The unexpected visitors

Part 4

"Miss Granger, what are you doing?"

Hermione wand was pointed right between Dumbledore's eyes.

"Aah, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, taking a step towards her. "Lower your wand, please."

She didn't.

"Hermione, why are you doing this?"

Hermione looked towards Harry, who had just spoken, and tilted her head towards Scorpius. He looked at Scorpius and Hermione hoped that Scorpius found a way of telling Harry. Suddenly, she felt memories being replayed in her head. Each memory whizzed past until a very recent one paused.

Hermione leaned into Scorpius, "You've done this before, told us before, haven't you."

"Yes, many times. I hope you understand what that means."

Hermione drew back and nodded. Then, she turned around and pointed her wand at Dumbledore.

The memory ended. She looked over at Harry, to see his face go cold. He turned to Daphne and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes widened, and she turned to whisper something to Blaise. He had a similar reaction and passed the message to Draco. Draco stood up and walked over to stand next to Hermione, while Blaise told Goyle, Theo, Luna and Padma. Hermione now understood. Harry had used legilimens to read her mind and had come to the same conclusion as her and was now telling the others. Well, the others they could trust.

Hermione turned to look at Draco. He was looking down at her, with determination and fury in his eyes. When he saw her looking at him, he nodded curtly and turned to face Dumbledore, drawing his wand too. Hermione then turned to the other side to see Scorpius and everyone else looking at her. She nodded at them, passing them the message that she understood what was going on. They nodded back and resumed their position facing the direction of the staff table.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry, Daphne, Blaise, Pansy, Theo, Luna, Padma, Goyle and Ginny walk to stand behind her and Draco, their wands also drawn.

Now just Ron, Dumbledore and McGonagall were standing infront of them. McGonagall looked very confused, but Dumbledore and Ron had hard, emotionless expressions on her face. The Ron stepped forward, "So you've figured it out have you, about time." Then he waved his wand.

Hermione's wand flew out her hand and into Ron's, then she felt her body being lifted into the air. She was dangling in the air upside-down above everyone else. She saw Harry point his wand at Ron, at the same time as Ron pointed his wand at her. Harry hesitated. Then, he dropped his wand onto the ground, stepping back.

"That's right, drop your wand and all you too. Or you know what'll happen."

Draco dropped his wand immediately, followed reluctantly by everyone else.

"Ron." Harry started. He took a step forward as if to persuade Ron to stop, but at the sudden movement, Ron thrust his wand up higher in the air.

Hermione felt every bone in her body shaking. She could practically hear her lungs begin to squeeze up and her heartbeat begin to increase. The blood just below her skin start to boil, it was like getting burned from the inside. Inside, she started to warm up, sweat trickled down her face onto the floor, however, on the outside she was freezing. She started shivering violently. The contrast in temperature caused pain like she had never known. Agony like she had never felt, worse then the crutiatus. Worse then death. Her screams bounced off the walls of the Great Hall, creating echoes that filled everyone's ears. Hermione thought the pain would never cease.

Harry stared up at Hermione. She was screaming hysterically and shaking, there was a pool of sweat just underneath her on the floor. He couldn't move. He knew he had to, he knew that him stepping forward had caused the pain, but he couldn't move. Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands grab his shoulders and pull him back. As soon as Harry moved back, the screaming stopped. He looked up to see Hermione limp and broken in the air. Her eyes were closed and her hair clung to her forehead, drenched in sweat.

"I see you figured out another thing. If any of you move your feet, it will happen again." Ron looked up at Hermione and sneered, in disgust. "Filthy Mudblood."

Harry clenched his fists, but didn't move. "Please let her go, Ron."

Ron looked down at him and said, "You know what, I don't think I will."

"Why are you doing this, Ron?" It was Ginny's voice that spoke this time. Ron ignored her.

Dumbledore spoke. "How about we play a little guessing game, huh? I'll see how much you've figured out and every time you get a question wrong we'll put someone up there with Miss Granger. If you get a question right, we'll take someone down. Only you can answer the questions, Harry. If everyone is on the floor, we'll - how do you say it - come clean and go easily." Ron smirked at Dumbledore's words. "If you don't agree to these conditions, we'll simply do what we've done every time you've not agreed, if you know what I mean. Do you agree?"

Harry gulped. He did not want to find out what they had done all the previously, so he made his decision. "Yes."