The End's Intent

Chapter 28

Hermione had been ready to die from the moment they'd been caught by Snatchers while hunting Horcruxes. She'd thought for sure she was going to die when Bellatrix had lunged at her with a knife and while she'd been afraid, she'd accepted it quickly. When she'd returned to Hogwarts with Draco, Harry, and Ron, she'd expected to die in the inevitable battle they were going to face. She had never really expected to live through the moment Death Eaters broke through the magic barrier around Hogwarts and apparated down around them.

She, Ron, Ginny, and Draco had been making their way on the outskirts of the castle grounds when the barrier finally did dissolve with a loud crack and a shockwave powerful enough to knock them all to their knees. All around them, Death Eaters apparated onto Hogwarts grounds and Hermione was so distracted and momentarily terrified that she didn't realise someone had grabbed her until a hand was around her throat.

Without thinking, she turned her wand backward and sent a spell at the attacker. When the hand dropped from her throat and Hermione was free, she twisted around to see a Death Eater writhing as his insides turned to tar. She couldn't remember ever learning the spell, but she didn't care to think on it as she quickly sent the same curse at two other Death Eaters that were approaching them. Beside her, Ron was duelling a Death Eater using nothing but debilitating spells. Hermione slit the Death Eater's throat before Ron could send another leg locking charm.

"You killed him!" Ron gasped as the Death Eater dropped before him.

"This is a War, Ron!" Hermione yelled, slitting another Death Eater's throat as a familiar green light narrowly missed her shoulder. "If you don't kill them, they'll kill you."

Ron looked like he wanted to argue with her, but Draco was shoving them both forward after Ginny before he could.

"You can fight after you've found a safe place to hide," he snarled, his lip curling back at Ron as his silver eyes glared at him. Ron's eyes widened and he raced up the hill after Ginny, continuing to cast mostly harmless spells at Death Eater. Beside her, Draco was sending perfectly aimed killing curses at every Death Eater close by.

The swarm of Death Eaters seemed to grow the closer to Voldemort they came. Hermione started to recognise those that didn't have their masks on, clearly confident enough they would win that they didn't care to hide anymore. If Hermione weren't so terrified of the possibility, she'd mock them for their pride.

Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her to the ground as a green light shot overhead. A second later, Draco had grabbed both her and Ron and they were pulled away by the familiar sensation of apparation. Draco let go of Ron as soon as they landed on the far side of the quidditch pitch but tucked Hermione under his arm. Well hidden behind the quidditch stands and far from where any spells were being hurled angrily, Hermione found she could breathe for just a moment. When she looked up to make sure Ron and Ginny were okay, she paused at the sight of Ron glaring fiercely at her.

"What?" she demanded, glaring back at him.

"I know you're in love with a Death Eater, but you sure don't need to fight like one," he snapped. Draco's arm tightened around her shoulders and he joined Hermione in glaring at Ron.

"We would have been killed if I hadn't done what I did," Hermione replied. As it was, they were both covered in blood from the first time Hermione had slit one of the Death Eaters' throats, but she didn't particularly care. "We're fighting a war. If we want to win, we have to fight like it."

"Winners don't have to murder people in cold blood," Ron hissed. He took a step back and glanced at Ginny before saying, "Harry wouldn't have wanted us to murder them."

"Don't you dare tell me what Harry would or wouldn't want," Hermione snarled. She stepped away from Draco and jabbed her wand into Ron's chest as she said, "Harry died for this war and I'm not going to risk letting his death be in vain. If you want to hate me for how I choose to fight, then at least have the decency to wait until after we've won."