The Mudblood's Logic

by Cervantes Diderot

Hermione Granger was a a plain mudblood. At least until one rash action leads to her battling Voldemort first year and miraculously surviving. Stuck in a whirlwind of political ploys, fame, wealth and power along with assassination attempts Hermione has a rather difficult path. But what is that saying, "The ends justify the means," and she will do whatever it takes...

33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Society of Scum.

Disclaimer: I own none of the material written by J. K. Rowling, or her publishing company, or Warner Brothers.

OOOO

One Month Later

"Excellent work Miss Granger!" Madam Pomfrey cheered brightly, "This is a fine, perfectly acceptable Blood Staunching Draught! I could even use it in my own stores, dear girl." For once the witch allowed herself to preen beneath the matron's praise. Nearly every one of their wand-based lessons had involved intensive note-taking on the properties of her unique wand. Now that they were working on introductory healing potions it seemed Hermione's natural, personal talent was finally being noticed again. Batting a stray curl from her eye the witch took a moment to observe as everyone else struggled to put the finishing touches on their own potions. Nearly two weeks of effort and labor had brought them all to this moment.

She had grown to enjoy her classes with the Slytherin students. They were perfect opportunities to observe the potential members and organizers of the Knights of Walpurgis without detection. Pausing carefully Hermione relaxed her body whilst peering towards Pansy Parkinson directly. Wand pointing underneath the table she very carefully mumbled under breath, "Legilimens." A third attempt on the same victim suddenly yielded the desired results. In a manner of speaking. The first time Hermione tried it Pansy had left Transfiguration with a raging migraine, vomiting all of the way out. The second time nothing at all happened. Now bits of thought suddenly popped into her brain.

'...Mudblood. I bet my Potion could be better if…' There was a long pause of radio silence. '...Too tired with plans…' Another pause as Hermione preened closer subconsciously to the source. She suddenly found herself standing in the middle of a very airy room crafted from stone. Everything was messy and untidy. Thick rolls of parchment covered the floors, fluttered from the air every moment, and swarmed haphazardly about the space. Images swarmed over Hermione as she carefully picked at the papers. Very aware of the fact that it was getting harder and harder to breathe while she remained inside of Pansy Parkinson's mind.

Images struck her at breakneck speed right as she decided that it was getting too hard to hold the spell. Tracey Davis. Ritual. Explosion. Jealousy. Tracey Davis slung across Cassius Warrington. '...Stupid half-blood. Cassius only likes that the Dark Lord chose her as his vessel for whatever reason. My ancestry goes back centuries!' Finally Hermione slipped back into the present as she fell from her chair to the infirmary floor. Taunting giggles arose from the Slytherins while Madam Pomfrey concernedly bustled over. Harry helped her back to her feet before forlornly slipping over to his mediocre potion. "I'm fine Madam Pomfrey. Sorry. Just moved the wrong way in my chair."

"If you are sure…" The woman let her words hang whilst her eyes scrutinized Hermione's pale skin sternly. She carefully hid the ensuing bloody nose, watching with detached interest as Pansy Parkinson suffered yet another migraine, vomiting in her Blood Replenishing Potion, which then erupted a blazing blue. Hermione's brain was working on picking apart far more important matters. Thankfully she had investigated before lashing out. Perhaps not all of the Knights of Walpurgis had not been responsible for the attack on Cedric after all. Pansy, at least, had not been privy to the attack in the library. Still, the idea that they believed Tracey Davis was being willingly Possessed by Voldemort repulsed her. She could hardly believe that a bunch of school students might have accomplished such a feat, yet her own accomplishments with Luna, Daphne, and Cedric tempered her disbelief. The witch slipped easily away from Harry to sneak a moment away in an alcove for the secretive utilization of her time turner. This had grown increasingly difficult after Aurors were stationed in the school.

Fingers twisting together for a long while in the shadowy space, Hermione stared wearily at the floor. Cedric was good, so, so utterly sweet. Every ignored, positive quality of Hufflepuff had been imbued in his strong, compassionate form. She hardly realized quite how much he meant to her until that awful night. Blood pouring out of the back of his head as she fought tooth-and-nail with Pomfrey to assist with his healing. In the end her wand had managed to seal the cursed laceration shut of its own volition while the matron utilized advanced techniques to remove any lingering dark magic from the psychedelic effects of the blast. Even the duel with her assailant in the library, she was quick enough to cast a Bubble-Head Charm thanks to her premonition, did not make her feel so strongly as the battle for Cedric's life had. They only still lived so long as their identity, obscured by the cover of smoke, remained unknown to her.

Rage like nothing Hermione had ever felt before coloured her vision red at every waking moment. That someone hated her enough to steal a mind, a human so precious as Cedric Diggory from the world left her shaking violently. A crack raced up the stone wall behind her as she shook violently before it. Magic crackled mightily on her tongue while she forced herself to breathe. Cedric would disapprove, of course, if he ever found out, but she hardly cared. Someone needed to pay. An example needed to be set, for she was tired of being victimized by constant attacks. Always staying on the defensive from shrouded forces. Here was an enemy that could at least serve as a conduit for her anger, keeping her mind clear while she hunted down the true foe.

Whoever had dared to hide that explosive beneath a library table on that fateful day.

OOOO

Harry found himself, the next morning, fighting to keep his mind off of what had happened last night while everyone slept. He slugged through his classes whilst ignoring the whispers of everyone around him. Hermione remained as stoic and impassive as ever in her spot between him and Daphne. Shooting her hands up at every opportunity and remaining the most engaged student by far before disappearing into the middle of nowhere once each lecture ended. He rubbed his hair with grimy hands whilst standing wearily from his spot near Hagrid's Hut. The Gameskeeper had kindly been helping Harry to categorize and gain a strong understanding of Magizoology beyond the course.

Every class they would either venture into the woods for a survival course, learn how to care for creatures deep in the woods, or sit through rigorous anatomy lectures. In the afternoons when classes ended Harry often voluntarily subjected himself to extra time with Hagrid. The ecology at Hogwarts was diverse and would add much knowledge to his repertoire after all. Still, today his mind did not whirl like it usually did as he made scientific notes on the properties of Mermaid piss and Hippogriff dung. "It would have been nice if you had met us in the castle, Harry," Daphne's voice piped up in complaint behind him as she finally arrived. He spun about to find Luna and Cedric with her as well. "I have a Wizengamot meeting to Floo to tonight and I still have practice with Flitwick."

"Hermione is more important than either of those things. She helps you practice your duelling whenever you need it even though we know her course load is bonkers." Harry reminded the blonde sternly. She at least had the decency to look embarrassed. Cedric simply carried the energy of a wounded animal. The attack left him temporarily dependent on the assistance of a cane, and his Quidditch Captaincy was suspended for the rest of term. They all tended to fret over the formerly independent Prefect like fussy mothers. He had simply brushed off their concern with an excuse that his responsibilities were taxing, yet Hermione let slip that he still suffered unexplained attacks after being subjected to such high concentrations of the hallucinogenic gas. Luna seemed as misty as ever. "You all might not know this, but I inherited an invisibility cloak from my dad. Last night Hermione borrowed it."

"No!" Daphne was scandalized, "You mean…?"

"Yes. This Mudblood Apostle is Hermione." He answered back grimly, "None of us should be surprised. Hermione is a visionary. She sees how things should be. Literally and figuratively." There was a thick pause as he noted how Cedric had grasped his silky hair in his free hand forlornly. Harry hardly blamed the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain. His girlfriend had stolen every single notoriously Purist-minded portrait in Hogwarts and burned them in the main courtyard at nighttime, only to replace every empty space with a permanently spelled message. 'Your Precious Heir is Dead. Enemies of the Mudblood Apostle Beware.'

"What do we do?" Daphne asked in a nervous tone. "I understand why she would do it. I only worry that it will be an easy guess for everyone else to figure out. There were already whispers about her probable involvement this morning. She is unhinged! Could we trust Dumbledore to help her find balance?" There was a long pause as they all considered Daphne's words; Everyone except for Luna.

"Its obvious isn't it?" The Second Year smiled wispily, "We help her. Why couldn't we form our own counter group to the Knights of Walpurgis? How many times has someone tried to hurt Hermione? Harry was attacked in the Chamber. You were Petrified by the Basilisk Daphne. Now we can add Cedric to the list." She paused thoughtfully as they all stared at her with wide open mouths, "They are hardly going to forgive us for standing with Hermione. We have committed to this, it is time to double down for what we believe in."

"She has a good point," Harry nodded slowly, "How many curses have you gotten to the back in the dungeons this term Daphne? You're dating a muggleborn, Cedric, is this a fight you can sit out? Hermione's like a sister to me. I'll stand by her every step of the way." He smiled, "The lot of you managed to make a trip to the moon a possibility for wizardkind. Do you really think that the Knights of Walpurgis are a match to us four and Hermione?"

Daphne still was clearly divided about the whole notion of jumping into bed with a revolutionary band of insurgency. Cedric finally spoke, "Hermione has made her mind up. I… Care for her deeply. I'll stand with her every step of the way. Those fucking snakes won't know what hit them."

This seemed to be enough wind to sway Daphne Greengrass into the fold. "We will need a name won't we?"

OOOO

Cedric had been the one to question if it was wise for them all to confront Hermione. So, after the last of his lengthy NEWT level classes ended for the week, the tired lad set out to find her. If anyone had expected Hermione to stop going to the library they must have been incredibly disappointed. She spent even more time in the place, yet now her habits were wild. Paranoid in nature. Never sitting, always standing. Jumping from space to space with every finished chapter. Peering around every corner and casting so many Revelios that Pince had taken nearly fifty points from Gryffindor. As he limped into the space, eyes flickering away quickly from the blackened spot where a table once used to be, Cedric tried to ignore the stares.

"I hope you are here to pry that menace from my library," Pince hissed at him, "And not to cause anymore trouble boy!"

Though his skin felt as ashy as it looked, and the pain in the back of his head throbbed brighter, Cedric glared at the woman coolly. "I think you should be quiet. This is a library after all." Slipping away before she could make another pointed comment, the Fifth Year roved through the shelves until finally he found his girlfriend sitting in a corner alone. Legs moving jitterishly as she cross-referenced several books at once. He felt the burning of his bracelet often nowadays. Hermione was prone to feel guilty, and it didn't help that she could stare into his gifted necklace all day searching for enemies. A sudden stab of sorrow at using Foe Glass rather than regular glass twisted right into his broken leg in the form of surging pain.

"'Mione?" He asked in a careful, cautious tone, trying not to startle her. This hardly mattered, Cedric had noticed, for Hermione never jumped when he interrupted her during the bouts of paranoia. It filled his broken body with joy when she jumped up and immediately engulfed him in a tight hug. Their kisses had changed too since the attack. Once they had been chaste and innocent pecks on the lips. Now Hermione snogged him ferociously and he blushed to think what her father would do if he ever caught heads or tails of it.

"Cedric." She finally pulled away, breathless, an ink stain prominent on her pinkened, right cheek. "I feel like we haven't had a proper moment alone in ages." That was true. Between trips to the Hospital Wing, reduced Prefect duties, in light of his health problems, OWLs revision, and NEWT level classes thrown on top, mixed with her own obligations they hardly ever even saw one another.

"I've missed you too Hermione." His eyes must have been slitted as he fought the aching pleasure that started up in response to being near her again. He touched the Foe Glass necklace from where it rested on top of her school sweater. Their connected foreheads bumped slightly as they both felt the burning heat rise from his wrist and her neck. "Its hard. Thinking when I'm around you," He wetted his lips carefully, "We need to talk. Before I forget." She helped him into a chair before propping herself sideways on his lap. Her head of bushy hair soon buried tightly into the crook of his neck. Carefully, the wizard flicked his wand and nonverbally erected Charms to prevent eavesdropping. "I know what you did the other night. I'm not angry. None of us are angry. We all want you to know that we understand your anger. We are angry too." This was all crooned lovingly in her ear.

"I used Legilimency," She whispered right back, ashamedly, "I practiced on Pansy Parkinson until it worked right. Does it make me a monster to hate her? That I didn't care what happened to her so long as I got the information I needed?"

"No." Cedric answered, peering out the stained glass window as rain whistled against the surface. "If someone had hurt you I might have done the same thing." He understood why she had done it. Lashed out. He was hardly surprised that his girlfriend had managed to gain proficiency with such an obscure talent in a mere matter of weeks. "I would do worse for you if I had to, Hermione." He remembered how Hermione had never left his side. Even when they carted him off to St. Mungos, and his family had burst frantically into the infirmary. Her vigil had not ended until the Healers assured her that he would make a swift return to Hogwarts. In those moments of dark, gothic silence at the hospital they had understood one another more deeply than ever before. There would be no going back any longer. Cedric Diggory and Hermione Granger were twin souls bound firmly together now.

"I'd murder every last Knight of Walpurgis," She confessed in her ear, "I almost did. I very nearly slit all of their throats that night. Only the barest shred of reason left in my brain kept me from it." There was a pause, "That, and the portrait of Elizabeth Burke. She noticed me when I took my cloak off at the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. Called me a mudblood. My magic set her portrait on fire before I could reign it in."

"Its a fight that goes back centuries," Cedric sighed gloomily, "We could burn every last bigoted portrait, but their descendants would still act in the name of hatred. That's why Harry, Luna, Daphne, and I all agreed we needed to be united. The Slytherins have their Knights of Walpurgis, but the muggleborns need more than just the M-Mud-Mudblood Apostle." He could not make himself say the second to last word until the third try. "We are the first members of your new organization. Behind you and the other muggleborns ever step of the way. You don't need to feel alone, or unsafe in Hogwarts every again."

She pulled back now. Peering deeply into his eyes. "What did you four decide this group should be called?"

"The Society of Scum," He smiled, colour returning momentarily to his ashy skin, as his grey eyes glimmered brilliantly. The ensuing kiss set his heart thrumming like a Snidget on a packed Quidditch field.

OOOO

Late October slipped into late November, and as things at Hogwarts finally started to settle down, in a way, matters with the Wizengamot heated up. Daphne took careful notes as hefty tariffs on foreign goods turned into trade wars between Britain and increasingly hostile foreign Ministries. Inevitably there were minor skirmishes along the Albanian border as British forces probed for Voldemort. Continental Europe had become a melting pot of tension unlike anything seen since the days of Grindelwald's prime. The west had been quick to reaffirm its loyalty to the cause against Dark Magic whilst the east roiled at the perceived attack on Albania's autonomy. During the middle of this crisis, the Russian-Baltic Federation poked and prodded wherever they could.

The liberal forces of the Wizengamot had quieted down on their policies advocating for social reform. Replacing the nearly totally decimated Purist faction were war-mongering old men and women who wished to, 'Kick Voldemort in the arse while he was down.' Even the public seemed to be raging for a full-scale invasion of Albania, considering that Minister Bones and Dumbledore's combined efforts, fully unobstructed now, meant that everyone believed Voldemort was truly still out there. They were scared, terrified really, that he would somehow regain his strength. Daphne simply wondered whether it was worthwhile. She said as much during one meeting, on a very cold evening, right around the time of her Hogwarts midterms.

"You can't seriously be considering an assault on the Albanian Aurors holding up those wards!" Daphne snapped firmly aloud. She had become a very vocal, and staunchly liberal voice on the Wizengamot, much to the disgust of her parents and grandfather. "If we unleash our CWO's into their border, who is to say that they will not react in a retaliatory manner? Where will it end once blood has been drawn?" Daphne paused, very carefully, conscious as ever of Rita Skeeter's hungry gaze zeroing in on her prone form. "My generation will pay the price. We will be the soldiers in this next war, as the young so often are. Your best and brightest wasted on battlefields. Magical Britain's next mothers and fathers slain in ditches and trampled by legions of Inferi." She stood to both feet, slamming her bulging folio closed and brushing hair back behind her ear. "Call the vote. I am done for the evening."

Dumbledore did just that, and Daphne watched on with disgust as they all raised their hands skyward in support of the proposed action. Head shaking, scowl deepening, the witch strode from the hall with a ferocious bite to her step. Fingers clenching into fists and then unclenching the whole way down to the Floo, and then all the way back to Hogwarts. From the designated fireplace of McGonagall's office she emerged with a red face. "I take it they are still set on picking a war." The Scottish witch brogued out.

"Yes," She snapped curtly in answer whilst striding through the space, "I suppose that they are." With that, Daphne strode through the school towards Flitwick's office door, pausing only to change in a restroom, and knocked carefully upon arriving. Much to her surprise the little old man was already dressed in athletic robes and waiting by the hearth. Typically he gave her a work out, though never did he actually dress as though ready to break a sweat himself. "Professor Flitwick?" The Slytherin wondered.

"Yes, Miss Greengrass," He smiled turning around. "It is time that we begin the second aspect of your training. I told you that even as a Third Year, if your basics are strong, uncompromisable, that you could possibly manage to win the British Junior Duelling Championships sometime in the next few years." He paused, "Well, I spoke with the Headmaster as well and he informed me that perhaps you could stand to blow off some stress. If you follow me outside we will do just that, and put your basic skills to the test." Together they slipped out of the castle and into the darkness of the night. Stopping only upon arriving at a sloped space beyond the Whomping Willow, and Hagrid's hut. Recent rainfall had slickened the cold earth, and mud squelched beneath her feet. "Prepare yourself the best you can. During the Championships they will place you in unfamiliar environments not disclosed beforehand. Adapt."

"Stupefy." She hissed out, hardly even breathing the syllables, and giving her wand a very short flick. Flitwick obviously had not anticipated such an aggressive maneuver on her part. Still, he easily blocked the spell right back her way with an expertly summoned shield. Her followup spells met a similar fate, and soon enough it was his turn to retaliate. Daphne hardly noticed the mudslide until it was too late and the ground had slipped beneath her feet. Cold, wet, sloshing through mud and water up to her knees, the Greengrass girl fought ferociously to free herself.

"They will be older than you Miss Greengrass!" He called out in a ringing tone, obscured by the darkness of a moonless night. "You must keep to your basics, and use every spell imaginable. Keep them on their toes. Embrace your aggression!"

Breathing deeply, she blocked the ensuing Stunner, incinerated the conjured ropes he fired her way, and clawed with one hand to freedom as another mudslide attempted to consume her. "BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" Daphne roared, pouring whatever energy she had left into the spell. The hillside erupted outwards in a flash flood over the spot where Fltwick had fired his last spells from. "Carpe retractum," Daphne ground out expertly, grinning victoriously when the overwhelmed wizard was hooked in by her spell, slipping ever nearer through the mud. The closer proximity proved to be to her detriment as the small Professor performed some sort of advanced, vague Grounding Spell prior to masterfully reversing her spell. Jerked up to the tips of her toes and towards the flowing mud, Daphne quickly cancelled her own spell.

Daphne had barely regained her footing when a blinding spell of pure white struck her in the chest. Her screams filled the air as she was flipped violently through the air and face first down into the mud. "You kept hold of your wand the entire time," Flitwick approached his student with a bright smile, "That alone is more than I expected of you Miss Greengrass." She spat mud from her mouth and sat upwards. They both remained silent for a beat, until something drew their attention to the tallest turrets of Hogwarts. An explosion of blindingly white lightning clapped mightily out of the open side of the Astronomy Tower.

"Whoever could be generating lightning?" Flitwick wondered aloud in a small tone.

"Hermione Granger, sir," Daphne said, squinting upwards into the now dark, rainy sky. "Every time there is a storm she goes up to the Astronomy Tower on a broomstick and immerses herself in the elements. She says that is the best way to learn to conjure up the real thing."

"Perhaps it is a good thing you are so chummy with Miss Granger," Flitwick remarked casually, "Her grasp over elemental magic, though somewhat simplistic, is truly quite impressive. Your opponents in the championships likely will not be able to generate lightning, or easily block it."

OOOO

November 7th, 1993

"This is pointless Hermione!" Daphne snapped as she pointed her wand up in the air for the thousandth time. "We've been trying for ages. I am utterly hopeless! How stupid of Flitwick was it to think that I could accomplish anything close to what you have?"

"Try again Daphne," Hermione sighed, "I spent an entire weekend out here in the lake until I got it right. You have to immerse yourself. To imagine it you must first live it." A pause followed, "You managed to solve the secret of the Chamber last year. I have my fullest confidence you are capable of this."

Once more the other witch reapplied her Warming Charm, then she waded out into the Black Lake until the water rose over her shoulders. The exhaustion of the moment changed her attitude. All she wanted was to bundle in lots of clothes, return to the castle, and go to Hogsmeade for the first time with her sister and friends. When the girl whipped her wand in the correct pattern she hardly expected anything to happen. "Aguamenti." Icy blue light glowed from the tip of her wand again as water began to flow out. This time, however, instead of the typical steady jet, a miniature tsunami was conjured into existence. For a moment the fourteen-year-old was thrown under the crashing waves of her own making. Thankfully she was a strong enough swimmer that it was possible to make it to the shore and avoid a grisly death.

"Excellent!" Hermione cheered as she used her own magic to expertly remove any water from Daphne's shaking body. "The Conjuration is the easy part. Now is where you need to spend more time in the library." They started scurrying back towards the warmth of Hogwarts immediately after Daphne had tugged her last sneaker on. "True masters like Dumbledore and the Flamels have spent years on this stuff. Tweaking and experimenting until they can manipulate the material in exactly the desired way."

"I wish one of the old farts would just publish a spellbook," Daphne sighed. Still, despite her pseudo-annoyance, the witch was glimmering with happiness. Another spell in her arsenal. One more trick up her sleeve to use against Flitwick in their weekly sessions.

"The Ministry would never permit it, and for good reason. Elemental magics are dangerous. If someone tries to manipulate nature without sufficient practice or patience, like we are doing, it could seriously backfire. Besides, not everyone is interested in conjuring a wave, or a bolt of lightning. There isn't enough demand for something most of the population isn't even capable of anyways." Hermione's lecture only ended up making Daphne feel all the more impressed with herself. Finally they reached the courtyard. A gaggle of excited students had formed. Originally the Hogsmeade trip was supposed to be on the thirty-first of October, but the attacks by the Knights of Walpurgis and subsequent need for Aurors at Hogwarts had pushed it back an entire week.

"Students!" McGonagall called out, "Each carriage will be escorted by an Auror. If any trouble should arise in Hogsmeade do not hesitate to find-."

The witch tuned out the Scottish brogue as she and Hermione found Cedric, Luna, and Harry. Hermione wasted no time pressing a kiss to Cedric's cheek and fussing over the state of his cane. Harry and Luna were debating the existence of Cantor's Doves. Daphne simply basked in the glory of her accomplishment and being surrounded by friends. Finding herself trapped every night in the Slytherin dormitories left the girl firmly aware of how important such people could be. Since officially banding together to form the Society, they had become even more tight knit than ever before. Their free time was spent together. They studied together in alternating Common Rooms, apart from Slytherin. This in itself had led to something entirely unexpected.

All five of them were brilliant in one way or another. Harry with his Magizoology and a shocking knack for Arithmancy, Luna and her prophetry business, Cedric and Hermione so brilliant they were in advanced classes, and Daphne was among the best duellists of her generation as well as a prominent politician. Unsurprisingly, when they studied together it became rather quite marvelous. Somehow Harry and Daphne were now tied for top of Third Year, though behind classes still shared with Hermione, Luna holding a commanding position in Second Year. Hardly a day passed either that they were not teaching one another some new, advanced spell, or working on a project to submit to the journals.

It possibly would have been the happiest Daphne had ever been were it not for the grim nature to their partnership.

Somehow Hermione had determined every plan the Slytherins held under their sleeves. Daphne did not dare ask precisely how the girl had managed such a feat as it was probably highly illegal. Using Harry's cloak they would often break into teams of two in nightly rotations and spy on the Slytherin Common Room, now guarded by an enchanted statue. She obviously could not sneak away at night without her roommates reporting her. So instead the SS decided that she would carefully observe, track, and snoop about. Determining important information such as who was involved with the Knights of Walpurgis, and anything they might have planned.

"I can't believe the Dursleys signed my slip," Harry gushed again, as they all tucked into a carriage together. "Our first Hogsmeade trip!"

"Not for me," Cedric corrected with a cheeky grin, "But still fantastic nonetheless."

They all chattered excitedly after that. What they had planned, where they would go, and the things they wished to do. First, obviously, was the Three Broomsticks for butterbeer. With that important rite of passage out of the way they all gaggled off into Honeydukes. Remembering Astoria, Daphne made sure to purchase her little sister a multitude of sweets, and barely remembered her own favorite; Sugar Quills. "Oi," Seamus Finnegan had come from nowhere behind her, "I bet it gets right lonely in those dungeons at night without the other serpents at your side, Greengrass." He had paused, a filthy glint in his eyes, "I'll keep you warm if you ever need a real man."

"As if I'd ever stoop into the bed of an Irish peasant who can barely even brew a Cure for Boils without causing an explosion." She had called out ringingly, causing everyone in the shop to laugh at him. Luna, in a very rare moment of spite, had cast a Tripping Hex on his shoes as he passed by her.

Tomes and Scrolls, insisted upon by Hermione and Cedric, was a quite nice break from the crowds of students. Daphne perused the latest gossip magazines in the front for news about her favorite celebrities. Then Harry and Luna caught Hermione snogging Cedric within an inch of his life, and they all had to flee her wand after making one too many jokes.

The snow began to fall as they made their way back from the Shrieking Shack. All of them had experienced scarier in their young lives already and were hardly impressed. The chorus of ringing giggles and merry times all soon came to an abrupt end though.

As they drew closer to High Street screams suddenly erupted into the air. Flames blasted out the windows of the Three Broomsticks, and the Aurors, the supposedly great protectors of the students, were caught entirely unprepared. "There was nothing in Parkinson's head about this!" Hermione cried as they scurried towards the carriages under spell fire. She filed away that troubling bit of news in her mind for later. All five of them came to a jarring halt with the rest of the fleeing students when a masked figure appeared from nowhere. Flicking his wand at the line of carriages and causing them to explode simultaneously in a line.

"Death Eaters," Cedric gasped in horrified awe, "Those silver masks. The robes. But any Death Eaters should-." He was unable to finish. The crowd of terrified students pressed them all back further into Hogsmeade. More glass exploded overhead and spellfire exploded all around. "This is ridiculous. We are sitting ducks!" He cried.

"Cedric!" Daphne was now used to yelling over louder, panicked voices after countless Wizengamot meetings. "Get as many students as you can into the shops. Harry, Luna, cover his back. No, don't talk over me. You can barely stand as it is, Ced. Hermione, come with me." Together the blonde and the brunette violently fought their way through masses of rushing students and into the open. "Stupefy!" She snarled, sending a blast of red light right into the back of one of the Death Eaters. Unfortunately, that gave the others warning that they had more than the Aurors to worry about.

Hermione tackled her out of the way of a blast of green light and shot out a Gouging Spell. The perpetrator was forced to apparate away as the front of the post office exploded outwards. "OVER THERE!" When they rose to their feet again under the ocean of flashing and banging spells Hermione had a magically amplified voice. "FIND COVER! BOMBARDA!" The same Death Eater from before appeared in a nearby alley. Before they could fire another spell, Hermione did away with the cobblestones under their feet.

Now they were truly in the thick of battle, and it was nothing like what Professor Flitwick had prepared her for. There were rules in duelling. Courtesies and point deductions. In real life people hardly cared if you were hurt; They wanted you dead. Back to back the two girls struggled as their mettle was tested like never before. As more students trickled into hiding and disappeared all that was left were the combatants. Auror after Auror was picked off. "We're-out-of-our-depth." Daphne hissed between spells. Suddenly the ground beneath their feet turned to jelly and they were tossed apart when a spell struck the surface. The three remaining Death Eaters were now unopposed. All of the useless Aurors had been dealt with easily. She could only watch in relief as Hermione aimed a devastating lightning bolt their way. Two apparated from view, the middle one erected a shield only to find themself overwhelmed by the magical display.

"Legilimens," The spell was uttered under Hermione's breath, yet they were still somehow close enough after having been knocked on their arses for Daphne to hear it. Considering the number of illicit businesses operated by her family, Daphne had obviously been taught Occlumency with her siblings. Still, there was something so very Hermione about the probing presence that she subconsciously decided to allow it. We need to work in tandem. As one. Aguamenti.

There was no time to question it, or to think. They had pressed themselves side-by-side against a brick wall. A smattering bombardment of spells rained from above, likely atop Zonkos, Daphne mentally pinpointed with great rapidity. Hermione must have still been in her head, for the bushy-haired witch blasted the aforementioned rooftop to rubble. In the blink of an eye the two Death Eaters rematerialized in front of them. Whatever nonverbal spells were on their minds mattered not, for the girls were prepared. "AGUAMENTI!" They cried in perfect unison. The British Youth Representative felt her friend's immense magical power as she never had before. A constant presence fueling her own spell. The wave of water was six meters high and hovered like a shimmering shield in front of them. Hold it, do not let go, Hermione intruded again.

As the Death Eaters released a volley of advanced spells against the mass of conjured water, she collapsed suddenly onto the wall, struggling mightily to hold the magic up. Nothing in her entire life had ever posed this much resistance, yet still she held just barely onto the reins. Screams began to fill the air and both her arms were trembling with great effort to hold her wand up. Only thanks to their bizarre mental link was she aware of Hermione pacing, mumbling strings of incantations under her breath, and flicking her wand this way and that. Right when Daphne finally slipped, a sharp, conjured arrow pierced through the rushing water and impaled her shoulder.

Her blue eyes darted about with horror as ever so slowly the rushing wall of water plummeted towards the ground. As unnerving, deathly silence fell over Hogsmeade she realized that it had been her screaming with the effort of controlling so much water. Just when all seemed lost, as blood flowed freely from her shocked body, Hermione saved the day. Complex spells finished, the water reformed mid-fall into icy spears, knives, hatchets, orbs, and wicked looking shards that hovered at the ready. "Depulso scopum!" She breathed in a light voice, and in the blink of an eye the two Death Eaters had been firmly impaled by whatever they could not melt or shield against. "Daphne!" Hermione was by her friend's side in an instant, ripping shreds of fabric off the girl's torso to look at where the conjured arrow had torn right through. Right above her heart.

Everything went black as her eyes rolled into her head.

OOOO

Hermione chewed on her fingernails as they all stared at Daphne's unconscious form. She was becoming all too used to the helpless feeling of sitting around and waiting for some response. Any sort of response. This was different from the stress of wanting to do well on an exam, or hoping for a paper to be published. Worrying over the life and wellbeing of a friend, a girl who had grown as close to her as a sister, was awful. The muggleborn had raged at McGonagall and the Aurors that had not died, demanding to know how lax exactly the Auror Academy standards were precisely. If not for the Healing lessons they had been given that semester, Daphne very well would have died out without any of Hermione's interference.

The Greengrasses eventually arrived to sit with their daughter, despairing loudly that she would, 'die surrounded by filth, whilst, 'wearing muggle clothing.' Hermione had stormed away without glancing at her other friends, marching furiously through the halls until finally running, quite literally, into Dumbledore. "I didn't think to use my Time Turner," She hissed at him as they sat together, staring at the swirling snow outside. "Why do I never think to use my blood Time Turner? Cedric would not be hurt, Daphne would be safe and alive."

"That would have been a foolish course of action," Dumbledore answered in a firm tone, "And you are hardly foolish Miss Granger. If you had seen yourself interfering, which would have certainly happened, you would be no more than a puddle of insanity right now." He patted her hand comfortingly, and she allowed him, not really wanting to feel alone even if that was how she had acted earlier. "Your family will see the Daily Prophet eventually, or catch wind of what happened on a trip to Diagon Alley. Do you wish to speak with them now? Perhaps a Floo trip home for the rest of the weekend is what you need." There was a pause, "Few can say they have survived a battle with Death Eaters, especially at your age, and you are already so overburdened with your classes. A secret society added on top only makes matters worse…"

Her head whipped sharply in his direction. "I know much and more about what happens in this school dear girl. Though I should make it quite clear that I hardly disapprove. You have in your company a band of powerful, steadfastly loyal friends. When the enemies that cry for your blood have amassed legions of loyal followers, you shall be very happy for such company. Trust me."

"Will you let my parents and grandmother send me to Beauxbatons Professor?" She asked in a weary tone, hardly able to consider what he had said at that particular moment.

"No," His eyes were steely and resolute, "If the worst comes to pass then I will push for the Flamels to take charge of your education. France is too close to Albania and Voldemort. I cannot have you in a country where there are no wizards or witches powerful enough to protect you."

"Daphne thinks there is going to be another war, the likes of which we have never seen." Hermione confided.

"Miss Greengrass is correct, though not based on what she has witnessed in the Wizengamot meetings. Albania and Britain will have deep tensions, yes, but the real war will be much larger than anything we've seen in hundreds of years." His tone was firm, devoid of any warmth, "You and Harry are our only hope. I do not say that lightly. The two of you must be prepared to face the devils that are clawing their way out of the shadows."

OOOO

I know, another attack? All of those Aurors getting taken out while Hermione is left standing? The plotline has progressed, even if sometimes you think it hasn't, it actually has. More rapidly than you have noticed. The stakes are higher, and Hermione has been forced to grow more quickly than Harry had to in the original plotline. Not to mention she has like twice the number of enemies. I hope things don't seem incredibly boring at present. There is a MASSIVE plot twist planned for the end of the Third Year that will shift TML in an entirely new direction you never saw coming. I can barely contain my excitement for that moment.

Next Chapter: The Alchemist and his Prodigy.