“Viktor, it’s beautiful!” Hermione gasped as they Apparated to the side of a giant, old-fashioned stone house. It was three stories high with a yard the size of Hogwarts.

“Let me show you the inside,” he smiled, and led her through the front doors and into the foyer. “Mum, dad, ve are here.”

A woman swooped into the room, hugging Viktor fiercely. “Ah, I am so glad you made it home safely! Is this her? Hermione?”

Hermione nodded. “It’s nice to meet you!”

The woman went to find her husband. While she was gone, Hermione whispered, “She’s not from here, is she? I mean … she has an accent, but it’s definitely not Bulgarian.”

“Ireland,” he answered.

Hermione though this was odd, especially since, in Quidditch, Bulgaria and Ireland were always two main opponents.

As if reading her mind, he said, “She cheers for us.”

A tall man came into the room, dragged slightly by Mrs. Krum. Viktor was the spitting image of him; while Mr. Krum’s hair was starting to get a twinge of gray in it, they still had the same bushy eyebrows and thin but muscular frame.

“Hello,” he nodded. “It is a pleasure to meet you. Viktor has told us so much.”

“Has he?” Hermione asked, a little surprised. She turned and Viktor winked at her. “Well, he’s told me a lot about you too, sir. It’s great to be here.”

“It’s great to have you,” Mrs. Krum smiled. “But enough of that for now. Why don’t you let Viktor show you to your room and we’ll call you down when it’s time for supper.”

Hermione followed Viktor up. Mrs. Krum, oddly, reminded her of Mrs. Weasley.

“Vell, this is it,” Viktor said, swinging a door on his right open.

They walked inside and Hermione plopped herself down on a huge bed, watching Viktor, who was putting her trunk in a corner. Next, he opened the burgundy curtains to reveal a huge window. “The sun is almost down, but it’s a nice view.”

Hermione got up to look, and found that he was right. She could see off miles of rolling hills and a lake. “How far is that?”

“Not too bad. We could go tomorrow, if you’d like.”

She nodded. “This place seems so magical.”

“Vait till you see the closet,” he grinned.

“What?”

He opened her trunk, and Hermione’s eyes grew.

It was empty.

“Where are my clothes?”

“Calm down,” he laughed. He slung open the closet door to reveal all of Hermione’s things.

“How … what?” She was dumbfounded.

“Just vait till tomorrow morning when you get dressed.” He smirked, but wouldn’t tell her what was going to happen. “Come on, I heard my mother. Dinner time.”