Hermione sat in the chair where she had sat opposite of Malew only a short hour ago, only this time bound and wandless.

Malew, Wendel, and the third wizard were all disheveled, bruised and bleeding, and Wendel was moaning in pain in Malew's chair. He was holding his gut, as if he'd broking some ribs.

During the confrontation, she didn't get a good look at the third wizard's face, but now she saw his face was lined and cruel, there was blood running down his nose from where he had slammed into the wall, giving him a mad look.

Malew was talking to the other two, saying, "What are we going to do? If she goes back, the goblins will know everything."

"We could always use a memory charm or perhaps…" Wendel groaned from the chair.

Malew nodded, "A memory charm would be the wisest course of action, we can —"

"Quiet!" It was the first time Hermione heard this wizard speak. Malew and Wendel fell silent, and the wizard continued, "Memory charms only work when the caster's will is much stronger than the target's, and memory charms can be dispelled or broken. The true memory is always beneath the surface."

The wizard looked contemptuously at Malew and Wendel, "Since it has come to this, there is but one course of action. We kill her."

Hermione's heart leapt into her throat, trying to stay calm. Malew looked horrified, stammering, "My lord, surely not… there will be an investigation, the reputation of this factory will be destroyed…"

"And so will the reputation of gringotts," the wizard finished, smiling sinisterly.

Wendel looked at Malew, angrily saying, "You gutless cretin. I'll do it!" Wendel pulled out his wand, but the third wizard blocked him.

The third wizard looked at Wendel disdainfully, "If they investigate they will check all the wand's of this factory." Then, crouching down to look at Hermione in the eye, he pulled out a knife, bringing it next to Hermione's face and drawing it over her cheek. Hermione froze, unable to believe that this was happening.

But the wizard didn't slit her throat immediately, instead murmuring, "You're quiet the beauty, it would be a pity if I didn't have a little fun first…"

Malew called out, "My lord! Surely this unnecessary…"

The wizard was an inch away from her face, Hermione felt a surge of adrenaline. She never felt a fear like she did now, even when Lockhart had kidnapped her she didn't sense a killing intent in him, but this wizard wanted to kill her.

Suddenly, they all heard a clatter from outside.

The office door burst open. Lockhart stood there, holding a parchment in one hand and a wand in the other, eyes traveling over the whole room.

Then all was chaos as Hermione reacted, smashing her head into the wizard in front of her, making him stagger back. Lockhart fired off a stunner at Wendel, but Wendel was just as quick, twisting off the chair and dodging to the ground with a grunt. Hermione saw Malew had the opportunity to act, but hesitated, looking at Hermione. Lockhart used a summoning spell to cause Hermione to fly towards him, crashing into his chest. The third wizard had recovered and threw his knife, raising his wand at the same time pointing it at Hermione. The situation was desperate, all Lockhart could do was push Hermione out of the way and raise a shield charm. He managed to block the incoming spell, but the knife slammed into his shoulder.

Wendell sent another spell from the ground towards Lockhart, but missed and blasted a large whole in the wall sending chips of wood flying everywhere, the force flinging Lockhart to the ground. Even though Lockhart lay on the ground, bleeding from his wound, he still managed to push himself up and take aim, sending a stunner directly at the third wizard. Hermione saw that he wouldn't have time to block, but just then, there were two more whooshing sides, and two more wizards appeared from the fireplace, both dressed in patterned robes, almost like a uniform. One of the uniformed wizards was taller then the other, and blocked the stunner, while the other called out to the third wizard, and picked up him, calling out, "Lord Yaxley."

Hermione looked at Lockhart, struggling to rise from the floor, and knew that her luck had run out. It was 5 vs 2 now, and she didn't have her wand.

The third wizard, Yaxley, looked furious and screamed, "Kill the girl!"

3 killing spells were shot at them, 2 from the uniformed wizards and 1 from Wendel. Time slowed down, as Hermione saw the spells coming at her. She couldn't even try to dodge, her hands and ankles were still bound.

At first, as they approached, she didn't feel anything. But everyone was scared of death and Hermione began to feel afraid. It wasn't that Hermione was scared of death itself, but just of what would happen to everyone she loved if she were gone. They'd be saddened, but she worried mostly about Ron. Ron would be alone for the rest of his life, and if she died here, there were still things she hadn't done with him, things that she would regret not doing forever.

Having a child with him, growing old together. Eating the food that he cooked, because he knew that she was getting back late.

She wanted to hear Ron to tell her he loved her no matter what, that she was beautiful, that she was smart. She couldn't die, not yet.

Her chest filled with emotion, and unconsciously, she felt her bounds burst apart the ropes flying off. There was a blast in the air in front of her, the shockwave pushing her aside and bringing everyone to their knees, as all 3 killing spells smashed into the wall beside her. Hermione had never heard of anyone casting a summoning spell without a wand, but she knew she could do it. Her wand flew into her hand, and in one motion she summoned Lockhart to her and grabbing on to him, levitated both of them in the air, faster and faster towards the ceiling.

Yaxley was screaming, "Kill them", and there were killing spells streaming past her, but Hermione was calm. She shot a reduction spell at the ceiling, creating a hole and as rubble rained down on everyone, flew up outside.

Lockhart was looking at her with a shocked face that Hermione had never seen before, saying, "Do you know how to fly with your wand?"

Hermione knew it was possible, Voldemort had done it and so had Snape. But she, herself, didn't know how, and her face suddenly became flustered.

Hugging her and bleeding onto her clothes, Lockhart's face broke into a grin as they started to fall, "Looks like we're still dead."

—

Next Chapter 12