She was bone-weary, having sat up half the night waiting for Ron to return; he had been out on a mission to capture or kill a confirmed Death Eater sympathiser. Ron had returned in one piece, his target eliminated, not captured. Hermione didn’t think he had even tried to take the sympathiser alive, although she would never – could never – ask Ron that. The growing hardness in his eyes was starting to scare Hermione, and even after his return at one am she had lain awake another three hours, worrying.