"Hermione?"
Ron walked onto the dueling platform in a daze, muttering about "blowing that guy's head off." Then he suddenly saw Hermione taking her place across from him, and his eyes widened.
Hermione looked at Ron with some exasperation. "Yes. Stop looking so surprised. There are only ninety-eight competitors, so it's perfectly normal for us to get matched against each other sometimes."
"What I wanted to say..." Hermione pressed her lips together. "This match is very important to me. I can't lose. I'm going to give it everything I've got."
"I hope you do the same. Your family is here too, watching from nearby and hoping you'll succeed. I don't think you should disappoint them either!"
Hermione's expression was so earnest, so serious. She drew her Wand and stared at Ron across the dueling platform.
There was none of her usual amusement in her eyes, none of the disdainful eye-rolling she often gave him.
There was only an unwavering determination to win.
Her parents were watching her. She wanted them to know how capable she was, so they wouldn't have to worry about her every day at home.
Nearly all the finest young Wizards in the world were here. She wanted them all to know she would be the undisputed Champion. That would give her a tremendous psychological advantage in the competitions she might face throughout her future.
Nearly all the world's most accomplished experts and Masters were here. She wanted them to know that the next generation had a student as exceptional as her, and that she was someone worth investing in.
Wizards all over the world were following this match. She...
would make a name for herself!
Few Young Wizards started planning for the future in their Fourth Year. Hermione had such clear goals, and such determination to