I ran for a bit, I did. But soon the intense heat and smoke got to me. I lay in a doorway watching the fire for a bit, the mess of oranges and reds with some yellow thrown in there. Soon I found my mind start to wonder off into the past. Back last year, when I first found out that Ron had a crush on me, since then our relationship flourished. We'd meet in the common room after school hours and just sit and talk, we never really got to romantic. Just then I fell asleep.

I slept for who knows how long, all I know is when I woke up there were two dark figures standing in front of the flames. I rubbed my eyes a bit and sat up, trying to see exactly who it was. Just then Ginny bent down in front of me and rubbed my shoulder.

"We're here to help." She smiled and pointed at the other dark figure, it stepped forward a little and standing there was Draco Malfoy.

I sat there just staring at him and then I said, "You're going to help me find Harry and Ron?" he nodded and sat down on the adjacent wall.

"I don't like to admit this, but Potter's saved my butt a few times in the past, he's saved us all. It's the least I can do.." he leaned his head back against the wall and looked over at me from the corner of his eye. That's when I saw just how all these girls can like him at first glance. He was rather attractive, even after running through hundreds of flames. His normally bright blonde hair had faded to a dirty blonde full of ashes. His face had a few burns, but he was still rather attractive. I tried not to think of the complete jerk he can be.

I smiled a little, and I guess he noticed and gave me a look, I shook my head, "I'm just glad you're here to help, your muscles might come in handy down the road." I gave him a faint smile and he nodded as he turned his head to look back at the flames.

"Are you sure that Harry and Ron are in the Gryffindor common room?" Ginny's voice made me jump and I quickly turned to look at her.

"I'm almost positive, they normally go there right after the opening feast in the Great Hall and unpack their things." I sighed and stood up, I don't know why I had been stalling so long.

Ginny stood and then Draco did, I closed my eyes and jumped back into the fire. At first this burning sensation and I just stood there and then my body became numb to the heat and Draco pulled me into his stomach, and out of a flame.

"Hermione, you need to be careful. Don't steep directly into a flame like that, it won't be good." He let me go and jumped over a fallen beam.

Ginny wrapped her arm around me shoulders and smiled at me then grabbed my hand and we followed.

"Who do you think caused this fire?" Ginny asked both of us.

I shrugged, "Most likely the Dark Lord himself, I mean, who else would have reason."

"You really think he's that strong to set Hogwarts on fire?" Ginny looked back at me and gave me a questioning look.

Just then Draco chimed in, "Not alone, I'm sure he has some sort of help with him. Who knows who it is though. Most likely someone we aren't expecting.."

"Wow Draco, how do you know all this?" Ginny was acting like some little school girl, I didn't know how her voice could be so happy at this time.

"Do you not know who my father is?" Draco rolled his eyes.

"I just, oh never mind." Ginny finally gave up and we were just walking in silence.

I watched the floor, kids, all over the place, burned and dead. Normally this would freak me out, but I was just looking, hoping, that I wouldn't see Ron and Harry's faces among the poor souls in this hallway. I couldn't really tell who any of the kids were, but then again, I didn't know anyone so that would make it harder to tell.

Ginny was trying not to look down at them, but every so often I saw her steal a glance, every time her face was the same. In sheer horror, or pure disgust. Draco just walked past the bodies like it was nothing, I guess it was his Malfoy instinct to not care.

We got to the moving staircases, none were moving. We just thought that the fire had stopped them, I walked up next to Draco and looked at him and he looked back and wrapped his arm around my shoulder and rubbed it. "This is going to be a fun one." I just nodded and looked at the motionless staircases, just then, one fell.