The death of a git, the rise of a hero...

\"You\'re coming?\"

Hermione allowed a small smile of hope cross her face before wrapping her arms around Harry\'s shoulders tightly without warning. He responded back slightly patting her back gently.

\"Thank you.\" She whispered against his cheek before pulling back quickly. She turned to Ron who was looking much more hopeful than before, and before any awkward sentiment could cloud their thoughts, Hermione\'s smile dropped.

\"We\'ll need the Invisibility cloak and our wands.\" She instructed to the two young men staring at her, \"Nothing to weigh us down, but enough to protect us.\"

Ron and Harry each nodded and in a moment had disappeared out the door, the sound of their feet against the stone floor echoing until diminishing completely.

Hermione busied herself with her largest book of spells, quickly re-reading the most powerful to memorize. She was beginning to panic slightly, and her mind was growing foggy. She had to save Severus. But she wasn\'t stupid, this was Voldemort...dark spells. She knew barely any. She suddenly wished she were just a bit stronger in her spells.

Harry was first to arrive back slightly panting, his smile soft but warming. He had the invisibility cloak under one arm, and his wand in the back pocket of his trousers.

\"Ready.\" He said with a mutter before looking to the floor, a faraway look in his light eyes. It was a sad forlorn look, but had something else within it. Before Hermione could question what had happened with Dumbledore, Ron was back, panting and flourishing his wand.

\"What\'s next?\" He said eagerly, looking to Hermione as if she were his Quidditch captain. Hermione felt a weight being dropped upon her, if either of them were injured; it would be because of her. It would be on her head.

\"We leave.\"

Hermione\'s voice was loud, yet shaky. She went through the door with Harry at her side, it was Ron that was pulling back, gaping at her as if she were out of her mind.

\"You mean, we\'re just leaving? Right now?\"

\"That\'s what I said.\"

\"We mustn\'t be too hasty Hermione.\" Ron called after Hermione and Harry as they made their way from the Head Girl room. They were grim, and only Ron was nervous enough to blurt out everything he was thinking.

\"I mean, shouldn\'t we develop some sort of plan of attack?\"

\"Good Lord, Ron.\" Harry said with a forced chuckle as he pulled the cloak around his shoulders. \"You\'re starting to sound just like Hermione.\"

\"There\'s no time for a detailed plan of attack.\" Hermione interrupted, securing her wand in the waistband of her skirt, as she took a deep sigh. Ron had been so in command moments before, what had happened?

He doesn\'t want to die. Hermione\'s mind thought without warning. We\'re all just children play acting, we\'re all too young, we all want to live.

\"Shouldn\'t we inform McGonagall or something?\" Ron continued shakily, positing his wand in the pocket of his trousers. \"I mean, the Order-\"

\"Will take too long to assemble a plan.\" Hermione shot out, looking haggard and reproachful. \"Time is of the essence Ron. I understand that you\'re scared, I am as well. But, if we don\'t act now, Severus will undoubtedly be killed and this will all be for naught.\"

\"But what if he\'s already dead?\" Ron offered, and winced as he saw the sudden blanche of Hermione\'s cheeks and went on. \"I mean, isn\'t it better to plan some form of-\"

\"Tell you what Ron.\" Hermione said briskly, seeing no way out of Ron\'s nerves. \"Go to McGonagall now, inform her of what Harry and I intend to do. Have her collect the Order; have them plan some form of attack. They\'ll be able to track me easily. By the time Harry and I have rescued Severus, the Order will be assembled, correct?\"

Ron offered an uncertain shrug that Hermione felt herself.

\"Well then,\" Hermione said with false confidence. \"You\'ll come to our aid, we shall destroy Voldemort and his followers, save Severus and return to Hogwarts.\"

\"But...It\'s all too simple.\" Ron sputtered, looking wildly from Harry\'s face to Hermione\'s, who looked completely frustrated and exhausted all at the same time. \"I mean-\"

\"I know it\'s simple Ron.\" Hermione finally said darkly, her eyes growing wet with fear and anger. \"But it\'s all we\'ve got.\"

There was a gap of silence in which Ron nodded quickly, and without any words turned on his heel and rushed for where he believed McGonagall to be. His echoing footsteps were all that Hermione and Harry heard before turning to one another.

\"Perhaps it is too simple.\" Hermione suddenly said with trembling lips. Her plan was too simple; they would never save Severus in time. They would all perish. Oh God, what had she done? \"Perhaps-\"

\"Perhaps nothing.\" Harry said firmly, taking her by the wrist and beginning their final trek to the foyer of the school. \"You\'ve finally begun to act properly Hermione. You\'ve moved from book smarts to life smarts.\"

\"It\'s because of Dumbledore.\" Hermione said softly as if she couldn\'t take full credit for her minor transformation. They pushed through the doors of the school as she continued. \"He\'s the reason.\"

\"It\'s because of Dumbledore that both of us are here Hermione.\" Harry said, dropping her wrist as he viewed that she was following him at a rapid pace, their hearts pounding in unison.

They said nothing more as they continued past Hagrid\'s hut, but Hermione felt a swell of pride and hope go through her. They would survive, they would bring back Severus. She had Harry Potter with her, why the boy had cheated death more than anyone!

\"When do we start tracking?\" Harry offered, suddenly breaking her from her thoughts.

\"Soon.\" Hermione said gently, \"We have to make it off the grounds of the school. I know that Dumbledore has cast too many wards around the school here to get an accurate reading.\"

Their shoes made a slipping sound against the wet grass they trampled across. Evidently it had been raining not long ago, but Hermione noted that everything around them seemed tinged with a sense of foreboding, and depression. She even felt a small chill of bitter fear replacing the elation of hope moments before.

She raised her head slightly, her eyes peering into the gray sky before them. She was about to inquire what time it was when her eyes suddenly detected familiar figures, floating and suddenly charging at them.

\"Oh God.\"

Suddenly without warning Hermione grasped Harry\'s arm tightly, her eyes wide with fright. Harry\'s head darted to her face, confused and worried all at the same time.

\"Harry.\" Hermione managed call out breathlessly, her dark eyes widening. With a trembling hand she raised her finger to point shaking before her. She was almost choking on her fear as she spoke.

\"Look.\"

Harry\'s eyes followed her finger and darted into the horizon. His face was suddenly grim as he peered into the mist of the world around them. Familiar grayish skeletal hands beckoned them, and Hermione felt her knees growing weak as they approached.

\"Dementors.\"

Hermione nodded, feeling for her wand and bringing it to her side. The initial shock of the ghostly apparitions was slowly wearing off, leaving her trembling slightly, but more in control.

\"How could this have happened?\" Harry offered from beside her, looking even more like a child than before as he grasped his wand in his grip tightly. \"I mean, how could they have gotten onto the school grounds with all the wards Dumbledore put up against them?\"

\"Dumbledore is dead.\" Hermione said effortlessly, her dark eyes narrowing on the closest Dementor. \"And before his death when he was possessed, Voldemort undoubtedly dropped all the wards surrounding the school. It was his plan all along.\"

\"I don\'t understand.\" Harry said with a furrowed brow, \"If Voldemort possessed Dumbledore, why didn\'t he just kill me when he had the chance?\"

\"Dumbledore was a very powerful wizard Harry.\" Hermione said, her eyes darting around them. \"You\'ll recall Voldemort was only awake in Dumbledore\'s body a short while before we were onto him. He hadn\'t enough time to summon his followers or to grab you.\"

Harry was suddenly somber, and he spoke seconds later with a heavy heart, and emerald eyes that shone with newly acquired tears as if he had just realized something. \"I owe you my life Hermione.\"

Before Hermione could respond, Harry had turned to face the Dementor that was charging at them. The Dementor whipped past Harry, moving past a bit only to savor the moment his presence caused Harry.

Several more Dementors were heading towards them, Hermione noted and she felt a shiver of fear run through the length of her body before narrowing her eyes and raising her wand. But the Dementors weren\'t coming for her, they were coming for Harry.

Several of the ghost like figures whipped around Harry, overwhelming him. Hermione watched in horror as Harry wretched his head to the side, trying in vain to cover his ears. He was shaking and Hermione knew what he was undergoing. She knew he was hearing Voldemort murdering his Mother.

\"The patronus spell, Harry!\" Hermione called out, knowing very well Harry knew what spell to use. He wasn\'t responding quickly enough, and now two more Dementors were around him.

\"EXPECTO PATRONUS!\" Hermione shrieked, pointing her wand at the two Dementors surrounding Harry. A silver mist spouted from her wand, surrounding the Dementors that were now fleeing away from the quivering Harry.

But there were more Dementors coming for them, more than Hermione herself could take on. She felt a sliver of defeat go through her, causing her to cry out in furious anger.

As if acting on her unspoken command, Harry\'s hands suddenly dropped from his ears to his side, his wand in one, and more fury on his face than Hermione had ever witnessed beforehand.

More Dementors were surrounding them, trying their best to suck the soul out of the two. Hermione could suddenly hear the sound of Snape screaming in agony, a sound that brought tears to her eyes and a pain through her chest.

There was too much movement and noise of rattling and inhaling around her as the Dementors descended upon them more and more. But as she glanced to her side she could see Harry mouthing the words to the charm and she felt stronger.

She began screaming out the spell as well, giving it all she could. She felt as if her heart would burst as she spat out the words to the charm, her eyes falling shut as her energy seemed to leave her, she was starting to feel empty and she wasn\'t sure if it was her energy depleting, or the Dementors winning.

She heard Harry\'s voice again, repeating the spell more emphatic as he went on, and suddenly she felt her wand shaking with her words and hands, the hollow feeling beginning to grow wider. It was if it were more than just she and Harry using the spell.

There was a mighty flash of silver than encompassed the sky, and a sound like an enormous boom going through all of the surrounding miles from Harry and Hermione. The two of them fell to the ground, their wands still clutched tightly in their hands.

And suddenly it was silent.

Harry was the first to come to his feet, pulling Hermione up a moment later. The sky was clear, without a Dementor in sight.

\"They\'re gone.\" Hermione whispered as she looked to Harry in relief, and felt the trickle of tears going down her cheek.

\"We did it.\"

Harry gave her a toothy grin and nodded, and before the moment of hope had passed, Hermione was suddenly shaking with anticipation and she began to search her neck.

\"That means we can start tracking here.\" Hermione said with hope, \"The wards have been dropped, they won\'t interfere with the tracking!\"

She fished around at her neck, grasping the ring that was settled on a long chain. She looked to Harry, expecting the same look of hope that was taking over her features. But Harry\'s prior smile had dropped and he now looked to Hermione intently.

\"We have to warn McGonagall that the wards have been dropped. We have to protect Hogwarts.\"

Hermione felt her heart sink at the knowledge that he was completely right. But every moment not spent tracking Severus was time that was wasted in her opinion, but she knew that she had a duty to save lives and so she nodded half-heartedly.

She glanced at the school, her eyes glossy before a flash of movement caught her eyes. She suddenly looked to the roof of Hogwarts, and saw a familiar figure looking to them and giving a shaky wave. Hermione suddenly realized how they had defeated the dementors seemingly by themselves. She turned to Harry, giving him a wan smile.

\"McGonagall already knows.\"

Harry looked to the roof of the school and nodded as he viewed McGonagall\'s slowly disappearing frame. He let out a small gust of air and the two of them turned to walk on, knowing that the Dementors were the tamest of what they would be facing when they finally ended up in Voldemort\'s lair.

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author’s notes: Hello hello, I know it’s been literal ages since I last updated, and I apologize. I’ve gotten all your e-mails and thank all of you for keeping so interested in this story. Sadly for the past few months the muses has been a fickle mistress and so I was depleted of all ideas and etc…A special thanks to Nancy who helped me brainstorm and get back into writing action.


Thank you again for your support, and Happy New Years!

cheers. holden.