Chapter One:
Hermione smiled as she listened to Harry, Ginny, Ron, and the twins go on about the match. They were all sat around the kitchen table in Perkins's tent. Ireland had been amazing but Krum had been the faster seeker. She had missed Krum catching the snitch. In fact she usually missed the seeker catching the snitch when she watched Quidditch. Quidditch mostly made sense to her but the seeker and the snitch certainly didn't. Matches could last ten minutes or ten days. It was completely ridiculous. She had been really glad to hear that the rules of the game were changing next year.
"Can you believe the international quidditch council is axing the snitch next year?" Ron lamented, changing the subject from the match they'd just watched to next year's rules. "Do you think Hogwarts will change too?"
"If they do, Harry might be out of a job," Fred joked.
"Nonsense," Ginny piped up. "There's four chasers next year, up from three in the new rules. With Seeker being removed Harry will certainly just play Chaser."
"I'm most excited about games being set at ninety minutes," George said. "I always hated games that went two or three hours. I feel lucky I've never played one longer than three."
"I won't lie, I did get bored looking for the snitch sometimes," Harry said. "And when I watch games from the stands, I prefer to watch the chasers anyway."
"What do you think of the rules change, Hermione," Ron asked, realizing she was being quiet and wanting to include her in the conversation. "Do you think the school will change rules too?"
"Well, according to Hogwarts: A History," she began.
"Oh, here we go," Ron groaned.
"Shut up, Ron, you asked her opinion, let her speak," Ginny said.
"Thank you, Ginny," Hermione said. "As I was saying, I've read that the rules for quidditch change about every hundred and fifty years and I know we are due for a rule change so I wasn't surprised at the announcement before the match. I also know that Hogwarts has always gone with the I.Q.C. for their quidditch rules for nearly all their rules. I think the only rule Hogwarts has that the I.Q.C. doesn't is that the snitch at Hogwarts is enchanted to slow down and be more obvious starting at one hundred and fifty minutes."
"What? Really?" Fred said. "How did I not know that? My life is a lie!"
"That's why our games never go longer than three hours," George said with a laugh.
"Hermione, that's bollocks," Ron said. "I've read the school's quidditch rules front to back. The only rule difference is the pitch is a little smaller in the school league compared to the international league."
"Oh yes, that's also true. And perhaps I misspoke," Hermione admitted. "It's technically not a written rule. Hogwarts: A History says there were too many injuries when games went past dark so Headmaster Armando Dippet enchanted the Hogwarts field. Any snitch released for a game at Hogwarts slows down a couple hours in so the game won't go as long."
"Do you think that's why the I.Q.C. is changing the rules for games to be ninety minutes then? Long games do tend to lead to injuries," Harry said.
Before anyone could answer there were several loud bangs outside the tent followed by lots of screams.
"Stay right there," barked Arthur Weasley from the other side of the tent. He and Bill drew their wands and sprinted from the tent.
The teens all jumped up and went to retrieve their wands from their bags, trunks, and pockets in case the need to defend themselves would arise. Harry couldn't find his.
A minute later, Arthur popped back into the tent. "Death Eaters," Arthur said coldly. Hermione and Ginny gasped.
"They're burning tents. You lot need to all head to the woods. Run. Stay together. Fred, George… Ginny is your responsibility. Stay hidden and use magic to defend yourself if you must. Bill and I will join up with the ministry and try to take control of the situation. Now go! Run!"
Fred took Ginny's right hand in his left. Ginny was left handed so they could both still hold their wands effectively. He and George took off at a run out of the tent towards the woods with Ginny in tow.
Ron made to follow. Harry was still searching for his wand. Hermione was frozen in fear. "Come on, you two, we need to go now!" Ron barked in an authoritative tone.
"Ron, I can't find my wand!" Harry yelled.
"Take Hermione's, she's clearly in shockt," Ron said smartly. "I doubt she could hit anything while she's like this." Ron stepped out of the tent. Harry took Hermione's wand hand and pulled her towards the tent's entrance. Hermione's wand was sandwiched between their clasped hands. Harry used his other hand to pull Hermione's wand out of where it was so he could hold it in front of them in a defensive manner. She didn't fight him. She instead allowed Harry to relocate her wand into his right hand and pull her out of the tent with his left.
Ron was waiting for them just outside the tent. His wand tip was lit so they could see reasonably well. Fred, George, and Ginny had a big head start towards the woods. The trio began to sprint after them when a fireball the size of a quaffle sped by them. It was about thirty feet away from them so it hadn't really been close but it had been frightening enough to cause Hermione to let out a scream.
"Keep it together, Hermione, we're nearly there," Ron said.
"I've got you, Hermione," Harry said, holding her hand tightly.
Fred, George, and Ginny disappeared into the treeline. When the trio were around halfway there, they caught sight of a procession of five masked wizards casting balls of fire on anything nearby that would burn.
Hermione screamed. Another ball of fire was headed in their direction, except this one was on a collision course for herself and Harry. This spell was easily three feet in diameter. Dodging or ducking was out of the question. Before the fireball could connect, Harry cast a powerful shield with Hermione's wand. The fire bolt spell bounced off and fizzled. Harry tugged on Hermione once more and a moment later they had made it to the trees.
"Oh my gods, Harry, you saved my life," Hermione panted as they all tried to catch their breath. "I'm so glad you took my wand. I never could cast a good shield."
"Thank Ron, not me," Harry's said panting, also collecting his breath from the run to the trees. "He's the one that noticed you were in shock. I can't believe I lost my wand. Some wizard I am."
"So you two are alright?" Ron said, holding his lit wand high so he could see their faces. "I thought you were done for. I was terrified actually."
"We're okay, Ronald," Hermione said, sounding anything but. She was clearly in a panic still and just going through the motions.
"Expecto Patronum," Harry muttered. Prongs materialized out of Hermione's wand and calmly began to circle the three friends.
"Thanks, Harry," Ron sighed, extinguishing his wand. Prongs made enough light.
"Yeah, good thinking, Harry," Hermione said, calming down. "I'm thinking straighter already.
They ventured deeper into the woods and ran into Draco and his stooges, Crabbe and Goyle. Draco tried not to act impressed by prongs but failed miserably. The trio ignored his taunts and jibes and went deeper into the woods where they caught up with Ginny and the twins. Deciding it was best to be as far away from the fires as possible, they continued walking for another minute until they reached a clearing on the far side of the patch of trees. Harry never let go of Hermione's hand the whole way.
Prongs was still on high alert, so when a man appeared in the field and cast the dark mark into the air, he was ready. While the humans were all frozen in fear by the dark mark, prongs sprung forth and bowled over the death eater. Harry snapped back to reality and followed up Prongs's charge with a stunner. The man dropped his wand and hit the ground with a thump. Releasing Hermione, Harry ran forward and followed up his first curse with a body bond curse as Hermione and the Weasley's watched on in stunned silence. Suddenly, there were popping sounds all around. No less than twenty ministry officials appeared out of thin air. They all fired stunners or bludgeoners. One bludgeoner caught Harry in the shoulder. Ten or so spells uselessly caught the already petrified mystery man who howled in pain.
Hermione ran forward to check on Harry as the ministry officials closed in on the dark wizard who had cast the curse. Harry sat up still in pain and was met with what felt like a crushing hug as Hermione gathered him up in her arms. It was actually a very, very gentle hug. The spell has just really hurt.
"Thank goodness you had my wand," she repeated. "They've caught one of the death eaters thanks to you."
"We've got Prongs to thank," Harry groaned. To be more precise, I've got my memories of Hermione to thank, Harry thought with a grin.