Hannah gripped Neville's robes in her fists and fought for each breath. The ropes were gone, but she couldn't wish the panic away. Goddess, she'd faced her fair share at the Battle of Hogwarts, but Alice Longbottom was terrifying.

"Are all the women in your family required to be loving and then terrifying in turns?" Hannah blinked up into Neville's face and tried to smile. "Because I need to work on that second part."

"You're terrifying enough." Neville buried his fingers in her hair and hides his smile against her temple with a kiss.

"I do loving really well." Hannah relaxed against his broad chest and let her eyes close.

"You do." Neville pulled her closer. "You might want to take more back up when you hare off with Hermione to do Goddess only knows what. She has a tendency to jump without looking."

"I pushed her this time." Hannah pushed back from him and looked up into his eyes again. "I didn't realize how much power the memory evoked. I should have studied her while she thought about it in a controlled environment before I encouraged her to try this. I was so eager, and I've put her in danger."

"She knew the risks." Luna spoke softly from across the room, but no one missed her words. "I've been with her when she's called up her memories for this. She was afraid to fail, afraid she'd dulled the memory by keeping it so occluded. She hadn't."

"She occludes the memory constantly? Why didn't she tell me?" Hannah swallowed down the sudden sour taste in her throat. "I would have been more careful."

"I don't think she wants to talk about how she still functions after all of that." Luna looked to the side and blinked rapidly.

"It's a major thing!" Hannah pushed away from Neville. "She's linked into their magic and their minds. They're lost in some memory storm and she can't lead them out without help."

"They will wear out soon." One of the healers shook his head. "We will be able to fix this mess."

"They won't wear out." Hannah snarled. "They've been spooling magic inside themselves. They could go for days maybe weeks without a flutter in their power. The spells that allow patients to draw nourishment from the air are still active, but Hermione doesn't have that kind of time."

"I'm sure your theories are quite developed." The pompous healer actually patted her arm. "Patients in their condition cannot spool magic."

"You misdiagnosed them." Hannah shook her head. "They were highly trained aurors. Both were accomplished workers of the mind arts. They've been hiding in their own minds and working out problems with defensive spells for years."

"You can't know that." The healer shook his head.

"I can extrapolate it." Hannah stepped into the man and pushed her wand against his chest. "I examined them on several occasions and noticed that their behaviors did not match the diagnosis on their charts. You've only ever looked at their charts. You should be brought up on charges."

"I don't think she needs to worry about being fierce enough to fit in with the Longbottom ladies at all." Narcissa quirked a brow up and glanced at Augusta. "Do you?"

"I have no doubt she will be an asset to our family." Augusta smiled tightly and looked toward the healer. "You need to remove yourself before I start hexing bits off you."

The healer paled and took two steps back and pressed his back against a wall. His eyes flashed from Augusta to Hannah repeatedly before he toppled to the floor, insensate.

"They need to win the battle." Lucius closed his eyes briefly. "This was a fairly common problem during the second war. I can go in. They can take me down."

"You don't have your robes." Harry inserted himself into the conversation with open disdain. "Are they going to recognize you? It's been a long time."

"He has his robes." Draco swallowed. "He's still marked. The robes can be generated from the mark."

"Then why aren't you offering to run in there, Malfoy?" Harry shook his head. "Too afraid?"

"Stop it." Millie pushed Harry back with a flick of her fingers. "Draco isn't marked anymore. Lucius is offering to go into a room and let them take him down with no guarantee that they won't use lethal force. Stop mocking them."

"It's not the best option anyway." Susan swallowed. "We need to focus the circle and pull Hermione out of her memories. It's the best option with those wards. I doubt Lord Malfoy would make it in."

"We need Neville, Draco, and Lady Longbottom in the center to tune it." Luna nodded and started sketching it into the air with lights. "The problem is our fifth."

"I'll be your fifth." Harry looked at Luna hopefully.

"You can't be our fifth we need a witch to work this magic." Luna shook her head. "Not to mention, you're more likely to drive Hermione away than welcome her back. It's more than a few nargles this time."

"I can hold my own." Narcissa stepped forward and raised her chin.

"Her link with Bellatrix might be a problem." Susan rubbed her chin. "But she's Draco's mother."

"She's strong enough." Luna marked some runes into the glowing circle and looked up at the others with a nod. "Either way, her magic will be able to help us get in."

"I've never done this." Millie frowned. "I'm the weak link here."

"You're one of us. You danced with us. There's no question. You are strong enough." Susan tossed her arm around Millie. "None of us have done this without Hermione. This isn't going to be easy, but we get to do some good."

"I'll do my best." Millie nodded and grabbed Hannah's hand.

Luna glanced up and set the glowing circle to spinning. It grew larger with each turn. Lights flashed and flared with each expansion.

"We have five minutes before I have to set it." Luna looked at Narcissa and held out her hand. The older witch grabbed it and nodded her head. "Your taking Hermione's place at the head. You are the very magic that flows. Millie will take water, Susan has fire, Hannah holds earth, and I am air. We're linked. We won't hurt you."

"I never thought you would." Narcissa nodded and stood where Luna pointed. The others moved where the blonde witch indicated and she smiled as Draco, Neville, and Augusta stepped into the center of the circle. The wheel was spinning over them in kaleidoscope of colors. The stood shoulder to shoulder facing out toward the witches.

"It's going to be okay." Luna grinned at them as she took her place and the circle fell to the floor and locked into place. "Hermione can pull them all out. She can do it."