A/N: I do not own Harry Potter. I am making no profit, and no copyright infringement is intended. Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling and her publishers.
This is my second Harry Potter story. What do you like? What do you dislike?
Hermione Granger kneeled on the football field. The wind blew her long, curly, brown hair around her. Her white shorts were stained with blood from the body before her. The dirt on her face was streaked with blood and tears. She tried to cry; yet no sound could escape from her lips.
Her skin was cut, in some places deeply, and bruises covered her body. Inside, she was bleeding from the wounds that had been inflicted upon her body. Her mind had been tested and strained so many times that she was only awake because of a combination of willpower and magic.
Her heart was broken. In her arms lay a body, burned, bloodied, and dead. The only person she loved; had ever loved like that, was dead.
Above, the Dementors circled, taking their time. Their great enemy, Harry Potter was dead. Dead at the hands of Severus Snape. Lord Voldemort could now rise up, and seize power, and destroy everything, and everyone, who got in his way. And they would be given what they most truly desired. The soul of Hermione Granger.
There was no one to save her. She had failed Harry, and she would now fail herself. Her wand was destroyed, cracked in half, its core burned into the grass. Harry's wand was no use either; it had disintegrated.
She gazed up at him, looking at the slowly descending form of a Dementor. It laughed cruelly, and came up to her face. It began to kiss her.
"EXPACTO PATRONUM!"
The Dementor looked up and flew away faster than she had thought they could move. A white, almost solid tiger flew over her head. It jumped again, and convinced another Dementor to leave.
She tiredly turned her head to see Professor McGonagoll. She looked disheveled, and her usually sharp eyes were bloodshot. She gasped for breath, and stumbled over to her. Above them, the patronus was leaping with ease, warding off a Dementor here, and another there. The last one was defeated, and the patronus faded out of existence.
"Professor?" Hermione barely managed to whisper.
"Miss Granger," McGonagoll said. "I cannot… I have used too much of my life force in producing that patronus. I cannot do it again, not for a long while at least, and I… need to get you and Harry's body back to Hogwarts, I…"
With that, she collapsed back onto the grass. Hermione reached for her wand, and summoned a book. She flicked the wand, the pages opened, and she began reading. The Spell she uttered suddenly took effect. The air around them flashed a light blue, and they appeared in Hogsmeade.
The Shoppers were absolutely shocked when they saw them appear. They ran, shouting, screaming, and pointing. Mothers and Fathers quickly gathered up their young ones, who were of course curious as to why two people had just appeared in the middle of a street.
A Ministry Wizard happened to be in a local pub, and hearing the confusion outside, exited the pub with his cloak falling behind him, and his wand in the air.
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed.
Quickly, he began issuing various instructions to people, who began rushing off to fetch various things, or people.
"My dear, what is your name? Can you speak?"
Hermione was unable to speak. She just shook her head, and pointed to the scar on Harry's head. When he saw that, and McGonagoll's face, he understood who they were, and what had happened.
Five people on Broomsticks arrived. Professor Moody and Tonks were the first one's to land. "Goodness, Hermione! What happened to you?" asked Tonks, her hair turning a deep black once she saw Harry. "No…"
The Ministry wizards formed a perimeter around them. Hagrid arrived; Professors Flitwick, Grubbly-plank, and Trelawny trailing behind.
"Professor McGonagoll!"
Hagrid dropped to his knees beside McGonagoll body. She felt his pulse, and looked at his eyes, as he slowly awoke.
"Professor, are you alright? What happened?"
"Hagrid, Harry is dead. I don't think that Ms. Granger will take it very well. I am too exhausted and drained of Life-Force energy to do anything much more than talk to you.
"You must get us up to Hogwarts. Take Harry's body, and get Hermione to the Hospital Wing, if she needs it. If she does not, then, please take care of her."
With that, McGonagoll collapsed into Hagrid's arms. Hermione hadn't changed her position; except to work some very minor magic. In her mind, she replayed the arrival of the Dementors, the death eaters and the troll. Working together, they had killed the troll easily, but the Death Eaters had overpowered them. They had killed Harry, as they had been ordered to do by Voldemort, but they were allowed to give her their deadly kiss. She didn't know why, but they had seemed to be after her.
From that moment, everything was a blur, as they were rushed to Hogwarts, and she was given to the capable hands of Hagrid. True to form, he made her some tea, and gave her several chocolate-chip biscuits.
"You know, Hermione, you're lucky to be alive. If McGonagoll hadn't shown up in time, you'd be dead right now."
Hermione didn't answer; she just smiled weakly. She hadn't talked very much in the two days that she had been under Hagrid's wing.
