I am very very sorry for anyone who read this story for the lateness of this chapter. I am really a bad author. Have been punishing myself repeatedly for my laziness. I am hoping that you still want to read my story. Many had happen in my life but i know i can't let things unfinished, that would be cruel. I hope the next and final chapter will come sooner. Thank you for waiting... again am very sorry

Thank you for my beta Me noin. Without you this chapter would go to waste.

Chapter 4 Sinking

Hi, my name is Ron Weasley. I am an eighteen years old wizard and have a great talent at wizard chess. … I think that's all I can say. To be honest I am not a particularly a bright student at Hogwarts. You can't say that about my best friend Hermione Granger. As a wizard, I am also not as powerful as my best friend Harry Potter. Did I mention that Harry Potter is my best friend? We've become the best of friends since our first ride on the Hogwarts Express. That git. Since the seventeen years we've been friends the three of us had engaged on lots of very dangerous adventures. All of them were the courtesy of The Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One, Harry Potter. Not that I am complaining. Really, most of those gut-wrenching adventures were bloody awesome.

Every time there was something going on at Hogwarts, there was Harry Potter in the middle and the two of us were happily tagging along. Well, Hermione used to be resistant at first. She even said expulsion is worse than death. Mental that one. Yet, in the end she always grumpily followed and saved our ass out of trouble. Yes, we're inseparable and unbearable at times.

I want to strangle him. I want to strangle him and choke him and fed him to the giant squid. Who? Harry Potter of course. That bloody git! How could he ask me to count the chances for us to sneak Hermione out of St. Mungo's. I said none. There is no chance we can sneak her out of here undetected. Then he mentions my magnificent talent at wizard chess. He said that since I am very competent in that game, it's a shame if I cannot draw some practical maneuver. You know, I only have one thing to be proud of. So, I refuse anyone to underestimate me in that particular area. No way!! I'll show him what a chess master really is.

So here I am wondering to myself what the heck I am doing hiding in a broom closet. One could use company in a situation like this, don't you think? It will be fun to have Lavender here right now but she's rather an exhibitionist that one. I don't think a broom closet suits her taste. Now Luna might be interested. That girl has a thing about broom closet. I catch her several times peeking in some broom closet at Hogwarts with no apparent reason. She said she saw a Nargle hiding there. I say she was looking for a reason to get inside to snog someone. I wonder if she does that only in front of me? Hmm… now that's a thought.

I think I've been here long enough. It's time to make some progress. I crack open the door few inches and take a peek outside. I was right when I thought I heard some familiar voices. Oh yes, there he is talking with disgusting amount of authority to the receptionist. I step out carefully and make sure to close the door behind me.

"What are you doing here Percy?" Ron asked with a sour face. Percy Weasley frowned for a second seeing his little brother in this hospital where he was sure he didn't belong. Yet he remembered that this was Hermione Granger's case so of course he would find his little brother here. It's only a matter of time before he met his other best friend who was nowhere in sight right now.

"I am here for Ministry Business Mr. Weasley and it's very important." Percy Weasley straightened his back trying to look authoritative. He cast a glance towards four ministry officers behind him, two of them Ron assumed were Aurors, to follow him as he started to leave. Ron hurriedly took place in front of him.

"Wait just a minute!" He said rather forcefully.

The Ministry Assistant sighed impatiently. "I don't recall that I have to report to anyone except the Minister himself and especially not to you. So I ask you to step aside Mr. Weasley and let us do our job or you will be accused of interfering a ministry officer under direct order of the Minister."

"Look at you Percy. What would you do if Mom is in this situation?" No one knows where Ronald Weasley learned to sneer mockingly like that but he did. The Auror behind Percy steped forward. Before he could say a word Ron glared at him. "This is family matter."

"This is a Ministry matter!! How dare you bring Mom out of this!" Percy hissed and he took a step forward. "I've warned you, Ron. You don't want to mess with me" In a second he wiped out his wand and pointed it at Ron's chest. Ron's eyes went wide and he quickly reddened with anger.

"You-" Ron was shoved aside with a flick of Percy's wand. The spell was not powerful but enough to send the gangly teenager tumbling to the sidewall. He had to brace his hands to the wall to prevent serious injury.

"Thank you," said Percy. Ron was stunned at the side more from shock than anger. He watched his brother march his team of Aurors further inside the hospital. Then a side of his mouth twitched in a half smirk before turning back to where he came.

"Please hurry we don't have much time." A tough looking Wizard said impatiently to a young woman with Healer robes who was examining Hermione. The woman huffed and shot him an annoyed look. The wizard, who apparently a ministry official, stood apart from the bed and close to the door.

"I am just going to check her vitals," she said. "Merlin knows she had enough damage already," muttering under her breath. She knew that she was just an assistant of the Junior Healer. She joined the Academy a year ago and just like every other healer, at least the ones that she knew, she hates the way people treated life nowadays. With You-Know-Who at large more and more bodies were sent to St. Mungo's. Even the Ministry, that was supposedly the good side, also showed less and less respect toward human beings. Good or bad people should be treated with care. Life was precious no matter what. Criminality in the Muggle world was horrid and cruel; she knew that but in the wizarding world it was worse. Prisoners were treated like animals and Azkaban, to her was the worst of it all. People were sent there to condemn their soul not to redeem it. She was muggleborn, thus, she would never understand the philosophy, if there was one, behind the fortress known as Azkaban.

Healers were not supposed to treat their patient differently. That's why they should turn a deaf ear and a blind eye towards any cases their patient had. Yet, you cannot stop the wind to breeze. She heard things about this girl. Poor girl. This war had cost so much already. She never believed what her friend said about this girl. This friend of hers had overheard a conversation between Aurors who guarded this room about a murder. She found it difficult to believe. What ever this girl did, it had cost so much of her life. Not to mention what a faithful friend she had. Oh yes, everyone knew of Harry Potter. During these past months somehow the Chosen Boy had made a bad turn with the authority. Not to mention The Daily Prophet seemed so eager to throw mud at him ever since the start of his school day. Even then she never believed all things said about him.

The examination took only a minute with the addition of the note-taking she did. Right after that she heard a commotion outside and the object of her musing just seconds ago stood arguing with the guard in front of the door. She noticed that the wizard guard before had left the room to assist his partner. Since her work was done she quickly finished her notes and went outside.

"I want to see her," Harry demanded. His jaw was tight with anger.

"Our orders are clear. No one is allowed to make contact with the prisoner," one of the guard said.

"She's not a prisoner and I don't care with your fucking orders!!" Harry bellowed.

The other guard who accompanied the young assistant healer before had joined his partner and started to draw his wand. "We're warning you Mr. Potter. We don't want any trouble."

"Then let me see her! Merlin knows I won't have a chance once The Ministry gets their hands on her." Harry said through his gritted teeth. "I am going in"

The two Auror guards pulled out their wands. Harry was ready to blast the door to Hermione's room when a haughty voice sliced the rather thick air.

"What's going on here," Percy Weasley wheezed through.

"Sir, Mr. Potter is demanded to see the prisoner."

"She's not a prisoner!" Harry snapped.

"The Ministry has no business with Mr. Potter." Percy stated, deliberately ignored Harry. "We are taking it from here. Thank you for your cooperation gentlemen."

Percy then motioned to the door and the Auror guard stepped aside to let him through. Harry could only watch when Percy's cavalry enter the room. The Auror guards still eyed him cautiously. Then Percy's shouting was heard. Ignoring the two Auror guards, Harry burst into the room to find a very angry Percy Weasley.

"What is the meaning of this, Potter." The read haired man almost spat his name. His face was as red as his hair.

"What…" Harry looked at him confusedly. When his eyes caught the empty bed behind Percy's back, his confusion turned to worry. He rushed past him to get closer to Hermione's bed. "Where is she? What did you do?" He turned accusingly to Percy.

"I should be the one to ask you, Potter. What did you do?"

Harry glanced at the young assistant healer who looked dumbfounded at the empty bed.

"You were here, weren't you!"

The assistant healer snapped at Harry's question. Instead of answering him immediately she gapped for several seconds, blinked twice and stuttered. "I … I was here … yes. She … she was there…" She pointed at the empty bed in front of her. "How …"

"All of you. Search this hospital, now!" Percy hadn't finished his order when all the Ministry officials and Aurors had spread out to search the hospital.

"She can't be far." He muttered. There was an odd look on his face that went unnoticed by Harry. He was eyeing the young assistant intently. He motioned to the two Aurors beside him.

"Hand me your wand Potter!" Percy snarled haughtily.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the arrogant Weasley. Between amusement and annoyance he could not really decided what he felt about the man in front of him. Didn't he have better things to do other than arrest him? He wasn't even there when it happened. "You have no right-"

"Expelliarmus!"

Harry was thrown to the wall. His wand flew across the room. The Auror who subdued him Accioed his wand and gave it to Percy. The other Auror forced him to stay down. "Don't move or I'll have to bind you."

Percy performed a Priori spell on Harry's wand. Ten latest spells flowed out of the tip of Harry's twelve inch holly wand. Most of them were mundane like shrinkingspells, Engorgio spells, and levitation charms; others were stunners, and vanishing charms.

"You perform legilimency lately Potter?"

"I have been practicing Occlumency and Legilimancy since fifth year. With Voldermort and his Death Eaters hot on my tail, what do you expect?" Harry answered testily but a smirk grace his face when he saw the Assistant Minister flinched visibly at the mention of Voldermort.

"Sir, with all due respect I believe we can't arrest Potter without any supporting case unless he is proved to cast an Unforgivable," One of the Auror pointed out.

"Of course I know that!" Percy snapped in annoyance before throwing back Harry's wand carelessly. Harry silently summoned his wand in the air before it touched the ground in front of him and stared at Percy daringly. Percy averted his gaze and ordered the Aurors to arrest the assistant healer.

"Take her to the ministry for an Imperius test. I'll get to the bottom of this. You're not off the hook yet, Potter." The Assistant Minister said this without so much as a look at Harry.

The Assistant Junior Healer visibly paled at the arrest order on her. Harry saw her start to panic and tears form in her eyes. She dejectedly followed The Assistant Minister out of the room while he was barking orders to his team to search the entire hospital. Harry just wished that the ministry would not act rash like sending her to Azkaban, though he doubted that would happen. He knew for sure that the poor woman was not under Imperius but there was more vital matters to tend to right now. He hoped she would be released as soon as this ruckus ended and Hermione was secured. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her fate, though.

Glancing at the upper corner of the far wall Harry knew that his sloppy plan had worked. Others who did not know what to look for would not notice a small butterfly perched at the top corner of the far wall. If it did not flutter its wings at the time Harry looked at it he too won't be able to find it. He had charmed its color so it blended perfectly to the color of the room. He could not believe the plan would work but he forced himself not to dwell on it. He only had few seconds alone in the room. He had to make it quick enough for not to arouse suspicion. He knew it was a slob job and someone would likely to find out but he did not have much choice. Desperate times call for desperate measure they say and Harry was positively desperate. Ron even suggested asking for Tonk's help. Her rare talent in Metamorphamagus would be definitely of great use. But then again Tonks was an Auror and Aurors worked for the ministry and Harry was not in their good side nowadays. He could not trust The Order too because it was obvious that they did not trust him. He did not blame them though. Dumbledore strictly forbid the secret of the Prophecy and the Hocruxes being told to anyone other that the three of them. Moreover, none of The Order member thought that Hermione was innocent. Voldemort had known to possess someone to get his way. He possessed Ginny back in Second Year and Harry in Fifth year so it was high possibility that he also possessed Hermione at that horrible night. Seeing the result in Hermione's condition now they were afraid that Old Tommy still held control of her mind in some way which Harry thought was ridiculous. A bunch of adult witch and wizard, not too mention far above Harry's level in magic, were afraid of a mere incapacitated girl.

Harry was sure that Hermione didn't mean any of that to happen. A brief but meaningful journey inside Hermione's mind confirmed that. Something went awfully wrong here and he was determined to find out. Hermione's inner mind fortified herself inside. Harry had a distinct feeling that it was because of guilt. Hermione was a compassionate person. She couldn't stand any kind of cruelness. So seeing herself and remembering herself doing those horrible things to her own parents was enough to make her shut her system down and lock away her own mind in mortification. She was afraid of herself.

Hermione had no one else in this world. She couldn't fight for herself. Her parents were dead. The Ministry was hell bent to throw her to Azkaban as another casualty of war or a black sheep to emboss their image. The Order had abandoned her. Even Headmistress McGonagall had her doubt. For the longest time Harry always respected the old witch. She was the most rational person, beside Hermione, that he ever had the pleasure to meet. Then Harry remembered the incident during his Third year at Hogwarts when he was sneaking out of the castle on the first Hogsmead visit day. He heard by accident that Professor McGonagall too, for quite sometime, thought that Sirius was guilty. What made her think differently now when Hermione's situation was worse than that of Sirius? Still, Harry thought that Hermione would be very disappointed if she knew … when she knew.

With a small flick of his wand he cancelled the Still Feather Light Charm that Hermione had thought the three of them should learn several months ago at the beginning of their fateful journey of searching the remaining Horcruxes. Despite Ron's complaint she insisted that they should master the Charm. It was sort combination of the finer points of two similar based charms. An ordinary Feather Light Charm needed constant contact from the caster but Hermione managed to break down the Arithmancy theory behind that charm and the Hovering Charm. Both Charms basically based on the same theory. The Hovering Charm is introduced to make a subject to hover on a certain object after the spell cast and as long as the magic still applied. So, Hermione broke down the Arithmancy theory of both spells to groups of equations that neither made sense to Harry and Ron. She then made some adjustment, replacement, swapping; even broke down the complicated equation to another smaller sub-equation, more adjustment, swapping and after a few trials and errors then … voila! She eventually managed to infuse the endurance part of the Hovering Charm and put a timer to the spell as well. If only she knew the Charm had saved her life. Harry switched to Mobilicorpus and quickly navigated outside the room.

Ron Weasley had spent a few minutes at the Hospital Cafeteria steaming over his idiotic brother Percy. Soon he realized that he would not let the anger get the better of him and let the Assistant Minister take Hermione away. He should take Harry's crazy idea to break out of St. Mungo's sooner. He reckoned it would be easier than breaking out of Azkaban yet some people actually did it. He strut the hall to Hermione's room when he heard shouting and yelling. Wizards were running along the corridors, some of them wearing Auror robes. Ten feet from Hermione's room the pair of wizards who had come with Percy a few minutes ago intercepted him. They pointed their wand readily at him.

"What the …"

"Hold him!" Someone who sounded very much like Percy told these wizards to detain him as if he was a criminal. Ron saw a young woman with a very pale face and in healer robes come out of Hermione's room and he felt his blood ran cold. Something definitely went wrong. Behind the healer Harry came out with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Harry! What's going on?" Ron shouted at his best friend.

"Quiet!" Percy barked. He advanced meaningfully at Ron. "I would like cooperation between us Mr. Weasley. I know that you don't like me but I am telling you that it is fool to mess with Ministry Officials and Aurors. Where is Granger?"

"What? … what are you talking about?" Ron asked in confusion. Percy narrowed his eyes at him.

"I am very disappointed with you Ron. Petrificus Totalis!"

Ron's eyes wide in surprised before his body went rigid and collapse with a thud on the floor, stiff like a floor board.

"Search all the broom closets! Especially the one at the lobby. I saw that he had an acquaintance with it before."

The rest of the Ministry Officials went out carrying Percy's orders when Harry strode purposely at him. Percy Weasley, Head Boy of Hogwarts and the youngest Assistant of Minister in a century, was nothing but an ambitious person. He preferred to think that he gained his position through hard work and intelligence. He knew his brother was up to something when he stopped his advance earlier in the lobby. He just could not figure out what at the time. Now that the result had shown Percy that the smartest possibility was that his younger brother somehow hid Granger away somewhere and Memory Charmed the attendance healer and Auror guards. The worst possibility was he imperioed them to buy him some time. He was definitely ready to think the worst of a person not to mention his own brother.

"You didn't have to do that." He hissed angrily at the older man.

"It's a matter of Wizarding World Security Mr. Potter. A criminal accomplice is considered criminal as well and I am not going to let any criminal run loose. Not with You-Know-Who at large." Percy rounded on Harry.

"What do you know of Voldemort you git!" Harry growled back. He watched in satisfaction when the older Weasley flinched when he said Voldemort's name and his face went two shades paler. "Stay out of things beyond your level of comprehension before it's too late."

"You stay out of it, Potter! You are nothing but a wreck boy with a second toward insanity just like Old Dumbledore-"

"You free my best friend right now or you'll see what insanity really is!" Harry hissed back.

Now, although Percy was Fifth year when Harry entered Hogwarts he never personally knew the Boy -who-Lived. Harry was an introvert person who kept his feelings and emotion to himself, never opened up to anybody beside his best friends. Percy never knew Harry Potter other than from stories that his brothers delivered at every opportunity when he was still staying at the Burrow. From few times Harry stayed at the Burrow the former Head Boy was too arrogant even to get to know him. Percy never knew Harry Potter other than from stories that his brothers delivered at every opportunity when he was still staying at the Burrow. Thus, he never knew Harry's anger. Right know he wished he never knew Harry at all. A wave of magic seemed to pour out of every pore of the boy in front of him. His aura radiated power so strong that it overwhelmed everyone within a ten feet radius. Yet, Harry was not at the peak of his anger but Percy did not have to know that. He was saved when one of his Auror guard approached them to report to him.

The Auror seemed hesitant to step closer. He stood ten feet away from the two of them feeling oddly overwhelmed and dazed.

"Yes?" Percy addressed him impatiently. The Auror seemed to snap out of daze and blink several times before answering.

"We've searched the hospital sir, including the broom closets. We've found nothing out of ordinary sir!"

"What do you mean you've found nothing?" He stepped closer to the Auror.

"We'll continue to sweep this place floor to floor for the second time but so far we haven't found anything unusual, sir."

With a scowl, the Assistant Minister walked back to his brother's prone figure and snatched his wand. He performed a priori spell to reveal the last ten spells his brother cast. Like Harry, none of those spells were Unforgivable. All were Hogwarts Standard.

"Surely you can't arrest a wizard for using Hogwarts Standard Charms and Spells, can you?" Harry said gravely. His irritation toward this man reached an intolerable point.

Harry was right. Unless he found an Unforgivable he could not rest anyone for using Standard Spells and Charm regardless the exploit of those spells. With a scowl Percy freed Ron and threw his wand back at him. Ron stood up hastily glaring daggers at his brother's back while he stomped away from them.

Once Percy and the Auror guard were out of sight Harry looked around them at the empty hallway. He stepped further from Ron and reached behind him. "Lets go!"

The boys walked side by side with ten inches of space between them. Each held Hermione's thumb guiding her floating figure under the Invisibility Cloakout of St. Munggo. They prayed to get away from the place without any more incidents. Unfortunately fate was having a holiday because when they finally reached the first floor, which was the most crowd floor at this hospital, it became more difficult to maneuver without bumping into someone. With the casualties of war increasing day by day St. Mungo's hospital was beginning to get swarmed by patients of all kinds of injuries.

Apparently there was an emergency, a death eater attack of some sort. Injured wizards lounged around the front lobby. The more severe cases were admitted in various examination rooms. Healers were running along the hall in response from one emergency case to the other. They shouted orders to each other. People moaned in pain and others cried helplessly.

"Bloody Hell!" Ron whispered to Harry. "They crammed Diagon Alley in St. Mungo's!"

Three healers put two bloodied bodies on two hospital beds and pushed them toward the emergency room at the back of the hall with a group of crying witches and children following closely behind. They bumped into Harry and Ron at the corner. Ron was pushed to the wall and Harry lost his hold on Hermione and in panic grabbed her by the waist before he too was pushed against the corner wall. No one paid attention to this. Wizards and witches just passed through without glancing in Harry's direction, who hugged Hermione's still body at the corner. Harry did not realize that in his haste to reach Hermione he had yanked the Invisibiliy Cloak aside exposed half the side of her body.

The lobby was just at the end of the hall. If only they could make it to the lobby they could reach the entrance of the hospital and finally outside of the Anti-Apparition Ward. Harry saw Ron across from him at the opposite corner struggled through the crowd of wizards and witches.

A young Auror stood guard at the lobby. He was a new recruit. His training had ended just two days ago and he was quickly assigned a sentry job at St. Mungo's. Most of his friends were out hunting Death Eaters somewhere while he was assigned this asinine job. He did not care if the order came from the Assistant Minister. So far all he did was alleviate distressed witches and hold off reporters. He needed some action. There was another Death Eater attack somewhere outside London. Injured witches and wizards were sent to St. Mungo's in horrible conditions. He wished so much to take part in the battle but his superior insisted that he watch for Potter and his friend. His superior mentioned something about the security of the Wizarding World. He snorted at the absurdity of it. What a boy could do to jeopardize the Wizarding World security while Death Eaters were running rampant destroying said community.

Speaking of Potter he thought he saw the boy with his read-headed friend down the hall. They seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere before healers, two hospital beds, distress witches and children swarmed them in their haste to the emergency room. Then an unusual scene happened. Potter got shoved to the corner of the far wall holding something in his arm. It was an odd scene indeed. Half an arm and leg appeared to be attached to the boy's front body. The young recruit felt something definitely went wrong in this peculiar scene. He took his wand out and approached them.

In the corner of his vision Harry saw an Auror approached them. He prayed that they still manage to continue this charade until they reach the entrance of the hospital. He heard Ron shouted at him urgently.

"Harry!" Ron shouted. Harry caught his eye. The red haired boy looked at him with terror on his face. Harry shifted his attention at Hermione's body in his arm to make sure that she was alright. He then realized that theInvisibility cloakhad been pushed aside revealing half the side of her body. Hurriedly, he tugged the silver material over her so it covered her body perfectly. But the Auror had seen it and started to shout at him.

He knew the boy was up to something. He could determine what it was at the boys arm from a far. So he made a motion to near him. He was not sure. Maybe it was his Auror instinct but when he saw a stricken expression upon the read headed face he willed his legs to quicken its pace. Then at his very eyes, which never strayed away from the Potter boy, the odd thing just disappeared. The bespectacled boy looked like holding an invisible something in front of him. This was not good.

"E plan!" Harry shouted at Ron.

Both of boys spun around and ran in the direction they came with shield charms erected. The young Auror in hot pursue behind them.

"You! Stop!" The Auror gave chase immediately.

Harry and Ron split at the next corner. Harry held Hermione's still light body in front of him with one arm while his other hand held his wand tight. The Mobilicorpus spell had broken at the collision with the group of distress patient before. Again, He switched to Still Feather Light Charm and had the air around him carry most of Hermione's body weight. Soon, he was chased by more than three wizards. It seemed the young Auror had contacted his fellow guards at St. Mungo's and alerted them to the situation. Stunners and Banishing Charms shot around Harry. Most of them bounce off his shield charm harmlessly. Harry passed another corner, turned into the left corridor, which was less crowded with only three wizards and continued to run. From the corner of his eyes he saw another Auror give chase from the right corridor as soon as he spotted him.

"Move away!" Harry shouted at the wizards along the corridor. Seeing blue and red beam shot along the corridor, the wizards hurriedly planted their body along the wall not too keen of being hit by a accidental stunner.

'Damn, they're getting closer!' Harry thought frantically for a way out. No matter how much dire the circumstances, he did not want to have an encounter with Aurors. He could take as many Death Eaters as possible but fighting Aurors felt like treachery to him and the Gryffindor inside him squirmed at the idea.

'Oh hell!!'

Nearing the end of the corridor, Harry sheathed his wand. This was a trick he discovered three months ago in the middle of battle with the Death Eaters. He fisted his right hand and focused his magic to it. He stopped suddenly at the end of the corridor and turned around facing his pursuers. There was another corridor to the left and right side of him but he made no motion to take either one. He slammed his fist down the floor in front of him, palm down, forcefully. What happened next is what Ron would call 'wicked'. Blasts of raw magical energy burst from underneath the floor, trailing from where Harry's palm had slammed on the floor a second ago to where the Aurors and guards stopped abruptly in the middle of the corridor. Debris of tiles and dirt burst up along with the blasts advancing them who each immediately cast a Protego shield.

In a matter of seconds Harry swiped out his wand and cast a Blinding Hex at them. Sonic waves like of raw magical power shot at them with a cry and blasted the Auror's shield charm. Thundering sounds reverberated around the walls. A Blinding Hex followed a second later bouncing among the still-up Protego Shield Charm blinding their eyes. Two Aurors among them quickly ended the shield charm that reduced the intensity of the ray lights. The next second the sound of a crack drew their attention when a wide portion of ceiling above them fell down rapidly on top of their heads. All of this happened in less than three seconds. By the time the Aurors and ministry guards were able to control the situation Harry was already half way down the left corridor.

Ronald Weasley was stuck. After he split with Harry two Aurors chased him when he turned right at the corner. He was lucky that the corridor ended with a lift. He took a spoon from an abandoned tray beside the wall and transfigured it to a metal ball. It was a basic First Year same material transfiguration and the first non-verbal transfiguration spell that he mastered.

"Hermione, remind me to thank you for nagging me last year" He muttered.

Aiming for the Up button of the lift he threw the ball across the corridor. His hard work in Quidditch finally paid off. The lift opened few seconds later when he was in front of it. Without pause he burst into it and cast Protego at the sliding door. Stunners bounced harmlessly to the walls until the slid door closed with a ding. When the lift slowly moved up Ron realized there are five witches with him. All of them looked at him fearfully. Certainly they knew the two people were chasing him were Aurors. Glancing around nervously Ron wondered if these witches thought of him as some kind of criminal but he did not give it more thought because the slid door opened up to second floor. After making sure the corridor was clear, he quickly snuck up to the nearest broom closet. The guards on this floor were still in the other part of the building since the two Aurors had not contacted them yet.

Two wizards, one of them with Auror robes ran from the far corner of the left corridor after being notified by their fellow Aurors on first floor. They skid to a halt in front of the open lift. The witches inside the lift were still afraid to come out so they did not see where the youngest Weasley boy went.

"Search this area! He can't be far," the wizard with Auror robes commanded. Since they did not see anyone run toward either direction of the corridor, they search all the rooms along the corridor including the broom closet. Yet, they came up with nothing.

Harry continued to run circling the building. He planned to meet Ron under any circumstances at the front Lobby. At the next junction he turned left. He was lucky that he met no obstacle after the previous encounter but lots of wizards and witches were crowding the corridor hindering his progress. Right before he turned the last corner three ministry guards spotted him from the far end of the opposite corner and quickly gave chase. They wished they could reach him unnoticed. Harry had to stop abruptly right after he turned the last corner because he was right behind a team of three Aurors in the middle of a battle with his best friend.

Ron ducked into the nearest broom closet. He swore he had seen enough broom closets for one day. He did not need to lock the door because he would be gone in a few seconds anyway. No, he was not going to apparate. This whole place had wardsanyway. He reached the inner pocket of his robes and pull out a small rolled parchment, three centimeters in length and a half centimeter in thickness. He taped it with his wand.

"Engorgio!"

The parchment enlarged to half a meter and he quickly put them horizontally on the wall five centimeters above his height. The parchment stuck to the wall immediately and rolled down when he let it go. It stopped at the floor. It was just like a square black picture courtesy of Weasley Wizarding Wheez. Ron heard a shout from outside. It seemed his chasers had finally reached him. With no further thought he step inside the black picture and disappeared inside. After that the parchment rolled back up in a flash and burned itself out. Even the ashes quickly dissolve in the air right when a ministry guard opened the door.

"There's nothing here either!" He shouted to his Auror partner. If only he knew.

The lobby was still as crowded with patients as before with most of guards and Aurors searching inside. Two were assigned to guard the lobby. Inside the only broom closet near the receptionist's high table, on one of it's wall, a black square suddenly appeared. It was half a meter in width and more than six feet in height. From that black square on the wall one Ronald Weasley came out. He then tapped his wand twice in the middle of the parchment and it rolled up in a flash, shrank to its original three by half a centimeter. Ron quickly pocketed it back. It was the latest invention of his twin brothers. It worked in a pair although the source was only one parchment. Several minutes ago he duplicated the original parchment then put the original to the wall inside the broom closet at the lobby. The original would magically adjust to the color and appearance of the wall while he kept the copy to be used later. The flaws, as it was still a prototype, were it only lasted for three duplications and worked for one person. After that, it would dissolve completely. The twins were still working on it to extend its endurance.

Carefully the red haired boy walked out of the broom closet. He figured since the two guards were at the right side of the corridor from his broom closet he would manage to hold them while he ran to the front entrance in front of the receptionist desk on his left. Soon Ron was engaged with a battle of stunners and shield charms while inching his way to the receptionist desk. He failed to notice that three more Aurors turned at the corner of the right corridor. Three powerful stunners were shot at him. With a Protego at the last second, his shield charm was not strong enough to hold three stunners from Aurors. When the stunners impacted his shield charm the power of it flung him off to the front of the receptionist's high desk. Ron's head and back were banged against the hard wood. Luckily his shield charm still held albeit weak. It was getting weaker and weaker to the point of collapse by the time Ron manage to empower it. Stunners were hurled at him every second from his left and right, impacting his shield charm. Ron had no choice other than to hold up and wish for miracle. The front entrance was five meters away in front of him.

His best friend was crouched in front of the receptionist high desk while three Aurors in front of him shot stunnersat him. The front entrance was five meters in front of him but stunners swarmed him from left and right at rapid speed from three Aurors and two guards. His Protego Shield was getting smaller and smaller. Debris flew about around him. These wizards were intent on subduing him at all cost. Patients were taking refuge behind chairs and tables. Most of them were on the floor either stunned or scared. Harry needed to act fast. Tightening his hold on Hermione he cast a N.E.W.T level configuration on both walls. Partial configuration needed more concentration. He had to control how much magic he needed without transfiguring unnecessary parts. He pointed his wand at the right wall, implanted it with shield charm and did the same to the left sidewall unnoticed by the Aurors ten feet in front of him. He then shot one powerful stunner in calculated angle to the right transfigured wall and then dashed forward.

Red beams of Harry's stunner bounced the transfigured wall in zigzag manner stunning Aurors at the corridor. Harry ran after it, passing stunned wizards along the way. The stunner kept bouncing until it struck the receptionist desk where Ron was. Ron's shield charm went down completely.

"Harry!" His voice sounded elated.

"Protego!" Harry donned his own shield charm before hauling Ron up.

The guards at their right paused for a moment when they saw their fellow Aurors subdued in a matter of seconds before resumed their strike. Harry and Ron were going to the front entrance when two more Aurors and a guard burst through the front entrance. Glancng to their left they saw the three guards who tailed Harry before turn the corner, wands ready.

"Bloody hell!" Ron whispered. Various colors of spells shot at them from every possible direction. They were trapped at last.

'Merlin be dammed if I let them get Hermione!'

Panic surged Harry's nerves on hundreds per second. This was his last straw. During the cat-and-mouse-chase before he was able to keep his head cool. He could not loose Hermione. Not now. Not ever. He was willing to risk everything including his life. Hermione was worth that much. Possibly more.

He held Hermione in his left arm, grabed Ron's arm with his right hand and closed his eyes preparing for the impact.

"Ha-" And that was the last word voiced from Ron's mouth before the three of them vanished with a crack. Spells struck where their body were half a second ago.

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