Chapter 33

The Decisions and the Deceased.

Hermione couldn't believe they had actually gotten to this point. After all these years, all the preparation, they were finally in the belly of the beast. It was almost unreal. What they were about to do…

"Very well," Snape hissed. "Now, the plan is for Draco and I to ambush the Death Eaters. This will eventually unravel, which is why we must get some help. Potter, here is your cloak, which we found about your person. Put Longbottom under it and he will be able to escape, if he doesn't do anything predictable, like trip all over the thing."

"Don't worry about that," Neville said sharply, taking the cloak.

"Yes, I have the utmost faith in you," Snape said blithely. "The rest of you, follow, but keep out of sight."

They did so, creeping out into the hall, Harry still watching Snape without trust. They were on the ground floor, and Snape told everyone but Neville to stay back, casually opening the double doors of the front entrance and peering out He waited for a minute, then turned a hissed "Longbottom! Come on!" Hermione saw a wind flutter near a table of plants in the Entrance Hall she didn't remember being there before, and heard footsteps retreating from that spot. After a few seconds, presumably Neville slipped past Snape and he shut the doors. No sooner did they do that than they heard more, louder footsteps. Snape gestured at them and everyone but Draco retreated to the Great Hall. Two Death Eaters entered. Their hoods were down, so Hermione recognized them as Macnair, the man who had attempted to execute Buckbeak and a man she thought was called Avery.

"What are you doin' here, Snape?" Macnair asked curiously. "I thought you and the kid were supposed the be guarding Potter."

"There was a…disturbance," Snape said casually.

"A disturbance?" Avery said.

"Yes. A disturbance." Snape calmly stated as Malfoy came up behind Macnair and stunned him without saying a word. As the man fell to the floor, Avery turned around, his mouth agape and reaching for his wand, but Snape whipped out his own wand and hit him with his own Stunning Spell.

"Can't allow them to wake up, take their wands and lock them in a closet or something," Snape said to Malfoy as the rest of them moved into join. Malfoy obeyed, dragging their bodies out of sight.

"So we just go on like this?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If any of you have come up with a superior plan, then by all means, tell me," Snape said.

"I-" Luna began.

"Except for her."

Malfoy came trudging back, glaring at them all sullenly. Ron turned to Luna.

"Do you really have a plan?"

"Well, yes, but it would require a unicorn being present," Luna shrugged. "What I was trying to say, somebody is watching us. And not just Peeves in the ceiling."

"What?" Hermione looked up to see the grinning poltergeist above them, watching with interest. "What's he doing-?"

"Wait, who's watching us?" Harry said.

"Somebody," Luna said succinctly.

"O-kay." Harry rubbed his head. "Well, this is going lovely.

Luna stared at the staircase blankly. Hermione was half listening to the conversation and trying to hear what Snape and Malfoy were talking about. Something about Malfoy's revenge or whatever…Snape was saying they needed to hurry and finish off the other Death Eaters, which they did…no time for-

" Hope Peeves isn't planning to throw those water balloons at US, because that's very ru- Oh no." Luna stopped midsentence. "LOOK OUT!" Very suddenly the dishwater blonde tackled Hermione out of the way of a rushing pink light, which hit Luna in the chest instead. They both fell to the ground, Luna sprawled across Hermione.

Bellatrix had stepped out from behind the staircase.

"Expelliarmus!" She cried, and a shocked Snape's wand went flying out of his hand. "I knew you were up to something, Severus. You fooled everybody else…the Dark Lord himself, even…but you never fooled me. Who's the favorite now?"

Luna was breathing very raggedly, but she seemed fine. Hermione saw Harry slowly raise his wand.

"Don't even think about it, Potter," Bellatrix still had her wand trained on Snape. "They're coming."

Just as she said that, they heard footsteps. And indeed, they came. Fenrir Greyback entered, loping on all fours and snarling. Peter Pettigrew came down the stairs, followed by four anonymous hooded Death Eaters…then four more…and four more. Hermione felt her heart race. Luna's breathing was growing shallower and shallower.

Dead silence filled the room. All of them were frozen. Trapped. There was no way they could win. Bellatrix chuckled hollowly.

And then…

"Peeves." Luna broke the silence in a strangled whisper.

Seemingly from and invisible hand, water balloons crashed down on Bellatrix and the rest of the Death Eaters. Then the room exploded. Curses began flying everywhere, the Death Eaters sufficiently distracted and blinded, and Peeves zoomed away cackling. Luna, however, was convulsing spastically in Hermione's arms.

"Luna!" Hermione places her on the ground, fumbling for her wand, eyes wide. "Luna, are you all right?"

"Yes," Luna managed to say. "Except I seem to be dying."

"No, you're not! I won't let you!" Hermione said fiercely. Her mind searched it's vast library frantically, trying to figure out what sort of curse Bellatrix had uised. "Just hang on, all right? Hang on!"

"All right, then," Luna said, her eyes fluttering. "But I don't think there's a counter curse here, though I may be wrong."

"Of course you're wrong," Hermione said frantically. "But me, I'm right a lot of the time…" She realized she didn't have her bag with her. She had lost it along the way somewhere. "Oh no….oh NO."

Luna was going into a convulsive seizure now, drooling all over the place, her body bucking like a horse. Hermione tried to stabilize her, make sure she didn't bash her head or bite off her tongue, tears running thickly down her cheeks, because she recognized the curse now. seizure, hemorrhaging…and Luna was right…there was no counter curse. There was nothing Hermione could do.

"Luna…Luna…" Hermione choked through her tears as the seizure calmed down. "Luna…thank you…for saving me. Thank you. I don't deserve it after the way I treated you as first…oh please…"

"S'okay," Luna managed to croak. "S'little…loony…me…"

"No, no you aren't," Hermione sobbed, cradling Luna's head as curses zoomed over her. "You aren't at all. You…you're the one person I know who doesn't hide themselves…who truly knows who…who they are. You have faith in things…you believe…that's something I wish I could do…have faith. When I called you silly…what was I talking about? This is a world with magic after all…how am I to say there isn't a…such…thing…as…as a Crumple Horned Sn-Snorkack? How am I-?" Hermione broke off, sobbing. Luna smiled at her peacefully.

"S'okay. You're…friend. Never had…that…before…"

"Yes…you're a wonderful friend. A best friend," Hermione could barely get the words out through her tears.

Luna closed her eyes as Hermione gripped her hand. "Good…tell…Dad…I….loveim…kay?" She coughed up blood and sighed. "Mum…"

"No…no…don't go!" Hermione squeezed Luna's hand desperately as her shoulders relax. "No, Luna, PLEASE! YOU CAN'T! LUNA!"

But it was too late. Hermione could feel the life leaving Luna Lovegood and going somewhere she couldn't see.

"No...No…" she gripped Luna's hand and sobbed. "No! It's all…my fault…"

"Hermione!" Harry had stopped beside her. "Hermione, what's wrong with Luna? She's okay, isn't she?"

Hermione shook her head, unable to speak anymore as her body shook.

Harry collapsed on his knees. "No…" he echoed Hermione bleakly. "No, this can't be-

"HARRY!" Ron screamed. "LOOK OUT!"

That's when a snarling Fenrir Greyback knocked Harry away from Hermione and across the floor.

-Cassandra (Batgirl): No…this is…why does everybody I care about die?

Stephanie (Spoiler/Robin IV): Because you care about everybody. And everybody dies.

- Batgirl Issue: Revelations