Hermione Granger And The Point Of No Return
Planning & Loneliness
Give me the money that has been spent in war and I will clothe every man, woman,
And child in an attire of which kings and queens will be proud.
I will build a schoolhouse in every valley over the whole earth.
I will crown every hillside with a place of worship consecrated to peace. Charles Sumner
I
hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved
at all.
Alfred Tennyson
Disclaimer – If it was mine, do you really think I'd be in my pyjamas now?
A/N –Swearing, mentions of Murder and death. Mentions of sex. (Proper A/N at bottom)
June soon arrived bringing with it the first of the summer sun and the last of the spring rain; it was in fact the ninth of June and therefore a Sunday evening. Hermione had been busy training her fourth through to seventh years as well as herself. But she couldn't help but feel she was training them to die. From Severus's last meeting he had been able to gather that the battle would start at Midday and they would enter through the forbidden forest, there by choosing the animals in there to take sides. Hogsmead would be attacked by only several deatheaters, just for containment. Apparently Voldemort had three deatheaters for every 'light' person and that wasn't including werewolves, vampires and every other foul beast he had managed to trick into fighting. He had sent Lucius, Bellatrix and her husband on missions to China, South France and America to gain foreign allies. According to Severus they had tried to get the Russians and Spanish in on it but they wanted nothing to do with an English Civil War, and the prospects of the other foreigners joining was very slim. So, all things included, as far as Hermione was concerned, they were screwed.
She wasn't being a pessimist. No, she was being realistic. They didn't have a chance. Not even if they managed to get parents to fight. They would need a miracle.
Hermione sighed, she was sitting at dinner, Severus was at another meeting and the teachers were busy organising how to get all the students to safety. Obviously it didn't occur to them that maybe they should ask the child of the marauders? Harry Potter, maybe? Nope, they continued to try and find an underground passage to Hogsmead. Hermione was therefore the only teacher at the teachers table at the current time. Hermione was sitting the first dinner sitting and Minerva the second.
Soon, however, there were to be no teacher at the teachers table, as Hermione made her way to sit with Harry and Ronald at the Gryffindor table. She ignored their glares as she sat down next to them.
"Harry, I'm sorry we haven't spoken recently, but I really need your help," she glanced around noticing several students trying to eavesdrop. Pulling out her wand she waved it around and thought 'muffliato' she would definitely have to thank Severus for teaching it to her. "Now people can't listen it, I need to tell you something," she paused, "Voldemort is attacking on June 16th, yes a week from today. We've got a plan, but I need you to help us, Ron you as well. Please tell me you will do it?"
"Of course, 'Mione," Ron answered for both of them.
It appeared they had forgiven her for the moment.
"Thank you, can you come to mine and Severus's rooms tonight please, around nine thirty? No teachers will give you detention if you get caught," she waited for their nods off consent and said, "thank you," she gave them a small smile before waving her wand again before turning around and walking out of the room passing Professor McGonagall on the way.
She glanced at her watch, reading the time, seven thirty. Another two hours till she was to meet Harry and Ron as well as the others, of course she wasn't going to tell Harry and Ron that Malfoy, Zabini and other Slytherin's were coming as well. Telling them would result in them hating her even more and thinking her insane, which she probably was. Intrusting the safety of students to three Slytherin's was probably not the wisest move, but they wanted to help and Severus trusted them. So she couldn't really do anything.
Pulling out her wand Hermione tapped it against the humpback witches back and said "disendium" and made her way down to the underground passage that lead to Hogsmead, more specifically to Honeydukes. Lighting her wand she walked down the passage. Pausing every now and then she conjured lanterns and hung them up along the passage before getting to the trap door, she put another lantern there before making her way back down the passage and back to Hogwarts.
The rest of the evening passed quickly and silently. Hermione had broken up a fight near the second floor on the way down back to the dungeons but that had been it. So she was currently sitting in the main room of her and Severus's suite. Severus was absent still; Voldemort had not yet released him. Harry and Ron were due any minute as were Blaise, Draco and Daphne.
A knock jarred her out of her thoughts, opening it Hermione was unsurprised to see Draco, Blaise and Daphne standing there looking worried. However, she was not expecting to see behind them Ron and Harry, Ron supporting a black eye. Moving her eyes over the students again she saw Draco had a cut lip while Blaise nursed burnt robes. Her lip lifted into a part as she smirked slightly before chuckling.
"Come on in then," she moved back and allowed them to enter while motioning them to sit down. Waving her wand once they were in she silenced the room and warded the door. "Okay, that's fifteen points from Slytherin and from Gryffindor for fighting. Don't give me that look Ronald Weasley. Now are any of you seriously hurt?"
Blaise nodded as did Ron and Draco; Hermione glanced at them and said "where?"
Fifteen minutes later Draco's lip was back to normal, Ron's eye was fine and Blaise's burnt torso was all right. Hermione sighed, "Now you've finished beating each other up I have something important I need to tell you. Now you know Voldemort is attacking on the 16th of June at midday. Everyone will be in the great hall taking part in a 'exams' which means it will b easier to get everyone's attention and get order sorted.
"We need to get the younger students to Hogsmead and then portkey or aparate them out. Now seventh years and sixth years can aparate and do side apparition, but that still leaves almost sixty students to portkey out. Now that's where you guys come in.
"Draco, Blaise and Daphne you are excused from classes for tomorrow. You are going to be practicing the route through the humpback witch on the third floor. To get through tap the hump once and say "disendium" it'll give you a passage to Hogsmead, to Honeydukes cellar, I know for a fact you can portkey and aparate out. Next week you will be taking the students all together to Honeydukes. I said seventh and sixth years could aparate but I have a feel most will stay and fight, so you will need a lot of portkeys, teachers will be working on them this week and I will leave them in the passage next Saturday.
"Ron you will be going with them, however you will take a separate portkey and head to the ministry sound the alarms and gather the aurors, Tonks should be there ready to tell them to fight. Then I want you to portkey back and help get the students out. The portkey will not stop working no matter how many times you make the journey. Drop the students in the ministry and then go back for the others. You will arrive in the auror office, tell them get them to Hogsmead, to fight and then go to the minister and tell him. If he won't listen then you are to go straight back to Hogsmead and carry on. Once you've got them all to the ministry I want you to use the floo connections and go to Prince Manor. You are also excused from classes tomorrow.
"Draco and Daphne you will be doing the same thing. However you will be going to different locations. Draco you will be taking some to St Mungo's and Daphne you will be taking them to Prince Manor, Severus's home. The deatheaters won't be able to get in, but I don't think they will try. Don't let them leave the room you arrive in Daphne. And Draco you will arrive in the trauma ward, I imagine some students will have to be given calming droughts.
"Blaise during all this you shall be getting the first years ready to go with Ron, the second years to go with Draco and the third with Daphne. If any additional older students come with you split them up between Ron and Daphne's groups. St Mungo's should be safe but just encase send one extra, if you have a spare, to look after the students. Blaise when the last of the students have left I want you to portkey to Diagon Alley and get the shopkeepers and anyone who will fight to Hogwarts and then use your portkey to go to the ministry and use your influence to get the minister to go to Hogwarts if he already hasn't. After that stay there and wait for about ten minutes before going to Prince Manor. Any questions?"
They stared at her before Draco said, "Why aren't my group going to Prince Manor?"Ha
"Because I am placing my trust in the workers of St Mungo's," she smiled grimly, "okay, you can go," she motioned with her hands and waved her wand while they left Ron casting a final worried look at Harry.
"Harry I have only a few pieces of advice for you. Don't be seen before we can get to Voldemort and don't do anything foolish, now go catch up with Ronald," she smiled and waved him away.
10th June – Monday – Last class of the day
To say the fifth year Defence class was shocked when Hermione turned up almost half an hour late to their one hour lesson class was a understatement. They were actually about to leave when she came flying through the door letting in bang open and hit the wall.
"Okay, sorry I'm late, war things you know?" she smiled darkly at them. She glanced over at the empty seats of Ron, Draco, Blaise and Daphne. "Does anyone know where Mr Weasley and the others are?" she grinned inwardly, she knew where they were, but still she wanted to make sure they hadn't been followed.
The class shook its head as one Hermione nodded and started the lesson. She wrapped things up pretty quickly, they'd been studying war strategies, but she wanted to move onto duelling more than one person at a time by tomorrow. Just as the bell went she said "I have a serious question to ask all of you. If it came to a fight, an all out war how many of you would stay and fight? I don't mind if you're honest about being scared," she glanced at them and slowly.
She waited a few seconds before sighing softly, only Harry had raised his hand. She glanced up though as Neville said "could we really fight the deatheaters?" she nodded and slowly he raised his hand as well.
"Would we get killed?" asked Terry Boot.
Hermione stared at him slowly before saying, "possibly, I'm not going to lie to you."
Slowly one by one people stared to raise their hands. All of Ravenclaw had raised theirs as had Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, except Zacharias Smith. A few odd members of Slytherin's caught her gaze and nodded, obviously not wanting to be seen by their housemates. After all Slytherin's were not known for their bravery.
The bell rang and quickly students left the classroom leaving Hermione alone. Picking up her bag Hermione made her way down to the great hall and had a early dinner. The great hall was fairly busy when she arrived it seemed that people wanted a early dinner before starting to revise for the end of year exams, and Hermione didn't have the heart to tell them they would be lucky to be alive to take the exams.
Piling steak and kidney pie onto her plate Hermione tucked into her food with vigour. She was starving; running around The Wizarding World does that to you. She barely noticed as the staff table filled around her and the great hall started to burst as hundreds of students started to eat. She did notice when Severus sat down next and took her hand, "your back," she muttered and she noticed him smile out of the corner of eye.
He'd been gone since yesterday morning and in a meeting, "yes," he squeezed on her hand. They would talk later, once they had finished.
They had finished eating soon enough, and together they made their way to Professor Dumbledore's office where he was already waiting. Sitting down they waited for the other teachers and Josh to arrive before he started.
"I've been with The Dark Lord since Sunday morning and I got back only a few hours ago. He had confided the details in only two other people, Bellatrix and Lucius. It seems that he failed to get any foreign wizards involved, except the French. They are not willing to risk themselves and their families in a war that doesn't involve them. So now it will be almost fifty werewolves, a handful of inferi and he's negotiated with the dementors, I have no idea how many there will be but from what he was saying I'm guessing over a hundred maybe to one fifty. The dark French wizards are promising almost fifty maybe to seventy five. He has got almost two hundred normal deatheaters. I'm afraid to say we're going to be sorely outnumbered," he gazed worriedly at Hermione before his eyes flicked over Dumbledore before flicking back to Hermione and clasping her hand even more tightly in his.
Hermione smiled softly at him before glancing at the list he had slipped her while he was talking.
50Werewolves
20 Inferi
200 Dementors
100 French wizards
213 deatheaters, most junior members who haven't killed before, some only just out of school/ in Hogwarts now
She gulped. Oh God. They were all going to die.
"-Granger how many have you managed to get?"
Hermione jerked back into reality to find the teachers staring at her, "I went into Diagon Alley today, as you know, and spoke to a few people who Hermione Babineaux went to Hogwarts with, they promised to fight and will come when Blaise comes to The Alley. I then went to speak to St Mungo's you may remember that Bella Kingston now works there? She promised to owl me some potions and antidotes by Wednesday. She has also agreed to come on Saturday and help Madame Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing. Evie is apparently now married to one of the deatheaters, so she will be there on Sunday, but I don't think we will have to worry about her," Hermione smirked nastily. "That's all I could get from Bella, she told me where Lucas lives so I went there next.
"Now, I spoke to Lucas Robins, you know he's now a member of Puddlemere United? He's promised to help he's trying to get the team on side, but he's not sure how to go about it, some of them will prefer to remain neutral. The McClain brothers will not fight, they have already fled. However I managed to get some very good news. I flooed O'Hare, the keeper from my sixth year is now working in Romania with Charlie Weasley, he's promised to bring Charlie with him around eleven. He also owes me slightly so he's going to try and round up more fighters."
"Thank you Miss Granger," Dumbledore smiled at her and nodded before turning back to the teachers.
"Now we know that Voldemort will be attacking at midday on the grounds. I want the castle closed at 11 and all students in third year or under gone by 11.30. Can you do that Miss Granger?"
Hermione's head snapped up and she nodded.
"Good, now I believe he will let his deatheaters have 'some fun' first and will merely watch. But we cannot let them enter the castle. We need a group on the grounds fighting. Anyone want to volunteer? Thank you Miss Granger. You will be the first group, with the most students and teachers. Now, I want another group on the grounds as well? Professor McGonagall? Thank you. You will be a smaller group and can come from the lake. I need teachers not fighting bringing in injured students…" he cut off as Hermione raised her hand.
"Excuse me headmaster, but I think that should be a job for any younger students who wish to stay, maybe the fourth years? We can't put them into battle yet we can't force them to leave. They will be in less danger there."
Dumbledore nodded at her wisdom, before carrying on.
15th June –Saturday– Day Before The War
Hermione looked up at Severus as he lay over her.
It was almost midnight and they were in their rooms lying on the bed, recovering from a kissing session.
The week had past quickly. The students had had their last defence lesson with Hermione and she had pushed them to their limits. She had made Severus cancel his potions lessons and brought him to her classroom, where she made her students, fourth through to seventh duel her and Severus together. And she was proud to say that the students had held their own against her and Severus. The Students had no idea what was going on and Hermione planned to keep it like that for as long as possible.
The plans had been laid out and everyone knew what to do tomorrow, well the teachers did. They just needed to see which students would stay to help them before diving them into groups.
"Severus?" Hermione reached up and stroked his cheek down to his lips.
"Hermione," he smiled at her and his eyes crinkled at the edge, it was almost enough to make Hermione start crying.
"I don't want to die alone. I know we said we would wait, but please?" Hermione's voice came out small and wispy as she gazed up and him.
He shook his head and said "you're a foolish girl Hermione."
To which she answered, "I know."
He grinned and swooped into kiss her.
--
The next morning Hermione woke up with the sheet wrapped around her and Severus pressed into her back. Sighing she looked at the clock on her nightstand and jumped up. Grabbing it she shook it and gasped as the time still showed, 10:29.
"SEVERUS!? It's almost 10:30 get your hairy good for nothing ass out of bed this instance!"
"Voldemort…shoes…kiss…noooo!" Severus awoke panting.
"Kissing Voldemort? Huh? Gee, thanks a bunch, I'll make sure to tell him in an hour and a fucking half!"
"What!" Severus had jumped out of bed and collided with his nightstand, "I'll be five minutes," he said before running into the bathroom.
True to his words he was out in five minutes changed and with his wand. Hermione paused for a moment as she hurried past him, he was wearing a pair of jogging bottoms and a tight top with a robe flung over but not buttoned. He looked at her and smirked as he flicked his wrist and his wand came zooming out. "I'll see you soon," he kissed her on the head before running out the door to the Slytherin's common room.
Shaking her head Hermione ran into the bathroom, took and cold shower and brushed her teeth. She was out in less than five minutes. Throwing clothes of out the dresser Hermione swore loudly as she stubbed her toe trying to get to the bottom of it to find her blue robe. Her changing took longer than Severus, but by the time she was done she had a wand holster on her right arm with her wand in it, tight jogging bottoms, and tight top and her blue robe. Pausing once on the way out to tie up her hair in a tight bun Hermione grabbed Crookshanks and ran out the rooms pausing to close and ward the door.
When she arrived in the great hall and almost ten to eleven Severus was sitting at the teachers table with the other teachers. All the students were present and were all worriedly talking. Severus nodded at Hermione and motioned to the seat between him and Josh and Hermione gladly took it.
End of Chapter – Review?
Not my best chapter, but certainly not my worst. The thing is I had to do a filler chapter really, because you can't just skip right into a war can you? Anyway, the next update will take longer. Because it's going to be the war and I can't really rush it can I? I don't want to ruin it. Only three more chapters left, maybe only 2, if I make the war like seven thousand words… but that would take all year. But still.
I didn't proof read this because I had to get it up as soon as possible due to the fact I am going to be busy next week, I go back to swimming. So please forgive any dodgy spellings.
If you have any questions please ask.
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