Hermione had no way of knowing that when tasked to kill Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy had become the unwitting master of the elder wand. She did not know that several months previously, Draco Malfoy had experienced a change of heart when asked to play a role in the assassination of his father, who had lost the favor of Lord Voldemort. Draco had lost his nerve and fled Malfoy Manor with Harry Potter, a scuffle which left Draco disarmed and Splinched. 