Be Careful in the Dark

Hermione tried to ignore the bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face. Another one was starting to trickle down the small of her back. Her muscles twitched in effort. Harry was sitting to her right and Ron to her left. Across from her sat Dumbledore. He had been trying to teach them to take their animagi form for months with no progress. It was an incredibly complex piece of magic that required a complicated wandless spell and complete concentration. It was the sort of spell that took years to master.

Harry started grinding his teeth in frustration.

“I’d like to suggest a possibility.” Dumbledore’s voice was soft but Hermione still started in surprise.

Hermione opened her eyes. Harry was looking at Dumbledore suspiciously and Ron’s shoulders were slumped as he stared at his hands folded in his lap.

“Yes?” Harry inquired.

“I can guide you through the process. You are far enough along. But, it would require entry into your mind and, it is... a delicate matter.” Dumbledore stopped.

“Sir, you’re going to have to be more specific.” Harry replied.

“There must be a certain level of trust. I must be allowed to enter deep into your mind. If there is a fight, it could be dangerous for both of us. The question is... do you trust me?”

Harry and Dumbledore stared at each other, tension palpable in the air though neither of them changed their expression.

“I’ll do it.”

Both Harry and Dumbledore turned their heads in unison to stare at Ron. Dumbledore smiled briefly.

“Thank you for your trust Mister Weasley.”

Ron blushed and nodded briefly.

Dumbledore motioned Ron to come closer. He scooted across the floor until he was directly parallel to the older wizard. Hermione started at Ron’s broad back, her stomach suddenly tightened in fear. She couldn’t do this. There was no way she was going to let Dumbledore into her mind.

After several minutes, Ron blinked and started to slide to the side. Dumbledore reached out and caught the younger man.

“Easy, Mister Weasley. Easy.”

Ron stood and shook himself all over, like a dog coming out of the water. Then he smiled lazily at Harry and began to flow downwards. Within seconds, a ginger fox stood, tongue lolling in a foxy grin. Then he sat on his haunches and began to scratch his ear vigorously. Hermione giggled. With another shift, Ron returned to his human form.

“That’s smashing!” He said with a goofy grin.

“What’s it like, Ron? What am I missing?” Harry asked, leaning forward intently.

“’Dunno, Harry. It’s, well...” Ron trailed off, uncertain how to continue. “It’s like flying.”

Harry looked startled and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. “Oh.”

Harry stood and walked towards the window. He stood there for several minutes, deep in thought. Dumbledore just kept a pleasant smile on his face as he watched Harry. Then, to the shock of everyone, Harry opened the window and jumped. An eagle’s triumphant scream wafted back to them over the night air. Hermione closed her mouth with an audible snap. She was not the only one.

“Mister Potter, ever full of surprises.” Dumbledore said thoughtfully.

Hermione could feel the Headmaster’s eyes on her and shifted nervously, unable to meet his gaze. The silence stretched out for an uncomfortably long and awkward period of time—90 seconds at least.

“Shall we end for the evening?” Dumbledore said at last and Hermione let out a quiet breath of relief that he wasn’t going to press her.

Harry flew in the window in his eagle’s form and attempted to land. Unfortunately, landing is harder than flying. In a burst of feathers and a distressed squawk that became a human shout of surprise, Harry bounced off the wall, landing on his rear. He shook his head vigorously to clear his dazed expression. Then, he too broke out in a huge, goofy grin.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Ron said, grinning at his friend.

“Yeah.” Harry sounded breathless. The two boys shared their smiles and Hermione grumbled quietly under her breath.

“How about you, ‘Mione? Did you figure it out?” Harry’s excitement curdled in her stomach.

“No.” Her voice was cold and Harry’s smile faded. He looked at Dumbledore and back to her. Hermione shrugged uncomfortably. “We were just wrapping up.”

Harry’s eyebrows lifted in surprise but he didn’t say anything. The three of them returned to their dorms, Harry walking between them with an arm wrapped around her and Ron’s shoulders. Neither one of them said anything to her about her inability to take her animagus form—seven years of friendship had taught them that much.

As the door of the Headgirl’s quarters closed behind her, she heard Ron’s voice burst in excitement and Harry’s voice answer in kind. She felt sick to her stomach. She couldn’t take Ron’s lead and trust Dumbledore nor could she do it her own, as Harry had.

She slept restlessly that night and awoke determined to master the transformation. Weeks passed and she meditated and attempted the spell again and again. Dumbledore now spent more time focused on advanced offensive and defensive spells though he had made it clear that he was available for Hermione if “she should be in need of any assistance.” Each time she tried, she failed. She started to dream about the spell every night, anxious dreams involving hallways, Harry and Ron and Professor McGonagall shouting at her, the world breaking up into tiny fragments. She awoke in a sweat every time, her muscles trembling.

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The end of the school year approached. It was almost time to take her NEWT’s. She was sitting in the Gryffyndor common room, her nose buried in a book, when Harry’s voice pulled her away. The boys had been discussing in low heated tones the pros and cons of becoming Aurors. Ron was for it as he considered the training and resources they would receive to be central to defeating Voldemort. Harry was more hesitant. He thought it likely that the rules and regulations of becoming an auror might actually hamper him in his quest to defeat his enemy. It was a conversation they had repeated numerous times and Hermione had started to tune them out. It was obvious to her that they were bound for Auror training.

“What about you ‘Mione? What are you going to do next year?” Harry asked. Hermione blinked and looked up.

“I, well, I think I am going to do nothing.”

Harry and Ron stared at her in surprise.

“Why?” Ron asked, eyes wide in surprise, and Hermione smiled. That was Ron, all grace and tact.

“Dumbledore thinks he can get me a research position with the Ministry but I don’t think they’re going to let me work on what I’m good at and what I think is most pressing. So, instead, I think I’m going to do a little traveling and start my own research.” Hermione set her book down and leaned forward. Only part of this was a lie and even that, a lie of omission. “What we really need are charms to repel Death Eater attacks, especially the Unforgivables. We need ways to detect the booby traps Death Eaters are setting. We need practical defenses against the enemy. The Ministry isn’t going to let me do that. So, I’ll do it on my own.”

Ron spluttered for a second before saying to Harry, “Harry, mate, talk some sense into the girl. She can’t just go wandering around working on charms. It’s… It’s…”

Hermione met Harry’s eyes. He was staring at her, weighing her words. His green eyes were calculating.

“Good idea, Hermione. Just, be cautious.”

“Harry!” Ron said, his mouth hanging open.

“Ron, if we’re headed to the Aurors… well, maybe it’s a good thing not to have all three of us under the Ministry’s thumb. We need to make sure we keep thinking outside the box. The Ministry may have all the resources but they haven’t made any progress. We’re barely holding Voldemort and his followers at bay. Hermione’s right.”

Ron crossed his arms over his chest and sullenly frowned. Then his face brightened.

“So does this mean you’re going to come to Auror training with me?”

“Yes.” Harry’s voice was distant and cool.

Harry and Hermione didn’t break eye contact. Finally, Hermione shifted and leaned back into the couch. She picked up her book and ignored the feeling of Harry’s eyes on her. She’d expected Harry to be on her side and Ron to be against her plan. But the look on Harry’s face made her feel like a bug under a microscope. Her skin was flushed and it felt like electricity was running through her. She slid a glance back at Harry who… was still staring at her. She swallowed and kept her eyes resolutely on her book.

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Hermione brushed hair out of her face and glared at the parchment in front of her. Dumbledore had canceled their extracurricular lessons as the NEWTs were only days away. Around her, seventh years muttered quietly to themselves or to study partners.

Hermione jumped in surprise. The stone on her bracelet was buzzing. She could feel pain and danger that smelled distinctly like Harry. Her brain suddenly caught up with her. Oh my god. That’s Harry’s distress beacon. Harry was in trouble.

She excused herself from the study group she was in and hustled out of the library. The second she was out of sight, she put her finger on the bead and activated the port key. She found herself somewhere in Knockturn Alley, next a pile of garbage and pale, sweaty Harry. Ron popped in only moments later.

“Harry! Oh my god! What happened?” Hermione knelt next to her friend, fear shooting through her. Harry’s skin was almost green in the creases and he looked as if he could barely hold his head up.

“We… Dumbledore... We tried...” Harry panted, licking drying lips. He frowned and growled low in his throat. His face twisted as he pulled himself upright.

“Dumbledore and I were on a mission.” His voice sounded clearer though it shook. “We succeeded but... when we got back...” he panted and closed his eyes. “We apparated back into a group of Death Eaters. I got away but Dumbledore didn’t. I don’t know if...” Harry’s eyes opened, brimming with unshed tears. “I heard them though... they’re going to attack the school.” Harry slumped to the side, breathing shallow and labored.

Hermione’s mind went blank.

Ron knelt on Harry’s other side and shook him roughly. “Harry. Mate. Where is Dumbledore? Where did you apparate in?” Harry’s eyes opened slowly.

Hermione bit down a reprimand. Ron was right. They needed this information.

“Over behind Borgin and Burkes…. don’t know… if they… still there.” Harry’s face was tight with pain.

Ron stared off in space for about thirty seconds. Hermione stared at Harry and then back at Ron.

“Hermione… you need to go scope out if Dumbledore’s alive. If they’re planning an attack, they’ll either kill him or won’t leave many to protect him. We need to get him out… if we can. I’ll head back to the school and raise the alarm. The DA will follow me,” he looked down at Harry, his face twisting in momentary pain before Ron managed to shove the emotion down again, “in a pinch.”

Hermione nodded and stood, shaking out her skirts. Really, a rescue mission in a school uniform. How awkward. Panic gnawed at the edges of her mind and she ignored it.

“Good luck, Ron.”

“You too.”

Hermione ran down the alley but paused before bursting into the street. A young woman in a school uniform was going to draw attention in an alley full of dark wizards. Ok, not full. Still, she needed a better plan. She peeked her head out, scanning briefly. And besides, the buildings looked uncomfortably close one another. She remained hidden behind a pile of rubbish, look upwards in frustration. Inspiration struck.

“Ortus Aer” She whispered softly, flicking her wand loosely and pointing at her feet. She began to rise slowly on bed of air, wobbling slightly. She looked fearfully at the open alleyway but she didn’t think anyone saw her. When she was flush with the roof, she jerked her wand to the side until she was safely over the dirty, peeling shingles. She set her self down softly. Crouching she looked over the sparsely populated street, scoping out a possible apparition site. Borgin and Burkes’ roof was probably out. The apparition crack might be noticed. There was a small building to the left that looking promising. She could see the entire roof, useful for apparating and arriving in one piece.

She narrowed her eyes at the low roof and apparated. With a pop she appeared and tried not to stumble. She dropped onto her belly and shimmied over to the edge of the roof. She listened closely but heard nothing. She risked poking a bit of her head over the edge, her eyes taking everything in, before pulling her head back. It was an oddly shaped courtyard. It was fairly neat though across the way, behind a building she thought might face Diagon Alley, was a stack of wood. She could only see part of the courtyard over the left. Were they even here? Shit.

She tucked her wand down the front of her shirt, lodging it firmly in the elastic of her bra. Gripping the edge of the roof with both hands, she eased her body over the edge, lowering herself as quietly as she could. She dropped to the ground. Borgin and Burkes was in front of her and she was tucked in a corner between the two buildings. Her feet shifted slightly on the cobblestones. With a sharp glance around, she cast a disillusionment spell on herself. Cold dribbled down over with a wet feeling snick. She shivered.

“Did you hear that?” A male voice said, very softly. It came around the corner. They were here. She suppressed a shudder.

“Hear what?” Another voice said. Ok, there were at least two of them.

“I think someone just cast a spell.” The first voice said. Hermione dug her wand out of her bra.

“Maybe we should get out of here.” The second voice said, his voice shook slightly.

“We have to make sure everything stays clear for when they start apparating back.” The first voice said in irritation.

“But...”

The other voice just hissed and then there was silence. Hermione slithered up against the wall, dropping as low as she could.

“Crucio!” The spell blew over her head and she didn’t even see the caster.

She jerked her wand upwards, screaming “Finite Incantatem!” A spell popped out of existence and suddenly a tall, skinny Death Eater loomed over her. The silver mask leered at her. She followed her first instinct and jammed both of her fists together and forward into his groin. She backed it up with a nasty little spell that amounted to hitting someone with a hammer. He made a strangled sound and dropped to the earth like a stone. She jerked her hand and silently called for his wand. It smacked into her palm.

A small scraping sound was her only warning and she dove forward without thinking.

“Exuro Tergum!” The second voice screamed. The spell skimmed across her left shoulder, which promptly burst into flame. She rolled over on her side, desperately trying to get the flame to go out. It didn’t. The pain dug into her. As she came around, she pointed her wand at chest level, making a huge arc.

“Diffindo!” A male scream and splatter of blood were her reward. She fired off a series of finite incantatem: one at her shoulder, one where she’d seen the blood spatter, and another couple at random in case there were other Death Eaters to be seen. The fire burning her went out. The second Death Eater had been much shorter than she was expecting and most of his head had slid to the right while his body had dropped to the left. She swallowed her horror. An unconscious Dumbledore was tied up and propped against the building.

She scrambled across the stones, ignoring the pain beginning to rip through her. Using the same spell she’d used on the now... mostly... decapitated Death Eater, only directing the energy outwards, she cut through Dumbledore’s bonds. He remained unconscious, a chalky, black stone on his chest. She had no idea what it was. Sending a short prayer to whoever might be listening, she cast an enervating spell.

Dumbledore’s eyes fluttered open. He looked at her, his eyes blank.

“Sir! Sir! What is this thing? We need to get the hell out of here before the others come back.”

Light dawned in Dumbledore’s eyes. His skin, like Harry’s, was waxy, pale, and a little green in the creases. He made a small motion with his hand, mimicking a wand, and then in a gritty whisper, told her the name of the spell. Hermione nodded.

“Liberatio” she said, trying to copy both his tone and hand movement. The stone flared, and then liquefied, dribbling off of Dumbledore. The black, viscous fluid reshaped into a flat, black disc. Hermione picked it up and stuck it in her pocket.

“Sir, I don’t think I can apparate very far and really don’t think I could take you with me. Can you make it the ministry?” Hermione asked. Her whole body was beginning to throb with pain.

Dumbledore closed his eyes in pain before opening them. He flickered a tiny smile at her and then vanished with a pop. Hermione hoped he didn’t splinch himself.

“Accio wands!”

Hermione’s wand, and the wand of the first death eater, zipped through the air. In horror, she turned, to the see the first Death Eater holding both of them. With his lips twisted in triumph, his wand began to move.

Pop.

She’d apparated back to the rooftop of the building she’d first been on. She was on side of the roof facing Knockturn alley. Startled, she began to slip down the shingles, flailing her arms and legs, trying to catch her weight on something. She ground to a halt.

Another pop. She looked up in terror. He was there, standing with one leg on either side of the sloping surface. Her brain screamed an instruction that made no sense but there was no choice. She let go and plummeted off the roof. The world shifted, tilting wildly around her in a circle. She thought she might be sick. Then the world broke into black and white fragments. She tried to blink and couldn’t. She tried to move and everything shifted. Realization dawned on her. She’d taken on her animagus form. She crawled briskly across the side of the building and around the corner. The she crawled up and back onto the roof.

She crawled closer to the Death Eater who had scrambled to the edge of the roof. She flexed her legs, jumped and flowed back to her proper form. A wave of euphoria hit her and she grabbed the back of his head and starting driving her knee into his kidneys. He screamed and tried to turn. She shoved him forward and he fell, arms flailing. With a sickening crack, his neck snapped. She blinked. She hadn’t been expecting him to die. It was probably only about twenty-five feet.

The euphoria faded and close on its heels was the pain. It roared through her like a freight train. She lurched to one knee, fingers scrabbling for purchase as she gagged in pain.

She had to let the aurors know where the death eaters were coming. She had to let someone know. The thought wormed through her brain, through the pain. There was no way she was going to make an apparition that far. She wasn’t sure she could apparate to the sidewalk. A flicker of scarlet and gold in her mind and she nodded to herself. The bank. She could make it the bank.

She breathed heavily through the nose and then smacked herself across the face. The sharp pain made her eyes water but it distracted her from her shoulder. With every ounce of her strength and will, she dug as deep as she could, throwing her head back to howl, she apparated. She arrived, still screaming and in a crouch, on the stairs of Gringotts Wizarding bank. She surged to her feet. Her vision was already going black around the edges and she didn’t have much time. She grabbed the scarlet uniform of the startled goblin.

“There are Death Eaters coming behind Borgin and Burkes. You need to call the aurors. Now. Call the aurors.” She tried to scream but it came out a croak. She tried to stay conscious but the blackness on the edges of her vision rose up, rode over her, and the blackness swallowed her whole.