24. Hermione
Hermione had held her position atop the Broken Tower for as long as she could. When the wight giant butchered the gate, opening the way for the Others into the castle, she felt her stomach sink. But Ser Davos had been by her side, and a few sharp words from him, had them all focusing again. Instinctively, she had watched for Jon atop the North Gate battlements. When he descended into the chaos, she almost followed him, but the terrified calls of their men with whom she shared her post, held her in place. She had called for more arrows and they continued, striking down as many of the wights as they could. She spotted Jon and Sam through fog and darkness on the battlefield, giving them as much coverage as she could muster. Jon had long since thrown aside his bow and was now armed with his sword and shield. Sam battled two on his own and Hermione didn't have to think about it as she lit her arrow and let it loose, watching with some satisfaction as it founds its mark in the wight.
For a brief moment when Drogon and Viserion flew over them, roaring mightily, and setting alight a good number of the wights, Hermione believed they had gained the advantage. It was not so. No sooner had Viserion burned the wights had he come crashing to the ground.
"By the gods," she heard someone swear behind her. "What do we do now?"
"Keep going." She said through grit teeth. They looked at her as if she were crazy.
"Did you not just see him knock that dragon straight outta the sky?" A young boy asked her. His hands shook on the bow he held.
"I did. But we have no choice. Your King would not have you lose hope now." Hermione said.
"But … he's … " he stammered.
"What's your name, son?" Ser Davos asked gently.
"L – Lucas."
Ser Davos grasped the lad by the shoulder. "Well Lucas, the night's just getting started. Best gather your courage quickly." He looked at Hermione as she saw his resolve harden. "Yeh King might ask it of you, but yeh Queen demands it of you. For the North!" he bellowed and they all followed, finding their strength in his.
The boy nodded, breathing furiously as Hermione handed him another arrow. "Focus only on what you can hit." Lady Brienne advised. She had been stationed with them atop the tower. Sansa had insisted, and Hermione thought Lady Brienne was rather grateful that she fought.
"What in seven hells is he doing?" Ser Davos asked as they took their stance again.
Hermione lowered her bow, watching as Viserion took to the sky once more, this time as a wight. She saw the Night King fly up with Viserion, watching them all far too calmly for her comfort.
"Oh, that's not good," Ser Davos remarked. He clutched the pommel of his sword at his waist a little tighter and then called for them to nock again. He too then raised his bow and aimed.
Hermione grasped the broken stone of the tower, leaning over to catch a glimpse of what she could on the ground. Drogon landed some distance from them and a moment later, Rhaegal joined him.
"Get down!" Ser Davos cried pulling her behind the stone wall. The arrow whistled, over her head, catching another archer in the leg. She gasped, her eyes wide as he groaned and then fell to his knees before her.
"Oh my god! I'm so –"
"Don't Your Grace." He grunted. Bravely, he broke the end off, the arrowhead itself still lodged in him. "For the North, right?"
"Yes," she whispered and then she pulled herself up, bow in hand. As she nocked her next arrow, she saw Jon marching up to Rhaegal.
"Is that husband of yours going to do what I think he's gonna do?" Ser Davos asked.
"Would it surprise you to know, Ser Davos," Hermione started as she drew, "that it would not be his first time on Rhaegal?" She let loose and watched as her arrow buried itself in a wight that had been coming up on Jon. It fell, screaming as it caught alight. He glanced her way, before climbing on Rhaegal.
Some of the fuller-bodied wights had now taken up climbing the Broken Tower. More urgent screams filled the air as they tried to shoot them down.
Jon and Daenerys had joined Viserion and the Night King in the sky when everything turned to utter chaos. The Night King, for as far as she could see, raised his hands and not a moment later, their dead, those that had fallen in battle now, rose with him.
"He's making more," Lady Brienne whispered sounding completely defeated. "How do we defeat him if he keeps making more?"
"We kill him," Hermione grunted.
The wight giant loomed over them again, and that took all their attention. A few more arrows were shot into the air, some finding their mark on the wight, but it was not nearly enough to bring him down.
She turned back to call for more arrows when someone screamed, "My queen!" and then Hermione was slammed into the wall. The cudgel of the wight missing her head by a hairs breathe.
Her heart hammered and her knees protested as it made contact with the cold stone. Yet there was little time for any of that as she was being yanked up by the arm. "We have to move, your grace." Ser Davos said grimly. "Come on!" He pulled her away from the edge of the tower and towards the stairs. The giant came into sight again as Ser Davos hastily shoved her down the slippery steps. Behind her, she heard the shouts and cries followed by the breaking of stone. She stumbled on the last step, barely pulling herself out of the way as a few more lads followed behind her.
"Lucas! What are yeh doing lad? Get down!" an archer screeched. They all turned to see one lone figure atop the tower. The archer on the ground had been the one to take the arrow for Hermione. She watched as the boy atop the tower scrambled and held his bow steady. His arrow was lit but when the giant came into sight, it snuffed out the fire and the boy in one take.
"Oh gods," Hermione mumbled aghast.
"Move!" a familiar voice yelled over the din at the entrance. "You lot, get over here!" Hermione looked over to see Beric commanding what was left of their defence. Beside him, the commander of Daenerys' Unsullied held a shield as he called his men to formation in a strange language.
"Go!" Hermione ordered those around her. "Go now!" She held the bow in hand but it was of little use without the oil dipped arrows.
Hermione gave the empty tower top one last look as they started moving. They moved, quickly without any true destination, save only to get out of the way from the falling rubble.
As they got closer to the first keep, Hermione saw Sansa and Arya standing outside the crypts, blade in hand looking shaken but unharmed.
"What happened?" Hermione asked rushing to her. Lady Brienne too was quick to her defence, with her sword raised.
"The … dead… he …they were …" Sansa stuttered. She looked back to the barricaded doors of the crypts. "They're safe now." Her hand shook but she didn't let go of the blade.
"You did well Your Grace." Lady Brienne praised. "But we must keep moving."
They rushed across as Viserion flew over, low enough to know the Night King could see them. Jon and Daenerys followed on Rhaegal and Drogon but then Viserion turned and breathed blue fire again, causing Jon and Daenerys to swerve out the way again.
Hermione felt her heart drop as she watched him riding Rhageal but the sounds of battle on the ground were all she could afford to focus on. More wights seemed to find their way through the castle gates, the hole in the structure the wight giant had made was too much for them to control. Through it, Hermione saw Tormund dive over some heavy stones as he avoided the swing of a wight. Ser Jaime cut down two with his Valyrian steel sword and then grabbed a torch from the near wall, setting another on fire.
Ser Jaime glanced their way and Hermione noted very briefly the look of relief on his face. But his attention was only on one. Tormund pulled a wight of him, swearing as he grabbed the torch in Ser Jaime's hand and lit it. They backtracked until they joined Hermione and the others, all huddled together between the keep and the crypts.
For a small moment, nothing seemed to move, only the three dragons in the air as Viserion soared higher and higher with the Night King. He all but disappeared into the darkness and then Hermione found her throat sticking together. Beside her, a small quivering hand slipped into her own and squeezed. Sansa too was looking up at the sky at the sight of her brother disappearing into nothing. The clash of steel and screams from beyond the fallen gates told them their forces were still fighting strong.
Viserion roared as he circled back to them, flying lower than before. He drew a fiery breath but was knocked from his path by Rhaegal. Drogon dove, trying to bring him down but the Night King was faster and pulled him out of the way. On the ground, the dragonfire burned, blue as the walker's eyes.
Hermione threw down the bow and pulled Valkyrie from her side. She swiped, dodged and swiped again as the others fought the fresh wave of wights. Lady Brienne and Ser Jaime were the only two amongst them with Valyrian steel but that did not matter to Tormund or Ser Davos. The Onion Knight did not move as fast as Ser Jaime or even Lady Brienne but he was no less accurate. Hermione drove the end of her sword into a wight before calling over her shoulder, "Tormund, the fire!"
He cut the head of another wight before setting it alight and then reaching over and setting her wight on fire too. Hermione pulled her sword out and saw another torch not far from them. She reached for it, under the debris when over the din of war and little visibility, a wight pulled her to the ground. She fought hard, trying to cut it off her but it was far stronger now that it had her pinned. All she could do was hold her smallsword above her to stop it from trying to bite into her. It snarled its ugly face and growled ferociously. She kicked and tried to push it off her but all that accomplished was her getting cut by the wight's blade. It brought its steel blade down and Hermione moved her head just in time. She cried out and could see both Tormund and Ser Davos trying to get to her but they couldn't cut through the other wights fast enough. She looked up at its face, etched it with pure clarity and menace as it tried to stab her again. It growled again and Hermione realized it was no wight, but a walker. She tried to kick harder but it was of no use. Looking up, she saw Rhaegal circling them and when he dove, Hermione knew Jon had seen her. As the walker raised its hand, the blade gleaming in the moonlight, Hermione didn't cower or look away. Rhaegal was inching closer but not enough and there was nothing his flames could do now without hurting Hermione. The blade was impossibly close when another growl erupted and suddenly the walker was thrown off her. Ghost bit through the walker's hand, the blade falling to the ground instantly. Jon pulled Rhaegal up as Hermione crawled back. Ghost tore the walker's hand completely off and it screamed, unlikely in pain but surprise.
"Hermione!" Arya screamed tossing something to her.
Hermione reacted immediately jumping up, catching the obsidian blade in her hand. Her fingers closed around the cold stone and then she turned. The walker was getting up, managing to have thrown the direwolf off him. Ghost hunched forward, growling behind it.
She ran up, ignoring the shouts of objection from behind her. She leapt up but the walker caught her, by the throat with his one good arm.
"HERMIONE!" She heard Jon bellow. Ghost whined loudly, he tried to move closer to help but the walker tightened his hold and Hermione gasped. He growled, frustrated and at a miss of what to do.
The walker looked almost like he was smirking and Hermione allowed him that much before she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer and digging the dragonglass dagger into his side.
He screamed, stumbling the minute the blade made contact with his body and fell to the ground, dropping Hermione as he went. All too soon, he burst into nothing but ash and dust. Around them, several of the wights followed suit as their maker was put to an end. Viserion flew above, breathing more icy blue flames into their path. Hermione fell back harshly, debris cutting into her as she hit the ground. Above, Rhaegal and Viserion battled, dodging and roaring till the ground shook.
Ghost came up to her, sniffing and licking her bloodied hands as she tried to gather herself. More fire belched from Viserion before he flew towards Drogon. Daenerys pulled her dragon up, higher and higher before the Night King changed his direction. Rhaegal roared and for a moment it looked like Jon might land the dragon. But before he could, Viserion emerged from the darkness, throwing Jon off course. Rhaegal stumbled and Hermione got to her feet, screaming and almost rushing forward as Rhaegal disappeared from view. Someone had grabbed her hand holding her back. She wrestled and kicked but it was no good.
"NO! JON!" she screamed. "Let me go!" she turned to throw them off only to notice it was Tormund who held her.
But he wasn't looking at her, but rather over her. Hermione turned back to see the Night King walking through the gates of Winterfell, his army clearing the way for him as they battled and effectively distracted the soldiers around them.
He walked into Winterfell as if he owned it and with a sinking realization, Hermione knew that could very well be a possibility if they didn't kill him. Tormund didn't let go of her wrist, as he gripped his sword tighter. Hermione too clutched her smallsword closer and Ghost, growled as he came to stand in front of her. Once the shock of seeing him so close for the first time had worn off, the others assembled themselves, but the Night King was far smarter. As he stood at the entrance, looking between them and the crypts, his army fell through, charging at them. Above, another thunderous roar filled the air as Viserion flew over and then Drogon appeared with Daenerys from much higher up.
The Night King glanced at the crypts and Hermione wondered if he was doing that just to taunt them. A moment later, he walked on, towards the Godswood. It was just as Bran had seen and by that measure Hermione was not surprised. The wights charged at them and finally, Tormund let her go as he raised his sword.
As Hermione struck down one wight and Tyrion set it on fire, Hermione glanced up to see the dragons dancing off. Viserion growled, emitting smoky clouds before flying towards Drogon. His icy blue fire met Drogon's red fire breath. Viserion flew straight at Drogon, dodging his flames as he attacked, his sharp talons scraping his brother. The dragon screamed and stumbled in the air.
Hermione could see Daenerys battle to hold on as Drogon lost his balance. Viserion attacked again and Daenerys had no choice but to turn and fly up and out of the way. Just in time too as Rhaegal suddenly appeared, flying low with Jon still astride. Viserion roared, his wings beat faster as he turned to his other brother and breathed those deathly flames. Rhaegal turned, escaping death perhaps one last time as Viserion, dug his talons into him, shaking him a little more as his hook was deeper.
"Jon!" Hermione cried panicked. She shoved a wight off her towards Ser Jaime who cut its head off. She watched as Viserion finally let go and Rhaegal fell this time clear as anything, downwards. They all heard the sound of crashing glass as Jon and Rhaegal fell through the glass garden.
It went nightmarishly quiet as all Hermione could do was stand there watching her husband possibly fall to his death. But her heart beat faster, her fingers itched and she knew to the depths of her soul that Jon was still alive. She turned, angrily driving her sword through a wight, before kicking it towards Arya who cut through with her Valyrian dagger. Hermione grabbed another dragonglass dagger from Tormund's deep pockets, shoving it through the eye of another wight.
"Where is he?" Ser Jaime called. His golden hand now held a wight by the throat as he cut through it with his sword. "Is he alive?"
"He's alive," Hermione grunted running Arya's dagger through another wight as she held it steady.
"Did you see him?"
"He's alive. Trust me." She simply said throwing the dagger back to Arya.
Tormund held down on a particularly large wight as Ser Davos brought the torch to it. Hermione ducked a swing of the blade and Sansa shrieked beside her before driving her dragonglass blade into the wight. It crumpled before them but Sansa still looked ashen.
Hermione glanced over and saw Jon emerging from the broken building. Dusting shards of glass of himself with longclaw in one. Hermione couldn't get to him, not without risking someone to the wights. But when she looked over, he was already staring at her.
"Go," she urged. She didn't scream or shout but she knew he heard her all the same. She glanced over to the Godswood and he understood well enough. It would be as Bran had foreseen. How it would end was still unknown to them.
Viserion appeared again, looming over them, his fire breath nearly kissing them. But all Hermione could see was Jon. He gave her one last fleeting look, before stepping forth into the Godswood to meet his fate.
Dear god, Hermione prayed, raising her sword above her head just in time, please don't take him from me. Another blade cut through the wight from behind. "Sam," she breathed in relief when the wight disappeared into nothing.
"Alright?" he asked and she nodded quickly. "Where's Jon?"
Hermione gripped Valkyrie tighter, "He's gone to the Godswood. He's gone to kill the Night King."
AN: Thank you for continued support! It's always so greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I did say from the very start that Hermione would not be helpless despite her lack of magic and I hope with this chapter, I have proven that to you. Please as always, leave a little love! Next chapter will be next week Monday!
Stay safe friends!