XXXV.
Hermione’s anxiety had reached new heights today. She’d vomited several times since Draco left. Even Narcissa’s calming droughts hadn’t helped. Her mind played out every horrific scenario that could happen. Each one resulted in Hermione losing Draco. She tried walking through the gardens to distract herself, reading and even tried sleeping. But nothing worked. She paced the library. Even sitting seemed to be too much for her.
Narcissa seemed to feel the same way. Their nervous energy fed off one another as the hours ticked by. The closer to seven it came, the more anxious both of them were.
The familiar crack of a house elf caused Narcissa and Hermione to stop pacing and turn toward the door. A small elf Hermione didn’t recognize held Blaise’s hand.
“Blaise?” Hermione said.
He was out of breath and terrified. The house elf cracked away again.
“What’s wrong?” Hermione asked. “What happened?”
“There’s a breach,” he gasped. “The Ministry knows. They’re on their way here right now. We have to go!”
“Kippy!” Narcissa cried.
“Draco!” Hermione gasped.
Blaise’s eyes held the same wild concern.
“We’ve got to get to a safe house,” he said. “I have to get you to safety.”
Hermione’s body shook. Draco was in danger.
“Get Narcissa out of here,” she said.
Blaise gripped Hermione’s bicep.
“Not without you,” he said.
She gave him a sad smile. “You know I have to go.”
Blaise cursed.
“Get Theo and Luna to safety, too,” she said. “Meet me at midnight.”
Blaise and the others had been there when Draco and Hermione had programmed their watches together. They all agreed midnight would be the safehouse near the White Cliffs of Dover.
Crashing sounded from the emergency raid downstairs. Their Floo had been overtaken by Ministry officials. Kippy popped in and gripped Narcissa and Blaise’s hands.
“I want both of you at midnight with me,” Narcissa said. “Do you understand?”
Hermione nodded and transfigured herself into her previous disguise. Kippy cracked away, and Hermione touched the ring on her left finger. While Draco slept a few nights ago, she transformed their twin rings into a portkey as well. She knew she would need a way to get to his side quickly, and she didn’t want him to know and take his off.
The chaos she arrived at was unlike anything else. Fire and smoke were everywhere, and the smell made her instantly nauseous. She could see Crespo fighting Cho, and on Cho’s other side was Draco. He looked unconscious, and blood was pouring from a gaping wound on his side. Hermione popped open a vial of Dittany and poured it into his mouth. She grabbed for his wand next; she’d need as much magic as she could to survive this. Plus, she didn’t want to run the risk of him getting back to her. She knew once he was safe, the others would keep him there.
Hermione turned the dial on his watch and set it to midnight.
“I’ll meet you at midnight,” she promised him.
She pressed the button, and he vanished.
“What the fuck!” Chang shouted and turned her wand toward Hermione.
“He’s safe,” she said, holding up her hands. “I promise.”
Chang dodged a curse from Crespo and was immediately grabbed by a few Inferi. Hermione sprang into action. This woman had taken everything from her. Crespo was tired. The effects of creating this many Inferi had weakened her body. It was killing her.
Hermione could see Smith fighting off a few Inferi beside her while another man was bound behind him. Penski. She sighed in relief. They had him. She hissed in pain as a curse hit her in the arm. She turned to see Crespo aiming for her. Hermione shot several more in her direction with Draco’s wand. It responded surprisingly well to her. It almost felt like he was fighting alongside her.
“Avada-”
Hermione cut off her curse by dousing her face full of Aguamenti. She was toying with Crespo now, taunting her. She was livid as she fumbled out of the spray of water.
Hermione reacted a second too slow and was tossed backward by the force of Crespo’s next curse. She skidded across the rough concrete. The force of the impact shocked and slowed her. She blinked several times and noticed the sharp sting on her wrist. Her watch lay in pieces beside her. Hermione’s heart sank. Her way back to Draco.
Crespo stalked toward her with a viscous smile playing at her lips.
“Well, well, well,” she said.
Hermione panicked. Her glamour had dropped. Draco’s wand lay just out of reach. Crespo fired another curse toward her, and she instinctively threw up her right arm. A pulse fired off around her, and she saw a glowing shield produced from the bracelet Pansy had given her. It blocked Crespo’s curse. Hermione let out a grateful laugh and scrambled backward to get Draco’s wand. She fired out curses from behind the shield as she made her way closer to Cho. She’d fallen, and her ankle was likely broken.
“Hermione?” Cho gasped as she covered them both with her shield.
Hermione gave her a smile and continued blasting curses out toward Crespo. She felt trapped in this small space with Cho, and her mind spun at ways to get them to safety. She thought back to Draco.
“Tentaculum!” Hermione shouted.
Crespo was immediately wrapped in Draco’s Devil’s Snare trap. Her wand dropped, and Hermione’s shield disappeared.
“We need to get out of here,” Hermione said to Cho.
Hermione looked down and saw the mangled condition of Cho’s ankle.
“Granger?”
Dean Thomas appeared at her side with a large wound across his forehead and ripped robes.
“Dean,” Hermione smiled. “Help me with Cho. We need to get out of here.”
Dean helped Hermione pull Cho up. She balanced on one foot while she held on to both of them.
“Here!” Smith shouted.
The three of them looked over to see Smith, Jenkins, and Flint grouped together, fending off a new batch of Inferi. Hermione pointed her wand at Crespo who was wrapped tightly around Draco’s spell. She began to levitate Crespo but was thrown off-balance by a huge explosion behind her. Hermione, Dean, and Cho were thrown forward.
“The Minister!”
Dread consumed Hermione as she looked in the direction Cho was pointing. Kingsley Shacklebolt stood menacingly at the entrance to the warehouse.
“We have to go now!”
Hermione reached for Cho, and Dean seemed to get a sense of urgency. Hermione looked back to see that Kingsley had pointed his wand and freed Amanda Crespo from her restraints. The spell was on the tip of Hermione’s tongue. She could kill her now, end it all. But the spell might also kill her. The last time had been so much harder to recover. If she took Amanda’s life, she could be sacrificing her own as well. Six weeks ago, she wouldn’t have blinked an eye. She would have killed her. But now she had something different. She had a family. She had purpose again. Crespo and Shacklebolt hadn’t taken everything from her.
Hermione lowered her wand away from Crespo. She and Dean helped Cho to her foot once again. They moved toward Smith, who placed something on Penski’s chest. His figure vanished before them. He was secure. Hermione felt herself exhale as they rushed out of the path of the growing fire around them.
Smith, Flint, and Jenkins all stared at Hermione with wide eyes as they approached.
“What the fuck?” Flint said.
“Where’s Draco?” Smith asked.
“He’s safe,” Hermione nodded.
“Is there a reason the Minister of fucking Magic is hurtling curses at us right now?” Dean asked as they dodged another.
“I’ll explain,” Smith and Hermione said at the same time.
Another explosion ricocheted behind them. They tumbled forward, and luckily someone caught Cho before she fell again. Hermione and Dean weren’t as lucky. They were thrown forward, and Hermione’s body crashed into wooden crates. She smashed her head against one of the corners and felt a dizzy spiral of stars spin around her head. She inhaled deeply and clawed her way out of the heap of plywood.
Smith held his arm out.
“Everyone grab on; we’re using the portkey,” he said.
Several more curses came firing at them. Hermione lifted her shield once more and surrounded the Aurors with it. Her fingers grazed Smith’s jacket, and she was transported away.
Smith had transported them to his office. They landed in a crash. Flint hit the desk, Dean broke the chair, and Hermione fell backward into the wall and slid down it. They groaned as blood, dust, and soot settled around them.
Hermione looked around the room. Penski wasn’t here. Zacharias Smith held his wand out toward Hermione. He was panting, and mistrust flared in his eyes.
“What the fuck?” he whispered.
The other Aurors stared at her too.
“I’ve been on the run from Crespo and Shacklebolt for years,” Hermione said. “I knew they created Inferi.”
“Why didn’t you turn them in?”
He stalked toward her; his wand pointed right at her heart.
“I tried,” she said. “I told Harry and Ron.”
“What?” Dean said.
“They never reported it,” Smith said.
“They thought the Death Eaters couldn’t be trusted,” she whispered. “They thought it was a solution.”
“I want Chang and Granger transported to Mungo’s immediately,” Smith barked. “They get around-the-clock protection. No one enters that room except me, do you understand? The Ministry has been compromised.”
Hermione struggled to her feet.
“No, please,” she begged. “I can’t go there. I have to go home. I have to-”
“Stupify.”
And Hermione’s world went dark.