Hermione trudged down the path to the Quidditch pitch, chatting happily with the Weasley's.

"What have they done?!" Fred and George demanded upon seeing the Quidditch pitch covered with some kind of hedge. The Weasley's and Hermione all wished Harry good luck, and Hermione risked a giving Harry a hug.

"Herm-Own-Ninny!" Hermione looked around to see Viktor ignoring Karkaroff. She smiled weakly.

"Good luck," she called over the crowd.

"That did not seem sincere," Ginny giggled.

"Of course it wasn't," Hermione said, her voice a little louder than a whisper, "Hogwarts all the way."

"You mean Harry," Ron said behind her.

"No, I mean Hogwarts," Hermione lied. Fred lengthened his stride slightly to catch her up.

"You're really bad at the whole lying thing," he said quietly, "I mean, absolutely, mind shatteringly-"

"Oh, shut up, I'm better than you think," Hermione said, taking his hand and letting him help her up into the stands. She sat between Ron and Fred and watched Harry nervously glance at the menacing hedge.

"If that hedge isn't gone by next year-" George said in a low, threatening tone.

"-we'll be having words with our game keeper," Fred continued in the same way.

"Oh, please," Ron said, "You wouldn't make it past his bloody dog."

"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"Cursing in front of a lady-" Fred winked at Hermione.

"-How dare you?" George shot Ron a scathing look, one Ron happily returned.

Bagman announced the champions, then sent Cedric and Harry off into the maze together. Hermione had forgotten that they had tied, even though it had been so exciting at the end of the second task.

There was no real view of any of the action. From the angle they had, not much more than the top of the hedge could be seen. Occasionally there would be a rustle and the crowd would quiet slightly, but nothing else happened. There was a hushed buzz as everyone turned to their neighbor and chatted about each champion's prospects. Harry was more often than not referred to as 'that poor boy'. Hermione fell asleep sometime during the task, and she awoke with her head on Fred's chest. Mrs. Weasley gave her a half curious look as Hermione groaned and Fred smiled down at her. His arm was draped around her easily. She was about to sit up when there was a flash of blue light. Hermione stood immediately when Harry and Cedric appeared in front of them, clutching the Tri-Wizard Cup. Ron cheered loudly along with the crowd.

"Oh, no," Hermione whispered. Cedric wasn't moving, and Harry was clutching him with all his strength, screaming something over and over. What was... It couldn't be... "Oh, god."

"Cedric?" Cho called happily a few rows below the Weasleys.

"Hermione?" Fred asked softly, touching her elbow.

"He's dead!" Hermione gasped. Harry was covered in blood, refusing to move away from Cedric, sobbing. She shouted, "Harry!"

Then Dumbledore was there, and then Moody. Moody dragged Harry away.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted again. Why would Moody take Harry away from Dumbledore, away from the most powerful wizard of his age?

"Noooo!" Mr. Diggory wailed, "My boy! Let me through!"

Mr. Diggory half ran, half fell from the stands. Hermione tried to keep her eyes on Harry, but she'd blinked and he and Moody had disappeared.

"That's my son!" Mr. Diggory screamed at his only child's lifeless form, shaking him, "That's my boy!"

Mr. Diggory cried out in pure agony, and Hermione knew she would never be able to pry the memory from her mind. Hermione moved away from the Weasleys, stepping down onto the next row.

"Hermione, wait!" Fred called.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted again, breaking away from the Weasley's, searching for the mop of unruly black hair. Where was Moody? He couldn't have gotten far on his peg leg. Dumbledore stood, spinning once and taking off out of the stadium, McGonagall and Snape on the hem of his flowing robes.

"Harry!" Hermione said, elbowing someone out of the way.

Fred wrapped both his arms around Hermione's waist and dragged her away. Hermione cast a jinx accidentally, and they both fell. Chaos around errupted around her as Ministry officials descended upon them.

"Harry!" Ron yelled.

Fred pulled Hermione to her feet, his arms holding her back once more as she tried to run after Harry.

"It's not right!" Hermione protested, struggling. Hermione couldn't see it, but silent communication flew between the Weasley brothers. Ron remained with Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, as Ginny had become very disraught. No matter how she claimed to be 'over' Harry, it wasn't a very hard façade to see through. Bill joined the Ministry people trying to help control the panic.

George grabbed Hermione's right arm and Fred her left, and together, they elbowed their way down to the Quidditch pitch and dragged her out of the way.

"I'm gonna-" George did not wait for his sentence to be completed, turning back onto the pitch.

"Harry's in danger!" Hermione protested, fighting against Fred as he pulled her out of the light, "Something's wrong."

"Hermione, listen to me!" Fred shook her, and Hermione saw real worry in his eyes. "You can't help him!"

She tried to take a deep breath. The air caught in her throat, refusing to fill her lungs, "Someone killed Cedric."

"Breathe, 'Mione," Fred said carefully as Hermione started to hyperventilate.

"They tried to kill Harry!" She said, clutching Fred's arms desperately, "He was covered in blood!"

"Hermione people die in these games, that's just what happens," Fred said softly.

"No, they changed it!" Hermione insisted, "He was murdered!"

"Hermione," Fred said, scared, "What are you trying to say?"

"Did you hear what Harry said?" Hermione stopped breathing altogether. He had been... She was doomed, they all were...

"'Mione?"

"He's back," Hermione said, covering her mouth with her hand, "Fred, Harry said 'He's back.'"

"You don't think-" Fred's eyes lit with true fear and he pulled Hermione into his chest. Hermione was comforted by the regular rise and fall of his chest. Slowly her breathing matched his and they stood there for a few moments.

"The hospital wing!" Hermione said, "I bet that's where Moody took him!"

"You are a genius," Fred kissed her cheek and grabbed her hand, pulling her back toward the steady stream of people extiting the Quidditch pitch. It wasn't hard to spot the brilliant red hair, even in the dark. Fred grabbed his family as Hermione ran at a sprint back toward the castle.

They wouldn't let everyone into the hospital wing, only Hermione, Ron, Bill and Mrs. Weasley were allowed to enter, even though Fred, George and Ginny protested greatly.

"Where is he?" Mrs. Weasley demanded as she saw Madam Pomfrey.

"Mr. Potter was not brought to me," Madam Pomfrey said for the umpteenth time.

The door opened a short while later, and an exhausted looking Harry, Dumbledore and Sirius in dog form appeared.

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley cried out, "Oh, Harry!"

Dumbledore spoke quietly, but with an authority like no other. Mrs. Weasley went pale as a sheet as Dumbledore spoke, and when he was done, turned to the silent Hermione, Bill and Ron and shushed them. Hermione was worried for a moment for Mrs. Weasley's own health. Sirius- er - Padfoot? paced by Harry's bed even after he had taken a sleeping draught and was asleep. Were they still supposed to call him Snuffles?

Hermione had dozed off again, sitting in a chair near Harry's bed. She woke to shouting within the hosptial wing.

"You've been reading Rita Skeeter," Harry said quietly, and almost everyone turned to look at him. Hermione herself jumped, shaking sleep from her body. She looked up at the Minister, Professor Dumbledore, and the most infuriated Professor McGonagall. Whatever whoever had done, they were a blithering idiot to have done something so horrible as to make Professor McGonagall angered. As Fudge continued to speak, Hermione realized it was he who was the blithering idiot, for who else would argue with Albus Percival Brian Wulfric Dumbledore?

"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry yelled, and everyone jumped but Dumbledore, whether at his volume or his use of You-Know-Who's name, "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy-"

"Malfoy was cleared!" The Minister said as Hermione wondered what terror Harry had suffered through, "A very old family... donations to excellent causes!"

As Harry continued to list off names and Fudge continued to refuse their credibility, Hermione found herself becoming more and more angry. Then there was a debate about dementors, giants, and the sanity of Dumbledore came into question.

All fell silent. Hermione stood, giving the Minister of Magic a look she had once reserved for Slytherins and reporters. Mrs. Weasley had to physically prevented Harry from attacking Fudge. Then Snape presented his arm to Fudge, ranting on and on about a mark there. Hermione's tired eyes couldn't make out much in the dimmly lit hospital.

Then Fudge dropped a sack of money on the table beside Harry's bed and left.

Dumbledore looked to Mrs. Weasley, "There is work to be done. Molly, am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"

Bill offered to go and deliver a message, not just any message but the truth about everything that had transpired that night, to his father before the Ministry could reach him. Then Dumbledore dissmissed McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey. Hermione had a feeling all this had to do with the dog beside Harry's bed.

"And now," Dumbledore sighed deeply, "it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius, if you could resume your original form?"

Hermione couldn't help but smile when Padfoot became Sirius Black once more.

"Sirius Black!" Mrs. Weasley screamed as Hermione hugged the ragged man, because grungy as he was, Hermione was relieved to see him.

"Mum, shut up!" Ron yelled, "It's okay."

Hermione stood in front of Sirius protectively and Snape sneered. Dumbledore reassured the Potions Master, but the look of unadultered hatred did not fade. Hermione stepped aside to let the two men shake hands, but it lasted no longer than a second. Still, both were trying, at the least. Well, sort of.

Sirius said a brief goodbye to Harry then ran off to 'gather the old crowd' whatever that meant. Snape became very pale as he swept out of the hospital wing after his old enemy.

Then movement on the window caught Hermione's eye. Could it be? Hermione nearly smiled as she walked in a world seperate to that of Harry. Yes, there it was, a little beetle, with little white marks around her antannae.

Rita Skeeter.

Hermione brought her hand down surprisingly quick to catch the little bug, her hand hitting the glass of the window with a dull thud.

"Sorry," Hermione muttered, realizing she had startled Harry and Mrs. Weasley.

Harry fell asleep and Hermione left the hospital wing soon after, conjuring a jar as she walked out.

"How's Harry?" Fred asked in unison with George. Hermione effectively trapped the little bug and glanced back distractedly at the twins.

"He's asleep," Hermione said, "He... well Harry hasn't said much... but he's defitinately back. Dumbledore even said so."

Hermione turned and left them, feeling as if she was on the edge of something great. She quickly cast an Unbreaking Charm on the jar.

"What's that?" Fred asked, referencing her little glass jar.

"My page from your book," Hermione answered vaguely, running up the steps.

"What?" George asked.

"She's either started a joke shop," Fred frowned, and continued so Ginny couldn't hear, "Or she's blackmailing someone."

"Oh," George said, pretending to care.

You-Know-Who was back.

George swallowed and looked up at his brother, who stared dreamily after Hermione. George had a bad feeling about what was coming.

.o0O0o.

Yesterday was the longest day, I meant to update but didn't get home until 11:30 sooo.

badwolfinwinterfell: It honestly is the best way to start the day. I'm glad you liked them :D