Chapter 12

Hurrying down the corridor, she ignored everything else and was almost there when all of a sudden she was flung sideways. The move unexpected, rattling her concentration for a split moment.

She gave a grunt of pain as she slammed into the wall, ears ringing from the hit. She tilted her head slowly to see Igor standing in the center of the corridor with a nasty sneer on his face as he glared at her.

Hermione raised her wand and without hesitation flicked it.

"Impedimenta."

A second later Karkaroff went stiff and his body hit the floor with a loud thud, his bag emptying its contents.

Which must have alerted Barty Crouch since the door was swung open and a giant hand seized her arm. She was pulled harshly into the room, making her wince at the harsh movement, her head spun a bit at all the movements. She slammed into Harry who had shouted her name the instant he'd seen her.

Hermione heard a hysterical laugh and she pushed Harry back, wand ready to attack. Moody stood in front of them. Harry seemed to realize her confusion for he whispered into her ear.

"Polyjuice Potion."

She thought back on everything, all the hints and hated herself for not realizing it herself. That explained the stolen ingredients from Snape's personal stock too.

Hermione watched as his face slowly changed, looking a bit crazed as he watched them in return.

Seconds later, there stood Barty Crouch Junior, who was supposed to be 'dead', was actually alive.

He seemed to realize what she was contemplating since he gave her a sly smirk, tongue flicking outwards several times.

"I see now that I was also right about the mudblood. She helped you quite a lot which was a point in my favor. It will show him what I am capable of. It will show that I am different than the others. I will be rewarded above all others. The Dark Lord will favor me above all others. I will be the one to bring him the one accountable for all his troubles. I will deliver him, Potter. Now, as for the Mudblood, it will be a sweet bonus."

He gave another laugh as he trudged towards them. Harry tried elbowing her out of the way when Crouch raised his wand towards her.

His smirk turned into maniacal glee as he centered his wand directly at her chest.

"Crucio."

Hermione's shields shattered under the curse.

It also ripped open her bond binds, sharing a brief glimpse of her pain.

She screamed.

Agony tore her body apart.

Harry grabbed her arm, making it worse so he let go and shouted at Crouch, face going death white at the sound of her screams.

The curse only lasted seconds but it had felt like forever as she laid there helplessly.

She gnashed her teeth as iron hot needles of pain stabbed her body. Once Harry forced him to release the spell with one of his own, she lifted her hand shakily, making sure to point it in his direction.

"Expulso."

Crouch screeched in surprise and pain before being cut off completely as he flew back. He hit the many glass pieces near the back of the room in a loud crash. Hermione tried standing up but the tremors in her body refused to stop. Harry grimaced along with her as he tried to help her up. His own physical pain becoming a hindrance.

Hermione blinked several times but all she could see was Harry. He had his wand out.

"Expecto Patronum."

After a few seconds, a familiar shape began to take form. It was a stag with large antlers. Hermione vaguely heard him asking for Dumbledore as she forced herself to stand up.

Once up, she made her way to Crouch and secured him with her wand. She turned when the door exploded inward. She jumped in front of Harry, wincing as she built her shields back up. Harry pushed her aside as he raised his own wand up.

Dumbledore, Snape, and Professor McGonagall were standing there; wands raised. Dumbledore's face had lost the twinkle in his eyes as he surveyed the room with cold eyes.

Hermione made sure she looked frightened as she pushed Harry back.

"It was Barty Crouch Jr disguised as Professor Moody, Headmaster," she said, making her voice sound small and frightened.

Harry nodded as his body continued shaking with faint tremors. She felt them as he leaned into her body. Professor McGonagall gasped and moved towards them as Dumbledore walked over to Crouch's body. Hermione checked her shields as Professor McGonagall fussed over them. Snape stayed by the door, keeping watch.

Harry spoke up.

"He said he had Moody in the room."

Everybody turned to look at him and he straightened his spine.

"He was bragging about how he was able to take on Moody."

Dumbledore gave an inclination as he stood up.

"Severus, fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you have. Minerva, contact Sirius and Remus. Wait for them to get here and take them to my office."

Both of them left to do as he said. Dumbledore levitated Crouch's body and bound him to a chair as he searched his person. He found a flask that everybody had seen him drink from and a set of keys. Hermione leaned back against the wall as she watched him. Harry moved closer to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore walked towards the large chest sitting against the wall. He unlocked it using all seven of the keys and she heard Harry gasp softly.

"That's Professor Moody?"

Dumbledore nodded as he stepped into the smallest chest. A few moments later he pulled out the real Moody and set him gently on the couch near the fireplace. Hermione transfigured a paper into a blanket and wrapped it around Moody's body.

He was missing some hair as well as his stomp. His eye socket was sunken in since Crouch had probably taken it. She accioed the eye, making sure to use her wand.

Hermione gave it to Dumbledore who had been observing her the whole time. Dumbledore placed it in the correct place as he spoke.

"I knew something was wrong when Moody removed you from my sight after what happened tonight. The moment he took you; I just knew something wasn't right."

He waved his hand over Moody's unconscious body just as Snape walked in with a box. He stopped when he saw the real Moody sitting upright and coughing horribly from Dumbledore's Rennervate. Hermione moved back against the wall and sank down with Harry who had been clutching his arm to his chest. It was only then that she saw the blood on his arm.

Hermione grabbed his arm.

"What transpired tonight, Harry?"

Harry stared at her, his eyes showing his earlier pain. "His back you know. Voldemort is back. I- didn't mean to."

Hermione frowned at his words. He didn't mean to? She would get the whole story after. She ripped her shirt and bandaged his arm as they watched the others talking, making sure to check that the time-turner wasn't showing.

Moody was in a horrible mood, cursing Crouch to the pits of hell. Hermione watched in interest as they woke Crouch who was still in bonds. It was then that she realized that he was bleeding from his right arm. She must have almost blasted his arm off. He woke with a shout.

"YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD!"

Snape grabbed his jaw and forced the Truth Potion down his throat. Crouch choked and had no choice but to swallow. Hermione remained indifferent to the name calling. Having Malfoy use that all the time made her immune to it somehow. Harry, on the other hand, had moved in front of her with his own wand out.

She wanted to smile at it but she still felt the aftershocks of the cruciatus curse inside her body, it was already taking everything she had not curl up into a ball. She had seen Harry trembling the same way she had. Voldemort must have used it on him at some point in their confrontation.

A second later Professor McGonagall walked in with Winky. Crouch's family elf that had been fired earlier in the year and was currently working at Hogwarts. Winky was shaking as she stared Crouch. Professor McGonagall pressed her mouth into a tight line as she watched him. Winky became distraught as she watched her ex-master.

"Silence, Crouch," Dumbledore said as he moved towards Crouch. He stood before him a second later.

"How were you able to get here? How did you escape from Azkaban?"

Crouch took a deep breath as the Truth Serum forced him to comply. He began speaking in a flat voice as the serum forced him to be calm. His eyes still flickering between Harry and Hermione. "My mother saved me. She knew she was dying. She persuaded my father to rescue me as a last favor to her. He loved her as he had never loved me. He agreed. They came to visit me. They gave me a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my mother's hairs. She took one containing my hairs. We took on each other's appearance."

Right then Winky shouted, "Say no more, Master Barty, say no more, you are getting your father into trouble!"

Hermione watched as the Veritaserum worked its magic and forced him to continue. "The Dementors are blind. They sensed one healthy and one dying person entering Azkaban. They sensed the same ones leaving. My father smuggled me out disguised as my mother, in case other prisoners were watching through their doors."

"My mother died a short while afterward in Azkaban. She was careful to drink the Polyjuice Potion until the end. She was buried under my name and bearing my appearance. Everyone believed her to be me."

Crouch coughed loudly, licking his lips over and over again.

Dumbledore nodded, "And what did your father do with you when he had got you home?"

Crouch continued talking in the same toneless voice. Hermione filed everything away for later as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. It was only a moment later when Crouch mentioned Bertha Jorkins name. So, his father was the one that took care of Jorkins, he must have sent her on her way to Albania. Crouch continued with his story following it with the Quidditch World Cup. She connected the more pieces with the information he gave. He then said something that snagged her attention completely.

"My master came for me."

"He arrived at our house late one night in the arms of his servant. An older servant. My master had found out that I was still alive. He had captured Bertha Jorkins in Albania. He had tortured her. She told him a great deal. She told him about the Triwizard Tournament. She told him the old Auror, Moody, was going to teach at Hogwarts. He tortured her until he broke through the Memory Charm. He found out everything he needed and especially me."

Something seemed to awaken in his eyes as he smiled, "I was found by him and given a special mission. I was to infiltrate Hogwarts and guide Harry Potter into winning the tournament. To turn the cup into a Portkey, which would take the first person to touch it to my master. But in order for all of that to happen-"

"You needed me," Moody growled out. He was glaring madly at Crouch, hand twitching to curse him.

Hermione almost wished he did. They continued talking, getting every little detail out of him before Dumbledore stunned him. Hermione stood and asked to leave. Professor McGonagall nodded gently at her. Harry grabbed her arm suddenly.

"Please don't say anything to Ron, not yet."

Hermione stared into Harry's eyes. "Don't worry. I wasn't going to say anything to him."

She walked out after that, hearing Dumbledore bark orders out for everybody as he took Harry with him. She had wanted for Sirius to wait a while before speaking with Dumbledore but the current situation had rushed everything. Tom Riddle was back and that meant war wasn't that far off. She needed to get things going sooner rather than later.

The tremors had stopped but her magic was wound tight like a bowstring, ready to snap now that she wasn't primed for a duel.

"Adrian, Marcus," she whispered to them as she walked out of the room, feeling a particular gaze on her. She wasn't sure if it was Snape or McGonagall. Not that it mattered. She just wanted to be near somebody familiar.

She felt them close so she headed straight for Snape's classroom. The halls were empty as she made her way there and in the distance, she could hear sobbing and wails. She paused at Snape's door. Her hand half raised towards the door, she could go back and save Cedric but at what cost.

She hadn't known him at all but others had. He had been the only son of Amos Diggory.

Hermione forced herself to open the door and walk in. The events of the night had made sure that Harry had come out alive. She would not risk it.

But it marked her in ways she couldn't describe.

This night would always hunt her.

Hermione walked up to Snape's desk and slumped against it as she waited for Adrian and Marcus.

The door opened minutes later, and she raised her head with a slight smile that died at Adrian's expression.

It looked scared and furious at the same time, the blank mask gone as his emotions washed acrosd his face in chaotic fury. He rushed towards her and she opened her arms to him.

He embraced her tightly as he whispered nonsense into her ear. Over his shoulder, she saw Marcus and Montague, watching them wordlessly. Marcus, eyes full of unsaid words, had his hands clenched tightly. Montague for once wasn't smirking as he watched her hug his fellow Slytherin.

"How are you? No lies." asked Adrian.

Hermione shrugged. "I was cursed for a couple of seconds. But it wasn't me that was really hurt tonight."

No, the one hurt was definitely not her.

Adrian pulled back as he composed himself once more.

"Mother floo called me a while ago. Father hasn't come back from the calling. She's waiting in your villa in case something happens."

So, Dimitry was still with that monster. Hermione shuddered and pulled out a piece of parchment paper. She wrote everything she would need before handing it to him.

"Tell Dimitry to get everything on this list. I need it as soon as the school lets out."

Adrian took one look at it and froze. He would have spoken, but she placed a finger to his lips.

"It is necessary if we want to win." she whispered softly.

Adrian nodded reluctantly but let the matter drop. She pushed away from the table and headed towards Marcus who still stood stoically by the door.

"What is it?" asked Hermione as she grabbed his arm. Marcus took a deep breath as he met her eyes.

"My father also sent word to me. I will be 'joining' him as soon as I leave Hogwarts."

Those words stole her breath. She had known that it would happen if Riddle came back. But this just made it seem more real. She pulled him into her embrace for the first time ever. She forced his head down to her.

"You hold your shields in place and don't let him win. Don't let him in. No matter what happens okay."

Marcus hugged her tightly for a few seconds longer before letting her go. She turned to Montague, who was trying to smirk. She grabbed his arm and gave him a smile. "You too. I'm guessing your family will try to get you to follow him too. Look after them for me okay."

She turned away from them and slid the map out from her pocket. She sat down on Snape's desk and opened it. She locked the door with a wave of her wand as the others sat around her, grabbing stools to sit on.

They stayed there for hours until the early morning.

Planning.

Hermione was still in shock from the night's events to get any sort of sleep so she stayed up. The others were anxious in what the morning would bring them.

Finally, the door opened, and Snape walked in. He didn't stop but did raise an eyebrow at her as he passed them and opened his door to his private room. They followed him in and watched him walk around the room.

"We found out many things from Crouch. Also, Cornelius will be here soon, and he is insisting on bringing a dementor." Snape said as he took his robe off. Hermione turned towards the fireplace and threw in some floo powder. It connected to her villa, which Dimitry had connected, and waited for Zephrine to appear. It only took a few minutes when she did appear.

"Hemi, Dimitry is... He is really hurt. He tortured everybody that showed up and is planning on killing those that didn't." Zephrine said in a low but urgent tone.

Hermione glanced back at Snape who had frozen with his hands pale against his black robes. Hermione swallowed hard.

"We will deal with that when it comes around. For now, make sure Dimitry heals. We have a lot to talk about. Stay there but make sure Sunmi is at the manor in case somebody goes calling."

She ended the call and turned back to the others. They too had heard everything. She walked out of the Snape's rooms with the others. Snape passed her, and she would have said something but stopped herself. Not in front of the others.

They were almost by the hospital wing when they heard Professor McGonagall's shrill voice and Cornelius's voice down the corridor.

"It swooped down on Crouch and killed him!" Professor McGonagall yelled over the minister.

Cornelius yell grew louder at that. "By all accounts, he is no loss! It seems he has been responsible for several deaths so it was meant to be."

That must have meant the dementor he had brought with himself had kissed Crouch. Destroying any "evidence" that could have proven most of the crimes committed. Hermione pushed back away from the others. Snape nodded at her to take the stairs to the side where a broom cupboard was located. She didn't glance back as she ran up the stairs.

She opened the cupboard, making sure nobody was around. She lifted her shirt and without unwinding the time-turner from her waist she flipped the hourglass once and waited for time to go back ten minutes. Pulling back her sleeve, she tapped the wand on her wrist. Hermione was hoping she wouldn't need it but nevertheless, it was better to be prepared. Nothing could be traced back to her, not to her personal wand.

She opened the cupboard when the time was right and ran down the stairs and towards Moody's classroom. It was slightly open, and she could see Professor McGonagall walking back and forth behind Crouch who was still unconscious.

Hermione tucked herself between two pillars and waited. The wait was only about two minutes before she felt the hallway become colder by the second. She glanced down the corridor to see Cornelius Fudge walking slightly behind the dementor. The dementor was heading straight for the open door next to her.

Pulling out her 'wand', she pointed it at the dementor. It would be the first time she ever cast such a spell. Bringing up her happiest memory, she braced herself.

"Expecto Patronum."

The tip of her wand glowed for two seconds before a large animal appeared. It ran straight for the dementor, who had halted in the middle of the corridor, her Patronus exploded into bright light as it reached its prey. Fudge yelled out for somebody to help him control the dementor since it wasn't listening to his commands.

It made a horrible sound and turned on the minister himself. Shite, that wasn't was she was expecting. She got out and ran down the corridor away from him. She could hear others approaching to help him.

Going down the stairs and into an empty classroom, she waited for the remaining time to pass. Once it was done she walked back up the stairs. She would have gone into the corridor but a large hand wrapped around her waist. Pulling her away from the corridor and into another room. Hermione would have torn away, but the smell of herbs hit her senses and so she stayed still.

Snape spoke up after a moment.

"They have Crouch in custody. I guess you changed something since you were hiding?"

Hermione nodded as she tried to control her thumping heart.

"Yes, in the previous time he had gotten the kiss from the dementor that they are trying to control right now. I used the Patronus Spell to buy the others time."

His arms tightened briefly and he hissed into her ear. He let her go abruptly, his arms twitching slightly. She turned slightly to watch him build up his walls, occluding hard from the darkness she could see taking over his gaze.

"Karkaroff would have fled if you hadn't stunned him last night. The reason he was so set out on you was that he had thought you had seen him meet up with his contact. He was planning to run away during the third task but he didn't want to leave anything that could be traced to his location. He will leave for sure now. I saw him leave early this morning. He will be killed eventually." Snape said flatly. Hermione turned away from him. She wouldn't be able to tell him about her plans. He would be busy with Dumbledore and not long after with Riddle. She walked away from him.

It was the only thing she could offer him.

…..0o0

A day later she emerged from the Common Room. Hermione had chosen her clothes carefully since she had packed everything else up. A day she had spent away from everybody. Except for Harry. Harry had stayed in the hospital wing for a couple of hours the day before insisting he was perfectly fine. Molly and Bill had tried talking to Harry, but he had taken the potion Madam Pomfrey had given him to sleep the pain away. Harry had asked her and Ron to stay with him. Everybody else had left. She had avoided all of the adults the whole time. Acting like it was all a grand shock.

Now she walked with Harry and Ron towards the Great Hall for the last meal of the year. She hadn't spoken with anybody.

At least nobody aside from Harry and Ron. Everybody else had stayed away from them. Harry had given the money he won from the Tournament to the Weasley's. He had tried to give her some as well but she had just walked away from his outstretched hand.

She didn't need it.

Harry had been acting differently since Cedric's death too. He would flinch whenever he heard people mention the name, having the money was just another reminder. But she still didn't want it.

They entered the Great Hall, which only made Harry stiffen beside her. She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards their table.

The Great Hall was decorated in black. A tribute to Cedric Diggory. They sat down next to Ginny and Neville. Both who smiled sadly at Harry. She made Harry sit between her and Ginny; serving him a plate. He stared down at the food without raising his gaze. He nodded at her but refused to let go of her hand. Hermione didn't even try setting a plate for herself.

She glanced at the Head Table as Dumbledore began to speak.

"The end of another year." He looked around the Great Hall in grave silence before speaking once again. "There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight. But I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here, " he gestured toward the Hufflepuffs, "enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."

Everybody stood, glasses in hand, to Cedric. Everybody but Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Hermione made sure they felt her gaze before turning her attention back to Dumbledore, who continued his speech about Harry, Cedric and of course Voldemort.

They sat down once again as Dumbledore went on and on about unity. The rest of the meal went on in silence with the occasional sniffle coming from the Hufflepuff table. She didn't miss the way some of the students threw hard glances at Harry. Hermione just stared back at them, bored. Adrian and Marcus also stayed silent, neither one of them eating, occasionally glancing at her.

Hermione looked at the Head Table but still didn't see Snape. He must have stepped "out" for a bit. She didn't know why she cared. She told herself that it was because he was her spy.

Hers.

She shook her head as she stood up with Harry and walked out of the Great Hall.

Useless thoughts like that would serve no purpose. It wasn't her concern and the sooner she believed it...

...o0o...0o0

It wasn't until they arrived at King's Cross station that Harry relaxed. Sirius and Remus were waiting for him, so he finally let go of her hand and walked towards them. He would be safe with them now more than ever. She walked slowly over to her 'parents' who, in fact, were Dimitry and Zephrine using Polyjuice Potion to look like her parents.

She looked over her shoulder to see Marcus and Adrian, alongside Graham, apparate out of the station. Hermione returned the hugs she received from her parents.

"I heard about what happened. I'm sorry for what Potter had to go through." said Zephrine softly as she hugged her tightly. Hermione smiled sadly.

"It hit him hard. Everybody else is just scared of the events that happened."

Dimitry nodded. "That is understandable."

Hermione shrugged as she turned to look at him. "How are you really?"

Dimitry started down at her, his smile fading a bit. "I was one of the lucky ones. The others...We will talk later."

They made their way out of the station. She looked back once at Harry, and the Weasley's. She didn't know what the summer would bring or even the upcoming year. Because for her it would last longer, feel like years have passed.

With the last glimpse of them, she waved at Harry who had turned around to catch a final glimpse of her.

His eyes clinging to hers for a second longer.

….0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Slightly Edited as of 3/3/19

Thank you for reading!

Vanee