Hermione sat on the rather sagging sofa staring at the floor. Even her phenomenal intelligence had trouble coping with a concept that was – impossible.

'So all this time, all this suffering, there was nothing we could have done to change it?' She looked at Jo Rowling. 'Cedric Dickory, Sirius – just a stroke of a quill? You could have done anything, but you chose to kill them?'

'I'm sorry, so sorry. I didn't know. It was a plot device; I had to show how evil Voldemort is, how he kills without feeling. That's why he has to be destroyed. I was just writing a story; I never thought it would happen for real.'

'Real?' Hermione laughed harshly. 'You're telling me I'm real? What else have you got planned for us? How does the story end?'

'You win; you live happily ever after.'

'All of us?'

'No, not all. It's a war.' Jo looked away. The words came back to her; "Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin Creevey and fifty others who died fighting him." Why fifty? Why not twenty? Or none?

'Ron?'

'He lives. You end up marrying him, and you have children. Rose and Hugo.'

'I like Rose; it's my favourite name. But you know that, don't you?'

They lapsed into silence, until Ron spoke.

'Hermione, what did you call him? Cedric, I mean.'

'Dickory. Cedric Dickory; he was killed' she flashed a look at Jo 'at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.'

Rupert sat there thoughtfully for a moment, trying to remember. 'And your parents? How did you describe them?'

'Dentists.'

'You said something else about them.'

'What, that they're mubbluls? So?'

'Just a slight difference, that's all. Here, he was Cedric Diggory, and they're muggles. What I can't work out is how you got here. That wasn't in the books, either.'

Hermione shrugged. 'I went to sleep in the hotel, and woke up this morning. The room looked exactly the same, and so did you two. Well, I did wonder why Harry didn't have his glasses on.'

'What hotel? There's no hotel.'

'We had to move out for a few days after the fire in the Common Room. It damaged some of the dorms so the 6th and 7th years moved into a hotel whilst its being put right.'

'A fire?'

'Yes. You should have seen Katie Bell; she was really good at getting us organised to fight it. They say that Roddy Jackman did well in the boy's tower, too.'

'Who?'

'Year above us. You must know him. Tall. Very dark hair worn long.'

'Apart from Cormac McClaggen, I didn't name any Gryffindor boys in the year up' said Jo. 'There wasn't space in the books.'

'See! You aren't just living the books' said Rupert. 'There are changes; subtle, it's true, but differences. That must mean there's no guarantee Harry's going to win.' He got up and walked around, thinking, before sitting down next to her. 'We have to get you back, so you can help him. Whatever happened to create your world, it isn't just a clone. You're important.'

'I want to go back.' Hermione's eyes glazed, just a little. 'I know I'm important to Harry, but there's Ron as well.' She fished out her hanky and wiped her eyes. 'I'm missing Ron.'

Rupert put a friendly arm around her shoulder. 'I bet in your world Ron's considered really good looking and strong, isn't he?'

'No. He's just like you, but I still love him.' She buried her head in his shoulder and hugged him. Dan knew it wasn't funny, but still had to pretend to have a coughing fit. Rupert glared at him.

'I feel so alone' said Hermione, still trying not to cry.

'Hey, we're here; we'll look after you' said Rupert, hugging her back.

'Why do you think these differences are important, Rupert?' Jo asked, mainly to change the subject.

'I don't know, but I'm sure they are.'

-o0o-

'Miss Watson, do you have any memory of getting here?' Dumbledore and McGonagall had finished their conference and come back to her and Harry.

'None at all. I was late getting back to the hotel last night and went straight to sleep. When I woke up this morning it was the same room except the phone was missing. Everything else – the people, I mean – were the same.' Understanding dawned on her face. 'That's why "Jessie" was being bitchy. I was actually talking to Lavender Brown, wasn't I?' She laughed, perhaps a little hysterically. 'Brilliant! She thinks it's me who stole her boyfriend away from her!'

'Yeah, you two don't exactly hit it off' said Harry. 'Mind you, it'd probably help if you didn't keep giggling every time you ask her how Ron is. I keep telling you to stop it.'

'Do I? Does she? That doesn't sound like Hermione! Mind you, the books don't say much about it. What a cow!'

'ANYWAY' said McGonagall, 'as fascinated as I am by the love lives of my students, can we please concentrate? Miss Watson, which hotel is this?'

'The one we came from this morning. It looks just like the one I'm staying in on location. Do you think we…this sounds so weird…managed to…apparate in our sleep?'

Dumbledore looked at her curiously. 'Can you apparate?'

'Of course not, nobody can.'

He handed her his wand. 'Would you like to try some magic?'

She took it cautiously, as if it would bite her. 'This is the Elder Wand, isn't it?'

McGonagall snorted, but Dumbledore said sharply 'How do you know that?'

'It's all in the final book.'

'Is it really, Albus? The Elder Wand?' said McGonagall who looked quite shocked. 'You never told me.'

'I've never told anybody, for obvious reasons. Miss Watson, please, you know a great deal that is important to us, obviously, but I would appreciate it if you took care in what you say.'

'But wouldn't it help you to know what happens? I could tell you where the…things you're looking for are.'

'No, it would not help. Indeed, it may well make things worse. You are, to all intents and purposes, a time traveller. We dare not play with time. If something IS going to happen in our future – which is your past – we must let it happen.'

Emma nodded. That seemed to make sense, sort of. 'Shall I try a spell then?' She pointed her wand at a cushion, feeling slightly foolish. 'Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa.' Although not surprised, she still felt some disappointed that nothing had happened.

'I doubt it was apparition, then' said Dumbledore kindly, taking his wand back.

'What about a worm hole?'

'A what?'

'A…worm hole. It's a sort of ..thingummy – in space, or time. Maybe space-time?' Emma sounded doubtful; she'd only ever seen them in sci-fi films.

'Well, that's cracked it, then' said Harry, clapping his hands together. 'Good job we've got an expert in the room.' Emma glared at him and he laughed. 'Are you sure you aren't Hermione? I'd recognise that look anywhere.'

-o0o-

Dan, Rupert and Hermione headed back to the hotel with Jo in her car; she normally booked a room at the same place as the cast so that she could have a chance to talk to them. The set was emptying as people headed off; it had been announced that filming was suspended for the day due to David Yates' bout of illness, which he would recover from quickly.

Once they got back, Rupert offered to show Hermione to her – well, Emma's – room. As they made their way along the corridor, Jessie appeared in front of them.

'Hi! Had a good day? You finished nice and early.'

Rupert explained about the cancellation, and they chatted pleasantly for a few moments. 'Right, see you at dinner this evening?'

He turned to see Hermione leaning against the wall with her arms folded, and a frown on her face.

'What were you talking to her for?'

'Hermione that was Jessie. She's an actress, playing a role. So am I; I'm Rupert, not Ron.'

Hermione's shoulders slumped. 'I'm sorry, I keep forgetting. It's so hard; you all look like you're supposed to.'

Ron's head snapped up. 'Hang on, how did you recognise her?'

'We've shared a dormitory for nearly six years. And, if you remember, we have just had a bit of a contretemps.'

'Has she always looked like that?'

'No, she used to have three heads.'

'No! What I mean is; she only joined us a few months ago. That's weird.' He shook his head. 'I'm sure I'm missing something. Anyway, I'm off for a shower. Shall I come and get you when it's time for dinner?'

'I…I don't know. Maybe I won't go down. They'll all think they know me; it could get awkward. You go.'

Rupert smiled in understanding. 'I'll tell you what; let me see if I can get a private dining room. We'll ask Dan and Jo if they want to join us and maybe David, if he's back.'

Hermione smiled. 'That might be better. Thank you, you're very sweet.' She gave him a peck on the cheek. 'I'll see you later.'

Rupert walked slowly off down the corridor. 'You're not Ron, and this isn't Hogwarts' he said to himself.

It was strange for Hermione to go into the room, even though it was the one she'd left this morning. She wondered just how alike her alter ego was, or was it the other way around? She couldn't resist looking in the wardrobe. The dresses stunned her; they were gorgeous, and looked very expensive. Even the jeans were a much better standard than the ones she had. And the make-up! More than Lavender!

There were a few glossy magazines on the table, so she sat on the bed to flick through them. She found some pictures of "herself" inside, and gasped. Emma Watson at a party, at an opening, at an event. She stared hard at her. The make-up was perfect, the clothes divine. Even the hair…

'She doesn't look much like a bookworm. This could be me, though. Could I learn to play myself in a film? Could I learn to be her?' She threw the magazine aside. 'Without Ron or my parents?' She lay back on the bed, and sighed. 'He's Rupert, an actor.'

-o0o-

Harry and Emma made their way out from Dumbledore's office, and walked straight into Ron.

'I've been searching everywhere; Madame Pomfrey said she'd let you go. Are you alright, Hermione?'

'Ron' said Harry, 'I'm taking her…Hermione back to the hotel. Dumbledore's sending a carriage round to the front. You'd better come with us.'

'Great! That means we get to miss potions!'

As the carriage pulled them along, Harry explained to a totally stunned Ron Weasley what had happened in Dumbledore's office. He said 'But…but…' quite a lot.

He was still saying 'But…but…' when they got back to Harry's room.

'Ron, will you shut up and focus! We're going to have to think what to do. Dumbledore and McGonagall were stumped, but we need some way of protecting her until it's sorted out.'

'I don't think we should go down to dinner tonight' said Ron. 'Everyone will want to know what's happened; maybe we should get some food sent up here.'

They all decided that was a good plan, and decided to go and get changed. Emma went into the room, and was curious about the girl she had grown up with. She looked around her; noticing the differences. Books, of course, which she flicked through but could make no sense of. Clothes – good quality, but from chain stores and quite unadventurous. Make-up, just a few basics. It was the room of a quiet, bookish student.

Emma sat on the bed. What if this became her life, if she couldn't get back? But it couldn't be; she couldn't fit into this world. Here, she had nothing. She couldn't just pretend to be Hermione, to carry on playing the role; her attempt with the wand today had shown her that. She was already missing her family, and a tear rolled down her face as the enormity of her predicament hit her.

She searched around for some clue as to how she had got here, but found nothing. She even checked the back of the wardrobe, then realised what she was doing. 'You're cracking up girl, different book.'