"Long, Long, Long"
Chapter 15
The weeks to the first of September went by rather quickly--much more quickly, in fact, than Hermione would have hoped. She spent nearly all her time at the lake with Harry, helping him practice whatever spell Dumbledore had showed them that morning. Dumbledore was around more frequently now, and he too helped Harry and encouraged him in any way he could.
Harry himself seemed surprisingly determined and confident; Hermione thought that were she in his position, she would have been a nervous wreck. She was so curious about his seemingly unworried behavior that she asked his about it one evening when they were both trying to fall asleep.
"Harry?" she whispered tentatively to the ceiling.
"Mmm?" muttered Harry sleepily.
"How do you…I don't want to be discouraging or anything, but I'm really curious…why don't you seem worried about the duel? It's not that you should be, I just mean…it seemed like you were almost more scared back at school before the war even started."
This was followed by a long silence, and Hermione wasn't at all sure whether Harry was thinking or if he had fallen asleep. She was about to give in to the inevitability of the latter--he had, after all been working hard all day--when he said suddenly, "There's not much of a point to worrying, is there?"
"Well…what do you mean?" asked Hermione, confused. She knew there was never really any need to worry, but people did it anyway, didn't they?
"Well it isn't exactly like I can get out of fighting him; according to the prophecy, it has to happen eventually. With that and the fact that I've had a lot of time to think about it get over my anxiety, I just don't need to waste my energy on worrying." This response wasn't entirely satisfactory to Hermione, which Harry seemed to sense, for he continued, "I know it's not exactly cheery, but whatever happens in the duel will happen. I'll do my best, and I may win, I may lose, but if I fail, I won't really have a chance to dwell on it, will I?"
He said this last comment at if it was amusing, but Hermione felt more of an inclination to cry than to laugh. His death did not amuse her, and she didn't think it would amuse the rest of the magical world, either. She did not say anything more, and after a while she could tell by his steady, deep breathing that Harry had fallen asleep. Staring up through the window at the starry sky, she tried to feel as Harry did--that whatever would happen was out of her control, and there was no sense worrying about it--but she couldn't, and the feeling of queasiness she felt then would not leave her in the rest of the days that led to the first.
…
Draco stared at the place where Hermione had been for a long time after she had left, his surprise paralyzing him. Finally acknowledging the fact that he would eventually have to go back inside, he nodded slightly to himself and turned, heading slowly back towards the steps. He opened the door through which he had just led Hermione and was greeted, none too pleasantly, by Lucius.
"Why did you bring her back here?" his father asked immediately.
Draco closed the door behind him and took his hood off. "I didn't have a choice," he said wearily. He did not feel like being scolded or yelled at the moment, by Lucius least of all.
"Oh, so it was unavoidable?" asked Lucius, half mockingly, half angrily.
"Yes," said Draco firmly.
"You let things get so far out of your control that she started manipulating you?"
"No, I…what's the point in discussing this now? It's over."
"The point, Draco," said Lucius, stepping closer to his son and raising his voice, "is that Miss Granger had the upper hand in the situation." When Draco started to object, Lucius continued, raising his voice even more, "And I think, despite what you might say, that such was also the case during your supposedly useful relationship with her at school."
"What are you saying, that she was using me at Hogwarts? What could she possibly want from me?" asked Draco, bringing the volume of his voice up to match that of his father's.
"I think it's entirely possible, and from what I saw tonight, probably entirely true!"
"What did you want me to do? She refused to talk to me; she only wanted to speak with the Dark Lord. She was on orders from Dumbledore."
"She wouldn't talk to her because you didn't make her! What is the point of your even being a servant of the Dark Lord if you can't do what he asks? Could you not have used the Cruciatus curse when she didn't cooperate?"
Draco was horrified at the very idea. Why had he never realized in his youth what a truly sick human being his father was? "No, I couldn't have; what if I had made a mistake and she died or lost her memory or went mad? She is the only connection we have to Potter and Dumbledore! What if we lost that?"
"I don't think you're worried about our connection to Potter; I think you're worried about losing her," said Lucius, his voice shaking in rage and disgust. "What about earlier this evening? Why did you shield her? Do you not trust the Dark Lord to decide what to do on his own?"
"I thought he was making a mistake," said Draco, wondering if he should slip out the door behind him and make a run for it.
"It doesn't matter what you think; the Dark Lord decides what to do and we follow. Do not ever question him again." Seemingly having decided the conversation was now over, Lucius turned and started walking away. He had only made it a few steps when he paused and turned back toward Draco. "I don't know the real situation was with Miss Granger while you were still at Hogwarts, but it's over now, Draco, and your loyalty is solely to the Dark Lord."
Draco felt like retorting, but bit his tongue, not wanting the conversation to fire up once more. Lucius turned again and walked away, leaving Draco to fume silently in the shadows of the doorway.
…
Harry was pacing back and forth, muttering spells and counter-spells under his breath. Hermione sat on the couch, watching him vaguely but thinking of other things. It was very early in the morning on the first of September, and Dumbledore had not yet emerged from his room.
Thinking that just sitting there to drown in their anxiety was probably a bad idea, Hermione finally stood up and stepped over to the small kitchen area. "Do you want some breakfast, Harry?" she asked, glancing at her watch, which read five o'clock am. Harry just shook his head and continued his pacing. "Yes, you do," said Hermione quietly, pulling out equipment to make breakfast for them and Dumbledore when he woke up.
An hour or so later, Dumbledore did exit his bedroom, looking more awake than either of the two students. "Have you been up long?" he asked, looking at a pile of half-burned toast and pancakes on the table at which Harry and Hermione sat. They nodded but didn't say anything. Dumbledore sighed and took a seat beside them. "It is not likely that we will have to leave before noon. In fact, I would not be surprised if Voldemort planned on meeting in the evening, a time he prefers most often. Since this is most likely the case, the best thing either of you can do--Harry, you especially--is to get in a few more hours of sleep. I know it is difficult, what with your nerves, but it would be of far better use than to spend the day waiting."
Hermione did not disagree with these words, but thought Dumbledore's a nearly impossible request. True, she was tired, she could feel it already and the day was hardly breaking, but the knot in her stomach would prevent her from getting any rest for some time, she was sure. She nodded and smiled at Dumbledore despite this, and finished her cup of coffee without speaking.
Harry was out before eleven. His face was pressed against the table, his glasses awry, and his deep breaths made the Daily Prophet lying a few inches in front of him flutter slightly. His tiredness didn't surprise Hermione, who knew for a fact that he hadn't slept all night, nor for more than an hour the previous night. She was glad he was finally getting some sleep, and only wished that he was in a more comfortable position.
As for Hermione, she realized after a couple hours that the coffee had been a mistake; she was now more anxious, still tired, and more irritable. She knew she didn't really have a right to be nervous--it was Harry who would be doing all the work later on, but she supposed she was merely worried for him. And for what would happen should something go wrong. Stop it! she told herself, pushing away from the table and standing, You're just making it worse. Just…stop thinking. Hermione collapsed onto the sofa, entirely unconvinced that she would ever get to sleep.
Hermione woke up at five o'clock that afternoon with a gentle shake from Dumbledore. "I think it would be best for you to be awake when Voldemort summons you, and I need to discuss a few things with the two of you before we go," he explained, smiling apologetically. Hermione nodded and rubbed her eyes.
Harry was still sitting at the table, though much more aware than he had been when she'd last seen him. She and Dumbledore joined him and Dumbledore began to speak, "We have been working towards being prepared for this day for a long time now, and before it doesn't matter anymore, I want to tell you some things.
"First, your help is greatly appreciated, Miss Granger, as is your staying with us for the summer. I realize that when the war is over, you will have some things to work out with the Ministry." Hermione blinked in confusion for a moment and then remembered with a jolt that she had been in trouble with the Ministry for the murder of those two Death Eaters…. It seemed like an eternity ago to her, but she had no doubt the Ministry would remember. How was it that she had completely forgotten the time between the start of the war and her time in the cabin? That she was considered missing, presumably dead, by the majority of the magical world? It was strange to forget such major things. "I do not for an instant think that you will be punished," continued Dumbledore, "I suspect that in light of more important news, the Ministry will quite forget your crime. However, keep in mind what the Ministry will think when they discover that you ran away with us--two people they very much wanted to find--only days before your hearing.
"Harry," he said, turning his gaze to him, "I cannot express how proud I am, and have been for some time now, of you." He smiled and Harry looked down awkwardly. "Remain calm and remember our lessons, that's all you really need to hear.
"Now, there are some situations I want you to prepare for should something go wrong this evening," said Dumbledore, pushing his glasses up his nose a little. "Last time, you ran into the problem of Priori Incantatem. Now--"
"Wait, sorry to interrupt, but I forgot to tell you something," said Hermione suddenly, recalling something Voldemort had said to her that night a few weeks ago. "I just remembered: Voldemort said he had altered his wand so that this time the two wands would cooperate…that's what you meant by Priori Incantatem, isn't it?"
"Yes, it was," said Dumbledore, looking a bit surprised and thoughtful. "Well, that's good," he said, though not looking entirely convinced, "I wonder…well, anyway, I suspect we haven't got much time, so on to the next thing.
"I presume Voldemort will be accompanied by some, if not many, Death Eaters. I obviously do not know what he will tell them, but as we are only three, if they attack, we will be most unprepared. For this reason, I sent an owl to the Burrow not long ago, explaining the situation and asking for assistance. I only hope that if none of the Weasleys receive the message, we will not need it. For our part, we must be constantly alert and ready to act. Miss Granger, I trust in helping Harry with his spells, you too learned many of them. Am I correct?"
"Well…yes, some of them," said Hermione uncertainly.
"Good, you may need them. Alright, now, most importantly, what we should do if Harry is successful. This depends entirely on how the Death Eaters react…"
Hermione suddenly had to strain to hear Dumbledore's voice clearly, and then it disappeared altogether. Her vision blurred at the edges and went black. She felt like she was falling into a dark pit, unable to control anything ad entirely confused as to what was happening. The air around her grew thin and she struggled for breath and then, it was over.
Hermione fell onto her hands and knees on a grassy surface, gasping for air. She felt a bit dizzy and took a moment to focus her eyes before she was jerked to a standing position by an unknown person. Finding herself, she looked around and saw more than a dozen robed men, all with their faces hidden. "Good evening, Miss Granger," said a cold voice that Hermione recognized.
Hermione turned to see Lord Voldemort, the only one of the lot whose face was not masked, a small smile on his thin face. She nodded, glaring at him, but did not reply. Looking past all the dark figures, she saw a sight that made the knot in her stomach loosen slightly: Hogwarts castle. The windows were dark and deserted, but there were enough good memories here for Hermione to feel comforted by the mere sight of the place.
The Death Eaters seemed out of place and uncomfortable. Some of them looked up at the castle and whispered to one another, occasionally chuckling. Hermione imagined they were talking about their own experiences there, and she felt a strange twinge of sadness at the thought.
"Where are your friends, Miss Granger?" asked Voldemort after at least a minute had passed in silence. His expression was no longer amused in the slightest; it was impatient and irritated.
"I don't know," answered Hermione truthfully. Whatever Dumbledore and Harry were doing, she wished they would hurry up and get there. She was not at all comfortable to be alone with all of these Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself.
"I hope, for your sake, that they arrive soon."
Hermione didn't like the sound of that--she gripped her wand tightly in her pocket. Come on, she pleaded silently to Harry and Dumbledore, you know what happened…why aren't you here yet? A moment of silence, and then two shapes appeared in the distance, walking briskly toward them. It was Harry and Dumbledore, having obviously apparated to Hogsmeade and walked from there.
"Ah, Tom," said Dumbledore pleasantly, stopping before Lord Voldemort, "here we are yet again."
"Yes," said Voldemort, looking not at Dumbledore, but at Harry, "at long last." He and Harry engaged in a fierce glaring contest, which was interrupted after a moment by Dumbledore clearing his throat significantly. "Right," said Voldemort, smiling once more, "then shall we begin?"
All of the Death Eaters between or near Harry and the Dark Lord started carefully edging out of the way. Hermione and Dumbledore followed suit, standing back and leaving Harry facing his opponent determinedly. Voldemort raised his wand quickly. Harry did the same so quickly that Hermione wondered for a moment if the act had been simultaneous.
"Crucio!" shouted Voldemort at the same time Harry cried, "Expelliarmus!"
Hermione gasped as she was suddenly thrown backward several feet, a magical gold barrier filling the place she had just stood. Harry and Voldemort were completely hidden from view inside the glistening dome. Looking around, Hermione noticed that the Death Eaters didn't look remotely disturbed by this, which was all the more unsettling. "Professor?" she whispered anxiously to Dumbledore. "What's going on?"
Dumbledore sighed, looking disturbed. "It is as I assumed." To Hermione's questioning look, he continued, "When you told me that Voldemort had altered his wand to fix the problem of Priori Incantatem, I wondered what he might have done. It is clear now that the charm he used on his wand to prevent that magical bond did not prevent the formation of the barrier that usually accompanies Priori Incantatem, and I am sure he did not want it to. You see, he would have wanted it to be impossible for any allies of Harry, including ourselves, to intervene in any way during the duel."
Hermione nodded her understanding and asked, "But, if we can't see the duel, are we just going to wait out here with the Death Eaters until it's over?"
Dumbledore looked anxiously over her head at something and said, "I do not think we will be waiting idly."
Hermione followed his gaze, turning and finding a huddled group of Death Eaters whisper briefly and then turn to the two of them, all drawing their wands. "No…" said Hermione, stepping back involuntarily and drawing her wand.
"Do not worry," said Dumbledore, also drawing his wand and looking, despite his words, very worried.
"Professor, there must be at least fifteen of them and only two of us," said Hermione desperately.
Dumbledore pulled something out of the pocket of his robes and said quietly, "If things go badly, put this on and leave as quickly as possible." Hermione didn't bother questioning this; she merely stuffed the something, which she realized was Harry's invisibility cloak, into her pocket.
They couldn't keep backing away from the approaching Death Eaters for ever, so Hermione wondered who would attack first. One Death Eater raised his wand, but before he could utter a spell, Dumbledore had raised his and muttered, "Stupefy."
That started it; the rest of the Death Eaters picked up their pace and raised their wands, shouting various hexes and curses. "Protego! Protego!" shouted Hermione, reflecting as many spells as she could. She could barely defend herself, so how would she be able to fight back?
Beside her, Dumbledore was doing a better job of stunning Death Eaters, but since he refused to do anything more, they popped right back up again once one of their associates muttered the counter-spell.
To both her and Dumbledore's undying relief, they were suddenly aided by a group of five people that had just run up from Hogsmeade: Ron, Fred, George, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Surprised by the newcomers, the Death Eaters seemed momentarily confused about how to react. It was only when all five Weasleys had raised their wands and were saying spells that the Death Eaters started casting at them as well.
The vicious spell-casting continued for a while with no real effect on either side's part. The Death Eaters, who were not above killing, were always interrupted in this aim by being hit from behind by a hex or jostled by one of their companions. One Death Eater's aim was so terrible that whoever it was did not land a spell on its intended target the entire time. Hermione figured the person must be either drunk or confunded.
"Stupefy!" she screamed while narrowly dodging an impediment jinx. The intended Death Eater fell, but another one started muttering the counter-spell almost instantaneously. On a sudden impulse, Hermione aimed again and said, "Proteti."
The counter-spell bounced uselessly off the magical shield Hermione had placed on the fallen Death Eater. She took advantage of the other's confusion and stunned him as well. Pleased with her work, she magically levitated the two bodies from the ground and steered them towards the edge of the forest, where few would see them.
Lucius, who had witnessed all of this, laughed to himself and raised his wand while Hermione was distracted by her task, "Crucio!"
"Proteti!" A shielding charm came seemingly out of nowhere and protected Hermione, who felt the curse hit the invisible barrier that surrounded her. She whirled around and saw the "confunded" Death Eater abruptly howl in agony, dropping to the ground as one of his fellows hit him with a curse. Realization hit Hermione after a moment and she sprinted suddenly at the one with his wand raised--Lucius. She hit him forcefully from the side and knocked him to the ground.
The Cruciatus curse was immediately lifted in Lucius's surprise, and the other Death Eater quieted, still shaking, on the ground. Hermione, who needed a moment to catch her breath from her violent attack, lay on the ground as Lucius jumped up. His voice shook in fury as he pointed his wand at Hermione, who was too dazed to react, "Avada Ked--"
"Impedimenta!" cried another voice as the tortured Death Eater stood and raised his own wand. Lucius froze where he was, the spell dying before it had fully formed.
Hermione sighed in immense relief, standing and taking her wand firmly in her right hand before Lucius was released from the effects of the jinx. She meant--but didn't have time--to express her thanks to Draco, who she knew was under the mask of the other Death Eater. He ran over to the paralyzed Lucius and grabbed his wand, tossing it to Hermione, who, though surprised, caught it. Draco then paused and looked towards Hermione, clearly trying to decide something hastily. He then glanced briefly at Lucius and started stepping backwards, away from the entire fighting scene. He raised his hand in goodbye, a gesture Hermione returned, and turned, sprinting away from them just as Lucius came out of his frozen state.
Looking around wildly for his wand when he realized it was missing, Lucius's eyes finally landed on Hermione, who panicked and started running in the opposite direction. Lucius chased after her, screaming insults and threats as he went, but Hermione ignored him, throwing an occasional spell over her shoulder in defense. Realizing that he was gaining on her, Hermione yanked Harry's cloak out of her pocket and pulled it over herself. Lucius's scream of frustration alone made it worth it.
Slowing to a walk, Hermione stepped carefully out of Lucius's path. She slipped around a trunk of a tree on the outskirts of the forest and tried to catch her breath. In the safety on her hiding place, Hermione set her own wand down and took Lucius's in both hands, bring the piece of wood down hard on her thigh and snapping it neatly in two. Smiling to herself in satisfaction, she emerged from behind the tree and hurled the pieces of the wand at Lucius, who figured out what they were quickly and yelled in rage. Since he was defenseless and distracted, Hermione took this time to stun him and took off the cloak only when he had fallen to the ground.
For the moment, no one seemed to be aware of Hermione: Ron was fighting off one Death Eater while Fred and George were taking on three together, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, too, were preoccupied, but Dumbledore was not among them. Hermione started back towards the lot, looking every which way for any sign of the Headmaster and stunning an unsuspecting Death Eater from behind as she went. Only about half the Death Eaters were still around and conscious, the others lying stunned, or perhaps dead, in various places. A tree had been set on fire by a miscast spell, and the smoke made everything seem a bit hazy and blurred at the edges.
Then, not too far from the large dome covering Harry and Voldemort, she saw them: a tall, thin Death Eater robed in black fighting fiercely with Dumbledore. The Death Eater spoke a spell that Hermione could not hear and flash of bright blue light sprouted from his wand. Dumbledore's defensive shield broke and her was hit with the full force of his opponent's curse. He fell back onto the ground and seemed suddenly so weak that he could not even raise his wand. The Death Eater did not hesitate to aim his wand, crying, "Avada Kedavra!"
For a moment, Hermione just stood, rooted to the spot in confusion and shock. The jet of green light hit Dumbledore squarely and there could be no way, absolutely no way, that he had survived it. Tears streamed down Hermione's face and she shook her head, unable and unwilling to believe it. "No," she said quietly, and then repeated the word over and over, louder and louder each time. "NO!" she screamed, her voice shaking in a sob as she raised her wand angrily and the offending Death Eater, "Avada Kedavra!"
The Death Eater didn't even know she was there; he didn't expect anything. He fell to the ground a second later, a foot or so from where Dumbledore lay. Hermione finally got up the courage to move a minute or so later, quickening her pace all the way to the Headmaster's side, where she kneeled. "Professor," she mumbled, placing a hand on his shoulder, still not able to face the idea that, seemingly impossibly, he was dead. She closed her eyes when he didn't, as she had expected he wouldn't, move. Opening them again after what felt like hours, Hermione moved her hand to Dumbledore's face and gently closed his eyes.
A thunderous boom echoed across the grounds and Hermione jerked her head up in time to she the magical barrier separating Harry and Voldemort from the rest of the world disappear as one of them fell to the ground. Squinting to see who was left, who had won, her heart hammering furiously in her chest, Hermione saw a figure stagger slowly forward.
It was Harry. He had won.
END OF PART TWO
…
AN: So sorry I didn't update sooner, and this still isn't the end of the story! Part Three is on its way!