Are you going to just stand by and let them get away with it?"

"No," she whispered, voice low. "No, I won't. I'm going to take him back."

Luna shook her head, the movement swift and sharp. "How? You can't just drag him back to Hogwarts. We've got to find Potter and the rest. You need a plan, Granger. We need a plan. How are you going to take him back and get away with it?"

"It's just him, I can manage."

"That's not what I was asking. I know you can take him back, I mean how? What about the rest of us? How will we manage without you?"

Hermione stopped talking and took in a breath, a sharp one. She looked back at Luna, her eyes wide and intense. "How will I manage without you?" she asked, her voice dropping a few notes from its usual pitch.

Luna felt something tighten inside her chest, a familiar tingle of warmth spreading through her. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm coming with you."

Hermione's lips twitched into a small smile. "Then I'll take him."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Dark Lord. I'll take him.