Author's Note - Heh heh, yeah... *scratches back of head nervously* Sorry for not posting anything sooner... I kinda had a large amount of assignments and essays to do... so that meant a lot of writing... And if you do a lot of something you kinda get sick of it... right? Or is it just me? Anyway! I hope this makes things murkier for you lot! ^.^

Chapter Forty-eight.

Hannah groaned, "Ugh, where am I?"

"Shadd-up." A voice mumbled from her right. Curious, she poked the large bundle of hair to find it belonging to Hermione. Huh.

"Whys it so bwight - ?" an indistinct voice slurred from her left. Luna. Curiouser and Curiouser.

Hannah sat up and grabbed her head as the world swirled. "I am never drinking again!"

"You say that every Friday night!" Hermione almost cried.

"Herminny! Gez ze Depper-up Dotionnnnn…!" Luna moaned, her face buried under Hermione's sole pillow.

"Why me?"

"It's your turn this week."

Hermione groaned and mumbled and stumbled out of bed successfully onto the landing, unsteadily making her way to the bathroom. Suddenly a knock echoed around the room. Clutching her head, Hermione fell down the stairs and dragged herself to the Common's door. Pulling it open she said sleepily, "Mh…Yeah? Whaddya want?"

"Ah Professor Gran – Professor? Are you all right Professor?" Little Tita looked up at her innocently, her eyes huge under her glasses. Hermione blinked and leaned right into her face, studying her intently.

'Uh, Professor?" Tita watched her warily.

"Professor Trelawney? Why are you so short?" Hermione cocked her head to the side, confused.

Tita looked at her shocked, "Professor Granger… Are you drunk?"

Hermione shook her head, "I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be hung-over… but I might'nt've gotten enough sleep yet…" she drawled and blinked lazily.

Tita delicately held out a couple of sheets of paper, "Well, you said you wanted a draft on Monday, but I thought I should get it to you early… You know, beat the rush."

Hermione nodded slowly, "Okay Professor Trelawney."

"N- No, it's Tita. TI-TA!"

"Gwap! When did you learn how to pronounce names? Wait – Is that you Viktor?"

"Good bye Professor… I hope you have a Pepper-up Potion somewhere…"

Hermione blinked and then turned, "Right… Depper-up… Dotions… that's what Luna calls 'em…" and slowly stumbled back up the stairs.

Later, when everyone had finally figured out where Hermione had hidden the Pepper-up Potions (she had done this before hand as punishment of anyone who'd get a hang-over… she didn't think she'd get one too…) she'd blushed something chronic as she thought over and over the conversation she'd had with Tita that morning. Any epiphanies she or Luna had had the previous night had disappeared completely with the hang-over… and drunkenness.

A couple of months later, Luna sat at Hermione's table and absent-mindedly fiddled with the polished stone hanging around her neck. Hermione smiled brightly and bustled into the room carrying two cups of tea, it was a short school holiday and so Hermione had gotten the time off to relax at home.

"Here you go Luna,' She said and handed the cup to her. She settled herself beside the girl, blew on her tea and nodded towards the stone, 'What's that for?"

Luna looked at it thoughtfully, "One of Alice's relatives gave it to me for Christmas… well, actually, I'm not sure if it was a relative or not, he was some old Chinese guy, but he gave me this and a map with some spell on it, and he told me to use it if I ever needed to find someone."

Hermione frowned, puzzling over this new situation. "So… You think that maybe we could find Alice with it?"

"I'm not sure if it works on spirits, but it's worth a try!" Luna said brightly.

Hermione forced a smile over her sinking heart, "Yeah. Worth a try."

The two girls bent over the large yellowed map of the world as Luna solemnly held the pendant over it. Sea Serpents slipped in and out of view and mermaids combing their hair decorated the page. One brightly coloured serpent rose from the waters again and blinked a sapphire blue eye, like that of a fish, at them, before disappearing into the deep, drawn depths.

Luna started to softly mumble the chant and swung the pendant lightly over the page. Hermione held her breath, according to the instructions the chant must be said five times and then the pendant has to be dropped. Wherever it lands is where that person is.

Luna had just finished her third chant and was beginning her fourth when there was a burst of blue flames in the fireplace. A Patronus Ageha butterfly danced from its depths and Hermione darted towards it, careful not to disturb Luna.

Amelia's Patronus… So that means…

"Hermione! Alice has been found! She's at the Sydney Magical Hospital, but she has very severe amnesia. So, it'd be best if no one from England sees her until she can remember you. Otherwise, she might create false memories, and those are tricky to deal with. I'm sorry that I have to give you such bad news with such good tidings, but hopefully you'll be able to continue on with your life without fearing for her life! Good bye for now, Herms! I'll contact you if she ever remembers. Make sure Draco doesn't come (and I know he'll try), because that definitely won't help her."

"Luna! Luna! Alice is safe! She's in Sydney!"

Luna looked up and grinned beautifully just as she dropped the pendant, not even bothering to look at where it landed. "That's brilliant!"

"Quick, we have to tell everyone!" Hermione grabbed her coat and rushed out the door, closely followed by Luna, her mulberry and tomato earrings swinging.

The pendant sat innocently on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.