Manacled by Senlinyu

Chapter 60: Flashback 35

Hermione gingerly placed a flask, still half-full of shimmering, silver liquid, into a warded box and sealed it with several protective spells. "When Bill brought his analysis of the wards on Hogwarts last month, I realised that there was a chance I could combine charmwork and arithmancy with the traditional use of potions and alchemy for explosives. I was rereading Dumbledore's collaboration with Flamel on the uses of dragon's blood and had the idea that it would react with silver nitrate dissolved in unicorn blood powerfully enough to dissolve the wards. The main challenge was finding a way to suspend it in something that could penetrate and adhere to the magic, so I used manticore venom to emulsify it. The detonation is primarily intended to create a blast radius large enough to destabilise and collapse the wards when the solvent hits it. I ran the numbers dozens of times before I brought the proposal to Moody; I'm almost positive I've calculated it all correctly."

She caught herself rambling and stopped, looking up at Severus.

As he studied her, his eyes glittered. Then his mouth pursed, and he stared back down at the bomb between them. "Are Potions and healing such tedious wartime careers that you must invent an entirely new field of magic in order to preoccupy yourself?"

Hermione felt her cheeks warm. Her eyes dropped as the corner of her mouth quirked. "I thought it seemed like a logical way to combine the branches."

"You would," Severus said with muffled snort. "If this explodes prematurely, I hope you will recall all the occasions in which I answered your incessant questions with the reminder that just because a thing can be imagined by you, doesn't mean it should be attempted."

He sighed. "You always were an insufferable student to teach." There was a pause as he eyed the bomb again. "This is precisely why."

Hermione ducked her head to hide a smile.

That night she apparated to Whitecroft and waited nearly half an hour before Draco appeared.

She'd barely seen Draco since he'd returned from his trip. He'd brought the occasional report and renewed warnings that Voldemort was likely preparing for his own final blow. More Death Eaters than merely Lucius were being brought back to England.

She'd decided, from the beginning, not to mention her most recent occupation within the Order.

When he appeared in the shack, he was dressed in formal robes, and his expression was braced. It was as though he had expected to find her bleeding to death on the floor.

Relief flooded across his face as he stared at her. "I can't stay unless it's an emergency, I'm at a dinner. What is it?"

She wanted to reach out and touch him, but she held herself back. Her fingers still hadn't fully healed; she had them carefully glamoured to hide the scarring.

"I was sent to tell you the Resistance will attack Hogwarts in two days. It will begin at precisely noon."

His jaw twitched. "I'm assuming you will not be there."

Hermione nodded. "I'll be in the hospital."

His eyes narrowed as he kept studying her. "The Order found a way through the wards?"

Hermione didn't react. "Yes. The wards have been taken into account."

"What do you need me to do?"

She licked her lips and curled her left hand into a tight fist. "Harry will be there. We want a final confrontation, but before we can do that, we need to kill Nagini. Harry says he's positive she's a horcrux. Either get her brought or find a way to kill her when she's left behind."

His eyes gleamed. "If the Dark Lord appears, she'll be there."

"Good." Hermione gave a sharp nod. "That's all we need."