It was not soon after the initial plan was formed that the heist was set to take place. As April drew to a close, the day finally came that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were to break into Gringotts.
Hermione woke up on that particular Saturday morning feeling as if there was something heavy rolling over in the pit of her stomach. She knew that it was silly not to tell Remus or Ginny about it, but she and the boys had agreed that they didn't want anyone else to be put in danger with this. In the back of her mind, Hermione also worried that Remus would try to shut the whole operation down if she ever told him.
Therefore, Hermione and the boys had agreed that it would be smartest if she simply snuck out that night when Remus was sleeping, leaving him an ambiguous note so that he didn't completely freak out. She nervously went through her day, preparing for all the possible outcomes of the evening. One of the biggest challenges that had loomed while planning the evening was how they were actually going to get into the vault. With Griphook's help, they had hatched a complex plan, but this plan just happened to require Polyjuice Potion.
Hermione felt extremely guilty for what she had done in order to get the potion. Breaking into Snape's stores in her second year was something she'd always felt conflicted about, yet here she was, doing the same thing again. It's for the greater good, was the mantra she repeated the whole way through.
Finally, the evening came. Hermione and Remus had a quiet afternoon in which she studied and he graded papers in front of the fireplace. Soon enough, he wandered off to bed. Hermione waited patiently for him to fall asleep, relieved when she heard the steady, even breathing.
She climbed out of bed, put her robes on, and then wrote her note.
Remus,
I don't expect you to have to read this because I should be back before you wake up, but just in case: please don't worry about me.
Hermione
She considered confessing her undying love for him in case she didn't make it back but decided that it was a bit premature for that.
The castle was quiet in the dead of the night. It was very late, but luckily Gringotts always had one or two Goblins on duty at night. This was why they'd chosen to do this at night; there would be very little security at the bank.
Hermione was glad that there were no patrolling prefects or teachers around to catch her leaving the school. The last thing she needed was to be discovered by Draco Malfoy or Pansy Parkinson or someone equally as terrible.
She took the passageway out of the castle that led to Honeydukes. It was the same passage that Harry and Ron had used to leave the castle so long ago. Hermione felt eerily unsettled the whole time she was traveling through the dark tunnel, pinning it on the fact that she was somewhat claustrophobic.
Once she'd arrived in Honeydukes, she tiptoed her way to the exit, unlocked the door, and slipped outside. She'd arranged with Harry and Ron to meet her in the small alley behind Honeydukes. She proceeded to the alley quietly, and was surprised to find that it was empty. The boys should have already arrived…
Suddenly, she saw a rift in the space in front of her as an invisibility cloak was shed onto the ground. Harry and Ron stood before her, smiles on both of their faces. Hermione rushed forward and engulfed them in a rib-crushing hug.
"It's been so long," she murmured into Harry's shoulder, trying to fight back tears. "I can't tell you how glad I am that you're both okay."
Lifting her head for a moment, she inspected the pair of them closely. Harry's bruises and cuts had been healed, and Ron looked to be in a mediocre state. Despite the improvements, they both looked tired and dirty. "You look two look like you haven't bathed in weeks." She crinkled her nose.
"We're glad to see you too, Hermione," Ron chuckled.
"Of course we are," Harry affirmed, smiling lightly, "But you know, I think this isn't the best place for a reunion. We've got to get going."
She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Let's go."
Griphook was to travel with them. He had refused to enter Hogsmeade (it wasn't much of a place for Goblins to venture to) and had therefore waited just on the outskirts of the village. From there, Hermione took the Polyjuice Potion (with a hair Ron had acquired from Bellatrix) and Ron was Glamoured. Harry and Griphook were to wear the invisibility cloak the whole time. After everyone was accounted for, they Apparated to Diagon Alley. If all went smoothly, this would be over before they knew it.
In the end, riding the dragon out of there had been the only option that Hermione could see. There really was no other choice, and the boys knew it. If it came down to it, flying – especially on a dragon – was the last thing in the world Hermione Granger ever wanted to do.
But alas, here they were, breaking through the ceiling of Gringotts and ascending to the clouds all the while clutching the scales and spikes of a dragon.
"Do you have it?" Hermione yelled to Harry, hoping that he could hear her over all the noise and rushing air.
He nodded, displaying the golden cup that he had bound to himself. She let out a sigh of relief. Even though things had not gone according to plan, they'd made it out alive and with the Horcrux that they came for.
The vault had been easy enough to infiltrate. Hermione managed to convince the goblins that she was Bellatrix Lestrange (with a little help of the Imperius curse on Harry's part). However, they hadn't anticipated coming across a colossal waterfall that removed all the enchantments they had placed on themselves. Nevertheless, they continued once the cart had dumped them below the waterfall and made it past the menacing dragon that guarded the vaults.
Inside Bellatrix's vault, the situation dissolved into havoc. All items within the vault had been charmed to multiply and burn at the touch. Hermione, Harry, and Ron all suffered burns from the scathing hot gold. She was quite sure that there were now several welts developing on her exposed skin. Despite all of this, Harry located and retrieved the Horcrux.
It was then that Griphook decided to enact his betrayal. He was quick to notify the whole bank that there were thieves in the Lestrange vault. Because of this, Hermione, Ron, and Harry had been forced to make their quick escape on the back of the dragon.
The sun had already risen. Hermione managed to cast a tempus while still on the Dragon's back and saw that it was nearly seven in the morning. She had no doubt that Remus was awake and worrying about her.
"I really think we need to get off of this thing," Harry yelled warily. Hermione looked down, noting that the expanse of water beneath them was getting further and further away as they climbed into the clouds.
"We have to Apparate!" she said, reaching out to grab the hands of both Harry and Ron.
"On a dragon?" Ron yelled, his voice high and hoarse.
She nodded, not giving the boys much time to push away from her before she twisted and pulled them away, picturing the outskirts of Hogsmeade clearly in her mind.
All three of them fell to the ground upon arrival. Hermione quickly sat up and looked the boys over before checking herself. Splinching was not an option right now, but she'd taken a fairly big risk by Apparating while moving through the air at such a high speed.
Everyone seemed to be in one piece, and Harry still had the horcrux, which was now clenched firmly in his hand. Hermione was sure that the noise of Aparation was bound to attract some sort of attention. They had to get to safety quickly.
"We need to get into the school," Harry said.
She nodded in agreement, standing up from the ground and looking around. The backs and roofs of a couple of shops were visible through the trees, but there weren't too many people around. They could easily sneak back in through Honeydukes as long as Harry and Ron used the cloak. "We'll go to the Room of Requirement," she stated, knowing that this was the safest place for the boys to hide.
Harry and Ron agreed, putting on the Invisibility Cloak and following as she made her way through Hogsmeade, into Honeydukes. It didn't take much time until they had snuck into the passageway and began to make their way inside the school.
She walked through the halls, unable to see them but knowing that they were close behind her. There were few students out and about, most of them wanting to sleep in on a weekend morning. Once Harry and Ron were safely in the Room of Requirement, she told them that she had to go find Remus.
"Why? We need to destroy this now," Ron relented urgently.
"It can wait, Ronald," she stepped back towards the exit, "But I know Remus is worried sick and I don't want him to go off telling everyone that I've run away." She tried not to show too much to them about her feelings towards Remus. "Besides," she added, "we do need something to destroy it with." She left without another moment's hesitation, moving through the corridors at a brisk pace until she'd arrived near the DADA classroom.
Remus was inside their rooms, staring out the window at the Black Lake. He whisked around when she entered, and the first thing she realized was that he looked tense and miserable. She instantly felt terrible for leaving and for not explaining in more detail.
"Where the hell did you go?" His face turned into one of anger. He proceeded to stalk forward until he was only feet away from her. His eyes moved down her body, examining the transfigured robes she was wearing and the various burn marks that she'd received from the cursed objects in Bellatrix's vault. She was sure that she looked like a sweating mess as well. "What happened to you?"
She offered him a small smile. "We broke into Gingotts… got another Horcrux."
He paled, searching her face for any indication that this was not the truth. She nodded at his disbelief. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, but Harry, Ron, and I had to do this alone. I knew that you wouldn't have willingly let me go if I told you, but I had to."
Remus didn't say anything for a long time. He simply gazed at her with an unreadable expression. She thought he would yell more, but he didn't. Instead, he took another step forward and drew her into a hug. She found herself inhaling his familiar scent. With her nose pressed against his collarbone and her arms grabbing slight handfuls of the back of his shirt, she considered how terribly important he was to her.
"Can I see them?" he asked hopefully.
She furrowed her brow, but then realized that he was talking about Harry and Ron. "Of course. Let's go to the Room of Requirement."
After Hermione had retrieved the Basilisk fang that she'd kept in her sock drawer, the pair proceeded to leave the privacy of their rooms and enter the corridor. Halfway there, Hermione and Remus stopped by the Gryffindor common room so that they could fetch Ginny. She figured that Ginny ought to be one of the first to know that Harry and Ron were in the school.
"What's going on?" Ginny asked while Hermione pulled her out of the portrait and into the corridor. Remus was waiting outside, and Ginny looked even more puzzled at the sight of him.
"I'll explain when we get there," Hermione muttered, starting away from the Fat Lady's portrait. Ginny reluctantly fell into stride beside her and Remus.
The trio garnered a few interesting looks from passing students, but aside from this, all was well in their journey to the Room of Requirement. Ginny realized where they were when Hermione stopped and begun to pace back and forth. However, she still looked very curious about why they needed to go into the Room of Requirement so badly.
Inside the room, Harry and Ron were standing side-by-side, looking down at Hufflepuff's Cup, which sat on the ground in the middle of a circle that had been cleared of debris. Both of the boys looked up when the door creaked open. However, before they could react, Ginny was already barreling towards them, engulfing both in a hug very similar to the one Hermione had given them so early that morning.
After Ginny had a few moments to fully greet the boys, Remus moved in, very happy to see them as well. Hermione had known that he'd been just as worried as her after they'd been captured and brought to Malfoy Manor. If Ginny had known, she probably would have been even more worried for them. She had a tendency to act like her mother in that way.
Once everyone was greeted, Ginny and Remus both started asking questions. Hermione looked to the boys, and Harry began to explain all that had happened in cringe-worthy detail. By the end of the story, both Ginny and Remus looked shocked.
"That's-" Remus paused, rubbing his forehead, "That's incredibly dangerous." Hermione didn't know what he was referencing, but she figured that danger could be associated with every single aspect of the night they'd gone through.
"I can't believe you all did this," Ginny exclaimed angrily. The redhead moved to stand beside Remus, crossing her arms with a huff. Remus nodded in agreement. If not for the intensity of the situation, Hermione was sure that she would have found it very funny to see the two of them teaming up like this.
"And you didn't even think to bring be along!" Ginny added highly. Remus' nodding stopped, and he whirled around to give Ginny a look of disbelief. Now Harry and Ron both chuckled quietly.
"It was easiest with just the three of us," Hermione explained uselessly. She knew that Ginny and Remus would still remain irritated, no matter what she said. To be honest, they had a right to be angry.
"And far more dangerous," Remus noted in his professor voice.
"Look," Harry stepped forward, "We'll have plenty of time to argue about this later, but right now we really need to destroy this Horcrux and move onto the next one."
"The next one?" Ginny furrowed her brow, "You know where it is?"
"Not exactly." Harry explained. "It's somewhere in the school, and I think it may be something to do with Ravenclaw, but that's all we know."
Ginny nodded, and silence fell as all eyes dropped to the Horcrux. It sat on the ground ominously. Hermione retrieved the Basilisk Fang from her robes and handed it to Harry so he could do the honors. Harry wielded the fang strongly. Hermione, Ginny, and Remus all took a step back, remembering what had happened when Remus had tried to destroy Slytherin's Locket. Hermione shuddered at the memory. Ron belatedly followed their lead in stepping back, and Harry raised the fang, perching to bring it down on the cup.
There was a loud crashing noise as the fang collided with the Horcrux and the destroyed cup skirted across the room. Hermione was surprised by the lack of resistive magic, though she'd been theorizing for a while that Harry's connection to Voldemort would allow him to get closer to the Horcruxes with less resistance. Upon closer inspection, she found that the cup looked completely destroyed. They'd done it.
The tension left the room. Hermione smiled at Ginny, Ron, and Remus happily. When she turned back to look at Harry, she was surprised to see her bespectacled friend collapse to the ground.
He howled in pain, clutching his forehead and grimacing. After a second or two, he stiffened, his body shaken only by slight tremors and jerking movements. Ginny rushed forward, falling to his side and desperately trying to rouse him or figure out what was wrong.
"It's Voldemort," Hermione said as the realization hit her, recognizing the signs of an open connection. "There's nothing we can do, Ginny, not until it's over."
Ginny didn't listen, because Harry was still shuddering on the ground. If Hermione didn't know better, she'd think that he was having a seizure. She glanced at Ron and Remus. They both looked extremely distraught.
After at least a minute of this, Harry's fit ended. He stilled. Ginny shook him, calling out his name until his eyes opened. He sat up, breathing heavily. His eyes were wide and frantic.
Now Hermione stepped forward and fell to his side as well. "What is it, Harry?" she asked, "What did you see?"
"Voldemort knows," Harry panted out. "He knows that we're destroying the Horcruxes and he's coming to Hogwarts."
Author's note: So that's it. The beginning of the end. We've only got a few more chapters left. Review and let me know what you think!
Coming up next: Voldemort's forces arrive at Hogwarts and the battle ensues.