Chapter 1

"Hermione... Hermione." Hermione stirred, and took an irritated swipe at whoever was nudging rudely at the side of her face. "Hermione, wake up, you're going to miss breakfast." Hermione finally sat up, realising she must of fallen asleep in the Common room, doing her homework, as half of Slughorns potions essay appeared to be attached to her face.

"Ron?"

"It's not like you to fall asleep doing your- actually," he considered, "It's exactly like you." Hermione gave him a small smile before gathering together the bits of parchment and books and shoving them into her school bag. She would probably have to finish the essay at dinner, as it was due in today. "Well, come on then," Ron urged, "I'm starving."

"Hold on, I need to put Harrys invisibility cloak away, I don't want a first year making off with it." She had been sneaking into the library after hours recently, researching Horcruxes, the Gaunt family, everything she thought could help with Harrys up coming fight against Voldemort. Harry, of course, had been happy to lend it to her. "And you're always starving." she told him, swinging her bag over her shoulder and following him out of the portrait hole, towards the Great Hall.

Hermiones first thought upon entering the Great Hall was that it seemed somehow louder than usual. Not the happy, childish loud that came with eating in the same room as over-excited eleven year olds, but their seemed to be an air of panic in the room. They made their way across to the Gryfindor table, and sat down opposite Harry, who was sat between Seamus and Ginny, all peering in at a copy of The Daily Prophet.

"Harry? Whats going on?" she didn't wait for an answer, she grabbed her copy of the newspaper from the rather disgruntled looking owl that had delivered her subscription. Ron leaned over to share her copy, his jaw dropping as he read the headline.

MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN

Ministers fear Death Eater involvement.

"Well, who else is going to be behind it?" grumbled Ron, disbelievingly. Hermione read the article, and read it again. Apparently, as had been feared, the Dementors had finally abandoned the ministry. Dumbledore had been right. The Dementors had left their posts, just as Voldemorts followers arrived to release as many as possible.

"I knew Dumbledore was right. Dementors don't have a clue what loyalty is, and now the ministry will be realising it, wont they?" Hermione began, flusteredly folding up the paper, which Ron took off her and began looking for something. She glanced over at the Slytherin table, from which Malfoy was positively beaming. "He certainly looks happy for himself." she said, nodding towards him.

Ron put the paper in front of her. "Well, he's going to be isn't he? His father's one of the escapees."

Hermione frowned at him. "How do you know that?"

"It's right here, isn't it?"

She looked down at the paper. Indeed, their was a list of the escapees. Scanning through the list, most of the people she didn't recognize, but certain names jumped out at her. "Lucius Malfoy..." she glanced at Malfoy, who was talking excitedly with Crabbe. "Crabbe... Avery... Nott..."

She looked at Harry, who was looking extremely worried that what seemed to be all Voldemorts core supporters seemed to have escaped. "Bartemius Crouch Jr..." She looked over at Neville, who had gone white, not that she could blame him. Now both Crouch and Bellatrix Lestrange were free, responsible for his parents... current state. "Mundungus Fletcher..." She wasn't surprised that slippery weasel had taken the opportunity and escaped, Death Eater or not. "Stan Shunpike... Good for him... Augustus Rookwood... Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange... And that's all I recognize."

"What if they come to Hogwarts?" asked Ginny, worried.

Harry looked at her, concerned. "Don't worry, they wont dare come to Hogwarts. Not while Dumbledore's around."

Seamus broke Harry's calming words with his own worries. "Well, they've done it before, haven't they? What about fourth year? Professor 'Moody'?"

"The Death Eaters aren't stupid enough to repeat their own plan," Hermione cut in. "It's far too obvious, they'd be found out in a second."

"Perhaps." said Seamus, resigning to his porridge.

"And besides," chirped up Colin Creavy, who had come to join them sitting next to Ginny. "Who could even get into the school?" You can't apparate within the grounds."

There was a dull silence. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all knew that after last year, alot of the protective spells on Hogwarts had been broken with Dumbledore and Harry returning to the grounds, and their was a great possibility that, with very strong magic, and maybe in a lucky spot, you could indeed now apparate within the grounds.

One more problem for the list.

The rest of the day went relatively quietly, no one daring to bring up the subject of the recent breakout, until it was time for Defence Against the Dark Arts, the last lesson of the day, and they found out that their usual teacher, Professor Multon (A boring man with a monobrow and triangular glasses), who had replaced Snape as he was away on buisness for the order, was also away on 'private buisness', although Harry, Ron and Hermione all knew better, that he was most probably working for the order, since this new breakout. Their new teacher, was, as she announced herself, Professor Spencer. A giddy looking woman who, Hermione thought, didn't look to have passed her own NEWTs, not to mind be teaching them theirs.

She was tall and slim built, but with a round face, rosy cheeks, big blue eyes, and a wild bush of frizzy black hair, with flowing mismatched robes, and a pointed hat which looked a little too long.

"Good morning class!" She began. Their was a pause.

"...It's the afternoon, ma'am." Seamus corrected.

Professor Spencer clapped her hand to her forehead. "So it is! Well done young mister." She paused for breath. "Your name?"

"Seamus Finnigan"

"What a nice name!" She paused for thought. "Welsh, is it?"

"No, er... its Irish Professor."

Once again, Professor Spencer clapped her hand to her forehead, rather over dramatically, making everyone jump. "Of course, of course." She beamed at him. "Wonderful. Thirty three points to Hufflepuff!"

"I'm in Gryffindor."

"I see. Well in that case, thirty three points to Gryffindor, and thirty three points from Hufflepuff!" She glared round at the Hufflepuffs, as if they had all done something terrible.

Hermione had a feeling this was going to be a rather interesting lesson.

And it was. Most of the lesson had been spent explaining to Professor Spencer what they had already learnt that year, and helping her with the pronounciation of 'hinkypunk', only for the lesson to then be prosponed by them having to wait while the professor got over her tremendous laughing fit at such a word. At the end of the lesson, she finished by giving them their homework assignment.

"And for next lesson, I want a story about hinkypunks," She laughed hysterically at the word. "Extra points will be given for imagination, and expect a big fat zero if there are no illustrations."

"But professor," Began Hermione. "Won't Professor Multon be back next lesson?"

Professor Spencer got a look of grave sadness upon her face. "I'm afraid we don't know when he will be back, dear. I'll be teaching your lessons for the time being, as a personal favour to my dear friend Professor Dumbledore."

When the lesson had ended, Ron began with "No wonder her and Dumbledore are such good mates, they're both raving mad."

"It's not funny, Ron." Hermione snapped at him. She had other things on her mind. "Don't you find it worrying that they've started taking teachers off their jobs to help with the order? First Snape, then Multon?"

"If you say so," Ron answered. "If you ask me its a good thing Snape's gone, I'm glad to see the back of him."

"Hermione's right, Ron." Harry said. "If the teachers are worried, then we should be too. What if the Death eaters do come to the school?"

Hermione, once again, said "Harry, like I said before, with Dumbledore here, they wouldn't dare. And they wouldn't repeat a plan, its too obvious, and apparating is almost impossible."

"Almost." Harry grumbled. They turned the corner.

"Anyway," Hermione began. "We're almost in the Great hall now, we can't talk about this anymore, or some one will over hear."

Harry resigned himself to silence as they walked into the Great Hall, taking their seats, where people seemed to have forgotten all about the breakout, with the excitement of their day.

"I wish I could forget so easily." Huffed Neville, slumping down next to them. Hermione felt a great sympathy for him.

Ron took a shot at cheering him up. "Come on Neville, mate, have some sausages." Ron began shoveling sausages onto Neville's plate.

"It's no use, I'm not hungry." Their was an uncomfortable pause, where Hermione, Harry and Ron all ate in silence. "Well, I think I'll go to bed. Goodnight, Harry, Ron, Hermione."

They smiled at him and bid him goodnight, and soon they found they were resigning themselves to sleep.

When they got back to the Common Room, they found that they were the first ones back. Well, them and Neville. The fires and candles hadn't yet been lit, but it was still dark, and shadows engulfed most of the common room. They climbed the stairs to the dormitory's. They got to the top, and Ron and Harry were about to turn in to the boys dormitory, when Harry turned round to speak to Hermione.

"Hermione, I was just wondering if you'd got any further with the research."

Hermione ran her hand through her hair. "No. I look and look, but whenever I feel like I'm getting somewhere, it slips away."

Harry put his hand on her shoulder. "Thats exactly what Dumbledore once said." He smiled at her. "Dont push yourself too hard, I know you already spend too many nights in the restricted section."

Hermione sighed. "I know, I know. I'm worn out as it is, I'm almost falling asleep standing." She rubbed her eyes. It would be nice too get a good nights sleep for once. "I suppose I can have a night off. Thanks for lending me the cloak, though. It's been a real help. I dont know what I'd have done without it.

Harry smiled at her. "You just make sure it stays hidden."

"Dont worry, it is." And with that, she turned to enter the girls dormitary, hearing the door shut behind her as the boys hurried off to bed. She started on her way inside, struggling slightly with the sticking door nob. She felt as if she'd never been so tired. So tired, infact, that she didn't notice the dark figure, watching her, concealed by the shadows.