Chapter Three – A Second Sorting

"It's going to take some getting used to," Hermione said sadly, gesturing around the transfiguration professor's -therefore, now Dumbledore's- office. Albus gave a single nod, eyes shining, but did not speak.

"She was a great witch," Cedric said, head bowed. He was not as attached to Minerva McGonagall as his companions, but even he had spent seven years in her classroom and an additional two as her friend in the order.

"On my first day, I came here for tea and biscuits," Hermione said wistfully, wiping at a stray tear a little too hard. "It was the only time in that first week that I thought everything would be ok. That perhaps wizards weren't so bad after all," she shot a look at Cedric, smiling through her tears.

Cedric opened his arms, and she stepped gratefully into his embrace. "Marcus Flint once turned me into a grasshopper in class and I had to spend the next three hours in a glass tank on that windowsill," he offered lamely. "She was going to let me out when the spell started to wear off, but the twins had got themselves into some sort of trouble- something to do with first years with tongues dragging along the floor behind them. She was still shouting at them when the terrarium exploded and I ended up on the floor in a pile of glass shards." He laughed wistfully. "One of the shards got George right above the eyebrow."

"I always did wonder how he got that," Hermione mused. "He never would say."

"Probably too scarred," he replied with a shrug. "I know McGonagall had a quick draw but I have never seen anyone cast a spell as quickly as she conjured that robe. The twins didn't let me forget that." Despite herself, Hermione let out a snort through her nose and he released her from their embrace. "You're welcome for the image, keep it safe for a rainy day." She swatted him in the stomach as he dodged out of range of further assault.

"I'm sorry, Albus," he said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Serious again. They knew he was old of course, but now his years seemed to shine through his artificially young face.

"We best be on with it," he said finally. "Wards don't erect themselves. You will assist me?"

"Of course we will, Albus," Hermione said firmly, shaking off her melancholia. By the time Dippet had arrived from dinner, Dumbledore's office security had been upgraded to the best of their knowledge. The decades had advanced ward magic quite considerably. If Hogwarts was under siege, this office would now be the stronghold. Hermione had helped set the wards, with no small skill in the art herself and even she wouldn't take the chance of trying to break through them.

At the headmaster's knock Hermione hastily shoved the errant contents back to into her bag, No sooner was the last corner of the invisibility cloak stuffed out of sight when the door swung open. He was a short man, with well-groomed but balding hair the colour of iron. "Headmaster Armando Dippet," he said to Cedric. "How do you do."

"How do you do Professor," Cedric replied, shaking his hand. "Cedric Amos." Cedric had cried to for days when his father died. It was with no small amount of pride that Hermione watched him honour his late father without a flicker of emotion.

"Hermione Wembdon," she said politely, withdrawing from her thoughts, as the headmaster extended his hand to her. Her own name had no such significance. Not being from a prominent wizarding family like the diggorys, it was only an unsettling feeling her gut, a paranoia for her true family's safety which made her change it. She had closed her eyes and pointed blindly at a map. A tiny village in Somerset was all the significance she had given her last name. She wasn't sure she could take the daily reminder of things past.

"A pleasure," he said wearily as he sat in his newly conjured chair. "Now Dumbledore, shall we get them sorted quickly?"

"I do believe we should headmaster," Dumbledore said. "I hope you will consent to them staying in their dorms over the summer. I assure you they are the most responsible and pleasant young people in my acquaintance and I am quite averse to having them out of my sight after I went to so much trouble to find them."

"Yes, yes," Dippet said with a dismissive flap of the hand. "You shall tell me the entire story over dinner of course. But how is their magic, we cannot be running remedial lessons all year, you know."

"I am sure you'll find them entirely adequate, headmaster," Dumbledore said calmly. "Would you like a demonstration."

"Why yes, alright. Let's see your transfiguration, young man."

"As you wish, professor," Cedric sighed, casting Dumbledore a pointed look that he knew Dippet would see. With a flick of his wand the quill grew fluidly into cawing raven.

"Excellent!" Dippet said happily. "Truly excellent. Miss Wembdon, can you match your friend? A parrot perhaps?"

"Which colour?" she asked.

He fixed her with an amused, if not somewhat disbelieving look. "Green." Hermione swept her wand through the air, with a popping noise a parrot emerged from a puff of smoke.

"My, my!" the elderly gentleman exclaimed. "Silent conjuration at your age! Although perhaps I shouldn't be entirely surprised what with your pedigree. Both very different styles of magic as well. We will sort you immediately!" With a satisfied smile Dumbledore summoned the battered hat.

First he placed it on Cedric's head whilst Dippet watched in interest. "Isn't this interesting," a small voice said in Cedric's ear. "A second sorting. I can see myself in your memories, but you're not in mine. Time is a tricky thing. Dumbledore's doing I don't doubt…anyway, where to put you, I see you were once put in Hufflepuff by my own verdict…you are definitely loyal, but you also seem to be intelligent and brave. More so than the first time I'd say, you've changed it seems."

'Please, Gryffindor' Cedric thought desperately, they had a plan after all. Cedric and Hermione needed to be together and having Dumbledore as their head of house would make their lives here so much easier. Hermione had argued that Slytherin or Ravenclaw would make their mission a lot simpler, but Albus would not have it. Safety was a paramount, and here he could protect them.

"Gryffindor you say?" The hat mused. "Very well, I can't argue with that GRYFFINDOR!" He smiled in relief as Dumbledore lifted the hat from his hair.

"Hermione dear," Dumbledore said beckoning her. "You're next." She rose from her seat and crossed the room, Cedric smiled slightly as he saw her looking nervous. She was acting her part well. She bit her lip as she stood before Dumbledore and wrung her hands as it dropped softly onto her head. It barely touched her before delivering the same verdict.

"You can tell they are relatives of yours Albus," the headmaster sighed. "Very well, very well."

"They are indeed," he replied proudly. I must speak with you about their progress next year, I wish nothing more than for them to be prefects, Cedric here would make a fine Head Boy you know."

"Dumbledore, they don't even know their way around the castle yet," he responded. "Do you really wish us to be accused of nepotism?"

"Ah, but by September they will, and we have had separate seventh year house prefects and Head Boys before, and the current prefect Miss Groves is transferring to Beauxbatons for her sixth year, Hermione would fit right into that slot." Or she was now. Dumbledore had been quite clear, they had to be able to walk the castle with impunity.

"We will discuss it later Dumbledore, I shall see what I can do," he sighed.

"Thank you, headmaster," Dumbledore said, bowing his head respectfully before turning to Hermione and Cedric. "I think the two of you should go and see Gryffindor tower before your housemates leave in the morning. The password is conatus tempus, the fat lady portrait on the seventh floor corridor, take the grand staircase for now and ask someone if you get lost." Dumbledore said with a smile, even after two years away Hermione would be able to get to the common room in her sleep.

"Yes Uncle Albus," Cedric said. "Thank you for your time headmaster."

"You're very welcome my dear boy, it was a pleasure indeed," Dippet said fondly. Hermione had to supress a smirk at Cedric already charming the old wizard, she was contented with smiling politely.

"Do have an early night, you've had a long day after all," Dumbledore said, but his eyes were twinkling again. "I shall have some supplies sent to your dorms to use until we have journeyed to Diagon Alley." They both smiled and nodded before taking their leave and exiting Dumbledore's office.

"Show off," Cedric scoffed. "He asked for some transfiguration not silent conjuration. Which colour indeed."

Hermione offered him a saccharine smile. "And yet you seemed to be the favourite," she pointed out.

"Can't help that the man has taste," he quipped, eliciting a laugh from his companion. "It went smoothly nonetheless."

"Indeed, it did," she replied, wrapping her arm around his. They walked closely down the corridor, so they could whisper. "Although now we have a more difficult task."

"Not being eaten alive by the Gryffindors?"

"Precisely," she agreed. "Famously cantankerous, no?." He stole a glance at her and his stony exterior crumbled as he let out a loud laugh, which Hermione couldn't help but laugh along with. They were still laughing as the corridor they were walking along joined with another coming from the Entrance Hall. As they passed this fork in the road they caught a glimpse of a tall, pale boy with thick black curls and immaculate robes. Hermione felt Cedric's posture stiffen and his arm tighten around her own. Hermione gasped as she felt his magic crackle and spike around her, instead of the usual gentle flow of warmth.

"Keep walking," she murmured under her breath. He nodded shortly and they quickened their pace. They walked the rest of the corridor in silence and once Hermione thought the corridor was deserted enough that they wouldn't be overheard she pulled Cedric into an alcove. His jaw was set and his eyes had a cold, unyielding look about them.

"Cedric," she whispered, clutching his large hands in her own, he didn't look down at her. "Cedric," she repeated more forcefully. She saw him swallow and cast his eyes down at her, she squeezed his hands.

"I'm calm, don't worry. Sorry, it took me off guard. I wasn't prepared," he whispered, but Hermione could hear the despair in his tone.

"I don't blame you," Hermione said in an undertone, shaking her head and trying to dispel his misery. She could feel it hanging in the air, stifling her. "He isn't the same person who ruined our lives. That monster had split his soul seven times and filled the void with malevolent magic. This is just a man."

"I know," Cedric sighed. "I'm sorry, I'll get it together. I didn't think the reaction would be so visceral."

"We did it, we're here. We're safe. Everyone will be safe; it's us that have the upper hand here. "You and me Ced, we can do this," she whispered tenderly, placing a hand on his smooth cheek.

"Do you have to be so saintly and level headed all the time?" he asked with a grin. "It makes me look very foolish that I can't control myself. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," she replied as she squeezed him comfortingly. "I'd think you were a robot if you didn't have any emotions about this. It's difficult, but that's why I'm here for every time it gets a bit too difficult for you to handle on your own."

"You and me," he said, offering his hand.

"You and me," she agreed with a smile, taking it. "Come on," she said eventually, tugging him onward. "Let's go and meet the Gryffindors."