<strong>Character</strong>: Hermione Granger<br/><strong>Location</strong>: Unknown, near a giant lake in the mountains<br/><strong>Tagged</strong>: Harry<br/><br/><hr/><br/>For perhaps the second or third time in her life, Hermione was at a loss for words. While Harry raged, she was left to do the only thing she could do for them. Keep them safe. Because other than that need to protect one of the last things she had, she was numb. They couldn't find Ron. And believe her, they tried. He had been on the dragon. They knew that. But somewhere in the lake, Ron had been lost. And, what was even worse, they heard snatcher or death eaters near the lake. So they had to hide again. And that's what they did. She made them safe while Harry cursed their inability to do anything to find or save their friend. She felt numb.<br/><br/>They had the Horcrux. That was important. But they were left without their best friend. Her secret, or not so secret, crush. And they had not a clue how to find him. So, after hours of calming down, after deciding that they couldn't go to Hogwarts to try to find the one surely hidden there, not without a clue of what happened to Ron, they pitched the tent like they used to back when Ron had left them and made dinner and pushed food around on their plates while listening to the Radio. And suddenly the music clicked off and an announcement started, the Weasley twins in stereo.<br/><br/>"Hogwarts has fallen. I repeat Hogwarts has fallen. Only a couple of hours ago, He who must not be named waged a full on attack on the castle. The following named are heroes who fell while protecting the children escaping: Minerva McGonnagol, Fillius Flitwick, Trybel Trewlany, Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt..." Hermione's face fell with every name she recognized, every teacher of Hogwarts having fallen save the Carrows, Madam Pomfrey and Hagrid having been the only to have escaped immediate death, though their whereabouts were announced as unknown. The Order, she noted bitterly, had lost only those who could truly become Harry's mentors. Shacklebolt and Lupin were the only she'd met from the Order who'd perished, though she didn't recognize a couple of names. The announcement ended as quickly as it started. Her eyes met Harry's and she spoke for the first time since they'd been forced to bunker down by the presence of the snatchers.<br/><br/>"The others. We need to find them."