She was turning into a monster, the school was being stalked by a shadow army, and the heaviest thing on Hermione's mind were the N.E.W.T's.

She knew it was a little selfish to be studying for her tests, but these exams would dictate her whole future. Those hours spent staring at paper would change her entire life. For better or worse, Hermione wouldn't know until it was over. Her future depended on it.

Yeah, but you won't have a future if those shadows take over the school a voice inside her head nagged.

The witch sighed and rested her head against her hands. She refused to feel guilty. The Doctor and Donna were researching every night and day. They didn't need her. They would be fine.

A smug part of her knew that her help would speed up the process drastically. Hermione knew the library better than anyone. She was probably the only one who could find the answer.

Scolding herself, Hermione leaned back in her chair and sighed. Students all around had their heads bent over books, reading as fast as their eyes would let them. It was inhumanly quiet in the library, the sound of pages turning thundering around the rows of books. Hermione had an entire table to herself with parchments and books spewed everywhere. Her wand was stuck in her hair to keep it out of her face, but strands kept falling in her face.

Despite the stress of the N.E.W.T's and the anxiety over the Nirum Animarum, Hermione was calm. This was her element. She was good at studying and learning new things. She would be fine.

Or that's what she kept telling herself.

...

Donna was sick of reading. She was sick of flipping through disgusting, yellowing books to try and find a even a hint of something that would help. She threw the heaviest bloody book in the galaxy on the table in front of her, which shook under the novel's weight.

"Doctor, this isn't helping."

The time-lord looked up from his book. One foot was resting on his desk, and he was leaning against his upright knee. How he was comfortable, Donna had no clue. The Doctor pushed up his glasses.

"Believe me Donna, I know. But what can we do?"

The red-head stood up and stretched, her back cracking in the process. She didn't want to have this conversation again, but she sure as hell didn't want to read another page of these bloody textbooks.

"I dunno Spaceman. They haven't been around since...what? Christmas-ish? Hermione's doing fine. Maybe they're done. "

"Ohhh Donna! How boring would that be?" The Doctor grinned, but the happiness didn't reach his eyes. He lowered his foot and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "There's always a big ol' fight at the end, don't you know that?"

"Well, I don't think reading these books is going to help us prepare for that fight."

The Doctor frowned, "Yes, right, I completely agree...but I don't have any other ideas."

"Hermione would."

"Now, Donna I told you, she needs to study. Besides, the N.E.W.T's are nearly here, and after that we can all work as a team."

The friends stared at each other, neither happy with their plan. Donna ran her fingers through her hair, puffing out her cheeks. "We just had to get that stupid message on the psychic paper."

The Doctor grinned, "Oh come now, this is exciting. New challenges. And besides...we never would have met Hermione if we hadn't got that message."

Donna smiled slightly before her eyebrows furrowed, "Doctor...who sent that message anyway."

The Doctor's eyes widened, "Oh! Ah Donna! You are brilliant!" He spun the red-head around before running towards his favorite coat. "I haven't the faintest idea why we didn't consider this earlier."

Donna smirked, "You looking at the fake paper isn't going to fix anything, Spaceman. It doesn't tell us who sent the message."

The Doctor's head shot up, his grin lighting up the TARDIS. "As I've said, I love new challenges."

...

One test left. One. Test. Left. Those words marched through Hermione's head. They were really the only thing keeping her sane. She had one bloody exam left, then she could help the Doctor.

Not the best substitute, but that didn't stop Hermione from being eager to help.

The witch started packing up her quills and parchment. History of Magic was her final exam, and she wasn't completely freaked out. After all, she had do better than Harry and Ron did in their O.W.L's. Hermione smirked. She would have to remember to write them after her test. She was sure they would be happy to know that she was done studying. For good. Hermione smiled to herself and climbed out of the commons room.

She recited dates in her head as she walked down the stairs. Hermione's confidence grew with every step, her nervousness being crushed under its weight. She was naming the Minister's of Magic in order when a sudden chill ran through her body.

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed, and she grabbed the nearest handrail, Her vision started to darken around the edges. Everything became a blur around her. Students voices faded. She couldn't feel the staircase spiked in her chest causing her heart to race. Not today, her mind pleaded, not right now. Coldness gripped around her heart and she heard her knees hit the floor.

As soon as it started, it had stopped. Hermione gasped, her vision clearing. Her head started pounding, and she vaguely watched the black fade away from her skin. Groaning, she slipped off of her knees and sat on the moving stairs. She dropped her head in her hands, rubbing her temples. God, it was getting worse. She wanted to run to the Doctor. Tell him what had happened. Hear him say that everything would be fine. But Hermione didn't care what happened to her. She was taking that last N.E.W.T dammit. Even if it killed her.

The witch pushed herself to her feet and marched down the steps, determined to get a damn O on her final.

...

"Doctor, it's been days. You aren't gonna figure out who sent it."

The time-lord looked at Donna over his glasses, "Never say never."

Donna closed the massive book on her lap and sighed, "I didn't even say never."

"Good! You're off to the right start." The Doctor flipped over his psychic paper, inspecting the back. Again. "I just need...a clue. Just a little, bitty clue to tell me who sent it."

"Well, it would be a witch or wizard, wouldn't it? After all, why would someone non-magical care about this place."

"I'm not magical and I care. But good point Donna. The only problem...weeelll, the biggest problem is that my sonic can't pick up magic, or whatever it is."

Donna stood up and walked towards the console. She leaned a hip against one of the dookickeys that she could never remember the name of. The Doctor's forehead was scrunched, his eyes worried. Donna hated seeing him like that. Even though she knew he was timeless, it seemed as if he aged twenty years in a matter of days. The Spaceman was really starting to worry her.

"Can't you just...add a magic setting?"

"It's not an iPhone Donna. I can't just add an app."

Nevertheless, a spark ignited in the Doctor's brown eyes. "My sonic can't pick up on things it doesn't know what it is. So, all I need to do is scan something magic and program whatever it sees as a different setting. Then maybe I can pick something up on my pyschic paper."

Donna ran to her robes and pulled out her wand, "Here, but I thought you already scanned this?"

"Well, I'm gonna use setting three this time."

Donna rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. The sonic screwdriver's buzzing echoed throughout the TARDIS as it scanned for something. The Doctor's glasses slid down his nose, but he was too focused to push them back up. Donna's heart started pounding. If this didn't work, she didn't know what they would do. Donna was sure this was there last shot at some answers. It had to work.

"Alllright, I think that does it. Paper please."

Donna handed over the paper, and the Doctor paused for a moment before scanning. The paper turned blue under the sonic's light, and disappointment filled all three hearts in the room.

Donna sighed, tears burning her throat, "Well, maybe we could..."

She couldn't find any words. What could they do? Time was running out. And they had no idea who could actually help them on the matter. The red-head pushed her hair back, trying to find another solution.

"Donna, wait." The Doctor whispered. He extended the sonic's length, and the paper turned orange.

Donna gasped. Orange light slowly removed itself from the psychic paper and drifted above the companions' heads. The light danced, different particles spinning and twirling around each other. The Doctor's hands thumped at his sides, amazed at the new thing he was seeing.

"Beautiful," he mumbled.

Donna reached up to touch it, but the magic drifted away. The friends looked at each other, smiles erupting on their faces. The Time Lord looked back at the magic, "Lead the way!"