My mind was running a million miles a minute trying to formulate a feasible plan to get us out of this but the adrenaline racing through me was making it difficult to follow a train of thought. I was right, Harry was not having a true 'vision', Sirius wasn't even here. We played right into their hands, and I could not see a way out.
Time seems to morph when you are in this state. It slows down and speeds up, a perfect juxtaposition that cannot be explained, only felt.
Without knowing if or when the cavalry would arrive, I had no way of knowing just how long I needed to keep us all alive on my own. I am meant to be the brains of this group but with so many untrained teenagers (myself included), I was faced with too mammoth a task to accomplish without aid.
All I knew was that this prophecy will shape how this war unfolds, and the person holding it is the key. I had to keep Harry safe.
The Death Eaters had advanced on us, they had us outnumbered and out-skilled. I looked around and saw Neville, Luna and Ginny were about to lose their duels. Harry was trying his best to throw hexes, jinxes, anything to keep the Death Eaters at bay, but they were too quick and easily deflected them. As I lifted my wand to cast Protego over Harry, I felt a scorching heat knock me off my feet. It was pain like I had never felt before. Every nerve ending was being licked by unforgiving fiery tendrils. In the distance I could hear a continuous pitiful scream and realized that it must be coming from me.
I don't know how long the Crucio lasted but it felt like a century before the pain was lifted. I opened my eyes to see Harry beginning to buckle under the onslaught of spell fire being cast at him. I knew I couldn't let him falter, I dragged myself up and without any thought for what spell I could possibly cast that would be strong enough to overpower the Death Eaters, I threw out my wand arm and flung all my adrenaline and desperation behind this unknown force.
I don't quite remember what happened next. I just recall seeing a pulsing blue wall of water or perhaps electricity forming a divide between Harry and the Death Eaters. It felt like my very core, the essence of my magic, had left my body and taken physical form. It felt like being caught in a rapid, the sound of water rushing in my ears. My heart felt like it was about to explode. I couldn't catch my breath, my vision was starting to tunnel. I was draining my magic, too quickly, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold this magical force. Then I felt someone grab hold of my hand. I tried my best to get my hand free, but this person had too tight a grasp. A moment later I felt it. The magic. Whoever this disillusioned person was, they were helping me by feeding their own magic up my non-wand arm. I could feel it, their magic, it had a quiet, raw power. It was cool and soothing as it spread, slow and calculating – like treacle or molasses. I shivered as it reached my core. And then just as I thought, even with this additional magical support, I could not hold this force any longer, I felt my magic explode from somewhere deep within me. I must have blacked out after that for I remember feeling weightless, relieved, as if a previously unknown constraint had been released and the next thing, I knew I was groggily opening my eyes and finding myself on the floor of the Department of Mysteries.
The others must have taken the fight to another room in the Department. I couldn't see them, but I could hear the sizzle of wand fire as it ricocheted off the stone walls. My head hurt from where I had hit it and my unknown helper was no longer around. I don't know how I knew that I must have felt it after so intimately sharing their magic.
I started to peel myself off the floor when I became aware that I was not alone in the room. A masked Death Eater came slowly towards me. I didn't know what had happened to my wand and I searched desperately for it as the Death Eater approached.
"What was the content of the prophecy, Mudblood?" he snapped at me as he drew nearer.
Now even if I had wanted to spare myself the torture that was sure to follow, I could not, as I did not yet know its content.
"I'll only ask once more, Mudblood. What was the content of the prophecy?" he spat.
Again, I did not answer. I tried to glare bravely back at him, to show no fear, but my face has always been an open book.
He placed his wand against my cheek, I could feel the tip of it digging in. He pulled my chin up so that I was forced to make eye contact. It was the only visible part of his face. Cold hazel eyes glared at me through his mask. "Legilimens!" he said as he pushed his wand even harder into my temple. I stared back at him, locked in his glare, waiting for something to happen.
I had read about Legilimency during my research on Occlumency. I had started researching it in the library when I first heard of Harry's odd visions or 'dreams'.
I waited with bated breath for an intrusion into my mind. To feel a probing or foreign presence, but none came.
He growled in frustration and slashed his wand down, causing blood to well and overflow from the cut he had just made on my cheek.
"Filthy mudblood, do you think you are better than me?" he screamed.
He tried again and again to gain access to my mind. Each attempt was futile. And after each attempt, I received a new sign of his humiliation and resulting anger.
I lost sense of time and place, like I floated away from myself to escape the trauma my physical body was experiencing. It was only during another round of Crucio that I came back into consciousness. I could feel the toll of the violence he had unleashed. I felt pain in waves for however long it was that I lay there after the Death Eater had left. I could hear the sounds of battle dissipate and thought for sure that someone would come looking for me soon after.
It became unbearable to breath, each inhalation burned my chest, and it felt like I was getting in less and less air. I longed for death in that moment.
When I next re-surfaced into consciousness a figure was kneeling beside me. It was too dark to make out more than a silhouette. I jerked away from the figure's wand tip, using my legs and one arm to kick and scratch at any part of the figure that tried to get close. I was easily over-powered in my weak state. The figure used his own weight to hold my legs still and caught my arm in his iron grip.
"It would behoove you to remain still until I have assessed the extent of your injuries, Miss Granger." Came the silky voice of my potions professor.
I stilled immediately, although remained tense and ready to try and fight should the need arise.
"This is a diagnostic spell. You should feel a light breeze sweep over you." He murmured as his wand tip emitted a pale yellow glow.
I lay still for the remainder of the assessment, only stirring when he mended deeper cuts, my broken ankle and head wound.
"I cannot fix the ribs or your punctured lung here. I will have to get you to the apparition point. This will hurt." He said. That was the only warning he gave as he bent to lift me into his arms.
'Hurt' was a gross understatement. If I had the air capacity I would have been swearing like a sailor in one of my mother's favourite rom coms. Every step he took jostled me.
At my pained breathing, he offered "I cannot levitate you – we need to limit your spell exposure to purely healing spells to avoid further interaction with the after-effects of crucio."
I had read about that during fourth year when the man impersonating Professor Moody introduced us to the Unforgiveables: tremours, sensitivity to temperature fluctuations, seizures, magical sensitivity, tingling or numbness in the extremities, mental fog, and confusion. The after-effects could last anywhere from 24 to 36 hours depending on the length of exposure to crucio. I had no way of knowing how severe the after-effects may be for me.
Professor Snape carried me into the atrium of the Department of Mysteries. It was there that I saw the others.
"Hermione? Where have you been? We were worried sick!"
"'Mione, oh thank Godric, we were wondering where you got off to. It's been chaos. Harry's a right mess, we lost Sirius tonight."
"She's back! We lost track of you 'Mione. None of us could give the Order pointers about which room you might be in."
"Miss Granger, glad to see you have been found safe and sound, albeit slightly worse for wear!" said Professor Dumbledore cheerfully.
It was then that my blinders came off and I saw the reality of this world.
While some people realized I was missing, some didn't even notice. Those that did know I was missing didn't put any effort into finding me. They had tended to the comparatively minor wounds of my peers while I lay tortured and alone.
"She needs St Mungos." Professor Snape sneered at Professor Dumbledore.
"Madam Pomfrey will have to do, we cannot risk St Mungos at this time. You understand of course, Miss Granger." His tone broking no argument on this point.
I felt limp and lifeless as Professor Snape carried me out into the main atrium of the MoM. When we reached the apparition point he said softly "Forgive me for the pain I am about to cause." I tensed immediately, but what he had meant was the pain that would come with side-along apparition.
I had my first seizure when we arrived at the gates of Hogwarts. I felt Professor Snape drop to the snow as the tremors began. I distantly felt him pull me roughly against him as I seized, before unconsciousness claimed me yet again.
When I next woke, I was in a bed with starched linens and a soft pillow smelling strongly of antiseptic.
"Ah Miss Granger! Good you're awake. I have several potions for you to take along with some broth. Now don't make that face, deary, you need to get something in you. You haven't had a bite to eat since breakfast yesterday." Said Madam Pomfrey.
She popped a tray of potions and broth on my side table and closed the privacy curtains around my bed with a snap. She was always bustling around in her domain.
With a sigh I heaved myself into a sitting position and saw the room tilt sideways. With a soft thud, I landed on the floor next to my bed. Humiliated that I was too weak to get myself back into the bed, I sat on the floor for a while and absent-mindedly attempted to summon my wand. When it didn't appear in my hand I growled in frustration and began the slow task of getting up off the floor. This was no easy task with newly healed ribs and a deep numbness in my limbs.
I was on my knees trying to pull myself up when the curtains whipped open.
"I didn't take you for the religious sort, Miss Granger. Pray tell, what in Merlin's name do you think you are doing out of bed and practising wandless magic?"
Having not expected the intrusion, I lost my balance and would have fallen over had Professor Snape not steadied me and with a long-suffering sigh, helped me back into bed.
Professor Snape looked at me expectantly.
"Sir?" I asked in confusion.
"Wandless magic, Miss Granger? Attempting to get out of bed mere hours after your last seizure? Not to mention your recently healed injuries."
"I wasn't practising wandless magic, Professor. I was merely hoping to summon my wand to my hand as usual. Besides, it didn't work. I must have lost it in the Department of Mysteries. As for the latter, I hardly think falling due to dizziness constitutes intent to get up out of bed."
Professor Snape stared at me in silence for several seconds.
"You typically summon your wand to your wand hand?" he eventually probed.
I gave him an incredulous look. "Is that not the most efficient way to retrieve your wand?"
"It is. Although few possess the innate skill. Most rely on wand sheaths with a retrieval charm worked into it. Be that as it may, you were not unsuccessful in your attempt to summon your wand. It is how I knew you to be casting. It was in my possession when you summoned it and I subsequently followed your wand to the Hospital Wing."
I blinked in confusion. Was this part of the after-effects, was I misunderstanding Professor Snape's meaning.
"How long have you been summoning your wand in this manner, Miss Granger?" he asked.
"Since I first got it." I answered with trepidation.