Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Students were panicking all around her and she could hear people screaming in the background, but Hermione didn't react, her eyes were on Draco's and his directly on hers. War... they were about to go to war. This was the moment they had been working towards, all the hours and the pain, the sleepless nights were for this very moment. She could feel Draco's hand squeeze hers and he offered her the tiniest of smiles.
"You ready?" he asked and she took a deep breath before nodding. Draco moved them through the crowds of students as Dumbledores voice infiltrated the large room.
"All students under 7th year will be escorted immediately off the premises," Dumbledores voice bellowed over the chaos. "Please allow the youngest students to leave the grounds with Hagrid first and work your way up in age."
Multiple Patronus' were being conjured as the Professors started sending word to the Ministry and the Order. "Voldemort has declared war" "Students are in danger" "The castle is under attack," "Protect the school and it's inhabitants," Hermione didn't acknowledge the words as she followed behind Draco to where she saw his Mother and Father standing alongside the others.
"I'm not leaving!" Narcissa, Regulus and Rabastan argued, it took Hermione a moment to realise why they were protesting but they were as she remembered only in their 6th year, therefore instructed to leave the grounds. Hagrid's voice carried over the crowds and terrified first years ran past them as Hermione and Draco finally stood in front of them.
"The same order came out in our time, though that time all Slytherin students were escorted from the grounds due to nobody trusting their intentions." Hermione told them, "He's brought this on so suddenly did any of you know he was about to declare war?" All heads shook and Hermione sighed, the events were in correlation of each other, Bellatrix destroying the locket and subsequentially being murdered, he's likely then gone to check the remaining Horcrux' locations noting one by one all the Horcruxes had been destroyed enfocring him to declare war, it was what he had done last time but at least that time Harry had seen it coming.
"I understand you want to fight; I get it, you want to do your part but there's a real risk of dying. We've lost Bellatrix if you three die as well then that's more fatalities than there needs to be." Said Draco staring directly at the three angry Slytherins
"I want to fight for Bellatrix Draco! She's my cousin she was never supposed to die. I was the one that betrayed the bastard first time, it was my life that ended not hers." What Regulus was saying was in fact true and Draco closed his eyes unsure how to respond, how could he tell them not to fight after everything they had seen. They were spies for the order, his mother had lied to the darkest wizard of all times just for him how could he say you're too young to fight. All three of them are the same age he was when he fought just a lower school year.
Looking towards Hermione he raised his brow silently asking her for her opinion. "I don't think they'll be able to clear the school quickly enough for all 6th years to be escorted out. The priority are the younger students I imagine those who are left that are older will most likely be hidden away in common rooms until the fight is over. I don't think the common room will be protected by staff so if you leave there's nothing anyone can do to stop you but if you open the common room you may risk letting a Death eater in." Hermione's words stopped the disagreement and the group fell quiet.
A large hourglass above their head signalled the impending doom, the hour was nearing closer and the room was slowly becoming quieter as more and more students were taken to the train station. With only ten minutes left Hermione's assumption that not all students would be able to flee were proving correct, Hagrid had only just started collecting the fifth years there wouldn't be time for the sixth years to leave.
The doors to the Great Hall opened again and the room quickly started to fill with Aurors and members of the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione nudged Draco as she spotted Alastor Moody beelining directly for Dumbledore. She didn't wait for him to understand what she was hinting at and slipped through the crowd directly towards the two men.
Professor McGonagall was the first to notice her approaching and offered her a weak smile, her eyes filled with worry.
"Granger, Malfoy" greeted Moody and Hermione glanced over her shoulder to see that Draco had followed her, shooting him a smile she turned to the men in front of her.
"We still have to destroy Nagini," she said and the two men nodded.
"Remind me how you destroyed the snake last time?" Dumbledore asked his eyes glancing over to Hagrid who had finally escorted the 5th years out of the school.
"Neville Longbottom sliced it in half with the Sword of Gryffindor while it chased Ron and I. Voldemort was distracted with Harry at the time."
"Once the snake is destroyed he's mortal again, the snake is the main priority." reminded Draco. He glanced to the door behind the Professors table as more Aurors arrived, they were less prepared than last time but he just had to hope this time round things would be different.
Stepping closer to Hermine and Draco. Dumbledore placed his hands on their shoulders "Go to my office and take the Sword of Gryffindor from the cabinet it is kept in. We will hold them off the best we can while you attempt to destroy the snake, as soon as the snake has been destroyed send word."
"We need a code word," Said Hermione as she glanced to the hourglass above them, less than five minutes.
"Phoenix," said Dumbledore softly, "A Phoenix will always rise from its ashes and live another day." It was fitting and the two of them nodded.
"Stay safe," Hermione whispered as she looked at the three adults in front of her and they all smiled softly back her, a mixture of thoughts and feelings swarming over them all. Reaching for Draco's hand she looked in to his eyes. Last time she had looked into a pair of bright green eyes, that belonged to a boy who was so brave and determined and ready to die, this time Draco's silver orbs stared back at her with mixture of emotions. War turned boys into men.
"Let's end this," he said softly and she nodded. He tightened his grasp and as Dumbledore turned to address the remaining students mainly the 6th years who'd been unable to leave, the two of them left the Great Hall as the last speck of sand dropped to the bottom of the hourglass and a loud bang hit the school.
As they entered the corridor Hermione froze, "wait there's something we need to do." Hermione said and she whipped out her wand in a strong clear voice said "Piertotum Locomotor," One by one the suits of armour around them started to move. "Hogwarts is under attack, students and staff are in danger protect the school!" The suits stepped forward into a line and in unison marched towards the doors.
"You clever little witch," Chuckled Draco as he watched the statues move.
Hermione gave him a toothy grin, "Professor McGonagall is going to be peeved though she always wanted to use that spell. But if I'm going to fade away I really wanted to do it at least once." Draco laughed and shook his head.
"You Slytherin," Hermione laughed and the two of them ran in the opposite direction the statues were moving, they heading towards the Headmasters tower. As they ran they came across Aurors who were already stationed in their designated positions. As she rounded the corner she nodded to the two Prewitt twins, their faces were long and they nodded in the direction of outside. Frowning Hermione moved to stand near them and gasped as she looked out of the window. She heard Draco swear beside her.
The skies were full of dementors, hundreds of Deatheaters packed the grounds dressed entirely in their black robes and silver maskes. Several packs of werewolves were to the East the familiar face of Fenrir Greyback in front of them. The most alarming were the seven giants towering over the entire group wafting the dementors away with their gigantic hands.
"Wonder if we can knock out the giants and have them squish the lot of them." Muttered Fabian as he glanced to them.
"If only," Draco chuckled, "It's a bigger turnout than last time." he said softly. "Minus the Acromantula."
The twins shot an alarmed looked at Draco who shrugged. "They weren't exactly on his side they went for everyone," explained Hermione. "We need to get to Dumbledores office collect the sword."
"Hope to see you once this is all over," said Gideon "stay safe," Hermione nodded her eyes watering as she stared at them, her heart aching as another pair or ginger twins forced themselves into the front of her mind.
As they got closer to the Headmasters tower the noise of battling had begun to reach their ears and they gripped their wands tighter. Turning the last corner they slid to a stop as a Deatheater rounded the second corner, the entrance to the Headmasters office between the two of them. The masked Deatheater raised his wand but Hermione was quicker and with a fast stuperfy the Deatheater flung into the stone wall behind him.
"Petrificus Tortalus," shouted Draco making sure the currently unconscious Deatheater didnt get back up. They hurried to the entrance and Hermione shouted the password and without waiting for the door to fully open she slid through the gap and jogged up the steps. Draco at her heels.
Once in the office they quickly spied the sword in the glass cabinet like Dumbledore had described. Draco reached forward to grab the sword only to hiss as a stab of pain connected with his hand. "What the hell."
"It's the Sword of Gryffindor there'll be a protective charm on there so no Slytherins can run off and steal it I imagine." Hermione slowly reached forward pausing for a breath, before clasping her small hand around the large sword. Lifting it out of the glass cabinet she felt the power in the sword. She had never truly felt it before but usually she had been handed it by another.
"Damn Gryffindors," muttered Draco in jest and Hermione chuckled.
"We've got the sword, suppose now we must find the snake and kill it." Draco nodded and with a final look in the Headmasters office they skipped down the stairs.
The second they stepped out of the stairwell from the Headmasters office they both felt the noticeable chill that wasn't there a moment ago. Draco nudged Hermione's arm pointing in the direction where the Deatheater they had knocked out only five minutes prior was now surrounded by 3 Dementors. Shivering Hermione closed her eyes and waved her wand and in seconds the Giant Otter bounded out of her wand and directly towards the Dementors. They fled instantly.
"They terrify me," muttered Draco as the temperature in the room regained to normal. "Always thought I'd be surrounded by them after the war had ended," Hermione nodded squeezing his hand before walking over to the nearest window, down below she could see the battle continue to rage on. She had a suspicion that the snake wouldn't be with her master, Voldemort did like to hide his Horcruxes where others couldn't find them. If she remained with him in the war she would be out in the open and easier to attack. But where would someone hide a giant snake?
The second the question filtrated through her mind the answer hit her. Where best to hide a giant snake, was the very place a giant snake once resided and only he could access!"
"I think Nagini is in the Chamber of Secrets." Said Hermione turning back to Draco. "He won't have her on him she's too much in the open and he doesn't have the ability to look into our minds like he did last with Harry. He's the only person in the entire castle right now who can speak Parseltongue but also knows where the Chamber is!" He's immortal right now and he knows it."
"I was really hoping I'd never have to go in that chamber again," moaned Draco. "Plus it's four floors below us the Deatheaters are in the grounds."
"Then we be careful and work as a team. Do you trust me?" she asked her eyes never leaving his face.
He knew the answer to that without even having to think about it, taking a step towards the witch in front of him he lifted his hand placing it softly on her cheek. "Do I trust you," he repeated staring in to her eyes. "I don't think I've trusted anyone as much as I do you. Wherever you go I'll be right there beside you fighting to my last breath."
"I wish we had more time..." she stated softly and Draco placed his finger on her lips.
"In another life we will." He lowered his head softly placing his lips on to hers before pulling away. Wiping away the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes he smiled. "Lets go kill that blasted snake!"
Hermione laughed and they turned running towards the nearest staircase, only to duck in the last second as a flash of green light shot towards them. Draco sent a quick curse back as they continued to move, they weren't here to kill or to maim not until their mission was complete. Arriving at the staircase that were now frozen in place so the students of the school would be able to flee safely they quickly descended down the stairs, hexing two Deatheaters who were running up the stairs. Hermione winced as their bodies hit every steps in their descent.
"That'll hurt in the morning," muttered Draco as he stepped over them only to pause as he surveyed the scene in front of him. "Fuck!"
Fuck in deed thought Hermione as she stared at the scene in front of them. It was bedlam, duels filled the corridor and there were already several bodies littered on the floor. Tears sprung to Hermione's eyes as she spotted Fuchsia Criggs body sprawled against the wall, her large brown eyes were wide and open the look of shock was still etched onto her face even after death. Blinking away the tears threatening to fall, she allowed Draco to guide her through the mass of bodies and curses. Fuchsia had been one of her first friends here and they had spent nights discussing classes and their dreams for the future. It felt so wrong that was now over. Her dreams to work in the Ministry were shattered along with her life.
Taking hold of her grief Hermione forced her feet to move at the same pace as Draco. The spells she cast from her wand were no longer to disarm or stun as the killing curse left her wand Draco turned to her in shock as the body dropped to the ground but he chose to say nothing, he had seen the body of the Criggs twin earlier.
Rounding the corner they both froze as the duel in front of them came to an end. She recognised the mans face his mask had fallen off but she would never forget the cold dead eyes of Antonin Dolohov, the twisted grin on his face as the green curse hit the body of his victim and they crumpled to the floor, time moved in slow motion as Hermione watched the body fall, the familiar face staring back at her from the ground and Hermione felt her entire world fall apart. She heard a scream around her but it was only as she felt the cold on her knees as they dropped to the stone floor did she realise it was her. Above she could hear commotion between Draco and Dolohov but she paid them no mind as she looked at the body on the floor tears streamed down her face. His hair was only beginning to thin but his face was smooth and plump the laughter lines she knew so well had only just started to mark his face, and even though he was over 20 years younger than when she had last seen him she knew it was him instantly. He wasn't supposed to be here, he should have been at home holding his baby boys and playing with his sons, kissing his wife's cheek and curling up to her in bed in just a few hours time. Arthur Weasley should have been at the Burrow not here at Hogwarts. Her tears dropped on to his face as she sobbed over the man she had never met in 1978 but had become her surrogate wizard father.
"Hermione we need to move," she could hear Draco's voice, the urgency in his words but the words themselves didn't register in her mind. It was only 1978, Fred and George were only a few months old it meant, it meant Ron and Ginny weren't born. They would never be born because Arthur had died here at Hogwarts. She had killed Ron, she had killed Ginny... travelling back in time meant she had killed them. She had travelled to save Harry and in doing so had killed Ron.
His face flashed through her mind and all she could see were his bright red hair, his addictive cheeky grin and his blue eyes. She had always told him they were as blue as the ocean, he would always blush bright red at her words and Harry and her would tease him. She could feel his arms holding her as they faced Nagini, she could hear his laugh in her ears, smell the spearmint toothpaste he used every morning. Memories of their shared youth flashed through her mind and she dropped to the floor the second she was free. She could once again here Draco talking but all she could think was she had killed him, she had killed Ron. They wouldn't share the Hogwarts express in years to come, sit together doing his homework, laughing at Harry as he attempted to woo a girl. He wouldn't give her a hug when she was feeling down, argue with her over something silly. It had been the three of them, Harry Ron and her. He had sacrificed himself in the chess game so they could progress and stop Snape from stealing the stone. Defended her as Draco had called her a mudblood. They had argued all the way through their third year over Scabbers and Crookshanks. How she had wished he had asked her to the Yule Ball in their fourth year even if he had worn the ugliest robes she had ever seen...
"Hermione you need to snap out of it." She heard Draco shout at her and she looked up at him staring at his blonde hair his grey eyes, watching as they turned bright orange and blue, white clear skin filling with freckles. He was there in front of her and she reached a hand out to touch his skin and it felt like it had always done. He smiled at her, the smile he had often sent her when he thought she wasn't looking. His hand touched her face and she shivered from his touch. He had been there the very last second, they had killed Voldemort together. He promised her it would be ok, and when she had been summoned to the see the Headmaster she had left him with his family as they continued to search for Percy and Fred, she had told him she would see him soon. She never got to say goodbye.
"It's not your fault Hermione," Ron said squeezing her hand, "You have been so brave and it's nearly over if anyone can do this it's you. Show the world how bloody amazing Hermione Granger is, show them what Harry and I always knew. I love you Mione." Fresh tears slid down her face as the vision of him started to fade. Closing her eyes allowed all the memories of him to swim to the surface and allowed the insufferable hurt she was feeling to turn in to determination and anger. His death wouldn't be in vain, not like Harry's had been. Blinking away the tears she stood and stepped past Draco never once acknowledging him as she left the broom closet he had hidden them in. She paused as she stared at the dead body of Dolohov on the floor before turning back to Draco.
She could see the look of fear on his face as he stared at her, she was an emotional wreck and she knew he was quickly seeing how unstable she was. she nearly laughed at the audacity of it. The entire Wizarding world depended on a girl who was slowly losing her mind and the closest ally she had was staring at her like she was crazy.
"Are you ok?" he asked his eyes flickering to the bodies on the floor then back to her.
"I will be," she said and turned heading straight towards the second floor girls bathroom, making sure to walk over Dolohov's dead body trampling her dirty shoes into his face. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on her and as she unlocked the bathroom door a surge of pride flowed through her body, nobody would stop her now, she was running out of people to lose.
It's been such a long time since I wrote for this, this chapter has been in the works for almost a year but I just struggled to complete it but a surge of inspiration hit me. Several years ago the laptop I was using broke and I was certain I had everything back dated on a usb but it wasn't and I lost everything. I can't remember exactly how this story was originally going to go but from memory I had made the decision that Arthur would die ultimately meaning Ron and Ginny would cease to exist.
It would be lovely if you could leave a review, especially if you're revisiting this story after so many years. Thank you for reading.
