Hermione wished she could close her eyes, it would make it so much easier to focus, but the Full Body Bind hex had frozen her in place. Unable to shout or move Hermione struggled to concentrate. She could hear people gathered just outside the factory; knew Voldemort was just outside.
With renewed urgency Hermione focussed on dissolving the Body Bind hex that immobilised her. A thrumming pressure rippled in her navel. She felt a heat around her hands and head.
While on the run Hermione had become increasingly aware of the magical energy moving through her body. And with trial and error she had slowly gained a small amount of control, being able to perform some magic. She also surmised that the Ministry could not Trace her as an underage witch, as they could when she had a wand.
Hermione had assumed the Ministry officials had confiscated her secret spell book from her house. Without the guidance of the book, Principles of Wand Craft: Secrets Your Enemy Forgot, Hermione wasn't certain what the new phenomenon meant. Was being able to perform wandless magic the ultimate goal? Or was she merely on a path to self-combustion?
Feeling the energy spiralling from her belly to her head, Hermione concentrated on holding one thought in her mind, finite.
Pressure and warmth slowly built in the front of her mind as she focussed; thinking on the word finite with all the strength she could muster. She felt the magical energy grow very hot around her hands, and then it melted away. A shiver ran up her spine and Hermione fell the few inches to the ground, landing as silently as a feather.
At the same time Voldemort's tall, thin frame moved through the doorway. He surveyed the scene with cold, red eyes. "Ah, Bella," he said, with what sounded like pleasure. In front of her Bellatrix squeaked in what Hermione was sure was a love sick way.
From this distance his face was terrifying, his skin was dealthy pale and where his nose should be were serpent-like slits. Hermione knew she was out of time. Making a split second decision Hermione clenched her fist; felt the heat grow in her hand. With satisfaction she heard a grunt from Bellatrix, whose knees suddenly pulled up to her chest, where she floated, suspended in the air for less than a fraction of a second, before shooting towards Voldemort like a cannon ball.
Quick as a snake Voldemort threw his wand out and caught Bellatrix in the air then sent her body flying out of the way. That was all the distraction Hermione needed. Feeling the energy pulse strongly within her, she reached out with it and the platform above Voldemort came crashing down.
Voldemort twisted and was vanished in a swish of robes. Hermione did not miss the significance of the move and with a twist of her own she vanished with a sizzling crackle of blue sparks.
–
Hermione appeared in a shower of sparks in run down room that appeared to be slanting unevenly. She ran to the bed and crawled under the covers, body trembling, panting hard. All she could hear was the blood rushing past her ears.
She had been in this room before with Harry and Ron in their third year. The Shrieking Shack was once used to house Remus Lupin during the full moon when he'd become a werewolf.
Hermione had been using it more and more these past weeks. She knew it wasn't safe but as time wore on she wished more and more to be back at Hogwarts; the only place safe from the terrors seeking her out. Her body was trembling. With effort she forced herself to reflect on everything logically.
She couldn't go to the Burrow, not with Bellatrix, and now Voldemort, after her. Even if she was there only long enough to Floo to Hogwarts, whatever Tracing spell Bellatrix was using would bring them to the Burrow. Cold dread filled her at the thought of what might happen to the Weasleys. She resolved never to go there.
She felt so alone and isolated. The Shrieking Shack was the only place she could come to for rest, being this close to Dumbledore provided some measure of comfort. As if the place cast some kind of spell over her. Anywhere else seemed too far away and unsafe.
Hermione thought back to the night she found her parents dead. She knew that Lucius Malfoy had seen her accidental magical apparate her out of harms way.
She knew Voldemort's first interest in her was to weaken Harry Potter. Kill his friend, cut him off, make him feel alone. Without his friends Harry would be an easier target. Ironic, thought Hermione. In hindsight she couldn't help but wonder how much Dumbledore had anticipated.
She believed Voldemort had issued an order for her capture only after he learned of her wandless ability from Malfoy.
With her being so alone and unprotected she supposed she would be seen as easy pickings. Luck had been on her side tonight, she held no misunderstandings about it. She knew Voldemort would not underestimate her if their paths crossed again.
Hermione trembled uncontrollably, tears wetting her face under the blankets. She had acted with a mixture of instinct and logic tonight. Logic and rational thought, two things that defined her, were of no use when she had to think so quickly. It was just like Harry talked about in their D.A. meetings.
Sobbing, she wondered how Harry dealt with this terror each year. She had more insight now into how brave he really was. He had actually dueled Voldemort the summer before, after seeing a friend murdered. She resolved to trust her instincts more, they had saved her life tonight.
Hermione cringed at how petty she had been to hold a grudge against her friends. With Death Eaters out destroying families; murdering innocents, it seemed ridiculous to hold onto her grudge. She could understand how it looked from her friend's perspective to find her with Draco; flushed, hair ruffled and blouse undone. Their reaction would be expected, she herself was jealous when it came to Ron sometimes. It still hurt her that they had though.
Rolling over she punched her pillow in frustration and considered running up to the castle then and there. But she couldn't, she had been expelled. The Minister for Magic himself had been there when her wand was snapped. Umbridge would likely catch her the moment she stepped foot in Hogwarts.
Her thoughts continued in this fashion until exhaustion eventually overcame her and she fell out of consciousness.
Author's note: Thank you to everyone for sticking with this story of the last five years!