A/N: I own none of this!

Hermione had half a mind to write to the author of Most Potente Potions. They clearly needed to rework what the effects of taking Felix in small doses were. No tweaking of noses. No grinning madly. No general sense of euphoria. The only thing that was permeating her body was the chill of the stone floor underneath her. Well, that, and a sense of malaise. Despite the fact that she had volunteered for this position and had asked Luna to accompany her, she regretted her choices. Luna seemed determined to discuss the latest issue of the Quibbler, and whether or not Celestina Warbeck really did have Vampire blood on her mother's side.

Hermione drew blood with the force of her biting her tongue. She breathed deeply and avoided pointing out that Vampires had neither heartbeat nor blood, and therefore could not reproduce. Yet here she was, trying to keep the peace. It meant a lot of tuning Luna out and watching the torches flicker in their sconces. The shadows were deeply etched against the walls. The flames were too high to do much to help with the cold.

Snape hadn't moved. Or at least, Hermione assumed Snape hadn't moved. They'd left the Map behind with the others, and Hermione had forgotten to check whether Snape's private chambers had a secondary exit. All they could do was hope he hadn't left.

Hermione didn't much like hope. She liked knowing. Knowing where Snape was. Knowing if Harry was alright. Knowing if Ginny and Ron were alright.

'You're bleeding.' Luna's voice cut through her anxious thoughts.

'What?'

Luna pointed down at Hermione's thumb, where she'd yanked a chunk of her cuticle away from the rest. Hermione huffed and immediately pulled her sleeve over it to try and stem the flow. Luna's gaze followed her motions.

'Are you worried?'

Hermione snapped her eyes to Luna's.

'Aren't you?'

Luna shook her head, her wavy hair following. 'It's Hogwarts. What's the worst that could happen?'

Hermione bit her tongue once more. She'd certainly felt like she'd been on the receiving end of quite a few of the more concerning aspects of Hogwarts. Petrification sprang to mind.

They were silent for a moment. Hermione could feel her heart beating in her ears, flooding all other sounds.

She pulled the sleeve away to check her finger, noticing as she did that the bleeding had stopped. Feeling the rough edges of her torn skin, she felt the irrational urge to pull further. To yank and feel pain rather than worry. As much as they could all argue that Harry was safe with Dumbledore, something felt off about the whole situation. Not only because the last conversation she'd had with Harry had been the argument about Prince.

Could she live with herself if that was the last thing she'd said to him? What was it with her best friends? She flashbacked to sitting outside the Hospital Wing after she'd heard that Ron was poisoned. The hours she'd spent agonizing over the fact that he might never again open his eyes and the last thing she'd done was attack him with birds.

A shaky exhale. Luna looked at her.

'S-sorry,' Hermione muttered.

'Are you alright?' Luna's eyes were soft, open.

'Of course.' Her tone was gruffer than she meant it to be as she pulled her sleeves over her hands and crossed them in her lap.

More silence.

'I know you'd rather be with Ron.'

Hermione lifted her head to look at Luna, horribly aware of the blush rising on her chest. 'What do you-'

'I don't mind,' she continued, tucking her wand further behind her ear. 'It's pretty obvious.'

Hermione scoffed, the blush spreading further. 'I'm quite sure I don't know what you-'

'That line between your eyebrows.' Luna reached a finger and placed it square between Hermione's brow. The depth there surprised Hermione. 'It's not there when you're around him.'

The hackles that had raised at Luna's initial comment about Ron seemed to drop. After all, Hermione had spent the last week revelling in how calm Ron could make her. Even when he decided to aggravate her.

'It's been nice to see it gone these last few weeks.' Retracting her finger, Luna gave her a small smile. Hermione turned the corners of her mouth a little bit. 'Especially with how deep it was getting every time you saw Terry Boot.'

Cue the hackles. Hermione gave a sharp inhale. Luna, oblivious, twirled her necklace between her fingers and continued to speak.

'He's a funny one, isn't he? Used to getting his own way.'

'You can say that again,' Hermione agreed.

'But it's not malicious.'

The memory of his grip on her wrist made Hermione vehemently disagree, though she said nothing to Luna.

'Ginny doesn't like him very much,' Luna continued. This made Hermione smile. 'She asked me to keep an eye on him in our common room. Not that there's much to see. If he is up there, he's studying with Antony.'

Hermione made a noise of agreement, not trusting herself to speak.

'He seems quite interested in you.'

Hermione looked at Luna, only to see the other girl staring back at her.

'I am aware.'

Luna smiled. 'Pity. For someone who likes to get his own way, he had to pick someone with the largest cloud of liubes I've ever seen.'

Hermione stared at her. She fought to keep exasperation out of her tone. 'Luna, what on earth are Liubes?' As Luna opened her mouth to speak, rapid footfalls echoed down the staircase towards them.

'Death Eaters!' Professor Flitwick called, running as fast as he could. 'Attack on Hogwarts!'

Dread pooled in Hermione's stomach. She and Luna stood up at his approach.

'Death Eaters?' Hermione repeated, but Flitwick ignored her. He banged on Snape's door, and after a moment, it opened and he disappeared through.

'Wonder how they got in?' Luna asked aloud. 'Do you think the Room of Requirement would allow you to ask for that?'

Hermione was less interested in the specifications of the Room, and more about what Flitwick might be telling Snape. Attack meant that someone was already hurt. Who could it be? The image of Ron's bloodied face from her recurring nightmares swam to the front of her brain. She tried to shake it away. He'd taken Felix. He and Ginny would both be alright.

There came a loud thud from inside the room. A moment later the door opened. With a swoosh of robes, Snape's greasy hair poked around the corner.

'Ah, Miss Granger,' he said with the mildest of sneers. 'Excellent. Professor Flitwick has collapsed. Could you please see to it that he gets to the Hospital Wing?'

'Professor Flitwick is ill?' Luna asked, but Snape ignored her and began striding up the staircase. Now more aware of her worry line, Hermione rushed into the room. Luna trailed after her.

Professor Flitwick was sprawled in a chair tucked up against a beautiful mahogany desk. Luna rushed forwards, clearly concerned that her head of house was prostrate during such an important moment in the castle. Hermione looked at the parchment next to the professor's hand. Something about unbreakable vows. The handwriting looked familiar, but Hermione couldn't place it.

'He's breathing,' Luna said from beside her. Her voice was sharp, panicky. Hermione looked back at the pair, taking in the rise and fall of Flitwick's chest. 'Should we rennervate him?' Luna asked.

Hermione shook her head. 'Not if his collapse was medical in nature. That might do more harm than good.'

Luna's eyes widened even further. 'Okay. So what should we do?'

Hermione tried to curb her rising panic. 'Er…well…we can levitate him to Madame Pomfrey.'

Luna nodded. 'Good idea.'

Hermione twisted her sleeve, letting her wand fall into her hand. With a quick non-verbal spell, she conjured a stretcher. Placing it a knee-level, she and Luna together managed to gingerly put the tiny professor on it.

'Right,' Hermione said, bracingly. 'Let's go.'

With Flitwick between them, and the uncertainty of what they would find above, they set off.

For all Flitwick had been calling about the attack, the corridors were empty. Professor Flitwick weighed hardly anything, so it took them no time at all to travel up the three floors to get to the Hospital Wing. There, Luna began banging on the door. A sleepy looking Madame Pomfrey opened it, but she seemed to awaken immediately upon realizing that Flitwick was unconscious.

'Good lord, bring him inside.' And so they did.

Other than a few students sleeping, the Hospital Wing was also dead at this hour of the night. Madame Pomfrey helped them transfer Flitwick to a bed, flicking her wand at the lanterns before beginning to spin it in complicated looking circles around Flitwick. As she did so, Hermione helped to explain what happened. Luna looked around, biting her lip.

'Should we go find Snape?' Luna asked as soon as Pomfrey had gone to get a potion.

'Snape?' Hermione repeated, feeling confused. 'Why?'

'Isn't that what we were supposed to be doing?' Luna was frowning. 'It was a bit strange that Snape didn't stop to help Professor Flitwick.'

Hermione paused in thought. Perhaps it was odd, in hindsight. Though with how quickly Flitwick had been running, it was entirely possible he'd collapsed from exhaustion or fright. The Charms master was no spring chicken. And Snape was a member of the Order. Upon mention of Death Eaters in the castle, it made perfect sense that Snape would then go to fight.

Then again, they understood Snape to be a double agent. Feeding information to the other side. Though Hermione didn't share the same level of vitriol as Harry, even she had trouble understanding where Snape's allegiances truly lay.

Luna was watching her expectantly. Hermione realized she was waiting for an answer.

'That is what Harry said, yes. But if Snape has gone to fight-'

'Fight?' Madame Pomfrey had returned, clutching a fuchsia bottle in her hands. 'I should hope he's gone to put a stop to all this. He is the Defense teacher after all.'

The Defense teacher who had quite possibly the greatest respect for the Dark Arts. Uneasiness settled upon her.

Madame Pomfrey reached down to pour the thick liquid into Professor Flitwick's mouth. They watched the progress, hoping he would wake up. The idea of staying here, not doing anything was making Hermione antsy. There was something niggling at her.

'We should go see if we can help,' Hermione began, but Madame Pomfrey spun to stare at her, horrified.

'You most certainly will not,' the Matron snapped. 'You will leave it to the professors and the Aurors on guard. For heaven's sake, you're children!'

'I'm of age,' Hermione pointed out, but it was lost in the remainder of Madame Pomfrey's spiel. As she continued to decry the fact that so many of her students had been put in dangerous situations for the past few years, Hermione noticed Luna not paying attention. The Ravenclaw was staring out of the window, eyes fixed at something in the distance.

'Madame Pomfrey?' Luna finally interrupted, 'Do you know what's above the Astronomy Tower?'

Hermione and Madame Pomfrey both rushed to the windowsill. There, glittering in the sky, was the Dark Mark.

Madame Pomfrey stifled a gasp. Hermione felt her knees go weak. Until that moment, she wasn't sure she entirely believed that there were Death Eaters in the castle. But for that to be there…

Ron.

She swallowed hard at the bile rising in her throat. Praying to a god she did not believe in, she demanded that he be safe. That he was okay. The image of him and Harry in the Mirror of Erised came to her. Aged, happy, safe. Please let that be the truth.

'The Dark Mark.' Madame Pomfrey's voice was no more than a whisper. 'But surely Dumbledore would-'

'Dumbledore isn't here,' Luna pointed out. The matron's face went stark white.

'What do you mean he isn't here?' Pomfrey left Hermione's side to ask Luna what she meant.

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky. It illuminated a figure at the edge of the Astronomy Tower. Hermione peered at it, only half listening to the conversation between the others. As the crash of thunder hit her ears, the figure tumbled over the side. Hermione could do nothing but scream as she watched the person hurtle down…down…down. She was saved from seeing the impact by the parapets outside of the Hospital Wing.

'What?' Luna and Madame Pomfrey both asked, alarm in their voices. Hermione couldn't blame them. Alarm was ringing inside of her.

'Someone fell!' Hermione tried to explain, clutching her chest. 'Off the tower!'

There was no way to survive a fall like that. Not unless someone had prepared a cushioning charm. Like Dumbledore had done for Harry with the Dementors.

'Fallen off the Astronomy Tower?' Pomfrey asked. Her voice held more than a hint of disbelief. Hermione could feel her terror. What if the fight wasn't going well? What if the Death Eaters were imperiusing people to jump? Ron hadn't been able to fight it off with Moody. What if they had…

'I have to go,' she breathed, making her way to the door. Luna was hot on her feet. As she reached for the handle, the door opened towards her.

Two Ravenclaw third years were entering. One was clutching the other, who had her head tilted back, handkerchief pressed against her nose.

'Madame Pomfrey!'

Hermione made to slip out, hoping for the distraction. She was nearly out the door when she caught the end of the conversation.

'It was pitch black! We couldn't see anything!'

Icy hands gripped her windpipe. The blackness. Her dreams. But no, there was no way they'd been prophetic. It was a coincidence. The darkness of night. But looking up, she saw a few more groups of students making their way to the Hospital Wing with the gamut of injuries one might expect from a hallway with no light.

'No…' she wasn't aware she was speaking aloud until she felt Luna put a hand on her shoulder.

'It's alright,' Luna said. 'Let's help Pomfrey.'

Luna ushered the next group in, as Hermione stood frozen in place. She needed to see, needed to be sure that he was alright. That Ginny was alright. Damn him for taking the stupid map! Tears were running down her cheeks before she was aware of them.

'Miss Granger, I'm afraid I must ask you to return to the Hospital Wing.' It was Professor Flitwick, fully conscious once more and frowning at her.

'Professor, I-'

'No excuses. I am taking my students back to the tower, but I must ask you to remain here. I have seen your Healing Charms. Madame Pomfrey might have need of you.'

'Professor, the Death Eaters. The Order might-' She bit her tongue. She wasn't sure Flitwick knew about the Order. Or if she'd just given herself away. His face changed. A small smile tipped his lips. He reached up and patted her on the wrist. 'The Order will need you alive for whatever is coming, Miss Granger. Please. Stay.'

She didn't want to listen. She wanted to run, to go and make sure that everyone was alive. But a faint twinge from the Felix told her to stay put. Nodding at Professor Flitwick, he smiled at her once more.

'Ravenclaws, come along!'

A few of the students with dried blood on their faces and arms began following Flitwick, Luna trailing behind them. She watched them go, just in time to see Professor Lupin supporting an unconscious Neville rounding the corridor.

She gave a cry, and ran to them.

Lupin gratefully accepted her help as she arrived, transferring some of Neville's dead weight to her.

'What happened?' Hermione demanded. Lupin just shook his head.

'Death Eaters. Part of the ceiling collapsed.'

'Is everyone okay?' She couldn't breathe. Not until she knew…

Lupin grimaced. 'I'm not sure. I saw Neville go down, and it looks like some of the Death Eaters are out for the count. Harry was running by as I came to get Neville out of the fray.'

'Harry?' she repeated. 'He's back?' A small bit of relief. If Harry was back, then Dumbledore was back. Dumbledore would fix whatever was happening here.

Lupin nodded. He nudged the door open with his foot and they brought Neville inside. Hermione helped to lead them to an open bed, putting Neville down gently.

'Stay with him?' Lupin asked. 'I'm going to go back and-'

'Let me go with you,' Hermione pleaded. Lupin shook his head.

'Stay here. There will be more coming.'

He turned and reopened the doors he'd just entered through. Hermione felt like stomping her foot. She was becoming sick and tired of people asking her to stay put. Brightest Witch of her Age her arse. Swallowing her anger, instead she took a deep breath and cast a quick diagnostic spell over Neville. The least she could do was let Pomfrey know what state he was in.

Lupin proved correct. Over the next few minutes, more people trickled in. Nobody seemed gravely injured. Merely cuts and bruises forming. Some burns. Ginny was the first face to appear that made Hermione's anxiety lessen.

'Ginny!' she cried as the redhead entered the wing. Dust covered her hair and eyelashes, giving her a snow-swept look. Ginny looked up at the sound of her name and walked quickly over to Hermione.

'There you are. What the hell happened?'

'What do you mean?' Hermione asked.

'You were supposed to be watching Snape!' Ginny cried, accusingly. 'He was up there, fighting.'

Hermione quickly explained about Flitwick. The youngest Weasley frowned at her.

'Well Snape certainly didn't seem to be fighting. He went up the Tower and came back a few minutes later. Harry went running after him.'

'He went up the Tower?'

'Yeah, I just said that.' Ginny's tone was grumpy. 'What does that have to do with-'

'I saw someone fall.' Hermione willed more tears not to spill over. 'Do you think Snape could've-?'

But Ginny ignored her, pushing her way over to the window. Hermione joined her, just managing to see the pinpricks of wandlight beginning to gather near the base of the tower.

Ginny swore loudly. Pomfrey must have been too occupied to hear.

'Are we missing anybody?' Hermione asked, half not wanting the answer. Ginny shook her head.

'Not that I saw. We couldn't even make it up those stairs.' Hermione gaped at her.

Ginny shrugged and continued. 'There was some sort of protective enchantment. Snape and some of the other Death Eaters got through. I'm betting it was their Dark Marks that let them pass. We couldn't do anything until one of those idiots blasted a hole in the ceiling.'

If it wasn't one of the fighters, then who had fallen? She and Ginny fell into an uneasy silence, both caught up in their own thoughts.

Luna returned next, claiming to have slipped out before Flitwick could call a House meeting. She took over sponging Neville's forehead as Hermione ran to get water cups refilled for those coming back from the battle. As she replenished a jug of water, a loud bang echoed as both doors opened.

'Pomfrey!' Tonks' familiar voice called. The Matron, who had just finished giving a Blood Replenishing potion to Neville, sprang up at the sound. Hermione spun to look as well.

Tonks was carrying the front half of a stretcher. Two large feet, clad in dragonskin boots, were all she could see. At the other end of the stretcher was Lupin. As they rushed forward, Hermione caught sight of a shock of red hair matched only by the onyx glint of fresh, deep blood.

The air seemed to leave her. She sank backwards onto the nearest bed. The figure on the stretcher let out a moan. Hermione caught sight of a bright blue iris before it rolled back into the skull. She put her hand to her mouth to stifle a scream.

This couldn't be happening. Her dream could not be coming true. Forcing herself up, she sped alongside the stretcher, creating space at the very back of the room with her wand.

'We'll have to alert Arthur and Molly,' Lupin was saying. 'I'd rather they hear this from me.'

A trail of blood lingered where they had travelled. Hermione tried not to stare at it.

'Yes,' Tonks was agreeing. 'That's probably for the best. You'll have to let Fleur know as well. She deserves the chance to tell him…' she trailed off, leaving Hermione confused.

Fleur? Why would Fleur care if Ron was hurt?

It wasn't until Lupin and Tonks had successfully placed the body onto the bed that Hermione was able to see the fang dangling from the earlobe.

'Bill!' moaned Ginny. Hermione felt horrible for the wave of relief washing over her. She'd forgotten Ron and Bill had nearly identical eyes. Ron wasn't the one hurt after all.

Madame Pomfrey elbowed her out of the way. Ginny ignored her and went to the other side of Bill's bed.

'My god,' Pomfrey exclaimed, looking at the remnants of Bill's face and the back at Tonks. 'What happened?'

'Greyback.' Tonks grimaced at the name. 'Claws and teeth.'

Ginny blanched underneath the dust.

Madame Pomfrey sucked in a breath. 'They brought a werewolf into the school?'

Tonks glared at her. Lupin turned red. Seeing this, Pomfrey snapped. 'Oh, present company excluded for heaven's sake. I know you wouldn't hurt a fly, Remus.'

'Don't be so certain, Poppy.' Tonks was watching Lupin with a strange expression.

'I'll go let the Weasleys know,' Lupin said, sidling out of the room, refusing to look anywhere near Tonks. As he left, he nearly collided with another figure rushing in to the Hospital Wing.

'Is he okay?' A choir of angels couldn't have made a sweeter sound to her ears. Hermione felt like she could suddenly breathe again. Ron was rushing towards them. Like Ginny, he looked as though he'd been coated in flour, but Hermione could see no blood, no scratches or burns. Nor was he moving gingerly. He appeared safe and whole. Thank Merlin.

'That's what we're trying to figure out,' Pomfrey grimaced, not looking anywhere near the latest visitor. 'Now give me some privacy!'

With a swish of her wand, Hermione, Ginny, Tonks and Ron were pushed out of the way. Curtains were drawn, preventing them from seeing Bill.

Ron had immediately turned to Tonks. 'Did you see what happened?'

'Greyback got to him.'

Hermione watched as Ron's face took in this information. 'Gre-Greyback? But he wasn't turned, right?'

Tonks shook her head.

'So that means he's…he's not…'

'You'll have to ask Remus.' Tonks shrugged. 'I wish I knew more.'

Ron swallowed hard. Hermione could tell he was on the verge of tears. Unable to help herself, she strode forward and put her arms around his waist. If Ron knew she was there, he gave no sign of it. It was like hugging marble.

'You're okay,' she whispered. Ron didn't answer. She looked up, only to see him staring through the curtains as though he could spring them open through sheer will.

Hermione had never had siblings. The closest she'd ever come was Harry. But this…this naked grief on Ron's face was something she could not understand. Harry was her friend. Her best friend. The one that she counted upon to keep her in line. The one she was terrified to someday lose. But from the way Ron spoke about Bill, it was clear that he idolized his older brother. She'd watched him puff up with pride when he got to tell Bill about being made Prefect. The countless dinners she'd attended with the Weasleys where Ron had made a joke, only to seek out Bill's eyes to see if it had landed.

'He'll be alright,' she murmured, still looking into his grief-stricken face.

'You don't know that,' he spat back. Hermione disentangled her arms, surprised. 'We should have saved some of the Felix! Then he wouldn't be…'

He trailed off. Gripping his hair, she watched him head over to the window frame. Releasing it, leaving tufts sticking up, he clutched at the sill. Hermione didn't know what to do. She stood there, holding herself, until the curtains opened once more.

'I'm doing what I can,' Pomfrey explained, 'but werewolf scratches are very difficult to nurse.'

'Scratches?' Ron asked from the windowsill. He'd turned to look at the sound. 'Not bites?'

Pomfrey shook her head. 'From the depth and width of the scratches, it seems clear to me that it came from claws. I'm going to get some wound cream.'

The Matron disappeared into her private chambers. Ron seemed to sink a little bit in relief.

'Well, that's alright then, he probably won't turn…' he trailed off.

'Remus will be able to explain things better.' Tonks sounded self-assured, although her face was grim.

'Do Mum and Dad-' Ron began, but Tonks interrupted him.

'Yes, they've been made aware.'

Ron nodded, and Hermione watched him swallow hard. He took a few tentative steps towards his brother's bedside. With a jolt, Hermione realized it was the same one Ron had been in after he was poisoned.

'If anyone can fight it, it's Bill.' Ginny had been quiet for so long, Hermione had forgotten she was there. But determination was set on her face. 'Felix or not, Ron.'

Ron glared at her before turning back to his eldest brother. Hermione darted her eyes between the siblings.

A hush settled over the wing. Madame Pomfrey returned carrying a tube of cream that Hermione didn't recognize. The Matron began to dab at the worst of Bill's wounds. Ron watched her every move.

'Is everyone accounted for?' They had been so engrossed in Bill that no one had heard McGonagall enter. Hermione jumped at the sound. McGonagall's spectacles were askew, and some hair had escaped her bun, but she was alive. A fiery tinge illuminated her scratched cheeks.

Lupin returned hot on her heels.

'Miss Lovegood, Miss Granger,' McGonagall acknowledged as she passed them. She strode to Bill's bedside. As she took in his ravaged face, she set her lips into a line.

'Your parents are on their way,' Lupin said, looking more at Ginny than at Ron. 'Fleur as well.'

Ron nodded, never taking his eyes off Pomfrey and Bill. Ginny gave a little grimace. Even in this heightened situation, Ginny still couldn't bring herself to show much love to her future sister-in-law.

McGonagall swallowed and then looked at all of them.

'We should count ourselves lucky that Mr. Weasley is our only severe injury.'

A muscle twitched in Ron's jaw.

McGonagall cleared her throat and continued. 'I would like everyone to remain here for the time being. Once Dumbledore returns, he should be able to let us know how to proceed.'

'Dumbledore is back,' Luna pointed out, as though discussing the weather. 'Hermione said he was with Harry, and Harry's back.'

Everyone turned to look at her.

'Mr. Potter was with Dumbledore?' McGonagall repeated. She went silent for a moment. Hermione wished she could understand what the older witch was thinking.

'Then where is Harry?' Tonks asked.

They all looked at one another. Hermione remembered the pinpricks of light at the base of the Tower. She looked at Ginny, and a flash of understanding passed between them.

'I'll go find him,' Ginny volunteered. McGonagall nodded.

'Very well. Please bring him back here. I'd like everyone gathered together.'

Ginny nodded and took off at a jog. McGonagall sighed. 'I need to go check on the houses. Please don't leave the wing. We will need to discuss next steps when I return.'

With a final glance at Bill, McGonagall left the room.

'Remus,' Tonks said, stepping towards him.

'Not now,' he spat back, putting up a hand between them. It was harsher than Hermione expected. Turning away, Lupin took his turn by the windowsill. Tonks followed. Hermione took the opportunity to stand near Ron. Even if he wouldn't recognize her presence, she wanted to be near his side.

He made no notice of her as she stepped in beside him. Unsure of what to do, she lightly touched his wrist. He was cold to the touch. The motion made him look at her for the first time since he'd entered the Hospital Wing. He blew out a breath, clearly trying to hold back tears. Hermione blinked, trying to do the same.

She slid her hand into his, and he squeezed hers back as soon as their fingers connected. His grip was strong. His hand nearly engulfed hers. Grief had never been her strong suit. But this, this she could do. She wanted to give him whatever strength she had left. They stood, hands entwined, watching Pomfrey spread cream across Bill's wounds. Tonks and Lupin were having a whispered discussion over by the windowsill.

Luna walked up to them. Hermione thought about pulling her hand away, but Ron held fast.

'Is this your brother?' she asked Ron, before peering at the figure in the bed. 'He came for the Third Task, didn't he?'

Ron could only nod, a vein in his neck pulsing. Luna wisely didn't ask any further questions.

'Remus?' Pomfrey called out, surprising them. 'Could you come here please?'

Tonks and Lupin ceased their conversation and walked back over.

'Yes, Poppy?' he asked. Tonks looked put out as she approached the group.

'I'm afraid I'm a bit out of my depth with this particular scratch.' She pointed to a jagged one on Bill's chin. 'Could you help me identify it?'

Tonks moved over to join Luna. Everyone went silent.

The doors burst open once more. Ginny was leading Harry in by the hand. Another wave of relief washed over her. Hermione dropped Ron's hand and immediately ran to hug Harry. Thank merlin he was alright. As she embraced him, part of her never wanted to let him go, despite the fact he was sticky with sweat and smelled alarmingly like fetid water.

Then Ginny uttered the words that would change everything.

'Dumbledore's dead.'