Author's note : Okay, so here's the next chapter. I know I've made you guys wait for a long long time. However, I haven't really decided paw here this story is going to go, so please accept my apologies. I hope it won't happen again.

And everyone who reviewed the previous chapter, thank you so much :)

Disclaimer : Not mine.

She breathlessly emerged from the broom closet with her hair dishevelled and clothes ruffled. Luckily, Harry and Ron were nowhere in sight so she stumbled into the nearest washroom and tried so fix her appearance as well as she could. When she was done, she found herself face to face with a person she had never wanted to see again.

'Hello, Myrtle' she said glumly before turning to straighten her robes. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with Myrtle right now. Her spirits were unusually high, thanks to her silver haired Slytherin and the half hour spent in the closet and she didn't want Myrtle to talk at all. Just as she was hurrying out of the washroom however, Myrtle said something that made her stop.

'Funny how no one seems to notice the awful things going on in the castle right under their very noses' she sniffed.

'What d'you mean? What funny things?' she asked anxiously.

'Oh a little bit of this and a little bit of that' she said mysteriously.

'Myrtle, tell me right now or I'll make you' she said, pointing her wand at the morbid ghost.

To her dismay, Myrtle burst into tears. Loud noisy tears.

Thousands of apologies, a great deal of sobbing and a very wet bathroom followed before Myrtle calmed down enough to tell her what she was talking about.

'It's just that one hears things while roaming through the castle you know. I heard someone saying something about imperiusing the Bulgarian and that he would take care of the blonde. Wonder what they meant ...' she trailed off.

'Viktor? They're going to cast the Imperio on him? And who are they? Myrtle!' she shouted after the retreating ghost who paid her no mind but continued wandering , muttering to herself.

'Myrtle come back! The third task is in a week and I need you to tell me what's wrong? Is someone after Harry? Who are the people you're talking about?' she yelled.

'I don't know. It was a strange voice, very low and almost whispering. I never saw the face of the person, just heard it when I was roaming around' said Myrtle sounding scared which puzzled her no end. Who was this person? Myrtle was evidently hiding something from her and she really couldn't think of anyone in the castle who could induce such fear in the girl even after she was dead? Unless she had heard that voice before, when she had been alive. Unless she knew who the owner of that voice was and was genuinely terrified of the person. Unless the person was... But no, it couldn't be true. There was no way. But what if it was? Harry's scar had been hurting after all. Harry and Ron had mentioned something about Snape and Karkaroff discussing something on the night of the Yule ball. And then Karkaroff's interruption of their potions class...

Thus jumbled the her thoughts, she ran into Ron outside the washroom.

'Penny for your thoughts?' he said teasingly but grew solemn when he saw the look on her face. ' What's up, Mione? Did something happen? Why d'you look so worried?'

She hesitated once but voiced her concerns to him. To her surprise he merely shrugged.

'What you think may or may not be true. It's highly probable that Myrtle just made up the story. But I think we shouldn't tell this to Harry. He has enough on his plate with the third task coming up' he said, uncertain of what to do.

'We can't just keep quiet about this Ron! We have to tell someone! I agree, Harry has a lot of work already but I don't want to regret not telling someone, later! He could end up dead for Merlin's sake!' she almost shouted at him. How could he take this so lightly?

'Alright, alright. Calm down. We'll tell Sirius about this ok? And Dumbledore too if you want' he said, patting her arm.

'I just don't want anything to happen to him Ron' she said. Tears were pricking her eyes and she lowered her head to prevent him from seeing them. But he had already seen.

'Come now, Mione. He'll be fine. It's just a maze. Dumbledore would have taken every possible measure to ensure that nothing happens to the champions' he said.

She burst into tears when her mind conjured an image of Harry, lying lifeless on the Quidditch pitch, surrounded by Dumbledore, the Weasley family and the whole Gryffindor house. It was then that she felt Ron's arms around her, rubbing circles on her back, trying to get her to calm down. He said nothing, just comforted her till an awkward silence settled between the two and they separated, Ron looking rather pink.

'Let's go to the Owelery then, shall we?' he said.

'Sure. Let's go' said Hermione.

When they returned to the common room, Harry was fast asleep on one of the armchairs with The standard book of spells Grade 4 open on his lap. She felt a twinge of guilt for not telling him about Myrtle and the conversation she had overheard but it really seemed unnecessarily to mention it to him right now. They would all breathe easier when the tournament would finally end. It was just a week more after all. Even Dumbledore agreed with them. He had assured them that he would look into the matter and that itself comforted them more than anything.

The week flew past very fast but Sirius never replied to the letter they had sent him. They had more pressing matters to think about, however. Harry had practised all the useful spells she had picked out for him and was getting better and better with stunning and stuff. The last two tasks had been stressful, worrying and uncertain but this time he was prepared. He had done as much as he could, the rest was upto God.

In the heart of hearts, both she and Ron knew that Harry was going to win the tournament. The others were talented and academically better off, no doubt but there was something about Harry that put him a notch above the others. The fact that he was completely oblivious to this fact made him even more special.

The evening of the task arrived and she took her place in the stands with the Weaselys and they cheered madly for Harry as he finally entered the maze. She gasped when the first red sparks appeared in the sky fifteen minutes later and McGonagall walked out of the maze with a very tired looking Fleur. One down, three to go.

The crowd was growing more and more impatient with every passing minute and she just rocked back and forth silently, hoping that Harry was alright in there. Ron was sin a similar state,rubbing his hands together again and again and resting his chin on his knuckles. For once, even the twins were solemn and sat silently, waiting for the whole thing to end.

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife and the crowd gaspown when they saw the red sparks light up the sky for a second time. This time it was Viktor who was rescued. Which meant that Hogwarts had already won the tournament. She would have rejoiced but she was too busy worrying about Harry. Draco caught her eye from the next stand and simply nodded at her and gave her a reassuring smile which she returned hesitatingly. Another half hour passed without anything happening and then there was a deafening crash and a brilliant blue light nearly blinded them.

She saw Dumbledore get up from his seat very quickly with a panicked expression and what materialised in front of them made her heart freeze. It was Harry and he was clutching.. No it couldn't be, she told herself but she knew it was hopeless, there was Harry with Cedric's body, eyes as still as glass orbs and body rigid.

She choked back the sobs threatening to wreck her body and grabbed Ron's hand and they together ran towards Harry. He was crying, and refusing to let go of Cedric and the very sight made her heart break. How had he died? Was it something to do with the monsters in the maze? Or was it who she thought it was?

Ron grabbed her arms to prevent her from falling to piecher and she let the tears fall as her body swayed with the sobs. She saw Draco in her peripheral vision looking shocked but for once her eyes didn't linger on him. Instead they sought out a pair of green eyes which were currently shedding tears for a loyal friend, a brave boy and a great person who had left them so suddenly.

It was only when Dumbledore finally convinced Harry to let go of Cedric that he finally choked out two words which she knew would change their lives forever.

'He's back'

A/n : How was it?

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Aditi xoxoxo