Finals week made Hermione scary at the best of times, but this year she was so terrifying that even the Inquisitorial Squad kept their distance.
It was during the Astronomy final the Hermione temper reached its zenith. The young witch was checking her answers for the third time, when a commotion on the grounds caught her attention.
Umbridge and three of her pet Aurors were casting spells at Hagrid, while the half giant was running toward the Forbidden Forest clutching Fang close to his chest.
Hermione whipped her head toward the Castle's doors when light spilled out onto the grounds. The young animagus watched as her màthair stormed across the grass.
The wind brought Minerva's words up to the Astronomy Tower. "What is the meaning of this?!"
Four stunners shot out of Umbridge and her lackeys' wands. Umbridge's stunner missed its mark. Minerva, who had not been expecting that they would attack, was struck on her torso by three of the stunners. They sent her flying back fifteen feet to land on the grass with a thud.
Hermione clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle the scream that threatened to erupt form her throat. The young animagus slid to the floor of the parapet, tears streaming down her face.
Aurora Sinistra crouched down and whispered. "I know that you finished your exam a while ago. Go spend the night with your godmother or godfather."
Hermione nodded and ran off to find Hooch. As much as she loved Severus, she needed a matriarchal figure.
As soon as the young animagus reached the stairs leading to the Castle, she transformed into her serval form and raced through the halls.
Upon entering the flying instructor's chambers, Hermione leaped onto Rolanda's bed. Wrapping her arms around her knees, Hermione burst into gut wrenching sobs.
When Rolanda finally made it back to her quarters, around 5 A.M., she was greeted by the sound of crying.
"Hello?" Hooch called as she made her way to her room. "Hermione! You… heard what happened?"
The Quidditch Coach quickly scooped Hermione into her arms.
Hermione hiccupped. "We w-w-were taking our A-a-ast-stromny f-final an-an-an-and thhhhat horrible woman attacked her! I-i-is má-má-máthair g-going to be alr-r-right?"
"Minerva will be fine." Ro assured her, stroking the young witch's hair. "Poppy will take good care of her."
"C-c-can I st-st-stay here t-tonight?" Hermione looked up at her godmother with tears in her eyes.
"Of course you can, Little Min!" Rolanda exclaimed, squeezing her goddaughter tighter.
The younger animagus swallowed. "What… what did the stunners do to màthair?"
"One struck her left shoulder, resulting in her clavicle shattering into three pieces; the second stunner passed through her right side, cracking her ribs; and the last stunner hit her right hip, thankfully it is not broken, just bruised." Hooch sighed. "And when she hit the ground, she received a concussion."
Hermione sniffed, buried her face into Roland's shoulder and started sobbing.
"Shh, shh." Ro cooed, stroking the younger witch's hair.
Hermione sat in her DADA final, going between writing down the answers and glaring at the woman who had injured her mother. The young animagus suddenly cocked her head; did she just hear an explosion?
Before Hermione could give it anymore thought, the Twins flew into the Great Hall and set off a series of fireworks. Hermione grinned, those were not ordinary fireworks, those were special Weasley Wizarding Wheezes. And those fireworks chased Umbridge out of the Hall and destroyed the Educational Decrees.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron followed the Twins as they flew out of the Castle. The students not in exams and those that had been taking the Fifth year DADA final cheered. Hermione even saw Flitwick do a fist pump.
"Harry!" Ron called, causing Hermione to whirl around.
Harry had collapsed on the ground.
"Harry. Harry!" Hermione slapped him across the face a couple of times.
The bespeckled boy quickly sat up. "Sirius! He's been captured by Voldemort!"
"Harry." The young animagus grabbed his shoulder. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, he was in the same spot Mr. Weasley was attacked." The bespeckled boy glared at his friends. Didn't they get it?
Hermione pursed her lips. "Why don't we alert the Order?"
"No! It'll take too long!"
"Then why don't we use the floo in Umbridge's office to see if Padfoot is at the Place Where its Hidden." Hermione bit out between clenched teeth.
"That's great." Harry took off running. "Let's go!"
Hermione sighed and followed the boys into what she was sure would be trouble.
This was a stupid idea. I just hope Uncle Sev is able to figure out Harry's riddle. Hermione thought as she eyed her wand on Umbridge's desk. The wand that she currently was unable to reach because she was in Draco's grasp.
"Where is he!?" Dolores shrieked. "Where is Albus Dumbledore!"?
"We were trying to find him." Hermione quickly interjected.
Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville all turned and looked at Hermione like she had lost her mind.
Umbridge quickly turned her attention from Harry and directed it at Hermione. "What was that? Speak up girl!"
"I said we were trying to find Professor Dumbledore." Hermione pressed.
"Why? What do you need to tell him?" Dolores growled.
Hermione nervously glanced at her friends; she really hoped they understood what she was doing. "We… we need to tell him that we finished it."
"Finish what?" The Pink Toad growled.
"The weapon." Hermione was glad the Ginny, Luna, and Neville had finally gotten it.
"Where is it!?" Dolores screeched.
"It's deep in the Forbidden Forrest." Hermione calmly stated. "Dumbledore didn't want it set off by an unsuspecting student."
"How sweet of him." Umbridge sneered. "Now what is it?"
Hermione frowned, blushed, and looked at the floor. "He didn't tell us, we just followed his instructions."
"Fine then, I will go see what it is."
"It's really deep in the Forrest." Hermione pressed. "Even you could get lost."
Umbridge frowned. "I assume you know how to get there?"
"Yes ma'am." Hermione nodded, secretly overjoyed that the Pink Toad was so stupid.
"You two." Umbridge pointed her wand at Hermione and Harry. "Led the way."
Harry shot a glance at the young animagus, who merely narrowed her eyes as she led them toward the Forrest.
The young animagus closed her eyes, trying to remember the path Hagrid took her when he showed Ron and her Grawp.
After stumbling through the undergrowth for about fifteen minutes, Dolores whined. "Where is this weapon?"
"It's deeper in the Forrest." Hermione grinned.
"You're not taking me about here to kill me, are you?" Umbridge questioned. "Because if you kill me, you will be going to Azkaban, you little Mudblood."
Hermione sighed. "I don't think a weak little Mudblood such as myself can take you on."
The Pink Toad visibly preened.
After another fifteen minutes of walking, Hermione slowed down. "It's right through there, now…"
"You two go first, I am keeping my eyes on you." Dolores poked Harry's back with her wand.
Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped into the small clearing.
"Uh, Hermione." Harry leaned over and whispered. "Was the 'weapon' Grawp that you and Ron told me about?"
"Uh-hu." Hermione nodded.
"He's not here." Harry pointed out.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at the boy. "I can see that. Let's just hope plan B works."
"You have a plan B?" Harry asked.
"And a C."
"Well!" Umbridge shrieked. "Where is it?"
Hermione smiled sheepishly. "Dumbledore got our message and already took it?"
"Liar!" Umbridge screamed. "You are a liar!"
"Do you think you could scream any louder?" Hermione sneered.
Harry's eyes widened, he couldn't believe that Hermione would actually say something like that.
The Pink Toad spluttered. How dare this Mudblood speak to her like that!
"You will leave our Forrest immediately." Thereus, a centaur, suddenly informed them.
Umbridge stood up to her full height, a mere five feet. "Do you know who I am?"
"I am well aware who you are." Thereus looked down at the pink witch. "Now leave our Forrest."
"How dare you talk to me like that, you filthy half-breed!" Dolores shrieked.
Hermione sighed and dropped her head into her hands.
"We are not half-breeds!" Thereus yelled. "Centaurs! Advance!"
Umbridge, sensing the danger, pulled out her wand. Right as she was about to cast a spell, Hermione tackled her to the ground.
"You bitch!" Dolores snarled. "I will have your wand for this."
"Young witch." Thereus crouched down. "Remove yourself from the Ministry representative and we will let you and your friend go."
Hermione grinned at the centaur as she got off the pink witch. "Come on Harry, let's go."
As the Centaurs grabbed her, Umbridge looked to Harry for help. "Mr. Potter, please, tell them I mean them no harm."
"I'm sorry professor, but I must not tell lies." Harry smirked.
All the color drained out of Dolores' face as she realized that the two Gryffindors had set her up.
As Harry and Hermione made their way across the bridge, they were met by Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna.
"How did you guys get away?" Hermione asked as she took her wand from Ginny.
"I told them I was hungry and that I wanted the chocolate on the desk." Ron chuckled. "Those buffoons took the bait and ate them."
Hermione frowned.
"They were my brothers' chocolates." Ginny explained and shot a glare at her brother.
Hermione chuckled. "Okay that explains it. Those poor boys."
Harry turned to his friends. "I have to go get to the Ministry."
"We'll coma help you." Luna smiled dreamily.
"I can't let you go!" Harry empathetically stated.
"Was the D.A. nothing to you?" Neville asked. "I thought it meant something."
The bespeckled boy pursed his lips. "You're right. Now, if only we have a way to get to the Ministry."
Luna took off toward the Forrest. "Follow me. The Threstrals will take us there."
Hermione closed her eyes and sighed, she really hated flying.
As Luna brought out the Threstrals, Ron frowned. "Don't tell me these are some of Luna's creatures?"
"They're not." Neville shuffled his feet. "I can see them."
"Since Hermione, Ginny, and Ron can't see Threstrals, they need to pair up with one of us." Luna smiled at her friends.
As Neville helped Hermione on the invisible creature, the bumbling Gryffindor smiled. "It's alright; I'll be right behind you."
"I detest flying." Hermione grimaced. "And since I can't see what I will be flying on, it just makes it worse."
"I won't let you fall." Neville chuckled as he clambered astride the ghastly creature.
The following flight to the Ministry was nerve wracking for the young animagus. When the Threstrals' hooves finally touched the ground in London, Hermione leapt off the creature's back.
"So, how are we getting in?" Ron asked.
Harry walked over to a red telephone booth. "Follow me."
As the five members of the D.A. followed Harry, the only thoughts running through Hermione's mind were not optimistic. This 'plan' is going to fail. Harry is not thinking. I need to come up with a way out of this. Oh, Merlin, we are so screwed! Why did I agree to come again?
Neville broke Hermione out of her current strain of thought by asking, "Harry, where to now?"
"We need to go down." Harry nodded. "I saw the door we need to go through when I was going to my trial."
As the boy-who-lived led them deep into the bowls of the Ministry, Hermione palmed her wand. Something was very wrong here. Where were the guards? Why weren't the alarms going off? As they went deeper in the Ministry, another question popped to mind. Where were the booby traps?
Harry pushed open the vault door and all six students gasped. The Prophecy Room was filled with thousands upon thousands of prophecies.
"This is beautiful." Luna breathed.
Hermione could only nod as they followed the bespeckled boy to the spot he had 'seen' Sirius.
But when they got there, Harry's godfather was nowhere to be found.
"He was right there!" Harry insisted. "I saw him!"
Hermione sighed, tightened her grip on her wand, and waited for the trap they had just walked into to spring.
"Harry!" Neville called. "This one has your name on it."
Before Hermione could stop him, the bespeckled boy lifted the small glass globe off the shelf.
"Very good Mr. Potter." Lucius Malfoy's oily voice slinked over them. "Now hand me that prophecy."
"No!" Harry shouted, grasping the globe to his chest.
"Oh! Does itty bitty baby Potter want to play?" Bellatrix cackled.
Hermione quickly grasped Neville's arm to prevent him from lunging at the dark witch. They were surrounded by Death Eaters, easily outnumbered three-to-one, they needed a sensible plan.
"You will give me that prophecy Potter or I will rip it from your cold, dead hands." The elder Malfoy growled.
"Come and get me then." Harry taunted, before screaming. "Now!"
The six D.A. members quickly fired spells upon the unsuspecting Death Eaters. The students then took off running in different directions to try and confuse the dark wizards.
Amycus Carrow cast a crucio at Neville and the bumbling Gryffindor barely missed the curse. Unfortunately, he shattered his ankle as he fell down the stairs.
Lune tried to help Neville, but was dropped kicked by Carrow. The dreamy witch clutched at her broken ribs. "Stuplify!"
Amycus was caught by the spell and crashed into a shelf of prophecies. He didn't get back up.
Meanwhile, Hermione was facing off against Augustus Rookwood.
"Stand still and let me hit you!" Rookwood snarled as he cast a crucio.
Hermione rolled to the side to avoid the curse. "Reducto!"
The death eater froze as the blue light of the curse struck him square in the chest. Since reducto only works on solid object and the Rookwood wasn't completely solid, the curse threw him into the wall behind him.
Hermione smirked as the Death Eater slumped to the floor. The smirk was quickly dropped when she sensed a presence behind her. The young animagus whirled around, just in time to be struck by a purple light. She gasped in pain as she felt three lines of pain start from her right shoulder and extended down her torso to her left him.
"You are gonna die, you little bitch." Dolohov sneered down at Hermione.
"Stuplify!" Hermione shouted; sending the Death Eater flying through the air, only to land gracelessly on the floor.
Hermione slowly stood up, the pain radiating from the curse was excruciating. Deciding that the best course of action was to find her friends, the young animagus took off as fast as she could run in her current state. She managed to meet up with them right before they burst through a door
"We can hide through there!" Harry shouted as he barreled into the ornate door.
If they had been paying attention to what was on the other side of the door, they would not have run through it and what occurred after would not have happened.
Before the six D.A. members could hit the ground, some unknown magic halted their descent.
Unfortunately for Hermione, the magic was not gentle about stopping them and the pain cause her to pass out.
The young animagus awoke to strong arms holding her up and a wand roughly pressed against her neck.
"You will be still or I will kill you." Dolohov hissed. "As it seems you have yet to bleed out."
Hermione struggled to get free.
"You will stand still." The Death Eater ordered.
Hermione smiled as she saw the white light of the Order's apparitions. "No I won't!"
Before Dolohov could do anything, the young animagus reared back and head-butted him, that caused him to loosen his grip enough for Hermione to twist away.
Thrusting her hand out, Hermione summoned her wand. "Expulso!"
The blue light sent Dolohov flying into Walden Macnair.
Hermione didn't savor her victory as she looked for another target. Everything had become so blurry for the young witch. When she pressed her hand against her stomach she felt something sticky and warm. Frowning Hermione pulled her hand away, only to see that it was red with her blood.
"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix shouted.
Hermione quickly turned around and saw Sirius fall into the veil. She watched as Harry took off after the dark witch, but was unable to go follow Harry as Jugson stepped in front of her.
"Why, is it isn't the little Mudblood cunt that dares to attack her betters!" Jugson sneered.
"Flammam Rapuere*!" Hermione shouted. A fire otter erupted from her wand and crashed into the Death Eater before dissipating. There was no need for it anymore; it had done its job.
A hand on her shoulder made Hermione whirl around, wand prepared to strike.
"Whoa, easy there, squirt." Tonks held her hands up in surrender.
Hermione blink rapidly a couple of time. "Sorry."
"It's fine." The Metamorphmagus assured her. "But what happened to you? You're bleeding!"
"I'll tell you after we find Harry. He went after you insane aunt." Hermione said, before she fell toward the floor. She would have hit the floor too, if Tonks hadn't grabbed her.
"Hermione." Tonks frowned. She was very worried.
"Just help me." Hermione was struggling to breathe.
The young Auror slung one of Hermione's arms around her neck and slid her own arm around the young animagus' back.
It was slow going, but the two witches made it to the atrium in time to see Harry collapse on the floor after expelling Voldemort from his own body.
"What just happened?" Tonks asked.
"It appears that Voldemort had possessed Harry." Hermione struggled to keep her eyes open and was fully leaning on Tonks.
The Metamorphagous nodded. "Looks like he exorcised him."
Hermione gently nodded her head, it seemed like everything hurt.
A/N:
* flammam rapuere: bewitched flame. Fiendfyre (incantation unknown) was a bewitched flame infused with dark magic, capable of seeking out targets despite being non-sentient.
Many thanks to Warriorwitch13 for Betaing this!
