AN: I just skim through the part from the books.
Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters in this story.
Hermione was worried. It had been weeks since she had last heard from Minerva, and she was afraid something had happened to the woman. She and the boys had arrived at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place almost a month ago, and since then they'd been spending all their time planning. When they'd arrived it had only taken the Weasleys a day to send them a weasel patronus message while Minerva's cat patronus message, telling her a date and time for a meeting, had taken a week. And by that time Hermione had been in a full out panic.
Xxx
A few days after she'd received the message she'd cast the spell, at the time and date given to her, to open their mental connection on her end and waited for Minerva to also cast the spell. When the other woman came into view Hermione immediately noticed how tired she looked, Minerva's green eyes were dull despite the smile of relief on her face, her robes were creased and her usually perfect bun frazzled. They'd talked about what had happened after Hermione left the wedding, but as they spoke Hermione still felt worried, she'd never seen Minerva so tired looking before. The meeting lasted no longer than ten minutes, and Hermione had been saddened to say goodbye. When she'd canceled the connection Hermione had stayed sitting where she was for a while, wondering what was wrong with Minerva, she had a feeling the woman had not told her everything.
Xxx
That meeting had been the only time she'd talked with Minerva, and she hadn't heard from the woman since. This was the longest amount of time they'd gone in between meeting, and as the days went by Hermione was getting more and more worried. She knew that the woman was busying with her duties at Hogwarts, and it would be a few more weeks before they could set up another meeting, since the school year had only just started that day. She sighed as she thought of Hogwarts, it was strange to known there were students on their way to the school at that exact moment. The sound of the front door opening brought Hermione out of thoughts, Harry must be back.
Hermione was sitting at the cluttered kitchen beside Ron. They'd been going through all their information on the Ministry before she'd gotten lost in her thoughts, and looking at Ron she could tell his mind was also wandering. They'd been studying through their information, it was important since they were planning on sneaking into the Ministry in a few months. Elbowing Ron she snapped him out of his dazed, they both looked up as Harry came into the downstairs kitchen saying he had news. Walking over to where they sat he threw down a newspaper.
Snape's picture was on the front page under a headline that read, 'Severus Snape confirmed as Hogwarts headmaster'. Hermione looked at the newspaper with a loud gasp. She picked up the paper reading through it in disbelief, but to her horror it was true. She ran from the kitchen with a quick "I'll be back" to the boys. She headed up the stairs to the room she'd been using for the last month. Entering the room she locked the door and took out her wand, pointing it at her head. With a whispered "Minerva McGonagall" the connection opened on her end.
Darkness filled Hermione's sight as she silently hoped Minerva would open the connection. She knew the woman would be busy making sure everything was ready for the students, but she had to talk to Minerva and find out what was going on at the school. After a few minutes she was about to give up and cancel the spell when Minerva's face suddenly came into view. Minerva was wearing heavy black robes with her hair up in a perfect bun, but Hermione could also see the dark circles under the woman's eyes. Minerva looked as though she had aged ten years, she seemed ghostly pale and her face was gaunt.
"How are you dear is something wrong?" Minerva asked worriedly, "I'm good Minerva, but I've just read the Daily Prophet. What is going on, are you ok?" Minerva sighed, rubbing her hands over her eyes. "As you have probably already guessed, the school has been taken over by You-Know-Who. Snape is now headmaster and there are two new professors, both of whom are death eaters. I'm fine though, just a bit exhausted. I'm terribly sorry for not contacting you. With all the madness going on here I don't have time for anything but work."
As Hermione opened her mouth to answer there was a sudden knocking sound coming from Minerva's end. "I'm sorry my dear but I must go, the students will be arriving soon and I have to welcome the first years. I will talk to you again soon though, I promise." Raising her wand Minerva cut the connection. As her room in Grimmauld Place came into view again she sign, and walked out of the room.
After grabbing the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Hermione ran back down to the kitchen. Grabbing her bag she squeezed the large frame down into it before sitting back down with the boys. They sat talking about their days as they ate. Harry had been watching the Ministry while she and Ron had been studying their notes and maps. "I think we should go to the Ministry tomorrow." Harry said suddenly, interrupting something she had been saying to Ron.
She turned to Harry, shocked at the suggestion. "What, tomorrow? You can't be serious Harry!" They talked about it, going through what they would do, until they finally had everything planned. By the time she had finally gone to bed it was late, but as she laid there trying to sleep she found herself wide awake. All the things that could go wrong were rushing through her head, and it was making her nervous.
After a short sleepless night, they quickly apparated to the Ministry and set their plans into motion. But soon after sneaking in they were separated, and she was forced to follow Umbridge to the court chambers. Disguised as a woman named Mafalda Hopkirk she sat watching as Umbridge interrogated witches and wizards whose bloodlines were questionable. As they were one by one taken away she began to shake, if she hadn't gone into hiding she would have also been questioned and taken away.
Hermione felt ill as she sat beside the toad, trying to record everything that was said. She jumped as she heard a whispered "I'm behind you." Though she quickly relaxed when she realized the voice belonged to Harry. The sat there for a bit longer before Umbridge suddenly leaned forward and they caught a glimpse at what they had come here for. After that madness broke loose as Harry took out his wand, pointing it at Umbridge and causing her pass out.
Crouching down beside the awful woman Hermione snatched the Horcrux from Umbridge's neck. 'But she'll notice⦠' Hermione thought with a frown, taking out her wand she copied the locket, and with a look of disgust she put the duplicate on the toad. Running down to join Harry she pointed her wand at the woman Umbridge had been questioning, and released her. "Hermione, quick, cast your patronus!" Looking around she could see they were surrounded by dementors, the creatures were only being held back by Harry's stag patronus.
Trying to think the only thing that came to mind was her meeting with Minerva from the previous night. "Expecto pa-patronum," She said raising her wand, only a small cloud of silver mist came from her wand. Closing her eyes she thought back to the wedding, remembering Minerva's arms around her as they danced, she let the joy of the memory swell. "Expecto patronum!" She yelled.
A small silver cat burst from her wand, gracefully leaping through the air to join Harry's stag. She gasped turning to Harry who looked just as surprised as her. Her patronus had changed, and she automatically knew why. The last time she had cast the spell was her fifth year, and since that time her feelings for Minerva had grown. Her patronus had changed into something that represented her feelings for Minerva.
As they made their escape they'd found Ron, "They know we're here Harry, we probably don't have much time left." As he told them his news her patronus disappeared. They made it up to the Atrium, and as their cover was blown they barely made it into the fireplace. She grabbed Harry and Ron before disapparating away, but as she thought of Grimmauld Place she could feel a third hand grabbing her arm.
They landed on the front step of number twelve, and Hermione screamed as she saw it was Yaxley holding on to her arm. She cast a jinx on the man and disapparated again. Thankfully he had let go, but as the darkness surround her again she panicked and the only safe place that came to mind were the woods beside where the last Quidditch World Cup had been. She landed hard on the forest floor, laying there for a second she opened her eyes, the trees seemed to be swirling above her. A groan to her left caught her attention, turning her head she saw Ron lying face down on the ground.
Slowly crawling to him she almost threw up at the sight of his blood soaked side, she looked up as Harry came to Ron's over side, she could see the concern on his face. "What happened?" He quietly asked. As she worked on Ron she explained where they were and what had happened, she was sad that they'd be able to return to Grimmauld Place. When she finished taking care of Ron she stood, "I'll put up some protective enchantments." She said, going to work.
Once the area was secure and she'd set up a tent she finally put away her wand and helped carry Ron into the tent. When he was settled into a bunk she made them all tea, the warm drink calmed her. "Well, did you get it? The locket, that is." She nodded handing it around. She was glad to let someone else hold it, the knowledge of what lived in the locket made her cringe.
They all talked a bit before setting up watch, she took over for Harry as the sun set, letting him get some sleep before it was his turn again. She sat outside the tent thinking of Minerva, wondering if the woman already knew that they'd sneaked into the Ministry. If not she was sure the next day's Daily Prophet would arrive with their pictures on the front page, but would Minerva contact her? Every sound from the surrounding woods kept Hermione wide awake with her wand in hand. Late into the night, after having kept watch for several hours, she woke up Harry trading spots with him as he walked outside, and as she snuggled under the bunk's blankets she quickly drifted off.
The next morning they decided it'd be safer to move on, they disapparated to the edge of a small town after packing the tent and removing any evidence that they'd been there. Hermione had been working on setting everything up when she suddenly felt a strange tingling in her head, Minerva had opened the connection, but sadly she was too busy to talk with the woman. After a few minutes the feeling went away and she sighed, hopefully she would be able to talk to Minerva later.
They ended up moving again, this time into a field beside a farm, when Harry had discovered dementors in the town. She had also taken the locket from Harry, freeing him from his bad mood. She set up all the protective charms before going off to find them some food. She took bread and eggs from the farm, only because she knew they really did need to eat. After they ate she checked to make sure Ron was still healing, and then she'd taken over the watch.
Pulling out her wand she opened the connection, and waited. It was 10 PM so she was pretty sure the woman would be up, but not busy. Minerva appeared, lowering her wand and with a huge smile on her face. It seemed that she'd been preparing for bed, her long, dark hair was down and she was wearing a loose nightgown. "Hermione, thank goodness, I thought you had been captured! Are you okay dear?"
Hermione smiled, happy to see the woman. "I'm fine, though we did have to abandon Grimmauld Place." She said with a frown, telling Minerva what had happened. It felt as though it had been years since she'd last seen the woman, so many things had happened. "Dear, why didn't you tell me you three had been planning this?" Minerva asked with a scowl.
"I'm sorry Minerva, I would have told you beforehand but I didn't even know we were going to until right after we had spoken the other night." She knew she should have tried to tell the woman, but there just hadn't been any time. Minerva gave a sigh, bringing her hands up to rub her temples. "Just promise me that next time you're about to do something dangerous you'll at least try to tell me before you do it." Hermione nodded, giving her a small smile. "Of course, though hopefully there won't be a next time."
Minerva shook her head, "If only my dear, but I know with Potter there is always a next time. Just be careful until then." Hermione knew it was true. There were still a lot more dangerous situations to go until they could end this. "I'll try. So how are things going with you?"
Minerva's expression turned into one of anger. "Severus and those Carrows are terrorizing the entire school. They're beating children and teaching the dark arts. It's an outrage! The only thing keeping me from attacking the three of them, and quitting, is my duty to Hogwarts and the students."
Hermione was shocked. She had not known how bad things at Hogwarts had gotten. "What! Why are the parents not sending their children off to another school?" Minerva shrugged, "Some parents don't have enough money to send their children off to a school in another country, or don't want their child to be too far away from them. Others are too afraid to send their children away or flee the country. And then there are the parents who want to pretend there is nothing wrong, and act as though everything is normal."
At Minerva last words Hermione became outraged. "They cannot just simply ignore the growing threat, and place themselves and their children in danger like that! It is ridiculous!" Minerva nodded her head in agreement and was about to say something else when Hermione suddenly heard the tent entrance opening beside her. "I have to go Minerva, but maybe we can talk again soon?"
"Of course, and until then please be careful. Goodnight my darling." She raised her wand, ending the spell. Hermione stood walking over to Harry, and taking off the locket. "Here you go, see you in a few hours." He took it, giving her a weak smile.
Hermione laid down in bed, listening as Ron snored, and trying to get comfortable. She was worried, thinking about what might happen next time they do something dangerous. Would they be able to escape next time? Would one of them get hurt again, and not be as lucky as they were this time? When she finally did manage to fall asleep her dreams were filled with nightmares.
Hope you liked it, please review! What do you think will happen next? -Fae
