A/N: I only own the plot.

To all my reviewers: I love you guys!! You make me sooooo happy! I wish I could send all you guys birthday presents…haha…well, I'll quit jabbering on and let you find out what happens! This is one of the longest chapters so far, so buckle up... :D

Chapter 18: Hunting the Hunter

Ron and Harry raced down the corridor, their hearts beating in fear.

"Where'd they go?" Ron exclaimed.

"Ummm…this way!"

They turned the corner and ran down another deserted hallway. They kept this up for ten minutes, until they heard a scream from a nearby classroom.

"Hermione!" they yelped together. They sprinted toward the sound.

Ron wasn't sure which emotion dominated: fear for his life, pure hatred toward Hunter, or extreme worry for Hermione. If she dies, it's my fault…he told himself. I didn't warn her soon enough, it's my fault…The mantra played repeatedly in his head.

Harry and Ron ran in the classroom. Sure enough, Hunter and Hermione were there. Hermione was frozen in fear, and her blue button-up shirt was half-unbuttoned, exposing her bra. Hunter, however, looked relaxed and as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Well, just as I expected, the two little boys playing the hero," he sneered. "Come on in and join the fun, and don't worry! You won't get in trouble…you'll already be dead!"

"Get your hands off her!" Ron bellowed. "You-I can't believe-how dare-"

"Relax, Weasley, your blood pressure's going to get the best of you someday," Hunter replied. "Of course, redheads do always seem to have tempers…that's why I could never stand to date one…but anyway, I knew you would be here eventually." He paused, turned to Harry, and added, "Potter, on the other hand…I didn't expect you. You're always snogging that other redhead Weasley, so I figured you'd be with her now under the mistletoe. It just goes to show you that sometimes assumptions can be wrong…" He chuckled to himself.

"That's the lesson you three need to learn, especially you, Mudblood," he sneered at Hermione. "Someone may seem nice at first, even perfect, but once you see under their skin, you know they're just like everyone else-a streak of evil lies underneath!"

"You're wrong! People may be angry, but that doesn't make them evil!" Harry replied angrily.

"Well, maybe you're the one that's wrong! Anger, raging inside a person for years, causes them to become evil! The Dark Lord knows this well! That's why he's set his sights on you, Potter!"

Hunter swept back his blonde hair and smiled suavely. "Now, if you'll excuse me, boys, I have some unfinished business I have to attend to." He covered Hermione's mouth with his. She let out half a squeal and struggled to get free from his grasp.

"GET OFF HER!" Ron screamed. He whipped out his wand and yelled, "Impedimenta!"

Hunter was knocked off his feet and hit the floor. Hermione raced over to Ron and Harry, also pulling out her wand.

Hunter stood up, a bit shaken, but he still retained the charming smile on his face.

"Think you can beat me, do you?" he taunted.

"Yeah, look at this!" Harry yelled back. "Three against one! What do you think of that?"

"I think," a female voice spoke, "that you three better watch your step; you don't want to get hurt, now, do you?"

Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked wildly around for Jasmine, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Impedimenta!" Hermione shrieked and fell to the floor.

"The Invisibility Cloak!" Harry yelled. "I'll find her; you watch Hunter for me." He began blundering around the room, searching for Jasmine.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Hunter screamed, aiming for Ron. But Ron was ready. "Protego!" The spell bounced off away from Ron and hit a desk, blowing it to pieces.

"Ah, I see you are learning a lot from your dear friends, Weasley," Jasmine cooed mockingly. "But has Potter taught you how to deflect the Killing Curse? It's impossible!"

She gasped in surprise as Harry caught the edge of her cloak and pulled it off, revealing her wild hair and power-hungry eyes. She was no longer the beautiful young woman they had met in the Great Hall. She wanted death.

"Think of how the Dark Lord will reward me when he discovers that I have killed not only the missing link, but also a blood traitor's son and The Boy Who Lived! I shall be great, among his most lauded servants! Say goodbye to your lover, Weasley, but don't worry, I expect you'll see her in hell in a few minutes…" She cackled.

Ron was frozen to the spot. He couldn't see anyway out of this situation. He could run for the window, but Hunter was there…plus, Jasmine was also standing in front of him with her back to the doorway. There was nowhere to run. He swallowed hard, but he knew what must come. He only hoped that with his death, his friends could find some way…any way, to save themselves and escape unscathed.

"Any last words?" taunted Hunter.

Ron turned to Hermione. "Get out of here as soon as you can. Don't worry about me; as long as you're safe, it doesn't matter what happens." He squeezed her hand. "Harry, take care of her." Harry nodded, though he was fighting the impulse to run out and punch Jasmine.

Ron finally turned to Jasmine. "Let's go."

She raised her wand and began, "Avada Keda-"

"Expelliarmus!"

Jasmine's wand flew out of her hand and landed safely in the hand of a small, blonde figure in the doorway. Before Jasmine could react, Bianca shot another spell at her mother. "Stupefy!" Jasmine crumpled to the floor in a heap. Hunter screamed in rage.

"Stupid idiot girl! You have betrayed our family's honor, our code. I'm ashamed to have you as my sister! Look what you did to our mother!"

"She's wrong, Hunter! You're wrong too!" Bianca gasped desperately. "Please, just stop now, you don't want to end up like Mom!"

"Don't tell me what I want, Bianca," Hunter spat. "I think I can figure that out for myself." He lunged at her, completely forgetting about magic. Once again, Bianca's spellwork got the best of him. "Stupefy!" He, too, crumpled and lay next to his mother.

A silence permeated the air for a few seconds. The four of them stood, looking stunned at what had just happened.

"We need to get Dumbledore, or McGonagall, or someone," Harry said shakily.

"No need, Potter, we're here already." Professor McGonagall raced into the classroom, accompanied by Dumbledore and Professor Snape.

"How-how'd you know we were in here?" Hermione whimpered.

"We found Miss McEwan's letter in the Gryffindor common room, with a few concerned first years," Professor McGonagall answered.

"The minute I saw Jasmine McEwan in this school, I feared for your life," Dumbledore said to Hermione, who looked shocked to learn this. "This woman,"-he gestured at Jasmine's limp body-"has already killed your uncle and your mother. Thinking you had already figured this out, she planned to kill you, too. The Order has been tracking her whereabouts closely, but somehow she had always slipped from our grasp…until now." Hermione gasped.

"What about…him?" Her shaking finger pointed at Hunter.

"He has never cared for you. That was a façade. He tried to get vital information from you, to see how much you really knew. In short, he was following in the footsteps of his mother," Dumbledore answered bitterly.

"I think that is enough explaining for tonight," McGonagall finished. "To the hospital wing?"

"Yes, Minerva, I think so," Dumbledore agreed thoughtfully. "Severus, you know what to do with the two older ones."

Snape nodded and conjured stretchers for Hunter and Jasmine. He also formed silver handcuffs for their wrists.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Bianca all made their way up to the hospital wing. The hallways were deserted, except for Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, who walked by (Malfoy's pants were unzipped and Pansy's lipstick was smeared). Once Madam Pomfrey had settled them into their beds, she left for her office, where she quickly fell asleep. Harry and Bianca were also asleep almost instantly. Ron rolled over on his side, facing away from Hermione, and began drifting off.

Without warning, his comforter began lifting up on one side. Then, a warm leg slid in next to him, then another. He turned over and was face to face with Hermione's brown eyes.

"'Mione, what are you doing? Madam Pomfrey'll have a stroke if she sees us!" he whispered, completely taken aback.

She chose to ignore the question. "You didn't lie," she said vaguely.

"What are you talking about?"

"You said you'd die for me, and you almost did."

They laid there for almost a minute, listening to Bianca's slow breathing.

"I want to be with you," she whispered. "You make me feel safe, like no one else can touch me. I love you so much."

He stroked her delicate cheek with one large finger. "We'll be together forever, right?"

"Yeah…" she breathed, and relaxed in his arms.

Within minutes, the two of them were asleep, lost in their dreams of each other.

A/N: Okay, read and review, puh-leeeeeeeeease! You will make me a very happy kid…

I think I'll add one or two (most likely one) more chapters to this story, just to wrap up all the loose ends I may have forgotten (such as that green envelope…hmmmm…what do you guys think is in there? Let me know what you think!). But I should be ready to start my new fic after I get back from dance camp. Any ideas? Please let me know, otherwise I'm gonna go ahead with my original idea! Catch you later kids! Much love, Pepstepper