Pansy had been with them ever since she instigated their escape from Voldemort's headquarters six years previously. Hermione had been distrustful of her at first, this was the girl that had gone out of her way to insult them at Hogwarts after all, but Luna had insisted that Pansy was a good person and would stand by them from now on, which was really all Hermione needed to hear seeing as Luna had always had the most mysterious way of getting to the heart of any creature and understanding it. After years of battling beside the girl, Hermione had finally come to trust Luna's instincts. When she had at last come to this conclusion, she asked Luna if all of the whimsical sounding creatures she had always talked about actually existed. The reply had been rather interesting. "Oh yes, of course they do. Daddy was the one to name the creatures that I sensed from my earlier childhood but they are very much real, living organisms. However I am willingly to admit that I went along with some of what Daddy said for his sake, that horn in our house was quite obviously not of the crumple-horned snorkack, but I can quite readily assure you that he nor I invented any of the animals I've spoken with you about over the years."
Luna's infallible instincts aside, there are just some things you can't go through without becoming friends afterwards. Fending off a troll being one, and escaping Lord Voldemort's home under his very nose another. Hermione wondered at the time just what life had been like for Pansy before helping them escape because it had been almost too easy to just walk out of the Death Eater infested nest. Pansy had simply flung open the door to the room they were being held captive, passed them their wands after quickly releasing their bindings, cast a surprisingly strong disillusionment charm on Luna and Hermione, and then calmly levitated them both in the air and dragged them behind her because Pansy had apparently realized that neither of them would be able to walk directly after being tortured. It was awhile before Hermione realized that Pansy had also cast several other advanced spells to disguise the two prisoners from detection. She seemed to be rather gifted in this particular area of magic.
What had set Hermione to wondering, however, was the fact that Pansy had cast no spell on herself; apparently opting to walk lifelessly through the hallways without acknowledging anyone she passed by. The weird part was that no one seemed to take any notice of her. She was simply ignored or occasionally sneered at as she passed by people. Hermione had at one time thought Pansy had been allied with the Dark. It wasn't until later, while hiding out in the forest before they were able to locate the Light's troops that Hermione learned the truth. Pansy was certainly not overly forthcoming when they first escaped but from what Hermione could deduce at the time, she had been staying there without any will to live after Draco died and had only found that will again after witnessing what was happening to Luna and Hermione. After that, Hermione and Luna slowly found out about the various horrors that had been done to her in that house and the three had bonded in a way that only people with similar experiences and a common goal can. They been hurt and had felt lost and most of all wanted Voldemort dead.
Hermione knew she had hardened since her schoolgirl days, she even knew the exact moment when it had happened. Her heart had cracked as she watched the light slowly leave her best friend's eyes only after leaving all of his memories to her in a single tear. That night she had slowly watched all of the people closest to her fall one by one, each taking a piece of her soul with them. She thought she would die when she saw her childhood love Ron Weasley fall to the ground after taking out five Death Eaters on his own. The last straw had been when Harry, always the foolhardy Gryffindor, had jumped in front of the dark curse aimed at Hermione's back after she had just taken down her opponent. She had been crying uncontrollably as she held him, finally letting the gravity of all the death way down on her, and had watched as Harry slowly disintegrated away into a skeleton after telling Hermione that he loved her and that she had to take his memories and live on. She had nodded numbly, the battle dying down around her as the Death Eaters began retreating on Voldemort's command. The last of the Light had started to gravitate toward the form that had once been their guiding symbol of good before the last of Harry's body wisped away into nothingness. Without anything left to hold, Hermione had been tempted to dissolve into a state of hysterics; but it had been Luna that appeared at her side and taken her into a forceful hug. She whispered in Hermione's ear, "Honor Harry's memory, Hermione. You must lead us now." Hermione felt a jolt at her words and raised her head to gaze at the young faces that remained, the more seasoned fighters having fallen while protecting the inexperienced. She pulled away from Luna slowly, looking at her naturally dazed expression, and suddenly knew that what Hermione had always thought was silliness and a touch of insanity was actually a girl with incredible strength and understanding. Hermione nodded her head in respect to Luna, making the girl widen the smile she always had on her face, before rising slowly to her feet.
"We will never stop fighting," she had whispered so that everyone surrounding her had to strain to hear her. She raised her voice and said clearly, "Harry would want us to live on and fight for whatever it is we believe in. I don't know about all of you, but I still believe in goodness and love. I still believe in the Light. And I know that as long as I continue to draw breath, I will fight for that love. I could never expect any of you to fight with me after the loss we've experienced today. I will never be able to replace Harry Potter or Dumbledore or any of the other beautiful, brilliant people who have died by the power of that evil man while defending that love. But I can bloody well promise you this: should you choose to stand beside me, I will finish what they started and I will give everything I have in me to see Voldermort pay for the pain he has caused us all!" Her voice had steadily risen throughout the impromptu speech and, miraculously, so had the spirits of her comrades. They cheered for her as she led them away from the death and rubble of Hogwarts and into the Forbidden Forest.
The Resistance, as they had taken to calling themselves after it was clear that Voldemort now had control of the magical world, had been fighting ever since. Hermione had thrown her genius level mind into every field of study that might help their cause and devoted all of the rest of her time to training physically and magically while still planning out strategies and procedures. The Resistance had followed her lead unquestioningly since the day of the Battle of Hogwarts. They all seemed to realize the change that had occurred in Hermione in that moment after Harry's death. She had lost her innocence and her guiding light in one fail swoop, leaving her with no choice but to rise to the occasion and become the strength of others. Leadership actually suited her well once she'd acquired the confidence and the others had no doubts as to the question of her magical skills. She was the most brilliant magical being since Dumbledore.
Hermione had lead them well for four years with Luna as her second, a surprising twist for people who had known them at Hogwarts, but it was the day they returned to the camp with Pansy Parkinson in tow, all three beaten and broken but not defeated, that the dynamic amongst the girls seemed to shift. It was like a puzzle piece was clicked into place that they hadn't been aware of needing. Hermione was the leader with the brains, Luna the healer with the instincts, and Pansy the illusionist with perspective. Hermione ran all their operations and had a strong presence in training. Pansy, they were soon to discover, had a talent in the field of spy work, for she was able to create powerful illusions and barriers, while still continually challenging those around her. Luna was an entity all her own. What many people had thought was a daft girl who had no idea what was going on around her was actually an extremely gifted individual specifically tuned to living creatures. She had taken to Legilimency like a fish to water and was astoundingly talented at brewing and creating potions that aided the wounded and sick. She was aware of everything taking place around her while appearing to not be aware of anything at all and was able to sense what a creature, be it human or other, needed or felt without having to ask.
Together, the three brought a kind of hope back to the Resistance that was cherished beyond measure by the warriors; for if these three totally different girls could come together after what they had been through and fight as they did, there had to be a possibility that everything would work out in the end. This hope had still been alive until the last raid, where the Resistance had been ambushed by a horde of Death Eaters. It had been a set-up. They had gotten false information of Voldemort's newest whereabouts and were swarmed during their "surprise" attack. Hermione had been fighting like a madwoman for thirty minutes straight while each Death Eater she took down in the circle surrounding her was replaced one after another. As the crowd of black began to thin slightly, Hermione cast her gaze around for survivors and was horrified to realize that the only people left standing out of the whole of the Resistance were Luna and Pansy, and only because Pansy had erected an awe-inspiring shield around Luna and herself, effectively separating them from the encroaching Death Eaters while Luna attempted to pick them off one at a time. Hermione was devastated but realized that the three of them need to retreat, so without ceremony she thrust herself toward Pansy and Luna while calling out their names. Luna, upon connecting eyes with Hermione knew exactly what her plan was and quickly whispered it to Pansy. In that second, Hermione smashed her hands together with a thunderous clap and black smoke encompassed the entire area. A moment later Hermione felt a small hand clasp her own and then the familiar sensation of apparition.
Moments later, all three collapsed on the leafy floor of what could only be the Forbidden Forest, no doubt Luna's doing as she had always had a particular love for this forest. The sense of loss was starting to weigh heavy on Hermione as she realized that she had failed them all. She had once again let people she cared about die. Just as she was about to sink deeper into depression, she was engulfed in a hug similar to the one she had received after Harry's death.
"Hermione, you know I know what you're doing right now and I really must ask you to stop. This is not your fault. I will not see you depressed. We must not lose hope," Luna intoned to her in the wispiest of voices that somehow seemed to still come off as strong and wise.
"Luna. There is no hope. Everyone but us is dead. I've let them all die. I've let Harry down. It's over," Hermione said almost lifelessly.
"Don't you say that Granger!" Pansy suddenly yelled. Hermione's head snapped up at her tone to see a desperate and angry expression on the pretty girl's hard face. "Don't you ever say that it's over! Not after you forcefully wretched me from my state of oblivion with that bloody fighting spirit of yours. Not after you gave me cause to hope. I will not have it! You're the last person that is ever supposed to give up and you owe it to me and everyone else to keeping fighting until the end," Pansy finished in a shrill voice that the girls hadn't heard her use since their Hogwarts days. Hermione was taken aback. She'd had no idea she'd been such an influence on Pansy. But as she stared at the black haired girl in front of her that was trying desperately not to cry, Hermione realized that it was too selfish to give up. She had made a promise to fight until she drew her very last breath. And Hermione Granger always kept her promises. Well, the ones that mattered anyway.
Hermione cocked her head upwards and to the side to look Pansy in the eye. "I was just testing you, love," she sang out with exaggerated bravado before grinning at the now stunned girl. A smile of her own slowly crept over Pansy's face as she watched Hermione realign herself right before Pansy's very eyes. This is why Pansy had chosen to follow Hermione Granger. Not because she was incredibly powerful, not because she was a genius, and definitely not because she had the qualities of a true Gryffindor combined with a surprising amount of cunning; though of course she was all of these things. No, it was because Hermione Granger was a survivor and a protector. Pansy had felt it every moment since she had joined Granger's little Resistance. The girl was fierce. And Pansy had made it her goal to become just as mentally strong so as not to lose herself again. She would never tell Granger this, but she had become a sort of role model for Pansy.
"I hate to interrupt you're truly endearing thought processes but I believe we have a visitor who has come to aid us," Luna suddenly stated dreamily, indicating the approaching form of an unknown horse-shaped figure. Neither of the girls blushed at the knowledge of Luna's awareness of their deliberations, both had grown used to the strange girl's way of speaking and had come to just accept that sweet little Luna knows everything, even if she doesn't always bring it up out loud. It was simply just what came with being around Luna; the girl couldn't even help it that people's thoughts and feelings laid themselves out in front of her, any more that she could help the fact that most of those people would never understand her in return. Hermione and Pansy did though, to the extent that is was possible to understand Luna Lovegood anyway.
Hermione rose to her feet and turned toward the centaur, Luna and Pansy naturally falling into position on either side of her: Luna to the left and Pansy to the right. She felt no threat from the approaching figure, Luna's instincts were always spot on, but she was always wary of situations that seemed to be born of coincidence, namely because in Hermione's experience there was no such thing as coincidence.
"Hello Hermione Granger, Pansy Parkinson, and Luna Lovegood. It has been many years and you would not remember me. I am Lithos and I once fought alongside you at Hogwarts," stated the centaur that had appeared before them.
Hermione knew she could not remember many of the details of that particular day so she merely bowed her head in respect and indicated for him to continue.
"Please take a walk with me as I discuss matters of great importance with you," the centaur proclaimed in what seemed like more of a demand then an invitation. Hermione decided to follow him anyway. Luna had said he had come to help them.
"Now," Lithos began, "as you may well know, it is not of the centaurs' nature to involve ourselves in the comings and goings of humankind. However, like with the battle six years ago, the time has come again for us to not only offer assistance, but to place you three on the path to your destinies."
"You mean the centaurs are really going to help us? I had thought all the centaurs had retreated back into the forests in order to separate themselves from humanity once again," Hermione couldn't help but question.
"Ah, but Hermione Granger this is an entirely different matter altogether from the estrangement between centaurs and humans. This course of action has been written in the stars. It is the path that will in truth, save the world," Lithos informed her casually, as if he wasn't speaking about the fate of all their lives and the lives to come.
Hermione turned her head to the left to look at Luna, who simply smiled back as if the world was right again. And maybe it was going to be all right. Was Hermione allowed to even hope for such a thing? For surely the world could never be right again without her precious loved ones. That was just asking too much. Still, she followed after the mysterious centaur with a practiced gait while Pansy and Luna trailed slightly behind. She had learned long ago not to simply brush aside possibilities just because she herself had no prior knowledge of them. Her previous years with Harry and her recent years with Luna had gone a long way in teaching her that.
Before long, Hermione began to sense a strange presence of magic that she couldn't quite dissect. The further they walked the heavier it seemed to get and the air itself appeared to turn brighter, shinier. Hermione all at once realized that they must be entering the centaur colony and the magical aura she was feeling was the natural protection created to shield their home. Hermione wondered vaguely if they were the first humans to actually enter into the centaurs' sacred ground. They were certainly gaining plenty of stares from centaurs that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.
"Brothers, Sisters," Lithos suddenly called, "I have brought the witches to read the Tome. Let us pass peacefully." Apparently not all of the centaurs were happy with the decision to allow the girls entrance, however Lithos seemed nonplussed and plowed forward on his four brown legs toward a huge tree in the middle of the colony. The girls followed silently, slightly awed by the size of the tree and the ancient magic emanating from it. It was so heavy they could feel the aura of it tingling their skin as they approached. Upon reaching what appeared to be a large door carved into the tree, Lithos turned around to face the witches once more.
"The answers you seek lie beyond this door, within the Tome of our forefathers. Long ago, centaurs wielded less natural forms of magic and recorded their findings in the Tome. It has since been forbidden for any centaur to read it, for the words breed corruption to our pure way of life."
Pansy suddenly piped up, "If you don't' read it, why do you keep it around?"
"Because, Pansy Parkinson, centaurs do not act without purpose and such was the case with our forefathers. The book has been used by outcasts and outsiders alike throughout the history of the world, depending on what the stars would foretell. We are merely the keepers of it," Lithos responded seriously.
Hermione wondered at the irony of waiting around for stars to tell you when you are allowed to bring someone home to read an ancient book that you have been forbidden to even read yourself. However, out of respect for their customs, Hermione did not voice these speculations out loud. It was another lesson she had learned over time; don't try to tell people how to live their lives.
"We thank you immensely for your help Lithos. We will do our best with the book," Hermione told Lithos politely.
"There is no need to thank me Hermione Granger, I merely followed the stars. I wish you luck in your endeavors though. You all seem very decent for humans."
As Hermione smiled and turned toward the door, she heard Luna whisper to Lithos, "Goodbye new friend. And good luck with the others."
The three girls opened the wide door warily and stepped inside to a magically lit interior where a large book lay unceremoniously on the bark ground of the hollowed out tree. The three girls encircled the book and plopped to the ground to take a look.
"This book is huge and we don't even know what we're looking for," Hermoine speculated without making a move to touch the Tome.
"If I may, Hermione," Luna began in that unassuming voice of hers. She waited for Hermione to nod before delicately lifting the mass of book and placing it solidly in her lap. Pansy and Hermione looked on with interest, wondering what exactly Luna was planning to do. Luna stared at the volume in front of her respectfully before raising one hand into the air dramatically and slamming it back down with a precise incision that opened the book to a seemingly random page.
Hermione could almost hear the cricket chirping as she and Pansy stared at their innocent looking best friend.
"Um Luna?" Hermione began, "What was that?"
Luna just gazed back at Hermione evenly and replied, "well, we've got to start somewhere."
Pansy's jaw dropped to inexplicable lengths before she burst into laughter. "You…," she heaved in between laughs, "are so…. random Luna…. it's hilarious! What was with that hand chopping movement? Why….? I don't even…"
While Pansy was left to get ahold of her self, Hermione gently lifted the book off of Luna's lap being careful to keep it opened to the place she had karate chopped. Hermione was also grinning, a feat Hermione felt could only attest further to her hypothesis that Luna was not in fact human but actually some sort of happy alien that spread laughter wherever she went. That or she was just so attuned to people's personalities that she knew what was needed to make them smile. Hermione was still smiling at Pansy's hysterics in the background as she looked down at the page to which Luna had opened the book. And then her heart skipped a beat. This…
"Guys," she said in such a hopeful voice that Pansy's laughter was immediately stilled and both she and Luna quickly gathered themselves behind Hermione in order to read the ancient runes over her shoulder.
"This is…" Pansy began in awed tones.
"A time-travel potion," Luna finished gravely.