A/N: So this is my first story I've ever posted. This is the prologue and first person flashback of Hermione's. I already have a few chapters written and the rest of the story will be in the third person. Please be nice and enjoy the story! The first two chapters are short, but it's necessary, the others are longer.
It was a cool night, a light breeze blew through the clearing as I stood pressed up against the rough bark of a tree, panting to try to catch my breath.
In the distance I could hear shouts and screams and saw intermittent flashes of light flying behind the tree line.
From my hidden vantage point I quickly took stock of my body, and I discerned that everything was in working order and started to mentally map out my next move.
I had to find my friends. I couldn't just hide out in the trees while they risked their lives. I was a Gryffindor, I was supposed to be the one to rush head on into battle with no fear. But I was scared, I had seen so much death and destruction today and it was finally getting to me. This wasn't supposed to happen like this, the situation was rapidly spiraling out of our control.
Haunting images of my fallen friends flickered through my mind, their lifeless faces frozen in time.
Cho, her abdomen savagely torn open, viscera spilling onto the grass beneath her.
Seamus, decapitated, his body found several meters from his severed head.
My hands trembled, and I clutched my wand harder, but the parade of horrific images continued unabated. Nausea roiled within me, though I had nothing left in my stomach to expel.
Snapping back to reality, I shook my head to force myself to regain focus.
The battle called.
Bolting across a shadow-drenched field, I spotted a figure darting past a nearby tree. I followed it quietly, ready to aid if it was an ally, or attack if an enemy.
The figure, still slightly ahead, ran parallel to the forest, oblivious to my pursuit. Suddenly, another figure burst out of the tree line.
"Expelliarmus!" I heard a feminine yell. The dark figure easily deflected it. Moments later a flash of green light erupted and the female voice crumpled to the ground.
I froze, like a deer in the headlights. That flash of green light almost certainly meant that it was one of ours I would find up ahead. I tried to force myself to do something, raise my wand, avenge my fallen comrade.
The figure up ahead paused for a second after firing the curse, as if contemplating something, but didn't even bother to examine the body or emit any sort of emotion. It simply jogged off in the direction of some shouts.
Exhaling a ragged breath, I finally managed to woodenly put one foot in front of the other.
Cautiously I approached the body. I paused and asked myself if I really wanted to do this. Gathering my resolve, I squinted in the waning moonlight trying to make out the face.
I saw the vacant brown eyes of Ginny Weasley staring back at me. Shock wracked my body and I had to choke back the tears. The deaths of my other friends had been painful, but the death of a girl that felt like my little sister was excruciating. I quickly shoved the emotions away as I had been doing all night, now was not the time to mourn. I still felt torn, I didn't want to just walk away and leave her like that all alone. I knelt down, hesitantly reaching out to close the eyes of my closest female friend.
Behind me I heard a rustling sound. Shit! I should have been paying more attention! Scrambling off my knees clumsily , I spun around finding myself face to wand with Lupin.
Upon recognizing me his grip did not relax. "What was my biggest criticism on your essay about vampires, which I had to give you an E on?" he asked tersely, verifying his identity to me.
Wand held firmly in my grasp, I answered "That I had repeatedly ignored your requests to keep my essays shorter and narrower in scope." His arm relaxed slightly and he give me a half smile.
He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped as his eyes drifted to Ginny's limp figure.
I could see the pained look in his eyes. Together we stood for a moment in silence, paying Ginny this small respect.
After a long moment Lupin cleared his throat, "Let's go help the others, there nothing you can do for her." He said.
I looked back once more, letting myself feel loss just for an instant, not only for Ginny but for the multitudes of others we had lost or would lose before this godforsaken battle was over.
Then, with a harsh mental shove, I locked away my emotions in a far corner of my mind. The cold detachment of occlumency washed over me, bringing a startling clarity.
Without a backward glance or a stray tear, I nodded curtly and led the way back into the chaos of the battle.
As we jogged the flashes of light became brighter and the screams louder. I could hear a death eater's cackle ring out in the distance over a man screaming out in excruciating pain. On occasion I would feel my thin canvas shoes squelch thorough puddles of what might be water, might be blood, or might be even worse things I didn't want to even think about.
Coming up to a thickly wooded area, we were forced to slow down. Through the foliage I saw flashes of green light and heard a man grunt in pain.
Hesitantly I peered through the underbrush and saw Harry locked in the heat of battle with a masked Death Eater.
My mind quickly started flashing with questions. Why was he alone? What had happened to Ron, who was supposed to be with him all night watching his back? Why had all our plans for the evening deteriorated like this?
There was a flash of red light and Harry was knocked on his back. As I inhaled sharply, I briefly wondered why the Death Eater hadn't called his master, we'd heard that You-Know-Who had made an appearance.
The Death Eater raised his wand over Harry and a flash of blue light sped towards him.
My time was up, I had no more time to formulate a plan. I burst onto the scene, screaming out "Protego!" and the Death Eater's curse was deflected.
Admittedly, it was not my most clever move and I had left myself completely exposed to counter attack.
Luckily, Lupin had followed closely behind me, quickly shot up a shield in front of me. An instant later a white curse bounced harmlessly off the shield.
With the cover from Lupin's shield we were able to get closer to Harry and assume a somewhat defensible position behind a felled tree.
The Death Eater looked at us his grey eyes narrowed pointing his wand firmly at Harry. Almost daring us to do something about it.
At a temporary impasse we eyed each other, sizing up our opponent.
Harry slowly got to his feet, and settled in a low crouch, emerald eyes locked on his wand that lay several meters away.
A rustling from the far side of the clearing caused us all to whirl around, wands at the ready. Our human instinct for self preservation putting a temporary pause on our standoff.
We were greeted by the sight of a winded, dazed Ron. Relief surged through me, warming my numbed emotions.
With Ron on our side, we could rescue Harry and defeat this lone Death Eater. We could reclaim control. We could still achieve the victory we'd dreamed of during those awful, sleepless nights in the woods.
But as Ron staggered and twitched, I realized something was horribly wrong with him. My heart pounded as I watched Harry make a desperate dash for his wand. Ron followed Harry's movement, raising his wand.
It hit me then - Ron was not himself. I moved to raise my wand, but it was too late. Ron's voice rang out, "Avada Kedavra!"
No one moved for a second. I should have done something, I wish I had done something but I was too shocked. It was as if all the air was sucked out of my lungs.
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I couldn't think.
Ron spun on me with his wand still up, "You're next mudblood." intoned a cold voice that sounded nothing like my best friend.
"Stupefy!" I yelled, at the same time Ron said "Avada Kedavra", and the Death Eater muttered a spell I couldn't quite make out.
The red, green, and blue lights all flew towards each other, seemingly on a collision course.
There was a blinding flash of violet light and it all went dark.
A/N I hope that wasn't too bad, next chapter will be up very soon. Either later today or tomorrow depending on my mood. Please leave a review! Oh and wanna guess who our mysterious Death Eater is? ;)
EDIT: I changed the main character thingy and the summary so now it's obvious who the death eater is, most people guessed it right though!
Last edit: Jun 10 2023