*One Hour Prior - Unknown Location"
*May 2nd, 1998*

Silence

My mind slowly begins to regain consciousness.

Sluggishly my mind, taking an excruciating amount of time to sharpen I might add, feels almost foggy. Like coming out of a deep sleep but still not fully awake.

With no energy to protest, I succumb to the feeling. I fade back.

Moments and minutes pass as the unconscious witch remains still, sprawled across the floor. The only sign of life she gives is the shallow movement of her chest.

*Present - Unknown Location"

*May 2nd, 1998*

Where am I?

As my senses slowly return, I realize it's quiet….much too quiet. Curious.

The last thing I can recall is battling my way with Harry and Ron to get to the Shrieking Shack to find Voldemort. Where? How?…

Alright Hermione, let's process this clinically. Yeah?

Deep breath now….that's it. In and out. No obvious strain, punctures, contusions, perfect.

Lungs, check

Ok, now move your fingers and toes, just a little…. That's it. Thank bloody Merlin, alright.

Mobility, check

Blink Hermione. There you go, now slowly open your eyes, lets see how your vision is faring….

My eyes creak open, and I am soon engulfed in darkness. Slowly, I move my neck to my right to glance at my surroundings. It's almost pitch black, but I can sense I must be partially outdoors. I take a deep inhale through my nose to smell my surroundings…

Yup, definitely outdoors.

My mind focuses back on the fact that it is much too quiet here to be anywhere near the Hogwarts grounds.

As my vision begins to adjust to the darkness, I see a small opening roughly 15 meters in front of me. Looking through the rough edges at the mouth of the entrance, I squint slightly, trying to focus my already hazy vision on what lies beyond the entrance. Sharpening in on the view, I realize it's the night sky littered with stars, with an unobstructed view….

A cave. It must be. Fuck.

"Where am I?" I quietly mumble to myself.

The panic begins to set in as I process I am no longer near the school.

Am I still in Scotland? How did I get here? Where are….

Harry….Ron, no…NO!

Before my impending spiral heightens, I hear a rustle of movement in the corner.

I am not alone.

Sluggish, heavy footsteps make their way closer to where I lie. My chest constricts, my breathing shallow. I scramble backwards as the man approaches me. Moving too quickly, I slam into the wall of the cave.

Trapped. I'm bloody trapped.

I press my back as far as I can into the wall. Paralyzed by fear, I freeze as I see the dark, shapeless mass slowly develop an outline…as it moves closer, the outline then transforms into the silhouette of the body of a man…Not just a man, a wizard.

It was a good life while it lasted, Hermione.

Now within a few meters of my body, the wizard stops. His body hunched over wobbles slightly as he stands completely still. After a few moments, he moves closer.

I wince when his right hand reaches towards me, but, to my shock, he does not grab on to me. Bypassing my person, he presses his palm flat against the wall and uses it to steady himself before he begins to lower. Struggling, as if he's injured, he slowly eases down to his knees and leans back on his heels. Head turned down to stare at the floor.

He takes a deep breath and slowly raises his head to meet my terrified gaze.

Breaking out of the paralyzing state I am in, I quickly slam my eyes shut for fear of my captor using Legiminancy.

I know, I know…eye contact isn't always needed, but I'm shit at Occlumency, it's worth a shot, right?

I feel around my pockets in search of my wand but realize quickly it's not on me.

Captured, without your wand, fan-fucking-tastic job Hermione. Harry needs you and you manage to get yourself taken and held wandless. Moody would be so pissed.

Snapping me out of my self-loathing, a deep voice coming from the wizard in front of me, clears their throat and quietly whispers "Lumos".

"Thank Salazar, you're awake." The wizard says with a sigh of relief.

Did he sound…relieved? Have to say, not at all the reaction I was expecting.

Processing this development further, my eyes shoot open to get a better look at this wizard. It takes all of seconds, before they bulge out of their sockets in recognition.

Recognition of a pair of piercing grey eyes.

I blink, and blink again. Never breaking eye contact with the familiar wizard. I've only ever known one set of grey eyes and they belonged to…

"Sirius?!"

*4 Hours Prior - Hogwarts"
*May 2nd, 1998*

"Harry? Harry, what can you see? Can you see where he is?" I mumble quietly, with a hint of panic in my voice.

Reaching out giving a comforting, gentle rub to the wizard's arm, I see he is interlocked with Voldemort's mind, unable to process my frantic questioning.

Beautiful, emerald green eyes lock onto my worried gaze.

"Shrieking Shack"

Sheer chaos had broken out within Hogwarts.

Battles between Death Eaters and young children.

Dark creatures attacking whomever or whatever stood in their way.

Dementors swooping through the courtyard, in search of innocent souls to feed on.

Sprinting through the cooridors, Harry Potter on my left and Ron Weasley on my right, we battle our way out to the training grounds.

Blood. So much blood.

With one goal in mind, get to the Whomping Willow.

After one too many near misses for comfort, we finally reach the sentient-like tree.

"IMMOBULUS" I yell, wand aiming at the trunk.

The tree ceases movement, I usher Harry and then Ron through the opening that leads to a passageway at the base of the tree.

Standing guard to protect the boys as the make their way inside, I yell "GO! I'm right behind you, I'll catch up!".

I turn to take one last glance behind me to see if we are being followed. Before I can turn back around to slip down into the opening, I'm hit from the side with a stunning spell.

Thud.

I collapse in front of the opening of the tree onto my side. Limbs frozen, I stare past the tree and see Bellatrix Lestrange, the witch of my most violent nightmares, staring daggers into my soul. Cackling as she skips towards me, wand trained on my body.

Before she can screech the incantation resting on her lips, no doubt nothing short of pure torture on her mind, crazy bitch, a flutter of black robes block my vision and within seconds I feel a familiar pull of apparation.