Draco had left Hermione after that to go to his own quarters. That left Hermione to ponder what she could have done to deserve any of this and how in the world her and Draco where going to get out alive.

It was pretty clear to her that she couldn't rely on Harry or Ginny, although she knew it was going to be hard turning her back on people she'd trusted for most of her life. Finally sleep claimed Hermione's weary mind and she drifted into dream land.

The dawn came on strong and bright, but it did not disturb Hermione's sleep, because she was in a room without a window. She finally awoke when the physician came in to tell her that she could leave that room if she wanted to. He seemed to think that Hermione should feel right as rain now that she'd slept on a rock hard bed for a few hours. Sadly, that was not the case. Her head hurt if anything brushed the large bump on the back and she couldn't move her arm without yelping in pain. But despite this, Hermione thanked the doctor and left the tiny room.

She stepped out of the room and realized that she didn't know where she should go, or even where anything was. She was in a hallway, that clearly was on one of the lower floors of the massive castle, but that was about as much help as the dreadful pain medicine she'd been made to swallow. She was relieved when she heard footsteps coming her way and saw a small kitchen maid bustling along with a large tray.

"Miss, how do I get to my sister's suite?"

The maid stopped dead in her tracks and dropped a very low curtsy to Hermione, all the while still balancing the tray perfectly on one hand. She threw Hermione one bewildered look and then dropped her eyes meekly to the floor.

"It would be too hard to explain, Your Highness. May I show you instead," She asked softly and

Hermione nodded. The maid caught the nod out of the corner of her eye and started off her head still bowed low in deference.

About a half hour later and Hermione was standing outside the door of Ginny's suite. The maid had assured her that she was taking her the quickest way, but it had still taken Hermione forever to get here, especially because she refused to go up the winding staircase she'd been thrown down. She rapped on the door urgently and the door flew open immediately to show Ginny looking impatient and Harry sitting on her bed with a wary look on his face.

Hermione felt like she was interrupting an important discussion, but she didn't really care at the current moment. She had an agenda of her own.

"Oh we were hoping you'd come up here," Ginny said injecting a spray of pleasure into her voice.

"Yes, well I never knew it was going to be such a journey, not to mention I had no idea how to get here. I had to have a maid help me," Hermione rambled making sure to sound calm, because seeing her friend and seeing how fake she was acting made Hermione feel flutters of panic in her chest.

"Have you seen Malfoy?"

"No, not since he came in to see me last night with you guys," Hermione said lying with ease.

"Oh, well I guess it doesn't matter if he doesn't come with us," Ginny said flatly and the hairs on the back of Hermione's neck stood straight up.

"Where are we going?"

"My castle. I was wandering around early this morning and I overheard one of the maids talking about a wise healer at my home. His name is Dumbledore," Harry said as though waving the name in front of Hermione like a worm on a hook.

"Do think it's really him," Hermione asked eagerly, momentarily forgetting why she was there.

"Yeah, I'd bet my Firebolt it is," Harry said convincingly.

"So we must leave right away," Ginny said forcefully and Hermione blanched.

"Why? I know how important finding Dumbledore is, but it's still morning," Hermione said and Ginny gave her a surprised look.

"You of all people, should know! This world could change around us, we could be somewhere else in the next few minutes and then our hope of finding him would be very slim," Ginny said sounding ticked off at Hermione for suggesting they wait.

"She just wants Malfoy to come along," Harry said from the bed and his voice had a cold edge to it.

"What?" Hermione asked sounding out-raged although she wasn't all that surprised that Harry was bringing this subject up.

"You heard me, you've been making eyes at him since we got here," Harry said and sent a glare in Hermione's direction.

"I have not! He was in the other worlds with me. What do you expect?"

"Some loyalty, Hermione. The same loyalty me and Ginny continue to show," Harry said and Hermione's face turned stormy with anger.

"To each other! You left me, to go make out in a cupboard! How is that loyalty to me? Draco came and found me, he actually cared that we stay together so that if this world changes we're not back at square one. You two are acting very strange and I don't understand why."

At these words Ginny took a threatening step towards Hermione and seemed about to punch her, but Harry suddenly acted. He got quickly to his feet and placed a restraining hand on the angry red head's arm.

"Hermione, please, stop acting foolish. We really want you there when we go to see Dumbledore," Harry said in a pleading voice, but Hermione didn't want to hear it.

"I'm not acting foolish, I am thinking quite clearly," Hermione said reasonably.

"Come on, Hermione. You'll be stuck in this world if you don't come," Ginny said, who seemed to gotten a reign on her temper.

She stepped forward and gripping Hermione's wrist like a vice, started pulling her towards the door. Harry was right behind pushing lightly, but strongly on Hermione's lower back. They were guiding her out the door and Hermione blanched. Using her left hand, she dug her nails into Ginny's wrist and twisted her arm at the same time. The red head shrieked in pain and let go, but Harry was right there and he wrapped his arms around Hermione from the back and heaved her from her feet.

He started walking forward, but he didn't get very far. Hermione was kicking wildly and she hit him in the shin with the sharp heel of her shoe. He immediately dropped her to crumpled to the ground in pain.

Hermione backed away from the two, breathing heavily she realized that they were blocking her way out. Ginny was the first to recover, but she was still shocked that Hermione had attacked her. Breathing hard, she moved to seize Hermione's wrist again. Harry stood up, he looked extremely pale and he was gasping for breath.

There was a knock at the door then and Harry and Ginny froze. They stood stiffly as the door creaked open and two big blue eyes peered around the wood.

"Your Highness', His Majesty the King bids that his soon-to-be son-in-law comes to his thrown room at once. You are to come with me," The young maid said and Harry nodded gravely and walked to the door.

Before he disappeared through the doorway, he gave Ginny a significant look. Ginny merely nodded and turned to Hermione as the door closed.

"You are being completely daft, Hermione. I am your friend! All I want to do is help you," Ginny said in a defeated sounding voice.

Hermione was stopped cold by her voice. Her chest seemed to tighten and her breathing became harsh. It was hurting her to be betrayed by a friend, although, she kept trying to remind herself, this was not the real Ginny. Big fat tears leaked from under her lids and streamed wantonly down her cheeks. She stared at Ginny, this new Ginny, who was looking back at her with cold interest.

"You are not my true friend," Hermione sobbed.

"That doesn't matter. You are coming with me whether you like it or not," Ginny said snidely and she came at Hermione with a vicious look painting her usually kind face.

Hermione hoped against hope that it would work, as she yelled "Wingardium Leviosa" in her mind. She didn't have her wand and she'd never performed wandless magic, but as she felt danger it was her first instinct to try using it.

There was a brief moment when Hermione thought it hadn't worked and she saw Ginny's face looming close to hers, but the next moment Ginny was lifted off her feet to hover near the ceiling.

Ginny screamed in frustration, as her efforts to get down only made her do a front somersault. Hermione blinked up at the suspended girl, her mind turning a mile a minute. She could do magic! She may not have her wand, but she didn't need it now. Triumphantly she walked to the door and throwing it open, walked out into the hall. A second after she had closed the door, she released the spell.

The angry yelp as Ginny hit the floor was very satisfactory to Hermione's ears. Now that she had discovered she still had her powers, things were going to be a lot easier. All she had to do now was find Draco.

This proved to be easier than she had imagined. He was coming up the spiral stairs when she met him. She ran at him and clutched his arms, to make him pay close attention to what she was about to say.

"Draco! I can do magic! I did just now. You were right about Ginny and Harry too. They tried to kidnap me and force to go somewhere where they thought Dumbledore was," Hermione said at a very fast clip and it seemed to take Draco a moment to process all she said.

"If you can do magic then I should be able to," He said finally and and Hermione laughed at the lost expression on his face.

"Just like they taught us but think it. Put the power behind the words in your head," Hermione said and Draco stepped away from her and looked instead at a tapestry hanging on the opposite wall. His expression turned deadly serious as he concentrated on the tapestry. Suddenly like it had been doused with lighter fluid, the tapestry went up in flames.

Draco turned back to Hermione and hugged her, swung her around once and dropped her, none to gently back on her feet.

"This is good, very good," Draco said rubbing his hands together in thought, "Oh, and I knew I was right. That's why I was coming up here."

Hermione shook her head in wonder at him and turned to the tapestry that was now just a black mark on the castle wall.

"I think this puts us on even footing now," Hermione said with a wry smile.