A spell bursts through the trees and her turns to her, not in alarm, but in suspicion. Hermione gives him a sharp glare before placing a protective charm around them. A barrage of curses and hexes causes the defensive barrier to dissipate, and both Hermione and Tom slip back into the darkness. Her back is against a tree, her wand held up, as she searches for the source of the attack. She finds Tom’s eyes, glinting red in the dark. The Tom in front of her now is more like the villain of her childhood than the debonair upstart at the center of parties. His face is pale, sharp. Focused.