15 October 1999

Hermione jolted awake.

As she sat up, she looked around herself trying to get her bearings. Once she realised she was not actually hidden amongst tombstones, she relaxed back onto her bed. Hermione could vividly recall every moment of the short dream. She found herself walking through a quiet, foggy graveyard when the sound of something crashing to the ground broke the silence. She hid behind a tombstone and watched Harry and Cedric magically appear with the Triwizard Cup between them. Moments later she heard a phrase that would be ingrained in her subconscious for the rest of her life, 'Kill the spare.' A flash of green light followed and she was thrown back into her bedroom.

She rolled over and looked at the blue numbers that hovered just above her bedside table.

4:21

Hermione groaned. She still had an hour before her alarm was set to go off; she flipped her pillow over and as she lay her head back down, she hoped to go back to sleep. The subject of the dream surprised her since she had never been to the graveyard and Harry had only given a vague description of what happened the night Cedric died. Not that she blamed him for not talking about it.

She sighed, even though it was still quite early, Hermione knew that there was no way she would be able to sleep anymore so she sat up to prepare for her day.

Hours later, Hermione stepped off one of the Ministry lifts onto level four. She quickly made her way through the corridor to the office of Amos Diggory.

Ms Zairyannah Bennington greeted her as she entered, 'Good afternoon, Miss Granger. You may go on in, Mister Diggory is ready for you.'

'Thank you, Ms Bennington.'

The brunette witch crossed to the partially opened door and after she opened it, she entered. As she closed the door behind her, she spoke up, 'Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Mister Diggory.'

As the once jovial wizard looked up, Hermione was surprised by the stern look she received. She was further shocked by his sunken eyes and waxy appearance rather than the ruddy complexion she remembered. Hermione quickly realised that losing your child in a war to a monster like Voldemort would haunt any one.

He set down the quill he had been writing with and gestured to the chair before his desk. 'I have only agreed to this meeting because of your reference from Mr Scamander.'

Hermione sat gingerly in the hard, wooden chair offered to her. 'Thank you nonetheless, Mr Diggory. I have a few questions that I need clarification on that unfortunately neither Mister Scamander were able to answer.'

Amos Diggory sat back in his chair. 'Proceed.'

Hermione shifted, a little put off by the less than warm reception she was receiving, but she ploughed on. 'My questions are in regards people of fae descent. I—'

He held up his hand. 'I'm sure both Newt and Rolf Scamander could have sufficiently answered any question you may have.'

'I, well… Yes, they answered my questions in regards to determining if someone is of fae descent, but unfortunately neither one can answer what happens next since neither one is fae.'

Amos's hand settled back down into his lap as he regarded Hermione with a thoughtful look. After many quiet and strained moments, his eyes brightened and he muttered silencing and locking spells under his breath before he turned his attention to her again. 'You're part fae.'

Hermione's eyes widened, surprised that he reached that conclusion so quickly. 'How did you figure it out?'

He chuckled. 'While your reputation for research and knowledge proceed you, Miss Granger, the topic of fae do not come up very often from wizards and witches that are either not fae or do not study magical beings and creatures. Now, unless you've taken a sudden liking to magizoology or want to join my department, then you, Miss Granger, are part fae.'

Hermione sat there for a few moments trying to decide whether it was safe to confirm his hypothesis or if she should just deny him, claiming research.

'Miss Granger, if you are worried about me running to the authorities to turn you over, why would I when I am part fae myself?'

Her eyes widened, to have Luna and her father's assumptions confirmed made this a little easier. She gave a slight nod. 'I had no idea, Mr Diggory, but yes, I am part fae. It was brought to light when I started to develop a reaction to lemons. We have also discovered that I can heal at an accelerated rate, I can produce orbs of energy and light, and my ability to solve complex problems has increased to where I have solved unsolvable problems.'

Amos sat forward. 'Don't be surprised if you develop additional talents as your fae heritage becomes more prominent.'

Hermione nodded. 'What comes next?'

'Well, like I said, you may have additional talents manifest, but the biggest thing is figuring out who your mate is going to be.'

Hermione's eyes widened. 'My mate?'

Amos Diggory raised an eyebrow. 'You didn't think fae, even people who are part fae, live their lives alone did you? How else would the fae have existed for so long?'

Hermione shook her head. 'No, I never thought that, Mr Diggory, I just didn't realise that fae have mates.'

'You mean like werewolves and veela?'

'Yes.'

'Ah, yes, we do. Although, how a fae finds their mate is quite a bit different from how either weres or veela find their mates.'

'How so?'

Instead of answering her question, he replied with one of his own, 'Have you been having any dreams lately featuring someone unexpected?'

Hermione's mouth went dry when she realised the implication of Mr Diggory's words. She stared off into space, the different memories and dreams playing out before her eyes. After a particularly naughty dream she remembered, she blushed and pulled herself back to the present. When she saw the wizard sitting directly across the desk from her, her blush deepened. Apparently, her mate is the son of the wizard sitting across from her.

A small grin spread across his lips. 'I'll take that reaction as a yes.'

A silent nod was her response.

'Do you know who your mate is or is it someone unknown to you?'

'I know who he is, but uh…' She trailed off.

Amos huffed. 'Come now, Miss Granger, he can't be that bad.'

'It's not that, Mr Diggory, it's that he's dead.'

Brown eyebrows shot towards a slowly receding hairline. 'Who is it?'

Hermione swallowed hard, not sure how the wizard before her was going to take the news. 'Cedric.'

Previously raised eyebrows quickly fell as a frown marred his features. 'Cedric? My son Cedric?'

'Yes, sir.' She took a deep breath and looked down. 'Does this mean that I will live my life without my mate since he's already passed on?"

Silence greeted her question and when she looked up, she watched as Amos Diggory's expression morphed from a frown to a wizard who looked like he'd received the best present someone could ask for.

'Mr Diggory?'

He shook his head, but the gleam in his eyes remained. 'No, Miss Granger, you will not have to live your life without your mate.'

'But how? Cedric is gone and it's not like I can bring him back from the grave.' She shuddered. 'Or rather, I don't think I could live with myself if that were the case.'

Amos laughed. 'No, Miss Granger, you will not have to bring my son back from the grave, but rather you'll be bringing him to the future.'

Her brows furrowed. 'What do you mean?'

'What I mean, Miss Granger, is that we are going to save my son.'

The furrow deepened. 'How?'

'I'll explain more when I see you again on Nos Galan Gaeaf*, or Halloween night, but for now, leave the details to me. All you need to know is that you will be going back in time to just before Cedric died and you will save him and bring him back to present day.'

Hermione shook her head confused. 'How in Merlin's shaggy beard am I going to accomplish that when there are no time turners?'

He grinned. 'Time turners are not needed, Miss Granger, when one is of fae heritage. We have ways of traveling through time and space that are currently, and will continue to remain, unknown to those that are not of fae descent.'

Hermione looked lost for a few moments more before her brain finished cataloguing everything that had been said. 'What do I need to do before Halloween?'

'Presently, nothing beyond paying attention to your dreams. They will tell you how you will save Cedric. Anything else that you need to know before then, I will contact you about.'

Hermione sighed, still somewhat overwhelmed by everything that was happening.

'Miss Granger, I know you're confused and still trying to sort through everything, but know that you can come to me for anything.'

'Thank you, Mr Diggory.'

'Please call me Amos, after all, you're practically family.'

She blinked slowly and realised that if she was to succeed in saving Cedric then the wizard sitting across from her would be her father-in-law. 'Thank you, Amos, and please call me Hermione.'

'Is there anything else I can help you with today, Hermione?'

She shook her head. 'No, thank you.'

'As I said, if you need anything let me know and I will keep in touch with you over the next fifteen days.' He stood up, preparing to end their meeting when something occurred to him. 'I assume you have told people beyond Mr Scamander and his grandson your assumptions?'

Hermione nodded. 'Only two other people know, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood.'

'You will want to keep those that know to a small number, the more people that know, the more likely it is that it will get out and until you are bonded it will be very easy for someone to take advantage of you, especially someone that knows how to do so.'

'Other than Harry and Ron, and my parents, I have no one else that would need to know.'

'With your parents being Muggles it will not be as big of a deal for them to know, but as I said, the less the better. If you must tell your other friends, I would wait as long as possible to tell them. The closer to Nos Galan Gaeaf the better.'

'I will wait, Mr, I mean Amos and I'll ask Ginny and Luna to remain quiet too.' She stood up, gathering her beaded purse she had hung from the armrest of the chair when she sat down. 'Thank you so much for your help.'

Amos walked around to the front of his desk. 'You are the first known fae outside of my own family and helping you is the least I can do for the witch who helped save our world.'

Hermione blushed. 'Thanks.'

Amos led her to his office door, before he opened it he spoke again. 'I will keep in contact with you over the next couple of weeks and remember to pay attention to your dreams.'

'I will. Have a great weekend, Amos.'

He cancelled the silencing and locking spells. 'You as well, Hermione.'

Amos Diggory watched as the witch that would be returning his son to him left his office. Once she disappeared, he returned to his desk and penned an encrypted letter to his wife, telling her the exciting news. He was a little put out by her reply telling him that Hermione was not a means to an end like she knew what he was thinking, but he quickly realised that his wife was right. Yes, Hermione would be helping to save his son, but she would not be bringing him back for Amos and his wife, but rather for herself.