2

Live, go through hell if needed

Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson were one of the worst duos in the world. Ever since they entered their first year at Hogwarts they had hated each other for being on opposite sides. One of them belonged to Slytherin and the other to Gryffindor, the two Hogwarts houses with the greatest rivalry. And not only that, Granger's best friend (Potter) and one of the people Pansy admired the most (Draco), were archenemies. So they were not only rivals for their houses, but also for their friendships. Another important detail turned out to be that Granger was not a normal witch, but a mudblood. Pansy had learned as a child that a pure blood like her shouldn't even have to cross paths with people of that ilk. Considering all those reasons, it was natural that they have been at odds with each other over and over again over the years, inevitable. They hated each other for seven years, but in desperate times...

"Do you have a plan?" Pansy asked.

"Obviously," Granger said.

They were walking up the main stairs of Hogwarts, Granger leading.

"And we're going to Gryffindor tower because...?" she insisted, as they waited for the stairs to stop moving before continuing.

"To change my clothes. I think the plumbing is still working, so I'll take a bath too."

"...that doesn't sound like a plan to save us."

Granger turned, crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow at her defiantly.

"And what is your brilliant plan, miss 'this must be Dumbledore's revenge'?" she asked sarcastically.

Pansy blushed up to her ears.

"I did not say that."

"It's a more than accurate summary."

"I'm getting tired of you making fun of me. Have you already forgotten who I am?"

"Are you threatening me?" Granger looked her up and down. "You don't have a wand. And have you seen yourself? You're muddy."

Pansy snorted. Granger kept talking,

"Look, all I know about all this is that because I decided to help you get up off the floor, everyone disappeared. The people around me began to show through until they were no longer there, not so dissimilar to an invisibility cloak. The problem is that if they had turned invisible, we could still touch them, but we went through most of the castle and didn't hit anything that 'wasn't there'.

I believe you, it wasn't you. I don't trust you, but why would you cause this? Did the most powerful wizard on the planet pick a random Hogwarts student and have her activate some strange magic that would make everyone disappear just as she was convinced she was going to kill Harry? It's so ridiculous for so many reasons that I could do an essay several feet in length—"

"Well, I'm glad you're clear on that because I really didn't do anything."

"Besides, you genuinely seemed surprised. And I know you don't belong to the school drama club. You weren't even good at lying to teachers when you were caught gossiping in class."

"Of course you had to add something like that..." Pansy complained.

"The smart thing to do right now is to keep you close. As far as we know, we might as well be the only people in the world. Groups increase the chances of success, even if there are only two of us, it is better than nothing." Granger gave a fake laugh. "Of all the people that exist, it just had to be…"

"I'm not happy about this either, I never wanted to get involved in this war."

Granger continued, ignoring her complaints,

"Like it or not, in a desperate kind of situation like this I can't afford to turn down your help just because I hate you or because you're not bringing anything of value to the table..."

"I can help. I told you everything I know. I'm willing to work with you even if you're a mudblood, as long as you can save us from…"

"You don't even have a wand," she cut her off with a threatening tone, taking a step forward to invade her personal space, "you should think more before you speak. You will not disrespect me if you want to be my partner in this. You're obviously scared and listening to me because you have no choice, so the last thing you should say to me is 'mudblood.' Be the least bit grateful that I stopped out there to wait for you."

"Have you always been like this?" She muttered.

Granger's attitude had taken her by surprise. Yeah, when Pansy called her "mudblood," she usually got mad and lashed out. But this time it was different from what she was used to, she didn't even know how to react. Her anger had been colder, more terrifying.

Also, she was afraid of pushing her buttons too hard. She really didn't want Granger to leave her alone in the castle.

"A whole year running from Death Eaters who hunted me simply for my blood made me lose patience with people like you."

Granger's gaze was somber, she seemed emotionally numb. Pansy couldn't speak, just nodded awkwardly, accepting her rules. They continued on their way in silence and when they reached the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room, the Fat Lady was not there.

"The people in the paintings aren't there either," Pansy said resignedly.

All the paintings they had crossed so far were simple landscapes. None had the people that were always there. Even when they tried to speak to them, no one appeared to answer.

Granger stepped as far from the door as the hallway would allow, raised her wand, and cast a spell:

" Bombarda.

Pansy put her hands to her ears, shrinking in on herself.

"You could warn a woman," she panted.

Granger walked into her Common Room and Pansy followed her, looking around curiously, having never been there before. It was... more elegant than she would have imagined, and also redder than she would have imagined. And unlike the Slytherin Common Room, it was cozy thanks to its wooden furniture. As they climbed a short flight of stairs and reached the women's dormitories, Pansy asked again,

"Why are we here?"

"For clothes."

"I know," she said, beginning to get exasperated. "I'm not insulting you, nor will I, I promise, truce. I'm doing everything you say. So could you explain to me what you have in mind?"

Granger crossed her arms, but relented.

"We have no idea how to fix this, not the slightest clue. There is no point in trying to rush and desperately look for everyone, it would be more counterproductive than anything else. We could go to Hogsmeade right now. But for what? I know what I saw, people went up like smoke. I doubt the situation will be any different in Hogsmeade."

"But we don't lose anything by going to check..." "

"If they're there, they'll still be there in a few hours. We need to eat and drink a little water, clean ourselves, heal our wounds... Honestly, every part of my body hurts, I don't think I can stand a walk there in my state."

Granger had a good point. She looked terrible. She had bruises and cuts on every exposed part of her skin, probably under her clothes as well. She had dried blood covering her clothes and dirt on her cheeks, neck and even under her fingernails. She was thin, the number of kilos she had lost this year was noticeable to the naked eye. From the large bags under her eyes and sloping shoulders, it was obvious that she was holding herself up by force of will. She'd even seen her limp a bit on the stairs, but she was afraid Granger would hex her if she hinted that she was weak. And not to mention her hair, Pansy never believed that that mane could be a thousand times worse than it was on a normal day...

"There are also things here that can be useful," Granger continued. "We have to grab some changes of clothes and food now that we have a little peace. Hopefully we'll find a new wand for you. Just think about it: what if they're all in Hogsmeade? Perhaps this situation was due to Death Eaters who cast a spell from outside the castle, perhaps this is a trap and when we leave they'll attack us.

The best we can do is grab some useful things from the castle and get some strength back, go to Hogsmeade and check out the area. I think there are three big possibilities." Granger held up three fingers and lowered them as she explained the options: "That there are people there who can help us; that there are people there who will attack us; that there are no people there and we can go to sleep in The Three Broomsticks so that tomorrow we can start planning real solutions. Maybe there are people outside who can help and we are losing valuable time, but we have to think about protecting our backs first."

Pansy nodded, overwhelmed by the amount of information. Granger didn't let her guard down and analyzed the entire situation effectively. It was obvious which of the two present here had spent a year battling in a war.

"Of course you can go ahead if you want, go and check first. The chances of a Death Eater attack at this point are very low, and unlike me, yours is valuable magical blood not worth spilling," Granger said sarcastically as she opened the trunk of one of her housemates.

Granger hadn't been to Hogwarts this year, so her things weren't here. She chose to steal from a classmate who had a similar build to her, but Pansy didn't know who it was.

"We better go together," she said. When Granger turned to see her, she quickly justified herself: "It could be dangerous, without a wand... And as a team we have a better chance...

'And it's almost dark,' she thought, looking out of the corner of her eye.

"Good. Find something for yourself," Granger said.

Then Pansy remembered that she was still in her pajamas. She looked around until she found a mirror. When she saw her reflection she let out a scream. Granger, who had stuck her head into one of the cabinets at the back of the room, bumped into the cabinet door in her haste to turn around and point her wand at whatever it was that attacked Pansy. But she immediately lowered her guard when she saw that nothing had changed.

"Why did you yell like that?"

"My face," Pansy moaned, moving closer to the mirror. "It's ruined."

"You're shallow."

"You can see the meat."

"I'll treat you in the infirmary. I know how to do it."

"You swear?"

"Why are you crying?" Granger was surprised.

"If I get a scar, my mother will go crazy..."

"After everything we've been through, in the situation we're in... Is that what worries you?"

A pang of guilt shot through Pansy's chest like lightning. she saw people die, she saw Daphne's body… but for a moment she had truly forgotten. It had all happened so fast that she still hadn't finished processing it. It would sound silly if she said it out loud, but in the middle of the bedrooms, she felt as if everything was normal, as if her appearance was her main concern. she lowered her head, she couldn't keep seeing her reflection. Granger said nothing more and went back to looking for things to use. She began to put everything in a backpack that was next to a coat rack.

"Do I have to look for your clothes too?" Granger complained.

Pansy obeyed and checked the nearest trunk, which held garments three times the size of her body.

"Could we go to my common room? My things are there," she remembered.

"Go, you're not my hostage."

"But…"

"You really are scared to death, aren't you?"

"I have no wand!" she excused herself.

Granger looked exasperated, but relented.

"Well... I guess the rich guys at school might have something we can use. Let's check. Malfoy was a Death Eater, his belongings may be useful as he took direct orders from Voldemort."

"Don't say..." Pansy shivered.

"He's not here, nobody's here."

"You're still reckless."

Granger was going to argue, but a fond smile escaped her lips. She seemed to remember something.

"Harry always encouraged us not to fear his name."

Her best friend died too, Pansy remembered. Granger let out a tired sigh, forcing herself out of her head, and ordered:

"Let's go then. We'll go to the infirmary, then we'll go down to the kitchens and finally to the dungeons."

. . .

"Ow! It hurts, it hurts. Do you really know what you're doing...? Ouch! Hey, you did that on purpose."

"Stop fidgeting and complaining, I've put up with worse," Granger scolded, releasing her.

She turned away from Pansy, going over to Madam Pomfrey's shelves and checking the labels on the jars there. She grabbed several, putting them in the pockets of her backpack, and returned with a glass jar, which she opened as she stood in front of her. She touched the paste inside with her fingers, scooping up a good amount.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Pansy insisted, staring wide-eyed at the fluorescent green substance that was going to be smeared on her face.

"I've read all the books available in the library on magical medicine."

"I'm not a medical expert, but I'm pretty sure doctors have to pass practical exams too…"

"Technically, I was never tested in this area, so I didn't even pass my theory exams."

Pansy swallowed hard and closed her eyes in fear, letting Granger walk over to her.

"Done," she said, closing the jar and putting it back in her backpack. "Don't worry so much, I've healed Harry and Ron loads of times."

"Uh…thanks," she whispered, slowly opening her eyes. she hadn't felt when she applied it.

Granger tended to her own wounds first, a while earlier. She had entered the infirmary and slammed the door in Pansy's face, making her wait outside without letting her see what she did. By the time she allowed her to enter, it was over and there were no open wounds anywhere. Only then did she set out to heal Pansy.

Thanks to Granger now she didn't have any wounds on her hands, nor on her knees or face. Pansy got up from the gurney and reached for one of the full-length mirrors in the back of the room to make sure everything was okay. she looked at her face and indeed it was as good as new, her skin had absorbed all that green stuff and had completely healed. Looking at the rest of her appearance she blushed. Quickly, she reached up and plucked a twig that had been stuck in her hair all this time. But her appearance was still a mess: her pajamas were threadbare and dirty, her slippers looked as if she had walked through a swamp, her paleness highlighted the dried mud stains on her skin, and her hair still betrayed her journey through the Forbidden Forest. with or without the twig.

"You finished?" Grange asked.

She didn't wait for an answer, she just left the room.

" Lumos ," Granger said, and when Pansy reached her side, she explained, "Without the house-elves the candles don't light."

"Hey... Shall we go to the bathrooms now?" Granger gave her a soft "Uh-huh," and Pansy went on, "But I don't have any clean clothes."

"I told you to grab something."

"I hadn't thought of this!"

Granger sighed and decided,

"Well, wear one of the robes."

"Can't we go to the dungeons first?"

Granger made a face of annoyance, she really was tired and needed to take a hot bath.

"Please. What if the Death Eaters show up? I won't be much help in a bathrobe," she tried to convince her.

Granger gave an amused snort. Pansy took offense and was quick to complain,

"You find it funny to imagine me in that situation? Really?"

"Okay, okay... Let's go to the dungeons first. It doesn't matter what order we do things in." she gave up.

The descent was a bit scary. Pansy had never walked through the castle past curfew. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but the dark had scared her since she was a child. So as they went down the stairs, she got closer and closer to Granger. So much so that she stepped on her hem by accident. Granger didn't say anything, but when she did the second time… "

"Could you be more careful?" she mumbled. "The way is well lit, why are you getting so close?"

"I didn't realize," she said, blushing. "You have a horrible mood. You know? I understand when I tease you, but I've been behaving wonderfully since we've been partners."

Granger snorted and shook her head in exasperation.

Arriving at the dungeon Pansy approached the stone wall that hid her common room and murmured: Merlin.

"I expected a worse password, since the Death Eaters became teachers," said Granger, who had quietly approached her.

"You scared me," she panted.

"You get really scared to have spent your student years bullying people."

They entered the common room and Granger waved her wand so she could illuminate the space more.

"Harry and Ron exaggerated a bit, this place isn't that bad," she commented.

"The bedrooms are this way," Pansy pointed out.

When Granger entered, she lay down on one of the beds near the door and held her wand up so that everything was well illuminated. Pansy went to her part of the bedroom. She stole a bag that her next-door roommate, Millicent Bulstrode, used to smuggle food and alcohol into the Common Room. She scavenged and stored quite a few clothes, setting aside an outfit to wear after bathing. She hesitated for a moment, but she put away as quickly as she could her makeup set, her favorite perfumes, a pack of gum, and a small diary that she kept in her dresser drawer. She spied that Granger hadn't seen her do that, and luckily Granger was quiet, still in bed. Armed with courage, she also grabbed a stuffed animal that she hid under her pillow. These are not unnecessary things, she told herself.

Suddenly the light went out. Pansy let out a high-pitched shriek. Granger's wand was heard falling to the ground. 'Something attacked Granger' she panicked. She took a step back and felt something brush her leg. She screamed as loud as her throat would allow. Someone's body was heard hitting a piece of furniture.

"Where...?

That was Granger's voice.

"Granger, we're going to die!" she whimpered.

"Where's my wand?" She said.

"It was stolen from you! There's someone here, they touched my leg and…"

A blinding white light interrupted her. Granger had retrieved the wand. Pansy spun around, looking for the attacker.

"I fell asleep for a few seconds. I'm exhausted," she explained.

"Huh?" Pansy hiccupped.

"There is nobody here. The light just went out."

"But my leg…"

"You must have bumped into something."

Pansy sat up in bed and her heart rate began to normalize. Granger pointed to the bag on the mattress and asked,

"Ready?"

"Oh yes," she remembered.

Pansy was still shaking a bit. She grabbed her bag with her personal belongings and a small satchel where she kept all her bathroom supplies and walked over to Granger, who had leaned against the door frame to wait for her.

"I'm finished."

"Let's go to the boys' bedroom then, there's Death Eater stuff in there…"

Pansy's stomach dropped and she looked at the bed that belonged to Daphne. There are Death Eaters here too, she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. She walked after Granger in silence, lost in her own head.

The memories of Daphne's corpse were vivid in her memory. The blood from her skull staining the walls and her straight blond hair. Her blue eyes, so intense, had turned opaque. Her intelligent and calculating gaze was empty of any thought. Her lips, always bright and pink from her lip balm, were pale by the time she found her. Her smooth white skin was stained: with death, with the blood of her classmates; and with the ink of an oath, an unbreakable one, that corrupted the soul.

Finally, her stomach gave way and she let go of everything.

"Parkinson?"

Granger was startled by the sound of vomiting and quickly turned around to see what had happened. There was vomit on the floor, although it wasn't much. A few strings of saliva still hung from Pansy's mouth.

"Oh God…" Granger said, moving closer to her. "Did your stomach hurt? If you told me in the hospital wing…"

Pansy burst into tears. She didn't even try to wipe her mouth.

"Does it hurt?" Granger was alarmed. "Parkinson, what's wrong?"

"How do you do it?" she choked out.

"What are you talking about? Parkinson, tell me what hurts."

Pansy put her hands to her heart. It hurt to breathe. She gripped the clothes that covered her chest.

"They died," she sobbed. "How... how do you ignore it and go on?"

"Breathe," she said softly.

"Can't...can't...don't..."

Granger gripped her shoulders, her wand digging uncomfortably into one of them, but it kept lighting up the room.

"Look at me."

Granger tightened her grip.

"Look at me," she insisted, sounding calmer this time. "Try to focus on me please."

Pansy obeyed.

"Breathe with me. Breathe in... breathe out... breathe"

She had a hard time focusing, but Granger's clear directions, which sounded like she was reading a manual, helped calm her down. Granger made an exaggerated gesture when breathing, so that she understood what she was doing and could imitate her. When Pansy calmed down, she released her shoulders.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," She whispered. her throat felt dry.

"Let's go to the baths."

Pansy looked toward the men's dorms, confused.

"Follow me. Let me know if you need to stop."

"But Draco…"

" "It wasn't a big deal. We're a mess. You even vomited. Let's just go now."

They didn't argue anymore and left the dungeons. They entered the common women's restroom, which had a few cubicles with showers. Granger cast a spell to light the candles and illuminate the entire room. They showered quickly without saying a word and when they had finished and were dressed, they went to the kitchens. Granger knew how to find them and get in thanks to her many adventures with her friends.

Being clean and wearing clothes that smelled good made Pansy feel better. After being in pajamas all day, having a thick sweater and warm leather shoes was comforting.

Granger lit the ovens with her wand, the fire lighting the room. Once they put food in their backpack and purse, they sat at the table for dinner, using high stools. They ate lightly, without trying to find much: grapes, strawberries, blackberries, and some cheeses. Neither had much appetite, but they forced themselves to eat. They also drank fresh water.

"I want to live," Granger said, breaking the silence.

"Sorry?"

"Your question. How do I keep going? Because I want to live despite everything."

Pansy nodded and looked away, embarrassed as she recalled the scene she had made in front of Granger.

"I wasn't thinking, I...I know you went through more," Pansy said.

"Yes, I did."

Granger drank some of the water and stared at the fire in silence. Pansy popped a strawberry into her mouth, feigning interest in the table top out of discomfort.

"I don't know how to give up," Granger said, without changing her position. "Despite everyone I saw die, despite all the pain... even now with everyone gone, I can't give up. I've always looked for solutions, it's what I do best. No matter how much it hurts and how much I want to just sit here, safe, I can't, my head is still stuck on the goal. I want to see my friends and my parents again, I want to fight to protect my ideals, and I want to stop those who threaten my life... All of this surpasses any torment that tries to paralyze me."

"Even when your best friend died?"

"I can't give up," Granger interrupted.

"You Gryffindors, always so brave," she teased, though her tone sounded too sad.

"You kept going too."

"I'm just doing what you tell me."

"Self-preservation is one of the hallmarks of Slytherin. No matter what, you want to save yourself." Granger tapped her fingers on the table. "Maybe that's why this happened."

"I don't think I'm understanding…"

"Everyone was fighting around you, you wanted to save yourself... and you made them disappear."

"I told you I didn't do it!"

"The more I think about it, the less I think it was Voldemort."

" You-Know-Who," she hastened to correct, looking paranoid around her.

"Harry… he had an enchantment that protected him from you-know-who , a blood bond. His mother sacrificed her life to save him. Her love for Harry was so great that an ancient and powerful magic was activated and was able to protect him from a killing curse, something that was believed impossible to do. Perhaps this is a similar situation and your emotions caused this."

"What? No, that's impossible. The Potters were powerful and experienced wizards, I'm not."

"You looked like a ghost when I found you. You didn't seem emotionally stable," she pointed out.

Pansy's hands began to sweat. She followed Draco and Astoria like a lost child. I didn't know what else to do. Little by little she heard again the spells hitting bodies and objects. The cries of despair became more and more present. Sparks from the furnace fires made her shiver, sounded like bones cracking. Potter was standing, surrounded by corpses, fighting Voldemort in the middle of... the kitchen... the Great Hall. Nothing made sense. she clenched her jaw and listened to her teeth grind. Draco ran towards his parents and Astoria followed close behind, not afraid of being hit by a deflected spell. Pansy stayed behind, she was playing with a grape between her fingers . Nothing makes sense . Where's Daphne? Why was everyone yelling? Why is there so much fire here ? What were they yelling? Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy hugged Draco and Astoria. But where were her parents? Pansy wanted to hug her mom too. What...? What did Granger say?

"What were you feeling at the time?" All through the conversation Granger hadn't stopped looking at the ovens.

"I…" Pansy's voice cracked.

Granger then turned to her and seemed concerned about her appearance. Pansy drank some water, calming down. she just remembered things, everything was fine, she was safe.

"I was overwhelmed," she explained. "I saw Daphne... I tried to save her, but she was dead by the time I got there. Everyone was fighting, but I was just frozen there."

"And what were you thinking?"

"I don't know... that is I didn't know what to do. I... I didn't want to be there, from the beginning I didn't want to. I didn't even want to go back to Hogwarts after the holidays. I wanted to be with my parents. But I wanted to find Daphne… I came back and still…"

Granger nodded, processing her words.

"Thanks for telling me," she said, getting up from her seat. "It's possible that the key is there, so this could help us get everything back to normal."

Pansy still wasn't convinced with her theory, it sounded like something out of a children's story.

"Let's go to Hogsmeade." Granger had already slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"Huh? Already?"

"Do you want to eat more?"

Pansy shook her head.

"Let's go then. We've already wasted too much time."

Pansy got up awkwardly from the seat. Granger left the kitchen first, not waiting for her, so she grabbed her belongings as fast as she could and hurried to catch up.

"Not so fast, Granger!"

Notes:

Translated by majere616

I (the author) speak Spanish and my English is very basic, but I'm taking classes(? So don't worry, I can understand your comments, but my grammar is bad. Luckily Majere took the time to translate.