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Hermione thought it was strange to find the halls of the Ministry completely empty at this time of day—just before lunch. In fact, she was there with
a surprise lunch for Tom, and she headed from the floo towards his office with a smile on her face. Until the eerie silence started to get to her along
the way.
She started to look around, over her shoulder, back ahead of her, craning her neck to see if she could catch sight of anyone at all. Not even an echo of
sound met her ears. Not one person entered the hall. It was completely creepy.
"Hello?" she called out. "Where is everybody?"
Tom poked his head out the door of the office he shared with Lucius and Harry. "Hermione, what the devil are you doing here? Get in here, quick!" One
hand snaked out to grab her by the wrist and pull her inside.
"Tom, what's going on?" she asked as she held her swollen belly with one hand.
"Mione, why are you here?" he wanted to know.
"The baby kicked me, and I figured I'd bring you lunch and tell you," she said with a confused frown. "See, he's doing it again."
Tom's hand slid onto her belly to feel the soft kicks of their child even as his other arm wrapped around her protectively. "How did you get in here?" he
wanted to know.
"Through the floo, as usual," she told him.
"The special floo, the one meant just for the Ministry officials?" he commented wryly. "We forgot to close the special floo. Seamus, quickly, go close
the floo. Phineas, Alfonso, go along to guard him."
"Yes sir, Mr. Riddle, sir," they chimed in unison, and quickly went out the door.
"Sweetheart, you picked a pretty bad day to try to surprise me," he told Hermione, who had been looking around the room full of people in an astonished
sort of panic. "We're about to have company. Now, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't want you anywhere near the battle. I don't want you or the
baby to get hurt—and these people mean business, I'm afraid."
"What do you mean, battle?" asked Hermione in a higher voice than usual. "What battle?"
"Against the Goyles, love," he explained. "They're about to mount an attack. Now, where to hide you so we can keep you safe," he added thoughtfully. "Kingsley,
do you think your office will be safe enough for Hermione?"
"It will be, as long as they don't get inside of it," Kingsley said. "But Tom, the only way she's going to get there is on foot. It's already been sealed. And
we can't spare anyone to take her there. It may be better to seal her in her somehow."
"There's nowhere in here but the closet," Tom protested. "Do you want me to put my pregnant wife into a closet, of all places?"
"Everyone, do you hear that?" Lucius commented. "Everyone be quiet, I need to listen."
"What is it, Lucius?" Harry asked as everyone else silenced immediately. Lucius listened for a few moments, then said, "I don't think our friends made it
to the floo. I hear wand fire."
"You don't think they knew about the floo being open?" Tom asked worriedly. "Wait, that's it. I could have sworn we sealed that floo, Kingsley. One of us must
have opened it before Hermione came through. But who's missing that knows about it?"
Looking around, Kingsley cast him a grim look. "Where is Udoria Edgecombe? It's mighty suspicious that a woman who works as part of the Floo Network Authority
should be missing right when we're having difficulty with unauthorized Floo entrants."
Harry cast him a shocked look.
"What is it, Potter?" Kingsley inquired.
"Udoria Edgecombe's daughter is the one who betrayed Dumbledore's Army to Dolores Umbridge," he pointed out, grinding his teeth angrily.
"Ah yes, Sneak Edgecombe," Kingsley recalled, now that Harry had brought it up. Turning to one of the nearby Aurors, he said, "Somebody find out the whereabouts
of Udoria Edgecombe immediately. I think we may have discovered the identity of our 'inside connection'."
"Right away, Minister," he said with a slight bow, and rushed off to do his bidding.
"Little good that's going to do us now," Tom pointed out. "Goyle's Army is headed down the hall, and we have no idea what has happened to three of our best Aurors."
"Don't worry about them," Harry said. "Those boys can take care of themselves."
"Hermione, darling, come with me," said Tom as he drew Hermione against his side and brought her with him through a door at the back of the office. It led
into another hallway, which was not yet filled with a gang of witches and wizards bent on destruction.
"Tom, where are we going?" she demanded. "You're the strongest Wizard we've got. You need to get back in there. Don't worry about me, I can figure something out."
"No, wait, I have an idea," he told her. "It's crazy, but at least you'll be safe."
"What idea?" Hermione protested as he brought her into the men's bathroom. A huge mirror was on the wall above the sinks.
Wasting no time, Tom aimed his wand at it and said, " Pervenire in Speculum!"
"Are you crazy?" she gasped.
"Get in," he insisted. "I'll come for you when the battle is over."
"What happens if the other side wins?" she wanted to know as he lifted her up onto the counter.
"Then I'd be dead, and you'd be safely elsewhere," Tom said. "Because believe me, my darling, the only way that lot is going to win is over my dead body."
"I love you, Tom," she told him urgently, grasping him about the neck and pulling him to her for a quick kiss.
"And I love you, Hermione," he said. "With all my heart, forever."
They could hear wand fire coming closer, and Tom cast Hermione an alarmed look. "They've gotten past the perimeter. Go now, Hermione. I will come for you."
With a frightened look, Hermione scooted herself backwards and went into the mirror. She had no idea what she was likely to find on the other side, and no idea
how long it would be before she saw her husband again. Tears stung her eyes as she watched him leave, and then she hopped down onto the floor on the other side
and left as well.
"Tom, where have you been?" Kingsley shouted as he stepped out into the hall and right into the path of the fleeing Minister and Aurors. "Where is Hermione?"
"Safe," he replied. "As safe as she can be in the middle of all this, anyway."
"They've overrun all of the upper offices," Kingsley told him. "If we're to survive, we'll have to go down and alert everyone below. If we fail, the Underground
is likely to become our tomb. Everyone, get to the lifts. Take them down and warn as many people as possible along the way. Don't take the time to get out,
just send them Patronuses. We're going to have to regroup in the Great Courtrooms. Go!"
"Lucius, Harry, come with me," Tom called to the two men, who joined him as he ran for the nearest lift. Ten of the Aurors got inside as well.
"What have you done with Hermione?" Harry wanted to know as the lift began to move backwards and then shot down at a breakneck pace. Lucius busied himself
with crafting and sending Patronus charms every few seconds while the Aurors huddled together with grim looks on their faces.
"Hermione is safe from all of this," he told him. "We must put aside thoughts of our loved ones now, Potter, and think only of what must be done."
"We've reached the bottom," Lucius announced. "Let's just hope Dolores's mob hasn't gotten here first."
"Stop," said Tom when the door opened. "We must determine what we're walking into first. Lucius, go left. Potter, you take the right. I'll to straight
ahead. Aurors, flank the others. I'll go on alone."
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Tom?" Harry asked worriedly.
"Do as I say, Potter," he insisted. "I know what I'm doing."
Harry grasped him by the shoulder, stopping him from his movement toward the door. "Good luck, my friend."
"You too," he said as he grasped his hand and gave it a squeeze. The two of them nodded toward Lucius, who was already at the entrance glancing back at
them, and with a grim smile he nodded in return. In the next moment, he was gone, followed by five Aurors, and then Harry and his Aurors left as well.
Alone now, Tom squared his shoulders and walked out, right down the middle of the hall. He strode purposefully down the corridor, daring anyone to get in his way.
"I know you're here somewhere, Dolores," he called out. "I can smell your bloody perfume."
A shrill giggle filled the hall, and then about ten of her soldiers stepped out to block his path. Tom made short work of dispatching them all.
"Come on, you old hag!" he called out in a taunting voice. "Too afraid to take me yourself? Have to send in your little minions to do it for you? You wanted to
see which of us is better. Let's find out."
"Beat this, Riddle!" shouted a man from behind him. It was Avery.
"Ah, Avery, I wondered when I'd get the pleasure of seeing you again," he said as he turned to face him. He gave him a slight bow before he took one step
forward and shouted, "Crucio!"
Avery was ready for him. Their spells clashed together in the middle of the hall, then dispelled in a sparkling of colors. "You'll have to do better than that,
my Lord," he said snidely.
"Oh, but I've only just begun," Tom assured him with a smirk. Then the two lobbed spells at each other, most of them crashing harmlessly aside as they were
summarily blocked. But then, when Tom had grown bored with their dance, he bent forward and glared at the man with a look that shot fear through his soul.
"My Lord, wait!" he pleaded, but it was too late.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The green light shot across the hall and hit Avery straight on. He flew backwards, and his body skittered a few feet from the force of the blow.
"Very good, Tom," Dolores called out, her voice echoing from every direction. "You won't take me so easily, I fear. Now, let's see how you handle this!"
A wave of fifty of her soldiers entered the hall from all sides, and Tom started firing as fast as he could, hoping against hope that he'd be able to take them
all. He cast a Protego to shield himself, but by the time about half of the attackers were gone he was beginning to grow weak. A small tear formed in the
corner of his eye as he thought of Hermione, all alone in the gods only knew what place. He had said only his death would allow them to win, and he was beginning
to fear he might be right.
Then, just as he fell to his knees, knowing he was about to die, he heard a shout from one of the side hallways, and then from the other, as all of his
companions entered the fray. He wished he had time to be thankful for it, but darkness descended before he even had the chance.
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