AN: Hello, fanfiction and Harry Potter fans. I do not own Harry Potter, but feel free to enjoy this or hate it. If you enjoy it, please leave a lovely comment, if you hate it, then leave some constructive criticism, thanks!

Can You Take the Jump?

Chapter 53

Sirius turned around and started to walk away, and she trembled with fear. Her feet were taking steps toward him before she could stop herself, her arms reaching out to grab him.

Something burned white hot in her pocket. Lucius's warning.

"They're here," Harry told her.

"Sir—!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Her blood froze in her veins, turning colder than liquid nitrogen.

…

Hermione ran. Panicked, tears rimmed her lower waterline, and mind-numbing fear overpowered every cell in her body.

Oh gods, she knew that voice. She fucking knew that voice. She didn't breathe as she charged in the direction of the voice.

She pumped her arms and pushed her legs as hard as she could but felt like she was moving through molasses. Was it because her muscles had atrophied due to her sickness? But she didn't remember feeling this weak during training just last night.

Her mind and body were moving out of sync. She needed to move faster, or as fast as her thoughts needed her to, but she couldn't. Or perhaps she didn't want to. She didn't want to see the situation where the scream came from. Because if…then she would…and nothing could….

She couldn't even finish the thoughts in her mind.

Her legs stopped, dread weighing them down like anchors to a full stop. Albus's limp corpse sitting in a pool of blood, Ginny's hanging body, Lily's stiff and cold form, and James's still body face down on the cobblestone in this exact haunted village. Hugo's silent and sudden death. Rose's wailing terror that turned silent in a second of notice. Ron.

She's had enough trauma, hadn't she? Did she truly need to see this too?

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! NOOOOOO!" A gut-wrenching scream sounded through the empty village.

"Expelliarmus!" Another familiar voice shouted in the distance. A blast came quickly after, and the sound of stone walls crumbling ensued. The battle had begun.

Someone pushed her from behind, causing her to stumble forward and fall to her knees.

"What are you doing?! Why did you stop?" Sirius asked. He grabbed her and yanked her up. "Can't you hear that?"

It was because she heard, she couldn't bare to go. She couldn't put another foot forward because she knew what that type of scream meant.

Monster.

"Come on!" He tried pulling her to the fray but she pulled him back. No, she couldn't go and he shouldn't either. As long as he was next to her, at least Sirius would be alive. If she went there and saw what she was envisioning, it'd just confirm everything and pour oil into the flame of instability in her mind.

Even Sirius's distraught and disappointed expression didn't faze her. He tried to get out of her grasp, but she held on.

"No, if we go that way, you could die." Her eyes were wide and crazed. "Stay with me, Sirius." She pulled him close and hugged him. "I'll protect you. Stay with me."

For a second, she really thought she was convincing him. Her heart dropped when his hands weren't pulling her in but pushing her away.

"James is out there. I need to go." He tried to loosen her grip. "Hermione, you need to let me go!"

The déjà vu to that hellish day in the Room of Requirement with Ron when young James Sirius Potter hadn't arrived in the last safe house due to her terribly selfish plan, hit her like a two-story bus. Monster. Ron had told her to let him go so he could get James, just like Sirius was doing right now.

He died.

Monster.

"I can't—" but whatever excuse she was about to spout was cut off when someone apparated right in front of them. Covered from head to toe with a black cloak and an unfamiliar white intricate mask to cover their identity.

Hermione reacted before Sirius even realized that someone had suddenly appeared. She let go of her vice grip on him, causing them to split apart, just in time for a jet of green to fly between them.

"Bombarda Maxima" she cast before she even hit the floor.

The unknown Death Eater flew back into a shop as missile-like spells continuously attacked them, likely killing them upon impact.

Monster!

This had been the wake-up call that Hermione needed. Her fear-frozen mind jumpstarted as if the green of the Killing Curse was the traffic light in a busy muggle street. She got right back up after hitting the floor pulling Sirius up with her.

"Follow close behind me. Do NOT go off on your own if you want to live. Do you understand?"

He stared, jaw agape at the difference only a second can make.

Quite literally only a second ago, she'd been trembling with fear unable to approach the site of the battle, but at the drop of a hat, she'd caused absolute destruction. The change was night and day. He looked down to the shop where she bombarded the Death Eater, searching for some sign of life, but there was no rustle or movement, no groan of pain or a cry for help. Just absolutely terrifying stillness and quiet.

Hermione caught onto his staring.

The shock of his expression killed her just like Ron's look of disgust and horror had.

"Let's go."

His apprehension tore her apart, her heart ripped into shreds as she heard Sirius's feet shuffling beside her, careful not to get too close. Maybe it was for his own survival, maybe his desire to save James overpowered his disgust of her, but either way, Sirius was never going to look at her the same, ever again.

She mourned the loss of innocence for him. She mourned the innocence he had towards her. She simply mourned.

"Focus, Granger. We're dealing with first-generation Death Eaters," Draco Malfoy snapped at her. "We have no time for you to get all moon-eyed for a Black right now. These fuckers are ruthless and soulless."

Hermione agreed, she reached deep into her mind and flicked off her emotions like a switch. It was amazing how her mind cleared. The fear, the sorrow, and the trauma faded away to an intangible segment of her mind.

She looked down the streets, wondering if she could get Sirius out of the village and not take him along, but there was no direct route. He'd have to go around, risking the chance of getting caught by surveillance Death Eaters. Keeping him by her side was dangerous, but possibly safer.

"If you want to live, you will do everything I say with no question, got it?" She told Sirius who followed close behind her. "Do not run unless I say, do not attack unless I say, do not do anything unless I say except to defend yourself and your life."

He looked like he wanted to argue, but with one look at her emotionless face, he gulped and nodded. It was like she was a seasoned military officer, unfazed and clinical about the chaos that was occurring. She moved swiftly and strategically, only firing spells when she needed to.

They quickly arrived just around the corner from where the initial scream happened. It appeared as though they missed the height of the utter madness, left with just the aftermath. Villagers and students on one side with Death Eaters surrounding them. They'd been cornered.

Near the frontline, James stood defensively in front of someone on the floor with black hair, but he wasn't doing well. His stance was weak, knees buckling from pain or exhaustion. His vision was obscured by the blood streaming down his scalp, going into his eyes. His glasses were also cracked, and one of the lenses was missing.

Remus was in slightly better condition, but he was clutching his side, his sweater stained with blood. If he wasn't a werewolf, Hermione would be more concerned, but his wounds would heal quickly, even without magical intervention.

Peter Pettigrew was predictably missing. Perhaps he'd gone to get help, but Hermione couldn't help but feel displeased. In a situation like this, a "stray" spell would be the perfect excuse to get rid of that rat.

The Death Eaters surrounded them, but it was as if they were paused, waiting for something. Or someone.

She could hear Sirius's heartbeat before anything else. It had taken his body a full 20 seconds to comprehend the sight before them and then to react. By the time his body felt the need to rush out to the street, wands blazing, she was already holding on to him and had him silenced.

"Stay in the shadows," Hermione instructed a panicked Sirius. "Don't intervene unless necessary."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she silenced him with one look.

"Having my back—having anyone's back—doesn't always mean charging into battle headfirst." She instructed. "Stay in the shadows. Watch your own back, help when it's needed or else you'll just become another hostage. Please. Do you understand?"

She pushed him into an empty alley and hid his presence. She had to physically restrain herself from putting a freezing charm on him. He needed to be able to move freely if things went downhill.

"Please. Don't move," she begged.

She reached inside her pocket and sent a wordless signal to everyone through her Protean galleon. Everyone responded quickly, they'd been waiting for her. Once she felt her coin warm three times, signals from Regulus, Avery, and Sev, she calmly walked into the street.

"Ah, Lucy! She's finally here!" Bellatrix's crazy laugh echoed along the empty street.

So the stalemate had happened thanks to Lucius. He'd stalled for her.

"Hermione?!"

That had been the voice to scream. The voice she'd recognized. The voice that she desperately hoped she'd been wrong about.

Lily gasped at the unexpected presence of her sister. Her hair was black, coiled and curly falling messily as she cradled a redhead Hermione hadn't seen on her lap. "Help me! Save her!" Tears streamed down her beautiful face, those green eyes looking desperately at her like Harry did many years ago when he cradled Dobby's small dead body in his arms with Bellatrix's cursed blade sticking out of his chest. Like mother like son, they were asking her to do the impossible: resurrect the dead.

Actually, it wasn't completely impossible, magic was scary that way. There were Inferi, there were ghosts and portraits, and the Resurrection Stone.

"You told me that our Lord wanted her to witness everything, not for you to just go on some crazed killing spree." Lucius drawled. "You're lucky that you confused her with that other girl."

"Yes, yes," she waved her arm like she was shaking off his nagging. "All I saw was another chance for me to rid the world of a mudblood. You can't blame me, Lucy, for trying to get rid of the trash. It's practically instinct."

The dots connected quickly in Hermione's mind. She had been wrong. Voldemort wasn't incurring Dumbledore's wrath to make a damn statement; he was doing it for her. He was trying to punish her for making a fool out of him during the Initiation. Whomever Lily was cradling on her lap had taken the killing curse for her, in hopes that Hermione was there to witness her sister's death and suffer.

"What?" Lily whispered, also realizing the same thing. "What did you say?"

"I'm here now," Hermione slowly approached the center of the stalemate, putting herself in front of James, Remus, Lily, and the dead friend. The sound of Lily's sobs was the only thing to fill up the silence in between. Hermione felt her emotions trying to push through, her heart breaking for her sweet sister. It was the first loss Lily's ever experienced in her life, and to find out it was meant for her…. However, Hermione could only wonder which friend it was. Was it Alice? Was Neville's future decimated? Why had they changed their hair?

"What does your Lord want from me?"

"You made him a promise, Mudblood," Bellatrix snarled. "It's time for you to deliver."

The words, 'I can make you a god', echoed in her mind. It had echoed in his as well. Damn.

"And he thought killing my sister would make me follow through?" She scoffed. "Not so smart, your Lord."

Bellatrix lifted her wand, her eyes blazing with fury at her gall to insult her fucking idol. The tip of her wand glowed green, fully intending to kill her on the spot.

Everyone reacted. Her heightened ears could hear Lily's breath stop, and James and Remus's feet shift, ready to jump into action. Wands lifted on the Death Eater's side, and Hermione's pocket was practically on fire from her galleon.

"Bella!" Lucius grabbed her wrist and pushed it down, quickly de-escalating the situation. "The Dark Lord needs her alive."

Everyone froze.

"Maybe if I kill her, her parasite can come to me," she ripped her wrist out of his grasp and glared at him. She pointed her wand at him, jabbing it right into his chest. "How dare you stop me, Lucius. I remember the rumours about the two of you back in the day." Her eyes narrowed into slivers of suspicion. "Maybe there was a sliver of truth?" Her high-pitched voice squeaked with disgust.

"How dare you," Lucius growled.

"Prove it." She turned him to face her. She lifted his wand arm and forced him to point his wand at her. "Kill her."

"I do not have a death wish with our Master."

"I will take responsibility," she promised. "I swear it on my blood. So kill her, Lucy. Or I'll kill you."

The other Death Eaters glanced at each other, wondering what they were supposed to do. On one hand, their lord told them to capture Hermione alive, but if Bellatrix were to take the blame for her death now, Hermione wouldn't join the Death Eaters and their ideals of supremacy wouldn't have to be challenged.

Lucius had no reason to refuse Bellatrix.

She could see his grey eyes through his mask as he raised his wand without hesitation. The tip of his wand glowed green, just like Bellatrix's had a moment ago.

"No! Hermione!"

The sound of his voice swelled her with mostly fear, but also a smidge of love. Of course, Sirius couldn't stay back as she instructed. He couldn't be held back knowing those he loved were in danger. She knew he would stupidly run headfirst into danger, yet she hoped otherwise. He lifted his wand and fired a Stupefy at Lucius.

This became a battle cry.

Blinding spells started firing from both directions. Bellatrix used the opportunity to fire an Avada Kedavra in her direction. Hermione's instinct was to duck, but she stood in front of James, Remus, and Lily. Her avoidance meant one of them could get hit.

"HERMIONE!" She heard Lily shout. She could hear someone run towards her to pull her back, but Hermione had other plans. She pointed to the ground and lifted, uprooting the cobblestone, pavement, rocks, dirt, and everything else to build a solid protective bubble.

The wall crumbled where the Killing Curse hit on the other side, but the spell didn't go through.

"H-how…" Remus was standing right behind her when she lit the interior of their bubble with her wand. Apparently, he had been the one to run towards her as Bellatrix shot the curse.

"Muffliato. Avada's can't be blocked by magic, but no spell can penetrate everything. But with that being said, this won't last forever, and Sirius is still outside."

"Hermione," Lily sobbed from the floor. Their bubble shook from another powerful spell. "Lyana…s-she's…" Her sister hugged the girl on her lap and cried.

"Lily," her voice was rough and firm. There was no time for softness and understanding. Not right now. "You need to let her go."

"No!" Her look of shock and loathing hurt Hermione more than she cared to admit. "No! How could you say that?! How can we leave her?! What is wrong with you?!"

With another blast, their dirt bubble shook. They were trying to break the structural integrity of their dirt bubble; dirt and pebbles fell on them.

"Remus, take Lily."

"Hermione, maybe we could—"

"We DON'T have time!" She shouted over another onslaught of spells trying to break their bubble.

Remus clenched his jaw but gave her a stiff nod.

"What are you doing?" Lily flinched back when Remus took a step towards her. "Get back. Don't you fucking dare, Lupin! No! NO!"

"James," Hermione ripped his attention away from his friend wrestling with Lily, trying to get her to let go of Lyana Pearson. "James! You will protect Remus's back and get them to safety. Run straight to Hogwarts. Use whatever secret passageways you can."

"But Sirius—" Their bubble shook once more, bigger rocks started falling from the ceiling.

"I will get Sirius."

"Lily, please," Remus begged.

"No! NO! Lyana! STOP! Remus, don't do this! It's Ly!"

"Remus now!"

"I'm sorry, Lily." He used his werewolf strength to tear her vice-like grip on her best friend, causing him to rip Lyana's outer cloak.

"NO! NO!" Lily screamed and fought, but she couldn't beat Remus's strength.

"Ready?!" Hermione shouted her instructions. "Duck and run as soon as you're out! Do not run straight!"

She waited for another boom of spells to shake their protective exterior. Before the pebbles and dirt could fall to the floor as the last spell made its impact on the outside of their bubble, she dropped her arms.

"NOW!"

As if it'd been made from carpet, the uplifted cobblestone floor fell back perfectly as it had been before. Death Eaters surrounded them, already gearing up to fire another set of spells to break their physical shield. However, before they could react to the disappearance of the dirt and cobblestone bubble, they were surprised by the boys, plus a screaming Lily, jumping out. Unprepared for the sudden change of events, instead of firing something like an unblockable Avada, they fired the same spell they already had in their minds.

"Bombarda!"

"PROTEGO!" Hermione on the other hand was prepared. She covered them with a thick and strong protective shield as they ran. With brute strength, Remus rammed into the Death Eaters, breaking their line, and continued to run towards the best route to Hogwarts. James fired blinding spells and stunners as he ran behind them, covering their backs.

"YOU IDIOTS, GET THEM!" Bellatrix commanded, but Hermione set a blazing wall of black fire between the Death Eaters and the Gryffindors.

"Nobody fucking move."

…

There was a distinct sense of sick satisfaction that coursed through Sirius as he watched Lucius fall. He knew it was wrong, but watching him protect Hermione from Bellatrix while he hid in a dark alley raised that pathetic sense of jealousy once more. So when the blonde lifted his wand against Hermione it was no shock that Sirius took the opportunity to run out and save her, disregarding her pleading warning to stay hidden.

He unleashed hell.

Spells flew in every direction and all colours.

"HERMIONE!" Lily's scream echoed through the village. That petrified expression on Hermione's face suddenly made sense. Unadulterated, heart-stopping, mind-numbing fear ran through his veins, colouring him white.

He couldn't move, he couldn't shout, scream or cry. All he could do was watch as his heart began to rip and the devastation spread.

He watched in slow motion as the Killing curse flew toward the girl he loved and was able to do absolutely nothing. Hermione stood there, illuminated by the glowing green light flying towards her, he could see Remus and James run to pull her out of the way, tears dripping down the horrified expression on Lily's face.

Then she was gone. No, that wasn't an accurate description. They were there, inside that dirt orb.

The green light that had been so close to killing Hermione fizzled out. Ineffective against the dirt, like lightning striking the ground.

Never before had the thought "Hermione Evans is a fucking genius" resonated within Sirius as loudly as it did that moment.

Everyone became silent, staring at the impenetrable ball with its thick walls that left craters in the streets from where the materials were dug up from.

Now was a chance.

"RUN!" He shouted as he fired rapid-fire hexes and jinxes at the Death Eaters in a stupor. The cornered villagers and students scattered, pushing their way out of the corner.

"Black!" A familiar voice charged at him, "You little swine! Avada Ke—"

Sirius thought it was another phenomenon where time slowed due to a life-threatening event, but it took him a second to realize that everyone else was moving at normal speed. Someone had impedimenta-ed the Death Eater.

His knees weakened at how close he'd been to death.

"Get a hold of yourself!"

Someone yanked him up straight and started pushing him away from the fray, sheltering him from stray spells.

"GET THEM! GET THEM YOU FUCKING IDIOTS!" He could hear Bellatrix screech. "You 5! Stay and break this fucking ball!"

"Black! Get the others to safety!"

"S-Snape?" Sirius blinked once he realized who'd been the person to save him from the Death Eater.

"You're fucking daft, aren't you? Everything's ruined because of you! What were you bloody thinking? We had a plan!"

"W-what? What are you talking about? What are you even doing here?"

"Ask your fucking girlfriend." They turned the corner and hid in a narrow alley. Two of the Death Eaters chasing them ran right past them, not realizing that they were hiding.

Snape and Sirius glued themselves as close to the wall as possible and held their breath. They could feel the vibrations of an explosion from the walls, as well as the rumbling sounds of spells hitting Hermione's protective ball.

Sirius had never been this close to Severus Snape before, allowing him to see and notice things he never noticed before.

Severus Snape was tall. Perhaps it was because of the way he was always hunched over a cauldron or seen lurking in the darkness that Sirius never realized, but Snape was tall. Not as tall as Remus, no one their age was as tall as Remus but definitely taller than Sirius. He was built as well. Was he always built? No, Sirius was sure he was scrawny before.

"I think they're gone," Snape sighed in relief. "Thank God the Death Eater recruitment requirement never included brains."

"What are you doing here?" Sirius whispered.

"I should be asking you that question. Why aren't you at your bloody party?!"

"How do you know about the party?" Sirius accused. Severus Snape was the last person to care or even know about a Gryffindor holiday party. His eyes widened when he realized. "I thought it was odd that Lily would suggest a Common room party that includes the whole school. She's more of an intimate friend group party type."

Severus grimaced at another loud boom hit attempting to break the ball. "You should really talk to Hermione."

"Well, it's a little hard when she's in a fucking dirt bubble."

"And who's fault—" They both froze when footsteps neared them. They lifted their wands synchronously. Sirius waited with bated breath, tense and wondering whether the footsteps belonged to a friend or foe.

An idea popped into his mind. He fumbled around his cloak, making Severus glare at him. He gripped his wrist to stop his movements, but Sirius sent him a look that said 'trust me'.

Sirius pulled out his Two-way Mirror and used it to look around the corner.

"Kids." Sirius sighed with relief. Peeked out of the corner, "Psst! Hey!"

Seeing Sirius's familiar face, a 3rd year Hufflepuff couple and a Ravenclaw ran towards them in the alley but stopped abruptly when faced with Severus.

"Are you hurt?" Sirius asked quietly, crouching down to their level. The kids shook their heads. "Are there others?"

The Ravenclaw nodded, "My friend and I got separated! I don't know where she went!" The girl's eyes welled up with tears and her lower lip trembled.

Severus and Sirius glanced at each other, unified by the sense of panic at the sight of a crying little girl.

"Uh," Sirius gently patted her head and gave her the best smile he could manage. "It'll be all right. What's your name?"

Despite the current circumstances, the little girl blushed at the handsome Gryffindor.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Severus scoffed.

The kids flinched; they'd momentarily forgotten about his presence due to Sirius's dazzling smile.

"Snape," Sirius glared.

"We don't have time for this, Black."

"Fine, what does your friend look like? What's her name?"

"Adriana, she's wearing a blue coat and she has blond hair."

"Okay, I'll go look for her. Why don't you guys head back to the castle with…" The three 3rd years shifted their feet towards Sirius, trying to get behind him in the very narrow gap between buildings.

Their stinging glances at the silver and green emblem on Severus's chest were enough to understand where their hesitation lay.

"It's clear these kids aren't going anywhere with me if you're not there, but taking them with you to get the kid isn't feasible." Severus nonchalantly played off their prejudice. "I will look for the straggling Ravenclaw, you know more passages to get back to Hogwarts anyway. It's a better idea for you to take the kids back to the castle."

Sirius shook his head, "I need to go back to help Hermione and Jam—"

"You won't be any help. The last fucking person you need to worry about their survival from this little skirmish is Hermione fucking Evans. Get the kids to safety."

Before Sirius could protest, Severus placed a remarkable disillusionment charm on himself and ran into the street.

…

The magical fire, Protego Diabolica, didn't burn her but burned everyone else. The Death Eaters caught in the fray screamed as they tried patting the fire off, only for it to spread on their hands. They'd be ash in minutes. The black flame roared around them, caging her and the Death Eaters into a ring of death by fire or death by duel.

Spells came from various angles, but this is what Hermione had trained for. She ducked, turned, and blocked the spells, moving through the air like a leave in the autumn wind.

"Just a little more time." She thought to herself as she stunned one of her opponents, sending them flying into the wall of flames.

"AHHHHH!"

Another. The screams of death she was so very casually causing caused the remaining 3 Death Eaters around her to freeze.

"You bitch," Bellatrix circled her like a vulture. The hot air raised her hair into the air making her look like her black locks were aflame. She was a terrifying sight.

"You're the one who's trying to kill my sister. I think I should be the one calling you a bitch."

The madwoman didn't hesitate to throw a hex, this time it wasn't a Killing Curse. In all honesty, Bellatrix Lestrange did not require the Killing Curse during her duels to win because she was just that good. She was one of the most skilled opponents Hermione had ever faced, and she'd faced plenty.

She was nimble, quick, creative, and clearly loved the sport of duelling. However, it was the crazy glint in her eye that made everything much more sinister.

She first shot some test spells, scoping out Hermione's abilities.

Bellatrix Lestrange never faced Hermione's true abilities. Back when she was in Hogwarts, Hermione kept her magic in a tight seal, she'd graduated before her Dueling Championships, and during the Initiation, while it was a frightful display of power, it wasn't hers.

Hermione, on the other hand, had a major advantage. She had stared down the barrel of Lestrange's wand before, fearful, but accepting that it would be the last moment she'd draw her last breath. But, she'd realize to her dismay that it wasn't death that was waiting for her, it was something else. She was kept alive and tortured for information. That night remained in Hermione Granger's nightmares for many years, leaving a scar in her that no love and time could heal.

"But you are not 18-year-old Hermione Granger," 30-year-old Hermione Granger stood next to her glaring down at the black-haired witch. "You are me, and you are also you."

She was right. 18-year-old Hermione Granger was not well versed with the duelling skills or knowledge of the Dark Arts. 30-year-old Hermione Granger, however, had the duelling skills and experience she passed down to her, while 16-year-old Hermione Evans had ample knowledge of the Dark Arts.

They moved at the same time.

"Oscausi!" "Diffindo!"

Their magic clashed in the air. Normally Bellatrix's power as a caster should have easily overpowered her opponent, but Hermione was no ordinary caster. Not only was she skilled and powerful in her own right, but she also had a rarer wand and arguably more intent. The memories of Harry mourning Sirius's loss after Bellatrix killed him. The look on Teddy Lupin's eyes as he searched for his mother, Nymphadora Tonks, the blood that covered Harry as he held Dobby the Free Elf, and the smell of her urine seeping out of her as she bared unimaginable pain from her torture. Yes, there was plenty of intent in her.

Even the mad witch couldn't hide the twitch of her brow when her Diffindo started pushing back. She tried to push back, but nothing she did was working

"Wha—why are you so—" Bellatrix stammered.

Hermione used her surprise to her advantage. She pulled away from her spell and dodged Bellatrix's. The mad witch fell forward, as Hermione's heavy force that she'd been leaning off of her energy and magic into, disappeared without warning.

"Levicorpus! Expelliarmus!"

Before she had the opportunity to catch herself, Bellatrix was dangling up in the air with no wand.

"Anyone moves, I fucking behead her like a chicken for slaughter!" Hermione transfigured her wand into a long and sharp knife and held the blade up against Bellatrix's already reddening neck.

The Death Eaters confined in her fire circle hesitated.

"Kill her." Voices whispered in her mind. "Do it."

The voice wasn't Hermione Granger, nor was it any of her normal hallucinations. It was deeper. Darker.

"Kill her! Do it now! Think of the lives you're saving in the future! Think of the pain she has caused! Think of the relief it will give you! One less murderer to worry about."

There was still a logical side of her that knew that killing Bellatrix was not a good idea, especially not so out in the open, but logic was hard to hear when her mind was being bombarded with the images of the dead which included the man she loved now, except it wasn't the 36-year-old Sirius Black that way dying, it was her Sirius.

"Kill that bitch!"

"STOP!"

…

"Oi!" Severus carefully looked around the corner to see a young boy, around 14, in a red and yellow scarf huddling in the corner with two other students. "Bloody idiots," he muttered when the kids didn't seem to hear him.

"Oi! You idiots!" He shouted in a whisper once more. This time he caught the little Gryffindor's attention.

He waved at them to come to his corner, which had more coverage and protection. They just needed to wait a bit longer, the worst of it was over. The only real danger was Bellatrix, but Hermione had her cornered, so there was nothing to be too worried about, but those kids were out in the open like sitting targets.

The Gryffindor glanced at the kids in his corner, one of them with blond hair and a blue jacket. Adriana, the Ravenclaw's friend. The boy shook his head looking concerned.

One of them must be hurt.

Severus let out a sigh of frustration, "Fine." He looked both ways to make sure the street was clear. One of the students must've dropped their shopping bag in the commotion its contents spilled on the cobblestone floor, but there were no signs of Death Eaters.

He quickly got up from his secure location and ran towards the children when CRACK.

The loud and resounding sound echoed through the empty street from beneath his shoe. He looked down to see a bright green piece of candy that had been dirtied by the street under his shoe, the size of a gumball. A Crackling Bomb from Zonko's Joke Shop.

"D'you hear that?"

Footsteps raced toward them.

Fuck.

The Gryffindor tried to piggyback the injured girl, but he was moving too slowly. They wouldn't make it to Severus's original location in time.

"Stay," Severus snapped at them, then turned and produced an easygoing smile as the Death Eaters approached. Two of them. Damn.

"Woah woah!" He held up his arms, with his wand in the air. "I'm a Slytherin! I'm a Slytherin!"

"A Slytherin?" The voice of Goyle Senior asked beneath the mask. "What're you doing down in the village? Didn't ya parents tell ya to not come down today?!"

"I wasn't sure what time, I needed some supplies," Severus pointed to the Zonko's bag on the floor.

"Why's it on the floor?" The other Death Eater asked one he couldn't place the voice of.

"Dropped it by accident."

"You know," the unknown Death Eater turned his head to the side, "I'm pretty sure I saw that bag there when I checked this street before."

"What'd you say your name was, son?" Goyle asked.

"Expelliarmus!" Severus quickly disarmed Goyle, then threw a protective shield around him as he ducked to the floor. It was a good thing he did because a jet of green light flew through his shield and through where he'd been standing not 1 second ago.

Severus's heart raced. The ducking was more of a reaction due to Hermione's training. He hadn't seen the Killing Curse at all, which meant that he could've very well died.

"AHHHH!" One of the kids screamed as the Killing Curse flew by them.

"Hiding something?" The second Death Eater let out a laugh.

"Stupefy!" Severus attempted an attack, but the Death Eater deflected it as Goyle still fumbled around, looking for his wand.

"Impedimenta!" Severus shouted again, only to no avail.

"Good, little snake! Dance! Avada Kedavra!"

This time, he could see the green light coming toward him. His life flashed by before his eyes. He willed his body to move but he felt frozen.

"Burgh!" The sensation of someone pulling him from the back of his collar choked him. As he toppled over backwards.

"Who's there!" The Death Eater shouted to the roots of the shops. "Who's bloody there!" But it was already quite dark, and he could see no one on the rooftops.

Regulus or Avery had just saved his life. His pocket burned as the Protean charm gave him the warning sign he'd been waiting for.

"Got some friends in high places, do you?" The Death Eater snarled. Goyle had finally collected his wand from where Severus's initial spell nicked it from.

"You fucking bet I do." Severus dropped his wand and dashed to the kids.

"Wha—"

Cracks were heard all over the village, but this time it was the crack of apparition.

"Incarcerous!" Men and women in Auror uniforms appeared around them pointing wands at the two wizards, preventing them from running.

"Are you guys okay?!" A female Auror rushed to them.

"She's hurt," Severus informed them.

The Auror paused at the House emblem on his chest.

"He saved us," Adriana told them, pale as a ghost. Her ankle was twisted in a way that wasn't normal.

The woman nodded to him. "I got her, you guys can go follow my colleague. He'll take your statements and take you back to the castle."

"Bagnold! We need you here!"

"Somebody put the goddamn fire out!"

"H-hey! Kid!"

Severus was running towards the voices but stopped when he saw the flames. Black flames made a ring around the square, making a wall taller than most of the people here. He could see inside, but fear bubbled in his chest.

If Hermione snapped…

With a hesitant hand, he reached toward the fire—

"Are you fucking crazy?" Someone grabbed his hand and pulled him back. It was the same female Auror as before.

"It's a special fire," he tried to explain. "It doesn't burn those she considers as allies."

"She?" The Auror asked. "Who is she?"

"She's my friend. I'm sure I'll get through unscathed. Please. She might be hurt." Or hurting someone beyond repair.

"We are the Aurors. We're here to help!"

"No! That doesn't necessarily mean that she'll consider you guys as allies, it's about your intention! If what you see inside this ring is going to harm her, she won't consider you an ally and you'll end up getting burnt! Please! You have to let me go! I can convince her to put the fire down."

She looked torn, but Severus didn't have time for her to make a decision. He ripped her arms away and ran into the fire, bracing for searing pain, but nothing happened.

Severus opened his eyes to the sight he'd been fearing to see. Hermione had Bellatrix Lestrange dangling from her ankle and a knife partially inserted into her neck. The witch was gurgling blood, choking on it as the blood from her punctured neck ran down her face, into her nose and her airway.

"STOP!"

Hermione's black eyes flickered at him. They weren't human. The Death Eaters around him were frozen He'd never seen Hermione Obscurus fully unleashed, but whatever the experience had been, it had rendered them useless with fear.

"Hermione," He approached her carefully. "The Aurors are here."

There was a shift in the Death Eaters.

"They can't leave because there's already an anti-apparition. You did it. Hermione, it's done."

Hermione cocked her head in a twitchy unnatural way. She opened her mouth, but no words came out, only sounds.

Severus's heart trembled.

"You've won. Lily's safe. Everyone is safe."

Her head turned to a girl lying still on the floor, half of her body covered by flames, but not burning.

"Lyana." He recognized her voice. He took a few steps closer.

"You couldn't have known of this outcome. It was an unfortunate loss, but you couldn't have prevented it. Everyone responsible for this will get caught and do their time in Azkaban. But to do that, you need to put the fire down."

"She was supposed to be Lily."

That was news to Severus, he looked at the girl more carefully. He didn't know Lily's friends too well, but he was sure that Lyana Pearson was not a redhead.

"But it wasn't. It wasn't Lily."

He stepped closer.

"She's safe."

Another.

"It's done."

Another.

"Let go."

He grabbed her hand on the knife and gripped it as tightly as she was gripping the knife.

"Enough."

With a shuddering sigh, the fires disappeared revealing all the Aurors that surrounded them. They rushed towards them, disarming the Death Eaters no longer frozen with fear, binding the hanging Bellatrix and stopping her bleeding.

Hermione's grip turned loose inside Severus's hand, and the knife, now turning back into her wand, fell to the floor, clattering against the stone ground.

"Hermione?"

He could see the magic seep away from her, the overwhelming power that flowed within her only seconds ago, rushing away. It revealed Hermione Evans as she truly was. Weak, skinny, sickly, and dying. Severus instinctively shielded her from others' view.

"Hermione?"

Then she fainted in his arms.

...

AN: Hello everyone, I know, not my usual Thursday update, but I missed 2 Thursdays in a row, so I decided I wouldn't wait and just upload!