A/N Hello, dear readers! Status update, I will be posting the first chapter of Monsters today. It will be weekly/every other week depending on how much I write for it every week. I have some cushion chapters but this story is my priority and any writing I do will most often be for this story so I can continue to bring daily updates. That is how it will be until I am finished writing this story. Once that happens I will focus on Monsters and do my best to update as frequently as possible. I have spent time reworking and editing it so I can post it but tomorrow I will be focusing on writing more chapters for this story because I can never be far enough ahead.

I want to say again how amazing you all are and how much I appreciate you (because you deserve it)! I couldn't imagine a better group of readers for my first story and I hope you enjoy any other stories I write as much as you enjoy this one.

So. Some (possibly) surprising things happen in this chapter. Just a heads up. I feel like I can give a better warning but that would require telling and I'm not about that.

Your chariot awaits!

The Ministry of Magic was eerily quiet. Hermione suspected the Death Eaters had subdued anyone they had come across. She couldn't help the tingle of magic that spread through her when she stepped into the large building. Bella was somewhere and she was thrilled to be seeing her witch again, even if it wasn't under ideal circumstances.

"Where to, Harry?" Neville asked.

"We need the Department of Mysteries. It's on the fifth floor."

"I know how to get there, dad showed me one time," Ron said, leading the way to the elevators. It was a treacherous ride, they would occasionally move side-to-side or up and down but more often than not, it felt like they were moving diagonally. Hermione found it sickening and decided she hated the elevators almost as much as flying and definitely more than flooing.

"Fifth Floor: Department of Mysteries," the elevator announced with a ding. They shuffled out, looking around warily. Harry moved to the center of a room where a large archway was. It looked out of place and had no apparent use.

"Harry, is that the door?" Hermione asked, pointing to a large door that had suddenly appeared.

"Yeah, that's it. The Hall of Prophecies."

Taking a breath, Harry shouldered the door open, looking frantically around. Once he got his bearings-or seemed to anyway-he led the group through aisles of spheres, some glowing, others dim. Hermione felt a spike in magic and knew the Death Eaters were waiting for them in this room. She could almost pinpoint Bella's exact location but gave up when something caught her attention. She had lingered just a bit too long and everyone else was ahead of her. Taking the opportunity, she snatched a prophecy off the shelves, knowing it was hers. She would replace it with Harry's if she had to but she was curious as to what she was destined to do.

"Harry! This one's got your name on it!" Neville exclaimed, his voice loud in the quiet room. Catching up to the rest of the group, Hermione knew the Death Eaters would soon appear and moved closer to her friends. She knew they wouldn't be in any real danger but couldn't help worrying. Harry reached up to take it and as soon as he had it, Lucius stepped forward.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry demanded, clutching the Prophecy to his chest.

"You foolish boy. You didn't really think that was real, did you?"

Harry's face betrayed him. He should have listened to Hermione when she said this was probably a trap. Now his friends were in danger because of his rash behavior.

"Pity. Give me the Prophecy," Lucius continued.

"Why couldn't you just take it if you wanted it so bad?" Harry asked, subtly moving back.

A cackle filled the room and Hermione shivered but not from fear. From excitement. She couldn't help the thrumming she felt in her blood when Bellatrix stepped out of the shadows to stand next to Lucius. She was beautiful.

"Ickle baby Potter doesn't know, does he? A Prophecy can only be retrieved by the person it's about," she said childishly, a glimmer of insanity in her eyes.

"Give it to me, Potter," Lucius said, stretching out a leather gloved hand. They were surrounded on all sides but Hermione doubted Harry had noticed.

"Now!" Harry shouted, casting a stunner blindly and watching as his friends did the same before they ran off. They had separated, but Hermione managed to stick with Harry. She hoped Ginny had been able to stick with Neville and Luna. She didn't care what happened to Ron. Harry slowed and she followed suit, stopping next to him as they caught their breath.

"Hermione. I should've listened. I'm sorry," he panted.

Before she could respond, a powerful stunner hit the shelves near where they were standing, knocking them down with the force of the blast. By the cinnamon and pine smell, she knew it was Bellatrix. Fortunately, the blast had made Harry lose his grip on the Prophecy and it rolled slowly away from him. Hermione reached out and grabbed it, swiftly exchanging it with her own. In her robe pocket now sat Harry's prophecy, charmed with a protection to keep it from shattering or slipping out. She handed her own to Harry once they were both up.

"Nice save, 'Mione."

"Thanks. But I think we had better get moving," she said, pointing at the approaching figure of Bellatrix. Harry pulled Hermione into a run once more, clutching the Prophecy while she cast weak stunners behind them. She didn't want to actually attack Bellatrix, but she had to look like she was trying.

Reaching the end of the shelves, Harry and Hermione nearly collided with the rest of their group. They were all breathing hard as they were left with only one way to go. Ginny raised her wand, and Hermione could feel the spell before it was even cast.

"Reducto!" Ginny shouted. They all watched stupidly as the approaching Death Eaters dove out of the way, allowing the spell to crash into a shelf. Hermione could hear the tinkling of glass as the shelf knocked into others. This whole room was about to become their grave if they didn't move.

"Run!" she shouted, pushing at her friends so they wouldn't be trapped. She was fairly certain the exit was this way but if it wasn't they were royally fucked. She could see the black smoke of the Death Eaters as they struggled to avoid the falling shelves. Seeing the light of a doorway, Hermione prodded her friends, urging them to go faster. They were nearly there but the shelves were collapsing fast and she wanted to live, damn it. Jumping through the doorway, the six students landed in an unceremonious heap as the last shelf fell. The Prophecy in Harry's hand was still intact and Hermione subtly checked her pocket, thankful when she felt the still intact sphere.

They watched as the Death Eaters rematerialized in front of them, all but one. Bellatrix appeared behind them, swiftly snatching Hermione as the others grabbed everyone but Harry. Wand out, Harry spun in circles, understanding the gravity of the situation. Lucius stood in the center of the room, hand outstretched, waiting for Harry to place it into his palm.

"Hello, again, lion. Are you doing well?" Bellatrix whispered in Hermione's ear, wand placed firmly against the girl's throat.

"About as well as one can be in this situation. I have it. Harry is holding mine," she whispered back, struggling to form words because of the awkward angle of her throat.

"Hand Lucius the Prophecy, Potter, or your friend here gets my trademark curse. You know what it is, don't you?" Bellatrix taunted. She didn't want to hurt her young lion, but she hoped the threat of it would convince him to do what she said.

"Don't do it, Harry!" Ron shouted, desperately struggling against the Death Eater holding him until the wand was pressed tighter to his neck.

Gee, thanks, Ron, nice to know I can count on you to save my arse, Hermione thought sarcastically. She could feel a growl coming from Bella's chest at his words and subtly pushed against her.

"It's okay, Bella," she whispered, trying to soothe the Death Eater before she snapped.

"I do so hope I get to be the one to end him," she whispered darkly, earning a shudder from Hermione at the tone.

Harry still stood in the center of the room, looking as stupid as ever. He was now looking back and forth at Lucius and Bellatrix, assessing the threat. It was no secret the witch was crazy enough to use the Cruciatus on Hermione, but if the Prophecy was in Voldemort's hands, there was no telling what might happen. Not that Harry knew why it was bad, he just knew it was.

"Harry. Don't give it to them. We came to save Sirius but if they get this Prophecy, we lose," Hermione forced out, struggling to include herself in the sentence.

Harry stepped toward Lucius as a spell detonated in the center of the room, near the archway. Not wanting to be caught in a battle with the Order, Bellatrix took her cue, pulling Hermione out of the room. Harry followed, unconcerned for his other friends. The Order had arrived and would protect them but they hadn't seen Bellatrix slip away and he would keep Hermione from harm, even if it meant giving up the Prophecy.

"Potter truly is stupid. I really don't want to break my promise to you but at the same time I do," Bellatrix murmured in Hermione's ear. They were still pressed together and Bellatrix could feel another shudder travel down Hermione's spine. She couldn't help the smirk that graced her face until Potter came into view and she let it fall, putting on her mask of madness.

"Give it to me Potter!" she yelled, pressing her wand in Hermione's neck. She wanted to save Hermione's prophecy if she could but knew it was unlikely. The boy was predictable and would smash it before handing it over to her. He did look to be considering it though. Perhaps he cared for Hermione more than she thought. She couldn't help the swell of anger that rose in her at that thought.

"Don't do it, Harry!" Hermione shouted, playing her part in seeming afraid and on his side. She saw Tonks stealthily slip into the hall, glad it was her and not another Order member. Tonks was on her side and would stay hidden until Bella had the Prophecy.

"Tick tock, Potter. My Lord approaches. Do you want to hear your friend scream, begging for me to stop, or will you hand me the Prophecy before He comes to take it from you? Or maybe I should go back in there and kill your precious godfather," Bellatrix mused, tone laced with insanity.

Harry's green eyes flashed with rage and Hermione knew what was coming. He had no control whatsoever over his anger. She was only glad the first book had talked about the Unforgivables. Hermione didn't know if she could throw off a Crucio, but she could certainly make it hurt a lot less. Steeling herself, she gathered her magic to diffuse the curse. Even still, Hermione severely underestimated the amount of pain a Crucio inflicted. Bellatrix had been forced to let her fall to the floor and she couldn't stop shaking. It felt like her nerves were on fire, but she didn't scream. Instead, she grit her teeth, focusing on letting her magic absorb the curse. It was draining, she was in excruciating pain and could feel her magic draining away as she suffered through the curse. It couldn't have lasted long but it felt like an eternity.

Harry realized his mistake almost as soon as he made it. He hadn't meant to lose control of his temper and he certainly hadn't meant to hit Hermione but he couldn't stop it from coming, the threat to his godfather had been too much. The curse dissipated quickly, but he could tell he had hurt Hermione. She was curled in a ball on the floor, muscles twitching every now and then and Bellatrix was watching, eyes dark with what he thought was madness. Harry loosened his grip on his wand, letting it dangle from his fingertips as the Prophecy fell to the floor and shattered.

"You would Crucio your own friend? I know you were aiming for me, but you really are stupid. Even I couldn't have aimed that spell so it would hit the intended target. And don't you know you have to mean it? That was pathetic!" Bellatrix said, forcing laughter. She couldn't believe how stupid Potter was. He was so easily goaded and she wished she had known beforehand. The curse wasn't as pathetic as she made it seem. Even a weak Crucio was incredibly painful. Harry had put all his hatred and rage into that spell, not even thinking about the fact that it would hit Hermione instead of her. She cursed herself for being so foolish. Harry had dropped the Prophecy and Hermione had gotten hurt.

Dumbledore and Voldemort arrived at the same time, drawing Harry's attention. He felt bad for cursing Hermione, but he couldn't let this chance pass him by. If he could end everything now, they wouldn't have to worry anymore and the Golden Trio could rebuild their friendship. Hermione would understand. He rushed into the fray, hoping to take down Voldemort. Bellatrix silently praised the boy's rashness, taking the opportunity to move Hermione and herself out of the way and out of sight.

"Don't try to move, love. It'll only hurt more. I'm so sorry," Bellatrix whispered, her voice hoarse and tears filling her eyes.

"I'm okay, Bella. I was ready for it but I still didn't expect for it to hurt so much. It wasn't your fault, Harry is an idiot," Hermione croaked, wincing as she pulled the Prophecy from her robes. Moving caused black to swarm across her vision and a sensation similar to being stabbed with needles. She felt the Death Eater take the Prophecy and let her arm drop. It felt so good to just lay down. Her muscles were still shaking from the curse

"I didn't know what would happen. I should've played it safer. I should've-"

Bellatrix was stopped from her rant when Hermione leaned up shakily and pressed their lips together, gently nipping her bottom lip.

"I love you, Bella," she said, letting her head fall back down. She hadn't expected Harry to send a curse so strong and she wished she had more time to prepare so she could be more aware of what was happening. As it was, the world was blurry and she was having trouble staying awake. She didn't know what was going on around them but she could faintly hear the sounds of a duel. It couldn't have been Bellatrix, she was with Hermione. Merlin, she was exhausted.

"Aunt Bella, I've got her. She'll be alright, I promise. You have to go. They're nearly finished and if you're caught Hermione will never forgive me. I'll take care of her, I promise," Tonks whispered, coming into view. She had been monitoring the battle between Dumbledore, Voldemort, and Harry, trying to give the two witches as much time as possible. She had never met her aunt before but she could see how much she cared for Hermione. She knew Hermione's mission was complete and time was running out for Bellatrix to escape. She had to go now.

Nodding, the dark witch leaned down to whisper, "I love you too, little lion. If they ask, tell them it was me," before placing a kiss on Hermione's cheek. "Tell them it was me if you have to," she said, looking at her niece who nodded her understanding. Turning, Bellatrix wiped away the tears in her eyes before running to the fireplace and flooing to Malfoy Manor, Prophecy in hand.

Tonks picked Hermione up from the floor, trying to be as gentle as possible. She had no idea Harry had so much anger inside of him, and for him to cast without properly aiming was foolish. It had been short, and Hermione had been somewhat prepared, but the first time was always the hardest. It was easy to underestimate how much pain the curse could cause. She remembered how painful it had been when she was learning to throw it off and felt for Hermione. It was impressive, how much power she had. Her magic took the brunt of the spell but not all of it. If Hermione hadn't been ready the spell would have seriously injured her. Her magic would rebuild itself over the coming days and Tonks only hoped her aunt didn't blame herself too much. She had seen the whole thing and there was no way anyone would have suspected the boy to have so much anger. Even Hermione hadn't known until it happened.

Hermione was aware of lying in a bed. The last thing she remembered was someone picking her up in the Department of Mysteries. Easing her eyes open, she let her vision focus on the ceiling. She gently tested her limbs, satisfied they all functioned without pain. Sitting up, she looked to the side to see their group snoozing. She gently poked Ginny, who was closest.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled.

"Ginny," Hermione whispered, mouth dry, poking the redhead again. Ginny shifted, sleepily opening her eyes. When she saw Hermione sitting up, she smiled, glad to see her friend was not too badly hurt.

"Hermione, you're awake."

"I would think that's kind of obvious. I need you to do something for me. I need you to use my owl to send Narcissa a note saying I'm awake. Bella is bound to be freaking out."

"I'll do it right now."

"Thanks, Ginny. And can you bring me a glass of water when you come back?"

"Sure. I'll be right back."

Ginny stealthily maneuvered away from the sleeping teenagers, grateful they were all tired. Hermione would probably want a few moments to collect herself before facing the onslaught of questions everyone was bound to ask. Harry wouldn't tell them what happened but Ginny had the sneaking suspicion that whatever happened to Hermione had been his fault. Tonks had been the one to carry Hermione all the way to the infirmary and had fought to stay but Dumbledore made her leave. She had been icy to Harry and Ginny knew she had seen whatever happened but didn't want to say anything.

Ginny tied the hastily scribbled note to Hermione's owl, watching as it flew off. The predawn light cast gentle shadows over the world and she knew things would never be the same again. The world was about to change but Ginny knew she made the right choice in choosing Hermione. The dark side wasn't perfect, but they didn't hide what they were. There were no secrets in the dark. After all, it was the light that cast shadows.