Hey little train! We're jumping on

The train that goes to the kingdom

We're happy Ma, we're having fun

And the train ain't even left the station

Harry gave Hermione one last twirl before dropping her, laughing, into a dip, and pulling her upright again. For a few moments she was beaming, looking right into his eyes with all troubles momentarily forgotten, and the oddest sensation came over Harry. It felt as though there was something enormous and anxious in his gut, wanting very much to get out.

All he could think about as he looked back at her was of the look of mournful determination on her face when Ron asked if she would leave, abandon Harry to his fate while they returned to Hogwarts. She had never considered, for even one moment, leaving Harry on his own. She gave Ron up for him, in a way. In some strange other universe, she had broken things off with Ron to do the one thing the redhead most feared.

And was he worth staying for? Hermione was not the sort of girl to come a dime a dozen. She was smart, and brave, and pretty, and funny when she wanted to be and rebellious when the time was appropriate. He was skinny, and short, and sort of thick when it came to feelings. But she had stayed, regardless of all of that. That had to count for something.

So why are you still thinking about it? a voice sounding an awful lot like Hermione's, the voice of reason and logic and everything that made sense in the world, whispered in his ear.

Just as Harry was strongly considering leaning in to most likely destroy the one friendship he had left, Hermione pulled away. She wouldn't meet his eyes as she went back to where she had been sitting before, listening to the Wireless for news. Perhaps it was better that way, not to take quite so many risks.

O Children

Lift up your voice

Lift up your voice

O Children

Rejoice

Rejoice

As the ancient house rattled and shook, tumbling apart all around them, Hermione seized a handful of Harry's robes and dragged him with all her strength toward the wall.

The enormous snake that took up half the room reared back and struck with such speed she had only enough time to jerk and hope the monster had missed her; she was running so much on adrenaline that she couldn't feel a damn thing. Harry had collapsed against the wall, gasping for air and clutching his head, oblivious to her peril. They had maybe seconds before Voldemort was in the room, judging by the amount of pain Harry was in.

"R-reducto!" she cried, jamming her wand into Nagini's mouth. The snake flew back, right into the dark-robed figure that had materialized at the door of the very small room.

Terror became her. In the split second it took for Voldemort to help his familiar she had hauled Harry upright and through the window, weakened by an enormous crack down the middle, Apparating mid-air to somewhere safe…please just somewhere safe…

Her feet hit solid ground, legs buckling beneath her onto what felt like tile or glass. The light she could make out was dim, metallic, dancing in her eyes, a strange whirring, buzzing, grinding, whooshing sound filling her ears and head until she collapsed on the cool floor.

She could feel the pool of blood forming beneath her now; the snake had gotten a good bite into her and she hadn't even felt it. The hand wound around Harry's coat tightened, clutching him ever closer as a pair of well-worn black shoes stepped purposefully into her field of vision.

"Now," a young man's voice began thoughtfully, mostly to himself as he lowered to a crouch to look into Hermione's face. She could see that he was young and pale and wearing a bow-tie, but her vision was fading fast, "how did you get on my TARDIS?"

His voice echoed in her head until the words made no sense at all, and she was lost to oblivion.