3rd Person's POV

Harry felt as though he had barely lain down to steep in Ron's room when he was being shaken awake by Hermione.

"Harry... Harry! Are you alright?" she whispered.

"Hermione bad dream... When did you get here?" Harry felt around for his glasses, put them on, and sat up.

"Just now, you?" She said moving away to wake Ron.

"Last night."

It was still dark outside. Ron muttered indistinctly as Hermione roused him.

"Wake up... Wake up Ronald!"

She moves back as Ron sits up quickly while covering himself with his blanket, "Bloody hell."

Hermione sighs in annoyance, "Honestly get dressed. And don't go back to sleep."

She walks to the door and sees Ron laying back down, "Come on Ron! Your mother says breakfast's ready."
............................................................................................................................................................................

It was chilly and the moon was still out. Only a dull, greenish tinge along the horizon to their right showed that daybreak was drawing closer. Harry, having been thinking about thousands of wizards speeding toward the Quidditch World Cup, sped up to walk with Mr. Weasley.

"So how does everyone get there without all the Muggles noticing?" he asked.

"It's been a massive organizational problem," sighed Mr. Weasley. "The trouble is, about a hundred thousand wizards turn up at the World Cup, and of course, we just haven't got a magical site big enough to accommodate them all. There are places Muggles can't penetrate, but imagine trying to pack a hundred thousand wizards into Diagon Alley or platform nine and three-quarters. So we had to find a nice deserted moor, and set up as many anti-Muggle precautions as possible. The whole Ministry's been working on it for months. First, of course, we have to stagger the arrivals. People with cheaper tickets have to arrive two weeks beforehand. A limited number use Muggle transport, but we can't have too many clogging up their buses and trains - remember, wizards are coming from all over the world. Some Apparate, of course, but we have to set up safe points for them to appear, well away from Muggles. I believe there's a handy wood they're using as the Apparition point. For those who don't want to Apparate, or can't, we use Portkeys. They're objects that are used to transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time. You can do large groups at a time if you need to. There have been two hundred Portkeys placed at strategic points around Britain, and the nearest one to us is up at the top of Stoatshead Hill, so that's where we're headed." Mr. Weasley pointed ahead of them, where a large black mass rose beyond the village of Ottery St. Catchpole.

"What sort of objects are Portkeys?" said Harry curiously.

"Well, they can be anything," said Mr. Weasley. "Unobtrusive things, obviously, so Muggles don't go picking them up and playing with them... stuff they'll just think is litter..."

They trudged down the dark, dank lane toward the village, the silence broken only by their footsteps. The sky lightened very slowly as they made their way through the village, its inky blackness diluting to deepest blue. Harry's hands and feet were freezing. Mr. Weasley kept checking his watch. They didn't have breath to spare for talking as they began to climb Stoatshead Hill, stumbling occasionally in hidden rabbit holes, slipping on thick black tuffets of grass. Each breath Harry took was sharp in his chest and his legs were starting to seize up when, at last, his feet found level ground.

"Whew," panted Mr. Weasley, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his sweater.

"Well, we've made good time- we've got ten minutes."

Hermione came over the crest of the hill last, clutching a stitch in her side. Ginny appears by her and whispers to her making them both glance at Harry. Harry's cheeks tinge pink as he looks away from the two.

"Now we just need the Portkey," said Mr. Weasley, replacing his glasses and squinting around at the ground. "It won't be big... Come on..."

They spread out, searching. They had only been at it for a couple of minutes, however, when a shout rent the still air.

"Over here, Arthur! Over here, son, we've got it."

A tall figure was silhouetted against the starry sky on the other side of the hilltop.

"Amos!" said Mr. Weasley, smiling as he strode over to the man who had shouted.

The rest of them followed but stood by a big tree. Mr. Weasley was shaking hands with a ruddy-faced wizard with a scrubby brown beard, who was holding a moldy-looking old boot in his other hand.

"This is Amos Diggory, everyone," said Mr. Weasley. "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

Out of nowhere a body falls out the tree landing perfectly on its legs. The group looks up to see a teen boy from their school.

"And you strapping young lad must be, Cedric? Am I right?"

Cedric Diggory was an extremely handsome boy of around seventeen. He was Captain and Seeker of the Hufflepuff House Quidditch team at Hogwarts.

"Yes sir." He shakes Mr. Weasley's hand while his father pats his back.

"Hi," said Cedric, looking around at them all.

Everybody said hi back except Fred and George, who merely nodded. They had never quite forgiven Cedric for beating their team, Gryffindor, in the first Quidditch match of the previous year.

"Long walk, Arthur?" Cedric's father asked.

"Not too bad," said Mr. Weasley. "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"

"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced? I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still... not complaining... Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons- and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy..."

Amos Diggory peered good-naturedly around at the three Weasley boys, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny. "All these yours, Arthur?"

"Oh no, only the redheads," said Mr. Weasley, pointing out his children. "This is Hermione, friend of Ron's, and Harry, another friend-"

"Merlin's beard," said Amos Diggory, his eyes widening. "Harry? Harry Potter?"

"Er- yeah," said Harry.

Harry was used to people looking curiously at him when they met him, used to the way their eyes moved at once to the lightning scar on his forehead, but it always made him feel uncomfortable.

"Ced's talked about you, of course," said Amos Diggory. "Told us all about playing against you last year... I said to him, I said- Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will... You beat Harry Potter!"

Harry couldn't think of any reply to this, so he remained silent. Fred and George were both scowling again. Cedric looked slightly embarrassed.

"Harry fell off his broom, Dad," he muttered. "I told you... it was an accident..."

"Yes, but you didn't fall off, did you?" roared Amos genially, slapping his son on his back. "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman... but the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"

"Must be nearly time," said Mr. Weasley quickly, pulling out his watch again. "Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?"

"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," said Mr. Diggory. "There aren't any more of us in this area, are there?"

"Not that I know of," said Mr. Weasley.

"Yes, it's a minute off... We'd better get ready..."

As everyone takes a step Amos yells out, "Oh!! How could I forget? Ced where is Ari?"

Cedric shrugs looking concerned, "I actually have no idea. She was right behind me a few minutes ago when I was up in the tree. Once they showed up she vanished."

"Who is Ari if you don't mind me asking?" Mr. Weasley says looking around then looking at the children who also look confused.

"Oh silly us Ari is-" Amos is cut off by a high screech.

"Look out below!"

A body flies from the tree above the group. Cedric hurries and holds his arms out infront of him catching the body.

"Karina! Where the bloody hell did you go?" Cedric asks putting her down on her feet.

"Honestly Cedric, I was behind you the whole time. I was waiting for the most opportune moment to reveal myself."

She giggles to herself then lays her head against Cedric's arm with her arms around his waist, "I love doing that."

Everyone stares with wide open mouths and eyes. Karina looks up at the Weasley family, Hermione, and Harry. She had not talked to or seen anyone from school since the end of the year. She had been a guest of the Diggory home the whole summer; never once leaving and only sending letters to Pansy, Daphne, Vincent, and sometimes Blaise.

"Oh uh hello." Karina grimaces at all the surprised faces then walks over to Mr. Weasley, "Karina Grey. So sorry about the disagreements that happened before with the Malfoys'."

Harry had been utterly surprised at how she hadn't said Malfoy's actual name.

"Not a problem dear."

"Can we start over? So I could perhaps get my own impression not an 'oh that's the girl who is always with the Malfoys?' I would like to think I'm more than that."

Mr. Weasley nods furiously feeling a bit embarrassed at his own first thoughts of her just from hearing his own children talk about her.

"Oh of course. Honestly from what you just said I would say you are a smart, honest, and sweet girl."

"Aww thank you."

Hermione scoffs making everyone turn to look at her. She tries to make herself disappear as Cedric, Amos, and Mr. Weasley slightly glare at her. Karina walks over to Hermione and smiles a slight bit.

"And Granger- um I mean Hermione... I'm completely and utterly sorry about everything. I wish for us to start over. I was not raised how most were. I was kind of like Malfoy. I didn't quite hate muggles but I didn't care for them. So I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way. When it comes to my friends and people I care about I can be mean."

Hermione just stares with her mouth open in shock at Karina.

She thinks to herself, 'Is this a dream? Is she really apologizing?'

Karina just smiles and then walks back to Cedric. Together they walk the pathway followed by Amos and Mr. Weasley. Everyone else had been still in shock just standing still.

"Did that really just happen?" Ginny asks looking at Hermione.

"Yep." Fred laughs.

"Weird." George says as the two twins walk away. Ginny shakes her head at the two and follows.

"Huh I never thought I would see the day. Maybe being with Diggory has changed her for the better? Well not being with 'being with' since he's dating Cho but like... you know." Ron says slightly confusing himself as he stumbles away.

"Has she talked to you yet?" Hermione whispers to Harry who looks kind of upset.

"No. She wrote me all last summer. This summer nothing at all. I think she might honestly hate me." Harry sighs kicking a rock.

"She doesn't hate you Harry. She may be upset with you, quite honestly. You knew she was with Draco. But she couldn't hate you. You should talk to her..." Hermione says looking up at the tree.

Harry smiles widely at the irony, "What happened to don't talk to her, it'll never happen, she's a Slytherin."

"Yeah well I guess you should judge people on their actions not their houses." Hermione says walking away leaving Harry alone at the tree.

Feeling as if he had been standing there for a while he remembers that he wasn't following everyone else. Hearing leaves crinkle he looks at a pair of black boots then follow his gaze up to the person.

Karina Grey.

Her black pixie cut hair had now grown longer and was styled in small wavy curls, she also now had bangs. It fit her.

"Harry the others were wondering where you were... They thought you were behind them."

"Oh sorry I lost track of time. I was in my thoughts."

"Oh okay." Karina says then looks down at her boots while tugging on her back pack strings.

"Karina can we talk please?"

She looks up at Harry's desperate face, "We're talking right now Harry."

"You know what I mean." Harry stares at her stone cold expression thinking this is it, this is the last time I'm going to talk to Karina. She hates me.

"Fine... walk and talk at the same time." She turns around and begins to walk away.

Harry jogs over to her and walks by her side but doesn't stand too close.

"I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry for ruining your relationship with Malfoy. I knew you were together obviously but I was selfish and took it upon myself to act upon my feelings."

"Honestly Harry, in the beginning I may have had a small crush on you but everyday my love for Malfoy grew more and more... and now that I think of it, I think the reason for my infatuation with you and yours with me had to deal with the fact that you and I are one in the same. We both lost our parents, lived in a different situation that we would rather not be in, feared the inevitable, were always put in dangerous situations. I think Harry we were infatuated with the fact that there was someone who understood us. Someone who would always understand. Even if they didn't know the details. You are just like me. I cherish you, I cherish our friendship... I want it to stay a friendship. Do you understand Harry?"

Karina stops and looks at Harry who is looking at the ground. Suddenly, his face lights up. He looks up and pulls Karina into a hug.

"Oh thank goodness!! We really do understand each other. Over the summer I thought exactly what you just said. Of course that's why we were so driven to each other, we get it. You will always get me. Of course I cherish our friendship too. I wouldn't want anything else. I'm so glad you don't hate me."

"Harry Potter why would I hate you? I could never." Karina laughs as she pulls away from the hug.

"Ugh you silly boy." She shakes her head and walks away.

Harry smiles to himself watching his friend walk over to Cedric. Snapping out of his head he walks over to Mr. Weasley. Mr. Weasley looked around at Harry and Hermione.

"You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all, a finger will do-"

With difficulty, owing to their bulky backpacks, the ten of them crowded around the old boot held out by Amos Diggory. They all stood there, in a tight circle, as a chill breeze swept over the hilltop. Nobody spoke. It suddenly occurred to Harry how odd this would look if a Muggle were to walk up here now... ten people, two of them grown men, clutching this manky old boot in the semidarkness, waiting.

"Three..." muttered Mr. Weasley, one eye still on his watch, "two...one..."

It happened immediately: Harry felt as though a hook just behind his navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly forward. His feet left the ground; he could feel Ron and Hermione on either side of him, their shoulders banging into his; they were all speeding forward in a howl of wind and swirling color; his forefinger was stuck to the boot as though it was pulling him magnetically onward and then his body slammed into the ground; Ron staggered into him and he fell over; the Portkey hit the ground near his head with a heavy thud. Harry looked up.

Mr. Weasley, Mr. Diggory, Karina and Cedric were still standing, though looking very windswept; everybody else was on the ground.

Karina laughs looking over at Cedric, "Amateurs."