The Final Hours

By: kpsebo

Warning:Minor HBP Spoilers!

Chapter Five

Hermione

Hermione sat against the wall leaning on her boyfriend's shoulder. Her hand was entwined in his, and, despite their current situation, was happier then she had been in her entire life. Ron was alive, not dead, and would probably live for years and years after they get out of this. She had to remain optimistic, or else she would be sobbing all over again. She was so tired of sobbing and crying and throwing herself on the floor that it took a lot out of her to refrain from doing it yet again. Ron was sitting beside her staring into space. He had just found out what his sister's fate was, and had been quiet ever since. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence for Hermione, since she was overjoyed to see her boyfriend alive that one would think she had forgotten all about Ginny, Neville, and Harry, but deep inside, her heart ached for all of them.

Lying unconscious on the floor in front of them was Harry, who muttered Ginny's name in his sleep, and Hermione felt Ron shiver beneath her head. She looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Hermione."

"I know there's something – "

"Drop it."

"Ron – "

"Hermione, seriously. I'm fine." Ron said it painfully, and Hermione felt the tears coming once again.

"I can't believe you're shutting me out like this."

"Hermione – "

"No, Ron! I've spent the last hours or days – even months for all I know thinking you were dead! You could at least talk to me!"

"Hermione, I – "

"Don't talk, Ron. I don't want to even look at you right now, let alone hear you speak." With that, Hermione got to her feet and went to the other side of the dungeon, where she sat down in a sobbing fit. How could he be so cruel? How could he! She thought angrily as she cried. Maybe she overreacted, but she didn't care. She had been so upset over Ron, that his appearance through the entrance of the dungeon had almost caused her to faint, and now he just shuts her out, like she was nothing more to him then a friend. Just a friend, she thought to herself. May be that was all she was to him now. A friend. She had kissed him into the early hours of the morning, held his hand during walks around the lake – she had even given him her virginity, for Christ's sake! And now, he was treating her like an ordinary person off the street that had meddled into his business.

Hermione, calm down. You're overreacting, she thought to herself. No. She wasn't being too touchy. He has something wrong, and refuses to tell her what. Does he think I'm stupid? She glanced resentfully over at Ron, and she met his gaze. Instantly, she turned and faced the wall, determined not to look at the boyfriend she had missed so much that now merely thought of her as a friend. No. That wasn't true. Ron was just … distracted, that's all. His sister's death must've shaken him.

Hermione then thought of Ginny - Poor, sweet, innocent Ginny, who took her own life at her lover's side. Sure, she loved Harry as well, but she was actually dating Neville. Now, Harry was heart-broken and would probably remain heart-broken until the day he dies, which Hermione prayed would be somewhere away from here. Far from here. If that was by any way a possibility, but things weren't looking up for them right now. If only the Order knew where they were, they would probably be out of there in no time.

Hermione looked back towards Ron. She saw that he had moved away from Harry and was huddled in a corner, sobbing loudly. She felt tears coming once again, and fought the urge to get up and run towards him, but the thought was gone from her head in no time. Harry stirred.

Hermione got to her feet at once, and ran over to Harry. Ron did the same. They both kneeled on either side of him, and his eyes fluttered open. He looked at Hermione, and smiled. She smiled back at him, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Hermione – It's so good to see you." His smile faded. "Where's Ginny? I had the most awful dream, Hermione. I saw that – that Ginny died!" He then looked over at Ron and his face dropped. He gasped. "Ron – You're … you're alive!"

Ron smiled at him. "Yes, I am Harry. I'm glad to see you're – "

"But," Harry interrupted, his face looking fallen, "that means that … no! Ginny!" He turned around frantically looking for her, but there was no use. He looked back at Hermione. "It was a dream, right Hermione? A dream. Yes, a dream. Right?"

Hermione looked at him, her smile fading. "Harry – are you feeling alright?"

"Is Ginny here?"

"Harry – "

"Is Ginny here?" Harry snapped. Hermione looked insulted, and shook her head. She sat down on the ground and started to cry once again. What an emotional hurricane, she thought sadly. Harry whirled around looking for Ginny, screaming "No!" at the top of his lungs. Ron stared at him in shock, and Harry stood up and started running towards the section of wall that became a door.

Hermione just sat there and cried, as Harry kicked and punched the stone until his knuckles were bleeding and his foot was sore. Ron huddled in a corner again, crying for the loss of Ginny, and Harry just lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Hermione just sat between them, looking at each of them in turn. Here she was, stuck in a dungeon with the two people she loved with all her heart. She sat there crying, also, completely giving up hope in the chamber that might just be her deathbed. He won, she thought to herself, he finally won, and now we're going to rot in here forever. This thought seemed to give Hermione strength, as she stopped crying immediately. Voldemort couldn't – no, wouldn't – win as far as she was concerned, and she didn't want to spend another minute in this dungeon. She stood up, and made her way over to the section of wall, carefully stepping over an unmoving Harry, and raised her wand towards the wall.

"FLIPENDO!" She bellowed, and a flash of orange light flew from her wand, and blew off a large chunk of rock, but the door didn't open. She hit it again, and more rock flew off, but the door just seemed to repair it's self. She tried over and over, with the same result. Now she was screaming the incantation, with each blow she grew stronger, yet weaker all at the same time She fell to her knees, a steady stream of tears leaking from her eyes onto the floor beneath her, but she didn't loose hope. From the ground, she fired the spell with full force, each time getting rid of the rock a little more, but it repaired it's self all the same.

She heard footsteps behind her, and heard Ron bellow the same curse. She whirled around, and looked up at him. His tear-stained cheeks glittered in the soft light of the Dungeon, and Hermione felt her spirits lift once again. She stood up and turned to face the wall again. She pointed her wand at the section of wall, and fired the curse over and over once again – only this time, she had Ron to help her. She heard Harry's voice join in, and three jets of orange light were now colliding with the stone. Enormous chunks of rock were flying off the wall now, only this time it didn't repair it's self. They kept firing the spell, over and over, until finally, with a loud crash, they broke through the wall, and saw the dimly lit corridor that they had traveled down before to Voldemort's chamber. The rocks crushed the death eaters that were standing guard outside, but Hermione could swear she heard groaning, which meant they wouldn't have much time if they indeed wanted to escape.

"This way!" She whispered at Ron and Harry, and they turned left and ran quickly but silently down the stone hall. Finally, We will have freedom!

Harry

Harry ran behind Hermione, careful not to make a sound. Ron was close behind them, as they reached a fork in the corridors.

"Which way?" Harry heard Ron ask. Hermione looked baffled, so Harry stepped forwards.

"Either way, it's in the opposite direction of that dreadful chamber we were in earlier," he told them. He studied the two paths for a moment, and finally decided. "This way," He motioned to them to follow him, and he took the left corridor, only to be met with a dead end. They turned around and ran the other way, but this time, Harry was sure they were being followed. He glanced behind him to see Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy in close pursuit, their jinxes firing off walls and suits of armor. Harry fired jinxes randomly over his shoulder, and heard Bellatrix cry out in pain.

"Watch where you're aiming, Harry!" screamed Hermione, who was dodging hexes and curses from Lucius. Harry smiled at the fact that he had hit Bellatrix, and completely lost concentration when he saw light up ahead. He heard Lucius cry out in pain, and heard Ron shout in triumph. They had almost reached the top of the stairs to the passageway to the outdoors, when Harry stopped in his tracks. Hermione almost ran into him, and Ron collided with her, which sent all three of them to the floor. Harry looked up at the figure blocking the exit, and gaped.

They could only see the back of the figure, but the flaming red hair told Harry exactly who it was. He rose to his feet, and Ron and Hermione did the same, both frozen with shock.

"Ginny?" Harry whispered. Ron ran towards her, and wrapped his arms around his sister.

"Oh, Ginny! I thought you were dead!" He cried happily.

"Ron – Don't! There's something wrong!" Came Hermione's frightened voice from behind Harry. Ron ignored her, and kept on hugging his sister. Ginny didn't move, but stood there stiffly, while Ron smothered her. Harry stared in Horror, and tried to warn Ron again, but he completely ignored what either of them said, and kept on hugging her.

Ginny moved, then. It was a startling movement that mad Hermione cry out in fear. Ginny grabbed Ron's arm, and bit down into it, hard. His face was frozen in shock at first, and then the colour drained from it as he started to howl. Harry ripped Ron's arm out of Ginny's mouth, and pulled Ron away.

"Th-That's not … my sister …" Ron stammered. Harry put his hands on Ron;s shoulders and shook him slightly.

"That's what we've been trying to tell you!" Harry cried, "That's not Ginny – It's an Inferi!"

The dead Ginny moved then, and lunged towards Hermione, who shrieked and accidentally flung her wand out if her hand. She ran around the Inferi, and came and hid behind Ron. The Inferi Ginny turned towards them, and Harry could see the blood from Ron's arm running down her chin, and on to her shredded shirt. Harry broke out into a run for the exit, and Ron and Hermione quickly followed him. They had almost made it to the top of the stairs, when another figure leapt out at them, and sent all three of them onto the floor.

Harry looked up and saw the figures of Neville and Ginny making their way slowly towards them. Hermione reached for her wand, and shouted something that made the two Inferi stumble backwards. Harry, Ron and Hermione made a run for it, only to be cornered by Bellatrix and Lucius. Now they were trapped, with the Death Eaters on one side, and the Inferi on the other. What an escape!

A/N: Well, My favourite Chapter right now, and I also believe it's the longest yet! 2,029 Words! Please R/R and no flames!