A New Beginning

Chapter 7: And It Began

"Patience is a virtue."

William Langland

xXx

"HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!" Voldemort boasted smugly. They could hear Bellatrix's cackle from the back of the Great Hall. Hagrid looked defeated as ever, with tears streaming down his face. Just as much as people paid attention to Hagrid, people paid even more attention to the body that he carried.

"NOOOOOO!" Ginny screamed brokenly. Authur caught her just in time before she ran blindly to the other side. The poor girl collapsed into her father's arms with sobs torn from her body. She was not the only one, however. Many others were also holding back tears from their eyes. Hermione felt defeated Her Harry, her brother in anything but blood! He went to his death without much of a goodbye to her. The question of why filled her head, why would he leave her too suddenly? But it was replaced by the need to get vengeance for her brother.

The feeling of hope swelled in her again when he jumped out of Hagrid's arms, signalled the resume of the battle. Hermione started firing offensive and defensive spells to those Death Eaters coming near her or her friends.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort roared.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Harry yelled back. The two power forces collied together. From somewhere, bright white light erupted from where the two spells met, block the sight of everyone except two. When Hermione woke up, it was the sight of everyone she knew dying around that greeted her. For the first time in her life, the feeling beyond helplessness filled her to the core.

She jerked awake then. It took her a solid minute to realize where she was. She has never had this nightmare before. Most of the time, it was from Malfoy Manor. It must be because she was now back at Hogwarts, the place that held her best and worst memories. She decided to go ahead and get ready for the day. There was no point in going back to sleep now, anyway. Murmured a quiet Silencio at her feet, she made her way to the dorm bathroom. It seemed to be a waste when both Alice Fortescue and Lily Evans still sleeping soundly; it was only six o'clock after all. She found herself envying the innocence and the ignorance they have, where she had lost hers years ago. Hermione sighed, forcing herself not to wallow in her self-pity.

xXx

Looking at herself in the bathroom's mirror, Elisabeth took a deep breath. She was happy to be back at Hogwarts, but at the same time, it has returned many unpleasant memories, war and not. Some even visited her during her dream last night. If it was not for the silence charms, she might have woke her roommates up. She signed and put up her shield, lest she resolved into a crying mess on the first day of class. "Everything is going to be alright." She told herself. Took a much-needed breath, Elisabeth looked at the mirror the last time and head out of the dorm bathroom.

The Slytherin's Common Room was absent from noise and people. She couldn't blame them when it was still early in the morning. This quietness frankly unnerved her, though. It was just, Elisabeth was so used to seeing upper-classmen lounging around the room studying, back when she was in Ravenclaw. Cast that thought aside, she made her way to the Great Hall. Elisabeth glad that Severus was the only Slytherin here. No one would get suspicious of why she knew the way around the school so well.

Spotting her sisters across the Great Hall, Elisabeth turned her head to a side, questioning in her eyes. Hermione caught her eyes but just shook her head, signalled for later discussion. Elisabeth was worried because Hermione looked paler than last night. Perhaps she had nightmares of Hogwarts too, she mused. Elisabeth wanted to ask, but she knew how stubborn Hermione could be and kept her silence.