For a long time, driving the car remained a harrowing experience for Harry as well as his passengers. It helped when they left the populated area and traffic became less heavy. Because they were driving towards an area mostly populated by wizard families, other cars were rare on the road. It also meant, however, that the roads themselves were often in poor shape, and eventually there were only dirt roads left to drive on, which were not on Mr. Granger's map.

At one point, Harry pulled out his compass in the hopes that it could help him, but little luck; the needle oscillated between pointing directly left and directly behind him, never staying still in one position. Apparently, Harry had deeper desires than finding the path to Cedric Diggory's house, and there were limits as to how well he could command the compass.

In the end, Sirius strained himself to use some divination magic of his own, helping them find the way beyond where roadmaps and way signs existed. Harry felt a mixture of guilt, concern and embarrassment that Sirius had been forced to do that, to exert himself to help Harry with such a simple task, but now a silvery light glowed softly in front of them, illuminating the path forward. With a clenched jaw, Harry put the car into gear, taxing its transmission. Hermione did not appear to look at him, but her hand was placed above Harry's on the transmission handle, calming him a bit.

Eventually, Sirius' spell led them to a small house, standing secluded. "That must be it," Harry muttered, and the sound of his own voice surprised him; barely anything had been spoken since they left the Grangers residence. Moments later, he brought the car to a halt outside the front door.

"I'll go announce our arrival," Hermione suggested. "Just to give them some advance warning."

Harry did not reply but simply nodded to her; as they both got out of the car, Hermione moved to knock on the door while Harry opened up to the back seat.

The front door was soon opened. "Hermione, what a surprise!" came the delighted voice of Cedric.

"Cedric, hi," Hermione began. "We need your help. Your knowledge about healing, that is."

"You drove here?" Cedric frowned, looking past her to see the car and Harry's shape. "Wait, you need my help? Are you hurt?"

"He is," Harry said as he got Sirius out of the car.

A variety of expressions passed across Cedric's handsome face upon recognising Sirius, including curiosity, apprehension, doubt and others Harry could not recognise. "Let's get him inside," he finally said, opening the door fully.

Hermione helped support Sirius, and with a little difficulty, they manoeuvred him through the door. Inside, it opened up to a small, cosy living room. "On the couch," Cedric directed, retrieving his wand from a nearby table.

"Cedric? Who's at the door?" asked a man's voice. Descending from a staircase in the back, Mr. Diggory appeared. His eyes widened upon seeing the strangers in his home, in particular the pale stature belonging to Sirius. "Who – what, how," he began to stutter. "My wand!" he then exclaimed. "Where's my wand," he stammered flustered.

"Dad, calm down," Cedric intervened. "Look at him, he's hardly in a state to endanger anybody."

"But – but that's Sirius Black!" Mr. Diggory burst out.

"We are keenly aware," Harry muttered, earning him a look from Hermione.

"But he's wanted!" Mr. Diggory continued. "As is he!" he added, looking at Harry.

"Dad!" came a stern exclamation from Cedric. "Go back upstairs. Let me handle this." Mr. Diggory made a few more stuttering sounds, but eventually he turned around and walked back up.

With his father gone and Sirius placed on the couch, Cedric began his work. Next to him, Hermione explained what she had already done, spells and boons used to some, small, or no effect; Cedric did not interrupt her, but simply absorbed the information that gushed from her, incorporating it into his efforts. Harry stood to the side, feeling completely useless.

"This is dark magic like I've only read about in books," Cedric spoke quietly as he ceased his work and straightened up. "Come on, let's get him in the spare room. I think I've staved off the worst of it."

Together, Cedric and Harry got Sirius up and into another room, placing him on a bed. Soon after, Harry's injured godfather fell into what seemed like a restful sleep, and Harry relaxed a little. He and Cedric then left the room, returning to Hermione in the living room.

"Things are really bad, aren't they," Cedric remarked.

"They are. People are after us," Harry explained. "Wait, did your dad say that I was wanted?"

"You haven't told him?" Cedric asked of Hermione, who got a slightly guilty look on her face.

"In everything that happened, I forgot about it. I was concerned about Sirius," she offered as explanation.

"Told me what?" Harry asked.

Hermione and Cedric exchanged looks. "You know about Dumbledore, right?" Hermione began haltingly.

"Yes," Harry said reluctantly. "I saw it happen."

"You did?" Cedric exclaimed. "Maybe that explains it."

"Explains what?" Harry demanded.

"The Ministry says you are wanted to be questioned in connection with Dumbledore's murder. And it's been phrased in a way suggesting you're implicated," Hermione finally said.

"They think I did it? Me?" it burst from Harry.

"Not as such," Cedric elaborated. "The ongoing rumour is that Professor Moody was behind it. And you helped him. You have been spending many evenings with him during the school year."

"He was teaching me –" Harry stopped before he started mentioning the Unforgivable Curses. Even in this company, there was no reason to cast any aspersions on Moody. "You don't believe this, do you? About me or Moody?" he asked with vulnerability in his voice.

"Of course not!" Hermione exclaimed, and Cedric nodded vigorously.

"We know you, Harry. But there are all sorts of rumours flying around, and all the people who don't know you, they don't know what to think either," Cedric explained. "Especially not with Snape taking over as headmaster."

"Snape!" Harry felt bile rising in his throat. The very man who murdered Dumbledore, plunged a knife into him. "How is that possible?"

"Order from the Ministry. They have taken over Hogwarts," Cedric told him.

"But Fudge, would he really…?" Harry did not finish his question.

"He isn't minister anymore," Hermione explained. "You didn't hear the news before you left Hogwarts, but there's been a change at the Ministry."

"They acted quickly," Harry remarked, realising their plan. "As soon as they had the majority in the Wizengamot, they had Fudge replaced and then Dumbledore murdered. They removed their greatest enemy and now control the main magical institutions in Britain."

"You sound like you know who's behind all of this?" Cedric said probingly.

Harry wetted his lips. "It's Voldemort and his Death Eaters. I saw them that night, and they were led by Snape. He was the one who killed Dumbledore."

There was silence after this proclamation; then all three of them gave a start as a kettle started whistling. "I, err, put the kettle on," Hermione explained. "Figured Sirius, all of us could use it."

Cedric found some cups and tea leaves for all of them. "Thank you, by the way," Harry said to the older boy. "Not a lot of people would have aided us without question. Me and Sirius."

"I know you have a good reason, Harry," Cedric shrugged, "you didn't have to convince me. Even if I am curious to hear the reason," he added with a wry smile.

Harry explained the nature of his relationship with Sirius, the latter's wrongful incarceration, how he and Hermione had spent New Year with Sirius at his house and other relevant details. In the end as he finished his explanation, there was a cough coming from Sirius' room, and Cedric left the other two to attend to his patient.

"Harry, what now?" Hermione asked as they were alone. "I want to suggest that when Sirius is well enough, we all travel to my parents' place in France, but I am guessing you aren't on the run. All the secrets you've had this year, all the lies, the meetings with Moody and Dumbledore. You're involved in this war, aren't you." She did not pronounce the last sentence as a question but rather as a statement.

"Yes," Harry admitted. He bit his lip for a moment, and then he launched into his second explanation for the day. He told Hermione everything about the Horcruxes, about Dumbledore's task for him, and how his search had barely begun before they had been ambushed; even about Remus' death.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione spoke softly, and he did not realise until then how he had missed the sound of her voice, even when giving out admonitions. "What a terrible situation. And you smack in the middle of it."

"Yeah," Harry said, not really knowing what else to reply.

"What a burden. I'm sorry I was angry with you that night," Hermione said. "The night that you left Hogwarts."

"You had a right to be," Harry admitted. "I lied you to for so long, on so many occasions. I wanted to tell you, I swear I did," he insisted. "I was just afraid of what would happen. They killed Dumbledore and Remus, almost Sirius as well." To his own surprise, his voice was shaking and he had to blink a few tears away that were threatening to emerge.

"Harry," Hermione breathed, and then she wrapped her arms around him. Neither of them spoke after that for a long time; they just held each other.

Eventually, Harry pulled back, and they separated. "So, yeah. That's what I need to do," he said awkwardly, steering the conversation back. "Dumbledore gave me a task, and I need to complete it. There's not really any choice. They'll hunt me no matter what. At least this way, I may stand a chance."

"Alright. We'll go back to the woods then and continue your search," Hermione stated.

"You want to come?" Harry asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice.

"Of course," she frowned.

"Even though people have died," Harry spoke forcefully.

"Don't you dare start up with me, Harry," Hermione said fiercely. "You are not getting to say goodbye this time, you're not leaving. No more secrets, no more taking all of this on your own. I have no idea how you plan to handle this without my help, which means you certainly have no idea either. I'm going where you're going, and that's the end of it."

"I was going to say," Harry said, raising his hands defensively, "that I don't know how I ever thought I could do this without you. I'm sorry it took me so long to realise this, but I need you, Hermione. More than anybody, I need you."

"Oh," Hermione simply expressed. "Well, that's better," she added, sounding mollified. "I'll try and remember what I read about Gryffindor's tomb. Maybe we can narrow down the search."

"You read about… of course you did," Harry interrupted himself.

"In your book, even," Hermione smiled. "The one you gave me for my birthday, about ancient artefacts. It had plenty to say about Gryffindor and his sword, though not much about his tomb, unfortunately. But I'll see if I can remember anything that will be helpful."

Harry nodded slightly. "Alright then. Let's wait until Sirius seems better. Then we continue the search."

"Then we continue the search," Hermione repeated, nodding as well.