At last she could make out the pounding of many footsteps, and Hermione’s relief was so great she could have burst. The teachers and older students of Hogwarts had come to join the battle, led by Professor McGonagall. Their wands were drawn. Hermione darted forward and into the safety of their ranks, gripping her own wand in a shaking hand. She kept to the front, although every instinct told her to take refuge in the middle.