The Battle

"What the bloody hell is going on!" Severus thundered, his head submerged in the green flames of the Floo box.

Hermione waited while he was silent for a moment, as if he was listening to a reply.

"Well, I figured that out, Remus," Severus said dryly. "Do you have anything to add to that observation?"

If the situation were not so dire, Hermione would have laughed. At the moment she felt the need to be clothed and ready for combat.

Severus stared into the kitchen of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place and fixed Remus Lupin with a stare that would melt steel.

"My orb had been orange for a total of thirty seconds, Severus," said Lupin, visibly annoyed. "Obviously I don't know more than you. Just be prepared to receive casualties, if needed."

Severus nodded sharply. At least it gave them something to do.

He pulled his head back in his laboratory and turned to look at Hermione.

She was bristling like a wet cat. The state of her damp, windblown hair didn't help. She had hastily donned her Muggle clothing and was clutching her wand, white-knuckled. Her eyes were aflame with rage.

"Heavens, that would make me think twice," said Severus sarcastically as he looked her up and down, an eyebrow raised.

"It isn't funny!" shouted Hermione.

Severus took a step back in spite of himself.

"Your friend isn't out there, part of some stupid prophecy out to wreck his life before it started!"

"I did lose friends in the first war, Hermione," Severus said in a deadly calm voice. "Now, I suggest we follow the measly orders we were given and stop bickering while our friends may be falling."

Hermione swallowed hard and nodded. She slipped her wand into a long pouch she had hung on her belt, turned abruptly, and marched out of the laboratory.

Severus rolled his eyes and sighed. She didn't even know their orders yet.

-+-+-

Hermione sat in an armchair near the ballroom fireplace, biting her fingernails.

"Stop that," Severus chided her gently.

She glared at him, but took her fingers out of her mouth.

Cherv poured Hermione a cup of tea, and she sipped at it nervously before setting it down on a small table nearby.

Cherv patted her hand wordlessly before he left them alone.

Hermione watched Cherv leave the room and wondered if Dobby and Winky were safe at Hogwarts. Where was Dumbledore, anyway?

She frowned at her thoughts.

"I'll be right back," she said, getting to her feet and throwing Floo powder into the fireplace.

Hermione steered the small sheet of ice with magic to the Bibliotheque oo Amazon. She was lucky the Floo connection to the small ice cave had still been in working order. She sighed in relief as she rounded the giant iceberg and saw the small table set up on the lowered drawbridge where Dumbledore, Sophia, and Alexandra were eating their lunch.

"Hermione, do join us," Sophia said genially as Hermione grew nearer.

"Thank you," said Hermione, her breath coming in great heaves. "But I have to talk to Professor Dumbledore. I'm sorry for ruining your lunch."

"What's wrong?" Dumbledore asked sharply. He threw his napkin on the table and rose to his feet.

"The Ministry," gasped out Hermione. "It's under attack."

"Duty calls," sighed Sophia. She shook her head sorrowfully.

"I'm going with my father," said Alexandra abruptly, rising to her feet.

Sophia looked alarmed.

"We have sworn a feud with the Dark One as well; it is acceptable for me to go," Alexandra said stubbornly

Sophia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You are far past your age of ascension. You are free to go."

She opened her eyes and looked at her daughter. Alexandra's chin was set in an expression that reminded Sophia of Albus when they had been much younger.

"You will be missed if you are killed," said Sophia reluctantly.

"I have to say goodbye to Kari first," said Alexandra, running up the drawbridge.

Sophia watched her daughter go with a soft expression that turned to panic.

"Hermione, quickly," said Sophia, grabbing the young witch's arm. "Go to the hall and blow the silver horn. It is near the Floo fireplaces."

Hermione didn't question, but ran up the drawbridge.

"What does the silver horn signify?" Dumbledore asked as he drew his wand.

"It evacuates the bastards," said Sophia, looking at him sharply. "You found your way here, didn't you?"

Dumbledore looked as if he were going to argue, but shook his head and Apparated with a loud 'pop' instead.

Sophia stood on the drawbridge alone.

-+-+-

Severus sat in his chair near the ballroom fireplace, biting his nails. The wait was nerve wracking.

When the flames leapt up in the hearth, he jumped and upset his untouched cup of tea.

Hermione walked through the flames with a pretty blonde girl in a light yellow toga behind her.

Severus leapt to his feet and realized he didn't know what to do.

"Err... hello?" Severus said awkwardly.

"Hello," said Kari, holding her hand out to him. "I believe I will be hiding here until things calm down."

As Hermione made introductions, the flames crackled and Charlie Weasley's head appeared.

"Those fools stormed in, there was nothing we could do to stop them!" said Charlie, half-shouting.

"The Death Eaters?" Hermione asked, panic stricken.

"No! Ron, Harry, Neville and the young 'uns," Charlie yelled, nearly hysterical, obviously distracted by something else going on in the room he was in. "It's all we can do to keep Mum under control."

Hermione breathed in.

"I have to go," she said, pulling her wand out and appearing to ready herself to walk into the flames.

"I don't think so," said Severus, grabbing her arm.

"You can't stop me!" Hermione shouted at him.

"I most certainly can!" Severus said, drawing himself up to his full height and fixing her with a steely glare.

"It's my duty to go!" Hermione yelled, ignoring his posturing.

"It's not your prophecy, Hermione," Severus said sharply. "You don't have to die!"

Severus never saw it coming.

When he opened his eyes, there was a loud ringing in his ears and his jaw ached. He was also on the ground.

He looked up to see Hermione waving her hand about in pain. Behind her, Charlie's head conveyed an expression of shock and amusement. He threw Charlie's head a look that instantly changed his expression to that of innocence.

Kari watched with interest and poured herself a cup of tea.

Severus looked at Hermione.

She was eighteen years old and only by pulling some strings. She looked vulnerable standing there in Muggle clothing, her hands covering her mouth in horror, her wand forgotten by her side.

My God, what was I doing at eighteen?

Probably things best not thought about. Things that could be happening to her friends right now.

"I'm sorry," said Severus, getting to his feet and brushing himself off. "That was uncalled for."

"I'm so sorry," Hermione said, bursting into tears and flinging herself into his arms.

"Couldn't you have just hit me with a Jellylegs?" Severus asked, patting her on the back and allowing himself a small grin while she couldn't see. The girl had a perfect right hook.

She sniffled into the front of his robes.

"I hate to break this up," said Arthur Weasley, his head popping up in the fire near Charlie's. "But we're going to need your help."

"Anything," said Hermione, turning around to look at him, her face set in a mask of grim determination.

-+-+-

Hermione had never seen a Disillusionment of this magnitude before. She stood before the Bibliotheque oo Amazon with 100 Amazonian archers, all Disillusioned, lined up on flying carpets behind her.

She gave a look to Severus that he interpreted as overly proud as he guided their carpet into the sky.

A deafening bird-like scream ripped through the air, and Hermione looked up to see the sky ripple as if something huge was passing overhead.

"What the hell was that?" Hermione blurted out as their carpet rocked in the air.

"Probably K'pluur's mother," said Severus, smirking at her. "He was just a hatchling, you know."

Hermione looked at him blankly before remembering the tiny snow dragon.

"By the way, we're picking up some Jotuns on the way," Severus said conversationally.

"Why do you know all this?" Hermione asked, slightly annoyed no one had told her anything.

"I'm driving," Severus said simply.

-+-+-

Kebnekaise Mountain in Sweden rippled, and a large door appeared in its side. Severus shifted in obvious discomfort by Hermione's side on the carpet.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Well," said Severus sarcastically. "They can only be killed by gods, haven't been aground for nearly 2000 years, and aren't rumored to be very polite."

"Jotun." Hermione rolled the word around in her mouth. Severus could see her thinking and realization dawning on her. "Like 'Loki' Jotun?"

Her expression went from one of interest to horror.

"Well, I'm fairly sure he won't be showing up," said Severus testily. "But the few like him that survived, yes."

"Severus," said Hermione warily. "According to legend the Jotun never had problems having children. The last time you saw them was 2000 years ago?"

Severus leaned over to the next carpet with Alexandra and several other archers sitting on it.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

-+-+-

Hermione stared at the eight-legged horse flying next to her carpet. She was desperately trying not to stare at the rider on its back, but it seemed to be as fascinated with her as she was with it.

Its skin was black and shiny like obsidian, although it moved like normal flesh. Its eyes were clouded over like storm clouds; if you watched, you could follow small bolts of lightning through them. Its mouth was a toothless yawn of bloody saliva when it opened.

Right now it was molded in a smirk. Its straight, dark hair was intertwined with small black adders, slithering about. Hermione wondered if they grew from its scalp. Hermione couldn't tell if the rider was male or female.

All the Jotun were different, and if Hermione didn't know better, she would have thought they were all different species.

Some had more than one head. Some were fair, others dark. Some no bigger than a cat, some huge. A covered figure let her veil slip, and Hermione was stunned into awe by the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

The Jotun claimed their kind had a natural defense to Muggles. If the Muggle disbelieved in the Jotun, they just didn't see them. Wizards and magically inclined creatures could see them just fine, but there was not worry over Muggle sightings. Hermione certainly hoped so.

The Jotun wove a strange magic that Hermione didn't understand, and the air started to ripple around them. They all flew their carpets through a ring of blue fire that had appeared in the sky and found themselves in London.

After they arrived at the scene, the battle was a joke.

Hermione had never seen or imagined anything like it.

The top of the Ministry had been blown off, leaving a gigantic hole gaping in the center of London, splintered bits of blown apart buildings and ruptured streets scattered about like a ruined playset.

Muggles were running through the streets screaming. Small fires burned here and there, and Muggle firefighters had to fight the panicked crowds to get to them.

The Jotun barely had to do anything but growl, and the hundreds of well-drilled Death Eaters began breaking up in panic.

The few Death Eaters that took to the air seemingly vanished into nothingness, followed by loud crunching noises and the occasional wail.

Hermione was relieved to see Ron unconscious on the ground, a broken flowerpot by his head.

Of all the things that could have happened to him in battle, he got conked. She breathed out a sigh of relief.

She searched desperately for any sign of anyone she knew in the ruins. They could be anywhere. How many floors were there, anyway?

A hole suddenly melted in the floor of the entrance hall and Death Eaters began flying out on their broomsticks in organized ranks to attack. They were met with a volley of ebony arrows that had a pinkish glow. As they reached their targets, instead of piercing their opponents, they encapsulated the target in a clear pink glowing egg. The prisoners' wands and brooms were sucked from them and expelled, clattering to the ground.

Hermione watched as the pink eggs fell from the sky, wands and brooms raining down into the wreckage. The egg prisons didn't seem to cushion their landing, and she was happy to see some of them fall quite a distance.

Hermione was disappointed to feel her carpet fall back behind the action.

"What are we doing?" Hermione demanded.

"Apparating to the hall," said Severus shortly as he raised his wand and grabbed her arm.

Hermione and Severus appeared near Ron, and she assessed his wounds. She was right. Just a bump on the head. She saw his wand on the floor near him and put it in his hand so he could find it if he woke up.

Severus was dodging a curse from a small Death Eater and slipping behind a bust of Lothar the Lucky.

"Petrificus Totallus," said Hermione with a swish of her wand, and the figure fell to the floor.

"Thank you," said Severus, brushing the marble powder from his clothing. He walked to the figure and ripped the mask off. "Jones," he sneered.

Hermione was startled to see the face of a young boy behind the mask.

"Second year," Severus sneered, kicking the boy aside. He marched to the melted hole in the floor and looked down.

Hermione felt pity as she walked by the form, but left him.

They found Neville in a room full of Pensieves with locked covers. To Hermione's horror, he was torturing a Death Eater crumpled on the floor.

"Crucio!" Neville screamed and the Death Eater's back bowed violently.

"Neville!" Hermione cried out as she ran to him.

Bellatrix Lestrange panted weakly, and her fingers convulsed as they scrabbled at the floor. A thin line of drool fell from her mouth and pooled on her robes.

"One curse for each wrapper, you bitch!" Neville shrieked madly as he raised his wand again.

Hermione knew Neville kept the candy wrappers his mother slipped him, but had no idea how many he had accumulated over the years. There must be hundreds.

"Accio wand," Hermione heard behind her.

Neville's wand flew past her ear, and she heard it 'thwap'into a hand near her.

"I think that's enough, Mr. Longbottom," said Severus sternly.

The fury drained out of Neville's face, and he stood, shaking and pale, before them.

"Professor?" Neville whispered. His eyes were dilated. "Hermione?"

"He's in shock," said Severus, moving to him slowly.

They could hear the sounds of battle coming from deep within the bowels of the Ministry. The Jotun certainly were efficient.

Hermione hoped they wouldn't cause any trouble once the battle was over.

Hermione heard a low rumble growing under them, and the floor began to shake. She looked at Severus, who had placed a hand on Neville and was examining his eyes. Severus looked up and turned to look at Hermione.

Just then a wave of green energy vibrated up through the floorboards and hit them.

Then all they knew was darkness.