A/N: I'm starting off on a sadder note today, I just wanted to say a little something about the devastation that occurred in Manchester on Monday night, my heart goes out to all of those innocent victims who were injured and suffered much worse in the attack. It is sickening that it has got to the point that someone felt that it was young people, enjoying a concert, who were to be targeted. It was a pathetic attack that accomplished nothing and has done nothing to deter us Brits from having that 'stiff upper lip' stance and we will carry on going about our business unafraid, unthreatened and undefeated by such a cowardly act. Today, I am thinking of all the families and loved ones of victims and those who have been cruelly taken from the world and today, I pray for Manchester.

A/N: Once again, thank you all for your responses! This is where things get interesting, I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy it too. I think there are only two chapters (after this one) left to post, I have finished writing this story and I am satisfied with these last couple of chapters. I will post the chapters as I have all the way through this story (every six days). Many thanks!

A/N: Chapter Warnings – Potential mentions of sexual assault and other sexual situations. Definite bad language, violence and mentions of blood.

Chapter 53: Exams, Visions, and Confrontations at the Ministry

As it turns out, Sirius Black had managed to escape and Moody had been furious and demanded Dumbledore to tell him where Black was hiding, but Dumbledore played idle and claimed that he did not know where he was. Headquarters had been searched and he was nowhere to be seen. The boys, Draco, and Severus were now more protective of Hermione than ever, they had no idea where Black was, or what he had planned to do and this worried them all.

However, during the last few weeks since Sirius' prison escape, Hermione decided not to spend too much time worrying about it, after the whole incident at the Ministry, Hermione felt that she was not really bothered by Sirius and wouldn't worry unless he showed up. To be honest, it didn't surprise her, in fact, she was more than certain that Dumbledore hadn't done anything to prevent this mass breakout, despite knowing when it was going to take place, he hadn't stepped in because he knew there was a chance Sirius could get free.

It frustrated her but unfortunately, without knowing where Dumbledore was and without knowing when she was going to see him again, she didn't worry about it. Besides, they now were in the middle of taking their exams, and Hermione had decided to focus on her OWLs instead. She couldn't risk botching them up, despite how many times she had been told that she could probably sit her NEWTs and still pass with flying colours.

"This is painful" Ron moaned as they walked out of one of their exams.

Hermione rolled her eyes; it wasn't too bad, not if you studied for it.

Harry didn't seem to agree with Ron either, he had a megalomaniac and most evil wizard of all time after him, and he still made sure he had studied for his exams.

.

.

.

Exams were quickly coming to an end, and Hermione hated to admit that she was a little relieved.

However, her last exam would be anything but ordinary. The three of them were sat along with the rest of their year whilst Umbridge oversaw the exam. She was sat merrily in Dumbledore's golden throne chair at the front of the great hall, and was basking in the peace and quiet.

Harry had been feeling rather odd all day, not ill, but he felt like doom was on its way.

In the middle of the exam there was a thudding from outside the great hall. Everyone was broken from their concentration, even Umbridge looked perplexed. She began making her way towards the entrance of the great hall and looked out into the corridors.

There was nothing out there, not a person, nothing moving yet, the thudding sounded as if it was getting closer and closer.

Without warning, two broomsticks flew through the air above her head and into the great hall. Lighting fireworks all the way.

Two red-headed twins, on broomsticks, began causing havoc. Pieces of paper were flying everywhere, there were desks and chairs being knocked over and the whole great hall looked like a Fourth of July display. It was an amazing thing to watch.

'They're getting expelled for that' Hermione thought as she shook her head.

But she joined in with the rest of her classmates anyway. If she was being honest, she was finding the exam paper a little difficult. At least this way they would all have to be given another.

The Weasley twins suddenly set off a massive firework that transformed into the style of a Chinese dragon and it turned its attention on the unwanted headmistress and chased her through the great hall.

All things pink was trying hard to pump her stumpy legs in a bid to outrun the creature. She was simpering and screaming all the way.

Just as she made it out the great hall, the creature made a move as if to grab her with its teeth. She instinctively ducked as the creature burst into a mass firework display of its own, and simultaneously destroyed all of those rules that she had Filch hang up on the walls over the school year.

Most of the school had heard what was going on and had now joined the Weasley twins outside, shouting and cheering them on.

Harry had been cheering along with everyone else when suddenly; he was forced to the ground. Before he could try and block him out, Voldemort was in his head.

Harry could make out that room again, the one where Mr Weasley was only this time; it was Remus Lupin who was being tortured.

"Only Potter can save you now" Voldemort's voice hissed at Remus.

Remus was screaming, Harry could hear bones and joints being stretched and snapping. Harry wanted to be sick.

"But he won't come, he doesn't care about you. Who would give a damn about a horrific beast like you?" Voldemort sniggered evilly as the torture continued.

Hermione had noticed Harry's distress and had bent down next to him, trying to regain his attention.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice was slowly pulling him out of the vision.

He snapped back to reality and knew exactly where Voldemort was keeping Lupin. He had seen that same corridor, the very door to that room, almost a year ago. He needed to go to the Department of Mysteries.

"He's got Lupin at the Ministry" he got out before taking off in the direction of Umbridge's room. He knew she had an active floo chamber that was connected to the Ministry. He needed to get there.

Hermione had grabbed Ron and they were following close behind Harry.

"Mione, what's going on?" Ron asked.

Hermione explained what she knew as the two ran to catch up with Harry.

The two managed to get to the defence room and Hermione locked and warded the classroom door. It would by them time if all things pink decided to come back to her office.

As Hermione and Ron made their way across the classroom there was banging from the door. They looked at each other panicked.

"What the devil is going on?" the voice of Umbridge could be heard.

"Those damn kids, Snape! Can you get my classroom door open?" She could be heard asking.

Hermione and Ron panicked, knowing that Snape would have to do as Umbridge asked and Hermione dragged Ron's arm and they headed for the toads office.

Hermione flung the door open just in time to see Harry dropping floo powder into the fireplace and calling out the Ministry of Magic and disappearing.

"Quick Ron, go! Wait for me the other side, I won't know the way otherwise" She said.

She watched as Ron went first, she was hoping that Severus would see her and know where they were going before she had to follow the boys.

She had left obvious wards on the defence classroom so Severus would immediate recognise her magic. She was hoping that he would be intrigued enough to venture further in after her.

She could hear his voice drone though the empty room.

"Allow me Madame, we do not know who is in here. Let me go first, just in case" Severus told Umbridge.

Umbridge agreed and waited by the classroom door as Severus headed for her office. Hermione saw Severus enter the office and he froze when he saw her alone in the fireplace.

"Anything there Snape?" She could hear Umbridge's voice getting closer. She was running out of time.

She quickly spoke, hoping Severus would understand her.

"Harry vision, Department of Mysteries, Lupin tortured" she said quickly.

Then she added:

"Ministry of Magic" as she dropped the floo powder and disappeared in flames before Severus could stop her.

.

.

.

Severus was now in panic mode. He quickly cast a freshening charm about the hag's office so she wouldn't know that her floo chamber had recently been used.

"Well Snape?" She questioned as she entered her office.

"Nothing here Madame, looks like it was a prank, but at least you know you are quite safe in here now" he said.

"Thank you" she said.

"I must be getting back to patrol now, it seems the students have been calmed somewhat after all the excitement" Severus said.

"Quite, I have a couple of expulsions to draft out right now, so if you wouldn't mind Snape..." she said, wanting to do nothing more now than getting those Weasley twins out of the school for what they had done to her.

He nodded and left and as soon as he was away from the classroom, he practically ran for his rooms.

On his way down he almost ran into Draco.

"Er...sir?" Draco asked. He had never seen his godfather quite so rattled.

"Not now, Potter and his friends are doing something stupid" Severus said as he hurried on.

"Hermione?" Draco shouted after him.

"If she survives this I'm going to fucking kill her" was Severus' reply.

"Well shit Granger, you're in for it now" Draco muttered to himself as he ran after his godfather.

When he reached the portrait to Severus' rooms, he found that he had been denied access to them. It was at that moment he realised just how serious the situation was and so he opted to wait in the man's office instead.

Severus was using his floo to call Grimmauld Place. Unsurprisingly Sirius was the one to respond. He had clearly managed to dodge Moody's search.

"So this is where you're cowering Black? How surprising!" He said sarcastically, he couldn't help but make the snide remark.

Black was indignant and about to respond when Severus cut him off.

"Shut up Black, this is serious. Tell me, how many Order members are with you right now?" He asked urgently. He knew Minerva would definitely be there as that is where she had been recovering after Umbridge threw her down the stairs the other week. She had needed Molly's assistance but was much better now.

Sirius picked up on his rival's severe tone and decided to answer questions, instead of playing childish games.

"There is myself, much to everyone's disapproval, Lupin, Tonks, Arthur, Molly, Minerva and Dumbledore" he replied. The others having heard their names mentioned joined Sirius at the floo.

"Listen, contact all the Order members you can, you all need to get to the Ministry now. Department of Mysteries. Potter had a vision that Lupin was being tortured and has taken the vision as truth. He and his two friends, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger, have accompanied him. But he is in danger. If he's seen a vision he won't know whether the Dark Lord has accidentally showed him the vision, or done it on purpose to trap him. As Lupin is with you now, we can assume that the vision was shown to Potter purposefully. Now quit asking questions and go you idiots" Severus yelled into the floo as he cancelled the call.

Severus immediately jumped into the floo and headed for the Ministry. He knew the Order would meet him there.

All the Order members at Grimmauld, aside from Minerva, sprang into action. Within a minute they were gone and heading for the Ministry.

.

.

.

Meanwhile Hermione and Ron had successfully caught up with Harry without any inconvenience.

"Harry stop, just think, what you saw can't be real" Hermione tried to say logically.

"Yeah? How do you know?" He sneered back at her.

Hermione was taken aback.

"Look Harry, this is a trap, we need to go back" she said.

"Shut up! Remus is family, if there is even the possibility that he might be in danger, in going to help him" Harry said.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue but Harry stopped her.

"Look Hermione, I'm not arguing, I understand that you don't get it. Your parents are dead; you have no family and nothing to lose anymore. I'm not leaving Remus" Harry growled at her.

Hermione's heart sank; Harry may as well have slapped her.

"Harry, mate-" Ron began, intending to defend Hermione.

"Don't Ron, he's too arrogant and pig-headed to listen, however because of his stupidity, someone is now probably going to die, and he will have no one to blame but himself. There is no torture of Remus, Harry, why can't you see that? He was only showing you what he wanted you to see. Did the occlumency lessons really teach you nothing?" Hermione growled.

Harry glared at her.

"Now you sound like Snape. You've been spending too much time with him buried inside you and your head between his legs that he's brainwashed you and turned you into his whore" Harry said, and without warning, he slapped her across the face as his temper snapped.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed as he reached out to grab Hermione as she was thrown off balance and staggered, trying to stop herself from falling.

Once upright, Hermione lost it, she returned the gesture and slapped Harry across the face, and hard, knowing it was worse than when she had given Draco 'what for' in third year. He would have a nasty bruise there, perhaps even a cut, if he survived the night.

Ron just gawked at the two of them.

"What?" Ron asked. He had never seen his two friends like this before. Besides, in his right frame of mind, Harry would never have linked Hermione with Snape. Ron felt sick at the idea.

"Well fuck you Hermione! I've successfully broken us into the Ministry, I'm fucking doing this whether you two are with me or not" Harry said.

"You haven't broken us into the Ministry Harry" Hermione stated.

"How did you deduct that ivory princess?" He said maliciously.

"This is one of the most secure places in the entire wizarding world Harry. Three fifth year students just happen to bypass all that security, by simply flooing into the goddamn place, and blunder in without meeting resistance or being caught? You're right Harry, we have been successful! In fact, it may as well have been a fucking walk in the park!" She stated.

"Your point? Maybe I'm just a good wizard" He replied dryly, his arrogance shining through.

Hermione chuckled dangerously; it was so dark that it caught both Ron and Harry's full attention.

"Oh Harry you are foolish. My point is that, don't you think this whole thing has been a little too easy?" She said darkly.

Ron gulped at her tone and even Harry backtracked a little.

"Do you see what I'm saying now?" She said quietly, dangerously.

Harry and Ron had gone pale. Harry had begun to sweat as his mind cleared a little. What had he been thinking?

"We need to get out, now. We need to get the Order" she said as she turned around to head towards the floo chamber.

However, as she turned, she could see movement in the distance. Whatever it was, it was far away, down the other end of the long corridor they had run down just moments before. She could barely make it out but it was moving towards them.

Then she noticed the black pointed hats that reminded her of those pictures she once saw in muggle history books of the Ku Klux Klan. Her heart stopped, and her eyes widened. She turned back to the boys.

"Run, Death Eaters" she said as led the boys away from the Death Eaters but towards the room Harry had been heading for. She wasn't sure at this point which was a worse choice.

.

.

.

Severus arrived at the Ministry at the same time as the Order members - including Moody, Shacklebolt and some others.

"Surprised you're here Snape, thought I'd be seeing you kiss your masters arse" Sirius snarled when Severus approached the group.

Severus was about to reply when he felt the familiar burning in his forearm.

Severus hissed and everyone stared at him.

"Stick around and you might" he replied.

Severus looked at Moody and Dumbledore.

"There are Death Eaters here now" he warned them before he waved his wand and dressed himself in his Death Eater robes.

"Good luck" he told the Order before he took off in a shroud of black smoke.

.

.

.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had reached the door and had gone through it. Locking it behind them. It wouldn't buy them much time though, the Death Eaters would get through that door soon enough.

Hermione took in the room. It looked as though the room was full of prophecy balls.

"This way" Harry said as he started heading for the row that he had seen in his vision.

He started counting out loud, and Hermione and Ron followed, they were confused as to what Harry was actually doing. Ron though he was completely mental.

Harry finally stopped.

"He should be here" Harry said.

"He should be here!" Harry yelled again.

"But he's not, congratulations Harry. Finally seeing reality are we?" She snapped at him.

"Will you two shut up and come here!" Ron shouted at them.

The two of them turned to Ron and headed over to where he was.

"Harry, this has your name on it" Ron said.

Harry looked at the prophecy ball and picked it up. Then the prophecy started playing.

Hermione and Ron just stared at Harry as he stared at a ball. There was silence, was Harry being possessed by a ball?

A bang rang through the silent room and Hermione and Ron could see all the way back to the door. It was now open and shapes were moving through it. The Death Eaters were in.

It looked like Harry was coming out of whatever it was he was doing, and Ron and Hermione grabbed him and told him to run.

The three ran, trying not to get caught by the Death Eaters who were now in full pursuit of them.

They had Death Eaters approaching from all angles and the three decided to split up. It would be more difficult to catch three separate people than if they remained together as a trio.

Harry had managed to dodge all the Death Eaters and he managed to squeeze himself on the floor under one of the shelves. He stayed there and hid as he heard spells being cast across the other side of the room.

Eventually, where Harry had hidden went silent, and Harry felt safe enough to climb out from under the shelf. The coast was clear and he made a run for it, he ran out of the aisle and found himself facing the door. He ran through it leaving his friends behind.

.

.

.

Ron had been running through the aisles like a madman, he had no idea where his friends were but he had cast a shielding charm around himself to keep him fairly protected from any stray spells as he ran. He had just managed to make it to the door when he was hit with a confundus charm. He fell through the door, confused.

.

.

.

Hermione was running, she could hear the shouts of the Death Eaters getting louder, they were close. She had cast a shielding charm around herself to hold off the minor spells. But it wouldn't do if they decided to cast something a bit stronger. She ran out of an aisle, turned a corner and began running down another, only to come face to face with a Death Eater.

"Potters mudblood" the Death Eater said darkly.

"What to do with you? How about...crucio" Hermione braced herself for the curse, not having time to deflect.

She screamed, she wasn't sure how painful it would be but, this was excruciating and far beyond her imagination.

She had only been under the spell for a few seconds when it was lifted.

"Get Potter, he has the prophecy" a voice yelled.

The Death Eater attacking Hermione stopped and left her, he preferred the hunt for Potter anyway. The thrill was in the chase and never the capture.

The other Death Eater approached her.

"Can you stand?" He whispered.

Hermione groaned but stood. She was lucky she wasn't in pain, her muscles just ached.

Hermione looked at the Death Eater and tried to determine who he was.

"Now, I'm going to chase you, make it look believable, and they will leave us alone. Head for the door" he instructed her. She recognised his voice.

"Draco?" She whispered.

She saw the slight nod of his head.

"Ready? Run!" He said.

Hermione took off running in the direction of the door. Her aching muscles protesting with every step, Draco was right behind her as he 'chased' her to the door.

Hermione made it and she pushed herself through the door.

She was falling, she could see the ground rising up to meet her, and she closed her eyes and braced herself for impact.

An impact that never came.

When she opened her eyes, she noticed that she hovered, about half a foot from the ground, and then the spell released and she landed with a soft thud on the ground.

Hermione noticed that the boys were already there and Ron was staring worriedly at Harry. He noticed Hermione and stood next to her, helping her up.

"He's hearing voices now" Ron said, as they watched Harry state at the empty archway.

Harry snapped out of it a moment later and faced his friends.

"They're going to follow" he said.

The three of them took a defensive position. They had no idea where the Death Eaters would be coming from, but they knew they would be coming.

A moment later, thick black smoke surrounded the trio and as they tried to cast spells, they found they couldn't.

Harry was knocked to the floor and, as the black smoke cleared, he noticed that Ron and Hermione were no longer with him.

He looked around and noticed that Ron and Hermione had been forced to their knees and they both had at least six wands pointed at each of them.

"One wrong move Potter and they die" Lucius Malfoy said.

"We want the prophecy" Bellatrix demanded.

"No" Harry said firmly.

"We will kill them" Lucius stated as he began muttering a spell.

Harry admitted defeat and began to hand the prophecy over when a strong, white flash of light entered the room.

.

.

.

The whole Order appeared from nowhere, and spells were being cast. Lucius Malfoy was the first to take a direct stunning spell. The prophecy ball fell to the floor and smashed.

"You alright Potter?" Moody asked, as he approached the young boy.

Harry nodded.

"Let's get you three kids out of here" Moody said.

Ron was being moved by his father to meet up with Harry.

"Arthur, get the kids out" Moody ordered.

Arthur nodded.

"Where's Hermione?" Arthur asked.

Hermione was trying to reach the boys but when the Order had come, she had been flung to the other side of the room. She was slowly making her way around the room when she ran into a Death Eater.

"We haven't finished" said the same Death Eater from earlier.

Hermione cast a spell to knock him backwards. The Death Eater lost balance and toppled over, his mask had come off.

Hermione didn't recognise the man but a Death Eater suddenly seemed less threatening without a mask on.

The Death Eater retaliated and cast a spell at Hermione that was worse than a cruciatus. Hermione felt like her skin was being ripped in half. The Death Eater was about to cast another spell, when Remus appeared from nowhere.

He cast a spell and magically bound the Death Eater. Most of the Death Eaters had either fled or had been rounded up. This battle was over.

Hermione lay on the ground in immense pain. All she could see on the ground around her was red. It was blood, her blood, and it was everywhere. She couldn't move, she couldn't hear, and she couldn't see. But she knew she was screaming.

The Death Eaters were gone, the boys had been taken away by Arthur, and only the Order members remained.

"You're too late Tom" Dumbledore's booming voice could be heard from the next room.

Hermione's senses cleared and she could hear multiple, powerful spells being cast. She was worried.

Remus was still with her.

"Dumbledore's battling Voldemort" he told her.

Hermione's world swam as she tried to keep her eyes open.

"Severus, I don't know what she's been hit with" Remus said.

Severus floated into Hermione's vision.

"Purple, it was purple" she mumbled, as Severus lifted her into his arms.

She blacked out.

.

.

.

When Hermione woke, she was in the hospital wing. She tried to move but found the weight of the bandages on her chest wouldn't let her.

"What you did was foolish" a voice berated her from her bedside.

She turned her head and saw Severus staring at her, he didn't look happy with her at all.

"You nearly died" he stated.

"Had you not told me the colour of that curse, you would have died" he said dangerously.

"Who?" Hermione managed to choke out.

"Antonin Dolohov" Severus replied.

"The others?" She asked.

"All fine, luckily no deaths" Severus said.

Hermione slowly became more aware of her surroundings, and she was able to listen in on what was being said.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't stop Harry" she sighed.

Severus ignored her apology and helped her to drink a glass of water.

Hermione had heard about Dumbledore's fight with Voldemort, and how the Minister and his secretaries had seen the Dark Lord in the flesh and finally believed Dumbledore.

Umbridge had been sacked due to violation of protocol when it came to punishing the students, and Dumbledore had been reinstated. Everything seemed back to normal but Hermione knew it was everything but.

"You'll have a nasty scar down your front dear, but I can't do anything about that" Madame Pompfrey had said.

Her scar looked gross, she hated it. She knew she wasn't a stunning girl as it was without an ugly scar marring what she did have.

.

.

.

After Hermione was released, she went and saw Severus and Draco in Severus' rooms.

"Any reason why you and Potter had identical matching bruises on your faces? Both hand-print shaped?" Severus queried.

"Things got aggressive when we first arrived at the Ministry. Harry and I took it out on each other" she said.

"He laid a hand to you?" Severus asked astonished.

She nodded.

Severus looked furious, and was about to say something about it However, Hermione spoke first.

"But I laid a hand on him too. We were both at fault so you cannot blame him for all of it" she told Severus.

"Also, thanks Draco" she said.

He hugged her gently and told her she was welcome.

Severus looked confused, and so Hermione relayed the whole story from when she flooed to the Ministry to waking up in hospital.

Severus was impressed with Draco, none of the Death Eaters had any idea; and that would keep Draco safe.

Draco soon called it quits and left, leaving Severus and Hermione alone.

"I'm still mad at you for putting yourself in that position" Severus stared firmly.

"I know" Hermione whispered as she looked down at the floor.

"I've never been so frightened in my life, you do that again; and there will be hell to pay" Severus said.

Hermione chewed her lip and nodded in understanding. Then she yawned. She was still exhausted and her muscles still ached.

"Time for bed" he said as he led her to his room.

She went to get ready for bed, but hesitated when she went to remove her shirt.

"Can you look away?" She asked Severus.

Severus frowned; she'd not asked him to do that for a while. Then realisation hit him.

"No" he said.

Hermione blinked at him.

"Don't hide from me, remove your shirt" Severus said gently.

She shook her head, her eyes tearing up.

"I don't want you to see" she cried out.

"Remove the shirt or I will divest it. Don't be afraid, I'm not going to turn you away" he whispered to her.

She couldn't move so Severus made his way to her, and grasped the hem of her shirt. He gently pulled it up and over her head, and looked down at the new, raised, deep scar, that was still healing on her body.

She looked away but Severus grabbed her chin so she had no choice but to look at him.

"Beautiful" he whispered in her ear, as he bent down to capture her lips.

Hermione automatically kissed him back, and Severus manoeuvred them to the bed and they both got into bed still lightly kissing.

"Don't let anyone tell you otherwise" Severus said.

She gave him a small smile with, still, a hint of uncertainty and he pulled her close to him. He trailed his hand down her body, down her scar.

"Beautiful" he whispered again, as Hermione fell asleep.