The Hollow Beneath Hogwarts

6. Mox Erimus Liberi

Hermione let Harry tug her out of the crowded hospital room before the noise and emotion inside could swallow them whole again. The door clicked shut behind them, muting the sound of voices, laughter, and Madam Pomfrey fussing over Blaise for attempting yet another unnecessary acrobatic demonstration.

The corridor beyond felt strangely quiet in comparison.

Their footsteps echoed softly across the polished Ministry floors as they crossed back through the grand foyer toward the lifts. Witches and wizards hurried past clutching stacks of parchment and steaming cups of tea, but Hermione barely noticed any of them.

Her thoughts were elsewhere.

On Sloane.

The girl was like a puzzle box someone had dropped into the middle of their lives without warning. Every answer about her only seemed to uncover another question. Hermione could not stop thinking about the way she carried herself — confident one second, frightened the next. The way she watched people carefully, as though she were always waiting for danger to come around the corner.

And then there was the magic.

Hermione had spent most of her life believing there was an explanation for everything. Magic had rules. Structure. Theory.

But Sloane...

Sloane did things Hermione had never seen before.

Harry was moving quickly beside her, weaving through Ministry workers without slowing once. He looked restless, distracted. Like his mind was racing faster than his body could keep up with. Hermione noticed how tightly his jaw was clenched and how he barely seemed aware of where he was going.

He was trying to get to Luna.

Trying not to fail someone else.

The guilt had been hanging off him all summer long like a shadow.

When the golden lift doors slid open with a soft ding, Harry stepped inside immediately. Hermione followed, leaning back lightly against the rail as the gates clattered shut.

Neither of them spoke during the ride upward.

Only when the lift opened again onto the Minister's floor did Harry finally slow down. His shoulders loosened slightly as he fell into step beside her instead of several feet ahead.

"So..." Harry began cautiously, glancing sideways at her. "Sloane."

Hermione's lips twitched instantly. "I was wondering how long it would take before you brought her up," she said knowingly.

Harry gave a sheepish huff of laughter.

"What about her?" Hermione asked, turning her head to study him properly now.

She had only met Sloane a short while ago, yet somehow she already felt fiercely protective of her. Perhaps it was the uncertainty in the girl's eyes. Or the way she tried to make herself seem smaller whenever attention landed on her. Hermione recognised fear when she saw it.

And she had seen plenty of it in Sloane Sage.

Harry caught the look Hermione was giving him and immediately lifted his hands slightly in surrender. "I'm not saying anything bad," he defended quickly.

Hermione arched a brow as if warning him he had better not.

Harry exhaled through his nose before speaking again. "I just meant... what she did back there was incredible." His voice lowered with genuine awe. "I mean, Hermione, Blaise was dying. And she just..." He shook his head, struggling to explain it. "She touched him and fixed it. Like it was nothing."