CHAPTER SIXTY- 20 December 1998
"Wake up! Hermione! WAKE UP!" Malfoy yelled to his sleeping wife. She could have sworn she had just fallen asleep only moments ago and she was drowsy as a dormouse. "What's happened?" She asked rubbing her eyes. "He's here," was all Malfoy said as he rolled up his sleeve to reveal his arm. It was the same grotesque back and blue only this morning his Dark Mark looked like a burning red wound. She got up as quickly as she could and kept her wand clutched tight in her hand.
The two left their bedroom into a commotion of panic in the dining room. "Calm down, everyone please remain calm!" McGonagall was trying to say over the panicking students. Harry was the one to climb onto the table and demand silence from the room.
"Every student under the age of seventeen will follow Luna to the boy's dormitories and will not leave until a member of the Order comes for them!" Harry shouted. "GO! Now!" Harry shouted again when no one moved. Luna grabbed the hand of the smallest student and glided to the direction of the boy's dormitory.
"Everyone else, follow me upstairs. We all know our positions and we can only hope the rest of the Order will be there to greet us," Harry said jumping off the table. Everyone was ready to go with the exception of Lupin and Malfoy. "I can't leave Tonks behind…" Lupin was whispering to Bill Weasley. "You can, Remus! We need you. She will be safe in bed as long as Luna is here, I promise," Bill said. With one last glance at his bedroom door Lupin followed the members of the Order.
"Let's go, Draco. It's time to leave," Hermione urged. "You have to stay. Please… Hermione, stay here," he begged. Refusing to answer him or stay behind she marched behind Lupin and assumed Malfoy would follow her.
She felt him close behind as they went through a new tunnel and out of the safety of the Room of Requirement. They all came to many forks in the tunnel and with a parting word Harry said, "Good luck, and keep your wands at the ready." Bill, Fleur and Mrs. Weasley went through one passageway while the Weasley twins went through the one next to them. Remus Lupin followed two Gryffindor boys through the darkest channel and lastly Neville Longbottom and Katie Bell climbed down a dark hole, leaving the four remaining members alone.
"Well have to get closer if we want to be able to hear the signal," Ron said. "Right. This way," said Harry with his wand lighting the last remaining passageway. They walked for a few minutes before the tunnel got thinner and thinner and caused them to walk in a straight line. "And now we wait…" Ron said nervously. Despite the cold temperature Hermione could feel herself sweating. The anticipation was making her anxious and the silence between them all was uncomfortable.
After what seemed like an eternity the four felt the ground shake and heard a tremendous boom. "Fred and George seem to be on track. Are you all ready?" Harry asked. When everyone nodded their head yes, Harry threw open the passageway door and sprinted out into the cold December air.
They ran towards the greenhouses heading away from the courtyards and Great Hall. Harry took the lead whilst Ron ran behind him to the right, Hermione behind to the left, with Malfoy closing in the rear.
The sun had fully risen by the time they reached their first stopping point along the edge of the castle wall. "Everyone alright?" Harry asked. "Yes, we're fine Potter. Let's get going before-" Malfoy started to say before glass and stone began to fall on top of them.
"Protego!" Hermione said protecting the four of them from the rubble of the castle. Whilst Hermione protected them from the rock and glass, Malfoy shot a deadly green spell out of his wand and hit the assailant falling from castle.
"THE KILLING CURSE?" Harry shouted at him with his wand pointed to his head. "We're not here to kill people!" Ron shouted with his wand on Malfoy as well. "It was either him or us. I am not going to let anyone hurt us!" Malfoy retaliated.
It felt as if her heart had been crushed under the debris to see her husband kill another wizard without a second thought. Trying to push past her distress she said, "What are we waiting for? You want more of them to come around? Let's go!"
Putting their differences aside the four sprinted into the greenhouses while they could see evidence of battle happening inside the castle. Hermione was struggling to catch her breath when the glass walls surrounding them broke. "You're crushing me, Draco," Hermione croaked from underneath him. Malfoy had flung himself onto Hermione to protect her from glass and it seemed Ron had done the same for Harry.
"This is where we leave you," Harry said to the Malfoys. "Good luck. Potter… Kill him for me, will you?" Malfoy said extending his hand for Harry to shake. The two Gryffindors nodded at them and set off at a run away from the greenhouse.
Hermione stood and shook the glass of. She was ready to get going when Malfoy took her hand. "Granger," he started. "Hermione… If we make it through this, I will do right by you… I swear to-" he said before he was interrupted by a nasty voice.
"MALFOYS! IN THE GREENHOUSE! MALFOYS IN THE-" The ugly voice screamed until Hermione knocked him out with her wand. "Not now, Draco! Let's go," she urged. Malfoy didn't need telling twice and ran as fast as he could right into two men.
The older one had graying red hair and the other had the same Weasley hair with glasses on his face. "Mr. Weasley?" Hermione assumed. She stood next to them with her wand ready for any interference. "Yes dear. Neville told Wood who told us… Pleased to have you join. Quite successful in London," he said very casually. He was greatly distracted by any noise that came their way.
"Best you two get a move on!" The Weasley in the glasses said. They said good luck to each other and kept running. Around a corner they spotted Death Eaters cursing younger students who didn't have a chance to run back to their dormitories yet.
"NO!" Hermione screamed as she ran forward to protect the children. Malfoy was ahead of her, sending killing curses to the Death Eaters. Hermione stood in front of five Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students who looked to be in their second or third year. The children were confused to see a woman in Slytherin green robes protecting them. Hermione sent disarming curses to the Death Eaters while Malfoy dueled them.
She was impressed with is dueling skills, even if he was trying to use any nasty spell he could including the Killing Curse. "Hermione! GET THEM OUT OF HERE!" Malfoy commanded. "I'm not leaving you!" Hermione cried, surprising herself in the process. I'm not leaving you? She thought, turning the strange words over in her head. "Take them someplace safe! I am right behind you, I promise!" He said. There was only one Death Eater left for him to fight so Hermione grabbed the hands of the smallest Ravenclaws and ran.
Where is safe? She thought to herself. She ran them into the castle and into an empty classroom. All of the students were crying and too scared to speak. "What is this?" crept a small, light voice behind them. Hermione turned with her wand up to see a ghost she had only seen once or twice before.
"Grey Lady, please help them!" Hermione pleaded. "Take them to Ravenclaw Tower, be a lookout for them!" The ghost floated down gently towards them and looked at the young witches and wizards. "You must do as I say, understood?" The Grey Lady said softly. They all nodded attentively in agreement as Hermione ran out of the classroom.
"Mrs. Malfoy… 'ow lovely you look this mornin'…" A Death Eater cooed. Hermione shot spells at him but he deflected them all. "Where's that little girl of yours, eh? Got someone outside who would like to meet her," he taunted. Hermione shot spell after spell at him but it did no good.
"SCABIOR! Get away from her!" Malfoy screamed as he shot green from his wand. Scabior jumped out of the way and the Malfoys were attacking him. Hermione knocked him out and as blood oozed from the Death Eater's head- Malfoy stood over him ready to kill. "No. He will be out for hours… Let's go," Hermione said.
Malfoy followed her with a grumpy expression on his face. "He said You-Know-Who is outside… Do you think everyone is alright?" Hermione said as they snuck their way through the castle. "We can only hope they are," he replied. Suddenly Malfoy fell to the ground clutching his arm. Hermione had to drag him into a broom closet to remain out of sight.
Hermione was about to ask what was wrong when a deafening voice spoke throughout the castle. "IF THE WEASLEY FAMILY DOES NOT WISH TO LOSE A SON, HARRY POTTER WILL COME TO ME," spoke the voice. Hermione knew it was Voldemort. "AND IF THE MALFOYS DO NOT WISH TO LOSE A DAUGHTER, HARRY POTTER WILL COME TO ME. YOU HAVE UNTIL SUNSET," the voice boomed. When the voice stopped, Hermione dropped to her knees and clutched onto Malfoy's robes. "He has her! He has her!" Hermione said with tears like never before streaming down her face. It felt as if her heart was ripped from her body.