A/N: Chapter 26
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Whenever I type 'own' I always do 'won' instead...perhaps I will somehow win the rights to Harry Potter? Probably not.
Chapter 26 – For Those You Love
Hermione's blood froze and she felt a tingle down her spine as the wolves' howls ceased and became snarls. They backed away from the forest and back in view of the castle doors. It seemed that Fenrir Grayback had done a successful job of infecting as many wizards as possible with lycanthropy. There was a pack of wolves already dispersing turning their heads to find possible victims. She saw one lunge but before it could attack its prey another wolf intercepted it. Hermione recognized him at once.
"It's Lupin, he must not have taken his potion tonight," Hermione whispered to Ron, as they backed away from the fight. Two more werewolves came up behind Lupin, defending the fighters from Fenrir's pack. Lupin's allies, like him, appeared to be in shabby condition. They were thin and scrawny with matted fur and looked like no matched for the burly, well-fed wolves the Death Eaters had recruited. But while those wolves were physically stronger, Lupin's team seemed to have an advantage in terms of speed and strategy.
After his initial defense, Lupin scouted out the wolf Hermione assumed was Fenrir. The other two wolves were backing the rest of the pack away from Fenrir and closer to the banks of the Lake. One of them stumbled, tumbling into the water, but the rest pushed back snapping at their opponents.
"We need to find Harry," Hermione said, finally pulling her eyes away from the wolves. Ron was looking past her, his eyes wide with fear.
"We need to get away from Fenrir and Lupin," he replied, grabbing Hermione and pulling her back to the now deserted Greenhouses. It appeared that everyone saw the werewolves fighting, and had taken refuge inside the castle. Hermione heard snarling close behind her and the beating of paws against the ground. Ron pulled her sharply to the side, dragging her to a ladder at the side of the greenhouse.
They scrambled up it just as Lupin caught up with Fenrir. With a vicious snarl, Fenfrir turned away from them and back to Lupin who clamped his jaws around Fenrir's calf. Hermione pulled herself on top of the slippery glass roof with care, and held on tightly as she peered over the edge to watch Lupin. Ron joined her and they both winced and Fenrir kicked out at Lupin's snout. He proceded to tackled Lupin, scraping his claws along his side, leaving bloody trails behind.
"Remus!" Tonks voice called urgently, Hermione turned and saw Tonks coming up the path, wand at the ready, but unaware of what she was walking into.
"Tonks! Run!" Hermione screamed as Fenrir lunged at her, exposing his sharp teeth in the process. His claws caught her arm tearing out a chunk of flesh, and her wand clattered to the ground and rolled away. Fenrir was just about to bite her when Lupin caught him by throat, sinking his teeth into Fenrir's furry neck. He refused to yield even as Fenrir thrashed about, releasing Tonks, who fell to the ground. Seeing this Hermione started to slide down the greenhouse roof.
"Hermione what are you doing?" Ron asked looking back at her.
"We have to get Tonks and get away now while they're distracted," Hermione said quietly, grabbing hold of the ladder and climbing down as quickly as possible. She ran to Tonks, and checked her pulse and breathing.
"She's alive, but she's losing a lot of blood, we have to get her back to the castle," Hermione whispered. A gurgling noise distracted her for a moment, and she looked up to see blood foaming out of Fenrir's mouth as Lupin continued to grip his throat. Hermione shuddered at the gruesome sight, but helped Ron lift Tonks and get away from the greenhouses. Just as they were entering the castle they heard the cry of a lone wolf and say Lupin run off into the forest.
The Entrance Hall was packed with duelers from in front of the castle who had escaped the wolves' fighting. Hermione and Ron pulled Tonks into a hidden alcove trying to get away from the fighting.
"We have to stop the bleeding," Hermione muttered as she pulled out her wand and attempted to slow the bleeding. After moments of work the blood slowed and Hermione tried, unsuccessfully to mend the chunk missing from her arm.
"Well, at least the bleeding is stopped," Ron said, "Let's wake her up, because we need to find Harry." Hermione nodded and once again pointed her wand at Tonks.
"Enervate." Tonks blinked slowly, and inhaled sharply when she moved her arm. She looked down, and then looked back up taking in her surroundings.
"Where's Remus?" she asked, searching her pockets anxiously, "and my wand? Where is my wand?"
"It is probably back at the greenhouses, you must have dropped it," Ron offered, "And Lupin ran off into the forest so he might be harder to find." Hermione nudged him as Tonks made a beeline for the doors. "What?"
"You shouldn't have told her that! She's still injured, and now she's going to go looking for an uncontrolled werewolf."
"She's an auror, she'll be fine. She's trained for this type of thing," Ron responded, "And I think we should request some sort of training for finding Harry, why can't he just stay put for once?"
They began searching the halls, and it wasn't long before they heard screams of terror "There's a snake in the castle," someone yelled as people began to scatter out of its path.
"Ron, isn't that…?" Hermione trailed off as the Dark Lord's slithering pet slid past them.
"Follow it," Ron whispered, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her in the same direction. The snake moved swiftly, making it difficult to keep up without attracting its attention, but it eventually came to a slow stop near the potions classrooms. The halls here were deserted, but they were not alone, and voices could be heard echoing from the corridor ahead. "Get behind here," Ron hissed, pulling Hermione behind a stone pillar, "It might be Death Eaters."
"Harry I am not leaving!" Ginny snapped at him angrily, and kicked a chair out of her way to emphasize the point. She paced around the empty potions classroom, shoving things out of her way. She could not believe he wanted her to leave. She understood that her mother did not want her there, but Harry knew that she was a capable witch and fighter. She spent the entire year worrying about him, and desperately hopeful that he would return for her. Tears burned her eyes, but she would not cry, and she would not abandon him. "I've already lost Percy, I can't lose you too."
"What about your family?" Harry argued back, almost hating himself for the words coming out of his mouth, "How would they feel if you...didn't make it? Just go home. You'll be safe there. They are all qualified wizards, and you're still underage-"
"Harry James Potter don't you dare tell me I am not qualified to be here! I may be underage, but so were you the first time you fought him. And I would rather die fighting for the people I love, than wait at home useless and worrying," she spun around to face him, his back to the door and faltered. Her heart skipped a beat. Her blood turned to ice. She was frozen in horrification. She couldn't speak, couldn't warn Harry that there was a deadly snake poised to snap at his calf. For a single moment, she was a terrified first year unleashing a Basilisk on her classmates. She raised her wand, there was no time for hesitation now, and whispered the words she never thought she'd have to say, "Avada Kedavra."
Green light flooded the room, and as the snake crumpled to the floor, so did Ginny. All of a sudden, Ron and Hermione bounded into the room. She did not know where they came from, and could not be bothered to ask at the moment. She was a murdered. Deep down, she knew the spell was only unforgivable when used against human beings, but she still felt hollow inside. Harry recovered more quickly than she did, he adjusted his glasses and moved to crouch beside her. She caught a glimpse of his brilliant green eyes, before he took her into his arms. And she knew, she would kill much more than a snake to protect him.
Hermione felt Ron stiffen beside her as Harry embraced Ginny, and decided it was best she intervene. She coughed quietly, and they both looked up startled, like deer caught in a car's headlights. Hermione could have laughed aloud at the innocence of them in comparison to her conflict ridden relationship with Draco.
"Harry, this is his snake right?" Harry looked at the snake again, lying dead on the floor. He would recognize it anywhere, it was easily distinguishable, just like its master.
"Yes, that's Nagini," he spoke the name hesitantly, as if it would reawaken the snake coiled on the floor. Ron seemed to come to his senses then.
"What were you doing in here?" Ron demanded, eyeing them both suspiciously.
"Harry though I was incapable of helping here, and thought I should go home. Considering that I just killed You-Know-Who's snake and stopped it from killing him, I think I've proved myself enough," Ginny responded coolly. She began to leave the room, hesitated and turned back, she pressed her lips against Harry's quickly before turning away again, cheeks as bright as her hair.
Hermione waited silently until Ginny was out of earshot. Harry was smiling for the first time in days, but had to suppress his glee after receiving a particularly hostile glare from Ron. "Would you two please grow up," Hermione teased, her spirits were almost uplifted, "Ginny just killed the snake, the last Horcrux is defeated."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked suddenly looking concerned, "She didn't use Basilisk venom, or any of the other magic needed to defeat one. What if she just killed the snake, but didn't defeat the Horcrux?"
"That's why it's so dangerous to use a living thing," Hermione explained, "The Horcrux is tied to its life source, so it dies with the being that it is sheltered in."
"I hope you're right Hermione," was all he said as they passed the shriveling snake corpse on the floor. Harry stopped suddenly, clutching the door frame for support with one hand, while the other was pressed against his scar so tightly his fingers turned white. He stumbled, losing his grip on the door and almost falling to the floor, but Ron and Hermione caught him and hoisted him towards a nearby chair.
Harry began twitching, and beads of sweat rolled down his face and neck. Then, as quickly as it started it was over. Harry remained motionless on the chair, completely unconscious. Hermione and Ron looked at each other. Ron poked him hesitantly. He did not respond.
"Should we slap him?" Ron asked, "Isn't that what they do in muggle movies?"
"No don't slap him!" Hermione almost laughed, but it did give her an idea. "Sorry Harry," she said quietly before drawing her wand, "Aguamenti." Water splashed onto his face and he sat up abruptly.
"What was that for?" He coughed, choking on the water. Ron handed him a towel to dry off with.
"You were unconscious," Hermione explained, "and clutching your scar." She pasued, then asked, "Dumbledore wanted you to block out these visions, but what did you see?" She refused to admit that they were helpful, not when they had such negative effects of Harry.
"He knows that all the Horcruxes are gone. He had some kind of seizure, I think, and then he stormed around and killed some of his Death Eaters."
"Wait, where was he? In Hogsmeade? The Forest?" Asked Ron eagerly.
"He just found out his Horcruxes are defeated Roanld. Do you really think he would be looking at the scenery?"
"I don't know where he was," Harry answered, "But he was livid."
Ok I put so much effort into this double update, I am now too laze to give you a preview **smiles sheepishly**
But I can tell you there are only two chapters left!