Shifted

No Holds Barred

Dark. Complete black. Only the feel of the bricks underneath her fingertips as Hermione tiptoed beneath the walls, listening to the chit chat of the guards directly above her.

Theo, with an arm linked through hers, led the way, shoulders hunched to his ears and looking much too dashing in all black muggle clothes.

When they reached the edge, Hermione glanced up at the outer wall that blocked off entrance.

She pulled on Theo's shoulder, panic enveloping her for a moment.

"Are those muggle guns?"

"They're just for looks. Things are no bloody good when mixed with magic."

Hermione swallowed. "I suspect they could do enough damage without it."

"Too loud. Wands are much more discreet, plus easier to aim."

"If you have them in your grips." Hermione pulled hers out and aimed at the guard that was now directly above her. "Which, they won't."
---
Three days earlier:

"The real trick," Theo began, unrolling a map onto the table, "is taking out as many guards as possible before they realize we've ever infiltrated."

Harry leaned over to look. Theo tried to catch his eye, but Harry seemed intent on ignoring him. "How many will there be?"

A flash of hurt, but it was covered before it could become anything more. "If we go during a shift change, under the cover of night, we're looking at around two hundred."

"Then maybe we shouldn't do this during a shift change." Lupin's stare traced over the map, taking in the hiding place of Voldemort. His eyes shone greedily.

"The more chaos, the better."

"A Theo special," Draco muttered.

"The guards will be sloppy, unsuspecting," Theo said, ignoring Draco. "They've been doing the same routes for years with nothing to fight against. That combined with the movement of one shift to the next will get our best results. If we play our cards right, we'll need only to take out the guards at the front, that way we can all get by unseen."

Hermione nodded. "Leave that to me."

"And me," Theo said. You're not going in alone."
---
With the guards stunned, Hermione and Theo climbed the stairs to the tower.

"How much time do we have?"

Theo checked his watch. "Five minutes. Hide the bodies. Grab the uniforms. I'll go signal to the others."

Hermione levitated the bodies back to the tower, declothed and then disillusioned them.

"Bugger." She lifted the clothes against her body. They were at least three sizes too big.

But there was no time. In the distance, she could see the silhouettes of shadows.

They were here. She checked her watch.

Two minutes to go.
---
"Once we're in," Draco began, "it's important we stay undercover. Follow the crowd. There are enough new recruits on this duty that no one should blink twice at a face they don't recognize."

"Where do we go when we're in?"

Draco's fingers traced a path that was highlighted in bright yellow. It sank all the way to the basement, several floors below where they'd begin the infiltration.

Harry swallowed. "If we get caught down there—"

"We're fucked." Theo didn't raise his eyes. "But if we follow the plan, there's no reason any of us should get caught. Not that early on, at least."