Malfoy ran a hand through his hair, looking more doubtful by the second. Hermione had just laid out her hastily-constructed plan, informing him on what little she knew about the Animagus reversal spell and instructing him on what she wanted to do once Rita resumed her human form. Malfoy's appearance had been fortuitous timing, really. Last year, Sirius and Lupin had cast the spell together — maybe it took two people to make it work.
"Ready?" she asked, pressing the goblet upside down on a desk with one hand, her wand trained towards it with the other.
Malfoy nodded, his wand pointing at the exact same spot.
"On three, then," he said. "One, two, three—"
Hermione lifted the cup swiftly off of the desk as she and Malfoy simultaneously spoke the incantation. A flash of blue-white light shot out from each of their wands to collide with the beetle, causing it to freeze several inches off of the desk in a failed attempt to escape.
Legs working madly, the beetle fell back to the desk in another flash of light. Hermione backed away to stand next to Malfoy. Without warning, Rita's head sprouted from the beetle's body, bejewelled spectacles and all, followed closely by the rest of her.
"Expelliarmus!" Hermione yelled at the same time Malfoy shouted, "Incarcerous!"
Overcome, Rita screeched as she toppled off the desk, arms bound tightly to her sides and legs stuck together by thin ropes. Hermione pocketed Rita's wand.
Moving to inspect their quarry more closely, Hermione felt a shock at Rita's appearance. Her normally intricate blonde curls lay lank and untidy. Her violently orange robes were rumpled and stained. Even from three feet away, Hermione could smell the remnants of stale drink emanating from Rita's person.
Rita groaned incoherently, squeezing her eyes shut. Malfoy watched with impassive eyes, stepping back slightly to let Hermione take the lead.
Something about Rita's condition made Hermione feel uncomfortable about leaving her tied up. The woman had been disarmed, after all. Hermione performed a quiet Relashio to release the ropes.
"Here, help me sit her up," she said over her shoulder, taking one of Rita's arms. Malfoy was at her side at an instant, helping to hoist Rita up against the wall.
Rita blinked several times, her eyes glassy and unfocused. Then she let out an enormous snort and dissolved into a fit of giggles, clutching at her sides with luridly pink talons. Hermione cast a troubled glance at Malfoy, who shrugged in response.
Taking great gulps of air, Rita finally managed to control herself enough to speak.
"Oh, this is perfect," she said, another small giggle breaking through. "Bloody perfect." She hiccoughed once and looked up at Hermione. "I hate to break it to you, sweetie, but whatever you thought you could do to me by capturing me, discovering my secret… it won't work anymore."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked quickly, squatting to be at eye level with the woman.
"I mean that my entire career, my life's work, my esteemed name, my entire reason for existence has been irrevocably destroyed!"
And with a wail, Rita burst into great, wracking sobs. Malfoy, who had been unruffled up to this point, now looked downright alarmed.
There was nothing for it but to wait her out. Hermione felt a small pang of sympathy for the miserable woman, but it was no less than she deserved after all of those horrible articles.
Malfoy crossed his arms and resumed his seat on a nearby desk while Hermione paced, considering how to get her hands on a Pepper-Up Potion. Or perhaps an extremely bitter tea.
Fortunately, Rita's sobs quickly abated. She sniffled a couple of times, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve.
"So, what do you want from me, you horrible girl?" Rita finally asked in a broken voice, the insult sounding more rote than anything.
Hermione stopped her pacing to consider Rita, who was watching her through narrowed eyes. "First, I want you to tell me why you're such a terrible mess right now."
Rita gave a short laugh and launched into a tirade. "I was fired. Sacked. Shown the door. Dumped! All for relaying the facts! My readers had a right to know about the lies that the shameless Potter boy is spreading. The old codger doesn't even like Potter! How better to show how out of control the boy is than informing the public of his true nature! Claiming that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned..." —Rita snorted loudly to show what she thought of that— "But it would create panic, Fudge said. I forbid you to print it, Fudge said. Well, I'm the reporter, Minister, and I think I'll decide what will rake in the readers! What will sell the Prophet, thank you very much! Not only has Fudge tarnished my good name, but I've received ridiculous threats about publishing the names of Potter's accused ever since! As if I accused them myself!"
"Hm, wonder what that's like," Hermione said dryly, throwing Rita a sour look.
Malfoy sat tight-lipped, staring daggers at Rita. His and Theo's families had been implicated in the article.
Rita made a face at her. "Oh, learn to take a little criticism, honey. Obviously I wasn't wrong about your… associations." Rita eyed Malfoy up and down. Hermione made an indignant sound at the sheer hypocrisy, but Malfoy chimed in before she could retort.
"If you were fired, what are you doing here tonight?" he asked.
Rita looked offended. "My quill doesn't rest just because I've had a slight setback! I had to find a way back into the Prophet!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. The woman had clearly lost the plot.
"And how did you expect to accomplish that pissed out of your mind?" Malfoy asked flatly.
Rita waved a hand dismissively, continuing to rant. "And I have! Oh, Fudge will be begging me to come back when he finds out that Dumbledore's publicly giving credit to Potter's lies," she said, a gleeful smile lighting her face.
"You will do no such thing!" Hermione replied scathingly. "Not unless you want your next stop to be Azkaban! We know that you are an unregistered Animagus, and it won't take long for the Ministry to get evidence of it with the right tip. Imagine what that could do to your reputation."
Rita paled.
"In fact," Hermione continued, "I think it would be best if you kept your quill to yourself for a while. A year, perhaps? See if we can break you of the habit of writing nasty things about people. And for your information, Voldemort has returned" —Rita flinched violently— "And you've likely hacked off some of his most powerful allies."
Malfoy's jaw tightened.
Rita began breathing heavily through her nose. "Fine," she ground out. "But don't think for a minute I don't have anything else on you, Little Miss Perfect. I must say, I'm surprised to find that you have such strong objections to unregistered Animagi, given your… other associations."
Hermione stared at her, unsure where this was going.
Rita let out a hysterical giggle. "Oh, yes, my dear. I know all about Sirius Black."
Hermione felt her stomach drop at the mention of Sirius's name. How much did Rita know? Had she followed Hermione to the meeting with Sirius in Hogsmeade?
Suddenly another memory floated to the forefront; Harry shouting the names of the Death Eaters at Fudge in the infirmary. Hermione blanched. Sirius had been there. Rita must have been there, too, to quote those names in her article, and stuck around until after Sirius had transformed back into a man.
Hermione's growing apprehension must have shown on her face, for Rita flashed her a tight, knowing smile.
The silence stretched as Hermione fumbled for an answer. Malfoy's head whipped around to look at Hermione, raised brows demanding an explanation.
"Sirius is innocent," Hermione said hotly, keeping her eyes on Rita's smug face. "You don't know anything."
"What I do know is that the Minister would love to get his hands on Black. I should think that if I were to be exposed, the Ministry could be easily persuaded to overlook my own indiscretions. Truth will out, so they say," Rita quipped, eyes glinting with malice.
Hermione balled one hand into a fist at her side, quivering with white-hot rage. With the other hand, she raised her wand to point it directly at Rita's nose.
"As I said before," Hermione began in a cold voice, "you know nothing. Haven't you ruined enough lives already? Including your own?"
That wiped the smug look off of Rita's face.
Hermione hadn't realised that the tip of her wand had begun to emit sparks until Malfoy appeared next to her, placing a hand on her arm to lower it gently to her side.
"Not worth drawing more attention to yourself, Granger," he said quietly in her ear. "To both of us."
Goosebumps rose up where his breath stirred across the back of her neck, and her temper quelled at his sudden proximity.
Rita simpered at Malfoy. "Ah, Mister Malfoy, a gentleman as ever. How do you feel, being dragged into Miss Granger's schemes as it were? Angry? Confused? Have you perhaps felt the effects of a certain banned substance lately? Obsession, passion, fever—"
Malfoy rounded on her. "I'll thank you not to imply that you know anything about me either, you foul bint," he hissed, face darkening ominously as he loomed over Rita. "As Granger said before, I wouldn't take those threats you've received so lightly. Your troubles are about to get worse than a few offended readers and a crumbling career. In fact, consider it an undeserved favour that Granger here is removing you from the public eye. And after that stunt you pulled with the article, you'll do what she wants of your own volition, or I'll make sure it's done for you."
The dangerous edge to Malfoy's voice had Rita shrinking back against the wall. Hermione watched him in fascination.
Malfoy straightened, menacing expression replaced by a mask of indifference once more. Rita's lips writhed as she worked up a response.
"I'll give you six months," Rita said finally, straightening the jewelled spectacles on her nose. She only looked at Hermione. "That's more than fair, considering the other company you keep. But if a single word of my… ability… gets out and your name is anywhere near it, I will respond accordingly."
"I'll accept that," Hermione replied, then held up a finger, "if you agree to one more condition. I want one favour out of you. Whenever I ask for it, you will try, to the best of your ability, to accommodate."
Malfoy's eyebrow twitched as he glanced at her.
Rita squawked indignantly. "An open-ended obligation? Laughable! If you think I'm that stupid—"
Hermione cut her off. "No, I think you're that desperate."
Rita's eyes flicked to Malfoy and back before she responded. "Fine. I would like to leave now."
"By all means," Hermione said icily, watching Rita stand slowly using the wall for support.
Rita reached out abruptly towards Hermione, who found herself suddenly behind Malfoy's back.
Rita cleared her throat loudly. "My wand? I'm still allowed that, aren't I?" she asked with a derisive snort.
Hermione slipped Rita's wand out of her robes and tossed it back to her around Malfoy. As soon as Rita caught it, she took three wobbly steps and transformed back into a beetle, scuttling across the floor to crawl out under the door.
Once Rita had gone, Malfoy turned to her, but Hermione held a finger to her lips. She tiptoed to the door and creaked it open, checking the surrounding corridor. When it appeared Rita really had left, she shut the door and turned back to Malfoy.
"Please tell me I just defended you to that cow for a good reason, Granger," he said lightly, tousling his pale strands with a hand. "Sirius Black?"
Hermione sighed. "Yes — it's a rather long story, but… Sirius is innocent. You know he was imprisoned for murder?" Malfoy nodded once. "Well, turns out that was Pettigrew all along. The same man that Crouch was calling Wormtail, and the same man that is helping Voldemort. Sirius is Harry's Godfather."
"Hm" was all Malfoy said about that. After a pause, he spoke again. "You know, Granger, you're a lot different than I thought you would be."
"Because I'm a Muggle-born?"
"No," he replied, the corner of his mouth twitching up. "Because you're a giant swot with a love for the rules. At least, the ones you don't want to break," —he smirked at her— "but I might think twice about crossing you, now."
She laughed under her breath. "Oh, I don't think Rita gave in because she was afraid of me."
Malfoy snorted quietly.
They stood like that for a moment, the ensuing silence neither painful nor unpleasant. Hermione chanced a look up directly into Malfoy's eyes. They were molten silver today.
"You're different than I thought, too," she said softly.
"Because I'm a pureblood?" he asked with a wry twist of his lips.
"No," she replied with a rueful smile. "Because you're Malfoy."
During their conversation, their bodies had drifted to mere inches apart. Hermione felt that same prickling sensation from before, as if the magical current running beneath her skin was trying to break free. Malfoy swallowed heavily.
"Did Potter and Weasley give you much trouble yesterday after you left?" he asked, clearing his throat when his voice came out low and rough.
Hermione wet her lips and took an involuntary step forward. "Oh, no more than usual," she replied, her thoughts curiously difficult to grasp.
Without warning, the door to the classroom swung open to hit the wall beside it. Startled, Hermione sprang back, fumbling for her wand.
"Hey Draco, Granger — I saw you on the Map with Rita Skeeter, of all people, and I thought—" Theo fell silent, taking in the scene before him. "Oh."
Malfoy, standing in the same place he'd been before, lowered his own wand and swore. "Shit, Theo. Ever heard of knocking?"
Theo's cheeks stained pink. "Sorry, sorry," he said quickly. "Is everything okay?"
Her frantic heartbeat finally beginning to slow, Hermione answered Theo rather breathlessly. "Yes, everything is fine. I just had some business to take care of with Skeeter, and Malfoy was kind enough to help me."
"Oh?" Theo replied, tilting his head. "I don't suppose she'll be retracting that article now?"
Hermione shook her head. "Unfortunately not. But I don't think we'll be hearing from her again for a while," she said with a small smile. Glancing at her watch, she was startled to find that over an hour had already passed since dinner. "Actually, I need to get going. I'm supposed to meet Harry and Ron in the common room to tell them about Rita. Malfoy can fill you in on the details?" she suggested.
Malfoy shrugged his agreement.
Making her goodbyes, Hermione started for Gryffindor Tower. Just as she left the classroom, she thought she heard a muffled thump and an answering grunt come from the open door behind her.
Harry and Ron had just split off from Fred, George, and Ginny when Hermione entered the common room, and she quickly herded them to a secluded table by the wall. They were shocked to hear both that she had caught Rita, and that she had managed to extract a promise and a favour from Rita in return for silence about her status as an unregistered Animagus. Hermione had saved the worst bit for last, though. Harry's mouth fell open when she revealed Rita's knowledge about Sirius.
"I think she'll stay quiet," Hermione assured him. "She's too worried about her own skin right now. Still, a warning to Sirius wouldn't go amiss." Harry sighed heavily and nodded.
After thoroughly exhausting the topic of Rita Skeeter for the better part of their evening, Ron left to join Dean for a game of Wizard's Chess. Harry, who had been growing increasingly melancholy again while everyone else dithered about whether or not to believe him about Voldemort, didn't feel like joining. Instead, he stared out of the nearby window, arms folded and silently brooding. Hermione was tracing her bottom lip with a finger while she thought about — and desperately tried not to think about — the remaining week of term, when she remembered something she'd been meaning to ask Harry.
"Harry," she began tentatively. He turned to look at her. "Um… I guess, first, I wanted you to know that Malfoy helped me interrogate Rita tonight. Actually, I'm convinced he was at least half the reason she agreed to my demands at all." Harry merely watched her, so she pushed on. "Also, Theo… Theo wondered if he could borrow the Marauder's Map until the end of term? He wants to study it. He thinks he might even be able to replicate it eventually. I said I didn't think you'd mind too much, but… is that a problem?"
Harry just shrugged. "It's fine." He went back to watching out of the window.
Hermione breathed a tiny sigh of relief.
The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students made their departures the next morning. Viktor found her one last time after breakfast to say goodbye. He fervently promised to write while she smiled and wished him luck with his Quidditch career, letting him envelop her in a rather awkward hug before he joined his classmates aboard the ship.
On the afternoon before her very last class of term, Hermione sat at Gryffindor table with Harry and Ron, picking at her lunch. She glanced at her watch constantly, wanting to wait until the last possible moment. At five 'til one, Hermione gathered all of her resolve and took a deep breath.
"Harry, Ron," she began lightly, "I almost forgot to let you know that I'll be leaving Hogwarts early this term. Tomorrow morning, actually, before breakfast."
They wore identical expressions of shock.
"What for?" Ron asked, narrowing his eyes.
Hermione chose her words carefully. "My parents have secured a once-in-a-lifetime trip abroad, and they have to leave tomorrow. Since classes are finished today, there was no reason I shouldn't be able to join them. It's all been prearranged."
When Harry and Ron continued to watch her in silence, the nerves that Hermione thought she had buried deeply enough to be under control gave way to babbling. "I'm sorry to miss a final visit to Hagrid's with you tomorrow, though. You'll give him my regards, won't you? Oh, it just won't be the same, not getting to take the Hogwarts Express back to London. It sort of rounds out the year nicely, don't you think? But there's always next year. Are there any plans for us to get together over the summer again? Or at least meet in Diagon Alley for our supplies?"
Harry rubbed his nose with a finger. "Er… I don't think so yet. Now that the news about Voldemort's out, I'm sure Dumbledore will be needing us. There's no way he'll wait around for the idiots at the Ministry to do something about it. But I wouldn't mind a backup plan to get away from the Dursleys as soon as possible. What do you think, Ron?"
Ron, who was still watching her with something bordering on suspicion, finally looked at Harry. "Yeah… of course. Mum wouldn't mind if you two want to come stay awhile. Will your trip be very long, Hermione? Where are you going?"
"Oh, not long at all," she replied truthfully, shouldering her bag and beginning to stand. Most of the table had already emptied as everyone hurried to their final classes. "And it's a surprise, I suppose. They haven't said where. I'll see you two at dinner," she said quickly, keeping her head down as she sped out of the Great Hall. Hermione resisted the urge to look back, afraid of what she might find in their expressions.
Halfway to Arithmancy, Hermione's nerves caught up with her and she peeled off in the other direction at a run. The despair that had been steadily building all week was now working in tandem with crushing guilt as she emptied her stomach in the girls' lavatory. When had lying become so natural? To her best friends? She hadn't uttered a single untrue word to Harry and Ron, but her conscience insisted it didn't matter. She had intentionally misled them. Was she really keeping secrets from them again so soon?
Hermione rinsed her mouth in the sink and let a stream of cool water run over her face, taking deep, slow breaths. No, this was different. This particular secret didn't concern them — it didn't concern anyone but herself. And she couldn't let anything interfere with what had to be done.
Her stomach still felt hopelessly knotted as she dashed into class just before Professor Vector took the stand. Malfoy looked her over with a furrowed brow. Hermione knew she appeared completely out of sorts, but there was no help for it. The only thing she cared about at the moment was not sicking up again in front of Malfoy and the entire class.
Hermione attempted to take notes, mostly for something to do, but her hand was shaking too badly to do it properly. Fortunately, her strange behaviour went unnoticed, as no one else was bothering to take notes either.
The rest of her evening went by in a daze. Hermione had methodically packed her belongings up after Arithmancy, brushing off Malfoy's and Theo's subtle questioning with vague excuses. She'd spared a brief moment to regret that it had been her last chance to talk with Malfoy before she left. What if he wanted nothing to do with her next year?
At dinner, she managed to avoid too many more pointed questions from Harry and Ron by pretending to be caught up in the excitement of the end of term with everyone else. Unlike everyone else, though, Hermione's day was far from over. When she returned to the common room that evening, she said her farewells to Harry and Ron, promising to keep in touch, and retired to her dormitory, making it seem that she wanted to get as much sleep as she could before her early-morning call.
In the privacy of her empty dormitory, Hermione gathered her trunk and Crookshanks's basket to one side, then lay on her bed, mentally reviewing her preparations. Her trunk had been packed days ago — she was sure she hadn't forgotten anything. In a stroke of very good luck, Hermione had paid a recent visit to Moody's old office and found a single remaining dose of Polyjuice Potion, which was now tucked into the pocket of her robes beside a single hair. She'd also thoroughly researched Memory Charms, and was confident she could perform one adequate enough for her purposes.
If only she could already be of age, Hermione thought bitterly. It would render the entire ruse unnecessary. As soon as she had decided on how to protect her family, Hermione realised she would need to circumvent the Trace. And as it happened, Fudge himself had already given her the answer; as long as the school year was in session, the magical activity of underage students wouldn't be recorded or reprimanded. Hopefully her absence for the next two days would go largely unnoticed, but as long as she made it out tonight, she would accept whatever consequences befell her later.
Just after midnight, once Hermione was certain the castle slept soundly, she called Crookshanks to her and crept out of her dormitory. She glided slowly and silently through the corridors, Crookshanks under one arm and her trunk levitating close behind. She didn't dare take the Polyjuice just yet — who knew how long it would take to get to London?
Her luck seemed to be holding — Hermione reached the front doors without incident. She slipped out onto the moonlit grounds, starting down the path towards the school gates. In the distance, Hagrid's hut remained dark, and the soft sound of rustling leaves filled the air. A warm breeze ruffled her curls, but all else was still.
At an almost inaudible sound from the castle behind her, Hermione froze and half-turned, tension tightening her chest. When nothing else stirred in her sight, she breathed a tiny sigh of relief, walking more quickly now. She'd feel better once she reached the treeline, where her presence would be concealed from any watchful eyes.
When she finally emerged from the last row of pines at the end of the path, Hermione couldn't prevent a small yelp from escaping at the sound of a male voice behind her.
"You're going to do it, aren't you?"
She spun around. Malfoy, it seemed, had been following her.
Finding it difficult to meet his eyes, Hermione noticed he was still fully dressed and had the Marauder's Map dangling in one hand. She drew a shaky breath.
"Going to do what?"
"Going to hide your parents. The way you planned."
She drew her lower lip between her teeth, biting down hard enough to taste copper. "Yes," she said finally.
Malfoy looked away, arms folded tightly across his chest and his jaw clenching.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Something about his sympathy broke her tenuously-held composure; the emotions Hermione had spent all day smothering escaped violently, a harsh sob ripping out of her throat. Tears falling thick and fast abruptly obscured her vision as she sank to her knees. Crookshanks's carrier slid gently to rest on the ground by her feet, and her trunk hit the dirt with a soft thud as the charm broke. Hermione folded her arms around herself, attempting to physically hold together her cracking exterior.
Suddenly, another pair of arms enveloped her completely, and she found herself pressed tightly against Malfoy's chest.
Without saying a word, Malfoy held her in his arms as she sobbed uncontrollably, exorcising her anguish on a shirt that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe. His chin came down to rest on the top of her head, and one of his hands rubbed small, soothing circles into her back as she fought to draw breath under the crushing weight of her grief. At some point, he produced a silk handkerchief that he would almost certainly want to Incendio when she was through with it.
Hermione wasn't sure how long she sat there, pulled halfway into Malfoy's lap with his arms wrapped around her. Against his chest, the steady thrum of his heartbeat was clear, and his breathing deep and even. Hermione poured her concentration into those sounds, trying to match them to her own.
Eventually, her sobs tapered into sniffles. When she'd finally regained a modicum of composure, she turned her head to the side, hoping to discreetly blow her nose. As if just realising he still had his arms locked around her, Malfoy let them fall to either side of her waist where it rested partially on his legs. She leaned back into him subconsciously, chasing the last source of comfort she could count on in the foreseeable future. He remained still, letting her take what she needed. His hands didn't twitch from where they lay at her sides.
Hands in her lap, Hermione looked down sadly at the mangled square of fabric. Her thumb brushed over a monogram embroidered on the corner: D.L.M.
Malfoy noticed her attentions. "Keep it," he said, lifting one corner of his mouth. "I've only got about a hundred more."
A bubble of laughter burst past her lips and she gave him a watery smile. "Thank you." She meant it for more than the handkerchief.
Inches from her own, his eyes seemed to glow faintly in the moonlight. He dipped his head once in acknowledgement, catching her meaning.
Deciding that however much her body wanted to betray her brain by spending a few more minutes finding temporary sanctuary in Draco Malfoy, it was time to be about her business. Reluctantly, Hermione pulled away, making to stand up. Malfoy quickly interpreted her intentions and offered a hand, which she accepted gratefully.
Once upright, Hermione cast a quick Tergeo on the used cloth to dab at her eyes, then went about straightening her hair and clothes. Malfoy stood casually next to her, his hands tucked into his pockets as his eyes followed her ministrations. For the first time she could remember, the silence between them was neither heavy nor uncomfortable.
"So, you've got it all worked out then?" he asked quietly as she slipped the handkerchief into the pocket of her robes.
She wet her lips nervously. "Yes. Thanks to you and Theo, I've had plenty of time. I should be home in a few hours at most."
He searched her eyes once and nodded in acceptance. Hermione was inwardly relieved that he wasn't questioning either her decision or her capability to follow it through.
"If you're leaving that way, though," Malfoy said, looking pointedly at the wrought iron gates, "you'll need to get past the wards."
Hermione barely stopped from smacking herself on the forehead. How could she have forgotten about the wards?
Watching her face, Malfoy seemed to understand. He smiled faintly. "I can help you there. My father may no longer be a school governor, but I doubt they've changed the access spell. I don't know if it will alert anyone, so you'll have to be quick about it, but it will get you out."
"You'll be alright getting back?" she asked quietly.
"I've got this," Malfoy said, drawing the Map back out from his robes.
"Right." Hermione picked up Crookshanks's carrier from where it sat by her feet and recast a levitation charm on her trunk. "Ready?"
In answer, Malfoy turned and performed a complex wand movement in front of the iron bars. The winged boars atop stone pillars at either side of the gate unfurled their wings as it creaked open.
Staring unwillingly down the murky road awaiting her, Hermione released a slow exhale.
"Well… I'll be off, then," she choked out, all pretence of confidence abandoned.
Malfoy looked back at her solemnly. "Take care of yourself, Granger."
"You, too, Malfoy," she replied softly, stepping forward and stretching up on her toes to press her lips to his cheek. She caught a fractional widening of his eyes before spinning around hurriedly to slip through the gate.
On the other side, Hermione looked back once to see Malfoy perform the same motions he had before, but in reverse. He disappeared completely from view as soon as the enchantment was complete. She spared a brief thought to wonder if he could still see her through the wards.
Knowing time was short, Hermione dug the vial of Polyjuice out of her pocket and dropped the hair in. Once the potion had turned a soft shade of lilac, she downed it in one go and stood stiffly as the painful transformation rippled through her.
Within moments, Septima Vector stood outside of the school gates instead of Hermione Granger. There was nothing for it now but to follow through. Hoping against hope that Harry had explained it correctly last year, she thrust out the hand holding her wand. As a violently purple triple-decker bus came hurtling around the bend from Hogsmeade, Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
