the_debt_of_time

Hermione's head pounded, and her muscles ached more than ever before. The room was pitch black
and smelled of potions, and she assumed that meant she was in the hospital wing back at Hogwarts. If she
was here, though, something had gone terribly wrong. She tried to remember, but it was only coming back
in blurred images. She remembered leading Umbridge—that ugly pink toad in the form of a witch—into
the Forbidden Forest, then there were thestrals and a long trip where she kept her eyes shut the entire way.
The Ministry of Magic. She remembered they had gone to save Sirius. Harry had a vision that
was not really a vision, but they had not known it at the time. She remembered a large, circular room with
many doors. Another room full of brains in a large tank, and yet another with Time-Turners that had all
been broken during the scuffle with Death Eaters. Death Eaters! They had been attacked by Death
Eaters in the Room of Prophecy.
Hermione remembered being separated from the others, but she knew that Neville and Harry had
been beside her. A Death Eater found them hiding in a room. She had not been fast enough, and when
they attacked, she had not been prepared. She remembered silencing one to prevent him from giving away
their position to the others, and Harry had subdued another with a Body-Binding Curse. Then she
remembered the silenced Death Eater had stood and glared at her with a hate she had never seen before.
She saw purple flames, felt a sharp pinch in her side, and then nothing.
Clearly, she had survived, but what about the others? She tried to let her eyes adjust to the darkness,
but, still, couldn't see anything. She did, however, feel movement beside her bed, and only then did she notice
that her hand was being held between two large palms.
"Harry?" Hermione mumbled quietly, her throat dry and hoarse. She felt the hands around her
own hold her tighter.
"Hermione?"
"Professor Lupin?" she replied, surprised at the sound of his voice. At her words, he let her go,
and she thought she heard him sigh. "What happened? Can you cast a Lumos? I don't know where my
wand―"
"No," Lupin whispered. "It's... It's better that it's dark. You've been unconscious for several
days, and... and the light could be painful."
She wondered if he was lying. He seemed to be choking on a few of his words, and she heard him
sniffle twice. He had been crying and did not want her to see.
Hermione frowned and began to panic. "Professor, what happened? Where's Harry?"
"Harry is fine," he promised her. "Safe at least. The Order arrived at the Ministry in time. Well,
none of you were... Some were injured, but you, Neville, Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Luna made it back."