“We get a lot of information from snatchers. Most of the prison blueprints we use for our rescues come from snatchers, you know,” Harry said with a nod, looking down at a rough outline of a building.
Hermione twitched and felt cold. Moody had attributed most of Draco's intelligence on prison blueprints as being from snatchers. She stepped closer and stared at the blueprint for a minute before looking back up.
“Harry — this could be a trap,” she said as gently as she could.
“Yeah. Any of our intelligence could be a trap. But it's been pretty good until now. I'm not going to doubt it the time it could mean getting Ron back. We have to go today. Tomorrow is the full moon,” Harry said in a tight voice.
Hermione looked at Charlie, Fred, Remus, and Tonks.
“It's as good as anything else we've gotten,” Remus said, giving her a small smile. “The Order needs Ron back. The Death Eaters will probably expect us to delay and then use a large force, if we get in and out before they expect us, there will be fewer casualties.”
Hermione stood, wavering. If she exposed Draco to everyone in the room, there was no guarantee it would even stop them. It could just shatter the Order.
“Will you come, Hermione, to help me get Ron back?” Harry turned from the table and was studying her seriously.
“Harry—,” she started in a pleading voice.
“I don't know what they might have done to him after so many days,” Harry interrupted her, his voice thick. There was a tremor underlying it. “He could be — really, really hurt. That's why I need you to come. You're the best. You're the best Healer. If he's too hurt, we might not be able to get him out without you. But I'm going to go — I have to go get him.”
“
Hermione swallowed. “Of course. Of course I'll come.”
Harry gave a relieved sigh and grinned at her. “Good. Come see the plan.”
The plan wasn't the Order's best. Strategy had always been Ron's strength and everyone could feel his absence and the need for him as they looked down at the blueprint before them.
Hermione's job was to stay down and let everyone else deal with any guards or fighting. She was supposed to heal Ron as rapidly as possible once they found him in case they had to fight their way out. If there was a firefight, she was to get Ron out. Once she had gotten him clear, everyone else would retreat.
Hermione stared down at the blueprint. It was a trap. The layout was too obvious, too detailed for a snatcher to know. She gnawed her lip as she considered what to do.
“Alright. Everyone get ready. We'll head out in fifteen minutes,” Harry said.
Hermione fidgeted nervously. “I need to get my kit. You didn't give me a chance to bring my supplies.”
Harry turned to stare at her, his green eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to sneak back and contact Kingsley so he can stop us?”
The corner of Hermione's mouth twitched. “No. I won't.”
“Promise?”
“I promise, I'll just get my kit from Grimmauld Place and leave. I won't tell anyone in the Order or the Resistance.”
Harry gave a slow nod. “Alright. Go fast. If you aren't back in fifteen minutes we're going to leave without you.”
Hermione rushed out of the cottage and apparated to the shack.
She waited for a few minutes. She felt cold with terror.
Moody was in Scotland. Kingsley was out gathering reconnaissance reports. There was no one to contact quick enough. No one who could or would stop Harry.
If she sent a patronus, she had nothing to say but that Harry was walking into a trap somewhere near Cambridge. It wasn't enough information for Kingsley to act on in time.
If Draco knew something, if he could tell her something concrete, she might be able to use it to dissuade Harry.
She gnawed at her fingernails and twisted at the collar of her shirt.
Finally she swallowed hard. Draco wasn't coming. It had been nearly ten minutes.
She was out of time.
She conjured a piece of paper and scribbled a note for him with the the relevant details. Location. Strategy. Her suspicions. So if he came, he'd at least know why she'd called him.
She used a sticking charm to place it in the center of the floor where it was impossible to miss and headed to Grimmauld Place.
She sprinted up the stairs to her closet and pulled out her healing kit. It was almost identical to the one she'd given Draco but with a few more specialized potions and bandages and splints. She shrank it down and stuffed it into her pocket and then pulled up a floorboard and snatched up her knives; strapping one onto her left arm under her shirt and then the other onto her calf under her trousers. She started to reach for her cloak but drew her hand back. Too obvious. It could raise questions.
She stood up and rushed back out the door.