Malfoy Manor
Survive at all costs. Take what was before you, even if it wasn't yours to take.
That was the way of things.
Lucius breathed in deeply.
The manor's tables were polished, the marble floors were pristine, and the chandeliers glistened in the sunlight.
There was nothing out of place, but it was a stark contrast to the world outside. Only an hour away in London, riots and executions were taking place.
Muggles were killing wizards.
It won't be long until the mob arrives here, Lucius thought grimly.
The Dark Lord had failed to listen to reason.
"Why should we live in the shadows?" he had said. "We are superior. Let the muggles have their frail rebellion."
But the rebellion was far from frail. Countless wizards were dying. Muggle weapons were more advanced than the Dark Lord conceded.
The Magical Alliance was also gaining ground, slowly pushing their way out of Wales and back into Scotland.
How much time until they made it south, to London?
Voldemort's obsession with finding Potter consumed him. He believed that if killed Potter, everything else would fall into place.
But the tide was turning...it could pull them under.
Lucius flinched when Dolohov interrupted his thoughts.
"The rumors say they're bringing Potter back on the Bulgarian ship, the one the Granger girl fled on."
Lucius turned to him.
"There are more than thirty thousand freshwater lochs in Scotland...and when that blasted ship returns, as it inevitably will, it will emerge from one of them." Lucius paused, a satisfied expression on his face. "And now, thanks to Draco, we know which one."
Dolohov nodded at him.
Lucius looked down at his son's letter again, reading through the last few lines.
...I want the Dark Lord's assurance that he'll let mother live. I want to see her free of Edevane's grasp, and yours. I want to make it clear that I did none of this for you, I did it all for her. When the war is over, I'm taking her out of England.
D.M.
Lucius turned to Dolohov once more, his jaw tightening.
"Go to Greymoor Castle. Fetch the youngest Weasley boy. It's time."
***
600 Kilometers Away
The Magical Alliance watched as a massive ship emerged from the water.
The masts of the Dragomir appeared, then the quarterdeck and the forecastle. Cascades of water dripped down the galleon's sides as it broke through the surface.
Hermione and Draco peered over the railing of the ship. They hung on tightly as the Dragomir fought to steady itself, making large ripples in the water.
The majestic mountains of home greeted their eyes. It looked like it had rained for days on end.
There were tents as far as the eye could see.
There had to be over three thousand soldiers in the camp. It looked like many of them were wounded...
A wretched smell filled the air, and Hermione saw smoke rising in the distance. She was filled with dread as she realized the soldiers were burning the bodies of the dead.
Nikola stood beside her on the deck. "The latest reports say Voldemort is pushing further and further south, leaving destruction in his wake. It's as if he vants to crush the country completely then rebuild it to his own liking."
Draco said nothing. He looked up at the sky.
The obscurement charm Voldemort had placed over the country had weakened slightly, allowing light to filter in.
Nikola looked disdainfully behind her, to the door that led to the Arévalo's sleeping quarters.
"They vill not emerge until after sunset," she said. "Hopefully they vill keep their promise and listen to Agarby's orders."
The Arévalos had cleared the ship of rats—the creatures had been their only source of food during the last few days. They had grown temperamental, eyeing the crew with hungry eyes on the last leg of the journey...
And now with the smell of blood in the air, they grew more restless.
Malfoy offered Hermione his coat. The temperature was ice cold, and the warm air of Spain was a distant memory.
"Put this on. I'll get us something to drink."
He left for the dining hall, and returned a moment later with a goblet of hot cider.
"Drink this," Draco said. "I'm going to pack my things. Meet you back out here?"
Hermione nodded, tipping back the cider and letting the warm liquid run down her throat.
"I must speak with the crew," Nikola said, leaning away from the railing.
Hermione was about to head for her own cabin, when Konstantin crashed into her, barking madly.
She jumped and dropped the goblet. It shattered all over the deck.
"Forgive him," Nikola called. "He's eager to set foot on land."
Hermione cleaned up the mess with her wand, and made her way to the galley for a fresh cup.
Some time later, darkness fell. Nikola and the crew disembarked first, closely followed by Hermione and Draco.
Nikola met with Aksel Agarby. There was a retinue of soldiers standing behind him.
"Nikola Rostov!" exclaimed Aksel. "You must meet the commander of my army...."
A man rode towards them on an eight legged stallion. His horse had large silver wings and its enormous body was covered in armor.
Nikola inclined her head to the man. "Commander Braaten, an honor to meet you at last."
He wore a metal helmet on his head, and there were tattoos covering one side of his face.
The soldiers behind him had intricate patterns carved into their wands, symbols for protection and victory, and they held painted shields that glimmered with magic.
Braaten's army also possessed a large number of winged horses, and at the far end of the camp Hermione spotted two dragons.
The creatures were chained to the ground, watched closely by their keepers.
Hermione's gaze fell on the soldiers. They looked like they had just returned from battle.
The soles of their boots were torn, and they were repairing them with their wands. Their faces were smeared with mud and their cloaks were shredded.
A short distance away, healers were tending to the injured on makeshift cots. Many of them had ghastly wounds.
A healer helped one of the men sit up. "We have to do it now," he said, raising his wand. "Brace yourself."
The soldier bit the edge of his shield as the healer cursed his leg off.
His screams rent the air, and Hermione and Draco looked away.
It was not home as they remembered it...
Silence fell over the army as the Arévalos disembarked from the ship, Sebastián at the head.
The soldiers gripped their wands tightly, looking at the vampires with apprehension.
"How many are dead?" Sebastián asked Braaten coolly, looking at the smoke rising in the distance.
"Over a hundred men," the commander answered.
"We will do things differently, from now on," Sebastián said. "Too many mistakes have been made under your command. "Where was your last battle?"
Braaten's eyes narrowed. "What does it matter to you, bloodsucker?"
Hermione could see Sebastián resist the urge to rip the commander's head from his body. He gestured to the vampires standing behind him.
"My coven must feed. I'd prefer them to hunt down Voldemort's fallen soldiers, unless you'd like to offer up your wounded men? The smell of blood is in the air..." Sebastián gestured to the vampires standing behind him. "They won't stand idle for long. But it would be unwise to weaken our own army, don't you agree?"
Braaten scoffed, looking Sebastián up and down.
"I will not ask again. Where was your last battle?"
Braaten glared at him. "Eighty kilometers from here, to the north."
Sebastián turned to his coven. "Feast on the bodies of Voldemort's injured soldiers. I suspect he's left them behind, on the battlefield. We must not spare them. They must not live to fight another battle."
The other vampires darted past him and disappeared into the trees.
Nikola turned to Aksel Agarby. "What happened to the soldiers that Voldemort drained of magic? It was reported that a quarter of the army was debilitated."
Agarby nodded. "They tend to the sick, some still fight—with swords and other muggle weapons."
Sebastián looked at Agarby disdainfully. "There will no longer be a need for that."
"And the Order of the Phoenix?" Nikola asked.
"Alastor Moody is at the head now," said Agarby. "He's scheduled to arrive tomorrow with several others from London."
Aksel Agarby gestured to his tent. "We should speak inside, but first, we must let Ms. Granger rest," he said, looking over at Hermione.
She bristled. She had no intention of being left out of the conversation.
"I don't wish to retire. I had more than enough rest on the ship."
Agarby raised an eyebrow at her. "Thank you, Ms. Granger, for bringing the Arévalos to us. But I insist, you must rest." He gestured to one of his guards, "Morten, will you show Ms. Granger the way?"
Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but Sebastián stared at her with his golden eyes, warning her to keep quiet.
She reminded herself that he was the only one who knew about the old prophecy. Everyone else was still under the impression that Harry was meant to kill Voldemort. In Agarby's eyes, she was nothing more than a teenage girl who needed to stay out of the way.
She and Draco made to follow the guard.
"One moment, Ms. Granger."
"Yes?" she said, turning to look at Agarby again.
"Mr. Malfoy will not be joining you."
He raised his wand. "Incarcerous."
Thick ropes circled around Draco's body.
Hermione stared at him in shock.
"What are you doing?!"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Granger, but we have all agreed..."
Hermione turned to Nikola, but the Bulgarian looked away from her, averting her eyes.
"We will trade him for one of ours," said Agarby in a smooth voice. "Bellatrix Lestrange has the Weasley family captive—"
Hermione shook her head. "There must be some other way, Voldemort will kill Draco—"
"We will trade him," Agarby insisted. "For one of the Weasleys. Alastor Moody and the Order have agreed."
Hermione turned to Nikola, enraged. "You planned this with them behind my back!"
"Would you rather your friends die, Ms. Granger?" Sebastián cut in coldly.
Hermione struggled to form words.
"Take Ms. Granger to her tent, and make sure she stays there," Agarby told the guard.
Sebastián whispered into Hermione's ear. "They see him as a traitor, don't compromise your good standing with the allies to save him."
Hermione was seething. "You would know all about traitors."
Sebastián's eyes flashed dangerously, but he said nothing.
"Take Ms. Granger, now," Agarby ordered.
The guard dragged her away, kicking and screaming.
Two soldiers seized Draco. He didn't fight them. He felt numb.
It didn't matter what happened to him, his plan was already set in motion.
His father would have his letter by now, and there was no turning back.
He could save Hermione, but he could not save Potter.
***
It was completely dark. Hermione opened her eyes and lay still for several moments, trying to piece together what had happened. It felt like she had slept for hours. She realized the guard must have stunned her. She looked up and saw a bluish light dance across the top of her tent. It was glowing brighter and brighter, lighting up everything around her.
She was freezing. She pulled the coat Draco had given her around herself and stumbled outside, trying to find the source of light.
There, at the edge of the woods, was a dazzling, silver stag.
The creature's large, silver eyes bored into hers as she took a cautious step forward.
Hermione held her breath as the stag tipped its head to one side, beckoning her to follow it.
She gasped when the animal dashed past her and galloped into the woods.
She chased after it, pushing past tree branches and jumping over rocks.
She ran until she was out of breath.
For a moment she feared she was lost. The stag's hooves made no marks in the ground, and she had no way of tracking it.
Then she heard movement to her left. She tore through the trees and stopped in the middle of a clearing.
The stag had cantered to a halt in front of a boy.
She could only see his outline. He was like a specter. Then the light faded, and the stag vanished.
Hermione hadn't seen him in so long, he'd become something like a ghost in her memory...
He was a skinny, gangly boy of fifteen. His glasses hung haphazardly on his nose. His breath came out in cold puffs. His green eyes darted back and forth, scanning her face.
"Harry," she whispered.
Hermione walked forward, and her legs shook slightly.
Harry closed the distance between them in one quick stride, flinging his arms around her.
"I thought I'd never see you again," he said softly.
Hermione shed the tears she'd been holding back for weeks. For a few moments she just trembled in Harry's arms...then she told him everything, reliving the attack on Hogwarts.
"I was able to get Ginny out," Hermione said, "but there were so many others—like Cho and Seamus, they—"
Her voice cracked.
"It's alright, Hermione."
"I'm so glad you're here," she said. She hugged Harry so tightly she was on the verge of crushing him.
"Hermione...I can't breathe."
"Right, sorry," she said, wiping away her tears.
"I wanted to go back to Hogwarts," Harry said. "But after the Magical Alliance agreed to help us, I had to look for Voldemort's horcruxes. Then I made it to Segovia and Sebastián told me everything—I know about his past, about the old prophecy..."
"Why didn't you find me on the ship?" Hermione asked. "I knew you were there, but I never saw you."
He looked down. "You already had company," he said in a tight voice.
Draco, Hermione thought.
She swallowed her fear and decided to plunge headfirst into the most difficult thing she had to say to him.
"You have to listen to me. I need to explain—about Malfoy. He saved me at the battle, more than once. He—"
Harry's face darkened. "Malfoy is where he needs to be, under close watch. If he really ran away from his family, then Lucius won't take him back, will he? We'll just have to wait and see."
Lucius might not take him back, Hermione thought, but Voldemort would...
He would torture him for deserting. He would torture him then kill him.
"He's changed—" Hermione began.
Harry shook his head. "I don't understand any of it—why you chose him, why you defend him...but the truth is—I don't know what you went through all these months. Ron and I were gone. We left you behind. You were on your own. You had to make difficult choices. And maybe you needed him to survive, I don't know..."
"It's more than that, Harry. He and I—we—"
Harry shook his head, shutting his eyes. "I don't need to know—that's between you and him."
"Help me speak with Agarby," Hermione pleaded. "He can't deliver Malfoy to the Death Eaters. He hasn't done anything wrong."
"I can't do that."
"Can't or won't?"
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Half the people we know are missing or dead. There's no one left to protect us. We have to be careful."
"Yes, but—"
We have more important things to worry about than Malfoy," Harry said through gritted teeth, losing his patience.
He looked exhausted. There were rings around his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept properly in days.
He ignored Hermione's look of concern and went on. "Tell me what you know about Tom Riddle's past."
Hermione took a steadying breath.
She told him about the Founder's book and Catherine.
"I thought the book would help me find Catherine's daughter," Hermione said bitterly. "But it's gone now."
Harry nodded. "What do you think happened to her?"
"I think Catherine sent her daughter to the only place she could think of, to the place where she grew up. Bellefaire Orphanage. I have to go to London, and see it for myself. There must be some record of her daughter there. I have to find out who she is. It's the one thing Sebastián doesn't know. And I can't take anyone from the Order or the Alliance with me. This secret is too important."
Hermione reached for Harry's arm.
"Harry, I need time—a day at most to go to London and figure this out. Can you make sure they keep Malfoy here until then?"
Harry breathed in deeply. "I can't promise you that. If they can exchange him for Ron or any of the others, I won't stop them."
"Then I'll have to hurry," Hermione said.
She'd spent so many months wondering if Harry was alive, and now that she'd finally found him, all they had done was argue.
She walked away from him, her heart heavy.
Harry called after her. "The prophecy said Voldemort's daughter is supposed to find you, remember?"
Hermione turned to face him. "I can't wait for Voldemort's daughter to find me. I need to end this before it's too late."
Harry stepped closer to her. "London is too dangerous. It's not how you remember it—"
"It doesn't matter."
"How will you get there?" Harry asked. "Apparition is blocked. Only Death Eaters can apparate freely between cities now. And you can't fly, not with the dementors patrolling the skies."
"I'll take muggle transport if I have to, a car—anything."
"You won't go alone," Harry said. "I'll go with you."
Hermione looked at him, confused. "But you have a horcrux to destroy. Sebastián said there's still one left. Isn't that more important?"
Something in Harry's face changed.
"It can wait," he said.
Hermione shook her head. "I'll be fine on my own, I promise."
"You don't have to be so brave all the time," Harry whispered.
Hermione's voice broke. "Maybe we're both pretending to be more daring and clever than we are. But what choice do we have?"
Harry stepped closer to her. "Maybe prophecies are fulfilled only if we choose them—if we believe in them. Voldemort believed in his, and he made it real. He dragged me into this...I never had a choice. But maybe you do."
Hermione looked at him with a weary expression. "Who would I be if I didn't see this through? I can't run away anymore than you can. I don't want to. I want Voldemort gone." She breathed in deeply, swallowing back tears. "This is my responsibility now. I have to find Catherine's daughter—just like you have to destroy Voldemort's horcrux. What is the final horcrux, Harry?"
Something in his eyes shifted. He shook his head at her. "I—"
She was about to speak again, when Harry's legs gave out from under him. He screamed and clutched his scar in agony.
"HARRY, HARRY WHAT IS IT?!"
His screams intensified, and the way he cradled his head, it was like someone was driving a sledgehammer into his skull.
"They're looking for something...at the ruins of an old abbey." Harry gasped.
Hermione looked at him with a terrified expression. "What do you mean?"
"Voldemort ordered them to go. They think he knows..."
"Knows what? What are you talking about?"
"They have Ron. The Death Eaters have Ron at Renwick Abbey."
Harry took slow, shuddering breaths, waiting for the pain to subside. "It's only a few kilometers east of here..."
He screamed into the darkness. "Accio Firebolt!"
For several minutes there was silence, then they heard something crashing through the branches of the trees.
Harry's Firebolt zoomed into his outstretched hand.
Hermione watched him mount the broom with a horrified expression on her face.
"Harry, we need to get help. You can't go alone."
"There isn't time. They'll kill him. I saw it—"
"Harry, how do you know this is real? What if Voldemort is using his connection to—"
"Only Ron knew where it was. He would never tell them where it was, unless they took him in person."
"Where what was? The horcrux?"
"No," said Harry. "I can't explain now."
"Harry this is stupid, you can't—"
"I have to go. I won't let Ron die."
"What if—"
"I haven't given up on him, Hermione!"
She stared at him with wide eyes. "Neither have I!"
Harry looked at her coldly. "No...but you've been busy, begging for Malfoy's life."
Hermione was stunned into silence.
"I have to go."
"Harry, please. You're not thinking this through—"
"I have to face Voldemort eventually."
"Yes, but with all of us at your side!" Hermione gestured to the camp behind them. "You can't go alone."
Harry looked at her as if she were standing very far away. "I'm meant to go alone...I was always meant to go alone. I've left you an army, Hermione...use it well. Make sure you kill him."
Hermione felt something lodge in her throat. It was like he was saying goodbye. "I can't lose you," she said in a choked voice. "Not both of you—"
"Ron isn't gone yet. I can feel it."
He walked away.
"Harry, let me go with you!"
"No!"
He spun around and aimed his wand at her. "Expelliarmus!"
Hermione's wand flew out of her hand.
She tried to step closer to him.
"Impedimenta!"
"Harry don't!"
He aimed his wand at her again, and everything went black.
***
Hermione felt disoriented and confused, trying to remember how she had ended up in the middle of the woods.
Then it came back to her, like a bad dream.
She stretched her hand out, searching for her wand in the darkness.
She was lying on her side, and she felt a sharp stab of pain that made her grimace.
Something was digging into her ribs, something sewn into the coat Malfoy had given her.
She winced as a pointed edge collided with her side again.
She found her wand and sat up. She muttered an incantation. A rip appeared in the seam of the coat.
She reached inside, feeling something square and heavy.
"Lumos," she said, as she pulled the object out.
For several moments Hermione's mind failed to accept what she was seeing.
The golden cover of the Founder's Book glimmered in the light.
Cold dread filled her.
Malfoy had stolen the book, not Calatrava. He had let her search for hours, and all along he had known where it was...
Hermione struggled to breathe.
Then she thought back to the beginning.
The lashings on Draco's back...Romena Wright had tortured him at Hogwarts because she was certain he held important information. And she hadn't let him go, which meant she'd learned enough to know the story he'd given Dumbledore was a lie. And if that was true, Malfoy had never stopped working for Voldemort.
Hermione swallowed.
He had used her, lied to her...
Everyone had warned her. Nikola, Ginny and now Harry...but she hadn't listened.
More than anything, she'd wanted to believe Draco had changed.
A cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her rapid, shallow breaths increased in intensity as she realized Agarby's guard hadn't stunned her.
Draco had drugged her long before that...she recalled the moments they'd spent together on the ship...he'd disappeared into the dining hall and brought her something to drink.
He'd given her a goblet of hot cider to keep her warm. Then he'd disappeared into his cabin.
She hadn't finished it. It was the only reason she was awake now.
Oh god, she thought. Harry. She had led him straight to Harry.
Draco wanted to make sure she was out of the way, fast asleep while Harry walked into a trap.
Hermione didn't know how much time had passed, but she knew she had to hurry. She ran back to the camp, screaming for help.
She lifted her wand high into the air, and three loud blasts erupted from the end of it.
They sounded like gunshots.
Lights went on, illuminating the camp.
From a distance she could see Nikola rush onto the deck of the Dragomir.
"Vat is it, Granger?!" she shouted.
Hermione ignored her and crashed into a soldier.
"Where can I find Agarby?!"
The man pointed to a tent a few feet behind him.
Hermione ran faster. People were shouting at her, asking questions, but she didn't stop.
When she finally reached Agarby's sleeping quarters, two guards blocked her way.
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" she screamed, trying to shove past them."THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!"
"What is it?!" Agarby shouted, stumbling outside, his robes askew.
"THEY HAVE HARRY! THEY HAVE—"
"WHO? WHAT?!"
"THE DEATH EATERS—AT THE RUINS OF RENWICK ABBEY!"
She rushed past the guards and into the tent, desperate to find a broom.
"Ms. Granger, what are you doing?"
"Harry left to help Ronald Weasley!"
She searched a half open trunk, and found a broomstick with a cedar handle.
"We'll gather the forces—"
"I can't waste time," said Hermione. "This is all my fault...I have to find him."
She rushed outside and ignored Agarby's cries of protest.
More soldiers were leaving their tents, hurrying outside to see what all the commotion was about.
She mounted the broom and zoomed forward.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sebastián walk onto the deck of the Dragomir. His golden eyes watched her carefully...but he made no move to stop her.
Hermione looked away from him and shot past the perimeter of the camp.
***
"THEY'VE GOT POTTER!"
Draco stirred.
The two men guarding him were speaking in loud, anxious voices.
Draco felt his stomach lurch.
So it had happened. The Death Eaters had used Ron as bait, and Harry had gone after him...
By tomorrow Hermione would know the truth...
"The Granger girl is gone too."
Draco's head snapped up.
"...stole Agarby's broom and went after Potter."
One of the soldiers left the tent, rushing outside to see what the orders were.
He left the flap open.
Panic consumed Draco as he watched the camp come alive. Soldiers were throwing on their armor. The winged horses were prepared. People were running in opposite directions, gathering weapons and shields.
His heart seized. Hermione was supposed to be asleep until morning.
In the distance he could see the Dragomir.
Nikola was waking the crew, urging them to join her on the deck, and the Arévalos were disembarking, making their way to land.
They shot past everyone at blinding speed, tearing through the woods, Magdalena and Enrique in the lead.
The abbey was kilometers away, but they'd probably reach it before anyone else.
Draco fought against his bindings. He had to leave. He had to reach Hermione before the Death Eaters did.
He remembered she'd stolen a broomstick, which meant she was flying...what if the dementors—no, he refused to think it.
Draco was bound to a post in the middle of the tent. His wand was gone. But there was only one soldier left guarding him now...
Draco screamed like a madman, writhing as though he were in excruciating pain.
The guard approached him. "QUIET!"
There was an explosion outside.
One of the dragons had gotten away from its keeper.
The beast set a whole row of tents on fire.
The guard was momentarily distracted as the disaster unfolded, and Draco saw his opportunity.
He kicked the man in the face.
The guard stumbled backwards and dropped his wand.
Malfoy struck him again, this time breaking his nose.
"Accio wand!" Maloy screamed. It flew into his outstretched hand.
Draco muttered a spell and undid the ropes that bound him.
"STUPEFY!" he shouted.
The guard landed on his back with a tremendous crash.
Draco fled the tent.
Everyone was too distracted to notice him weaving through the crowd.
He stole the first broom he could find and shot as high into the air as he could. When he was several hundred feet from the ground, the Dementors surrounded him at once, but he showed them the Dark Mark.
They let him pass.
He had to find Hermione.
***
Hermione flew so low to the ground her toes brushed rocks and fallen branches.
Even though she couldn't see them, she could feel the presence of the Dementors above her. They wanted to poison her with fear, they wanted to make her feel like she had already lost, like there was no point in going on...
But she couldn't stop...she kept Harry's face at the forefront of her mind. If she thought of Harry, her hope would remain intact.
She wove in and out of trees, afraid she'd hit something in the darkness.
She didn't know where she was going, Harry had said the abbey was a few kilometers east of the camp, but what if she'd already passed it?
The only way to know for sure, was to fly higher.
Hermione's hands slid slightly on the handle of her broomstick.
She knew she'd have to face the dementors if she left the ground, but she saw no other way.
She jerked the handle up, rising a few inches higher.
The wind pushed her hair into her face, and she narrowly avoided slamming into a tree.
When she regained her balance, she looked up. Black figures darted past the treetops.
She wrenched the handle back down. It was too risky. If the dementors saw her, they would attack. She didn't know how many there were. And if she fought them, she would waste precious time in the struggle.
Hot tears of rage streamed down her face.
Draco had wanted Harry dead all along.
Every memory of Draco was tainted now, every kiss he'd given her was like a dose of poison that made her stomach twist and unravel.
He knew too much, he could ruin everything, he could—
She saw something through a gap in the trees.
It was the abbey.
She slowed the broom, seeing where she should land.
The night air was still and quiet.
Hermione hit the ground with a thud.
There was no one here.
Then she heard a scream.
She froze, terrified.
Two Death Eaters were dragging Ron away from the ruins.
She barely recognized him. His face was caked with dirt and blood.
"Where is it?!" Dolohov shouted.
"I don't know!"
Avery slammed Ron against the stone wall, making him scream in agony.
At the far end of the woods she saw something move in the darkness. Harry appeared out of thin air. He had been watching the abbey from under the invisibility cloak.
Hermione's pulse skyrocketed. She looked furtively around her. More Death Eaters would arrive soon, she was sure of it.
Harry pulled the cloak back over himself, intent on subduing Ron's captors.
No, she thought. Stay in the woods, stay in the woods until help comes...
Moments later there was a flash of red light and Avery was struck down. Ron yelled. Dolohov turned on the spot, dragging Ron close to him, looking for the assailant.
The Death Eater began blasting curses left and right, sensing someone was hiding in the darkness.
Hermione raised her wand, prepared to stun him. She was several yards away. If she missed, she had no cloak to hide her.
But Dolohov wouldn't stop moving. He was relentless, casting curses blindly in every direction.
Suddenly, there was a loud thud, and a large imprint was made on the grass next to Dolohov's feet.
Hermione held her breath.
No, please no...
Dolohov crouched down and reached out.
The invisibility cloak slid off of Harry's face. Hermione's heart thundered to a stop.
Ron was screaming, Dolohov was shouting....
Harry stood. He and Dolohov raised their wands at the same time.
There was a blast.
Ron fell sideways, and Dolohov and Harry went flying in opposite directions.
Hermione threw caution to the wind, and rushed out of her hiding place.
The allies knew where they were. Maybe if she held the Death Eaters off for long enough, they would arrive in time to help them.
Ron's eyes widened in shock when he caught sight of her. She saw Avery stir behind him. She raised her wand and cursed him. He slumped and lost consciousness again.
She was about to curse Dolohov next when people started materializing out of thin air. Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Yaxley...Snape.
Her wand was snatched away.
Snape took hold of Ron, and Dolohov dragged Harry back.
"Why did you come?!" Harry shouted at Hermione. "You were supposed to stay at the camp—"
Dolohov punched him in the gut, and the wind was knocked out of him.
Bellatrix seized Hermione and looked up, pointing at the night sky. The other Death Eaters followed her gaze.
There was someone circling above them.
Hermione caught a flash of blonde hair, and her heart seemed to stop as she watched Draco land on the ground in front of them.
Their eyes met and she felt her body go cold.
Bellatrix laughed shrilly into her ear, pushing her forward. "Greet your lover, mudblood."
Hot tears pricked Hermione's eyes.
"No?" Bellatrix said softly. "Pity."
Hermione looked away from Draco. She wanted to hold on to her fury...it was the only way to make it through this. She would not crumble. Not in front of him.
Bellatrix pressed her cheek to hers. "Men serve to fulfill whims, fancies, pleasure...trust them and they will use you. Love them and they will ruin you. As he has done to you."
Bellatrix turned to Draco. "I knew you would break her."
He forced a nod, but his hands were shaking.
Lucius stepped forward.
He took Draco's arm and raised it high, facing the other Death Eaters.
"My son has led us to Potter. Let all of you bear witness. May the Dark Lord reward him beyond compare..."
Hermione felt her chest constrict as she stared into Malfoy's face. She had been so foolish...so blind...
Draco heard his father speak, but couldn't make out anything of what he was saying. He was struggling to remain standing. Hermione was looking at him like she wanted to kill him...
Lucius spoke again but Draco wasn't listening. He gripped his wand. He was going to blast Bellatrix away from Hermione's side—he didn't care if they killed him afterwards—
"THEY'VE CAUGHT UP TO US!" Dolohov shouted, pointing at the woods.
Everyone turned.
Sebastián's coven was breaking through the trees.
Adrenaline rushed through Draco's veins.
"You don't need Granger or Weasley," he said quickly to his father. "Leave them—let's take Potter and go."
Hermione looked over at Dolohov. His hold had loosened on Harry slightly. There was an odd look on the Death Eater's face...almost like he'd been confunded.
No one else seemed to notice. They were too busy looking at the Arévalos.
Beside her, Draco was panicking. His father wasn't listening to him. He had to take matters into his own hands. It was now or never...
He turned to Bellatrix and raised his wand slightly. She was distracted, staring intently at the approaching vampires...
He opened his mouth to curse her, but his father seized his arm. "Are you mad?!"
Draco tried to twist away from him. "LET GO OF ME!"
Behind them there was a loud BANG.
Harry had stolen Dolohov's wand. He aimed it at Snape.
"Everte statum!"
Snape flipped backwards and Ron slipped out of his grasp.
"RUN!" Harry shouted.
Yaxley knocked the wand out of Harry's hand. He tackled him to the ground.
For a few seconds, Ron stood stunned, staring down at Snape.
The other Death Eaters were screaming instructions, horrified that the vampires were drawing closer.
"Run you stupid boy," said Snape, in a voice barely above a whisper. "Run now..."
Ron looked at him in shock.
"GET OUT OF HERE!" Hermione shouted.
Ron looked up at her, then his eyes traveled to Harry's face.
Harry nodded at him, still pinned down by Yaxley.
"YOU CAN'T HELP US!" Hermione shouted. "GO!"
Ron backed away from Snape.
He half-limped, half-ran towards the Arévalos.
Dolohov stepped forward, raising his wand high.
"Leave the Weasley boy!" Lucius shouted. "We have to go now!"
Dolohov pulled Snape to his feet and they disapparated together.
Hermione felt everything shift around her as Bellatrix grabbed her arm.
Next to her, Harry and Yaxley disappeared. Then Lucius and Draco.
Everything was fading, she was vanishing too...
The Arévalos were only feet away now.
Hermione saw Sebastián rush towards her. She lunged forward, reaching out for him. The tips of her fingers touched his. But it was too late...Hermione was wrenched apart from him, sucked into the vortex that Bellatrix had created.
She disappeared into the night sky, leaving Ron and the Arévalos behind.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for reading! Hope you take a sec to vote and review :)