The war had been barely going on for a month. Light versus Dark. Good versus Evil. Death-eaters were everywhere, constantly torturing muggles and wizards alike. The sixth and seventh-years in Hogwarts were requested to join in the fight. They readily accepted of course. They were frightened, yet eager to battle. The younger ones attending Hogwarts were sent to Beaubaxtons, which was the safety school. Durmstrang joined Hogwarts in the fight against the Death-eaters.
Hogwarts' students itself was not complete. Most of the Slytherins had not returned after the summer break. Their parents, who were mostly supporters of the dark lord, had probably informed them about the upcoming war and they too had joined. Familiar faces were seen in the battlefield. Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent, Flint and of course, the infamous Draco Malfoy, were just some of them. Malfoy was also, what seemed a leader of the war. Only a handful of Slytherins were back, and they too were ready to fight against their housemates.
The Hogwarts students were separated into different departments. Most of the Hufflepuffs, and a quarter each from both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, helped the wounded in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. Hogwarts was mainly the safety zone. The wounded were pouring by the second in groups of ten to twenty. Most Ravenclaws, a handful of Gryffindors, and half of the few Slytherins there were in charge of planning war tactics and strategies. The rest of the students were all put in the battlefield with whatever experience they had.
Mostly, the students battling were divided into teams. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Padma and Arelle Dythe, a Slytherin, were the heads of their respected teams. Harry was the captain, with Ron as second-in-command. Hermione was both a head in the battlefield and as a strategist. Padma and Arelle mostly took the sixth-years and taught them whatever spells they could. Ron's and Padma's teams were in charge of offense. Hermione's and Arelle's were in charge of defense, and Harry's was both.
Some of the fighters had been captured by the enemy. Most of them were Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. Laura, Dean, Lavender, Hannah were just some of the captured.
Recently, Malfoy and Harry had a stand-off in the battlefield. Their wizard's duel had landed Harry a spot in the hospital wing for a month. Apparently, Malfoy had struck Harry with a rather powerful spell when Harry was caught off-guard. Harry had been defending a fellow team-member from a curse when he was hit. Ginny, who was under Ron, saw this, and ran off to help him before Malfoy could do anything else. Now, Ginny was with him while he continued with his treatment in the hospital wing. Seamus took over as leader of the group, while Ron took over as captain and Hermione as sub-captain.
Slowly, the death-eaters started disapparating. It was always like this, at dawn, they would apparate into the field near Hogsmeade and the battle would begin. At night, before midnight, they would disapparate. The Light side took their departure as a leaving point too. Those who could not apparate or disapparate, came and left through portkeys.
Apparation points were located in Hogsmeade, due to the fact that you could not apparate or disapparate in Hogwarts, as Hermione Granger would usually say. Students either flooed to the Three Broomsticks, or rode on those horseless carriages.
Gradually, as both sides started to leave, the noise hushed down. Hermione, as usual, sent her troupe back to Hogwarts safely before going back to check for anymore wounded and to create a strategic plan for the next day. Normally, she would be with Arelle as she rounded the fields. However, that night she was alone as Arelle was sitting in the hospital wing with Harry, thanks to Pansy Parkinson. Hermione was cut out of her thoughts when she heard a snap.
Looking up, she saw the bushes nearby quivering. Knowing at once that someone other than herself was out there, she whipped out her wand, ready for use. As she neared the bushes, they stopped moving. Cautiously, she checked them when unexpectedly, she heard a spell. Turning around she took a forceful blow of blue light hurdling at her. Before blacking out she saw a boy, with black eyes, wearing the enemy robes, staring down at her, sneering in delight.