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This chapter is slightly earlier than usual, also slightly longer. The reason it's early is partly because I was afraid of my readers going insane from suspense, and partly because I'm going to stay with my sister and won't have access to a computer. The reason it's long? I got carried away. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
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Someone screamed, breaking the spell of horror that hung over pupils and teachers alike. Those children nearest the door made a break for safety, but a wave of a wand from one of the cloaked Death Eaters cut off their escape.
Chaos broke out. The Hall suddenly filled with screams and flashes of light. Hermione jumped to her feet, but the bench beneath her was suddenly overturned, catching her legs and sending her to her knees. What was happening? How…? She opened her eyes to see her schoolbag in front of her, wand sticking out of a pocket. She grasped it firmly and stood.
'Harry? Ron?' she shouted, but they were lost in the chaos. A sudden fear grabbed her. What if they were injured? Lying somewhere hurt? Dying? What if they were dead? What if…?
But there was no time for fear. To her right a Death Eater stood, wand pointed at a Hufflepuff first year.
'Petrificus Totalus!' she shouted, and the man toppled to the floor. 'Run!' she called to the frightened girl, before turning to find another minion of Voldemort. A mixture of hatred and adrenalin charged through her veins. Behind her, a second cloaked figure performed the counter curse, waking his unconscious partner.
Hermione didn't notice, for only now did she realise that against all odds, Hogwarts was winning. The Death Eaters knew more curses, to be sure, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. They had gravely underestimated Hogwarts. They hadn't expected the children to fight back. Her face curled into a grim smile, and she ran forward through the chaos.
All around her, curses and counter-curses were flying through the air. She shot a 'Stupefy!' at a Death Eater, releasing his victim from the Cruciatus curse, and flew on, her eyes roving the hall for any of her friends. 'Harry? Ron?' she shouted. 'Draco? Lavender? Parvati?' She was mainly worried about Harry – Voldemort was out to kill him particularly. But now she realised that Draco may be in danger just as great. Hadn't his father tried to kill him before…? 'Harry? Draco?' she shouted again. But she could see none of her friends. Angrily, she shot a curse at a convenient Death Eater, and ran on.
A minute later, she spotted Draco. He was leaning against a wall, just inside an alcove that was almost impossible to see into unless you were at the right angle. As she watched, he pointed his wand almost lazily, and a Death Eater tumbled to the floor. He looked like he was enjoying himself. Typical Draco. She smiled to herself, and hurried over. His eyes lit up with recognition.
'Hermione.' He stated. 'Are you alright?' He stood aside, letting her past him to the safety of the alcove. He turned to face her, the light from behind silhouetting him, shining through his silvered hair and shadowing his face
'I'm fine.' She assured him. 'What about you? Do you know how the Death Eaters got in? And have you seen Ron or Harry? Are they alright?'
The alcove was larger than it looked, almost large enough to be a small room if a door was added. She mentally flicked the pages of Hogwarts: A History, and remembered that there were two such alcoves, one on each side of the hall. Their use was widely disputed, ranging from a place to keep bookshelves to an entryway to a hidden passage. One thing was for certain – it was a great place to hide in and attack enemies.
Draco looked mildly irritated. 'I saw them a minute ago, and they were both fine, so don't start panicking. As for the Death Eaters, I don't know. They must have broken the spells that stop you Apparating.'
They stood together for a few minutes, far enough inside the alcove to avoid being seen, and cursing anyone who came close enough. Numerous Death Eaters saw their downfall at their hands. Unfortunately, it only took an 'Enervate' to wake the unconscious, or a quick counter curse to cure most of the curses.
'I wish I'd had…' he began, but stopped suddenly.
'Had what?'
'Oh, nothing.' He said. Hermione could tell it was most definitely something, but he didn't want to tell her. 'Just… something that can protect you, but it only works if you hold it.' he explained.
Hermione decided to take this as her answer, knowing that Draco was unlikely to give up information he didn't want to give.
But then another voice entered the conversation, a man's voice, similar in tone to Draco's but blackened, darkened. Draco turned his head sharply. And standing just outside the doorway of their little alcove was Lucius Malfoy.
He raised his wand almost lazily, reminding Hermione of how Draco had cursed the Death Eaters only minutes before. Before she could react, he had calmly disarmed her. She watched sadly as her only method of defence flew to Lucius's hand. She had to rely on Draco now…
'Son.' said the man, in a voice that was neither welcome nor disgust, merely a simple acknowledgement of a fact.
'Father.' Draco said guardedly. She noticed him gripping his wand tighter, knuckles almost white.
Lucius chuckled, taking a step inside the alcove. Draco stepped backwards, away from him. 'I admit that my first reaction to your little… adventure… was to think you had rebelled against our side.' His voice was cold, cruel. 'But then I realised your ulterior motive.' Hermione frowned. Ulterior motive? 'I must congratulate you on your cunning, Draco. The Dark Lord will be merciful. Now, come with me and fight for our side. The winning side.'
He held out a hand towards his son. Hermione was vividly reminded of that first day at Hogwarts, when Draco had done exactly the same thing, reaching out to pull Harry over to the Dark Side. The two boys had been so different, one dark haired and one fair, one kind and one cruel.
But things had changed. The two people in front of her this time were almost identical in looks. Both pale, with identical hair and eyes. But there was a difference. Lucius's eyes were the same as Draco's, to be sure, but they were the cold eyes he had worn weeks ago, when she had glanced into his eyes and found ice. Draco's eyes had changed since then. Although she couldn't see them now, she knew how they would look. They had more warmth in them, and the boy that owned them was kinder.
Draco's hand twitched at his side. Don't do it! She thought. Don't give in to him…
He stepped back. 'I think I'll fight for the school, thanks.' He raised his wand, but Lucius was quicker, and Draco's wand soon joined Hermione's in Lucius's grasp. Hermione felt sick with fear. What now?
'That was foolish.' Lucius said, in a dark whisper. He waved his wand, and Draco flew through the air to crash painfully against the harsh wall, and crumple to the floor. Hermione gasped, wanting to go to his aid but frightened to move. Her gasp attracted Lucius's attention.
'Of course. The Mudblood.' His eyes narrowed, he raised his wand and before Hermione could react she was in a world of Cruciatus-induced pain. She remembered it dimly from her kidnapping, but dulled memory could never live up to the real thing, and it hurt like a thousand burning knives or being frozen alive and it hurts oh it hurts stop it stop it!
A faint voice filtered into her painful world, a low, calm voice. 'Leave her alone.'
The pain vanished, and she opened her eyes to see Draco, half sprawled on the floor where he had fallen, pushing himself up to his feet. Lucius's eyes narrowed, glaring at his son.
'Caring makes you weak.' He hissed, and threw him against yet another wall. He barely had time to fall to the floor before he was thrown through the air again, this time hitting close to Hermione. He fell almost on top of Hermione and reflexively she caught him.
Lucius looked murderous, a terrifying vision. 'So my son has been corrupted by the Mudbloods and Mugglelovers.' He spat. 'Crucio!' She winced, expecting the curse to be directed at her, but it was Draco whose face screwed up in pain. He didn't scream.
She tightened an arm around him. His face was contorted with pain, such pain that even he could not hide it. It hurt her to watch. He looked so innocent, so young as he suffered. But she made herself watch, because if she didn't watch him she would have to look into his father's eyes, filled with frozen anger. She wanted to remember this. What he had done to his own son… how he had tortured them. She wanted to remember the exact look on Draco's face, so that she would never forget the evil of the Death Eaters. And so she watched, engraving his face onto her mind even as it tore at her heart.
Minutes passed, and anger was replaced with worry. Extended use of the Cruciatus curse could cause madness, even death. How much more could Draco take?
'You're killing him.' She said, glancing for the first time towards Lucius. Her voice, surprising it's owner with the pain and hatred it contained, broke the subtle silence that had settled over the alcove; a silence that had been filed with the cries and shouts from outside, and by the gasps of pain that Draco had not been able to suppress.
'I know when to stop.' Lucius said with a black calmness. 'Although your concern is… touching.' He spat, with a look in his eyes that told her it was anything but. She shrank away from that glare, turning her head back to Draco. Come on Draco. You can take it. Don't give up. She was startled to feel a tear trickling gently down her cheek, and wiped it away quickly before Lucius could see it.
It seemed like an eternity passed in the soft darkness of that alcove. Draco half lying in her arms, suffering under the pain of Cruciatus. And then eternity ended, and Draco was released from the pain. His breathing was too fast and shallow, seeming to echo around the room and take up all her hearing. His eyes fluttered open, and she half smiled to see he was alright. Her eyes filled with concern, and he replied with a reassuring look. I'm ok, he seemed to be saying. I'll be fine.
Lucius still stood, watching them with narrowed angry eyes. Draco glanced towards him, frowning, and struggled to a sitting position. He slumped against the stone wall.
'I would love to invite your Mudblood friend back to the Manor for a few torture sessions,' he began, smiling maliciously, 'but I fear we haven't the time. Say goodbye, Draco.' He lifted his wand, eyes gleaming with evil 'Avada…'
Exactly what happened in those crucial seconds, Hermione never knew for sure. But when she opened her eyes, it was to see Draco half-kneeling in front of her, between Hermione and his father, in the direct line of the killing curse. She gasped in shock, but when he didn't fall over dead, looked over his shoulder.
Lucius Malfoy lay on the floor, unconscious, and in the doorway stood a familiar redhead.
'Ron!' she said, her voice strangely high and unsteady. 'You saved us!'
He hurried inside, and knelt down next to her. 'Are you alright?'
'I… I'm fine.' Her eyes were pulled to Draco, who looked back at her with strangely numb eyes. He looked as if he hadn't fully grasped anything, and had gone very pale.
'Draco?' she asked.
'I…' he began, but suddenly swayed on the spot. He reached out a hand to steady himself. 'I…' Almost gracefully, he fell to the floor, Hermione just managing to catch his head before it hit the stone.
Ron gave her a questioning look. 'Cruciatus.' She told him, in a low voice. Ron nodded, and Hermione gently pulled Draco's head onto her lap. 'What now?' she asked in a low voice.
'A group of first and second years are guarding all the unconscious Death Eaters. I'll take him over there.' Ron said, throwing a hate-filled look towards Lucius.
'Right. But take our wands off him first. I'll stay here with Draco and attack anyone who gets too close.' She smiled a sad smile.
'Are you sure?' Ron said doubtfully, looking worried. 'It would be better if you came and fought outside…'
'I can't leave him on his own can I? Don't worry, I'll be fine.'
Ron levitated the unconscious form of Draco's father, and handed Hermione the wands. He left, barely giving her time for a 'Thank you!'
Hermione shuffled closer to the entrance, carefully, so as not to hurt Draco. Even unconscious, his face had a troubled look. His silver hair had fallen all over his face; she gently smoothed it away. His skin was soft, and his hair as light as a feather. Crimson blood marred some of the pale strands.
Sighing, she turned her gaze to the outside world. The school looked to be winning. She could see no pupils hurt on the floor, and the Death Eaters were having a hard time trying to stay conscious, let alone fight properly. As she watched, she realised – the school was winning because they were working together. Slytherins organised ever more cunning ideas to catch the Death Eaters out. Hermione would bet it was one of them that had come up with the idea of having the first and second years guard the unconscious ones. Ravenclaws used their intelligence to help the planning, especially when things went wrong. They were always there with a smart spell or two. Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors fought loyally and bravely for the school, always ready to take risks and pull off the plans beautifully. And when the plans went wrong, they were the ones in the line of fire who sorted things out. The teachers ran around, helping where things were going wrong and fighting as hard as they could. And it worked. Together, they were far more formidable an opponent than each house would have been alone.
The battle went on for about ten minutes more, Hermione contributing a decent number of Death Eaters to the ranks of the unconscious, before Draco woke up.
'Are you alright?' was the first thing she asked.
'I think so.' he said. He tried to sit up, but his arm gave way and he fell back onto her lap. 'Apparently not,' She must have looked worried, because he added, 'but don't worry, I'll be fine when I've rested a bit. Are you alright?'
'I'm fine.' she said, smiling.
Minutes passed without much happening as the two watched the battle rage, Hermione taking the occasional shot at a Death Eater.
'Where's my wand?' Draco asked. She gave it to him, watching as his hand curled stiffly around the end.
He sat up elegantly, in spite of the bruises and cuts from the walls, or the dull ache in your bones that remained after the Cruciatus. Hermione smiled to herself, glad that Draco remained essentially unchanged.
They sat together for a while, doing what they could to help Hogwarts win the fight. When they talked, it was in quiet voices.
'You know… back there with your father? When he tried to kill me, and you…'
'Yes?'
'It was really brave.'
'Brave? It was more a…. reflex.'
'I still think it was brave.'
The battle wore on, colourful curses flying through the air. The Death Eaters were slowly pared down. Fourteen left… thirteen… eleven. It became obvious that Voldemort's minions could not win, and the realisation only drove the pupils to fight harder.
And then, as suddenly as they had arrived, every single one of the Death Eaters vanished.
They had won.
The hall was silent for a moment, as everyone realised what happened. And then, like the breaking of a dam, everyone began shouting at once. Cheers, shouts, and the laughter of joyful reunions spread through the room, echoing from the enchanted ceiling.
Hermione and Draco left the alcove together, making their way through the crowd, now even more chaotic than during the fight. Luckily Harry and Ron saw them, and hurried over.
'Hermione, you're alright!'
'I told you she was fine…'
'I was really worried after Ron told me what happened!'
They didn't get much of a chance to talk, because Dumbledore was standing up on one of the benches, and calling for silence.
'Firstly I must ask if there is anyone seriously injured or dead.' He said, looking grave. Hermione glanced at Draco, wondering if he wanted to go to the hospital wing, but he gave her a gentle shake of the head.
No one spoke up, and Dumbledore smiled widely. 'Good. Today, as you are all aware, has been not just a test of our magic and intelligence, but also of our unity and co-operation. We could never have done this if we were not willing to put aside our differences for the sake of Hogwarts and fight side by side with those who were once our enemies.' Hermione could have sworn he glanced towards her.
'I remind all of you, Gryffindors and Slytherins, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, that you are first and foremost students of Hogwarts, and if you had not helped each other today you may not have survived.' He smiled even wider. 'Now, I am sure you all want to relax after the battle. I declare the rest of today to be a day off, so please return to your common rooms. Madam Pomfrey, if you would be so kind as to visit all the common rooms and make sure any injuries are seen to?'
There was a great cheer from the assembled students, and then they poured towards the doors as one mass. Dumbledore gathered the teachers to begin about the long slow process of putting the school back in order. The Great Hall was in chaos, and the Apparition wards would have to be rebuilt.
'Do you think you can get back to the Slytherin common room on your own?' Hermione asked Draco, knowing she was worrying pointlessly.
'I'll manage.' he assured her
Someone who sounded suspiciously like Fred Weasley shouted 'Party in Gryffindor House!'
Draco smiled at her. 'You go enjoy yourself. I'll be fine.'
Hermione looked doubtful, but turned and left with Ron and Harry. He watched her leave with a strange kind of sadness inside. As she reached the doors, she turned round and gave him a brilliant smile.
He smiled back, and slowly made his way to his common room.
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A/N: So, what did you think? Review please! I'd like to know your opinion.