Hermione was breathing slowly, making sure each inhale and exhale came at an even pace. The trick was to keep her breaths steady, to not take in too much air at once. She spent a moment to thank her parents' medical training and wondered if witches and wizards raised in the magical world would have had the basic knowledge of breathing techniques to survive this. Except that wasn't right. There was no way to survive this; she could only prolong it.

Then, her inner ramblings were interrupted by the sound of a voice calling from outside.

"It's Harry!" Ginny shouted. That was Harry's voice, was it possible? She watched as Ginny rushed to the window to confirm the owner of the yell.

"Harry? Is that you?"

Hermione couldn't hear the reply but could tell from Ginny's sigh of relief and squeak of joy that it was, in fact, The Boy Who Lived.

"It's him, Hermione, it's him! Oh, thank Merlin…"

Hermione smiled at the relieved look on Ginny's face. She too had been worried about the safety of whoever it was that would be coming for them. Knowing it was Harry, and knowing what he had to have faced in getting here, Hermione said a silent prayer of thanks that her dear friend had once again made it through a trial unscathed.

"Good, this is good," Hermione said finally. "Harry won't be able to take my place…he'll be safe…"

"Hermione, how do we get him up here?"

Hermione thought for a moment. How, indeed? They had no supplies, no wand, nothing on hand to help them. Then, her gaze settled on the crossbow, lying half forgotten in one corner of the tower.

"There," Hermione said, pointing to the weapon. "Throw that to him."

Ginny's brow shot up in confusion but she complied, trusting Hermione's judgment. The redhead heaved the crossbow up, throwing it out the window with a cry of "Look out below!"

That done, Ginny looked back to Hermione questioningly.

"What's he supposed to do with that?"

"Make a ladder," Hermione replied absentmindedly. "With the arrows."

Ginny's eyes widened, as if unable to believe it possible. Hermione couldn't disagree. The idea of Harry's weight being supported by those thin arrows did seem improbable. But it wasn't impossible, and something was telling Hermione that she had at last discovered the reason that weapon was so important.

Then, Hermione spoke again, remembering something vital.

"Ginny, there's a finite number of arrows," she said quickly. "You need to tell him to space them out exactly."

Ginny nodded and rushed back to the window, yelling down to Harry once more. Hermione chewed her thumbnail, the pieces coming together in her mind. The magic in these tests was intricate, every element planned out to the finest detail. Somehow, she knew that those arrows would create a ladder fitted to the perfect measurements of whoever needed to climb up and reach her.

"He's doing it," Ginny said, returning to Hermione once more. "I think everything is going to be okay."

Ginny let out a relieved breath and Hermione gave a terse smile. If only Ginny knew, she thought wryly. Hermione began to hear noises outside the window and she could tell Harry was getting closer to the top. There were grunts and a few quiet swears and Hermione knew it was just a matter of time before her dark haired friend made it through. She wondered how Harry would react, how it would all end. She knew he loved her, as she loved him, but she also knew it wasn't the kind of love described in the book. However much he may want to, and Hermione knew he would want to, Harry wasn't going to be able to save her life. The information should have scared her, it meant there was no hope of her being spared, but all she could feel was thankful that at least there was no chance of one of her loved ones having to die in her place.

Suddenly, Hermione could see the top of a head poking up through the window. She smiled at the familiar black hair and Ginny rushed forward, grabbing Harry by the shoulders and tugging to pull him all the way into the room. The two of them fell to the floor at the motion, each grasping onto the other in relieved gratitude.

"Gin, I've been so worried…are you hurt?"

"I'm okay, I'm okay, shh."

Hermione looked away, embarrassed to watch such a private moment between the two. It was evident how deeply they loved each other, even after all that time apart. Harry, finally pulling away from Ginny, turned to look at Hermione to make sure she was safe as well.

"I'm fine Harry," Hermione said with a watery smile.

Hermione understood their worry for the other perfectly. The emotion of it threatened to overwhelm her and tears pricked at the back of her eyes. If this all moved forward as she suspected it might, it meant she would never see Ron Weasley again.

"Thank God," Harry said shakily. "We've been so scared."

"We?" Hermione said quickly. "I thought…Harry, you're my knight, aren't you?"

"No," Harry replied with a slow shake of his head. "I'm just a gate crasher."

Hermione opened her mouth to argue more, but was interrupted by a loud clanking sound. Her eyes shot to the tower window where an arm was just now making its way over the ledge. She saw a hand gripping a long, gleaming sword. Then, the arm tensed as someone hefted himself up over the windowsill.

There before her was Ron, his head and torso just visible through the window. His teeth were gritted from the exertion and he toppled himself forward, falling through the window in an ungraceful heap.

"For a skinny git, Harry," Ron said, sprawled out on the floor, heaving in breaths, "you sure are heavy."

Hermione stood frozen, her vision taking in the unwelcome sight of Ron in horror. Panic set in once more and for a moment she forgot her breathing exercises.

"No, it can't be," she whispered. "Ron…it's you?"

He looked up at her for the first time, his brilliant blue eyes sparking at her words. He pushed himself up off the ground and came to a stand, his towering posture making him look imposing as he spoke.

"Always the tone of surprise, Hermione."