Prologue
Hermione awoke suddenly. She sat up, wondering what had woken her up. Everything was silent. She couldn't remember any nightmare, not even the feeling of terror that that always lingered even if the dream itself had slipped from her memory, yet her skin was covered in a fine film of sweat, and her heart was beating very fast. She got off the bed , and crossed the room , and pulled open the curtains and the window, and leant on the still, letting the night breeze play in her hair, appreciating the cool after the stuffiness of her room. She stared out at the dark Grimmault place, still trying to work out what had made her jerk awake in that fashion. Something was niggling at her, some element that wasn't right, but she couldn't put she finger on it. And her head felt fuzzy, which was strange. She never had problems waking up, even in the middle of the night. She stayed there a few minutes, mulling it over, but no explanation came to her. She eventually sighed and turned away. It was only then that she noticed that she was still wearing her clothes. That was strange. Why had she fallen asleep in her clothes? And what was she doing here in the first place? She stared around her, as if searching for the answers in her room, and realised with a jolt that this wasn't her room. It was Harry's. Questions were now swirling around her head. She sat down on the bed and forced herself to stay calm and concentrate. Once she had stifled the panic, memories began to surface. She had come to the house that afternoon, to talk to Harry. About what? Oh yes, Voldemort... Suddenly the memories came flooding back.
She had arrived in the early afternoon. She had run across the square, the rain pelting down upon her. After banging on the door several minutes, Harry had opened it, looking startled to see her on the front door step.
« Hermione! » he exclaimed « how did you get here? »
« Thought you could keep me away by changing secret keeper, did you? » she snarled, barging past him into the front hall.
« Yes, I did, actually » he admitted. « So now we've ascertained this, will you leave? » He gestured towards the door.
« No » She stood there, hands on her hips.
« Hermione » he said in a warning tone. « Leave on your own, or I'll make you »
« I'd like so see you try » she scoffed. Harry sighed, shook his head, and said in a weary voice:
« What are you doing here? »
« I know you're going to go after Voldemort tonight. And I'm going with you. »
« No, you're not »
« Yes, I am. »
« No, you're not, and that's final. I don't know how you obtained the secret of where this house is, but you are not coming with me. I'm going alone. No-one is coming with me »
« I am »
« We are not going to argue about this. You are going to go home »
« Why not? » Hermione stamped her foot in anger
« Because you'd would be a weakness. I can't fight Voldemort and look after you at the same time. You'd distract me »
« It doesn't matter »Hermione replied, refusing to rise to the bait. « Do you realise that you're not only fighting Voldemort, but his forty or so death eaters? «
« Of course I know that! Do you think I don't realise that even if I do manage to kill Voldemort, I still have to get past all his death eaters? Do you really think there is any chance that I'll come out of this alive? »
« Harry... » Hermione laid a hand on his arm. He shook her of angrily
« And do you think that there is any chance that I'm going to let you get hurt on my account, like all the others? »
He pushed past her, and started up the stairs to his room. Hermione followed him.
« Harry? » she knocked on his door. No answer. She opened the door. He was sitting on the bed, head in his hands.
« Harry » she said softly « It not your fault »
« Yes, it is. It's all my fault. Ron, Ginny, Neville, everyone. It's my fault. »
« Harry » She sat down next to him, and slipped her arm around his shoulders. « You didn't make them fight for you. You didn't make them do anything. They all followed you by their own will. »
« It's still my fault. »
« It's not. And I want to come with you. I could help. Come on Harry, you need me. »
« I suppose so. » He sighed, got to his feet, and picked up his wand.
« So I can come with you? » Harry just looked away.
« There no point in saying no » Hermione said, stubborn as a mule. « I'm coming anyway. You can't stop me »
« Yes I can »
« How? »
« Stupefy » A jet of red light shot out of his wand and hit Hermione. Everything went black.
Hermione leapt of the bed, fury coursing through her. He had stunned her. He had stunned her! He had gone after Voldemort on his own. But why was she awake then? Did that mean he was...? She squashed that thought immediately. He couldn't be. He had come back and awoken her or someone else had. She tore out of the room, and ran down the stairs.
« Harry? » she called. « Anybody? » Only silence answered her. She was alone. That could only mean one thing.
A noise in the kitchen distracted her. She descended the stairs and entered the room to find Mrs Weasley climbing out of the fire, having obviously just arrived by floo powder. Seeing Hermione, she let out a cry of relief, crossed the kitchen and threw her arm around her.
« Oh thank goodness you're safe. We were so worried. We've been looking everywhere for you. » One look at Mrs Weasley's face confirmed Hermione worst fears. But she had to ask anyway.
« Harry. He's... He's... » She couldn't even say it. But Mrs Weasley understood her.
« Yes »
Hermione screamed a long, piercing scream that echoed in the empty kitchen, and collapsed. She was vaguely aware of somebody catching her before she hit the floor. For the second time that day, she lost consciousness.