Hermione jumped under the desk, trying to bring with her all of the silvery papers around her. Dust filled her lungs as she tried to crane her head along the side of the desk to get a good view of her assailant.
"Levicorpus!" Hermione tried, her voice choked from the debris, aiming her wand in the general direction of the explosion. "Obscuro!"
She heard a shriek- rather feminine, actually-
"Tergo" She muttered, the air clearing as she siphoned her wand back and forth, trying to be as quiet as she manage.
"Hermione!" the victim cried out imploringly- that wasn't a Death Eater- Hermione stood up from her shelter to see who she had caught with the Half-Blood Prince's spell- it was Ginny.
"Hermione- I know you're there- I just heard you!" Ginny, who was dangling by her right ankle, said in obviously forcefully calmed tones.
"Sorry, Ginny!" Hermione rushed over- Libacorpus! - She thought, watching Ginny lower herself down.
"And, would you?" Ginny now asked, turning to face Hermione, her wide brown eyes obscured by a thick black blindfold.
"Er- sure Gins-" Hermione muttered the counter-jinx, waving her wand around in a figure-eight movement.
Ginny straightened up and walked purposefully over to the opposite wall.
"Ginny?" Hermione asked, not to sure where to begin. "How did you know I was here? What are you doing with that wall?" Out of Ginny's wand had sprouted a large, golden sheet of light, which was now pressing itself against the maroon wallpaper.
"I didn't know you where here!" Ginny said, smiling at Hermione while trying to keep an eye on her spell. "Lucky guess, really. I was in that room there-" she pointed through the hole she had created.
"So you just decided to come blasting through foreign ministry walls to see if you could find me?" Hermione asked, amusement showing through her voice as she repaired said hole.
"Well, I had to act- they were coming for me any second. We're lucky they didn't see where I came through. That's why we need to act fast." Ginny's spell had now concentrated-like radar, Hermione thought- on a blinking dot slightly off center from the middle of the wall.
"What- you heard them? They were coming for you?" Hermione was completely lost.
"Extendable Ears." Ginny said, now prodding the blinking golden dot with her wand. "Found one in my purse." She jingled the tiny clutch on her shoulder. "Thought of it once your origami thing came through the chute. So I-" she paused, to make a few jerky slashes with her wand- "I worked an ear through and-" She gave the dot one a final, large jab. "And heard voices- don't know where they had gone, really, but they weren't Australian voices- and they were discussing what to do with me, they really didn't think I had much potential as a hostage."
Ginny stepped away from the wall, looking at it with a look of conquest.
"Hostages?" what? According to her discoveries, weren't her parents the hostages?
"Yeah." Ginny looked back to her, chewing her lower lip. "That's why we need to-er- vacate the area and-"
"Find everyone else?" Hermione finished weakly.
"Glad you're catching on." Ginny said brightly, waving Hermione to get closer. "And what I just did to the wall was a-"
"Weakness-Detecting Cham." Hermione said with awe. "When did you learn that?"
"We had to break a bunch of things in Hogwarts this past year." Ginny said, deep in concentration with the wall. "Now watch out- this should work…"
"DEFODIO!" Ginny screeched- Hermione was thrown back by the force, dust once again clogging her throat- She coughed, sputtering-
"Aquamenti" she croaked, aiming the jet of water down her throat. She swallowed, taking gulps of air, particles tickling her throat.
"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed from the other side of the dust cloud. Hermione walked through the wreckage, marveling, like Ginny somewhere to the right, at the sight before her.
It was hallway, by the looks of it, but there were people, sitting tied up and gagged in the middle of the floor. There had to be a hundred of them, Hermione thought as she helped a piece of wall off the wizard closest to them.
"Hmm! Hmm urrrph!!" The ministry workers cried out, their muffled speech sounding like they were in a rather large nest of newborn chirping chicks.
Hermione turned to Ginny, who looked rather exasperated.
"I guess we should help the, before we go any further." She sighed as she started to repair the wall they had just burst through.
"Right." Hermione walked into the middle of the hallway, the bound victims all rolling around to get a good look at her. "Hello, everyone." She started, a bit unsure of what to say. "I'm going to help you get out of here, but-er- we need you to help each other so we, so we can, um-" she made a wave-like motion with her hands- "go."
A sea of gagged heads nodded.
"Hermione!" Ginny yelled from the wall, which was giving her a bit of trouble putting itself back together. "We've been making quite a bit of noise- I would get a move on if I were you!"
"Right." Hermione stated again, now wracking her brain for the counter-jinx. Forget it; she would just tear those ropes.
"Relashio!" she repeated again and again, pointing at every witch or wizard in her path.
"Where are our wands?" one elder witch cried as she helped her neighbor remove his gag.
"I know!" a young, male voice came from where Hermione had started freeing the captives.
"Go and get them then!" Ginny shouted from the other end of the hall where she too was cutting ropes, the wall now somewhat repaired.
The wizard had just dashed into a door off the side of the hall when a pounding came from a slightly larger door- the entrance, Hermione thought.
"What's going on out there?" A rough voice called out- Hermione froze, that wasn't an Australian accent she heard-
"IMPEDIMENTA!" Hermione hollered, hoping her spell could make it through the door- a strangled yell of fury told her that it probably did. "Ginny- protego on three!" Ginny nodded, running over to Hermione to reduce the distance between her and the entrance.
"One…Two…" Hermione raised her wand. "THREE!"
"PROTEGO!" their voices echoed throughout the passage, the force of their combined spells blasting their way to stop and slam themselves against the door.
Hermione turned back to the ministry workers- most of them were done, the young man had returned with the wands and was now handing them out randomly, allowing for more people to free others.
"Hermione" Ginny's voice was strangled, nervous. "What now? Should we wait- or leave-or- like make a trap- or…"
Trap. That wasn't all that bad. But it would waste time, and they didn't know how many they could trap…
"We should find a way back to the others." Hermione said, hopefully with what seemed like a convincing tone. "Once we get them, we can concentrate on getting out of here."
Ginny nodded seriously. "First though-" She began as their shield charms started to shake, "I want to send a Patronus to the Ministry."
Not a bad idea, actually. Hermione shook her head in agreement, then going off to help the remaining of those who were still bound. It seemed like everyone else was fleeing out of a door to their right- Hermione made a mental note as she pulled the gag out of the mouth of a young child, his mother struggling against her own bonds.
"Thank you." She breathed, picking up her toddler and rushing to the open door.
Hermione felt a rush of anger- how dare those Death Eaters continue their rampage of pain and torture? This thing was supposed to be over already.
A pearly white horse galloped past her in a whoosh of air and light, sending dazzling beams of radiance all over the torn ropes coating the hallway's floor. Hermione watched as it traveled right out of the wall, hopefully prancing to help.
A sudden bang against the entrance brought Hermione back to her fear.
"This way, Ginny!" she shouted, waving towards the door. Ginny was helping an elderly man- the one who had been at the front desk earlier today, Hermione realized- hobble down the hallway, he didn't look like he was in good shape.
She helped them through the doorway, again her and Ginny placing a strong shield charm on the door. They were in a separate hallway, but this one, like the atrium, was surrounded by water, the walls indiscernible because of their transparent barrier between them and the water outside.
There was a loud crash outside of the door they had just sealed- they broke through the hall entrance, Hermione concluded as her, Ginny, and the receptionist- Larry, she thought- ran down the hall. There was no trace of any other person- had Hermione steered them into the wrong hallway?
"Here! Here!" Larry cried, when they had reached a large starfish resting upon the translucent wall.
They walked straight through the wall, finding themselves in a small room with very, very tall ceilings. There were staircases all along the long walls, and, Hermione saw, doors at the top- this was a way out-
Larry shuffled over to the stairs, his co-workers far ahead of him on their way up, some already reaching the doors-
Hermione and Ginny were still at the base of the tall room, unsure of where to go- what should they do? Ginny was looking frantically around, as if there would be a sign back to the atrium, her hair falling out of it's ponytail, her face frenzied- Hermione discovered her expression was the same-
"Go back to the hall!" Old Larry called out from the staircase, which was now moving- like an escalator, Hermione saw someone from above bewitched it for him…
"Turn at the bass!" He apparently had comprehended their situation.
"Thank you!" Ginny called back up to him, grabbing Hermione's free hand and together they ran back out into the ocean hall.
They weren't alone.
"THERE!" a masked figure cried, the first in a crowd of people, panic clutched Hermione's brain, she couldn't think, move- they had made it through her charm-
Ginny turned abruptly, dragging Hermione with her, dodging the flashes of green and red light, and sending them right through the wall…
Hermione had kept running, but she was sinking, something pressed around her- water! She grabbed Ginny's hand tighter, she couldn't lose her- she went to breath- shit- water, right-
She took a long breath- that bubble-head charm was useful- she aimed one at Ginny, who gave her a thumbs up-
They were treading water in the middle of a deep blue abyss, darker then what was outside the hallway they had just sprung from, and all around them was-
Jellyfish.
They were pale, glowing in the faint light, like orbs, orbs in the darkness…
Hermione had another, jutting image of orbs in darkness, but this time it was a hallway, and the orbs were prophecies, Ginny was running alongside her that time too…
Ginny tugged Hermione's hand- She was pointing to something below them- it was flowers, or a crop of some kind- they were in the middle of a field, a field of underwater plants…
Ginny tugged Hermione's hand again, more urgently this time- she wasn't pointing to the crops, Hermione comprehended, but what was at the edge of one field- a large, wooden-
"Oor!" Ginny managed through the bubble.
Hermione nodded and started swimming to the random underwater doorway, it was hard, their robes pulling them down, she strained, kicking along time with Ginny, every so often blasting a jellyfish out of their path.
Soon they were there, Ginny grabbing on to the doorknob as her feet floated above her- Hermione felt an inkling of dread- what was behind that door? But it was too late, Ginny- pushing off of Hermione, had opened the door- a suction was pulling them in-
Hermione fell to the floor with a splat- she was soaked, but out of the ocean, Ginny still latched on to her hand.
They were in a white room- white walls, floor, and ceiling. She propped herself up, helping Ginny, who was coughing up water- Her bubble-head charm had worn off at last second. Then there was a blast-
Hermione felt herself be picked up by a strong, forceful wind, air pressing against every surface that was her body, her hair whipping around her-
And then it was over.
She fell back to the floor- completely dry. Ginny was in front of her, looking bewildered. She felt her hair- it was bushier and frizzier then it had been in years- She quickly charmed it up into a tight bun, her wand still a bit damp, she discovered.
There was a few silent seconds as both Hermione and Ginny regained their breath. Hermione felt like she had just been run over by the Knight Bus.
Ginny stood up. "Shall we?" she asked, her voice bemused. Hermione looked at what she was pointing too- it was a door, hard to see against the starch white walls. Ginny pushed on it; it opened to a-
"Is this a storeroom?" Ginny asked, looking at all the rakes and baskets, shearing clippers and rain boots.
Hermione followed her out of the door, it closing itself behind her.
"It's a changing room-" she said quietly, examining the gardening tools. "For the people who cultivate those plant things…"
A loud, wind like sound came from the white room. Someone must have followed us, Hermione thought, her heartbeat racing again as she fell in step behind Ginny, running away from the lockers-
They ran down rows of the agricultural closets, their shoes clicking loudly against the tile.
"Here!" Ginny whispered, pointing to a door in the corner. They wrenched it open just as they heard voices echo across the storeroom…
Now they were dashing though another hallway, almost identical to the one they had rescued the bound workers, except this one didn't have ropes strew all over the floor-
Hermione was following Ginny again, thinking of their options- they could either wander around, lost in this strange complex, trying not to be caught- or-
She nearly collided into a wall at a sharp turn.
Or, she continued her run through of their alternatives; they could go back to the ocean hallway and look for the Bass dear old Larry had mentioned- But, the thought almost made her laugh- she didn't have the faintest clue what the difference between a bass or any other kind of fish would be…
Ginny darted into an open doorway, Hermione close at her heels. Footsteps could be heard behind them…
They now were in another stairwell room- but this time besides the spindly stairs leading to the levels above, there was a large main staircase that possibly could lead to the-
"Atrium?" Hermione asked, out of breath.
"Worth a try." Ginny set off climbing the stairs, Hermione pausing to catch her breath before following her.
They walked straight through the wall at the top of the stairs, flinching a bit when they found themselves facing a moment of blindness- maybe a moment that would cost them something dear-
And they were in the Atrium. Hermione sighed a breath of relief.
They were apparently alone.
"See anything?" Ginny asked, peering at all the corners.
"Mh! Hmmurgh Rumph!"
Hermione looked at Ginny. If it wasn't her- and she sure it wasn't- then it had to be that they weren't alone in this massive, but rather uncluttered, lobby.
If fact the only thing really there was a desk-
Hermione ran over to it, the muffled voice getting louder, she peeked over the edge of the large, wooden structure only to find a gagged, tied, Mrs. Weasley.
"MUM!" Ginny cried, taking the gag out of her mouth as Hermione tackled the ropes. Mrs. Weasley had visibly been crying, her wrists chapped and red from where her cables had bitten into her skin.
Ginny had started to massage feeling into her Mother's hand. Hermione took the other one, feeling Mrs. Weasley wince as blood rushed back into her fingers.
"Where is everyone else?" Ginny asked quietly- Hermione glanced up to the wall where they had just emerged, hoping they had lost whoever was tailing them…
"Something caused quite an upheaval." Mrs. Weasley whispered back with a small, strong smile. "Then they took the boys and me and put us in the hall-" She shuddered- "They took our wands and where discussing where you two could have gone when there was a bang- in that direction" She jerked her head to the left- "And then when they finally had gotten in, the people they had tied up, apparently had gone- they took the boys and- and-" She flexed her wrists- "and ran after you."
Hermione looked around, anxiously. Had everyone gone after her? Where there still lookouts for Mrs. Weasley?
She sat back down, a wave of hunger making her quake. She had forgotten she was hungry.
BANG.
The doors leading to the fire room had been slammed open- voices were arguing- Hermione thought she heard something familiar-
"MUM?" one asked- Ron? Hermione's heart skipped a beat.
"Shuddup, you," It was female, mocking, cold-
CRACK.
The resounding sound filled the room; it echoed, Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley keeping themselves as close to the desk as they could manage-
More voices- Australian and- British? Hermione's heart lurched again-
"MUM!" Ron called out again among the screams and spells- lights flashed-
Hermione stood up; ready to take on what was out there-
Death Eaters were in the middle of the room, one was trying to Aperate, and it wasn't working-
Surrounding them was Australian Aurors, Hermione guessed as she ran out behind the desk- there also was people she recognized- Ginny's Patronus!
Ron was thrown in a corner, still tied- She ducked underneath a jet of red light, running, the mahogany floors clunking with her every step-
"HERMIONE!" he yelled as she got closer, running and trying to jinx someone who was aiming their wand at her at the same time…
"WHAT?" that was Harry; now dueling with someone she didn't know against the Death Eater she had just missed-
"HERMIONE!" Ron yelled back to him, ropes gone, now trying to get up-Hermione pushed him back down as purple flames just missed their heads.
"HARRY!" Ginny had joined the battle, throwing herself into the din, sending hexes in every direction-
"RON!" Hermione had just looked over her shoulder to where he was only a second before- now he was running toward a fallen Death Eater, abandoned as the fight continued without him.
"PROTEGO!" she shouted, blocking a curse from coming his way as he reached into the black robes pocket, drawing out two wands-
"RON!" Mrs. Weasley was out from behind the desk-gesturing Ron to throw her a wand-
Hermione was weaving in between people, trying to help, not to sure who was what-
"GINNY!" she screeched as a green jet flew in the direction of the redhead, Ginny threw herself to the floor, tripping an Auror-
And then it was over.
Strange, but welcomed silence draped that hall as people slowly began to pick themselves up, a powerful looking man walking between the stunned, wrapping some up securely in thick cords, hovering them above the rest- they were all dressed in black, except for a few-
"Hermione Granger?" a slow, deep voice called as Hermione helped Ginny up-
She turned. It was Kingsley, and behind him was-
"Mum?" Hermione said weakly, before darkness closed up around her, she was falling, down unto the floor…
A/N: How did you like it? I don't feel like proofing, so if you find a mistake, please let me know! And if your sick of the whole death eater thing, then don't worry, I think this might be the last.