Hermione lay on her back in the bed she'd been given, staring at the ceiling as she went over her plan for the last time. Ginny slept peacefully in the bed across from hers, the youngest Weasley having interrogated her heavily as she returned to her temporary sleeping place with tear-stained cheeks and red eyes. But she told her nothing, although Hermione did assume Ginny knew something bad had happened, the atmosphere thick inside number 12.

Hermione checked the time for the 50th time that night, nodding to herself as she saw it was now well after midnight. She took one last big gulp of air, steeling herself for what she was about to do. She knew there was no going back. Her mental preparations complete, she rose from the bed, quickly and quietly changing out of her pyjamas, before pulling on her socks and shoes, and lastly her hoodie.

She grabbed the backpack she'd conjured before going to bed, and then tiptoed out of the room, shutting the door behind her. The hallway on the upper floor of the house was completely silent and still, the only light coming from the moon shining through the windows. She cursed the creaky floorboards as she crept downstairs, pausing to listen at the foot of the stairs. Harry's room was just down the hallway, but she could hear voices coming from that direction. She cursed inwardly.

She crept forward until she reached the bend just before Harry's room, a pair of voices audible from its direction. She recognized the voices as those belonging to Tonks and Kingsley, and she couldn't help but bristle in anger. They had actually put Harry under guard. Like he'd escape, that boy had way too much of a martyr complex to even think of something like that.

Still, Hermione's plans did not envision having to deal with two guards, who were Aurors by the way. Improvisation was always Harry's strong suit, not hers, but she knew she was out of options. She needed to get past them, and she severely doubted diplomacy was going to work. She thus took her wand out of her pocket, taking a deep breath and walking around the bend.

"Woah, Herm-"

"Stupefy." Red light burst from her wand, hitting Kingsley square in his chest, the large man crumpling against the wall. She gave Tonks no time to react either, using the Auror's shock to her advantage, a second stupefy doing the job. She cringed at the sound of Tonks' unconscious body hitting the creaky floorboards, waiting for somebody to come investigate the sound. But the house remained quiet and still, and she breathed a large sigh of relief.

"Sorry." She told the two unconscious Aurors, not that she really meant it. They were content with sending a 16-year-old to his death. With all the security around his room, Hermione half expected the door to be locked, but there was no resistance as she pushed it open.

Harry was sitting on a chair facing the window, moonlight bathing his face in its bluish palette. He looked horrible. It was evident he had been crying, his cheeks all mushed and his eyes red. He didn't even seem to register her entering, his lifeless gaze directed at some unseen point on the snowy street below. Hermione walked straight up to him, stopping to stand just a foot away.

"Harry." She said quietly so as not to spook him, but he jumped anyway, looking at her like a deer caught in a car's headlights. She could feel tears threatening to fall as she looked at his confused and frightened face, her heart breaking for him. She wasn't going to stand that.

"Hermi-" She cut him off by pulling him into a tight hug, her arms around his shoulders and her head buried in his neck. He was stiff as a board at first, but then, as if he realized she was real, he hugged her back. She could feel his desperation in the hug, his entire body shaking and his breaths coming out in short, uneven puffs.

"Du-dumbledore s-said I was a-a-"

"I know. I know. Shh, don't worry about it. It's all going to be okay." She said tightening her hold on him, trying her hardest to make him believe everything was going to be just fine.

"B-but I have to d-die." His voice broke as he said it, and Hermione could feel her resolve strengthening. She was getting him out even if Dumbledore himself appeared in the doorway.

"No, no you don't and you aren't going to. Not tomorrow, not for a very long time." There was complete confidence in her tone, and Harry seemed to regain some composure at her sure voice.

"But Dumble-"

"Dumbledore doesn't know everything. You're my best friend, Harry, I'm not letting them do this to you. They'll hand you to V-Voldemort over my dead body." She spoke through clenched teeth, before focusing on following the rest of her plan.

"W-we're leaving Harry. Right now." She whispered into his ear, but his reaction to that was immediate. He pulled away, his scared green eyes meeting her determination-filled counterparts.

"Leaving? What? Where? How?"

"As far away from here as possible. We'll hide in the muggle world for the time being." She could tell he wasn't convinced, and she could see his shoulders slumping again.

"But the muggles could get hurt if I don't do this, you heard Dumbledore. And running away would mean you'd get in heaps of trouble too. I can't let you do that." It was the first time she saw anything other than fear cross his eyes, that all familiar determination and conviction that had saved their lives on a number of occasions reappearing, albeit focused on the wrong thing.

"Harry, it isn't your duty to protect everyone. Voldemort is low on supporters, that is why he's doing this, he doesn't have the numbers to openly attack the muggle world. This was a trick to get to you, one Dumbledore fell for." She knew that wasn't really all that true, Dumbledore was following his own idiotic plan, but if she had to lie to get him to see reason then so be it. She moved closer to him then, cupping his cheeks between both of her hands.

"And don't you worry about me. Your life is infinitely more important to me than anything else. I'm not going to just stand by and do nothing." She could see she was slowly but surely changing his mind, and she went in for the kill.

"Don't throw your life away Harry. Please. Not like this. We can still help fight Voldemort, just in our own way." She practically pleaded with him, not knowing what more to say if he refused. But she could see his resolve slowly crumbling, that resigned expression being replaced by a sliver of hope. He sighed deeply, his breathing hitching and his head bowing.

"I-I don't want to die." Her heart broke at his sad whisper, and she used the hands still on his cheeks to bring his chin upwards, their eyes once more level.

"You're not going to. I promise. But you have to come with me. Do you trust me?" She knew it was a low blow, a hint of hurt crossing his face, but she had no intention of fighting fair.

"Course I do Hermione. I trust you and Ron completely."

"Yeah, about that, Ron…um… isn't coming. He… he'll stay here as a spy for us, informing us on what the Order does." She really wanted to bad-mouth Ron for what was in her opinion a cowardly decision, but she knew how much that would hurt Harry, maybe even change his mind, so she instead lied some more. It was for a good cause after all, wasn't it?

"Y-you really planned this out." He said sounding awed, and she didn't have the strength to tell him she was thinking up things as she went.

"We need to go before Kingsley and Tonks wake up. Come on." She told him hurriedly, knowing their time window was quickly closing.

"Wake up?" He looked confused, but she just shook her head, pulling him towards the door by the sleeve of his hoodie.

"W-wait." He stopped, turning around.

"What?"

"I should pack some essential-"

"No time. Just grab your wand and shoes, we need to go." She interrupted him, knowing it was only a matter of time before the two Aurors outside the door woke up. But Harry wasn't budging.

"Harry please, you have to trust me." She locked her pleading eyes with his, not breaking their gaze as she waited for him to find whatever he was looking for. He broke their gaze first, sighing deeply before grabbing hold of her hand, squeezing gently.

"Okay, let's go." Harry said simply, putting on his shoes and grabbing his wand from the night drawer. He next reached into his suitcase, pulling out his invisibility cloak and sticking it into the pocket of his hoodie. She could feel her emotions surging inside her, the relief flowing over her like a massive tidal wave. Her knees wobbled, but she stayed upright. Not the time for celebrations yet, she told herself as she led Harry through the door, Tonks and Kingsley still very much out cold.

"D-did you…" She heard Harry whisper in what might have been awe and apprehension mixed together, but she ignored him, leading him directly towards the door. She quickly donned her jacket, Harry doing the same next to her, before they left through the front entrance. She extracted her wand from her pocket as she did so, casting a simple trip-wire spell on the door.

The street in front of them was covered with an inch of snow, no sign of anybody outside at this early of an hour. She clasped Harry's hand in hers, and pulled him along, the pair walking briskly down the street and away from number 12. Despite being dressed in a fluffy hoodie and her winter jacket, Hermione still felt the cold seep into her bones, her breath coming out in a little cloud every time she exhaled.

"I still have the trace, Hermione." Harry suddenly said in a panic, but she squeezed his hand to calm him down.

"Don't worry, I'm aware of it. But as long as you don't cast anything with your wand, they shouldn't be able to find you." She was fairly certain that was the case, but her explanation didn't seem to calm Harry.

"But that means I won't be able to use my magic." He said sounding panicked, his grip on her hand becoming painful.

"You won't. But my magic should be more than enough to get us by. Plus, you'll be 17 in half a year." He seemed to still at that, bringing them both to a halt. They were standing under a street lamp, not a soul in sight.

"Half a year? H-how long are you intending for us to hide for?" She looked away at the question, questioning whether to lie, before deciding on telling him the truth.

"However long it takes." She didn't waiver as she spoke, "I really hope they'll come to their senses quickly, but I'm prepared to wait. Let somebody else fight Voldemort, we've… you've done enough, Harry. You don't owe them anything." He seemed almost overwhelmed by this, his eyes un-focusing and his shoulders hunching together. He blinked once. And then he hugged her.

And it wasn't just one of the 'good to see you again' hugs, or 'I'm happy you are okay ones', but a hug that told her just how grateful he was for what she was doing. Harry never initiated physical contact, so this was even more special to her. But most importantly it told her she did the right thing. No 16-year-old could be expected to willingly go to his death. Dumbledore might have managed to guilt-trip him into it, but he now seemed ready to fight for his life.

"I'm still not convinced I'm doing the right thing, but… I trust you. And I really don't want to die." His voice hid nothing from her, all his walls seemingly coming down, and she couldn't help but hug him a bit tighter, bolstered by his trust in her.

"We'll get through this together." Her words contained nothing but the truth. Harry might be putting her trust in her now, but her own trust and belief in him had always been an integral part of her. She had never once in their six years of friendship doubted him. She might have questioned some of his decisions, or disagreed with some of his actions, but she had never once stopped believing in him. And she knew they could do this, as long as they did it together.

"Like always." He responded, before breaking the hug, a small smile on his face that instantly made her mood soar. He had a nice smile, she thought distractedly, it was a shame he used it so little lately. Their little moment was broken by a car horn in the distance, and she pulled him along, the pair continuing their trek through the snowy London streets.

They were walking for a good 20 minutes when Hermione's wand vibrated in her pocket, informing her that her trip-wire alarm had been set off. She wasn't too worried about being found though, they had a massive head-start and were now nearing their destination. King's Cross station loomed ahead of them, the massive terminal a moderate hubbub of activity even at such an early hour, several trains standing on the tracks.

"Are we taking a train?" Harry asked as they entered the station, both of their gazes momentarily drawn to platform 9 ¾. That wasn't their destination today though, as Hermione led them to the information booth, looking at various trains that were scheduled to depart. There were a few promising ones, but it ultimately came down to which train departed the earliest. And only a single train was scheduled to depart at 3 in the morning.

Thus, Hermione and Harry had found themselves on the 3 am train to Edinburgh. They had easily managed to get a free cabin, as not that many people seemed to be on the train at this ungodly hour, and Hermione could finally relax somewhat. She felt the weight of her actions crash into her as the train pulled away from the platform, away from everything she knew and was. It almost felt like she was leaving it all behind.

Harry seemed equally deep in thought, staring at the passing buildings as the train slowly moved through and out of the British capital. Despite relaxing somewhat, Hermione still felt as tense as a string, aware of just how many things could still go wrong. This was something she would have preferred to plan for months, mapping out all the details and necessities, packing the most important things and making triply sure everything was good to go.

Instead, all she had with her were the clothes she was wearing, some basic necessities, a few books she had managed to steal in the Black's library, a few hundred pounds, and her wand. Harry, she knew, had even less with him, having left with only his clothes, cloak and wand. Not to mention his wand was as good as useless anyway. They were woefully unprepared, and Hermione couldn't help but worry.

Her thoughts next turned to her parents, and she couldn't stop the shaky breath that escaped her, although thankfully Harry seemed too deep in his own thoughts to notice her distress. She had left them behind, no word or even a letter to explain her disappearance. Yes, she was certain somebody from the Order was going to explain things to them, but she still felt like she'd let them down. Did she feel guilty? Certainly, but she didn't feel regret. She was doing the right thing after all.

"What are we going to do when we get to Edinburgh?" Harry broke the silence, his gaze still directed out of the window. While she hadn't been able to plan for too far ahead, this was still in the general area of where her plan was concrete enough to be called that.

"We get out of the city and head towards one of the smaller towns or villages in the vicinity. After that we'll get a room in some hotel or motel, doesn't really matter, and then we'll go from there. We should be fine as long as we stay in the muggle world." She explained while Harry nodded uncertainly, seemingly aware of just how much more concise than usual her plan was.

"We should also probably change your hair, and maybe try and hide your scar if possible." She said after thinking for a bit longer, not wanting to chance anybody coincidentally recognizing what was probably the most famous wizard in the world. Harry just nodded at that, seemingly entirely content to follow her lead.

"Do you think Dumbledore'll be very disappointed in me?" His whispered question brought her gaze back to him, his entire posture slumped over itself and his eyes staring directly at the floor. She wasted no time, standing up and taking the seat right next to him, taking his hands into hers and manoeuvring him so that he was facing her.

"I don't care about what he'll think, and neither should you, Harry. He may think he's doing the right thing, but sending a 16-year-old boy to his death isn't it. And let's face it, this isn't the first time he's gotten things wrong." She was unbelievably angry at her headmaster; she was so angry she could have spat on his name and punched his little fancy glasses right off his nose.

But through her anger, some part of her acknowledged that Dumbledore didn't actually want Harry to die. That he probably cared for him and his well-being a great deal. And she knew that provided Harry really was a Horcrux, and she didn't really have any reasons to doubt that, the old wizard had been put in an impossible predicament. His plan might have worked, but there was just way too much hanging on it for Hermione to let him try.

"About this Horcrux, Hermione, if he really can't die until we get rid of it, then-" She had really been interrupting him a lot in the past few hours, but she had no intention of letting him finish that sentence.

"We'll figure something else out, I'm sure. We always have. There must be a way to get it out without… you know." There was nothing but the truth in her words, she was beyond certain she could, provided she had the time, figure out how to get that blasted thing out of him. Now more than ever she wished she had the time to pack some additional books on that matter, but it was no use crying over spilled milk.

She stayed in the seat next to Harry as the train chugged along the tracks, fighting to keep her eyes open. About an hour into their journey Harry seemed to lose his fight against exhaustion, slumping against her shoulder, and she couldn't help but smile at just how peaceful he looked while sleeping. She couldn't stop herself from leaning up against him, and not before long she felt her own eyes closing.

Albus Dumbledore stood in the middle of Harry's room, the emotions flashing across his face too fast to be determined. But there was one constant: regret. In hindsight, and he was saying that phrase a lot in recent times, he probably should have approached this differently. Ignoring Miss Granger's concerns had evidently been a rather large blunder, due to which all of his carefully laid plans had disintegrated. Again.

If he was completely honest with himself, he had expected Harry to simply do as he'd told him. That was how it was throughout the last six years after all. And having seen the look in young Harry's eyes after he'd told him he was a Horcrux, that was how it would have gone this time too. But he'd underestimated Miss Granger's resolve to protect her friend, and it cost him everything.

He didn't blame her either, not at all. He was almost impressed in fact, at her having subdued two Aurors and having evaded all their searches. The pair had effectively disappeared without a trace. No, he only had himself to blame. Had he just explained his plan in more detail, had reiterated to her that this was Harry's only chance to survive… He only hoped she didn't tell him the entire truth, or Harry would truly have to die.

His plan might not have been perfect, it was certainly not foolproof, but he truly did believe it would have worked. And after they retrieved and revived Harry, he would then be free to start hunting for the Horcruxes, while Dumbledore prepared for his own demise, the curse now just barely contained to his hand.

And then there was the small matter of what to do with Voldemort, who would certainly not be pleased with this news. Furthermore, Dumbledore was tied by the unbreakable vow to hand Harry over, which meant he had to actively search for him now that he escaped. Everything had gone spectacularly wrong, all at once.

"We can't find them, Albus. They're just… gone." He heard the voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt say from behind him, and he turned to look at the man.

"Inform the Minister of what has happened." Kingsley nodded at the order, before leaving the room, Dumbledore following in his wake. He went straight to the living room, which was once again filled to the brim with Order members.

"Don't lie to me Ronald Weasley!" He heard Mrs Weasley's shrill tone, several people surrounding a pale-looking Mister Weasley.

"I-I don't know where they went Mum!" The boy replied, before lifting his chin defiantly, "And I wouldn't have told you even if I did." Mrs Weasley seemed ready to blow at that, and Dumbledore decided this was as good of a time as any to announce his presence.

"Mister Weasley, I know you three are the best of friends, but finding and returning them here really is in their best interests. This really is Harry's best option to survive, and Miss Granger surely wants to complete her studies." He said severely, trying to get the panicked-looking boy to reveal where the other two members of the Golden Trio went. Surely, he had to know. But to his immense surprise, Ronald looked him straight in his eyes, determination in his gaze.

"I'm not telling you anything. I just wish I had gone with them." He heard Mrs Weasley's gasp, but he waved her anger away. The brief lock of eyes and some mild Legilimency were enough for Dumbledore to ascertain that Mister Weasley truly didn't have a clue where his friends were located. This was very worrying.

"This is all our fault. I should have never gone along with this stupid plan of yours." His face was suddenly full of one Remus Lupin, one of his jabbing fingers nearly taking out his eye.

"I thought you agreed that-"

"I was wrong!" Remus' shout stopped Dumbledore in his tracks, everybody in the room now looking at them. Nymphadora approached from the side, trying to get Remus away, but the former DADA professor simply shook her off.

"I feel like every time we go along with one of your plans, disaster happens. I'm done with it." Dumbledore felt like being punched, several gasps audible across the room. He quickly recomposed himself, his hands held placatingly in front of him.

"I know you're angry Remus, but-"

"No. Stop with your excuses. You made a 16-year-old boy think he was going to die. I was supposed to protect him… and you were too. What would Lily and James think of us now." The werewolf had both of his hands fisted in his hair, pulling at them with some force, while Nymphadora stood by, a stricken look on her face.

Dumbledore was now well and truly speechless. But the more he thought about what Remus had just said, the more horrible he felt. James and Lily would be furious, that he knew. When he saw them again, he fully expected them to beat him to a second death just for leaving Harry with the Dursleys. In his defence though… and for maybe the first time in a decade Dumbledore's mind stuttered.

There was no defence. Yes, he didn't imagine those muggles could be that cruel to a mere child. But he was Harry's magical guardian, he should have checked on him, he should have protected him. And he did nothing. He even sent him back there every summer. And now he was already making plans on how to shuffle all of his burdens onto Harry's shoulders, as soon as his death and revival were done with.

Shame slowly started spreading through him until it reached every pore of his body, and he had to blink his eyes repeatedly to clear his vision. He had treated the boy terribly, they all had. And for the first time since finding out about their escape, Dumbledore was almost glad Hermione Granger wasn't fooled by his silky words. He turned back to an incensed-looking Remus then, making a decision.

"Remus, wait for Kingsley to return, then take Nymphadora and Alastor and start searching for them."

"If you think I'll find him so that you can then just send him to Voldemort you are severely mistaken." The werewolf's ire seemed to be rising, and Dumbledore hurried to explain.

"No, Remus, nothing like that. I have evidently made a mistake. I can't find Harry due to the unbreakable vow, but you can. Find him and keep him safe." It was time to start fixing his mistakes, and judging by the surprised look on Remus' face this was a good start.

"But you need to be quick Remus. You must find him before the Death Eaters or the Aurors do." He said gravely, knowing the outcome if that were to happen.

"I'm not going to let him down again."