Chapter Three:
Everything seemed to be happening at once. Their tent broke down under the spells of the Snatchers that attacked Harry, Hermione and Ron. In the whole mess of coloured lightning and flying fabric, it was impossible to see exactly who was attacking who. Harry heard someone fall down beside him after he cast a stunning hex and he was fairly certain he had hit Ron. He had no time to check though, Hermione and himself still had to defend themselves. A scream sounded through the mixture of yells and curses and Hermione went down.
Harry more felt than saw the pain in her deafening yell. She was bleeding through various wounds, her face distorted with pain. Harry didn't know what to do. There was absolutely no way he could fight all the Snatchers by himself but if he let his guard down to save Hermione, they would kill him for sure. He didn't have a choice.
"Stupefy!", he yelled at the Snatcher near to him and quickly bent down to the bleeding Hermione. Blood was spurting out of her so fast Harry didn't know how there was any left inside her. She didn't scream anymore, instead her pale face was frozen in a look of pure terror.
"Vulnera Sanentur", he repeated the song-like incantation Snape had used on Draco in sixth year. He said it three times and although his hand was shaking, Hermione's wounds seemed to close slowly. "Expelliarmus!" Harry was hit in the back.
When Harry woke up, he found himself lying on a cold stone floor. He looked around himself. In the dim lights he could see Ron slowly waking from his petrification beside him.
He sat up and rubbed his head. "Damnit." Then he spotted Hermione, still unconscious and badly bruised. "Hermione." Harry winced at the pain in Ron's voice. He robbed over to her and bent over stroking her cheek softly. "What did they do?" Harry answered. "Snape." "He was there?", Ron asked without turning around. Harry shook his head, until his spell. You know the one I accidentally used on Malfoy last year."
Ron stood up. "She's... but she's... you know. She is goiing to be... okay, right?" Harry didn't dare looking him in the eye. "I closed her wounds, but she lost a lot of blood." He felt bad he didn't do more. He felt bad about not reacting faster, about wondering what to do when she had been already losing so much blood.
"That's not fair", Ron said in a broken voice. "They should have gotten me instead."
Harry shook his head. "Don't say that." Ron was almost tearing up. "She doesn't deserve this. She always looked out for us. She was always there. I don't know what to do without her." Harry didn't say anything. "It's not fair", Ron repeated. "One time she needs me and I can't help her. I know I'm not the leading man. I know I'm not the hero, but shouldn't I at least be able to do what she would have done for me?" He looked down on Hermione. "I'm sorry", he muttered.
There was a crooking noise. "Did you hear that?" Harry whispered. "Someone's coming." Ron looked up. The door opened and light shed into the small cold room they were lying in. Somebody entered and adressed them in a voice that Harry guessed was supposed to be intimidating, but came out a little shaky: "Stand up and follow me." It was Draco Malfoy.