Though I usually post about one chapter every three days, I was very encouraged by the flurry of reviews on the last chapter, so I decided to post this a bit early. In general, if I receive enough reviews, it will definitely hasten the next chapter.

My thanks to the reviewers, and my especial thanks to the multiple reviewers, particularly Miranda Took, who is as faithful a reader as an author could hope for!!

Before I knew it, it was Hallowe'en. I was working like mad on all my N.E.W.T. classes, having meals with my parents and their friends, going to Quidditch matches to cheer on my father, mother, and uncle . . . and all of a sudden October was upon us, and within a few weeks, when the decorations were going up, Harry cornered me in the common room late one night.

"I need more information about the locket before I can go barging in there," he told me flatly.

I nodded. "You want to get Hermione and Ron? I'll tell all three of you at once."

Harry looked a little guilty. "I . . . ."

"Harry, you wouldn't leave them behind, would you? They deserve to be given the choice to come with you."

His face cleared. "Right, I'll get them." He hissed, "Expecto Patronum," and a white stag erupted from his wand and turned to face its master.

"Prongs, go find Ron and Hermione," he murmured.

His friends emerged ten minutes later or so. The Patronus was gone; I suspected it had dissipated when its mission was complete. Ron's hair was suspiciously out of place, and Hermione's lips seemed to be bruised. Neither Harry nor I commented, though I realized why Harry hadn't gone himself to find them.

"What's all this, then?" Ron asked. He sounded a bit out of sorts, and I didn't suppose I could blame him.

"Susan knows where Slytherin's locket is," Harry said shortly.

Hermione gasped. "How is that possible?"

I looked at Hermione measuredly. She would be the most difficult of all to convince; fortunately, I had the same ace up my sleeve that made Harry, another tough customer, believe in me. "I'm a Seer."

Hermione scoffed, "Oh, you can't be serious, Harry!"

Harry mumbled, "She knew stuff."

"'Knew stuff'? Oh, that's rich. You're famous, Harry! Everyone 'knows stuff' about you."

"Hermione," I broke in. "Hermione Jane Granger." I closed my eyes; she was mercifully silent. "I See . . . ." I opened them again, and stared straight at her. "Which would embarrass you less? What you said after Viktor Krum kissed you the first time, or when Ron did?"

Ron went scarlet. "Hey, you just WAIT a MINUTE -- !"

Hermione, to her credit, remained calm. "She doesn't know either. She's bluffing. Go ahead, tell me what I said when Viktor kissed me."

I closed my eyes again. "'Oh. My goodness, that's an interesting sensation!'"

When I opened them, Hermione had gone white as a ghost, and Ron was watching her with a mixture of amusement and fury. "You -- you awful cow! What did you do, hex Viktor until he told you??"

I was taken aback. "Good heavens, Hermione, I've never even met Viktor Krum. You want me to tell you the second thing?"

"NO!" roared Ron. "That's -- you can't know that!!"

I looked at them both silently. They were both fuming. Harry, for his part, was letting me duke it out with them without assisting or interfering.

Hermione cut in icily, "Well, there has to be a logical explanation for this. Magical eavesdropping or the like."

"What would it take for you to make you believe?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What number am I thinking of?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm a Seer, not a Legilimens."

"But you can See the past?" she asked shrewdly.

"Yeah," I said. "It's called retrocognition; it's not uncommon for it to be the first thing young Seers can do."

Hermione shook this off; clearly her extensive reading had not extended into the realm of Divination. It would, later. "Can you See the future?"

I was a bit startled, but tried not to show it. I tried to say something that would work to my advantage. "The near future is easiest," I hedged. "The farther out, the hazier it gets. Past twenty years, I can't See anything."

"So tell me what I'll be doing in ten years," she challenged.

I wanted to tell her it was totally illogical for her to test me this way. After all, it would take her ten years to find out if I was right.

Then I realized she actually did believe me; she just wanted to have some idea of what lay ahead. Whether or not she would admit it to herself, she found the evidence convincing, and she wanted a taste of her future. Ten years would make it . . . 2007. I knew what would happen in 2007.

"All right," I said gamely, "but not in front of the boys."

She look startled, but nodded swiftly, and we retreated to a corner of the common room. She looked at me expectantly, almost desperately, and I found it comforting that I could reassure her.

"You're married to Ron," I said quietly. She flushed immediately, but didn't speak. "You've just had your first child. His name is Henry. You work for the Committee on Experimental Charms. Ron is an Auror. You live in a house near your parents. You're very close with Ginny."

"Voldemort? The war?" she queried anxiously.

How silly of me, to think she'd care about anything else at this moment. "It's been over for years."

"And Harry," she said, her voice betraying what she already suspected.

"Harry . . . ." I drew in a breath and tried not to give anything away with my face. "Harry's fate is for Harry to know."

She went white. "Dead," she whispered.

I shook my head. "Don't assume the worst."

But no hope returned to her face. "I hate this," she hissed. "I shouldn't have to worry about them being taken away from me." Involuntarily, I glanced back at the boys, whose expressions were unreadable. "They're the only friends I've ever had. I love them both so much, in different ways. I should be worrying about N.E.W.T.s and jobhunting, not about their deaths."

"I'm sorry," I said, knowing it was inadequate.

"Yes," she said vaguely. "It's all rather tragic. I suppose I was born at the wrong time."

"Does this mean you believe me?" I asked, attempting to bring her back to reality.

Her eyes focused again. "Hmm? Oh. I suppose I do, though I can't for the life of me understand why." She looked over at the boys. "Let's find out about this Horcrux."