6.30pm 23rd March 1998

Full of joy, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat around the fire grinning as Lee Jordan signed off from Potterwatch. After months of the run, it was refreshing and exhilarating to hear that those they loved were still safe and fighting back.

Unfortunately, the news that He - who - must - not - be - named was overseas had Harry's mind whirring and only seem to fuel his obsession with the Hallows. Despite Hermione's attempt to dissuade him, he began to get more passionate and excited.

"Come on Hermione, why are you so determined not to admit it? Vol—"

"HARRY, NO!"

"—demort's after the Elder Wand."

"The name's Taboo!" Ron bellowed, leaping to his feet as a loud crack sounded outside the tent. "I told you, Harry, I told you, we can't say it any more — we've got to put the protection back around us — quickly — it's how they find —"

But Ron stopped talking, and Hermione knew why. The Sneakoscope on the table had lit up and begun to spin; they could hear voices coming nearer and nearer: rough excited voices. Ron pulled the Deluminator out of his pocket and clicked it: their lamps went out. Hermione's heart dropped, her mind began working, desperately trying to think of a possible escape plan.

"Come out here with your hands up!" came a rasping voice through the darkness. "We know you're in there! You've got half a dozen wands pointing at you and we don't care who we curse."

Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at each other in panic. The darkness from Ron's deluminator had given them a seconds advantage and in that time Hermione grabbed her beaded bag, wrenching the invisibility cloak from it and throwing it over them. Huddled together under the cloak they silently crept out of the tent and behind the snatchers. Hermione tried to stay as calm as she could, despite the ever-increasing feeling of panic.

Stifling a gasp, she saw Fenrir Greyback, amongst others enter the tent and heard them rummaging through it, searching for the occupants.

Grasping onto Harry and Ron's arms, Hermione spun around in an attempt to apparate and was instead met with a sharp stinging sensation. Her heart plummeted, the snatchers had put anti-apparition wards up around the surrounding area to prevent any chance of escape. Next second she heard Greyback snarl "they're gone!" and a whispered incantation of "point me."

"Run" Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron and all three of them took off, hoping to put as much distance between the snatchers and themselves as possible. Despite the fear and adrenaline pumping through her, Hermione knew that they would be no match for Greyback. Her lungs were aching as she desperately tried to think of an escape route. Hurtling through the trees, Hermione saw Harry whip out a bent metal spoon, the emergency portkey Hermione had created for him a few weeks ago that would take them to Shell Cottage. Hermione almost pumped the air with joy at Harry's uncharacteristic quick and logical thinking. As she and Ron began to get closer to Harry he deactivated the portkey giving them just 10 seconds to get hold of it. Just as Hermione reached a hand out for the spoon, she heard a muffled cry from Greyback, and not a moment later a terrible piercing pain shot down the backs of her legs. She had never felt agony like it. The pain almost blinded hermione as she let out a wail and collapsed. Through her piercing screams, she heard the terrified and frantic shouts of Harry and Ron as they watched as she writhed on the ground, helpless before they vanished alongside the portkey.

Hermione lay whimpering on the leaves as the snatchers slowly gathered around her. Her heart was thudding loudly in her ears as she desperately tried to control her breathing and stay calm. Hermione could hear them plotting what to do with her, when she felt a hand reach down next to her, grab her wand and snap it in half. Hermione let out a moan of desperation. All hopes of escape were crushed as the only thing that could possibly save her was broken beyond repair.

"Should we just kill her, or do you want to take her with us?" she heard the snatcher who had taken her wand ask Greyback. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, not sure which option would be worse. Deep down she knew she would rather die than be taken and consequently broken by the snatchers. "With the curse I shot at her, I can't imagine her lasting more than a few hours at best, might as well leave her here to rot… You lads clean out the tent and I'll make sure she isn't hiding anything valuable."

Through her panicked gasping, Hermione heard the rest of the snatchers walk away, and then recoiled as she smelt Greyback as he leered in her face. "Well girly, you're lucky I prefer blondes. Though lucky isn't the word I'd use to describe you, what with the curse you've been hit with." Hermione groaned as he aimed one last kick at her head and sauntered off towards the tent. She desperately hoped that they wouldn't spot the sword, so that if Harry and Ron managed to find their way back they would still be able to continue the hunt for Horcruxes.

Heart racing Hermione began plotting what she would do once the snatchers were gone. If only she had grabbed the second emergency portkey from the tent before they left…at least she might be able to drag herself to the tent and get it once the snatchers had left. However, her thoughts of escape were disrupted by shouts from the snatchers. Hermione lifted her head to see the tent go up in flames and the snatchers disappear with a crack. Letting out a devastating cry she dropped her head back and burst into tears as she let the reality of her hopeless situation overwhelm her.

She now had no wand, and the tent had gone up in flames and taken all the food, emergency portkeys and medical supplies with it. Hermione could feel herself slowly sinking into despair as all hope was lost. She began to think of Harry and Ron, and with her newfound determination, she began to think of a new plan.

With shuddering sobs, from both the terrible pain in her legs and the overwhelming situation, Hermione pulled herself up and looked around. It was almost pitch dark. Large shadows were cast across the forest floor from the bright light of the moon. Her head was throbbing and the burning sensation in her legs had only worsened. She tried to recall what spell had been cast, but she had only heard a muffled shout as she was hit from behind. Hermione knew that she couldn't reverse the spell if she didn't know what it was, so instead, she tried to think of some sort of way to ease the pain.

With a jolt, Hermione realised that she had been carrying her beaded bag when they had hastily left the tent. Blindly reaching her hands out she rummaged around in the leaves trying to locate it. Using her remaining strength, Hermione dragged herself along the ground, back in the direction she had been running. Not 30 seconds later, she felt the tassels of her bag and dragged it towards her. Unfortunately, her fall had meant that the contents of the bag (of which there were many thanks to the undetectable extension charm placed on it) had all rolled around. With a groan of frustration, Hermione thought how easy it would be if only she had her wand.

A sharp jolt in her right leg prompted Hermione to stick her hand into the bag, desperately searching for her first aid supply. Although she knew that the supply in her bag was rather basic (as the rest was in the tent) Hermione knew it would be better than nothing. After a good 5 minutes of rummaging around in the bag, she yanked out the backpack containing all the basic medical supplies for emergencies.

Just as she was about to reach for a pain-relieving potion, her legs began to spasm. Hermione let out a pained cry and threw herself backwards, desperately hoping for the burning pain to end. Twitching and shaking, Hermione grasped the potion bottle in one hand and shakily pulled the stopper off. Praying that this would somewhat ease her pain, Hermione brought the bottle to her lips and tipped it back, taking a large swallow.

She was careful to leave a generous amount for tomorrow, which she desperately hoped she would live to see.

As the pain potion began to work it's magic, the burning sensation in her legs lessened and they stopped spasming. Closing her eyes, she drifted into an uneasy and restless sleep, hoping to survive the night.