Harry Potter's Pen Pal

Chapter 19

Hermione Granger ⎯ Helen or Arachne?

You have all heard of Miss Granger, Harry Potter's
ex-friend. It was once speculated that she was his
girlfriend. Whether this is true or not, one thing is for
certain ⎯ Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl,
has a taste for famous wizards that Mr. Potter alone
cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor
Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last World
Quidditch Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with
his affections. Krum, who had been openly smitten with
the devious Miss Granger, recently discovered through
her supposed ex-boyfriend, Mr. Potter, that she is not
the woman she pretends to be.

"Granger thinks she's a god-send," Harry Potter reveals.
"She believes she's the smartest person in the school, and
anyone who gets higher grades than her is cheating. Before

I was re- sorted into Slytherin, she would burn my essays
if she thought they sounded smarter than hers. She's also
rude, arrogant, and despicable. I warned Viktor to stay
away from her ⎯ looks like he took my advice."

If Mr. Potter speaks the truth, and Miss Granger does burn
her fellow students' essays, Minerva McGonagall-Pomfrey
will want to investigate. It is, of course, against school
rules, and many students could be suffering from failing
grades because of this girl.

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"I saw you, Marcus! You were kissing Theo!"

"I swear it wasn't what it looked li-"

"Shut up, Harry's sleeping!"

Harry snorted, lifting his head off his Transfiguration essay. "Too late, I'm awake. What happened?" He yawned, rubbing his face. When he pulled his hands away, he frowned.

The common room had gone completely silent. Angry tears were falling down Cedric's face, and Marcus was torn between embarrassment and defiance. Theo was hiding behind a huge book labelled Lies and Secrets, his face redder than a tomato. Viktor was giving Marcus a look that indicated he wanted to burn him alive. Blaise, Draco, Neville, Fleur, and the twins were giving Cedric protective, worried looks looks. Seamus and Dean were scowling at Marcus. Luna looked downright dangerous. Tom had his wand out, and he was frowning at Cedric's boyfriend.

"What happened?" Harry asked again, his voice icy. Marcus blanched.

Theo sighed and lowered his book. "It's my fault. I didn't realize Marcus and Cedric were still dating." He cast Cedric an apologetic look. "Marcus told me you two broke up."

Cedric flinched, and Marcus paled. Viktor hissed quietly.

"Cedric caught me and Marcus kissing," Theo continued quietly. "I'm sorry, Cedric."

"I'm not mad at you," Cedric said flatly. "I'm mad at Marcus."

"I-" Marcus began.

"There's no excuse for cheating!" Fred snarled.

"Come near Cedric again-" George growled.

"-and we'll rip you apart!" Fred finished.

Marcus paled further.

"Leave," Viktor said coldly, his eyes flashing black briefly. Harry raised an eyebrow. He hadn't known Viktor was a Dark Veela....

Marcus fled the common room.

Cedric choked and collapsed beside Viktor on the couch. Viktor put an arm around his shoulders, his glare softening to a concerned look. Cedric put his head on Viktor's shoulder, muffling his sobs.

"Don't worry, Cedric," Luna said softly. "You'll find your mate soon."

Cedric gave her a look of watery confusion. "But I'm not a magical creature."

"You'll see," Luna said gently. "He won't hurt you, and he cares about you a lot."

"If he does hurt you-" said Fred.

"-he'll regret it," George agreed, eyes flashing. Viktor paled slightly.

"You are our brother," Harry agreed, casting the dormitory door a glare.

Cedric smiled weakly. "Th-thanks," he croaked.

"No problem, brother," Blaise said with a smile.

Helen: a beautiful girl from Greek mythology that supposedly caused a war between her lover and her husband. Arachne: a woman from Greek mythology who challenged the goddess Athena to a weaving contest, believing she was better than her. (She lost).