::Chapter 12::

Hermione and Ginny landed in the middle of the muddy road of Hogsmeade, rain pouring down from the grey sky, black clouds rolling across the vast expanse, thunder clapping, lighting illuminating the ancient castle that was Hogwarts.

"Fuck," Hermione whispered to herself as she scrambled to her feet, her black dress thoroughly soaked, clumps of mud sticking to her, her heels sinking into the ground with each step she took. Her hat with the veil had fallen off at the church, and her hair hung in damp tendrils around her face.

A door opened, flooding the dirt road with pale yellow light. Looking over, she realized it was the door to the Three Broomsticks, and Madam Rosmerta was standing in the doorway, squinting out into the darkness. Suddenly her eyes widened, and she pulled her red velvet cloak tighter around herself.

"What are you girls doing out here? In the rain! It's not safe; I just received an owl, another Death Eater attack-"

"Yes, yes, we know!" Hermione snarled, and, with a deep breath, took off running. Tell McGonagall, she thought. I have to get to McGonagall.

She glanced behind her only once, to make sure Ginny was still with her.

Ginny was no better than Hermione, her red hair was tangled and she too was streaked with mud, and Hermione barely noticed that the heels with the straps that she had been wearing earlier were gone and Ginny now ran barefoot right behind her.

As they got closer to school grounds, the light from the shops faded, and the path became dark and the girls slowed their pace.

"Lumos!" Ginny said, and Hermione looked at her and nodded her thanks before doing the same. Soon, the large, old gates of Hogwarts became visible. Tears streaming down both of their faces, the girls' bodies slammed into the gate as they tried to push it open, hoping it was unlocked.

Of course, they had no such luck.

"Hello? Hello!? HELLO?! SOMEONE, HELP!" She cried. "Please, SOMEBODY! HELP!"

No one came.

"Shit! Open!" Hermione sobbed, trying to shake the old gate. She wiped hastily at her eyes, and stepped back slightly. Pointing her wand at the heavy lock, she shouted, "Alohomora!"

Nothing.

"ALOHOMORA!" she screamed, and it was as if an invisible force pushed her backwards, and she landed hard on her back nearly twenty feet away. She ran her hands over her face, trying to steady herself. Within seconds, Ginny was kneeling down by her side, her face a sickly white in the darkness.

"Oh, Merlin," she breathed. She bit her lip, and a moment later she ran to the gate. She held her wand high over her head, and brilliant red fireworks shot out of the tip continuously, one after the other, the loud banging and bright flashes of light high in the sky. Minutes later, in the distance, the two giant doors that led into the entrance hall opened, spilling light on the long, winding path that led to the gates where the two shivering girls stood.

A large figure moving down the path brought a brief relieved smile to Hermione's face, despite the pain and fear coursing throughout her body.

"Who's there, eh?" came the booming voice of Rubeus Hagrid. He stepped closer, a lantern in his hand. His eyes squinted suspiciously at them before they widened in shock. "Bloody hell, what're the two of you doing out here in the cold? Weren't yeh s'posed ter be at Ron's…" he trailed off and sniffed.

"Please, Hagrid, let us in!" Ginny sobbed. "Please,"

"Oh! Sorry 'bout tha," he said, and he waved the pink umbrella he had at the gate, and the heavy iron lock and chains disintegrated before their eyes, and the gates slowly creaked open. He moved aside so the girls could step through. "Wha's happened, then?" he asked, looking down at them with concern in his small black eyes.

"I…Bellatrix Lestrange….Harry told…to leave…Draco…Death Eaters," Hermione sobbed incoherently.

Hagrid's large, bearded jaw dropped.

"Death Eaters? At Ron's f-funeral? Why…I…what… THE BLOODY FILTH, DOIN' THA!"

"I…I need Professor McGonagall, now.." she gasped, and, despite Ginny and Hagrid's attempts to help her, she ran along the path. All she could hear was her heartbeat and her gasping, wheezing breaths.

She pushed herself up the steps to the entrance hall, ignoring the curious question's and shouts of protests as she pushed past people, ignoring the screeches of Filch about getting mud everywhere. Without thinking, she turned around and glared down at him.

"PEOPLE ARE FUCKING BEING KILLED, AND ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IT THE BLOODY FLOOR! WHY DON'T YOU DO EVERYONE A FAVOR AND SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU FLITHY SQUIB!"

With that, she turned around and continued up the large marble staircase, panting heavily, and breaking a heel off her shoe in the process. She turned left down the corridor and ran until she reached the statue of the gargoyle and wheezed out,

"Blubber, oddment, and tweak," and the spiral staircase that led up to McGonagall's office appeared. Pushing the burning sensation in her back, legs, and lungs, she climbed them quickly, and, without knocking, pushed open the door.

McGonagall was sitting behind her desk, glasses perched on her nose, opening a messily folded letter. She looked up at Hermione, and stood up immediately.

"Ms. Granger," she said briskly. "What on Earth's happened to you?"

"Death eaters," she said, leaning against the wall and slowly sliding down so she was sitting on the floor, her knees drawn up against her chest. "They…the Lestranges, Olivander, all of them, they…they just burst in…"

McGonagall's eyes were wide, and she clutched her heart.

"Good God," she looked sharply at Hermione. "Where are Malfoy and Potter?"

"They…they…they are fighting with the Order, they sent m-me and G-Ginny back, told up to tell you they needed help, and they k-killed two of the Death Eaters,"

"My God," she stopped. "Has anyone on our side…Merlin, the letter, Molly and Arthur's owl!" she rushed back, and looked it over.

"Longbottom's grandmother," she said sadly. "She was hit by the…the…killing curse…" she trailed off.

Ginny had just entered, and slid down to Hermione, wrapping her arms around her friend. She looked up at Professor McGonagall and choked out, "Hagrid and Madam Hooch asked me to let you know that they are contacting the other members of the Order and the Ministry,"

She nodded somberly. "Thank you, Ms. Weasley,"

After a few minutes of silence, she went into an attached room and returned with two hot cups of tea and two thick blankets.

"Here," she said softly. "I need to go speak to the students, and get in contact with Shacklebolt and Nymphadora,"

"They were there," Ginny whispered.

McGonagall nodded, a pained look on her face. "I need to make sure they still are, Ms. Weasley. Drink your tea," she said, and hastily exited the office.

Hermione stared straight ahead, feeling numb.

"Mione," Ginny said softly. Hermione didn't look at her, so she put a blanket around her, and wrapped her arms around her more tightly, burying her face into her shoulder, sobbing quietly.

After nearly forty minutes, there was a knock on the door, and just as Ginny pulled away from her quiet companion, Professor Flitwick entered the office. He had a grim look on his face.

"The Headmistress wishes for you to join the Order in the Great Hall."

Hermione's head whipped towards him. "What?"

He removed his tiny glasses from his tiny face and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "They just arrived not ten minutes ago. We all need to speak to you,"

Ginny and Hermione shared a panicked look. They had fought them off that fast? They stood, and with blankets wrapped tightly around them, they followed him in silence down three flights of stairs, the only sounds their footsteps and shallow breathing.

They walked into the Great Hall, which was indeed filled with the bloody, beaten looking members of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Mum," Ginny whispered. "Dad."

"Oh, Ginny," Molly and Arthur cried as Ginny threw herself into their arms, and the arms of her living brothers, even hugging Fleur and kissing her cheeks.

Hermione looked to see Lupin sitting on a bench, hunched over, his face in his hands, and realized he was sobbing. She walked to him, and put her arms around him, offering him the same kind of comfort Ginny had shown her.

"Tonks…" he gasped. "And…Harry…" sobs shook his frail frame.

She stared at him, gaping. "Harry? What's happened to Harry?"

"Attention," McGonagall shouted. Everyone looked at her.

"Where are all the students?" Arthur asked softly.

"I've sent them to bed. The Prefects and some of the staff are patrolling the corridors and common rooms, so we shouldn't have any trouble."

She took a deep breath.

"Mr. Malfoy and Remus have both come to me with important and most devastating news," she paused, trying to steady her voice. "You-know-who and Mr. Potter are alone, locked in the church where the funeral of Ronald Weasley took place. The wards cannot be broken; the Ministry has tried all means. I am afraid this may be the end,"

No.

Hermione stood up, feeling like the world around her was spinning crazily, a blur of colors, of sounds.

She felt two strong hands grip her waist and saw a pair of silver eyes before she slipped into blackness.

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OMG! It has been so long since I've updated, and I am soooo sorry!!! Please forgive me. I just wanted to let everyone know that this story is going to be relatively short, with only four or so many more chapters. I also wanted to let everyone know that this isn't going to have a super happy fluffy ending. It is under 'Tragedy' people! So if you don't like that kind of thing, I advise you don't read. I know I usually don't like reading sad things, so yes, I am being a bit of a hypocrite. I'm sorry.

Anyways. I know exactly how this is going to go, and I should be updating sooner next time….I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I wasn't too happy with it, but oh well. I had a whole different scenario written out (it was like ten or eleven pages long) but my stupid sister decided to turn off the computer, therefore deleting everything I wrote…so this was a quick re-write.

Mmmkay.

Remember to Review!

-Autumn xoxoxoxxox

PS-Thank you to all of you guys who put up with my ridiculously long procrastination, and all of you who reviews. I really, really appreciate it. You guys rock!!!!!