Goblet of Fire (Male Reader x Hermione) - Book 3

Snake in the Sky

Music blared from all directions in the stadium as the crowds of all societies gathered for this spectacle. We had been walking up multiple flights of stairs, letting the screams and murmurs do all the talking for us until Ron, I know of all people, decided to complain.

"Jheeze Dad how high up are we?" he said in between lumbered breaths. 

"Put it this way," a voice interrupted from below us. "If it rains, you'll know," smirked the twat of a father known as Lucius Malfoy. 

"Well do tell us if it gets a bit toasty down there," I said mostly directing the threat toward Malfoy who knew of my fire powers more than his father did. "I do hope there isn't anything flammable or who knows, you might really need some rain."

Not understanding what I said, Lucius swiped his walking cane up, trapping a part of Harry's jacket and staring him directly in the eyes. "Do enjoy yourself, while you can at least." 

Harry brushed the warning off without a second thought, pulling everyone else away from the rails and back to climbing the stairs to the very top of the vast structure. As we reached the final level, we made our way under a few large lights and toward the Diggory family who had agreed to meet us up here. As we did so, the green and white of Ireland flew over and down in front of us, sweeping in one clean motion to reveal a firework of an Irish leprechaun dancing to the beat of the crowds. The sound filled the entire atmosphere, erupting the place into a whole new level of enthusiasm and excitement. I had decided on supporting the Russians today much like a Ron and Harry since we wanted to be different from everyone else...consider it our rebellious phase. As the men in red capes broke the Irish charm quite literally, the crowd split once again revealing the mass numbers of the Russian supporters and the music also changed to a more dangerous, thumping drum bringing along with it a live poster of the Russian seeker, Viktor Krum.

"Good evening!" the minister bellowed through his wand. "It gives me great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you, to the final of the 422nd World Cup. Let the match...begin!"

The cheers and celebrations continued way after the match had finished with the Irish going crazy over their win despite Krum catching the snitch late in the game. The twins had been singing this awful Irish melody, kicking their feet and driving me crazy for long enough before I noticed Hermione sitting by herself on the small step to the kitchen. I took a deep breath before heading over and asking if it was alright for me to sit down beside her. 

"You know, I'm sorry for the way this year has started," I said trying my best not to relive the moments so far. "I just...it's the typical excuse but it really wasn't my fault and I-"

"I know it's not your fault," she said through a small smile. "Ok maybe not sending me a letter before you went away was but I'm assuming that's not what you mean."

"No that was definitely my fault. I meant the shower thing and the...let's just forget about that...please?" I said feeling my face flush up a bit.

The three other boys began to mock Ron to the left of us, drawing a small laugh and lightening the mood even more. "I don't know how easy that will be," she said causing me to shift my eyes back to her. She had already been looking at me, shifting the whole mood in the room and separating us from everyone else. As we looked at each other, something abnormal, something entirely unknown to me drew me in, a bit closer every second and it seemed that whatever spell it was had done the same to her, inching her head slowly toward mine. Arthur burst through the entrance to the tent, disturbing us from...whatever that was and rushed over to the three I had previously mentioned, stopping everyone dead in their tracks. 

"It's not the Irish," he said in a serious tone, his eyes darting in between each one of us. "Get your things...we need to go."

The chaos was far more evident as we left the tent, bodies flying to the left and right of us and placing us in no man's land. Arthur instructed us to head straight back to the portkey and together in an ordinary fashion but nothing about this entire thing was ordinary. Hermione clutched to my arm, grabbing onto it as if it was her guideline to getting back. I began to follow the direction we had first come in, only using my general sense of direction and faint signs of remembrance to guide me. I checked for the first time in order to make sure everyone was present but as Hermione screamed Harry's name, I drew her close and surveyed over the heads of everyone else. He had been shipped elsewhere by the sea of panic and knowing whatever it was that had caused this would be something out to get him, I did what was necessary. 

"Hermione, follow Ron and the others and head back. I'm going to get Harry," I said sternly grabbing her arms. 

"What no you're crazy I'm coming-"

"Go!" I said already running in the opposite direction, despite the screams of both her and Ron in protest. Their voices grew gradually more distant and the numbers of people also began to dwindle allowing me a clearer passage and more vision. Soon numbers were near zero and it truly felt like something you would see at the end of a war. A blinding light erupted in the sky, taking the form of a skull with a snake sliding out of its mouth and knowing that this was something akin to the devil's mark, I sensed for any signs of warmth around me, closing my eyes and trusting my powers to find what it needed to. The first signs of a human heat told me more than enough and without a second thought, I headed in that direction until another human heat appeared in my range, disturbing me and placing me on alert. 

"Harry?" I called as a shadowy figure clutched to a string of a burnt tent and hid away from the first one. It's face turned around in fear, it's scar and glasses belonging only to one person. "Harry," I said in relief, hurrying to his side and looking at the other being near us. "Ekrixi!" I called throwing a part of fire toward the unknown being and sending him scurrying away from us. I decided to not give chase since the only important thing right now was getting Harry back in one piece but that might've been a harder task than I had thought considering multiple new heats had appeared on my radar. 

Ron burst from around the corner with Hermione close in tow, hurrying over to us and steading themselves as they cried out in relief at finding us. Harry clutched to his scar as the green snake in the sky hissed and wavered in our direction, bearing its fangs and making its presence known.

"Everyone DOWN!" I yelled as the heat surrounded us, all of them calling out a Stupify spell and casting it over us. I grabbed onto everyone, acting as a shield and making sure that we were all as low as possible to the ground.

"That's my son!" a known voice called as he bombarded himself past everyone and to our safety. "Everyone...are you alright?"

"Was it one of you?! Did one of you cast that?!" a man said before any of us could reply brandishing his wand as a weapon and sticking it in our faces. "You've been discovered at the scene of the crime!"

"Crime? What crime?!" I said defending not only myself but everyone present.

"It's the dark mark," Hermione whispered in a quiet tone. "It's HIS mark."

The men proceeded in the direction of the man both myself and Harry had seen, sticking together and marching as if they were a cleanup squad killing the last of the strugglers. I stood next to Hermione as she shook in her fear, her arms clutched close to her chest and shivering. I placed an arm over her shoulder, trying my best to stop the shivering whether it was from fear or the cold. Tonight was a night that would keep me awake for a while, for not only had I spectated the World Cup final, but I had also seen the first waves of his army...Voldemort's army.