Grr. I really don't like my last chapter, and am seriously contemplating getting rid of it. What do you all think?

This chapter is more of a return to the original plotline…you know…the reason you're all reading this for? (I'm sure its not for the romance….) I'm going to try my hand at a little more of 'action writing' and actually writing something visual in the next chapter as well. Wish me luck….

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"Parvati, for the last time. No more breaks. Mr. Petrollan in 345 never got his diaja root treatment yesterday when you went on your two hour 'lunch break' as you call it." Hermione spat out without a surfeit of venom.

She sighed as Parvati rolled her eyes dramatically and turned around to her perch behind the counter, nearly knocking over the carefully arranged parchment the intern on duty had been painstakingly organizing for the last hour. The frazzled look in his eyes was familiar as he gave Parvati a wild stare of incredulity. Hermione herself had gone through some tough hours as an intern, fresh from the war and her years at the Wizarding Institute of Higher Medical Learning.

"But I could have sworn I had McShriver's file right…"

"I am sorry to inform you Miss. Granger, that that is simply not good enough. These patients have names. They have lives. And they're in you hands. If you cannot even keep a file straight, then you must reevaluate your priorities." The formidable Wizarding Doctor Archimedes Rex, Order of Hippocrates, High Physician, had intoned. "Now. I will request that you walk into Mr. Aloysius McShriver's room right now. Come now, I know you can walk; you can certainly breath which is a task for some people in your generation. Now march in there. And inform of exactly why you will not be able to give him a diagnosis."

Hermione had blanched, and Dr. Rex had tapped her on the shoulder with his walking stick shaped like Mercury's staff with its entwined snakes. She nervously stepped down the hall…

Hermione shook her head, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She locked the doors behind her for the night, the adult part of the wing now secure. As she turned to head down the hall towards the children's wing, she frowned at the sight of a figure huddled on the floor near the entrance.

"Mary?"

Receiving no answer, she pocketed her wand, and walked towards the figure of the little girl, shivering in her pink fleece nightgown, despite the lack of cold. Her eyes were glazed over. Suddenly her body went rigid.

"The Serpent's son has turned to the moon. The Lioness is in the pit, stalked by the Dark Lord's servant."

"Damn it." Hermione muttered. A glance outside the ceiling sun window confirmed her suspicions; a full moon. Mary had divination blood that was incredibly strong. But like all those who were born with the ability, hers rarely manifested itself, usually on strong nights for magic. She bent down to hold her torso; she shook her shoulders but received no flicker of recognition from the little girl.

"Beware oh Lioness. You stalk the prey that is not yours. The One Who Lived cannot stop this, only the Serpent with the Spirit of the Forest. He holds all that may make this well."

Suddenly her body went lax, and she flickered her eyelids.

"'Mione? Did I start seeing again?"

"Yes dear. I'm sorry. Do you want something to drink?" she asked trying to sooth the worried look in the girl's eyes.

Suddenly, Mary shot straight up, her eyes wild as she seemed to remember something.

"'mione I don't want to go back to my room. The evil thing is there."

Hermione stared in bewilderment

"What- Evil thing?"

"it…it came in, and it touched my face, and I saw…I saw it had a big knife. Like as big as my arm…"

"..a sword?"

"yes…and it wanted to hurt me, but I wouldn't let it, and when I sent my…future thought? It wanted me to think about…Uncle Harold…but I yelled loud, and pushed the thoughts back…and it fell down, and more of them came into my room, and it got cold. I ran away… I came to look for you…but my future seeing came."

Hermione pulled out her wand and pulled Mary close to her.

"Listen Mary. I want you to run to the Nurse's Station and tell the Nurse there that Dr. Hermione has issued a Dark Code. She'll know what to do. You've been very brave, so do this for me."

Mary nodded quickly as pattered down the hall.

Hermione entered the children's ward and walked over to a window. Quickly opening the pane, she sent out a series of green sparks that formed a lightening bolt over the hospital.

"Alohomora Infinitus Totalus" she muttered. In chorus the entire hallway's doors all locked, the children never even waking up. She then locked the hall doors behind her, she bent into a defensive stance and waited.

The dementors had to be somewhere.

Draco frowned as the buzz of commotion in the hallway eventually broke his reverie. He put down the bag of glass eyeballs.

"What's all this?" he shouted over the crowd of wizards and witched rushing to and fro. Neville sighed, and pulled off the parchment message that was stuck to Draco's door. "Well don't get nattered. You know I never read these damn things." He muttered chucking the roll into the bin.

"It's the hospital. A Dark Code was called in a few moments ago. A task force is mobilizing."

Draco felt his face go rigid. "Do you know what kind of assassin?"

"Best as I can tell, we don't know…most likely some dementors. One attacked a patient, and apparently has been isolated specifically in a corridor of a ward. We're getting ready to get a task force. Can I count you in?"

"Of course." He snapped.

He pulled his head back into his office, and immediately went toward the wardrobe in the corner of the room. Neville curtly nodded to himself and hurried down the corridor to get ready himself.

Pulling open the door, Draco shrugged off his cloak and suit coat. Tugging at his tie, he loosened his collar and rolled up his shirt sleeves. He clipped on a black chest plate with the Ministry seal emblazoned in the center. He also pulled on two sleeves of chain mail, and clipped on two matching gauntlets. He flexed his fingers. He hadn't had to wear this armor for at least a year. Sighing, he pulled on his helmet, and flipped up the visor. Strapping a dagger to his side, he pocketed his wand, and locked the office door behind him. Various other members of the ministry all armored as he was were running down the halls. He joined them, giving a nod to Neville who was wearing the red armor of a commander.

As the group apparated to appear in front of the ministrt, almost prophetically, a peal of thunder broke in the sky, and a heavy downpour began. Grimly, Draco flipped down his visor. The large symbol of Dumbledore's Army was flickering over the hospital, the green lightening bolt wavering a little in the storm's wind.

It appeared the battle had started earlier than he had anticipated.

AN. well. What do you think? Make you want to read the next chapter?