March 2003
Hermione apparated to Grimmauld Place. Her protean charm bracelet had not burned for the entire day; she assumed it meant that she was not urgently required anywhere.
"Hail the conquering hero!" Angelina shouted as Hermione hurried past the sitting room. Hermione paused awkwardly while Angelina jumped up from her seat, and Angelina, Katie, Parvati, Susan, Neville, Dean and Seamus all crowded around, patting Hermione admiringly on the shoulders.
"I can't believe you went on a mission again."
"I nearly slapped Fred when I found out he went without me."
"Fuckin' unbelievable the lot of you got Ron back."
"Moody and Kingsley are pissed," Neville said, giving her a serious look. "Kingsley spent ten minutes yelling at Remus when he came to report about the mission."
Hermione nodded, cringing inwardly. "I need to go report. Where is he?"
"War room."
Hermione nodded. "Alright. Thanks everyone. It was-," she grasped for something positive sounding to say, "-quite a thrill being in the field again. I'm just glad we got Ron back."
Kingsley was standing over a table covered with scrolls. Hermione stopped at the door and waited for him to look up.
"You're back then?"
"I'm back. I needed some recovery time."
"Will I finally get a version of events that doesn't involve a deathtrap in which everyone but the intended victims somehow died?" Kingsley looked up, and Hermione could see the rage in his expression. He whipped his wand out and cast a privacy charm over the room.
Hermione stepped in and pushed the door shut behind her, leaning back against the frame. "I couldn't send word. I didn't know the location or anything else concrete. Harry didn't tell me why he was taking me from Grimmauld Place until we were at the Tonks house. I think he suspected I might warn you. I was only given fifteen minutes to get my healing kit. You were gone. Moody was gone. There wasn't anyone to warn who wouldn't have just wanted to come too."
"You went to Malfoy." Kingsley walked around the table as he stared at her.
"The information Harry had came from Snatchers. I tried to warn him it was a trap, but he was going to go. I considered revealing Malfoy, but I didn't think it would stop them. I thought if I could contact Dra-Malfoy, he might be able to offer new information I could take back to Harry and Remus. I thought if there were conflicting reports, it might buy time. But Malfoy didn't come while I was there. I left him a note with all the information I had."
"It was a trap."
Hermione gave a short nod. "Apparently they didn't even expect us to fall for it."
"And then?"
"We were outnumbered. I don't think many of the Death Eaters there were experienced in combat. Draco said it was mostly trainees. But there was a werewolf, and the numbers were absurd."
Hermione looked down and gave a low sigh before looking back up. "Rabastan Lestrange is dead. The trap was his idea. Malfoy showed up a few minutes after Ron was mauled."
Kingsley's expression showed no surprise. "How did he kill everyone?"
"He killed at least a third of them dueling. Then he-he had some kind of vacuum curse contained in an artifact. He came across the field and activated it once he had hold of me. The curse didn't affect the wielder, and the protection was extended to me through contact. He suffocated everyone, revived and obliviated Harry and the others, and then left them outside the wards. He didn't let me stay to check any of them."
