Since the moment the trio left the common room ("Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady wildly.), They learned Hermione had planned everything from making sure Peeves stayed away to the last giggling step on the foolish trick staircase. Nobody would ever find out what happened to the three until Parvati Patil from the girl's dormitory and Seamus Finnigan from the boys' came rushing into the Gryffindor common room searching frantically for them all (Parvati had fallen asleep while finishing up Professor Flitwick's essay on The Importance of Simple Household Charms, and Seamus needed tips on flying; a Cleansweep Seven was delivered as an early birthday present the day before). Far-fetched ideas brewed inside the young Gryffindors' heads, but the most absurd one was the accusation of Neville Longbottom that he had left a piece of paper with the week's new password and dropped it again (like in the third year), and that Harry, Hermione, and Ron had all been kidnapped by the still-at-large Black.
Of course, nobody had been kidnapped at all. In fact, three cloaked figures sprinted across the Hogwarts grounds during the night in their own free will. The moment Hermione stepped hurridly on to the soft moss path roughly hewn in the Forbidden Forest, a rather large hawk owl came swooping down on them, dropping a parcel. Ron caught it in mid-air and hastily untied the twine around the message. Revealed on the paper in rushed, scribbled handwriting was written, "Sofia, Bulgaria."
Ron looked shocked. "Bulgaria? Hermione, how do you expect us to get there in time to save someone from uncertain death? If you haven't noticed, we're in England, which means Bulgaria is a fair few countries away..."
Harry gave Hermione a reassuring look and a smile. "Don't worry, Hermione," he whispered, casting a glance at the flaming hair and freckles. "I've got contacts."
Hermione and Ron had been forced by Harry to sleep instead of worrying about getting there. Hermione was in a nervous wreck; she didn't see the point of having a lie-down while Viktor could be in mortal danger. Ron was fidgety too. It wasn't all that long ago that gargantuan spiders had once tried to eat Harry and himself. Finally, after much arguing, all three spread out their cloaks (Hermione quickly conjured up that bluebell flame of hers) and closed their eyes.
Deep within the confinements of her head, Hermione dreamt the most absurd dream. Krum, flying on his Firebolt, whizzed by, grabbed her hand and landed them both smoothly near a cave. Inside the cave, she heard a thunderous booming sound echoing over and over. Suddenly, green scales flashed in the sunlight as a dragon leapt forward and snorted bright orange smoke in her face.
Startled and shaking, she woke herself up. However, instead of staring at the tall, monstrous pine trees, she found herself staring directly into the glassy, amber eyes of a hippogriff. "Sirius!" Harry jovially called out.