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CHAPTER 32.
Harry returned to griffyndor common room one evening in late april, out of breath, and begging Hermione for the use of her Potions book.
"Finally seen sense have you." she asked, watching Harry stuff her potions book into his book bag.
"I'll explain later." he had shouted over his shoulder as he dashed from the room once more. Hermione had just shruged and gone back to her Herbology essay, mumbling about 'boys'.
When Harry had finally retuned that night, Hermione had been sitting with Ginny in two of the squishy armchairs by the fire in the common room, talking about the coming easter holdidays.
"Where have you been?" Asked Ginny, as a morose looking Harry collapsed into a chair beside them.
"I had a fight with Malfoy." He said, staring at the fire, Hermione noticed that he looked slightly paler than normal.
"Are you all right?" She asked, her eyes running ove him for any sign of injury, there was none.
"I'm fine, Malfoy's not though." He said grimly.
He explained about hearing crying in the bathroom, and going to see who it was. He told the two girls of the duel between them, and how Malfoy had tried to use an unforgivable on him.
"I panicked." harry mumbled, the shame coming off him in waves, "I used that hex of the Prince's." He muttered, talking of that blasted potions book again.
Secretly Hermione thought that it had been increadibly stupid of Harry to use a spell, when he didn't know what it did, or even if it was legall. She didn't say this however, instead she joined Ginny in comisarating him, and assuring him that everybody makes mistakes.
Harry was still having lessons with professor Dumbledore, and it was after one of these lessons, late one wednesday night, that he returned to find Hermione alone in the comonroom, waiting for him.
"We've got it." he said cryptically. But Hermione understood, they had found another Horcrux.
"We're going to fetch it, grab your cloak, we meet Dmbledore in the entrance hall in five minutes." He then ran up the stairs to is dorm.
Hermione quickly went to change from her uniform, opting for some sturdy jeans, a hooded jumper and some trainers. She was seccuring her hair back into a bun when Harry re joined her, his invisibuility cloak thrown over his arm.
"Lets go." he said ominously.
True to his word, Dumbldore was waiting for them wrapped in a traveling cloak, by the dobuble doors to the entrance hall.
"Before we leave, i must have your word that you will both follow my orders whilst we are on this trip. Be they to flea, hide, or leave me behind." He said gravely, the two students nodded unhappily, before following their professor out into the night.
They walked passed the wrought iron gates to the school, entering hogsmeed, where they stopped.
"If you would both grasp my arm." They did, huddling awkwardly about their professors good arm, before being pulled into an invisible tube, and being squeased out on a cliff face, somewhere extreemly windy.
"This is the cave," Dumbledore shouted over the wind, "Where Tom Riddle came as a child, with the other children from the orphanage." Harry and hermione looked at the cave's entrance, at the bottom of the cliff, they where going to have to swim, hermione thought grimly, not looking forward to the icy water at all.
She had been right, she thought, as the three climbed out of the fridged water, teeth chattering, untill she cast a drying charm over the three of them. Harry nodded his gratitude, but Dumbledore was buisy running his hand across the cave wall.
"Ahhhh. How crude." He murmered.
"Miss Granger, can you feel anything diffrent about this wall?" He asked.
Hermione moved to the wall, running her fingertips along it. It didnt feel like a wall, in fact it didn't feel like anything. She closed her eyes, moving her hand again, there was nothing there. Opening her eyes, she met with rough rock.
"It's not a wall, an ilusion?" She said uncertainly, the headmaster beamed and nodded.
"We must make an offering." He said, pulling a knife from his robes, and slicing into his injured had, making harry cry out in shock, Hermione just grimaced, she had expectd soething like this.
"To weaken whoever enters." She murmered to herself.
"Quite right, I would give you points, but..." he trailed off teasingly, making the others laugh.
The rock wall had melted away as soon as the blood had touched it, the three passed through the archway left behind, into an enormous caven, filed with a vast glassy lake. In the center of the lake was a stone basin, emitting a ghostly green glow.
Subtle, hermione thought to herself, shaking her head.
She looked along the waters edge for some means of crossing the water, sure that swimming was out of the question, not knowing what foul creatured voldemort had set to protect his soul.
"Can we summon it?" harry asked hopefully, his voice saying that he already knew it wouldn't be that easy.
"Why not try harry." Dumbledore siad, gesturing for him to proceed.
"Accio Horcrux." Harry said clearly. A large pale shape erupted fro the glassy serface of the water, only to crash back through again seconds later, leaving silence once more.
"Whas that an inferius?" Hermione asked, sounding ill, not needing an answer.
"Well done harry, that was much the easiest way of descoveing what we are up against." Dumbledore said proudly.
"Now," he stooped, his had grasping something the eye couldn't see. Using his other had, he rapped his knuckles firmly on the invisible something, and a chain apeared, leading to a rather small boat. Harry looked at it dubiously, obviously wondering weather it would hold all three of them.
"I fear this boat will only admit one wizard." Dumbledore said, Harry looked about to argue, when Hermione said, "You two in the boat, and i'll fly." Dumbledore nodded, as Hermione conjured a broomstick from thin air, mounting it gingerly, she really hated flying.
"I thought you said.." Harry began.
"My apologies Harry, what I should have said was only one full wizard, Voldemort would never dream that an underage person would find this place, or pass his protective spells. His mistake Harry, his mistake. we gain strength from his arrogance."
Harry clambered into the boat, Hermione watched as it wobbled dangerously. Once the boat set off from the shore, Hermione kicked off from the ground. Contrary to popular belief, she could fly perfectly well, she just hated to do it.
She kept pace with the boat, reaching the island of rock, and touching down just as the other wizards clambred free.
They three waked over to the basin, examining it dubiously.
The locket was clearly visible in the bottom, but protected by a clear possion which Hermione couldn't identify. She tried vanishing it, but nothing happened. Dumbledore tried to touch it, but his hand met with an invisible barrier.
Sighing, Hermione conjured a goblet.
"It won't kill will it?" Hermione aksed, Dumbledore shook his head, "I'll do it, i'd rather Harry be with you." Hermione finished, resigned.
Before plunging the goblet into the liquid, and drinking deeply. Dumbledore watched in grim acceptance, but Harry exclaimed loudly. Hermione ignored them both, and continued to drink. It tasted foul, sweet at first, but then an achrid after taste, making her cough and splutter.
Nothing hapened untill her third full goblet, her mind seemed to fast forward to her darkest memory's. Like a dementor in liquid form.
She was six years old, and at her Grandfather's funeral, watching helplessly as her Mother and Grandmother cried, not understanding, and wishing she could help. she was nine, and being shouted at by a teacher for being a know it all. Eleven, and being bullied by her 'friends' for her bushy hair, and big teeth.
Being called a mudblood by Malfoy when she was twelve, the basalisk in her second year, seeing a dead Cedric in her fourth, and hearing his Father's terrible, heart sattering cry of agony.
Almost loosing Sirius, and the unimaginable pain from Dolahov's spell in her fifth. She relived the boggart from grimauld Place, watching Charlie die slowly before her eyes, not being able to help him.
She cried out in aggony, but Harry and Dumbledore helped her to drink the last few drops. Dumbledore then pocketed the locket, before bending before Hermione, who was watching from above as Ron viciously attacked her unconsious form in a deserted bathroom, leaning over her bloodied form, and ripped clothing, violating her with his teeth.
"Water." she rasped. Dumbledore conjured her a large goblet of water, which she downed greedily.
"Harry you will need to help Hermione to fly back." Dumbledore instructed gently, pulling her to her feet, and setting her behind Harry on the broomstick.
Hermione wasn't entirley sure how she managed to cling to Harry for the broom ride, or the swim, but as she got out of the frozen ocean, her head had cleared slightly, and it was easier to stand.
She cought sight of her reflection in the dark water, she looked haunted. Her vibrant green eyes looked botomless, and almost black. Her face pale and pinched. She felt a comforting wight on her shoulder.
She had become aware of a fiery reflection wile Harry was helping her along, it was Aeval. Hermione kept her eyes on him, focusing on his light and comfort.
Aeval was now on her shoulder, lending her the bravery she needed to carry forwards.
They apperated back to Hogsmeed, only to be halted by a heart stopping sight. The dark mark hovering over the castle. With a single mindedness Hermione had never seen on his face, Dumbledore wordlessly summoned brooms for himself and Harry.
They flew back to the school, Aeval never leavng Hermione's side, having moved from her shoulder to fly beside her. Landing on top of the astronemy tower they found many deatheaters, all roabed in black, with groatesque silver masks, and a terrified looking draco Malfoy waiting for them.
The death eaters took in the new arrivals. Smirking at the boy who lived, and the greatst wizard of all time, but seeming to retreat from the fire bird, and the young woman who was so obviously his mistress.
"Kill him Draco." Bellatrix screamed, cackling maddly, her dark curls flying wildly about her face in the high wind. "Kill the old man, for the glory of our master."
Draco looked around helplessly, it seemed like he was going to be sick.
Battle inseud imediatley, Dumbledore stunning four of the ten death eaters straight away, while Harry fought with Draco. Hermione bagging two of her own, but then being pulled into a fierce duel with Bellatrix.
Aeval flew about them. Hermione worked with him seemlesly, using him as a distraction, or a shield as times called for. He was an extention of herself, like two connected minds. Aeval seemed to know Hermione's needs without her having to conciously instruct him.
Hermione fired hex after hex at the dark haired witch, dodging and weaving with her opponent, a coreographed dance.
Earning a few hits, but most being deflected. She suffered some nasty slicing wounds, and the odd burn courtasy of Bella's wand, but came off mostly unscathed. Bella hadn't been so lucky, she was bleeding quite heavily from several places where she had cought Hermione's hexes. She had also sustained a large scar across her face, courtasy of the young part Veela. Hermione had been sure to make the scarr permenant, too.
They battled fiercly, Bell clearly being out of her depth, but Hermione was reluctant to end it. Strugling to find an oppertunity to subdue her, and not wanting to kill her. No matter how eveil a creature, she couldn't kill. Hermione had been about to land the finall blow, when Bella turned tail and ran, shooting one last scared look at Aeval as she went.
Looking about her, she saw that the other fights had ended, Dumbledore was standing over an unconsious malfoy, whilst Harry was dabbing at a cut on his cheek. There where half a dozen or so death eaters unconsious about them.
"I couldn't kill her." Hermione siad, almost begging for their understanding. Both men nodded at her.
They didn't stay long in the tower, running to help the other fighters.
At the bottom of the stairs they found carnage. The exterior stone wall to the castle had been blasted apart, and the hallway nearly obbliterated, enormouse fragments of rock strewn across the floor, and dust hanging thickly in the air, making it difficult to see. There where several deatheaters fighting what looked to be the DA and the order combined.
Hermione skidded to a stop just in time to narrowly avoid the remnants of a stone wall that collapsed infront of her. The death eater she had been facing hadn't been so lucky. He was completley crushed, Hermione watched in horror as the light left his honey brown eyes, the only part of him visible behind his mask.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Dumbledore, a grave look on his face, he steared her away from the terrible scene, rushing once again towards the others.
They used Aeval's light to guide them towards the fighters. Hermione saw the spark of fear in the death eaters eyes as she approached, covered in battle wounds, a look in her eye that spoke of having witnessed attrocious deeds, and with her Fire bird flanking her. She was deadly.
She also saw the spark of hope in the eyes of her fellow order and DA members.
The fighting was fierce, but with Dumbledore now in the fray, as well as her self and Aeval, things quickly subsided. In the end, there weren't any fatalitty's for the light, for which Hermione was thankfull.
She and Aeval were fierce warriors, incapacatating six death eaters between them, in a mere ten minutes. They fell to her hands and her wand, never sure which had been the defining blow. They were to be sent to Azkaban. Dumbledore and the others had gotten the majority of the others, with only a few, like Bellatrix, Greyback and some others getting away.
Sitting in the hospital wing some hours later, stroaking the plumage of the fire bird in her lap, she recounted the injuries.
Tonks had been on the recieving end of a nasty curse by Rabastan, - one of the death eaters toescape - and was currently unconsious. As were Malfoy, who had been fighting against his will, and would be put into hiding for his own safety for the remainder of the year, and the summer to come. And Bill, who had been attacked by Fenrir Greyback.
Being that it was not the full moon, and that Greyback had been in human form when he attacked, Bill had not been passed the lycanthropy curse, but still had some nasty scars, which now had the apperance of being fully healed, simply thin white lines against his sligtly tan skin.
As far as the DA went, Ginny had a broken legg, which madam Pomfray had healed in a heart beat, but Neville and Luna were unscathed, as were the rest, who had all returned to their respective common rooms, no doubt to tell the rest of their houses about the nights events.
Hermione looked slightly the worse for ware, her cuts having been closed, but leaving scabbed lines onher skin. She was once again coveredin bruises, and had also sustained a few nasty burns, one on her left hip, the other across the left side of her ribbs. Madam pomfrey had informed her that there was nothing she could do about them. Hermione didn't really care, they could be easily covered, and Charlie had pleanty of burns from his dragons, so she doubted they's scare him away.
But the biggest change in her, was the eyes. They were flat, the vibrant green seeming almost black, filled with horror, and suffering. The look of a person who had seen death.
Hermione sat up in bed, as the doors to the hospital wing opened, addmitting a stressed looking Charlie, who had just arrived from Romania. He stopped briefly to hug Fleur, and make sure his brother would be fine, before heading straight for Hermione, who was standing waiting for him.
He looked her over, his eyes darkening as she showed him her injurees, he then pulled her into his arms, into a fierce hug, breathing her in, holding her tightly against his chest. They stayed that way for a long time, reveling in eachother.
"I was so frightened." She mumbled into him at last, thinking of the fighting, the horrid memory's brought by the possion, and watching the light leaving the unnamed death eaters eyes. She shivered violently, knowing that last memory would haunt her.
"Im here now." He mumbled into her hair, holding her even tighter for a long while. He pulled back eventually, and looked at the fire bird hovering behind his Mya.
"Aeval." He greeted the creature, nodding to him.
Aeval let out a long, lingering note, of breathtaking beauty, before bowing his head to Hermione and Charlie, and dissapearing, knowing that he was no longer required, that she was in good hands.
The entire ward watched the exchange with interest, marvalling at the couples compatability, how truley at one they were with eachother. It had been as if Aeval had mearly seen Charlie as an extension of his creator, truley his mistress' other half.
Charlie and Hermione went to sit at Bill's bedside, and wait for him to awaken.
Hermione put a hand on Fleur's shoulder, squeezing gently. The older witch just looked at her for a moment, blinking, before bursting into tears.
"Shhhh." Hermione cruned, pulling Fleur into her arms. "He'll be all right, it will all be fine." She murmered over and over again, letting Fleur cry herself out. At some point Ginny joined the group, hugging the frech girl's other side, stroaking her silvery blonde hair.
"I zort i'd lost 'im." She choked, whiping her face with her sleeve.
At this, Mrs Weasly wrapped Fleur in a hug, "He's very lucky to have you." She said, her voice tight with emotion. Hermione and Ginny smiled at eachother, knowing that Fleur had finally been fully accepted into the weasley fold.
Freeing herself from the hug, hermione went back to Charlie who opened his arms for her to sit in his lap. He took the oppertunity to examine her wounds, sattisfied that none were featal, and that most would heal. When he got to the burns however, he paused.
"We match." He said, pulling up a sleeve, and showing one of his many souvaneers from Dragon Taming. Hermione beamed, she had known Charlie wouldn't care about her looks, but hearing him confirm it only made her love him more.
They stayed silent in eachothers arms untill the hospital wing doors opened again, admitting Harry, Sirius in dog form and Dumbledore. Harry looked at Hermione, and nodded happily, before going to sit next to Ginny.
The horcrux had been destroyed then, it had all been for something. This made Hermione feel much better. Only two to go, Hermione thought optamistically, granted they were the darkest wizard of all time and his pet python, but she tried not to dwell on the details.
"Rooms have been set up for you all." Dumbledore said.
"We had decided that headquaters would move here at the begining of the holidays, and, what with there being only two weeks until that deadline, we have decided to move early."
That ment that Hermione would be in hogwarts for the forseeable future, she smiled, a whole castle for her and Charlie to get lost in, she liked the sound of that. And if the way Charlie gripped her tighter was any indication, then so did he.
Hermione and Charlie only left the hospital wing that night after Molly and Fleur had reasured them that they would wait with Bill, and call them if he woke up. So the only people heading to the temporary accomodation set up by Dumbledore were Hermione and Charlie, and Harry and Ginny.
The temporary rooms were set in Griffyndor tower, up a staircase that was hidden behind a tapestry in the common room. Even though it was nearly one in the morning when they had reached the common room, it was still packed.
Their arrival had caused quite a stir, especially with Hermione covered in still healing battle scars, her clothing runied, standing next to the mysterious Dragon Tamer they had heared so much about.
Harry and Ginny had wished them both goodnight, before heading straight to their dorms, neither of them wanting to be questioned by the crowd. Hermione laced her fingers through Charlie's, indicating that she wouldn't be leaving his side any time soon. He smirked at her.
She waved her hand in the direction of her dorm, summoning a bag filled with a change of clothes for tomorrow, some pajamas and her wash things. The common room watched silently as the pair dissapeared up the hidden staircase that none of them had known excisted, from view.
They went into the first door they saw, which held Charlie's trunk, presumably Dumbledore had conjured it from Romania, for Charlie hadn't exactly stopped to pack.
Grabbing her wash things, and still holding Charlie's hand, Hermione headed towards the bathroom. She shucked her ruined clothing, vanishing it with a wave of her hand, before stepping under the warm water, Charlie not far behind her.
She washed her hair thoroughly, twice, and conditioned, before scrubbing every inch of herself with vanilla scented soap, determined to wash the day from her body. Once she was done, she stood under the spray, as Charlie proceeded to kiss every one of her injurys.
By the time he had reached her burns, she was crying silently, unabble to rid her mind of the image of the light leaving those eyes. How they had stared at her, un seeing, yet somehow refusing to release her from their grasp.
Her body was shaking as Charlie pulled her against him, still under the warm spray.
"Shhhhh, I've got you sweetness." He murmered reassuringly, his large hands stroaking her back.
"Charlie, do you know what thestrals are?" She asked, unable to articulate it any other way. Understanding lit his eyes, and he crushed her to him once more.
"Ohhhhh Princess." He sighed sadly, rocking her gently under the warm water, untill the tears stopped.
When that time finally came, he shut off the water, and pulled her from the shower. She dried them both with a wave of her hand, and proceeded to slip into her steely grey silk shorts and camisole.
"I can see them too." Charlie finally said, just as Hermione was packing the last of her things back into her bag. She put her bag into Charlie's trunk before turning to face him.
"The thestrals." He qualified, "There was a bloke on the reserve, a mate of mine, years ago..." He trailed off, but she understood.
She pulled back the bed covers, sliding between the sheets on one side, and patted the other, waiting for Charlie to join her. He did so, sliding deftly into bed beside her as if her were made to be there.
Hermione's night wasn't devoid of nightmares, but when they came, and she awoke gasping, Charlie was there, holding her, comforting her, and lulling her back into sleep.
At one point that night, hermione and Charlie were awoken by piercing screams, and they weren't coming from Hermione, but from the girls dormitory's. They both lept from their bed, grabbing their wands and sprinting back towards the common room, where the whole house seemed to be slowly gathering.
The screams had stopped by the time they reached the bottom of the girls strair case, and Ginny came forward, leading a hysterically sobbing Serah, the source of the cries. Silently relieved that nobody was in danger, Hermione handed her wand to Charlie, and went to kneel before her little firstie.
"Serah, sweetheart, what's the matter?" She asked gently, tilting the crying girl's chin up, to see her face. Serah looked at Hermione for a moment, then flung herself at her, proceeding to cry into her neck. Hermione winced as the little girl hit her burns, but wrapped her in her arms anyway, staning up, holding her.
Looking to Lizzy, Serah's dorm mate, Hermione whispered, "What happened?"
Lizzy was very pale, and leaning against a tired looking Ginny, "I don't know, I woke up, and she was screaming." Lizzy turned, hiding her face in Ginny's stomach. Ginny hugged her, and shot Hermione a hopless look.
"Serah," Hermione tried gently, "Why were you screaming sweetheart?" Hermione and the rest of the tower waited, as serah took deep, shuddering breaths, Hermione rubbing her back soothingly.
"You were bleeding...and hu-hurt." She hiccoughed into Hermione's neck, fat tears running down the both of them. Hermione understood, Serah had seen her when they had come beck to the coomon room, after the fight.
"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry I frightened you, but I'm fine! I promise." She said, starting to sway softly with the quietening girl still in her arms.
Just as she had on the first night of the school year, she rocked Serah soothingly, and began to sing her the soft lullaby. The students didn't disperse, even when Professors Mcgonagall, Dumbledore and a few auror's showed up, to see what the trouble was.
They just watched silently, and listened to hermione's voice float throug the stone towers, it was hauntingly beautiful, the echo reminicant of prayer, belonging under the arches of a candle lit catherdral.
Hermione sang until Serah was asleep again, and then ushured Lizzy before her, back up to their dorm room, where she lay her little firstie down to bed, kissing her head softly, tucking the blankets around her.
She did the same for lizzy and Clara, the other girls in the dorm, before walking back to the common room.
The teachers and aurorrs waited for hermione to return, before nodding proudly to her, and leaving. Hermione looked about the common room, noticing that the boys where all gaping ah her silk pajamas, and all the girls were staring at something too.
Following their gaze, she landed on a still shirtless charlie, who was grinnng at her cheekily. Hermione scowled, she didn't like all these girls drooling over her dragon tamer, Ginny and harry saw her pout, and smirked.
"Right," hermione said, turning to the others, "Can we all go bacck to bed now?" She asked pointedly, and students began filing back to their dorms, still shooting her and her boyfriend hungry lances though.
"Night...again." Ginny said, as she and harry dissapeared with the crowd.
Hermione took her wand back from Charlie, and they both climed the stone stepps to their room, virtually asleep on their feet.
"You have a beautiful voice." Charlie mumbled against her ear, when they were once again lying in eachothers arms. Hermione just kissed his bare chest sleepily, snuggling further into him.