Logically, Hermione knew she was not the only one standing there in front of Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters, but at the moment, it definitely felt like it. Her vision seemed to narrow down until the only thing she could see was Voldemort glaring down the hill at her with Harry's limp body floating a meter off the ground.

Hermione stumbled back into something hard. Something was holding her but all she could see was Harry's body and Voldemort's glare. She pushed away from whatever she had run into, twisting out of its grip. Her feet dragged on the ground even though she wanted to run and she fell as a stick got caught between her steps. As she hit the ground, she felt her eyes water and suddenly she couldn't breathe and Voldemort was cackling above them.

Her view of Harry and Voldemort was obscured as someone crouched down in front of her. With the tears in her eyes blurring her vision and the growing panic in her chest, she couldn't make out the person's face. She could hear him calling her name, but with Death Eaters behind him and Harry's limp body flashing across her mind's eye, she couldn't focus on him.

Something beneath her shifted and a second later, she was lifted up and pulled against the person's warm body. She shook slightly as she cried and her lungs felt like they were shrinking in on themselves. The area around her changed as she was carried into the courtyard and just for a second, she caught a glimpse of the DA flyer on the nearby pillar. She was set on the ground and the familiar figure crouched in front of her again, but her mind went blank as she stared at the poster she had made so long ago.

"—at just me—"

Somehow, the words the person spoke were clear for a second. It was just enough for Hermione to recognise the voice and her attention snapped forward to look at Draco. His face was still blurry, but she knew without a doubt it was him. She wiped at her tears and his face became clear for a second before more tears filled her eyes.

"Harry—" she gasped. Her chest felt tight and she reached for Draco's robes desperately, hoping that somehow just holding onto him would keep her from dissolving into an even worse mess.

"I know," he said softly. He reached up to cup her face and ran one of his hands over her hair soothingly. "I know, Hermione, but you have to breathe."

"I can't," she said, choking as another cry escaped her.

Draco's hands on her kept her grounded, though, and as she stared at him, her breathing slowly went back to normal. She wiped her eyes and sniffled, but didn't dare look away from him as she could feel her body just waiting for something to set it off into a panic again.

"Are you feeling better?" Draco asked softly, pulling her to his chest and wrapping his arms around her. Even with her locked tightly in his arms, she felt like she could breathe again so she nodded.

"Is Harry really—" she broke off, not wanting to say the word. Draco would know what she meant though.

"It certainly looks like it," he told her. Hermione frowned and twisted slightly so she could look up at him. She looked at him strangely but he shook his head. "I don't know, Hermione. But I do know the Dark Lord is very angry and Nagini was nowhere near."

With a jolt of realisation, Hermione remembered their mission to kill Voldemort's last Horcrux.

"He did it then? He killed Nagini?" Hermione said. Draco nodded and while the thought that they could finally kill Voldemort should have been good news, Hermione couldn't help but feel upset that her best friend had needed to die in order for them to win.

"The Death Eaters are prepared to fight, Hermione," Draco reminded her. He moved out from under her so he was now facing her. "Even if the Dark Lord can be killed, it won't be easy."

Hermione knew that, of course, but she couldn't help but think he'd made a mistake by killing Harry and showing everyone his body. If there was ever a time Hermione felt like she could kill someone without guilt, it was now. The minute Ginny or any of the other Weasleys saw him too, she knew she wouldn't be the only one. However, the Death Eaters were a force to recon with alone. With werewolves and other dark creatures just waiting to taste their blood, Hermione knew Draco was correct in saying the fight would not be easy.

"The Order should be here by now," she told him. Draco didn't look like he cared. "They'll be reckless and charge head first—I know they will. We need to stop them before they see Harry or Voldemort's army will slaughter us."

Draco grimaced at the mention of Voldemort and Hermione frowned.

"His name is still taboo, Granger," he said, glancing behind him to see if anyone had appeared. "You shouldn't be saying it lightly. You'll paint an even bigger target over your head."

"I am not my biggest concern right now," Hermione said, glaring at him. If they wanted to have even a small chance at defeating what was sure to be a very vicious and organised army, they needed to start figuring out an attack plan. Having Draco tell her what to say or not say would not help.

"Well it's mine!" Draco snapped back. They glared at each other for several seconds but were broken apart by the sound of a scream.

"Ginny!" Hermione gasped, eyes widening as she jumped to her feet.

Without another word, she raced through the courtyard to where she heard the scream. She turned the corner to see most of the students had fled from the Great Hall and were now staring up at Voldemort's army. Ginny was easy to spot amongst the ground as Ron had grabbed her before she could rush toward Harry. No one said a word.

Hermione hurried over to where Ron, Ginny, and Professor McGonagall were. Most of the Order stood nearby, but some were nowhere in sight. There were still some students coming out of the castle, but Hermione hoped the rest of the Order was not among them.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, still holding onto Ginny but clearly glad to see she was okay. "Harry—"

"He killed the snake," Hermione interrupted, refusing to hear someone say he'd died. As long as the words were never uttered, she could pretend he was okay for the moment. "He's killed Nagini, but it won't be easy to kill Vol—" Draco grabbed her elbow tightly and she rolled her eyes as she corrected herself. "—You Know Who. We can't just rush forward. We should wait for them to make the first move."

"They made the first move when they murdered Harry!" Ron argued. Ginny and Hermione both glared at him. "They made the first kill and we should retaliate."

"Be sensible, Ronald," Hermione hissed. She gestured vaguely to the army on the hill and the dark creatures hovering on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. "We can't risk defeat. If we're to kill You Know Who, then we have to have a plan."

"My plan is to kill him," Ron replied. Hermione scowled at him but McGonagall spoke up before she could tell him just how useless his plan was.

"Miss Granger is right, though we don't have much time," she said. Ron glared at her but both McGonagall and Hermione ignored him. "The Order is here and already getting into battle position. I'm afraid we don't have much time to assist other students, but I know you've trained them well."

The glint in her eye as she looked at Hermione and Ron told them she knew about the DA, but she didn't say anything.

"They haven't quite broken through the protective barrier, so we have a little more time," McGonagall told them, glancing up the hill.

As if they'd heard her words, the whole group of Death Eaters raised their wands and the ground around the castle started to shake once more. The force of so much magic had to be wearing through the barrier quickly and when Hermione looked up, she could see spots of it had already broken down. Thinking quickly, she turned to face Draco and looked up at him worriedly.

"What's the quickest way to get through the Death Eaters?" she asked. There had to be a weakness. No army was without one and seeing as Draco had fought alongside them before, he would know better than anyone else.

"It's not quick," he said, eyeing her warily, "But they're proud. If you can take advantage of that, it's the best shot at getting through them."

"And Vold—You Know Who? How do we get to him?" Hermione asked.

"He'll be surrounded by Death Eaters but even then, he's a powerful wizard on his own," Draco warned her, giving her a look she knew meant he wouldn't be letting her try and sneak up on the Dark Lord alone. "You'll have to attack from a distance and you have to be fast. You can't do it alone."

Hermione turned back to McGonagall and Ron, smiling softly at Ginny who wiped her face discreetly.

"A few of us should take on You Know Who while the others hold off the Death Eaters," she said. Ron nodded and Ginny frowned, glancing up the hill where Hermione knew Harry's body was still floating.

"I can head the attack down here," McGonagall said, glancing over the students. "Merlin knows the Order won't listen to anyone else."

Hermione grimaced though she knew it was true. If she or Ron or any other student attempted to give orders or advice, it was almost sure to be brushed aside. The Order meant well, but they had learned early on that the older wizards preferred to have charge.

"Will the others—"

"Don't worry about them, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall interrupted. "I know you trained them well and seeing their friend like that on the hill will give them something to fight for."

Hermione swallowed and nodded. She glanced at Ron and Ginny, silently wondering if they preferred to stay below or try to attack Voldemort.

"If you think you're leaving us here, Hermione, then you've gone bloody bonkers," Ron said, holding his wand tightly. Around them, the earth shook and a loud crack sounded as most of the barrier caved in. Hermione flinched at the loud sound and Draco's hand grabbed hers.

"It won't be like hunting Horcruxes," Draco told them. The way his hold on Hermione's hand tightened told him he was thinking about the previous attacks he'd joined while still a part of the Death Eaters. "They'll kill you. You have to be ready to kill them too."

Ron and Ginny scowled at them both, but only Ginny spoke up.

"They killed Harry," she reminded them, smearing dirt across her cheek as she brushed a tear away. "I'd kill them even if they weren't trying to kill me too."