Harry Potter and the Luminus Draconis

Harry Potter and the Luminus Draconis
(aka Harry Potter and the Light of Dragons)

Chapter One - The Holidays

Harry Potter sat at his desk in a small upstairs bedroom of Number 4 Privet Drive. Outside, the crack and rolling boom of thunder could be heard. Rain poured down, and the wind howled through the trees outside the room's window. Harry sat at his desk, labouring over a parchment, quill in one hand and the other stroking a white owl, perched on the desk edge.

Harry Potter was, perhaps to some, below average when it came to height. But what he lacked in height and age, he made up for in a world-weariness that had been hard gained. Harry, whilst only almost fifteen, had seen and experienced pain and terror that most people could not even dream of. For Harry was a wizard, and one who was targeted by the most evil wizard of the times, Voldemort.

Harry scratched his head, wondering how to write what he wanted to write, and then ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. On his forehead, a lightning bolt-shaped scar stood out, previously hidden by his unruly black hair. He peered through his glasses, staring intently at the parchment resting on the table before him.

Harry sighed, and re-read the letter he was writing.

Dear Sirius,

I'm not sure when you will get this or where you are. I haven't heard from you in weeks, but I needed to tell you that ...

Harry crumpled the parchment, and threw it into the bin, joining an overflowing pile of other similarly crumpled parchments. Sirius meant everything to Harry, being his Godfather and his only family, but he just couldn't put into words what he wanted to say.

Harry sighed. "How do I get myself into these things?" Normally he had no problems writing or talking to Sirius, but since the end of his forth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he felt walled off and isolated from Sirius, simply because he hadn't heard from him in weeks. After a traumatic incident like the rebirth of Voldemort, he would have expected Sirius to be around and fussing over him endlessly, but since he last saw him in the Infirmary at Hogwarts he hadn't even received an Owl.

A loud crack of lightning outside made Harry jump a little, and he decided to leave the letter to Sirius for the evening, he didn't want to send Hedwig out in this weather anyway, and his time would be more productively spent making a start on his holiday homework.

As Harry started to stand, there was a loud pecking noise at his window. Harry quickly went to the window and opened it, to admit a very wet, bedraggled looking large brown owl. Harry recognised it as a Hogwarts school owl, generally used for official Hogwarts communications, or for students with no access to an owl of their own. The owl extended a claw clutching a bone white envelope.

Harry grabbed the letter (addressed to "Mr H Potter") and opened it, noting that it had a Hogwarts official crest on the back, and pulled out a thick wad of parchment.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr Potter

We are pleased to inform you that the Hogwarts Prefects have been chosen for this year. The fifth year Hogwarts Prefects for this year will be Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger have been chosen for a number of reasons. Firstly, Ms. Granger has performed excellently throughout her time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and has an academic record that speaks for itself. Both Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger have also shown themselves as excellent candidates for the responsibility of Prefect through their many adventures and shared experiences with yourself. Finally, whilst you were an excellent candidate, Professor McGonagall and myself decided that Ronald Weasley would ultimately be most like to afford the time for this role, rather than you yourself. Simply put, I will have other things for you to occupy yourself with during the year. I do hope you understand.

Please find attached your list of books required for your fifth year classes.

We look forward to seeing you once school recommences.

Yours truly,
Professor A. Dumbledore

Harry grinned, Ron had been made a prefect, and Hermione as well. Harry, whilst slightly disappointed that he had not been made a prefect, felt sure he could cope with it. One thing he hated was being in the spotlight, and that was something that he'd been in for the past four years, ever since Hagrid had given him his first Hogwarts letter. With Ron being prefect instead of him, it was the best thing that could happen. Ron got his chance at the spotlight and Harry got to fade a little more into the background.

Other things to occupy you. That sounds both exciting and a bit ominous, coming from Professor Dumbledore.

Harry gave an owl treat to the school owl. "You can stay if you'd like, but you'll need to be quiet," he said to the owl. The owl shook it's head and started for the window, which Harry obligingly opened. The owl flew back out the window, into the thick of the storm, and Harry slammed the window shut behind it, not wanting his entire bedroom filled with water.

As soon as he turned around and headed back to his desk, another tap on the window caught his attention. He quickly opened and closed the window, letting in a small energetic bundle of fluff that turned out to be Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon, or `Pig' for short.

The small, hyper-active owl immediately began to fly around the room at top speed, almost flying into Hedwig, Harry, Harry's trunk, the door, the ceiling and the wall in quick succession.

"Dammit, Pig, come here and give me the letter." Harry jumped and leaped to catch Pig, his seeker skills being tested by the extremely fast and suicidal owl. Finally he caught Pig and wrestled the letter out of his claws.

Harry

I've been made PREFECT. Mum and Dad can't believe it, they thought they'd have to wait for Ginny for the next Prefect in the family. Percy has already started to spout the rules and regulations necessary for Prefects at me, believing that if he doesn't help me out, I'll embarrass the "Weasley Family Honour and the fine tradition of Griffyndor Prefects" (That's a direct quote).

I'm lucky Hermione was chosen to be a Prefect as well, so I can get her to cover for me if necessary.

Why weren't you made Prefect though? I was sure that you would get it, and so was everyone else. Ginny seems quite upset about it, thinking that you must have turned it down to give to me, but I knew you wouldn't have done something like that.

Too right if he wanted to keep Ron as a friend. One thing the Weasley family had, and Ron had in spades, was pride and a determination to never, ever, take charity. The easiest way to get Ron angry would be to give him something that he thought he didn't deserve. But Harry knew Ron deserved being made Prefect.

The truth was, while Harry was glad he wasn't made Prefect (he was sure he'd be terrible at it), he did wonder why he didn't get appointed. And why Ron?

The line from Dumbledore's letter nagged at him. Other things to occupy you. What else could be more important than being Prefect? Harry had a suspicion it would be something both interesting and dangerous. Though anything Harry would do would also involve Ron and Hermione. So why did they become Prefects?

Mum and Dad have asked Dumbledore to let you stay over the holidays but he keeps putting them off. Something about it being safer at your relatives place, and that you might be able to come over later in the holidays.

Hey, you haven't heard the news I bet. I bet you wish you got the Daily Prophet on holidays. You-Know-Who hasn't been heard of, but there have been reports of Death Eaters firing the Dark Mark into the air at public events. No one has been hurt yet, but everyone is starting to get very nervous. People don't even look to see who did it, they just want to get away, so there hasn't been a single person caught for doing it. Even with Fudge trying to cover up, people are beginning to think that something is very wrong. Dad's been working with Dumbledore, but won't say anything about it, just that he's doing what he can.

And there have been reports of Dark Wizards in other countries, Germany, France, America, Canada, and someplace called Australia. Ginny said it's on the opposite side of the world, and peopled by convicts. I think she's putting me on cause she was grinning when she said it.

Write back soon, and make sure you tell me if the muggles are treating you well. Otherwise, Fred and George have already said they'll break you out again, even if it gets them in trouble from Mum. They've been talking about you a lot these holidays. Did you do or say something to them?

Ron

Damn, he couldn't go to the Burrow yet. Harry had been hoping that he could get there as soon as possible, and escape Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and especially Dudley.

Life hadn't improved at the Dursley's these holidays. Whilst he was still in his room, and not in the closet under the stairs, he at least had his homework and supplies in his room. He still had to cook breakfast and do a great deal of chores around the house, all of this while Dudley tried to make his life hell.

Dudley, still looking like a Sperm Whale crammed into clothes, regardless of his school, Smeltings, attempting to reduce his weight, had finally gotten over his fear of Harry and his magic. Magic that Harry couldn't use during the holidays, not even to protect himself from Dudley. Harry had resorted to his trusty trick of running or hiding from Dudley and his friends. Dudley's friends had all grown over the past couple of years, and rather than beefing up like Dudley, they had all put on muscles and bad attitudes. Unfortunately, one of their favourite pastimes was still "Harry Bashing", though now these thugs could go Harry some damage.

So once Harry had finished fixing breakfast, he would do the numerous chores his relatives made him do. In return he would get a meagre amount of food each day, and the smallest room in the house to sleep in. Eventually, Harry would complete his housework and abandon the house and spend some time in the park or the nearby public library.

Generally, Harry would take some paper and a pen and work on some of his holiday homework. But sometimes he just laid back and enjoyed the peace and quiet in the fresh air and tried to forget the terrible nightmares and horrible visions he saw when he closed his eyes.

It had been three weeks since Harry had started his holidays and a further three weeks since the terrifying events at the end of the Third Task of the Tri-Wizard tournament. Harry had been captured and forced into giving blood for a hideous dark ritual that ultimately gave life back to the restless spirit of Voldemort. Voldemort was the most feared dark wizard of modern times, so feared that people couldn't even say his name, referring to him as You-Know-Who. Harry had barely escaped with his life, whilst his schoolmate, and fellow Hogwarts Champion in the tournament, was not as lucky. Cedric had been killed simply because he was unlucky enough to be with Harry, in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

"Kill the Spare."

Those words haunted Harry's dreams and Harry had, after much soul searching, forced himself to come to grips with Cedric's death. It wasn't his fault. He, and Cedric, were just pawns in a game they hadn't even known about until they had appeared in a graveyard, clutching the Tri-Wizard Tournament Cup. The cup had turned out to be a portkey. Harry and Cedric had fallen into a trap, specifically designed to use Harry, unwillingly, in the resurrection of the Dark Lord Voldemort. Cedric, however, was not necessary and had been killed.

Harry knew that Cedric's death was to be firmly placed at the feet of Voldemort, and rather than feel guilty (as he had for a number of weeks afterwards), Harry had finally begun to come to terms with his grief and put the guilt behind him.

Rather than be upset and distressed about it, Harry felt that the terrifying and hideous experience fuelled in him a desire to be able to protect those around him, to stop something like this from ever happening again. He knew he had never felt as helpless as when Cedric was killed, and he could do nothing about it. Whether Harry would need to face something like that again, he could only guess. But deep within him, Harry knew the day would come again when he faced Lord Voldemort and when that came, he would need to best him to ensure his friends and loved ones were safe.

When Harry returned during the late afternoon each day, he would clean up after the Dursley's lunch, bring in the washing, make dessert and other chores before he would get his own meagre dinner. Rather than complain, though, Harry would enthusiastically eat his dinner and get back to his room as quickly as possible.

His homework awaited and he had vowed to himself that this year he would work harder. He would learn. Learn to protect himself and his friends, regardless of what he had to do.

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Two weeks later, Harry sighed as he put the finishing touches on his Potions assignment (a fiendishly hard assignment of the fundamentals and basics of creation potions, potions that can be used to create things as simple as a plant, or as hard as inanimate object like a chair).

With still three weeks of holidays left, Harry had nothing to do. He had finished all his homework, with weeks to spare. He had also re-read all his school textbooks numerous times, and revised all the simple charms and spells he had learnt over the past four years. With little to do except study and work around the house, he had discovered that, without any interruptions, he wasn't too bad at the theory of magic. After all, he'd had plenty of opportunities for the practice of magic (especially in extreme situations) over the past four years.

A rumble of feet pounding up the stairs signalled the arrival of Dudley, home from his latest trip to the movies.

"You're in trouble now, Potter." Dudley's voice was followed by the sound of a door slamming.

Harry sighed and slowly got to his feet and started downstairs, wondering what he could possibly have done this time to get the Dursleys upset at him.

Upon entering the kitchen, he was startled to find his Aunt and Uncle clutching a copy of the Daily Prophet, the magical world's premiere newspaper.

"Umm ... I .." was all Harry got out before the inevitable explosion.

"What is the meaning of this ... this ... this filth? How dare you have something like this ... newspaper," Uncle Vernon was able to imbue a level of disgust in his voice, previously only heard for mud and Harry before, "delivered to this house?"

"Where was it?" Harry asked timidly.

"I'll tell you, right in plain view on our doorstep. Right where the neighbours can see this ... this ... MAGICAL," Uncle Vernon's voice dropped to a whisper, "newspaper." Harry could see the front-page picture of a dragon swooping around in a cloudless sky, and flapping to gain altitude.

"I don't know. I don't get it, but maybe someone- ..."

"We shelter you, and cover up for your abomination, your freakishness, and this is how you repay us? By trying to display this for any of the neighbours to see." Aunt Petunia had finally gotten into the fray.

"I DIDN'T DO IT." Harry yelled.

His aunt and uncle just looked at him with their disgust clearly written on their faces.

"Just get back upstairs and don't bother coming down for dinner tonight." Uncle Vernon spat as he threw the newspaper at Harry. Harry quickly caught it and ran back upstairs, not particularly worried as he'd had a pretty decent lunch when no one was home.

As Harry entered his room, he unfolded the newspaper and looked at the headline.

DRAGON MIGRATION, the headline screamed.

Romania, home of the largest Dragon sanctuary, stands silent. The constant flap of wings, the crackle of fire being breathed, the roar of the dragons. All absent.

On Saturday, the Romanian Dragon Rangers awoke to this unexpected silence. Upon further investigation, not a single dragon was to be found within the confines of the Sanctuary.

As all readers would be aware, the Sanctuary, one of a number throughout the world, employs various charms and magical barriers to prevent dragons from leaving their territory within the Sanctuary, and there has not been a serious incident in over fifty years. However, with a full scale Dragon migration, the barriers could not hold, and broke apart as over 200 dragons left the area at the same time.

It has been speculated that with the number of dragons hitting the boundary spells at the same time, the spells overloaded, rather than sound warning signals as they are designed to do.

Harry thought back briefly to the dragon he faced in the First Task of the Tri-Wizard tournament. There was no way he'd want to be anywhere near 200 dragons, not for anything.

Bill Weasley (26), an employee at the Dragon Sanctuary, stated "I've never seen anything live this. Generally Dragons would rather fight each other than cooperate, a migration of 200 Dragons at once, is unprecedented."

Dragon researchers across the world have expressed a desire to understand what would set off a Dragon migration like this. Climate, social, magic or some other reason.

Research will continue into this phenomenon, and readers are advised to contact authorities immediately if they spot any dragon activity in their vicinity.

Harry read through the rest of the paper, but nothing else caught his eye. He wandered a little at who would have left the paper at the front of his house, and why. Could someone believe the newspaper could tell Harry something? Interesting as some of the news was (Quidditch Star fined for Snitch tampering, Ministry of Magic launches new research programs, Nine disappear from Potentia Cognosco Universitas - England campus, and a theft of a worthless crystal at the London Museum of Magic) he couldn't find anything that would be strange or interesting enough so that one of his friends would send the paper to him. Especially odd was the fact that it was on the front doorstep, and hadn't been delivered to him personally.

As Harry re-read the newspaper, he thought about the dragon migration. It seemed the only story of consequence, but he didn't understand what this would have to do with him. Surely it was just one of those things. Not even Voldemort could do something like that. Could he?

The more Harry thought about it, the more he wondered if Voldemort had something to do with the Dragon migration. Whilst it was incredibly hard to stun a dragon, could it be easier to manipulate or control a dragon? Would the Imperius curse work on a dragon?

Harry shook his head. It was absurd that even Voldemort could do something like that. And there wasn't anything he could do about it anyway.

Harry tossed the newspaper onto his desk and sat down on his bed, pulled a stack of books onto the bed with him and settled down to do some more revision.

=================================================================================

Ronald Weasley, youngest male of the Weasley family, frowned, deep in thought. It was Harry's birthday coming up soon and he still had to think of a present.

Generally Ron and Harry gave each other Quidditch related presents, but Ron really wanted to get something special this year. Harry had been through a lot, and Ron still felt bad about the argument that he and Harry had had when Ron had thought Harry had snuck his name into the Tri-Wizard Tournament. After Ron had seen what Harry went through in the First Task, however, he knew that not even Harry would have been that crazy.

Ron felt much worse now that he had been made Prefect, when everyone he knew was sure Harry would be appointed. What did he have that Harry didn't? He felt like he had stolen it off his friend, even though Harry had written and congratulated him and told him he deserved and that he, Harry, didn't want to be Prefect in the least.

Ron opened the "Magical Men's Gift Emporium" owl order catalogue.

Enchanted Nose Hair Clippers - No nose hair for 60 days or your galleons back
Mervyn Muggles Magical Razor - you won't feel a thing
Instant Facial Hair in just one minute

Rubbish. Ron flicked through the catalogue.

The Original, and Best, Lava Lamp. With REAL lava.
The unbreakable, unsolvable Wizards Rubik's Cube

Ron sighed and threw the catalogue at his sister. They were both sitting in the lounge room of the family house, The Burrow. Ginny was surrounded by piles of catalogues, all with fabulous moving pictures, bright flashing headlines, and some even had advertising jingles coming from them.

"Ginny, tell me you've found something."

Ginny Weasley poked her head up from the catalogue she had been reading and blushed slightly. "Nothing you'd want to give him, Ron."

Ron grinned. "So something nice and ... ROMANTIC .... Oooooh, that's sooooo sweet, Ginny. Is it flowers charmed to never die, a locket with your picture in it that glows when you think of him or something like that?"

Ginny blushed redder, her entire face matching her shoulder length red hair.

"Nothing like that Ron, but just some ... nice stuff that I'd like to ... give ... him." Ginny smiled tentatively, her eyes dreamy.

Ron sighed, Ginny would be out of it for a couple of minutes, off in her little fantasy world. It was almost funny, except that it was his sister mooning over his best friend. Ron, and his brothers, were all very protective of their sister. While they all thought of Harry as part of the family, it still worried them that Ginny was so infatuated with him. And that one day, Harry might actually see her as something other than an embarrassment.

Ron picked up another catalogue from the stack in the middle of the room . "I still can't believe that Hermione hasn't replied to any of the owls I sent. If anyone would want to help us pick something absolutely fabulous for Harry, I thought it would have been her." Ron could hear the faint bitterness in his words.

His thoughts flashed back to the last time he had seen Harry and Hermione, at the end of term.

Mum was close by Harry. She hugged Harry very tightly when she saw him and whispered in his ear.

"See you. Harry," said Ron, clapping him on the back.

"Bye, Harry!" said Hermione, and she did something she had never done before, and kissed him on the cheek.

Ron couldn't believe his eyes, Harry was blushing a little, but Hermione just seemed to positively glow as she continued walking.

George muttered something to Harry, while Fred nodded fervently at his side.

Harry winked at them, turned to Uncle Vernon, and followed him silently from the station.

Harry and Hermione. How could he have guessed that Harry would be the one to gain Hermione's affections. He'd thought she'd become attached to Viktor, but ...

Just thinking of Hermione made Ron angry, and confused, all at once. How could she do this to him? Why would she do this to him? What was she doing to him? Ron didn't know what he felt, except that he felt like he would explode when he saw Hermione kissing Harry, or dancing with Viktor. Ron pushed those thoughts away, he wasn't going to spend another afternoon mulling over Hermione today.

"What about tickets to see a league Quidditch game?" Ron said to Ginny, who shrugged.

"It's alright I guess, but it's not that super-duper type of present you said you wanted to get Harry."

Ginny was right, but it had seemed like an easy option.

"Hey, here's something for you, Ron. How about this?" Ginny held out a catalogue full of what looked like smooth, oval gems of different colours.

"What are they, Ginny?" Ron asked, taking the catalogue.

"They're specialis stones."

"Huh?"

Ginny sighed. "You could just read the catalogue, it explains what they are in there."

Ron looked down at the page.

SPECIALIS STONES

Imagine a world where you could change your hair colour without a wand, summon objects to your hand, look at images without a picture frame or see in the dark. All these things, and more are available as specialis stones.

A Specialis stone is a rare gemstone, individually selected, and imbued with very powerful magic spells. It is magically grafted to your hand, and a simple touch of the stone with your finger activates the magic.

These stones are 100% guaranteed to last for two years, replacement at no cost to the purchaser. Each comes with a full instruction manual, instructions as to attaching and removing the stone and a full money back guarantee if you are not completely happy with how it works.

"Sounds ok, Ginny, but I don't think Harry really want to change his hair colour."

Ginny frowned. "Read the various types, Ron."

Infra-red vision
Darkened vision (similar to muggle sunglasses)
Eye colour change (specify colour)
Hair Colour change (specify colour and duration)
Body Part invisibility (specify body part - NOTE very short term spell)
Invisibility to cameras
Water Resistance
Radius Laughing spell

"Wait a minute, invisible to cameras? Harry would love this camera one, especially after all the problems he had with reporters and newspapers last year. But LOOK AT THOSE PRICES."

Ginny sighed, "Yeah, I know. Scratch that idea."

As Ginny and Ron began to flick through more catalogues, an explosion rent the air. This was immediately followed by the voice of Mrs Weasley . "Fred and George Weasley, get down here IMMEDIATELY!"

"I wonder what one that was," Ginny asked, curiosity painted all over her face.

"I wouldn't ask, Gin, or you'll end up finding out the hard way," Ron replied, keeping a close eye on the kitchen from which both explosion and cry had emanated from.

Molly Weasley suddenly appeared in the kitchen door, looking around, eyes sharp and mouth grim.

"Ron, Ginny. Have you seen either Fred or George? They've done it this time, I'm going to hex them so badly that they'll give up this joke shop idea."

The effect was completely spoiled by the bunches of feathers sprouting out of both hands.

Ron and Ginny suppressed laughs, and both shook their heads.

Molly glanced around again, and headed for the stairs.

"That was the Feather Duster hands soda," Ron grinned. "They've been testing that on me all holidays, I've been scared of taking a drink for the last three weeks."

Ginny giggled. "I'm just glad they seem to be concentrating on you this summer, Ron. I've got so much homework, I don't think I could do it all if I kept getting my hands turned into feathers all the time."

"Ah, it's alright, the feathers come right off in about ten minutes ... and it'll give Mum some time to do some dusting in their room."

Both Ron and Ginny burst into laughter at the thought of their Mum braving the twin's room to dust. Likely she'd come out as a canary, with a foot long purple tongue, or who knows what else.

After a good, long laugh, they both went back to the catalogues, determined to find the perfect presents for Harry Potter.

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Hermione breathed in the fresh air, glancing at the beautiful Bulgarian scenery before her. She stood at the top of a tall turret attached to a smallish castle, high in the Bulgarian mountains.

The view from here was amazing, looking out over valleys, forests and even the twinkling lights of a muggle town at night, and Hermione loved to sit and look whilst doing her homework, or just thinking.

As usual when she looked across the wide-open spaces, she thought of Ron and Harry and how much they would love it here. The flying here was terrific, Viktor said, and she knew that both Ron and Harry would also enjoy looking through the castle and it's myriad ancient artefacts.

Ron and Harry seemed to be dominating her thoughts lately, and Hermione, was someone who had to reason out the whys and wherefores of everything, even her own behaviour at times. She had spent many long hours wondering why she constantly thought about them. Lately, it seemed that both Ron and Harry had begun to creep into her dreams as well, where previously only Viktor (and for a short period, Professor Lockhart) had dwelt. Especially Ron, though she didn't even think she liked him like that. He was so aggravating, and frustrating, and he didn't take his studying seriously, and he acted so childish ..... and he was kind of cute, and a good friend. But she also thought that about Harry, except he wasn't childish, he was so determined about some things, it was almost scary, but amazing at the same time, and he had a boyish kind of charm.

Hermione sighed. It was all too confusing to think about and she was here to enjoy the view and finish her Arthimancy homework.

As she sat and stared out over the forests, semi-thinking about her homework, she watched the lazy spirals of a couple of birds, far away, high above the forest floor.

"How easy would it be to be a bird and fly away from everything?" Hermione muttered to herself. She understood the temptation of being an animagi and being able to escape from the human world in an animal form. She wondered if she should ask Professor McGonagall about if she could become one when she went back to school.

The birds grew closer and she could see that they were bigger than she thought. Whilst she couldn't make out any details, she noticed they seemed to have large wings, and a strange colour. Funny, she couldn't remember having seen any bronze birds around before.

Hermione picked up her wand, and aiming at her eyes, said "macto,". Suddenly she could see further, miles and miles into the distance. Swinging around, she took a closer look at the birds.

As she looked, she gasped suddenly. That wasn't a bird, that was a dragon! Two huge bronze dragons, further away than she expected due to their size (and the fact she thought they were birds), were flying this way.

"Finite incanteum," Hermione ended the spell and spun to run downstairs and alert someone. As she turned, a dark figure stepped onto the turret and with a single practised flick of a wand, "stupefy,", she felt the magic hit her and turn her view of the world to a fuzzy black and white.

With everything seeming to be in slow motion, Hermione felt her wand fall out of her hand, her eyes begin to close and her legs crumple. As she fell to the ground, her final thoughts were of Ron and Harry and how she would miss them.