Fighting the urge to bounce from one foot to the other in her nervousness, Hermione stared down the guards on duty. Neither of them cared much for her, but they also had no lasting grudges. The smartest of the idiots tasked with the village's protection understood that if they just resisted being openly hostile to her, their lives were generally easier. Fearing that their attention would be drawn to the noise, she attempted to step through the gates the second she arrived. To their credit, they seemed to have no intention of stopping her. The first hurdle to getting away appeared to be over. Relaxing her tense shoulders only slightly, she believed she had an actual chance of making it.