“Readyaswe’lleverbe.”Ronwastakingthelead,seeminglythinkingthatifhisgirlfriendsaiditwasreadytobeopened,thatshouldbetheendofdisussion.
“Alright.”Hermione’shandwasshakingalittle,enoughthatDraoknewthatshewasafraid.(Andwhendidthathappen,thatshestoppedbeingGrangerandstartedbeingHermione?)“Onthreethen.”
“Wait.Letme.”Draosteppedinfrontofher,easedherhandsofftheth.Shedidn’targuetoomuh,andwhenRonsteppedinfrontofher,Draosawsomethinginhiseyesthatfeltlikeitwasaflikerofgratitude.“Wandsout?”
ItwasHermionethathadbeensteeringthiswholeprojet,butitwasHarrythatDraolookedto.“Wheneveryou’reready.”Harrysaid,andDraodidn’tfeellikeanythingtoworryabout,whenhehadHarrywathinghisbak.“Justtakeyourtime.”
“Onthree.”Draosaid,andhefeltthetensioninhisarmsbuilding,themagipoolinginhiswristsandhisfiips,thatfamiliarfeelingofwhenhewasreadytotakeation.“One.Two.”Thestsylbleseemedtostrethout,andwhenhefinallydidopenit,itwaswithaloudbangandapuffofdust.“Three.”
“Youknowwhatthismeans,don’tyou?”
Thereweren’ttimesthatDraohadthoughtthathebelonged,thathewaspartofthings,butasHermioneleanedintoRon’sopenarmsandHarryturnedtohim,itwasoneoftheraremomentsofhislifethatDraogottofeellikehehadbeomeaentralpartofateam.Thiswasateam,ateamofthree,andherehewas,beingpulledalongfortheride.
Hedidn’tknowwhatitmeans.AllhewaslookingatwasblueprintsandnotessrawledinthehandwritingofMad-EyeMoody,afatthathadsentHermioneintotearsassoonassherealizedit.Theywerenamesofdeatheaters,andsuspeteddeatheaters,andwerewolfdens,andterroristellsinotherountriesjustwaitingtobeunleashed.
Anditfeltbad.ItfeltlikewhentheanamethroughtheorridorsthatallstudentsweretoreturntotheirhousesandDraohadtowaittohearthenews,whenhesatoutsidetheourtroomwaitingfortheverditforhisfather,whenhewasmeetingtheDarkLordforthefirsttime.Itwasthefeelingthatamewithallbadthings,thatanimalinstintthatservedonlytotellthemwhentheyshouldstartrunning.
Hermioneknew.AndsodidRon.AndevenHarry,reahingoutandgrippingRon’sshoulderwhenHermionelefthimtoflipthroughthejournalswritteninsomeone’sspideryhandwriting(Dumbledore’s,hewouldlearnter),seemedtoknowit.AndreallysodidDrao,thetruthsettlingsomewhereinhisstomahevenbeforeHermionespoke.
“It’snotover.”Thismarkedthebeginningofsomethingnew,thefirstbattleryoftheend,markingthemomentwhereowlsflittedfromhousetohouseandthealltoarmswassentthroughalltheold,wearysoldiers,theoneswithenoughsarstostalifetimebutwerenowhereneartheend.“We’vestillgotalongfightaheadofus.”
Chapter6