A/N: This is it.

Conquer, but don't triumph. -Marie Ebner von Eschenbach

Draco Malfoy had ordered that all the fireplaces be destroyed; keeping only the one in Dumbledore’s office, but making sure that the Floo wasn’t working.

It had been four days.

Four days and Draco couldn’t help but smile at the progress being made.

The Death Eaters had been using the Hogwarts Express to transport bodies and supplies from Hogwarts and Hogsmeade to the mountains between Hogwarts and London.

There was a knock on the door, waking Bellatrix from her light sleep. Bellatrix raised her head and looked down to the sleeping Draco next to her. His blonde hair was ruffled and his expression was once again unreadable as he slept. The memory of last night crept into Bellatrix’s mind and she grinned, loving his aggressiveness. She leaned down and kissed his neck. Whoever it was knocked again.

“Draco,” the person called from the door and Bellatrix recognized it to be Pansy Parkinson. The brat who was still after Draco. Bellatrix rolled her eyes and got up, grabbing a silk black robe from a chair and wrapping it around herself tightly before answering the door.

The moment she opened the door, Pansy backed up, not expecting to see the older woman there. Taking in her state of undress, Pansy went red.

“Is Draco there?” she stammered, averting her eyes from Bellatrix’s.

The older Death Eater rolled her eyes and shook her head. “He’s busy, right now. Can I take a message?” she asked in a bored tone.

Pansy nodded. “Could you tell him I came by and that I need to talk to him?”

Bellatrix looked Pansy over with distaste before nodding and shutting the door before Pansy could say anything else.

“Who was it?”

Bellatrix turned to see Draco watching her with cold untrusting eyes. She smiled, creeping over to him and kneeling down on the bed.

“Your little Pansy Parkinson,” she said with a sneer.

Draco raised an eyebrow. “What did she want?”

Bellatrix moved around so that she was straddling him. “How should I know what the little whore wants?” she muttered, kissing him hard on the mouth.

Draco kissed her for a moment before puling away. “I have to go,” he whispered.

Bellatrix shook her head, dipping her head to his neck. “Not yet,” she growled, undoing her robe before slipping under the covers with him again.

---

“Where do you think she is?” Ron asked, sitting down between Harry and Neville at the Burrow kitchen table. Dean and Seamus looked up from eating and frowned.

“Hermione?” Dean asked.

Ron nodded, picking up some toast and buttering it. Harry shook his head.

“They couldn’t have gotten that far. With all those students and that trunk, they’ll be slowed down,” Harry answered.

“That is if she’s alive,” Seamus added.

Ron got up suddenly.

“She’s alive,” he growled.

Seamus held up his hands. “I didn’t say she wasn’t… I’m just saying, with all those Death Eaters that were surrounding the castle, what are the odds that they weren’t noticed?”

Ron glared at him for a moment before sitting down and sighing.

“You’re right…” he said, his voice suddenly soft and defeated.

Neville placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t give up yet. She could still be out there.”

“I just hope Ginny’s ok,” Harry muttered, earning him looks from everyone, especially Ron.

“I’m sure my sister’s fine, Harry,” Ron said through gritted teeth, the thought of Malfoy or any Death Eater violating his sister boiling his blood.

“What do you mean you can’t send another train? Of course you can! We know they’re using the Hogwarts Express so all we have to do is send another train to transport Aurors over the bridge!” Mr. Weasley stated, glaring at the Minister of Magic.

Moody placed a hand on Mr. Weasley’s shoulder, telling him to calm down. The Minister shook his head.

“It can’t be done. If the plan goes wrong the Death Eaters might do something to those students and I will not risk the deaths of hundreds of students and citizens of Hogsmeade just so we could find out that the Hogwarts Express is being used to transport bodies!” he exclaimed angrily.

Dumbledore shook his head.

“Minister, if we do not act now, the Death Eaters might start killing those students for fun anyway,” he said firmly, his blue eyes flashing with impatience.

Grindham shook his head again. “I’m sorry Albus, but simply can’t be done. Hogwarts had become a hazard zone and we’ve received news that if anyone tries to go in students will be killed. And if I remember correctly, some of your colleagues are still on the grounds, if not captured already.”

To that statement, Dumbledore grew quiet and exhausted, leaving Mr. Weasley wondering how much of a toll this occupation had taken on the old man. Hogwarts was his home. His life. If it was destroyed by Death Eaters then there wouldn’t be anything left for him to go back to…

---

Hermione ran her hands through her hair nervously as they watched as the Hogwarts Express had once again moved steadily towards camp right before the bridge. She ducked behind a tree as it passed her, Death Eaters on the inside oblivious to her presence. She made eye contact with Lavender who nodded and then looked further down the track where a group of boys waited for her signal. She nodded and the boys began chewing fast, eyes on the train that was moving down the tracks towards them. One by one they spit a slimy blue gunk into the tracks before disappearing into the night, though it wasn’t that hard. Pravati had ordered them all to cover their faces with mud and remove any color from their robes. They were just like shadows.

Hermione closed her ears just as the train hit the piece of tracks lathered with gunk. Sparks flew as the train wheels were caught on the tracks and the train was forced to stop instantly. Immediately Death Eaters appeared at the exits, looking around, and wands at the ready. They all knew that there were still a bunch of kids missing.

Hermione then heard a scream from the back of the train and smiled as many Death Eaters jumped off and started moving down the tracks towards the back of the Hogwarts Express. She knew Dennis had done well and hoped that he kept safe with all the Death Eaters around.

They waited until the Death Eaters had moved further down the tracks before boarding the train themselves. Hermione peered down the halls, her heart racing as a group of third year girls, headed by Angelica, followed her.

“Oy! Who are you?”

There was a flash of green light and the Death Eater fell. Hermione gazed on in shock, the girls in horror as Luna limped over with her group of second years.

“I don’t see anything in these compartments.”

They heard some shouts from the carriages further up and flashes of light could be seen. Hermione bit her lip but pointed to the back.

“We have to get rid of the Death Eaters back there,” she said. Luna nodded and moved off, followed by Hermione and her group. They’d almost made it when the windows surrounding them exploded and they all fell the ground, covering their heads. There were more curses fired and some screaming as they felt the footsteps of people boarding the train.

“There they are!” Hermione looked up just in time to see a Death Eater appear from the back of the train, pointing his wand at them. She raised her hand and flicked it.

“REDUCTO!” she screamed. The man flew back and hit the back wall of the train. Just then they were surrounded by angry Death Eaters.

“FIRE!” Luna screamed. Instantly the cramped hall was filled with the sounds of screams and the colors of deadly curses flying around, hitting whomever they chose to.

Hermione screamed and fell the ground. A second year boy leaned down to see what had happened. Just then, the train started moving, jerking everyone around.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice drenched with fear.

Hermione tried to move but excruciating pain was driven up her spine and burned her stomach. She tried to speak but it hurt too much. The second year turned her over gently and his eyes grew large at the deep gash in her side and by her neck.

“Someone help me!” he cried, motioning for two other boys to help drag her into a compartment while the skirmish outside continued. They pulled her up onto a seat and then closed the door. The roar of the wind greeted them since the windows had been destroyed and one of the boys looked out.

“We’re approaching the camp!”

“Are we slowing down?” Hermione managed to gasp, coughing up blood at the same time.

The boy shook his head. “No! We’re speeding up!”

The door opened and Luna stuck her head in.

“GET DOWN!” she screamed right before curses fired from the outside blazed through the windows, missing all those who ducked and hitting many Death Eaters who had not heeded Luna’s warning. When the others were dealt with, Luna glanced out the window as they continued to round the side of the mountain heading for the bridge. Death Eaters were still firing at them.

“Run to the front of the train and see if they need help!” Luna ordered five boys.

“She’s bleeding!” the boy who had spotted Hermione first declared, catching the attention of Luna. Luna entered and kneeled down beside Hermione, who was struggling to breathe at this point.

“We have to get her out of here…”

THE BRIDGE IS COLLAPSING! Came the sound of Pravati’s scared voice over the loudspeaker.

Luna frowned.

Weren’t they on the bridge?

A boy ran to the window and looked towards the front of the train and frowned as well. They were on the bridge. He looked towards the back and his eyes got large. There were a mass of Death Eaters crowding around the beginning of the bridge. They all had their wands out and they were all firing curses at the supports of the bridge.

“They’re destroying the bridge!” he screamed.

Luna took off, running through many carriages trying to make her way to the front of the train. Along the way she could see injured in the compartments but she couldn’t be worried about that. She had to get to Pravati.

“Can this thing go any faster?” Luna asked, barging into the engine of the train where Pravati and Lavender stood, frantically shoving coals into the fire. Pravati shook her head.

“We’re going at full speed!”

“We’re almost there!” Lavender called, pointing to the other side of the bridge, which was drawing closer as they spoke.

CREAK!

They all screamed as the ground below them began to sway. The Hogwarts Express kept on going, but it was now having a hard time with all the swaying the bridge was doing.

“Where’s the trunk?” Luna demanded.

Lavender pointed to the corner. Luna hurried over and fell to her knees. She opened the trunk and began looking through it madly, tossing stuff aside.

“What are you looking for?” Lavender asked while Pravati kept her eyes on their destination.

“This!” Luna exclaimed, showing them a large black can.

“What is that?” Pravati asked, screwing up her nose at the smell.

Luna opened it and poured a little in her hands. She smiled and closed it again.

“I don’t know, but I think it will make us go faster,” she said. She took out her wand and with ease she flicked it at the bottle. “Wingardium Leviosa,” she said, watching as the can moved away out the window. It became harder for Luna to control the can when the wind hit it, but she managed to place it far enough away from the train to make an effect.

“Pravati… I’m going to need you to open the can for me,” she said.

Pravati’s eyes went wide and she was about to object when another screech from the supports changed her mind. She took out her wand and took a deep breath. She muttered the charm and soon she was able to successfully open the can. Luna flipped the can and out poured this bright orange stuff that sparkled even at night. The moment the Hogwarts Express hit the orange stuff, it shot forward and the girls fell back as the train rocketed down the tracks and into the woods, away from the bridge.

They could hear the rejoicing from the other students and they all let out the breath they had been holding since the can had been opened.

They would make it home….

---

Draco was still talking to some officials from the Ministry when a Death Eater came running in.

“What is it?” Draco demanded, his anger boiling once more.

“It’s Warrington, sir. He’s lost the Hogwarts Express,” the Death Eater reported, all the while watching Draco’s wand hand as it inched towards Draco’s wand.

“WHAT?!”

The officials flinched as Draco got up from the Headmaster’s chair. He whipped out his wand and without a word the Death Eater fell, dead. Draco walked away from the men he had been talking with, stepping over the body.

“Excuse me gentlemen. Tell the Ministry that they’re running out of time. I will not tolerate this,” he growled before leaving the room.

As he walked down the hall towards the dungeon, a smile came to his face.

He would have order… one way or another, he would win.

The End...