Hermione was already moving, understanding what was happening before it revealed itself. There was mass chaos around her however and a hand shot out and grabbed her. She tugged away and turned her wand on it, unable to remove herself from her instincts. Remus' eyes were wide and he instantly put her hands up.

"Whoa, Hermione. I'm sorry. We have to get out of here." Hermione's heart was beating fast. She knew that he could hear it but she was straining her ears to hear what was going on around her, trying to make out something other than the panicked screams of the younger kids. People were running around. Some were falling but there were people coming in through the Great Hall doors.

"What is going on?" Alice asked, coming to stand beside her. She was hyper alert – wishing she had pants on. Making up her mind quickly she turned and in the darkness reached out.

"Who is near me right now?" she demanded, voice leaving absolutely no room for argument.

"Remus."

"Alice."

"Frank."

"James."

"Lily."

"Pete."

Everyone said their names quickly and she nodded, wondering where Sirius and Marlene were but not having the time to really come up with any kind of rescue plan right then.

"Okay, you all need to get out of here. Now. Use the antechamber near the Head table. There's a tapestry in there with a staircase behind it. I don't think it's on your map. Take it up to the seventh floor. Remus bring them into the Room of Requirement." She was met with absolute silence from her friends. "Now. Please do it now."

They didn't move.

"Well, well, well." The room was suddenly flooded with light, the ceiling white in a way she had never seen. Voldemort was there, like she knew he was. She could feel him and he was surrounded by Death Eaters, masks and all. Some of them dressed in their dress robes fresh from the ball. "Don't you all look dashing."

He looked inhuman but not in the way he had the last time she had seen him. He still had his nose for one but his eyes were blood red and hungry. The hands that had killed so many, tore his own soul apart, were spidery and white, fingering his wand delicately. She knew that she should be as inconspicuous as possible but she wanted to rage at him, pull him apart piece by fucking piece.

"What are you doing here, Tom?" Dumbledore asked, sweeping down from the head table. He didn't look surprised that Voldemort just waltzed in through the doors of the school. Hermione was curious if the wards weren't as secure as they were in her time. She wondered if it was this particular incident that increased the security tenfold.

"I heard there was a ball at my alma mater, Headmaster," he started lightly, walking around and looking the students up and down. Nobody was moving. "I was a little offended not to be invited." Dumbledore lifted his wand and sent some sort of spell at him with Voldemort deflected trying to maintain a neutral face. Hermione could see the boiling flaming rage underneath though. That is only because she had battled against him so many times.

"You are not welcome here, Tom." Voldemort opened his mouth in a smile. Hermione had never noticed that his tongue was forked before.

"What about my friends?" his hands swept across the hall indicating those in masks. Hermione knew some of the people who were under those. By process of elimination, it wouldn't be hard for anyone else to figure it out either. Malfoy, Yaxley, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott… Petersen.

"They will all be expelled, I assure you." Some of them stiffened but Voldemort laughed, the Death Eaters that he brought with him joined in. Hermione heard Bellatrix and almost threw up. She looked younger, even with a mask on, but absolutely no less batshit insane. She sauntered over to Regulus who was currently not wearing a mask and ran her finger down his face. He visibly shuddered.

"Understandably, if you can figure out who they are." Then he was quiet and a twisted smile came over his face. "If you don't mind, Death Eaters."

Chaos. Absolute fucking chaos.

Hermione wasn't sure who threw the first curse but there was total and complete mayhem. If she had her choice, she would have ran straight for Bellatrix and solved many of her worlds problems right then and there but she had six people behind her that she had to take care of and at that moment, they were her priority. And keeping a low profile.

Two Death Eaters, ones that weren't students, came towards them and she desperately wanted her friends to leave. She could handle two Death Eaters, it wouldn't be the first time. With a violent shout, she cast a giant shield and started firing some curses at them, some darker than she cared to admit she knew.

"All of you get out of here!" she yelled. Remus was at her side instantly, firing off some spells of his own. He was good, she knew that already.

"We're not leaving you!" he bit out, still shooting off hexes. James and Lily were to her right and the others to her left and back. It was both a comfort and a hindrance to know that they were there. This was the backbone of the original Order but this was also all of the things that she was trying to prevent. If they died right now, she failed even more so than in the future.

"Please, if they die, so does he! Get them out of here, Remus!" she realized that he had no idea what she was talking about but James and Lily needed to go. Needed to go now. Hermione hit one of the Death Eaters and his mask fell off.

"Dolohov." He smirked at her, obviously pleased with himself that his reputation preceded him and she knew what was going to happen before it did. With a wave of her wand she silenced him and watched in horror as he moved his own, a purple light shooting out. "GET DOWN!"

James grabbed Lily by the neckline of her dress and pulled her out of the way. The curse missed her by less than an inch. Hermione let out a sigh of relief but it was short lived. She reached over and grabbed Remus.

"Remus, please. Get Lily and James and go. All of our lives depend on it." He was looking around, ready to continue to curse people. Dumbledore and Voldemort were dueling now in the middle of the Great Hall, attracting many people's attention.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, eyes and ears peeled.

"He won't die – not yet. We have to make sure Lily and James are safe. Get them upstairs. Take Alice and Frank." A shout got their attention.

"I can't be related to you, you crazy twisted bitch!" Sirius and Bellatrix – now mask-less – were fighting and Hermione knew without a doubt that it was to the death. Marlene was next to him, dueling with someone else who was throwing less deadly curses at her, borderline ones but not deadly. Hermione had a feeling she knew who that was.

"Dear cousin, your blood runs as Black and pure as mine does." She was grinning in that maniacal way she did. It made Hermione's skin crawl and without thinking, she threw a stunner spell in that direction – one that caught her because she was too distracted by Sirius.

What the hell.

Bellatrix went down but Voldemort was retreating. He had made his point. He could get into Hogwarts and bring others with him. With a sweep of his wand all his followers went with him – to Hermione's dismay that included the injured and stunned ones. However before he went, he made sure to darken the room to allow the student Death Eaters to blend back in, plausible deniability to allow them to stay in school.

"Until next time," were his final words and then the brightness was gone, the warmth was back, and the candles were aflame once again. Hermione had to let her eyes adjust while she whipped around and took stock of her friends.

Everyone was still standing though others looked more okay than some. Pete was white as a ghost though unharmed. Frank had Alice in his arms, he had a gash on his head and Alice looked to have a black eye somehow. Lily looked fine physically but absolutely furious. It was going to take ages for her to calm down. James was holding onto her, checking her over for injuries and ignoring the giant bleeding wound on his arm and broken glasses. Sirius and Marlene had made their way over to them unhurt.

Remus was staring at her like he had never seen her before in his life.

Hermione sighed. She had a lot of explaining to do.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore made his way over to them. "After we get the rest of the students to bed or hospital wing, I would like to see you in my office." She nodded, figuring something like this was going to happen. "I also think that it's wise you bring your friends. We have quite a bit to explain."