Slow Grenade

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Hermione could feel Draco staring at her incredulously as lies spouted easily from her mouth, his wand hand shaking imperceptibly. Thoughts were racing through her mind as she wove them together, Umbridge was currently believing everything she said.

She had persuaded the woman to think Harry was trying to contact Dumbledore due to a weapon hidden in the Forbidden Forest. Umbridge quickly agreed to follow them there.

"Professor," Draco said almost pleadingly. "Professor Umbridge, I think I should come with you to – "

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" she asked sharply. "In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and makes sure none of these – " she gestured around at Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna, " – escape."

"Alright," he replied, reluctantly.

"And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way," said Umbridge, pointing at Hermione and Harry with her wand. "Lead on."

Hermione breathed heavily, wondering how she had managed to convince Umbridge to enter the Forbidden Forest; let alone how she had ended up being carried violently away by Centaurs.

"Harry, how are we going to get all the way to London to find Sirius?" she asked.

"Yeah, we were just wondering that," said a familiar voice from behind her.

Hermione and Harry moved together instinctively and peered through the trees. Ron came into sight, closely followed by Ginny, Neville, and Luna. All of them looking a little the worse for wear – there were several long scratches running the length of Ginny's cheeks; a large purple lump was swelling above Neville's right eye; Ron's lip was bleeding – but all were looking rather pleased with themselves.

"How did you get away?" asked Harry in amazement.

"It was weird," Ginny told them. "Malfoy randomly fell over and it gave us the opportunity to blast some Stunners and Disarming Charms; Neville brought off a really nice little Impediment Jinx. Anyway, we saw you out of the window heading into the Forest and followed."

After some discussion, Hermione found herself floating in the air, flying towards London.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening," said a woman's voice from the telephone box as the doors burst open.

The only sound in the Atrium was the steady rush of water from the golden fountain, where jets from the wands of a witch and wizard, the point of a centaur's arrow, the tip of a goblin's hat, and a house-elf's ears gushed into the surrounding pool.

"Come on," said Harry quietly and the six of them sprinted off down the hall, Harry in the lead, past the fountain towards the desk where a watchwizard usually stood.

Having made it to the Department of Mysteries, the group stood in a large, circular room. Everything was black, including the floor and ceiling; identical, unmarked, handleless black doors were set at intervals all around the walls, interspersed with branches of candles whose flames burned blue. Their cool, shimmering light reflected in the shining marble floor made it look as though there was dark water underfoot.

They began going through doors at random until eventually the group reached a place high as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs. They glimmered dimly in the light issuing from more candle-brackets set a intervals along the shelves.

"You said it was row ninety-seven," whispered Hermione.

"Yeah," breathed Harry, looking up at the end of the closest row. Beneath the branch of blue-glowing candles protruding from it glimmered the silver figure fifty-tree.

"We need to go right, I think," she replied, squinting to the next row. "Yes, that's fifty-four."

The group continued until they reached the row projected in Harry's visions.

"It's – it's got your name on it," said Ron.

S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D.

Dark Lord and (?)Harry Potter

Staring at the spidery writing, a chilling voice suddenly boomed behind them. "Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."

It was Lucius Malfoy.

Hermione was lying in the hospital wing. She had just experienced one of the worst nights of her life and couldn't even begin to describe the trauma they had been through. They were all injured, the prophecy gone, and Harry's last remaining family was dead because of Voldemort's planted vision. The pain she felt, both physically and emotionally, was devastating.

She was floating in and out of consciousness, the pain beneath her sternum unbearable. Throughout the night Madam Pomfrey had been dosing her with various potions; none of which fully eradicated the discomfort of the purple flamed hex directed towards her.

It wasn't clear how long she had been hovering between the realms of reality, when she heard uneven breathing coming from the side of her bed. She gingerly opened her heavy eyelids, pain lancing through her forehead as candlelight streamed in.

Draco was sat before her, head in his hands, fingers grating through platinum blonde hair.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

His face shot up towards her, and he moved involuntarily forwards, she could hear his knees crunch as they hit the floor. "Granger, I have not stopped panicking since the second I created a diversion for the Weaslette and her cronies to escape. I watched you fly out of the fucking Forbidden Forest and knew the second you had arrived back."

She moved her hand to grasp his, wincing slightly at the pain in her ribs.

"Who the fuck did this to you?" he growled.

Her breathing was ragged as she replied, "Dolohov."

Draco stood up, pacing the length of her curtained cubicle. "Fuck, fuck," he kept repeating. "What the fuck are we going to do?"

"Please, Draco, stop," Hermione implored, he was beginning to make her feel very dizzy.

He came to a pause and lowered himself to lay gently beside her on the hospital cot. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I've just never been so scared in my life." It cost him something to admit this, his father's voice still echoing in his head. "What happened?" he continued, gently. "Please, tell me?"

She shook her head. "I can't – I can't just yet. But you have to know, Lucius was there; he was leading the group."

Closing his eyes, Draco leaned his forehead against hers. "It could have been him, Godric, what if he had been the one to hurt you like this."

"He didn't though, it wasn't him... it wasn't him."

Draco draped an arm tenderly over her, ensuring he avoided the painful area. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you." He whispered the words over and over into her skin. "I love you."

It was hours later when Snape silently appeared, looking at the two students tangled together. He snarled at their stupidity. "This is the second time I have found you in such a compromising situation."

They both groaned quietly, slowly awakening. Hermione's eyes widened as she noticed who had woken them. She nudged Draco's shoulder.

"Hmm?" he murmured.

"Mr Malfoy," Snape said ominously. "I bid you return to the dungeons immediately. We need to discuss your father's current... situation."