A/n: K, first of all, I passed 100 reviews with this story last chapter, and that is AMAZING. Thank you so so so much to anyone and everyone who has taken the time to review this. I adore my reviewers!

Second, this chapter took longer to get up then intended, mostly because I've been suddenly obsessed with "Lost" (rented the first season, bought a book, writing down fic ideas). I'll try to stay a little more focused this time round. :P

Enjoy, everybody. And review me. You should know by now how much I love reviews. ;)

Chapter 14

The next day was Saturday and Hermione awoke still feeling very light-hearted and cheerful. The letter she received at breakfast only added to the feeling.

"Dear Hermione,

Glad to hear you're making friends, though sad to hear Harry and Ron are not among them because of the way they are now. I think I would pay money to see Snivellus smile without being smug or evil.

Sorry it took so long for me to reply. I've had public appearances and autograph signings coming out my ears. And apparently I have an agent and apparently he and I are the only two who know how to get into or even find Grimmauld Place. And apparently there is a concert coming up. That will be very interesting.

Anyways, on the days when I'm not being publically adored and mauled, I'm stuck at home. So I decided to make use of the little time I have at home and have been doing some research on the people we know – or knew, I suppose I should say.

Remus Lupin, it seems, never got bit by a werewolf. He's currently teaching at some fancy high-up Wizarding University in France. He's married, too, though I haven't yet found out who to.

The Weasley family is a very wealthy, very influential, very disliked family. Bill Weasley is a small bald man, keeping a dingy bookstore on the corner between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. Charlie cleans carpets for a living. Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny you already know about. Arthur Weasely isn't officially part of the Ministry, though it seems he spends much of his time there threatening, black-mailing and bribing things to go his way without getting caught. Remind you of anyone? Molly stays home, making sure the Weasley Manor stays spotless, ordering her seven House Elves (sorry, I know how you feel about House Elf labor). The house has forty-nine rooms, eight bathrooms, three kitchens, a massive swimming pool and more than five guest rooms. Like anyone is going to want to stay with them.

Our good friend Rubeus Hagrid was a little more difficult to track down. Apparently he is an excessively introverted Magical Creature veterinarian. He graduated from Hogwarts with good marks, including an Outstanding in Care of Magical Creatures. I figured this makes sense since there was no Riddle to open the Chamber and frame him – the act that got him expelled, as you know.

Anyways, that's who and what I have so far. I'm trying to dig some stuff up on the old Order members, but nothing much so far. Anyone you're particularly interested in, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Also, going to Hogsmeade as Snuffles would probably be the easiest thing for me. Somehow I've managed to keep the fact that I'm an Animagi quite secret – my agent seems to have no idea. If I'm Snuffles, I won't get mobbed by fan girls. So let me know when the next Hogsmeade weekend is and hopefully we can set something up soon.

I'd better go. I think my agent is here and he'll probably have a massive stack of Weird Sisters paraphernalia and memorabilia for me to sign.

Keep chin your chin up, Hermione. Talk to you soon.

Sincerely,

Sirius"

Hermione sighed with a small smile as she rolled up the letter and slid it into her bag. Although the news about the Weasley family was certainly depressing, the rest had been such good news it overshadowed it at that moment. She thought of Lupin and Hagrid and had to smile wider.

"What now?" Ally asked, also smiling. "Is it from Ced?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. It's another letter from Sirius." She replied nonchalantly, having completely forgotten the effect the name 'Sirius Black' had on her friend.

Ally's spoon clattered loudly into her bowl and her eyes went as wide as saucers. "Sirius – h-he wrote back?" She gulped air as if she was having trouble breathing. "Hermione – you – I – him – no way!"

"What?" Pansy questioned confusedly, pulling her concentration away from the comics of the Daily Prophet.

Ally pointed at Hermione and squeaked. "She's friends with Sirius Black!"

Pansy also dropped her spoon loudly into her bowl before clapping her hands over mouth. "Sod off – that can't be true." She said through her fingers.

Ally nodded her head vigorously. "She is! She really is! I didn't believe her before, but she just a got a personal letter back from him!"

Pansy squealed and her cheeks were suddenly looking pinker. "He's so wonderful – Hermione, can I have an autographed picture?

"Me too! Oh, me too, please Hermione? Please, please?" Ally begged.

Hermione looked from one to the other and laughed. "I can ask him." She smiled amusedly and laughed again when her two friends squealed gleefully and hugged each other. They thanked her heartily several times each, grinning widely.

Hermione giggled and started back in on her breakfast. Ally and Pansy breathlessly swapped ideas of what they were going to do with their authentic autographed pictures of Sirius Black.

That evening, just a little bit before she headed to bed, Hermione sat at a desk in the Common Room and scratched out a reply to Sirius.

"Dear Sirius,

Just got your letter. Hopefully your concert goes well! Thank you so much for taking the time to find out all those things about the people we know – or, knew, I guess. I really appreciate it and I really enjoyed reading it. I feel very happy for Professor Lupin and Hagrid.

Yesterday was my birthday and it was excellent. Everyone threw me a surprise birthday party. It was so wonderful. Even Cedric got to come; he and some other Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs got special permission to attend, since the party was held in Gryffindor Common Room.

Hogsmeade weekends are every other Saturday here. The next one is scheduled a week from now, on the twenty-seventh. Tell me what you think about "Snuffles" visiting.

Anyways, it's getting pretty late and I ought to head to bed. Oh, I almost forgot. Would you mind sending two autographed pictures back with your reply? Ally and Pansy are apparently two of your "biggest fans".

Sincerely,

Hermione "

Hermione smiled, satisfied with her letter and packed away her quill and spare parchment. Once in the girl's dormitories, a wide yawn escaped her and she settled comfortably into bed. She could hear the soft, rhythmic breathing of the other girls and within moments, she too was fast asleep.

The dream was intensely real. And I started out nice enough: she was laughing and having fun with Harry and Ron. Everything was real and normal. She could feel the worn couch beneath her, she could smell the smell that always seemed present when Ron was around, she could taste the water she took a sip of.

Immediately and without question, she knew the wish and Cedric were all part of an elaborate, realistic dream. Finally, she'd woken up from it's complexity and everything was back to the way it should be.

She talked animatedly with them about all the fun times they'd had together. They each told their own versions of certain events and there seemed to be no concept of time. No homework, no classes, not even any other students. And yet it still felt completely perfect and normal.

Smiles and laughter, more laughter, and more smiles…

"Remember when I went to the Yule Ball with Viktor?" Hermione said, grinning.

Ron howled with laughter. "Oh that was classic!"

Harry suddenly stopped laughing and looked deadly pale and serious. "Remember the TriWizard Tournament?" he said in a trembling voice. Sweat suddenly was on his forehead and Ron didn't seem to notice.

"Harry?" Hermione asked with concern.

Harry turned to her and his eyes were black instead of intense green and he looked scared and haunted. "Remember when Voldemort came back and Cedric was murdered?"

Murdered… murdered… murdered…

The word echoed horribly. The room twisted around Hermione in a blur as if she had suddenly latched onto a PortKey. Suddenly she found herself in a huge, dark and sinister graveyard. She felt intensely cold and didn't understand what was going. Confused, she tried to call out.

Her voice sounded muffled and short like she's just yelled into a pillow. She looked around and couldn't' comprehend what was going on, as the cold made her begin shivering.

That's when she saw it. And heard it.

The scene she'd only heard described to her once, the scene that had formed in her imagination, the scene which she had always tried to forget though she had never actually seen it with her own eyes.

Murdered… murdered… murdered…

The echo continued terribly, seeming to get louder. She squinted at the figures in the distance for only a second before they became alarmingly close and crystal clear.

Harry was writhing on the ground, screaming in pain… Cedric was standing beside him… a hooded figure yelled and she didn't know what it said… a blinding flash of green light… Cedric fell to the ground… dead.

She screamed in horror – or at least, she tried. Her vocal chords strained and no sound escaped her lips. She turned to run and felt like she was running in slow motion… she was wearing cement shoes… it took very muscle in her body to lift her foot… one step away…

The next instant, Cedric was laying before her, bloody and dead though the Killing Curse leaves no mark.

She tried to scream again and pushed harder to get away. The feeling of immobility lifted significantly and she moved in a different direction several steps before he was there again.

Pale… dead… staring…

MURDERED… MURDERED… MURDERED…

Hermione sat up with a yelp, crying hard. It was an awful nightmare. Horrible. Terrible. The worst one yet.

And yet she couldn't deny the note of truth that hit her forcibly in the stomach at that moment and somehow that was almost more depressing and disturbing than the image in the dream.

Where she belonged, when she went back, there would be no Cedric. Cedric was dead.

She shut her eyes and took deep, gulping breaths to stop her shuddering sobs. When she finally opened her eyes, they stung with fresh tears. She forcefully swallowed them back. As much as she was going to hate herself for what she was going to do, it was the only way.

The world she was living in was fake. It didn't truly exist, no matter how much she wanted it to. She didn't belong – how many times did she have to remind herself of that fact before it finally sunk in? She couldn't get too attached – and obviously falling in love was classified as "too attached" – to anything this world.

With the Granger resolve welling up in her, momentarily muting the pain that arrived in waves at the thought of what she had to do, Hermione lay back down on her pillow and shut her eyes against any more tears. She would have to be prepared to see a lot less of Cedric Diggory.

A/n: I cannot reveal a thing, but ask all your questions (if you have any, that is) anyways. Review me! It makes me smile! And smiling is a good thing. :D More soon.