Last Chapter: This was how Hermione Granger became their leader. She was the oldest, the last remaining member of the golden trio, and the brightest witch of her age. She was a natural born leader, so lead she would do.
Hermione licked her lips and inhaled a deep breath when all eyes became focused on her. Even thought she was prepared to take the responsibility of the leader, she wasn't necessarily ready for it. She was only seventeen, and she didn't even complete all seven years at Hogwarts. She was mature and extremely intelligent, but she couldn't lead a group of thirty or more students, who was she kidding? They would need shelter, food, protection, medicine, and who knows what else. Could she really prove them with all that?
Hermione knew she probably couldn't, but looking into the sad, hurt, and lonely sets of eyes in the crowd before her, she knew she had to try.
For the first time, she actually looked at the crowd before her. First, second, and third years all huddled together to the right, while the older students stayed to the left. And even though they separated each other by age and maturity level, house colors jumbled in and out of the blacks of everybody's cloaks. Nobody was separated anymore, not really. Once Harry had died, everybody came together. There was no more Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin, there was only good and evil, and whatever side you chose to fight for.
She exhaled another deep breath and then cleared her throat, her eyes darting from student to student. "Uh…hi." She stared out shyly. "In case you don't know who I am, my names Hermione. What happened back in Hogwarts was… well I don't really think that there's a word to describe what happened. But what happened, happened, and there's nothing we can really do about it now. But what we can do is survive. There are several of us left now, and a few of what's left are most likely being held prisoners in Hogwarts. The other couple are right here." Hermione pointed to the people in front of her. "We might have just made it out, but we still made it out, our scars proof.
"Whether you have physical scars from being hit, mental scars from losing the ones you held closest to your heart, or both, these scars should create an anger and the will to survive. We made it out of the castle and into the safety of the forest's shadow for a reason. Now, I'm not sure what that reason is yet, but right now it doesn't matter. We need to continue surviving, and to do so we need to come together as one. Forget about the drama and the hatred you showed towards other people in school, people who are probably sitting amongst you right now. Times have changed… and it's time for us to realize it.
"Here in these woods we'll survive. And the only way to survive is to come together. Ravenclaws, use your knowledge to teach everybody spells and enchantments that will help us to survive longer out here. Hufflepuffs, use your loyality and bring everybody together, in whatever means necessary. And Gryffindors, use your bravery to protect us all and stand up to the ones that make others cower. We can do this everybody… we can survive." Hermione stopped for a second, inhaled another deep breath, then continued on with her speech. "Now, the first thing we need to do is help anybody who is injured. Everybody out there who knows spells that can help who's hurt, then please help them. Secondly, we're going to need to find food and make some kind of shelter for us. We'll get groups set up and go around in search of food later, but right now, concentrate on the wounded." Hermione stopped again and watched as older students got up and started making their way around the circle or students, looking for injuries.
Licking her lips, she started making her way into the crowd as well, deciding she should follow her own advice and heal the wounded as well. Right as she spotted an injured third year, she heard somebody call her name from behind her. She turned around quickly and felt her whole body warm up with happiness. She couldn't hold back a smile as the red head came running towards her. "Oh, Ginny. I'm so happy you're alright." Hermione said wrapping her arms around Ginny in a huge.
"Same goes here, Hermione." Ginny said once they released the hug. "Neville and Luna made it out to."
"Thank god we all made it out alive." Hermione said running a hand through her curls and looking around at all the people before her.
"Not all of us." Ginny said sadly, looking down at the ground. Hermione snapped her head back and looked at Ginny sadly. Biting her lips together, she cautiously placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. Ginny looked up at Hermione slowly, tears running down her cheeks. "So many people got hurt, so many people were-" Ginny suddenly burst into tears and Hermione wrapped her arms around the fragile red head, patting her back comfortingly.
"I know, Ginny." Hermione said quietly, finding it hard for her to keep the tears back herself. "But don't worry, we're going to help them."
Ginny pulled away from Hermione and looked up into her eyes. "Did you really mean what you said?"
Hermione exhaled a deep breath, forced a smile, and nodded. "I'm not giving up, and neither should anybody else.
They both stared at each other for a few seconds, Hermione smiling slightly while Ginny looked sadly at the ground. "But how are we possibly going to survive out here?"
"Ginny." Hermione said calmly, putting a hand on the red heads shoulder so she looked up at her. "If we can't do this, then we must have forgotten all the things we did in the past. We can do anything we put our minds to, including surviving."
"We're all underage witches and wizards, except a few of us. Sure, some of us D.A. members have stood up against deatheaters and dark spells, but most of the students here haven't. Most of these people here are all fourth years and younger." Ginny said quietly. "What could they possibly know to help us?"
"We'll teach them." Hermione said smiling at Ginny before turning to the people around her and speaking in a loud voice. "Okay everybody, listen up!" Hermione waited for all eyes to be on her before she stared speaking again. "We're going to have to start collecting food and building shelters. We should also set up some protection spells. If you know any spells, come and see me and we'll separate into groups and set them up in the majority of our area. If you're going to go and get food or things to make shelters in, stay together. Older students try and stick with the younger ones and don't separate no matter what. Protect each other. Deatheaters are probably all over the forest right now. We don't really need any more deaths or injuries tonight."
Hermione finished and watched as all the students who weren't injured stood up and separated into groups. She smiled at the few older students who approached her, including Neville and Luna, who all knew protective spells. Giving each other quick hugs, they all headed off, wands drawn, around the perimeter of the area they were in, setting off all the spells they knew to hide them from the deatheaters.
Little did they know that there was a pair of silver grey eyes watching them in the shadows, already having found them.