That night, Hermione had no trouble sneaking out of the Manor, while everyone else was still out at the gala, and finding her way to the address, though calling it an address was a stretch. The path that led under the noisy, frequented bridge that Longbottom insisted she meet him at was pitch-black and Hermione nearly tripped twice. At the last step, pale arms reached out to steady her as she almost succumbed to a near-fatal fall.