Hermione and Ginny stepped out of Daphne's bag into their dorm room. As soon as they were fully back in the real world, Hermione grabbed Ginny by the shoulders, her gaze intense.

"There's no easy way to get out of Hogwarts unless we get hold of Harry's invisibility cloak," Hermione said.

Ginny, seemingly lost in her thoughts for a moment, recalled her long-time crush. "I still get hesitant around him," she admitted, her tone almost sheepish.

Hermione blinked in disbelief, her brow furrowing. "Ginny, be serious for a minute," she said sharply. "We need to find Harry."

Ginny nodded, snapping back to reality. "Or Ron. If we find one, we'll surely find the other."

Hermione gave a quick nod in agreement. She walked over to the door, her movements precise, and pressed her ear to the wood, checking for any sounds from outside.

"I'm going to open it. Be ready," Hermione whispered, her hand moving slowly toward the doorknob.

But just as her fingers were about to grip it—

Knock! Knock!

Startled, Hermione froze, her heart racing as she instinctively took a step back. Her wide eyes met Ginny's, the sudden knock echoing through the silent room like a warning.

Ginny's face paled, her voice trembling with panic. "Is that a Dementor?"

Hermione, though startled, remained composed. "No. They don't have the manners to knock," she muttered, her sharp mind already analyzing the situation. "But from the sound of it, someone's in trouble. Stay ready. I'll open it."

With steady hands, Hermione carefully turned the doorknob, her wand held firmly in front of her. The door creaked open, revealing a familiar face—Luna Lovegood. But this wasn't the dreamy, aloof Luna they were used to. Her wide eyes were moist, and a single crystal-like tear slid down her cheek, glistening in the dim light before splashing onto the floor.

Hermione's voice caught in her throat, barely able to utter, "Lu–na?"

Luna's gaze drifted from Hermione to Ginny, her expression filled with sorrow. "Both of you," she said. "Make your hearts strong. Dumbledore needs you."

Ginny, her own fear forgotten in that moment, hurried to Luna's side. "What happened?" she asked.

Luna looked at her friend with eyes filled with regret, shaking her head slightly. "I'm sorry, Ginny," she murmured, her voice breaking. "But I don't have the courage to speak of it."

Hermione felt a knot tighten in her chest. What could be so dreadful that even Luna, who faced danger with calmness, couldn't bear to say it?

Hermione and Ginny entered the Gryffindor common room, but the familiar warmth and chatter were absent. Every set of eyes seemed downcast, filled with a shared sorrow, and they simply stared at the two girls as they passed. Luna stayed behind, her presence lingering like a shadow of grief.

The moment they stepped out of the portrait hole, the hallways felt eerily calm. Too calm. Hermione's eyes darted around, scanning for any signs of the humanized Dementors, but there was nothing. They had vanished. Still, the tension in Hermione's chest didn't ease. Daphne and Fleur had already been taken, and this unnerving silence felt like the precursor to something far worse. The calm was suffocating, the quiet a forewarning of impending tragedy.

When they reached the gargoyle statue guarding Dumbledore's office, the atmosphere seemed heavier with each step.

As they began their ascent up the spiral staircase, Ginny's anxiety spilled over, her voice trembling with fear. "My heart feels like it's gonna come out of my chest."

Hermione, feeling the weight of the situation but knowing Ginny needed reassurance, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Everything is okay," she said softly, though the words felt hollow. Deep down, Hermione knew things were far from okay.

Hermione took a deep breath and pushed open the large gates to Dumbledore's office. As the door creaked, her eyes instantly locked with Harry's. He stood rigid, his face pale, lips trembling as he whispered, "I'm sorry. I failed."

Fear gripped both Hermione and Ginny like a vice—something terrible had happened, something that couldn't be undone.

Hermione's gaze swept across the room, catching sight of Dumbledore, Flitwick, and Snape. Her heart skipped a beat. *Snape?* Wasn't he supposed to be fired? What was he doing here?

Dumbledore's sad, weathered eyes, framed by his half-moon spectacles, rested on them. His voice was soft but laden with the sorrow of a thousand regrets. "The new species of Dementors might have left the school grounds for now, but today... Hogwarts has failed to protect its people. We've lost some of our students."

Ginny's face drained of color, her expression reflecting a dawning horror as if she already knew the truth before anyone spoke it aloud.

Then, Dumbledore and the other professors stepped aside, revealing what they had been standing over.

There, draped in a Gryffindor flag, lay Ron Weasely. His body, pale and lifeless, stretched out on the crimson fabric, a final farewell to the house he had fought for. Hermione's breath caught in her throat, her knees buckling. The sight of Ron—her friend, Ginny's brother—was too much to bear.

Ginny let out a strangled sob, frozen in shock, her eyes wide as if the world had been ripped away from her.