Hello!
I know everyone is very eager to get to the Department of Mysteries, but I have to step in first. I completely forgot to mention that I filched a line or two from Tamara Pierce in a previous chapter- she's a brilliant author, and the Immortals was the first series that introduced me to the concept of an older man (in a teaching position) with a way younger girl (his student- and y'all wonder why I'm in love with Severus and Hermione!). So… that part when they talk about waking up with an old man or a girl is completely hers. Totally. I just loved Realm of the Gods so much that I remembered it when I was trying to write that scene and it totally clicked.
Anyway. This is it. The one you've all been waiting for. The uber long chapter (wait… does anyone even say uber anymore?) that contains the MOM battle. (14 pages people) Enjoy. (Warning: I'm not good at writing battle scenes. I'm a romance person. I apologize in advance. Plenty was outright stolen from the lovely J. K. Rowling.)
June 18, 1996
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Fifth Year Girl's Dorms
Hermione awoke early, not even two hours after the commotion in the Common Room had calmed down. The discussion and hate-party for Umbridge had gone to four o'clock, and when she had sunk down into the pillows all Hermione could think of was the look on McGonagall's face when the Stunners hit her.
But, at barely ten minutes past six, Hermione wretched awake with a muffled gasp and a sheen of cold sweat. Her stomach was rolling fiercely, and her head ached. "Gods," Hermione breathed with a cough. "Augamenti." She gulped the water, then slumped against the pillows.
After a minute or two, she gave up on sleep and Summoned the History of Magic notes she had arranged for Harry. She might as well study them now- she had Arithmancy at eight, which would be a breeze, but History of Magic was always uncertain. She had a moment of uncharitable thought toward Binns, then turned her mind to the notes.
It took great force of will to thrust the nausea away and concentrate.
June 18, 1996
Number 12, Grimmauld Place
Sirius' Room
An animalistic shriek of pure pain startled Sirius awake, and he dimly noted he still held the mirror in his hand. The sound was coming from above him- his mother's old room.
Kreacher crept into the room, grinning nastily. "Master must come right away, yes he must," he mumbled, cackling. "The dreadful dirty beastie that has taken poor Mistress' room must be attended too, and Kreacher cannot go there, no he cannot." He turned and shuffled away, shaking his head. "Poor Mistress. If she could see what has happened in her own house, she would beat Kreacher, yes she would…"
He frowned, stretching with a groan. "Why?" he yelled back. "It's-" he checked the clock. "Seven in the bloody morning!" Nevertheless, he rolled out of bed, pulling on a pair of black pajama pants. If Buckbeak was hurt… well, Sirius wasn't cold hearted enough to leave the animal that had rescued him in pain.
He didn't realize he had left the mirror on the bed until he was halfway up the stairs, and then it was out of his mind as he stared, aghast, at the hippogriff screeching in pain on his mother's bed.
He made one move toward the beast, and Buckbeak snapped at him, pulling his injured limb closer to himself. This is going to be one long morning...
June 18, 1996
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Anteroom of the Great Hall
It was almost two o'clock, Hermione noted with a shiver of dread anticipation. It was the last one. The last exam. The hardest to prepare for, because it meant either staying awake through Professor Binn's drone, or researching it all later in the Library.
"Do you feel ready?" Hermione whispered frantically to Harry, clutching his arm tightly. "What if they ask about why Liechtenstien was having problems with all those trolls- I couldn't find anything about it Events in Europe before the International Confederation of Wizards-"
"Hermione." Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Calm down. We'll be fine. As long as we don't fall asleep, at least." Harry yawned, as if to accentuate the statement.
Ron walked over, mumbling to himself. "Hermione, is it the Bodric the Bad-Smelling, or Balin the Bad-Smelling? I can never keep all these names straight!"
The question calmed her down. "Neither. It's Bodric the Boring, Balin the Balding, and Burin the Bad-Smelling."
June 18, 1996
Number 12, Grimmauld Place
Buckbeak's Room
"Buckbeak!" Sirius shouted exasperatedly. "I need to get to that! Stop snapping at me!"
The hippogriff just looked at him with sullen, pain-filled eyes.
"Fine," Sirus grumbled. "Stay here in pain. I'm going to get some dead rats and see if that will distract you."
DIVERGES FROM ABSOLUTE CANON HERE
June 18, 1996
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Abandoned First Floor Classroom
"I need to tell you something, both of you," Harry said quickly, glancing at Hermione. This is going to hurt her. So badly. "But Ron, part of this involves Hermione directly and it is very private for her. Can-"
Hermione had paled drastically. "It doesn't matter, Harry," she whispered. "Is it-" she couldn't say his name. "Did Nagini get him or-"
Ron was looking between the two of them, obviously confused. But he watched it play out with a closed mouth. "It's him," Harry said, reaching out and grabbing her arm when she swayed precariously. "I saw it. Voldemort's got him, in the Department of Mysteries and he's torturing him. I don't know how long he can hold out- the Ministry is empty, and Voldemort said they had hours before anyone would come to hear him scream-" he winced and stopped when he saw the look on Hermione's face.
Hermione blanched further. "We don't know for sure," she said firmly, as if trying to convince herself it was true. "We have to check with him."
"Who's him?" Ron asked suddenly, tired of being an outsider to thon. "Is it that mystery guy you've been seeing, Mione?"
She ignored him, reaching into her robe pocket for the mirror. "Sirius Black," she said confidently, ignoring Ron's strangled expression of surprise. When nothing happened, a hint of panic spread on her features. "It takes a minute for him to answer, sometimes," Hermione said unsteadily, clutching the mirror. "Sirius Black! Sirius Black! Sirius, pick up, goddamnit!"
But the mirror remained resolutely clear, no dark haired Marauder appearing from within. "Hermione-" Harry started- heart beginning to pound again. "Maybe he's just-"
"Sirius Black!" she screamed at the mirror. "Please, Sirius, please!" Harry walked up to her, wrapping his arms around the sobbing girl. "He's going to answer, he is!"
Ron opened his mouth, but Harry shot him a warning look over Hermione's head. "I think Voldemort has him," Harry said, squeezing her tightly. "We need to get to the Ministry."
"No!" Hermione said, pulling herself out of Harry's grasp. "We can't be sure. How could Voldemort have gotten to Sirius? He hasn't left that damn house since January! And why would he want Sirius to retrieve the weapon? And how can Voldemort walk into the bloody Ministry when it is full of Aurors? How could Sirius for that matter? They're two of the most wanted men in Britain!"
"Sirius might've cracked and wanted some fresh air-" Ron said worriedly.
Hermione cut him off. "No, he would've told me," she snapped.
"Sirius' brother was a Death Eater!" Ron said in hushed voice. "Maybe he told Sirius the secret of how to get the weapon, and-"
"Neither of you are making any sense!" Hermione almost screamed. Her hair was coming lose from her braid, and her cheek were red from the exertion. "We have no proof!" It cannot be true. Sirius cannot be in the hands of that- that- that monster!
Harry approached her like he would a frightened animal. "I saw it, Hermione. Sirius is in trouble and every moment we waste is another moment when he's in pain-"
"Don't use my emotions against me like that, Harry," said the girl, a dangerous light coming into her eyes. "Admit it, Harry, you have a- a saving people thing."
She defended her position, eyes flashing. She was prodding his temper, but to Harry's credit the most he did was snap at her.
"He's my godfather, Hermione!" he said, exasperated. "He's the closest thing I have to a father, and right now I'm arguing with you instead of going to save him!"
"I'm his lover," Hermione said brokenly. "And I'm doing everything in my power to stop from breaking down and to do that, I need to convince myself that we are not going to run into a trap because I am so in love I ignore the gaping holes in our reasoning."
Ron had been watching the entire argument with a closed mouth. But Hermione's last statement was too much for him- his face had been growing steadily redder, and the ginger was about to explode. "What is going on here?" he yelled, finally. Hermione winced away from him, almost walking into the opening door.
Ginny poked her head in the room, then walked in, followed by Luna. The blonde girl looked, as usual, as if she had just wandered in by accident.
"We recognized Ron's voice," Ginny said warily. "What's going on?"
Hermione glanced at Harry and Ron, then squared her shoulders. "We are going to use Umbridge's Floo connection to find out if Sirius has been captured by Voldemort."
June 18, 1996
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Forbidden Forest
"And these?" asked the grey, hard-faced centaur that was holding Hermione. Her pulse was pounding in her ears, heart beating faster than was healthy. Sirius was in danger, he was being tortured. I am coming, my love.
She could see a large centaur, obviously a leader by the way the others treated him, step behind the one that held Harry. "They are young," he said in a slow, doleful voice. "We do not attack foals."
"They brought her here, Ronan," said the one that held Harry. "And they are not so young. He is nearing manhood, this one."
"And this girl is no maiden," her centaur sneered. Harry blushed. "She has the carnal knowledge of male and female. And the stink of time magicks is upon her."
The situation slid from bad to worse, until Grawp intervened. Hermione felt the tears of desperation roll down her face; she wanted to scream in protest, rip her hair out from the roots, hurt the being, the force, the goddamned chain of events that was keeping her from Sirius.
June 18, 1996
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Forbidden Forest
"It's your choice," Harry snapped at Neville, Ginny, and Luna. The toll of knowing his godfather was being tortured was wearing on him. "But unless we find more thestrals you're not going to be able-"
"They're going to come," Ginny said confidently, staring at the trees with the plain impression that there was an invisible winged horse standing between her and the greenery. "If you haven't noticed, you and Hermione are covered in blood and Hagrid attracts them with raw meat." It was true- Hermione's robes were splattered with blood, blood that was being lapped up by the closest thestral.
"Okay, then," Harry said turning to Hermione. "Ron and I will take these two and go ahead, and Hermione can stay here with you three and she'll attract more thestrals-"
He was silenced by the look Hermione was giving him. "If you think that I will stay behind while two boys who are incapable of even staying awake in History class go to find Sirius-"
Ginny winced and Neville's fear suddenly became more pronounced on his face. Ron looked embarrassed, but Harry looked furious.
"There's no need for anyone to stay behind," Luna said in her dreamy voice. "Here come more now… you two must really smell."
"Alright," Harry said angrily. "Pick one and get on, then."
June 18, 1996
Somewhere in England
Sky
It was the most disorienting sensation Hermione had ever felt- racing at breakneck speed through the rapidly darkening sky on a steed she couldn't even see. It was just a damp flank between her legs and a few coarse hairs from the beast's mane whipping her face.
As they drew near and nearer to the Ministry of Magic, Hermione's mind wandered along all the dangerous paths the adrenaline and terror had stopped it from going before. Sirius, lying in a pool of blood. Dying slowly. Face clenched in pain. She could imagine that face so well- the grimace of pleasure she loved so well twisted a step further into agony.
They had to make it in time.
June 18, 1996
Ministry of Magic
Atrium
"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening," said the cool woman's voice, pleasantly distant. Hermione hardly paid any attention- the Ministry was deserted. The sense of unease that had been growing hit her empty stomach with a clenching cramp and she was glad she hadn't eaten anything since lunch.
The six of them tore passed the golden fountain, to the lifts. The jittery rattle of noise when the lift descended and when it moved made Hermione jumpy- surely, if there was someone else left in the building then the would have heard them! Why wasn't anyone coming to see why a lift was operating in the early hours of the night?
The lift stopped with a jarring suddenness that jolted Hermione out of her thoughts. The expression on Harry's face told her that this was familiar territory to him.
June 18, 1996
Ministry of Magic
Department of Mysteries
She was proven right by the way Harry moved effortlessly though the hall, almost confidently stepping into the center of the next room they entered. It was lit with an eerie blue glow, a circular room with numerous identical black doors lining the walls with nothing to tell them apart.
The room spun with a dizzying speed that made Hermione's head hurt. So much was wrong about this situation. Too much. She realized with a small, sharp spike of panic that they didn't know how to get out. Their escape route had disappeared in a whirl of blue light and black doors.
The first room they checked was an office, with a tank full of squirmy white things floating in deep green water. With a flood of disgust, Hermione recognized them as brains and pointed it out to the others. They left that room in a hurry, but Hermione stopped Luna from closing the door.
"Wait," she said quietly, laying a hand on the scared blonde girl. She had felt that fear many times, but she found that now it was draining away, replaced with a desperate need to find Sirius. "Flagrante!" With satisfaction, Hermione watched at a large X appeared in the door, still there when the moving walls slowed.
They opened another door, one that sent a deep ripple of dread down her spine. The room was empty, but she could feel the death and the evil that lingered in it. In the center of the room was a crumbling archway that appeared to be defying gravity by standing upright. A tattered curtain hung from the archway, black and fluttering in an unfelt breeze.
"Let's go," she called out suddenly, flight reflex triggering. "This isn't right, Harry, come on, let's go…" the terror was leaking through to her voice. The other teenagers were looking at her curiously. "Harry! Let's go!"
"Okay," Harry said, as if in a haze. "What are you saying?" he shouted suddenly, and Hermione winced. She had a feeling that somewhere, somebody had heard.
"Nobody's talking, Harry!" She had to grab him and pull him away when he and Luna started talking about people being trapped in there. They were wasting time!
"We're here for Sirius, Harry!" she pleaded finally. "Help me!" That brought him back to his senses, and they left the room. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she marked a cross on the door, closing it for good. There was too much bad there.
The next room they tried was locked; Harry ruined Sirius' very expensive and handy gift by trying to break through the powerful ward magicks on the door. She sighed, marking that one and stepping back to allow the room to spin again.
She snapped at Luna, then felt bad about it instantly. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Luna shook her head. "I know you didn't mean it, Hermione," she said in her floaty voice. "You're in love. The sun tides are high. It's understandable."
"This is it!" Harry was staring at the room, illuminated by dancing lights.
June 18, 1996
Department of Mysteries
Time Room
Harry lead them through the Time Room, excitement and dread-filled anticipation growing. He snapped at Ginny for stopping by the hummingbird jar, hurrying them into the Hall of Prophecies. It was too quiet, Hermione realized. If a man was being tortured, they would have heard screams. Or laughter, or at least ragged breathing.
She had to contribute somehow, if only to shake off the presentiment that had settled over her shoulders.. "You said it was row ninety-seven," she whispered. "That's fifty-four."
"Keep your wands out," Harry said softly. They followed him down the long alleys of shelves, closer and closer to the ends, which were shrouded in total darkness. It was an eternity before they found the proper shelf.
They looked down the row, and Hermione felt a cold chill race down her back. It was a trap. "He's right down at the end," Harry insisted, a high trembling note of panic in his voice. "You can't see properly from here, that's all."
He led them forward between the towering rows of glass balls. Some glowed softly as they passed, and Hermione trembled. Sirius wasn't here. She would have known it if he was. By the time they reached the end of the row, she was resolute. She would fight her way out of whatever trap Voldemort had tricked them into and she would find Sirius and-
"Have you seen this?" Ron asked in a worried voice. "It's got your name on it."
Harry reached out his arm to grab the small blue glass sphere, but Hermione grabbed his arm.
"Harry, I don't think you should touch it," Hermione said sharply.
He glared at her. "Why not?" he said. "It's something to do with me, isn't it?"
"Don't, Harry," said Neville suddenly. She didn't even notice- the hairs on the back of her neck had risen, and she thought that maybe she could hear slow breathing and see a ripple of Disillusionment in the air.
Harry looked at them, and with a flash of fear she identified the recklessness on his face. "It's got my name on," he said. It was almost anticlimactic, Hermione thought, as he stared at the little blue ball. She moved in closer, as did the others.
"Very good, Potter," said a cold, drawling voice from behind them. "Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."
DIVERGES COMPLETELY FROM CANON HERE
June 18, 1996
Ministry of Magic
Department of Mysteries
Hermione dived under the desk in the Time Room, heart pounding in her throat. Next to her, Harry and Neville were tucked away under another desk. Neville's eyes were round with fear, and his skin looked uncomfortably clammy. Still, his wand was drawn and his hand did not tremble. Harry, on the other hand, just looked resolute, determined to get them all out alive. Hermione could see the guilt warring in his eyes, and she felt a flood of anger. How could they have been duped into believing Sirius was actually here?
The door flew open, and two hulking Death Eaters entered the room. Hermione aimed carefully at the largest one, catching Harry's eye to let him know her plan. He nodded toward the other Death Eater, and they both shouted at the same time.
"Stupefy!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
One of them had come in a second early- the tall, heavy Death Eater dodged Hermione's curse, whirling to face her. She couldn't see his face, but his eyes were filled with rage. Fighting the urge to cower, Hermione scrabbled from under the desk as his wand trained on her. One hand ripped his mask off, revealing a heavy-jawed man with a five o'clock stubble and a scar over his right eyebrow.
"Avada-" Hermione rolled out of the way and Harry tackled him. He wrestled with Harry for a moment, terrifying Hermione. Harry was so much smaller, so much weaker.
Neville stood shakily, raising his wand. "Expelliarmus!" He shouted weakly, wincing as his spell hit the two fighting wizards, sending both their wands flinging at his head. The Death Eater let out a growl, pushing Harry off his back and lunging for his wand.
Hermione pointed her wand at him, as calmly as she could. "Stupefy," she hissed, sending the Death Eater headfirst into the bell jar holding the egg. "Accio Harry's wand," she said, voice shaking. "Here, Harry. What the hell is happening to him?"
He was growing balder and balder, face losing its rough stubble and hard lines. "He's- he's turning into a baby," Neville whispered, completely shocked.
"We can't stay here-" Hermione said, just as the door to the time room burst open and two Death Eaters ran through. From the open door, Hermione could hear Ginny scream. "Run!" she said instead, grabbing the sleeve of Harry's robes and making for the door.
June 18, 1996
Office
Department of Mysteries
"OI! Over-" one of the Death Eaters shouted, turning Hermione's head. He can't call for more, we barely can defeat two at a time- she thought panicked. "Silencio!" she shouted, quieting him. The other Death Eater turned to her for revenge, only to be Petrified by Harry.
Hermione sunk against the nearest wall. "Harry-" she started to say, before she was yanked down by Neville. A purple flame passed over her head, hitting the wall behind her and leaving a smoking line.
"Stupefy!" Harry shouted, incapacitating the Silenced Death Eater. "You alright, Hermione?"
Was she? Hermione took stock of her body quickly, assessing it. "Yeah," she said, trembling. "I'm alright. Let's try and find Ginny and the others, shall we?" That was the second time I've almost died. I've never seen that curse before- but from the damage it did to the wall, I was in serious danger. Oh, Sirius. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.
June 18, 1996
Number 12, Grimmauld Place
Kitchen
"What do you mean Harry's gone off to the Ministry?" Sirius yelled. "Why the hell would he do that?"
Severus glared at him balefully. "Because he was under the mistaken assumption that you were being held captive there," he spat. "Him and his foolish friends-"
"Friend?" Sirius asked, feeling his stomach roll. "Who. Who's with him, tell me who went with him?"
The rest of the Order watched with bated breath as the two men faced off. Dumbledore was on his way, and had given orders to wait until he arrived before leaving for the Ministry. Tonks was there, as were Kingsley, Lupin, and Moody.
Severus gave an irritated mix between a snarl and a snort. "Lovegood, Weasley, other Weasley, Longbottom, and Granger."
To almost everyone's surprise, Sirius went white. "I'm leaving now," he said, striding toward the door. "They're just kids, they can't fight-"
"Sirius!" Lupin shouted. "Dumbledore told us to wait."
"SCREW DUMBLEDORE!" Sirius shouted. "Hermione is there and the only people she has to defend her is my fifteen year old godson and the Weasley idiot! Augusta can't go two seconds without commenting on Longbottoms lack of magical ability and the other two are fourth years. Either come with me or stay!"
Tonks followed him immediately. Lupin sighed, and rose from his seat. "We'd best go now," he said in a low voice to the two Aurors before him. "He was right. They are just kids and without help they'll have no chance."
June 18, 1996
Center Room
Department of Mysteries
Sealing and marking the door behind them, the three fifth years ran into a hallway, skidding to a stop at the sight of Luna, Ron, and Ginny. Ron was giggling strangely, holding his hand up to the light to examine it. Ginny limped along, holding on to Luna, who had lost her usual dreamy look. Instead, the fifteen year old looked grimly scared, blonde hair flying everywhere. The walls spun, making Hermione a bit dizzy.
"Harry!" Ron exclaimed, giggling weakly, lurching forward to grab Harry's robes and pull him into a half bow. "There you are… Ha ha ha… You look funny, Harry… you're all messed up!" His face was very white, and dark blood was trickling down from the side of his mouth.
"Are you lot alright?" Hermione asked right away, hugging Ginny. "I heard you scream and I was so scared-"
Ginny leaned into the older girl. "My ankle," she said in a strained voice. "It's broken, or at least strained. Hermione- can you…?" Her face was pale as well, drawn from pain and exhausted from running.
"Of course," Hermione reassured her. "A quick healing spell should do the trick. Luna, what happened?" She got to work on Ginny's ankle, listening as Luna reported quickly.
"Four of them chased us into a dark room full of planets, it was a very odd place, some of the time we were just floating in the dark," whispered Luna.
Ron interrupted, letting go of Harry to sit on the floor and giggle. "We saw Uranus up close… get it, Harry? We saw Uranus!" A bubble of blood grew at the corner of Ron's mouth and burst.
Luna glanced at him fearfully. "Anyway, one of them grabbed Ginny's foot, I used the Reductor Curse and blew up Pluto in his face- I heard something crack- I think it was Gin's ankle. I don't know what they hit him with, but he's gone a bit funny, I could hardly get him along at all." Luna tugged on a lock of her pale hair worriedly. "Do you think he's alright?" She asked sadly. "Please- Hermione, can you do something to him?"
Hermione finished with Ginny's ankle, and turned her wand on Ron. "Ronald!" she snapped quickly. "Look at me." What would work? I don't even know what they hit him with!
"You're preeetttyy," Ron giggled, reaching out to touch her face. "Sirius is luuuckyyy."
"Stop that." Hermione batted his hand away. "Sensablilits." He didn't change. "Damn," Hermione muttered. "I thought that would work. It might wear off soon." Neville
They had a one-in-twelve chance of choosing the right door the first time. Hermione didn't like those odds. "We've got to get out of here," Harry whispered harshly. "Ginny, can you walk now?"
Ginny nodded. "Hermione's pretty much fixed it. Can you handle Ron? He seems to be responding to you best."
"Yeah," Harry said, heaving Ron to his feet and starting to drag him to a door. "We just have to choose one. Neville, can you hold-" They were only feet away when a door across the hall flew open, and three Death Eaters sped into the hall, led by Bellatrix Lestrange.
"There they are!" she shrieked, throwing a Stunner across the room, followed by a Killing Curse aimed at Neville.
Harry smashed his way through the door ahead, flinging Ron unceremoniously from him and pushing Ginny and Hermione through. Luna dashed on her own grabbing Neville's hand to pull him away from the door. "Colloportus!" shouted Harry, and Hermione heard the thunk of three bodies slam into the door from the other side.
June 18, 1996
Brain Room
Department of Mysteries
Hermione spun around- they were back in the Brain Room, and, sure enough, there were doors all around the dark walls. Footsteps were echoing from the door behind them- more Death Eaters to attack them.
"We need to seal the doors-" Harry was gasping, tearing across the room to seal doors. "Colloportus! Colloportus!"
Hermione joined him, sealing three before Luna let out a cry and fell back, flying through the air as five Death Eaters burst through the door she was trying to seal. She hit a desk, sliding over its surface to crumple on the floor, still as death.
"Get Potter!" shrieked Bellatrix, running straight for Harry. Her heart was in her throat as Harry just managed to dodge away from her claws, sprinting to the other side of the room.
Ron- Hermione wanted to scream as he got in between Harry and the Death Eaters, giggling and weaving drunkenly. "Hey! Harry! There are brains in here, ha ha ha, isn't that weird, Harry?"
"Get down, Ron!" Hermione shouted, echoing Harry. "Get out of the way, get down-" she dodged to the side, ducking a Bone-Breaker at the same time. "Ron!" Frantic, she cast a shield charm at him, rebounding a curse from one of the Death Eaters.
But Ron had already pointed his wand at the tank. "Honest, Harry, they're brains. Look- Accio Brain!"
The next moments seemed frozen in time, as everyone in the room turned to watch the brain burst from the green liquid like a leaping fish, soaring over their heads. For a second it seemed suspended in midair, and then it attacked room, spinning as it came and unraveling ribbons of moving images like a broken film. Ron reached up to catch it, ignoring the protests from Harry and Hermione and Ginny.
It started to wrap around him, squeezing him like an octopus- the tendrils pulling tighter and tighter as Ron screamed. "Diffindo!" yelled Harry, ineffectively.
"It'll strangle him, Harry!" Ginny screamed, running toward her brother. One of the Death Eaters snapped out of his haze, felling her with a single Stunner. It was her, Harry, and Neville. And Ron, but he was currently fighting the brain.
"Releashio!" Hermione shouted, sending the brain flying across the room. "Stupefy!" She hoped the Stunning Ron was the right thing to do- it seemed that the Death Eaters were ignoring the children already incapacitated and focusing on the fighting ones.
Neville sent two or three Stunners in the general direction of the Death Eaters- one nearly hit a tall masked one and Hermione could have cheered for the pudgy boy. Instead, she ducked a stream of silver arrows that left craters in the walls and ran after Harry and Neville. She knew where she was the instant they crossed the threshold- the Death Chamber.
June 18, 1996
Death Chamber
Department of Mysteries
Bellatrix had her wand trained on Neville. "No, no, no," she cooed, eyes alight with mad cruelty. "No, let's see how long Longbottom lasts before he cracks like his parents… Unless Potter wants to give us the prophecy-"
"DON'T GIVE IT TO THEM!" roared Neville, struggling desperately against the bear-like Death Eater who had him in a death grip. "DON'T YOU GIVE IT THEM, HARRY!"
Bellatrix raised her wand, a merciless smile etched on her face. "Cru-"
"Stop!" Hermione yelled, struggling against her own Death Eater. "Wait!" Her mind struggled for an option, staring right at Bellatrix, who looked outraged at being interrupted.
She swooped at Hermione, drawing her long dark wand up Hermione's throat to her chin. "And who are you to order me to stop?" Bellatrix asked smoothly, voice dangerously low. "Answer me!"
Hermione took a shaky breath. "Hermione Granger," she said clearly. "Muggleborn, if it pleases you." I'm going to regret doing this. She spat in Bellatrix's face.
Harry and Neville both gaped at her. "Hermione, are you nuts-" Harry started.
"Don't do that, Hermione!" Neville shouted. "No!"
"Crucio!" Bellatrix screamed, eyes burning with rage. "Mudblood bitch!" Hermione's screams echoed around the room.
June 18, 1996
Department of Mysteries
Ministry of Magic
"Which bloody door?" Sirius asked impatiently. "Remus-"
"Wait-" the werewolf said, raising his head quickly. "I hear screams. This door." He ran to a door on their right, pulling it open. Immediately, the others could hear high pitched screams of agony. They stopped suddenly.
Sirius didn't wait for anybody, running through the door, pausing at the sight of three crumpled bodies. "Ron, Ginny, and Lovegood!" he shouted back. "Unconscious, by the look of things." There were three girls. Two of them are unconscious here, which means the one who screamed was-
"They're fine!" he shouted, balking at the sight of the many, many doors in the room. "Remus! Which one?" He knew he must look like a mad man- he felt like one.
Remus cocked his head to the doors, turning around the room. "This one!" he said, blasting it open.
June 18, 1996
Death Chamber
Department of Mysteries
The pain. It ravaged her nerves, erasing every pleasurable sensation Sirius had ever drawn from her skin. Her brain was swelling- she could feel it pressing against her skull, about to pop, leaking blood from her ears. Her tongue was swallowing itself, her teeth were throbbing in her mouth, her eyes were pulling away from her head. It felt like her insides were erupting with needles and twisting around each other, like her bones were pulling free of her muscles and joints to crack into hundreds of pointy pieces, like her heart was going to give up and force its way through her ribcage and past her dying lungs.
And then it was over, and she was panting in the arms of the Death Eater holding her. Hermione's skin still prickled, and her entire body ached terribly. She hung limp, and would have fallen if the man behind her hadn't had such a grip on her.
"Did you like seeing your little Mudblood tortured, Potter?" Bellatrix purred. "Does widdle Potter think awall his dweams awre twue?" She straightened in a moment, pressing her wand against Hermione's throat. It burned for a moment, and Hermione could feel blood trickling down to stain her robes. "Give me the prophecy, Potter."
Hermione groaned, opening her eyes to stare at Harry. "In the grand scheme of things, Harry," she said harshly, "I am not important. You are. That prophecy is. Tell Sirius I love him." She closed her eyes, tilting her head back to glare at Bellatrix.
"Tell him yourself, love," Sirius yelled, running into the room. "Hello, cousin dearest. Get the hell away from my fiancée before I blow your head off." He rattled off a string of curses, sending spell after spell at his cousin.
Hermione slumped back in relief. It would be alright now. She flung her head back suddenly, catching the Death Eater in the chin and mouth. She gave a moment to thank her hair- it might have been more painful if the thick mat of curls hadn't been there.
In an instant, Neville and Harry were at her side, cursing her Death Eater and helping her up and away from the fighting. Tonks had taken over Bellatrix for Sirius, giving him leave to battle with a masked Death Eater. Kingsley was up against two Death Eaters at once, and next to him Remus was casually defeating another, clumsier man. Moody, on the other hand, was breathing hard, fighting furiously with Dolohov, who was maskless.
"Come on, Hermione," Harry was urging her, holding her up with the hand not holding the prophecy. "You stupid, selfless girl, come on!"
She stumbled after him, holding on to Neville. Sirius defeated his Death Eater with a triumphant yell, whirling to take Dolohov from a fallen Moody. Dolohov rammed into Neville from behind, sending the tall boy skittering against the smooth floor. "Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione shouted, feeling her magic soar through her wand to soundly impact on the solid man. "That's for trying to kill me," she muttered.
"Thanks, love," shouted Sirius across the chaos of the hall. "Appreciate it!" He winked at her, then turned to battle Bellatrix, who had just sent Tonks flying across the room.
She smiled after him. "You can let me go now, Harry," she said to the boy next to her. "I'm alright. You know how it is- it goes away."
"Right-" said Harry, flushing a bit. "You and Neville go back to the Brain Room and see if you can help Luna and Ron, I'll-" He ducked, then sent a spell in a masked Death Eater's direction. "Go!"
Hermione ran to the door, stopping to throw a few spells at the Death Eater approaching Tonks. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry and a head of white-blonde. She cursed, pivoting on one foot to run and help him.
"Give me the prophecy!" Lucius Malfoy hissed, blond hair askew. "The Dark Lord-"
Harry laughed at him. "You can't hurt me while I hold the prophecy." He tossed it in the air a few times, watching Malfoy's face. "If I dropped it…"
The blanching of the aristocrat's face was enough. Hermione spoke up. "He would kill you," she said quietly. "Why do you want a life like this?"
He reached for her but Harry held up a hand. "Not going to happen, Malfoy. If you touch a hair on her head, I drop this."
"I don't care anymore!" yelled Lucius, lunging for Harry. Harry tossed the dusty blue glass ball to Hermione, dodging Malfoy. She caught it neatly, smirking at Malfoy.
Then she heard Bellatrix shriek at the top of her lungs, "Avada-" and she dropped the prophecy.
Sirius looked over his shoulder, swearing when he saw the confrontation between Malfoy, Harry, and Hermione. Bellatrix bore down on him, grinning insanely. "Your standards have fallen, cousin," she said, real anger in her voice. "Playing around with a Mudblood girl!" Two quick slashes of her wand had him dodging flames.
"Watch your vocabulary, cousin," Sirius retaliated, glancing back at Hermione and Lucius. He needed to be near her. He needed to protect her. The pull toward her was stronger than anything he had ever known. "I happen to be in love with her." He smirked, knowing it would enrage her even further. "And since dear Cissy's husband seems to be harassing her, I need to go. Stupefy!" The red jet of light flew under her arm, and the Stunner she had planned to send at him hit the ceiling. Another glance behind him revealed he was too close to the Execution Arch.
He ducked around to the other side, hoping Bellatrix wouldn't know what it was. "Come and get me, Bella!" he shouted, poised and ready. "I'm waiting!"
But she knew the properties of the Arch. "Nice try, blood traitor," she hissed. "Avada-"
"Stupefy," Hermione shouted from across the room, twisting half around to send the curse speeding to Bellatrix's back. "Sirius!"
He jumped out from behind the Arch. "I'm alright, love," he called back. He saw the remnants of the glass ball at her feet, glancing up to meet her eyes. He was bounding down the steps toward her when he saw Malfoy bring his wand down violently.
"Crucio!" screamed Malfoy violently, rage twisting his normally handsome features. Hermione screamed and writhed on the ground, blood leaking from the cut on her throat.
Sirius crossed the room in two leaps, cutting down the only other person in his way. With a satisfying twinge in his hand, he punched Malfoy as hard as he could in his perfect, aristocratic nose. Malfoy fell, aided by Harry's Stunner and Sirius bent to cradle Hermione.
The doors banged open, and Dumbledore appeared in a blaze of glory, stopping all the fighting with his presence. With a grand sweep of his arm, all the Death Eaters were roped into the center of the room, bound with a rope of pure magic. Behind him, unnoticed, Harry slipped into the Brain Room.
"Harry!" Sirius shouted, torn between the girl in his arms and his godson. "Harry-" he looked down at Hermione helplessly.
Hermione smiled up at him, lifting a hand to caress his cheek. "Go, Sirius," she whispered. "I'm okay."
So… Crisis averted. Canon has left us for good. I'll prolly do a one shot where Sirius dies and Hermione mourns, just to please my lone reviewer who asked me to kill Sirius to keep it in canon. That one will be dedicated to you. :) Also, thanks to paulaa90 for her consistent long reviews, and to ladygoddess8 for her supportive review.
I know that this is unlikely, but if anyone has drawn anything cool for this story, and wouldn't mind having your artwork feature as the cover for the story, let me know. Leave a note in your review, and your email, and I'll contact you.
If you read French, go check out my (not as insane as Bellatrix) cousin's story, under my fav's or GwenSG.
Tell me what you think. I spent FOREVER rewriting this chapter. I'm not good at violence. And I felt my descriptions sucked, but I swear, the next chapter will be gooey. Scout's honor.
If anyone is interested in my life, I am facing a 40 hour road trip. In a tiny car. With my parents. And my little brother. I need reviews to keep me somewhat sane. I'm begging here.
And if I went and spared Sirius and none of you review, I'm going to be pissy. So review. Thank the author.