Friday! Another chapter, as promised.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed (I think I've figured out who the regular reviewers are by now- I love all your long reviews and theories!) and everyone who left me a message on Tumblr. Love to you all. (I'm really hoping to get to 100 with this chapter... fingers crossed!)

Also, a BIG thank you to bluefirefly5 for helping me with the French in a very nice review.

Chapter Five, in which the Trio escapes from a werewolf, and Dumbledore is manipulative. Also, the Quidditch World Cup.

Chapter 5

Hermione didn't know how the night had gone from bad, to worse, to deadly so quickly. Bad was confronting Sirius Black in the Shrieking Shack. Worse was having Peter Pettigrew begging for his life at her feet. And deadly was facing a werewolf chained to Pettigrew and Ron, while Professor Snape was moaning quietly on the ground and Harry was standing stock still.

She had to act fast- she shot a reviving spell at Snape, released Ron from his bonds, and was pushing Harry and Ron in front of her. "Run!" she shouted, pulling Snape off the ground and pushing him away too. "Run, go, run!"

Lupin was still transforming, a horrible sight complete with broken screams turning into wolf-like howls. Pettigrew turned to face her, then grinned nastily and shrunk, turning into a rat and scampering into the Forbidden Forest. Hermione wanted to scream her frustration. Sirius had made his transformation, but looked unsure whether to go after Peter or Remus. He chose the werewolf.

"I'm sorry Professor," she whispered, then sent a few spells at the still transforming werewolf before running after her friends and Professor Snape.

The warmth of the spring had faded, creating a cold and utterly terrifying environment. Every breath was raggedly pulled into Hermione's lungs as she pumped her legs as hard as she could. She tried pushing away the fact that there was a werewolf somewhere behind her. The terror was draining- but she felt safer when caught up with Harry and Ron and Snape.

They made it to the lake before the werewolf caught up with them. Harry was trying to help Ron, and Snape was still dazed, stumbling over the uneven ground. It could not get any worse- until it did and Dementors were coming at them from their other side- the one that was not the one the werewolf was coming at them from.

"Harry- a Patronus. Do a Patronus," she croaked, throwing herself between him Ron and the werewolf. "Professor-"

"Get back, girl," he snapped at her, pushing her behind him. "If someone needs to die tonight it will not be you. And the dog seems like it is going to help as well." It was true- Sirius was back and trying to push Remus away.

But even as the werewolf turned and ran for the Forbidden Forest, Sirius changed back, gasping as the Dementors came closer and closer, Harry's wisps of pale smoke doing nothing to scare them off. Hermione pulled out her own wand, trying to think of a happy memory, any memory before…

"Miss Granger, I think three turns will suffice," Dumbledore said gravely, the face of a man who had just told them Sirius would die and there was no way to overturn his sentence in time. "It is five minutes to midnight, and I am locking the doors now. Good luck."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you, Professor. We will be back. No one will see us. You said thirteenth window from the right?"

The Headmaster nodded. "And remember that Sirius was not the only one to be unfairly sentenced to death today." He left the Hospital Wing. Brilliant, Hermione thought. Sirius has an escape route now. But that gives us the added complication of rescuing Buckbeak- without being seen. Brilliant.

In one smooth movement, Hermione pulled the chain from around her neck. "Come here, Harry," she commanded, draping the chain around both their necks when he obeyed. "We are going to take a little trip back in time."

And so they did- following their past selves, waiting until no one was watching Buckbeak to steal the condemned hippogriff, and flying the beast up to the window in Professor Flitwick's office. And in between that, saving the lives of their past selves from the Dementors hell bent on sucking their souls from their bodies.

But the flying part- Harry was enjoying the flying part. He was in his element.

"It's brilliant, Hermione!" he crowed, gripping Buckbeak's feathered neck tightly. "Not as smooth a ride as a broom, of course, but can't you feel his power?"

At this point, Hermione was feeling almost unbearably queasy. "Unfortunately," she groaned. "Let's get this runway to the escaped prisoner and get off it!"

At least Sirius was grateful. When they swooped past the thirteenth window to the right, he was there, just as Dumbledore had said. The expression on his face was desolate, desperate, the face of an innocent man condemned to death.

"Thank the gods," he breathed as the hippogriff landed on the windowsill, heavy wings beating fast to hold it in place as Hermione unlocked the window, allowing him to crawl through and get on the beast behind her.

Then Harry was guiding Buckbeak into a dive, heading toward the Forbidden Forest. "I'm going to die," Hermione moaned, clutching Harry's shirt desperately. "I'm only fourteen years old and I'm going to die."

The man behind her shifted slightly, leaning close to whisper in her ear. Normally, Hermione would have recoiled from the rancid breath- but this time she understood that Sirius as an escaped prisoner and could be excused for poor dental hygiene. "Thank you, Hermione. For before and now. You're bloody brilliant, you are."

"You're welcome," Hermione said, just as quietly, but she had a feeling Sirius heard. He leaned back again, and they landed with a hard thump on the rough ground. "We need to get back," Hermione announced. "Dumbledore is locking us in in about… fifteen minutes."

"Alright," Harry said, "Goodbye, Sirius."

"You truly are your father's son, Harry," said Sirius, scooting up on the hippogriff's back. "I'll see you again. Thank you, Hermione. The best of luck to both of you." With a few mighty beats of his wings, Buckbeak rose into the air. Hermione and Harry were already running back to the castle, looking back over their shoulders to check the progress of the rapidly disappearing black dot that was Sirius and Buckbeak.

They barely made it to the Hospital Wing- Dumbledore was pulling out the key to the door right as Harry and Hermione rounded the corner.

"Did you succeed?" he asked, both of them really, but his eyes were focused on Hermione. "Did you-"

"Yes," Hermione said firmly. "We succeeded. Both of them are safe for now- and no one saw us. We saved our past selves as well. We couldn't get Pettigrew, though."

"Hermione was brilliant!" gasped Harry, grossly out of breath from the sheer amount of running he and Hermione had to do to get back in time. "Sirius and Remus both said so- and we really couldn't get Peter so it wasn't her fault." Compared to him, Hermione was more cool and collected, just a slight sheen of sweat on her brow.

"I would not doubt Miss Granger's intellectual prowess," said Dumbledore cordially. "Indeed, I would wish that both you and Mr. Weasley would follow her fine example in regards to class work. Can I count on better marks next year, Mr. Potter?"

"Of course, sir," Harry said, a curious shade of red blossoming on his already flushed cheeks. Dumbledore chuckled, and held the door open for the two of them. Ron was sleeping peacefully in one bed, and Hermione and Harry made their way over to the other two rumpled ones.

"Goodnight," Harry said quietly.

Hermione sighed, overwhelmed for a moment by the sheer safety of the bed. Under the covers, in bed clothes, no one could get to her. No one was trying to kill anyone. She was safe. "Goodnight, Harry."

"Well?" demanded Severus. "Did Miss Granger prove herself to you?" Did I train her right? Did she succeed in your eyes?

Professor Dumbledore was silent for a few moments, seeming much older than his considerable years. "She has proved to me she has a willingness to keep Harry safe. And you were right, she is intelligent. I was expecting her to freeze at some point- recall that all her teachers said she had trouble merging her book intellect and her fighting skills- but she did admirably well. I looked in your mind, and in hers. There was no doubt when she threw herself between him and poor Remus."

"Poor Remus," Severus scoffed, hands stuffed deep in his pockets as he examined the night sky outside the Headmaster's office. "Poor Remus nearly took a chunk out of your boy savior and your precious spy."

"Poor Remus," responded the Headmaster coolly, "has no control over his situation, as he did have 'a chunk' taken out of him when he was four." Severus had no reply but a sneer for that.

After another moment of silence, the Potions Master returned to the chair in front of the Headmaster's desk. "She was sharp. She saved my life, and Harry's life. And of course that bloody fool Sirius Black-"

"Sirius Black was innocent, Severus," Dumbledore intoned, folding his hands inside his sleeves. "We were supremely luck that the Dementors did not get to him."

"Lucky?" questioned Severus. "We were pretty damn lucky that Hermione Granger knew how to use a Time Turner and that Lupin can work miracles with a Boggart."

"Enter," snapped Severus, pushing aside a stack of papers to be graded. Whomever it was, they were disturbing him.

To his surprise, it was Hermione Granger's face peeking around the door to his office. "Is this a bad time, sir?"

"No, come in," he sighed. "Do you have something to report, Miss Granger?" She nodded, but a slight shimmer followed her head.

"Yes, Professor. I-" she faltered at the look on his face. "Is something wrong?"

"Do you have a Glamour on your face, Miss Granger?" he asked, voice dangerously soft.

She looked at him like a pitiful puppy, hanging her head. "Yes, sir."

"And what did I tell you when Moody and Tonks taught you Glamours?" he asked, knowing the answer already. His eyes were daggers, boring into hers.

Hermione's back straightened, and she glared right back at him, defenses around her mind strong. He could not break them without hurting her, so for the moment he withdrew. "You said that they were only to be used if needed. I was not to use them to hide spots or make myself look prettier."

"So remove the Glamour, and let me see what you are hiding, Miss Granger," Snape purred, a viciously smooth demand that he was sure would be followed by a severe reprimand and a cowering girl.

Instead, when she removed the Glamour, it was his infamous self-control that prevented him from doing something that he would regret. Hermione's cheeks and brow were decorated with scratches, courtesy of the Whomping Willow. Her lip was swollen and scabbed over, she had a bruise on one cheekbone, and her neck was clearly imprinted with hand shaped bruises.

"Who did this to you?" he asked, voice trembling with barely concealed rage. Who hurt her? They would have injuries as well, Moody and Kingsley saw to that- are those hand marks on her neck? Who tried to strangle her?

Hermione lowered her head, presumably in shame. "Training with Moody, I guess. And the Whomping Willow. And well- Sirius, a bit, but-"

"Sirius as in Sirius Black?" questioned Snape. When she nodded, cursed lightly under his breath. "Tell me what happened, Miss Granger."

"Nothing too bad," Hermione stammered, raising one hand to her neck. "Harry attacked Sirius, so I got in between them- I didn't want Harry to get hurt, after all. I got our wands free, and he aimed a punch at Harry which I took. On my face," she added, quite needlessly, while gesturing toward her cheekbone. "And then he said something and started to try and strangle me. He wasn't really thinking straight at that point-"

"Do not make excuses for the sorry excuse for a man who tried to strangle you, Miss Granger," Severus snapped. "Even you should realize that Sirius Black was trying to kill you. He was worse than I had thought him- attacking a child."

"I'm not a child," Hermione snapped. "I'm fifteen. Almost sixteen by my reckoning." And she looked it, in that moment. Over the year, her hair had gradually de-frizzed to the point where it was merely riotous rather than bushy, and she had gained muscle, and slimmed down from training. She still wore her hair in a relatively childish fashion, to better fit in with her classmates. Severus also noticed that the Glamour she had been wearing had added a certain roundness to her features, and shaved fractions of inches from her height.

Severus inclined his head, then rose abruptly. "Indeed, Miss Granger. Come here." 'Here' was the other side of his office, or more specifically, the antique cabinet that held most of his relatively harmless completed potions. From the cabinet he withdrew Bruise Salve, and Close Cut. "Apply these liberally," he instructed, putting both small jars in her hands. "You should also use them after practice with Moody. He is liable to forget you are breakable."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said, accepting the gift. "And the Glamour…"

He frowned at her. "Use it, of course. It is useful. And I will have to talk to Dumbledore- you might not be able to use the Time Turner this summer like we were planning. You can't look that much older than your classmates." He went back to his work. "Was there anything else?"

"No," Hermione answered. Should I tell him about my Boggart? No. He'll just report it to Dumbledore. No need for them to reassure themselves that I'm dedicated to Harry. Her Boggart would add a new image to her nightmares- Harry's dead body, Ron's dead body… No. There was no need.

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said, sitting down in the chair in front of the Headmaster's desk and adjusting her skirt.

The Headmaster offered her a lemon drop, and sighed when she declined. "You are much like Severus, my dear."

"You only complement me by saying so," Hermione replied smoothly. "Is there something you needed to tell me?" The only reason you call me up to this room, Headmaster Dumbledore, is to inform me of something you have decided for my life.

Dumbledore nodded, not surprised by her observation. He knew it as well as she did- he used people. He accepted that. It was necessary. "Yes. Severus and I spoke, and it was decided that you will use the Time Turner this summer, but you are not to use the it any more than what is necessary this summer. You will spend most of the vacation at Safe House Three, and the rest of the summer at the Weasleys." It was decided, but I think by you and not by Severus.

"Leaving no time for my family, correct?" questioned Hermione, internally shaking her head at the Headmaster's reaction. "I thought so."

Dumbledore adopted his 'grandfatherly' face, frowning slightly at Hermione. "It is, of course, your choice, Miss Granger. If you choose to put your familial relationships before further training and the future of the Wizarding world, then that is, of course, your choice." Like that isn't an obvious guilt trip, old man.

"With choices like that, how could I refuse?" answered Hermione sarcastically. "No, I'll spend it the way you dictated. Safe House Three, Weasleys." Oh, joy.

"So, how did Sirius escape?" asked Ron, as the three close friends wandered the grounds by the lake. "I mean, you've hinted you had something to do with it. But what actually happened?"

Hermione shrugged, using the motion to examine their surroundings. She cast a Muffliato, a handy spell Snape had taught her. One could never be too careful. Harry, however, spoke freely, paying no attention to the people who may or may not have been listening.

"Well, Hermione and I got Buckbeak, flew him up to the tower Sirius was in, and let Sirius fly off with Buckbeak. And I did the Patronus that drove away the Dementors by the lake," Harry explained, as if he was trying to make his answer as deliberately unclear as possible.

Ron had a look of total confusion on his face. "How? It's impossible to be in two places at once. I've been telling Hermione that all year, haven't you been listening, mate?" Harry glanced at Hermione guiltily, and she sighed. I really do wonder why I spend so much time with them, really.

"I have a Time Turner, Ron," she said finally, tired and slightly annoyed by Harry's glances. "I can be in two places at once. I have been doing it all year to get to all my classes. I figured Sirius was worth a trip through time to save, I guess."

Mouth opening and closing repeatedly, Ron resembled a certain species of fish. In short, he was speechless. Eventually, he was able to gasp out a "Bloody hell, Hermione."

"It shouldn't have been that hard to figure out, Ronald," Hermione snapped. "Even for you." Immediately after she said it, she felt bad. "Sorry. That was mean."

"Yeah," Ron said. "It was." His expression softened, though, and he slung an arm over her shoulders. "Not everyone can be as smart as you are, Hermione."

Harry joined, them, adding another arm as weight on her shoulders. "Yep. Which is why you have to help me next year, to meet Dumbledore's standards."

"And make sure Snape doesn't kill us," Ron added. "He probably ripped up every single one of my essays that you didn't check over." Probably, Hermione agreed mentally. This is why I love them. They act like children, but they are so innocent. So sweet when they want to be. Boys. I hope they aren't all like this or I will never get married.

"Hermione!" Tonks shouted, running and tripping across the foyer of Safe House Three. "Great to see ya, love!" The Metamorphmagus elongated her eyelashes ridiculously, batting them at Hermione.

"Great to see you too, Tonks," Hermione giggled, hugging the older woman. "How've you been?" It was strangely comforting to be back at the familiarity of the Safe House. The fire was crackling merrily and she could hear one of the house elves working in the kitchen.

Tonks shrugged, changing her hair color automatically. "Fine, fine. Everything's been more hectic at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement since Black escaped, but other than that most of the rest is the same." Tonks considered Hermione critically for a moment, scrunching up her nose before lengthening it to wrench a laugh out of the girl. "Merlin, you've grown."

"Tell me about it," Hermione muttered, letting her hair out of the bun it was fighting. "I'm nearly sixteen now, by the way," she informed Tonks. "Time Turner and all." Dumbledore had let her know that Tonks and Remus had been kept op to date concerning the rather unique situation that was Hermione plus a Time Turner.

Tonks shook her head slowly. "Nice. You certainly filled out, Hermione." She waggled her eyebrows playfully, and Hermione giggled. "Want to meet our new house guest?" It amazed Hermione sometimes, the way Tonks could bounce from subject to subject.

"Sure," Hermione said, laughing. "Just let me put my bags down. Professor Snape didn't come with me all the way here; he dropped me off at the cottage illusion muttering something about not wanting to smell like dog when he left the- how did he put it?- kennel of a Safe House?" Hermione paused for a moment, then giggled again. "I forgot- I can do magic out of school." With a complicated swish, she sent the bags up to her room.

"The house elves can do that, you know," said Tonks, holding up her hands to quiet Hermione. "I know, I know. You don't like making them do things you can do yourself. But still. And I know Snape doesn't like Remus because of his furry little problem, but what does he have against-"

"Professor Snape," Hermione corrected automatically, prompting Tonks to make a face as she opened the door to the kitchen. "And who is our new guest?"

"Sirius Black," Tonks said with relish. "You know, the escaped convict?" The 'escaped convict' himself was sprawled at the counter top with Remus.

"Oi!" Sirius shouted. "I was never given a trial. Make that escaped, never-convicted convict!" Tonks started laughing, and then Sirius noticed the person next to the Metamorphmagus. "Oh, not you again!"

"What's wrong with me?" asked an indignant Hermione, placing her hands on her hips. "You're the one who breaks into Hogwarts to terrorize students with a knife!"

Sirius grinned sheepishly at the glances from the other two people in the room. "Good point," he conceded. "But still. You beat me two out of the three times you've met me before."

"You let this little girl beat you?" asked Tonks, grinning wickedly. "Cousin, I will never let you live this down."

"I surrender," gasped Moody, glowering up at the point of her wand. "Let me up, there's a good girl."

Hermione gave him her hand, pulling him back up and holding on until he balanced on his wooden leg. "I can't believe I finally-" She was unable to finish the sentence as a result of being flat on her back, Stunned.

"Never help yer enemy," Moody growled. "There's a lesson for you, lass."

"Prepare yourself, Miss Granger," Snape said silkily, turning his wand over in his hands. The girl in front of him drew in a deep breath and cleared her mind, animated face smoothing into calm. Her eyes opened, serene. "Legilimens," he hissed.

His eyes bored down on hers, a deep rich brown circled by a ring a shade darker, with flecks of gold or green near the iris. His eyes were so grey they appeared black, the iris almost invisible depending on the lighting. Down, deeper and deeper into those warm brown eyes…

And then something gave way and he was inside her head and seeing snippets of thought and memory. He saw her reading in a neat bedroom, eating with her parents, walking the streets of her hometown. But there was a- a flavor to the memories, a something he could barely detect. And so he reached deeper, searching for something.

He hit a slick glass wall, something he would have never found had he not been searching for it. He ran mental hands around it, but they slid right off. Examining the surface for cracks was useless, as was trying to go over or under it. In the end, he had to use brute force.

"Ow," Hermione grumbled, rubbing her temples. "Did you have to go so hard? I'm going to have a headache for the rest of the day."

Smirking, Severus sent his wand back to its holster. "Your defenses need strengthening, as do your doctored surface memories. But, good work, Miss Granger. Here-" he nudged a small bottle of a pale potion at her. "This will alleviate your headache. Tomorrow we start on Legilimency."

Hermione grinned excitedly.

"This is no fair," exclaimed Hermione, crossing her arms over her chest. "Honestly. Six against one?" I can get Sirius and Tonks quickly I think- Tripping jinx for her, definitely. Kingsley, if I can get behind him. Remus and Sirius work well together, so split them up. But damn- Moody and Severus at the same bloody time! They're going to wipe the floor with me.

Tonks nodded gleefully, Moody gave her a gruesome grin, Kingsley folded his arms and leaned against the wall lazily, and Sirius let out a short bark of laughter. "Right-o, kiddo. Remus was saying how we need to challenge you more. Six against one sounds about right."

"Fine," Hermione sighed. "See what you'll be saying after I kick your arse." Gods above help me.

"Lemon drop?" Dumbledore offered, one hand already reaching into his pocket to tuck away the candy. "I thought not. Any news from Tom's old friends?"

Severus turned to face the window, his usual position. "The Mark grows darker day by day. Rumors abound. Pettigrew had disappeared into the wilds of Albania, Lucius whispers in the Minister's ear, and Azkaban howls with anger. Others have spread out in the Wizarding World, but all of us agree. It darkens." The mere thought of the mark made Severus' arm twitch imperceptibly.

Dumbledore's voice was old and tired when he spoke. "What does that mean, Severus? Is Voldemort rising once more?" Severus frowned- when that name was spoken, his left arm ached for a sudden, gut-clenching moment.

"I don't know, Headmaster," he said finally. "When Potter vanquished him the first time, the Mark faded to a shadow. But now… Now, I fear for Potter's life. Something is in the works this year, and it will not be good for our side. The Dark Lord has been patient, but now he has a servant who will seek him desperately." This might be the year. We have had thirteen years of peace. A reprieve. Will he believe me? Will it go back to the way it was- revels and death and torture?

"How goes Miss Granger's training? Will she be able to protect the boy?" asked Dumbledore urgently. The flames in the fireplace flickered in the round office, casting the face of his spy into shadow.

Severus nodded, head barely moving. "After months of training, she can hold her own in a knife fight. I'm beginning to introduce dueling and fighting at the same time. As for normal magical dueling, she beat us, finally. Six against one- although it was a kind of stroke of luck because the damn Metamorphmagus tripped and fell over me. And the time she spends with the mutts reinforces her affection for Potter. They tell her stories about how he was as an infant. Apparently," Severus sneered, "Potter enjoyed hunting the family cat. And he set fires with accidental magic." Two of the three signs of a psychopath. I wonder if Potter wet the bed as a child? I wonder how much stock Dumbledore would place in 'the power of love' if Potter turned out to be a deranged serial killer?

"Good, good," Dumbledore said with a sigh, leaning back in his throne-chair. "I will see her at the beginning of the school year. I need to test her defenses. And I think she should make use of the Time Turner again. She can use the extra time to track Harry when she can't be seen. And to train. No one has to know if she has the Time Turner. You did say she was proficient at Glamours?"

The memory of Hermione's bruised face and neck made him scowl. "She is. When will she go to the Weasleys? If my memory serves me, Potter is to arrive in a week."

Dumbledore considered for a moment. "Have her arrive a day or two before him. And tell her to use the Time Turner so she may continue having lessons while she is at the Burrow."

Hermione flew at the scrap of a boy, squeezing him tightly. Gods, he was thin- Harry definitely needed to eat more and his family seemed determined to slowly starve him to death. He felt so frail in her arms, like a baby bird. But he hugged her back, grinning.

"Have you ever heard of Ton-Tongue Toffees, Hermione?" he asked, running a hand through his hair. "Best invention ever."

"I'm glad you think so," Hermione said wryly. "Are you excited about the World Cup?" His eyes lit up, and before she knew it, he was going on and on about the two teams. She just smiled, and allowed herself to be pulled along up the stairs to Ron's room.

She noticed Ginny in the corner, looking up at Harry wistfully. She had been ignored by Harry; the boy had walked in and grabbed her, then Ron. Poor Ginny, Hermione thought, heart aching a bit for the girl. But she'll have her day soon enough. She has great bone structure and with the Weasley hair and temperament, by the time she's fifteen she'll be able to have any boy she wants.

"Follow me, Harry," Hermione ordered, grabbing his hand and running. Ron was somewhere on Harry's other side, and she gave a frantic prayer that he wouldn't get hurt. People were running everywhere, panicking and milling around in a riot.

She turned for a moment, to check their backs. Someone was bearing down on them- Malfoy. "They're going to get you, Granger!" he yelled, a flush of pink on his pale cheeks. "Mudbloods come after Muggles, and there are only five Muggles here! When they are done with those, the will come for you!"

"Then tell them they'll regret it!" Hermione shouted back. "If Mommy and Daddy are in those masks, better warn them to steer clear of me!" Her blood was racing hot and cold with the thrill of the chase- except she was the one being chased. If they catch up with me, they'll be sorry! I am not to be messed with!

Hermione pulled Harry away, Ron following her lead. They were almost at the forest when Hermione felt the tingle on the back of her neck. She knew that feeling- there was a spell coming their way. She cast a shield quickly, not looking back as they ran into the forest.

The night was dark and humid, with the usual accompaniment of insects and wild life. The trees- they had seemed so friendly the day before- swayed menacingly in the dark, the whisper of their leaves haunting against the distant roar of the crowd.

They were safe for the moment- there were other teens shuffling around in their nightclothes and giving each other nervous looks. A few more were trickling into the clearing- two in particular were alone and desperate, chattering in French.

"Où est Madame Maxime? Nous l'avons perdue..." said one of the girls, wide blue eyes frantic.

Hermione felt a sudden sympathy for her, searching her mind for the remnants of her French lessons. "Vous êtes de Beauxbâtons? Beauxbâtons, l'académie de magie?"

"Oui!" exclaimed the girl, a spark of hope blossoming on her pretty face as she motioned to her friend. "Charlotte! Madame Maxine, elle est une très grande femme..."

"Allez à gauche!" Hermione instructed, pointing the way. "Il y a une grande femme française avec les jeunes filles." The two girls thanked her, and left quickly, nightgowns making them seem like little silver fairies in the darkness.

That made Hermione realize that both Harry and Ron were staring at her, and she herself was in her pajamas. "What?" she asked defensively, crossing her arms over her chest. At least she wasn't wearing a nightgown- tank top and shorts for her, thank you very much. But her arms were getting cold.

"Blimey, Hermione," said Ron, rolling his eyes. "I didn't know you spoke French."

"Well, I do," snapped Hermione. "Vacations in the south of France, remember? And where are your wands? We should go look for Fred and George. We need the light. It looks like they took off to the right when we were separated."

"Yeah, right," Harry said, feeling around his pants, then his jumper. "Wait- I can't find my wand." How hard is it for you to hold on to a bloody stick! screamed Hermione in her head. I can see what Professor Snape means when he calls you a dunderhead.

"Then if anyone comes, stay behind me, Harry," said Hermione with a sigh. "And if something happens to me, take my wand." You've been in worse situations, Hermione reminded herself. Two trolls, a basilisk, and a werewolf, remember?

The wandered deeper into the wood, flinching occasionally when they heard shrieks of fear and bangs from spells. They passed the veela and their admirers, and an escaping Winky. The sight of the poor house elf made Hermione's heart cry out- she hated seeing slavery. At least Dobby was paid, and Minny was accepting a ball of yarn a week. They were happy- and Hermione made sure that they had no problems doing what she asked of them. Winky was miserable.

"We should stop here," Hermione decided after a while, examining the small clearing with the wandlight. "I can't hear screaming anymore, and if we go any further in my tethering spell will get stretched a bit too far for my liking."

"Tethering spell?" asked Ron, blinking slowly. "Sorry, Hermione. Not awake yet. I was having a pretty neat dream about Quidditch though…" Harry nodded as if in agreement.

Hermione just shrugged. "Simple enough, really. I attached a magically tether to the campsite so we could find our way back if we got lost. I don't trust my navigation skills in the dark."

"'Simple enough, really?'" mocked Ron, not unkindly. "Honestly, Hermione. You're bloody brilliant." He had no reservations about showing his awe. Hermione grinned shyly. This was why she loved them. Her boys- She had known them for about five years now. Wonder how the time had flown by.

And then a gravelly voice croaked, "Morsmordre," and a green cloud erupted from behind them, illuminating the sky above with a skull and snake. In the distance, Hermione heard screams of terror, high panicked shouting and the sounds of a human stampede out of the forest.

She had seen this sign in her books. "Dark magic," she breathed, moaning slightly. "Bad, bad magic. Harry, run!" They turned on their heels, attempting to flee the wood. Popping sounds surrounded them, heralding the arrival of twenty or so Ministry wizards. "Duck!" she screamed instead, pulling the two boys down with her.

Ron's feet tangled with Harry's, and because she had linked her arms through Harry's arm, the three of them came tumbling down.

Above their heads, spells clashed with each other, bouncing off, repelling, and hitting trees. Bark flew in several directions, occasionally harming another caster. Better than our heads, Hermione decided. A tree burst into flame in front of her. Much better.

"Stop! Stop!" it was Arthur Weasley. "It's my son! It's my son and Harry Potter!" Of course. Ignore the female. They stood, Hermione with both her hands holding the boy's shirts. Her muscles were tensed, ready to pull them down again in moments if needed.

The wand around them came down. "Hold fire," commanded a voice. "Let's see what they have to say for themselves."

And so ends Chapter Five.

Next Friday comes Chapter Six, which covers half of fourth year. How do you think Hermione will react to the fake Moody?

Also, I decided to keep this story at a T, because it will be a very long while before anything rated M happens- we still have more than fifteen chapters till that point. Way more. I think. We'll see. (Still stuck on Chapter Seventeen)

Have a good week! Review!