Hermione plummeted down the secret passage.
A white mist wrapped around her, binding her body and suspending her in thin air.
She tried to move, but her arms were pinned to her sides.
The mist swallowed her whole. It covered her from head to toe and a sweet-smelling scent filled her senses, drugging her.
Her eyes started to close...
Then the mist pushed Hermione forward, building in speed, but she could do nothing to stop it.
She sensed a shift in her surroundings, and her eyes shot open. There was light, so much light it was blinding.
Then she saw a large wooden door. She hesitated. She had no idea what was behind it...
She was about to reach for the handle when she was yanked back by an invisible cord.
The scene changed.
She was outside, walking in a field of lilies, but something was wrong. When she tried to touch the flowers they moved just out of reach, and the sun was bright on her face but she didn't feel its warmth.
The flowers started to grow.
Hermione jumped back.
They shot up and towered over her.
She ran blindly, trying to fight her way out...but then the scene shifted and she was pulled back into the white mist. It reached for her with icy fingers and twirled her like a spinning top.
Hermione's stomach clenched and everything shifted again.
She was standing on a roof now. The air was warm around her and the sun was setting. Harry was next to her. He was standing beside a well. He looked at her with his bright green eyes, beckoning her to follow him. He gestured to the open door behind him...a door that revealed a long spiral staircase.
Hermione froze.
She'd had this dream before, and she knew how it ended. She couldn't follow him.
She turned away from Harry and walked back to the well, but just as she reached it, the scene in front of her vanished. The ground tilted and she fell back into the mist.
What had Pansy said? Don't dream or you'll be lost....don't dream or...
Another door appeared in front of her, but she moved away from it. It wasn't real, none of this was real.
The mist dissolved.
Hermione fell through thin air and eventually hit solid ground.
She cried out in pain.
"She's disoriented," someone said, but their voice sounded like it came from very far away.
"We'll have to give her a shock."
Hermione's head snapped to the side.
She felt her eyes water and her cheek stung.
Someone had slapped her.
She blinked at her surroundings. She saw blurred shapes and it was several seconds before Pansy and Roman came into focus.
"What happened?" Hermione asked them slowly. "I kept falling and—"
"You only fell ten feet, Granger," Pansy interrupted.
Hermione looked up, she could still make out the outline of the trap door.
Why had it felt like forever?
"It's a spell," Pansy said. "An illusion to trap unwelcome visitors."
"And you didn't think to tell us about it?" Roman snapped. "What if we'd been stuck like that for hours?"
"I didn't have much time, did I? Those birds nearly—"
"Enough," Hermione said. "We need to find Malfoy."
Roman narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't know why I listened to you. The only reason I followed you, was so that you'd tell me where my brother was, and for all I know, you don't have a clue."
Hermione turned to him. "I do know where your brother is, and if you help us, I'll take you to him, I promise."
Roman pointed an accusing finger at Pansy. "What if she's tricking you, Granger? Trying to save you for the Death Eaters? Did you ever think of that?!"
"I—" Hermione's voice faltered. An uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach. Had she been stupid in coming here?
Pansy laughed. "I don't have a twisted plan for you Granger. I want to help Draco, that's all."
Roman raised an eyebrow. "Give me your wand."
Pansy rolled her eyes.
"Now," he insisted.
"Fine!" she said, handing it over to him.
Roman pointed down the passage. "Lead the way."
It was so dark they could hardly see. Pansy started running through the passage, and Hermione and Roman chased after her, trying not to fall over loose rocks and broken tiles.
"The passage ends here," Pansy announced several minutes later.
Roman lifted his wand. "Lumos!"
There were markings on the wall...engravings of old symbols, and in the center, a large hourglass.
Hermione squinted at the markings. They looked familiar. She thought back to her ancient runes class, and a pair of symbols she'd seen in her third year.
Pansy pressed her palm to the wall, over the first engraving. She gasped in pain. Blood was drawn from her hand and trickled down to fill the hour glass.
"It draws our blood?" Roman asked apprehensively. "Why?"
"You'll see..." said Pansy. "When we enter the next room."
Hermione stepped closer to the wall. There was an inscription in latin at the bottom of the hour glass. It read: Only united can the truth be discovered. Three minds alike. Three minds enlightened.
What truth? she wondered.
"Your turn," Pansy said sharply.
Hermione pressed her hand to the wall. She felt a pinch.
She bit her lip as her blood was drawn. She watched it slowly fill the hour glass.
Roman was next.
When the hour glass was filled with his blood, the wall moved aside to reveal a very narrow passage.
Hermione frowned. It wasn't big enough for them to stand in.
"We'll have to crawl through it," Pansy said, lowering herself down.
The space was hot and cramped. Hermione crawled forward on her hands and knees, trying to move as quickly as possible. She winced each time the heel of Pansy's shoe moved dangerously close to her face.
"Are we almost there?!" Roman shouted from behind them.
Pansy shook her head. "Just a bit more!"
They heard the distant sounds of bangs and curses. Voldemort's attack on Hogwarts was intensifying and Hermione knew it wouldn't be long before he made it inside the castle.
She felt a cold dread sweep through her. They were taking too long. How much time had passed since she'd left the entrance hall? Hagrid would make sure Ginny and the students made it to safety, but she'd be trapped at Hogwarts if she failed to reach the ship by midnight.
Malfoy had lied to her, he was a Death Eater and all logic told her she shouldn't trust him. But something compelled Hermione to keep moving. The night he'd kissed her on the Astronomy Tower, it had changed everything. She sensed Draco was more than just an arrogant boy with a penchant for cruel words. And she could no longer deny she cared for him—much more than she should.
Hermione's thoughts were interrupted by Pansy.
"We're nearing the end," she said.
They emerged on the other side of the passage. They saw a set of stairs that led to a silver door.
"We'll be tested...before it opens to us," Pansy said slowly, trying to catch her breath. "The Founders took our blood, now they know our deepest thoughts, our fears. They'll want to know if we're worthy."
"Worthy of what?" Roman asked.
Pansy raised an eyebrow. "Worthy of keeping their secrets."
"I don't understand," said Hermione. "How did you find this place?"
"The Gray Lady told Draco about it," Pansy said, staring at the silver door. "The chambers inside are empty, but this place holds something. Something the Founders wanted to hide. We never found out what it was..."
They climbed to the top of the stairs until they reached the silver door.
Pansy turned to Roman. "I'll need my wand for this."
He gave her a withering look, then reluctantly handed it over.
Pansy stepped forward and touched the door with the tip of her wand.
A grey mist reached out to them, and split in three. A hand emerged from each end, reaching out to touch them...
Hermione's eyes widened as she heard a soft, melodic voice inside her head.
Young girl of fifteen, come to seek the truth...
Her blood chilled. Something had taken control of her body. She was compelled to kneel.
A true Gryffindor, courageous and daring, but is your purpose noble or self-serving?
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
I've come to save a friend, she thought, hoping the bodiless voice would understand.
Save a friend, the voice laughed mirthlessly. And risk the lives of countless others. The youngest and purest of Hogwarts school."
That's a lie, Hermione thought, sensing the voice was trying to push her limits. They'll make it out of the castle no matter what happens to me. Hagrid will make sure of it.
Will he? the voice went on. What if Hagrid needs your help? What if he's attacked? A selfish choice to save young Draco, your lover. To save one, instead of many.
Hermione bit her lip. The voice was twisting everything.
You've got everything wrong, Hermione told the voice. Draco and I, we're not lovers...
But you want him to be yours, the voice said. "You've dreamt of it, even though he's hurt you...hurt your friends..."
Hermione grew uneasy. The voice seemed to be reaching into the furthest corners of her mind.
Yes, she answered the voice. I want him even though I shouldn't. He's hurt me, but even so, he doesn't deserve to die, and I'm one of the few people willing to help him. He's made so many enemies you see...
The voice laughed quietly, but it was fainter than before. "Good luck, Ms. Granger of Gryffindor...you have answered...truthfully."
Hermione felt the mist release its hold.
The feeling returned to her body. She could control her movements again.
Hermione looked around her.
Pansy and Roman were on either side of her. They had passed the test too.
The silver door above them clicked open.
They hurried down a corridor, and on the wall to their left they saw a painting of a golden unicorn.
Hermione's mouth dropped open when they reached the end of the corridor.
The rooms had high vaulted ceilings, and stained glass windows. There were towering columns, and the crest of each founder was emblazoned above each chamber.
On the far right, there was a fading outline on the wall, and Hermione guessed it was the original entrance to the chambers. It looked like there had been a door there at one time, but it was sealed now.
"Over here!" Pansy said, suddenly, running to the last room on their left.
Roman and Hermione hurried to catch up with her, stopping at the threshold.
Malfoy was lying on the ground.
Pansy rushed to his side and untied the rope binding his wrists, but she stopped short when she saw the welts on his back.
Hermione's eyes widened in horror. He had been tortured, and his flesh was still raw from Romena's lashings.
"Scourgify," Pansy said, cleaning his wounds. Next, she performed a healing spell and his flesh began to sew itself back together.
Draco grimaced with pain, feeling invisible needles threading through his skin.
"It's alright," said Pansy, embracing Draco and he collapsed into her arms, exhausted.
"They weren't healed in time, they'll scar," Pansy said slowly, tracing the injuries on his back with her hand. "I'm sorry we didn't get here sooner."
Hermione looked away. Draco was lying half naked in Pansy's arms, and although she knew they were intimately acquainted she didn't like seeing it for herself. The two Slytherins spoke to each other with the ease and familiarity that came with knowing someone for years. She supposed at one point she'd had that ease and familiarity with Ron—but things had never progressed beyond friendship. They had never held each other the way that Pansy and Draco were—
"What about his leg? It's broken," Roman observed, interrupting Hermione's thoughts. He looked at her. "Can you heal it?"
Hermione shook her head. "No one learns advanced healing spells until seventh year. Maybe you—"
"I'm no good at them," he said swiftly.
"Isn't there anything you've read that can help?" Pansy asked Hermione. "All those hours you spend in the library—"
Hermione shook her head. "I'm no expert in mending bones. Short of levitating him—"
Pansy laughed. "That won't help if we're attacked and need to make a run for it. He needs to be able to defend himself."
"Come now, Granger," Malfoy drawled.
Hermione jumped. The sound of his voice shocked her. He hadn't spoken a word to her since they'd entered the Founder's Chambers.
"Second year," Malfoy prompted as he lifted his gray eyes to meet hers.
Hermione frowned at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Lockhart turned Potter's arm to jelly that year. You're telling me you didn't run to the library to find out what went wrong? Surely, you wanted to know how the spell was properly done?"
Damn him, damn him and his ability to see right through her...
"I—I did," said Hermione defensively. "But it's a very advanced spell and I've never performed it. Second year was a long time ago. I didn't read up on it again."
He rolled his eyes at her. "Liar."
"Excuse me?!"
Draco smirked. "You mean to tell me there's a spell you weren't interested in learning? A spell you weren't interested in perfecting?"
She sighed heavily. "Malfoy I know you won't like it, but we'll just have to levitate you and hope for the best."
"Coward."
That was the second time he'd called her that this year. Hermione's hands balled into fists. Her rage was like an overflowing cauldron about to bubble over.
"It's a very complicated spell," she said firmly. "If it's not done right, your leg can be damaged permanently."
Draco shrugged at her. "Scarhead looked just fine to me, even though Lockhart made a mess of things."
Hermione resisted the urge to swear at him. "That's only because Madame Pomfrey got to him in time. If she hadn't, the Skele-Gro wouldn't have worked."
Of course, she had never told Harry this. He'd been so furious with Lockhart at the time...
She looked at Malfoy again. "Things can go wrong and I won't be able to reverse the damage if—"
"I'm aware of that," he said coldly.
Hermione threw her hands up in frustration. "Malfoy—"
"I trust you," he said, cutting her off.
Hermione's mouth dropped open.
She wasn't expecting that.
"I trust that you'll do it right."
Hermione gaped at him, unable to believe her ears.
"You're—you're just trying to flatter me so that I'll do what you want," she said, crossing her arms.
Malfoy sighed. "Granger, take the poker out of your a—"
"Oh, go to hell, Malfoy."
"Gladly! Only right now I'm stuck here with you. I can't walk away now, can I?!"
"For the love of Merlin," Roman interrupted. "Will you do the damn spell, Hermione?" He pulled her to one side, away from Pansy and Draco. "We need to get out of here. And as soon as we do, you're going to tell me where my brother is. That was the deal."
Hermione looked at Roman guiltily. She couldn't tell him about the evacuation and the ship waiting at the bottom of the lake.
She'd have to modify his memory once this was over...
But he was right. She needed to hurry.
"Fine," she said. "I'll do it."
Hermione knelt in front of Draco. Their eyes met. His expression was strange. Outwardly he appeared irritated, but there was something in his eyes. Almost like he was shocked to see her there, like he hadn't expected her to come and find him.
"Well...get on with it," he said impatiently, acting like she was a house elf preparing his tea.
Hermione bit back a retort and rolled up his pant leg carefully.
His skin was swollen and bruised, and the bones in his lower leg were fractured. She reached out to touch the hollow space between the broken ends, seeing where she needed to focus the energy of the spell.
Draco did his best to keep his face blank but his mind was spinning. He couldn't believe Hermione had come. He studied her face, but he couldn't tell if she was glad to see him, or if she resented him for dragging her here.
Hermione's hand was warm and slightly trembling. She was nervous, and so was he, but he refused to show it.
Hermione raised her wand, making every effort to keep her arm steady. If this went wrong...
Draco sighed heavily. "By all means take your time."
She glared at him. "Don't distract me."
Hermione focused her attention again, remembering the incantation."Brackium Emendo!" she shouted.
There was a jet of blue light.
Draco screwed his eyes shut. He felt a tug, then a sudden, building pressure.
Hermione stared down at his leg, her face rapt with attention. His skin was becoming translucent....
What did the spell book say?
The caster will catch a glimpse of a shift, then a swift break and renewal. The caster must not break contact at any point...
Beads of cold sweat ran down her forehead. She saw the bones move and reassemble.
They were aligning themselves now, a callus forming around them...a soft bridge between the broken parts of the bone. She watched the callus harden...
The next few seconds lasted an eternity, and the silence spiraled horribly as everyone waited with bated breath.
The callus fell away, revealing solid bone.
Draco opened his eyes, and he heard Hermione breathe a sigh of relief.
"Try moving," she said.
He nodded.
It was extremely painful but he was able to shift his leg left and right.
Hermione waved Roman over. "Help me lift him."
Once he was up, Draco attempted to walk. His leg trembled violently, but he was able to move.
"It'll get better as time goes by," Hermione told him.
"Take this," Pansy said, digging for something in the pocket of her robes. She handed Draco a red oak wand. "I stole it from Goyle. I figured you'd need it more than him."
Draco smirked at her. "Thanks, Pans."
His shirt lay discarded in a corner of the room. He collected it and mended it with Goyle's wand.
He threw the shirt over his head and nodded at Pansy. "Let's go."
Everyone was about to make their way to the exit when they heard a loud rumble.
"What was that?" Hermione whispered.
Suddenly, there was an earth-shattering blast, and the castle was rocked to its foundations.
"Get back!" Malfoy shouted at Hermione, as the entire room swayed back and forth.
Hermione stood paralyzed, unable to move. Voldemort had hit the castle with something much stronger than before. The floor seemed to tilt sideways, and Hermione felt something hit her shoulder. She looked up. The ceiling was caving in.
Malfoy pressed Hermione against the wall, blocking her body with his own.
Pansy and Roman scrambled to get out of the way.
"We need to make a run for it," Draco said.
He took Hermione's hand, and they made for the exit.
Pansy and Roman were ten paces ahead of them.
Everything around them was crashing down. A pillar next to them crumbled, and to Hermione's surprise, swords, shields, jewels, and a book inlaid with gold tumbled out of it.
The items hit the floor.
"Granger, watch out!" Pansy screamed.
Something heavy struck the back of Hermione's head.
She collapsed, hitting the ground.
The room swayed in front of her, and she tried to steady herself, but her hand brushed the edge of the golden book.
There was a flash of blinding light and then the room spun with such ferocity, that everything became a blur.
Then Hermione saw other figures, a pair witches clad in medieval gowns.
They ran through the chambers.
"Attack, attack on the castle!" they cried.
The wall on the far right was no longer sealed. There was a large oak door in its place.
Seconds later it was thrown open, and a group of men burst through it.
They were holding torches, looking for the women.
"Witches, hang the witches!" they cried.
She heard one of the women scream. "Hurry! They'll kill us all!"
Hermione shook her head.
None of this made any sense...
The oak door trembled, then was gone, replaced by solid wall again.
The women vanished.
"HERMIONE!"
Malfoy was shaking her senseless. His face loomed over hers. "We have to get out of here."
Hermione closed the book shut and shoved it under her arm.
Malfoy dragged her up, and the four of them rushed towards the exit, but Hermione was still disoriented. She could still see the screaming women, the men with torches, the oak door, and the world falling apart around them.
Malfoy pushed her forward and she lowered herself into the narrow passage that led back to the seventh floor.
"Faster!" Pansy shouted.
What if the passage collapsed and they were buried alive? Hermione thought. And if by some miracle they survived...no one knew where they were...no one except for Romena Wright...
The next few minutes felt like hours as they crawled forward, and all they could hear was their own heavy breathing.
The blasts and bangs continued as Voldemort fought his way into the castle.
When they reached the end of the passage, Hermione and the others hurried towards the small, silver door at the end of the corridor. Pansy flung it open, and tore down the steps. She didn't stop until they made it to the next room.
"Lumos," Pansy shouted.
Hermione and the others looked up, seeing the trap door they'd come through earlier.
"Alohomora!" Pansy shouted. The trap door above them shot open, and a beam of light hit their faces.
A torrent of noise reached them.
Pansy hesitated for a moment, hearing the blasts and curses. Then she raised her wand.
"Ascendio!" she shouted. She shot up into the air, landing a foot away from the trap door.
"Come on!" she shouted, waving them up.
Roman went first.
Malfoy took Hermione's hand.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Ascendio!"
They both shot into the air.
When their feet slammed into the ground, they saw that the fire birds were gone. But something was wrong.
The smell of heavy smoke filled the air.
They walked down the corridor and took in their surroundings. The walls were completely blackened. It looked like there had been a fire.
The Death Eaters...were they already inside?
They walked on until they reached the north wing, Roman in the lead. He froze mid-step.
"What is it?" Pansy asked.
Hermione's mouth fell open in horror.
There were bodies littered all over the floor.
Hermione gagged as the smell of burnt flesh assaulted her senses. She was sure they were students, Gryffindors who hadn't made it out in time.
This meant only one thing. The Death Eaters were in the castle, and so was Voldemort.
Roman checked for survivors, but there was no sign of life.
Muggleborns, Hermione guessed. Killed by the Death Eaters to set an example. For the first time in her life she wasn't sure if she could follow through with her plans. She was so consumed by rage that she couldn't think clearly, she wanted to join the Order and fight. She wanted to banish the Death Eaters from the grounds...
But she couldn't....Dumbledore had other plans for her.
"We need to keep moving," said Hermione, her voice trembling.
They hurried away, moving cautiously, their wands at the ready, knowing they might be attacked at any moment...
They reached the landing of the seventh floor.
Once again, Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock.
The staircases were gone, completely obliterated. Entire chunks of the castle had been blasted away. Half of the ceiling had crumbled, revealing an inky black sky.
She couldn't see them, but she sensed the Dementors floating above them. She felt the unmistakable chill that accompanied their presence.
Rain was pouring down from the sky, making the floor slick and wet. They could hear the distant clap of thunder.
"We have to find a broom," Roman said. "We need to get to the entrance hall."
There was a snapping sound and what remained of the ceiling started to collapse.
A hail of debris rained down on them. Malfoy dragged Hermione out of the way, and Pansy and Roman stumbled backwards.
"Where's my brother, Granger?!" Roman shouted.
"He's safe," Hermione cried. "He's safe!"
"You promised me!"
It was the last thing she heard Roman say, before a pile of rubble fell between them. He and Pansy were blocked from view.
Burn the witches! Slash their necks!
Hermione turned, the men she'd seen earlier were running down the corridor. They still held torches in their hands...
She had to stop them...before they killed...
Suddenly, there were other ghostly figures running around her, students from another time...many of them were wounded...
Hermione stepped forward.
"What are you doing?!" Malfoy cried. He seized her arm and dragged her back.
Hermione couldn't tell which war she was in—the one from hundreds of years ago or this one—but the feeling of terror and death was the same.
There were blasts, and Hermione looked up.
A group of wizards were fighting on broomsticks.
Hermione recognized Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Doge and other members of the Order, as well as several Death Eaters.
Elphias Doge cursed Walden Macnair squarely in the chest and he flew off his broom, crashing into Yaxley behind him.
Kingsley was about to curse Alecto Carrow, when he caught sight of Hermione and Draco. He abandoned the fight and made a dive for them, landing haphazardly on the ground. He wasted no time and dug his wand into Malfoy's chest. "Avada—"
"NO! HE'S WITH ME!" Hermione screamed. "HE'S ON OUR SIDE!"
Malfoy didn't know what shocked him more, Shaklebolt's attempt to kill him, or the fact that Hermione was defending him.
Hermione locked eyes with Draco. In the past hour he'd had various opportunities to harm her and he hadn't done so. She decided she no longer had a reason to doubt him.
Kingsley dragged Hermione away.
"Dumbledore gave you a mission Ms. Granger. You have directly defied orders."
"We can't leave Draco," Hermione said. "He has information that can help the Order. He's valuable to our cause. He might be able to tell us what Voldemort is planning next."
The small flicker of hope Draco had allowed to live inside him extinguished. Of course, he thought. Hermione didn't care for him. She vouched for him only because she thought he'd prove useful to the Order...
Carrow caught sight of Kingsley and raised his wand.
"Watch out!" Hermione screamed.
They ducked and the pillar behind them blasted to pieces.
Kingsley made a split second decision."Get on!" he shouted at her and Draco, reaching for his broom.
The two of them mounted the broomstick behind him.
"Hold on!"
They went into a nosedive, and Carrow chased after them, firing spell after spell.
The inhabitants of the portraits hanging on the walls cried out in panic as they flew past them.
Draco looked behind him, wondering if Carrow aimed to kill. Hadn't Voldemort warned him? They needed Granger alive.
Carrow winked at him and raised his wand again. He hit Kingsley with a confundus charm and made him lose control of the broom.
They swerved dangerously, but Hermione saw they were only a few feet from the ground.
She and Draco fell sideways off the broom, landing with a crash on the floor.
"Avada Kedavra!" Carrow shouted.
A jet of green light shot from his wand. It hit Kingsley squarely in the chest, and he landed next to Draco with a thunderous crash.
Hermione stared at him in shock, then she heard shouting again. The Order was surrounding Carrow. They shot spells at him but he fought back, darting out of the way each time they attacked.
Hermione and Draco crawled forward, trying to find cover amidst the chaos.
There were bodies everywhere, mostly members of the Hogwarts Guard. They were bleeding and all of them had thin, purple lines across their necks and foreheads, showing telltale signs of Voldemort's new killing curse.
Draco and Hermione ran and skidded to a halt in front of the Great Hall.
Students and teachers were fighting the Death Eaters.
Bellatrix Lestrange was dueling several members of the Hogwarts Guard.
The enchanted ceiling above them was crumbling, and in the center of the chaos stood Dumbledore, dueling a very tall wizard.
"Where is Potter?" said the wizard in a high, cold voice.
Hermione gasped. His face was snake-like. His scarlet eyes shone bright. His hands resembled large, pale spiders, and they closed around his wand with a sort of fervent excitement.
It was the first time Hermione had ever laid eyes on Voldemort. Before today, he was only a shadow, an echo of an old nightmare that everyone wished to forget.
She felt a sudden chill. Although Harry had described him to her, nothing had prepared her for seeing the real thing.
"We have to move!" Draco shouted.
Behind them Carrow was flying down the corridor, and the Order was shooting curses at him. They aimed to kill, and Hermione and Draco were standing directly in their way.
They ran into the Great Hall, taking cover under a table as wayward spells flew over their heads.
Hermione looked around, breathless.
It was clear that Dumbledore and Voldemort had fought for some time now. The walls were torn apart where their spells had rebounded or missed.
Voldemort moved in a calculated manner, biding his time for the moment to strike.
Dumbledore raised his wand and a powerful, howling wind formed.
Hermione and Draco clutched onto the leg of their table, as goblets, plates and chairs flew into the air.
Voldemort fired a curse at Dumbledore.
The curse missed his head by inches and blasted into the wall behind him. There was an explosion, and a ring of white light stretched out across the Great Hall.
Dumbledore's cloak flapped violently, and for a fraction of a second he was blinded.
And Voldemort saw his moment.
"Mors Multarum!"
Dumbledore was blown backward by Voldemort's new killing curse.
He landed on the floor, and as Hermione had seen in her dream with Harry, patches of light burned bright on Dumbledore's arm, and like a network of veins they traveled up to his neck then to his forehead. The lights blazed brilliantly then faded.
Dumbledore reached out, extending his fingers. His wand was only a few feet away from him but it wouldn't come, it sensed his disloyalty to Voldemort.
Malfoy inhaled sharply. He recalled the memory Romena had stolen from him. The memory of Helen and Mason McKay's meeting in the garden.
So it was true, he thought. Voldemort could take away magic and replace himself as the wand's core. And his first victim was Dumbledore.
Voldemort's eyes gleamed with pleasure. "You have fought your last duel, Dumbledore."
Everyone in the Great Hall stopped what they were doing when they realized what had happened.
Blood trickled down Dumbledore's mouth.
"You were born a fool," Voldemort said coldly, kneeling next to him. "And now you'll die one."
"Oh no," Dumbledore said brightly. "I am not the fool, Tom. You, on the other hand, have just sealed your fate, in more ways than one."
Dumbledore reached up and took Voldemort's face into his hands. He whispered something into his ear.
Voldemort's eyes widened for the briefest of moments.
"Catherine lives," Dumbledore said. "And she's closer than you know."
Although Dumbledore was already dying, it wasn't fast enough for Voldemort.
Hermione gasped as he closed his hands around Dumbledore's neck.
The other students watched in horror, silent tears streaming down their faces.
Dumbledore stared into Voldemort's eyes, unwilling to break. He was prepared to die, and ready to look his killer firmly in the eye as he did so.
Utter silence fell over the Great Hall as Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles slid down his face, and then his mouth went slack.
Voldemort rose and aimed his wand at Dumbledore's chest.
"Lacarnum inflamare."
Dumbledore's body was set ablaze.
"Watch as the great Dumbledore burns!" Bellatrix cried, springing forward. Passionate joy flooded her face.
"Stand back!" Voldemort screamed.
Bellatrix hunched over and dropped to the floor, begging him for forgiveness.
Voldemort faced the crowd, and the flames from the fire danced in his snake-like eyes. He looked at Dumbledore's body.
"This tottering old fool, this devout muggle lover, failed all of you. "
He spit into the flames, and they doubled, completely devouring Dumbledore's body.
Voldemort walked through the sea of students, relishing the look of fear in their eyes. Hermione didn't realize she was holding her breath, but she gasped as Voldemort moved closer to the edge of the hall.
Voldemort spoke again. "It seems Dumbledore did not learn history's valuable lesson. Muggles have sought to extinguish our kind before, and they will again, but we are prepared now. We will not live in the shadows any longer. Muggles will know wizards are not a mere fairytale but a very tangible reality."
Hermione clutched onto Malfoy's arm as Voldemort moved closer to their hiding spot.
"And mudbloods," he said coldly, "shall serve us as they were always meant to do. In our armies, in our manors, in our beds."
There were raucous shouts of approval from the Death Eaters. Several students in the hall shuddered, unable to contemplate the sordid fate that awaited them as the world they knew fell away.
Hermione caught sight of Professor McGonagall. The flames from Dumbledore's body were reflected in her spectacles. Her eyes were wide, disbelieving. Behind her stood Romena Wright and the surviving members of the Hogwarts Guard. Next to them was Snape. His face was expressionless, his eyes unreadable.
There was a roaring sound and they all watched the fire from Dumbledore's body rise impossibly high. It flared out and spread, setting fire to everything in its reach—tables, tapestries, cloaks...
In a matter of moments the entire hall was on fire.
Cries turned to screams as students, teachers and Death Eaters alike ran outside.
Malfoy took Hermione's hand, and they were pulled into the tide of the panicked crowd.
People were pushing and shoving, desperate to get out.
Then they heard a blast.
"The allies, they're here!" someone shouted from the grounds.
Hermione and Draco made it to the corridor.
They caught a glimpse of a man with a shock of red hair. Hermione recognized his large mustache and his white suit with pale blue trim—Aksel Agarby.
He had promised Dumbledore that the allies would come, and now they had.
Hermione saw a flash of red and gold as Fawkes soared above her. Something landed on her lap.
It was a letter with Dumbledore's seal. She stuffed the letter into her pocket, and watched the surviving members of the Order race outside to join Agarby.
Behind them Voldemort gave a cry of fury. He stormed past the crowd and made his way outside, his closest Death Eaters at his heels.
From a distance Hermione could see a blue and white flag, signaling the arrival of the Magical Alliance.
The allies were hauling massive weapons onto the grounds, and they'd brought creatures Hermione had never seen before. Creatures made entirely of fire, flying in the night sky above them.
"We have to get out of here," Draco whispered.
But they couldn't move.
There were too many people crowding the corridor.
Hermione spotted Dean and Seamus a few feet away from her, and a couple more Gryffindors ahead of them.
The students were desperate to join the fight outside, but a Death Eater suddenly yelled,"Bombarda!"
The walls were blown apart.
Hermione stumbled and fell.
Her ears were ringing.
There was smoke everywhere.
Hermione gasped as Seamus Finnigan landed next to her.
Something like acid had fallen onto his face and his skin was melting, disintegrating before her very eyes.
He screamed in agony. Hermione tried to think of a spell to help him, anything to ease his pain, but then a Death Eater shot a curse their way.
There was a second explosion, and she fell again. People were running past her. She couldn't see Malfoy.
The Death Eaters were killing anyone who challenged them...
Hermione pushed herself up, fearing she'd be trampled.
She moved in the opposite direction of the panicked crowd. What if she couldn't find Draco? What if the Death Eaters found him first?
She ran down a corridor, then down another, and another...
Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Maybe she should turn back—then she realized something.
She wasn't holding her wand. She had dropped it! She had to go back—
"Well if it isn't Potter's mudblood."
Hermione froze.
She didn't recognize the voice, but she heard the malice in it, the venom in the words.
She spun around.
Rookwood was standing behind her. She recognized his scarred and battered face from the Daily Prophet. He had followed her, and he was holding her wand.
Hermione's blood ran cold. She tried to form words but she choked on them, and an icy fear gripped her chest.
Rookwood raised his wand and she flew backwards, hitting the stone wall behind her.
The impact stunned her, and she sank to the floor.
She tried to pick herself up, but her arms trembled.
Rookwood's heavy boots echoed on the floor as he approached her.
Hermione tried to subdue her panic. She was wandless, but she could still outmaneuver him if she tried hard enough...she had to focus her magic into one solid point of energy...
Levicorpus, she thought. Levicorpus.
She imagined Rookwood hoisted in the air by his ankle, she tried to envision it clear as day...but the spell didn't take shape. Her magic sputtered like a flickering flame.
Rookwood dug the heel of his boot into her lower back and rolled her over.
"If you play nicely, I'll let you live."
He knelt down beside Hermione. She shuddered at the leering look he gave her.
He ran a finger along her cheek, and raked his eyes over her body.
She wanted to scream, to call for help, but her voice was frozen, trapped inside her throat.
Rookwood ran his hand along her thigh.
Hermione tensed and Rookwood smiled at her.
He moved his hand higher, and something inside Hermione snapped. She gave a cry of fury and fought to push him away. She tried to claw his eyes out.
"Miserable witch," he snarled. He struck her face with the back of his hand.
The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
In one swift motion, Rookwood ripped her blouse open. "I've spared your life, now it's time you show your gratitude."
She was seized with terror. This wasn't happening...
Hermione fought against him but he pinned her wrists down. She twisted left and right, turning her face away from him. His breath was putrid, his long, dirty hair was falling over his face, and his sharp fingernails cut into her thin wrists.
He laughed, a cold, mirthless laugh.
Hermione's rage spiraled out of control. She tried to focus her magic once more, if she channeled it, maybe—
Rookwood was ripped away from her and sent flying across the room. There were scratch marks on her wrists. Little beads of blood started to form and trickle down her arm.
Someone had charged at him...a man...and now the two were wrestling on the ground. She saw a flash of blond hair and recognized Malfoy.
"Unhand me!" Rookwood shouted, trying to see his attacker. He gripped Malfoy's shoulder and his eyes narrowed into slits. "What do you think you're doing, boy?"
"The Dark Lord wants her alive," Malfoy hissed in a low whisper, trying to contain his rage.
Rookwood laughed. "Not to worry, he can have her after I'm through with her. You'll have to wait your turn if you want a go."
"YOU WON'T TOUCH HER!" Malfoy bellowed.
Rookwood grinned maliciously. "The Dark Lord sent your mother prisoner, didn't he Draco? To an old friend who longed to see her. "I hear Edevane's had his first taste of her."
"CRUCIO!" Malfoy shouted.
Rookwood writhed in agony. His head knocked back onto the stone floor. His boots clattered noisily, and his teeth clenched as the spell coursed through his body.
Malfoy was shaking.
"Leave him!" Hermione cried, calling Draco back to his senses. "We have to get out of here!"
Malfoy aimed his wand at Rookwood again. "Incarcerous!"
Loops of rope spun around the flailing wizard, binding him.
Malfoy turned to Hermione. "Are you alright?"
She nodded at him, numb with shock. She had found her wand, and she vowed she would never let it out of her sight again. She looked at Rookwood twisting on the floor, unable to process everything that had just happened, but instinct told her they had to keep moving.
Malfoy repaired her blouse with his wand, covering her exposed skin.
"I'm sorry," he said, his face white. "I shouldn't have let you out of my sight. I—"
"It's not your fault," Hermione said quietly.
Draco wanted to say more, but Hermione took his hand instead.
"Come on," she said. "We can't stay here."
They tore down the corridor and hurried back to the main staircase.
Members of the Order were fighting a large group of men, but they weren't Death Eaters...they didn't wear masks and the Dark Mark was missing from their forearms.
Hermione swallowed.
They didn't carry wands either...
A rogue spell cut Hermione's shoulder and she started to bleed. She gasped in pain.
In that moment a fighter from the Order—Elphias Doge—shot several stunning spells at the wandless wizards, but they flashed past him, circling him, and she heard a loud CRACK. One of them had snapped his neck.
The man who murdered Elphias Doge smiled, flashing his teeth.
And that's when Hermione realized they weren't wizards...
"Cover your wound," Draco whispered into her ear.
Vampires, Hermione thought weakly.
She pressed her hand against her wound, hoping they wouldn't smell the blood.
Draco took her arm. They edged away, all the way to the other side of the entrance hall, and when they were a safe distance away, they started running.
"We need to get out of here," said Malfoy, running towards the grounds. "We'll hide in the Forbidden Forest until the allies gain ground, then—"
"No," Hermione said firmly. "I need to go to the dungeons."
Draco looked at her incredulously. "The dungeons...are you mad? We can't stay here. They'll burn this place to the ground."
"Then I'll go alone," she said, moving away from him.
"Granger, wait!"
Draco lost his balance.
Hermione turned and caught him just in time. She looked at Draco's leg. It was newly healed and he had abused it, running through the corridors and fighting Rookwood.
"You're in no state to walk on your own," she said firmly. "In the Founder's Chambers you told me you trusted me. I'm asking you to trust me now."
Malfoy looked at her in disbelief. What could she possibly want in the dungeons?
He knew his fate was tied to hers. If he argued, he would lose her. She could go off on her own, and he was in no state to run after her, or worse, duel her.
"I trust you," he said finally.
"Good," was all Hermione said.
No longer able to walk on his own, Hermione hung Malfoy's arm around her neck, and they stumbled forward, weary of what they'd find as they moved deeper into the castle.
***
Minutes later they reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room.
Hermione gazed at the door intently.
Draco watched her carefully, sure she was on some kind of mission.
"Slithering salamander," Hermione said loudly, reciting the password Dumbledore had given her.
The stone door moved aside to reveal Hagrid and a large group of students standing by the fireplace.
Among them was Weasley's sister, holding an ugly ginger cat in her arms.
Draco barely had a moment to register the sight in front of him, when he was attacked.
"What's he doin' here?" yelled Hagrid furiously, raising his flowery pink umbrella and thrusting it into Draco's face.
Before he could speak, Draco's wand was ripped from his hand. A large beefy arm reached for him, forcing him into a choke hold.
"Hagrid, no!" Hermione shouted. "He saved my life. Let him go!"
Draco's stomach twisted with guilt. He deserved to be crushed to death. Hermione trusted too easily. But her good will was very convenient for him, and so he remained silent.
Hagrid released him, but he still held onto the scruff of his collar.
"You shouldnt'a brough him here, he's not part o' the plan. Dumbledore—"
"Dumbledore's dead, Hagrid."
The giant staggered back from her, emotion filling his face, and he reached for the wall behind him.
The students standing by the fireplace began speaking in hushed voices to each other, terror in their eyes.
Tears leaked down Hagrid's cheeks, and Hermione stepped closer to him.
"We have to get the younger students out now, before it's too late."
A second year Ravenclaw stepped forward. "We've been here for hours and that oversized oaf won't tell us anything," he said indignantly. "What in the name of Merlin is going on? Why have our wands been taken from us?"
Hagrid shot the small boy a furious look, tempted to tell him to show some respect, but he couldn't speak. The shock had stamped out his voice.
Realization dawned on Draco. Dumbledore had planned to get the younger students out of the school. But why gather them here?
Hermione rushed to the fireplace. She pressed her hand to the mantel and muttered an incantation. It shuddered to life and trembled. There was a loud scraping sound as the entire fireplace moved to one side and revealed a twisting tunnel. It was made entirely of water, and Draco suspected it led to the bottom of the lake.
The students gasped.
So this is what Dumbledore had been working on all this time. This is why he had moved the Slytherins out of their dormitories...
"This passage leads directly to a ship," said Hermione, turning to face the students. "We have to move fast. We only have until midnight."
The Ravenclaw shook his head, putting two and two together. "My brother's still in the castle. I'm not going anywhere without him."
Some of his classmates nodded in agreement, thinking of their brothers and sisters.
"And you are?" Hermione asked, but she had a feeling she already knew.
"Arthur, Arthur Everley."
Hermione didn't flinch. She stepped closer to the boy. "Your brother knows you're here. I've spoken with him myself."
"You're lying," Arthur said quickly. "Roman would never—"
"If you resist, we will stun you," Hermione said firmly. She faced the crowd. "You're unarmed. I promise, you'll be reunited with your families when—"
"That's a lie!" Arthur said hotly. He turned to face his classmates. "We don't have to go. There's more of us than there are of them! We can take them down."
"I'd like ter see yer try!" said Hagrid, finally finding his voice.
He stepped forward. His massive figure towered over the younger students, causing many of them to tremble.
Hermione recognized the young girl she'd shared a compartment with on the Hogwarts Express. A river of tears ran down her cheeks.
Other students shifted uncomfortably, terrified by the sounds above them—the blasts and screams that had gone on without end ever since they'd entered the dungeons. They looked at the tunnel uneasily, afraid of what awaited them if they went down it...but also horrified at the thought of staying inside the castle.
Some of the Slytherins, however, looked like they might take Arthur up on his offer.
"You'll only waste precious time," Hermione told them firmly, seeing that they were eyeing her wand. "Like I said before, the tunnel closes at midnight, and then we'll be trapped. And I can't guarantee your safety if Voldemort wins the battle."
They all flinched at the mention of the name—Slytherins, Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws alike.
And then, as if on cue, there was a bloodcurdling scream from above. The ceiling trembled.
There were terrible ripping sounds. Something heavy was moving above them, something that wasn't human.
It sounded like something...or someone was being torn to shreds.
"Start queuing up!" Hermione shouted, taking advantage of the silence that had fallen over the common room.
She and Hagrid pushed the first set of students forward.
"Someone will be waiting for you on the other side of the tunnel," Hermione instructed. "You'll be going down in pairs."
She motioned two Hufflepuffs forward, and led them to the opening in the fireplace.
She nodded at them. "Off you go."
The two Hufflepuffs looked at each other uneasily. The tunnel was twisting and spinning at high velocity.
Hermione could hear the cogs turning in their heads, and she guessed what they were thinking.
What if they fell through it? What if it didn't hold their weight?
The Hufflepuffs took a deep breath and sat at the edge of the tunnel. Hermione knelt beside them.
"Ready?"
They looked at Hermione like she was their executioner, mercilessly placing their heads on the chopping block.
They nodded weakly.
Hermione gave them a push and they shot down the tunnel, screaming at the top of their lungs.
"Next!" Hermione shouted.
She and Malfoy watched pair after pair go down, some protesting along the way, others numb with shock.
At Hermione's insistence, Hagrid returned Malfoy's wand, but she knew if he'd it his way, he'd have gladly snapped it in two.
Ginny tried to calm a panicked Ravenclaw girl with Crookshanks, telling her she could hold him on her way down.
Hermione motioned two Slytherins forward, and they waited their turn in front of the fireplace.
"You shouldn't take them—the Slytherins," Draco whispered into Hermione's ear. "Most of their parents are fighting with Voldemort. They'll hunt you down."
"Slytherins or not, they're underage and I won't leave them behind," Hermione said firmly. She turned to face him. "And I won't leave you behind either...you saved me, from Rookwood."
Draco swallowed.
Is that why she was helping him? Because she felt like she owed him? If she only knew...
"You saved me back in the Founders Chambers," Draco said, testing her resolve. "We're already even. No need to take me with you."
"Malfoy, don't be stupid—"
"I'll only put you at risk," he said. "I'll take my chances here. The allies might still overpower Voldemort's forces."
He waited with bated breath, hoping he hadn't done himself in. What if Granger preferred to leave him behind?
"I didn't risk my life," Hermione said, her voice rising, "so that you could throw yours away."
There was fire in her eyes. She cared so much to do the right thing. And something inside Draco snapped. She needed to learn that not everyone could be trusted, not even him.
He gave her a haughty look, seeing how far he could push before she reacted. "I didn't ask you to save me."
She reeled back from him as if he'd slapped her.
"No Pansy did that," Hermione spat. "And I was a fool for listening to her. Do what you want, but your mother—Rookwood said she's been taken prisoner. Even if you survive tonight, you'll be on your own, in hiding. How do you expect to save her then? You need a plan."
It was the mention of his mother that dragged Draco back to his senses. He needed to find Potter and save his mother. Hermione was collateral damage. He wasn't allowed to care for her.
Draco's guilt increased tenfold and Hermione walked away from him.
She and Hagrid queued up the remaining students.
Draco felt a pair of eyes on him. He turned and caught Ginny Weasley staring daggers at him.
He ignored her and turned his attention to the queue of students.
"I don't want to go down there," Dennis Creevey was saying to Hagrid. "I want Colin. He'll be looking for me...he'll wonder where I've gone."
Hermione placed her hand on the boy's shoulder.
"We'll go down together...once the rest have gone," she said to Dennis. "I'll take you myself, I promise."
Hagrid approached Hermione and handed her a sack full of wands. "They can have them back, once you're safely out."
Hermione nodded at him, her voice trembling. "Thanks, Hagrid...for everything."
He pulled her into a bone-cracking hug, and her feet lifted several inches off the ground.
When he set her down, Hermione turned to Ginny. "Keep these safe," she said, handing over the wands.
Ginny nodded and stuffed the sac into her robes, then she walked away from Hermione, visibly upset about something.
"I'm not going," said a Slytherin boy flatly. Hermione turned around. He was standing near the fireplace, the last remaining student apart from Ginny and Dennis.
Hermione turned to Draco. "Will you talk to him, please?"
Draco made his way over to the boy.
"Edward, isn't it?" asked Malfoy, bending down until he was eye level with the younger Slytherin. He leaned forward to whisper into his ear. "Your parents haven't kept the Dark Lord very happy, now have they? How do you think he's going to convince them to do better? You won't be returning home tonight, not if Voldemort sees you, you can count on that. At least not until your parents have proven themselves...."
"Is that a threat?" asked Edward shrewdly. His small chest puffed out indignantly. He looked at Draco's Dark Mark. "You're one to talk about pleasing the Dark Lord. Trying to run away from your post in the middle of battle?"
"That's none of your business," Draco snapped.
He pushed him towards the tunnel, but Edward shrugged him off.
Draco turned to Hermione for help, but she was speaking with Weasley's sister.
"You're separating families," said Ginny stiffly. "This isn't right."
Hermione shook her head. "Ginny, we don't have time to argue—"
"You know what you're doing, don't you? You're leaving our friends behind to die. And of all people, you're saving him?"
Ginny threw Malfoy a disgusted look.
"Ginny if we stay, and the allies lose...a quick death is the best we can hope for. But if we're taken prisoner—the things they'd do to us—you can't even imagine, you're too young."
"I'm not an idiot! I know what would happen to us! But we—"
"This is bigger than us, Ginny. I have a mission, to help Harry."
Draco's neck almost cracked with how quickly he turned to look at them. So Granger did have a mission beyond getting the students out of school...
"Why do we get to decide who lives and who dies?!" Ginny shouted. "I'm not a first or second year. I'm in third year Hermione. Why do I get to leave? Why should we let Neville, Seamus, Parvati or any of them die? I won't do it!"
Hermione fought the strong urge to shake her senseless. "You barely made it down the staircases on your own. You think you stand a chance with the Death Eaters, with Voldemort?! Don't be ridiculous! I promised Ron that I'd get you out, and that's what I'm going to do."
Draco looked at the tunnel uneasily. It was getting smaller.
Hermione caught his eye and in that moment she knew he understood.
He took a step towards them.
"Ginny, we don't have time for this!" Hermione shouted. "Go to the fireplace!"
"You can't make me!"
"You're being unreasonable!"
Ginny didn't notice Malfoy edging closer to her. He grabbed hold of her waist and pulled her to him.
"Let me g—"
He clamped his hand over her mouth.
"We have to go now, it's closing!" Malfoy shouted at Hermione.
Ginny was kicking and screaming in his arms.
Hermione nodded. "You go first."
Draco flung himself into the twisting tunnel, taking Ginny with him.
Hermione rushed to Dennis and Edward, taking hold of their hands.
She walked to the open fireplace then stopped, turning to look at Hagrid one last time.
"Go now," he said gruffly, waving her forward. "There's no more time."
"What are you lot doing?!" said a third voice.
Hermione's blood ran cold.
Millicent Bulstrode had stumbled into the room, and her eyes widened when she saw the fireplace.
"GO NOW!" yelled Hagrid.
"They're trying to get away!" Millicent cried. She stepped back into the hallway, shouting for reinforcements.
Hermione heard the sounds of footsteps.
Whether more Slytherins, or Death Eaters, she didn't know.
Edward stomped on her foot. She cried out in pain as he wrenched free from her grasp.
He rushed towards Millicent, screaming his head off. "Granger made all the first and second years go down that tunnel!"
"I'll hold them off Hermione!" shouted Hagrid, moving in front of her. "Now go! Go!"
Dennis was crying. Hermione reached down and lifted the young boy onto her back.
The footsteps were getting louder.
"GO!" yelled Hagrid.
Hermione rushed towards the tunnel.
The last thing she saw before she left was Hagrid fighting a mass of hooded figures. There was a flash of light, then the fireplace moved back into place and she and Dennis fell.
They were going fast, far too fast. Dennis was screaming into Hermione's ear. Cold air was blasting into her face, making her eyes water. The tunnel seemed to go on forever, dropping them deeper and deeper into the lake.
And then Hermione saw movement at the bottom.
She spotted Ginny and Malfoy.
"Move out of the way!" Hermione screamed.
But it was too late. She braced herself and the four of them crashed into each other.
She cried out in pain as Draco landed on top of her.
They had narrowly escaped, but Bulstrode had seen them. What would happen to Hagrid? Would the Death Eaters spare his life or would he die fighting? She couldn't bare to think—
Malfoy reached for her. "Are you ok?"
"I—" she said weakly.
"What happened?" Draco asked her. Where's Edward?"
Hermione grimaced. "Millicent and the Death Eaters saw us. He ran away with them."
Draco paled. If they told Voldemort, they'd be done for.
"Sure you're ok?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes, it's just—I—I can't breathe."
"Oh, right. Sorry." Draco stood up, and offered her his hand.
"It's almost midnight," Hermione reminded him as he helped her to her feet. "We need to hurry."
Dennis Creevey was trembling in fright, unable to walk on his own. She lifted him onto her back again and motioned for Ginny and Malfoy to follow her.
The tunnel illuminated their path, leading them deeper into the lake.
Hermione couldn't see the ship, but she hoped they weren't far. She didn't like it down here. She could make out the outlines of figures swimming across the top of the tunnel, and she wondered if they were the merpeople Harry had told her about. A shiver ran down her spine, and she looked away, fixing her gaze straight ahead.
She didn't know for how long they walked, but after several minutes there was still no sign of the ship, and then suddenly, there was a loud rushing sound.
The walls of the tunnel trembled.
Dennis circled his arms tighter around Hermione's neck. She felt panic rise in her chest. "It's after midnight," she said.
Suddenly, the tunnel dismantled, and walls of water crashed down on either side of them.
"Run! I need you to run!" yelled Hermione.
They raced forward, but they didn't get far. They were buffeted by gallons of water. Hermione gasped, dragging in her last breath of air. She and the others lost their footing and slipped, just as the water crashed over their heads.
Dennis had a vice-like grip on Hermione's neck. She gagged, swallowing a mouthful of water. She choked on it, and reached up, trying to pry Dennis' fingers off but it was no use, he was clinging on to her for dear life, overcome with panic.
Hermione remembered her wand. It was jammed into one of her pockets.
She tried to grab it, but Dennis' leg was clamped to her side, preventing her from reaching it.
Her ears popped as they plunged deeper into the lake. Instinct told her to go to the surface, to forget the ship.
She kicked her legs furiously but made little progress.
She twisted left and right, trying to shake Dennis off. She tried hitting the boy's arms with her fists, but he only tightened his hold.
Hermione knew he'd kill them both if he didn't let go.
She gagged again and swallowed more water. The salt burned her throat, and her lungs were on fire, the pressure in them was building without end. Her head was spinning from the lack of oxygen. She thrashed wildly. Her vision started to spot...
She had to find Harry and help him...she couldn't die here...
She grew dizzier and her vision narrowed into a long tunnel. Her mind started to clear, and she felt a sudden weightlessness, almost like she was drifting away...but where she was going...she didn't know...
Then something yanked on her arm. She could do nothing to fight it. There was a flash of light and Malfoy's face loomed before hers, but his features looked oddly wide and stretched. He was shouting at her, but he sounded muted, like he was a great distance away.
Then he aimed his wand at her face, and the water trembled in waves in front of her. Something was forming around her head, something that looked much like an orb. Suddenly, she felt something cold assault her senses—a rush of air. The orb solidified and she felt the water drain out of it. Her lungs dragged in air, but every breath hurt. It was like someone was stabbing her repeatedly with a knife.
Draco had performed a charm of some sort. And then Hermione remembered Fleur and Cedric had performed the same spell during the Triwizard Tournament.
Draco aimed his wand at Dennis next and in a matter of seconds he was able to breathe too. The boy's hold on Hermione's neck slackened.
Malfoy tugged at Hermione's arm, beckoning her to follow him. She caught sight of Ginny floating next to him, her eyes wide with fear.
Malfoy pointed down. There, at the very bottom of the lake, a single green light shone, and she saw the portholes of a ship.
Draco and Ginny swam towards it, beckoning her to follow.
Hermione took a few steadying breaths, her shoulders aching with the weight of Dennis' body. Then she plunged down and began to swim. It took every ounce of strength she could muster. Her legs were seizing...her head still spinning.
Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw creatures swimming under and above her, but she didn't look at them. She kept her gaze fixed on the ship, and as they got closer, she saw that it was surrounded by a magical barrier that prevented the water from flooding in.
It too was in the shape of an orb and glowed an emerald green.
Would they be able to swim through it? Hermione wondered.
Draco pointed at the deck of the ship. And she understood. They needed to get as close as possible. If they swam through the barrier and fell from too high they could injure themselves.
They swam a few more feet, then stopped. Hermione reached out to touch the orb.
It felt gelatinous and thick.
She tried pushing her hand through it, but to no avail.
She squinted, trying to see better, and could vaguely make out the figure of a man standing on the deck of the ship. He raised his wand high and aimed it directly at them.
Hermione swallowed. Was he going to curse them?
She waited, her stomach twisting into knots, and after a few moments the orb glowed a deep purple.
Hermione extended her arm again, and her hand sank right through the barrier. She felt no water on the other side, only air.
Relief swept through her.
He was going to let them in.
She turned to look at Malfoy. He linked his right arms through hers, and his left through Ginny's. Dennis was still hanging onto Hermione's neck.
Malfoy aimed his wand at the ship. "Descendio!" he mouthed.
The four of them shot down, through the orb-like barrier and into thin air...falling, falling, until they landed with a smack on the deck of the ship.
Hermione cried out in agony as her body made contact with the hard surface. Creevey landed next to her with a gasp, and Ginny and Draco rolled over sideways.
"That's the last of them," said a voice in a thick Bulgarian accent. "Avay now, there's no more time."
She looked up and saw a tall man dressed in a heavy coat.
He looked down at her.
"Velcome aboard the Dragomir Ms. Granger."
Members of the crew darted around her.
Malfoy lay face-down on the deck, his breathing ragged.
The ship trembled to life and the magical barrier above them glowed emerald again, protecting the ship once more.
The sails unfurled from the mast, the anchor was lifted...
But something was wrong, something was very wrong.
They were going up, Hermione realized in horror.
They were going up towards the surface instead of moving forward.
The crew members were shouting in Bulgarian. The ship swayed violently and she and Draco slid back, slamming into Ginny and Dennis.
Bulstrode and the Death Eaters, Hermione thought. They had told Voldemort where they were.
"Hang onto something!" Draco shouted.
The ship was rocking forward and back, trying to fight the invisible pull that was yanking it up, higher and higher towards the surface of the lake.
Hermione shut her eyes. She was certain she was going to be sick. Draco edged closer to her and grabbed hold of her hand.
He was shouting something, but Hermione couldn't hear him. His voice was drowned out by the noise that surrounded them.
The crew was yelling and running, the captain was shouting orders from the helm. Hermione opened her eyes and her heart seized. They were breaking through the surface of the lake.
They shot up, and for the briefest of moments Hermione saw the flames, the castle burning in the distance, the screams...
And then the Death Eaters were streaking towards them on broomsticks. They fired curses without end, trying to break through the magical barrier. Voldemort himself was at the center of the fray, screaming with fury, his snake-like face contorted with rage as the spells rebounded and missed their targets.
Hermione shut her eyes. If they were captured it was all over. The muggleborn students on board would be killed. And she—she'd never make it to Harry.
Voldemort cast another volley of curses, hitting them with full force.
Cracks like veins started to stretch across the top of the orb.
The ship's crew aimed their wands up, trying to repair the damage.
But in a matter of moments Voldemort hit them again, and the impact was harder this time, threatening to crack the barrier completely.
Hermione was certain he was going to strike a third time, when she saw flashes of blue and white. The Magical Alliance was upon them. Distracted, the Death Eaters fought to defend themselves.
Aksel Agarby struck Voldemort with a powerful curse, and he was blown backwards, momentarily distracted.
She heard the captain of the ship shouting again from the helm.
The lake seemed to be rumbling beneath them...the ship swayed violently...and then they dropped below the surface of the water.
Draco tightened his hold on Hermione's hand. She looked into his eyes, unable to form words.
Ginny and Dennis were screaming behind her.
Another forceful jerk and they were sucked into a whirlpool, their future as murky as the water that surrounded them.
And Hermione knew....she knew it was only the beginning.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you all for reading! Hope you take a sec to vote and review :)