Darkness Over Bulgaria

Viktor was stunned, why would anyone want him dead? What had he done? He was quite sure that no-one knew about him and Hermione. After all Rita Skeeter was still safely sealed in a glass jar in Hermione's room, or so he thought. As his followers drew back their hoods, he was sure they looked familiar. One was about average height and very heavily built. The other was tall and thin with a voice that was disturbingly familiar. The heavy-set man turned to Viktor and, as his face caught the morning sun's rays, he was revealed.

'Durgan Ivanov!' Viktor spat. 'I should haff known. Still jealous that I made the Quidditch team and you did not! So, vhat are you going to do?' he asked menacingly. 'Kill me because I am a better Seeker than you.'

'No,' said the other figure turning to face Viktor.

'We are going to kill you because of the Mudblood.'

'Professor Karkaroff!' Viktor exclaimed. 'I thought you renounced the Death Eaters!' He scanned the area. So far, no more hooded figures had emerged from the woods or the sky. 'It would seem you are mistaken young Master Krum.' Karkaroff said calmly. 'Now, prepare to die.' There was a blinding flash and a piercing scream ripped through the air.

Viktor struggled into consciousness and sat up groggily. Sat up? 'Where am I,' he wondered. Taking in the surroundings, he realized, to his relief, that he was in fact in the hospital wing of Durmstrang Institute. He also noticed a blurred figure at the edge of his perception. His mind and body raced thinking his attackers had somehow turned up at Durmstrang. But the figure stepped forward and resolved itself into Peter Poliakoff.

'Peter, I haff news about Alexi and Nadya!' Viktor said hurriedly.

'I know already,' Peter cut him off. We received news when you were brought in. Two more figures Viktor hadn't noticed stepped into his field of vision.

'Who are they?' he asked, squinting, trying to make out the faces.

'You do not recognize them?'

'Ah, Vjekoslav, Aleksander what are you doing here?'

Vjekoslav spoke first, 'we saved you, when you were in the forest; we drove off your attackers and brought back the piece of shit Durgan. He is in Madame Vulchanov's office.'

'Being expelled no doubt.' Aleksander put in.

'So what happened?' Viktor asked.

'Well it's like this' and with that Vjekoslav started.

'I met Aleksander at Sergei's two days ago. We were probably there at the same time as you we just didn't see you. We set out mid morning yesterday and when we were flying over the forest we saw two cloaked figures descend into a clearing, following a student in Durmstrang robes. Aleksander thought it might be you, we knew you used that route on your way north. So we set off towards the clearing, when we got closer we could hear voices, I recognized yours and pulled out my wand. I caught the last part of their threat to kill you and then dived, firing any spells I could wherever I could, mainly stunning spells. Luckily for you, Aleksander had the presence of mind to throw a shield over you so you weren't hit. Karkaroff managed to escape though. Aurors are tracking him down.'

'What you did was totally unacceptable! I can't believe you would attack a fellow student like that, and being in league with a Death Eater!' shouted Madame Vulchanov. I am handing you over to the Aurors as soon as they get here! She opened the heavy doors to her office and put her head outside.

'Davor, Stanislav,' she called to two rather heavy-set young men with sharp eyes and jet-black hair. 'Could you take this thing,' pointing at Durgan, her voice full of contempt 'to the empty dungeon and see that he doesn't leave. The Aurors will be here shortly to collect him.'

'Of course Madame Vulchanov,' they said advancing towards Durgan, gripping him in their powerful arms and dragging him off on the direction of the dungeons.

'So you didn't catch Karkaroff then,' Viktor said.

'No, unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for him, had we caught him I think Aleksander may have killed him,' Vjekoslav answered.

'Well you would have done the same thing Vjeko,' Aleksander answered seriously. Viktor sighed, leaning back into his pillow. 'The Aurors should catch him, and then I can get back to my studies. You can go now,' he said to the three men around his bed. 'I'll be in classes tomorrow.'

'OK then, get some sleep,' said Aleksander.

'Yeah it would be best,' Peter said as he was leaving.

Vjekoslav patted him on the back and started for the door, then turned. 'Quidditch training is still on if you want to come,' he said.

'I'll think about it.' Viktor replied as he drifted off to sleep.

He slept fitfully tossing and turning haunted by dreams, dreams he did not like. He kept seeing Karkaroff's face. It just kept swirling and swirling in and out of his dreams, no matter what they were about.

He fell in and transfigured, partially into a shark. He knew what to do, he dived straight to the bottom of the lake, he had to find Hermione. When he got to the village of the mer-people he saw Harry trying to free Ron from his seaweed ropes. He shot towards Hermione and attempted to chew through the seaweed ropes to free her. Harry tapped him on the head with the rock and he looked up. Only it wasn't Harry that had tapped him, it was Karkaroff and it wasn't a rock but a wand, shooting a bolt of green light at him. He screamed and tried to avoid it but it hit.

Viktor awoke with a start. He was sweating and flushed. He looked out the window and saw that it was light. There were figures on the Quidditch pitch. He got up, brushed his matted hair out of his eyes and put on his robes, Vjekoslav had obviously brought them down for him, picked up his broom and headed out of the doors of the hospital wing.

He took a left turn and headed down the main stairway. There were a few people up and he got strange looks, not admiring or jealous looks like he usually got, on account of his fame and prowess on the Quidditch pitch, but rather, strange looks like he was some sort of monster. He shook his head, sprang down the steps and headed for the Quidditch pitch.

It was a glorious morning - crisp, clear and only a slight chill breeze, perfect for Quidditch. He crunched through the slight frost on the ground on his way to the pitch, hoping to forget the experiences of the past few days.

A/N I wasn't sure whether to put this next scene in, as it doesn't really advance the plot very much but I felt like writing a bit about Quidditch and expanding the world of Durmstrang a bit so I put it in. Please tell me what you think.

Viktor swung a leg over his Firebolt broomstick and kicked off into the crisp morning air. He shot upwards at full speed the wind whipping his long, thick black hair out of his face making it stream out behind him. It was good to be alive.

He called to Vjekoslav, who was vice-captain and played keeper, to throw up the practice Snitch. The practice Snitch was almost identical to the regular Snitch except it could be called with a special spell. Only three people knew the spell as far as Viktor could tell: himself, Vjekoslav and the team coach Professor Zlatan Rebrov, the former Soviet national seeker during the 1970's and 80's.

Viktor spent the next hour or so chasing after the practice Snitch and helping Professor Rebrov coach the younger players. One of them in particular caught Viktor's eye. He was a young 3^rd year, Jakko Okkonen, a local boy, born in Helsinki as far as Viktor could understand and he showed great skill with the Snitch and his broom, almost as much as Viktor did when he was in 3^rd year. Presently his teammate, Anna Larsson, a tall striking Swedish girl who played Chaser yelled to him that breakfast was ready. Viktor called the Snitch back to him and dived toward the ground, pulling up roughly three feet from the grass and then dropped expertly down from his broom. He replaced the Snitch and joined Anna, Vjekoslav and the others in heading to the main hall for breakfast.