Venom and Its Cure

Chapter 1

Hermione could do nothing but stare at the body that Hagrid was carrying in his arms. It was a scrawny, pale boy with dark hair, and he looked a lot like -

No. She shook her head, as if those thoughts were like pesky flies. They buzzed around her brain with the sole purpose of confusing her. No. That body couldn't possibly be Harry; because then all this would be for nothing, and they would have lost. No. Harry was alive.

But then Voldemort was laughing. A low, wicked laugh that made everyone in the courtyard freeze. Hermione didn't have any time to wonder what he found so funny before her worst fear was being confirmed.

"Harry Potter...is dead!"

The words, and their impact, hit Hermione square in the face. Harry was dead? No. That couldn't have been him, it was some part of a plan that he and Dumbledore had created. Right? In a moment of foolish desperation, she wracked her brain for every skinny, brunet boy she had ever seen at Hogwarts. It couldn't be Harry.

But then she heard Ginny screaming. It felt like ice water trickling down her back; and she thought that Ron felt it too as she met his gaze. His eyes were pained and uncertain, but he shook his head at her. He was telling her not to believe Voldemort.

The Death eaters behind Voldemort cackled, relishing in the anguish they had caused.

"From this day forth...you'll put your faith in me." Hermione felt sick at the thought. She willed herself to not panic, or cast an Unforgivable, or do anything generally stupid enough to get herself killed just yet.

Her eyes caught a flash of ice-blond coming forward from Voldemort's ranks. Lucius Malfoy. He was calling out for his son. For some reason, she had a flashback to three years ago, when Voldemort had first come back. Another father, panicked, trying to save his son. But Cedric Diggory had been dead for over an hour when he showed up in the courtyard. Hermione shook the flies in her skull away again.

An unreadable face, with hair like his father's, stumbled into the middle of the courtyard.

Draco Malfoy.

Childhood bully, blood-purist, and Death Eater. Hermione would have never dared admit this to anyone (especially not Harry or Ron), but she felt sorry for him. He didn't have anyone. It stung to hear 'mudblood' being spit out of his mouth; her eyes still watered when he insulted her appearance. But she knew it would hurt more to live knowing that no one cared if you survived or not. It disgusted her, but she sympathized with him. Hermione Granger pitied Draco Malfoy.

If he knew that, he would have laughed in her face. How could a filthy mudblood like her pity him?

She watched as his blank expression turned into one of discomfort. To avoid feeling any pity for Draco as he was embraced by Voldemort, she looked down at her blood-stained shoes.

All was quiet for a moment, but then Neville Longbottom was limping forward, Sorting Hat clutched in his hand.

Hermione's panic nestled in the bottom of her stomach, fighting to spill out of her like vomit. She swallowed it down. Despite the sweat forming on the palm of her hand, making her hands slick, she held onto her wand tight enough to leave indents. Always ready.

Fury engulfed her heart like a fire as Voldemort taunted Neville. She did her best to convey this fury through her eyes. We're not done fighting. We're not done fighting.

"We lost Harry tonight. But he's still with us. In here." Neville placed his hand over his heart, wildly looking around at the beaten faces around him. "Just like Fred..." - Hermione glanced at Ron, who stiffened and ignored her - "Remus...Tonks. All of them. They didn't die in vain."