Pretty to pretend

**hey guys sorry it took so long, please review and tell me what you think of the updates!!!! and still this is not an incest story and sadly there is no sex in this chapter. but it will come, oh my will it! thanx! now on with the show.***


Chapter 8


They were holding them in the great hall.

Hermione and Neville raced away from Ginny, leaving her with what was left of the younger years, with explicit instructions not to leave the head girl dorms for any reason at all. There were spells guarding the door that no one but the head girl or head master could get in to her dorm, other than some one with the pass word, and she had not given it to any one. And the walls were spelled against blasting spells, it was practically impenetrable.


Taking much less precaution on her trip down than the trip up she hurried down the
secret passageways, tripping and falling once or twice, scraping her already abused
body farther, leaving Neville in her dust, yelling after him to hurry up! She had a bad feeling. They couldn’t have much time.

She spilled out at the bottom of the secret passage way, from behind a tapestry of some unicorns and a maiden. Rolling once she hit the floor she was up and ready for any attacks that may come at her, but none came. The entrance hall was deserted.

Surveying the area she noticed that the door was still broken, but Hagrid was missing. ‘please let him be alright.’ she preyed for the hundredth time that night, it felt like.

Neville came out of the tapestry behind her much like she had, only his reflexes were slower and he was on the ground for longer, but he did get him self up on his own. Neville was growing up it seemed. Since Dumbledore’s Army he seemed to be much more sure of him self. Lets hope that the sureness wasn’t foolish and unfounded and got him hurt, or worse.

“Come on Neville, we’ll approach it from the staff entrance just behind the hall.” She whispered quietly, motioning him forward. They scaled the very large room, as they got closer to their destination, the definite sound of fighting could be heard, shouts and bangs against the walls as they passed. They couldn’t get there quick enough in Hermione’s mind. Reaching the door, Hermione turned to Neville.

“I want you to watch my back, stay behind me, and guard me from any attacks to the rear… but if you feel your in danger, please protect your self, grab whom ever you can, and get out. Do you understand me?” Her voice was as cold as ice, her face as emotionless at steel. Neville had never seen her like this before. He could only stare and nod, dumbly.

“Good. Alright are you ready Neville?” She smiled at him for a second as he nodded his head. She turned to the door and pushed it open. The sight that met her was more shocking than anything she could have prepared her self for.

Children were being restrained in corners, vines and ropes protruding from the floor lashing them in place, some of them appeared to be unconscious, others were yelling to be released. The younger ones were only crying. Hermione was pissed the fuck off.

In the middle of the room were Ron and Harry. Ron had a huge black eye and a gash across his forehead, but was standing. Harry was covered in blood and staggering, leaning on Ron for support. He was shouting at the person before him.

Professor Snape stood before him, with an all knowing smirk on his face as he said something to the near broken boy. They were too far away but what ever it was it sent Harry over the edge and he lashed out at the sneering man, throwing himself at his person. Snape was thrown to the ground. Apparently he had thought that the fight had gone out of Harry. He was wrong. It appeared that Harry was wandless, but he still had his fists. Hermione took her chance as the madness that ensued. Death eaters were everywhere, now streaming in to the room. She spotted McGonagall as she ran, dodging and ducking to the center, to Harry. Why was McGonagall just standing there?

Hermione didn’t take the time to think this through as she threw her self at the old professor, pulling him to the ground and rolling over him, landing on top. She looked down at him and laughed at the totally surprised look on his face, apparently he couldn’t believe that she was the one that had taken him down, a mere girl. She shoved his shoulders back down in to the concrete as she pointed her wand at his throat. Wedging it up under his Adam’s apple she sneered down at him.

“Welcome back professor.” her voice was cold and anything but welcoming. She moved off of him as she muttered Protificus Totalis, sending him in to a stone like state. That was too easy, she thought to her self as she looked over at Harry. All of that had happened in less than a few seconds.

Harry was staring at her in shock and awe. Was this his Hermione. She pulled him to her and handed him Snapes wand as they stood up, Ron was at their side as well as Neville. They formed in to a tight circle. Ron was the only one with out a wand. But Harry and Hermione were good enough to defend him and them selves, or so they thought.

Jinx’s and spells were hurled at them, Neville casting a wonderful shield charm Harry and Hermione were able to send spells through. Harry’s were a little darker than Hermione’s, she was only trying to knock the death eaters out, Harry seemed to be trying to do much worse to them, as he used the severing charm over and over again, body parts were flying through the air. She wanted to tell him to be more careful, there were children in the hall with them, but she couldn’t break her concentration, she didn’t want to interrupt his either. That was when she noticed that McGonagall was now longer motionless in the corner. She was freeing the children of their binds and ushering them out behind the death eaters backs.

It looked as if the battle would soon be won, by the death eaters sadly, when a new development made it self present.

Shouting was coming from the entrance. Some booming voice was shouting over the racket of the fight. Some one with sandy blond hair and a large build was making his way through the death eaters. Some one with several familiar faces surrounding him. Rufus Schrimgour and his Auror’s had arrived, but did not seem to be fighting the death eaters, in fact they parted way for him. Hermione and Harry chanced a glance at each other. What the hell was going on?

The minister of magic cleared his throat as the last spells died down. “Now, now, stop this nonsense at once.” He was striding across the room to them. Hermione watched with an open mouth as he came to an abrupt halt. The look of stuffy arrogance was erased and replaced with a look of triumph and an evil grin. “We have you now Potter.”

His eyes were glowing red.