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The sound of cries filled the air. Some loud wails, some soft sobs, all the mournful harmonies of those who were discovering their loved ones had not survived until this lull in the battle.
Hermione almost preferred the sounds of battle. In battle you can do something, you can act, but no action would undo the suffering of those in the room.
At least all their suffering wouldn't last too long. They had just under an hour before the battle began anew, and with Voldemort geared to enter the fray with his final Horcrux still intact what to come was sure to be a bloodbath.
"I found 'em hidin' in the library," she heard Filtch's voice and turned to see him standing with four young students, two Gryffindors, a Hufflepuff, and a Ravenclaw.
"We just wanted to help," one Gryffindor pleaded with McGonagall.
"We'll have to find a place to hide them," McGonagall sighed, looking around as if she hoped a good place would present itself out of thin air.
"The Room of Requirement?" Kingsley suggested.
"No good, it was full of Fiendfyre last I saw," Hermione informed him.
"The kitchen? A dungeon?"
Hermione bit her lip. "I might have a way to get them out. A secret passage even Fred and George's map didn't know about."
"Is it safe?" McGonagall asked.
Hermione looked around. "Relatively?"
"Go," she ordered as three more fighters were brought in on makeshift stretchers.
Hermione led the students as quickly as she could up to Gryffindor tower. The Fat Lady was nowhere to be found, but the door was ajar, so she opened it, ushered them in, and closed it behind them.
“I’ve got to go make sure the coast is clear,” Hermione said as she crossed to the cabinet. She climbed in, and just before she closed the door she said, “If I’m not back in five minutes go find McGonagall to try to find a place to hide.”
“Is it that dangerous on the other side?” the Hufflepuff asked.
“Depends on who is there,” she replied, shutting the door and performing the spell. She nudged the door on the other side open with her wand, and didn’t see anyone there. There was enough light in the cellar to show that she was alone. She scowled as she climbed out, daylight was problematic. It was more likely that Bobby was awake and somewhere close by. Hopefully she found Sam before anyone found her.
The door at the top of the cellar stairs was locked. “ Alohomora ,” she whispered, and she could hear three different locks click open. As quietly as she could she slipped through the door, shutting it noiselessly behind her. After assuring she couldn’t see anyone she moved as quietly as possible towards the stairs, and she had made it up three before a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.
“Best think hard before your next move, because a wrong one gets you a bullet in the back of your skull,” a gruff voice sounded behind her, punctuated by the click of a gun safety.
“Don’t think of making any sudden movements,” added another, younger voice.
“Turn around,” the first voice ordered.
Without dropping her wand she put her hands up and turned around to face an older man with a beard and wearing a faded ball cap she was sure was Bobby, and a younger man that resembled Sam just enough Hermione was sure it was Dean.
“What’s your name?” Bobby demanded. “Your life depends on the right answer.”
“Hermione Granger,” she replied immediately.
“I guess that counts as funny. What are you doing here, Hermione Granger?”
“Looking for Sam.”
“He’s not here,” Dean replied. “He left a few hours ago. Said he needed to get away for a bit.”
“Damn,” she breathed. So that was it. There was no time for Sam to get back in time to see her. There would be no further goodbye between them. The realization hit like a stunning spell to her midsection, but she was in too perilous a spot to focus on it at the moment.
“What are you looking for Sam for?”
“I thought he could help me with a problem.”
“Why would he help a witch?” Dean asked in disgust.
“We… kind of know each other. It’s a long story and I really don’t have time to go into detail…”
“How did you get into my cellar?” Bobby demanded.
“You have a Vanishing cabinet. A magical object that allows you to move people or things from one to the other. Yours is connected to a cabinet in one of the dormitories of my magical school.”
“You always get beat up like that coming through?” he asked, nodding at her torn and burnt clothes, and the blood and bruises coloring her skin.
“No, this is from the battle I’m kind of in the middle of,” she replied, thinking it would be a miracle if they believed her.
“You left a battle to come here to find Sammy ?” Dean asked.
“I have something I was hoping he could help me with.”
“What?” Bobby asked.
“Right now there is a temporary cease fire in the battle, but it isn’t going to last. In… considerably less than an hour a man is going to enter the school, a man who cannot be killed, whose only goal is to kill anyone he comes across. This will, in all likelihood, be my side’s last stand. Four students, four children, decided it would be best to hide and try to join the fight. I had hoped Sam could keep them safe, so they’re not there when the rest of us…” she trailed off.
Dean looked from her to Bobby, the gun he was holding starting to lower in his conflict.
“I had hoped to say goodbye to Sam as well. He should know, so he doesn’t wait for me,” she added, feeling a tear starting to trail down her cheek as she finally acknowledged her disappointment that she would probably never see Sam again. “If you want to kill me, please just do it. It’ll probably be quicker than when the Death Eaters get their hands on me, and I know it'll be much less painful.”
Bobby studied her a moment longer. “I ain’t gonna kill you. But I will help you get those kids out.”
“Thank you,” she barely breathed, body relaxing in relief.
Dean disappeared as she led Bobby down to the cellar, and helped the students through.
“This is the phone number of a woman named Arabella Figg,” Hermione said, handing Bobby a slip of paper. “She’ll be able to help them find their way home.”
“If there’s anyone left to come get us,” the Ravenclaw muttered.
“You lot behave ,” she warned the students sternly. “Bobby and Dean are Hunters. I doubt Umbridge taught you what that means, but I’ll give you the short of it- they know how to kill you and will not hesitate if they think you’re a danger. Don’t give them reason.”
The students shot terrified looks at Bobby as Hermione started climbing back into the cabinet.
“Girl,” Bobby called.
“Yes?”
He tossed her a pendant on a chain. “It’s a good luck charm,” he explained. “Sam would want you to have it.”
She nodded, placing it around her neck before disappearing into the cabinet. Bobby waited for a second, then sent the kids up to sit on the couch and wait for him, waiting until they were gone before he started spraying a pattern on the floor. If the girl could go through that cabinet, so could someone more dangerous, and he was done giving witches and wizards free reign of his house.