"STOP!"

She spun. Yaxley was up. He had a knife at Baxter's neck, poking into the flesh. Parvati was silent behind her, and she chanced a look. Dolohov pulled her up by the scalp, holding her to his chest as a shield, wand trained on Hermione.

Her heartbeat in her fingertips. Sweat dripping down her spine.

"Drop the wand," Yaxley hissed.

Hermione turned to hold defense against Dolohov. Luna's body on the ground behind him, slowly coming back to consciousness. The fifth girl was out cold.

A whimper, gurgling.

She turned, and Yaxley's blade had pulled across Baxter's throat. Blood sprayed as her fingers scrambled to staunch its flow. Hermione's jaw dropped and a small scream popped through her lips, her skin buzzing.

Yaxley grinned at her. "Now, if only I had my wand to heal her."

Baxter fell to her knees, holding the slice across her neck. Hermione met her eyes as they dimmed.

Hermione shot a hex at Yaxley, now without a human shield. He jumped out of the way just in time, but a Disarming Spell from Dolohov hit the wall behind her head.

"Hermione! Run!" Parvati screamed.

She turned back and ran down the hallway toward the exam rooms. Heavy footfalls thudded behind her, and she turned and shot curses over her shoulder. A head poked out of a brightly lit room, a mediwitch hat on. Hermione sprinted past, turning right at the end of the hall. It was at least the same direction as the main door they had wanted to exit through. She heard the Death Eaters follow her around the corner, and she blasted a door open.

Supply cupboard.

She kept running, heading toward the end of the hall. It was a maze. She had no idea anymore which way was out. Curses and hexes smashed through the corners she wound around.

She skidded down a hall to her left. And it was empty. A dead end. No doors to disappear into.

She spun on her heel just as Yaxley slid into the hall, Dolohov behind him.

"Crucio!"

She jumped out of the way of Dolohov's curse.

"Expelliarmus!" she bellowed. He blocked her.

She needed to disarm Dolohov first. Then focus on Yaxley.

"I thought she was supposed to be clever," Dolohov hissed. "The Mudblood's got herself backed into a corner." He smiled, lips peeling away from yellow teeth. "Flipendo!"

She let the jet graze her ear so she could send a Stupefy. He blocked, and she aimed at the wall next to him.

"Aguamenti!"

A solid stream of water hit the marble wall, bouncing and spraying against his face, into his eyes and ears. Dolohov stumbled and just when Hermione had a clear shot to disarm him, a small body with wild blonde curls crashed into Yaxley, disappearing them both around the corner.

Luna.

"Expelliarmus!" she cast, but the momentary distraction was enough time for Dolohov to block her.

Dolohov used her technique against her, and ricocheted a spell off the wall behind her. It struck her right between the shoulder blades, and she screamed as what felt like small razor blade cuts spread across her skin, dancing down her back and curving around her ribs.