The wind swept at her hair, knotting the already tangled mass of curls she had tried to throw out of her face. But the airport only had convertibles available for hire cars at the time. A ridiculous notion, Hermione thought absently.
Although she couldn't deny that the summer breeze provided her some tranquillity. Peace to be able to reflect on her thoughts; the juxtaposition the comparison proposed from her own life was almost laughable. But the same thought blazed through her mind as she drove, as it had done for a while now - something was wrong with Harry.
Hermione would have been glad to leave Harry to her own devices, trusting she would come to her friend with her problems when the time was right. Just like Harry had always done.
But she hadn't.
No calls in nearly two months. No letters. Not a single Patronus. Hermione had received no communication from her friend, other than the occasional text. The only proof that Harry was still alive.
If it weren't for the magical laws Hermione were still bound to, she would have tried to apperate over to Harry's house straight away. Instead, Hermione had taken a few weeks off work and packed a bag for a holiday to Mystic Falls. But as she passed the 'Welcome' sign, she could only hope that Harry hadn't gotten herself into a mess. Though, her expectations were lowering by the second.
The address was simple enough to find, Harry having provided the basic information to her friend before she had even moved out to America. But Hermione's concern only increased as she pulled up to Harry's house. Quickly jumping out of the car, pushing the sunglasses back from her face, she walked up the overgrown garden towards the front door.
Three knocks.
No answer.
Four knocks.
No answer.
"Excuse me?" A blonde short-haired lady in uniform asked from the driveway next door. "Are you looking for someone?"
'Clearly.' Hermione thought agitatedly, though reigned in her temper. "Yes Ma'am. I'm looking for Lyra Evans. Have you happened to have seen her lately?"
The woman moved her hand up to cover her eyes from the fierce rays of the sun that were beaming down on this summer's day. "You're English too. One of her friends from back home?"
"Yes, we went to the same boarding school. I was hoping to check up on her." Hermione explained patiently, glad of her young appearance.
"I'm sorry, she hasn't been back for a month or so. Thought she went back to England for the holidays?" The lady asked confused.
No, that couldn't have been right. Harry would have told Hermione if she was heading back to England, of that she was sure. They shared a house for merlin's sake. But she couldn't as well tell that to the lady in front of her.
"Ah, that's unfortunate. I'll have to try to catch on the phone again." Hermione said, walking back down the pathway towards her car. "Try to find out when she's back."
The blonde woman nodded, though asking, "What's your name?"
"Jean. Jean Black." Hermione lied. Knowing the mess that Harry had likely gotten herself into, Hermione decided that MACUSA shouldn't know where she was. The fake ID only added to the number of favours Hermione needed to pay Kingsley back for.
"Nice to meet you, Jean. I'm Sheriff Forbes. I'll let Lyra know that you stopped by when I see her next." The woman said kindly, turning back around to get into her own car.
Hermione took a minute to lean against her car to stare at the house in front of her. Oh Harry, you have royally fucked up here. Jumping back in, she set her Satnav for the other location that Hermione knew Harry might be at, or at least where she might be able to find answers.
Hermione enjoyed the views as she drove through the scenic areas. It was nothing compared to the beauty of the highlands of Scotland, but it had its own personality. As if the land were speaking to her directly. Like it was alive.
The building she approached was grander than she had expected. Though she shouldn't be surprised, as it was in fact a boarding house. The old stone structure was something she could appreciate architecturally.
Securely parking the car, she cautiously walked towards the wooden front door, though empty cans lined the driveway, a crinkled 'Happy Birthday' banner lining the door. This didn't deter Harry from knocking gently.
A few seconds passed.
A minute.
She knew there were people inside, a row of parked cars lined the house already. Or maybe people had abandoned them after the party had finished, Hermione thought. She was about to knock again when she caught the faint sound of footsteps approaching from the other side. The door squeaked as it opened, sending Hermione's teeth grating. She hated that sound.
A man stood before her. Bare except for the yellow towel that was wrapped around his waist. There was a smirk on his face, though it slowly started to falter when Hermione didn't drop her gaze lower than his shoulders.
"What can I do for you?" The dark haired man said, eyes twinkling playfully.
"I'm looking for Damon Salvatore?" Hermione queried. Harry had mentioned the vampire a lot; complained might have been a more accurate description but Hermione could tell that she cared for him.
The man's playfulness dropped, along with the remaining aspect of his smirk. A frown and creased brows replaced them, but he still did not answer the question. He just continued to stare at her, as if he were looking at a complicated puzzle. Hermione persisted, not deterred by the lack of response, "I'm looking for Lyra Evans? I was hoping that Mr Salvatore would have some answers."
The dark haired man rubbed at his piercing blue eyes tiredly. "She's left town for a while."
Hermione did not like the sound of that. "Has she gone travelling?"
"Something along those lines. I'm sure she'll be in touch soon." He said, trying to close the door in her face.
Hermione jammed her foot in the door, trying to hide the wince as a shooting pain went through her leg when the heavy wood hit. She rested the palm of her hand on the door as she moved her face closer to Damon, asking, "Does the name 'Harry' mean anything to you?
The man's eyes widened, blazing with recognition as the pieces of the puzzle finally fit into place within his mind. He pulled the door open wider once again as he said, "You're one of them aren't you? Harry has a photo of you in her kitchen, you were both with the red headed family."
Blowing a sigh of relief, Hermione now knowing the man in front of her had taken a blood oath. The last thing she wanted was the Ministry apperating to arrest her as soon as she uttered any information about magic.
She stuck out her hand in greeting. He stared at it dumb founded, before taking it in his strong grip. "I'm Hermione Granger, and you are?"
"Damon Salvatore." He replied in kind, the hostility in his eyes receding by the second.
"Pleasure."
~
A now fully dressed Damon sat with his hand wrapped around his bourbon glass, fingers tapping lightly against the rim, the sound echoing across the library. His eyes took in the woman before him; her long curly hair, the brown eyes that stared directly at him, the slight defensiveness in her posture. She gently chewed on her bottom lip as her eyes frantically moved about in their sockets, looking as if she were solving an invisible equation.
The witch broke the silence first, having now processed the information that Damon had provided. Details on what had happened to Harry. "What an idiot." She said, rubbing at her face. "Have you got any leads on where they might be?"
Damon shook his head. Since Katherine had brought him the cure whilst he had led dying on his deathbed, he had tried everything he could think of to find the two people that were stupid enough to sign their lives over to Klaus for him. Even taking a short trip to England, trying to find any magical folk that may be able to help him. Though being bound by the blood-oath made that incredibly difficult.
But the lack of results in the near two months that he had been looking was not promising. He was kicking himself that he had not endured his relationship with Andy for longer; she could have proven useful with her contacts around the US. And now that Liz had vervain circulating around Mystic Falls, he couldn't even compel anyone at the news station to search for information about mysterious attacks.
"No." Damon voiced frustratedly. "The only idea that floated around my mind was one that Harry had said about a few months ago. About someone named 'The Cavalry'. Pretty stupid nickname if you ask me."
Hermione visibly straightened as she said, "I'm inclined to agree with you on that one."
"Have you got any ideas on how we could find them?" Damon asked seriously. Hermione might be able to provide some witchy assistance, since Bonnie had been dragged away for the Summer break to spend time with her father.
"Maybe, but I had hoped to never use it." The woman said, as she gripped hold of the silver coin tightly within her hand, the one that dangled just above her chest. Apart from it being attached to a thin chain, it just looked like a regular coin to Damon.
Damon's confusion must have shown on his face. "One thing you need to know about Harry is that she is bound to get into trouble." Hermione huffed out, blowing a piece of her from her face. "I created these coins in our fifth year of Hogwarts to use as communication devices; long story for another time. But after we left school, Harry kept finding herself in dangerous situations. I kept getting calls from the hospital telling me to pick her up."
Hermione shook her head as she continued, "After the fourth time, a horrible instance in the Amazon rainforest, I was terrified that she could be bleeding out somewhere and I wouldn't be able to find her. Her magic…developed after the Battle of Hogwarts. Normal tracking spells don't work on her, it's as if someone's shielding her from sight."
Damon scrunched his eyebrows, getting up to grab another drink. "What does this have to do with the coin in your hand?"
"Whilst she was unconscious in the hospital, I took Harry's coin and cast another spell on the two of ours. I linked them in a different way you see, so that I could…track it." Hermione said, trailing off at the end.
"That's a bit stalkerish, princess." Damon said, carefully filling his glass.
Hermione's eyes drilled holes into his back. "Try having a best friend as martyrish as Harry."
Damon hummed, turning back around to face her. "Why not try looking for that before now? And what even makes you think she has the silly coin on her anyway?"
Hermione blew out a breath, acting as if she were explaining basic math to a four year old. "I had never intended to use it unless I thought she was dead, and she had still been texting me. I must admit that it does violate a lot of rules. But now I know she's with an Original Vampire turned Hybrid, that changes things." She said firmly. "As for why she would have the coin on her, have you ever seen her without a necklace on?"
Damon searched through his memories of Harry, her pretty face radiating within his mind. But as he focused…."No, she always had a necklace on." He said, picturing the faint chain around her neck. He had never really noticed.
Hermione seemed pleased with herself, "And what was on the necklace?"
Damon smirked widened, thinking about the only time it had been displayed. When she had worn a that white dress to the sixties dance. "A coin."
~
If she hadn't provided her word that she would protect Klaus to the best of her ability, she would have killed him by now. Brutally murdered him. She had thought about the ways to kill him in depth whilst she had been shoved into the backseat of the car, forced to travel across America with only Stefan and Klaus for company.
Klaus had led them on a wild goose chase trying to find werewolves, for a purpose that Harry hadn't been able to figure out. She didn't think Stefan knew either, not that she would ask him. He had turned into a pompous arsehole since they had left Mystic Falls, clearly trying to put on a good show for Klaus.
But to no avail, they had not found a single werewolf in the near two months that they had been travelling, only being provided pointers on where one could potentially be.
Klaus had not taken her to investigate the leads once in the whole summer, had always left her alone within the motels that they were staying at. She knew he didn't trust her; was probably the only smart decision he had ever made. And Harry couldn't find it in herself to complain about being left behind, having already been subject to witnessing Stefan feed. How he had torn his poor victims apart. Any further atrocities the two of them committed, Harry did not want to glimpse.
Which explained her surprised when Klaus had asked her to join himself and Stefan at the bar down the road. Knew that Klaus must have lucked out on finding a werewolf. Her suspicions were only confirmed when they entered, Stefan at once compelling all the humans present.
"Let's get a round in." Klaus urged, calling the bartender over.
"So, you found a werewolf then?" Harry asked, stalking to the back of the bar, hoping to get the furthest seat away from Klaus possible. Content, she sunk into her chair, which creaked under her weight, and threw her feet up on the table casually.
"We have." Klaus said with glee. An emotion that Harry could not reciprocate as the Hybrid strode towards her table, drinks in hand. Klaus sat directly opposite her, Stefan in tow. Though the latter did not sit, only leant against the back wall, arms crossed against his chest. The definition of brooding.
"Now are you going to explain what you're planning on doing?" Harry asked, picking up the pint of beer that placed in front of her, taking a sip. Not her drink of choice but considering they were in Texas, it was the obvious selection.
Klaus leant closer to Harry, resting his folded arms on the table. His elbow brushed against her ankle, making her go still. The Hybrid continued, "You see, I would, but you have proven that you are more than capable of sabotage."
Harry's lips thinned, knowing that any argument she put forward would be a waste of breath. That's all Harry and Klaus had seemed to do this summer - fight. But whereas Harry became flustered, not able to hex him into oblivion, Klaus only ever seemed amused. Like he were watching his favourite TV show.
The bell above the door rang, signalling to the three of them that another person had entered. A man in red flannel shirt strode towards the bar, quickly ordering a beer as well. Harry noticed as Klaus looked towards Stefan, the Hybrid giving the slightest of nods, "Show time."
There Harry sat. She endured as both Klaus and Stefan taunted the werewolf that had just entered the bar. She listened as they threatened him. Demanded the location of his pack.
This was the hardest part, Harry found; doing nothing.
Her Gryffindor blood sang, begged for her to fight. But she couldn't. She had provided her word of protect Klaus. And she knew all the horror stories about him were true. Unless she wanted to live under a Fidelius Charm for the rest of her days, to constantly be looking over her shoulder, always hiding her family and friends, she could not cross him. He would hunt her.
But by teasing the poor werewolf, Klaus also let slip of what he wanted to do, what his plans were; to make more Hybrids.
When they began torturing Ray though, Harry rose to her feet. She couldn't live with herself if she let this happen. Damn the consequences. She was reaching for her wand when she felt the presence behind her, the hand that was wrapped tightly around her wrist. "Don't do something you'll regret, Henrietta." Klaus whispered, "If you help Ray escape, I will kill everyone else in this bar."
Harry tried to pull out of his grip, but his pressure only increased. "Stop with the torture act, Klaus." She demanded, watching as Stefan tied Ray before the dark board. How he swirled the darts themselves in a mixture of wolfsbane.
"But that's what makes this so fun." Klaus grinned, his close proximity to Harry making the hairs on the back of her neck stand. As if he could tell, Harry saw from the corner of her eye as the Hybrid's smile widened. Ray's screams continued to ricochet off of the walls.
Harry visibly winced.
The next second, Klaus was dragging Harry by the arm out of the bar. The witch followed without much of a fight, only slightly tripping over her own feet as he tugged her through the door. The warm air hit her, her lungs taking in the fresh smells of the summer, with a flight pang on petrol in the mists. Night had already settled, the moon way above its peak, morning not far from overlapping.
"We can handle this from here, sweetheart. Go back to the motel." Klaus said as he opened the car door for her.
"What? So, you can torture the innocent man in peace?" She exclaimed back.
Klaus tilted his head to the side, hands resting above the car window, "All werewolves have to kill an innocent in order to trigger their curse, you know."
That was…true. Harry snapped her mouth shut, waiting to see if Klaus would extend on his point like she knew he would. "As much as I admire your resolution in believing that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, that is not how the world works. It's an unfair, cruel place where the superior species, such as I, feed on the weakest in the food chain. Now, either you can join me on this hunt for the werewolves, with no further resistance, or I can kill every single person in every bar we stop in for the next ten months."
Harrys eyes squinted, "You wouldn't." She said, calling his bluff.
"Try me." Klaus dared.
Once again in her life, it seems as if she was going to have to pick the lesser of the two evils. "Fine." She said, grinding her teeth together in frustration whilst agreeing to his terms.
Klaus smiled, walking back into the bar. If only he knew that a Reaper lurked within Ray's shadow. That the werewolf was marked for permanent death.
~
Later that day Harry found herself levitating Ray's dead body behind her, high enough off the ground to not get caught in the foliage around them. Not her finest hour, she would have say. But she continued to put one foot in front of the other as they trekked up the Smoky mountains. Klaus and Stefan were just ahead of her, conversing quietly.
"Is Ray getting heavy sweetheart?" Klaus called out from in front of her, his voice grating at her fraying nerves. "You know, we've been walking for quite some time now. Do you need some water or a little sit down?"
Arsehole.
"Stop being a patronising twat." Harry argued, not raising her voice, knowing the Hybrid would be able to hear even the smallest intake of breath. Just like Harry could hear the chuckle that Klaus produced.
"Now now, I was only trying to be considerate." Klaus voiced, dropping back from Stefan to walk by her side.
"In order to be considerate, you need to possess empathy. Neither of which you are capable of." Harry said honestly, not turning her head to look at him.
"How you wound me with your words, dear Henrietta." Klaus uttered, Harry catching in her peripheral vision as he brought a hand up to his chest in false hurt as they continued to hike. Harry would be surprised if he actually had a real beating heart beneath his skin. That it hadn't turned to stone over the last thousand years he had been walking the earth.
"As I've given my word to protect you for the next year, I'll have to fine tune my vocabulary if that is the only way to torture you." Harry only half joked, finally rotating to look towards the Hybrid. But he was already glancing at her, a wicked smile on his face.
"Looks like the kitten has claws after all." Klaus jested, mouth still pulled to one side.
Harry had a retort on the tip of her tongue but was interrupted as Stefan circled back to them, irritation written all over his face. "Can we stop with the chit-chat?" He asked.
"Your self-loathing is suffocating you, my friend." Klaus replied, edging around a corner, the tree-lined path they were following bending into an opening. "Not to worry, we've found ourselves some entertainment."
As Harry rounded the bend, she could see Ray's pack setting up camp within the clearing. Back packs were thrown across the forest floor as over twenty people gathered. Some were chatting happily, others setting up tents, some taking a moment to have a breather after a long walk. But the most noticeable aspect that Harry observed were the Reapers that lurked behind every figure before her.
All of these werewolves were marked for death.
Their heads started to swirl towards the three people that had made an entrance, Harry instantly dropping the magic that was still levitating Ray. She did not want to add another problem to the list if they were to start blabbing about magic to other muggles. But even she did not think they would live long enough to tell the tale.
As Ray's body hit the floor with a resounding thud, a brown short-haired woman immediately ran forward, falling to her knees. She was mumbling to herself as she checked her friend's heartbeat, only to become more disheartened when she couldn't find one.
Eyes that were filled with hatred flicked towards her as the woman on the floor asked, "Who are you?"
Harry opened her mouth to say something, anything, but no noise came out. A presence moved to her side, for once feeling grateful to hear Klaus's voice, "The important question is, who am I? Forgive our intrusion. My name is Klaus."
Instantly, the woman stood, backing away from the three of them. "You're the Hybrid." She stated matter of factly.
"You've heard of me. How delightful." Klaus drawled, but the tone he used even had Harry's bones shaking. The voice of a cold blooded killer.
Klaus moved forward, into the middle of the camp that was currently being made, sitting on the log before the fire. Unwanted images floated around in her head as she tried to supress them. Just like she had done all summer.
"You just couldn't wait could you?" Harry chuckled despite herself. Despite everything that was happening.
The sound of the tent's flaps opening behind her overlapped with the wildlife. His genuine smile, Quidditch on a winter's morning, Christmas, Weasley's. He smelt like home.
No. Not now.
Klaus perched on his wooden throne, a king looking down on his disciples. The werewolves all gathered round in a semi-circle, eyeing Klaus warily. Just as Klaus was about to start talking, pursing his mouth in triumph -
A sharp intake of breath.
Ray's back arched, deep breathes being inhaled to his lungs. Then in a sudden movement, he was looking around the camp site, looking up into the face of his pack. The pack that were now marked for death. Harry was partially to blame.
"Very dramatic." Klaus drawled.
"Hypocrite." Harry coughed as she leant against a tree, just loud enough for Klaus's hearing to pick up on. His eyes sliced towards her, a warning within. The thrill that passed through her at the sight was unexpected.
Stefan asked as he walked through the crowd, pointing down at Ray, "Are any of you human? Your friend here needs human blood to complete his transition into a vampire. If he doesn't get it, he will die."
No one moved.
Harry huffed, pushing herself forward. If it meant they could get of here sooner, she would happily let every single person in the clearing feed on her. It's not like she would die, or at least she didn't think she would.
A figure appeared in front of her, stopping her advancement towards Ray. She looked up, eyes narrowing as she saw Klaus staring down at her with a firm expression on his face. "Oh no, your blood is far too precious to be wasted in such a manner." He claimed, swirling back towards the werewolves that had gathered. "Anyone? A boyfriend, a girlfriend along for the ride."
Klaus's eyes thinned on a man that shuffled on his feet at the front of the crowd, before speeding over to him. No one could stop Klaus as he raised the human man's arm to his mouth, biting into his flesh. Klaus threw him to the floor, directly in front of Ray.
Ray lay sprawled on his front on the forest floor, leaves in disarray within his hair as he stared at the gaping wound on the blonde man's arm. His self-restraint was admirable, although it was only inevitable when Ray hurled himself at the blood. The craze had already taken over his eyes.
Harry turned her head in time to see as Klaus bit into his own forearm, forcing his blood past the woman's lips that he currently had a tight grip on. The witch had known that he was most likely going to kill everyone here, his plan after all was to create more Hybrids. But it did not make it any easier to watch, to hear as their necks snapped.
But still, to Harry's disbelief, even when all the werewolves were dead, the reapers did not disappear. As if they were still waiting to collect their souls.
The witch walked over to the log that Ray was now sat on, joining him. She could feel as his whole body shook, as he rocked back and forth. He was hunched over in what she could only assume was pain.
"They're dead." Ray said, voice cracking in disbelief.
Harry reached out to gently rub his back, only for the man to flinch. She heard as Klaus said from behind her, "He's through his transition, he should be feeling better soon."
Ray did not speak another word. Harry was afraid he might have accidently bitten his tongue off. "Is this your master plan then Klaus? Build an army of Hybrids?"
"In not so many words, yes. Soldiers of sorts. Comrades." He replied, looking over the bodies that scattered the forest clearing.
"Why? For what?" Harry asked, not believing any threat warranted this amount of pain inflicted on others. "The enemies that lurk behind every corner?"
"You never wait for someone to attack, Henrietta." Klaus clipped, "You defend yourself so well, that no one ever dares to pick a fight."
"What makes you so sure that they'll be loyal?" Stefan asked, still leaning slightly against the tree near them.
"It's not difficult to be loyal when you're on the winning team now, is it?" Klaus asked, shrugging his shoulder. "Something you'll learn, Ripper, once you shake that horribly depressing chip off your shoulder."
Stefan coldly laughed. "So that's why you're keeping me around? To witness my attitude adjustment?" He questioned, then pointed to Harry. "And what? She's eye candy for the road? She's hardly performed any magic in the two months that we've been looking for werewolves."
"Watch your mouth mate, would be a pity if I have to rip your tongue from it." Klaus threatened. "You'll know why I'm keeping you both around when I've decided I want you to know."
Harry noticed Ray's shaking increasing, using her hand to turn his head towards her. Her eyes widened as she saw blood leaking from his own, streaming down his face. "Something's wrong." She declared cautiously.
"That's not good." Stefan said, as he neared, bending down on his knees to get a closer look at the transitioning Hybrid.
"Well obviously." Klaus snipped annoyed.
Suddenly, Ray pushed Harry and Stefan back, both of them going flying across the forest floor. Her skull hit another log of wood with a resounding thump. She lifted her head, seeing with blurred vision as Ray sprinted away from them on all fours. A trail of blood was left behind.
Klaus was by her side in an instant, checking the back of her head. She could only stare up at him in confusion, not a single thought coming into her mind. Could only focus on his hands, his eyes that were searching her body for any sign on trauma, Stefan was on his feet before she was, Klaus demanding from his knees besides her, "Go get him."
~
Hermione surveyed the mountain in front of her, dreamingly thinking of the comfort of her office. She had not been out in the field for a long time, and although she stayed in shape, she did not miss the vigorous exercise that she had to endure whilst in the open. No, she much preferred her books and a cup of tea by the fire.
"How you doing?" Damon asked from behind her, not even breaking a sweat.
"I'm fine." Hermione replied, taking a stronger grip of the staps of her backpack. The coin had provided coordinates of Harry's location, and although she had moved slightly since this morning, she was still within the mountain range. The peak of the summit if she had to guess.
"You know, I can help you." Damon argued back, mocking her. "Just with one little whoosh, and we'll be at the top."
Even with his jabs, Hermione could understand why Harry liked Damon. He had dropped everything to come on this hunt with her, to try and save Harry. To save his brother. Even with the the risk of the full moon, with werewolves likely to be in the area. The sun was just beginning to set, an orange glow illuminated the horizon.
"I appreciate the offer, but if it's anything like flying a broom, I think I'll pass." Hermione explained, stopping to catch her breathe against a tree. She pulled out her water to take a sip, holding it out to Damon, only for him to refuse.
But Damon's phone rang again, for the sixth time since they had left Mystic Falls. He pulled it out of his back pocket, sighing before pressing the cancel button.
"Elena again?" Hermione asked, having been provided most of the details on the happenings of Mystic Falls, specifically the strange relationship dynamic a certain woman had with two brothers. But Damon didn't verbally answer, only nodded his head as a frown took over his face. Hermione shrugged, forcing herself to keep walking. If she stopped for too long, she wouldn't move again.
The trees ruffled, the leaves upon them shaking. Hermione stilled her movements.
"It's just the wind." Damon assured her, but Hermione knew better. The sixth sense that had managed to keep her alive for this long spoke to her, warning her.
The next second, a figure emerged through the foliage. It was on all fours as it charged at them, Hermione defensively taking out her wand. MACUSA and their policies be damned, better than her being dead. But as the figure looked up, she realised that it was a man. Blood poured from his eye sockets, his movements still coming across deranged.
Damon sped at him, pinning him to a tree nearby before he was able to get near her. But with superior strength, the man flipped him, Damon now having to push against the man as he continually tried to bite him.
"Vampire." The man gritted out in a rough voice throughout his attacks.
Hermione dropped her wand, an idea coming to mind, hoping it would work. With her hand outstretched, she wandlessly cast 'Stupefy', putting as much strength into the spell as possible. The man dropped to the floor in a heap, unconscious. Hopefully without her wand, the government wouldn't be able to detect that she had performed magic on a muggle.
Damon looked between the man and Hermione, shock lining his face. He shook his head, stepping over the body, heading towards the bag that was at Hermione's feet. "Looks like we know what Klaus has been up to." Damon said, signalling towards the man on the floor. But at her confused expression, he explained, "If I was a betting man, I would say he was a Hybrid."
She couldn't help herself as she knelt down before the injured man, trying to study his features. What marked him apart from any other werewolf or vampire. She heard absently as Damon ruffled through the bag. "How fascinating." She wondered aloud.
"Not exactly the word I'd use." He said, tossing her some ropes. "Cover them in vervain and then help me tie him to a tree. I'd rather not be bitten by another werewolf."
Hermione did as she was obliged, feeling accomplished as Damon tested the strength of the rope that now held him in place. But it did not last long, as the man grumbled awake. But the distress came as the sound of bones breaking filled the air, making her face scrunch up. The man before them started to scream, yelling out in pain.
"He's transitioning." Hermione noted, looking up at the sky that had only just darkened. The moons peak was hours away. He was definitely a Hybrid.
"We need to go." Damon said, taking hold of Hermione's arm and running in the opposite direction.
"I can apperate us. Teleport." Hermione puffed out between breathes, trying to keep her legs moving.
"Not if Harry and Stefan are out here somewhere." Damon argued, stopping only to pick Hermione up in his arms, allowing him to run at a faster pace than Hermione thought possible. She held in her scolding for later, the damn vampire didn't even ask her permission.
Abruptly, a force pushed Damon forward, the vampire trying to soften their landing. Hermione threw out her magic, trying to protect the both of them as they flew across the forest floor. Both of them were on their knees in attack position when they peered back, allowing them to view the aggressor.
A wolf, fangs exposed, stood growling.
"Go." Damon yelled back to her, not taking his eyes off of the wolf.
"Don't be ridiculous, Salvatore." Hermione voiced back, trying to circle to the other side. She racked her brains for anything she might have read about dissuading a werewolf from killing you, but there was nothing. The memory of third year came flooding back to her, if only she had a time-turner on her this time.
The only option was to kill the werewolf or hope to outrun it.
The wolf lunged for Damon, knocking him onto his back without much of a fight. Hermione immediately threw her magic out once again, knocking the wolf off of him. But the wolf dug his claws into the ground, quickly advancing on her. She tried to cast a freezing charm, just long enough to hold it in place, but without the use of her wand, it was too weak to hold against such a large create.
She apparated right in front of Damon, grabbing hold of the back of his shirt as she hulled him up off of the ground. The vampire was getting ready for another go, but Hermione held him back. Harry had handed herself over to Klaus so this man could survive. She'd be damned if he died just two months later.
Hermione threw out a weakened 'Protego', watching the werewolf bounce off of the shield. Sweat dripped down her back as she tried to hold it, tried to protect them. She needed to apperate them out, there was no way –
The weight against her shield seceded, Hermione cautiously opening her eyes to see a wolf crumpled to the floor. Stood over the body was a man, and within his cupped hand was the werewolf's heart. He dropped the organ, Hermione having to watch it bounce to the floor.
"Stefan…" Damon whispered in disbelief from besides her.
"Hello brother." The man – Damon's sibling – greeted.
Hermione's shield dropped as her energy sapped from her, Stefan eyeing her with both curiosity and wariness. "You both need to get out of here." He said, bending down to pick up the wolfs body.
"We're not leaving without Harry." Hermione said, determination lining her words.
"She doesn't need saving, trust me. She is more than capable of handling herself." Stefan replied, but his head swirled to Damon as he said, "We both have given up a lot in order for you to be alive. Don't risk your existence on trying to save us again."
But as he tried to walk from the clearing, Hermione followed. Stefan noticed, stopping in his tracks to turn back towards her, looking her dead into her eyes. She could see into him, the desperation, the loneliness, the guilt that he harboured within. "If Klaus finds out you're here, he will kill you. If Harry leaves, he will hunt everyone she has ever cared about and wipe them from this earth. Do you not understand?"
Hermione pursed her lips. She was so close to her best friend, and yet felt helpless. "At least tell me that she's okay?"
Stefan huffed a near inaudible sigh. "More than fine."
"And you Stefan?" Damon asked, moving closer to them, not wanting to yell in case someone overheard. "That werewolf bite looks pretty nasty to me." His eyes dipping to his brother's arm, the fresh bite mark that wasn't healing.
They only received a bland smile in return. "Why don't you two go home? And try to keep yourselves there this time."
"Just please," Hermione voiced to Stefan's retreating figure, "can you remind her to turn on the light?" Damon looked at her as if she had knocked a screw loose. "She'll know what it means." She argued defensively.
"Damon." Stefan said. "Thank you, for trying. And for keeping Elena far from this mess." With that, the vampire disappeared into the cover of darkness, the only remnants left of the fight was the heart that still lay on the floor.
"Well," Hermione started, taking hold of Damon's arm. "This has been a god awful experience. Food?"
His reply was muted, Hermione quickly apperating the two of them out of the forest. Out of the mountains that had proposed nothing but danger. But she had achieved one thing. She might have provided Harry a slimmer of hope in the darkness.
~
The werewolves were walking around like zombies. With the night now starting to set, it did nothing to settle Harry's nerves. Klaus walked amongst them, checking on their conditions.
The thought of how he had treated her earlier that day unwittingly floated into her mind. The attentiveness her had provided as she lay on the forest floor was one the witch had not thought he was capable of. He even went as far as to bite into his own wrist, offering his blood to her. Demand might have been a more accurate word, as he wouldn't have taken a 'no' for an answer. Had declared 'It's better to be on the safe side.'.
Harry tried to push him from her thoughts as she cast a quick wandless 'Incendio'. The flames lightened the opening, her eyes trying to adjust. But as soon as they had, a figure leaped at her from across the fireplace, teeth snapping. It was a woman werewolf, the one that had dropped to her knees at the sight of Ray's body. She pinned Harry to the floor, twigs digging into her back as she wrestled the woman off of her.
The woman swirled back to her as soon as she was thrown off, now joined by another two Hybrids in transition. "Klaus?" Harry called out, not knowing if he was aware of the current problem she was having. This was his mess, he should be cleaning it up.
"A little busy here, love." Klaus yelled back, his breathes uneven. Harry made the mistake of looking in his direction, seeing as he was also being attacked by rogue Hybrids. But the three in front of her took that as an opening, all advancing at the same time.
"Don't even try it." Harry said through gritted teeth, pulling out her wand.
A growl sounded from behind her. She spun. Another three Hybrids cornered her. Harry was completely circled, her eyes taking in any escape routes. 'Wand Harry, your wand!' she heard Hermione's chanting within her mind.
She could apperate, get to a safe distance and then revaluate. But she had promised she would protect Klaus and could already hear his grunts from across the way. In quick succession, she cast a full body bind on all of her opponents, before apperating over to Klaus. Right in front of an attacker that was aiming for an opening in his defences.
Her hand was in the werewolf's chest before she could even consider her actions. And as she pulled, hand wrapped around their heart, she was sure that the reaper that lurked behind them smiled from underneath the darkness of their hood.
Klaus turned to her, reading for an attack, before he registered it was her. He pulled back his hand as he looked over the forest floor. The bodies.
But some began to rise, the spell that Harry had cast not working as well on werewolves. She should have known that, having previously seen Snape try to take down Remus in third year. Klaus moved forwards, intending to deal with them.
But Harry held out her arm, stopping his advances. For once, he complied.
She could see them; their souls as they floated towards her. As if they were in her grasp, ready for the taking. She walked forwards, hand outstretched as she tried to touch one. The glowing ball of light that was levitating nearer to her with every second.
But the Hybrids pounced, directing their attack towards her. Power surged through Harry, the feeling akin to having drank one hundred cups of coffee, to flying a broom for the first time. It was just as delightful as when she had killed Voldemort, when she had dragged his corpse from the forest. The fearful looks she received from everyone. Death's presence was welcome as they stood beside her in this moment. But instead of taking her soul, they taught her how to take others.
Death taught her how to use their magic.
Golden threads of lights struck from Harry like lightning, hitting each of the remaining Hybrids in the heart. The feeling she got was euphoric, their souls seeping into her very being before Death plucked them from her.
The hybrids dropped to the floor. Dead. Soulless.
Harry was panting hard, kneeled over as she tried to catch her breathe. Tried to understand what she had just done. The magic she had used.
Death magic.
Death's cold presence had disappeared, having taken the recently precured souls to their realm. Or whatever they did with the supernatural. Now, only a warm body stood beside her, such a contradiction to how she was feeling. She felt as if she had died all over again.
A hand rested on the low of her back, concern lacing his voice as he asked, "What in the bloody hell was that?"
Harry finally straightened, looking over the bodies that seemed to have had a run in with a dementor. She turned to Klaus, answering his question honestly, "I have no idea."