Chapter 2

Groaning, Hermione awoke, blinking her eyes at the bright light disrupting her dark slumber. Unable to get up, she slowly moved to get a look at as to where she was at. Though fog clouded her mind, Hermione figured out that she was in the infirmary at Hogwarts. On her left, she caught the glimpse of light blonde hair. "Hermione…" Blinking, she was trying to figure out where that voice was coming from. "Hermione…" Higher pitched…but who said it? "Hermione…" Looking to her left again, again catching the light blonde hair, which she realized was closer than originally thought. "Hermione…" She felt a comforting hand grasp her hand this time. Luna, Hermione thought.

"Luna…" Hermione groaned. Blinking her eyes two more times before determining that the light no longer hurt eyes. Again, turning her head to the left, Hermione became fully aware that it was Luna, who was sitting beside her.

"Oh, Hermione, you're awake." Luna let out a sigh of relief. "Oh good, the whackspurts are gone." Smiling in response, Hermione was glad to hear that voice and the typical words of her close friend. Contrary to what many people believed, Hermione was closer to Luna and Neville, rather than Ron and Ginny. She just couldn't help but be constantly annoyed with the Weasley siblings. They were loud, messy, and only seemed to care for Quidditch and their own selves over anything. Hermione absolutely adored her time with Luna and Neville; they have a lot of common interest and just enjoying being in each other's company, even if there was silence sitting amongst themselves. Hermione preferred to spend her time with them over Ginny and Ron, who she only hung out with because of Harry.

"What happened? Is everyone okay?" Hermione questioned, her brain had finally caught up with her.

Smiling, typical Hermione, Luna thought. "Well to answer your second question, Ron is laying over there in the far corner, he has a concussion and broken tibia and femur. He woke up yesterday and Ginny is sitting and talking with him. About what, I do not know. Neville got hit with a nasty stray spell cast off by Rookwood when he was fighting Tonks. He's actually laying right behind me with a broken arm, but he's more concerned about you," Luna said with a small smile. It wasn't surprising that Neville, considering their close friendship. "Actually, just about everyone was concerned about you, especially Harry, Sirius, Neville, myself and McGonagall. And as for Harry, her is good, just concerned. He's asleep in the chair on the other side of you, waiting for you to wake up." Hermione turned her head to see her sleeping friend.

"Why, what happened? How long as I asleep?" Hermione asked hurriedly; highly confused as to why everyone was so concerned. I couldn't have been hit that badly, she thought.

Luna's tone became much more somber with a hint of terrified stress. "Hermione, what was the last thing you remember?"

Opening her mouth to respond, but she was momentarily stunned. What was the last thing she remember? With a frown etched on her face, Hermione thought hard to remember. She remembered cursing and silencing Nott, her unnerving conversation with the dangerous dark witch, and then saving Sirius and her…killing McNair, and then darkness. What happened? Hermione thought. Luna sat silently, watching Hermione recount the events she remembered. She noted the witch's frown deepen as she become more and more frustrated and confused. She waited for Hermione to speak up first, giving her the time to process before asking her question again. Finally, having worked her cogs, she looked up with wide eyes. "Luna…what happened? The last thing I remember was saving Sirius and…killing…McNair." Hermione asked desperately. "Luna, please tell me," she pleaded.

Nodding in understanding as she saw her best friend becoming more and more terrified. She felt uncomfortable about this situation but she knew she needed to tell Hermione. "Hermione, it was kind of a blur. It all happened very quickly. After McNair was hit by Rudolpus Lestrange's killing curse, there was this short paralyzing shock and silence. Then out of nowhere, you were hit by an unknown curse sent by Nott. All we saw was a bright purple light hit you hard in your abdomen. There was a short terrifying second of shock and everyone sprang into—well those closest to you—action. I immediately ran to your side, then I saw three curses sent to Nott simultaneously, killing him. No one truly who killed him but two of them were sent from Harry and Sirius, but no one knows who sent the third one. The battle continued on while I dealt with you." With saddened eyes, Luna spoke trying not to cry, "Hermione, you were just cover in blood. It was coming from everywhere. I tried my best at healing you…but…you were," sighing deeply, Luna continued on with a thick voice. "You were dying and I didn't know what to do. Next thing I know, Tonks appeared on the other side of you and apparated both of us out of there, to here. It took potions and the combined work of Pomfrey, McGonagall, and Snape to heal you."

Reacting to what she was just hearing, Hermione immediately brought her hand to her stomach trying to see if there was anything to prove the truth behind Luna's words. Seeing this action, Luna cleared her throat having been choked up. "You were sliced from the right mid area of your abdomen all the way down, jaggedly, to your left hip." Hermione flinched at the sudden pain shooting through her body as she found the top part of her angry red healing wound. She lifted up her shirt and gasped at the sight, oh my goddess…I almost died, she thought.

Hermione snapped out of her reverie when Luna spoke up again. The tone and mood shifted as Luna gently changed the subject. "Hermione, before you were hit, I also noticed another thing." She sent an expectant and knowing look with a raised eyebrow to Hermione. Said witch froze at the statement, does she know about the chat I had with Bellatrix? Hermione thought.

Breaking free from her momentary paralysis, Hermione chose to act dumb and cleared her throat. "umm…Luna, what are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about." Luna replied with her raised eyebrow still firmly planted on her face. Hermione looked away, nervously. "But, Hermione, you know that I would never do anything that would hurt you or put you in danger. You can trust me, I will not say anything to anyone. I believe you need to figure this out; I heard what she said. If anyone from the order, especially Dumbledore and the Weasleys, they will do something drastic." Luna had not been privy to any information directly form the order, but she was observant. She knew who to be extremely wary off. Don't mistake Luna's seemingly flighty personality, there is a reason for why she was placed into Ravenclaw. "I heard the conversation, you have a right to figure out what she meant. I will help in any way I can, but maybe a certain godfather that you could talk to about this. He may be of greater assistance than others."

Hermione let out a deep sigh; her close friend will keep her secret. She knew she could implicitly trust Luna. Ever since they first met, there was this instant connection or bond, but purely platonic. Their friendship was along the lines as sisters. She had never felt anything remotely close with her "friendship" with Ginny. She had known her longer, but there was something about her, and Ron, that told Hermione not to trust them. "Thank you, Luna. Just…thank you," she sent her blonde-haired friend. "Who knows what Dumbledore would do, and the order for that matter, if they ever find out what happened. I know that they would try to take control of the situation, and something bad would happen to me." Looking back to her friend, she sat up gingerly as to not put too much stress onto her sore body. However, she winced during the action, obviously in pain. "I need to find out what Bellatrix meant. Yet, what's strange is that she does seem familiar."

Giving her friend a much needed, but gently, hug, Luna replied, "I know Hermione. I know," she finished softly. "And I'll help you any way that I can," she said while giving the auburn-haired witch a comforting smile.

Leaning into the hug, "I appreciate that, thank you."


Pacing back and forth throughout his office, while the other occupants simply watching him become more and more agitated. That didn't go according to plan; it was supposed to end differently, Dumbledore thought. He was supposed to die…and when sis she become so…bullish? I didn't anticipate her involvement in the battle… His internal monologue was interrupted by the clearing of someone's throat. He turned to Alastor Moody, who was the one who cleared his throat. His second in command in the order. "What happened, Alastor," Dumbledore growled out.

"Everything was fucked from the beginning. Potter was supposed to smash the prophecy, he shouldn't have heard it contents in the first place. But as the prophecy fell, a hand swooped in, caught it, and left just as quickly as he came. Never saw who caught it. Tonks, unknowingly to herself, hid the children as planned but that Granger girl couldn't stay put, she had to be a hero. Sirius was supposed to be killed, and have Potter be in the perfect position to become isolated. We were just waiting for him to be killed. And then the girl had to save him, and royally fucked us up the ass," Moody huffed out.

Dumbledore let out an irritated sigh. Arthur, Molly, and Kingsley also looked annoyed at with what happened at the Ministry, but froze at Moody's next words. "But there's more." This caught the Headmaster's attention; he had already known what happened, but this was news to him. "The girl, after she knocked out Nott, she had a small conversation with a certain dark witch." Alastor said with a clipped tone, yet on the inside, he was nervous about the bearded wizard's reaction.

This caused Dumbledore to tense up and quit his pacing. Turning around slowly, he glared and spoke darkly, "come again."

Regardless of being wary, Alastor was becoming more and more annoyed with the Headmaster's typical dramatics. "You heard me."

"This changes everything," Dumbledore replied darkly while looking at the other occupants.