* ~ The Eighth Year Universe ~ *
Love Wins
Our Hands Are Tied
The chapter title is from the song:
Rewrite the Stars from the Greatest Showman.
Harry had so much on his mind – between the upcoming Wizengamot meeting and Cygnus being sick. It almost made him forget one major thing that was happening today.
It wasn't until he saw Daphne putting herself together that it clicked.
"The kids come home from Hogwarts today."
Daphne nodded but said nothing.
While she was still Headmistress, Minerva had changed the system regarding the Hogwarts Express. For a start, it was much faster now, because it flew instead of travelled via rail.
It arrived at Kings Cross at 11 am, and the Wizengamot meeting would take place just after noon.
"I'll get them," Harry offered.
Daphne let out a sigh of relief, "Really?"
With a nod, Harry leant down to kiss her forehead, "You get them every year. I can handle one, especially since this will be Al and Andie's last trip on the Hogwarts Express."
She glanced up at the clock, "You will have time to get to the Wizengamot meeting, won't you?"
Harry nodded, "I'll meet you there."
"Thank you, Harry," Daphne said, her emotions barely bubbling beneath the surface, "Are you going to…."
"I'll tell them," Harry promised. He pressed a kiss into her hair, "You've been through enough in the last 24 hours."
Daphne closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, "I love you."
"I love you too," Harry promised, pulling her in close as her body began to shake with sobs as it had the previous night.
When Harry got to Platform 9 ¾, the first people he spotted were Neville and Lilly. He made a beeline for them, and Lilly's eyes sought out his immediately.
"How is she?"
Harry sighed, "She cries every ten minutes, but she's doing her best to keep it together."
"Well, at least she's dealing with it," Lilly said, "In her own way."
Neville nodded. He reached out and grabbed Harry's shoulder, "We're both here, you know that, right?"
"Course I do," Harry said. He leaned against a stone pillar and looked at the empty platform, "Right now, I'm just thinking about how I'm going to tell the kids that their grandad will be…well, that he won't last through the summer."
Neville squeezed Harry's shoulder and let go, "They'll take it better than you think. You're more resilient when you're young."
"And at least this way, they have the chance to say goodbye to him," Lilly added, "It's better than the shock of one day he's here and healthy, then the next day he's dead."
Harry nodded but wasn't sure how much he believed Neville's comment. He hadn't felt very resilient when he was young, after all. Not when it came to losing people that he loved, anyway.
He glanced across the platform as the train pulled up, and he saw several familiar faces. A large contingent of Weasley's were awaiting the arrival of their kids. Ginny and Ron were arguing about the Chudley Cannons, and Felicity looked ready to jump onto the train tracks. Blaise wasn't here, which was probably a good thing. Ron had three children at Hogwarts, and Ginny was waiting for Cole – her oldest child, Hope, had left school.
Charlie, Bill and George were chatting away as they waited for Arthur, William and Roxanne to disembark the train.
Lilly turned away from them when Clara called to her. They saw each other less often at work now that Lilly worked in the maternity centre rather than the main hospital.
They started to catch up on the kids' lives – Clara and Sorenson had two children at Hogwarts, Josette and Coraline (Josie and Cora to their friends). They were a little younger than the Longbottom children.
Susan and Theo stepped onto the platform together. It was the last day of term at the HG school today, and the last day was always a half day. As such, they were both still in their work clothes, and they appeared to be bickering about whether the Wimborne Wasps had won their last game fairly or not. Susan was a Wasps fan, and they had just annihilated Theo's team (the Appleby Arrows) in the second division cup game.
The whistle sounded, the train doors opened up, and children of all ages rushed out onto the platform.
Harry watched Andrea and Ella share a hug before parting ways. He smiled as Ella grinned at Theo and said, "Hey, Pops."
"Hey, baby," Theo said, lifting a hand to wave to Harry.
Harry waved back and hugged Andrea when she reached him, "Hey, sweetheart."
Andrea frowned, "Hey, Dad. Where's Mum?"
"She couldn't get you this year," Harry said. It was a weak defence, and he should have expected Andrea to be suspicious if he was honest.
Alastor hi-fived Roxanne and Noah, and then they went their separate ways. Noah waved sheepishly to Ella, who waved back under an intense glare from Theo.
"Dad," Alastor said in surprise, "Where's Mum?"
"Not here," Andrea said, narrowing her eyes at her father.
"Where's your sister?"
"Taking her sweet time, probably," Andrea muttered.
Harry looked over at the train. He saw Ada and Dora jog over to Theo, who opened his arms and hugged them both as the girls echoed, "Hey, Pops!"
They had Laurel trailing behind them, and with a wave to Dora and a hug with Ada, she headed over to Neville and Lilly.
"Good year, sweetheart?" Lilly asked.
Laurel shrugged, "Apart from the idiot brothers, yep."
"Hey!"
"Oi!"
Lilly chuckled and said, "Hi, boys."
Her twin sons, who had just finished their third year, were already taller than her, but Lilly still gave them both a hug.
Neville ruffled their hair and chuckled. He looked over at Harry, "You want us to stay?"
Harry shook his head and forced a smile, "No, I'll be fine. You guys go on, and I'll see you later for the meeting."
"Can't wait," Neville said dryly as he and Lilly disappeared with their three kids.
The platform was virtually empty now, so Harry took a step closer to Theo and Susan.
"Trust Cas and Thea to be amongst the last off the train," Theo joked.
Harry rolled his eyes, "Tell me about it."
"It's not like Alyssa though," Susan mused.
As soon as those words had left her mouth, Alyssa jumped off the train and ran over to Susan, "Sorry, Mum, I fell asleep."
"That's okay, sweetheart," Susan said, smiling warmly at her youngest daughter, "Did you have a good year?"
"Yeah," Alyssa said distractedly, "But is Addison telling the truth in her letters? Are you really dating Caroline?"
Harry quirked up an eyebrow at that, "Are you really?"
Theo grinned, "Oh, you kept that one quiet."
Susan rolled her eyes, "Because you two are the worst gossips in wizarding Britain."
Harry and Theo grinned at each other shamelessly.
"And yes, Ally," Susan confessed, "I am dating Caroline."
"Does that mean the other thing is true too then?" Alyssa asked, wrinkling her nose up, "You slept with Professor Longbottom?"
Theo snorted, and Harry choked on thin air.
"She put that in a letter?" Susan asked in disbelief.
"Ew!" Alyssa exclaimed, "Mum! He's so weird. He sings to his plants! He's my Headmaster!"
"Not the only Headmaster you've slept with," Theo said under his breath, grinning at Susan.
Susan rolled her eyes and muttered a rude word to Theo, then she put a hand on Addison's shoulder and said, "We'll talk about this at home."
She led Alyssa away, ignoring Harry and Theo's chuckles.
Theo grinned, "Weird Headmaster Longbottom."
Harry shook his head, "Poor guy. A whole generation of kids doesn't know that he was badass as hell when he killed that snake."
Theo smiled slightly, "I fought back to back with him in the final battle. I knew well before we all joined the Aurors that he was more than the Herbology geek."
"I think he kind of likes that none of the kids knows who he is," Harry said with a smile, "It means he can be himself."
"His weird self," Theo said, grinning at Harry, "Does he really sing to his plants?"
"Yeah," Harry said, biting back a grin, "Apparently they like Celestina Warbeck songs."
Theo snorted.
The platform was empty now, and Harry was about to suggest that they ought to send a search party in for Thea and Cas. He glanced up at the clock. There was only half an hour until the Wizengamot meeting began.
Theo followed his line of sight and asked, "Do you think we're going to convince the Wizengamot?"
"I don't know," Harry answered honestly, "There are a lot of swing voters, and the thought of another war terrifies most people."
"It terrifies me too," Theo said, looking over at Harry, "You aren't the only one with an Auror for a kid, Harry… And the last thing I want is for Mina to have to fight like we did. But if it's the right thing, I can't let my fear stop me from voting for it."
"Unfortunately, not everyone is like you," Harry said, giving Theo a half-hearted smile.
Before Theo could say anymore, Thea and Cas eventually departed the train.
"Finally!" Theo exclaimed, "I was about to come in with my wand ablaze to search for you."
Cas rolled his eyes, "Don't be so overprotective, Pops. I was just saying goodbye to Betsy."
"Betsy?" Theo and Harry echoed.
"The elf who runs the snack cart, duh," Thea said pointedly, "House-elves have rights and all that, you know?"
"Yeah, spew motherfuckers," Cas agreed.
"Caspian," Theo said, fighting a grin, "As proud as Mum would be of your newfound passion for house-elf rights, please don't use such vulgar language."
Ella rolled her eyes, "Come on, Pops. We better go. You need to get to that Wizengamot meeting."
"Yes, boss," Theo said, shooting Harry a grin, "See you there."
"See you," Harry agreed.
He reached out and pulled Thea into a hug, "Hey, baby."
"Hey, Dad," Thea murmured, hugging him tightly, "Why are you here instead of Mum?"
Harry frowned and led them across the empty platform, "Because Mum got some bad news last night."
The three Potter children stopped, so Harry turned to look at them, "Your Grandfather is sick. He has a heart condition, and all the Healers can do is make him comfortable. They think that he has about a month to live."
That bombshell had varying reactions. Thea just looked shocked, and Andrea gasped, slapping her hand against her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.
"What?" Alastor asked quietly.
Harry nodded, "I know it is sad, and it's a huge thing to come to terms with. So your mum and I, we're both here for you to talk to, and Uncle Nev and Aunt Lil are too."
He looked between them, "But Grandpa is at peace with it. He nearly died in the second war with Voldemort, and he feels like he has been blessed with 22 extra years of life. Seeing all of you come into the world and grow into wonderful young adults has been a joy for him. He can die happy because he has lived a good life."
"But what if we're not ready for him to go yet?" Alastor asked tearfully.
"Nobody is ever ready, Al," Harry said honestly, "But when it is a person's time, then we need to accept that. Sometimes nothing we do can stop death or bring someone back from it, and that's okay. That is the natural order of things, and it's sad, and it hurts. But we need to let people go when their time comes."
Andrea swallowed, "At…at least we get to say goodbye."
Thea nodded, "We get one last summer with him."
Harry smiled, although there was sadness in it, "That's it guys, focus on the positives. That's all you can do."
Alastor said nothing. He just nodded and stalked ahead of them through the wall.
Harry sighed and put an arm on each of the girls' shoulders, "Don't be too hard on your brother this summer, girls. This is going to be hard on him; he always admired Grandpa."
"I know," Thea said, while Andrea just nodded.
They fell silent and left the platform together. Although he knew that Daphne was just delaying the inevitable, Harry found himself feeling glad that she would be gone by the time they got back. The last thing she needed was to deal with the children and their grief right before casting her vote in a monumental Wizengamot meeting.
There would be time to cry together later, but for now, they had to get the country running in the right direction again.
Hermione was about to enter the courtroom when Theo walked into the corridor. She could tell he was tired before he even reached her. He was putting a little bit more pressure on his cane than usual, his breaths coming in just a little faster.
She felt a tugging feeling – guilt.
That was just what she needed, to add to the anxiety that was coursing through her body right now.
"You shouldn't have gone to get them on your own," Hermione said softly.
Theo smiled, "I didn't go alone; I had Susan with me. I know I'm an old cripple, but I'm not stupid."
Hermione sighed, "You know what I mean, Theo. One of us should have been there."
Theo shook his head and kissed her on the cheek, "You have a country to run, Draco has a department to keep in check, and Sadie is saving the world, one mystery at a time. I'm the expendable one here, princess."
"No, you aren't," Hermione said firmly, "And you never have been, because I think we can all agree, of the four of us, you are by far the best parent."
Theo smiled slightly, "Well if that's what I get on my stone when I go, I'll die a happy man."
Hermione gave him a strange look. It was somewhere between concerned and exasperated. All the same, Theo had gotten used to her looking at him that way these days.
"How are the kids?"
"Fine," Theo replied honestly, "The Wonder Twins are their usual upbeat selves. Ada is already asking when Laurel can come to stay; go figure."
Hermione managed a small smile.
"Cas is Cas, and Ella is happy to be home," Theo said, his eyes lingering on Hermione's, "If a little worried about her mum."
Hermione sighed and gave him a long-suffering look, "Not you too, Theo."
Theo glanced around the corridor, which was filling up quickly. He took a step forward and murmured, "I love you too, Hermione. I don't want to see your stubbornness get you killed when you have the resources at hand to protect yourself."
Hermione's eyes softened a little, "Like I told Draco, I only have one Auror watching my back. Still, that Auror defeated Lord Voldemort, so I feel pretty safe."
Theo's voice was a little lower when he murmured, "I know he's a great Auror, princess, but he's just one man."
Hermione didn't have a chance to respond because the doors to the Wizengamot courtroom opened, and they were all called inside.
The Minister led the way, so with a final nod to Theo, Hermione stepped inside. After that, the heads of departments made their way into the building, and as he slipped past his best friend, Draco's hand brushed against Theo's.
It was a small gesture of solidarity, but Theo appreciated it all the same, sending a slight nod in Draco's direction.
Then a hand clasped Theo's, and he breathed out a sigh of relief before he even looked over because he knew Sadie's touch instantly, and it had never failed to calm him.
"Hey, baby."
Sadie smiled over at her husband, "Hey, Theo," she returned softly.
"Hey," Harry whispered, slipping into a seat next to his wife.
Daphne looked up, her eyes were still red, but she had covered it up with a glamour charm, and to the untrained eye, she looked perfectly fine.
"Hey," Daphne whispered back, "How are they?"
"Upset," Harry answered honestly, "Al more so than the others. He took himself out to the secret greenhouse at Longbottom House."
Daphne nodded, "He always goes there when he's upset."
"I know, which is why I told the girls not to follow him," Harry murmured, "They were keeping each other occupied when I left."
Daphne swallowed and took a breath so that she didn't burst into tears, "They always were close when they weren't fighting."
"The curse of having two girls so close together," Harry said with a tired smile.
Daphne didn't smile, and Harry realised why when he followed her line of sight - Cygnus had just walked in.
"He hasn't stepped back?" Harry asked.
Daphne shook her head, "He won't. He will continue to do this for as long as he is physically able."
"Hm," Harry said, slipping his hand into hers, "I guess I know where that stubborn streak and resilience of yours came from, then."
Cygnus sat down and raised a hand to Daphne across the room. Daphne smiled weakly and waved back, making Cygnus smile.
"I haven't told Teddy yet, but I'm hoping to catch him later today," Harry added in an undertone.
"He'll understand," Daphne said quietly, "More than any of the others."
"Of course he will," Lilly said as she took a seat next to Daphne, "He's resilient, like both of his mothers."
Daphne smiled half-heartedly at Lilly, "True."
Neville sat down on Lilly's other side, steadying himself with the staff he used now. He looked over at Daphne and smiled sympathetically, "He'll hold it together for the rest of the family, just like you always have."
"You have all seen me fall apart," Daphne pointed out.
"Yes, we have," Neville agreed, "But none of your children has."
Harry squeezed Daphne's hand, "He's right, babe."
Daphne nodded, and they fell silent as the room began to fill up.
When all 50 members of the Wizengamot were present, the doors snapped shut, and Chief Warlock stood up. Neville had given up the gig a while ago. Running Hogwarts and the Wizengamot was too much, so Howard Abbott had stepped into the void.
He brought the hammer down, and silence fell.
"We are here to discuss a motion brought to our attention by the Ministry Council," Howard boomed.
"As such, the Heads of Department and the Minister for Magic will not cast a vote today. In tabling this motion, they have already done so."
Hermione nodded from her spot next to Howard. The Heads of Department, who sat up high behind Hermione and Howard just bowed their heads.
Harry caught Draco's eyes for a moment, and the blonde man gave him a slight nod. Harry knew what that meant – you're going to have to fight our corner now, Harry.
Hermione got to her feet and addressed the Wizengamot, "The Statute Saboteurs attacked us here in London. They are on the move, bringing their radical ideals from Europe into Britain. We cannot allow them to gain power here. The only way to push them back is to join the International Confederation of Wizards in the fight against them. Six European countries have already pledged their support to the cause, and we need to add our name to that list."
Howard nodded and hit the hammer down once more as chattering began, "This Wizengamot shall discuss whether we declare war on the Statute Saboteurs, then the vote will commence."
The goblin ambassador, Argnuk, got to his feet.
"With all due respect, what business do we have entering into a European war after two wars in our own country that decimated our finances?"
Hermione replied before anyone else could.
"The business we have is preventing another war like those you spoke of because the Statute Saboteurs have shown that they are not afraid to target this country. This attack is only the beginning and left unchecked; their movement will grow like a weed, spreading throughout and infecting our entire nation."
"So why don't we just let them do what they want?" Carson Beckett, who had a fixed seat on account of him being the Head of St Mungo's, asked.
"Give them what they want?" Prospero Ollivander asked in disbelief, "Let them expose our existence to the Muggles, you mean?"
Carson shrugged, "Well, what harm can it do?"
"It can do a great amount of harm," Hermione said coolly, "It could destroy our entire world. It could destroy everything we have worked for since the end of the second war with Voldemort."
"Or it could open our world up," A young man said, "It could expand our horizons."
"I am sorry, but anyone who feels that the Muggles would let us live if they found out the truth about us does not know how Muggles think," Hermione said firmly.
"Muggles fear what they do not understand. They attack the things that they fear, and their weapons are no match for even our strongest shield charms."
Roger Davies scoffed, "Muggles are stupid. They couldn't wipe us out."
Harry looked at Roger in disbelief, "I suppose you haven't heard of a nuclear bomb then, Roger."
"A what?"
"Exactly," Harry said dryly.
"A nuclear bomb is a Muggle weapon capable of great destruction," Hermione said darkly, "Capable of wiping out our entire race. If not in the initial explosion, then with the decades of poisoned air, it leaves in its wake. In the Muggles second world war, two of those bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing over 200,000 people. Compare that to our population, and you will realise that we cannot fight the Muggles and win."
"We are no match for the Muggles," Harry agreed, "Allowing the Statute Saboteurs to get what they want is not an option. Minister Black is right. They would destroy our world if they knew that it existed."
"With all due respect, Potter," Stefan Cornfoot said, "That does not mean that we should go to war. Other countries are waging war against the Statute Saboteurs. Until we have sufficient evidence that our country is a target, I say that we remain neutral."
"Too many countries remaining neutral is how Grindelwald rose to power," Neville said, getting to his feet with the aid of his staff.
"And had Albus Dumbledore and Newt Scamander not stepped into the void when our ministry was barely assisting in that fight, we would have lost that fight too."
"You can't say that for sure!"
"Yes, he can," Theo said. He got to his feet, with the aid of his cane, "Because every projection of a possible outcome in the war against Grindelwald relied on Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore. Had they not been successful, he most certainly would have taken this country too."
"But he didn't," Roger Davies argued.
"And this little rebel group is not the same as Gellert Grindelwald," Stefan Cornfoot added.
"This little rebel group is exactly the same as the group of followers Grindelwald amassed," Harry argued.
"We don't know who their leader is, but they have one and that makes them all the more dangerous. This little rebel is responsible for over one hundred attacks on Muggles across Europe. Tell me, Mr Cornfoot, how that differs from the group of obsessive followers that Grindelwald amassed."
Stefan Cornfoot looked affronted, and Howard Abbott hit the mallet down.
"Order!" He called to bring silence to the courtroom.
"Can we get back to the point, please?" Howard asked loudly, "We are not debating the pros and cons of the Muggles discovering our existence. What we are debating is whether the threat of the Statute Saboteurs is enough for us to declare war against them."
"And the answer is no," Roger Davies said simply, "We do not have enough evidence to support the fact that they are. There has been one attack in London, and, as a former Auror, I can tell you that it was a warning shot."
"As the Head Auror, no, it wasn't!" Harry snapped, pushing himself to his feet, "These people do not do 'warning shots'. They don't plant a chest designed to get the word out to as many people in London as possible that witches and wizards exist as a warning. They are not going to go back to Europe if we do nothing. They are going to amass followers in this country, and they are going to attack our ministry like they did in Hungary, Austria and Italy."
Neville nodded his agreement, "Acting now is the only way to stop them from gaining an advantage."
Howard brought the hammer down, "Are there any final words from the Minister before we vote?"
Hermione got to her feet and held her head high.
"We do not want another war in this country, but right now, we are spiralling towards a global war on the same scale as the one with Grindelwald. Taking action against the Statute Saboteurs before there are any fatalities is the sensible and the right choice."
With a nod, Howard brought the hammer down for a final time.
"Then we vote."
"I can't believe we lost."
"By such a small margin too."
"I bet it was that wanker Davies that held us back."
"More like those bloody swing voters."
Hermione felt sick. She tried to drown out all of the voices around her as she approached the atrium, but still, they echoed loudly in her head.
She had to get it together. The entirety of wizarding Britain had heard the Wizengamot meeting, and now she had to give a press conference regarding it.
She had no idea what she was going to say, and she felt like a failure. She was questioning whether she had been in the right to run for Minister at all. If she couldn't convince the Wizengamot to go to war against the Statute Saboteurs when so many lives were at stake, then was she even fit for the role?
"Push it down," Draco murmured from her side.
Hermione swallowed and looked at him, "I failed, Draco."
"You didn't fail," Draco promised, "You had a setback, love. They disagreed this time, but when another attack happens, they will change their tune."
Hermione bit her lip and looked out at the little podium and the large crowd that had gathered.
Harry was casting his eyes across the crowd, performing spells under his breath that would see through any illusions.
"Minister," One of Hermione's aids said, "We are ready for you."
Hermione nodded and walked towards the podium. Harry stepped forward, following her out of the shadows. He noticed Draco's absence and turned around with a frown. He was sure that he had been right behind him.
Seconds later, Draco stepped out of the shadows and said, "I still think we should have increased her security."
"So do I, but we couldn't have done so without her consent," Harry replied.
"Everything look okay?" Draco whispered.
Harry nodded minutely, "Nobody is under any suspicious glamours, no warding or shield spells at play. It seems like a normal crowd."
Draco sighed and stood by Harry's side, a few feet behind Hermione as she took to the podium.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I bear sad news today. Unfortunately, the Wizengamot refused to pass a motion that would have allowed us to send our European allies help in the struggle against the Statute Saboteurs."
Cameras flashed, and the sound of quills scribbling against parchment could be heard.
Hermione took a breath, "These people may call themselves freedom fighters, but they are not peaceful. Their attacks have left Muggles injured, brain dead and in some cases caused fatalities. If they are successful, they will expose our entire world to the Muggles, which will inevitably destroy our way of life."
Some surprised gasps and murmurs went around the crowd upon these words.
"Muggles are not all bad people, but unfortunately, they are not all good people either. With the technology and weaponry that the Muggles possess, one small group of Muggles who fear us and wish to rise against us would be enough to decimate much of our population. I do not say this to incite hate or to convince you that Muggles should be feared. Plenty of us have Muggle parents or a Muggle husband or wife. Those that we let in on the secret are most often the most tolerant and kind. But we must realise that, like in wizarding society, some wish to destroy what they do not know and fear the unknown. We have dark lords, and the Muggles have dictators."
Hermione paused for a breath and held her head high.
"The Wizengamot may have been too scared to act on this occasion, but I have faith that they will see that fighting these insurgents is the only choice. Whether or not they brand themselves as terrorists, that is without a shadow of a doubt what they are."
A gasp went around the room, and Harry gripped his wand tightly. If he hadn't been on high alert before, then he certainly was now.
"Hermione," Harry muttered under his breath, "That exact phrase got the Italian Minister killed."
"They call themselves insurgents. They believe they are revolutionaries, fighting against the Ministries of Europe. Still, they are not peaceful," Hermione finished, holding her head up high.
"We have fought two wars like this one already. Twice, we have fought the far right politically minded, and both times the Death Eaters were defeated because the wizarding world stands together."
She finished her speech and took a step back, to applause for the most part.
Amongst all the flashing lights from the cameras, it was easy to miss the flash of green light flying across the room. Harry did until it was too late. He spotted it before he had time to push Hermione out of the way or cast a spell on her to knock her out of the way.
But Draco didn't miss it.
He knew the moment he saw it that it was unshieldable, as all green spells tended to be – they were curses, dark curses. Shield charms didn't make a damn bit of difference against them.
Hermione hadn't seen it, and Harry was too far away to do anything. Draco had a split second to think, and in that time, he did something Harry could never have imagined him doing twenty years ago.
Draco dived in front of the curse before it hit Hermione.
Hermione stumbled back in horror. There were screams and gasps. The Aurors stationed around the atrium jumped into action to grab and apprehend whoever had cast the spell.
But for Hermione, it all froze. The world was silent, and all she could focus on was Draco.
She fell to her knees, a sick feeling swirling in her gut as she rolled him over, terrified that she would see exactly what she expected to.
He was limp and heavy but still warm.
When she had him lying on his back, she looked down and saw open eyes staring right back at her lifelessly.
The scream ripped from her lungs was otherworldly. She didn't actually realise straight away that it had come from her own mouth.
She looked up at the crowd and saw the three insurgents fleeing the scene, and the anger inside her bubbled up.
She hit the ground hard, and her hands burned red. Two orbs of red magic levitated from them and burst out into the crowd, seeking out the insurgents and slicing straight through their chests.
They fell to the ground, and a blast of magic radiated from Hermione, sweeping across the atrium and blasting the glass out of every single window.
Harry moved to cast a shield charm over the crowd, but before he could, a blast of blue magic appeared from nowhere, and it took Harry a second to realise that Hermione had done it – all of it, wandlessly and without a single word leaving her mouth.
She rose to her feet, fury painted across her face, but without a single tear in her eye, and she looked out at the astounded crowd.
"Let this be a warning to anyone else who would seek to attack this ministry," Hermione said lowly, "Not on my watch!"
- TBC -
