Chapter Twenty-Nine - Hermione

Harry and Hermione had approached McGonagall about informing Ron of Draco Malfoy's status with the Order. The older witch had stated she would handle the situation. Not an hour after approaching their professor, Harry and Hermione saw Mrs. Weasley enter the doors of the Great Hall in search of her son. The duo watched on the Marauder's Map as Mrs. Weasley and Ron entered the Transfiguration classroom, followed closely by Professor McGonagall.

They had watched as Ron paced furiously through the classroom and could imagine the waves of anger he was unleashing on his mother and Professor McGonagall. The two women let Ron vent his emotions for about five minutes, but then Harry and Hermione watched as their professor pulled her minute wand on their best friend, causing him to stop in his tracks.

"She must've petrified him," Hermione said softly as Harry chuckled beside her. He leaned back on the sofa in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione followed suit, flopping back next to Harry. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Harry… we must get these Horcruxes as quickly as possible. I don't know how we can survive very long this way."

Harry sighed. She felt him rest his head atop hers. "I know. There's so much to do. So many to find and we don't even know where to begin. The locket… Hermione, the locket. The Horcrux Dumbledore died for… it's a fake."

Hermione felt her eyes grow wide in shock. "What?!" She sat up straight. "How do you know?"

"I opened it and there was a note. Would you like to read it?"

Harry pulled the locket from underneath his shirt, over his head, and thrust it at her. Quickly, she read the note, her stomach dropping lower with each word. "R.A.B.? Who's R.A.B.?"

"I dunno. But his death was for nothing."

"It wasn't for nothing, Harry! It wasn't – "

Just then, Ron came barreling into the common room. His eyes betrayed the level of his anger, although he appeared to be trying to maintain it. He caught Hermione's eye and his face turned to stone.

"Hermione, how could you be so stupid?" he asked icily. "you have everyone fooled into thinking he is innocent, that he is on our side! Are you cursed? Or are you just that thick?"

"Ron!" Harry yelled. "Don't speak to her that way."

"Are you saying you believe it too, then? That Malfoy has turned on You-Know-Who?"

"Yes, I believe it. And I think if you actually talked to Hermione, instead of attacking her, you'd believe it too," Harry said firmly.

Ron stared incredulously at Harry before slinking toward the armchair closest to the fire. He slouched down into the chair, avoiding eye contact with the pair of them. After a moment, he sighed. "Hermione, I love you and I trust you. But how can you be sure?"

"Because I've seen it, Ron. I watched as he fell apart on the library floor, quite literally crying that he did not want this life. I watched as he pleaded with Dumbledore to save not himself, but his mother. I watched as he made the Unbreakable Vow. When you see someone at their lowest that way… you can't not believe them." Ron had finally shifted his gaze to her. "And even if you don't believe him, believe me. We've been friends for years. Please, trust me on this."

For several seconds, the only sound was the crackling of the fire. Finally, Ron took a breath. He stood from his chair and crossed to the sofa Harry and Hermione were still seated on. The trio stared into the fire as Ron said, "So, this is it then. Now it really begins."

Sitting through Dumbledore's funeral was one of the hardest things Hermione ever had to do. Harry barely held himself together on her left, even though Ginny held his hand throughout. Hermione watched as the two disappeared for a walk around the lake afterward and Ginny walked back alone, shaking her head. Hermione followed her back toward the castle, catching up to her just outside the doors to the castle. Ginny heard her approach and turned.

"He's broken up with me to protect me. Keep him safe out there will you? I know you three won't be back, and I am not daft enough to ask him to stay. So. Keep him safe?"

"Oh, Ginny…" Hermione whispered and gathered the redhead into her arms. She let Ginny cry silently as the rest of the mourners slowly meandered away from the castle, back to Hogsmeade to find their way home. As she stood holding Ginny, she felt her watch heat up for the first time in over a week. She released Ginny and scrambled to read her message.

It was short, but succinct. They were just words, but felt cold. No message for just Hermione, just a simple message that read:

Mundungus gave you away. Mother is unsafe. Get everyone out of her safe house. Now.

"What is it?" Ginny demanded, wiping a stray tear from her eye. Hermione looked up.

"We have to find McGonagall." The two girls took off running, shifting themselves through the few stragglers left on the grounds. They spotted McGonagall lingering on her own near Dumbledore's tomb.

"Professor! I just got a message from… from my close friend," Hermione locked eyes with her professor to make sure she understood what she meant. "There's been a breach. We have to empty a safe house. Quickly."

"Are you quite sure, dear?"

"I'm positive!"

"Then we mustn't wait. Find Potter and Weasley and meet in my office." With that, the professor swept away toward the castle.

"Ginny, we have to go. I can't… I can't bring you. I don't know what will happen in this meeting and if your mother knew…"

Ginny nodded and hugged her friend tightly. Hermione left her standing beside the lake, as she fled in search of her friends. Moments later, she had caught up to them just inside the Great Hall. Within seconds, she had relayed her story, then they were sprinting toward the Transfiguration classroom to McGonagall's office just beyond.

Once inside her office, their professor turned to them. "We have to get Andromeda and Narcissa out. I also believe Tonks is at the residence as she and Remus have been staying there. Weasley, I need you to go to your home, and prepare your family for guests. Remus and Tonks will be staying there. Potter, to Grimmauld Place. Alert Kingsley that Narcissa and Andromeda will be arriving within the hour. And Miss Granger… you are coming with me. We do not know how much time we have and if I am correct, Mrs. Malfoy will be more accepting of your insistence that she leave than she would be if it were coming from me alone."

Ron and Harry shot Hermione questioning looks, but Professor McGonagall ushered them to the Floo and, one after the other, they called out their destinations.

"Now, Miss Granger, I need you to be quick and concise. We must get them out as quickly as possible. We cannot Floo Mrs. Malfoy to Grimmauld Place, do you understand? You must Apparate her just outside. Can you do this?"

Hermione swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, Professor."

"Very well, in you go," and she gestured Hermione toward the fireplace. Hermione shouted Andromeda's address and found herself spinning rapidly before spilling out onto the hearth in a small sitting room. Her appearance seemed to have startled the two sisters in the middle of a tea, but they quickly gathered their senses. Andromeda helped Hermione to her feet as Narcissa rose gracefully, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"What is the meaning of your visit?" Narcissa asked but Andromeda silenced her with a wave of her hand.

"What is Hermione Granger's Patronus?" Andromeda asked sternly, her wand pointed at Hermione.

"It's an otter!" Hermione said quickly. "Listen, I have to take you two to another safe house. This one, it's been leaked, there's a spy. We have to hurry. Where's Tonks?"

Andromeda moved quickly. "Tonks is at Grimmauld Place. Cissa, grab your things as quickly as you can. Come right back to this room in five minutes and leave with Miss Granger. Your safety is most important." Andromeda looked back to Hermione as Narcissa scurried from the room. "How is it that you know?"

"Draco got a message to me. I don't know how much time we have, but McGonagall – " her sentence was drowned out by the roar of green flames. McGonagall stepped out of the flames, looking around the room.

"Where is Mrs. Malfoy?"

"Gathering some items, she will be ready in just a moment," Andromeda answered. "How much time do we have?"

"We are not certain, but we must be quick, just to be safe. Why don't you go on through to Grimmauld Place and alert them to the new guest they will have for the foreseeable future? Harry is already there, he will be able to help explain. Kreacher should be able to prepare a room quickly."

Andromeda nodded and stepped through the grate. McGonagall turned to Hermione. "You stay put, I will go hurry along Mrs. Malfoy. If anyone arrives, send sparks down the hall and get yourself out."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione agreed. She watched as her professor disappeared down the hall in search of Narcissa. Hermione stood just to the left of the fireplace, her wand clutched tightly in her left hand. Her body was on high alert. Every sound in the small house made her twitch. Finally, Mrs. Malfoy and Professor McGonagall hurried toward her. McGonagall glanced at Hermione.

"I will head through now; you must close the Floo connection as soon as I am gone. Then you will Apparate Mrs. Malfoy to the destination and enter through front door."

Hermione nodded, moving closer to the fireplace as her professor stepped through. She counted to five as the flames died down. She stepped up to the fireplace, muttering the charm that closed the Floo connection.

She turned to the other witch in the room. "Are you ready, Mrs. Malfoy?" Hermione noticed she looked paler than usual, but she still held herself regally. Hermione held her arm out to the older witch. Mrs. Malfoy gently linked her elbow through Hermione's. Once Mrs. Malfoy felt secure, Hermione focused on the street just outside Grimmauld Place.

There was a crack of Apparition just as Hermione and her ward disappeared. They could just make out the backs of two blonde heads standing with a ghostly pale wizard between them.