeter had done to Hagrid; they'd been taught by the sterner Professor Grubbly-Plank who'd done a good job explaining about unicorns.

"That was a really good lesson," she said as they entered the Great Hall. "I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly-Plank told us about uni_"

"Look at this!" Harry snarled, shoving the newspaper article under Hermione's nose.

Hermione's mouth fell open. "How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think Hagrid told her?"

After dinner, the three of them returned to Hagrid's hut; they banged on the door but there was no reply. He was continually absent from both his lessons and the staff table that week, and Professor Grubbly-Plank kept teaching them to Malfoy's delight (he kept annoying Harry, teasing him about Hagrid when a teacher was present so that Harry couldn't retaliate.)

There was a Hogsmeade visit that weekend and so Harry, Ron and Hermione went, in the freezing cold, snow crackling beneath their feet, watching Krum dive into the lake in his swimming trunks from the deck ("It's a lot colder where he comes from," Hermione said. "I expect it feels quite warm to him.") Due to the icy temperature, the trio entered the Three Broomsticks to find that Rita Skeeter, the very woman they hated, had just entered too in lurid banana-yellow robes, with her photographer Bozo, wondering how to ruin Ludo Bagman's life. When Harry interrupted Skeeter's thoughts, she turned and asked Harry whether Hagrid was a father substitute, and something in Hermione snapped. She stood up abruptly, her Butterbeer clutched in her hand like a grenade.

"You horrible woman," she said through gritted teeth, "you don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, won't they? Even Ludo Bagman_"

"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand," Skeeter said coldly, her eyes hardening as they fell on Hermione. "I know things that would make your hair curl... not that it needs it_" she added, eyeing Hermione's bushy hair.

The three left and after a surprising, but outraged visit to Hagrid's hut (in which they met a temporarily deaf Albus Dumbledore), convinced Hagrid to return to his lessons, and set back off to the castle, leaving Hagrid looking happier than they'd seen him for a long time. Hagrid had only brightened up because he believed Harry would win the Triwizard Tournament, and however much Hermione thought Harry didn't want to disappoint Hagrid, he may not have a choice in the matter.

*

In charms one day, Hermione and Ron were subsequently told by Harry that he had only that previous night, solved the clue of the egg, that Snape was on his second chance, and that Bartemius Crouch was, however ill he pretended to be, still in Hogwarts (primarily searching Snape's office.) Furthermore, as Harry needed to breathe underwater for an hour, Hermione, Harry and Ron had resolved to spend all their remaining waking hours ploughing through books in the library. Unfortunately, Fred and George interrupted them.

"Oh, this is no use," Hermione snapped Weird Wizarding Dilemmas shut. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind," Fred said, appearing with his twin from behind the bookshelves. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"

"What're you two doing here?" Ron questioned.

"Looking for you," George answered. "McGonagall wants you, Ron. And you, Hermione."

And so, Ron and Hermione followed the twins.

"Why she wants us to take you two to her office, I've no idea," admitted Fred. "I'm a bit curious, though: McGonagall looked rather grim."

"Hermione's never been in trouble, has she?" George grinned down at Hermione. "That would be a talking point."

"Too true, George," Fred laughed. "Anyway, we'll just drop you here. Lee thinks he's found another secret passageway out of the school. Bet it's Gregory the Smarmy again. See you!"

Hermione and Ron entered McGonagall's office, both apprehensive. Their house mistress could be incredibly stern sometimes. Fred was right; she was looking grim. And Dumbledore was with her, equally unsmiling. To their surprise, Cho Chang and a young girl Hermione distantly suspected might be Fleur Delacour's sister, were waiting there too. Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak.

"As I'm sure the four of you are wondering, plus Masters Weasley and Weasley who brought you here with similar confusion is, why you are here," Dumbledore smiled at them all. "You will also be aware, the Second Task is tomorrow, and the four of you are especially close to our champions." Hermione could see Cho's bemused expression, and was thinking too, what was happening. "I am sure you think I am being deliberately unhelpful, and rather perplexing. I am being neither of the two, once you catch my drift. Below the lake, where the merpeople lurk, as I'm sure you and your champions have guessed, will be something they sorely miss. They have an hour to seek this object." Dumbledore paused and Hermione squealed. Everyone turned to look at her.

"We're the items they have to find!" She gasped. "Cho is Cedric's, Fleur's sister, Fleur, Ron, Harry and me, Viktor."

"Well done, Miss Granger," Dumbledore smiled again. "Your logical thinking unravels the question. We, and when I say we, I mean Minerva and I, will subject each of you to a bewitched sleep. From this slumber, you will not be able to wake yourselves, only the removal from the lake will do that. You will be perfectly safe, I can assure you. Are you all party to this? Do you have any more questions?"

Cho, Ron and Hermione shook their heads. Fleur's little sister didn't seem to grasp what was going on. Professor McGonagall administered Ron and Cho's charm. The two would have fallen to the floor if McGonagall and Dumbledore hadn't caught them and laid them on the floor. Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick entered to assist them. Professor Snape turned to Hermione while Professor Dumbledore quickly bewitched Fleur's sister, helping her in her unconscious state to the safety of the ground.

Snape raised his wand, the look of pure hatred of his face more prominent than ever.

"Let's hope you are removed from the lake, Miss Granger," Snape said quietly. "Otherwise it's fifty points from Gryffindor for losing a house member, and we wouldn't want that, would we?" The corners of his mouth twitched. There was a flash and Hermione somehow doubted Snape bothered catching her. She was rather bruised when she woke later on.