Behind us, a woman stood, beckoning us forward.

After Harry and I exchanged a nervous glance, we edged towards her.

"Are you Bathilda?" Harry asked her. She nodded. "Do you have something for us?" She nodded again. "What is it? Where is it?"

She merely beckoned us forward then hobbled away. We followed her to an old looking house. She led the way in and we walked in slowly behind her. I gripped Harry's arm tightly, afraid. Something wasn't right about this. Why wasn't she talking.

Then she motioned at Harry to follow her.

"You want me to go with you?" he asked her kindly. She nodded vigorously. He turned to me. "Hermione, I think she wants me to go with her."

I sighed, putting down the book by Rita Skeeter. "Alright. Let's go."

But Bathilda shook her head at me.

"I think she wants it to be just me," Harry said.

I bit my lip, unsure. But I said, "Alright. Just be careful."

Harry nodded, serious, and followed the batty old woman up the stairs.

When they were gone, I looked around the dirty living room. Something was definitely not right. Why was it so dusty in here? And why were there no pictures in the picture frames? Except the one Harry had looked at. Some boy. Just as I picked it up, I heard a thump from above me.

"Harry?" I called out uncertainly. "Is everything okay?"

No answer.

Looking around, I picked up The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore and then made my way upstairs.

I had just opened the door when I saw Harry trapped by a huge snake.

Panicking, I cried, "Relasho!" at the snake. Nothing happened, only it opening its mouth widely, letting out a hiss.

"Hermione! He's coming!" Harry screamed just as I spun around. Outside, I saw an approaching figure.

Scared, I ran for Harry, cried every spell I could think of, grabbed Harry's hand, looked for his wand, and saw it rolling away, broken. Not thinking, I grabbed his wand, clutched his hand, and Disapparated just as Voldemort got there, letting out a scream of fury that we had just gotten away.

My lungs getting crushed from the pressure, they expanded again when we got inside the tent.

Almost collapsing under his weight, I managed to pull Harry to the bottom bunk. He was sweating and tossing, crying out in his weird sleep.

Putting the book and his broken wand aside, I looked for a rag and a bowl.

"Aquamenti," I murmured, pointing my wand at the empty wand. It filled instantly with water and I dunked the rag in it. I squeezed it and then placed it on his forehead, trying to cool him down.

After several hours, he finally awoke, breathing heavily.

"What-? Where are we?" he asked.

"In the tent. I managed to get us away," I told him. He let out a sigh.

"How long was I out?" he asked me.

"Awhile. It's almost morning now," I replied. His eyes widened in shock. "I cleaned up the snake bite and I had to use the Severing Charm to get the Horcrux off of you."

His eyes moved to where I hung it hours ago.

"I used the Essence of Dittany, so you should be okay," I told him. He stood up suddenly and swayed. I gripped him just in case, but he shook me off.

"Hermione, you get some sleep," he told me, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Just give me my wand and I'll let you go."

I bit my lip nervously. "Um, Harry…."

He eyed me suspiciously. "Hermione, where' my wand?"

"Oh, Harry! When you were attacked by the snake, I was sending spells everywhere and I think…I think one of them hit your wand! I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright, Hermione, it was an accident," Harry said mechanically. "I'll just have to use your wand, then."

Still worried, I handed over my wand and watched him leave. Then, exhausted, I crawled into my own bed and was asleep instantly.

Harry woke me what seemed like moments later and said he thought he heard someone walking around, so we decided to Disapparate under the Cloak and arrived in a new place.

That night, I took watched and thought I saw someone walking. I reported this to Harry when he took over. We did this for several days, but it didn't matter, whenever we would take watch, it was like someone was out there.

On one of the days Harry was taking watch, I decided to read The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore. And I saw a letter from Dumbledore to Grindlewald.

Getting up, I walked out to where Harry was sitting.

I crouched beside him and told him about it. We both read the letter and Harry, I could tell, was angry. I instantly regretted showing him the letter.

"He was only seventeen, Harry," I said as if this would help absolve Dumbledore of what he did, but Harry shook his head.

"We're seventeen, Hermione," Harry said fiercely, "and we're fighting the Dark Arts, not working with them."

I sighed and walked back in, letting my hand brush over his head. When would Harry see that Dumbledore really did care about him? And that this was just a test? Another one for Harry?

I sat back in the chair and kept reading before it was my turn.

The next night, Harry took shift, so I went to bed early after reading some more of the Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore. Soon, I was asleep.

"Hermione, Hermione, wake up," Harry said, shaking me.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked him immediately, trying to get the sleep out of my eyes.

"Nothing's wrong! Everything's right!" Harry said. I looked at him, trying to figure out what he was saying.

"What are you talking about, Harry?" I asked him, confused.

"Guess who's come back." And then he slipped away.

And then I saw him, dripping wet, holding a sword and the Horcrux. I blinked.

Relief, happiness, joy, excitement all rushed through me at once while I stared at him. He held out his arms, a hopeful smile on his face. And then anger and resentment burst through, sending me in a fury.

I ran at him, hitting every inch of him that I could find.

"Ouch! Ouch! Gerroff me, Hermione!" he cried out, covering his face against my blows.

"You – complete – arse - Ronald Weasley!" With every word, I hit him. Again and again. I was so angry! How could he just waltz back in like this? After what he put us through? After what he put me through! I hit him again!

No! he was not going to come back! Not like this! He was not getting off easily!

I yelled at him while Harry kept trying to tell me that Ronald had saved his life. But I barely heard him. Words, sentences that I didn't even hear myself say as Ron just stood there and took it all, not even trying to defend himself against them.

Finally, I stopped yelling and stepped back, breathing heavily. Ron looked relieved.

"Goodnight," I said curtly, getting back into bed. I pulled the covers over my head, but I was no longer tired. I was still angry, but at the same time, I was happy. Ron was back. Ron was really back. I smiled a wide smile just as I heard Ron say, "Remember those birds? I'm glad she didn't do that this time."

The smile slid off my face like mud. "I still haven't ruled that out yet."

Silence.

Contented, I settled down under the covers and fell back asleep.