Harry Potter and the Prophecy War

AN: This story is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Bearers of the Light. That story followed directly from book five and for the purpose of my plot book six does not exist. I hope that everyone enjoys this story and for the people who liked Light Bearers I hope this sequel lives up to your expectations.

Chapter 1 - Forbidden Legacy

Harry groaned as he lay uncomfortably in his bed on the second story of the Dursley home. The Dursley house at Number Four Privet Drive had been Harry's home for almost his entire life out of necessity. Powerful wards protected Harry from his nemesis, the darkest wizard in the world, Lord Voldemort. Voldemort, the very thought of him made Harry seethe with rage, which was unfortunate because the effort of getting angry hurt.

It had been over two weeks since Harry had returned to Privet Drive to recover from the ordeal that had left him physically and magically drained. Hermione had nearly been killed, again, because he had failed to listen to her. She had pleaded with him for months to confront Dumbledore about his strange activities. Had Harry done so he might have learned enough to uncover Voldemort's plot to kidnap him. Instead that succeeded and forced Hermione to risk her life to free him. Indeed, Hermione had very nearly died in a battle with Voldemort that she knew she couldn't win just so she could distract him long enough for Dumbledore to rescue Harry.

The result was Hermione's mind nearly destroyed by Voldemort in an insidious attack with his powerful legimency. Hermione had been lucky enough to barely escape thanks to the special bond she and Harry had developed between them. A process they had discovered, which was known as Itomency, had allowed Harry and Hermione to share a telepathic link. The link was virtually unknown to most of the wizarding world due to the fact that it took immense power for any couple to form one. They had discovered the magic during their studies of the more common skills of legimency and occlumency.

After Hermione's flight into Harry's mind to escape the destruction of her own it was up to Harry to repair the extensive damage that Voldemort had done. It had taken days without sleep combined with almost inhuman exertion on his part but he had succeeded. Hermione had returned home to her parent's to recover from her ordeal just like Harry had come back to Privet Drive. He had never been more relieved in his entire life.

Thinking about Hermione made Harry's heart ache from worry and longing to see her again. It was one thing to talk to her telepathically, a wonderful thing, but it was no substitute for being in the same room with her. Still, Harry found himself wishing that he could at least talk to her or failing that get some sleep. Of course right now those two goals were the same. They could only communicate with each other if both were awake or both were asleep and judging from Hermione's lack of responsiveness she was currently asleep.

Madam Pomfrey had been visiting them both and she assured Harry that Hermione was nearly whole again, which was somewhat consoling. Harry's condition was beyond her help though; he would either recover or not on his own. Harry's magical energies had been seriously depleted but he was confident that they would return. He could already feel his power returning, though slower than he would have liked.

Harry finally gave up and reached for the Dreamless Sleep potion that he had been given by Madam Pomfrey. He hated to use it since it induced unconsciousness instead of true sleep but he was aching too much to tolerate staying awake any longer.

The next thing Harry knew he was blinking his eyes blissfully for the couple of seconds between sleep and the dull throbbing pain of his existence. He groaned loudly and pushed himself into a more upright position so he could grab his breakfast. Dobby had been bringing him food ever since he had arrived. The Dursleys had been incensed at his early return, even though it had only been a little while before normal, and had refused to do anything for him. He hadn't seen them at all but that wasn't upsetting. If it weren't for the pain his seclusion would actually have been enjoyable.

Harry looked around the drab room as he munched on his toast. There wasn't much there anymore since all his belongings had been taken to Grimmauld Place because he couldn't use them. Even his faithful owl, Hedwig, was being taken care of by Remus Lupin while Harry recovered.

Depressed by his surroundings Harry tried to take his mind off of things by turning to the Daily Prophet. He should have known better. The Prophet had always been the worst kind of propagandistic rag that continually skewed facts and slandered the people it wrote about to serve the Ministry's agenda. These days the paper trumpeted brave headlines about how the Ministry was working to bring Voldemort to justice while at the same time glossing over the fact that the Ministry had nearly ceased to function as a law enforcement organism. Fudge, who was now in office well beyond any previous Minister thanks to the wizard equivalent of marshal law, had withdrawn all his forces to protect Ministry assets. The general public had been quietly left to fend for themselves.

There were a few smattering of articles about the Order and even a new one about the Bearers of the Light, the organization that Harry created with the help of Hermione. It was actually Hermione's idea; a group designed to be their own version of the Order of the Phoenix, but loyal to an idea of universal sentient rights instead of to a specific person. At least that was the theory, although Harry suspected not everyone was as enthusiastic about their stated ideological goals as Hermione. Regardless, all members wore the emblems of a torch, symbolizing the light they carried, which also allowed Harry and Hermione to utilize a rudimentary communication with everyone.

Harry sighed as he finished the article on the Light Bearers. The Prophet knew nothing so it decided to make up something to fill in the gaps. All sorts of theories were expounded upon from the laughable to the downright maddening. However, since the Light Bearers had so far done little publicly, mainly due to their leaders being nearly fatally injured, the organization had also received little press coverage. That suited Harry just fine, they were still young and needed to be able to operate in the shadows unimpeded.

Fred and George Weasley had done an almost unimaginably good job when it came to operating by stealth. The two recruitment chiefs had added literally dozens of witches and wizards to their ranks. Moreover, Harry could feel additional people donning the emblem every day. It was reassuring that so many people were eager to participate in the struggle for the freedom of the magical world and were not content to merely sit on the sidelines.

“Harry, are you finally up?” Hermione's voice echoed through his mind. Harry smiled at her comforting presence.

“Yeah, I finally took a dreamless sleeping potion late last night and its effects last for a fixed period of time,” Harry explained.

“Madam Pomfrey came by, she said that as far as she can tell I'm completely healed,” Hermione said. Harry had known that she would be all right but nevertheless he felt a rush of relief wash over him when he heard the confirmation. “Is it okay if I come over?”

“Yes, please, I've missed you so much,” Harry began but stopped when the air shimmered in front of him and Hermione popped into existence. She was wearing an old loose pair of jeans and a jumper that looked like had probably been handed down from her mother. Her hair was bushier than ever and looked like she hadn't combed it in at least a week but Harry found it oddly appealing.

“I missed you too Harry,” she said as she rushed over to hug him, “but it makes it easier to be apart since we can talk to each other whenever we want.”

Harry winced as he nodded. As eager as he was to embrace Hermione again his body was still sore from the severe physical toll it had taken. Not only had the nullification potion been breaking down his physical structure, the efforts that had healed Hermione had also taken an unexpected measure of his strength.

“Are you still in pain?” Hermione asked with concern. Harry nodded and described how his muscles felt whenever he tried to move.

“Have you not gotten up since Dumbledore brought you here?” Hermione asked incredulously.

“Madam Pomfrey told me to avoid doing anything except what I just have to. I've not gotten up very much.” Harry replied.

“Typical, magical medicine is so advanced and yet so archaic. Haven't you ever heard the old phrase that if you don't use it you'll lose it?” Hermione said. “You need to get up and move around as much as possible to help strengthen yourself again. Bed rest isn't going to help you anymore, it's not like you have physical wounds.”

With Hermione's help Harry had soon taken his feet and together they walked slowly to the door before heading downstairs. Hermione had her wand out just in case she needed to catch him if he fell. Harry noticed that she had his wand again and it looked like she had polished it because it was much shinier than it had been when he was taking care of it. Dumbledore told Harry that he had placed his wand inside his desk drawer but since Harry had no reason to use it he hadn't bothered to look. Harry and Hermione had traded wands since Harry, as the only one who could kill Voldemort, needed a wand that would work against the dark wizard's. On the other hand Hermione would be better served by the protective effects of prior incantato that Harry's wand would afford her.

“This isn't as bad as I thought it would be,” Harry said as they reached the bottom of the stairs. “Where do you want to go next? If we went slow I think I could walk around the block.”

“I'm sorry Harry, we can't go outside,” Hermione said apologetically. “Dumbledore said that with Voldemort believing that I'm dead I need to stay hidden. He even sent in an obituary to the Prophet.”

“I hadn't noticed,” Harry replied. “I mean, I don't really read the Prophet cover to cover. I didn't even know they did obituaries.”

“They usually don't. They've started the service up again since the war is expected to cause many untimely deaths,” Hermione said quietly.

Harry grimaced again and tried to change the subject. “I just wish there was a potion I could take to recover instantly.”

“Honestly Harry, you can't shortcut your way to everything with magic,” Hermione said scathingly.

“I didn't mean it that way Hermione,” he replied.

“I know you didn't,” Hermione said quickly, looking abashed. “It's just that I already thought of the perfect cure and brought it up with Dumbledore, but he dismissed it out of hand. I didn't mean to take my frustration out on you.”

“Don't worry, after fifth year you're entitled to take out as much frustration on me as you want,” Harry joked. “So what was the cure?”

“The Elixir of Life,” Hermione replied. “Its healing properties are nearly endless.”

“But isn't that the substance created by the Sorcerer's Stone?” Harry asked.

“Precisely,” Hermione said, “all we have to do is recreate the stone and we can make an endless supply of the perfect medicine.”

“All we have to do?” Harry voiced skeptically.

“The stone's original creator, Nicholas Flamel, was not an especially powerful wizard, merely knowledgeable in the art of alchemy. The stone may have been destroyed but the knowledge was not. All we have to do is piece together how its done, experiment, and eventually we can make another stone for ourselves.” Hermione said enthusiastically.

“That could take years though. We don't really know anything about alchemy.” Harry replied.

“This war could take years,” Hermione said somberly. Her voice grew bitter as she continued. “I tried to move the process along by enlisting Dumbledore's aid since he knew Flamel but he wouldn't help. He said that the stone was too dangerous and that anyone who couldn't uncover its secrets for themselves were not wise enough to use it.”

Harry sputtered indignantly, “Then why teach magic at all? By that logic anyone who can't discover how to use spells on their own isn't wise enough to use them.”

“I know Harry, I said as much and a bit more, but he wouldn't listen.” Hermione replied. “So shall we attempt it?”

“If you think it's a good idea then I'm sold. I'm sick of Dumbledore's endless scheming and arbitrary rule making.” Harry spat. He had secretly thought it foolish to destroy the first Sorcerer's Stone but he had only been eleven at the time and had figured that Dumbledore knew best.

“I was afraid that you wouldn't want to try if Dumbledore didn't want to,” Hermione said slowly.

“Hermione, I trust you, implicitly, and frankly in my eyes you're far wiser than Dumbledore,” Harry said firmly.

Hermione blushed and looked down, “I wouldn't go that far.”

“I would. Your track record blows his away recently and that's no exaggeration,” Harry said. It wasn't either. Hermione had been right repeatedly about Dumbledore needing to tell Harry important information, Sirius, and a whole litany of other things that Harry couldn't even begin to detail.

“Anyway,” Hermione began, blushing even harder at the compliment, “I've already asked the twins to start researching and they need to give us a report on the Light Bearers too. I thought maybe we could combine those two meetings if you feel up to it.”

Harry groaned as he remembered the pain in his limbs. “Actually, all this talk was taking my mind off of the aching. A nice long boring meeting might do nicely. I'll need to change my clothes though.”

“Where do you keep them at, your closet?” Hermione asked.

“Er, yeah, but I can go get them while you summon the twins,” Harry replied.

“Honestly Harry, I'm a witch remember?” Hermione said with mock exasperation as she waved her wand. Instantly Harry's usual muggle outfit of jeans and a T-shirt replaced his pajamas.

“I forgot about that,” Harry laughed.

Hermione grinned. “I'll be back in a few minutes then, don't go anywhere.”

Harry didn't think that was likely but before he could say so Hermione shimmered away using the noiseless apparation technique that only the most powerful wizards could master. Harry could do it, so could Voldemort and Dumbledore, but no one else that Harry had ever met could. It was rumored that the avatar warriors that Voldemort had created were able to as well, which made sense since they possessed most of their master's powers, but so far no one had actually survived a close encounter with one.

The avatars were fearsome people made weapons by a dark ritual that turned them into exactly what their names implied. They were empowered with the magic of the one that created them and in exchange they lost their free will when it came to their master's orders. Harry feared that it was only a matter of time before Voldemort decided that he was strong enough to unleash his minions without restraint. Thus far Voldemort had contented himself with targeted attacks or attacks on the muggle born and others he considered as being worthless.

Two sharp cracks interrupted Harry's thoughts. Fred, George, and Hermione had arrived carrying armfuls of assorted materials Harry concluded must be research for the Sorcerer's Stone.

“Wow, you guys have that much information on the stone already?” Harry goggled.

“Er, well, sorta,” Fred said.

“Actually most of this is stuff for the Light Bearers,” George added.

“Some of these papers are deeds to houses that we've been buying and converting into staging areas or supply depots for our forces,” Hermione explained. “I insisted that strict documentation be kept on everything so we know where the money is going.”

“Yeah, and we need some more mate,” George added. “We've been withdrawing on your behalf using Hermione's key while you were out of it, but now that you're back you should have some input.”

“I suppose so,” Harry said dryly.

“Yeah, we need about fifteen hundred galleons for various supplies, wand cores, potion ingredients, dark detectors, and what not,” George said as he handed Harry a list.

“Also, we need about forty thousand muggle pounds to buy an old abandoned house and the surrounding grounds,” Fred said, also handing Harry some more papers.

“Ron has drawn up the coverage and material demands of each cell,” Hermione said. “We're positioning each stronghold strategically for minimal overlap. Also we're trying to take into account the amount of space we may eventually need to house the families of our members should they become targets or in case of their identities getting leaked.”

“Whoa, slow down,” Harry said. He rubbed his temples. “I trust you guys to handle the details. It sounds like you're doing a far better job than I could anyway.”

The twins beamed. “Right then, business as usual it is. Now, here is the stuff we got on the old magic rock thingie,” Fred said.

“Basically, the short of it is that you must somehow crystallize a synthesis of every element, both muggle and magical, into a stable latticework structure and imbed a corporeal core of pure magical essence into it,” George said.

“What the professor here is trying to say is that you've got to put enough of yourself into it to make it able to perpetuate itself and you've got to put in a sample of everything that exists so it can take one substance and transform it into another.” Fred said.

“Er, actually the elements are the base for the elixir and the magic core is like its engine.” Hermione said. “The effect of turning things into gold is really more of a side effect.”

The twins scowled at her. “Why did you ask us to research this again?” Fred said sarcastically.

“Sorry guys,” Hermione grinned, “I was hoping you'd find out something I hadn't.”

“Well you've got everything we have now, though we can't vouch for the accuracy of all of it. Some is just hearsay. The stone was originally created several hundred years ago now and Flamel wasn't exactly transparent with his research. I'm afraid you two will have to recreate most of the process on your own.” Fred said.

“I suspected as much,” Hermione replied. “Is there anything else?”

“Well, not really,” George began.

“Actually,” Fred interrupted, “there is something, just not much of something.”

“You see, the Light Bearer intelligence branch is infantile to be generous,” George continued. “But right now everything we've got points to a big Voldemort operation sometime in the…er, intermediate future…to achieve…uh, unknown goals.”

“Yeah, real helpful,” Harry rolled his eyes, “I could have predicted that.”

“We'll take anything we can get though,” Hermione added quickly. “We know everything is still in its beginning phase.”

Harry opened his mouth to reassure the twins that he hadn't meant anything derogatory by his statement when the door burst open. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had made it home. They stared at the scene in front of them, which was complete with papers strewn about and the twins dressed in odd wizard clothes standing in front of the sofa. Vernon immediately turned his traditional color of purple and began working himself into an indignant rage.

“Boy,” he yelled, “how dare you bring these, these, freaks into our house and make such an unsightly mess. What if we had of had company? What if someone wanted to make a delivery? We won't have ourselves sullied with your unnaturalness.”

Harry cringed and started to apologize but the usually jovial twins had suddenly become very serious.

“Are you bloody stupid or something?” George asked him darkly.

“You do realize that you're standing in front of the most powerful witch and possibly the most powerful wizard in the entire world don't you?” Fred huffed. “They could turn you both into frogs with a glance.”

“They wouldn't dare,” Aunt Petunia sniffed, “Its against the rules.”

“Actually I'm of age,” Hermione said coolly, “and you know Harry will be soon too.”

“More than that,” George interjected, “They're the only two people that can save this world from Voldemort and protect you from enslavement or death. If I were you I'd try not being such an arse to them.”

Petunia had paled at this news regarding Voldemort and even Vernon looked a little unsettled.

“Reckon we ought to tell them the prophecy bro?” Fred asked as he cast a sidelong glance at George.

“I think they deserve to know,” Fred replied meaningfully and then proceeded to repeat the prophecy that everyone in the world of magic now knew by heart. Dumbledore had accidentally allowed Voldemort to find out the prophecy when he told the Minister of Magic in order to secure an alliance with the government. After Voldemort knew there was no point in keeping it secret so it was released to the general public soon thereafter.

“That's…that's you boy?” Vernon said shakily once Fred finished. “You're the only one that can stop this Lord Whatsit?”

“Yeah,” Harry said dully.

“Can you do it?” Aunt Petunia asked in a strained voice.

“I don't know,” Harry replied, “maybe.”

“He can,” Hermione said hotly, “Harry is strong and he has all of us helping him.”

“Thanks Hermione,” Harry said softly as she slipped her hand into his. The twins arched their eyebrows questioningly.

“Not a word you two,” Hermione said suddenly when she realized they'd given themselves away, “to anyone.”

Thankfully the Dursley's missed the significance of what had transpired because the twins decided that it was time for them to take their dramatic leave.

“We've got to return to the shop and get ready for business tomorrow,” Fred said stiffly.

“If we're no longer required here,” George added in the same reverent tone.

“You're both dismissed,” Hermione said formally as she caught on to what they were doing. Harry was still completely confused. “Until our next scheduled meeting be prepared to answer our summons in an instant.”

“As you command,” the twins said in unison as they clamped fists to hearts in an ancient wizard version of the salute. An instant later they disappeared with the loud cracks that accompanied apparation.

Vernon looked utterly cowed by the fact that Harry apparently had loyal followers ready to appear for him at a moment's notice. He grabbed Petunia and beat a hasty retreat out of the room. Harry turned to Hermione with a questioning look.

“So what was all that about?” he asked.

“Part of it was Ron's idea and part of it I think they just made up on the spot,” Hermione said, then elaborated. “The salute part was Ron's idea. He thinks it builds solidarity in the ranks for people to salute each other. I was skeptical first but everyone seems to have gotten into it so maybe he was right. I think the other bit was the twins trying to put a little fear and respect for you into the Dursleys. It seems to have worked a little too.”

The sky was getting dark and some silent lightening was flashing in the distance. Harry leaned over and kissed Hermione gently on the lips.

“I've got such wonderful friends,” he said solemnly. “We've just got to win Hermione. We've got to save them…everyone.”

“I know Harry, I know,” Hermione said softly as she wrapped her arms around him. “Let's just enjoy the moment for now.”

“I love you Hermione.”

“I love you too Harry.”

They must have nodded off for a while because it was getting very dark by the time Hermione shook Harry awake.

“I've got to get home for the night but I'll come back tomorrow. I'll go get a cauldron and we can start experimenting with alchemy.” Hermione said. With a final heartfelt squeeze and Harry's assurance that he could make it back to his room without difficulty Hermione shimmered away back to her home.

Harry moved slowly back up the stairs and thankfully made it to his room before Dudley drug himself back in from his usual night of rabble rousing. The trip back upstairs was slightly easier than the trip down had been and Harry found himself being thankful yet again for Hermione's good advice.

The next morning Harry made it down to the living room early to await Hermione's arrival. She had told him via their link that they would need the space in the living room for their experiments. Harry made himself some toast and sat down cross-legged on the floor. He found the cold hard surface somewhat refreshing as he tried to wake himself up.

The air shimmered for an instant as Hermione apparated in front of Harry carrying several packages and dangling a cauldron from her arm.

“Sorry it took so long, I had to find some things from the potions lab at Grimmauld Place,” Hermione explained. The mansion that Harry had inherited from his godfather Sirius had contained many useful things including the well-stocked potions lab.

“So long?” Harry grinned, “I just got up.”

Hermione reddened slightly, “I've been anxious to get back to work for so long now I guess I'm just impatient.”

Even though they were literally in a struggle for survival the adventure of learning new things was still irresistibly exciting for Hermione. Harry smiled to himself as he helped her unpack all the equipment that she had brought. Anytime Hermione had the opportunity to do something new she always took on an aura of delight that was really quite infectious, at least to Harry.

“All right, I think we're about ready to begin,” Hermione said. She conjured up a long silver disk about a meter in diameter and an inch thick. In the center of the disk she lit a tiny blue fire and over it she erected a silver tripod to suspend the cauldron from.

“What's that?” Harry asked as he pointed to a bottle of thick metallic Hermione had set aside first.

“It's a specially treated form of mercury that we will use as a base for the Sorcerer's Stone,” Hermione replied. “Don't worry, its safe for us to handle like this, part of its treatment is a modified containment spell.”

Harry picked up one of the reference books Hermione had brought as she emptied the bottle of liquid into the cauldron. Now came a process that was barely better than trial and error as they added different amounts of various materials to see what effect they would have on the mixture. In theory they knew all the materials that went into the stone and even something of the basic process. In practice however they didn't know the precise method or amount of materials needed. Even the order in which the potion would be made wasn't entirely clear. On top of that there were literally hundreds of slight variables that only someone with advanced alchemy knowledge would be able to narrow down.

“Boy!” a shout came from upstairs, “What in blazes are you trying to do, burn us out?”

Harry groaned audibly. A thin tendril of green smoke was curling up from the cauldron now but apparently that was enough to set Vernon off. Heavy footfalls sounded on the stairs as Vernon lumbered down for another round of yelling. Harry glanced at Hermione with an exasperated look at what was coming.

“This is the last straw you freakish little ingrate,” Vernon roared. Apparently the twin's show hadn't done as much as Hermione had hoped. Vernon surveyed the piles of supplies surrounding the couple's cauldron for a moment before continuing his rant. “I take you in, feed you, clothe you, let you go to your freak school, and what do I get in return? A bloody chemistry lab in the middle of the floor making who knows what kind of devilish rubbish.”

Hermione had heard Vernon's rages described before but actually seeing one go on in full force was still an eye-opening event. Her mouth was slightly agape as she collected herself.

“Actually, this rubbish we're trying to make is known as the Sorcerer's Stone,” Hermione said with a mock sweet voice. “Its main use is the production of a rare substance known as the Elixir of Life. The elixir can heal virtually any illness or wound and grants the regular drinker eternal life.”

Vernon goggled at them with open disbelief. He had never imagined that magic could do something like that.

“You're lying,” he said when he finally found his voice. “That's impossible and if it were possible then your bloody lot would all be living forever.”

“It's not a simple thing to do,” Harry said. “Only one other wizard and witch managed to create a Sorcerer's Stone. That stone has since been destroyed.”

“So this bloody, well this ruddy, so this immortality thing, you two can make one of those?” Vernon sputtered.

“Well possibly if we're left alone,” Hermione replied tartly.

“Right then, well, mind you I'd better not find any burn marks on the floors or the furniture,” Vernon said sternly before waddling back up the stairs shaking his massive head.

“How did you put up with that?” Hermione asked Harry as soon as the insufferable man had left.

“No choice,” Harry replied shortly. “I generally tried not to be noticed.”

Hermione clutched his arm gently in a sign of support before they both redirected their concentration back to their potion. For hours they worked, although Hermione did the most difficult parts since Harry was still recovering. In the end though all the cauldron yielded was a fine sand like powder.

“This is good Harry,” Hermione said excitedly as they examined the light pink material.

“How so?” Harry asked. It looked like an utter failure to him.

“That's right, you didn't read that part yet,” Hermione said as she rummaged through her pack for a book. “Basically the fact that we've already got the end product down to a more or less crystalline substance means we've skipped through a lot of the process Flamel pioneered. We could be what amounts to several years into this already.”

“So we're close then?” Harry asked.

“Well, actually, from what I can tell by the time Flamel got to this point it still took him another fifteen years to make the stone. But the fact that we've come this far already bodes well for our chances at cutting down the rest of the process too.” Hermione said optimistically.

Over the next few days Harry found himself getting very aquatinted with the various types of powder that the process could produce. There was rough powder, gravely powder, and even pebble sized smooth looking rocks that Hermione really got excited over. At no point however did they get anything even remotely close to a crystal, let alone to a large crystal stone with a corporeal magical core.

Dudley had taken to observing them at odd intervals when his parents weren't around to keep him from it. Vernon might grudgingly allow Harry and Hermione to work on the secret to eternal life so that he could perhaps enjoy the benefits himself but he would never allow his precious Dudders to get mixed up in “freakish business.”

Of course Harry didn't think that Vernon needed to worry about Dudley mixing up potions anytime soon. The oafish boy could barely see his way to walking straight most of the time let alone understand the subtle complexities of potion making. Harry flinched at that thought as he realized it sounded suspiciously like Snape.

“Pay attention Harry,” Hermione interrupted his thoughts. “Did you get those last notations recorded?”

“Er, yeah, I think I got…” Harry stopped speaking abruptly as someone knocked on the door loudly.

“Who could that be?” Hermione asked nervously. There was no way they'd be able to hide everything in time.

“Let me check, maybe I can just send them away,” Harry said. He scurried over to the door and peered through the peephole.

“Dumbledore!” He exclaimed as he opened up. “This is a surprise.”

“Not really,” Hermione's voice echoed in his mind. “He undoubtedly is here to try to convince me yet again to abandon the research on the stone.”

“I'm glad to find you recovering so well Harry,” the elderly Headmaster of Hogwarts said sincerely. “I see Miss Granger has been keeping you company. Where is Mr. Weasley?”

“Uh, he's been pretty busy lately,” Harry said sheepishly. Ron, along with the twins, was doing the bulk of the work for the Light Bearers right now while Harry recovered.

“He's helping the twins with their work,” Hermione said evasively. Neither of them had actually lied to Dumbledore yet, instead walking the fine line of misdirection in a very Dumbledore like way. Harry flinched again. First thinking like Snape and now acting like Dumbledore…what was the world coming to?

“Yes, I'm sure he is,” Dumbledore said smoothly, “You two appear to be quite busy as well. Attempting to resurrect something that perhaps should be left buried I see.”

“The stone could be the difference between victory and defeat,” Hermione said defiantly. “Voldemort already has his body back and perhaps some sort of invincibility as well if rumor is to be believed. There is no reason imaginable not to recreate the stone.”

“Death is a part of life,” Dumbledore said darkly, “Those who seek to cheat death often succumb to the lure of the dark powers that immortality give one the leisure to study. Those who have everything want more, just as Voldemort ultimately wants more than just eternity.”

“Flamel didn't have that problem,” Harry pointed out.

“Nicholas was an uncommon wizard, but it was difficult for him to give up what he had even when he knew that it would be taken from him by Voldemort if he did not,” Dumbledore said sadly.

“That's what this is really about isn't it,” Hermione said scathingly, “Your old friend died and you can't bear to see someone else bring back his creation so soon.”

Dumbledore looked like Hermione had punched him in the gut for a moment before he hid the pain. Harry felt a twinge of guilt and sorrow for the old wizard. Dumbledore had worked tirelessly his entire life trying to do what was right and even though he had made errors his heart was in the right place.

“Regardless of what you believe my intentions to be the stone should not be made again,” Dumbledore said coldly. “We have already been through this discussion Miss Granger and as you so ably pointed out there is little I can do to stop you from your headlong pursuit of magic you don't understand. That is not the reason I came here. We have a more pressing problem.”

Dumbledore took a heavy parchment from beneath his robes and flung it towards them. “This is a copy of an article soon to be published in the Daily Prophet. I managed to obtain it but was unable to prevent its release.”

Harry felt his blood chill as he read the headline of the paper.

Hermione Granger Alive and In Love With the Boy Who Lived?

Despite the fact that Albus Dumbledore recently reported that sixth year Hogwarts' student and prefect Hermione Granger was killed in an accident the Prophet has recently uncovered evidence to bring this story into question. Sources inside the Ministry of Magic report that Miss Granger may have indeed been seriously injured but not in a simple school accident. Shockingly allegations have been made that Miss Granger may have confronted He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in a duel and in the process foiled a Ministry plan to bring about the final defeat of the Dark Lord. No official Ministry comment has been made at this time but one unnamed source is reported to have said that this is just the latest in a long line of interference from outside forces that have hampered the ongoing efforts to contain the forces of darkness.

In addition, the Prophet has obtained exclusive photos of Miss Granger and the Boy Who Lived in what can only be described as a romantic situation. This paper has reported such a relationship in the past but until now both Miss Granger and Mr. Potter always vigorously denied it. While neither of them was available for comment the facts seem to speak for themselves. (Story continued page 7, details of Mr. Potter's past relationships explored on page 10)

Under the headline was a moving photograph of himself and Hermione sitting on the sofa right here in the house. Hermione had her arms wrapped around Harry and his head was leaning on the top of hers. They looked to be asleep, but every once in a while they would wake up and kiss gently before going back to sleep.

“It's actually rather sweet looking,” Hermione said softly as she looked over Harry's shoulder.

“If Voldemort doesn't know about you being alive he will shortly,” Dumbledore interrupted. “Any advantage that we would have had in that area has been squandered.”

Hermione bristled at his tone. “It would have happened with or without the picture. Do you really think that reporters just happened to be lurking around Harry's home for a lark?”

“They were tipped off about what really happened by the Ministry,” Harry said as he caught on to where Hermione was going. Hermione had shown him everything that happened in her memory after he had been kidnapped. “They knew that Hermione was going to confront Voldemort, they may have even seen me bring her back. They got suspicious and decided to see if everything happened as we claimed it did.”

“Right,” Hermione said. She glowered at Dumbledore. “Now that the Order and the Ministry are no longer allies Fudge is out to ruin us again. If that happens to paint a target squarely on me yet again then so much the better, isn't that right? The Ministry thinks it can sell us out while it comes up with a way to stop Voldemort. With any luck we'll all die in the process of killing Voldemort and Fudge will be left to pick up the pieces.”

“We knew this would happen eventually,” Dumbledore replied to Hermione in a serene voice while pointedly ignoring her conspiracy theory. “As soon as I finish here I'm going to go inspect the wards on your home.”

“There's something else?” Harry asked. He already felt his chest contracting painfully at Hermione's mention of her being a target again. Harry had long ago accepted Hermione's dangerous role at an intellectual level but his heart still refused to go along quietly.

“I'm afraid that the wards I placed here which contain part of the magical protection your mother left for you are also due to begin fading as you come of age. I don't expect them to disappear instantly as soon as you turn seventeen, of course, since magic works gradually and each individual comes of age at their own pace. The law says seventeen because it's a sort of average.” Dumbledore said.

“How will I know when they're gone?” Harry asked. “Or even when I come of age for that matter.”

“I can show you how to feel their presence,” Dumbledore replied. “As for when you come of age, there is really no way to know for sure. Basically a wizard comes of age when their natural magical abilities have fully manifested themselves. After that point you can only become stronger by knowledge and training.”

“It's a lot like your physical body then,” Hermione broke in. “As you mature your muscles grow stronger but then you reach a point where only exercise can strengthen them further.”

“Precisely,” Dumbledore said, “That's why we call ourselves wizards and not sorcerers. A sorcerer's power is purely natural and emotional with no knowledge and very little training required. Of course sorcerers are very rare, but surprisingly powerful.”

“I'd never even heard of such a thing,” Harry said. Hermione didn't say anything so he suspected she hadn't either.

After they finished talking Hermione stayed to watch the final stage of their experimental potion while Harry and Dumbledore went into another room to focus on sensing the wards. Harry had little trouble attuning himself to the wards since he was the recipient of their protective powers. It felt like a warm heat radiating out from the invisible locations where the wards were set. Almost like how a bright lamp feels on a cold day, as if you had a little piece of the sun next to you.

Even though it only took a short while when they returned to the living room Hermione was already packing their experiment away for the day. She had apparently been put off by Dumbledore's presence or else decided that they didn't have time to undertake the lengthy experimental process again in the few hours left remaining of the day.

“I must be going now,” Dumbledore said, “but I do wish you would reconsider Miss Granger. In any event I recommend that both of you stay inside and prepare to come to Grimmauld Place as soon as Harry has his birthday.”

“Do I have to wait until then?” Harry asked.

“Its just a few more days Harry,” Hermione said with a roll of the eyes. He knew she sympathized with him though.

“We want the wards to maintain some effectiveness for as long as possible. Staying here until your birthday will help ensure that the wards will fade slower or perhaps never fade completely.” Dumbledore explained.

Harry nodded in acceptance. After all, with Hermione able to keep him company and their experiments to busy them the final few days wouldn't be so bad. Still, he vowed that as the very minute he could apparate without the Ministry detecting under aged magic he'd be leaving Privet Drive.

Dumbledore disappeared in a twirl of robes before Harry could say anything more. Hermione snorted and shook her head derisively, still ruffled over the old wizard's adamant insistence that they abandon the Sorcerer's Stone.

Harry picked up the paper again and stared at it. Hermione came over and stood by his side, clutching his arm. Harry wished he could will away the sense of dread that pressed down upon him. He could feel a similar sensation coming from Hermione across their link. Even more disturbing was the fact that the Ministry, though fully aware of the prophecy, seemed to be more than willing to undermine people who should be their allies.

“Don't worry Harry, it'll be all right,” she said softly.

“I hope so.”

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Chapter 2 - Dark Offensive

Harry sat and twiddled his thumbs as he stared at Hermione who was sitting opposite him. They were both trying to ignore Vernon and Petunia's obnoxious television show that was blaring nearby. It was only a few minutes until midnight according to the clock on the wall, but the only time piece that Harry cared about was a tiny crystal sun dial that sat on the table between him and Hermione. The little sundial was magically synchronized to keep official Ministry time and always cast a shadow no matter how poor the light happened to be.

The clock struck with its usual odd twanging sound. “Well, are you ruddy well leaving now boy?” Vernon asked gruffly.

“In a minute,” Harry replied. He pointed at the sundial. “We're giving it some extra time so that the Ministry has no room to complain.”

Hermione grinned excitedly. “Mum and Dad can't wait to finally meet you properly.”

It was actually strange to Harry that he'd never really got to meet with the Grangers in person for any long period of time under normal circumstances. He had seen them in Diagon Alley a few times and exchanged pleasantries, though that was hardly enough to get to know anyone. They'd even been in the same room together for extended periods of time just a few weeks ago when he was healing Hermione, but of course they had hardly been able to have a conversation for obvious reasons. Those times had never given them the luxury of just talking and getting to know each other like he had been able to with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

“I still don't know why you're insisting we go in the middle of the night,” Harry replied. “I was going to go to Grimmauld Place and then come over tomorrow.”

“You're such an old timer Harry. Mum and Dad don't sleep that much, especially on a weekend when they don't have to go in to the practice,” Hermione said. Her parents were dentists who owned their own business, which apparently afforded them a great deal of control over their schedules.

“Looks like its time,” Harry said when the timepiece finally indicated it was about five minutes past midnight.

“Happy birthday Harry!” Hermione exclaimed. She shot a meaningful glance at Harry's relatives.

“Uh, yes, very nice,” Vernon managed to choke out, but Petunia didn't even try. Hermione rolled her eyes at them with frustration and with that the teens shimmered away.

The Granger residence was a very modest place despite having two stories. The rooms were not nearly as tidy as the Dursley household was but they weren't overly messy either. Everything about the home seemed to speak to moderation or perhaps just normalcy. Harry wasn't sure he would know the difference.

“Harry, Hermione, you made it,” came a high melodious voice. A woman that could only be Hermione's mum came up behind them and gently began steering them out of the main room. She was a nondescript woman with surprisingly straight dirty blonde hair. “Come on into the kitchen.”

“Harry, so glad you could make it at this late hour,” Mr. Granger said as they entered the kitchen. He was a few inches taller than his wife and had wily brown hair that Harry was quite familiar with.

On the table was a frosted cake with candles that Harry could tell had been enchanted to burn by Hermione due to their tell tale blue tinge. Harry felt his face burn red with embarrassment that they'd went to so much trouble.

“Thank you. You shouldn't have, really,” he said shyly.

“Hermione told us you never had much of a birthday back with your relatives,” Mrs. Granger said gently.

“It's the least we can do for the one who saved our daughter,” Mr. Granger added fondly.

Harry just nodded. He felt torn again. Even though he knew intellectually that Hermione would have been in danger with or without him he still felt responsible for what happened to her. He didn't let her know that though since it would have worried her immensely.

“Make a wish” Mrs. Granger told Harry as she urged him to blow out the candles. Harry blew but the candles didn't quite go out at the right moment. He looked at Hermione curiously.

“Sorry,” she blushed. “I forgot that my fires are hard to put out.”

“What's with you and fire anyway?” Harry asked rather off topic.

“Er, I don't know, its just always been my natural element,” Hermione said nonchalantly.

“So how are you feeling now Harry?” Mr. Granger asked as he cut the cake and began passing out slices to everyone.

“Much better,” Harry said. He took a bite of cake. “I think I'm almost back to normal now.”

“Enjoy Harry,” Hermione said between mouthfuls. “This cake has real sugar in it. That's a rarity around here.”

Hermione's parents grinned a little sheepishly at them. Hermione had often talked about their obsession with not using sugar. Their smiles were bright and healthy enough that Harry thought that perhaps they had a point though.

“Headmaster Dumbledore told us that you two can communicate in your minds, telepathically, how does that work exactly?” Mr. Granger suddenly asked in a serious tone.

“You didn't explain it to them?” Harry asked Hermione nervously.

“They didn't really ask. I guess they wanted to wait until they had us both together before they talked about it.” Hermione said.

“Well, basically, it's an advanced form of legimency called Itomency. Legimency is a skill that enables one person to see into the mind of another depending on the relative strengths of the minds of the people involved. We really don't know much about it except how it works from using it since there is almost no literature on the subject.” Harry explained.

“Harry and I used legimency on each other so often we developed a strong mental connection. That connection was further enhanced by our own, uh…emotions and over time we began to see glimpses into each other's minds.” Hermione said. She blushed deeply and Harry could tell from her emotional overflow through the link that she really didn't want to talk about it with her parents.

“Now we've got a pretty fine control over it. We can communicate thoughts, memories, or emotions basically at will,” Harry added.

“It must be nice,” Mrs. Granger said wistfully. Harry supposed that most couples would like to share their emotions and thoughts on such a level.

“It's my favorite part of magic,” Hermione said solemnly. “Is this about something Dumbledore told you?”

“He called it a soul bond and he did mention several things about it,” Mrs. Granger replied. Harry admired Hermione's insight even if it was her own parents. She had an uncanny ability to read the intentions behind the actions of others and spot secondary motives.

“You shouldn't believe everything Dumbledore says,” Hermione said stiffly.

“Just because he made a mistake about the whole ministry business doesn't mean that he doesn't know things. He is the most powerful and knowledgeable wizard in the world, right?” Mr. Granger asked.

“Dumbledore may be the most knowledgeable, he is one of the oldest wizards after all, but in terms of power I doubt it.” Harry said, slightly babbling. “Of course he is strong. Before Voldemort knew that I am the only one who can kill him he dreaded Dumbledore and refused to fight him.”

“Being knowledgeable doesn't make your decisions always turn out to be the wisest though,” Hermione added. “We've seen the proof of that.”

“The bottom line is, I'd trust Hermione's judgement against Dumbledore's any day,” Harry interrupted as he finally came to his point. “She's been right now on almost every major issue that Dumbledore got wrong.”

“We just don't want either of you to get hurt,” Mrs. Granger said soothingly. “Hermione's our only daughter and anyone who is important to her is important to us. The Headmaster was concerned that you might be experimenting with something dangerous.”

Hermione looked like she was ready to throw a fit as she often was at Dumbledore's interference. Harry had to admit that his patience had grown very thin with his old mentor too, especially since he had taken to continually questioning Hermione.

“It's late,” Harry said diplomatically in an attempt to head off a confrontation, “I should go…”

“No Harry, don't,” Hermione said in a mollified tone. Her anger over Dumbledore's thinly veiled attack on her research into the Sorcerer's Stone evaporated. “The Order was scheduled to have a big meeting and you'd have to put up with Kreacher. You can stay here tonight.”

“I didn't want to impose,” Harry replied politely. Actually he was delighted to not need to return so quickly to Grimmauld Place after the fiasco over the winter holidays. He and Hermione had a serious row with elements of the Order over some dark magic books in the library. He wasn't looking forward to spending more time under the same roof with them.

“We've got an extra room you can use dear,” Mrs. Granger said. She looked glad that Harry had stopped Hermione's oncoming tirade.

“I take it your parents have been siding with Dumbledore,” Harry asked.

“They just want to protect me,” Hermione replied, “Its so frustrating though. They won't understand that I can't be protected, least of all by them, during a war being waged in part to eradicate people like us.”

People like the muggle born and others that the pureblood movement attached to Voldemort wanted to enslave or destroy.

“Maybe if we explained everything to them,” Harry suggested.

“That would just worry them more,” Hermione said sadly.

“Are you sure?” Harry asked. “Sometimes not knowing can be worse…”

Harry was thinking specifically of how he had felt when no one would tell him anything during his fifth year. Even though Dumbledore had a good reason for keeping Harry in the dark that was little consolation to him.

“Like when Dumbledore hides things from you,” Hermione said, mirroring his thoughts. “I have been a little hypocritical haven't I?”

Harry squirmed uncomfortably. “It's a little different. Dumbledore was hiding things that directly affected future decisions I might make and things that I would be required to do.”

“You two are doing it again aren't you.” Mr. Granger interrupted. “Talking to each other telepathically I mean.”

“We were trying to decide how much we can tell you safely,” Hermione said.

“Tell us about what?” Mr. Granger asked suspiciously.

“Safely?” Mrs. Granger added quizzically.

“I've told you about the war and you found out that Harry has to kill Voldemort when everyone else did. There are other things though that no one knows, not even Dumbledore, and I didn't really want to tell you because it would be simple for even a weak wizard to pry the information from your minds.”

“Not that you should come in contact with hostile wizards behind these wards,” Harry said reassuringly.

“Harry and I created a shadow organization like the Order of the Phoenix a few months ago. Ever since the fiasco at the Ministry when Voldemort nearly got the prophecy the first time we've become convinced that the Order will never be aggressive enough. Dumbledore won't listen to us, he won't let us join the Order, so we're going to fight ourselves on our own terms.” Hermione said bluntly.

“But…fight?” Mrs. Granger said with deep concern. Harry suspected she was trying to control her emotions. Being told that her little girl was going to go fight a war was too much for any mother. He had seen Mrs. Weasley's reaction to similar situations often enough to know.

“There's no choice Mum. Except for Harry and possibly Dumbledore there is no one else that Voldemort wants dead more than me.” Hermione explained. “I'll really be safer out there fighting because I'll be able to do something to weaken Voldemort's forces.”

“I know your teachers have said that you're very smart darling and we have confidence in you. We're very proud of you, but what can you possibly do…?” Mr. Granger asked.

“Hermione is very powerful, she is one of the few people to have defied Voldemort and lived,” Harry spoke up proudly. “She's stronger than me and I'm expected to defeat Voldemort.”

“That's not true Harry,” Hermione said, her face reddening. “Last I checked we tied in our duel.”

“Dumbledore said that knowledge is what makes a wizard strong and I know we don't tie when it comes to that,” Harry insisted.

“Anyway that's not the point, the point is that Harry has to fight and I'm not going to let him fight alone no matter what anyone says,” Hermione said defiantly.

“I'm beginning to regret getting that letter from Hogwarts,” Mr. Granger said sourly.

“It wouldn't have mattered,” Harry said quickly. “Voldemort wants to enslave and kill muggles too. He is especially eager to subject muggle born wizards and witches like Hermione. Believe me when I say that without Hermione I would already be dead and the world would be doomed.”

“At least this way we know what's happening and we can do something…” Hermione cut off sharply and lurched to her feet. A silver bird had just entered the room and hovered in front of her. It unraveled itself into a glimmering piece of magical parchment.

“It's from Fred,” Hermione said as she scanned the message. “The Order is under a wide scale attack, Death Eaters are hitting residences all over England. The Ministry may be under attack to, they're out of communication.”

Harry felt something heavy descending onto his shoulders an instant before the house rocked violently.

“Anti-apparation jinx,” Harry said tersely.

“The wards are under attack,” Hermione moaned. “This can't be a coincidence. Quick, we've got to get upstairs.”

Hermione's parents followed the young couple as they raced to the house's second story. Hermione practically flew across her room to rip a drawer out of her desk before dumping its contents on the bed.

“I left all my stuff at Grimmauld Place. I'll I've got is my wand,” Harry said.

“Yeah I know, most of my things are there too, but I kept a ward just in case we might need to buy time.” Hermione said as she grabbed the slips of paper and started slapping them up in the air. The wards glowed briefly and then whisked away to reinforce the protections already in place.

“There are several strong powers out there,” Harry said. He could feel the raw magic surging all around him. “We're the focus of the attack and we can't take on all those avatars at once. The Order is being diverted from coming to our rescue with those other attacks that Fred mentioned. We've got no choice but to escape.”

“We'll fly out,” Hermione said. “We should get to the Dursley's since those wards are still probably the safest and in any event we can't trust Grimmauld Place because there is a change that it may have been compromised. We have no idea how much Dumbledore told the aurors about our safe houses or how much of that information may have leaked to Death Eaters.”

“What about your parents?” Harry asked. The Grangers were peering out the windows terrified at the dozens of masked people standing around firing curses at their house.

“I told you how we got into Voldemort's cabin to rescue you. We'll transfigure them into mice and carry them out,” Hermione explained. “We don't have much time. As soon as they realize the wards have been reinforced they're going to start trying harder.”

As if to prove her right a green beam of destruction lanced through the floor and set Hermione's bookshelf on fire. Killing curses could penetrate any magical defense and would rapidly deplete the wards.

“Hurry” Hermione urged as she moved her parents into the middle of the room and erected a tiny fence around them. A transfiguration into an animal caused a resulting decrease in intelligence except for those who mastered the animagus transformation. The true power of the animagus was the ability to retain human intellect in animal form.

Hermione waved her wand and transformed her parents before assuming her animagus shape. Harry quickly followed suit and together they each picked up one of the little mice scurrying about in the pin. Green killing beams were carefully slicing the house apart all around them now and it sounded like Death Eaters had stormed the first floor. Harry flapped his powerful wings and tried to make sure he didn't squeeze his charge too tightly. No one noticed as a falcon and an owl, each carrying a wiggling mouse, escaped into the night.

“This is bad Harry,” Hermione's voice echoed into his mind as he pulled along side her. The night was warm but high up in the sky in a strong breeze it was rather chilly. “They must have been watching the house. That's the only reason why they would attack like this so soon after you arrived. They've been waiting for you to leave the protection of the Dursley's.”

“Yeah, but the Dursley's may not be safe much longer,” Harry responded. “I could tell the wards had begun weakening slightly these last few days.”

“Hopefully they tipped their hand too quickly.” Hermione said. “If we can get to the Dursley's we can confirm the status of Grimmauld Place. If its still safe then we should be okay, even Voldemort can't crack a Fidelius charm.”

“I hope not,” Harry replied grimly. Harry couldn't see as well in the dark as Hermione so he stuck close to her. It was a great feeling to soar suspended on the air and despite their dire situation Harry enjoyed the trip. There were millions of tiny lights below them of streetlights, cars, and buildings. Millions of muggles who had no idea of the war being fought next to them.

“We've gotten out of the anti-apparation area of effect,” Harry said when he felt the heavy pressure of the jinx fade. “We could put down and apparate the rest of the way.”

“We don't dare Harry, what if the wards at your relative's house have failed and Death Eaters are already there waiting? We'd be trapped again and who knows if we'd be able to sneak out a second time.” Hermione replied. The Death Eaters could very well be watching the place ready to toss up portkey dispersion wards and anti-apparation jinxes the instant they arrived.

After what seemed a very long time, even for a bird, they arrived in the neighborhood of Number 4 Privet Drive. They circled the area for a few minutes looking for something suspicious but they couldn't see or sense anything amiss.

“The wards still seem to be strong, do we risk it?” Harry asked.

“I can't see any reason why we shouldn't. I wish they had left a window open though.” Hermione said.

The house was shut up as tight as a drum though. The teens set down on the front door step and transformed. The mice tried to run away but Hermione transfigured them back into her parents before they could get far. The Grangers appeared all haphazard and ruffled from their journey.

“That was…unpleasant,” Mrs. Granger coughed roughly.

“Better than the alternative, trust me,” Hermione said. Harry had already gotten the door open and was urging them inside. Death Eaters or not they didn't want to be seen. Harry waved his wand again once they got into the dark house to give them some light.

“I'll send for an update on the situation from Fred,” Hermione said, “you go wake everyone up.”

“What in the bloody hell?” Vernon roared from the top of the stairs. “Boy? You'd better have a good excuse for this.”

“Death Eaters just destroyed the Granger's house and nearly killed us,” Harry said blandly.

“So you run here?” Vernon shouted even louder. “Get out! You'll bring the whole bloody lot of them down on us.”

“It's too late for that,” Harry shouted back. “The wards are starting to break down now that I'm of age. They seem to be holding at the moment but who knows how much longer that'll last.”

Aunt Petunia and Dudley had come up behind Vernon to listen. Petunia looked especially fearful and Dudley seemed to fear anything that his mother did.

“Fred's reply is here,” Hermione said. A silver bird was unraveling in front of her into a magical piece of parchment. “He doesn't know what's going on but he seems confident that Grimmauld Place is still secure. I think we should go Harry. We may be needed anyway.”

“All right then, everyone gather around,” Harry said. He conjured up a long metal pole that they could all easily hold on to and then transfigured it into a portkey that would arrive in the main room at Grimmauld Place. “Hold on tight…”

Everyone felt a peculiar tug as they spun away into the multicolor world of portkey transportation. An instant later they were deposited in the cavernous living room of Grimmauld Place. The Dursleys and Grangers looked very unsettled by the experience but they weren't throwing up so Harry didn't worry too much.

“Harry, Hermione!” Ron shouted from the doorway. “We were afraid something had happened. I was preparing a team to come after you when your message came.”

“We may still need to go out,” Harry replied. “Where are you set up at?”

“The study. Fred, George, and Luna are already there,” Ron replied. Ron rushed back out with Harry and Hermione striding quickly behind him.

“What about us?” Vernon sputtered. From the looks on their faces the Dursleys saw having to stay in a magical house as a nightmare come alive.

“Kreacher,” Harry called. The little elf popped up in front of him. “Put the Dursleys in the empty room next to mine. Move Hermione's belongings up to the room across the hall. Mr. and Mrs. Granger can stay there. Is everyone all right with that?”

“That's fine Harry, now come on, we don't have time for this,” Hermione said. She gave him a little shove and they nearly ran up the stairs to the study leaving the adults looking bewildered. Kreacher glared at them all for a minute before he motioned darkly for them to follow him. His distaste toward muggles was even more pronounced than Vernon's distaste for magic.

Fred and George looked up when they entered the study. “Harry, Hermione, thank goodness you're here. It's hard to tell right now but from the looks of things the Order is really getting trounced out there. The two Order safe houses we were aware of have been destroyed. A few Ministry outposts were apparently raided too, but the Order is definitely bearing the brunt of the attack.”

“Any idea where ongoing attacks are right now?” Hermione asked.

“You can't go,” Luna piped up. She looked as dreamy and disjointed as ever but Harry had long ago learned not to judge Luna by her appearance. “The Order wouldn't know you from the Death Eaters.”

“She's right Hermione, they'd probably curse anyone at this point assuming that we could even get there. If Voldemort is serious about hitting someplace then he probably has anti-apparation and anti-portkey measures in place.” Harry said reasonably.

“The best thing we can do is prepare to receive refugees,” George said. “People's families are being targeted.”

“All right then, we start enlarging the house to make as much space as possible. Hide everything here and this conversation never happened,” Harry said, more to Luna than anyone else since he didn't know how much she knew to hide.

The six young people concealed the Light Bearer documents and communications before dispersing out into the mansion to prepare it. Harry and Hermione headed back to the main room. A wounded girl, an old woman, the Grangers, the Dursleys, and an irate Kreacher confronted them.

“Master they is not going to the rooms you instructed for them to have,” Kreacher groused.

“We couldn't sleep at a time like this,” Mrs. Granger said indignantly.

“There's no bloody way we're going anywhere with that…with that…that…thing,” Aunt Petunia huffed.

“Fine, then help out, we've got wounded here and likely more on the way,” Harry said. “Hermione and I have to heal so shove all the furniture up against the wall. Kreacher go fetch some of the plain cloaks and special robes that I showed you over winter break.”

Harry and Hermione had stored a cache of protective clothing, dragon hide, and other materials, but they had made sure to leave off any markings that would identify them as belonging to Light Bearers.

The old lady was apparently the little girl's grandmother. “Are you two healers?” she asked plaintively.

“Don't worry, her injuries are not too severe for us,” Hermione told her gently. The girl had deep lacerations and burns caused by some unknown spells. Harry and Hermione's healing charms quickly repaired most of the visible damage.

“Take her to your room, Kreacher will show you, and make sure she rests,” Harry told her grandmother once they finished.

The old lady had barely shuffled out when more people started arriving. Harry didn't recognize most of them but he was confident that none of them could be there if Dumbledore hadn't told them the secret of Grimmauld Place's location. Harry and Hermione worked frantically for a while trying to heal those who they could until Madam Pomfrey was finally called in. Remus arrived with her looking pretty beat up himself.

“Harry, thank goodness you're safe, we went by the Granger's place after we were able to escape from the attacks and from the damage we were afraid that they'd got you.” Remus said with relief.

“It was a close thing,” Harry responded.

“Who's we?” Hermione asked.

“Dumbledore, Shacklebolt, Tonks, McGonagall, and a couple other of our best fighters that you've never met before,” Remus replied. “They left a dark mark…”

“My parents are fine Remus, they're here,” Hermione responded. The kindly werewolf looked relieved for a second time.

“The Dursleys are here too,” Harry said. “The wards are beginning to fail. I figure it's only a matter of time before the Death Eaters move on Privet Drive too.”

“You're probably right,” Remus said. He conjured up a silver bird and sent it winging away. “Dumbledore thought you might have made it here. He's awaiting my signal about what to do next.”

“Remus…what happened?” Harry asked him earnestly.

“I don't know yet but I tell you Harry I've only seen Dumbledore that angry a few times before. He went up against one of those avatars at the southern house, that was one of our staging depots, and nearly tore the whole country side apart.” Remus said shakily, “He couldn't beat it before more arrived though and so we barely escaped.”

“Who were the avatars?” Hermione asked. Remus just shook his head and stood up.

“I couldn't see any faces,” he replied, “and I've got to go too. I'm with one of Voldemort's werewolf contingents right now and if I don't make contact soon they're going to get suspicious.”

Before anyone could say anything more Remus screwed up his face in concentration and disappeared with a mighty cracking noise.

“Come on Harry, we'd best get back to helping people settle in,” Hermione said.

“Wait,” Fred said as they turned to leave. He and George had finished enlarging several rooms. “You said that they managed to break down the wards around your house right, Hermione?”

“The bloody strong ones that Dumbledore set up to prevent other wizards from finding, let alone attacking you, right?” George added.

“Er, yeah, why?” Hermione asked.

The twins exchanged dire looks. “Mum and Ginny are still at the Burrow. We told Ron that we should go get them but he told us that the Burrow was as safe as here.”

“I didn't know the Burrow had protections on it,” Harry said.

“Are you kiddin mate? We're purebloods remember? The Burrow's got the strongest protections known to wizard kind.” George replied.

“Yeah, it's every bit as well defended as Grimmauld Place…except,” Fred trailed off.

“Except that it isn't protected by the Fidelius Charm,” Hermione filled in.

“How did the wards on Hermione's home stack up against ancient pureblood wards?” Harry asked. He tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice over the pureblood thing but judging from the twin's glances he didn't entirely succeed.

“Probably pretty well since Dumbledore is one of the strongest wizards that has ever lived even by ancient pureblood standards,” Hermione said.

“There's no point in taking the risk. Go bring them in and lock the Burrow down. Lay down shield wards, security wards, and put up a sentinel.” Harry suggested. The sentinel referred to the great stone guardians that Hermione conjured and animated. She had discovered a way to miniaturize them so that others could deploy them to guard a specific area.

“You really think that your own wards will help?” Fred asked skeptically.

“It doesn't matter if they help or not,” Harry bristled. For some reason the whole pureblood pride thing grated him and not just because it was the cause championed by Voldemort's followers. “We have alarms built into those wards. If the Burrow is attacked we'll feel it even if they manage to trick the sentinel or break past the wards' main defenses.”

The twins didn't question them any further. They apparated away back to their home after gathering the devices Harry suggested. Harry looked balefully at Hermione who was busily studying her shoes.

“What was that?” he asked.

“I don't know Harry,” she sighed. “Let's not think about it right now. We should go tell my parents and your relatives how to use the equipment Kreacher brought up for them.”

“Yeah, good idea, we don't want them petrifying themselves by accident,” Harry sighed too. “I think they're in the kitchen. Dudley has probably emptied it by now.”

Hermione stifled a giggle as they pushed through the swinging door. The Dursleys and Grangers were sitting at the table eyeing each other with suspicion. Piled on the table in front of them was some cloaks, robes, and a rack of vials. They sat down tiredly at the far end of the table while everyone looked up expectantly at them.

“Everyone should put those clothes on,” Hermione said.

“I'm not going to run about looking like some kind of freak,” Vernon snarled.

“You're in our world now,” Harry retorted. “You'll look like a freak running around in muggle clothes, not that you're going to be leaving this house. Those clothes aren't for fashion anyway. There are powerful spells woven into them to protect you from minor attacks.”

“They're the best defense we can provide you for when we're not here personally,” Hermione said. She picked up one of the vials. “These on the other hand are for offense. If you can hit someone with this they'll be petrified but be careful not to get any on yourself. The antidote is hard to come by.”

“So can you tell us what's going on?” Mr. Granger asked.

“Not really,” Hermione said apologetically. Morning was approaching now and none of them had gotten any sleep. The house was a continual buzz of refugees who were packed densely into every space available. The Grangers had been forced to move in with the Dursleys and all the Weasley's were going to have to share a single room. Hermione and Harry had their things removed down to the potions lab but there was no place to sleep there.

“Until Dumbledore gets back we're just going to have bits and pieces…” Harry said dourly.

“I'm afraid that I too only know, uh, bits and pieces as you so eloquently put it,” Dumbledore said as he strode into the kitchen. Arthur, Shacklebolt, and a very tired looking McGonagall accompanied him.

“Professor,” Hermione acknowledged stiffly. Harry nodded politely but didn't say anything. The Grangers looked concerned and the Dursleys looked bewildered at the tension between them.

“I suspect you know about as much as I do at this point.” Dumbledore said. “A few hours ago we got distress messages from a dozen locations we thought were secure. We dispatched the bulk of our force to defend our resources and immediately thereafter a number of our member's families were attacked. By the time I realized Miss Granger's home was under attack I was in the middle of a battle I couldn't leave and there was no one else to send. It seems rather obvious that Voldemort staged tonight's events in hopes of capturing Harry and killing Hermione. A muggle born witch crossed wands with him and lived. Its bad on his image.”

The Grangers had already heard this basic outline before but nonetheless they looked mortified all over again.

“However, the worse part is that Azkaban was attacked and emptied,” Dumbledore continued heavily. This time it was Harry and Hermione's turn to be mortified. “According to Shacklebolt, Voldemort attacked the prison alone and swept through the defenses like they didn't even exist. He knew you would be tied down Harry so for all intents and purposes he was invincible. Voldemort will use the prophecy to destroy us.”

“This is a disaster,” Hermione said acidly. “The Order is decimated and Voldemort is on a rampage…”

“Voldemort isn't the only one who can use the prophecy,” Harry intoned gravely.

“I am aware Miss Granger, of my own culpability in this matter, which is why I'm inviting yourself, Ron, and Harry to join the Order of the Phoenix immediately,” Dumbledore replied as if Harry had said nothing.

Harry glanced at Hermione's enraged features but he already knew that their joining the order and taking its restrictive oaths were utterly out of the question.

“You must be joking,” Hermione snapped coldly, “The Order has become one catastrophe after another.”

Arthur and McGonagall gasped in shock at Hermione's harsh words. Shacklebolt looked as if all his preconceived ideas had been confirmed. Dumbledore looked like he had finally pieced something together too or perhaps confirmed what he already knew.

“Harry?” he asked.

“Hermione and I are of an alike mind in this matter,” Harry replied calmly. “Ron will not join you either.”

“Of course not Harry, your friends are very loyal,” Dumbledore said finally. He paused a moment before continuing. “I didn't expect you to join. For months now there have been rumors but I wasn't sure until you were kidnapped, Harry, just who the leaders of the Bearers of the Light were.”

“Albus surely you can't mean,” McGongall started. Dumbledore cut her off with a wave of the hand.

“I assure you they are Minverva. Harry and Hermione left Grimmauld Place the day that the Light Bearers made their first appearance in Diagon Alley. Their organization has been recruiting heavily ever since. Their recruiters in chief seem to be a certain pair of red headed troublemakers that mysteriously refused to join the Order last month after having begged for membership for over a year. Need I continue?”

“It would seem you're clever enough to uncover secrets but not clever enough to keep them,” Hermione said with a glare.

“Is there a point to this?” Harry asked.

“The fact that the two of you could put together an organization like the Bearers of the Light in secret demonstrates capabilities far beyond your years. Although, I should like some more details if you would humor me.” Dumbledore said calmly. “How is your group organized, funded, and led?”

“Should we tell him?” Hermione asked Harry through their link.

“I can't see any reason not to at this point,” Harry responded.

“We're organized on a cell based principle,” Hermione said. “Only a few people know who all the members are and that information is protected by a Fidelius Charm.”

Arthur and Shacklebolt looked very surprised by this information. The Fidelius Charm was considered to be one of the most powerful and difficult spells. Dumbledore and McGonagall seemed less shocked but amply impressed.

“Harry is funding us of course,” Hermione continued, “and the leadership is hierarchical, much like a muggle army. Harry and I are the leaders but Ron actually controls tactical organization. Under him are Ginny and Luna who each control autonomous wings. Each wing is further divided into cells and special task forces like our champion breaker teams.”

“Champion breakers?” Arthur asked.

“Each wing's best fighters are put together in a group whose sole purpose is to engage the avatars with overwhelming numbers to offset the power difference.” Harry replied.

“Everything is controlled with these,” Hermione said as she pulled out her golden torch emblem. “With these we can call any member, anywhere, anytime, to apparate to us or we can use them to apparate to members in distress. Only the ones that Harry and I carry can be used in that way all the others we issued to members are dependent on them.”

Dumbledore seemed to understand even if no one else did and he seemed to be very pleased. “I suspect you two are already aware that the Order has suffered greatly in the last few months. Only our oldest and strongest members managed to come through this latest round. As an effective fighting force I'm afraid that we have nearly ceased to function.”

“Headmaster what are you saying,” McGonagall asked, her voice etched with worry. “This is no worse than last time.”

“No, this is much better,” Dumbledore said with a small smile. “Harry, since you won't join us I request that you allow the Order of the Phoenix to join you.”

-->

Chapter 3 - Amalgamation

“Surely you must be joking,” Shacklebolt said loudly.

“I am not, Kingsley,” Dumbledore replied. “The Order of the Phoenix was originally created by me to fight Voldemort after my experiences in the war against Grindelwald showed me the need for such an organization. At first I had hopes of the Order defeating Voldemort and then once I learned the prophecy it was my desire that it keep a resistance alive until the one whose destiny it was to lead this battle should be ready. That time has come and Harry is more prepared than I could have ever hoped for to meet this challenge. Unless I am very mistaken when the veteran core of the Order strengthens the Light Bearers we will at last have a force capable of combating the Death Eaters on an even level for the first time in this war.”

Kingsley looked skeptical but before he could say anything they were interrupted by the twins, Ginny, and Molly returning from the Burrow. The four of them looked around at the odd assortment of people ranging from the Grangers to the Order members.

“I'm glad you are all safe,” Harry said as soon as he saw them. Harry and Hermione had not gotten to speak with Molly since winter break. Each of them felt slightly guilty, for different reasons, since Ron had been injured. Harry felt bad for not figuring out what was wrong with him in time. Hermione was ashamed that she had nearly killed him in a fit of rage without even bothering to consider that Ron might be under magical control after he used a portkey to take Harry to Voldemort.

“So what's up here mates?” Fred asked. He was looking directly at the golden emblem lying out in the open on the table.

“The Order has decided to join us,” Harry said simply. “We need to bring up the protective clothing, potions, and equipment to supply them.”

“First,” Hermione interrupted, a gleam in her eye, “I need for our newest member to divulge certain information vital to our cause.”

“I will not tell you the secrets of the Sorcerer's Stone,” Dumbledore replied coolly.

“What?!” Shacklebolt said incredulously.

“I thought you were going to join us,” Hermione said aggressively to Dumbledore. She purposefully ignored the belligerent auror.

“I know enough about the Light Bearers to be aware that your members take no oaths, no binding magical contracts to serve, and thus by the terms you yourself made I cannot be compelled to do anything I don't wish to,” Dumbledore said in his most maddeningly serene voice. Hermione looked ready to burst a blood vessel at his slippery evasion.

“We'll be grateful for any assistance you can give us,” Harry said diplomatically. “Maybe in time you'll trust all our decisions as much as you apparently trust our ability to run this conflict.”

“Well then in that spirit I have some suggestions,” Dumbledore said heartily. Hermione scowled but held her peace as the old wizard continued. “The first thing you need to do is reveal your identity.”

“You've got to be kidding,” Hermione snorted.

“What possible good could that do?” Harry asked. “We've gone to great lengths to keep our identities hidden.”

“Normally I would agree,” Dumbledore said, “but there are two reasons why it is pointless and even counter productive to keep them hidden anymore. Now that the prophecy is known it will help rally people to your cause and impede Ministry attempts in interfering in our work. Furthermore, it is only a matter of time before Voldemort knows of your leadership role, assuming that he doesn't already. With a secret like that it will burn in the front of the minds of those who know when they try to conceal it. Since some of those whom you've told are not gifted in Occlumency the first strong legilimens they run across will pry it from them. Even the Fidelius Charm can't protect such a widely known secret.”

Harry thought back to his first encounter with Voldemort when he had the Sorcerer's Stone in his pocket and realized Dumbledore was right. The harder he had tried to hide the secret the more it weighed prominently in his mind. Voldemort had been able to tell exactly where it was.

“So what you're saying is that the Death Eater you let run around in Hogwarts probably already pried the information out of Ron,” Hermione said bitterly.

“Yes, that is a distinct possibility,” Dumbledore said with a sigh.

Harry patted Hermione's hand gently and used their link to beg her to calm down while Dumbledore continued to list his suggestions. The rest were mainly tactics and strategies that he had found to be useful. Harry called in Ron to listen to these while the twins and Molly went to get new cloaks for the Order members.

The twins set several shrunken ornate boxes of the Light Bearers down on the table with a thump before taking seats flanking Harry and Hermione. After the boxes were enlarged Arthur opened his and took out a set of black robes. The left shoulder had the Light Bearer symbol outlined in silver.

“We're not going to put any Order members into our established structure,” Hermione said. “Instead the Order will be its own wing and Dumbledore will continue to lead it.”

“What, don't trust us to take instructions well?” Shacklebolt sneered.

“No, I doubt some of you will since you're all joining on the request of Dumbledore instead of strictly by your own free will,” Harry replied.

“I assure you,” Dumbledore interrupted, “There will be consensus on this matter.”

“Regardless,” Hermione said. She removed her wand and waved it at the cloak Arthur was holding. Where a rank would normally appear a red phoenix outline materialized instead. “It would be too disruptive to our still new structure to have an existing group dispersed into it in such a fashion.”

“Moving on,” Harry said before Dumbledore could respond. “We need to plan our counter attack before Voldemort realizes how much opposition he still has. I want the Order to supply all the intelligence that they have on Voldemort's strongholds.”

“We don't know any,” Dumbledore replied.

“What? But how?” Hermione sputtered.

“We hit every known Death Eater hideout we were aware of when Harry was kidnapped by Voldemort. We planned on using those attacks as a stalling tactic to evacuate the country should our rescue attempt fail,” Dumbledore explained. Hermione had a look of mixed disbelief that they knew nothing about where the dark forces were at and appreciation that the Order had actually taken such a practical step.

“What about Snape?” Harry asked. “He's with Voldemort's forces right now is he not?”

“We dare not use any of the information that Professor Snape has provided for us because to do so would risk exposing him as a spy,” Dumbledore explained. “We can only use information that we could have gotten from a source other than him.”

“Fine,” Ron broke in aggressively, “then we'll use the intelligence that we've gathered.”

Ron waved his wand at the table and several large charts appeared. They were rather detailed maps and accompanying reports that outlined the handful of suspected Death Eater locations that various members had been able to supply.

“Our best shot at getting additional information on Death Eater activity is at this old abandoned structure just outside London,” Ron said indicating a rough sketch. “According to a witch that lives near it at least one known Voldemort sympathizer was seen going in.”

“That's your idea of a lead?” Shacklebolt asked haughtily.

“It's our best shot right now,” Ron bristled. “We've got a crude layout of the structure. We can send in a team tonight to search for supplies and if we're lucky we might even get a prisoner to interrogate.”

“We can finally get a serious test of our field control and tactics too,” Hermione said. Harry knew that she was worried that they would be unable to keep track of many simultaneous operations and since none of them had hardly any combat experience their performance in these types of raids would be an open question too.

“I'll leave it to your capable hands then,” Dumbledore said. Harry didn't think the Headmaster was being sarcastic but Shacklebolt on the other hand barely managed to keep from rolling his eyes.

“I'll notify the people that will be going so they'll be prepared,” Ron said as everyone stood. Whenever possible they tried to notify their members of their missions ahead of time so that they could make excuses for their absences if necessary.

“Good thinking Ron. In the mean time we're going to check in on all the refugees again and make sure everyone is all right.” Hermione said.

It was depressing to walk through Grimmauld Place now that it was crammed full of people, most of who had lost nearly everything they owned. Some of them had lost family members too, their gaunt faces attesting to the pain they felt. Harry's old room, the master bedroom, had been transformed into a rough infirmary to handle those who had arrived injured. Harry and Hermione had done all they could but in the end they had to let Madam Pomfrey, the Order's only qualified healer, treat most of the cases.

“I wonder if there are any books on healing in the library,” Hermione said after they had finished checking in on the injured.

The library looked the same as when they had left it but it felt different. The magical torches that flared along the walls seemed to be glowing dimmer than they had in the past but Harry wasn't sure if they really were or he was just imagining it. The great black cabinet that Hermione had created to protect the books that Shacklebolt had wanted to throw away looked a bit ominous too. Hermione was consulting with an index book so Harry decided to look it over. It was surprisingly cold to the touch and the seal on it tingled slightly in his presence. Harry knew how it was made but that didn't keep him from admiring such a superb example of permanent conjuring.

“Come on Harry, second floor,” Hermione said finally. Harry followed her up the stairs and back into a dingy corner of the library that had obviously never got much use. The book Hermione wanted was apparently on one of the top shelves. Hermione's bushy hair bounced as she tried to stand on her tiptoes to get a large blue book.

“Here let me get that,” Harry said. He was taller but there was no point to strain himself. Instead Harry just flicked his wand and summoned the book into Hermione's hands. “Aren't you the one always reminding me that I'm a wizard?”

Hermione grinned sheepishly, “I was raised a muggle too, remember? When I was young I spent lots of time in the library with no magic to help me get books and old habits die hard.”

“I suppose so,” Harry grinned back. “Now where is the next book at?”

“Other than the one we already found that's it,” Hermione said solemnly.

“You mean out of this entire library they only had two books on healing?” Harry asked incredulously.

“I don't think that the Blacks were interested in healing people,” Hermione said softly as they walked down the stairs towards the doors

“Neither am I when it comes down to it.” Harry added sadly. “I've mastered even the Killing Curse, but I can't do much more than a basic healing charm.”

“No Harry,” Hermione said vehemently. She grabbed him by the shoulders forcefully and wrenched his gaze to hers. “First of all the word you are searching for here is we, we as in you and I both. More importantly there are more ways to heal than with a spell Harry. We've mastered terrible powers of destruction in order to keep people from needing a healer in the first place.”

“It just…it feels so wrong sometimes,” Harry said.

“You're a good person Harry, you don't want to hurt anyone.” Hermione said, hugging him tightly. “We didn't start the killing though, Voldemort did. He's the enemy of all free people everywhere and in war the enemy dictates the terms of battle.”

“I don't know if I can do it,” Harry said thickly.

“You have to Harry, we all have to. Promise me if you have to choose between your life or theirs you'll…please don't die Harry,” Hermione said, her voice becoming high and squeaky.

“I won't on purpose,” Harry tried to joke, but his heart was breaking at seeing Hermione so distressed. “It'll be okay Hermione. We'll both live for each other, no matter what.”

Hermione clutched to Harry's thin frame as they just let each other's warm presence sooth them. Harry stroked Hermione's hair gently and thought about what he might be forced to do in the very near future. When he had first heard the prophecy he had despaired that he would have to become a murderer or else be murdered. Even now the idea of killing someone still caused his stomach to twist, but he could no longer believe that killing was always murder…not like he had believed it at first.

“Harry, this is war,” Hermione said raggedly, “war Harry, nothing less. We've got to stop them in any way possible.”

Harry didn't reply but he knew that she was probably right, as usual. It seemed so simple when one looked at it logically. Either the Death Eaters are stopped and Voldemort is killed or else Hermione and everyone else who has ever opposed the self styled Dark Lord dies. Understanding what had to be done intellectually didn't bring Harry any emotional solace though. Suddenly the door opened. Reflexively the couple jerked apart and spun to face a startled looking Molly.

“We were, uh, just looking for a healing book,” Hermione said hastily. Inwardly she wasn't even sure why she was bothering since that bloody article would be released any time now.

“Its okay dear,” Molly said gently. “I suspected you and Harry were together for a long time, but I knew for sure when Dumbledore told us about your soul bond.”

“Right, see, first of all why is everyone calling it a soul bond and what does that have to do with anything?” Harry asked. He felt frustration well up anew over the impending complication to their lives that would be caused by widespread knowledge of their relationship.

“He didn't tell you?” Molly asked. At their confused expressions she continued. “Well, I can see why he might not. A soul bond, which is what you two share, is a connection that's created in part by shared love.”

“That's not what the book said though,” Hermione argued. “The book said that any wizards of sufficient power and knowledge could master the skill.”

“You found this in a book?” Molly asked skeptically. “Well, if the book said something different then it was simply to mislead you. Very few wizards know about the soul bond because pre-knowledge of it will cause anyone who attempts it to fail. Love isn't a skill that can be learned so if two people knew that love was necessary they would be trying to evoke the emotion in order to master the bond and then it wouldn't be true love enough to work.”

“Wait, then how do you know about it?” Harry asked. “Do you have one with Arthur?”

“No,” Molly replied wistfully, “The book was partly correct. Only two people of immense power can master the soul bond and neither Arthur nor I were ever that strong. There is one person we know who is though.”

“Dumbledore,” Hermione breathed. “He had a bond?”

“Yes, he did, with his wife Abigail,” Molly said reluctantly. “He only told the story once but he was so out of it at the time that I'm not sure he realized he did.”

“What happened?” Harry asked though he was dreadful of the answer.

Molly hesitated but at their demanding looks continued. “When Albus led the group of wizards that participated in the final battle with Grindelwald one of those who accompanied him was Abigail. Dumbledore was the only person who had a chance to prevail again the Dark Lord but she wouldn't let him go alone of course. No one saw exactly what happened but their battle lasted for hours, even after the rest of the fighting between lesser wizards had finished. When it was over Gindelwald was gone but so was poor Abigail. Albus wouldn't say anything about what happened except that she had saved him.”

“Why didn't she flee into his mind?” Hermione whispered. She herself had nearly died and been saved by her bond with Harry.

“I don't know,” Molly said, “This is magic beyond my comprehension. I didn't even know it was possible until you did it.”

“So that's why Dumbledore is like he is,” Harry said distantly. “He's been trying to protect me and do everything himself because he doesn't want us to end up like him and Abigail.”

Hermione looked devastated. She had been very hard on the Headmaster during the last few months. Even the knowledge that she was right didn't help ease the pain of grasping the old man's traumatic loss. How could she blame someone who had suffered so for poor judgement when the things he did was just his best attempt to prevent her and Harry from enduring a fate similar to his?

Hermione looked like she wanted to say something but before she could do so they were startled by a shout following a loud thud from downstairs in the main hall. Footfalls fell heavily the stairs and before anyone could react a distraught looking George had burst into the library.

“Come quick,” he gasped, “It's Remus and he's bad hurt.”

Harry stood numbly for an instant, too long apparently since Hermione grabbed his forearm and hauled him along behind her. They raced down the stairs and found the haggard looking werewolf lying prone on the floor with a sickening pool of blood accumulating under him. Harry dimly wondered why old Mrs. Black wasn't screaming her head off at all the noise that was going on right in front of her painting.

Madam Pomfrey came scurrying down the hall from the opposite direction with Fred in tow. Hermione had already started administering a healing charm but Pomfrey shoved her aside to begin a more professional treatment. Harry refrained from asking the questions he so longed to about if his friend would live so that Madam Pomfrey could concentrate. Hermione's arms wrapped themselves consolingly around him and he reciprocated as they both looked on feeling helpless.

After several minutes of frenzied efforts on the part of the Madam Pomfrey she finally seemed satisfied that Remus was going to make it. The expert Hogwarts' healer levitated him into the main living room and into a soft bed that Hermione conjured.

“Can you wake him?” Hermione asked after he was settled.

“Absolutely not, he needs rest,” Madam Pomfrey replied in a scandalized tone.

“It's obvious that his cover was blown,” Hermione explained. “We need information on where he was and what happened. How soon can we wake him.”

“There is nothing keeping him asleep,” Madam Pomfrey said grudgingly. “I expect he'll awake within a few hours. He lost a lot of blood but I got a replenishing potion into him. His other injuries were mainly broken bones and lacerated organs easily enough repaired. We're just lucky they didn't use silver.”

Harry conjured up two large ornately gilded chairs for himself and Hermione to sit in while they watched over Remus. In other circumstance Harry would have taken a moment to admire his own handiwork but for now he was too concerned with his mentor, the last real link he had with his father. Remus had always seemed to be a worn threadbare type of individual but Harry saw his mortality showing more starkly than ever before in the werewolf's gaunt frame.

They sat in silence for a while before Hermione decided that they might as well put themselves to some productive task while they were waiting. She retrieved the book they had found on healing charms and together they read through its tedious pages filled with complex techniques.

“How is he?” Mrs. Granger asked. She had snuck into the room along with her husband while they were preoccupied with their book. Harry suddenly felt uncomfortable since he and Hermione had been sitting pretty close together.

“He was tortured Mum,” Hermione said bluntly, “Madam Pomfrey thinks that they used physical means instead of magical because they wanted to mutilate him while they were at it. If he hadn't gotten away when he did he would have probably suffered permanent disability.”

Harry grimaced at the Granger's expressions when they absorbed this disturbing news. He could see why Hermione had been reluctant to tell them the naked truth about things in the past. Still, they seemed to be handling the prospect of their child being under such perilous threat better than he would have expected. They were calm and logical people just like their daughter.

There was a cracking sound as Kreacher abruptly appeared. He scrapped low in an awkward bow. “Master and Missus,” he squeaked, “the fat loud muggle is pestering Kreacher about his room he is sir. Nasty dirty muggle bossing Kreacher around, old Missus would be ashamed she would…”

“Thank you Kreacher for bringing this to my attention,” Harry said. He decided that he still needed to keep the evil little elf appeased with the notion that Harry was a dark wizard. “I need the muggle due to his wife's role in a powerful enchantment.”

“Master is wise,” Kreacher said with an eerie cackle as he cracked away. No doubt he figured Harry was going to disembowel the lot of them anytime now so he could perform a ritual or something.

“I guess I'd better go see to them,” Harry said uncomfortably.

“Wait,” Mr. Granger said with an embarrassed tone. “I'm afraid this may be a little our fault. That little fellow, Kreacher, put us in the same room as your uncle since space is so tight now. We, uh, had a disagreement over how the room would be divided. We didn't mean to offend your family…”

“They're not my family,” Harry said sharply. “Don't worry about it, I'll deal with them.”

“I'll go with you,” Hermione said quickly, her voice laced with concern. She motioned for her parents to follow them and Harry could have sworn he heard her tell them in a terse voice, “Remember what I told you about the Dursleys?”

Harry sighed as he climbed the stairs. He didn't think anyone fully appreciated all the suffering he had endured over the years at the hands of the Dursleys except for Hermione. She had seen what happened first hand in his mind. After the time she spent in his head she shared a multitude of his thoughts and feelings just as he had gained hers.

Harry pushed into the large master bedroom and felt a little wave of anger that the Dursleys could be causing a problem over such a spacious room in the first place. The Dursleys looked equally irate at their accommodations despite the fact that they had taken over the bed as well as nearly two thirds of the room. The Granger's belongings were piled in a corner next to a couple of sparse cots.

Vernon lashed out indignantly the instant he saw Harry. “This room is a bloody outrage boy, it's too small and you're making us share it with those people.”

Harry felt Hermione stiffen next to him as Petunia broke in. “That nasty little creature keeps pestering us too. I won't have those freakish creatures around my Diddykins.”

Harry glanced over to Dudley's massive bulk, which was trying and failing to be unobtrusive. The boy's bullying tendencies seemed to have melted into a pile of quivering fear at being trapped in a magical house.

“I didn't come here to listen to your complaints uncle,” Harry said brusquely, “I came here to tell you that I expect you to share the limited space that we have available with the Grangers. That nasty little Kreacher is going to be watching to make sure that you do.”

Vernon started to sputter with indignant rage but Harry cut him off. “I'm being perfectly reasonable uncle. If you don't like it then perhaps you'd prefer I treated you with the same generous attitude with which you treated me during my years under your roof?”

Vernon paled considerably but wasn't ready to give up. “You always were an ungrateful selfish mean…”

“Ungrateful for being worked like a slave,” Hermione burst out angrily. “I'm not entirely sure why Harry is going to such great lengths to be so nice to you people. He's saving your lives right this instant and all you can do is insult him.”

“It's okay Hermione,” Harry said softly. He flicked his wand and replaced the Granger's cot with a nice plain bed. The room reorganized itself into two equal halves. “As soon as possible I'll get you rooms separate from everyone else.”

The Grangers looked uncomfortable as they followed the two teens when they left. The Dursley's looked sour but Harry was confident that they would be more agreeable with the Grangers until separate rooms could be arranged.

Harry was still distracted by his thoughts over the Dursleys when he and Hermione made it back to the main room. Molly and Madam Pomfrey were hovering over Remus rather anxiously.

“I think he's starting to come around,” Madam Pomfrey said hesitantly. Sure enough Remus was making some noise and thrashing about feebly. Molly got out a vial of something that Harry assumed must work like smelling salts do for muggles since she held it under Remus' nose so he could inhale the fumes.

Madam Pomfrey looked askance at Molly's remedy but held her tongue when the werewolf's eyes began to flutter uncertainly open. He coughed roughly and groaned as Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over him some more. Molly had a bowl of some sort of liquid that she tried to press on him, but Remus shook his head and pushed it away.

“Dumbledore,” he managed to squeeze out, gasping to get enough air to talk.

Harry and Hermione rushed to his side. “It's okay Remus,” Harry reassured him, “Dumbledore isn't here right now but you can tell us.”

“We need to know where you were at,” Hermione said pointedly, “where is the werewolf base?”

Remus looked unsure of what to do for a second until Molly broke in. “It's all right Remus, a lot has happened since you've been gone. Albus has joined forces with the Light Bearers.”

Realization spread across the shabby werewolf's face. “That's you guys?”

“Sorry we couldn't tell you sooner,” Harry said apologetically.

“Not really surprised,” Remus coughed, “do you have a map?”

“Right, Kreacher,” Harry called. The little elf appeared. “Get Ron down here immediately and tell him to bring a map, he needs to hear this.”

Kreacher bowed and disappeared to carry out Harry's orders. A moment later Ron came bounding into the room followed by Luna and Ginny.

“He's awake,” Ron said excitedly. Ron had always gotten along exceptionally well with Remus.

“Are you feeling better Mr. Lupin?” Luna asked serenely.

“Better,” Remus wheezed and tried to grin.

“Don't strain yourself,” Madam Pomfrey said sharply, then addressed the crowd. “I know you need to talk to him but I must stress that you do it quickly so his body can begin to regain its strength.”

Hermione nodded as Ron spread the map on a table Harry summoned up next to where Remus was lying. The map was charmed so that it could zoom in or out of a particular location. Thus when Remus jabbed his finger at a specific spot it automatically magnified itself so he could point again and quickly gain a precise location.

“There,” he said finally after the seventh magnification process. “That's the entrance to an old coal mine that snakes back into that hill. There are maybe fifteen to twenty-five werewolves stationed there at any given time. Only four of us were wizards though, the rest were muggles who had been bitten on purpose to expand our ranks.”

“What kind of defenses does it have?” Hermione pressed.

“Secrecy was the main defense but there are anti-apparation wards in place too and a portkey dispersion spell to prevent incoming travelers, but it only covers a small area. I expect the base will be abandoned since I've escaped or even worse the Death Eaters may be setting up a trap there.” Remus said in a slow labored tone.

“Ginny, go get your dad and Professor McGonagall please,” Harry requested. Ginny didn't say anything but jumped up to comply.

“What are you considering Harry?” Hermione asked. She was aware that everyone was staring at them now, probably wondering if they were talking to each other telepathically.

“We're going to need to send two teams. One to the original mission since some of the werewolves may have fled there as a temporary shelter and one to this base to check it out for potential clues to other Death Eater locations,” Harry explained.

“You want Order members to accompany each group?” Hermione asked.

“Yeah, it would make sense since they are the experts at this.” Harry replied.

“I like it, that's a good idea,” Hermione agreed.

“Here's something you won't like though. We need to split up.” Harry said tentatively.

“You're right, I don't like it,” Hermione responded.

“If we meet an avatar at either place then we'll need to be there or the team wouldn't stand a chance. We don't have breaker teams we can send in for support yet.” Harry explained his reasoning.

“I suppose,” Hermione reluctantly agreed with the mental equivalent of a sigh. “I also suppose you want to go to the coal mine base too, don't you?”

“I'm the best candidate to since it's the most potentially dangerous spot. If worst comes to worst I can take on everything at once assuming that Voldemort doesn't show up. The prophecy makes me invincible to anything less,” Harry said.

“What if Voldemort does show up though?” Hermione said with concern.

“That's just a risk we're going to have to take and unless I miss my guess we're going to be taking that same risk pretty often from now on,” Harry said with resignation in his telepathic voice.

Hermione sighed audibly. Ginny had returned with Professor McGonagall and Arthur. “Okay, here's what we've decided. Ron, Ginny, Arthur and Luna are with me. We're going to go ahead with the original plan to hit the warehouse. Professor McGonagall, Moody, and the team that the twins have set up will go with Harry to the werewolves' base. Everyone get ready to go, the original pre-mission meeting time is only an hour away and we're going to be keeping it.”

Madam Pomfrey had gone back to treating Remus as soon as he had finished talking. Harry and Hermione gave him their well wishes one last time before he drank a sleeping potion. The couple hurried off up the stairs to the library even though they wouldn't need anywhere near an hour to get prepared for their mission. By the time they closed the heavy doors behind them Hermione was visibly nervous and Harry didn't feel very courageous himself.

“I don't know if I can do it Harry,” Hermione said. She embraced him urgently, wrapping her arms around him as if he might disappear at any moment.

“If you can't do it no one can,” Harry said reassuringly. “You rescued me from Voldemort remember? You're one of only three people to stand up to him alone and survive. Even my parents had to face him as a pair to escape.”

“It was so different then, not like this,” Hermione said softly. People would be counting on her. Lives would rest on both their actions. “I was so angry and desperate I could hardly think. The whole thing was surreal as if I were just an observer.”

“I'm scared too,” Harry said. “We're not fighters…not really. We've fought, but no one ever trained us like an auror and we don't have decades of experience like Dumbledore. Just think, if you could stand up to Voldemort when you were so distraught that you could barely function just think how much better you'll do now that you've got your wits about you.”

Hermione smiled feebly and let out a little laugh. “I'm being silly,” she blushed.

“Never,” Harry said firmly and before she could say anything else he drew her into a tender kiss. For as long as they could the young couple just sat and held each other, both trying to keep from thinking that this could be the last time that they would be together. All too soon it was time for them to go out and put on a strong face to all the people who were counting on them to do what no one else had any chance of doing; defeat Voldemort.

“We'll portkey to one of our staging areas at first,” Hermione said as she transfigured a long metallic rod into a portkey. “When we arrive we will meet up with the rest of the members who will be going and assign operational numbers.”

Hermione had come up with a system for identification in the field by having each team member be assigned a temporary number which could be emblazoned on their cloak like a nationality arm patch might be placed on a muggle soldier's uniform. Harry was doubly glad about this scheme since he found it impossible to remember all the names of the various Light Bearers that the twins had managed to recruit over the months.

Everyone seemed a little nervous as they reached out to grasp the rod but they didn't have any time to dwell on it before they were whisked away and deposited in a tiny apartment located in a small village. The great thing about being wizards and witches is that their ease of transportation allowed them many more basing options than a muggle team would be able to utilize.

A few minutes after the group from Grimmauld Place arrived the remaining four Light Bearers apparated in one at a time from their various locations. Everyone was wearing scarves around their faces to conceal their identity but there was no question as to who the two mages were that wore cloaks adorned with the golden symbol of the torch.

Harry stared for a moment at the four members that until now he had never met. He knew about them in an abstract way from reading the information that the twins had sent along with their recommendations. One was a working class witch that gathered wood for broom manufacture. Another was an accountant for a wizarding corporation. Grey hair peeked from around the scarf on the third and Harry believed that he was the retired pest control worker that took care of magical creatures that bothered muggles. Harry couldn't remember what the final wizard did for a living but the point he was trying to make to himself was that they were all just average nondescript people who wanted nothing more than to be left alone. They had all graduated from Hogwarts with outstanding grades and were probably some of the best fighters the Light Bearers had but they weren't Ministry Hit Wizards or aurors. They were a true citizen's militia.

“For now my name is Fantail,” Harry said, then indicated Hermione, “and this is Greywing. We're going to split up into to separate teams and portkey as close as we can to two separate Death Eater strongholds. Greywing will be leading the first team.”

Harry stepped back to let Hermione address her own group even though most of them already knew what was going on. She brought out a map of the warehouse. “When we arrive we will penetrate the structure at this side door. We don't expect there to be any Death Eaters there but we will search the place and secure each room one at a time as if there were. Then we'll set up ambushes at strategic locations inside the building in anticipation of Fantail's raid.”

“My group will be hitting a known werewolf base that may or may not be abandoned at this point. The assumption is that Voldemort has a presence there and he is expecting us with a trap, though the base may instead be simply abandoned. Our objective is to scour the base for any clues about other Death Eater locations, seize any useful material available, and if possible capture Voldemort supporters for interrogation. We'll be leaving soon after Greywing's team in order to give them enough time to set up a trap to capture anyone who may flee to the warehouse location from the base we're raiding.” Harry explained.

“Remember,” Hermione said. “If you encounter an avatar, or worse yet Voldemort himself, retreat and summon myself or Fantail. Believe me when I say that you cannot stand up to one of them and hope to survive. We cannot promise that all of you will come back from this alive so be under no illusions. We can promise however that we will be the first to step into battle, the last to leave, and we will leave no one behind.”

Harry was glad he didn't have to say anything else since he wasn't sure his voice would work properly after Hermione's words. Instead he simply saluted her, a gesture which the other Light Bearers, even McGonagall, mirrored. In the past such a salute had been given as symbols of respect to social superiors. Now it was a symbol of their dedication to each other and to the greater cause of freedom for all creatures from Voldemort's terror.

Hermione held out her metallic rod for the others in her group to grab. There was a flicker of motion and then nothing as they went rushing away to the warehouse location.

Harry conjured an identical metal rod and transfigured it into a portkey that would land them close to the edge of the dispersion field surrounding the old mine.

Moody had an even more difficult time than most concealing his identity but he had agreed to with minimal complaining since secrecy appealed to his paranoid nature. He looked less fearsome with his big magical eye covered up behind his scarf and his wooden leg wrapped in cloth fortified with a silencing charm to prevent the loud clunking sound it made. His patience however was still as short as ever.

“You ready to get this show movin' there…uh…Fantail,” he said in his usual deep grouchy voice. Harry supposed he should be thankful that the retired auror managed to refrain from calling him “Potter.”

“Yeah, anytime now Number Two,” Harry replied, referring to the magical numbers he had given everyone. Professor McGonagall had drawn Number One in the random selection when Harry performed the charm.

“Go Harry, we're set up on this end,” Hermione's voice echoed through his mind.

“Everyone grab on,” Harry instructed. Six hands reached out, a familiar tug yanked at them, and an instant later they were deposited behind an outcropping of rocks. Acceleration charms were out of the question because they needed to go in as stealthily as possible.

“Invisibility cloaks out,” Harry said as he faded from sight behind his invisibility charm.

“Blasted charm is too strong,” Moody grumbled as he bumped up against Harry when they set out. Harry made a mental note that he and Hermione needed to create eyepieces like ones that the aurors use to see through invisibility.

After a little initial confusion they made good time and soon were situated outside the entrance to the mine. They used wand flashes to coordinate while invisible, but Harry didn't want to trust that method inside a dark mine where each flash would make them a stark target. Instead of risking them going in blind he indicated that everyone should wait and conjured up a snake. It was hard to make sure that no one overheard him using the snake language that would almost assuredly give his identity away to those who didn't already know it, but he managed. With a hiss the snake disappeared into the entrance to the mine.

Minutes ticked past and Harry knew that soon he was going to have to make another move. If he didn't the rest of the team was going to start wondering what was going on. He signaled for everyone to remain in position before ducking into the mine entrance himself. He hoped that if it were a trap his invisibility charm would give him an edge.

He need not have worried. The conjured snake was coming toward him hissing its report. Harry listened intently for a moment before banishing the snake back to the oblivion he had called it from. The base was apparently deserted but there were several storerooms and an assortment of personal effects in a makeshift barracks.

Harry canceled the invisibility charm and went back outside. “Clear, everyone move in, numbers two, four, and five are with me. Everyone else spread out and find the wards then report back.”

Harry led the way through the complex using the description the snake had provided to him. The mine tunnels flared outward and upward into a large chamber that was stacked with dozens of large crates.

“Wonder what this stuff is?” Moody said in his grouchy voice as he kicked one of the crates.

Harry went over and tapped one of them with his wand. The lid levitated off a few inches before clattering to the floor. Inside was a stack of potion ingredients. He went to the next box and found another set of ingredients.

“You know what this is?” Harry said in a hushed voice. He might not have recognized the ingredients had it not been for him knowing what type of creatures had been living in the freshly abandoned base. “They're making Wolf's Bane potion.”

“Wolf's Bane?” Moody echoed incredulously. “That's real clever.”

“What is?” Number Four asked. Harry wished he could remember names better.

“A werewolf is most dangerous when it's transformed,” Harry explained. “The only problem is that a werewolf is just as likely to attack a friend as a foe because its mind goes feral during the transformation.”

“So they use the Wolf's Bane potion to keep their minds intact when they transform,” Number Five finished.

“The perfect werewolf weapon,” Moody added.

“We can use this stuff ourselves,” Harry said. He waved his wand and shrunk all the crates down to more manageable sizes. “Number Five you get to take these back to one of our expendable locations. We'll check them for tracing charms and traps there.”

Harry transfigured another rod into a portkey and handed it to Number Five. He finished gathering up the now tiny boxes of Wolf's Bane ingredients and then flickered away as the portkey activated.

“Come on,” Harry said after he left. “Let's find those wards, I want to take the protections on this place down and leave some of our own before we go.”

They wandered through the various shafts and tunnels until finally Professor McGonagall found them. She had found the wards down in the center of another large cavern near the bottom of the mine. Portions of the walls were sagging and some of the ancient looking support beams were already sagging dangerously. In the middle of the room were two ward papers stuck onto a pole that was driven into the ground.

“Okay, everyone fan out and search the area while I work on these,” Harry instructed.

“Harry, I've almost finished going through the things that were left behind here. We've found nothing substantial so far, how are things there?” Hermione asked. Harry had drawn his wand but lowered it while he concentrated on replying to her for a moment.

“We found a huge stockpile of ingredients for the Wolf's Bane potion,” Harry replied. “I'm trying to bring the wards down right now.”

“Wolf's Bane?” Hermione said. “This is bad Harry, who knows how many werewolves Voldemort has recruited by now.”

“I know, and now we'll be facing them in their most powerful form every month with their minds intact,” Harry said grimly. Hermione replied with the mental equivalent of a shiver before letting Harry get back to work.

The wards were not terribly powerful or complex so Harry doubted that Voldemort had created them himself. He wondered just how many Death Eaters could do things like wards when to the best of his knowledge very few former Order members were capable.

“Are you almost done Fantail?” Professor McGonagall asked anxiously. She had returned along with the rest of the team from scouring the barracks.

“Nearly,” Harry replied, “did you find anything helpful?”

“No and I doubt that there ever was anything here that would enable us to find other Death Eater strongholds. From all appearances everyone here portkeyed out the instant our informant escaped. They didn't take anything with them because they had nothing to take.”

“Is this normal operating procedure for Voldemort's forces?” Harry asked softly so that the others wouldn't hear.

“We don't know really,” McGonagall whispered in reply. “We've never got to a base this big this quickly before.”

The wards crumbled to dust as Harry finished punching through the magical framework that held the corporeal spell together.

“Never?” he asked. Suddenly Harry had a sinking sensation. “We didn't even ask how he escaped.”

“They let him go to lure us here?” Moody wheezed with alarm.

“Who knows, but now is no time to hang around…” Harry was cut off as spells exploded around them. Three tall figures wrapped in black cloaks seemed to shimmer into existence all around them.

“Protect Fantail,” Professor McGonagall yelled. Everyone surrounded Harry in a tight ring.

“No,” Harry yelled back, “retreat now, everyone leave this to me.”

“You can't be serious boy,” Moody said in a strained voice. The old auror had created a silver shield adorned with a badger.

“These are avatars now retreat,” Harry yelled again. The Light Bearer members that didn't know who Harry was disappeared. Harry flicked his wand to push the stubborn professor and ex-auror back into the hallway to the side of the cavern.

“You cannot hope to resist us,” one of the avatars wheezed out in a gravely voice that Harry suspected was magically disguised to make it seem more terrifying. Ice seemed to cling to their robes and decay spread behind them almost as if they were dementors. Harry jabbed his wand up into the air and spun it around quickly. Spears of pure light shot out and impaled the avatars pinning them to their surroundings.

The abominations were not even phased by the devastating spell. Before Harry could ready another enchantment they launched powerful hexes designed to cripple an opponent. Harry staggered to the floor even though his cylinder barrier shield absorbed the worst of the spells before shattering. Jagged shards rained down on the avatars but they swept them away effortlessly. Terror gripped at Harry but he fought it down. He had to last as long as he could to find some weakness against them.

“Harry,” Hermione's voice echoed in his mind. “We're under attack, two avatars.”

Two avatars! Harry laughed and shimmered away to Hermione's side as another round of hexes slammed into the spot he had just occupied. He and Hermione together might be able to prevail against two. A few feet away two crouching figures stared wide-eyed for a moment at what had just happened before cracking away to safety.

The warehouse was already on fire when Harry arrived. Hermione was standing in an open space with the two avatars circling around her in an attempt to get past her defenses. Harry immediately pressed his back up against hers and conjured a shield so that they could work as a team.

“Is everyone safe?” Harry asked quickly.

“Yes, I sent them away immediately,” Hermione replied. “Be careful, they're trying to capture us.”

“I know, I was attacked too,” Harry said. Inwardly he grimaced at the fact that they were trying to capture Hermione. That could only mean they wanted to use her as a hostage to get to Harry. Hermione didn't say anything more because she apparently saw an opening to attack. An intense orange stream of liquid fire burst from her wand and tried to burn down the avatar nearest her. The twisted human apparated easily out of the path of destruction but the wall behind it was decimated.

“Hurry, double team one, breaker spells,” Harry said. Moving as one Hermione and Harry dashed toward the avatar across from Harry. They sent out one bone shattering blast of focused energy after another and succeeded in breaking the snake adorned shield of their enemy. The avatar staggered as the thin line of an advanced cleaving spell smashed against its torso but amazingly the mortal blow didn't kill it.

“What are these things made of?” Harry yelled.

“Keep going,” Hermione shouted back, “overwhelm it.”

They didn't get the chance to. The three avatars Harry had fought suddenly materialized between them and their wounded foe.

“You cannot escape us,” the tallest one intoned darkly. Harry and Hermione didn't reply with words but instead with twin jets of fire. Hermione's flame was even more potent than it had been mere moments before and Harry could feel desperation rising in her. The flame congealed into a roaring inferno around the dark minions before back lashing onto its casters. Harry opened his mouth to scream but no air came out as the force of the fire sucked up all the atmosphere around them.

Even though Harry and Hermione had stopped most of the damage the fire would have caused with their defensive bubbles of water element they had been unable to stop all the pain. They hadn't been burnt to death but it felt as if they had. Their clothes and hair were smoking charred wrecks too. The heavy felling of anti-apparation jinxes signaled that it was time to go. Their policy was not to stay in any battle when only one method of escape remained.

“This isn't over,” Hermione said defiantly, coughing horribly, “not by a long shot.”

The couple grabbed their wrists and activated the emergency portkeys hidden there to rush them back to the safety of Grimmauld Place.

-->

Chapter 4 - The House of Black vs. Riddle Manor

“What happened?” Fred demanded as soon as Professor McGonagall had finished removing her scarf. George was glowering behind him anxious to get some answers.

“I don't know,” McGonagall snapped angrily, “where is Madam Pomfrey?”

“I'll get her,” George said quickly.

“We were attacked by avatars,” Ron said as he came up behind McGonagall. Luna and Ginny were close in tow. “Hermione ordered us all out.”

“Potter did the same,” Moody chipped in. “He didn't seem to think we'd be up to tangling with that lot and I'd have to say he was probably right.”

“I've got to try to call up a breaker squad to go help them,” Ron moaned.

“Don't be silly Ronald,” Luna interrupted. “We don't have a functional breaker squad yet and even if we did we couldn't send them in. They'll have put up wards to block us by now.”

Ron scrunched up his face then sighed. “You're right, I can't apparate.”

Suddenly the air quivered as Harry and Hermione portkeyed into the room. McGonagall let out a gasp and rushed to help them. They were both swaying on their feet and their charred clothing smoked heavily.

“We're fine,” Harry said roughly. He and Hermione were supporting each other as they got their footing back. “They rebounded one of our spells back onto us, that's all.”

The worn out couple slowly made their way to the two ornate chairs that Harry had created earlier. Remus was asleep on the sofa but Harry didn't know how long that would last as the Grangers and Madam Pomfrey came rushing over to them.

“Hermione are you okay?” Mrs. Granger asked hysterically.

“I'll be all right Mum,” Hermione said irritably. Harry could feel she was embarrassed to have her mother fussing over her in front of everyone. Mr. Granger seemed to understand this too because he held his wife back while Madam Pomfrey diagnosed them.

“We'll you're both better off than you should be,” she said finally. “My revealing charm doesn't know what kind of spell traces those are.”

“An elemental corporeal fire,” Hermione said absently. “I cast it…my own magic can't hurt me that badly, especially with the barriers we were using.”

“We need to call the Order,” Harry said, trying to wrest the conversation back to more pressing matters, “there were five of those things there.”

“We can't fight that many at once,” Hermione said. “Doesn't the Order have any information on them? How did you deal with such terrible apparitions during the last war?”

“There were no avatars during the last war,” Professor McGonagall said. “I'm afraid these are creatures of the prophecy. Voldemort would never empower his followers like this unless he knew that they would be unable to harm him. Their loss of will isn't absolute after all, since they seem to retain their former personalities.”

Avatars were created by allowing a person to tap directly into a host's powers, in this case Voldemort, via a dark ritual that leaves the avatar a twisted cursed shell of their former person. Voldemort would never allow a rapacious dark wizard to gain his powers unless he knew that his creation would be unable to threaten him. The prophecy foretold that only Harry could kill the Dark Lord so there was nothing to restrain him from creating such powerful minions.

“Wonderful,” Harry said darkly in response to McGonagall's explanation. “Then I suppose we need to locate Voldemort himself and end this as quickly as possible. He must have a base of operations.”

“Yes, he most assuredly does,” McGonagall said peevishly, “and we know the place he is using. In a supreme twist of irony he has chosen Riddle Manor as his headquarters. The problem is that no one can remember exactly where it's located now. Clearly it is protected by a Fidelius Charm, just like this house, and it will be unplottable too, obviously.”

“Still, we know the general area just not the exact location, right?” Hermione asked.

“I don't see how that helps us,” McGonagall replied.

“Ron, have teams go out discretely and map the entire region around where Riddle Manor must be. The area protected by the charm will be narrowed down at least some and perhaps we can find a way to break it if we have enough information,” Hermione instructed.

“Also, have someone go over the boxes I sent back to our expendable staging area,” Harry said. “Make sure there are no tracking charms or other means of tracing them embedded, then bring them back here if they're clean. We've got enough ingredients to supply Remus with Wolf's Bane for a decade.”

Hermione shifted in her chair and switched her clothes into some loose comfortable robes with a simple spell. She also took the opportunity to grow back the hair that had been burnt off. Harry followed suit and mentally hoped that their dragon hide hadn't been damaged. He didn't think it had been since the spells Hermione had woven into the Light Bearer uniforms were quite strong and had taken the brunt of the blows.

“I need to talk to Harry,” Hermione said tiredly, “can you all leave now or at least be quiet?”

“Wake us up when the Order is ready to hold a full meeting,” Harry added as he shifted into a more comfortable position too. The small crowd of worried friends and mentors watched as the two exhausted teens quickly fell asleep.

Harry slowly became aware of a large elegantly decorated room that he had never seen before. Hermione was standing at the other side of the room dressed in a long light blue dress of simple yet fashionably classic design.

“Where is this place?” Harry asked as he closed the distance between him and Hermione.

“No where,” Hermione replied. “This is entirely my imagination.”

“I take it you want to dance?” Harry asked. Soft music filled the room and the lighting dimmed.

“I just realized that there are so many things we haven't got to do,” Hermione said wistfully.

“We'll get to do all those things…someday,” Harry assured her.

“You don't know that,” Hermione said softly. She stared up into his eyes longingly as they moved awkwardly about.

“We can believe even if we don't know,” Harry replied.

Hermione laughed. “I can't dance at all can I?”

“You're better than me, if that helps,” Harry smiled back.

“Maybe a little,” Hermione said. The room shrank down into the more familiar Gryffindor common area. “We've got a lot of work cut out for us Harry.”

“Yeah and we're still a long way from perfecting the Sorcerer's Stone too,” Harry replied.

“I'm afraid that the Stone will have to wait. We need to discover the secrets of the auror eyepieces so that we can make them for our members. That need is greater than any other research right now.” Hermione said. Harry winced slightly at the thought that such a powerful medicine would be delayed now but he realized that Hermione was right. They could make the eyepieces relatively quickly compared to the stone, which was still an undetermined amount of time away from completion.

“Do you have any idea how we can make such potent magical devices?” Harry asked.

“Not yet, but I know how we can get some ideas. We'll borrow one from Shacklebolt or Tonks,” Hermione said.

“Do you think they'll loan them to us after what happened last winter?” Harry said hesitantly. He and Hermione had left on poor terms with the two aurors over whether or not the books on so called black magic in the library should be destroyed.

“The Order has joined us and they're part of the Order,” Hermione said. “Either they help us or we chuck them out. Besides, Dumbledore can probably persuade them and I'm sure he'll see the necessity of this.”

“I hope so,” Harry replied. He didn't have anything against Shacklebolt despite what had happened and he still really liked Tonks. She reminded him of Sirius in a nice comfortable way and even though the pain of Sirus' death had faded with time Harry still wanted very much to remember his godfather.

Harry realized that Hermione was no longer standing next to him an instant before the common room dissolved into Hermione's sleepy looking face, which was wreathed in bushy hair and hovering in front of him.

“Wake up Harry, something's going on,” Hermione said insistently. She gave him another hard shake and Harry finally lurched out of his chair.

There were still little knots of refugees milling about, many of whom were probably bored from what was promising to be an extended stay at Grimmauld Place. Hermione pointed to a long beam of light that was spilling out from between the double doors that led into the dining room where the Order had always held its meetings. Muffled voices came from within.

“They didn't,” Harry breathed.

“You'd better believe it,” Hermione said grimly. They had started the meeting without their leaders.

“Kreacher,” Harry said into the gloom. The little elf appeared immediately. “Get Ron and the others. Tell them to get to the main dining room now.”

“Yes Master,” Kreacher said before cracking away.

“Let me handle this Hermione,” Harry said. He knew Hermione was about ready to hex someone and he didn't want to alienate their supposed new allies. With a gentle shove the doors swung silently open and the couple slid unobtrusively into the room.

Snape was standing at the foot of the table giving a report to the Order and Dumbledore was presiding over the meeting at the head. Almost every member that Harry knew of was sitting up and down the long table in what appeared to be an order of seniority. Snape froze in mid sentence when he spotted the two teens making their way toward the other end of the table.

“Please, continue,” Harry said softly. Hermione drew up large ornate chairs on either side of Dumbledore for them to sit in.

“What is the meaning of this,” Snape hissed dangerously. Clearly no one had informed him that the Order was under new management.

“Not now Severus,” Dumbledore replied calmly, prompting him to finish, “you were saying?”

“Voldemort is most concerned about this new faction that has sprung seemingly out of no where to oppose him. He is creating more avatars even as we speak in order to stop this new menace before it gets started and to capture the Potter boy. Voldemort is suspicious of everyone more than ever, including his inner circle, and he divulges precious little these days. Lucius is most displeased at being shut out and at having his home used as a Death Eater base.” Snape said in a crisp businesslike tone. It was odd to hear the professor talk in any way other than his usual slow sneering drone.

“Do you have any recommendations as to our next course of action Severus?” Deumbledore asked.

“If Voldemort fears these so called Light Bearers so much then it would at least be worth the effort to seek them out and propose cooperation,” Snape said slowly.

Harry almost burst out laughing and he could feel shock radiating off of Hermione too. Apparently Voldemort didn't know as much about them as they had feared he might. Not only that, but Dumbledore had played this most masterfully indeed by getting Snape to endorse Harry without realizing it. The usually stoic McGonagall looked like the cat that ate the canary.

“I agree,” Dumbledore said smoothly. “You'll be delighted to know that we have found the Light Bearers and already entered into a mutually acceptable agreement with them.”

Tonks had been studying Hermione sourly ever since they had come in but now she perked up. “Really? How did you manage that? The Ministry hasn't been able to get even a whiff of them since their appearance in Diagon Alley last winter.”

“Of course not, their activities have been severely constrained due to the fact that most of their entire leadership has been attached to Hogwarts until now,” Dumbledore said. Tonks' gaze flickered from Harry to Hermione and back again. Snape's usually inscrutable mask had fallen away into open disbelief at the obvious insinuation Dumbledore was making.

“You can't be serious,” Snape said nastily. “Potter has neither the disposition nor the power to do such a thing.”

“Severus, please, for the last time, try to see past your old grudges.” Dumbledore said wearily. “If we are to prevail against Voldemort all of us must be united. We must all help each other.”

“What could this, this boy possibly do to help us,” Snape roared indignantly.

“Need I remind you that Harry is the one destined to defeat Voldemort? No greater aid could be rendered by anyone than the accomplishment of our purpose for being here tonight.” Dumbledore said, agitation edging into his voice. Harry sat back with mixed feelings about Dumbledore's new attitude. It was definitely refreshing to have the Headmaster finally defending him though.

“If you doubt Mr. Potter's potential Severus I'm sure Miss Granger would loan us her pensieve long enough for you to see how he fared against three avatars just a few hours ago,” McGonagall said.

“Regardless,” Dumbledore broke in. “It was made painfully obvious to me that this war, and make no mistake this is a war now, cannot be won by us alone. Harry is the one prophesized to defeat Voldemort and thus he is the one to lead us in this struggle. I have pledged my loyalty to Harry and accepted the emblem of his service. I renounce the oaths of the Order of the Phoenix and release you all to join or leave as your conscious may dictate.”

Stunned silence seemed to impact physically on each person seated around the table. No one even looked up as Ron, Ginny, and Luna slipped in the back of the room.

Harry stood up swiftly. “Before any of you decide anything I'd like to say something.”

Eyes riveted toward him expectantly. Even Snape looked interested in hearing him. Harry silently thanked Hermione for making him give all those uncomfortable speeches in the past.

“I want to be up front and honest about what you'll all be getting into should you agree to join. Don't expect things to be like they were before, this is not the Order of the Phoenix. That being said I commend Headmaster Dumbledore on his exceptional efforts in bringing together so many of the greatest mages in England.” Harry said. He looked around at each person slowly as he continued.

“The Light Bearers, on the other hand, is mostly made up of your average witches and wizards. These people didn't experiment on new potions for years or master animagus transformations. They are not aurors or hit wizards and most of them have never drawn a single sack of Ministry gold as a salary.” Harry continued. His voice had risen slightly as he got wound up in his monologue. He motioned for Ginny, Luna, and Ron to step forward. Several people looked around as they noticed them for the first time.

“We formed the Bearers of the Light not just to defeat Voldemort but to also provide a strong voice for the end of the injustices of the wizarding world which made Voldemort possible. We have an unprecedented opportunity to acknowledge the rights that our friends like Remus, Hagrid, and Dobby should have always had. Help us, help yourselves, freedom for anyone makes everyone safer.” Harry finished, voice thick with emotion at the force of his convictions and sat back down.

Hermione tossed down a tangled mass of silver emblems and chains onto the table. With a wave of her wand they dispersed to hover in front of each former Order member. “Who will join us?” she asked.

Everyone except Tonks, Shacklebolt, and Snape placed the emblems around their necks. The three untouched necklaces crumbled to dust at rejection.

“We cannot,” Tonks said. “The Ministry keeps close watch on all its employees, especially aurors. We would be discovered immediately. Severus has a similar problem.”

“Right,” Harry said quickly, not mentioning that they already had one other auror in the same situation, “You are needed to continue in your roles as double agents of course.”

“We are with you though,” Tonks said, “in spirit.”

Harry looked at Shacklebolt and Snape. Slowly they bowed their heads in muted acceptance. Even if they weren't thrilled they would at least cooperate as they had with Dumbledore, though Harry still didn't entirely trust any of them, even Tonks, which really hurt.

The rest of the meeting was less exciting and more filled with Ron discussing current Light Bearer activities. Harry was impressed as Ron laid out the numerous Light Bearer safe houses, logistical structures, and staging grounds. All that was left for them to do was create their own private Azkaban to hold enemies that they might capture. With the petrifaction potion they should have little trouble keeping their prisoners locked down as long as they managed to keep the facility secret from Voldemort.

Eventually people began leaving the meeting out of necessity to keep up appearances or take care of important things in their lives like families. Dumbledore left to check on all the locations that had been set up to ensure they were amply defended from attack or discovery. Hermione had been going to do that herself but she was grateful that Dumbledore's more extensive experience would be doing it instead. As the last few people filed out only Tonks was left standing behind her chair, her auror eyepiece on the table since Harry has asked for her or Shacklebolt to provide one. Hermione was hesitant but Harry approached her, touched by how in the end she had stood with them.

Unexpectedly Tonks threw her arms around Harry in a tight hug before pulling back. “I'm sorry Harry,” she said sadly, “I'm sorry about the things I said, the things I assumed. I should have trusted you more. When I heard the prophecy…and now this...”

“Its all right,” Harry replied softly. “I know you were only concerned for us.”

Tonks' eyes flitted to Hermione for a moment. “Though I'm still worried about you Harry. Aurors are trained to be extremely wary of the dark arts. I know now that you have a destiny that you can't ignore and like Dumbledore said you have to fulfill it your way, not ours. Don't get caught up in it though, don't enjoy it Harry, please, don't lose yourself. The ends don't justify the means. Promise me.”

Hermione came up behind Harry and gripped his forearm. “I've already made a promise,” Harry said, his free hand moving to cover Hermione's, “that I would stop Voldemort no matter what the cost. I can promise though, that I will never become like…him.”

Tonks scrutinized them both for a moment before nodding her head slowly and backing out of the room. Her hair had sagged and lengthened into her natural form and her face bore the unmistakable resemblance to the Black family to which she was related.

“That went better than I expected Harry,” Hermione said gently. She picked up the eyepiece and examined it, not wanting to analyze everything that had happened just yet. Harry wrapped his arm around her waist and led her back into the main room where Remus was still asleep.

Now that they had a working auror eyepiece the efforts to develop one of their own went much quicker. Harry and Hermione spent all the time they could muster over the next few days to perfecting their more powerful variant so that it could be mass-produced. Disruptions were frequent though between the Dursley's complaints, Death Eater attacks, and overseeing the search for Riddle Manor. Not to mention that the Death Eaters were apparently searching intensively for Grimmauld Place too. Voldemort supporters and dark creatures were seen prowling all over London.

Harry sighed as he placed another transparent red disk into a small beautifully decorated box. He was getting very tired from the efforts of making one vision-enhancing eyepiece after another. Hermione was stooped over a small cauldron that they had sat up in the main room to make endurance potions. Voldemort's minions were fond of attacking in the dead of night so they needed the potion to make them alert quickly and keep them from getting fatigued. Hermione finished stirring and moved back to the table they were using as a workbench.

“Have you decided what you're going to say to everyone at the meeting?” Hermione asked. They had set a date for a full meeting of all Light Bearer members. Everyone was to come disguised to prevent too many people from knowing who their colleagues were. No one knew yet that Harry and Hermione had decided to take Dumbledore's advice to reveal their identities. First they would tell their followers and then they would start appearing without disguise so the general public would know too. Harry wasn't entirely comfortable with the plan but Hermione thought that Dumbledore's idea actually had merit this time. That more than anything had helped convince Harry.

“You look tired dear, maybe you should take a break,” Mrs. Granger said hesitantly from the doorway. She slid into the room with her husband in tow.

“We wondered if we could talk to you,” Mr. Granger added.

“Of course, but we've got to keep working on these eyepieces,” Hermione said suspiciously. Her parents mostly tried to stay out of their way. When they came around acting all nonchalant it usually meant something was up. Sure enough Mrs. Granger dropped a newspaper onto the table between Hermione and Harry. Hermione winced when she saw the picture of herself and Harry sitting together on the sofa in the Dursley's living room. She had nearly forgotten about that horrible article.

“I thought your parents were okay with…us,” Harry said with concern. After Hermione's parents had finally absorbed the nature of the young couple's soul bond and the obvious affectation they had for each other they had not objected to their relationship.

“Mum,” Hermione blushed uncomfortably, “I already to you about that article, remember?”

“That's not exactly what's bothering us,” Mr. Granger said. He opened the paper and pushed it towards his daughter. Hermione started to squirm as she quickly scanned down the pages.

“This is a load of rubbish,” she finally said exasperatedly. “They've dredged up every old accusation ever made against Harry or myself.”

“So you didn't do any of those things?” Mrs. Granger asked with obvious relief.

“I can't believe you took this seriously Mum. I told you how much the Prophet has it out for Harry and now by extension for me too.” Hermione said. Harry grabbed the paper and looked down the list, which he had to admit was pretty impressive looking. What was worse, many of the incidents the Prophet had actually happened but with different circumstances than the paper described. Like for example when he had cursed two Slytherin students last year who were in the process of tormenting a defenseless little girl. The Prophet conveniently left that fact out and instead construed the incident to look like an unprovoked attack on his part.

“You really shouldn't worry,” Hermione was saying. “Everyone knows the Prophet is a propaganda rag for the ministry these days.”

“You shouldn't underestimate the power of bad press,” Mr. Granger replied. “Especially when it goes unchallenged.”

“We just don't have the time or the resources to reply right now,” Harry broke in. “The Quibbler is having a rough time and I don't want to make Luna's father a bigger target than he already is by giving interviews again. If anything happens to him our biggest source of favorable press will vanish not to mention Luna would be devastated.”

“You've got to remember that the Ministry is actually afraid of Harry,” Hermione explained. “I know he's supposed to defeat Voldemort and everything but what happens after he succeeds? The Ministry has been forced to come to terms with the fact that there exist individuals who can act with virtual impunity outside of the law. Voldemort certainly can, Dumbledore did for several months during fifth year, and Harry could too if he wanted.”

“Don't forget yourself,” Harry added cheekily.

Hermione flushed, “The point is that this is bigger than just a vendetta against Harry personally. The established authorities are actually concerned that they could be displaced. It's only natural that they'd have this kind of paranoid overreaching analysis of Harry's activities. It isn't fair or right, but it does have a perverse kind of logic behind it.”

The Grangers seemed to consider this for a moment while Harry placed his newly finished eyepiece into one of the empty cases that had been conjured to hold it. Unlike the auror eyepieces these were a deep crimson color and would hold themselves in position over the wearer's eye with no strap needed to attach to the head. The devices would be able to see through most solid objects and any invisibility charm of equal or lesser strength to Harry's. They had finally decided that Harry's charm was slightly stronger than Hermione's so it only made sense to use his as the benchmark.

“What was that?” Harry asked suddenly. A vision of a burning room flashed through his mind.

“Someone's calling for our help,” Hermione said, “but they must be too weak or something because I'm not getting a fix on their location.”

The Grangers looked on with concern as the two teens stood up, conjured their Light Bearer uniforms to disguise themselves, and took their wands out. Seconds ticked by before Harry finally pinpointed the location and sent it to Hermione. They shimmered silently away with a twirling of cloaks and appeared in the center of devastation.

“Look for survivors,” Hermione said urgently as she sprayed white foam out of her wand onto the burning ruins.

“I don't think there are any,” Harry said sadly as he crouched over a dead witch and her small child. Neither of them had an injury on them anywhere. Harry levitated debris and soon found a wizard dressed in a Light Bearer uniform. He quickly banished the uniform so that no one would know that he had been a member just in case.

“No portkey,” Hermione whispered when she pulled up his shirtsleeve. All their members had been issued emergency portkeys in the shape of a bracelet but due to the involved process in making them a few had yet to receive theirs.

“Their kid couldn't apparate,” Harry said sadly. It was the same reason his parents had died all those years ago. They could have apparated away and saved themselves but instead they fought to the death for their child.

“We were too late,” Hermione said emotionally a few moments later when they reappeared in the living room where they had left her parents. Harry sunk back into his chair dejectedly and flashed off a message to Ron informing him of which member had been killed.

Harry didn't know how Hermione's parents managed to keep from being overcome with worry for their daughter after seeing her go out over and over again to confront Voldemort's minions. He suspected they were just putting on a brave face for their benefit because they knew there was no other choice.

The issue of what he was going to say at the first full meeting of the Bearers of the Light came back to the fore of Harry's mind as he tried to forget the horrific scene he had just witnessed. He didn't think that he needed to say very much since everyone already knew why they were fighting just not who they were following. Harry decided that he should probably explain why he was revealing his identity now and maybe answer questions. He winced slightly at that idea. Ever since he had answered questions after his speech in the Room of Requirement during the last term he had been a bit queasy about enduring a similar grilling all over again.

“Don't worry Harry,” Hermione's voice broke into his thoughts. “Everyone is already behind you and I'll be there for you if you need me.”

“Thanks Hermione, I know I'm just being silly, but I feel so inadequate for all of…this,” Harry said dejectedly with the mental equivalent of a sigh.

“Everyone has those same feelings Harry, even Dumbledore,” Hermione said.

Harry snorted, “Of course Dumbledore feels inadequate.”

Hermione smiled at his glib and started work on another eyepiece. Her parents had stayed for a while but now they drifted back off to whatever they usually did to occupy themselves. He had seen them reading some books from the library even though they couldn't practice magic. Harry supposed that such things might be rather fascinating even to a muggle.

Remus was up and about again, though still a little stiff and sore from his ordeal. He told them that his escape had been grueling and he doubted that he was allowed to go on purpose. He had only managed it because the guards that had been left to watch over him had been muggle werewolves. The wizards had assumed he was too badly injured to escape at that point. The ambushes that followed were probably just the result of Voldemort's minions making the best they could from his escape.

The summer continued to tick by and the Light Bearers were still taking losses a few at a time. Fortunately it seemed that Voldemort had no idea who the Light Bearers were specifically and so it was only during his random strikes on muggle born people that he occasionally got in a lucky hit. Emergency portkeys had been fully distributed and so almost all the Light Bearers that came under attack managed to escape. The general public on the other hand was a different matter. Some people most at risk for attack had taken to moving from place to place or hiding out in the countryside and using as little magic as possible to blend into the muggle population. Lots of muggle born individuals were fleeing England if they could find a place to go to but even then safety wasn't guaranteed. There were rumors of Death Eaters abroad, either English Death Eaters who went hunting the fleeing muggle born escapees or else foreign national Voldemort supporters who were operating of their own accord.

“These things are great,” Remus said excitedly. He had affixed one of the red eyepieces over his left eye. “Won't everyone be able to see each other's identity's though?”

“We already thought of that and made sure that the scarves would block such devices,” Hermione said absently. Each member of the Light Bearers wore disguises as a part of their normal uniform. Harry and Hermione wanted their followers to be able to operate without fear of being singled out by the Death Eaters for reprisals.

Remus glanced around with the eyepiece for a few minutes before becoming bored and moving on to the other things that Hermione had left scattered about. Harry smirked at the kindly werewolf's inquisitive nature as Remus flipped through one book after another.

"What's this?" Remus asked. He held up some large white piece of paper that had fallen out of one of the folders.

"That," Harry said, "is where we're going in about fifteen minutes after the last recon patrol gets back in."

Remus looked puzzled so Hermione broke in with a more thorough explanation. "We've been sending out search teams for days now to try to narrow down the location of Voldemort's main headquarters. As soon as we get the last map segment from the patrol that's out right now Harry and I are going to take a crack at penetrating the magic that's keeping Riddle Manor hidden."

Concern flashed across Remus' haggard face. "How many people are you taking with you?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Just us, no one else can apparate fast enough to keep up with us on this one."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, what if Voldemort took the opportunity to gang up on you," Remus said.

"Honestly Remus," Hermione said with frustration apparent in her voice, though not with him. "We'll be fine. If anything happens that we can't handle we'll portkey away."

The werewolf tilted his head oddly, anxiety still apparent in his features but nodded in agreement. Harry put down the book he had taken up when Ron came hurrying into the room waving the final piece of the map.

“This is it guys,” Ron said once they had put all the pieces together on the table. “We've got accurate descriptions of the entire region except for these areas here.”

Harry studied the large indefinite mass that was unable to be mapped and knew that somewhere inside it was Voldemort's main base. Now it was time to see if he and Hermione could succeed where the other scouts had failed.

“All right, don't wait up for us,” Hermione said. Harry summoned his Light Bearer uniform at the same time as Hermione did hers. “We'll go straight from the field to the meeting.”

“Don't take too long,” Ron replied. “You've still got to start growing the fortress.”

“Actually you can do that for us,” Hermione said. She dug a tiny block of obsidian stone out of her robes and tossed it to the red head. “Just bury that in the ground and it should be ready to do its thing.”

Harry and Hermione had been working on that little piece of stone as an offshoot of their alchemy experiments to restore the Sorcerer's Stone. It was in effect a preprogrammed conjuring spell that would slowly enlarge and shape itself into a great fortress that they intended to use as a prison. Everyone would find out about it in just a few hours when the meeting was held at the future fortress' location, place that had been named Middle Yard.

Harry and Hermione shimmered into existence on the fringe of the magically concealed area revealed by the attempt at mapping the region. The landscape seemed to be pretty much the same as any other part of England but looks could be deceiving when magic was a factor.

“Let's just apparate through it a few times and then meet back here,” Hermione said.

Harry nodded and began jumping very short distances in rapid succession. It was dangerous to try to pinpoint an area to appear in when outside of that area's visual range because of the effects of the spell blanketing everything. If Harry's perceptions of the terrain were distorted he could end up apparating into a rock or a tree and killing himself. Harry knew he should be fine so long as he could physically see where he was going, at least he hoped that the magical protections couldn't affect him that much.

Harry made a few more jumps but didn't see anything that could be Riddle Manor. He also suddenly realized he was completely lost. With a sigh he jumped back to the starting point so he could try again.

“Harry!” Hermione's shaky voice shouted. He felt himself caught up in one of Hermione's monstrous hugs.

“What's wrong?” he asked, bewildered.

“I didn't know what to do,” Hermione answered in a distraught tone. I've been waiting for hours and I couldn't even find you through our link.

“But how? I've only been gone a few minutes,” Harry replied.

“You must have been really close to the focal point of the spell,” Hermione surmised, her panic diminishing now that Harry was back. “It must have distorted time for you somehow to prevent you from finding the location being protected.”

“We're close then, we've got to go back,” Harry said excitedly.

“No!” Hermione exclaimed. “What if you got stuck again and couldn't get out this time? I've never heard of such a thing happening before, we need to research this much more thoroughly. It's nearly time for the meeting too and unless you want to make people question our reliability we'd better go now...”

Harry looked up at the twilight sky and sighed. At least he could console himself that they had gotten that much closer to uncovering Voldemort's hiding spot. Hermione squeezed his hand and together they shimmered away to the location that had been dubbed Middle Yard.

Middle Yard was currently little more than a few beaten wooden structures out in the middle of a field. However, Hermione had hidden the location and fortified it with the strongest protective wards they had. Also, there was now a lump of black stone beginning to peak out of the ground that would grow into a huge black fortress within a few weeks. With the new generation of wards they were currently developing Harry hoped they would be able to turn the magical structure into a formidable stronghold like Hogwarts.

“Hey you guys, we were beginning to get worried,” Ron hissed unexpectedly from behind them. Luna, Neville, and Ginny were also nearby discussing something. There was a raised platform illuminated by magical fires off in the background that was already surrounded by dozens of uniformed and masked Light Bearers.

“Harry nearly got stuck in the spell protecting Riddle Manor,” Hermione explained. “That whole area is off limits until we can get a better idea of what we're dealing with.”

Ron nodded grimly and the trio turned towards their other friends. It had been a long time since Harry had seen Neville and he was eager to see how the clumsy wizard's progress was coming. Neville's improvement during the D.A. had been remarkable and even though he would probably always be the weakest out of the group, except possibly for Ginny, he had still become a first class wizard. Neville's determination to help his friends and live up to the Longbottom name like his gran wanted him to had inspired him to work harder than most people that Harry knew.

“So how's the team coming Neville?” Harry asked when the trio finally closed the distance. Luna drifted over next to Ron and looked up at him with her huge blue eyes.

“We're as ready as we'll ever be,” Neville said nervously. Neville had asked to lead the first specialized team of their sixteen best warriors who would be dedicated exclusively to combating the deadly avatars of Voldemort. “We've incorporated all the tactics that we've been able to find from our sources in the auror department.”

“I have a feeling that you'll get a chance to see how effective those strategies are any day now,” Hermione said. “Harry and I just can't keep up with the avatars. They're purposefully hitting small targets in a random dispersed way to keep us running around.”

“Uh, guys,” Ron said insistently, “we don't have all night you know. We don't want to raise people's suspicions by keeping our members out all at once for such a long time.”

Harry raised an eyebrow in faint surprise at Ron's keen planning. The red headed teen had really taken on a new sense of mission after being controlled by the Death Eater Tram. “Okay, let's go, and remember the plan, I do all the talking and I'm the only one that reveals their identity, right?”

Hermione nodded in agreement. They had reached the conclusion that even though several people, mainly Hogwarts' students knew the identities of Ron and Hermione too, it wouldn't be as weighty a secret as Harry's identity was. A secret less pressing would be less likely to be discovered by a strong legimens so it was worth the effort to continue concealing their identities.

Harry and Hermione waited a moment while the other four teens got into place before shimmering in a tiny apparation onto the stage. It took a few moments for the crowd to quiet down after they realized that the meeting was ready to begin. Harry took a couple of calming breaths and magically amplified his voice just a little to make sure everyone could hear him. He didn't even have to use his wand for such a simple spell.

“I'm glad that nearly all of our membership is here this evening for the first ever gathering of this kind. More than that I am honored that so many people have volunteered to put themselves on the line for the freedom of the entire world of magic. Our purposes are many but none more pressing than the first to be addressed.”

Harry paused and glanced around at all the masked figures looking up expectantly at him. Silver glinted in the dim light off of the immaculate uniforms that Hermione had mostly designed. Harry raised his voice a little more as he continued.

“All of you know why you joined the Bearers of the Light. You joined because a dark and evil force threatens our world. You joined because you no longer believed in the Ministry's ability or willingness to safeguard your families. Most of all you joined because you thought you could make a difference. I'm here tonight to reassure you that you will make more difference than anyone else in the war against Voldemort.”

The crowd stirred slightly and Harry grinned to himself as he felt a wave of pride wash over him through his bond with Hermione.

“Since the prophecy was leaked to the forces of darkness and then to the general public I am aware that many of you worried that no matter what you did you would be unable to affect the outcome of this conflict. Moreover, now that we have grown larger and stronger it is finally time for all Light Bearers to know who has drawn them together under our common cause.”

Harry didn't wait for the obvious implication of his words to sink in. Instead he banished his scarf and stood illuminated in the light that bathed the stage. Shouts of “the Chosen One” or “The-Boy-Who-Lived” rang out across the stage. Harry raised his hands to continue but never got his chance.

Green flame flashed brightly in the center of the gathering near the front of the stage. Harry's hand flickered to his wand but never made it as he realized who was standing there.

“What in the bloody hell,” Hermione's voice barked angrily through Harry's head. She too had been an instant away from cursing the Headmaster for his unscheduled arrival.

“Who knows,” Harry replied with the mental equivalent of an exasperated sigh.

“Every single one of us has exactly one chance of stopping Tom Riddle,” Dumbledore boomed as he pointed at Harry. “And he is standing right there. I pledge my life that no harm will come to Harry Potter so long as I can stand between him and anything that would stop him from doing what only he can do.”

Harry flushed, he didn't want people throwing themselves between him and killing curses, he just wanted them to help him.

“All our lives before Harry's,” Hermione's high-pitched voice added quickly. More and more people added their vows and soon everyone was cheering for Harry to prevail.

“I didn't want this,” Harry moaned.

“Harry please, don't you see, this is brilliant,” Hermione shot back. “Even with the prophecy Dumbledore's influence will still help us immensely.”

“I thought you hated him,” Harry replied cheekily.

“I'm still upset with him Harry but if he keeps this up he'll have gone a long way to making up for it in my eyes,” Hermione said seriously.

Harry sighed and held his hands up for silence. “Thank you all, I only hope I can justify the sacrifices you are all making with success in our cause. The other reason that this meeting was called is to distribute new equipment…”

“Harry, I think you're forgetting something,” Dumbledore said calmly. “We eagerly await the identity of our other leader, uh, I believe you call her Greywing.”

Hermione studied Harry's reaction to Dumbledore's proposed outing of her identity. She silently agreed that there was no reason to hide it anymore but she had felt Harry's protective emotions wind up so much when she had suggested it once that she hadn't the heart to force it on him. Harry's cloak was fluttering behind him rather dashingly due to his hands still being held in the air to call for quiet. She flushed and shifted her feet uncomfortably while trying to shake distracting thoughts out of her head.

Harry hesitated, caught off guard, so Dumbledore continued. “Voldemort will have easily figured it out after what happened last year Harry. There's nothing to be gained for anyone by hiding now.”

“Very well,” Harry shrugged, defeated by the logic and because he knew Hermione didn't want to stay hidden anymore, even if she didn't bring it up to him.

Hermione stepped forward to take her place at Harry's side and banished her mask. Bushy hair flared out at being released from the restraint of her disguise which made her instantly recognizable to anyone who had read the Daily Prophet since the release of the picture of her and Harry. The crowd murmured eagerly at this, especially the Hogwart's students who were already aware, and Harry was sure he heard a voice suspiciously similar to McGonagall's calling out something about “the brightest witch of her age.”

After much more hand waving Harry finally got control of the meeting back and finished explaining about the new eyepieces. He was preparing to banish the stage to help hand them out but Hermione stopped him at the last second.

“Harry, don't get in such a hurry, I want to teach them our spell,” Hermione said to him over their link before addressing the crowd. “There is one final tool that we have prepared for tonight. A psychological weapon that we will use against the Death Eaters like they have used the Dark Mark against us.”

Hermione pointed her wand at the sky and said the words of the spell out loud so that everyone could see how it was performed. “Arguo Verax” Instantly a glimmering outline of a torch made up of shimmering liquid silver imposed itself onto the night sky. A soft white light, not unlike that of a full moon, shined down on them gently.

Harry jumped down after Hermione and banished the stage. He grabbed a box of eyepieces and helped the others hand them out while Hermione gave individual instructions on how to use her spell. Harry generally had no idea who he was handing out the red lenses to except when he ran across someone wearing the distinctive phoenix insignia that revealed their previous affiliation with Dumbledore's Order. One person, however, was clearly recognizable since he wore no disguise.

“So, do you need one of these?” Harry smirked at the old wizard. “Or can you see through our invisibility cloaks?”

“I believe I shall muddle through on my own somehow,” Dumbledore said with a wink. “I've grown too old to change my ways now or to rely on new devices.”

“I suspected as much,” Harry replied. “Will you be returning with us or…?”

“I'm afraid not Harry,” Dumbledore said. “Hogwarts needs me for now to keep it safe. There are many things that I must attend to.”

“Just remember who you work for now,” Harry said, miffed at the old wizard's response.

“Of course,” Dumbledore replied humbly before disappearing in a twirl of cloak.

-->

Chapter 5 - The First to Fall

It was a peaceful night not unlike any other night but for some reason that he couldn't quite put his finger on the old man most people knew simply as Gramps was worried. For the fourth time he peeked through the curtains to observe the street of the small village where he lived with his son and granddaughter but couldn't see anything noteworthy.

“Come on dad, for the last time, there's nothing out there,” young Robert Tambly said. He was finishing up some accounting work that he hadn't got done down at the office.

“Put that bean counting away and get your wand,” Gramps hissed back, “I see something moving.”

“Dad, don't be ridiculous, its probably just a cat. I can't believe you're so paranoid.” Robert replied in a bored tone.

“You weren't old enough to remember how it was last time, not like I do, now don't argue with me get your wand before—“ Gramps fell to the floor as the house shook from a massive explosion. Down the street excited whoops and yells from reveling Death Eaters made the situation seem even more surreal. Gramps peeked out the window again and saw several muggles being bounced around the street, limbs hanging at odd angles.

“What's that?” Robert asked, visibly shaking. He had his daughter in one hand and a wand in the other now.

“This is our ticket out of here, now grab hold,” Gramps said as he pushed back his sleeve and revealed a beautifully decorated ornate bracelet. His son did as instructed but when Gramps pushed the little jewel that activated the portkey nothing happened except a strange tingling sensation.

“Dispersion wards,” he muttered grimly. The Death Eaters were specifically targeting people's families since anyone who wasn't a young child or a muggle could simply apparate away to safety. “We're going to have to run.”

“What? They aren't even coming up here, let's just hide.” Robert whined.

“Use your brain boy,” Gramps snarled at his son as he pawed around in his jacket, “your mother was a muggle and I'm only a half blood myself. We're exactly what the Dark Lord has sworn to wipe out.”

“What's that?” Robert asked, eyes widening as he saw his father clutching at a little silver medallion shaped like a torch. “You've brought them all down upon us.”

“Don't be an idiot, no one knows I joined, now hush and let me concentrate,” Gramps said. He tried to focus like the noisy red haired brat had taught him.

Bright flames shot up all around them and the top of the house was sheered off by a powerful blast of magic. Gramps grabbed his shell-shocked son and drug him out the backdoor. Silently he berated himself for his poor physical condition when he became winded only a few steps down the street. Many of the other houses in the small village were in ruins and the residence of the other wizard family had been reduced to a smoldering hole in the ground.

The air shimmered and a dark cloaked avatar stepped into existence in front of them, wand clutched in long black gloved fingers. Gramps heard his young grandchild wail with fright and he clutched the little silver emblem again in a desperate plea for help. Black wires shot out and slammed them into the ground so that the Death Eaters could enjoy a round of sport with their victims.

Sharp cracks echoed all around the gutted town and suddenly there were dozens of tall black cloaked figures standing on what had once been houses. Gramps looked through fuzzy eyes and saw two figures with golden trim on their uniforms standing atop the tallest remaining structure, eyes glowing with vengeance. “We're saved...”

Harry's stomach threatened to tie itself in a knot as he quickly surveyed the situation before them. There were at least two dozen Death Eaters and two avatars which would easily make this the Light Bearers' largest battle to date. Hermione had insisted that they bring forty members so that they would have a numerical advantage but she refused to summon more for fear of inviting chaos in battle. Not to mention the necessity of keeping a reserve for other attacks, preserving the identity of their members, and ensuring that the Light Bearers' entire strength would not be exposed in one place unnecessarily.

Harry registered out of the corner of his eye that everyone was splitting into their teams of four and moving off to engage the regular Death Eaters. Doubt racked Harry's mind about the ability of these mostly ordinary people to go up against veteran killers like the Death Eaters but he managed to banish such thoughts from his mind. His job was to take on the avatars and he had no choice but to trust the others to handle their jobs as well.

Harry fired a full strength stunner at the avatar on the right at the same time as Hermione let loose with a rainbow colored spell. Both avatars flickered and vanished before either spell got even close to them. Neither of them had expected the spells to do anything, they were just to test the waters a bit.

“Potter and the mudblood…you should never have challenged our master,” one of the avatars wheezed. Both of the black cloaked monsters had appeared behind the teen couple, their presence exuding an icy aura. Harry and Hermione apparated away an instant before killing curses slammed into their previous position.

Harry could sense Hermione's location through their link as they played a dangerous game of tag with Voldemort's avatars. Each time Harry took a step he appeared in another place, launched a spell, and then flitted away to keep from getting hit. Hermione saw an avatar stop on a pile of bricks that used to be a wall and sent a large gout of fire at it. The avatar sidestepped the main force of the blast and deflected the rest with an aqua colored shield.

Harry saw his opportunity and lashed out with a dozen tendrils of lightening. The avatar managed to deflect the bolts that would have hit it directly but failed to take into account the bricks that it was standing on. Shards of brick ripped through the black cloak of the avatar when magical lightening raked the pile of rubble.

Hermione lunged in for a finishing blow but her green beam of death was intercepted by a big chunk of masonry. The other avatar had come to the rescue of its comrade. Harry and Hermione didn't let up though; they poured their most mighty spells into the two minions of darkness. The entire area exploded in debris and emitted a strong rush of air from the force of the magical energies decompressing. A thick cloud of dust boiled up and obscured the area for several meters around the impact zone.

All around them people screamed and deadly spells flashed. Harry and Hermione circled each other as they stood back to back, searching for the avatars. At the far end of the desolated street the two fiendish minions materialized. Harry and Hermione walked toward them, shields shining, stepping past the fallen bodies of foes and comrades alike as they realized that the day was going to be very bloody.

A Death Eater stumbled back from his duel with a Light Bearer team and then slumped to the ground as Harry pumped a stunner spell into him without even a glance. As they closed the distance the avatars unleashed killing curses, just out of habit apparently, since Hermione easily intercepted them with debris scattered all over the street. Harry replied to their attacks with a new spell he had been working on. Dozens of thin red lines, like cat scratches in the air, rippled out from his wand in a random pattern. Everywhere they touched they ripped through solid material and exploded. Again the rush of air whipped Harry and Hermione's cloaks back, at the same time coating them with masonry dust. One of the avatar's arms hung oddly but it didn't seem to affect the thing's ability to fight.

“You'll never win, even with your unnatural powers,” Hermione said bitterly, yet confidently.

The two things laughed, an eerie high-pitched banshee like laugh, and seemed to suck the warmth right out of the air. Harry scowled with rage as the taller of the two began to talk. They began to shed some of the spells that they were using to appear inhuman and intimidating since psychological tactics clearly had no effect.

“Weeee-baby Potter is angry isn't heeee,” it said, “but can put him out of his misery if he wants.”

“Who are you?” Harry shouted with rage, already knowing the answer.

“I'm the Dark Lord's greatest servant, his loyal follower, the one who will be rewarded above all others when I caaaaapture you,” it screeched.

Hermione thought she heard Harry's teeth break when Bellatrix Lestrange pulled off her mask, shaking her head and letting out another half screech, half laugh.

“Harry, NO!” Hermione yelled, but Harry wasn't listening anymore

“Avada Kedavra.” Harry charged at the evil witch-turned-avatar. Bellatrix's eyes widened slightly as the curse bore down on her.

“Don't be ridiculous,” the other avatar said calmly. A dead Death Eater yanked by a summoning charm blew apart as it met Harry's curse. Harry stopped short and suddenly felt Hermione's firm grip on his arm.

“You've got to keep your calm or your power diminishes,” Hermione said. Harry indulged in a brief chastisement of himself before letting his anger flow away. He almost lost it again when he saw the other avatar pull off his hood.

“Tram,” Harry growled. “So did Voldemort make you an avatar as a reward…or as a punishment.”

“Your escape had nothing to do with me boy,” the ex-auror replied. “I performed my task flawlessly.”

“Right, it was poor old Tom himself that bolloxed up and let me escape wasn't it?” Harry taunted.

“You won't speak of the Dark Lord with such insolence when he absorbs you, you vile muggle lover,” Bellatrix howled.

Strong incapacitating spells flew at Harry but he was already gone along with Hermione. From a good distance above the town Hermione gathered a large ball of fire and Harry held a shining diamond like crystal aloft. Giant meteors of stone and flame rained down on the location of the two evil avatars. Other combatants scattered to seek shelter on opposite sides of the battered little village.

Harry and Hermione materialized behind a piece of stone wall that was still standing. Over twenty Light Bearers along with an old man, a young man, and a little girl were huddling there.

“What in the bloody blazes was that, you trying to kill us all boy?” Mad Eye Moody grouched. “I can't move out of the way so fast with this flotation device of a leg.”

“Recover everyone you can,” Harry snapped out, ignoring the old former auror's banter. Out of the original forty Light Bearers fourteen were dead, six were badly wounded and out of the fight. They were so badly wounded as to even be unable to draw sufficient power to apparate.

“We're fighting over nothing,” Hermione said tersely, “we've saved everyone we can, lets get out of here.”

“Hermione's right,” Harry said quickly, berating himself for not making the call sooner, “I need six volunteers to get the wounded past the portkey dispersion wards. Everyone else apparate out, Hermione and I will hold them off until you've all made it safely away.”

The others protested that they wouldn't leave Harry and Hermione alone but they finally relented when Hermione pointed out that they couldn't afford to get more wounded since they couldn't portkey out.

“Harry, Tram is still injured a little, I'll occupy him and Bellatrix while you take out as many Death Eaters as you can.” Hermione said.

“We can't take prisoners,” McGonagall said tersely.

“Of course not,” Hermione replied hotly, “from here on out we're finishing off anyone we can with the killing curse.”

Several people looked as squeamish at the idea of intentional killing as Harry felt. Hermione threw a glare at him to lend his support. Harry sighed with anguish.

“Hermione's right. Anyone we let get away now we'll face again and they won't hesitate to kill us.” Harry said finally.

The six volunteers with the wounded jumped and ran from their hiding place at the same time as the rest apparated. The young man and his daughter also accompanied the six volunteers since they too needed to get clear before using a specially conjured portkey given to them from Hermione.

Death Eaters sprang up, firing off killing curses to try to get the injured and those who carried them. Chunks of broken building leapt up to defend them and Harry began casting killing curses of his own. None of them hit however as the Death Eaters blocked them with debris. Harry suddenly felt sick, the Death Eaters had some of their number doing nothing but block spells and others doing nothing but casting the unforgivable curse. As a result of specializing their tasks they were far more effective than the Light Bearer forces had been.

Calmly Harry fought down the nausea brought on by his own stupidity. He would deal with his tactical shortcomings later, but for now he needed to cover his comrades. Harry swung his wand like he was playing a muggle game of bowling and summoned giant silver disks. The disks spun along like wheels on the ground, their razor sharp edges churning up the turf and severing anything in their path. One Death Eater was caught by surprise and split into two gory halves.

Harry cringed but shut the image out of his mind to focus on the many surviving foes that were now burning with rage. A dark shape spun limply into the wall behind him, shattering it into a pile of rubble. A whimpering moan echoed through his mind and Harry realized that the dark shape was Hermione. He flickered in a tiny apparation just as she burst through the rubble covered in bruises and scratches. A thin grimy mist clinging to her explained her relatively unhurt condition. She had been defended by a variant of the barrier shield charm in addition to her own magical genes, which resisted mundane injury from simple physical impacts.

“I can't handle them on my own Harry, I'm sorry,” Hermione said to him. He could feel her disappointment in herself radiating through their link.

“It isn't your fault Hermione, no one could do a better job than you're doing,” Harry replied reassuringly. They leapt apart as another killing curse whisked by them, missing by inches.

“Everyone is away,” Hermione said. Harry could feel through the emblem that all the members who had participated in the battle had just reached the edge of the portkey dispersion field.

“Finally,” Harry breathed with relief, “We have to destroy the town, take as many Death Eaters out as we can.”

Harry and Hermione flickered as they apparated away to a point high in the air above the tiny village. Even as they began falling the pair started pooling up their most powerful elemental spells.

Harry's looked down on the ruin of the town and hoped that the Death Eaters were still searching for them in confusion. If they would just remain for a few more seconds it would be too late and what had become a rather embarrassing defeat for the Light Bearers could be salvaged into a tie. Hermione had summoned a titanic ball of liquid fire and Harry had formed an equally impressive ball of magical black lightening.

The two elements converged on each other until they mixed into a single point of light that exploded like a muggle bomb. The rubble of the tiny village was swept away in a wave of destruction along with any Death Eater unfortunate enough to still be in the path of the blast. With a final look at the shock wave rippling out from the point of impact Harry and Hermione vanished back to Grimmauld Place.

Harry found himself staring into the Foe Glass that Moody had got him for his last birthday. He was making a habit of always looking into the dark detector as soon as he escaped from contact with Death Eaters just in case that they had somehow discovered the Light Bearers' headquarters. Fortunately the glass was calm, having all the appearances of a normal mirror, but Harry didn't have time to look at his own reflection now that he had assured himself that no Death Eaters would be showing up unexpectedly.

Hermione was already running toward the main room, which was always converted into a makeshift hospital for wounded returning to Grimmauld Place. The six injured Light Bearers would undoubtedly be there receiving care from Poppy and anyone else who could cast even a basic healing charm. Harry ran after her, his cloak billowing behind him and giving off a cloud of dust he had picked up during the battle.

People were scattered around the edge of the room and vaguely Harry wondered why they needed an audience for this. Most of the people were refugees, family members of people targeted by Voldemort's purges, but he also recognized the Grangers and the Dursleys looking on. Molly was hovering about trying to apply what little treatment she could while Poppy worked intensely on the most injured.

“Stand back,” Hermione commanded. Molly looked up at them and gasped before staggering away.

Harry took out his wand and leveled it on the woman Molly had been trying to help. Hermione added her healing charm to his and the woman rolled over while moaning softly. Cuts disappeared, the flow of blood expanding across her right thigh stopped, but she didn't regain consciousness.

“She's got serious head trauma,” Poppy snapped, “you've done all you can for her, now leave it to me.”

Harry didn't say anything, he just followed Hermione to the next person and repeated the process. After adding as much of their own healing ability as possible the worn and beaten couple summoned the ornate chairs Harry had created earlier. It was then that Harry took a good look at Hermione for the first time. She was covered in bruises and a thick stream of blood was running down the side of her face from a scalp cut.

“You look awful Harry,” Hermione said dully. She pointed her wand at him and immediately Harry felt pain he hadn't even been aware of start to dissipate.

“Hermione are you okay?” Mrs. Granger asked. Harry was amazed that Hermione's ever-concerned mother had managed to contain herself for so long.

“I'm fine Mum, this all looks worse than it is,” she replied, leaning back tiredly in her chair. Harry returned the favor to her now by using his healing charm to fix the superficial damage she had suffered.

Loud cracks sounded in the room as Shacklebolt and Tonks apparated in. The two aurors looked especially grim and haunted.

“What have you done boy?” Shacklebolt asked in a near whisper. “The entire village of White Acres is gone, blown away, and the Ministry is in an uproar. How will we ever conceal such a thing from the muggles?”

Hermione passed Harry a restoration potion from her hat and Harry could tell she was doing her best not to explode at the troublesome auror.

“The town was a complete loss, everyone was already dead, the buildings were mostly destroyed by the Death Eaters before we arrived. We hoped to catch lingering enemies in the town and destroy them with it.” Harry explained in an excruciatingly calm voice that would have made even Dumbledore proud.

“We can repair buildings!” Shacklebolt half-shouted, “but we can't repair anything when you've bloody well vaporized the entire place with more dark magic than I've ever seen concentrated in one spot…”

“This is a war Kingsley,” Hermione bit back with a deadly tone. Harry saw the Durselys cower when her appearance changed. The young witch's eyes blazed with fire and her clothes rippled as if in a slight breeze. Even Shacklebolt took an involuntary step backwards. “If we hold back then how many more innocent people will die like almost all of the residents of White Acres died?”

That quieted the auror down but Harry could tell that he still didn't approve. Tonks gave Hermione an odd look, almost one of approval, before reminding Shacklebolt that the Ministry wanted all personnel on call. The two double agents disappeared with sharp cracks back to auror headquarters.

Hermione sighed audibly. “Harry, library, now, there's nothing more we can do here.”

The Grangers looked like they wanted to come after them but Molly got in their way. Harry didn't linger to see how that encounter turned out instead wrapping an arm around Hermione's waist as they exited the room. When they reached the library they found Ron and the rest of the gang already assembled. They had long since moved out of the study since it had been converted into extra sleeping space for the refugees.

“We've got a lot of problems to fix,” Ron said as soon as they entered. “I don't think I need to tell you two that this was a first rate disaster. If it hadn't been for you guys carrying the load we'd have been wiped out easily. The Death Eaters out did us on a tactical level every step of the way.”

“I know Ron,” Harry replied sadly. He sank down into a large plush chair and was joined by Hermione who put her arm around him dejectedly.

“We need to figure out which of our fighters are best at blocking incoming attacks and have them work only at defense while the rest of the squad handles attacking,” Hermione said.

“Every team needs someone to hold off dementors too,” Luna said. Despite the wavy disconnected sound of her voice Harry realized that her suggestion was a good one.

“I can't believe we didn't think of this before,” Harry moaned.

“We're not warriors Harry,” Hermione reproved gently.

“Before this is over we'll have to be,” Harry replied grimly. Hermione didn't have any response to that.

“Well, we can correct the flaws with the way teams are put together easy enough,” Ron said, trying to be positive. “I think we've got enough people who are good with levitation charms to be able to assign one as a defender to each group.”

“What happens if the defender gets taken out though?” Neville asked.

“We need some way for everyone to be able to defend themselves at least a little,” Ginny said. “I can talk to Fred and George…”

“We'll try to come up with something as soon as we can,” Hermione said tiredly. Fred and George were clever but if a portable defense were to be found that could stop the most deadly spells it would have to be up to her and Harry to find it. The twins just didn't have the power that creating such a device would require.

They continued the analysis of the battle until Hermione fell asleep. Harry was incredibly tired too, not just from the late hour, but from the immense amount of strength he had expended during the fight. The affects were cumulative too; he and Hermione had been responding to Death Eater attacks for days now. Most of the time they only arrived in the aftermath to help the survivors, if the was any. With thousands of witches and wizards under the constant threat of attack it was all they could do to try to keep up with Voldemort's forces.

“Ron, we've got to find a better way to get intelligence,” Harry said for what seemed like the millionth time as the red head moved toward the door. He just nodded and followed Ginny out, leaving Harry alone with a still sleeping Hermione.

“Wake up love,” Harry said, shaking her gingerly. Hermione snorted and blinked rapidly before giving him a little grin.

“I drifted off a bit,” she said sheepishly.

“I know, I thought you might want to get out of that chair though,” Harry replied.

Hermione gave her wand a short wave and switched her clothes into a snugly fitting two piece set of silk pajamas. Harry tried not to stare at her when she got up and conjured some bedding on top of the library table.

“Sleep well,” Harry said, “I'll see you in the morning.”

“Aren't you going to stay here?” she asked mischievously.

“What would the neighbors say,” Harry replied glibly, smirking.

“Good night Harry,” Hermione said, grinning at him as he closed the door behind him. Hermione climbed into her makeshift bed and silently made a note to herself to begin some research on another talisman she hoped to have a use for in the future.

Harry groaned, swatting away something annoying, and rolled over to try to get comfortable again. One bone jarring impact later he found himself in a heap on the floor in front of the sofa that he had been sleeping on.

“Kreacher is sorry Master, but Master is insisting Kreacher wake him as soon as Missus got up,” Kreacher said, bobbing up and down pitifully in front of him.

“Yes, thank you Kreacher,” Harry slurred sleepily. Harry collected himself and slumped off to the kitchen. Molly and Kreacher had been busy fixing a wide range of foods for the mob of guests currently residing in Grimmauld Place.

“Oh Harry you look awful,” Molly said. She gave out a disapproving cluck and began pushing food at him.

“It's just my clothes,” Harry replied, trying to be funny. He took out his wand and cast a series of cleaning charms to restore a fresh look to his attire.

“I suppose that helped…a little,” Molly said, but her nose still crinkled slightly.

“Harry, you're already up?” Hermione's surprised voice came from the doorway.

“I had Kreacher wake me,” Harry explained, then added silently, “I'm used to not getting a lot of sleep by now anyway.”

“Harry you're pushing yourself even harder than I am. If we don't get enough rest we'll be useless.” Hermione said worriedly.

“I know, but we're the only ones who can fend off an avatar except for Dumbledore and maybe Neville's team. With Dumbledore guarding Hogwarts that leaves us.” Harry replied. Hermione nodded solemnly, she might not like it, but it was true.

“Morning guys,” Ron said hurriedly as he practically flew in and proceeded to start amassing an impressive plate of food. Luna drifted in slowly along with Ginny but Neville was no where to be seen. He always returned home to his gran's house to try to keep her safe. Neville's gran stubbornly refused to leave the ancient home of Longbottom with a typical pureblooded pride despite already having been targeted by Voldemort's henchmen once before in Diagon Alley.

“Just where is your father,” Molly demanded.

Ron flinched, “Uh, well, he said that he was expected in the office, they've shut down the misuse of muggle artifacts department to free up personnel and, uh, so Dad's doing, magical law enforcement now.”

“What?” Molly shrieked, “and when did this happen? That infuriating man didn't feel the need to tell me that he's walking around with a target on his back now?”

“He just got the owl this morning Mum, I wouldn't have known about it but I, uh, saw the letter when I woke up,” Ron said sheepishly.

“Its not like he'll be in any danger,” Luna said suddenly. Molly's head jerked around toward the blonde girl. “Fudge isn't using the magical law enforcement to go after Death Eaters, he's using them as tax enforcement officials. Daddy has an article about it in the next issue of the Quibbler.”

“Tax enforcement?” Harry echoed quizzically.

“The twins have been in an uproar over it,” Ron said. “Apparently the Ministry has raised taxes again on all items deemed as luxury goods. Almost everything the twins sell is classified as luxury.”

“Well, as long as some irate shopkeeper doesn't go crazy on him,” Molly said in a calmer voice. “I always did say that fiddling with those enchanted bits of muggle rubbish was a hazard too.”

“What do you want to do today?” Harry asked, glad that Molly was pacified once again.

“I think its past time we started training Ron and the others again,” Hermione said.

“They didn't do too well yesterday did they?” Harry replied. Of course even the members who were fully qualified didn't do that great. Standard school taught spells just couldn't stack up against the dark arts.

Hermione pointed her wand at her throat and cast a new enchantment Harry didn't recognize. Instead of amplifying her voice it projected it throughout the house in at an even volume. “Anyone who wishes to learn magical combat will come to the basement level in fifteen minutes.”

“You're going to train anyone who wants to?” Ron asked incredulously.

“As safe as Grimmauld Place is, this is still Voldemort's number one target. If we're somehow attacked it couldn't hurt for everyone to be better equipped to fight.” Hermione said with a shrug as if she really didn't have much hope for most of the refugees to be able to improve their skills.

“So what are we going to cover first?” Ron asked excitedly. For some reason the red head had really enjoyed leading the D.A. sessions. He was a much more enthusiastic teacher than student.

“Elemental skills,” Harry said.

“Great idea Harry,” Hermione's voice echoed in his mind. “But I don't know how successful most people will be with those.”

“Ron should be able to use them at least at some level,” Harry replied. Ron was a strong wizard when he wanted to be and even though elemental spells were difficult to cast even a weak one would be effective against a normal wizard.

Fifteen minutes later Harry and Hermione made their way down the stairs to the basement with Ron, Ginny, and Luna in tow. Waiting for them at the bottom was a rather large group of people including the Grangers.

“I hope you don't mind if we watch,” Mrs. Granger said nervously.

“Of course not,” Harry said easily. The others went on ahead and started moving people into the enlarged room they would be practicing in. Hermione looked at Harry pensively, their eyes flashing back and forth in silent communication.

“I know we can't understand what's really going on,” Mr. Granger said suddenly. “I know you two love each other very much, anyone can see that, and I know you're both very busy…”

“We would never cut you out of our lives Daddy,” Hermione said thickly, “Don't even think such a thing.”

“I was going to say, that we know you're both very busy with the war so you shouldn't worry about trying to take time to explain everything to us,” Mr. Granger finished. Hermione's eyes shown with love and gratitude toward her parents.

“You have the right to know everything we do Mr.Granger,” Harry replied in a rather shy voice.

“Please, call me Erwin,” Mr. Granger said firmly.

“And call me Sarah,” Mrs. Granger added, “All we ever needed to know is that you're trying to make the world safe for our daughter…and grandchildren.”

Harry and Hermione both flushed crimson as if on cue. The Grangers laughed merrily at their embarrassed reaction. “Please, don't start Mum,” Hermione finally stammered out.

“We'd better not keep them waiting,” Harry said, gesturing to the door in an eager attempt to change the topic. Hermione grabbed his arm and steered him toward the door while the Granger's followed closely behind them.

“My Mum is a nightmare when it comes to grandkids.” Hermione said, “She'll probably be dropping hints from now on. She's been bugging me about it ever since fourth year.”

Harry raised a surprised eyebrow at her. Hermione's parents were certainly a continual surprise, not unlike their daughter. Harry belatedly realized that the Grangers had covertly managed to do something else. They had taken, at least for a moment, their minds off of the terrible events that still weighed heavily on them.

The assembled group of would be students were a motley bunch of middle aged witches, a few old wizards, and even a couple of kids that couldn't be over third year. Harry shook his head and again wondered if there was any point in even trying to train such people in advanced spells. He didn't suppose it mattered one way or the other since they were really there to train the handful of Light Bearers that called Grimmauld Place home. If anyone else managed to pick up some pointers in the process it would just be an added bonus.

“Today's lesson is elemental spells,” Hermione said with her best McGonagall-lecturing-the-class-voice. “With sufficient practice anyone can cast this class of spell, but only raw magical power will determine how effective the spells will be.”

“Hermione will set up your targets but first let me tell you a little general information about the elements. As Hermione said, anyone can use any elemental spell, but each person will usually have a natural element that they are more adept with. For example, mine is lightening, the weakest of the elements, but symbolizing other worldly intervention or justice. Hermione's is fire, the strongest of the elements, which symbolizes civilization, man's triumph over chaos, and the judgement of evil.” Harry said. Hermione had meanwhile scattered a several blocks of stone onto the ground near the wall opposite of the trainees. With a wave of her wand she transfigured them into human sized stone statue warriors not unlike McGonagall's enchanted chessboard that they faced in their first year. Hermione's statues could walk and fight much more freely though, should she choose to make them.

“In case anyone was wondering,” Hermione added as she rejoined Harry, “Voldemort's natural element is earth, the primal element, which symbolizes untamed nature, the power of life and death, and the law of the jungle. The unreasonable power of the strong to dominate the weak is what characterizes our enemy. We would all do well to remember that.”

“Not that symbolism creates destiny, but Voldemort's case the similarity is rather eerie if you ask me and our ancestors believed that one's character predisposed one's element, though there is no proof of that. Anyway, let's start with the easiest element to control, air. Each of you should concentrate in packing as much air as possible into a bubble and then forcing it rapidly against your target in a bludgeoning effect.” Harry said.

“Now I know you will all want to use words to cast this spell but elements don't work that way. Even if you've never practiced silent casting before or never managed to master the art on any level, you can still perform elemental magic. This sort of magic, while very strong, is also a sort of natural magic. It requires power, concentration, and strength of mind not the memorization of silly words,” Hermione said.

After some torturously slow examples everyone began to cast their feeble bursts of air at the stone soldiers Hermione had conjured. As expected most of the refugees were terrible at it. Ron managed to crack his soldier after an hour of practice and Luna was even managing to knock pieces off of her target. Surprisingly Ginny was the best, at least at air, and Hermione surmised that air was probably the girl's natural inclination.

Harry was getting pretty weary of explaining the concepts over and over again when two figures stalked into the room. Mad Eye and McGonagall looked with amusement at the little impromptu training session underway. Harry and Hermione checked on their students to make sure they were doing everything correctly before going over to see what was happening.

“You're teaching them air Potter?” Mad Eye grouched. “What good is bloody air in battle anyway?”

“Air is the easiest to learn,” Hermione said defensively.

“Air is plenty strong if you know how to use it,” Harry smirked. With a wave of his wand he sent a super dense scythe of air cutting through the statues. They all crumbled like a sledgehammer had bashed them in. Moody gaped openly at the scene while Harry waved his wand again and caused the statues to jump back together.

“Carry on,” Harry yelled to the startled trainees. They had been bashing away at the stone warriors for hours now with minimal damage and Harry had washed them all away in a second.

“Goodness Moody,” McGonagall huffed, “You've seen him in combat. Very nice transfiguration work by the way Miss Granger.”

Hermione blushed slightly, “It was your chess pieces from first year that gave me the idea.”

McGonagall beamed, but changed the topic. “I took the liberty of acquiring your books and supplies for next year. The Headmaster said to pass them to you as his gift.”

“I don't know if seventh year classes will be all that helpful,” Harry said slowly.

“Don't be silly Potter,” Mad Eye grumbled, “even you will learn a few things that you've never seen before. Magic isn't all about how to destroy stuff as quickly as possible you know. Besides, everything isn't about you; Dumbledore needs you there to keep the students safe. The Dark Lord wouldn't dream of trying to confront you in the middle of the ancient defenses of Hogwarts. You're the only person that can stop him from eventually stomping on it.”

“What do you think Hermione,” Harry said pointedly.

“If we can keep Hogwarts safe then we should consider it,” Hermione said. “It was created by wizards much more powerful than anyone alive today. There may even be things we can learn about it to improve our own infrastructure.”

“Middle Yard,” Harry said thoughtfully. If they could discover secrets in the ancient castle that could improve their quickly developing prison-fortress complex it would definitely be worth the effort.

“The Headmaster also wanted me to give you these,” McGonagall said. Two shining badges bearing the title of Head Boy and Head Girl were in her hand. “You'll have complete run of the castle, even more so than the Heads usually have. Full staff access.”

“All right, we'll do it, but don't expect us to be regular attendees to classes,” Harry said. He felt Hermione's pleasure wash over him. She had been looking forward to her seventh year even if it would be a bit unconventional.

“Come on Harry, everyone's looking a little lost, lets wrap this up,” Hermione said. She grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him out of his thoughts back to the group. McGonagall and Moody stayed where they were standing, apparently curious to see what they were going to do.

“Everyone, stop, that's enough for today,” Hermione yelled out before getting between the trainees and the stone soldiers. She transfigured the statues back into their original form and summoned them to her pocket. “We're going to show you one last thing for you to think about until our next session. Harry, if you please.”

Harry walked across the room and drew his wand to see what Hermione had in mind. The class had gathered together in a tight little knot so they could see and hear Hermione better. Ron and the others who had witnessed the infamous duel between the pair back at Hogwarts were especially eager looking. Even the Light Bearers who had not seen the duel had mostly seen the couple in combat or heard rumors about their skill.

“Air is the simplest skill to learn but it is also one of the most powerful when it comes to the augmentation of another elemental spell or to thwarting an elemental attack. Harry and I will now demonstrate its defensive properties.” Hermione said.

“I'm going to send some fire your way now,” Hermione said. She waited for Harry's affirmation before sending a thick stream of liquid flame at him. A few people gasped with surprise and everyone was impressed as Harry conjured an invisible barrier of icy, super dense, oxygen deprived air to defend himself. The flame flickered and died almost at the same time when it hit his barrier of air. A fine dust was all that made it through Harry's formidable defense.

Next a thin jagged piece of ice formed at the tip of Hermione's wand. She grabbed it out of the air and suspended it over her palm, which she raised aloft over her head. The shard spat out a hail of identical pieces of deadly ice towards Harry. They all vaporized several feet away from him when they impacted against the superheated air bubble he had created.

Hermione took a deep breath and twisted her face in concentration as she tried to call forth the branch of elemental magic that was most difficult for her to use. Bits of dust floated up from the stone floor and swirled around her before suddenly bloating out into huge stone spikes. Everyone's clothes whipped in a strong wing as Harry prepared his defense. The spikes were sent hurling toward him at a ferocious rate but before they could hit their mark they were halted in midair and crushed.

“Even earth can be stopped by a sufficiently dense pocket of air,” Hermione said. Harry walked over to rejoin her and noted that her cheeks were pleasantly flushed with her efforts making her look immensely cute. Hermione stuttered in mid-sentence at the peculiar look on Harry's face combined with the feelings that she could sense radiating off of him via their link.

McGonagall coughed loudly. “Er, that's it for today, we don't know how soon we'll be able to do this again, so until then practice on your own.” Hermione said quickly.

“You looked distracted,” McGonagall said with an uncharacteristic smirk after everyone had left. Hermione flushed again and murmured something incomprehensible.

“Sorry,” Harry said sheepishly as they climbed the stairs.

“I'll get you back,” Hermione said with an audible giggle.

“Anytime,” Harry replied with a smile.

At the top of the stairs they turned towards the kitchen and made their way slowly through the still dispersing crowd of students who seemed to be talking with each other about what they'd just learned. Harry and Hermione came to a halt when they opened the door to the kitchen. Molly was fixing some kind of food while a familiar red head wizard and silver haired witch sat at the table.

“Fluer?” Harry asked. “Uh, Bill, just stopping for a visit?”

“Not exactly, and its nice to see you too Harry,” Bill said jovially.

“Sorry, of course it is nice to see you Bill,” Harry replied, feeling embarrassed for his initial reaction.

“It's nice to see you again too, Fluer,” Hermione said coolly but politely. Hermione had never liked Fluer too much after her snobbish attitude toward Hogwarts during her visit in the forth year for the Triwizard Tournament.

“I'm actually here to ask a favor Harry,” Bill said as the teens took their places around the table. “I'm going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year and I was hoping Fluer could stay here at Grimmauld Place while I'm at Hogwarts.”

“We are gettinz married eventually,” Fluer said delightfully, flashing a ring on her hand with an excited gesture, “So we vanted a plaze where Bill can vizit eazaly.”

Everyone was well aware of Bill and Fluer's engagement thanks to Molly and Ginny carrying on about it. Still, congratulations and thanks were exchanged all around.

“What happened to Tonks?” Harry asked once pleasantries were aside. He had actually enjoyed the young aruror's classes and there was no denying that the students had learned a lot.

“After what happened last year you didn't expect the Ministry to be back at Hogwarts did you?” Molly asked disdainfully. The Ministry had tried to use Harry as a human sacrifice to destroy Voldemort and in the process had leaked the prophecy to the evil wizard. In the aftermath of the fiasco that followed the Ministry had withdrawn its protection, including Tonks apparently, from the school.

“My background breaking curses and exploring old wizard dwellings makes me uniquely qualified according to Dumbledore,” Bill said. He gazed longingly at Fluer. “Plus I don't want to be traveling quite so much anymore.”

“Bill, er, honestly mate, I don't know if Grimmauld Place is the safest place at the moment if you're trying to protect Fluer from the war,” Harry said hesitantly.

“Don't worry Harry, I've already told her everything,” Bill said quickly. If this place isn't safe under your protection then I don't know where would be safe.

Annoyance radiated off of Hermione when she spoke. “That's just it Bill, Harry and I will be returning to Hogwarts…”

“This will still be the safest place,” Bill argued stubbornly.

“Harry, he's already told her about the Light Bearers apparently, maybe we should keep her here so she can't spread that around. If Death Eaters captured her it would be an intelligence bonanza now that she's seen Grimmauld Place,” Hermione said as she reconsidered her initial reaction. Hermione might let her emotions get the better of her for a moment but her brain always reasserted itself.

Harry sighed, “Of course Fluer can stay here Bill.”

“Oh, thank you Arry,” Fluer slurred happily. Bill beamed and covered her hand with his own.

Hermione took out a bracelet like the one she and Harry wore except empty of the tiny jewels that enabled it to portkey to different locations. She conjured up some jewels and transfigured them into portkeys before setting them in the bracelet.

“Okay Bill, this will let you portkey between Hogwarts and Grimmauld Place, it also goes to our second most secure location Middle Yard. You should go there if Grimmauld Place is destroyed.” Hermione explained. She also gave Fluer an identical bracelet.

“I'd recommend you not go anywhere outside these walls,” Harry told Fluer, “unless you want to take an emblem there is no way we can keep track of you.”

Bill shook his head fiercely. “No way Harry, Fluer isn't a fighter.”

“Most of the people fighting with us aren't fighters,” Harry grumbled.

“Harry isn't a fighter either,” Hermione broke in hotly.

“I doez not vant to get in your way,” Fluer said haltingly. “I waz never good at zuch thingz. Remember during zee tournament?”

“Of course not dear,” Molly said gently, “We can help out more here. There's always lots to be done that doesn't include battle.”

Hermione pushed a sandwich under Harry's nose before taking a bite out of her own. The sight of food reminded Harry that he hadn't eaten in hours and he tucked in eagerly. After a minute Hermione giggled and started dabbing at his face with a napkin. Harry caught Bill and Fluer winking at each other out of the corner of his eyes as Hermione admonished him to be still.

There was a loud crack and a few seconds later Tonks ran into the room shouting frantically. “Harry, the avatars are attacking everywhere, Madam Bones is under siege.”

“Ron, contact Neville, get him and his team to Madam Bones' place, send out someone to watch over all the people in the Ministry most sympathetic to us. Voldemort may be trying to wipe out our friends.” Harry said quickly. He morphed his clothes into his Light Bearer uniform and turned to Hermione who had done the same.

“No one come after us,” Hermione said urgently, “We don't dare risk anyone against an avatar, but be prepared in case regular Death Eaters go on a rampage while we're busy.”

For the second time in two days the young couple vanished away to try to stem the tide of the Dark Forces' onslaught, but this time they were going alone against an unknown foe. Molly slumped into the nearest chair, her face drawn, and stared at their half-eaten meals.

A large crater had been carved out of the countryside where Madam Bones' stately home had once stood. Four avatars stood at cardinal points around an egg shaped structure that sat in the middle of the crater and fired killing curses at it. Each curse gouged out a chunk of the squat looking shelter. Now and then a spell would lance out of the building but so far it didn't look like the avatars were having any trouble in defending themselves from the elderly lady.

They were spotted immediately by the black cloaked figures. One of them pointed and the other three ceased their attacks on Madam Bones to come after Harry and Hermione.

“Welcome to the beginning of your end,” the lead avatar said haughtily.

“Where have I heard that before?” Harry replied mockingly. “Could you guys get anymore cliché with your black menacing robes and superior attitudes?”

“Scoff all you want Potter, but I wasn't referring to you. I was talking to Granger,” the avatar said.

With a sweeping gesture it removed its mask. Harry startled at the sight of something out of his old nightmares. Hermione had a similar shocked queasy reaction to the appearance of an old nemesis.

“I've been so looking forward to an opportunity to finish the job I started over a year ago,” Dolohov sneered.

The Death Eaters unleashed fiery ropes that whipped around Harry and Hermione like angry serpents seeking to ensnare them. With a flash the ropes fell to the ground as they were transfigured into actual snakes. Harry hissed snake language and the mighty serpents flung themselves at the Death Eaters who scattered in surprise.

“You dare use the Dark Lord's gift against us you whelp?” Dolohov bit out with rage.

The avatar Death Eaters advanced on the couple again, this time casting powerful spells that impacted heavily against hastily conjured shields. Hermione stepped behind Harry and crossed her arms daintily, waving her wand like a symphony conductor. Great stone hands reached up out of the earth and clamped down on the avatars.

“Blast, what enchantment is this,” Dolohov screamed as he bludgeoned the earthen hands with curses. Dozens of shadowy chains burst out like the avenging spirits of the vanquished snakes and wrapped themselves around the struggling avatars.

“Now Hermione, killing curses,” Harry yelled, sidestepping so she could get a clear shot. Green beams lanced out and impacted harmlessly as they passed through a multitude of great spikes that had thrust up from the ground. With a singular effort the avatars broke their confines and then banished each other's chains.

“New tricks only work once,” Dolohov said, “What will you do now?”

“Old tricks,” Harry and Hermione screamed as one. They launched themselves at the avatars with an air of recklessness, firing off breaker curses with each step they took. Silver shields crumbled and broke before they apparated behind the avatars to launch a new round of killing curses. The avatars apparated too the instant they realized what was happening and thus returned the battle to a stalemate.

Sharp cracks echoed as Neville's team appeared around the fourth avatar, which was still busily assaulting Madam Bones' shelter. The surprised creature never saw anything coming as sixteen killing curses impacted it from all directions at the same time. The first avatar of Voldemort to be killed died at the hands of average witches and wizards.

“This changes nothing,” Dolohov intoned dangerously but Harry could see in his eyes that it had. The avatars had thought that they had prophecy protecting them too, but it appeared that their connection ran only one way, if even that. Dolohov had the look of someone who just realized that he was expendable. With silent apparations the avatars flickered away from a battle that had shaken their morale and dwindled their numbers.

“They'll be more desperate than ever now,” Harry said glumly. Hermione didn't respond, instead she gestured for him to follow her as she sprinted toward the egg shaped shelter to check on Madam Bones. Neville and his team were already helping the ancient looking witch out into the open.

“Mr. Potter, Miss Granger…thank you, I thought they had me this time when they managed to get that anti-apparation jinx on me,” she said haltingly, her chest heaving with exhaustion from her extended battle. Harry was immensely impressed that the fragile looking woman had managed to repel four avatars for so long even if she did have the benefit of a prepared defensive position to aid her.

“We're just glad we could make it in time,” Harry said modestly.

Neville pointed his wand toward the sky and uttered the words to summon the Light Mark “arguo verax”

“Do you have someplace you can go Madam Bones?” Hermione asked gently. The light from the silver torch played down gently all around them.

“The Ministry has safe houses for endangered officials to hide out at that I'm sure will be adequate,” Madam Bones replied. “A team of aurors should be arriving…”

Harry jerked as he felt the emblem around his neck tug at him and turned to Neville. “Captain, the avatars are attacking again so keep this area secure until aurors arrive to take over.”

Neville clapped a fist to his heart in salute to show he understood an instant before Harry and Hermione shimmered away. The scene at the next house was entirely different from the one that they had just left. Two avatars stood outside a mostly intact structure, though it wouldn't remain that way much longer if they weren't stopped. Harry could sense the presence of the Light Bearer lookout through the emblem but he couldn't see the individual.

“Ah, Potter, how nice of you to join us.” Dolohov said. “I'm a little surprised you managed to follow us here so quickly. Let's see if you can keep up.”

The two avatars apparated away leaving Harry and Hermione looking bewildered. Before they could collect themselves however, they felt another tug on their emblems. For hours Harry and Hermione played a tiresome game of tag with a shifting number of avatars. After a few encounters the evil creations seemed to focus on places that they knew Harry would respond to defend.

“Hermione, we've got to start evacuating these places, we can't keep this up much longer,” Harry said after their fourth trip to a low level Ministry official's house who had joined their group. With much difficulty they began calling in Light Bearers at each stop after the avatars retreated in order to move those at risk to the various safe houses that the twins had been setting up for the past several months.

A staggering, grueling forty-eight hours of non-stop damage control passed before it was all over. At least before everything that the two exhausted teens could affect was over, anyway. All opponents of the Dark Forces who were known to Voldemort and under direct Light Bearer protection had been safely relocated. Madam Pomfrey practically fell over herself when they showed back up at Grimmauld Place.

“What were you two thinking? You could've died!” She fussed. “Your magical energies are nearly depleted, both of you, and you've got an almost toxic level of endurance potion in your blood. I'm seeing after effects of multiple endurance charms too.”

“No choice,” Harry wheezed.

“Couldn't let them die,” Hermione echoed. They sank into the sofa and cuddled up against each other unconsciously, already asleep as Poppy forced dreamless sleeping potion down their throats to make sure they didn't wake up until it would be healthy to do so.

The Granger's looked on anxiously and even the Dursley's seemed to be having mixed emotions about what was happening. Ron watched his two best friends with a distinct feeling of pride before Luna found him to help continue directing the war. Tomorrow would be the start of a new year at Hogwarts but somehow he didn't think Harry or Hermione would be making it on time.

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Chapter 6 - Fateful Discovery

Harry blinked slowly as his mind drifted in that pleasant space between wakefulness and sleep where none of a person's troubles can cloud their consciousness. Something feathery was ticking his face as a delicious comforting warmth surrounded him. A gentle whistling noise accompanied by a light gust of air finally brought him out of his hazy stupor and focused his eyes on the soft features of Hermione's peacefully sleeping face.

Harry felt his face warming as he realized where the rest of him was. Even though they were still fully clothed after their collapse on the sofa for who knows how long, they were now scandalously intertwined. Harry's arm was draped around Hermione's waist, she had a leg stuck between his and both her arms were around his chest, which put her agonizingly cute face about an inch away from his.

“Hermione,” he whispered, “I think its time to get up.”

Hermione shifted a little and made a murmuring noise that sounded a bit like a protest so Harry repeated himself. Hermione's eyes finally started to flutter in a process that Harry had just undergone a moment before. Her grip on Harry tightened before her eyes snapped open and she froze as she became aware of their situation.

“This is convenient,” Hermione said, eyes dancing with mischief.

“Er, I don't know how this happened, the last thing I remember…” Harry said, but Hermione cut him off with a kiss.

“You talk to much,” Hermione said between kisses, “and you never try to take advantage of a situation.”

“Ad…van…tage…,” Harry mumbled. Not to mention that despite his feelings for Hermione he was still rather shy about such things.

“No talking,” Hermione replied. She squeezed him tighter and Harry practically melted with her soft form pressed against him like that.

Harry decided to take Hermione's advice and bask in the delightful feel of her lips playing against his. He didn't know how long they reclined there in the main room of Grimmauld Place, alone to be normal teens without the weight of a war pressing down upon them.

A coughing noise drew them back to the real world. “Its good to see you two are feeling better,” Remus said. Harry and Hermione, without breaking off their kiss, swiveled their eyes over to where the werewolf was standing impatiently.

“Can we help you with something Remus,” Hermione said, turning her face away from Harry with a pout.

“Have you two forgotten what day this is?” Remus asked with mock exasperation. Harry watched as Hermione's expression shifted from confusion to concentration to realization to panic.

“The new term starts today,” Hermione exclaimed as she started thrashing around to disentangle herself.

“Actually it started yesterday,” Remus supplied. “You've been asleep for over two days now.”

“Oh no,” Hermione moaned, “We missed the hat's song and new classes.”

“Not to mention the feast,” Harry added.

“Yes, thank you Ron,” Hermione said tartly. “Plus who knows how much havoc the Death Eater's have wrecked while we were lying about.”

“Voldemort seems to have hesitated after the death of one of his avatars sunk in,” Remus said cheerfully. “Ron has been keeping close tabs on the situation so you'll have to ask him for details. He said to tell you that he moved most of the relevant material to Hogwarts and all incoming communiqués are being directed to there too.”

“All right, we'll see into it when we arrive, but I'm sure Ron has everything under control,” Harry said confidently. Ron had turned into a first rate organizer when it came to that sort of thing.

“I'm taking a shower first,” Hermione said, “Since we're already this late I'm going to get ready properly.”

“I guess I will too,” Harry said as he watched her fly up the stairs. He was tired of bathing with nothing but cleaning charms all the time.

“Mind if I use your bathroom Remus?” Harry asked. “I guess Hermione remembered that with us going back to Hogwarts my old room is temporarily empty.”

“Are you sure you don't want to follow her?” Remus asked teasingly.

Harry sent him a withering glance. “Ha…ha…aren't you just hilarious.”

A few minutes later Harry was out of Remus' shower and thankful for the clean feeling that charms just couldn't quite duplicate. He put on a fresh school uniform before using his wand to gather all his things together and then floated them down to the main room. Somehow Hermione had beaten him down there and was already hugging her parents goodbye.

“Are you ready Hermione?” Harry asked.

“Yeah,” Hermione said, turning to him and then tugging at his shirt collar. She pulled his golden torch out from where he had tucked it inside his shirt. “Wear your emblem outside so everyone can see it. We're high profile now, remember?”

Harry waved one last goodbye to Sarah and Erwin before activating his portkey. A moment later he appeared in his room in Gryffindor tower and an instant later he sensed Hermione arriving in her room. It was mid-morning and everyone had already left for breakfast or maybe even classes. Harry and Hermione had been offered quarters apart from their classmates but had decided that for now they'd rather stay in their familiar surroundings. Harry left most of his belongings packed and hurriedly shoved them under his bed before he noticed a formal looking envelope sitting on the nightstand.

He grabbed it as he walked out and discovered that it was in fact his class list when he opened it on his way down the stairs. Hermione was already standing in the middle of the common room, her own letter crumpled in her fist. Instantly Harry knew something was up.

“What's wrong?” He asked.

“I don't know, maybe nothing, but I don't have potions listed on my schedule,” Hermione replied. Harry looked at his own again and saw that Snape's class wasn't printed out on his schedule either. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and started leading him down towards the dungeons.

“We've got transfiguration first,” Harry pointed out. Hermione let out an annoyed huff and continued to drag.

“That insufferable man, I want an explanation,” Hermione said. She finally let go of Harry when they entered the dank underground passages near Snape's class. There was no noise except for the clicking of their heels against the stone as Harry followed Hermione deeper into the dungeon. The potion room was as dimly lit as usual with a large cauldron bubbling in one corner.

“How nice of you to finally grace us with your presence Potter, I see you still think the world revolves around you so that you can just show up whenever you please,” Snape intoned from behind them. With an evil glare the shifty looking wizard came gliding into their view. “Miss Granger too, I see Potter is…rubbing off on you a great deal these days.”

Hermione responded politely, as if Snape had said nothing. “Professor, we were wondering why we were no longer enrolled in your class.”

“Because, Miss Granger,” Snape replied in an equally smooth tone, “I do not permit cheaters or those who help them to attend my classes.”

“What are you talking about?” Hermione asked hotly, “We would never…”

“Spare me Granger,” Snape hissed, all pretenses of civility gone, “I know about your nasty little link with Potter. How amazing that he mysteriously begins to perform, howbeit still quite mediocre, at the same time as he gets a direct pipeline into your know-it-all head.”

Hermione sputtered indignantly, but before she could retort Harry took over. “Stunningly brilliant Severus,” Harry said in a mockingly congratulatory tone, “no doubt Hermione gave me loads of secret tips about how to mix potions that are already explained in the book complete with step by step instructions. Do you think she possesses my mind and controls my hands for me? The only reason I did so poor in your class all these years is because I either wasn't paying attention, was sabotaged by your Slytherin misfits, or was driven to distraction by your continual outpouring of unfounded hatred.”

“I'll not be spoken to in such terms by the likes of you,” Snape growled in a tower of rage.

“Or you'll do what?” Harry said angrily, cutting off the glowering potions master. “You'll make me write lines? Serve detentions? Not bloody likely Severus. You have no authority over me anymore and now that you've tossed me out of your class I have no incentive to cater to your miserable attitude either.”

“I'll have you thrown out of this school you arrogant little snot,” Snape bellowed back.

“I don't think so,” Harry replied smugly, his voice becoming calm again, “I'm only here this year as a personal favor to the Headmaster. I could curse you and hang you upside down in your own dungeons if I wanted to. Let's go Hermione.”

Hermione was still looking a little shell-shocked, having never before been accused of anything dishonest, but she wanted to get in one last word. “Harry's right, there is absolutely nothing I could have communicated to him through our link that would have helped him with a potion and even if there was I would never cheat for someone. I respect Harry too much to do that.”

“I can't believe it,” Hermione said after they reached the hall again. “Maybe it's for the best though, its not like we're going to be attending classes much anyway.”

“Let's hurry this up, I'm looking forward to some Hogwarts' food again,” Harry said. Harry noticed that many of the younger students were staring at them as they stalked along toward McGonagall's class.

“I suppose we can take a trip down to the kitchens after transfiguration,” Hermione replied. Harry could tell she was hungry too, though she would never let on after all the grief she had given Ron about his eating habits over the years. They didn't make it there uninterrupted though.

“Oi, great, you guys made it,” Ron called out when he saw the couple. “We've got several leads on Death Eater activities after so many of them exposed themselves in the attacks on our supporters. I'm planning on doing some scouting tonight since the locations are protected by wards according to the people I had take a look yesterday.”

Harry nodded his agreement with Ron's plan. With their animagus forms they were the best scouts that the Light Bearers had. He winced slightly when he realized that in many ways the trio was the best that the Light Bearers had of nearly everything except for some of the old Order members who had recently joined them.

Professor McGonagall, along with several students, was already in the airy transfiguration classroom when the three teens showed up. Ron took his seat dejectedly since he knew he was going to have to sit through this class. While the red head was excused from classes when he was needed to help fight the war he was also expected to study hard at the skills he had yet to master. The same expectations were placed on Hermione and Harry too, but they still had virtually unlimited autonomy to do whatever they wanted. Not that anyone would have desired to compel them to do anything they didn't wish to at this point anyway.

“We're starting human transfigurations today,” McGonagall informed them in her usual dry tone. She looked at Harry and Hermione specifically “Just the theory of course. How much do you know about this sort of magic?”

“Enough,” Harry said easily. He took out his wand and gave a lazy gesture. Hermione instantly morphed into a shaggy brown haired dog and then back into herself. Being animaguses really increased a person's natural mastery of transfiguration.

“Oh, I'll get you for that,” Hermione teased. She turned Harry into black cat with big green eyes for a moment before restoring him.

“Nicely done,” McGonagall said. “Can you do animals other than mammals?”

After ten minutes of morphing each other into a variety of animals McGonagall finally let them go so she could get on with her class. A short walk and a tickle of a pear later found the couple in the kitchens surrounded by exited house elves. Dobby and Winky were foremost amongst the chattering bunch that set them down at a small table staked with all types of edibles.

“Dobby is so happy that Harry Potter and Miss are whole again,” Dobby said excitedly. Even Winky looked happier than Harry could remember her ever looking in the past.

“I'm glad too,” Harry said. “I wanted to thank you for helping take care of me Dobby. You're a great friend.”

Little ears swiveled in their direction at Harry's praise of Dobby. It was still unheard of for a wizard to speak of an elf as a friend and equal. Hermione added her warm thanks too but received less attention since the elves already knew all too well how “odd” she was.

They ate in silence for a while, slightly uncomfortable at all the elves sneaking glances at them, and aware that Dobby was practically beside himself. Harry sighed after exchanging a meaningful glance with Hermione and finally addressed the bobbing elf.

“What is it Dobby?” Harry asked kindly. “You know you can say anything you want to me.”

“Is it true, is it?” Dobby asked excitedly, bouncing up and down.

“Is what true?” Harry replied, confused.

“That Harry Potter sir is the Chosen One, the one who will beat You-Know-Who.” Dobby said.

“Yes, I suppose it is,” Harry sighed again.

“Dobby is knowing you can do it sir,” Dobby said happily. “Harry Potter is a great and powerful wizard.”

“He is at that,” Hermione said gently. She smiled radiantly at Harry making his insides do a little loop and his heart fill with a familiar warm glow that always appeared when she was around. “Thank you for the food everyone, it was excellent as always.”

“Is Miss and Harry Potter leaving already?” Dobby asked.

“I'm afraid so Dobby, we've got a lot to do, but we'll come visit and you have to promise to visit us too,” Harry said.

“Dobby promises,” the little elf squeaked happily.

Hermione seized Harry's arm on their way out and held onto it as they walked leisurely toward the nearest exit to the castle. They had decided that the next teacher they visited would be Hagrid. Harry had missed his extended visits to the first magical person he had met. Something always seemed to steal away the opportunity to go down to the half-giant's homey hut like he had been able to do before sixth year.

Hagrid's hut seemed to be descending rapidly into a state of disrepair, not that it had ever been the soundest looking structure. All kinds of tools, gardening supplies, and what could only be loosely described as pet food, lay scattered about haphazardly around the hut. A vague aura of decay seemed to waft through the air as they approached the squat little structure. Harry supposed that with Gwap still hidden somewhere along with Buckbeak that Hagrid had less time to make home repairs.

“Hagrid, are you in there?” Harry shouted as Hermione pounded on the door.

“Hagrid…” Hermione yelled, then stopped when the door jerked open and the kindly half giant appeared.

“Arry, Hermione, so good ter see ya,” Hagrid said. He motioned for them to come inside. The interior of the hut seemed to be in an even worse shape than the exterior, if that were possible. Old Fang whined at them briefly but he didn't move, not even to wag his tail. Harry thought that the big dog looked unusually sickly.

“It's good to see you too Hagrid,” Harry said. He and Hermione both gave him a brief hug, which was returned with bone crushing enthusiasm.

“Er, I got some food around ere somewhere,” Hagrid said sheepishly.

“That's okay Hagrid, we just ate,” Hermione said politely.

“Sit, sit, how bout some tea then,” Hagrid went on.

“Tea would be fine,” Harry replied.

“We wanted to talk to you about class this term,” Hermione said.

“I figure that the two o ya won't be comin' so much anymore,” Hagrid said sadly.

“I'm sorry Hagrid, you know this was always our favorite class, and it's the only one we'll never be able to learn on our own.” Harry said earnestly.

Hagrid sat a tray of teacups along with a steaming pot down in front of them before joining them at the table. Harry flipped his wrist and summoned the sugar when Hagrid realized he had forgotten it.

“That right kind o' you ter say Arry,” Hagrid replied, his face breaking into a big grin, “but we both know it ter be a lie. I figure you can learn any subject you wan ter learn.”

Harry shifted uncomfortably, but Hagrid continued.

“It's really spooky Arry, how much you remind me o him. He was right keen too, but made terrible choices he did, terrible choices. Yer like him more an more, I can see it, but yer his opposite too, thankfully,” Hagrid said in unusually lucid tones.

“You don't mean…” Hermione whispered.

“Just like You-Know-Who,” Hagrid replied gruffly. “Dumbledore tol' me all bout him he did, tol' me who he really was. I knew him, when he was young o' course, but I knew him all the same.”

For some reason Harry didn't find Hagrid's comparison bothering him like he might have thought that it would. In fact in an odd way he found it refreshing that someone was comparing him to a person other than his father even if that person was Voldemort.

Hermione looked unsettled, “I don't think you can compare people to each other like that. Harry's his own person, he isn't like anyone else, nor is his life meant to be a parallel or an opposition to any other person's life.”

“I didin' mean it like that Hermione,” Hagrid huffed, “I jus meant Arry has a quality o' accomplishment aroun' him, like he's destined to do great things, like he's already done great things. He's not the only one tho, you remind me o' someone too, more and more Hermione.”

“I've heard all the comparisons to Molly or McGonagall that I want to hear,” Hermione sniffed. “I'm nothing like them.”

“Course yer not,” Hagrid replied, “I was talkin' bout Dumbledore.”

“What?” Hermione said sharply, nearly knocking her teacup over. “Dumbledore?”

Harry was shocked too so he paid close attention as an uncharacteristically philosophical Hagrid plowed on. “Bloody right Dumbledore. Ya were too busy at the time, but I was there the day…er…when Arry was kidnapped. I watched the whole thing. Yer a kind person Hermione, gentle spirit, I know that better then mos' after all ya done fer me an Beaky. Dumbledores like that too, mos o' the time, but he's got a fierce streak in `im when he wans' ter be. You're jus as fierce as Dumbledore can be if ya want to Hermione, not to mention yer great with magic.”

“Er…thanks Hagrid,” Hermione said. Harry could feel that she had mixed feelings about being compared to the often meddlesome Headmaster.

“An don' let those ruddy papers get ya down, either o' you, they're just panderin' ter people's fears,” Hagrid added.

“What are you talking about?” Harry asked.

“Er, oh, well, I jus figured that ya already knowed,” Hagrid said sheepishly. He dug around through a stack of loose papers and drug out a copy of a wizard paper Harry had never seen before. The headline of Diagon Daily read “Chosen One, Vigilantes, Battle Royal with Death Eaters across England.” The story was a sloppy mixture of half-truths, distortions, and outright lies about the events surrounding the mass evacuation following the attack on Madam Bones' home.

“I can't believe it's not the Prophet,” Hermione said through their link.

“Yeah, me to, and what's with this paper, is it a new one?” Harry asked.

“Could be, but then I never paid much attention to rags like this,” Hermione said despondently.

“Well, I guess we'd probably better be going soon,” Harry said. He was feeling a bit uncomfortable and put off by this point. Not to mention that it looked as if he and Hermione needed to check in to see what other kind of press they had been getting if something like this had slipped past their notice.

“We were serious about needing help to keep up with all the new creatures…” Hermione said.

“What with the war an all we're not gonna be coverin' much this year,” Hagrid said wistfully. “I got ter use only forest creatures this time and you already seen most o' them. Ruddy centaurs are a right pain too when it comes to findin' critters ter show.”

“If anyone can do it you can,” Harry said kindly. He had always felt a special connection with Hagrid and not just because he was the first magical person Harry had met. In many ways Harry associated himself with Hagrid. They were both outcasts from mainstream magic society, they were both parentless, and they had both had rather traumatic childhood experiences.

Hermione must have felt Harry's sympathy for Hagrid as they climbed the hill back toward the castle because she entwined her long slender fingers around his and walked close to him.

“I love you,” Harry whispered softly as they walked through the door.

“I love you too Harry,” Hermione replied. She stood on her tiptoes, even though she didn't need to, and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

Giggles erupted from down the hallway as several third years they hadn't noticed saw them kissing. Harry smiled broadly and kissed her again, making them both feel all tingly and warm, before they continued walking on still arm in arm enjoying their little piece of happiness in the middle of war.

“I think Ron said that the room he commandeered is this way,” Harry said, giving Hermione a little tug down the next hallway. Ron had already taken the time to set up a ramshackle war room in an empty class for them to hold planning sessions during their stay at Hogwarts.

“This must be it,” Hermione said when they looked into the room and saw Luna sitting with Ginny.

“Don't you two have class?” Harry asked.

“Not right now,” Ginny said. “Luna wanted to come here to wait for Ronald.”

“All right then,” Harry replied, raising a curious eyebrow at Ginny's tone. “Hermione can you help me set up the security on the door?”

“We can't just curse the door Harry,” Hermione replied.

“We don't have to, remember the present Professor McGonagall got me for my last birthday?” Harry said as he drew out the tiny troll gatekeeper that the transfiguration teacher had made for him. The little troll scratched itself and waved its club around comically.

Hermione thought about what would make a good password for a long time before coming up with something she liked. Harry set the password, libertas, after affixing the troll to the outside of the door, but left the door open so Ron could get in until someone could tell him how to get past the tiny troll.

“Who would ever have imagined that this would be so much work,” Ginny huffed when Harry and Hermione had returned to their seats around the table in the center of the room.

“I wish I could apparate,” Luna sighed in agreement, “Anything would be better than more paperwork.”

“It can't be helped,” Hermione said pensively, “Without proper organization we'd lose track of who is doing what, where, and when. I know you would both rather be in the field but until you can apparate running the bureaucracy is the most important thing you can do. Not to mention that we need the two of you to coordinate a defense plan for Hogwarts.”

Hermione's obsession with order had generated so much paperwork that Ron had started jokingly calling it the bureaucracy and the description instantly stuck. Not only did the twins make detailed accounts of all their expenditures but now the wing commanders had to as well. Light Bearer members who had to spend money on equipment, lodging during investigations, or most anything else were entitled to reimbursement from Harry's vault. Most of the people who were fighting with them were not well off. They simply couldn't afford to risk their lives and cover the related expenses out of their own pockets.

“Hogwarts isn't in any danger so long as Harry's here,” Ginny replied dismissively.

“Harry might be drawn away by something, like a diversion,” Luna said. It was disconcerting to Harry to hear her come up with such keen observations yet always discuss them in her dreamy detached voice.

Ginny didn't reply, but Harry didn't think she looked all that convinced. He supposed that she had a point and if Harry weren't there Dumbledore almost definitely would be. Even though Voldemort couldn't be killed by the Headmaster the prophecy never said that he couldn't be injured. A debilitating injury in the center of an enemy stronghold would be the last thing Voldemort would want.

“Oi, what's this bloody thing?” Ron's voice shouted from the doorway. He was rubbing his head where the tiny troll had apparently just finished giving him a sound whack.

“That's the new door guard,” Harry replied, using his wand to close the door behind the redhead, “Password is libertas.”

“Like I don't have enough to remember,” Ron grouched.

“Do you really want first years and Slytherins rummaging around in here?” Harry asked snidely.

Ron shot him a mock glare, “Let's get busy before it gets any later. I've got a target for you to raid that I think you're going to love.”

Ron pulled out a map and a diagram of a large building. “Is that Malfoy Manner?” Harry asked.

“Yep, and we've had several confirmed Death Eater movements into and out of the premises,” Ron confirmed. “Judging by the level of activity it's a major base these days.”

“Then we won't just raid it,” Hermione said grimly, “We'll wipe it out. We've got to start whittling away at the Death Eaters' support structure or they'll just outlast us in the long run. Look at all the refugees we've been forced to cram into fewer and fewer locations. Voldemort needs to start feeling that kind of pressure too.”

Ron's eyes lit up at the prospect of sticking it to Draco, especially by wrecking his prized home. “Malfoy will be frothing with rage when we toast his house.”

“Yeah, but what's he going to do? As long as he keeps pretending to be neutral he can't object to the destruction of a Death Eater stronghold even if it is his home.” Harry said. Draco had returned to school like nothing had happened along with the other children of known Death Eaters. Whether they were spies or their parents just didn't want them in the way of the war, or both, Harry couldn't be sure.

“We've got to do this carefully and systematically,” Hermione said with a businesslike tone as she pulled out her wand so she could mark on the diagram of the Malfoy mansion.

For the next hour they went over every detail of their planned attack with excruciating precision. Like Grimmauld Place, Hermione expected the Malfoy mansion to be full of dangerous dark wizarding items that would be very profitable yet risky to seize. She also hoped that some kind of paperwork or other records would exist to lead them to additional Death Eater bases. Beyond the expectations of an intelligence windfall there was also the consideration that the entire base could be one huge trap. Harry wasn't too worried about that though since he suspected that out bound portkeys would work. He didn't think that Malfoy would want to be unable to escape in an emergency.

A few hours later fifteen cloaked and hooded figures stood in a half circle as they waited for the remaining members to arrive for the raid on Malfoy mansion. Much to their displeasure a heavy rain had begun to fall and since they were not using magic in case of detection wards they were all completely soaked. Harry and Hermione stood in the middle of the half circle, the only people with their faces exposed, and feeling the sting of the downpour. They would have to walk nearly three kilometers from their starting point at the fringe of the anti-apparation ward network before reaching the Malfoy estate.

“I hope we don't meet heavy resistance,” Harry said as he surveyed the sopping wet Light Bearers.

“We should be taking them totally by surprise and with any luck we'll outnumber them at least two to one, assuming that Ron's surveillance these last few days has gotten an accurate picture of the place,” Hermione replied.

“All right, but I want you to promise me that you'll stick close to me, unless Voldemort or an avatar shows up I'm the safest to be around,” Harry said.

“Harry, I can take care of myself, but thanks for trying to look after me,” Hermione said warmly.

“I know you're very capable, but it only takes one lucky killing curse,” Harry said.

Harry and Hermione continued to talk silently as they faced each other, standing only a few inches away, completely unaware of the stares that they were getting from the others who were watching them. At last the final members arrived, bringing their total strength to twenty. Harry had decided that even if they expected to be able to use their emergency portkeys to escape it would still be unwise to risk too many of their number. As a result no former Order members were involved and only a couple of their strongest members were along. If they ran into serious trouble beyond the run of the mill Death Eater it would all be up to Harry and Hermione to do the hard fighting.

Harry led off; Hermione at his side, trekking across the barren landscape that was scarred with rocky outcroppings that made for good concealment. By the time they approached the foreboding residence of the Malfoy family it was getting dark and the rain was still falling as heavily as ever. There were servant entrances at various locations around the house away from the main entrance. They split into four groups with Harry and Hermione each taking a separate group on opposite sides of the house. Their teams would go in first while the other two stayed back outside to hold their escape route open in case they needed to retreat and the portkeys wouldn't function.

“I'm in position Harry, are you ready?” Hermione asked over their link. The tactical advantages of instant telepathic communication were enormous.

“Yeah, on three,” Harry said. They counted down together and then unleashed the devastating, unstoppable killing curse against the frail looking doors. Fragments of wood, still smoldering with green fire, lay scattered about as Harry led his group in. He knew Hermione was performing an identical action on the other side of the house.

Even with knowledge of the floor plans the mansion was a confusing place to be in for the first time. Large statues lined the massive hallways. Dozens of rooms, some of which led to no where, were scattered around with no logical pattern.

“Harry, I don't think they're up here, head for the dungeons,” Hermione said urgently.

“They may already be gone, we had to have set off wards when we broke in,” Harry replied.

Harry peeked around the corner and immediately discovered that he was at least partially wrong. Standing in the middle of the hallway leading to one of the dungeon's access points was a short little house elf.

“You is not welcome here,” the elf bit out angrily. “Allow me to show you the way out.”

Harry was well aware of what a house elf could do from seeing Dobby send Lucius Malfoy flying during his second year. As a result he was prepared for the creature's attack when the elf snapped its fingers. A blue sheen of magical energy dispersed harmlessly around Harry's body, but Harry's stunner knocked the elf out cold with his first shot.

“That won't stop an elf long,” said one of Harry's teammates.

“Fan out,” Harry snapped. His team had clustered together dangerously close. A single spell could wreck havoc in tight formation. “We're petrifying all prisoners and sending them to Middle Yard.”

Harry quickly uncorked one of the petrifaction potion bottles and dumped its contents on the elf. Still working swiftly he next placed a tiny flat disk shaped portkey onto the prone form of the elf, which caused it to disappear to the prison fortress where other Light Bearer members would secure it. With any luck they'd net several more prisoners before they were done with Malfoy's mansion.

Hermione's group was already nearing the first dungeon level at this point since their progress had been uninhibited. Harry ordered his team to hurry but he made sure to keep their advance methodical to prevent being ambushed. He need not have worried though since they met no one during the tension filled creep toward the dungeons.

“Harry, I think there are some Death Eaters waiting up ahead,” Hermione said once they had joined up. Most of the Light Bearers on this mission had seen combat before and were handling the dark foreboding stone passages quite well. Harry hoped his face didn't betray the anxiety that he felt on their behalf.

“Right, let's cloak ourselves and see if we can't take them by surprise,” Harry said. Before he could cast the invisibility charm a green beam of light exploded over his head.

“We've been spotted,” he shouted, sending a red stunner back down the hall. A heavy thud attested to the effectiveness of the spell.

“It's Potter,” a panicked voice shouted. Harry flung himself down the hall recklessly in just enough time to see a half dozen Death Eaters activate portkeys to carry them and their stunned comrade away to safety.

“We lost them,” Hermione said. “Hurry and finish searching in case there is anyone left.”

“Keep your eyes out for anything we can use, especially documents, and be careful this place is probably full of traps,” Harry added.

“Harry and I are going back down near the entrance that my team came in from. If you encounter something you can't handle or something you don't know what is then send us a message.” Hermione instructed.

“What is it Hermione?” Harry asked as Hermione led him back up the hall. Harry took in the surroundings much better than he had during the trip down. With great irritation he viewed one display after another of gaudy, self-congratulatory, pureblood trophies. Some of the displays were literally trophies of victories in magical tournaments, but others were tokens of past conquests or accomplishments. The halls were uniformly pretentious, richly decorated, and as useless as the rest of the huge mansion was to a family of three.

“A strange looking door that wouldn't open,” Hermione replied. Her voice dragging Harry back out of his self narrated tour. “If they don't want us to get in then I think we should.”

“Did you try to use avada kedavra on it?” Harry asked.

“No, they might have some kind of safeguards on it if they're really serious about protecting the things inside,” Hermione said. As a result of Hermione's intuition they approached the door cautiously and inspected it closely. It had an oddly reflective silver hue and was perfectly smooth.

“Any ideas?” Harry asked after the inspection drug on in the eerie silence. He watched Hermione intently, already having exhausted his limited knowledge, and noticed that she was chewing her lip worriedly, as she was apt to do when trying to solve a problem.

“Harry,” Hermione scolded suddenly. “I'm trying to concentrate here.”

Harry flushed and tried to suppress the intense feelings that had welled up in him unconsciously. Sharing their feelings was definitely good, but he had to admit that sometimes it could be distracting, even during times when they really didn't need to be distracted.

“Sorry,” Harry replied sheepishly, “So have you found anything yet?”

“No,” Hermione said glumly, “I don't think I can figure this out in time either. We can't afford to stay here much longer. Voldemort could counter attack.”

“Killing curses then, we'll force our way in,” Harry said. He took aim with his wand and waited a moment while Hermione stood up to aim her wand too.

“Avada Kedavra!” they yelled in unison. The two green beams of supreme destruction slammed into the door with surprisingly little effect. Fist sized gouges were dug out of the door's silvery surface, but due to the thickness the penetration wasn't even complete.

“Again, don't stop until we're through,” Hermione instructed. They shouted the deadly words over and over again, reducing the metallic door to a bit of smoldering rubble. They gingerly stepped into the room only to discover that it was mostly bare. Papers lay scattered around the room along with various magical instruments and other common devices used in magical research.

“This is some kind of…lab?” Harry asked out loud.

“I'm not sure, it's been stripped, but that is what it looks like,” Hermione said thoughtfully. She walked back over to the entrance of the room to pick up several chunks of the curious metallic door and then stuffed them into her hat.

Footsteps and heavy breathing interrupted their investigation. A middle aged witch and two younger wizards came running into the room, “We heard killing curses.”

“The door was magically fortified,” Harry said shortly. “This room was important but its been emptied.”

“Voldemort was doing some kind of research here though,” Hermione said grimly.

It was difficult to see, but Harry was sure that the witch paled at Hermione's words. She drew a large file out of her robes that looked vaguely muggle and was even marked with a muggle government designation of “Eyes Only.”

“What is it,” Hermione asked eagerly as she snatched it away.

“We've never seen anything like it before,” the witch said.

“It's a potion,” Hermione said quickly, then hastily backtracked, “No, wait, its, uh, I'm not sure what it is.”

“Let me take a look,” Harry said curiously.

“No, we don't have time,” Hermione snapped. “This is my department anyway.”

“Oh, uh, right, we need to get to the library,” Harry said. He motioned for the three mages that had brought them the folder to follow them. The library had a scattering of books in it but it too had been stripped just like the rest of the house.

“They were pretty sloppy about this,” Hermione said absently as she picked through the shelves. Most of the books that were left were not going to be of any help though. So far everything Hermione had seen was some kind of pureblood history book of questionable accuracy.

“Yeah, I doubt Malfoy would have left any of these behind, even if they're not particularly valuable. Voldemort must have had some of his grunt men take care of it.” Harry surmised. A blue book with golden lettering caught Harry's attention. After making sure no one was watching he slipped it into his cloak.

Just to be on the safe side all the remaining books and documents were collected into boxes for portkey back to a dispensable holding area for further inspection. They would be relocated to a more important base if it was determined that there were no tracing charms or traps hidden in them.

“We're done here,” Harry said finally. “Let's destroy this place and go.”

Harry flicked his wand and sent out a stream of messenger charms to signal the evacuation. No one lost any time in getting out of the cavernous mansion and making a safe distance away.

“Harry, use fire this time,” Hermione said, referring to his use of a lightening based attack when they destroyed White Acres. Thick streams of magical flame poured onto the big house ensuring that it would burn to its foundation regardless of how hard it continued to rain.

Hermione regarded Harry with a new light as she felt the amount of energy that he had put into his elemental spell. She had noticed him getting stronger ever since he used the modified black lightening spell at White Acres. It was like the growth of his natural level of potential magic had not even begun to slow down yet, let alone stop after his birthday as Dumbledore had indicated it would.

The anti-apparation wards faded along with the destruction of the structure and very soon several loud cracking sounds echoed out as the Light Bearers flickered away. Behind them a symbol of hundreds of years of pureblood pride continued to burn.

Nearly an hour later two very exhausted teens apparated to the fringe of the wards that protected the grounds at Hogwarts. The attack on Malfoy's estate was stressful enough, but it was made even worse because it was merely the latest in a very large number of fatiguing events that had happened within a relatively short period of time.

“Are you sure you're okay Hermione?” Harry asked during their trudge up towards the castle.

“I'm just tired Harry. I'll be okay after I get some rest, really, don't worry,” Hermione replied reassuringly. The rain had finally stopped and with a few drying charms their cloaks were try. Harry enjoyed the feel of his dry clothes tossing about lightly in the wind much better than the heavy wet dripping feel of soaked robes.

The raid on Malfoy's home had, in the end, been almost useless. The captured house elf still sat petrified at Middle Yard. It was pointless to revive an elf for questioning; it would never betray its family. The mansion had been stripped of anything valuable ahead of time except for a single packet of documents that Hermione had taken to study. According to the witch that found them the Death Eaters that escaped probably dropped it on their way out.

“Harry, Hermione, I'm glad you have returned safely,” Dumbledore said as they stepped through the main entrance. Harry knew something had to be up for the Headmaster to be waiting for them at the door. “The Minister of Magic is here to see you.”

“Fudge is here?” Harry asked incredulously. “What could he possibly want to see me about?”

“More importantly, what could we possibly want to see him about,” Hermione added.

“I would advise that you at least hear him out,” Dumbledore said. “If the Ministry could be persuaded to aid us it would be immensely helpful.”

“Fine, lets get it over with, we're tired,” Harry said crossly. It wasn't enough that they did the majority of the fighting they had to do almost all of the politicking too.

Minister Fudge had set himself up royally in one of the Headmaster's guest chambers. Two house elves were catering to his whim whilst four surly looking aurors, or maybe hit wizards, were standing guard around the room.

Fudge broke out an obviously false attitude of joviality the instant they entered the room. He rushed over to shake Harry's hand. “Harry Potter, I'm so glad to meet you again.”

“Er, thank you Minister,” Harry said skeptically.

“I know its late and from what the Headmaster says you're an extremely busy person these days so I'll cut through the formalities Harry. I can call you Harry right?” Fudge said briskly. He didn't bother to wait for Harry's response before continuing.

“We've been watching you very closely since the White Acres incident Harry and the Wizengamot agrees that you've become an exceptionally talented wizard. However, I'm sure you can appreciate the need for secrecy from the muggles and destroying an entire village, even a small one, makes that difficult. Now strictly speaking vigilantism is illegal, and you've broken the statute of secrecy repeatedly, not to mention unauthorized use of the unforgivable curses.”

“I assume there is a point hidden in this Minister, or was it merely your intention to list charges…” Hermione interrupted. Fudge scowled at her before turning back to Harry.

“We fully recognize the need for such things during this period of systemic criminal activity. We of course have no intention of pressing charges, we simply want you to know, Harry, that you've been making things very difficult for the official campaign against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's lawlessness. We want you to join the official effort so that your talents can be used in the most constructive way possible.” Fudge finally concluded. Harry suppressed a snort at the politician's long winded, half threatening, laden with forced conciliatory undertones of a message.

“I don't think that would be possible Minister, it would undermine the current position of the Light Bearers too much, and most of our forces would be unsuitable to fight from within the ranks of aurors. Perhaps some sort of joint operations where the Ministry could lend teams of hit wizards and provide intelligence…” Harry said before being cut off by Fudge's renewed blustering.

“Now see here, that's quite impossible. Your little band can't possibly hope to be of any further use, it's full of civilians and…students,” Fudge said, casting a meaningful glance at Hermione.

Harry sighed, “I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer then.”

“Don't be a fool,” Fudge said threateningly. “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has a strange obsession with you already. You need the Ministry, you certainly don't want to find yourself on the outside of the law do you?”

“Cornelius, you know the prophecy, and ultimately that makes this Harry's battle. If you really want to defeat Voldemort then aid him,” Dumbledore said softly.

Fudge bristled at Dumbledore's voice. “Oh yes, the bloody prophecy that only you heard, how convenient. I'm sure you'd love to see the Ministry subordinate itself under your protégé Headmaster but that isn't going to happen on my watch. In fact I find the prophecy just a little too convenient in retrospect, don't you?”

“There's nothing convenient about it,” Harry said angrily.

“How can you say that after what you did last year Fudge,” Hermione bit out.

“He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has any number of bizarre experiments going on all the time. If he wanted to absorb Harry because of some fairy tale then why not take advantage of it.” Fudge replied with a smirk.

“And just how long would it be before you decided I was expendable again?” Harry asked. “You've dared to come here, after trying to kill me, and then demand that I become your trusting lackey?”

Hermione, on the other hand, had heard something else. “What kind of experiments has Voldemort been doing? How do you know about them?”

“I can see we're not going to get anywhere tonight,” Fudge said, ignoring them both. “I suggest you consider my offer while you still can.”

Harry just stood and watched as the pompous Minister of Magic swept from the room with his guard in tow. After he had gone he felt the tension in the air lift and the fatigue he had been repressing seep back into his bones.

“Come on Harry, lets go get some rest,” Hermione said. She grabbed his arm and together they walked back toward Gryffindor tower without another word.

-->

Chapter 7 - Attrition

The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, looked out over the crowded room and smiled. He had been in office for a very long time, longer than almost any other Minister of Magic in the history of the government in fact, and had long ago become accustom to his position.

Many other people had grown accustomed to him being in his position as well, as was evidenced by the number of prominent citizens that had turned out to show support for him on this day. Many members of the press, especially the reporters from the Daily Prophet, were also on hand.

Minister Fudge stepped out from the side entrance where he had been watching quietly to begin the conference. As soon as he approached the podium the people in the room broke out in hearty applause. Of course they would, he had hand selected those who would be allowed to attend. He raised his hands in a gesture of benevolence to quite his audience and grinned broadly as the applause just got louder.

“Thank you, thank you all,” Fudge said over and over again as the applause began to diminish finally. He took out a finely engraved pair of reading glasses that he really didn't need, but thought looked stately. “I cannot express with words how deeply it moves me to see so many of England's finest witches and wizards here, in defiance of those who would threaten the peace and well being of the society we've all worked so hard to build, united against terror and lawlessness.”

Fudge paused to adjust his glasses for a moment, taking the opportunity to look out across the audience and make eye contact. He always found that looking someone in the eye facilitated a sense of trust. “It is with the greatest since of responsibility and the utmost reluctance that I have brought you all here on this day. Ever since the crisis with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named intensified the keen minds that sit on the Wizengamot have been analyzing the problem. As any of you who have dealt with the upper tiers of government are well aware, the Wizengamot's method of procedures is suited for a judicious and equitable decision, but not a swift one. It is therefore the unanimous recommendation of the Wizengamot that the functions of government be temporarily vested solely in the office of Minister of Magic. As my first act I am announcing that the Ministry will consolidate the normal wizarding law enforcement department and the auror department under the hit wizard Special Service force. Common law has been suspended along with the Wizengamot. As of today the Ministry is on full war mobilization. We will act with swift, decisive force to utterly annihilate the minions of darkness and chaos!”

With those last ringing words the room erupted into a thunderous roar of approval and Fudge benevolently raised his hands in the air once again, his face beginning to ache from the huge smile plastered across it. This was going to be a good day.

Harry's boots clicked as he strode quickly down the cobblestone street of Diagon Alley. There were pairs of Ministry wizards every few feet manning checkpoints, but they didn't even attempt to harass Harry. He wasn't sure why they left Light Bearers strictly alone, despite Fudge's thinly veiled verbal assaults against them since his suspension of the Wizengamot, but he didn't have time to ponder it too much. Of course the Minister didn't mention the Light Bearers by name but Harry wasn't aware of any other “lawless vigilantes” running around out there.

Every once in a while Harry would see someone he recognized, but he never let on just in case some Death Eater was watching. He didn't have to worry much though since the vast majority of the people he knew were either in school at Hogwarts or stationed around at the blossoming number of Light Bearer bases. Grimmauld Place still housed the most vulnerable refugees of course but it had been relieved of a fair amount of its population

Harry paused in front of the goblin wrought metallic gates that now barred the entrance to Gringotts, the wizard bank, which was apparently taking security very seriously. Nothing visible happened for a moment before the gates swung open and Harry was permitted inside. The goblins obviously had their own methods of identification, or perhaps they just recognized his scar and the huge golden torch emblazoned across the right side of his cloak that had become ubiquitous of the war.

“Welcome Harry Potter, it is good to see you in person again,” said the goblin that met Harry immediately as he entered. Harry was pretty sure that the goblin in question was Grimshaw, the same goblin that had helped him when he and Hermione had visited during the holidays.

“I need to access my vault,” Harry said immediately. There were several people around and Harry could almost hear their ears straining.

“Of course Mr. Potter, but first there is business you should attend to, this way please,” Grimshaw replied.

Harry followed him to his office, puzzled at why they were not heading down to the access tunnel where the vaults were located.

“Dare I ask what this is about,” Harry said, but it wasn't really a question.

“I assume that Mr. Potter is aware of the extensive withdrawals that have been leaving your account now for some months?” Grimshaw asked, producing a long list.

“Yes, surely you understand why now,” Harry replied, checking over the list briefly before stuffing it into his tall wizard hat.

“You are too generous Mr. Potter, too generous by far,” Grimshaw said, almost to himself, before changing track. “I'm afraid I have unfortunate news. The special committee that was appointed by the Wizengamot to investigate the Black Estate and the legal disposition of the late Sirius Black has reached an unfavorable decision. Mr. Black's estate has been confiscated by the Ministry with the exception of Grimmauld Place since pureblood residences are disposed of separately under the law from liquid or quasi-liquid assets.”

“So Sirius is still a criminal?” Harry asked, an old pain filling his voice. Grimshaw nodded affirmatively. Had Harry been in a more observant condition he would have recognized the startled expression on the goblin's face that Harry cared more about the reputation of his godfather than the vast fortune he had just lost.

“We lodged an appeal on your behalf, but we are not hopeful so long as the…current administration remains,” Grimshaw added.

“Is that all?” Harry asked. “I want to get my withdrawal and leave if there is nothing more.”

“Of course Mr. Potter,” Grimshaw said kindly. “Will you be needing these funds converted to muggle currency or forwarded to specific businesses as usual?”

“No, these are strictly for my own, uh, personal use,” Harry said absently. Grimshaw nodded his approval as they headed down to the access tunnel.

Harry shoved some galleons into a moneybag hurriedly. He hated visiting the vault full of his parent's money, but even in his distracted state he noticed that the pile of coin had grown smaller. It didn't matter though; money wouldn't do him any good if Voldemort weren't defeated.

After thanking Grimshaw again after they returned to the lobby Harry exited the lavish bank and headed up to another business run by goblins. The store didn't have a name, at least not a name that Harry could pronounce, but it was widely known as the best place to go for custom goblin crafted items.

Harry drew out the blue bound book with golden lettering on it that he had taken from the Malfoy private library. He wondered again if this was the right symbolism he wanted to evoke before taking a breath and pushing his way into the cramped store.

“Greetings young master, my name is Cramshak. Is there something specific that I could help you with?” Cramshak, apparently the owner of the store, asked as soon as Harry entered.

“Er, yeah, actually,” Harry stammered. He drew out the book and opened it to a dog-eared page. “I'd like for you to make one of these.”

“A blood ring Mr. Potter?” Cramshak said uncertainly. “You are not a pureblood.”

“Obviously, but that's the point, I think it's a moving gesture that shouldn't be barred from anyone because of the circumstance of their birth. Besides, the purebloods rarely use them anymore anyway.” Harry replied.

“With good reason, you will never severely restrained against the person you bestow this upon,” Cramshak said.

“That is not a concern,” Harry said firmly. “Will you do it or not?”

“I would not risk it for anyone but you Mr. Potter. My cousin Grimshaw has spoken very highly of you in recent times. It is the least we goblins can do.” Cramshak said finally, after a few moments of pondering. “Hold out your arm.”

Harry did as he was instructed and watched closely as a strange silver string that Cramshak produced out of no where snaked along his arm. Harry winced as the silvery thread bit into his arm, right at the joint of his elbow, and drew out a long bead of blood. The blood quickly crystallized into a gem that could easily be mistaken for a ruby except for its obviously magical properties.

“This will take a few moments Mr. Potter,” Cramshak said. He was examining the gem with a small eyepiece. “I already have a suitable ring upon which to mount this.”

Harry eyed the little goblin for a moment before turning away to inspect the rest of the store. Unlike the other wizard stores he had been in, this one was very organized and neat. Each item was set out on a shelf in an orderly fashion with a tiny information card placed in front of it to describe its function and price.

Most of the items that the goblin jeweler sold were decorative in nature, but one beautiful silver and gold engraved flask set also had a practical function. The tiny containers were described as having the same charm that a wizard's chest used embedded in them. This allowed them to store vastly larger amounts of material than their outside appearance would suggest. They also employed a clever cap system that allowed them to store multiple things within them just like Moody's old magical chest. Each rotation of the cap would open up a different space allowing the user to store five separate liquids within the same flask.

Harry glanced at the price, nearly two hundred galleons since the technique used in making them was apparently difficult and took great skill. He jiggled the money sack unconsciously and wondered if he had enough to cover them along with the ring.

“How much do I owe you for the ring?” Harry asked Cramshak when the goblin returned with a tiny box.

“Four hundred fifty galleons, seventy-five knuts,” Cramshak said.

Harry dumped out his moneybag and counted out over seven hundred galleons. “I want to add these two flasks as well,” he said, pointing to them.

“An excellent choice Mr. Potter,” Cramshak said. “My grandfather made those himself.”

“I've never seen finer craftsmanship,” Harry said truthfully as his purchase was wrapped before he tucked it away into his hat.

“I look forward to our next meeting Mr. Potter, thank you for your business,” Cramshak said as he walked with Harry to the door. “And good luck in the coming battles that only you can face.”

“Thank you, I'll do my best,” Harry said solemnly before stepping back out onto the street of Diagon Alley.

Hermione threw a tiny green vial against the wall in a tremendous outpouring of fury that she rarely allowed herself to indulge in. The result of that potion was worth her rage though. Hands on hips she scowled down at the three cauldrons bubbling in front of her and tried to decide what would be her best course of action. Again she silently thanked whoever might be listening that Harry had picked today to go prowl around Diagon Alley.

Each cauldron contained a different colored substance with uniformly watery consistencies. Hermione had been trying to mix the three together properly all morning, but so far she was getting a sickeningly green instead of the proper clear color. She had been secretly working on the three potions for some time now, when most everyone else was asleep or out on patrol. The extra fatigue that it had imposed on her was difficult, but she had been able to mask most of it with rejuvenation potions. Harry was so overworked that he had to take them too, so no one particularly noticed.

Hermione sat down in the floor in front of the cauldrons and flipped quickly through a thin stack of notes. With an absent flick of her wand a new vial appeared, snugly held in a little stand. Carefully Hermione ladled out tiny portions of the three potions into the vial and studied the reaction carefully. The vial shook a little before settling down into the old familiar green color.

Hermione…twitched, her eyes burning hotly, magical wind whipping her clothes as her anger grew.

“Work!” she shouted, incinerating the failed potion with a flash from her wand.

“What am I doing wrong?” Hermione muttered to herself absently, flipping through her notes again.

She was sure that she had mixed the right proportions of the three potions, in the correct order, and with the correct type of ladle. The only thing she had done differently was to mix a smaller dose because she didn't want the full effects, nor did she want to waste any of the potion.

After a few moments of scrutinizing the papers Hermione came to the conclusion that the amount must be just as important as the proportions. She conjured up a golden goblet and meticulously poured out the correct quantities. The mixture shook and frothed, emitting a faint steam, before finally settling down into a clear water like substance.

Hermione grinned at her accomplishment, but now she had to confront one last problem. She had been working so hard to perfect the potion that she hadn't taken the time to convince herself that she really wanted to take it. Nervously Hermione considered the various effects that the notes she had been studying described. Still, there was not really any other choice, that was why she had made the potion in the first place…wasn't it?

“I won't be left behind Harry,” Hermione whispered fiercely, “I won't let you face him alone.”

Hermione shut her eyes and drained the goblet without another thought. She hiccuped once as she sat there and waited to see if she would feel anything. Hermione shuddered a little and placed her hand on her uneasy stomach before conjuring more goblets. She would need them all.

A large passenger liner slowly made its way into the harbor at Rosyth so it could begin unloading its mixture of cargo and travelers. The dock workers were used to seeing a wide variety of strange looking people, but this lot was really over the top. There were nearly fifty men of mixed nationality, all mainland Europeans, all wearing funny top hats and carrying canes with serpent heads.

There were also several women; most of who looked even stranger than the men did if that were possible. Long hair was piled upon the tops of their heads and stuck through with several slender polished wooden sticks.

All the strangers were dressed in various types of black clothing and wore long flowing cloaks emblazoned with a tiny silver serpent. Affixed to their lapels were silver tongues that if one looked at for too long seemed to move. The travelers had amassed an immense amount of luggage between them and did not seem inclined to move it themselves.

One of the dock hands nudged his companion who glowered at him for a moment before going over to ask if assistance was required.

“How quaint, it's a muggle handler,” one of the witches said in perfect English.

“What did you just call me lass?” the man replied indignantly.

“I do hope this is worth the effort Septimus,” another one of the women huffed. She took out one of the sticks from her hair and pointed it lazily at the dock hand. Immediately he began to writhe in silent agony, thrashing around uncontrollably. His horrified companion tried to flee, but the man that had been addressed gestured with his cane and the fellow was drug back by invisible strings.

“Now, now, Sense, we're supposed to be fighting the good fight here, remember?” Septimus replied. He carried himself like an aristocrat and looked the part as well. He could have passed as a relative of the Malfoy's with his long blonde hair and crisp features.

“Oh…very well. You lot, get those bags out of here, we should have cars waiting for us around here somewhere.” Sense said nastily at having her fun interrupted.

“And would someone kindly obliviate our helpful little muggles?” Septimus said as he walked off, not glancing over his shoulder.

In a dark alley off to the side, completely overlooked by mage and muggle alike, a bushy haired wolf was watching the entire show with grim fascination. The beast's tail wagged slightly, but the first thing that any observer would have noticed would have been the sinister gleaming white grin. After the wolf was assured that nothing more of interest would be happening it slipped away as stealthily as it had appeared.

Harry sighed deeply. “Now I know why those bloody brooms are so expensive.”

“Why are you still wasting time on those shoes Harry? They'll never be more than a marginal advantage at best,” Hermione replied peevishly. The two teens were sitting in the moderately busy Gryffindor common room catching up on the various things that they had been neglecting of late. Battles with Voldemort's avatars were becoming alarmingly frequent, but they had not been able to do more than duel them to a draw since the fight at Madam Bone's house. Harry had come close to killing one, at least they thought he had because it fled the battle, but it was impossible to be sure. Avatars were surprisingly resilient to being harmed, just like their master.

“I think being able to apparate above the reach of anti-apparation wards and then floating down to the ground safely will be immensely valuable,” Harry said defensively. “I might even be able to make these things fly.”

“Harry, honestly, people have been trying to enchant shoes to fly for hundreds of years now, I really don't think you'll figure it out in a fortnight,” Hermione said.

“I don't see why not, cars can fly, brooms fly, motorcycles fly, why not shoes?” Harry asked, even though he didn't understand the answer she always gave.

“Because all those other things are either made out of wand wood or are of sufficient size to hold the necessary charms…shoes are neither,” Hermione said.

“Maybe wooden shoes…” Harry mused.

Hermione shook her head in exasperation. “Size again Harry.”

“Fine, but I will make them float,” Harry said stubbornly. He slipped one of his trial shoes on and jumped as high as he could into the air. At the apex of his leap he stuck, as if the tips of his toes were resting on an invisible platform. Unfortunately his entire stability was resting on a single shoe. Even Harry had to admit that two levitation enchanted shoes would make each other go haywire.

“Not bad,” Hermione admitted. “I still think you wasted too much time on it though. You need your rest.”

“We both know that rest is a luxury Voldemort doesn't allow,” Harry said flippantly. “Besides, you're looking rougher than I am my dear, if I may be so bold.”

“Honestly Harry,” Hermione said, sticking her tongue out playfully. “You have no tact at all.”

Harry hopped down from the air and took a seat next to her. “So how's the analysis of that door fragment coming?”

“I'm not sure, but I've found a few disturbing things so far. Like for one, this door isn't conjured, it's a product of alchemy,” Hermione said.

“Alchemy?” Harry asked quickly. “Do you think Voldemort is trying to make a stone too?”

“Well, its possible, but it may just be a coincidence,” Hermione said. “Alchemy does have other uses after all, but I wouldn't trust Voldemort not to be attempting it as a backup plan should he become disembodied again.”

“That's another thing we've got to consider, if Voldemort does lose his corporeal form he'll be vulnerable, so we've got to find a way to finish him off before he gets a Death Eater to help him revive,” Harry said. “He won't wait around to use my blood again, he'll just take whatever is handy.”

“I don't know Harry…” Hermione began, but she was cut off by a commotion from the doorway.

“Harry, Ron wants you to come down the hospital wing, Luna's been hurt,” Ginny said urgently.

“What happened?” Harry asked as he jumped up, Hermione following on his heels, “Is she badly injured?”

“Ron doesn't think its serious, but it was some kind of jinx, like last year, and he wanted Hermione to check it too, just in case Madam Pomfrey missed something,” Ginny said as they hurried down the halls. All of them had their wands out, using a detection charm that manifested itself in a cascade of pink light to make sure they were not inadvertently getting close to jinxed areas. Ron had taught Luna and Ginny the skill after finally mastering it himself, but it had been so long since anything at Hogwarts had been jinxed that they had all stopped using it on a routine basis.

When they arrived at the white walled hospital wing the found Ron sitting next to a pale looking Luna, holding her uninjured hand in his own. Luna's other arm was wrapped in bloody bandages, but Harry could tell immediately that she was doing much better than she must have been only a short while ago. Still, the wound that went from the palm of her hand all the way up to her shoulder was still open and staining the bandages with a slow ooze of blood.

“Something in the jinx's makeup is preventing a full closure of the wound,” Madam Pomfrey said unhappily. “I'm not entire sure how. I'm not used to treating deliberately inflicted magical injuries like this.”

“I'll look at it,” Hermione said. She flicked her wand and sent a silver bird flittering away. “I called Bill too, his experience with curse breaking should also include jinxes and the wounds they might inflict.”

Harry scowled angrily at the situation, but poor Luna was taking it very well, despite her withered appearance.

“Oh my, I can't use my wand like this, Ron, you've got to promise to protect me from Spine Backed Glorting Slugs, they might be attracted to all the blood,” Luna cooed.

“Er, sure, I won't let anything happen to you Luna,” Ron said shyly. Harry could feel Hermione's mirth, both at Luna's fanciful creatures that she always seemed to make up on the spot and Ron's bashful response. One thing was sure though, he'd had enough of Draco's continual sulking and cowardly attacks.

“I'm going to go pay the ferret a visit,” Harry announced.

“Yeah, don't go easy on him,” Hermione replied darkly. “I'm going to keep watch on Luna's arm while we wait for Bill.”

“I'm going too,” Ron said, an unusually aggressive tone in his voice. “It's payback time.”

Harry waited until they were out in the hall before filling Ron in on his plan. “We can't just curse him Ron, if we do his cronies will continue attacking people. Instead we're going to show him once and for all how insignificant he is. That'll hurt him far worse than any physical retribution we might hand him.”

“If you say so, I'd rather just hex him into little pieces,” Ron growled.

“Actually, so would I,” Harry conceded. The pair walked on toward the lower portions of the castle that contained the Slytherin quarters. The staff had finished sweeping most of the corridors and students were out milling about again. A few glanced at Harry's Light Bearer uniform, but most were used to it and didn't pay a lot of attention.

They reached the painting that guarded the entrance to the Slytherin common room. The grizzly, stick thin old wizard in the painting scowled at them.

“Open,” Harry commanded.

“As you wish, Head Potter,” the painting replied nastily. Clearly it didn't like being told what to do, but it was bound to obey a Head.

Harry stepped through the opening and surveyed the room. People began to notice the two intruders and a deep quiet settled over the common room. Harry and Ron had been there once before, during second year, so they already knew the basic layout. Nothing much had changed, including Draco's habit of sitting in the middle of the room like he owned the place, which to be fair he probably did.

“Potter,” he spat as Harry and Ron advanced on him. “You think you can just march in here like this after what you've done. You destroyed my home you filthy mudblood loving scum…”

“Actually Draco, I can,” Harry said, tapping his head a couple of times to remind the blonde wizard of his new position as Head Boy. “We need to have a talk about the attacks that have been going on around here.”

Draco rambled angrily. “Bloody Saint Potter isn't satisfied with destroying my house. You've got to blame me for your own shortcomings, can't even stop pranks…”

“Shut it Malfoy,” Harry said, casting a silencing charm before continuing in a calm soft voice. “I didn't come here to listen to your feeble whining about your home, a Death Eater base, or to put up with your indignant facade. I am going to talk…you are going to obey.”

Draco's face inflamed with rage and he groped in his robes for his wand. Another spell rendered him rigid and motionless.

“Now Draco, we get to find out just how much influence you have over your fellow snakes. I know that most of Slytherin participates in staging these attacks. No single person could pull this sort of thing off. So instead of trying to track down and stop every single offender I'm going to do something much simpler. For every attack that happens from now on I will inflict on you an injury identical to that of the victim.” Harry said, glowering at a now simpering Draco.

“I do hope we understand each other, or else you may find yourself in a great deal of pain in the very near future,” Harry said. He cancelled the enchantments restraining the young wizard.

“You wouldn't dare Potter, you're too weak and…” Draco cut off with an anguished cry as his right arm was cut open from hand to shoulder by a sharp slash of Harry's wand.

“I believe that's what happened to Luna, or close enough. If you keep up these attacks I'm sure I'll get better with practice,” Harry said simply. “One other thing Draco, don't try to leave this castle. That goes for all other Slytherin with Death Eater connections, and we know who you are. Tell your parents that you're now our prisoners and if this castle is attacked your lives will be forfeit.”

Harry's eyes flashed dangerously as he got back up and swept out of the room, Ron in tow. Behind him was a room of shocked and scared Slytherin. When they reached the hall again Ron grabbed Harry's arm.

“Bloody hell Harry, are you serious? You wouldn't kill them?” Ron asked shakily. Thoughts of revenge had apparently been satisfied or maybe even overpowered by Harry's display.

“Maybe,” Harry flashed again, then wilted under Ron's expression. “No, I guess not, but it'll give them something to think about.”

“I can't believe you did that to Malfoy either,” Ron said quietly. They resumed their march back to the hospital wing.

“I thought you were the one that wanted to curse him into little pieces,” Harry replied.

“I wanted to make him suffer, but I don't know Harry, you ripped him up pretty good, and he isn't getting treatment like Luna is,” Ron said slowly.

“Malfoy wouldn't work with volatile magic unless he were able to treat injuries from accidents. He'll be fine, and if not, well, I didn't start this war,” Harry said, his voice becoming hard again.

Ron didn't say any more and when they entered the hospital wing again he immediately returned to Luna's side. Bill had arrived and the blonde witch's arm looked like it was nearly healed. Harry took a seat next to Hermione, who was sitting on an empty hospital bed across from Luna.

“I think this will be the last of these sorts of attacks,” Harry said to Hermione across their link. Quickly he shared the events that had transpired and the ultimatum that he had delivered to Draco. He feared that she too might disapprove of his method of handling the problem, but she didn't.

“Brilliantly done Harry, I only wish you had singed his fur a little more instead of letting him off so easily,” Hermione said bitterly. “We need to talk to Dumbledore about how best to use the children of Voldemort supporters as leverage against them too. They should never have sent them back to us.”

“I don't know Hermione, that seems a little harsh,” Harry replied.

“At the very least we need to be prepared to use them if Voldemort manages to capture any of our own people. Prisoner exchange would be a small price to pay to save the lives of our followers. As of this moment we've got to consider them prisoners of war,” Hermione insisted firmly.

“Yeah, you're right, it's only a matter of time before Voldemort gets his hands on some of us,” Harry conceded, bowing to Hermione's logic.

“We've got more pressing matters to attend to for now,” Hermione said. “It's time for us to start hitting Voldemort's supporters where they live. I've compiled a list of residences and businesses of known Death Eaters with the help of the twins. Tomorrow we're going to wipe them all out just like the avatars did to our people.”

“Did they crack the unplottable ones too?” Harry asked. They had been trying to get a more comprehensive list of Death Eater assets ever since the raid on Malfoy's home.

“Of course, it was only a matter of time. Without the Fidelius Charm no defense is perfect and perhaps not even with it,” Hermione replied confidently.

“Ron, I also brought you this. It's from Dad,” Bill said. He pulled a parchment sealed with the Light Bearer rising sun emblem that was used on communiqués to prevent them from being visually associated with the organization. “He wouldn't tell me what it was, just to get it to you whenever possible. I was planning to bring it to tomorrow's meeting, but since I'm here…”

Ron opened the parchment and scanned down the brief writing. “Dad's found out who those snake heads were that arrived at Rosyth. Apparently they're some kind of international team sent in by the continentals to help out with the war.”

“So they're…not Death Eaters?” Harry asked.

“Heh, well, maybe, maybe not, but they're pretending to be on the Ministry's side. I told you how they treated those muggles though.” Ron replied.

“We should ask Dumbledore about this too,” Harry said. “If anyone has heard of these guys it would be him.”

“It wouldn't hurt, but most foreign wizarding communities are so secretive that I doubt even Dumbledore would know many details,” Hermione said skeptically.

“We've got things to do,” Harry announced, after they finished discussing the unknown faction that had arrived to help the Ministry.

“Yeah, remember, meeting tomorrow, regular room,” Hermione added. They had already told everyone assembled the password for the tiny troll.

“All right, I'm going to stay here with Luna so don't wait up,” Ron said.

“Sleep well,” Bill chimed in, smirking. Harry nodded and gave the dashing wizard a strange look.

“I'm going to finish testing the levitation charms on the shoes and then transfer them to my regular boots,” Harry told Hermione as they walked back to the commons.

“I'm going to go ahead and get some sleep,” Hermione said. Harry noticed that she really did look pale and worn out. “Go ahead and charm one of my boots too though.”

Harry grinned, happy that she wanted to use his innovation after all. He spent the next hour after Hermione had went upstairs to her dorm jumping up and down repeatedly to make sure the charm would perform as intended.

Harry awoke early the next morning still tired and sipped down a bit of rejuvenation potion to help him get going. Dobby had taken to leaving him some snacks next to his bed so he grabbed a bite before switching out his pajamas for the Light Bearer uniform that he now wore constantly. Harry glanced over at the trunk in the corner and wondered when he should give Hermione her enchanted goblin flask. He had planned to wait for her birthday, but perhaps it wouldn't hurt to do it sooner. After all, they might need them.

“Harry, are you about ready?” Hermione's voice asked through their link.

“Er, yeah, I'm coming down now,” Harry replied.

“Ron already went on ahead,” Hermione said when he appeared on the staircase. “I think he wanted to go see Luna again. Poppy said that she'd be well enough to release today.”

Harry and Hermione grasped each other's hands in what was for them an unusual outward show of affection. Usually they were more than content with the strong mental bond that they shared, but it was still nice to also be near each other in a “normal” way sometimes.

“Ron, Luna, feeling better now I suppose?” Harry asked. They ran into them just before getting to the room they had confiscated or Light Bearer activity.

“I'm doing fine now,” Luna said cheerfully. Her arm was still wrapped up, but with fresh bandages. Ron was hovering around her far more than was probably necessary, but Hermione thought it was cute so Harry didn't tease him any.

Dumbledore and several of the old Order had already assembled along with a few senior Light Bearer members. Most of the Light Bearers lacked the ability to meet at Hogwarts on sudden notice because of their pre-existing assignments or because they couldn't disrupt their normal lives frequently without risking exposure.

“You want any of this?” Ginny asked Hermione as they waited for Luna and Ron to get settled in. Ginny had brought a plate of toast and pastries with her since the meeting was so early.

“Uh, no thanks,” Hermione replied hastily, looking rather green.

“You've all been asked here because we're launching a new offensive as soon as this meeting is over,” Harry said once everyone had stilled. “Ron and the twins have managed to get us a reliable list of the homes and businesses of the most prominent Death Eaters.”

“Nott, Goyle, Jugson, Macnair…” Ron began, but Harry cut him off.

“Yes, the list is quite extensive. All together we'll be hitting twenty eight locations of various sizes,” Harry continued.

“We don't have the manpower for that,” Bill said. “Even the Malfoy raid strained us, what with everything else we're doing.”

“These are not raids,” Harry replied. “None of you will be going. The Headmaster will remain here to ensure that Voldemort doesn't attack Hogwarts with the both of us gone. The rest of you will be spread out, one at each target, to track anyone who escapes. Hermione and I will be attacking alone using apparation to move quickly from one target to the next. Once we've destroyed each location we'll move on to the next. Voldemort won't know what to defend.”

“If he even bothers to defend,” McGonagall said. “Most of these targets have never even had a hint of Death Eater activity.”

“Doesn't matter. We're sending a message: supporting Voldemort will lose you your home and livelihood.” Harry said calmly.

“Harry, this could create quite a bit of unrest,” Dumbledore said heavily.

“We're fighting a war not catering to the sensibilities of the Ministry,” Harry retorted.

“I think we've already sufficiently exhausted the strategy of not causing unrest,” Hermione added.

“In any event, this has already been decided,” Harry said firmly. “Hermione and I have to prepare, you all have your instructions.”

Harry ignored the strange looks that he got as people stood to leave. He supposed that they were not used to him being decisive, but he had no choice, if they debated everything with the old Order nothing would ever get done.

“I wonder if we made a mistake letting Dumbledore join us,” Harry asked.

“He does challenge every decision, or at least introduce doubt,” Hermione replied distractedly.

“So have our brooms arrived yet or will we have to go fetch them?” Harry asked. Since most of the places they were going to hit were covered by anti-apparation wards they were going to apparate directly above them, high in the sky, and then use brooms. That way they wouldn't be subjected to a long time consuming walk. It was the best they had been able to come up with after applying the lessons learned on the mission to the Malfoy estate.

“The twins should have brought them to Grimmauld Place by now. I had to get them to buy me a new one though. I've always just used the school brooms since I hate flying so much,” Hermione said.

“If you hate flying so much then why is your animagus form an owl?” Harry replied cheekily.

“Oh Harry, because a person's animal magnifies their deepest traits or desires. Owls are symbols of knowledge and one of my deepest desires has always been to keep up with you. I knew how much you liked flying and so my subconscious must have worked out that you would be a bird so thus if I wanted to keep up with you I'd have to be a bird too.” Hermione explained.

Harry felt a warm sensation rush over him. “Wow, I don't know what to say Hermione…I love you so much.”

Hermione wrapped her arm around him as they continued toward the common room. They stepped through the entrance and turned to go toward their respective staircases when Harry remembered his enchanted shoes.

“Wait Hermione, take one of these enchanted boots, we might need them,” Harry said.

“Harry, we'll be on brooms,” Hermione replied.

“Yeah, but what if you get knocked off or something. That's why I made them, so you could keep from falling without needing to transform,” Harry said insistently.

Hermione picked one up from where Harry had been working. “You made them for me? That's so sweet Harry, I'm sorry I said you were wasting time.”

“I'll have to remember this, Hermione didn't figure out my motives for once,” Harry laughed teasingly. They disappeared up to their rooms to gather up a few loose items that they might need during their attacks before portkeying back to Grimmauld Place.

“Hermione!” Sarah Granger's exclamation rang out as her daughter materialized in the main room.

“Mum,” Hermione replied happily, embracing her mother. “We can only stay a second, we came to collect our brooms.”

“Oi, there you guys are,” Fred's voice came from the double doorway. “Here's your Firebolt Harry and we decided that you might as well have one too Hermione. I know you said Cleansweep, but you may need the speed and agility a lot more than those extra galleons.”

“You told them to get you a Cleansweep?” Harry asked, brow furrowed.

Hermione twisted on one foot bashfully. “It's not like you have unlimited resources Harry and brooms are expensive.”

“Don't worry Fred, you did the right thing. A quality broom could make all the difference. I'm sure we're going to have to fight in the air sooner or later and it's hard enough to control a good broom let alone a poor one.” Harry admonished Hermione slightly. Harry had good reason to be concerned too. Flying a broom took a lot of mental and magical concentration. Casting spells from a broom was considered to be a risky proposition and no wizard would want to engage in a battle during maneuvering. Casting spells from a broom as an immobile platform was taxing enough. That was another part of the reason Harry had worked so hard to put a back up levitation charm in their shoes.

“Come on Harry, if we're going to keep the timetable we set up we need to begin,” Hermione said. They said goodbye to Fred and Hermione's parents before vanishing away to the first place on the list.

Nearly two hours later they were approaching the halfway mark on their list of targets. Behind them lay a trail of burnt out ruins that had once been home to the most ancient, wealthy, and respected wizarding families in all of England. So far they had not met with organized resistance but they had managed to capture nearly two dozen prisoners. He was pretty sure that most of them were just servants, several were house elves, but some of them might be family members of certain Death Eaters. Harry would let Ron and the twins discover everyone's true identity.

Harry shivered in the cold air as they apparated in far above their next target so as to avoid the radius of the anti-apparation wards. Hermione's face was flushed pink from the cold, but other than that they were very well protected in their Light Bearer uniforms. Harry dove slowly so that Hermione could keep up with him and continued to send soothing thoughts across their link to help her overcome her innate dislike of flying. The only time she had been able to escape her natural aversion to flight was when she took on her owl animagus form.

“Harry, this is the Goyle mansion,” Hermione said. “I think they've rallied here.”

“Yeah, there they are. We're going to have to fight this time. It looks like they didn't know where to guard though; they've only sent three avatars and no Death Eaters.” Harry observed.

“Three avatars…” Hermione echoed. Harry and Hermione stopped several hundred feet above the ground and waited as the avatars, also on brooms, floated up cautiously to meet them. In the lead was the ex-auror Tram who had carried out the plan to kidnap Harry last year.

“It ends here Potter,” Tram yelled up at them. “We've locked this place down, no way in or out, and you'll never be able to reach the edge of the interdiction fields before we blow you out of the sky.”

“I thought you wanted me alive,” Harry yelled back.

“You'll be alive, just not much alive,” Tram growled. The three avatars cut loose with a variety of spells designed to confuse their defenses. Spells in tight beams mixed with large imposing streams of elemental magic. Instead of defending Harry jerked himself to one side just like dodging a bludger.

Hermione on the other hand was having a lot more trouble. A silver dome sprang to life beneath her, but the force of the magic impacting against it sent her careening away. Harry darted to her, helping her regain her balance.

“I don't know if I can do this Harry,” she said timidly.

“Don't worry Hermione, I won't let you fall as long as you're near me,” Harry reassured her.

Harry's eyes already burned with magic, as did Hermione's, but she was still astounded as he revealed the true depth of his power for the first time in a while. Hermione confirmed what she had suspected for some time. Without a doubt Harry had become stronger than she had. The air filled with hundreds of tiny razor sharp silver disks as the retaliation began. The avatars tried to wipe them away as they had in the past but found that they could no longer overcome Harry's grip on his creations.

The air was filled with sparks from the impact of Harry's assault against the avatar's own conjured metallic defenders. The avatars spread themselves out to try to make more difficult targets and to surround the two teens. Tram flicked his wand like a symphony conductor and the air between Harry and Hermione exploded, sending them careening away from each other. As they tumbled away wildly the air continued to explode randomly in a way that created a scene reminiscent of muggle flak guns shooting at airplanes.

Harry got control of his broom first and immediately headed toward Hermione. She had given up trying to right her flight path and instead let loose with powerful balls of fire in a widespread pattern that forced the avatars to concentrate on dodging instead of attacking. During the moments afforded by her diversion Harry managed to reach her side again.

“This is going really bad Harry,” Hermione gasped, dizzy with exhaustion and the recent spinning of her uncontrolled broom.

Harry jerked her up suddenly, just in time to avoid a dark mass that flew by where they had just been floating.

“Harry, that isn't just a spell, they're conjuring,” Hermione gasped. More dark blobs flew toward them in a torrent. Hermione conjured her silver shield and put it in front of her face, but it couldn't block all of the amorphous dark mass. Violent hissing sounds erupted, along with billowing black smoke, as Hermione twisted slowly toward the ground.

“Hermione!” Harry screamed to her through their link. He had also been hit directly by the unknown material, but unlike Hermione his shield had expanded like a giant set of wings and clamped down to create a solid, if somewhat angular looking cocoon around him.

There was no response from the stricken witch. Fresh rage burned though Harry as he pulled a black obsidian stone from his pocket. Harry's hand glowed white for a second and then the stone spit out a hail of deadly identical shards. The avatars staggered visibly under the assault before finally gaining control of the situation again. Harry cast a new round of projectiles but they all disappeared before they could hit their target. It appeared as if they were splashing into an invisible pond, creating small circular ripples right in midair, before they would have hit the avatars.

“You can't defeat three of us at once,” Tram said tauntingly. “First we wear you out, then our master becomes immortal.”

Hermione groaned and blinked her eyes rapidly. She had managed to arrest her fall enough to prevent serious injury, but the attack she had sustained had still nearly incapacitated her. Her Light Bearer uniform was eaten away except for tatters, but her dragon hide was intact and had probably saved her from the acidic magic. Her hat was intact too, thanks to the shield she had erected over her head right before being struck down. Hermione used her remaining strength to gingerly take a large golden goblet out of the hat's enchanted space and draw it to her lips.

Harry dodged again, but he didn't know how much longer he could keep it up. Three at once really was too much for him. He still had a long way to go to master his power and at this rate he might never get to. He'd not give up though; Hermione was still alive, he could feel it. He couldn't let her down, not when she was hurt and counting on him.

“Avada Kedavra!” Harry yelled in frustration. Tram easily dodged the green beam of destruction.

“Pitiful Potter,” Tram taunted. “I'm beginning to think that the prophecy is a bunch of nonsense. How could an idiot like you ever even have a chance of defeating the Dark Lord?"

“You'll never know, your fight ends here,” Harry shouted back with confidence he didn't feel. He twitched his wand and impaled the avatars with beams of searing light, which hurt them considerably, but didn't knock them out. They retaliated with fire that left smoke clinging to Harry's clothes.

From down below there came an unearthly scream and Harry felt Hermione's power rise rapidly, eclipsing him and anything he had ever felt before. All four combatants froze in their positions as they watched an enraged Hermione fly toward them at a rate that would have made Harry proud had he not been so shocked.

“Get back Harry!” she commanded, pointing her wand at the mid air battlefield.

Harry didn't have time to comply before he was jerked away by Hermione's own summoning charm. The instant he cleared the area Hermione conjured thousands of flaming darts and sent them toward the avatars. Apparently they had control over the wards because Harry could see one of them hastily recalling the magical transportation nullifiers. It was too late for Tram though; he was surrounded and pierced through with fire that ate him from the inside out. With a final silent scream his charred bones fell from his broom before turning to ash in the wind.

The other two avatars disappeared, but Hermione wasn't slowing down. She pointed her wand up into the sky and caused dozens of fiery lights to appear. Harry gaped in amazement, as the tiny pinpoints of light were actually magically conjured meteors. The flaming chunks of rock tore through the sky over their heads and converged on the Goyle mansion. A shock wave coursed through the air along with a sharp thunderclap as the Goyle estate and much of the surrounding countryside disappeared in a bright light.

Without a word Hermione vanished and Harry realized she had apparated to the next target. It was all he could do to keep up with her as she hopped rapidly from one place to the next, until she finally began to tire.

“Hermione, are you okay?” Harry asked gently. They were floating over a target near the end of their list. Hermione was panting heavily and she looked very pale. Her eyes had lost their chocolate color. They were still brown, but now they seemed faded…different.

“I'm fine Harry, I…When I thought I had failed you something snapped,” Hermione said sadly.

“You couldn't fail me Hermione and I mean that,” Harry reassured her. “I think there are some people lurking around here that we can capture. Let's hurry up so you can go rest.”

Hermione gave him a tight smile and nodded. They were just about to begin their descent when sharp cracks echoed all around them. Dozens of wizards in Ministry robes had appeared, looking apprehensive as they approached on their brooms, but determined none the less.

“This ends here Potter,” the lead auror said.

“I've been told that before today, by an avatar of Voldemort,” Harry spat back.

“There are no Death Eater's here, just innocent people,” the auror replied.

“Innocent? Are you crazy?” Harry roared. “I've got evidence directly linking this workshop to an enterprise run by the Nott family. The profits produced here go directly to fund Voldemort's war.”

“The Ministry will investigate…” the auror began, but Hermione cut him off.

“The Ministry is heavily infiltrated by Death Eaters,” she said hotly. “We were just attacked by an ex-auror that was stationed at Hogwarts last term…an ex-auror that was turned into an avatar shortly thereafter. The Nott family still has relatives within the old Department of Magical Law Enforcement which is now consolidated with the auror and the hit wizard branches.”

“There have never been any connections made, now are you going to come peacefully or must we take you by force?” the auror asked. “We won't allow you to destroy property and instigate chaos.”

“This is my war,” Harry insisted, yelling wildly as he sat there in midair. “I'm the only one that can defeat Voldemort, you all know that now. I can't do it with his massive army of wealth, Death Eaters, and dark creatures at his back. Either help or get out of my way!”

“Maybe you're the only one who can defeat the Dark Lord and maybe you're not,” the auror retorted. Harry and Hermione gaped at him openly. “You don't have the authority or the right to attack at will across England.”

“Harry, this is pointless, the Ministry can't be trusted even to leave us alone anymore,” Hermione said.

“Isn't there some way we can stop this before it starts?” Harry asked pleadingly.

“I don't know Harry, we'll think of something,” Hermione said.

Harry nodded as Hermione repeated her meteor strike spell and then vanished away with Harry following suit an instant later. Green beams crisscrossed at the spot they had just vacated, but the aurors were still forced to watch helplessly as the Nott workshop vanished from the face of the Earth.

-->

Chapter 8 - Thin Broken Line

Harry shivered at the feeling of wet mud soaking through his clothing, but tried to shake it off so he could remain focused on the task at hand. Several muggles had died in very mysterious and violent ways in the area surrounding Harry's location, which after five days of horrible searching had led him to his present discovery. Various magic detection wards had forced him to forgo using his wand for any of the normal comforts he was used to while he crept up on the hidden base.

After initial outrage in the Daily Prophet the Ministry had backed off their public condemnation of Harry's actions, which were never attributed to him or the Light Bearers directly but instead to unnamed vigilantes, and had also refrained from further interference in Light Bearer activity. Tonks had told them that the Ministry was trying to walk a delicate balance between retaining the loyal pureblood support that it had and at the same time allow Harry the leeway he needed to combat Voldemort's forces.

Now on one hand it was a very risky proposition for Harry to be out by himself, exposed, in the middle of a heavily fortified and patrolled area using an invisibility cloak to avoid detection. On the other hand if they wanted to find out what was going on there was no other person except Hermione or Dumbledore which could do this task with any degree of safety. Unfortunately, Hermione and Dumbledore were both in the middle of other things that they alone could do, effectively, which left Harry doing this most unpleasant investigation work.

Harry was situated on a hillside looking down on an open space about the size of a muggle football field. Set into another nearby hill was a few openings of various sizes that obviously led to some sort of tunnel complex. All around the area was trails used by Death Eaters to make sure no wizard just casually walked in like they had done during the raid on Malfoy's estate. Even worse, all the Death Eaters were sporting eyepieces that looked suspiciously like those the aurors or Light Bearers wore. The result of all this security was Harry having to crawl around on the ground just in case the eyepieces that Voldemort's followers were now wearing could penetrate his cloak.

However, now that he'd finally found the entrance to the base he didn't know what to make of it. There was no way he'd ever get any closer than this because even if the Death Eater eyepieces couldn't see through his cloak their naked eyes would still detect his approach. The area surrounding the entrances to the hillside was made up entirely of soft wet earth that would show his footprints very distinctly. It was clear that the Death Eaters had designed the area for just that purpose because the terrain was much different than the natural ground and they had four sentries eyeballing the soft patch of earth at all times.

Harry's stomach growled and he wished for the umpteenth time that he had given Hermione her flask so he could use his too. He could be drinking soup and pumpkin juice right now had he done so. Harry grimaced as the sun started to beat down on his black garbed figure making his back as hot as his stomach was wet and muddy. It made him sleepy too, even though he dared not go to sleep in case he should make some noise, toss off his invisibility cloak, or just get stepped on.

It was late afternoon when the base started showing some signs of activity beyond the routine. Two strange looking oriental men appeared along with an escort of four Death Eaters. Harry's jaw clenched as he recognized one of them as Lucius Malfoy. Lucius was talking and gesturing smoothly while the two oriental men merely nodded. The visitors were dressed in long, single piece green robes that fit much more tightly than the robes of English wizards. The back of their garb was emblazoned with a big yellow circle containing an illegible symbol or perhaps some type of writing. Their hair was long and swept back into a single braid held together with small white sticks that Harry thought could be bone. They had no visible wands, but instead carried long thin staves at least two meters tall.

Lucius yelled something out and waved his hands toward the Death Eaters near the entrance to the tunnel complex. They in turn relayed the message to someone that Harry couldn't see. Harry leaned forward expectantly to see what would happen next before feeling his gut wrench at the sight unfolding before him.

From deep within the hillside came dozens of men and women in tight formation. They appeared motley at first, but Harry immediately understood why because of the banner the leader was carrying. On a midnight black background was the outline of a silver wolf's head superimposed over an unmistakably full moon. Each werewolf was dressed in awkward wolf's head shaped helmets, claw shaped gauntlets, and shiny bronze metallic bands that were clearly designed to accommodate a werewolf's body to protect it from silver weapons or spells.

Harry didn't see any wands or other visible signs of magic. Suddenly it hit him that this must be a nearly entirely muggle based army of werewolves. They could be easily controlled by Voldemort and were no doubt being manipulated into fighting for him once a month. Harry realized the magnitude of the disaster that they had averted when they captured the stockpile of Wolf's Bane potion ingredients at the old base this army had been using. They were much more prepared to face this threat now than they were even a few short weeks ago.

Harry decided that he had seen all there was to see after the demonstration ended and Lucius led the visitors inside. At least the crawl back would be a lot easier since he finally knew where he was going, more or less.

Hermione poked her head out into the loo into the hallway to see if anyone was nearby. She still felt a little queasy after breakfast had disagreed with her, again, but there was nothing to be done about it. Quietly she sneaked down to the main room where she and Harry had set up a makeshift workspace for their experiments. It was early morning but Hermione was still very tired. With Harry gone she had been pulling double out in the field going with the routine patrols and responding to dark creature incursions. Dementors especially were becoming bold in muggle neighborhoods and the Ministry was less inclined to respond to attacks that didn't risk exposing wizard kind to the rest of the world.

Hermione's thin hands darted around the rough wooden surface of the table they had conjured specifically for this project. She found a rack of small vials and selected one of the few that was still full. Fatigue washed away as Hermione drank the restorative potion and just like that she had bought herself another handful of alert hours.

Hermione chewed her lip anxiously while staring at the various metallic bits in front of her. After much consideration and cross checking with notes she tapped two of them with her wand. Actually, on reflection it was Harry's wand but Hermione thrust those thoughts out of her mind. She had been out of contact with Harry ever since he crossed the ward boundary into the Death Eater base. They had no idea what their form of telepathy might set off were they to use it actively.

The two bits of metal sagged into shiny puddles before wiggling about the table and combining into one solid piece. Hermione picked the piece up with a pair of large tweezers and studied it for a while. Maybe it would work this time.

“Avada Kedavra,” Hermione chanted. There was a bright green flash and the newly formed bit of metal shattered into dust.

Hermione scowled at it and scratched some new notes describing this latest attempt. She knew that this was possible because she had seen the metal in action at Malfoy's mansion when it was used as an armored door to protect that mysterious lab. Now Hermione wanted to enhance its properties by combining it with a morphing substance she had developed accidentally during the research into the Sorcerer's Stone.

“Hermione dear, don't you want something to eat?” Sarah Granger asked worriedly. Erwin was right behind her with another tray of breakfast. The Grangers had been taking advantage of Hermione being back at Grimmauld Place for a few days to spend time with their daughter. Sadly, they usually only got to sit and watch her wrestle with some magical or administrative problem.

Hermione brushed her bushy hair out of her face and eyed the platter. “I'm not too hungry right now.”

“Darling, are you feeling all right?” Sarah pressed. “You've been working awfully hard lately and you've not been eating good. Are you ill?”

Hermione grimaced, “I'm fine mum, really.”

Hermione contained a sigh as her parents looked at her sternly for a moment before digging in to their own meal. She hoped that everything at Hogwarts was going fine with both Heads gone. Ron and the other prefects were performing all the mundane Head duties in addition to their own work.

With great care Hermione resumed her work while her parents went about their daily activities. There wasn't much for a couple of muggles to do except read in a magical house. The Dursleys were lurking around somewhere, gravitating between outraged at having to say in a house full of freaks and fear every time someone did even the most mundane magic. Hermione increasingly wondered how such idiotic people could exist.

The morning turned into afternoon, which began to fade into evening without anything happening to break the monotony when everything happened at once. Hermione gripped a tiny pockmarked piece of metal in her hands. It had just withstood three castings of the killing curse in a row. Before the realization of success could settle in though she felt a presence in her mind that had been missing for nearly a week.

“Harry!” she said with a mental equivalent of a shout.

“Hermione,” Harry replied happily, clearly having missed her too. “I'm portkeying in now.”

Hermione jumped up and bounded over to the spot where the portkeys were fixed to appear at. As soon as Harry materialized he found himself nearly bowled over by an oversized hug. The Grangers smiled and greeted Harry when Hermione drug his worn form into the main room.

“My, you have had a tough time of it,” she said. Hermione cast cleaning charms and switched his clothes with comfortable muggle attire.

“Yeah, its pretty bad,” Harry said glumly, the reality of what he had discovered catching back up to him. “Voldemort has an entire army of werewolves just like we feared and it appears that he is finally ready to unleash them during the next full moon.”

“How many?” Hermione asked. She waved her wand and summoned a variety of foods from the kitchen.

“Don't know, it was hard to tell, but there might be hundreds. They were all muggles too,” Harry said. “There were some Asian wizards there too taking some kind of tour or something.”

“Ron said in his last report that Voldemort was reaching out to foreign wizards,” Hermione said worriedly. “Looks like this confirms it.”

“We're quickly going to be out numbered at an impossible ratio if this keeps up,” Harry added. “The twins say that we're reaching the upper limit of how many people we can recruit. A lot of people still look to the Ministry for a solution.”

“Then it's a good thing my idea is a success,” Hermione said, trying to raise Harry's spirits. She flicked her wand and retrieved a small silvery metallic triangle. “Behold my armored arm piece.”

Hermione attached the triangle to her clothing on her chest right where the arm attaches to the shoulder. Tiny strands of metal shot out and clamped down to anchor the triangular piece before it morphed outward to cover the entire arm. From shoulder to hand Hermione's entire left arm was covered in a thick multi-jointed metallic sleeve that still allowed for a full range of movements. It looked somewhat like a picture of a knight's armor, except with more parallel joints running up and down the arm and with extra appendages of metal attached to the forearm.

“It will stop multiple hits from the killing curse and can even expand into a sizeable shield,” Hermione explained. A section of the armor detached from the forearm and unfurled itself like a fan until it formed a large circular shield that would hide the wearer's upper body.

“It's also fitted with modified levitation charms like a trunk so that heavy loads or sharp impacts won't be felt by the wearer. The side effect is a limited form of enhanced strength that should even the odds against creatures that use brute force and melee attacks like werewolves.” Hermione said.

“We should get to work on making as many of these as possible,” Harry said enthusiastically.

“It's simple now that I've discovered the proper mixture of metals,” Hermione replied. “See, I told you alchemy was good for more than just the Sorcerer's Stone.”

“I never doubted you,” Harry grinned. He finished eating as hurriedly as possible while Hermione created two more of the armor sets and gave them to her parents. She was thinking about making them entire suits out of the material since they didn't use magic. An unfortunate side effect of a metal that could stop the killing curse is that it interfered with many other spells too. Any mage wearing more than just an arm piece would find their ability to perform magic severely hampered.

“Now that you're back we've got another possible base to check out, but this time we should both go,” Hermione said. “The twins think it may be abandoned, in which case I should be there to inspect it too.”

Erwin glanced at his wife before talking. “Are you sure Hermione? I mean, Harry just got back and you've been feeling ill now for a while, maybe you two should get some rest.”

“Are you okay Hermione?” Harry asked worriedly, not bothering to wait for her answer to her father. Now that he mentioned it Hermione did seem to be rather pale looking.

“I'm fine Harry,” Hermione replied tartly. She was getting annoyed at everyone inquiring about her health every little bit. “I've just been out in the field a lot too you know. For that matter you're not looking overly hale and hearty yourself.”

“I'm sorry, I just worry,” Harry said, eyeing her closely. “I've got something that might help for the field business though. Let me go get something I found for us last time I went to Diagon Alley.”

A few minutes later Harry returned with the still wrapped goblin wrought flasks and presented one of them to Hermione. She turned it over in her hands to admire its seamless construction.

“You can store up to five separate liquids in it,” Harry explained, showing her how to access each different compartment. “It also holds more than its outward appearance would indicate and it even preserves the exact temperature of whatever is placed inside it.”

“Wow Harry, this is amazing, it must have cost a load of gold,” Hermione said.

“Nah, not really, I figured something this useful was well worth the price. We can store food in it without having to worry about it spoiling. Maybe some of the less stable potions too.” Harry said. It would definitely be an improvement over their hats when it came to perishable foods.

“We'll ask Molly to whip us up some good soups later,” Hermione said. She summoned two more of her metallic armors and handed one to Harry. Even though the armor appeared to be rather loose fitting on his arm it in fact was quite snug. “First we need to go check out the twin's information and give this armor a good testing.”

“Then let's go now before it gets too dark,” Harry replied. The Grangers watched them disappear behind their invisibility charms before apparating away silently.

Almost instantly they reappeared at the location that the twins had provided. Harry had quit asking how they came up with all their intelligence sources. He knew most of what they found out was a mix of bribing the right people, investigations of the right people, or sheer luck. However, this time it was due to interrogation of prisoners from their attacks that led them to this place. Harry suspected that this site had been abandoned for that very reason and was wary of a trap even though the anti-wizard wards to prevent apparation or to detect magic use had been taken down.

“I think they were right about it being abandoned,” Hermione said.

“It could still be a trap though,” Harry replied. Wand out, Harry cautiously lowered his invisibility charm. He swept the area around him with the pale yellow light of the jinx detection spell, but didn't see anything dangerous.

“I don't think so Harry, but just in case I'm going to set up anti-apparation and portkey dispersion wards.” Hermione said. Harry stood guard while she worked to ensure that no one else could pop up on them suddenly.

As was the common theme for all Death Eater hideouts the base was set into a tunnel complex that snaked through an entire hillside. Harry noticed that the area around the entrance was heavily disturbed and several trees nearby had been taken down for some reason that he couldn't imagine.

“All right Harry, I'm done, lets take a look inside,” Hermione said. Hermione reactivated her armor as she took the lead into the scary looking tunnel. Harry just knew there would be some kind of annoying magical critter floating about to gnaw on his ankles or something. These kinds of places always attracted magical pests.

The tunnels were magically enlarged and branched off into at least three distinct levels. Unfortunately the tunnels were mostly empty of anything that would be helpful in determining what had been taking place when they were in use.

“It looks like something heavy was sitting here,” Harry pointed. A rectangular indention in the ground attested to something having been sitting against the wall for some time.

“Looks like crates or maybe a platform. They could have had virtually anything there.” Hermione noted.

The tunnels became more like caves the deeper they went. Large cavernous rock walled chambers interconnected by rather spacious connections. Some of the walls looked scarred too, like something had scraped across them.

“Harry, look at this,” Hermione said as she pointed to a deep gouge on the far side of one of the biggest openings. Rivets of once molten rock had hardened as it ran down the wall from the gash. “This wall has been melted here.”

“Do you think the Death Eaters have dragons now?” Harry asked worriedly. He didn't know exactly what good dragons would do them, but if they wanted to use the beasts then Harry was worried.

“I don't know, maybe. We should get Charlie to take a look at this, he might spot something we've missed since dragons are his specialty.” Hermione replied thoughtfully.

Hermione just nodded and continued to wander around. Harry knew she had some kind of method to her examination of the abandoned base but he didn't waste his time trying to figure it out.

“We should probably be leaving,” Harry said finally. “We can send a team back to take another look around if you want to, but don't we have more important things to see to. The full moon will be up before much longer now.”

“Yeah, you're right Harry,” Hermione said. They had to create enough armors to equip all their followers so that they'd have something with which to defend themselves should a werewolf get within melee range.

Hermione suddenly felt her knees buckle. She staggered into Harry right as they were preparing to portkey back to Grimmauld Place.

“Oi, are you all right Hermione?” Harry asked, his voice laced with concern, after he had steadied her properly. “Your parents said you weren't feeling well, maybe you should rest. From what you've told me I should be able to make more arm pieces now that you've perfected the alchemy requirements.”

Hermione didn't reply, instead she activated her portkey. Harry hurriedly followed and after the usual hair raising ride found himself back at Grimmauld Place.

“Really Harry, I just tripped, its no big deal,” Hermione said. Inwardly she was cringing though. The potion was far harder on her physiology than she had anticipated.

“You're getting some sleep,” Harry said firmly when Hermione started to head toward the main room.

Hermione started to sputter, but wilted upon seeing Harry's determined expression. “All right Harry,” she said with a sigh, “We could both use some rest. I suppose we've got enough time before the next full moon.”

“Kreacher?” Harry called out softly. The little elf appeared as prompt as ever. It looked admiringly at Hermione, as if waiting for her to command him instead of Harry.

“Kreacher,” Harry repeated. The elf finally looked to its master. “Are there any empty rooms?”

“Kreacher is keeping Master's room empty now that there are not so many,” Kreacher replied eagerly.

“Thank you Kreacher, is there anything to report on the condition of the house?” Harry inquired.

“No Master. Master's guests are behaving themselves nicely now, even the loathsome round faced muggles.” Kreacher said.

“Very well, carry on Kreacher,” Harry said, dismissing him. Harry insisted that he escort Hermione up to his room and she didn't protest.

“Thanks for looking out for me Harry,” she said, kissing him lightly on the lips while they stood in the doorway to the bedroom.

“You always did work too hard, remember third year?” Harry said, grinning.

“How could I forget? My back still reminds me,” Hermione joked, mimicking herself carrying an oversized load of books.

Harry sagged wearily, his own fatigue catching up with him, as he made his way back down the stairs to the main room. He had originally harbored some scheme of working on the armor without Hermione's help, but his body decided falling asleep was a better idea.

“Harry,” a voice called out to him. Someone was shaking him.

“Harry, you silly, I thought you were going to go to sleep too,” Hermione said exasperatedly.

“Uh-nuh,” Harry grumbled. “I did go to sleep, I just didn't make it all the way to a bed before it happened.”

“Well, seeing as how you didn't get any work done I suppose. But if you try to send me off so you can do my work for me again I'll have to hurt you.” Hermione teased.

“I'm glad to see that getting some rest agreed with you so,” Harry muttered, still groggy. He was not a morning person. Hermione sat down next to him and began working on one of the armor pieces, adding the enchantments that would allow it to function properly.

“I wasn't that bad off,” Hermione said, avoiding his gaze for a moment and…tittering. “These last few days have just been stressful what with you completely out of contact. I don't fancy having to go through that again.”

“What about me, I was deprived of my intelligence, you were just relieved of some quiddich statistics and leftover Voldemort induced nightmares,” Harry said.

“Posh, I won't believe that, not after how you modified the elemental lightening spell,” Hermione said. She was of course referring to the black lightening that acted to remove energy instead of adding energy to the target. Harry felt himself warm at her compliment, especially since he couldn't explain how he had done it. When Hermione came up with something new, like her killing curse resistant metal, it was the result of research and analysis. When Harry came up with something new it was usually an instinct. Basically, Hermione was an engineer, while Harry was an artist.

“So who are we handing these out to first?” Harry asked. He held up one of the finished armors and inspected it in the bright rays of light filtering into the room from outside.

“I've already send messages out to Neville and his team. They're likely to be on the front lines of any attack so they need as long as possible to become familiar with these. After that we should probably hand them out to our most capable fighters, so in other words the old Order.” Hermione said. She flipped another finished piece of armor into a little sack that she had conjured to hold them.

“I'm going to go take a bath and get something to eat, how about you?” Harry asked as he stood up and stretched.

“I'm fine, I took care of that before I woke you up,” Hermione said dismissively.

Harry nodded and headed out of the main room toward the stairs. He noticed how well Kreacher was taking care of the house and marveled that even Mrs. Black was being unusually silent. Either the curtain covering her painting was made of some sound proof material or else the little elf had somehow coaxed his former mistress' picture to behave itself. Considering how obnoxious it had been during fifth year that was no small feat.

The warm shower felt good after having missed one for nearly a week. Harry wasn't used to an opulent lifestyle by any stretch of the imagination after being under the Dursley's roof for so many years, but one still appreciates the small conveniences much more when one goes without them even for a little while. Breakfast was much the same, warm food being far superior to dried leftover things stuffed hastily in a hat.

“Harry are you about ready to go?” Hermione called from the kitchen doorway.

“Yeah, ready when you are,” Harry mumbled back hurriedly. He stuffed his buttered toast into his mouth and grabbed his cloak off the back of the chair he had dropped it on. With his cloak twisted around his own bracelet portkey Harry used his free hand to grab Hermione's and piggybacked along her ride.

“Lazy,” Hermione said, smirking the instant they landed in the Gryffindor common room.

“I can't help it, my hands were full,” Harry protested. He struggled to put on his cloak and scamper after Hermione's normal brisk pace at the same time.

“We'll probably have to wait a while, everyone should be in class right now and most of Neville's team won't arrive until the midday break.” Hermione said. She wasn't entirely correct though; they found Luna sitting in the Light Bearer situation room, as it had been dubbed, reading the Quibbler upside down. Her arm was still wrapped up, but it was no longer in a sling.

“Hi Luna,” Harry said cheerfully. “We figured you'd be in class.”

“Ravenclaw doesn't have anything right now,” Luna replied in her soft detached tones.

“Well, nothing to do but wait then,” Harry said. He sat down at the table next to Hermione, who had already taken a seat and started to read one of the many papers that was scattered about.

“Take a look at this Harry,” Hermione said quietly.

“Why do you torture us by reading the Daily Prophet?” Harry asked. The headline was not from the Ministry run Prophet though, but from the Diagon Daily.

Potter's Race Wars

In a new round of bloody escalation Harry Potter, also known as the Boy Who Lived and the Chosen One, has begun attacking prominent wizarding families, many of which he has had personal conflicts with in the past. While the Minister of Magic has refused to comment, unnamed Ministry sources have indicated that this may be a part of some personal vendetta on Potter's part. The same sources stated that Ministry aurors tried to intervene but were unable to deter or capture Potter and his accomplice Hermione Granger. Granger, a formidable witch in her own right, is part of a militant elf rights group, which she founded, and is a known associate of giants, and werewolves, in addition to being muggle born…

“Well, its good to know that I'm not the only deranged wacko out there,” Harry joked. He knew that purebloods, possibly Voldemort supporters, had written the article, but it still stung.

“Daddy was furious,” Luna said dreamily. Harry noticed that her eyes were unusually sharp and focused though when she looked out over the top of her Quibbler. “He told me to tell you that he's not going to hold back anymore.”

“He doesn't need to do that,” Harry said quickly. “What happens if Voldemort targets him?”

“I gave him a portkey and he's had lots of practice evading assassins over the years from all the things he's reveled, like Fudge's fire monster army,” Luna replied calmly. Hermione twitched slightly, but decided to change track. After all, they needed the good press and it was doubtful that the eccentric editor of the Quibbler would back off of something that he really wanted to do.

“Since you're already injured we thought it best if you were give on of these first,” Hermione said. She took one of the little metallic triangles out of the carrying sack and pushed it across the table to Luna. After Hermione explained how it worked Luna attached it to her school blouse and activated it. Harry thought that she looked rather comical in her Hogwarts uniform sporting shiny silver colored armor down her left arm, but Luna really liked it.

“This is so nice, and fashionable, when it isn't in use it makes a little lapel pin,” Luna cooed. “You've always had such good taste Hermione, I bet you designed this.”

“Er, yeah, thanks,” Hermione replied. She was unsure whether or not to be insulted that a girl who wore radish ear rings and bottle caps approved of her fashion sense.

“How was class Ronald?” Luna gushed suddenly as the red headed teen entered the room along with his sister and Neville. Hermione looked relieved, like she always did after dodging an extended chat with Luna. It wasn't that Hermione disliked Luna, but their personalities were so different that Hermione hardly even found common ground with the blonde.

“It was boring and long,” Ron said cheekily. He dropped into a seat next to Luna and gave her a light kiss on the lips. Harry nearly fell out of his seat. He knew that Ron and Luna had been getting close, but it was still surprising to see shy, socially awkward Ron kiss Loony Luna. This, the same Ron that had to have Harry of all people get him a date to the ball in fourth year.

“Look at what Hermione gave me,” Luna said proudly, pointing at the little silver triangle on her upper chest. It extended out into its full form when she tapped it.

“Woah, bloody awesome, what is it?” Ron asked.

“It's basically our solution to the werewolf problem. If one gets too close you can fend it off without getting bitten,” Harry said.

“Also, it can unfurl into a shield that will give some limited protection against the killing curse,” Hermione added. “Provided you don't get hit too many times.”

“We're going to be demonstrating them as soon as Neville's team arrives,” Harry said. Hermione passed out the little metal triangles to Ginny, Neville, and Ron. They immediately put them on and started trying them out excitedly.

“I told Raver Harp to send me a message when they're ready,” Neville said. He had returned his armor back to its original lapel pin form. “He's got the day off from the Ministry.”

“Has he had any insights into the Ministry's latest round of activities?” Harry asked, referring to the Prophet's allegations and the auror attempt to impede their attack on the pureblood power base.

“No, not really, he still a junior auror, like Tonks, and they're not privy to nearly as much information beyond their own immediate assignments,” Neville reminded him.

“So are you two going to be back at Hogwarts for a while now?” Ron asked.

“I suppose,” Harry said slowly. “We've got to make a lot more sets of armor before the next full moon. We might as well do the work here as at Grimmauld Place.”

“What Ron is asking is will you be resuming your Head duties so he can have more snogging time with Luna,” Ginny needled her brother.

“Yes, that's it exactly,” Luna said promptly. Everyone nearly burst out laughing except for Luna, who had been serious, and Ron, who had turned an inhuman shade of red.

“We'll see what we can do Ron,” Hermione giggled.

“Maybe we should get down the dungeon and wait for them,” Ron said hurriedly. With much prompting on his part they all spilled out of the situation room into the halls. Since most students were in class they didn't meet anyone along the way except for Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris.

“Oi, I was just about to send you guys a heads up,” Raver said. The auror immediately struck Harry as a brash, loudly dressed young man, but in a different vein than Tonks. Whereas Tonks' personality was normal, Raver's attitude was as off color as Tonks' hair.

“Everyone is here then?” Neville asked.

“Everyone that can show.” Raver replied.

“All right, but you're going to have to demonstrate the new equipment to everyone who isn't attending, I can't get out of Hogwarts right now,” Neville said.

Everyone gathered around at the mention of new equipment and Hermione quickly passed out armor to everyone. It only took a moment to show them where to affix it and how it activated.

“That's the easy part,” Hermione said once everyone was familiarized with the armor's basic function. “Like you, we've never used this before in actual combat so for now all its uses are merely based on logical extrapolation. Unlike you I built this, so I know exactly what it will do. Harry and I will demonstrate the range of abilities that the armor grants its wearer so that you will know too. Any uses beyond the ones that we discuss here today that you might improvise should be shared with us so that everyone can be kept informed. Don't be afraid to think outside the box and if you have any ideas don't hesitate to tell us.”

While Hermione was busy with her introduction speech Harry was busy conjuring up some large granite blocks of varying weight. He also took a slab of the metal that made up the armor and set it atop a pedestal so they could safely demonstrate its effectiveness.

“All right Harry, why don't you show them what it can do,” Hermione said once she had finished talking.

Harry started out by hitting the stone blocks a few times. It was rather impressive actually how the armor could dig big gouges out the blocks without sustaining any damage to itself. Next he tried lifting one of the blocks to demonstrate the effectiveness of the levitation charms but found it to be pretty difficult to balance the cumbersome object with only one hand.

“That's basically it as far as its operation is concerned,” Harry concluded after furling and unfurling the shield a few times. “Now lets see how it stands up to the killing curse. I think you'll all be surprised, I know I was.”

Hermione waited until Harry was safely back by her side, well away from the target. She took careful aim and sent three killing curses at the same spot on the armor. The first two vaporized surprisingly small chunks of metal and the third broke a small hold in the bottom of the crater that had been melted out.

“As you can see, three shots in the same place will almost always open up an exposure where a fourth shot could get through,” Hermione said. “Now obviously you'll want to keep from getting hit in the exact same spot so you can stretch out the armors effectiveness as long as possible.”

“I'd recommend not getting hit at all if you can keep from it,” Harry interjected cheekily.

“You'll also want to make sure that you keep track of the status of your armor so you can replace it when its effectiveness is degraded too much,” Hermione continued. “While the main purpose of the armor, when it was originally conceived of, was to give everyone an easy defense against the killing curse a recent discovery has added to this devices' uses. From Harry's demonstration I'm sure everyone can see how well the armor can be used against melee opponents.”

“We're only days away from what could be our biggest and most decisive battle,” Harry said. Hermione gave him a mental nudge to do some heroic rally the troops, but she'd have to settle for him laying out the facts. He couldn't inspire his way out of a paper sack. “This armor is a last ditch defense against werewolves. It should protect you from their claws and teeth as well as allow you to match their enhanced strength, at least in one arm.”

Hermione picked up again. “That's why you, our best team of fighters, have been given these first. We're counting on you to train others with what you learn here today while Harry and I devote our time to creating a sufficient supply of the armor. Now, Harry has set up plenty of targets, everyone get out there and get a feel for the armor.”

Harry and Hermione leaned back against the smooth cool stone surface of the dungeon wall so they could watch all the activity. Hermione hadn't exaggerated about Neville and his team being their best fighters. They all took to the armor and were soon using it just as easily as Harry or Hermione could, not that it was terribly difficult to operate.

“Oi, Raver, don't do that,” Harry yelled, pushing off the wall to run over to the flamboyant auror. He had taken out his wand with his armor covered hand and was somehow managing to shoot curses with it. While such a feat demonstrated the remarkable magical skill one would expect of a trained auror it was also quite dangerous.

“What's wrong Harry?” Raver asked.

“Hermione said to never use a wand while you're wearing the armor. It can blow your arm off,” Harry explained.

“Eww, why would it do that?” Raver said, disappointed.

“Er, well, I didn't really understand it myself, I didn't make the metal, Hermione did that,” Harry said. “The way she explained it to me was that basically the metal resists the killing curse in part by absorbing and dispersing energy. She said it was like a muggle super conductor.”

“Conductor?” Raver said, puzzled, “like a train conductor?”

“Ah, no,” Harry said, searching for a better explanation. “Basically the metal is super dense and can store a lot of magical energy if it builds up slowly. So when you use your wand the power that the armor bleeds off your spells is stored as energy until it overloads and explodes.”

“So that's why my spells were acting so weak, the armor was absorbing some of the power from them,” Raver said, finally getting it. “So does it interfere with other magical devices then, like sneakoscopes?”

“That's a good question, hold on a sec.” Harry said, before shouting out to Hermione. “Can you come here a second, we've got a question.”

“Sure Harry,” Hermione said. Harry noticed with concern that she was suddenly looking rather pale again.

Terror wrapped icy fingers around Harry's heart as Hermione swayed in place after taking only a few steps. He started to move toward her, but before he could reach her she fell forward onto her knees and vomited up a large amount of thick black bile.

“Hermione!” Harry yelled, breaking into a run. He reached her side and tried to help her up, but she was only interested in getting something from her hat. Harry saw it was a large golden goblet filled with a green substance. Hermione didn't have the strength to drink it though, or no longer wanted to, because she let it fall to the floor.

“Wrong…it shouldn't be wrong,” Hermione mumbled weakly.

“Ron, go get Snape,” Harry said urgently as everyone crowded around. He effortlessly scooped up Hermione into his arms and used an acceleration charm to zip away toward the hospital wing.

“Luna, follow them,” Ron said. “Everyone else stay here. No one leaves until we figure out what just happened.”

Ron and Luna both accelerated away leaving a shocked group in silence. Everyone looked around at each other hoping that someone would have an explanation.

“Did the armor do that?” Raver asked dumbly, still looking at the mess in the floor. “Should we take it off?”

“Poppy!” Harry yelled. He gestured violently with his wand and the doors to the hospital wing flung themselves open. “Poppy, help!”

“Good heavens Potter, what's happened this time?” Madam Pomfrey asked hurriedly as she bustled out of her side office. “What's wrong with her.”

“I don't know, she was fine, then she fell over and threw up some nasty black looking stuff,” Harry babbled uncontrollably. With Poppy's help he got Hermione onto a bed.

“Did you bring a sample of it?” Poppy asked.

“No, I'll go get some-“ Harry said, but was cut off.

“Don't worry Harry, I'll do it,” Luna called from the doorway where she had just appeared. A flick of her wand sent her accelerating back in the opposite direction.

“Hold her down Potter,” Poppy said. Thin tendrils of smoke were emanating from Hermione's mouth and she seemed to be in pain. “I need to get this potion into her.”

“My, my, what have you an the illustrious Miss Granger gotten yourselves into this time and why would it possibly require my presence?” Snape's drab monotone asked mockingly. Ron glowered at him, but said nothing. Harry could barely hear Snape's taunts as he clutched Hermione's hand and stroked her cheek.

After what seemed like an eternity Hermione stirred and opened her eyes. “What happened?” she asked mistily.

“I was kind of hoping that you could tell me,” Harry said softly. “You started throwing up and then passed out.”

“Oh Harry, I think I made a mistake-“ Hermione began, but stopped when Luna reappeared carrying a small vile.

Poppy took the sample and started running some kind of medical revelation enchantments over it to determine its makeup. When she was finished she turned away with a frown.

“Professor, could you take a look at this please,” Poppy said. She sent a messenger charm flitting away. “I think the Headmaster should look at this too, if that's all right with you Hermione.”

Hermione nodded and let her head sink further back into her pillow, too overcome with exhaustion to continue. Snape meanwhile was looking over Poppy's shoulder at the sample, nodding occasionally as she pointed out one thing or another she thought to be of importance.

Snape's head rotated sharply at the sound of swishing robes. “Headmaster, so good of you to come. It would seem that Miss Granger has gotten herself in quite a dilemma. This is a very unusual potion remnant, but from what I can tell it must be some kind of shaping potion.”

Dumbledore frowned. “That is most disturbing indeed.”

“I needed to,” Hermione said sullenly, having caught her breath. “It isn't easy fighting an avatar. I could never have killed Tram without it. I'm sorry Harry, I know you depend on me to hold my own. I couldn't have you worrying about me in the middle of a fight. You've gotten so much stronger than I have. I was afraid I couldn't keep up anymore.”

Harry shushed her with a tender embrace. “I trust you, I know you're only doing what you think needs to be done, but please, don't ever think you can't keep up with me. You can do things that I can't even comprehend, like alchemy, and have you forgotten our duel? Our strengths are different, that's all.”

“As touching as all this sentimentality is,” Snape said sardonically, interrupting Hermione's reply. “Shaping is not something that a child, even an insufferable know it all wonder child like Granger here, can go out and do at a whim.”

“It wasn't like that,” Hermione retorted weakly. “I didn't make the potion myself, we discovered it during our attack on Malfoy's estate.”

Hermione's self defense broke off with another fit of coughing. Poppy wove a series of spells over her and took on an alarming expression.

“Where are these plans at?” Snape growled eagerly. “I must see them, they could explain many things.”

“Severus, show some respect,” Poppy snapped.

“I think she's dying,” Harry said hysterically. He felt Hermione sink back into unconsciousness via their link shutting down. Poppy didn't reply, but Dumbledore broke in.

“We're all dying Harry, some of us faster than others, but Miss Granger still has plenty of time left. She just needs a little help,” Dumbledore said serenely.

The ancient wizard held out his arm and an instant later Fawkes appeared in a burst of flaming feathers. Gently Dumbledore leaned forward so that the bird could reach her mouth. Giant tears spilled out of Fawkes' eyes and down to Hermione's lips causing more steam to erupt as the magical liquid performed its almost miraculous healing.

Luna and Ron were holding hands, Luna's head resting on Ron's shoulder, feeling somewhat like intruders. Even Ron realized that as deep as his friendship was with Harry, he had at last been eclipsed by the bushy hair girl that he had grudgingly followed Harry to rescue from a troll so many years ago. He supposed in retrospect that it had happened some time ago, probably in fifth year, but it had never been more apparent to him than right now.

Then again, Ron thought to himself as he looked down on Luna, Harry probably wasn't his first priority anymore either. Luna looked up at him with her big-eyed expression and smiled widely as if she could sense what he was thinking.

Hermione's eyes blinked rapidly before coming wide open again. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he took in her gentle features, though they were laced with weariness.

“So where are these plans you found for the potion,” Snape asked with a bored tone. “If we want to make sure there is no lasting damage I need to see the original potion so it can be compared with Granger's alterations.”

“Back at Grimmauld Place,” Hermione said.

“I'll go get them,” Harry said quickly. He gave Hermione a quick kiss before vanishing away via portkey. Thankfully, no one was around to ask awkward questions. Harry knew Hermione wouldn't want everyone to know about something like this.

The potion lab down in the dungeon was as overcrowded with ingredients and equipment as ever. Even with Hermione helping him through their link it took Harry several minutes to find her hiding spot and retrieve the papers.

A few moments later Harry was standing back in the hospital wing at Hogwarts after portkeying back to the Gryffindor tower and then using an acceleration charm. He tapped his foot anxiously as Snape's long nose sifted through the various diagrams and notations in the file.

“Well,” Snape said grudgingly, “Granger wasn't quite as foolish as thought. This is a power enhancing potion that must be very similar to the one the Dark Lord used during his rise to power.”

“Voldemort did something like this?” Harry asked. He had known that Voldemort had performed dark experiments on himself, but he hadn't really considered the full implications of such activities.

“Voldemort has done things that no other wizard has ever done before. The potion that Professor Snape is holding was probably an original invention of his,” Dumbledore said.

“I find that highly unlikely,” Snape replied. “Voldemort would only be interested in enhancing his own powers and as Granger is now painfully aware this potion isn't compatible with a witch or wizard.”

“Wait a minute,” Hermione said, finding herself in the rare position of being confused, “I know that the potion is designed to increase a person's natural magical powers. I only altered it to try to undo some of the negative side effects.”

“Let's be specific shall we,” Snape sneered, “You didn't want the cursed half life from the unicorn's blood. Pity that nothing else has sufficient power to catalyze the effects, not even dragon's blood. How did you get that by the way, the ministry has designated it as a controlled substance.”

“Fine,” Hermione said coolly, ignoring his question, “I didn't want a cursed half life, who does?”

“That isn't the point, you can't gain power without sacrifice,” Snape said.

“I thought Voldemort wanted immortality though,” Harry said. “Why would he do anything to destroy his physical form or decrease the natural span of his life.”

“Voldemort planned on attaining immortality by seizing it with his strength,” Dumbledore said softly. “Long before your first year at Hogwarts, Voldemort had laid plans to steal the only thing that could grant his deepest desire…the Sorcerer's Stone. Unfortunately the Stone was guarded by some of the most powerful wizards in the world, including myself, and was also under strict Ministry regulation. His desperate rise to power, the alterations to his body, the first war against the Ministry, everything was done to become strong enough to seize the Stone.”

“So that's why you didn't want the stone resurrected,” Harry whispered. “You're afraid that its existence will create another Voldemort.”

Dumbledore nodded, but Hermione objected heatedly. “That's preposterous,” she said, “Besides, it's been done before, it can be done again whether we create one or not. Voldemort may even be trying to create another one for himself right now.”

“Very few wizards have the knowledge needed to make one. Far more could develop the power to seize one though,” Dumbledore said.

“Hermione's right,” Harry said roughly. “We can't live our lives based on what someone else might or might not do. The Sorcerer's Stone can help a lot of people if used properly.”

Hermione smiled gratefully before continuing. “Now I want an answer to my earlier question. If this potion isn't supposed to increase a mage's magical power then who or what is it made for?”

“Muggles of course,” Snape replied. “Though I wouldn't expect that to be obvious to someone other than a master of potions like myself.”

“Muggles, but how…why…?” Hermione sputtered. Harry too looked dumbfounded. Ron was typically clueless, but the usually placid Luna was wider-eyed than normal.

“All living things have some tiny bit of magic,” Dumbledore explained. “Surely you've all heard of muggles living through terrible accidents that should have killed them, or perhaps performing incredible physical feats under emotional duress. That kind of thing happens when they accidentally tap into their limited connection to magic.”

“I thought muggles didn't have any magic at all,” Harry said.

“Well, for our intents and purposes they don't, but magic is a part of this world just like all other elements. Even though your body is mainly made up of specific materials it doesn't mean that you don't also have trace amounts of all other materials.” Dumbledore said.

“Why would Voldemort want to increase muggles' latent magic?” Harry asked. He had a creeping suspicion that this was another situation where something far more sinister was going on than it appeared on the surface.

“Voldemort wouldn't,” Snape said. “But there is one person in the Dark Lord's service who would. Some time ago, before the Dark Lord's setback, he enlisted the aid of an eccentric master of potions and shaping named Vance Vitter. Vitter is the kind of man who pursues knowledge for the sake of it and if experimenting on muggles would further his latest research then undoubtedly he would do so.”

“So Vitter is a Death Eater?” Harry said. He glanced at Hermione, but she seemed to be concentrating on something else. The way she was chewing her lip Harry decided it must be important.

“I did not say he was a Death Eater, I said he worked for the Dark Lord.” Snape hissed. Snape seemed to be continually angry with Harry, especially when he had the misfortune of interrupting him. “Vitter used to be an Unspeakable with the Ministry but his research got too, distasteful, and his grant was terminated. Vitter creates the potions that the Dark Lord needs and in exchange he is given funding to continue his work.”

Hermione's head snapped up, her eyes gleaming like they did when she solved a problem. “Wait a minute, you said earlier that all of Voldemort's actions were originally intended to gain for him the Sorcerer's Stone. That he didn't care if he had a cursed half-life so long as he could gain immortality. Tell me, if someone were under the influence of the Elixir of Life would they survive avada kedavra?”

“No,” Dumbledore said shortly, “Of course not, nothing can survive the killing curse.”

“Wrong,” Hermione said tartly, “Two people have survived it, Harry and Voldemort.”

Dumbledore said nothing, but instead tugged his beard thoughtfully.

“I suppose Potter did, but that was a special circumstance, one that isn't entirely understood,” Snape said, distaste obvious in his voice. “The killing curse strips your soul from your body. There is no stopping it.”

“The way that the killing curse works is not entirely understood,” Dumbledore reproved gently.

“However it seems possible that it has to break through one's natural magical power before stripping your life away,” Hermione said. “Not only that, but apparently even if your body is stripped away you can still be alive. Returning from death is impossible, whatever Voldemort was reduced to, death was not it.”

“Ah, I see,” Dumbledore said. “If indeed raw power can foil the killing curse then Lily's sacrifice imbued Harry with enough magical energy to deflect the curse while Voldemort's own dark experiments had made him strong enough to resist death as well.”

“So I could still stop a killing curse then?” Harry asked eagerly.

“No,” Hermione nearly shouted. “Not anymore. What your mother did for you was based on her own powers added to yours if my theory is correct. Without her still being alive her powers would have faded long ago though.”

“Miss Granger is unusually perceptive, as usual,” Dumbledore said. “However, this leaves us with the inescapable conclusion that Voldemort, who is now even stronger than he was before his first defeat, may be completely immune to death by any means except aging.”

“Then the Sorcerer's Stone would grant him the immortality that his invincibility is missing,” Hermione said. “We should stop working on it immediately, at least until he is defeated.”

“Yes, if we are correct about this.” Dumbledore said, his eyes glinting in victory, “But for now I think you need your rest Miss Granger.”

One by one everyone except Madam Pomfrey, who lived in the hospital wing, and Harry, filed out of the room. Harry sat holding Hermione's hand until she fell asleep before crawling into one of the empty beds nearby. As unsettled as he was about the idea that Voldemort could already be invincible he was more than anything just glad that Hermione was going to be all right.

-->

Chapter 9 - Tenuous Ties

Erwin Granger idly poked at one of the miniature figures before him as he concentrated on his next move.

“Ouch, bugger,” he swore. His wife, Sarah, raised a curious eyebrow at him. She was reading another book about things neither of them could understand.

“The knight stabbed me,” Erwin said defensively.

“When are you going to give up hon?” Sarah asked. “You've not won a single game yet.”

“I refuse to lose to artificial intelligence,” Erwin replied. The little chess pieces shook their fists or rocked back and forth indignantly at that remark.

“How can you stand to be around that unnatural nightmarishly freakish thing,” Vernon Dursley said grouchily.

“Are you still going on about that?” Erwin asked, genuinely surprised. “It's been weeks now, I should think you'd have gotten used to it.”

“We'll never get used to it,” Petunia snapped. “We've known about this since my sister got her nasty little letter all those years ago.”

“It's really quite fascinating to me,” Sarah said gently. “We've been given a rare chance to have a more complete understanding of the world.”

“Dudley, don't put your hand in there,” Petunia snapped. Dudley had discovered a long silver box and was probing it; probably thinking it was a cookie jar or something. His mother's warning reminded him that magical items sometimes bit back and so he quickly withdrew his chubby fist.

“Unnaturalness,” Vernon repeated distractedly, as if it were an incantation to protect himself from magic.

“I fail to see what's so unnatural about it,” Erwin said. “I mean, is it really any more unnatural than muggle technology?”

“Got to be bloody kidding me,” Vernon said in a choppy tone. “Things popping out of no where, doesn't obey laws of science or nature.”

“Actually, magic clearly obeys some kind of laws or else they couldn't teach it,” Sarah said.

“Right, and besides, how is something unnatural if it happens in nature. All the magical creatures and what not have existed along side what we know of as normal creatures for all this time. Think of it like bacteria. Microorganisms are only a recent discovery yet they've always been here.” Erwin said.

Vernon was clearly not convinced and was working himself into a lovely shade of purple. However, before he could retort a loud painful moan drifted in from the main hall. The Dursley's clamored away from the door in fear whilst the Grangers bolted into the hallway to see what was going on.

“Oh!” Sarah shrieked when she saw the bloody mess in the floor. Tonks, complete with bubble gum colored hair, was clutching her hip and moaning. The whole of her left leg and hip was either cut open to the bone or just soaked in blood, thus making it impossible to tell for certain just how badly she was injured.

Erwin rushed toward her, but she flung up an arm to stop him. “Don't come near me,” Tonks hissed, “I'm dangerous.”

Erwin stopped short, unsure of what to do. “Get Hermione,” Tonks said, teeth gritted with pain, “I know you've got that mirror thing, get Harry and Hermione.”

Harry paced nervously back and forth down the length of the room that the Light Bearers had taken over as their Hogwarts headquarters. Hermione kept looking at him furtively from time to time whilst trying to concentrate on the stack of books she had managed to find on shaping.

Shaping was basically where potions met transfiguration. Using a potion to alter one's physical makeup wasn't all that novel really, but when the changes became permanent the magic involved got exceedingly complicated. Even the brightest witch of her age needed to concentrate.

“Harry,” Hermione said impatiently. Harry skidded to a stop.

“Do you need some more hot chocolate?” he asked eagerly.

“No, I need to concentrate,” Hermione replied. “You do too, you're supposed to be helping me research how that potion went wrong.”

“I can't concentrate either right now,” Harry said. “I just know something bad is going to happen. The moon has been out for three hours now; Voldemort isn't going to wait any longer to use his werewolves. Besides, you're using the book I need next.”

Hermione sighed and closed the book. “You've been so good to me Harry and you never even asked me why.”

“Why what?” Harry said. He sat down next to Hermione and wrapped an arm around her slight frame.

“Why I started taking that potion without even telling you,” Hermione whispered.

“Don't be silly,” Harry replied. “People go on about trusting each other, but then they demand that they be kept informed of every slight detail of their partner's life. Trust is like faith, its belief in and reliance on someone without proof. I trust you Hermione and that means that you don't have to give me a running account of everything you do. If you think that I don't need to know something then I trust you to make that decision because I know you'd never keep something from me without cause.”

“Harry-“ Hermione said, voice thick with emotion. Harry just squeezed her a little more tightly in response.

“Don't worry about it.” Harry said reassuringly. “All that matters is that you're well now.”

“I'm being silly,” Hermione said. She sat back up and wiped the corner of her eyes before grinning at him.

“I'm still worried though,” Harry said, remembering the situation, “Maybe I should go check on the stationed forces.”

“Harry, we've already gone over why that's a bad idea,” Hermione said seriously. “What happens if we get separated or ambushed or something. We need to be here so that we can go together in full force to where ever Voldemort decides to attack, if he decides to attack.”

“Oh, he'll attack-“ Harry began, but was cut off by a high-pitched voice emanating from Hermione's robes.

“Mum?” Hermione said, startled. She fumbled through her robes and pulled out the two-way mirror that Harry had given her. “What is it?”

“Hermione dear, you and Harry need to come back to Grimmauld Place right away. Your friend Tonks has been badly hurt, she's asking for both of you quite urgently,” Sarah stammered out hastily.

“Right, we're coming,” Hermione said. She extended her left arm, exposing the portkey bracelet, which Harry grabbed as it activated. After a whirl of color they found themselves deposited in the main hall just a few feet away from Hermione's parents and the gravely wounded Tonks.

“Harry,” Tonks growled, “I've been bitten, restrain me, hurry.”

“Bitten?” Harry asked, dumbfounded.

“Bitten by a werewolf,” Tonks shrieked. Harry's hand quivered and his wand appeared in it so fast that the movement escaped human sight. Bright silver ribbons streaked out, gently wrapping Tonks up like a mummy, and also levitating her off the floor. Hermione went over to the prone form of the young auror and cast healing charms on her wounds. The worst damage closed up, but she still looked to be in bad shape.

“I'll contact Poppy,” Hermione said. She sent a messenger charm whisking away.

“We should get you downstairs,” Harry added. The young couple held their wands at the ready as they levitated Tonks down to the dungeon just in case she managed to finish transforming and escape.

In one of the vacant rooms in the dungeon near the potions lab was the cage that Remus used during the full moon. Even though the Wolf's Bane potion allowed Remus to keep his mind he still isolated himself so no one could be accidentally infected. Harry suspected that he also loathed having anyone see him in his condition.

Hermione easily conjured another sturdy cage separate and apart from Remus' for Harry to deposit Tonks in. If Tonks actually transformed her mind would be feral so it wouldn't be good for her to be around any other living thing, even another werewolf. After the cage was firmly locked Harry withdrew the silver ribbons.

“Can you talk to us about what happened?” Hermione asked gently. Tonks looked like she was still in shock. She had conjured fresh clothes since there was no reason to take her wand. A werewolf can't perform wand magic so if she transformed it wouldn't matter if she still had it.

“Y-yeah,” Tonks said, gulping audibly. “Fudge was at the Ministry tonight and must have been expecting something because all the regular patrols were recalled. He had hit wizards out in the open too, which is really unusual. About two hours ago fifty front line aurors and eight of the hit wizards were dispatched to some town, uh, I can't remember its muggle name.”

Remus whined from his nearby cage and Harry surmised that he could understand what was going on. He wished that the kindly Marauder could communicate to Tonks right now. His experiences would probably be of great help in consoling a newly converted werewolf.

“When we got there it was madness,” Tonks continued. “There were Death Eaters running around all over the place rounding up muggles. They were killing the young, old, and infirm, but everyone else was being taken prisoner.”

“No doubt to be converted into more werewolves,” Harry said with a scowl.

“The leader of the expedition was Captain Daley, one of the new auror field commanders, and the hit wizards were apparently only along as advisors even though they technically outrank all aurors,” Tonks said. “Daley has never fought a real battle before, he's a law enforcement auror not a warrior so of course he ordered us to go in and arrest Death Eaters.”

“Oh no,” Hermione gasped, already having figured out what would happen next.

“Yeah,” Tonks nodded grimly. “I was assigned to start freeing muggles and modifying memories while almost everyone else fanned out through the town to apprehend Death Eaters. They waited until we had all gotten separated from each other and spread out over a large area before launching the trap.”

“Oh my, Miss Nymphadora, still in constant need of healer supervision I see,” Poppy said, bursting into the room rather forcefully, even for her.

Tonks giggled, despite everything that had happened, “Its good to see you too Poppy. I hear that Harry here has been trying to overtake my record on number of days spent in the hospital wing though.”

Poppy didn't go into the cage, but she was still able to perform some of her medical charms and pass some potions through the bars.

“The gash has been healed quite well,” Poppy said. “Do you have any Wolf's Bane potion?”

“Yeah, over there,” Harry said, pointing to a simmering cauldron in the far corner of the room.

Poppy went over and got out a large goblet full for Tonks to drink. “This should help suppress the condition and possibly keep you from transforming until the next moon.” She explained.

“Bloody hell, this stuff is awful,” Tonks said, nearly spitting it out. “Can't you put some sugar in it.”

“I'm sorry, sugar ruins it dear,” Poppy said sorrowfully. Remus made a few little snorting noises that sounded like werewolf humor.

“Oh well,” Tonks sighed, “At least this potion actually exists. It makes it easier knowing I won't lose my mind.”

Harry and Hermione nodded, unsure of what to say. Tonks sensed their discomfort and resumed her story.

“Scores of werewolves attacked as soon as we were sufficiently disorganized in our pursuit of the Death Eaters. Individually, a werewolf is no match for a witch or wizard, let alone an auror, but in numbers like they were, using that funny off colored armor, they ripped us apart,” Tonks said, sounding rather distraught again at the recollection.

“Then the hit wizards seemed to wake up and started hitting back against the first wave,” Tonks continued. “They used some kind of funny whipped cream spell that I'd never seen before-“

“Like this?” Hermione asked. She twisted her wand, causing a thick fluffy cloud like mass to come out of it. Tonks shuddered, her newly converted body reacting uncomfortably to the anti-werewolf charm.

“Yeah, that's it,” Tonks confirmed. “They were holding out very well, but then the avatars attacked with a second wave of werewolves. Two hit wizards were struck down with the killing curse immediately; they never even saw them coming. The rest pulled some kind of advanced magic and vanished out of there.”

“How strong are hit wizards anyway?” Harry asked Hermione via their link.

“I don't know, I've never seen one fight, but they're supposed to be the greatest mages of their age. Dumbledore was supposedly offered a position as a hit wizard, or maybe held the position before he started teaching at Hogwarts, no one knows.” Hermione replied. “Its very secretive.”

“I couldn't see what happened from there on out, but things started getting destroyed really fast. Most of the town was ablaze and I was still trying to get the remaining muggles out of their restraints. I was concentrating on that when a werewolf got the drop on me, clamped its jaws down on my hip, and started shaking me around like a feather pillow.”

“How did you get away?” Poppy gasped, horrified.

“I don' t know, there was an explosion and the werewolf took the brunt of it. I was thrown clear so I activated the galleon shaped emergency portkey that Hermione insisted I take,” Tonks said, flashing a grateful smile toward Hermione.

“Well, I think that's enough for now,” Poppy said firmly. “Tonks needs to rest and I dare say you two do too.”

“All right, but we'll stay here, just in case Tonks needs anything,” Harry said. He sent off a messenger charm to Ron explaining the new situation, but he didn't expect Voldemort to launch another attack after the one Tonks escaped from. He grabbed Hermione's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze while they watched the young auror drift into a fitful sleep.

“I'm afraid that Voldemort is going to overwhelm us at this rate. If he manages to destroy the Ministry the unity of the magical world will further deteriorate,” Harry said.

“Yeah, we can't wait any longer, we've got to start reaching out for unconventional allies,” Hermione said.

“Who should we approach first though. We don't exactly have a long history or reputation yet.” Harry said.

“Centaurs of course,” Hermione replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. When she saw Harry's puzzled expression she elaborated. “We need control of the Forbidden Forest and there's no way we can do that without centaur collaboration. I don't fancy having a bunch of werewolves or who knows what else lurking about so close to Hogwarts, do you?”

“I hadn't really thought about it, but that makes sense,” Harry replied. “Centaurs hate us though, how are we supposed to get them on board.”

“We may have to be pretty forceful, but we already have the perfect representative. Firenze can probably be convinced to take an emblem and we can get him access back into the forest. I know he misses it,” Hermione said.

At some point after their conversation Harry and Hermione fell asleep. The next thing they knew it was morning again, Hermione's bushy hair was partially stuffed into Harry's mouth, and Remus was snoring on the floor. Thankfully he had crawled under his robe so when he had transformed back into a human he was more or less dressed. Tonks seemed to still be asleep too, but Harry thought she might be faking it.

“Come on Harry, let's get out of here so they can be together for a while. I'm sure Tonks will be much more comfortable discussing her condition with Remus without us being there,” Hermione suggested.

Harry nodded and together they made their way stealthily up the stairs to the kitchen where Fleur and Molly were making breakfast. Mad Eye and Arthur were there too, sitting at the table and drinking some coffee, though they didn't seem happy about it.

“Rush copy of the Daily Prophet,” Mad Eye said sullenly. Harry picked up the paper and held it where Hermione could easily read it too. A handsome man with long blonde hair wearing a cloak with snake insignia on it was beaming at them from the center picture.

Ministry, Allies, Death Eaters Foiled In Daring Action

In an evening raid on a muggle town, just hours before this paper was rushed into print, the Ministry succeeded in a stunning coup against the forces of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The resounding victory resulted in the capture of a score of Death Eaters and the death of two of the feared avatars. Our witches and wizards in red proved yet again that they are more than a match for any lawless elements that might wish to cause trouble in England. Joining in the action was the European Common Defense Treaty Force under the command of Septimus Artemis. A famed hit wizard in his own right, Viscount Artemis' Treaty Force is considered the most formidable magical army in the entire world. Long the envy of the Americans the Treaty Force…

“Uh, they seemed to have left a bit out,” Harry said, putting the paper down. Hermione continued reading.

“You better believe it Potter, five hit wizards dead due to sheer stupidity, twenty three aurors dead, missing, or too wounded to get back in the fight anytime soon, Captain Daley tortured into insanity and according to Arthur, killed by his own comrades,” Moody burst out angrily. “The auror corps has fallen far since my day I'll tell you that. Bloody nancy boys, they don't train for war anymore, can you imagine if the Germans attacked us again, or any of the African states? Wouldn't last two months…”

“You were at the fight?” Harry asked Arthur. Molly snorted and let out a heavy breath. Arthur cringed visibly.

“Yes, Harry, I was there. Special favor to the Minister, he asked me to go, but I've been permanently assigned to Ministry defense now,” Arthur stuttered nervously.

“Like that's any safer,” Molly said shrilly. “You-Know-Who will be hitting there next. I don't care what you think you can do Arthur you can't match wands with HIM!”

“Please Molly,” Arthur said nervously. Hermione was looking at the middle aged red head a bit strangely, but she didn't say anything.

The remaining days of the full moon were stressful, but there was no repeat of the first day. Instead there were dozens if not hundreds of scattered attacks all throughout England. Even with oblivators working full tilt the muggle press was up in arms over the “crime wave.”

September was beginning to dwindle down by the time Harry and Hermione were finally ready to confront Firenze about being their representative with his people. They found themselves waiting outside the classroom that had been enchanted to resemble the forest as students filed out of their lesson.

“You may come in now,” Firenze called softly. Harry glanced at Hermione with surprise, wondering how Firenze had known they were there, but she just shrugged and went inside.

“The North-West wind carries the taint of blood,” Firenze said solemnly when they greeted him. “The two of you stand firmly beneath Mars, and now I sense you wish for me to draw a sword as well.”

“A different sword than ours,” Hermione said, as if he hadn't spoken. Divination was still disdained by her, despite the prophecy.

“We want you to become our ambassador to the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest. We wish to enlist their aid in securing it against incursions by Voldemort's forces.” Harry explained.

“A worthy effort,” Firenze said, “yet my brethren will not see it as such. They will decline your offer and make an attempt on your lives. Centaurs will never enter into a bargain with wizards again, not after the ancient betrayal.”

“What betrayal?” Hermione asked. Firenze looked taken aback that they didn't know what he was talking about.

“Surely the wizards still speak of it,” he replied. “Centaurs were once plains dwelling creatures, we thrive in open airy fields. Wizards pushed us into magical forests like the one here at Hogwarts and instituted their secrecy laws to repress us.”

“We've never heard of such a thing,” Harry said earnestly.

“It doesn't matter anyway, we will have control of the forest…one way or another,” Hermione said darkly. Firenze contemplated this for a moment before nodded reluctantly.

“I suspected as much and I will try to help you convince my fellow centaurs to do the right thing. Please, don't hurt them if they refuse to see our way,” Firenze said.

“I can't make that promise Firenze,” Harry said sadly. “If Voldemort isn't defeated more people will be at risk than just the centaurs. I promise that I won't hurt anyone unnecessarily though.”

“I suppose that will be good enough,” Firenze snorted. “I will accompany you into the forest at dusk. Now if you'll excuse me, I have students.”

“Bit snippy there on the end,” Harry commented as he followed Hermione outside.

“Well, we did sort of make threats against his people,” Hermione said.

“We're going to Hagrid's?” Harry asked. Hermione was already leading him toward the valley where the half-giant's hut was located.

“Yeah, we can wait for Firenze there and Hagrid is always fun to talk to,” Hermione grinned. She was almost as fond of the big man as Harry was, especially after third year. Even when she was exasperated at him for his more questionable actions, like Gwap, she still supported him

Hagrid was chopping wood out in front of his hut, getting an early start on his winter chores. Fang was lounging in the shade next to the relatively small hut, which was looking more run down than ever.

“Hi Hagrid,” Harry and Hermione yelled out at the same time. Hagrid looked up and motioned for them to come on over.

“Ello' there, what brings ya down my way?” Hagrid asked politely.

“We're going to meet Firenze this evening and go have a talk with the centaurs about guarding the forest for us,” Harry said.

Hagrid darkened a little. “Those ruddy mules are really being ah pain these days,” he said. “I dun go much inta tha forest anymore tho' so it ain't the bother it use ter be.”

“What about Gwap?” Hermione asked hesitantly.

“Ole Gwappy decided to go back ter his home an be our go between fer the giants what didn' join up wid You-Know-Who,” Hagrid explained happily. “I was so proud o' him. He got right clever at english too ya know.”

“That's really nice Hagrid,” Hermione said sincerely.

“I wonder when Dumbledore was planning to tell us that he'd reinitiated contact with the giants?” Harry said.

“Well, he did turn over the Order's communications and recent records. Its possible that I just haven't got to that part yet. We've been pretty busy,” Hermione replied.

Harry nodded and returned his attention to Hagrid. For the rest of their stay they talked about less serious matters like Hagrid's latest crop of pumpkins or Fang's patchy hair loss. The chill of night air was beginning to set in when they heard hooves coming toward the hut. Harry and Hermione conjured up their long black Light Bearer cloaks and uniform.

“I am ready,” Firenze said formally when they came out to greet him. With a last wave goodbye to Hagrid and a promise to be careful they headed into the forest. Harry and Hermione let their cloaks fall around them completely so as to hide their arms. Both of them had engaged their armor and drawn their wands so as to be ready for anything unexpected.

“The forest is wilder than it was when I still called it my home,” Firenze said after they had been walking for a while. Harry could feel all kinds of things crawling around just outside their immediate area. In the gathering night the forest seemed to stretch up infinitely into the dark canopy that blocked out the sky.

“Hagrid kept a lot of the worst creatures beat back when he frequented this area,” Hermione said. Harry considered this and remembered his second year when he got lost in Knockturn Alley. Hagrid had been there buying flesh eating slug repellant. No doubt he drove off a variety of nasty creatures, keeping them away from Hogwarts and its supply of too-curious-for-their-own-good students.

“We're nearing Aragog's layer,” Harry said suddenly, memories from second year coming back.

“I can't imagine coming here as a second year,” Hermione said, shivering. “Its spooky enough as it is.”

“Aragog has a great deal of influence in the forest too, perhaps we should see him first,” Harry said. Firenze snorted uncertainly but followed along as the couple now strode deliberately toward Aragog's home.

As they came closer they began to run into Aragog's children, some of which were nearly as big as their parent. As deadly predators they were attuned to anything that they might consider prey enough to know when they were confronting beings too dangerous to attempt to eat. As a result the spiders they encountered scurried clear of their path.

At last they stepped into a clearing that Harry remembered quite vividly. Spiders wiggled all around and above them, moving about on their thick strands of webbing. Firenze neighed skittishly, but knew that he couldn't run away now, and the wizards he had chosen to accompany didn't seem worried.

“Only once before has meat wandered so willingly into my domain,” Aragog said in his hollow raspy voice.

“Yes, I remember my first visit,” Harry said. “That was over four years ago.”

“You…” Aragog said, “Now you return with new companions and I sense that it would be worse than futile to make a meal of you now.”

“I was young then…my power has grown,” Harry affirmed.

“Why do you come to me here? Do you seek…retribution?” Aragog asked.

“My power has grown, but it is not limitless,” Harry said. “I have come to ask for your help against the one who commanded your greatest foe, the unspeakable terror I defeated after my last visit here.”

“We are in your debt for the destruction of that unspeakable nemesis, it is true,” Aragog said. “What aid could we possibly give to one such as yourself.”

“Watch over the forest, do no harm to the sentient creatures that choose to come within it, and report all activity you see, especially those would ally with the master of your nemesis. In return we will defend you from those you will ally against if you join our cause,” Harry said. Aragog scuttled forward and peered down intently at them with his big eyes.

“Very well, it will be so,” Aragog said. “I will command my children for your sake, because of our debt to you.”

Harry bowed to the monstrous spider in respect and thanks. Firenze and Hermione followed suit before turning to walk slowly away, back down the path they had entered by.

“That was creepy,” Hermione said once they had made it a safe distance away from the spiders.

“You're telling me. I guess Aragog was really happy about me getting rid of the Basilisk though,” Harry said.

“You are a rare person Harry,” Firenze said suddenly. “Aragog would have pledged far more to you had you asked it.”

Harry reddened uncomfortably. “I only want to stop Voldemort, anything more than that is unnecessary.”

“Quiet,” Hermione said urgently. “I thought I heard hooves from over there.”

They were in the middle of a tiny clearing and so had a little bit of light coming in from the waning moon. Harry couldn't see anything though and he didn't think Hermione could either unless she changed into her owl form.

Sharp twangs sounded all around them and the whistle of something splitting the air came rushing toward them. Hermione's eyes flashed and a dozen fireballs erupted in the air all around them as she burned down the incoming arrows.

“Come out Bane,” Firenze snorted angrily. “Since when do centaurs attack from the night without warning.”

“Since traitors and wizards wander in a place forbidden to them,” Bane growled. All around them centaurs stepped into the clearing to form a tight ring around them. Unlike the spiders, they had no idea how outmatched they were.

“We didn't come here to fight you,” Hermione said hastily.

“No, you came here to die,” Bane yelled back. “Firenze, you have forfeited a simple death. Kill the mages.”

Two centaurs rushed forward, blunt weapons raised high for a killing blow. Silver flashed and the dull thud of metal impacting against flesh was heard as the two charging centaurs were sent reeling. Harry and Hermione had wands pointed at the now hesitant centaurs and armor covered arms raised defensively.

“You are no match for them anymore,” Firenze said softly. “We should not turn away allies such as these.”

“Traitor,” Bane said, recovering his voice, “Wizards cannot be trusted.”

“All we ask,” Harry said gently, “is for you to guard the forest and keep us informed if Voldemort or his minions try to enter. In exchange we will protect you from him. I know the centaurs have had their losses.”

“There have been no losses,” Bane replied. Harry stared into the creature's eyes and saw the lie dancing just beneath their surface.

“There will be more losses if you don't ally yourselves with us,” Harry said. “Normally, we would not press this issue, but the proximity of the forest to Hogwarts demands that we have control over it lest Voldemort use its cover against us.”

Bane seemed to hesitate. For whatever reason, all the other centaurs refused to speak, instead looking to Bane to make their decision for them.

“What if we refuse?” Bane asked hesitantly.

“Then we'll destroy this forest completely and ward it with the most deadly traps we can devise,” Hermione said grimly. To prove her point Harry gestured with his wand and one of the nearby trees withered away into a pile of fine powder.

The centaurs, even Firenze, looked stunned and even a little afraid. They all began glancing back and forth to each other when Bane didn't say anything at first.

“We will consider it,” Bane said finally, motioning for the centaurs to join him. Harry and Hermione relaxed visibly after they had withdrawn a short distance for a discussion.

“Centaurs usually let the herd leader decide. For Bane to request consensus…it is a rare occasion,” Firenze said when the others were out of earshot.

The discussion dragged into a debate judging by the sharp gestures and the way the herd seemed to divide into three different subgroups. Harry and Hermione started playing a game of transfiguration domination with each other as they waited. Basically they each transfigured a rock into a different form that would have a natural advantage over the other's rock. Hermione had started out with a cat, Harry had countered with a large dog, Hermione responded with a tangling predator plant, and so on.

Hermione's elephant was just getting ready to step on Harry's monkey when the centaurs returned with their decision. Bane had the oddest look on his face, even for him.

“We have decided to accept your terms,” Bane stated flatly, “So long as it is understood that we are not your servants. We are engaging in a trade of one service for another. You will protect us, we will pass along information relevant to your war.”

“Excellent,” Harry said, delighted. “All you have to do to summon our aid is to have Firenze use the silver medallion around his neck to call to us. He can relay whatever information you gather as well.”

Bane snorted and turned away, the rest of the centaurs following him.

“Thank you Harry Potter,” Firenze said as he turned to follow them as well. “I have missed the forest a great deal. I will continue to teach for the rest of this term, but after that I will be leaving Dumbledore's employ. For now I will resume my residence out here in nature where I am most comfortable. Safe journey back to the castle.”

“No, it's we who should thank you Firenze,” Hermione replied. “For everything.”

Harry nodded and waved as the noble centaur galloped off to rejoin his kin. Harry and Hermione got their bearings with the direction spell Hermione had discovered for Harry during the Triwizard Tournament before beating a hasty retreat back toward the castle.

Harry could make out a bit of light coming from Hagrid's hut as they passed it on their way back up the hill toward the castle. The waning moon was still large and illuminated the entire landscape in its silver glow. Hermione was walking slightly ahead of him, her bushy unkempt hair sprawling out from under her witch's hat.

Harry had been waiting all day to find the right moment for this. He didn't know why he had waited until now, other than today was Hermione's birthday. All at once an immense amount of anxiety and self-doubt caught up with him. Harry fumbled around in his robes for the little box that he had been carrying around for days.

“Hermione, hold up a minute,” Harry said, grabbing her hand and twirling her around slightly so that she was facing him. Hermione eyed him curiously; her cheeks flushed from the cool air, eyes reflecting the twilight.

“Hermione…I just wanted to tell you how much I love you and how thankful I am that you've always been there for me, believed in me, all these years. I know we've already reached an understanding what with the whole mind link and everything, but I was hoping we could make it official,” Harry said as he bent down on one knee and opened the box he had taken from his robes. “Say you'll marry me.”

Hermione looked like she might burst with giddiness. “Yes, please, Harry, of course I will,” she said breathlessly. Harry slipped the ring onto the long thin finger as she held her hand out for him. As soon as he finished she yanked him up and pressed her lips to his eagerly. They stood there, on the side of the hill silhouetted against the diminishing moon, and enjoyed their first moments as betrothed.

“Harry, what is this gem?” Hermione asked giddily after admiring her ring for a moment after they broke their kiss.

“It's a bloodstone…that's a blood ring,” Harry said.

“Wow Harry, I don't know what to say…so you can't do any magic against me now?” Hermione asked.

“Well, not exactly. The stone governs based on intention…I can do all the magic I want to you,” Harry said.

“No, I'm pretty sure you can't do any magic against me at all,” Hermione said.

Harry pointed his wand at her lazily and shot out a little spark of lightening. Hermione jumped slightly and rubbed her arms.

“Never mind,” she said, “The book I read must have been wrong.”

“Well, the source I have says that the stone only constrains the person who gives it if they do it begrudgingly, as part of an obligation. The stone then works to protect the person who gets it from being harmed by the person who gave it. Pureblood wives in arranged marriages used to demand them so that they wouldn't have to fear their husbands,” Harry explained.

“Because the stone is crystallized magic,” Hermione prompted.

“Yeah, that's what the book said,” Harry confirmed. “However, before that it was used to show unconditional devotion and implicit trust. That's why I chose it.”

“That's so sweet Harry,” Hermione cooed. He had researched something even more thoroughly than Hermione had during her endless investigation of all things magical. “I love it when you read books for me.”

“I'm glad you like it,” Harry said warmly. He suddenly felt like going out and reading even more.

“So, where do you want to go now, Hogwarts or Grimmauld Place?” Hermione asked as she latched onto Harry's arm.

“Well, if we went to Grimmauld Place we could get something to eat and tell your parents,” Harry said.

“Then Grimmauld it is,” Hermione said happily. Together they activated their portkeys and an instant later they found themselves standing in the main hall back in London.

“Oh no, its crazy bridal Hermione,” Harry joked at Hermione's unusual exuberant expression. She was practically bouncing up and down in as they made their way toward the kitchen.

“It's your fault,” Hermione grinned back. “Does that mean you want to set a date though?”

“How about the day after victory?” Harry asked.

“That sounds perfect-“ Hermione broke off as they entered the room. Remus, Tonks, Molly, and Arthur were sitting around the table. Crookshanks darted out from behind a cabinet and purred contently. Hermione didn't have the heart to shoo him away even though he started batting at the loose folds of her robes.

“Is there anything left to eat?” Harry asked. Molly was busy supervising the spells that were washing the dishes and she had already done away with most of whatever leftovers there might have been.

“Of course dear, there's some meatloaf keeping itself warm under that bowl over there,” Molly said absently. Hermione sat down while Harry retrieved some plates for them before sitting down next to her.

“So, what brings you two here instead of Hogwarts?” Remus asked. Harry glanced at Hermione who was trying to chew really fast.

“Uh, actually we just came here to eat,” Harry said. “We missed dinner and didn't want to disturb the elves.”

“We're glad that you're here though,” Hermione said after she finished swallowing. “There's a job for you, if you want to do it.”

Remus raised a skeptical eyebrow. “What kind of job?”

“Well, the Ministry and Voldemort have both tapped into foreign sources of support so we need to keep up. Harry and I think that the wizard community in the United States is our best shot so we want you to go make contact for us,” Hermione said.

Skepticism broke out with deafening silence. “I don't know,” Remus said. “I doubt that the Americans would really want to help us.”

“Why not?” Harry asked. “This affects them too.”

“The Americans don't like us…any of us,” Arthur explained. “Didn't you wonder why so few of them showed up for the Quiddich World Cup?”

“I thought they just didn't like quiddich,” Hermione said honestly. “No one talks about international wizarding relations much except-“

Arthur and Molly cringed as Hermione cut off. She had been going to say Percy.

“Well, the wizards that left Europe did so for the same types of reasons as most of the muggles who left. They wanted to be out from under the heel of the pureblood economic dominance and they wanted political autonomy. Unlike the muggles, they were never in a colonial relationship with the nations they left. Upon arrival in the New World they set up wards to block portkeys or apparation across their borders.” Remus said, smoothly covering over Hermione's stumble.

“Yeah,” Arthur added, “When the muggles decided that they wanted independence too the wizard community helped them out. Nothing very overt, but enough that some very small, very disorganized muggles managed to wrest independence from England.”

“So do the wizards still help the muggles out like that?” Harry wondered.

“Not really,” Remus replied. “Even in the Great War the muggles basically fought it on their own. The American wizards were content to let Dumbledore and England supply the magical talent. They don't have a Ministry of Magic like we do, but a loose guild structure. They obey the muggle laws and basically have no other regulations except a self imposed statute of secrecy.”

“No Ministry?” Hermione asked incredulously. Harry could feel her wondering why none of this had ever been mentioned in a book.

“They have no need,” Arthur said. “Their local guilds keep a handle on bothersome magical creatures and make sure that the wizards in their region are held accountable to muggle laws. In fact, some of them serve in muggle government as muggles. The only thing they have that could be considered national is a quasi-government that is empowered to draw the guilds together for war and regulate magical immigration. There is a small standing army that they can expand with conscription quickly if they have to fight, but they've not had to in a long time.”

“I still see no reason why they wouldn't be willing to at least talk with us, if not form some kind of alliance,” Harry said.

“The wizards in America are far more introspective than their muggle counterparts or even than the wizards here in England. They won't see it as their fight and they won't want to get involved with the oppressors their grandfathers fled,” Arthur said.

“It doesn't matter if they don't want to listen we still need to make the attempt,” Hermione insisted. “The Light Bearers are sending an ambassador to fish for any favorable agreement we might get and if you don't want to do it Remus just say so. We can find someone else.”

Remus squirmed in his chair. “It's not that I don't want to do it exactly, but Tonks is still recovering and she hasn't even had her first real transformation yet.”

“Don't worry about that Remus,” Tonks said softly. “I'll be fine. There's the potion and the cage is already set up.”

“The first time can be really bad, even with the potion,” Remus admonished gently.

“Just take her with you,” Hermione said, rolling her eyes. “You could use an auror watching your back anyway. I'm sure Tonks could get enough time off-”

“Actually, I'm not an auror now,” Tonks said sadly.

“What happened?” Harry asked, shocked. He knew how much Tonks loved being an auror.

“I got bit, remember?” Tonks said ruefully. “I'm an untrustworthy dark creature now.”

“They can't be serious. You're still the same person.” Harry said angrily.

“I'm afraid so,” Tonks said. “Only pure humans are allowed to be aurors. They offered me a spot on magical law enforcement, but there's no way I'd be a gold snatcher.”

Gold snatcher was the derogatory term used to describe ordinary magical law enforcement because traditionally their main function was writing fines and citations. No auror, the elite of the Ministry's employees, would ever want to fall so far.

“Well, auror or not, Tonks is still one of our best fighters, and you might as take her with you. You can both represent our cause as ambassadors,” Hermione said firmly.

“We'll provide you with money and transportation overseas,” Harry said. “How does a ocean cruise sound?”

Tonks looked expectantly at Remus who sighed and shook his head slightly. “All right,” Remus said finally. “If Tonks thinks she's up to it then we'll do it.”

“This'll be fun,” Tonks said brightly. “I've always wanted to visit the states.”

“Great,” Hermione said happily. “Let's go find my parents Harry, we've still got something to tell them.”

Something in Hermione's voice must have triggered suspicion in Molly's motherly brain because her eyes narrowed and darted to Hermione's hands.

“Is that what I think it is,” Molly exclaimed excitedly. “Have you set a date? You've got to have it at the Burrow. Oh Arthur, isn't this so exciting?”

“Molly!” Hermione squeaked as Harry put an arm around her and gave her narrow shoulders a squeeze. “We were going to tell my parents first.”

“Of course dear,” Molly said, bustling over to examine Hermione's ring. She muttered something for a minute then looked at them sharply. “A blood ring?”

“I'm surprised you know what that is,” Harry said. “I only ran across it accidentally in a book a while back.”

“Does it, uh, work?” Remus asked nervously.

“Don't worry, Harry can still smack me with his wand if I'm bad,” Hermione said mischievously.

“No, it doesn't work like that,” Harry said, giving Hermione a kiss on her cheek, “I gave it to her willingly, she didn't even know about before hand.”

Arthur looked very please upon hearing that. “Well congratulations Harry, Hermione, I'm sure you two will be very happy together. Like Molly said, we'd be delighted if you wanted to have the ceremony at the Burrow.”

“We're not getting married right away,” Hermione said, “But thanks for the offer, we'll keep it in mind.”

“No date then?” Molly pouted.

“We're both too busy to be distracted right now,” Harry said seriously. “We've still got a war to win.”

“That's probably a good idea,” Remus said solemnly. “Just be careful not to let events outside your control dictate your lives to you.”

“We won't, but thanks Remus,” Hermione said. Harry kept his arm around her shoulders as they left the room. Hermione's parents were still sitting up in the main room playing a game of wizard's chess.

“Oh great, the Dursleys are here too,” Harry groaned.

“Just ignore them Harry, maybe they'll be happy for you,” Hermione said optimistically.

“I doubt it,” Harry replied skeptically.

“Hi darling,” Sarah said when she noticed them enter the room. “Your dad finally tricked me into a game of chess since he couldn't stand losing anymore.”

“I'm still losing aren't I?” Erwin replied cheekily as the two teens sat down on conjured chairs next to their game.

Hermione took a deep, giddy breath. “Mum, Dad, Harry and I have something we want to tell you.”

They looked puzzled for a minute until Hermione lifted her hand up and wiggled her fingers. Sarah didn't have an audible reaction like Molly did, but she still looked very emotional.

“My little girl is growing up,” Sarah said. Harry considered this to be a major understatement considering Hermione was quickly becoming one of the most veteran fighters in the ongoing war against Voldemort, but he supposed from a muggle mother's perspective getting engaged was a big step too.

“Can't say I didn't see this coming,” Erwin said neutrally. He extended a hand to Harry. “Congratulations son, I know how much you both care for each other.”

“Thank you sir,” Harry said, truthfully thankful not only for his well wishes but for him not giving him some embarrassing lecture or threat.

“Setting a date soon from now?” Petunia sniffed peevishly from the Dursley's corner of the room.

“Actually,” Hermione said, pretending that she didn't catch onto Petunia's meaning, “We've not decided on a date yet. We'll probably wait until the war is over though.”

Harry was relieved again that they dodged yet another awkward situation and continued to make small talk with Erwin. Hermione and her mother talked rapidly for a while before they had their quota of wedding gossip filled. They declined to stay at Grimmauld Place for the night and instead portkeyed back to their rooms at Hogwarts to finish off what had turned out to be a very exhausting, yet ultimately exciting day.

-->

Chapter 10 - Foothold

“Come on you old coot, just let me do a quick warming charm,” a nasal voice whined from behind a thick scarf. Age was about the only thing one could guess at when everyone was wearing concealing their identity with the magical garments.

“How many times do I have to say no,” came the gruff reply. “And keep your bloody voice down, we're on patrol here you slack jawed lollygagger.”

“I resent that,” Nasal huffed. He stumbled on a rock as if to validate the negative claims just made about him.

“No, you resemble that,” a girly voice chimed in teasingly.

“Shut it you lot, we've got company,” Gruff whispered. He wished again, not for the first time, that he had a more veteran team.

“What about the other squad?” Nasal asked, suddenly serious. They were situated on the side of a hill near the hidden residence of someone the Light Bearer high command wanted protected. A second patrol was coming in from the opposite direction and with the hill between them they'd never notice a Death Eater incursion in time.

No one in either patrol knew exactly whom they were guarding, but they could make several guesses. Heading up the list was Madam Bones, one of the few real allies they had in the Ministry. If they were going to turn around the Ministry in their favor they'd need help from people like her.

“We've got to call in reinforcements for this one,” Gruff said. He took out the little silver emblem that dangled from around his neck and began to concentrate.

“Anti-apparation wards,” Girly hissed.

“So what,” Nasal replied, “We've still got to have reinforcements. Potter will find a way to come-“

“Potter and Granger can't bail us out every time and everywhere,” Gruff replied. He was about to add something else when it became apparent that they'd already been terribly outmaneuvered.

The ground heaved up from some kind of elemental spell and catapulted the three figures away from each other. Multicolored beams of light started streaking back and forth through the air as each side fired blindly through the dust. From the other side of the hill screams attested to the ambush of the second team, which had unwisely rushed headlong toward the sound of the attack.

Dolohov had ripped off his facemask to yell at the new generation of Death Eaters he was leading in his current mission for the Dark Lord. Everywhere he turned there was nothing except burned out, blown apart and otherwise worthless corpses.

“So, which one of you thundering morons is going to explain to the Dark Lord why we have failed to acquire a prisoner for interrogation?” Dolohov bellowed. The deadly rage of his voice combined with the penetrating gaze of an avatar sent many of his men into shivers.

“Over here,” another Death Eater shouted. A collective sigh of relief was felt throughout the ranks of the Death Eaters who had just been on the receiving end of Dolohov's ire. “We've got a squirmy one, but he's in a bad way.”

“Finally,” Dolohov said as he licked his lips. Death Eaters sprang aside with reverence as he strode toward the survivor. The old man had already been relieved of his silver torch emblazoned cloak and protective headgear. Some kind of curse and bad shrapnel wounds from exploding rock was seeping the life out of his already frail frame.

“Scum,” Dolohov spat, “worthless half breeds and muggle lovers. Tell me old man, why are you fighting for that brat Potter?”

Dull eyes swiveled up toward Dolohov's face. “Not fightin' for Potter,” the old man wheezed, “Fightin' against you lot.”

“A lot of good it did you…crucio,” Dolohov said and was immediately rewarded with delicious screams. Dolohov's eyes bored into the agony filled eyes of the injured man. “Tell me your secrets…”

Through the terrible pain the old man tried to picture the faces of his son and granddaughter. He was reassured that they would be safe, or at least he hoped they would. Suddenly he longed to see them again, one last time, before he embarked on the next great adventure. Without thinking his hand reached for the blood soaked bracelet that hung loosely from his skinny wrist. He didn't hear the hurried shout nor see the fingers that crowded onto the metal band as he pushed the jewel that activated the portkey one last time.

An ancient looking lady stopped to straighten her hair in the long mirror that stood in the middle of the main hall. A phalanx of dark shapes, including one with glowing red eyes, began to take form, like a slowly solidifying mist. With a noiseless gasp the old spinster fell to the ground, lifeless, from the flash of green that enveloped her as dark robed wizards materialized out of thin air.

“I wish you'd get a hold of yourself,” Arthur said peevishly as Mad Eye Moody continued to fidget. The crazy old codger just wasn't happy with himself if he hadn't discovered a dozen Death Eaters or conspiracy plots before the day was out.

“I was late,” Moody replied crossly. “Late and missed my patrol. Now they're out there one short and missin' my eye.”

“Harry made eyepieces for everyone, remember?” Arthur reminded. A rather clever bit of magic that Arthur was actually eager to get his hands on as soon as it was practical to do so without raising suspicions at work.

“So what?” Moody said. “Bloody things aren't infallible you know. Plus, no one's got as much experience with magically enhanced vision as I do. They'll miss something, you mark my words.”

“Don't be such a spoiler Alastor,” Molly said curtly. She'd had enough of the two pesky men agonizing at the table and spoiling her mealtime atmosphere. “Dinner is almost ready. Now where are the Grangers and the Dursleys?”

“I think they're in the living room,” Arthur replied. The Dursleys had taken to spending a rather large amount of time with the Grangers, even if it were mere proximity, because they were the only other muggles around. “Moody, take a look?”

“Er, right-“ Moody's eye swiveled to the back of his head. An instant later the old ex-auror let out a strangled cry.

“What is it?” Arthur asked. Moody becoming alarmed was a bad sign, even when his abnormal paranoia was taken into account.

“Elf, elf, ELF!” Moody managed to shout in a whisper, somehow. A cracking noise sounded and Kreacher arrived, looking evilly at them. The elf hated being summoned by anyone except for his “Master and Missus.”

“What can Kreacher be doing for Master's guests,” Kreacher tried to ask, in what was polite tones for him, but was cut off.

“What kind of elf are you?” Moody snarled. “We've got intruders in the main hall, lock this place down, nothing gets out or the secret that protects this place will be broken.”

Kreacher's eyes widened with shock but he snapped his fingers and vanished away. Arthur reared up out of his chair, nearly falling over at the news of intruders. Molly let out a little cry and dropped her cooking pan. Suddenly they were both very glad that their kids were all at school. Even Fleur was visiting her fiancé, Bill, at his job as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

“Come on Arthur, you're better than that,” Moody growled as he shoved the middle aged red head toward the door. “We've got to get to the main room. Those muggles are sitting ducks.”

“We've got to contact Dumbledore,” Arthur moaned. Then on second thought he added “Or Harry.”

“Don't you have one of those bloody trinkets they keep passing out?” Moody asked. He and Arthur both sent out messenger charms.

“No, I work for the Ministry,” Arthur said indignantly. “What's your excuse.”

“Clashes with my wardrobe,” Moody quipped. His magical eye had never left the Death Eaters since they had arrived. Some of them must have tried to leave again in order to break the Fidelius Charm because they seemed to realize they couldn't leave. Slowly they were getting their bearing and spreading out. It wouldn't be long before they launched attacks throughout the house.

“Arthur, care for a game of chess, I was just-“ Erwin began when Arthur and Moody burst into the main room from a side door. They looked wildly toward the door that led to the main hall and Arthur shot some locking charms at it. Moody shook his head impatiently muttering something about how locking only kept out honest wizards.

“Quiet,” Arthur said urgently. He pointed to the main door with his wand again, the tip glowing with blue light. “Somehow we've got Death Eaters right outside that door. We've got to get you lot out of here and to someplace safe before this whole house turns into a gigantic battlefield.”

The Durselys looked like they could curl up and die. They might hate hearing about anything related to magic, but no one could live at Grimmauld Place for months and not cultivate a healthy fear of Death Eaters. The Grangers also looked horrified, but unlike the Dursleys they seemed to retain their wits about them.

“Too late!” Moody yelled. The magically locked door was no match for whatever curses had been thrown against it. With a shower of splinters it buckled inward to allow black cloaked Death Eaters to slide into the room. “Accio Dursleys.”

Arthur kicked over the sofa and dragged the Grangers behind it. Moody soon joined him with the Dursleys and together they started firing off curses at the relatively exposed Death Eaters. The embattled followers of Voldemort summoned nearby pieces of furniture to give them some cover in addition to their shield charms.

“Sarah, use your mirror, get Hermione,” Arthur yelled. They didn't have time to wait for messenger charms to arrive. They needed help right now and only Hermione or Harry could summon Light Bearers with their emblem connections.

“Do it hon,” Erwin said encouragingly to his quivering wife. He reared up from behind the scant cover of the now ablaze furniture and hurled a vile at one of the newly arrived Death Eater. The petrifaction potion worked perfectly and a moment later a stiffened Death Eater fell woodenly to the floor.

“Good show,” Moody said approvingly before yelling a taunt to the Death Eaters. “Your clumsy friend there just got bested by a muggle. I thought you lot were the best the world of wizards has to offer?”

The Death Eaters fired off killing curses in their rage, but most of them went wide because they were too angry to aim properly. Arthur admired the calculated determination of Moody using his enemy's own pride against them.

“Hermione, Hermione,” Sarah wailed at the mirror. It always took a couple of moments for her daughter to respond, but in the middle of a firefight a moment seemed like years. “It's Grimmauld Place, there are Death Eaters here, Hermione say something.”

The sofa blew apart violently as particularly powerful curse hit it squarely. The force of the blow scattered wizards and muggles alike into different corners of the room. Dolohov strode arrogantly deeper into the room, sure of his own invincibility against the likes of an auror or a petty Ministry worker.

“So, which of you lot should I keep alive and which should I kill?” Dolohov sneered. He had now reached the favorite part of his job. “Maybe I should let you each tell me some reasons as to why you're important enough to live.”

“Scum,” Moody said defiantly. Screams and sounds of battle were breaking out all over the house now as the rest of the Death Eaters looked for victims. From the sounds of things only a few of the people under attack were able to fight back, most were simply being slaughtered by Voldemort's hardened warriors.

“I know you're worthless Moody,” Dolohov said. He cast out a yellow beam that raked the floor along a path to the stricken auror. Moody tried to block it but was only partially successful. Despite the obvious pain Moody rolled out of the spell and cast a tight beam of light out of his wand. The white light speared its way through Dolohov entirely and the avatar grimaced in agony.

“Pretty good,” Dolohov grunted. “But enough play…Avada Kedavra.”

Moody's lifeless body recoiled from the blow and thudded against the floor. Arthur looked away and could hear the muggles whimpering in fear. None of them had ever seen the most unforgivable curse kill someone before.

“Looks like it's your turn Arthur. No more sitting around and pandering to muggles on the Ministry's knut for you.” Dolohov grinned sinisterly. Arthur slumped back against the floor. It didn't matter how much he struggled, he couldn't beat one of these nightmarish creatures.

“Avada Kedavra,” Hermione's high-pitched voice rang out. Dolohov whirled and barely dodged the green light. The wall between the main room and the small study behind it suffered a giant irregular shaped hole being blasted out of it. Fragments from the wall struck Dolohov but he didn't bleed.

“Granger,” Dolohov cackled with a touch of insanity. “I've been waiting so very long for round two. I promise that you won't be getting back up this time mudblood.”

“You're the one that won't be leaving here alive,” Harry said darkly. He had followed in closely on Hermione's heels. Their eyes glowed with the green and brown fires of their power. Their cloaks even billowed slightly, not from any breeze in the room, but from the force of their magic.

“We'll see,” Dolohov said. He conjured a shield and sent a hail of black spears raining down on Harry and Hermione. Wisely the two teens spilt up to make themselves harder to keep track of. Dolohov would have none of it; he suddenly blurred and vanished with the aid of the acceleration charm.

Without any hesitation Harry and Hermione flitted away too leaving a charred room in their wake. The Dursleys just sat there, unsure of what they should do. They had been crawling to get out of the room mere moments before, but judging from the sounds coming from the rest of the house they were actually in the safest place for the moment.

“Will it be okay?” Sarah asked timidly.

“I don't know hon,” Erwin replied.

Dolohov came to rest in the middle of a narrow hall and turned about to face his pursuers. They would be unable to split up and come at him from different directions. “There now, don't you think that this is far better?”

Harry and Hermione responded with spells as they came out of their acceleration charms. Black lightening coursed down the hallway and was deflected by Dolohov's wand, but at a cost of having the wand seared in half. Unflinchingly the avatar drew another wand out of his belt.

“Now I'll show you why the Dark Lord is the greatest wizard who ever lived,” Dolohov said confidently. A mixture of curses and elemental spells poured forth from Dolohov's wand, forming a truly frightening blast as it traveled down the hall. Harry stepped in front Hermione and cast a barrier shield charm in addition to his normal shield charm. Hermione likewise cast a barrier shield charm and readied a ball of fire for their retaliation.

True to Dolohov's boast the barrier charms were vaporized so that not even so much as a single shard remained behind. Harry's last shield was broken as well and he was sent sailing backward along with Hermione.

“How is he doing this?” Hermione wondered.

“Don't know, but we've got to put more power into it,” Harry replied. They sprang apart by using their armor's enhanced strength to heave themselves violently off the floor. A killing curse ripped apart the area they had vacated an instant earlier.

Dolohov confidently stepped out of the hall into the intersection and right into Harry's spell. Searing bolts of light impaled him, causing his cursed flesh to smoke where it was penetrated. Dolohov turned to face him, but before he could get off a spell Hermione, whom he had forgotten about, enveloped him in a wall of fire. There was a blur of motion and as heavily smoking figure accelerated away.

Harry and Hermione quickly pursued him to the second floor where he had joined with two other Death Eaters. Dolohov's comrades were hastily applying counter curses and healing charms in an attempt to salvage their strongest fighter. Harry gestured with his wand and raked the three with black lightening. Dolohov slipped away again before the charred bodies of his comrades had finished hitting the floor.

“Harry,” Hermione gasped. She was becoming exhausted from the running battle with Dolohov. The man seemed to be exceptionally strong, even for an avatar, and although the combat had been sparse the amount of energy they were both putting into their spells was draining them quickly. “Where is he?”

“I don't know, he slipped away from me,” Harry said, wiping the sweat off of his face with his cloak. A scream filtered up from beneath them.

“My parents,” Hermione exclaimed.

Arthur slammed into the wall and felt his leg twist in an awkward way as it shattered in at least three places. Four Death Eaters had burst into the room a few minutes after Harry and Hermione left chasing Dolohov. Arthur had held the four off for a little while until the avatar rejoined them. He didn't know whether Harry and Hermione had been killed, but he knew that if they couldn't stop Dolohov everyone in Grimmauld Place would die.

“Finish these muggles off,” Dolohov commanded. Five wands lined up, each selecting a target; five voices chanted the deadly words.

There was a flicker of motion and suddenly two dark figures stood between the Death Eaters and the muggles. Arthur winced as green beams stabbed out at the two lone defenders before he realized that Harry and Hermione were using the shield function of their armor. Vernon and Petunia were staring wide-eyed at Harry, whose shield had just stopped the green flashes of light intended for them.

The Death Eaters tried to fall back away from what they knew would be a violent battle but black wires from Hermione's wand ensnared them. Unknown to the Death Eaters, their own master had taught the powerful variant of the incarceration charm to Hermione when he had used it on her during her duel with him.

“Avada Kedavra,” Harry and Hermione both chanted. Two of the ensnared Death Eaters were jerked off the floor to intercept the blasts. Dolohov could have used inanimate objects from his surroundings but it was much more pleasing to his sick mind to force the two teens to kill unnecessarily. Dolohov's wand spat out a giant milky white half sphere called a battering charm and sent it flying at Harry. Without thinking Harry raised his armored arm up to stop it and was promptly bowled over.

Before Dolohov could go in for the kill Hermione stepped between them and let loose with a flurry of fiery darts. Dolohov conjured a shield of water that absorbed them and then replaced it with a giant silvery shield adorned with a snake. Hermione summoned her own shield and began firing off breaker curses. Dolohov responded with a thick red spell that impacted with a flash against Hermione's shield and drove her backwards.

Vernon Dursley was huddled under a table in the corner of the room only a few feet away from his nephew. Harry was obviously in pain, the armor on his arm shattered into dust by the blast it had absorbed, and blood was trickling from numerous lacerations.

“Boy,” Vernon said hesitantly, poking him with his shoe. Harry mumbled something unintelligible. “Boy, uh, I think she needs you.”

“Hermione,” Harry said with a stronger voice. His eyes lit up afresh with the power of his magic. Harry rolled over stiffly and gestured with his wand while still on his knees. Hermione, who had been giving up ground steadily, was finally granted a reprieve when bolts of light sliced into Dolohov's cursed body for a second time.

Harry tried to stagger back to his feet, but instead fell heavily onto his side as aftereffects of the battering charm still sapped his strength. His wand skittered away from limp fingers. The spell affecting Dolohov dissipated and he resumed his offensive.

“Silly mudblood, you should never have challenged my master,” Dolohov said nastily. “First, I'm going to kill Potter, then I can work you and the rest of your muggles over slowly.”

Hermione didn't reply she just continued to repel his attacks as best as possible. Dolohov cast some kind of corporeal spell that took the form of a large puddle of black water. The ink like substance obliterated her armor and all the reflective surfaces on her clothing, but it couldn't overpower the shiny golden emblem that tossed violently on its chain around her neck.

Hermione's eyes widened when she heard Dolohov begin the killing curse yet again. This time however his wand wasn't pointed at her, but instead at the still enfeebled form of Harry.

“NO!” Hermione shouted. There was no time to summon something to take the blast, no time to think, no time to regret. Everyone watched in horror as Hermione flickered briefly, reappearing in front of Harry, arms thrown wide to absorb the deadly blow with her own body. She saw the flash burst out of Dolohov's wand and closed her eyes, dimly wondering what death would feel like. There was a loud crack directly in front of her. With one hand extended outward, palm raised, Kreacher stood defiantly between Hermione and Dolohov's curse. Arthur couldn't believe what he was seeing and neither could Dolohov.

Hermione opened her eyes to see Kreacher's wide lifeless eyes staring back up at her from where his body had fallen face up in front of her. Dolohov took a step back, momentarily stunned at such an unexpected event. Hermione summoned Harry's wand and pressed it into his hand, her face a mask of rage.

“Crucio,” Hermione shouted. Dolohov was again utterly stunned; never before having seen anyone from the other side use a torturing curse in battle. He fell backwards, more from shock than pain, and in the precious seconds gained by Kreacher's death Hermione drug Harry back onto his feet.

“Are you all right?” Hermione asked. Harry didn't look all right, but maybe he could last long enough to finish this battle.

“Exertion charm,” Harry said dryly. This battle was really on the clock now. The exertion charm would bring Harry back to nearly full strength, but in exchange he would be utterly useless within a few minutes. “How about you?”

“I'll be okay once we've destroyed this abomination,” Hermione replied grimly. Her left arm was hanging a little slack, probably pulled out of socket. Nothing that a few minutes under a healing charm wouldn't fix though.

Harry and Hermione summoned gleaming silver shields before beginning to close in on Dolohov. The avatar remained defiant, but for the first time since their battle had begun doubt clouded his eyes. Dolohov summoned his snake engraved shield and tried to sneak off another one of his devastating battering charms. Harry wasn't about to let him get away with the same trick twice.

Spinning silver disks sliced the attack into ribbons before following through to impact against Dolohov's shield. Harry and Hermione didn't give him a chance to recover. They mercilessly fired the deadly breaking curse, pure magical energy focused into a tiny space smaller than the size of a knut, until the avatar's shield buckled and broke away. They didn't stop firing it even as each breaker curse started to bore through flesh and bone. Dolohov impossibly healed the mortal wounds for a moment, but his ability to live through death was finally overwhelmed. With a whimpering sigh his shredded lifeless form finally slumped down to the floor in defeat.

Harry and Hermione collapsed immediately with severe exhaustion. Hermione calmly took out one of their special made eyepieces and put it on to inspect the rest of the house for remaining Death Eaters. After a moment she satisfied herself that they were all dead, except for the two that were immobilized and the one that was petrified.

“Oh Hermione, my baby, are you okay?” Sarah asked hysterically. She rushed over to Hermione's trembling form and folded her into her arms soothingly.

“I'm fine Mum,” Hermione said distractedly. She fumbled around in her hat for some restorative potions to use on Harry before the last of his exertion charm wore off.

“Thanks Hermione,” Harry said after she finished feeding him the potion. He looked down at the prone form of Kreacher.

“He saved me,” Hermione said quietly, following his gaze.

“In the end, he redeemed himself for what he did to Sirius,” Harry said flatly. Though he didn't utter it aloud, Kreacher had more than repaid his debt, at least in Harry's eyes.

“Moody,” Arthur said jerkily as he struggled to his feet again.

Sarah helped Hermione to her feet while Erwin did likewise for Harry. The two parents were in shock, not only from finally seeing first hand the true power of wizardry, but also from the dawning realization that their little girl and her fiancé had just killed a dozen people. They had known the terrible price of the conflict with Voldemort before now, but seeing it first hand was indescribably tormenting to them.

“Moody,” Harry echoed. Hermione studied his face intently and realized just how much Harry had liked the grizzled old ex-auror. Moody was a tough, hard as nails fighter but he had his own unique kind of charm.

Hermione felt her own face harden when she looked back at all the Death Eaters had made Moody suffer. In addition to maiming his body when he was an auror, a Death Eater had stuffed him in his own trunk during their fourth year so he could impersonate Moody, and now Death Eaters had finally finished the destruction they'd started decades ago. Moody had been driven paranoid, possibly a little insane, and now he was dead. Dead just so one mad wizard could pursue his dream of immortality and dominance over his fellow man.

“You know Harry,” Hermione said pointedly, “I don't think this was a planned raid. These rotters just got in here on an accident.”

“So they won't have had their memories censored or altered by Voldemort,” Harry said, catching on immediately to her train of thought. So far whenever they'd captured a Death Eater, which admittedly had not been very often, they were either carefully selected so as to be completely ignorant of the Dark Lord's plans or else had sections of their memory damaged to the point of illegibility.

Hermione waved her wand and levitated the two bound Death Eaters into the air. Their eyes widened with surprise at the two grim and battered figures approaching them. That in and of itself was saying something since Death Eaters were used to being on the receiving end of nasty looks from their own master.

“We should still be careful,” Harry said. “They might be able to resist us somehow during the questioning.”

“We'll never tell you muggle lovers anything,” the tallest Death Eater spat. He was middle aged and probably a minor pureblood considering that no one recognized him. He might even have been a half blood or less with pureblood connections. Voldemort and his followers, for all their obsession with blood, were not too careful about who they recruited to bleed for them in the war.

“You'll tell us everything,” Hermione snapped at him before replying to Harry. “We won't give them a chance to resist Harry. We'll crucio them into a stupor first.”

“What? No, wait,” Arthur said hastily. He had been helping the Dursleys get to their feet after checking them for injury. “You can't just torture them.”

“We need information,” Harry said patiently. Now was not the time for the old debate of how much force was too much force to show up again. This Death Eater had potentially invaluable information that could save lives or perhaps even win the war if he could give up the location of Voldemort's main base. This Death Eater had come into Harry's home with the intent of killing anyone and everyone he found along the way. It would be worse than useless to wax poetic about mercy and morals.

“But…you can't…its, its not right,” Arthur said brokenly. The Grangers were looking back and forth between Arthur, Harry, and Hermione as they tried to figure out what exactly was happening.

“Moody's dead,” Hermione said firmly. She had been the most vocal advocate of tough new measures even before Harry was entirely convinced. Harry generally let her do the talking too since her analytical mind was usually more persuasive than Harry could ever dream of being. “We need to know information about Voldemort to end this war before more people die. You know as well as I do that this is necessary.”

The two Death Eaters had been smirking, sure that their enemies would never torture them no matter how dire their need for information was. For a very long time Voldemort and his followers had used the natural kindness of their foes against them. They thought that the advantage of fighting good people was that they could always be counted on to balk at doing the dirty but necessary tasks of war. Perhaps when Dumbledore was leading the fight they might have been right, but now they were wrong.

“Crucio,” Harry and Hermione both called out. The tall Death Eater writhed in agony, shrieking out that he'd tell them anything before being reduced to a pitiful simpering moan.

“Now,” Hermione said. Harry plunged into the Death Eater's stricken mind, the pain having torn apart any resistance that he might otherwise have offered. Images flew past of the Ministry, rows and rows of muggles in chains, long stone passageways, Voldemort sitting atop a dais, as well as numerous personal memories of little note.

When Harry readjusted his eyes he saw that the Death Eater had fallen into unconsciousness, his mouth hanging oddly, drool falling out. The second Death Eater was clearly terrified, his young features twisted emotionally, begging Hermione to let him talk freely.

“Go on then, but even the slightest hesitation and you'll get the same thing he got,” Hermione said harshly.

“I-I, uh, well, there's this cave where t-the Master is holding some s-s-s-secret weapon of some kind, and I know where the werewolves are, and-“ he babbled hastily.

“Stuff it, we've already found those,” Harry said menacingly. He raised his wand and shot a few yellow sparks out of it.

“WAIT,” the Death Eater groveled, “I overheard something I wasn't supposed to. The Dark Lord has a secret underground base where he's performing some kind of experiment to defeat you.”

“Show us,” Hermione said, producing a map and shoving it into his face. The Death Eater went over every detail that he knew, which wasn't much, and showed them the approximate location of the alleged base. The teens watched him closely the entire time to make sure he wasn't lying, but he seemed to willingly divulge all he knew. Their shallow probes of his mind would have revealed any overt lie on his part.

“What are you going to do with us,” he pleaded after they were satisfied with his answers.

“What would Voldemort do to you?” Harry asked. If possible the Death Eater's terror redoubled upon hearing such a thing. Voldemort's punishments always fell short of death though and he almost never punished his inner circle. Snape had stressed that fact repeatedly during his briefing to them because it meant that Voldemort knew how to balance rewards with threats to keep the support of his followers strong.

Hermione grunted disdainfully. “We're sending you to a place we call Middle Yard. You'll be held there under petrifaction potion for the duration of the war.”

The Death Eater turned a sickly shade of white. Extended captivity under the petrifaction potion was considered a very bad fate. Being trapped in one's own body could sometimes drive a person insane if it went on too long. “No, please, not there, not like that.”

Harry fired off a stunner to knock out the Death Eater for transportation and to silence his annoying protests. Arthur looked a little surprised and wary, but he didn't say anything.

“What's Middle Yard and why did is scare him so much?” Erwin asked hesitantly, as if unsure that he wanted the answer.

“It's a prison fortress that Harry and I built,” Hermione said in her McGonagall tone. “We've been spreading rumors around the Death Eater frequented communities about this horrible new place out of Ministry control where Voldemort's forces are sent when we capture them. We're trying to keep new recruits from joining Voldemort by scaring them with Middle Yard. I didn't think it was a very successful idea but apparently it's had some impact.”

“Yeah, the twins are real masters of mental warfare,” Harry added. He transfigured a piece of broken furniture into a portkey to Middle Yard and laid it across the Death Eaters.

“We've got to get down to the dungeon and take the house out of lockdown,” Hermione said. The portkey wouldn't be able to activate until the dispersion wards were placed back into a dormant state.

The scene throughout Grimmauld Place was a grisly disaster. Errant curses had ripped up floors, torn holes in walls, and left a swath of death on every level of the house. Dead refugees, many of them too old or young to fight, were still lying where they died. Others, still alive, were too traumatized to come out of the hiding places they had desperately crawled into.

Even before Harry had reset the wards help had begun to arrive in from Hogwarts and the rest of the Light Bearer's staging houses. Madam Pomfrey's skills were in particularly high demand to check out all the survivors for lingering injury. Harry and Hermione stalked about giving whatever aid they could where it was most needed, but mostly they spent their time filling specially conjured coffins. The final tally was thirty-four dead including Kreacher and as many more again injured.

“That's the last of them,” Harry said, voice heavy with sorrow, as the last ornate coffin was whisked away via portkey. Despite overcrowding problems he and Hermione had made the decision, though somewhat late, that all refugees would be transferred to the few safe houses they had that were not emergency portkey destinations.

“Then we'd best get back to Hogwarts,” Hermione said ruefully. “We need to talk to Dumbledore about this. The Order has been restless ever since they joined us and now we create a catastrophe like this... I thought those stupid portkey safeguards were infallible.”

“Nothing is infallible Hermione,” Harry said gently. “Don't forget that we've saved more lives with those portkeys than died here today. I'd probably be dead if not for it right now and then where would we be?”

“I suppose,” Hermione said distantly. Harry felt her disappointment in herself seeping through their link. He didn't know why, but Hermione's sense of inadequacy had continued to grow; though she denied it, especially after the magic enhancing potion backfired.

“Hermione,” Harry said firmly, “You can't beat yourself up over everything. Bad things happen despite our best efforts. The only thing we can do is shake this off and take the fight back to Voldemort.”

“You're right,” Hermione agreed, though somewhat half-heartedly. “Come on, let's get this Dumbledore thing over with.”

Together they activated their portkey back to Hogwarts. When they stepped out of the common room they were greeted by resounding silence, which was unusual for Hogwarts, even when people were in classes. Usually a ghost, some armor, a familiar, or something would be creeping around making noise. It didn't take long to navigate a series of twists and turns to the Headmaster's office.

“Open up,” Harry commanded. The stone gargoyles sprang upwards even though they didn't have the password because of their status as Heads combined with the special authority Dumbledore had granted them.

“I haven't been here since you were kidnapped,” Hermione said hollowly.

“I've not been here since I broke Dumbledore's little toys,” Harry said, trying to lighten her mood.

Hermione gave him a wane smile and stepped forward off the stairs toward the main chamber of Dumbledore's office. The old wizard was engaging in one of his favorite pass-times when they entered, pacing back and forth in front of his desk. A young Fawkes squawked every now and then as if it were engaging in a conversation with its owner.

“Harry, Hermione, I've been expecting you,” Dumbledore said, uncharacteristically using their first names. Harry conjured a small two-seat sofa in front of the big desk so that they could sit down.

Harry recounted the attack on Grimmauld Place, including the parts that happened before he arrived. Arthur had told him everything that he knew, which was probably the complete story more or less since he had the benefit of Moody's narration during the early part of the attack.

“Kreacher stepped between you and the killing curse?” Dumbledore asked sharply when Harry arrived at that part.

Hermione nodded, “He saved me and bought us enough time to win.”

“Most unusual,” Dumbledore mused. “Most elves are more attached to their house and family. They don't usually step between their masters and harm, let alone their master's friends and death. Unless perhaps Hermione is family…”

“We're going to be married,” Harry beamed, momentarily forgetting everything else. Hermione smiled and showed the old Headmaster the ring Harry had given her.

“Congratulations,” Dumbledore said evenly. “However, magic doesn't recognize promises and simple ceremonies, nor would Kreacher. I do hope that the two of you are being cautious.”

Harry and Hermione both turned deep red. “It's not like that at all,” Hermione sputtered.

“We wouldn't do that until we're married…regardless of what magic thinks of simple ceremonies,” Harry said firmly.

“Why must everyone jump to the conclusion that we're sleeping together?” Hermione asked via their link.

“I don't know, maybe because of modern muggle culture. We were both muggle raised after all,” Harry replied, then added aloud. “Maybe it's because of our bond.”

“Ah, yes,” Dumbledore said, “That is a very plausible explanation of course. Pardon my assumptions, I sometimes forget that the normal rules don't always apply to the two of you.”

Harry cast a tired glance at Hermione and then resumed detailing the rest of the attack to Dumbledore. It was especially difficult to recount all the people who had died. Harry churned with guilt and rage when he had to consult a slip of parchment that had been hastily drawn up to help him remember all the names. He hadn't even known hardly any of the victims despite their rather extended presence at Grimmauld Place.

“All the casualties were moved to Middle Yard then?” Dumbledore asked once Harry finished.

“Yeah, we decided that it wouldn't be wise to advertise our losses by having a funeral right now. They've all been put into stasis with preservation charms,” Harry answered.

“We also brought you this,” Hermione said, drawing out Moody's magical eye. It had fallen out after the ex-auror died. “He didn't have much else on him and we didn't know of anyone else to give it to.”

“Thank you,” Dumbledore said softly. “I've known Alastor for over a century now, since he was just a little boy. He always said that he would die in battle. I think he would have preferred it this way.”

Sitting there, looking at Dumbledore's tired face, feeling the old man's pain at the loss of his friend, Harry felt rage at Voldemort bubbling up anew. He could tell Hermione shared his feelings, or perhaps was even strengthening them, through their connection.

“I think we should go Harry,” Hermione said as the silence extended into awkwardness.

“Yeah, I don't think we're making it any easier on him,” Harry agreed.

They said their good-byes and left Dumbledore alone to brood. Harry realized just how little they actually knew about the Headmaster, but with over a hundred and fifty years of age there was obviously more to his life than he let on. In retrospect it seemed obvious that someone of Dumbledore's age would have deep roots with the community around him.

“Aren't we going to go see Ron now?” Harry asked when Hermione started tugging him in the opposite direction.

“Harry, Grimmauld Place is a wreck and Kreacher is gone, you're going to need help,” Hermione said.

“You mean another house elf?” Harry asked. “I thought you didn't like slavery…oh no, not him, he'll drive me crazy.”

“Harry James Potter, you need him to protect the house too. You can't manipulate the wards as quickly as an elf can,” Hermione insisted in her pert businesslike tone. “Besides, he will be crushed if you don't ask him now and the other house elves treat him like he's odd.”

“Well, he is odd, really,” Harry said sheepishly, but he had already given in. “All right, you're right, you can let go of my arm now. It's going to be hard getting him to accept a salary though.”

Hermione let his arm drop, but only so she could open the painting entrance to the kitchens. “Tell him it's a favor to you.” She said slyly.

As usual, the instant they stepped into the kitchens they were swarmed by elves bearing food. If anything the elves seemed to be in a greater frenzy than ever to serve them. Hermione was also getting a lot more attention than she had in the past. Harry breathed a sigh of relief when Dobby finally appeared and the other elves scattered back to work.

“Harry Potter sir, and Miss, Dooby is so happy to be seeing you again,” Dobby said happily.

Hermione picked up one of the pastries that had been brought to them and gestured at Harry with it.

“Dobby, it's good to see you too,” Harry said. “Hermione and I are here because I need to ask a favor from you.”

All the other elves tried not to stare, but few of them were succeeding. Wizards never asked favors of elves, especially a great and famous wizard. Wizards made demands or at best gave offers. It was only proper

“Harry Potter is Dobby's friend,” Dobby said eagerly, “Dobby is doing anything he can for Harry Potter.”

“My home has been attacked and Kreacher, the house elf who was there when my godfather passed the house on to me, was killed defending Hermione,” Harry explained.

“Dobby would be honored to come work for Harry Potter,” Dobby began, but Harry cut him off.

“That's where the favor part comes in. I want to hire you. Will you accept a salary Dobby?” Harry asked.

The elves all looked terribly scandalized. “Dobby isn't wanting pay,” Dobby said nervously, twisting on one foot. “Not from one as great as Harry Potter.”

“Please Dobby, it's important that you let me pay you. Think about whom might inherit the house if I were to be killed.” Harry said.

“Old masters,” Dobby whispered, his eyes growing round with fright. “Dobby agrees, but only on one condition.”

Mutterings broke out from the other house elves at what they considered to be near treason. Elves never asked for conditions. It was beyond scandalous.

“Of course, what is it Dobby?” Harry asked, somewhat surprised himself. Hermione, who had up until now been simply watching the exchange, had begun to smile broadly.

“Dobby is wanting Harry Potter to hire Winky too,” Dobby said shyly.

It was Harry's turn to grin now. “Absolutely, that won't be any problem at all,” Harry said. “Hermione and I would love to have Winky come too, wouldn't we?”

“Oh yes,” Hermione readily agreed. “I think that's a wonderful idea. You're a good friend Dobby.”

“Miss is such a kind, generous, caring, wonderful, talented witch,” Dobby babbled. “Not that one would expect less from Harry Potter's Miss.”

“We can discuss the details later, if you'd like,” Harry broke in gently.

“Harry Potter sir is right,” Dobby said, snapping out of his distracted state, “Dobby is collecting Winky and getting to work right away.”

Harry grabbed up a couple of pastries too and followed Hermione back into the hall after shaking Dobby's tiny hand. The castle was still abnormally quiet but they did at least meet a couple of ghosts on their way back to the planning room. They looked around to make sure no one was in ear shot before giving the password to make the tiny troll perched on the door granted them entrance. Several D.A. members, including Ron, Luna, and Ginny were standing around the large conference table looking at various scrolls.

“It's about bloody time,” Ron exploded as soon as he saw them. “Are you guys all right? Dad was in a terrible state from the sound of his message.”

“Why didn't you take us with you, we could've helped you know,” Ginny added.

“It wasn't just Death Eaters,” Harry said, “There was an avatar too.”

“You guys would just have been targets,” Hermione said firmly.

“You could have at least taken Neville with you. Avatars are his specialty after all,” Ginny said contrarily.

“Fighting in cramped places like Grimmauld Place aren't though,” Harry replied. “Look, we can't second-guess it now, what's done is done. Where is Neville anyway?”

“I sent him to oversee the relocation of Madam Bones,” Ron said. “Since Dumbledore is tied down here and you two were off we didn't have anyone left who could handle another avatar.”

“Who was it?” Luna asked. Her soft voice was as disconnected and dreamy as ever.

“Who was what?” Ron asked.

“Who was the avatar that used hope to destroy peace?” Luna said. Everyone looked at her askance, but no longer with surprise.

“Dolohov,” Hermione replied simply.

“Good riddance,” Ginny said hotly. No one had forgotten the Department of Mysteries battle.

“So what do we do now?” Ron asked finally. “In the final tally we've not really come very far since this started. We're no closer to finding Voldemort's base since the last time we tried to scout it. There seems to be an unlimited supply of avatars. There's talk in the ranks that our end is in sight. We've lost over a third of our number either in battle or from resignations. Many of the ones who are left are, to be frank, rather untalented. They stay on because they're muggle born or in some other way marked for death and thus in need of our protection."

“It's the purebloods,” Harry nearly snarled. He and Hermione had been thinking upon this very problem ever since the attack. “They're the driving force behind Voldemort's army so they've got to be stopped.”

“But, you guys already attacked them,” Ginny said hesitantly.

“We hit their pride,” Hermione said. The others were suddenly aware that Harry and Hermione's eyes were twinkling again, like they did when they were getting ready unleash their most powerful magic. “Now we hit their blood. When we attacked their family homes we deliberately gave them enough time to evacuate in hopes of catching some of them. Obviously they didn't get the message because their families are still out in plain sight, their businesses are still operating in new facilities, and other than that nothing's changed. This time we capture or kill everyone who is supporting Voldemort, no warning.”

“Purebloods are worried about their heritage,” Harry growled, seeing all the dead floating to the fore of his mind again, “We'll make them extinct if they don't give up.”

Ron laughed nervously. “Whew, glad I'm not a pureblood then.”

Harry blanched and Hermione shook her head slightly. “I'm sorry Ron, you know we didn't mean anything against your family, Luna, or Neville,” Hermione said in a mollified tone.

“Purity of blood is a state of mind, not a condition of birth,” Luna added. Her wide blue eyes seemed to take in everything at once.

Ron patted her hand fondly. “I think what Luna's trying to say is that we're with you guys all the way. You can always depend on us.”

“Thanks Ron, everyone,” Harry said sincerely. “That means a lot to me, more than you know.”

The rest of the impromptu meeting went relatively well. New targets were mapped out along with new patrol schedules. Hermione said that she would look into the safety charms on the emergency portkeys and try to discover a way to keep anyone from piggybacking a ride again.

“So what is it mate,” Ron asked finally, when he and Harry were all alone. They had stayed behind to finish putting away important documents before following the others up to the tower for some sleep.

“What are you talking about Ron?” Harry said distractedly.

“Come on Harry, I've known you for almost seven years now, I know when something's bothering you,” Ron said insistently.

“Hermione's blaming herself for what happened because she is the one who crafted most of the defenses on the portkeys,” Harry said bluntly.

“You can't believe that-“ Ron began.

“Of course not,” Harry snapped. “I told her that these things happen through no fault of anyone, but I could tell she didn't quite believe me.”

“If she won't believe you then I don't know who she'd believe,” Ron said. Harry and Hermione had long since told him about their engagement.

“That's just it, she probably thinks that I'm too biased to see her faults. Maybe I am, but not on this,” Harry said.

“Just be there for her, like you always are, and give her some time. She's the toughest out of the three of us,” Ron said sagely. “Girls can be more emotionally delicate though.”

“Why ikle Ronnikins, have you suddenly grown wise to the ways of the female mind after all?” Harry said teasingly.

Ron blushed, “Er, no, not really, that is to say, ah...”

“So how are things between you and Luna now. I notice you've been practically avoiding Hermione and I with all the time you're spending with her now.” Harry asked.

“It's nothing like that,” Ron said, flushing deeply. “Luna's not like other girls though.”

“Luna's not like other people,” Harry nodded fervently.

“I dunno,” Ron said. “I feel like we've really connected, but at the same time I'm almost afraid to get to close to her. What happens if one of us gets killed?”

“That's why we've got to stop them,” Harry said somberly. “If there's one thing I'm sure about Ron it's that you should live your life like this war doesn't exist. I'm the one that's prophesized to kill Voldemort. I'm going to stop him-“

“No Harry,” Ron said firmly, “We're going to stop him. You, me, Hermione, all of us...”

Author's Note:

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has reviewed for their feedback and words of encouragement. As most of you will realize as this story begins to wind down (don't worry, we're not half way finished just yet) there are still plenty of opportunities for me to write one more sequel. So if you take the time to review please answer these two questions.

A) Do you want a sequel?

B) Do you want me to post the entire story once it is finished (like I have done with this story) or would you like me to post each chapter as I write it? If I post a chapter at a time there is always a greater risk that previous chapters will have to be altered as I discover holes in the plot that need fixing.

Thanks again to everyone who reads and reviews.

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Chapter 11 - Fallout

Battlefront: War For The Throne?

In this, the fifth installment of the Battlefront series of special reporting brought to you by Diagon Daily's covert journalist division, we investigate the growing rumors swirling around the open war being waged by two extrajudicial factions, Harry Potter's Bearers of the Light and the Death Eaters of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. As the death toll and collateral damage continues to mount the wizarding community must consider just what it is that this battle is about. In this issue we examine the elusive and often mysterious Bearers of the Light.

Michael Debura, former Light Bearer operative, recently quit the quasi-secret army led by the Chosen One and Miss Hermione Granger following several near death experiences. As an attendee of at least one high level meeting involving routine operations of the Light Bearers, Mr. Debura is in an unique position to give us hereunto scarce insight into The-Boy-Who-Lived's war against You-Know-Who.

Light Bearer meetings are not meetings of consultation or mutual consent, but are instead quite hierarchical according to Mr. Debura. Shockingly, Mr. Potter once even compared the Light Bearer organization to a muggle army in terms of power structure. However, even more shocking is that the Chosen One apparently doesn't sit atop this private army of mostly muggle born mages. Miss Granger, herself a muggle born and long time associate of Mr. Potter, who is now rumored to be engaged to the Boy-Who-Lived, is known to dominate Light Bearer operational meetings. Miss Granger, a witch of modest means, has combined a sharp intellect and questionable ethics to vault herself to power. Now apparently in command of a private army held together with the reputation of the Chosen One will she merely be content to end the threat to the muggle born community posed by You-Know-Who or will she seek to take His place and impose her own agenda on the world of magic? (For Miss Granger's position on House Elf liberation, her pro-werewolf agenda, her ties to the giant community, and her advocacy for dangerous dark beasts, see page 15)

As an editorial aside this newspaper is extremely disturbed by the Ministry's lackluster response to the widening conflict. Internal Ministry sources have hinted at a deep divide developing between those who think that the Chosen One is indeed the only one who can save us from You-Know-Who and doubters who believe that the enigmatic Albus Dumbledore may have fabricated the prophecy from the start. Ultimately we may never discover the truth until a Dark Lord…or even a Dark Lady, has clutched our nation in their icy grip…

With a disgusted snort Narcissa Malfoy tossed the worthless rag aside and reached for the crystal goblet of fine red wine that she'd managed to get delivered to what she had begun to refer to as her prison. She couldn't believe that Lucius had gotten their home obliterated by that stupid Potter brat. Lucius had promised her that she'd never be inconvenienced by his little “activities” back when he joined the fight against mudbloods all those years ago. Of course she'd never give voice to her displeasure at this late date, but it was simply maddening to be deprived of her conveniences. What good was money if you were stuck in a tiny house unable to enjoy a single knut of it?

Wine glass in hand Narcissa strolled idly around the room, looking out of the windows one at a time into the darkening evening. The outside was just as nondescript as the inside of her secluded cage. After a while she slumped down into one of the plush chairs next to the fireplace and thumbed though a few of her scarce books. The loathsome place wouldn't be so dreadful if only it weren't so unimaginably boring. The nerve of Lucius, shutting her away in such a drab little hut for weeks without so much as even dropping by. Narcissa thought angrily that he should spent less time catering to his mighty “lord” and more time thinking about his wife.

As the evening drug into night Narcissa went through the same tedious routine that had become her life. She used to go to socials, balls, dinners, meetings, and all the other high society functions that befitted a woman of her class. She used to talk of history and politics with other important members of the magical world. Now all she could do was listen to her own thoughts and frankly that didn't entertain for very long. With a little huff she wrapped her evening robes tight and rummaged around the pantry for a snack. Lucius would be sleeping on the couch for a month, no a year when this was finally over, Narcissa decided. She eyed a half-eaten chocolate cake. Quaint muggle ingredient, chocolate, but very tasty. Maybe she'd pass the time by getting fat. That would teach Lucius a lesson.

Wine and cake was definitely a good combination, or at least that's what Narcissa decided after her third slice. A gust of wind caused the windows to creak and the house to shudder slightly. Narcissa reached for her wine when the house shuddered again, more violently, enough that the liquid in her glass rippled noticeably. A wet heavy feeling settled down on her shoulders and some kind of commotion broke out from elsewhere in the house.

“Lady Malfoy, Lady Malfoy,” a strained voiced shouted. A moment later a pale looking man in green robes adorned with the Malfoy family crest appeared at the doorway.

“What's going on,” Narcissa asked, clutching her robe tightly around her in fright. “Is it the Ministry?”

“It's Potter,” the wizard replied. More green cloaked wizards rushed into the room. The night was suddenly lit up with confirmation of what was going on. Narcissa could see the giant silver outline of the Light Mark hovering above them in a mocking rebuff to the infamous Dark Mark.

“We've got to get you out of here Lady Malfoy,” the wizard insisted. Several bright flashes accompanied by the sharp crack of lightening tore through the atmosphere outside the former safe house. “We've sent messenger charms but our security detail can't hold off a wizard of Potter's caliber for very long. We're not sure how far the dispersion and anti-apparation wards extend, but it's further than I've ever seen before.”

“But, but, Potter's just a stupid child,” Narcissa said hollowly as she allowed herself to be shuffled out toward the rear exit by the cordon of grim faced wizards. Lucius had assured her repeatedly that a silly half blood from such a trashy family as the Potters could never be a serious threat. The prophecy was just one of Dumbledore's lies to sooth the mudbloods wasn't it?

“Where's my wand?” Narcissa asked dumbly. She stumbled slightly and then winced when strong hands lifted her by the arms to carry her so she could keep pace. It had been years since she'd had to cast a spell in anything approaching a hostile situation.

“All right men, prepare for an acceleration charm, we've got to get out of here,” the lead wizard whispered tersely. They managed to get within a dozen paces of the back door when it blew inward with a shower of splinters. Not waiting to spot their foe, the wizards let loose with a barrage of deadly curses.

Narcissa was thrust backwards so that the green cloaked wizards could form a human shield between their charge and the attackers. Icy wind rushed in through the doorway and the magical lights that illuminated the hallway dimmed drastically. Narcissa couldn't tell what was happening, but the wizards in the front suddenly screamed and dropped their wands. This was wrong, all wrong, she was a pureblood, this couldn't happen to her, Lucius had promised.

Abandoning their stricken comrades the green cloaks wheeled and tried to return back the way they had come. They stopped short before they had barely taken a step when that doorway also blackened from a mysterious presence. Narcissa quivered as the wizards on both sides of her screamed and dropped their wands just like the others had. She looked intently at the blackness enveloping the doorway and the long claw like tendrils that seemed to be emanating from it. The dark figure took form and Narcissa decided that her eyes must have been playing tricks on her. She hadn't seen this boy in person for a long time now, but there was no mistaking the lightening bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

“Potter,” Narcissa shrieked incoherently. She turned and ran directly into a bushy haired young witch.

“Tell the others that when we come for you there is no escape,” the bushy haired girl said with a deadly calm voice.

“Go, tell your master that we have all of his family now,” Harry added as he towered over the cowering forms of the green cloaked wizards. They had ceased rolling in the floor but none of them had made even the slightest move toward their wands. “All those who serve Voldemort will feel the pain that they have caused others; the terror.”

Ropes shot out, dragging Narcissa toward Harry and binding her tightly. The heavy wet feeling disappeared a moment after she went limp in Harry's arms and a second later they vanished leaving the green cloaked wizards feeling very afraid. The only problem for them, as they lay sprawled in the middle of the battered cottage, was who exactly were they more afraid of.

The whirling colors of portkey travel jolted to a halt in front of a far less appealing and far more formidable sight. Before Narcissa's overwhelmed senses stood a massive black obsidian stone tower reaching up into the sky. On each of the four corners of the tower was a half arch that jutted away from the central structure much like a flower's leaves fall away from the stem. Atop these strange structures was a rather large flat surface, but from the bottom of the tower Narcissa could not get a true appreciation for the design of the building nor was she much inclined to ponder architecture at that moment.

The thick black gates of the sprawling fortress were already standing open bravely, as if the keepers were completely confident that no attack would be forthcoming against them. With all the wards set up by Hermione and the secret nature of the location that was probably a safe assumption to make.

Narcissa tried to struggle for a moment but fell still when it finally penetrated into her consciousness that such efforts were futile. Her captors were taking her deeper into the labyrinth like corridors of a most fearsome structure that she had only read about in some vague books from the ancient goblin wars. Had she been in a calmer state of mind undoubtedly far more terrifying histories associated with magical buildings would have been recalled.

The deeper into the structure they went the fewer people they encountered along the way. All of them gave the familiar fist to heart salute of wizard solidarity, but some looked apprehensively at the pair floating the obviously terrified blonde witch toward the “conscious” holding cells. Most prisoners were kept in petrified stasis except for the potentially valuable ones like Narcissa. Narcissa finally did something that she had wanted to do for what seemed like ages; she blacked out.

“Oi, oi, oi,” Ron's excited voice called out, trying to get their attention. “You got her!”

“Don't you two have school?” Harry asked jokingly, despite the situation. “An all O student like you shouldn't be skiving.”

“I couldn't miss the capture of Lady Ferret,” Ron replied. Luna arched an eyebrow inquisitively but still seemed less enthused than Ron.

“Ron promised to make it up later,” Luna said, batting her eyes fondly in Ron's direction. Ron's grades were actually some of the best at Hogwarts, stunningly enough, under the dual influence of Luna and his own determination after being caught under the Imperious curse the previous term. Harry suspected that he was even trying to master Occlumency in his own belabored way. Unfortunately, the time when Harry or Hermione could help him advance his magical abilities was long since past. They barely were able to sleep between battles and the endless management requirements of the Light Bearers.

“So shall we wake her back up for a bit?” Hermione asked, tapping her foot impatiently and chewing her lip like she often did when slightly annoyed or in deep thought.

Harry pointed his wand at Narcissa's prone form and shot out an innervating charm. The aging witch groaned slightly and thrashed about as she regained consciousness. She rolled away, startled, when she realized who was standing over her.

“Where am I? What are you going to do to me? I haven't done anything; you can't hold me like this. Just wait until Lucius finds out, you'll be sorry-“ Narcissa babbled out.

“Shut up, we've not done anything to you…yet,” Harry said, cutting her off.

“And in case you haven't noticed, we could care less about Lucius. We want his master,” Hermione added nastily.

“So, here's the deal, tell us what you know,” Harry said, looking into her eyes. Narcissa's mind was weak and unresisting to his probes whether due to terror or simply because she was a rather weak witch.

“I'll not tell you anything, go ahead and torture me. That's what you people do now isn't it? Torture people?” Narcissa spat defiantly.

“Yeah, we're real mean,” Hermione said, voice dripping with dry humor. “Don't worry your highness, we won't waste our time torturing you. However, if you're uncooperative perhaps I'll portkey back to Hogwarts and get Draco to come for a visit.”

Narcissa paled at the implied threat. “Please, no, I'll talk, but I don't know anything, honestly, nothing at all. Lucius doesn't even visit me anymore, the Dark Lord will kill us all if we betray him, he knows, he always knows.”

“I always know too,” Hermione said darkly, leaning in close and looking Narcissa directly in the eyes.

“She really doesn't know anything,” Hermione said to Harry via their link. “I can't believe we went to so much trouble for someone so worthless.”

“Not entirely worthless,” Harry replied. “We've got all of Malfoy's immediate family now. Surely that's got to at least make him hesitate.”

“I wouldn't count on it. Malfoy's devotion to the Dark Lord transcends familial ties,” Hermione said doubtfully.

“Perhaps on the outside he acts that way, but no one can discard their own family entirely, not even someone like Malfoy,” Harry insisted.

“We're leaving you here for now,” Hermione said coldly to Narcissa. “Since you're so useless I suppose we might as well suspend you in petrified stasis until we can decide what to do with you. I'm sure after we've destroyed Voldemort and his Death Eaters survivors like you will get some kind of trial.”

“Y-You can't,” Narcissa stammered. “The Dark Lord is supreme, Lucius will come for me…”

Harry and Hermione's cloaks billowed around them; their eyes glinted dangerously. “The prophecy will favor me in the end,” Harry said simply with a humorless smile. He almost enjoyed Hermione's new terror policy and it certainly seemed to work. Psychological advantages were surprisingly useful, especially against the less dedicated and weaker servants of Voldemort.

“You two are getting bloody creepy, you know that don't you?” Ron said once they'd slammed the doors to Narcissa's cell shut and started to head back to the entrance. They needed to get away from the inhibiting wards before they could leave their improvised prison. “I know you've been mad ever since they killed Moody, but you can't let it keep getting to you like that.”

“It could've been Luna,” Harry snapped. “How would you feel then? Besides, we told you already, it's just an act to make our enemies more likely to surrender or tell us what we want to know. Voldemort has made it so far partially because everyone's too scared to unite against him. We need that same kind of terror to prevent people from joining him against us.”

Ron opened his mouth, then shut it again, but Harry could tell that no one was convinced that it was just an act. Hermione stared ahead, deep in thought, and they continued the rest of the way back in silence except for Luna who started whistling her favorite quiddich song.

Back at Hogwarts the atmosphere around the four teens lightened considerably. Despite the dark medieval look of the castle it was a welcoming homey environment. First years were studying their transfiguration in the common room when they came after portkey arrival.

“Daddy's got a new edition of the Quibbler out,” Luna said excitedly when they met up with her out in the hallway. Her portkey had a different destination than Harry, Hermione, and Ron's.

Harry took a look at the headline story, which was difficult to do since Luna was holding it sideways. Predictably, it was far different from the Diagon Daily or even the Daily Prophet.

Ministry Abdicates Public Defense to Chosen One and Light Bearers

Unnamed Ministry sources have revealed exclusive new details into Fudge's battle strategy that have thus far been withheld from the public. According to a person within the command structure of the Ministry's consolidated defense force the Minister of Magic has restricted auror activity to defense of Ministry main line interests only. Shockingly, civilians who are most vulnerable to the Dark Lord's wrath have been left to fend for themselves. Unsubstantiated rumor from the “other side” reveals the possibility that the Dark Lord views the Light Bearers and their leader, Harry Potter, as a greater threat than government enforcers as well…

“Not bad,” Harry said. “I just hope that your dad doesn't get targeted over this.”

“Daddy will be fine, he's had people upset with him before,” Luna said vaguely. Somehow Harry didn't see the correlation between random wizards and Voldemort, but he didn't feel like pressing the issue with Luna. Her father had been given emergency portkeys and the means to contact the Light Bearers so it wasn't like he was totally defenseless.

“Finally, what took so long?” Ginny asked when they entered the room. Harry closed the door behind him, the tiny troll shaking its fist at him merrily, and took a seat next to Hermione.

“Narcissa,” Ron said, grinning. “Bloody nutter she was, too.”

“Well, while you guys were out doing that Remus sent us an owl,” Ginny said.

“All ready?” Hermione said, suddenly more interested in what was going on around her than on whatever she had been thinking about. “Have you read it? Has he made any progress?”

“Er, yes and no?” Ginny said hesitantly. “To be honest I don't really understand it. Apparently he's met with some of the local guilds and had success with a few of them, but the national authority refuses to make any deals.”

Hermione took the long scrolls of parchment and skimmed over them quickly. “This is pretty much what I expected,” she said after a while. “Looks like we've got some tentative support from the New England area guilds, but the Southern and Western guilds largely oppose getting involved.”

“What about their national government. It could draw them together to support us if it wanted to couldn't it,” Harry asked.

“Well, in theory,” Hermione said hesitantly. “In reality though it can't do much without a great deal of support from the local guilds. Remus has been in talks with one of their oldest leaders, uh… some guy named Willis Van Devanter. The response has been pretty unenthusiastic.”

“So we're still on our own,” Ron broke in heatedly.

“Not exactly,” Hermione smirked. “Remember the fractious nature of their guild system? Some of those guilds might be willing to help on their own. Remus is ending talks with the national authority so he can concentrate on the New England guilds.”

“Well, I've got charms tomorrow,” Ginny said. She got up, yawned, and stretched tiredly. “I just stayed up to make sure you guys got Remus' letter.”

“We should all get some sleep,” Ron agreed. He looked pointedly at Harry and Hermione who were still flipping through Remus' letter. Remus, or perhaps Tonks, had made sure to include detailed accounts of everything that they'd done on their mission. On further thought Harry was sure that Tonks and her auror background was responsible for all the notations. Some of the script even appeared to be in her handwriting.

“Oh, I suppose,” Hermione said, shuffling Remus' letter into a file. It wasn't like there was much else that they could get done anyway.

The next few weeks passed by quickly for Harry and Hermione. Dozens of prisoners flowed into Middle Yard from their raids on pureblood supporters of Voldemort. As a result anyone even remotely connected with the Dark Lord or his supporters had gone into hiding. Additionally, Voldemort had virtually ceased his attacks on the Ministry and instead focused on the Light Bearers. Some of the twin's less secreted bases were destroyed and the number of refugees increased at least three fold.

Despite the risks of having more Death Eaters piggyback on someone's portkey, Grimmauld Place was reopened to those who needed to hide from Voldemort. The Quibbler's assertion that the Ministry had stopped defending the general public seemed to be all too true. Reports from people visiting Diagon Alley indicated that the place was virtually disserted. Patrons who absolutely had to visit hurried about with wands drawn and the businesses that had dared to remain open, like Gringotts, maintained heavy security. Emergency portkeys were scattered about all over so that people could evacuate at an instant notice but it was likely that such measures would be pointless if Voldemort attacked. Portkey dispersion wards would be erected before anyone would know to leave and then it would be too late.

Surprisingly, Hogwarts continued on with relatively little disruption despite the war going on all around it. The most obvious deviation from the normal routine of the school came during the winter holidays. Instead of returning home like the students normally did everyone signed up to stay at the castle.

“So are you guys coming to the special feast Dumbledore decided to throw?” Ron asked. Since everyone was staying the Headmaster had decided to throw a big celebration like the one most families enjoyed during the season. It was a big contrast to the usual informal meals eaten with the just the staff and maybe a couple of other students.

“I think Hermione wanted to spend some time with her parents,” Harry replied. He flicked his wand idly about as he looked for any ambient spells. Another side effect of all the students staying at Hogwarts with no classes was a drastic upswing in the amount of pranks. Magic and children really didn't mix sometimes.

“You just don't want to sprout tentacles at the table again,” Ron smirked. Harry had already fallen victim to some of the twin's special prank stuff that had been smuggled into the school via owls. Of course Ron suspected that Harry had allowed it to happen though since he had always quickly dispelled the effects of the various pranks effortlessly.

“You and Luna should come with us,” Harry said. “I'm sure your Mum would love to see you. She's going to come over to help Dobby and Winky with the food.”

“We'll be there,” Ron replied happily. Not only would he get to see his mother, but also he could get away from the perilous prefect job. Even though his Light Bearer work took priority he was still on the receiving end of a castle full of students with too much time on their hands.

“Aren't you going to ask me too?” Neville interjected.

“I thought Ginny already did,” Ron said slyly. Neville grinned sheepishly and nodded that she had.

“Of course you're welcome too Neville,” Harry said with mock exasperation.

“Maybe you can show us some of your new techniques,” Ron added. “All Ginny talks about is how you've vanquished three avatars.”

Neville flushed furiously. “Well, it wasn't me really, it was the whole team,” he stammered. “Besides, one of those was sheer luck and the other one was really weak. I think Hermione had already knocked him around pretty good.”

“A victory is still a victory,” Harry replied. “Doesn't matter how you win, it's the result that matters.”

The panel swung inward as Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and several other people streamed through as they returned from their various activities. Most of them were chattering excitedly about the feast or the holidays. The festive feeling that Dumbledore was fostering had enabled most people to forget about the war going on all around them.

“I'm ready to go Harry, if you are,” Hermione called out.

They spent a few minutes waiting for Ginny and Luna to change their clothes. Instead of doing it the quick way with a switching spell they went back up to their rooms and became mysteriously indecisive as girls often do when it comes to their wardrobe.

Eventually, everyone was properly attired and ready to latch on to Harry's portkey back to Grimmauld Place. Of course, they could have all used their individual portkeys, but Hermione insisted that they only use one when they were all traveling together for safety's sake.

The first thing Harry noticed when they arrived was that Grimmauld Place seemed to be in surprisingly good shape. The charred holes and gashes that had covered virtually ever surface in the house had been repaired. Several sections of paneling gave away the fact that they were new by being slightly brighter than the others. The second thing he noticed was the sharp pop next to them as Dobby arrived to check on whom had entered the premises.

“Harry Potter sir, and Missus” Dobby exclaimed happily, although ignoring everyone else in his delight as seeing Harry and Hermione again. “Dobby is hoping everything is pleasing Harry Potter sir. Dobby and Winky has been working to get Harry Potter's house back to rights.”

“I can already tell you've both done an amazing job,” Harry reassured him. Dobby visibly relaxed, but Harry could tell that he was still nervous about working for him. The little elf beckoned for them to follow him to the dining room where the feast was already waiting.

The Weasley clan minus Percy, Bill, and Charlie, who were all absent for their own reasons, was present of course. Fleur was off at Hogwarts visiting Bill so she wasn't around either. Hermione's parents were there too and Harry was pleased to see that the eccentric Mr. Lovegood had joined them as well. However, the biggest surprise was to see the Dursleys sitting around the table, talking politely, if somewhat nervously, with everyone else. Harry eyed Vernon suspiciously but didn't make any comment as he and Hermione took their seats near the middle of the table.

Molly, or maybe it was Winky and Dobby, had really outdone themselves with this banquet. Nearly every kind of delicious food imaginable was there and in heaping portions. After a few awkward moments of passing the various dishes around the atmosphere settled pleasantly and the discussion remained mundane. Harry was relieved to enjoy a peaceful family meal, even if inwardly they were all feeling the heavy burden of the conflict surrounding them.

“Poor Molly,” Hermione said wistfully. “She looks so sad around these sorts of occasions.”

“Well, she doesn't get to see her kids very often,” Harry replied. Molly's usual joyous demeanor did seem to be forced these days.

Hermione laughed at something Mr. Lovegood said before continuing. “Its not just that. She's afraid that they're going to die. Maybe all of them.” Hermione said heavily. “Then there's Percy. Sent his sweater back again this year apparently…”

“I try not to look into people's minds,” Harry admonished gently.

“I wasn't trying to exactly,” Hermione said, blushing slightly. “Her mind is practically screaming out her problems right now.”

“I didn't really notice,” Harry said diplomatically, “But your mind is more disciplined than mine.”

“Harry dear, will you?” Molly asked. Harry blinked and refocused his wandering attention.

“Er, will I what?” He asked sheepishly.

“I was asking if you and Hermione were going to stay the night too.” Molly repeated. Apparently everyone else had already agreed while he and Hermione had been concentrating on their own conversation. Harry felt Hermione kick herself mentally for becoming overly engrossed. They rarely ever go so wrapped up in their own minds that they ignored what was going on around them, especially since their relationship had come out and made it unnecessary to display affection only in their minds.

“Sure,” Hermione answered quickly. “We've been meaning to take a break now for a while.”

Harry nodded in agreement and summoned a tray of pastries with a flick of his wand. Molly only frowned and the twins looked devastated that Harry didn't get reprimanded for “careless” magic use like they would have been for doing something similar.

After desert was finished Harry and Hermione excused themselves so that they could go view the library. Fortunately, the library was one of the least damaged rooms because Hermione's guardian statues and spells had thwarted the Death Eaters who attempted to penetrate it.

“Wow, they really wrecked some havoc didn't they?” Harry asked rhetorically when they surveyed the library. Several people who were camping out in the library to ease the cramped spaces of Grimmauld Place watched them curiously.

“I wonder why Dobby hasn't cleaned these up yet?” Harry mused. A wide path had been created by shoving the shattered remains of the stone guardians off to either side of the door, but nothing had been removed.

“House elves don't disturb their master's magic,” Hermione said, as if it were common knowledge. Harry made a mental note to ask her to recommend some of the books she read during fourth year when she founded her elfish welfare society.

Harry banished all the rubble, repairing nearby shelves, and then stepped back so Hermione could work freely. The bushy haired witch smiled broadly at Harry as she conjured up two small black stone blocks to act as the base. Next, she employed an advanced form of transfiguration similar to the spell that Professor McGonagall used to create the magical chessboard that guarded the Sorcerer's Stone during first year. The two stones wiggled like a semi-fluid substance, growing and morphing until they re-solidified as two fearsome looking black knights. They turned and marched to opposite sides of the doorway where the old guardians had stood. Their eyes glowed red for a moment when they finished freezing in place until their services would be required.

Meanwhile Harry decided to renew the spells guarding the room with something more powerful than the previous defenses. He drew a series of complicated spell forms in green flames on the double door entrance to the chamber. Spells that would inflict physical damage in addition to mental and also guard the entire house against intrusion, not just the library. When he noticed Hermione nodding with appreciation that he had mastered the technique so well.

“Come on,” Harry said with a grin, “lets tour the second floor for a while.”

Hermione captured his hand in her own as they walked up the stairs to the densely packed space on the second floor. The first floor of the library had a large open space between the books out of necessity. Space was required for the large rectangular table so that a person could do research comfortably. The second floor on the other hand dedicated all available space toward storage.

“I guess we really did cull all the good books last year,” Harry said after they'd gone past a couple of shelves. Of course that wasn't entirely true, there were several interesting books left, but they weren't terribly useful to anyone at the moment because they didn't deal with combat suitable magic.

“Honestly Harry,” Hermione said with mock exasperation. “You get a pretty girl alone and you're thinking of books? I really have been an awful influence.”

“Maybe I've just forgotten what to do because it's been so long since we got to be alone for a while?” Harry suggested.

“Here's a hint,” Hermione replied, kissing him gently on the lips. Harry drew her closer to him and returned her kiss eagerly.

All the background noise faded away until just the two of them were left. Hermione's wild hair seemed to engulf the two of them when they came into such close proximity. Grimmauld Place remained slightly on the cool side all the time, but especially in the winter. Their natural heat combined as they embraced in the narrow space between bookshelves created a truly blissful experience.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” Hermione murmured after a while. They had moved from kissing to just simply holding each other and then back to kissing.

“Me too, I love you so much Hermione, I wish we could just go away and be together like normal people,” Harry replied wistfully.

“I know Harry, that's what I want too,” Hermione replied. “I want us to have the family that you never had.”

Harry hugged her a little tighter; unable to express in words how much she had come to mean to him. Hermione buried her face in his chest for a moment before backing off.

“We should probably get back to our friends,” Hermione said softly. “They'll be wondering what happened to us.”

“I suppose, who knows when we'll all have a chance to sit down and relax together again,” Harry replied. Hermione flicked her wand and several books came floating down from the nearby shelves.

“What?” she said with a giggle when Harry raised an eyebrow. “We should look like we accomplished something shouldn't we?”

“If you say so,” Harry replied with a laugh. He plucked the books out of Hermione's grip before using his free arm to wrap around her narrow frame. No one even looked at them oddly anymore as they left the library. The hallways of Grimmauld Place were starting to get dark as the short winter day marched on toward night. The gloom didn't do much to hide the familiar bulk of Vernon Dursely though.

“What does he want?” Hermione asked with irritation. The Dursleys usually went out of their way to avoid Harry and by extension Hermione too.

“I, uh, wanted to talk boy…er, Harry,” Vernon mumbled. The big man seemed to be supremely uncomfortable. For the first time Harry noticed Petunia and Dudley lurking down the hall.

Harry sighed. “What is it Vernon?”

“I-I know that we've not been the…best, uh, guardians since we took you in,” Vernon said painfully. His face was all screwed up with concentration and nervousness.

Harry felt his own blood starting to get a little warm at what could only be construed as the greatest understatement of all time. He felt Hermione's hand grip his arm soothingly.

“And when those Death fellows broke in here you still saved us, you saved Petunia and Dudley,” Vernon continued, his voice heavy with emotion. “Being here in this frea…uh this place for so long now I gather that we muddles, er, muggles, aren't thought of so highly, but you're still protecting us…”

Harry felt his body going slightly numb as he realized where his uncle was going with his tortured speech. Never, ever, at any time, had he considered that such a thing as this might happen.

“You put yourself between us and those guys, and I guess we were wrong about you,” Vernon said, starting to speak faster until he was nearly running all his words together. “I just wanted to say that we're sorry, Petunia and Dudley and me, we're sorry and we hope you can forgive us someday.”

“We really are Harry,” Petunia said softly. She had approached, along with Dudley, during Vernon's speech. “I guess I was just resentful of my sister. I know that doesn't make it all right, but I never imagined that it was like this, I didn't realize what she died fighting against…”

“I'm used to being hated for what my parents did,” Harry said with a sneer. “Did you think that I'd start liking you because you finally woke up to the real world?”

Vernon shrank back from Harry. Even in muggle clothes the young wizard had become an intimidating presence despite his almost frail stature.

“The nerve of you people,” Hermione finally spoke up sharply. “Bringing up something like this, asking for forgiveness as if you cared. You're just afraid that Harry will wake up one morning and decide to return all the misery you heaped on him. You realize that you're at his mercy even more than he was ever at yours.”

“N-n-no, I didn't mean it that way,” Vernon said, waving his hands frantically. Petunia looked horrified.

“Didn't anyone tell you? Some wizards can read minds,” Hermione said sinisterly.

“However,” Harry broke in roughly, “despite the self serving motives of your apology, which was long overdue by the way, I'm glad you at least made it. Maybe someday the pain at how you treated an orphan boy will fade enough…but not today. Don't worry about your safety, I've protected you all this time, did you really think I'd throw you out now?”

Hermione quickly maneuvered Harry away from the shaken Dursleys and headed toward the main room. She was a little surprised at how charitable Harry had been toward them. From what he had showed her about his life under the Dursleys Hermione didn't know if she could have been that mild had she been in his place.

“Come on Harry, forget about them and let's get back to everyone else. I'm sure the twins have cooked up something fun,” Hermione said gently. Harry nodded and tried to shove all the latent anger towards the Dursleys back into the corner of his mind from whence it had resurfaced.

True to Hermione's prediction the gathering in the main room of Grimmauld Place was rather light hearted. Of course, with the twins providing entertainment unnatural transfigurations were to be expected. Neville, a favorite target, had the head of a donkey unceremoniously attached to his rear.

“How do you get rid of this bloody thing?” Neville asked indignantly. He waved his wand again, presumably performing some silent spell designed to banish the head, which was now braying loudly.

“It's permanent until the timer runs out,” Fred laughed.

“We've named them Jack on the Arse,” George added, holding up a vial of brown gel. “Only ten sickles, excellent for parties, pranks, or maybe just that boss you can't stand.”

“You can stand up for five hours can't you Neville ole chum?” Fred said, still laughing, as he slapped the poor fellow on the back. Neville groaned dejectedly and determinedly avoided looking at a giggling Ginny.

“Honestly, you boys,” Hermione huffed with mock annoyance. She flicked her wand lazily and the donkey head popped out of existence, leaving only a bunch of loose hairs behind.

“Hermione!” Fred and George exclaimed.

“How-“

“in the bloody-“

“hell did you-“

“banish it?” they asked, their faces masks of bewilderment.

“Like this,” Harry said. He gestured toward the two red heads with his wand and they grew loudly braying donkey heads identical to the one Neville had.

“Seriously, you two have got to come work with us,” Fred said, ignoring the noise from the conjured donkey's head.

“Wasting your talents, that's what you're doing,” George added. Hermione rolled her eyes and restored them to their usual form.

Harry grabbed a butter beer from a tray that had been left for them by Dobby and handed Hermione one too. She kicked off her shoes and curled up next to him on the sofa, bushy hair cascading everywhere. Harry noticed that Luna had somehow found her way under Ron's arm. The blonde had been laughing the entire time, but somehow Harry suspected that she could have banished the twin's prank too, had she wanted to.

“So what's in those books?” Neville asked after the laughter had died down.

“Not sure exactly,” Hermione said. “The potion book had some interesting defensive potions in it that I'm going to study later.”

“We could really use something new like the armor you guys made,” Neville said. “It would really make people feel better.”

“Neville!” Ginny said sharply.

“What?” Harry asked. He could feel concern radiating off of Hermione too. “Is something wrong?”

Neville grimaced, slightly before explaining. “It's just that, well, there's been some talk that the end may be closer than we think, and I don't mean the end of V-v-, You-Know-Who, I mean the end of us.”

“You really think we'll lose?” Harry asked hollowly.

“Don't be ridiculous,” Hermione said, but her lips were drawn into a thin line. “We've not lost as long as Harry is still alive, you know that.”

“It's just that, the avatars are so strong, and now there's all those werewolves. Who knows what he'll throw at us next.” Ginny said softly.

“So when can we expect people to quit?” Hermione asked, her voice filling with hostility.

“I didn't mean that-,” Neville sputtered.

“No one's obligated to stay,” Harry said calmly, with an almost Dumbledore like tone. “It isn't me who they're fighting for after all, but themselves.”

As if summoned a small silver bird swooped in, interrupting their conversation as it hovered around Harry. He plucked the messenger charm out of the air and opened it to find Dumbledore's flowing script.

“There's trouble,” Hermione said instantly, reading the message over Harry's shoulder. “Dobby!”

“Yes Missus?” Dobby asked, instantly answering her summons.

“Tell everyone that we're going back to Hogwarts immediately,” Hermione said briskly. “And tell them to get ready, Voldemort may be on the attack again.”

Neville opened his mouth, then closed it again as if unsure what to say. Ron looked at him and shrugged, activating his own portkey back to Hogwarts. A few moments later the teens were reassembled from their various arrival destinations and standing in front of the stairway to the Headmaster's office.

“Ah, excellent, you are all here,” Dumbledore said when they entered into the inner part of his office. A tall dark figure was standing off to the side.

“This is pointless,” Snape growled. “There's nothing they can do about it.”

“Severus has discovered that Voldemort plans to attack the dwarfish city of Hollow Dome in the Himalayan Mountains,” Dumbledore said, ignoring the pale looking potion master.

“Why would he do that?” Hermione asked. “He's never attacked on a large scale outside of England before. Not like this.”

“I would expect such a feeble minded question from Potter, but not you Granger,” Snape sneered. “It seems that your little slash and burn techniques have been effective in denying the Dark Lord the resources his army needs.”

“So he wants the dwarves' gold,” Hermione filled in. “He doesn't want to provoke the goblins, they're too strong, so he picks on a race that can't even use much magic.”

“Bravo,” Snape said, voice filled with mockery.

“We've got to help them,” Harry decided instantly. “We can't let Voldemort destroy them, let alone get a hold of their wealth.”

“No, certainly not, but how,” Dumbledore said. “The Ministry has locked down the country, no portkeys in or out.”

Unlike anti-apparation spells, that guarded a specific area, portkey dispersion fields also prevented any portkey from crossing their boundary in addition to establishing a destination point within the field itself. Thus a ring of dispersion fields could essentially create a pocket of space where no portkey could penetrate in or out of whilst leaving the interior still available to portkey travel.

“Well, Harry and I can apparate there,” Hermione replied.

“Impossible,” Snape snorted. “No one can apparate that far.”

“Of course not,” Hermione snapped, irritated at Snape's constant challenges to everything she said. “We'll make a series of apparation jumps.”

“You'd be unconscious from fatigue before you even got there,” Snape insisted.

“Look,” Harry interjected roughly. “Let us worry about getting there. Hermione says we can do it, we can do it. We're a lot stronger now than you realize.”

Snape rolled his eyes derisively, but refrained from making anymore comments.

“You can't go without us,” Ron said suddenly. “You need backup on something as dangerous as this. Like Hermione is always pointing out, you're our only hope Harry. We can't risk you like this.”

“There's no choice,” Harry replied. “Other than Hermione only Dumbledore could make it and he can't leave Hogwarts. He's the only one that can command the castle's defenses to help us in case Voldemort attacks here directly.”

“Quite correct,” Dumbledore agreed. “I'm afraid that Harry is right, either he and Hermione goes or no one does. Unfortunately despite the risks to Harry we also can't afford to let Voldemort gain the dwarves' treasure. Either way we stand to take on irreparable losses.”

“When is this attack taking place?” Hermione asked suddenly.

“Dumbledore looked grim. “You may or may not get there ahead of Voldemort's avatars if you leave right now.”

“You're just telling us this now?” Harry asked incredulously. He drew his wand and conjured his protective clothing.

“Just remember,” Hermione added as she drew her wand too, “while we're gone be especially careful. Only protect our most vital interests, which means no support to muggles. It would be too easy for Voldemort to trap you.”

Ron nodded as they activated their portkeys and vanished. His pride was slightly injured, but he knew that they were right. In the end it had come down to Harry and Hermione to bail out almost every mission that had even run afoul of Voldemort's most powerful wizards. Only Neville's team of the Light Bearer's strongest wizards had been able to prevail against Voldemort's elite and then only when the numbers were heavily in their favor. They might repel Death Eaters, but if Voldemort personally decided to squash them they wouldn't have any choice except to retreat.

“Dobby!” Harry yelled out. The little elf appeared instantly. “Hermione and I are leaving England to help the dwarves so if Grimmauld Place comes under attack again don't try to defend it, get everyone out.”

“Yes Harry Potter sir, Dobby understands,” Dobby replied.

“Dobby, please go to Hogwarts and have someone explain the situation to you so you can inform my parents. I don't want them to be worried,” Hermione added.

“Yes Missus,” Dobby said. He bowed slightly and then cracked away.

“Here Harry, drink this,” Hermione said. “It's a rejuvenation potion, but since we aren't exhausted it should boost physical strength some. Apparation like this will tax our bodies more than our reserve of magic.”

To the outside observer it would have appeared as merely a flickering mirage moving across the countryside. Harry and Hermione leapt dozens of miles with every apparation as they moved south, then over water, then again overland toward the dwarves' underground city that was secreted away in the mountains.

With sudden violence a truly massive anti-apparation ward network arrested their progress. The dwarves might not be warriors, but apparently they had some measures in place to deter wizard incursions.

Harry glanced at Hermione and as one they transformed into their animagus forms. They were slower in their bird forms, but it was the fastest mode of transport left available. Acceleration charms would be dangerous to use over such a long distance.

“I wonder how the avatars are getting here?” Harry asked.

“Probably with brooms,” Hermione replied. “I doubt these wards took them by surprise.”

“I wonder why the dwarves didn't tell us about them,” Harry said.

“I doubt they ever considered that a place like this would become a target,” Hermione speculated. “Or maybe they were just reluctant to give up their privacy.”

“There,” Harry said after they'd been flying for some time. “That's the entrance right below the peak of that mountain.”

They circled as they descended, wary of any ambush, but there was no sign of Voldemort's minions. When they were almost on the ground they morphed back and dropped the remaining distance to the ground. A dwarf immediately sprang from his cover and approached them.

“Who approaches the realm of the dwarves?” he asked.

“Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, in fulfillment of the treaty between the dwarves and those known as the Bearers of the Light,” Harry replied. “We have reason to believe that an attack on Hollow Dome is imminent.”

“Hurry, get below and warn your people,” Hermione urged. “They need to be prepared to evacuate. We think that Voldemort wants to grab your resources and wealth to help support his war.”

“Hermione, they're here,” Harry said, pointing at the dark shapes circling above. The dwarf, who had been looking skeptical, now practically fell over himself to run toward the tunnel entrance. Harry and Hermione drew wands warily. The last thing the dwarf saw as he scrambled into the tunnel was two tall figures standing silently as a semi-circle of dark monsters, eight of the most powerful avatars, approached them ominously.

Harry crossed his wand over Hermione's and drew out the full extent of his power. Tiny tendrils of lightening flickered along his wand to meet the small tongues of fire from Hermione's power.

Snow was falling heavily in Hogsmeade when the sharp cracks of apparation sounded all around the village. Concerned people looked anxiously outside and see their worst nightmare coming alive. The shock of dozens of black robed Death Eaters standing scattered around the streets hadn't even been realized before the heavy feeling of anti-apparation spells blanketed the village. In the center of the village, surrounded by a circle of wizards, was one tall pale figure with glowing red eyes. Lord Voldemort had come to Hogsmeade.

Author's Note:

Thanks for all the reviews, please keep them coming, they are much appreciated. I have already planned out a sequel in broad terms so the only thing that I need to be able to write it is sufficient time. I anticipate having enough time over the summer to write it up hopefully and right now it looks like most people support me waiting to post any sequel until its finished. I'll let out more details later if necessary, probably after school is out at the end of May.

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Chapter 12 - Meadow Down

Atop a distant mountain peak ten black cloaked figures stood motionlessly as they waited for some intangible signal to start the battle. The snow had stopped falling and a huge area of bare rock was exposed in a giant circle since Hermione had summoned a large ball of blue fire and levitated it over her head.

“You just worry about attacking, I'll concentrate on defense,” Harry said through their link. They were clearly overmatched and Harry's greater raw power would be most useful in negating incoming attacks whilst Hermione's cleverness would be most suited to devising a way to get past their defenses. Hermione acknowledged him with a short nod and gave her wand a flick. The ball of blue tinted flame split into eight smaller balls before each streaked away toward an avatar. The hurriedly improvised attack was easily deflected by silver shields bearing the symbol of the snake.

“Look out,” Hermione said with the mental equivalent of a yell. Beams of green light flashed toward them, but Hermione needn't have worried. Harry blew apart the ground around them and intercepted the killing curses with a flurry of stones. Hermione was about to summon a stronger attack when a great ghostly shield that resembled a turtle's shell appeared around them. The shield had individual plates like those on a turtle and was able to shift position. Each time they moved they opened up small cracks through which offensive spells could be cast.

“I can't use elemental spells, they aren't going to get through,” Hermione grouched as several strong curses impacted against Harry's shield and were absorbed or reflected. He moved his wand in a circular pattern that left a sky blue light sphere glowing in the air. Every few rotations the circle would pulse brightly and reinforce the turtle shell shield.

Hermione put her wand up to one of the cracks between the shield's numerous plates and cast a series of thick red vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines out of its end. The lines acted like cutting edges as they skimmed along the ground ripping apart everything in their path. Because their orientation was varied it made dodging them much more difficult. One of the avatars foolishly tried to block it with his shield and ended up getting massive cuts on the exposed part of his limbs.

“Don't make me laugh!” one of the avatars screamed even as the wizard Hermione had struck fell over in agony. “You can't hope to win against eight of us Potter.”

A new hail of deadly spells pelted Harry's shield, but instead of dissipating after each blow their energies clung to the shield until erupting in a massive explosion. Dust churned up all around them as Harry grabbed Hermione and accelerated away. Quickly he conjured another ghostly turtle shell shield that, despite its weaknesses, was still the best defense he knew for a situation such as this. Suddenly Harry realized that Hermione wasn't returning fire anymore. Looking down he saw her thin figure covered in deep cuts, her clothes soaking rapidly in blood.

Albus Dumbledore sat anxiously behind his desk staring at the doorway that Severus Snape had just rushed out of. Most people who knew the man believed that he never had a friend in his entire life, but he did once, long ago. The death of Regelus Black at the hands of Snape's hero, Lord Voldemort, had shattered the gangly, pale skinned potion expert. Not to mention the other deaths…until the poor man was left alone with nothing but his dark memories.

The aging wizard stifled a sigh for the sake of the young people assembled in front of him awaiting the return of their two friends. Young Longbottom, no longer the bumbling little boy of six years ago, but now a competent wizard that made even his overbearing grandmother proud. The eccentric Miss Lovegood and Mr. Weasley, in many ways they reminded him of James and Lily Potter when they were their age. Ron, like James, had a difficult time with expressing the proper emotions at the proper times. Luna was more of a stretch, but she was easily as smart as Lily Evans had been and at least as brave. Then at last there was small Ginny Weasley, the most sheltered of the Weasley children to attend Hogwarts, but he sensed that she possessed a great deal of potential none the less.

There was a suddenly flutter of movement as a silver bird passed through the wall and circled closely to his head. Dumbledore reached up and grabbed the magically revealed parchment, his heart freezing when he saw the words written upon it.

“What's wrong?” Neville asked. Neville's prominent role in fighting Voldemort's forces had clearly made him the most perceptive of the four.

“We have been deceived,” Dumbledore said sharply. “Hogsmeade is under attack.”

“We've got to rally the Light Bearers,” Ron said quickly.

“No,” Dumbledore replied sharply. “Voldemort himself is leading this attack, I can feel the wards being erected in a network large enough to prevent any help from reaching us in time. Besides, we don't dare expose our forces to Voldemort without Harry.”

Dumbledore jumped up and moved as quickly as he could toward the Great Hall. Thankfully, most of the students were still assembled in there for their evening meal. He strode up to the raised platform, motioning frantically to the teachers that something was amiss.

“Silence,” McGonagall yelled out. “The Headmaster will speak.”

“Hogsmeade has been attacked. We can only assume that a substantial number of people are left trapped throughout the village. Their only hope is for us to help them escape to this castle and so I must ask something of you that I had hoped to never ask. Anyone in the fifth year or above whom will volunteer to fight please stand. The house elves will keep the castle while the staff and I, along with anyone who will go with us, tries to help the people of Hogsmeade.” Dumbledore said, attempting to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. He winced as he tried not to think about what he was doing. He needed people who could hold wands, but he didn't want to risk their most valuable members in a futile battle.

McGonagall swayed slightly, but she started barking out orders, summoning elves to take charge of the younger students. A majority of the fifth year and above, except most of the Slytherin students and a handful in the other houses, had stood to volunteer. Several of them were Lighter Bearer members, useful in a battle even if not fully trained and qualified due to their past experience in the D.A. Ashen faced youth and grim looking professors alike followed Dumbledore as he practically flew down the halls with his deep purple robes billowing behind him. Dumbledore looked behind and motioned violently for those following to hurry.

Normally those wishing to travel from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade would take a meandering road, but now such a circumvent route was a luxury that they could not afford. The sun had nearly set, but an unnatural foggy darkness had encompassed Hogsmeade. The village wasn't even visible except for the fires of destroyed structures.

“Minverva, assist Mr. Weasley as much as possible, he will need your guidance in this matter more than he may realize,” Dumbledore said softly.

“Albus, what are you going to do?” McGonagall asked.

“I will do what I must,” Dumbledore replied cryptically.

“No,” McGonagall breathed, her eyes widening, “You can't, you know you can't, its suicide.”

“Voldemort is the core of the attack,” Dumbledore explained. “He's sent his strongest fighters to ambush Harry, that's the only explanation as why they've not yet returned.”

“Albus, please…” McGonagall said softly, her eyes pleading with his.

“Don't ya worry none,” Hagrid said gently as he came up behind them. The half-giant was carrying a strange metallic club that looked too big even for his hefty stature. He had been listening to the entire exchange and with Dumbledore's nod he gently led the transfiguration professor on down the hill toward the rest of the students who had paused in their march toward Hogsmeade. “Dumbledore's a great wizard, ya know he won' be goin' an rollin' over for any dark wizard.”

Dumbledore was just on the fringe of the anti-apparation wards when he stopped and readied himself. Further down the hill students and teachers alike looked up toward the kindly old Headmaster who was always offering people candy or making off color jokes but they could barely recognize him. Dumbledore's eyes had turned a flat, icy blue color and their twinkle was replaced by a burning hardness that only a very few persons had ever seen.

“VOLDEMORT,” Dumbledore's magically enhanced roar seemed to rend the very fabric of the air. “VOLDEMORT”

There was a loud cracking sound and a sharp intake of breath from the on lookers as Lord Voldemort materialized a dozen paces away from Dumbledore. Apparently the evil wizard could apparate through his own wards, even if they were the hasty ones being set up to block anyone trying to come or go from the Hogsmeade area. The Dark Lord's black cloak flapped in the cold wind enough to reveal his unnaturally thin, pale, almost reptilian figure. Red eyes full of malice met blue eyes equally filled with determination and….rage.

“No one has ever called me out,” Voldemort hissed angrily. “This is your end old man.”

There was a flicker of motion followed by a rush of violently dislocated air and then both of them were gone.

“Hurry,” Ron called out, “This is the only chance we'll have to help Hogsmeade.”

“HERMIONE,” Harry shouted out across their bond. The shield, which Harry had solidified since there was no opportunity to attack with Hermione out of commission, rocked hard as physical objects impacted against it instead of merely spells. Harry tried to heal Hermione's wounds but they didn't close much.

“Harry, just worry about the shield, I'll be okay,” Hermione said forcefully, her eyes flaring open again. Harry watched with relief as her grip tightened around her wand and her wounds slowly closed. Harry tossed down a blood-replenishing potion from his hat so that she wouldn't have to search for a vial.

The relief that flooded Harry's chest was driven away almost instantly as another sensation made itself felt. The golden emblem around his neck actually burned hot from the number of desperate pleas that were coming across from those besieged. Harry saw flashes of Hogsmeade and Voldemort on the slopes of Hogwarts.

“We've got to get out of here Harry, they need us,” Hermione said urgently.

“But the dwarves, they'll be defenseless,” Harry argued. “We can't just abandon them.”

“They've had time to at least stand a chance of escape,” Hermione insisted, “If Hogsmeade is wiped out it will be a disaster, people will give up our cause out of fear, not to mention that Hogwarts itself may fall if we don't get back in time. Who knows what Voldemort can do with no one there to check his power.”

Harry unleashed a hail of spinning silver disks, unable to think clearly enough to devise a more effective attack. The avatars barely paused to destroy or deflect them before firing off more killing curses. Luckily, Harry had held some of the disks in reserve to take the blows. He gritted his teeth and replied with searing attacks of his own, recklessly disregarding the shield in his determination not to abandon the dwarves. He had never really had any interaction with them, beyond the representatives that had signed their treaty and of course the dwarf that had delivered a singing valentine to him during second year. Still, they were sentient creatures and he couldn't abandon them to their fate like this.

“Harry, stop reacting to this emotionally,” Hermione said sternly. “Remember your promise…”

Harry's mind's eye flashed back to a crying Hermione clutching him in a hallway, begging him to stop Voldemort no matter what the cost, extracting his promise to not let anything, even Hermione's own death, come between him and what they both knew had to be done.

Harry let out a strangled noise of stifled rage and loathing as he communicated to Hermione. “Cover your eyes!”

Harry lifted his wand high above his head and cast a flash of blinding white light. The avatars staggered, temporarily blinded by the unexpected maneuver. Harry flicked his wand like a whip and banished Hermione. She was hurled off the mountainside high in the air where the special shoes Harry had created held her aloft. Before her momentum had dissipated she had already caught onto Harry's plan and begun to do her part to carry it out. Harry felt her power snatch him toward her at a terrible speed until he was sent flying past her.

Back and forth they took turns hurtling each other steadily closer to the edge of the dwarves' magical transportation inhibition fields. They still had a long way to go when eight dark shapes lifted off of the abandoned mountaintop to came rushing toward them. The two teens quickly realized that brooms were far superior to their improvised means of travel. Harry felt Hermione's spell jerk him around the waist again as she got far enough ahead of him.

“Avada Kedavra,” Harry yelled over and over again after he had grabbed Hermione with a spell. The avatars broke formation to dodge the flurry of deadly green flashes, but they didn't slow down much.

“Hermione, we've got to transform,” Harry said desperately.

“No, Harry, we can't,” Hermione shouted back frantically. “They'd chase us down easily and in our bird forms we're defenseless. Plus, we can't let them find out about our transformations unless it's absolutely unavoidable.”

Harry was pulled backwards by Hermione's charm after she had begun to lose momentum from Harry's spell. Harry shot a few more curses as he sailed past her, but Hermione was summoning a new attack of her own. Tentacles of fire poured out of her wand tip and congealed into a writhing ball that seemed to have a mind of its own. Long after Hermione was yanked away from her creation it continued to lash out and attack the oncoming avatars. This time they had no choice but to stop and give battle to the bizarre thing. Aqua colored shields hissed as the long lashes of fire struck out from the ball over and over again.

“What is that thing?” Harry asked with a feeling of pride as they continued to put distance between themselves and the embattled avatars.

“Corporeal fire transfigured and imbued with animalistic intellect,” Hermione explained. “I still haven't mastered it though.”

Harry thought she had mastered it quite well enough when one of the tentacles wrapped around an avatar and wormed its way down his throat. The dark minion heaved as if about to vomit before his skin started to flake off in ash. With a brilliant flare the avatar burst into flame from within and was instantly consumed except for his charred skeleton that continued to cling to the broomstick as it fell from the sky.

The ball of fire actually howled with pain, or maybe rage, as it was pierced with a dozen spikes of ice. Big dark patches appeared on the surface of the fiery ball where the ice extinguishing the flame and undid the magic that animated it.

“How much further?” Harry asked as Hermione sent him rushing past her again for at least a dozen times.

“I think the field is starting to weaken,” Hermione replied.

Harry cast more killing curses at the avatars that were rapidly gaining ground again after having defeated Hermione's spell. They twirled and swerved like professional quiddich players but they didn't slow down in the least.

“Hermione, make another fireball,” Harry said desperately.

“I can't right now, the last one really drained me,” Hermione replied.

Harry racked his brain desperately for a spell that would help them out but nothing came to mind. He shot out masses of silver projectiles only to see them vaporized or ground to powder by similar spells being used in retaliation. Seven mighty wizards were simply too many for them to fight, especially in such a precarious situation hundreds of feet off the ground.

Harry felt himself collide into Hermione with a soft thud and then he realized that the avatars had finally caught up. The dark cloaked figures swarmed around them like wolves looking for a weakness to bring down their prey. Harry and Hermione activated their armor as they oriented themselves back to back.

“We're almost there,” Hermione lamented.

“Steal a broom,” Harry said. “Push off of me when one of them gets too close.”

“No way Harry, you'll be vulnerable all alone out here, you've got to push off of me,” Hermione replied vehemently. Harry balked at this, he had realized the person left behind would be most vulnerable, which was why he had wanted Hermione to steal the broom.

“Harry,” Hermione said sternly, “There's no time for you to hesitate, you're the superior flier not to mention the only one who can stop Voldemort. Our best chance of getting out of here is for you to go right NOW.”

Harry gritted his teeth and summoned all his power as he lifted his legs behind him to use Hermione as a launching platform. He hesitated for a moment until he determined which of the circling fliers was closest to them and then he struck. Hermione doubled over from the force of his kick, but he didn't have time to watch her recovery. The avatars realized their error and tried to move back but before they could get enough distance the atmosphere exploded in electricity. Harry heard a crunching noise as his metal coated fist slammed into the avatar he had targeted. His wand filled hand awkwardly clutched at the broom handle as his body twisted around into a sitting position. Broom secured Harry grabbed a dazed Hermione, who had also been affected by his attack, and rushed as quickly as possible for the edge of the ward field.

“Drink this, hurry, Hermione…” Harry wheedled as he shook her gently. Finally, Hermione drank the rejuvenation potion after regaining consciousness. Her eyes widened as everything came rushing back and they apparated away at the same time, the broom falling away in their haste.

“All right, everyone get over here,” Ron yelled between breaths. After a few minutes of hard running everyone had arrived at the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Ron pointed his wand at the snow on the ground and caused a replica of the village to raise itself up.

“Now then, as near as we can tell we've got people trapped in these places,” Ron said as he highlighted the areas he was referring to. “We need to break through and hold open the Death Eater lines along these points in order to get everyone out. Some will come here, others will use the secret tunnel in Honeydukes.”

“We're outnumbered,” Luna said as she batted at one of her radish earrings idly. “They could overrun this position anytime they wanted.”

“You're right,” Ron said, muttering under his breath. “Come on, Luna, Neville, we need a barrier.”

“Right,” Neville acknowledged. The three teens took up positions in a rough triangle and thrust their wands into the soft snow. A thick stone barrier sprang up from the soil to form a crude fortification to help absorb spells.

“Fifth and sixth years stay here, seventh years and professors with me,” Ron shouted. He used his wand to leap easily over the wall and re-conjured the magical map of the village. “Neville, you and the professors need to retake this nearest route into the town center where the main battle is going on. Luna will take the other students and try to locate the anti-apparation ward that is located about…here. We get that down and most of the people trapped can escape, plus we can then call in reinforcements.”

Neville motioned for everyone in his team to start moving out, but McGonagall hung back.

“I think I should stay here Mr. Weasley. I can help direct the battle…” she said kindly.

“No,” Ron replied firmly. “You're one of our best fighters and if we're to break through the main concentration of Death Eaters you'll be needed with Neville.”

“You can't bring in more people,” McGonagall exploded, her real reason for wanting to stay revealed. “Professor Dumbledore explicitly said…”

“Dumbledore isn't here, I am,” Ron snapped. He grabbed a fist full of cloak and shook it in her face. “And it wouldn't matter if he was. You see these four stripes? This is my command, now go, we don't have time for a bloody turf war.”

Jaws dropped all around and everyone held their collective breaths waiting for McGonagall to blow up. Instead she simply snapped her mouth into a thin line, looking stun.

“Very well,” she said tersely, wheeling about. Neville looked apprehensive but none the less motioned everyone forward.

“Bloody….sodding…McGonagall,” Ron muttered angrily as they disappeared, “Luna, are you ready?”

“Don't worry Ron, everything will be okay,” Luna said, leaning in and giving Ron a rather deep kiss on the lips. “Wish me luck.”

“Uh, good luck,” Ron said, turning as red as his hair from the public display. He watched as Luna took the fore of her group and disappeared out of his sight. Sighing he turned to the students left painfully aware that he was now unquestionably the strongest wizard left to defend the escape back to Hogwarts. He was in charge, he was the only one that could lead, and it was all up to him. Ron grimaced as he realized that this feeling must be something like the one Harry had been living with for years now.

Great pale gray spires twisted up into the air like pottery experiments gone wrong. The towers were arranged in a peculiar pattern that seemed to be both totally random and meticulously planned all at the same time. An invisible circular boundary governed the small city because the buildings all abruptly stopped at the same radius from the town center. However, Dumbledore could see very little of this from his current position in the meadows surrounding the city on all sides. Tall grass lapped at his robes as he stood by passively waiting for the tall pale figure that had followed him to do something.

Voldemort chuckled eerily. “How fitting, the end of Albus Dumbledore will happen in the cursed land of Meadow Down.”

“Cursed only for the enemies of the ancestors,” Dumbledore replied evenly. How he loathed bringing one such as Voldemort to a place such as this. Unfortunately, Dumbledore knew that Voldemort already knew the location of Meadow Down and it was one of the few places remote enough from muggle society to make a safe battlefield.

“Cursed for them as well, apparently, since they're all dead,” Voldemort hissed. “Now I will put an end to your muggle loving meddlesome ways and then Potter will fall into my hands.”

“You cannot defeat me Tom,” Dumbledore replied serenely. “For reasons you could never understand. You may defeat Harry, that I cannot know, but you will suffer a fate worse than death and if Harry wins you'll taste death too.”

Voldemort's eyes suddenly shone bright red and his cloak whipped as if in a fierce wind. “Show it to me!” He demanded hotly. “The power that defeated Grindelwald. I tire of your meaningless talk. You brought me here for that reason did you not? To use the power you swore not to so long ago?”

Dumbledore bowed his head sadly before looking back up. Contrary to Voldemort, Dumbledore's eyes didn't change beyond his normal fierce twinkle whenever he went into battle, nor did his robes shift, instead only a great calm settled around him. Dumbledore hated what Grindelwald had forced him to do; what he had allowed himself to do after Abigail was killed.

Voldemort on the other hand had always been too afraid of Dumbledore's immense strength to fight him in a full-scale battle. Instead they had faced off over and over again like two icebergs at sea crunching up against each other. Each knew that the other was hiding the vast bulk of their power, but neither knew which was hiding the most. Now that the prophecy protected him from death Voldemort was willing to risk a confrontation for the sake of his curiosity.

Voldemort pointed his wand at Dumbledore's feet and lifted it sharply. The grass grew and twisted into long thick ropes that wrapped around Dumbledore until only a huge green cylindrical bundle could be seen. In an instant the entire field was transformed as thick layers of ice materialized over the landscape. Dumbledore sprang from the grassy prison, shattering it and everything green all the way to the horizon, before vaporizing the fragments with a flick of his wand. Voldemort scowled as he surveyed the brown barren landscape left in Dumbledore's wake.

“Earth may escape fire and lightening with mere scorches, but against the power of water all of nature gives way,” Dumbledore said, as if informing a class. “The lack of it will kill all that lives, the excess of it grinds mountains to dust.”

“Water is merely a rider on the back of a mighty world of stone,” Voldemort snarled. He pointed his wand at the ground again causing the ground to crumble beneath Dumbledore's feet. There was a brilliant flash as Fawkes appeared for Dumbledore to hold on to until his feet were on solid terrain again. The little phoenix settled itself placidly on Dumbledore's shoulder awaiting its next task.

“Water is the balance of stone,” Dumbledore replied. Unnatural clouds swirled in the sky and a gentle mist began to fall.

Voldemort waved his wand and great spikes shot out of the ground intending to impale Dumbledore. They quickly sagged and collapsed into a muddy heap on the ground thanks to the conjured moisture permeating the earth. The mud leapt up into a tight cocoon around Voldemort as Dumbledore repeated the tactic he had tried on the dark wizard in the Ministry of Magic's lobby.

The swirling mud hardened in a flash and flaked away into a cloud of dust from which Voldemort stepped confidently. The clouds darkened as the rain got heavier and the wind increased. Dumbledore and Voldemort were both completely soaked now, their robes clinging to them tightly. Dumbledore moved his wand in a tiny circular motion and conjured up a tendril of twisting air that lashed out at Voldemort. With a flicker the evil wizard apparated away an instant before the miniature cyclone struck and gouged a deep hole in the ground.

Dumbledore struck out again and again, but each time Voldemort apparated away at the last instant. Finally, Dumbledore pointed his wand at himself, casting a spell to make himself inflate rapidly until he resembled a giant ball with a beard and a pointy hat. The force of Dumbledore's swelling caused all the water that had accumulated in his robes to fling off in every direction and a second spell caused the tiny droplets to harden into jagged icy darts. Voldemort howled as his body was riddled with dozens of shards and then lurched back in pain.

Dumbledore returned to his normal form and cast a beam of vibrant blue light at the stricken dark wizard. It impacted against an invisible barrier a mere arm's length away from Voldemort. Dumbledore unleashed a flurry of spells that impacted with a flash of light and roar of thunder against the barrier.

Voldemort clutched his wand tightly and his wounds began to disappear. He regained his feet, face twisted in fury. “One killing curse old man, just one, that's all I ask.” Voldemort yelled.

Dumbledore's eyes blazed and he gritted his teeth, but he didn't cast the infamous Avada Kedavra. Instead he unleashed a torrent of white-blue light from his wand that shattered Voldemort's barrier, vaporizing it instantly. Voldemort summoned a silver shield emblazoned with his snake symbol to absorb the rest of the blast, but the force of Dumbledore's spell still sent him skidding backwards.

Then, just like that, Dumbledore seemed to diminish. “I'm afraid you must be denied Tom.” He said simply. “I won't make the same mistake that I made before, especially not here. Did you think I chose Meadow Down only for its seclusion?”

Voldemort's eyes glinted with understanding. “You were the one weren't you?” Voldemort asked. “I remember hearing about the rumor that you discovered a baby in some kind of time spell trap, but it was you wasn't it. You were that baby!”

“I don't remember anything actually,” Dumbledore spoke at last. “But I am curious to know how you would be aware of the trap. Only one has been found and it was destroyed without a trace.”

“Oh no, I don't think so Dumbledore. This is your day to tell secrets, not mine,” Voldemort laughed again, even louder than before.

Red beams lanced out through the air followed by two thuds as another pair of Death Eaters hit the ground. Neville glanced around quickly using the vision enhancing eyepiece that all Light Bearers carried. They had pushed through three different pockets of Death Eaters with little trouble and now found themselves only a few dozen meters away from the largest concentration of individuals still holding out against the attack.

“You two, stay here and guard this alley,” Neville said firmly. “We're going to need a way out.”

He surveyed the street and quickly came to the conclusion that they would have no choice but to confront the Death Eaters in the open if they were to break out the people under siege. Neville gestured rapidly for the professors to fan out and then with a wave they surged forward with a hail of deadly spells. For a moment Neville thought that they had taken the Death Eaters entirely by surprise, but then the offensive spells abruptly exploded against an invisible barrier.

“McGonagall, Flitwick…Longbottom?” Lucius Malfoy said in a quizzical tone.

Two cries sounded from behind them and Neville spun around in time to see a dozen Death Eaters stun the two professors guarding their exit.

“Now!” Lucius yelled. Neville turned back in time to see the elder Malfoy toss three round objects into the air. They glowed blue for an instant before vanishing and Neville realized that the portkey dispersion wards were down.

“It's a trap,” he cried out desperately, but it was too late. Three massive giants appeared where the spheres had vanished from a few moments before. These giants were unlike anything Neville had ever seen or heard of before. They were covered from head to toe in some kind of ancient looking armor that had to be goblin wrought. In one hand they carried shields of dragon bone adorned with randomly placed spikes that jutted out several feet and in the other hand they wielded giant swords of flame. The air shimmered from the heat of their weapons and the wind off of their movements caused the snow to boil up in a miniature blizzard. Emblazoned on each of their helms were three horizontal stripes, with each progressively longer to create a rough pyramid.

“It's tha `Arg brothers,” Hagrid shouted.

“The who?” Neville asked.

“The Arg brothers are the most dreaded warriors of the Red Mountain tribe,” McGonagall hissed angrily. “The eldest, Aarg, the second eldest Barg, and the youngest Carg. Don't underestimate them.”

Normally Neville wouldn't have been worried about giants. Despite their natural resistance to magic they still died like anything else when struck by the unstoppable Avada Kedavra curse. Even non-lethal spells could restrain or subdue a giant after a while. However, these giants were too well shielded to be killed so easily and for the first time Neville began to appreciate why Dumbledore had been so adamant that they get the giants on their side.

“How are we supposed to fight these things?” Professor Fliwick squeaked. Hagrid seemed to be the only one who knew what he was doing. The gamekeeper was using his club like a pike to keep the giants from being able to quickly close in on him.

“I don't know, use your armor,” Neville yelled, suddenly wishing that he had regular Light Bearers with him instead of an improvised force of schoolteachers. He fired a killing curse at the nearest giant but it barely even scratched the warrior's magic resistant dragon bone shield.

It was almost comical to see the likes of McGonagall or the tiny Flitwick activate their armor and shields. Neville didn't have time to ponder on their appearance before the giants rushed forward, flaming swords screaming through the air. Neville and McGonagall leapt aside as snow turned to steam where Aarg's sword slammed into the ground. Showing unnatural grace for someone her age McGonagall managed to outflank Aarg before casting thick sticky ropes around his legs. Neville recognized what she was attempting to do and copied her tactic.

Aarg's armor shimmered slightly and the sticky ropes refused to hold. The giant's powerful muscles did the rest of the work by snapping the few threads that were wrapped around both legs. McGonagall tried to send more tendrils out but Aarg wasn't to be fooled by the same technique twice. The flaming sword enlarged itself into a flat surface wide enough to intercept and vaporize all of the Professor's attack.

Neville racked his brain desperately for something else to try, but before he could do anything he was suddenly pulled aside by a summoning charm. Snow hissed as Barg's flaming sword slashed through the ground that Neville had previously been standing on. He landed on his back heavily at the feet of the person who had saved him.

“Ginny!” Neville exclaimed. Long fiery hair whipped in the strong wind as Ginny helped him stand. He felt a rush of concern; Ginny shouldn't be in such a dangerous place. Neville flushed even as he finished those thoughts. Ginny had just saved him; she didn't deserve to be berated for it. “Thanks Ginny, you saved me.”

“I'm glad,” she replied nervously, obviously having expected to be chewed out.

“We've got to move though,” Neville said urgently. He wrapped an arm protectively around Ginny's shoulders and led her away. McGonagall fired off another round of hexes at Aarg only to see them rebound off the giant's formidable armor.

“Intempestus Horrificus,” Ginny yelled. Great dark shapes like a twisted variation of her favored bogy hex squeezed out of the end of her wand and swarmed over Aarg. The giant dropped his sword and stumbled about, yelling in terror. Neville copied Ginny's attack and for a moment it looked as if they might have found a spell to gain the upper hand. Unfortunately Barg came to the aid of his brother by throwing his shield at the two teens. Neville took the brunt of the blow, one of the spikes impaling his thigh as they were sent sprawling. By the time Neville had staggered back onto his feet with the help of Ginny the giants had already retrieved their weapons.

“Run Ginny,” Neville pleaded when Aarg started toward them, his intent deadly and clear. Ginny didn't respond, instead she tugged on Neville's much heavier form to try and get him moving. Neville winced from the sharp pain in his leg but twisted to futilely cover Ginny's body with his own as Aarg's sword arced through the air towards them.

With an unusual cracking sound Harry and Hermione found their progress arrested by the presence of Voldemort's anti-apparation wards. Now they were doubly thankful for their animagus forms as they morphed into a falcon and an owl before flying in the direction of Hogsmeade as quickly as possible.

“Harry, you've got to go get the wards down so everyone can escape,” Hermione said as they flapped their wings with determination. Through the emblems they were able to gain a working knowledge of the ongoing battle.

“Are you sure, wards are more of your specialty than mine,” Harry replied.

“If Voldemort returns he will go to secure the wards and Luna's group are the weaker fighters. They need you and I can handle the giants,” Hermione insisted, though she talked with more assurance than she felt.

The air was now thick with smoke from the ruined and burning structures of Hogsmeade. The noise of people shouting spells also began to filter into their keen animal senses. At the edge of the village Harry and Hermione landed so they could transform outside of anyone's sight. Harry gave Hermione a quick kiss and watched anxiously as she accelerated away. With a silent plea for her to be safe Harry turned away and ran as fast as he dared to avoid falling into an ambush or trap.

Harry grimaced as he passed a second body in an alley as he headed toward Luna's group. The body obviously belonged to a student, but it was so badly deformed by some kind of spell that he had no idea who it was. He had a sickening feeling that he would see many more such bodies before the day was over.

“Harry! Over here,” Luna yelled from a doorway just in time for a dozen beams of green light to lance out at him. The air grew heavy and the beams seemed to refract around Harry's position. Not wanting to test fate any further Harry accelerated into the building that Luna had called out to him from.

“That was lucky, you almost got fried,” Luna said with a Dumbledore like calmness once Harry was safely behind cover.

“Yeah,” Harry agreed. If the prophecy would bend the laws of magic and nature for him like that then maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.

More spells flew across the empty street from the Death Eaters who were guarding the wards. Harry realized that the only reason that the wrecked building they were in wasn't aflame was due to an active spell being cast by Luna herself. As it was they had still been forced to blast out a space like a trench he'd seen muggles use in one of their great wars so as to escape the continual stream of killing curses that decimated anything caught above ground.

“Who can perform Avada Kedavra?” Harry asked. A couple of people nodded; not nearly enough for what Harry had in mind. “Fine then, stunners, everyone will saturate that entire area with stunners when I draw their fire.”

Harry had half expected someone to argue, but no one did. He conjured up his silver shield and levitated a mass of shattered masonry to protect him from killing curses as he leapt out into the street. A few green beams flashed out at him only to be absorbed by the masonry. However, many of the Death Eaters switched over to spells that remained unaffected by physical barriers.

“Stunners!” Harry roared as he huddled beneath his silver shield. From behind him a dozen wands spat out thin red beams of energy, most of which exploded harmlessly, but served their purpose of making the Death Eaters slacken the pace of their assault.

Harry didn't pause to consider the less than stellar performance of his backup as he blew in the remains of the wall that the Death Eaters were hiding behind. He charged into the room and spotted what remained of Voldemort's guard struggling to resist him. Unfortunately for them they were not avatars and against the strength of the only person capable of defeating their master they stood little chance in open combat.

A wizard with long braided hair snapped a killing curse at Harry an instant before he was driven into the wall by a stunner. Harry flicked his wand and sent several tiny balls of sliver shooting toward the remaining Death Eaters. The balls struck the Death Eaters and pushed them back against the walls or floor and then morphed into shackles. A second flick drug their wands away before they could make any attempt to undo their restraints.

“Come on,” Harry shouted. Luna waved and quickly darted across the street. She instructed the bulk of her force to watch the street in case more Death Eaters arrived to reclaim the wards. The rest came further into the building to watch the now stunned Death Eaters that Harry had subdued.

“Oh, nice, ethereal,” Luna said mistily as she gazed down on the slowly rotating wards in front of Harry.

“Do you know how to undo them?” Harry asked gruffly, annoyed that Luna appeared to be admiring Voldemort's work at a time like this.

“No, not really,” Luna replied happily. She tugged idly on one of her radish earrings and stared at the ward.

Harry thought back to what Hermione had told him about such things when she was teaching him how to construct wards. Unlike normal wards made of conjured spell form bases ethereal wards were not really a part of the greater world around them.

“Avada Kedavra,” Harry shouted angrily. The floor around the ward disappeared in a cloud of smoke and dirt, but the ward wasn't even slightly affected. Harry sat down on the floor and let several tendrils of energy seep out of his wand. He would have to deconstruct it one piece at a time with more subtle magic.

Harry concentrated on the intricate form of the ward that contained the anti-portkey ward first. Not everyone trapped could apparate so he wanted to give those with portkeys the ability to leave as quickly as possible. A few pieces of the semi-transparent milky white ward flaked off hesitantly, but almost immediately thereafter the ward began to glow with a blue hue. A fierce blast of lightening ripped out across the room leaving the stench of ozone in its wake. Harry blinked once and realized that the charm Hermione had placed on his wand had protected him, but Luna had not fared so well.

Harry abandoned his task to look after the prone form of the blonde girl. Luna's skin was scorched in several places, especially around her jewelry, and she didn't seem to be fully conscious. Harry tore his hat from his head and fished out a handful of potions.

“I'm…finish the ward,” Luna gasped when Harry started forcing some restorative potions down her throat.

“Don't try to talk,” Harry said firmly. He realized that Luna was right though, he couldn't afford to take time to help her right now. Harry looked around the room for one of the weaker fighters.

“Lavender, get over here and give her more of these healing potions” Harry said, motioning his hat. Lavender came over quickly looking anxious and concerned. Harry realized that she wasn't as good at healing as he was, let alone Poppy, but it couldn't be helped. He turned back to the ward, this time after having everyone summon shield charms to protect themselves from any more anti-tampering spells that Voldemort might have left imbedded.

Harry squinted and concentrated on the decomposition procedure even though he was beginning to get flashes of battle from across his link with Hermione. He roughly shoved those feelings to the back of his mind along with another whispered plea for her to stay alive. He knew the only way to help Hermione was to finish his job and to trust in her like she deserved. That final thought spread relief through his mind; Hermione was a powerful witch and far cleverer than anyone else Harry had ever known. With renewed concentration and caution the stubborn ward began to further break apart.

Neville blinked his eyes rapidly, not realizing that he had shut them until now. A fierce heat wafted off of the sword of living flame that hovered less than a meter above his head. A dark silhouette held the giant's attack at bay with an armor covered hand.

“Hermione?” Ginny's voice croaked feebly.

Neville squinted through the heat-distorted air and barely recognized the golden outline of a torch on her beaten robes. That was all he recognized. Hermione's usually bushy hair was matted in partially frozen blood and caked to the side of her head. Her face was likewise a mass of blood and her ragged clothes were stiff with it.

“Neville, what in the bloody hell are you doing out here like this? Get these people out of here,” Hermione's voice commanded roughly.

“They ambushed us,” Neville said, trying to explain. Hermione pointed her wand at the burning sword and suddenly it rocketed back up into the air.

“Not now, we've got to get your team out of here. We're too outnumbered.” Hermione shouted.

“There are people trapped in there,” Neville yelled back.

“We can't help them like this,” Hermione responded. Aarg had regained his composure and his brother Barg had joined him again. Both of the giants were looking for an opportunity to obliterate the tiny little witch that had defied them. Hermione summoned a thin long lash of fire out of the end of her wand and brandished it like a massively oversized sword.

Aarg and Barg ran with surprising speed toward flanking positions in an attempt to catch Hermione between them. The rest of the battle seemed to stop as everyone, including Death Eaters, gawked at Hermione's swift fluid motions. First she pointed her wand straight down and used some sort of spell to launch herself into the air toward Aarg. The fiery lash coming from her wand was still aligned with its tip, but it now hovered nearly a meter out from it to allow her to easily cast other spells. There was a thunderous crack of metal on metal as Hermione used her momentum to connect a powerful blunt force punch right into Aarg's torso. The giant reeled backwards on unsteady feet as Hermione perched on him and unleashed a flurry of breaker spells.

Neville started to cry out in alarm when Barg finally closed enough to loose a sweeping blow meant to knock Hermione off his brother, but before he could do anything Hermione was already leaping away. Her long thin lash of flame seemed ridiculous next to the thick swords of the giants but it proved effective when it parried Barg's slash. The rest of the battle resumed with a new focus on Hermione. Several Death Eaters came forward tentatively to give aid to their giant allies.

Hermione accelerated away from the giants as several different colored beams of light seared through the air toward her last position. With a casual grace Hermione sent a half dozen stunners at the new attackers only to see them absorbed by their shield charms.

“Avada Kedavra,” Hermione shouted. The lead Death Eater only had time to widen his eyes in shock before the fatal curse passed through his shield and slammed into him. The remaining attackers scrambled to levitate bits of nearby wreckage to give themselves some cover and in the process left themselves open to the whip like motion of Hermione's fiery lash. Two Death Eaters fell; their bodies ripped into charred halves by her attack.

The rest of the Death Eaters backed off, unwilling to become the next casualties, but they had already done their job. Hermione barely had time to put her armor between her and Barg's shield before it sent her flying through the air. It was only fortune or fate that none of the metal spikes on the dragon bone shield managed to impale her. Dust erupted outward where Hermione impacted against one of the walls.

Barely a second clicked by before the rubble erupted and an angry Hermione burst out. Neville noticed with horror that she was slowly bleeding from dozens of cuts all over her body and realized that she must have been struck with some kind of curse wounds that she could no longer concentrate on enough to keep shut. Neville and Ginny were back on their feet now, though they were having a hard time moving away from the battle. The professors had finally managed to dig in enough to keep the surrounding Death Eaters from quickly overwhelming them, but Neville had a sneaking suspicion that the wizards were merely waiting for the giants to do most of the work rather than risk themselves.

Neville tripped, dragging Ginny down with him, and in the process noticed a part of the fight that he had forgotten in the course of the drama which was Hermione fighting. Hagrid was still holding his own against the smallest of the giants, Carg, and in fact appeared to be gaining the upper hand. Neville knew that Hagrid's club must be ferociously heavy even though the gamekeeper was swinging it about as if it were a fly swatter.

Every now and then Carg's taunts of midget or little man would filter in over the din of the rest of the battle. Neville could still watch what was happening though, as the glow of the burning village illuminated the gathering night, because he and Ginny were completely cut off. In front of them were three giants trading blows with their relatively tiny opponents, to their sides and rear were ranks of Death Eaters who were wearing down the remaining holdouts.

Carg bellowed in surprise as Hagrid sent him staggering with a thrust from his club followed by a wild swing that actually clipped a huge chunk out of the warrior's dragon bone shield.

“Neville, what are we going to do?” Ginny asked, her voice trembling. Neville looked back to where Ginny was watching Hermione. Both giants had finally managed to close in on her at the same time and together were driving her back. Hermione's armor was beginning to show serious damage from repeatedly staving off their attacks.

“We've got to help her,” Ginny said suddenly. She leaned Neville back against the building they had sought shelter next to.

“No Ginny,” Neville said sharply, “You'll just get in her way.”

“She's not going to make it,” Ginny replied hotly. Hermione indeed was looking worse than ever with most of her outer cloak a smoldering wreck and her hat long ago turned into a charred ruin.

Neville felt his wounds reopen as he stumbled after the determined red head and he cast the exertion charm that Harry had taught him to keep from collapsing. Meanwhile Hermione barely dodged Barg's shield when the giant tried to squash her into the ground with it. She recognized the vulnerability of the giant's position and took the opportunity to run up the steep slope that Barg's arm made when it was thus lowered after his attack. Hermione pointed her wand at her armor and charged it with mystical energy before landing a devastating punch that managed to send Barg flying into the air.

Hermione had long since stopped paying attention to the battle at large. It had originally been her intention to help those trapped by the Death Eaters to break out and get them back to the relative safety of Hogwarts. Unfortunately, the giants had made such a thing impossible with their unparalleled fighting abilities. Their armor and swords absorbed even the most devastating of spells while their natural immunity prevented any sort of magical restraints from being effective. In fact, if it hadn't been for Hagrid, Hermione was certain that she would already have been overwhelmed. Of course it hadn't been a fair fight from the very beginning since she had arrived at the battle already physically and magically fatigued from the earlier escape from Voldemort's avatars.

Hermione unleashed a flurry of explosive bolts to drive Aarg back behind his shield. With Barg temporarily flung to the side she could at last regain her composure and try to think of a way out of this mess. Hermione gingerly felt of her head and wished that she had her hat back along with the potions it had contained. She had even carried a vial of the experimental potion for an emergency such as this when she needed extra magical power. Hermione had studied the giant's role in some of the ancient wars, but nothing had prepared her for how truly terrifying their power could be.

Hermione whirled when she heard a frightening shout. “Ginny, get out of there,” she yelled frantically.

Barg had regained his feet from the blow Hermione had just dealt him and was homing in on the red haired witch who was exposed out in the middle of the large open space where the main fight had been taking place. Hermione cast a shield charm to protect herself and accelerated toward Ginny only to find herself flying backwards. Aarg had tried to kick her and managed to land a glancing blow that caused the acceleration charm to send her spiraling out of control.

Hermione could only watch, horrified, as Ginny attempted to escape from a sweeping blow of Barg's shield. The petite witch even managed to activate her shield and bring it in front of her, but it was ill placed to protect all of her body. A look of shock spread across her features as three large metal spikes protruded from various parts of her chest and lower body. Barg laughed as if it were a delightful game and raised his shield so everyone could plainly see Ginny's fate.

A split second later Hermione hit the wall, again, but this time could only slump against it in a daze. She pointed her wand at herself and began a shaky healing charm, though she had little hope of bringing herself back enough to survive the next onslaught. She squashed thoughts of calling for Harry. If he didn't destroy the wards they would all die anyway when Voldemort inevitably returned.

Aarg and Barg started moving toward her with a since of inevitably surrounding them when they were both suddenly flipped away by an invisible attack. A roar of anguish arose from a limping figure that appeared from the side of Hermione's field of vision. Neville summoned his own element, air, again and again to lash out at the giants that had killed Ginny.

“Hermione, dear, are you awake?” McGonagall's kind voice asked. Hermione blinked and realized she must have blacked out for a moment. “Can you move?”

“Yes, we've got to help Neville,” Hermione sputtered. Apparently she hadn't been out for more than a few seconds because Neville was still in almost the exact same spot as she last remembered. The enraged wizard had thrown a vial at Barg that had erupted in long black tendrils of Devil's Snare. Hermione marveled at such an ingenious idea to use magic to grow the deadly plant rapidly. Unfortunately, the good idea was only of limited use against a warrior with a sword of flame.

“I was,” McGonagall replied tartly. “Those giants are beyond our ability to combat. You-Know-Who has done something to them beyond goblin armor and dragon bone.”

In spite of the severity of the situation Hermione found time to glare at the Professor's inability to say Voldemort's name. She raised her wand drug it like a dagger through the air, ripping jagged white half crescent blades which then went whistling through the air toward Aarg. The cutting attacks were not very affective against the plated goblin armor.

“I just don't know what to do,” Hermione wailed. “I already depleted my best magic escaping from the avatars that were attacking the dwarves.”

McGonagall nodded grimly and started to perform another healing charm. Hermione meanwhile copied Neville's attack strategy by using air as a blunt force weapon to hammer at the giants. The combined assault drove them back, but Hermione could tell that Neville was about to collapse. Though he had proved himself to be a wizard far more powerful and resourceful than anyone would have imagined based on his performance as a youth he still lacked the extraordinary power demonstrated by those like Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, or Voldemort.

Hagrid too was beginning to look rather fatigued. Professor's Sprout and Flitwick had joined the big gamekeeper, but they were mainly relegated to protecting Hagrid from other Death Eaters since their spells had proven ineffective against the giants too. Suddenly Aarg and Barg slapped their swords together between them in a rough cross formation. Where the blades joined a stream of fire erupted and headed straight toward Neville.

“Professor,” Hermione squeaked desperately. She let loose with a counter spell and a second later McGonagall did too, but it was too little. Neville was washed over by the intense flames, too drained to defend himself. Hermione looked away from the charred heap and didn't protest as McGonagall tried to hide her away in some of the rubble.

Hagrid was retreating toward their position as quickly as possible along with Sprout and Flitwick. McGonagall was firing some kind of impediment spell, though the giant's armor and natural resistance to magic was severely limiting its effectiveness.

“We've got to hold out just a little longer,” McGonagall said. “I think the anti-apparation ward is about to fall.”

Hermione focused on the wet blanket feeling of the spell that was keeping them trapped in Hogsmeade and realized that the Professor was right. She had been so caught up in the battle that she hadn't even noticed. Hermione hoped that Harry was taking down the portkey dispersion wards at the same time because some people, like Hagrid, couldn't apparate.

Harry groaned as another piece of the ward broke into a fine dust and drifted away in the wind. Flashes of the battle were weighing on him heavily, not only from the emblem, but also from Hermione's mind. He knew that she was trying to suppress the worst of it so he could concentrate, but that actually just ended up making his fears more acute. Meanwhile, the Death Eaters had predictably tried to retake the ward. After he had starting throwing fireballs at them they had decided that it wasn't worth it and for the most part he'd been left alone.

The subtle coloring of the ward had given way to a scorched black ash look as Harry continued to attack it. The final pieces cracked and Harry inexplicably felt a stab of anguish come through his bond with Hermione.

“Something terrible has happened,” he whispered, mainly to himself, before continuing in a louder voice. “The wards are gone, the spells they maintained should dissipate any second now. Those who can apparate return to Ron's position and let him know what happened, everyone else portkey back to Hogwarts.”

“What about them?” Luna asked in a strained voice. Harry had completely forgotten the unconscious Death Eaters. He summoned a disk for each Death Eater and transfigured them into portkeys to Middle Yard.

“Use these, they'll activate in two minutes,” Harry said, indicating the disks. He used the acceleration charm to whisk himself toward Hermione's location.

“Hermione, I'm coming, the wards are gone, what's happened,” Harry asked frantically.

“It's terrible Harry,” Hermione replied with the mental equilivent of a sob, “Neville and Ginny are dead, I don't know how many others are too. There are three giants that have some kind of armor that makes them virtually immune to most spells. I tried to stop them Harry, I was just too tired…”

Harry winced in self-incrimination. Hermione had done most of the heavy fighting when they had escaped from the avatars. Harry ceased his rapid movement when he ran up against a wall of wrecked buildings. A hurried flick of his wand blew an opening into the barrier.

“Harry, over here,” Professor McGonagall yelled from behind a nearby wall section.

Harry waved an acknowledgement but focused on the ongoing battle. Three giants were bearing down on Hermione's location slowed only by the retreating battle Hagrid was putting up. Harry attacked with a quick hail of silvery projectiles designed to get the giant's attention.

“Harry, they're really strong with that armor on,” Hermione's voice echoed. Harry felt her memories of the battle and the tactics she had used flood into his consciousness.

The giant's didn't change direction though, since they were apparently intent in finishing off their old opponents before facing a new one. Harry used the acceleration charm again and appeared next to Hagrid. He unleashed three strong blasts of air that drove the giants back to give the beleaguered game keeper some breathing room.

“Sarry Arry,” Hagrid gasped, “Been tryin' ta keep off but they're jus' made for this kind o' fightin'.”

“Here Hagrid, take this,” Harry said, tossing him a portkey in case he didn't already have one. “Get back to the castle, you can't do anymore good here. You too Hermione.”

“No, Harry, you might still need us,” Hermione said, emerging with McGonagall from the nearby ruin and looking slightly less tired. Her wounds had mostly closed again and she had reconjured some of her most tattered clothes.

The heavy pressing sensation of the anti-apparation wards had since vanished and the remaining survivors were leaving. With fewer people to attack the Death Eaters were converging on the central battle and the last remaining refugees trapped without the ability to apparate or portkey. Worse still, the giants remained a terrible force to be reckoned with even without increasing Death Eater reinforcements.

Harry flicked his wand violently to produce a thick caustic stream of venomous air. The shimmering wave impacted the lead giant, Aarg, and nearly melted through his armor before he could roll out of the way. A second flick cast another jet of air at Barg, but the burly warrior manipulated his sword in such a way that it blocked Harry's attack.

Harry conjured a thick watery whip and lashed out at Barg's sword. The giant's muscles strained to wrest the weapon from Harry, but this time magic bested brute force. The ancient spell that animated the swords flame began to die out under the assault of elemental water. Harry let his attack lapse when the sword hardened and started to flake away. Unfortunately, the giant's weapons had apparently been designed to survive contact with a powerful wizard because as the last of the corporeal fire disappeared a gleaming metallic blade was revealed.

“I'll take tha one that lost his fire Arry,” Hagrid said. He charged Barg and landed a solid blow on the giant's left shoulder.

“Hagrid!” Harry yelled, “Just go, leave them to me, you're too tired.”

“Nonsense Arry,” Hagrid replied conversationally. “I been scrappin' giants before.”

Harry recalled Hagrid coming home late into their fifth year beaten to a pulp after “scrappin” with his runt of a brother too. He didn't know if Hagrid was just unaware of the danger or too loyal to Harry to leave him during a battle. Aarg and Carg continued their assault on Harry, though with less success than they seemed to have expected. Harry blocked Aarg's slash with his wand and in the process flash froze the flame. The sword was rendered virtually useless while the flame struggled to break free of Harry's spell.

Harry went on the attack using spells that imparted sharp physical blows. Hagrid's attack on Barg had demonstrated the effectiveness of blunt impact against the tight metallic armor that the giants wore. Howls of rage and pain escaped into the night as Harry advanced. There was a crash from behind him and Harry broke off his attack in time to see Hagrid take a blow from Barg's metal-coated fist.

Hagrid retaliated by swiftly clubbing Barg in the helmet, knocking him to the ground, his apparent victory making Harry relaxed. What he didn't see was the dull flash of Barg's damaged sword as he thrust it swiftly upward through Hagrid's ribcage.

Hagrid backpedaled, a strange gurgling noise from a punctured lung coming from his throat. Harry froze in shock for a second, unconsciously accelerating over to his big friend's side.

“Hagrid,” Harry whined. Hagrid choked and spit up blood as Harry tried to apply a healing charm. Hagrid's giant blood severely reduced the effectiveness of his spell though. “Hagrid, no, don't die, you've got to stay with us.”

“S-Srry, Arry,” Hagrid gurgled. “Eh, Proud o' ya Arry…”

Just like that, Hagrid was dead. Harry was vaguely aware of Hermione's cry of outrage and McGonagall's gasp of shock as they witnessed the entire event from their nearby hiding place. A great hollowness seemed to carve itself out of Harry's chest as he remembered all the things he had shared with Hagrid. When he had found out he was a wizard. The first time he had went to Diagon Alley. All the classes, birthday presents, and just quiet evenings spent in his cozy hut talking about the latest creature to catch his fancy. The end of a gentle person who had wanted nothing more than to be left alone to care for the animals and people he so loved.

Had Harry been one for introspection he would probably have expected himself to erupt in an uncontrollable rage. Indeed, had he watched the faces of most of his professors he would have noticed that they expected him to explode with anger. Hermione knew better, but she had an insider's perspective. Instead of white hot rage Harry felt what could only be described as cold bitter fury. He had loathed the Death Eaters for years, witnessed them stealing the lives of so many people, and now they'd taken three of his closest friends, people he considered family.

Harry pointed his wand with an almost casual manner. He didn't cast a spell; instead he simply unleashed power. A thick green cylinder encompassed Barg and for a split second the sky and earth were connected with each other by Harry's magic. The giant looked about fearfully, but it was too late for him. To the outside observer it appeared as if Barg's figure shimmered. A muggle would have likened the effect to that of a television getting a fuzzy reception. Barg got fuzzier and fuzzier until suddenly he was completely vaporized. Utterly wiped from existence without a trace. All that was left was a small smoking crater where Barg had been a moment before.

Now the Death Eaters knew the terror of facing an opponent they could not defeat. As Aarg was enveloped by a column of green light Lucius Malfoy signaled the retreat and scores of sharp cracks announcing apparation sounded from across Hogsmeade. The giants had been abandoned to their fate.

“What was that?” Sprout squeaked. McGonagall was looking even more tight lipped than normal and Hermione had sagged back against a wall in relief.

“I've never seen it before, but such a thing was described to me once by…Hagrid,” McGonagall choked out finally. “When Abigail Dumbledore was killed in the battle with Grindelwald Albus supposedly went…insane I suppose you could call it for lack of a better term. He tracked him across the world from Europe to Japan. It was fortunate that the muggles had recently developed their explosive metal bombs, otherwise it would have been impossible to cover up what Albus did in his rage to kill Grindelwald. I hope to never see it again.”

Sprout looked down meaningfully at Hermione's battered form. “Me too…”

“We've got to go,” Harry said dully as he ran up, a sense of failure nearly overwhelming him. “Aurors are starting to appear now that everything's over.”

Once everyone else was safely away Harry activated Hermione's bracelet portkey and together they disappeared.

There was a sudden cracking sound nearby where Dumbledore and Voldemort were still trading blows. All around the two wizards the ground was ripped up from their various attacks. Large slabs of stone that had been twisted from within the ground lay broken at odd angles. Parts of the ground were muddy, other parts were unnaturally dry, or frozen, or charred. Two pairs of eyes, one set blue, the other red, swiveled toward the pale gangly looking man that had appeared.

“My Lord,” he groveled, “The battle does not go well. The boy is protected by the prophecy…”

“Enough,” Voldemort growled.

“It's over Tom,” Dumbledore said serenely. “With your forces defeated Harry will come here and together we will destroy you.”

Voldemort seemed to tremble physically with rage over the way events had unfolded. He had failed to kill Dumbledore and apparently Harry had ensured his operation at Hogsmeade was less than a complete success.

“You may have survived today,” Voldemort snarled. “But the time is swiftly coming when you and all those who have dared stand in my way meet their end. No one defies Lord Voldemort and lives.”

Dumbledore sighed with relief as the evil wizard disappeared along with his lackey. A second later he vanished too, but he dreaded what he would find in the aftermath of the battle.

-->

Chapter 13 - Desolation

Harry was glad that they had equipped all of the Light Bearer portkey bracelets with a direct route to the Hogwart's hospital wing. The gleaming white walls bore silent witness to pure chaos as dozens of people were being hastily treated by anyone and everyone who had even the slightest healing ability. Even with the additional help Madam Pomfrey was still overwhelmed by the huge range of potentially lethal spells that was afflicting the survivors of the battle of Hogsmeade.

“Help me up Harry,” Hermione said determinedly.

“Let me levitate you to a bed,” Harry said. Most of her wounds had closed up again, but she still looked awful.

“No, there's no time, and Poppy has injuries much worse than mine to treat,” Hermione replied. “We've got to get back to Hogsmeade.”

“What?” Harry asked, stupefied. “Why on earth would we go back there?”

“Harry,” Hermione replied as if it were obvious. “You said you saw aurors arriving just as we left. They knew that we evacuated the village and its terribly dangerous to risk a counter attack by going there so soon after the Death Eaters fled. They waited a full week to investigate White Acres. It doesn't make any sense and we need to know what they're doing.”

“All right, fine,” Harry said, his stomach twisting into all kinds of knots over her condition. Still, he knew that the best way to get Hermione treated was to do what she wanted to as quickly as possible. Not to mention she had a real point. Harry gestured to an uninjured fifth year student who was standing around looking lost. “You, yes you, get over here. Hermione and I have business to take care of, but when we return I want you to have Bill here waiting for us.”

Harry didn't wait for a reply, though he did make sure that the fellow seemed to leave to accomplish his task. He draped an arm around Hermione to steady her just in case she was still woozy and matched her pace as they headed toward the astronomy tower. They both cast invisibility charms over themselves to keep any wayward students from seeing them and possibly discovering their animagus forms. They had decided that the safest way to spy on auror activity would be from the sky.

Harry had been concerned that Hermione might be unable to transform properly since it took a fairly decent amount of power and concentration to perform such wandless magic. Most people didn't consider that sort of transfiguration as wandless magic, but nevertheless that is really what it is. He need not have worried though. Hermione made the transition easily and a few moments later they were drifting lazily through the air above the wreckage of Hogsmeade.

Harry and Hermione slowly descended to different parts of the village so they could observe the frenzy of activity taking place. Crimson cloaked aurors were sifting through the wreckage and collecting the dead. Harry forced himself to look as they extracted Ginny's body from the shield that the giant who killed her had dropped before Harry vanquished him. They stripped her of her wand, portkey bracelet, armor, cloak, and emblem, which turned to dust as soon as it was removed. That done they piled her on top of the other bodies they'd gathered. The items they collected were placed delicately in labeled boxes that Hermione told him indicated the name, rank, and affiliation of the person they were taken from. Hermione's bird vision was far superior to Harry's in the night.

The aurors also seemed to be searching the area where the giants had fallen with extra diligence. They scraped up dozens of samples of soil and possibly armor fragments before finally packing up their investigation and portkeying away.

“How are we going to tell Molly?” Harry asked as they flapped back toward the castle. The weight of what had happened had really set in when he watched them unceremoniously tugging Ginny from the metallic spikes on that shield.

“I don't know,” Hermione replied morosely. Harry shut up, he could tell Hermione blamed herself and he didn't think that anything he said was going to help right now.

“Hermione what is it?” Harry asked. As soon as they had transformed Harry realized Hermione was doing her best to not cry.

“Am I a bad person Harry?” Hermione sobbed uncontrollably. “I've seen so many people get killed; Sirius, Moody, strangers, but none of it ever hurt like this. Shouldn't I care about them too, shouldn't their deaths have hurt just as much? Shouldn't I have wanted to kill their murderers just as badly?”

Harry didn't know exactly what to say so instead he tried to channel soothing feelings across their bond.

“I don't know much about this kind of stuff Hermione,” Harry said truthfully. “I know that I never felt this badly about my parents, so does that make me a bad person too? Shouldn't I have felt the worse about my own parents instead of Sirius or Hagrid? Ginny was one of your best friends, so was Hagrid, and we've both known Neville practically forever. I think its only natural for it to hurt worse when its someone close.”

Hermione sniffled, but her logical personality shone through even in deep emotional turmoil. Harry could already see her starting to silently berate herself for breaking down in such a fashion.

“It's ok Hermione, I know how you feel because I feel the same way,” Harry said, trying to steel himself for her sake. “I'll always be here for you, never forget that.”

“We'll always be here for each other,” Hermione said. Later Harry would realize that it was the first time Hermione had actually promised him she wouldn't die in the war.

They walked in silence back from the astronomy tower to the hospital wing, their emotions completely drained. Dumbledore had returned and was waiting for them along with Bill.

“Ouch,” Hermione said sharply as Bill prodded her with his wand. She and Harry had donned stoic faces once they were returned to the inhabited parts of the castle. The last thing anyone needed to see was the “Chosen One” and the Light Bearer's strongest witch having a breakdown. Harry and to a lesser extent Hermione were now expected to save everyone, for good or for ill.

“This is some cursed wound,” Bill replied. “I've not seen anything quite like it. How did you keep from bleeding to death?”

“Blood replenishing potion,” Hermione said stiffly. “After I used my magic to force the wounds to close again.”

“That explains why you're not bleeding profusely right now,” Bill said thoughtfully. “A normal witch would have already died.”

“Can you break the curse?” Harry interrupted.

“Yes, I believe so, but it'll take some time,” Bill said finally. He began casting a spell reminiscent of the one Hermione had once used to break a jinx that had been placed on Harry's wand.

“This actually feels pretty good,” Hermione commented idly. “And that means we have time to hear about the fight with Voldemort.”

“There is little you do not already know,” Dumbledore said. “Tom remains as formidable as ever, though he seems to have come into possession of knowledge that is most disturbing.”

“Disturbing how?” Hermione asked.

Dumbledore hesitated for a moment before drawing out his wand and muffling them from the rest of the room. Harry and Hermione exchanged worried glances at this.

“Such precautions are probably needless,” Dumbledore said reassuringly. “However, it is wise to be safe. As you are all aware I am not an ordinary wizard.”

“None of us here are exactly ordinary,” Hermione observed.

“I am,” Bill muttered indignantly.

“There are many different kinds of wizards,” Dumbledore continued. “Most require a great deal of time and effort to use spells. A few are able to access magic much quicker, some can even do so without using spoken words to focus their intent. Of those a few great wizards and witches arise every generation, like Tom Riddle or Hermione Granger.”

“Not you or I?” Harry asked.

“No, not us, but for different reasons. You, Harry, probably had great potential, perhaps you would have been one of the few greatest, but we may never know. When Tom attacked you he transferred many of his powers to you, like the ability to speak to snakes, and in all likelihood your predisposition to high level spell casting. Through your connection with Tom you are probably still leeching away some of his power for yourself and he has become much stronger since I last faced him.” Dumbledore said.

“While that's disturbing, I'm not seeing how it relates to anything,” Harry said impatiently. The Headmaster's tendency to elaborate unnecessarily was almost as irksome as when he didn't explain something at all.

“Have you ever wondered why I have no family?” Dumbledore asked. “No parents, no large pureblood mansion, no permanent vault in Gringotts, nothing.”

Harry looked sharply at Hermione and saw her eyes widen perceptibly. He had never thought to wonder why the original Sorcerer's Stone had been in an empty vault instead of the Headmaster's or why out of all the personal items Dumbledore collected there was never a single picture. On deeper reflection it was like the man dropped out of no where with no connections to the world around him except those he chose to make.

“I was discovered as a baby in a structure deep beneath an ancient abandoned city known as Meadow Down.” Dumbledore said. “It is a place relatively unknown to the wizarding community, but it was discovered over 150 years ago by a team investigating England's magical past. Apparently some ancient and unknown spell had kept it entirely hidden for hundreds or perhaps thousands of years. Even now the spell still prevents muggles from finding it. I was named for the team's leader, with a middle name for each of the other members of the exploration team. None of them adopted me though and I was more or less an orphan.”

“What about Aberforth?” Hermione asked.

“His father did free me and over the years we've become good friends, like brothers perhaps, but it isn't the same,” Dumbledore said bluntly. Harry felt new empathy for the Headmaster as he suddenly gained new perspective on Dumbledore's choice to leave him with the Dursleys. “That isn't what's important though. I was found in a spell that froze time.”

“So then you're the last survivor of a community of wizards that died out ages ago?” Harry asked. This was freakishly weird, even for the magical world.

“Unfortunately much of their secrets were lost, including the secrets to the time spell I was found in. Though some advances in time manipulation were made, nothing so useful as a stasis spell has yet been recreated. The disturbing part is that Tom was aware of the spell when he shouldn't have been. He said something about a rumor, but no such rumor could possibly exist since only the original team should have had that knowledge and they're all dead.” Dumbledore said.

“Didn't they leave journals or something?” Hermione asked.

“Not on the time spell,” Dumbledore replied. “The entire chamber was removed to the Department of Mysteries, everything was covered up as soon as they realized what they had discovered.”

“So?” Harry interjected. “If a bunch of fifth years could penetrate the Department of Mysteries then surely Voldemort or someone else could too.”

Dumbledore ignored him and continued. “It is entirely possible that if my ancestors were able to hide an entire city that they might also have hidden other things as well. Voldemort has traveled Europe extensively during his assent to power and recruited a following of considerable intellectual depth. He may have another source of information.”

“We'll keep that in mind during the interrogations then,” Hermione said.

“Dare I ask what you both intend to do now?” Dumbledore said.

Hermione barely resisted rolling her eyes. “As soon as Bill gets finished we're going to Middle Yard to find out what our new captives know. It's only a matter of time before we catch someone with vital information.”

“Hermione, you're still injured and tired, we both are,” Harry said through their bond. “Are you sure we should be doing anything this quickly?”

“We've got to hit Voldemort's forces back now, before they can recover,” Hermione said darkly. “We've got to make them pay.”

Harry remembered the look on Hagrid's face as the kindly half-giant had died and scowled. Icy claws enveloped his heart once again as he contemplated the carnage of Hogsmeade. It was far different than what he had felt when Sirius had died. Harry knew that the blame only lay with Voldemort and those who followed him.

“You're both exhausted,” Bill was saying as Harry snapped out of his thoughts and back into reality.

“We'll manage,” Hermione said tersely. “Summon an elf.”

Instantly an older hobbled looking elf appeared on the scene bowing and asking how it could be of assistance.

“Go to the room now being used as Light Bearer headquarters for Hogwarts and find two hats in the large wizard's trunk along the wall opposite of the door,” Hermione instructed.

“Yes of course Head Granger,” the elf replied, seemingly unusually pleased with itself. A moment later it returned with the requested items.

“Thank you,” Hermione said in a much politer tone. “I'm sorry I was so abrupt with you a moment ago.”

The elf's ears drooped. “You are most welcome Head Granger.”

Hermione tossed Harry the fully stocked hat as soon as the elf vanished. “We'd both better drink a restorative,” Hermione said.

“Miss Granger,” Dumbledore said softly, “Hermione, remember your last experience with improper potion usage?”

“The only thing improper about it was that I didn't correct the formula properly,” Hermione snapped. Harry regarded her with mixed emotions. He wished fervently that he could shield her from all the dangers she continually exposed herself too.

“Restorative potions can strengthen your body and replenish your magic for a time, but all the while they're wearing you out. You can only cheat nature so far, even with magic,” Dumbledore insisted.

“This isn't an issue Professor,” Harry interrupted before Hermione could respond. Dumbledore looked at him for a moment and nodded.

“Thanks Harry,” Hermione said.

“You know more about these potions than I do. Does he have a point?” Harry asked.

“Yes, but we don't have a choice right now. We're strong Harry, especially you, and these potions work off of a person's natural potential magic. We can tolerate this for a while,” Hermione replied. That was enough for Harry. He knew that he could trust Hermione implicitly and even though he wanted to protect her Harry respected Hermione too much to try making decisions for her.

“Bill, I don't think you're going to be able to do much more than that,” Hermione said aloud.

“I suppose not,” Bill agreed with a slight sigh. “The curse has faded, but it will take its own time to dissipate completely. You shouldn't start bleeding again though.”

“Then if there's nothing else Harry and I have places to be,” Hermione said. Harry looked between the Dark Arts teacher and Headmaster, but they just nodded resignedly. Hermione activated her portkey and a moment later Harry followed.

Middle Yard was chaotic in the wake of the attack. A substantial portion of the Light Bearers had apparently been flitting in and out of the place trying to get information beyond the garbled reports that had been floating around ever since the attack started.

“Miss Granger, it's so good to see you're still alive,” Raver Harp said, voice all bubbly as usual. Harry decided that their resident auror must simply have one default personality, or perhaps a mental disorder, to keep his joyous demeanor in the wake of such a disaster. “We had heard rumors that you'd been killed twice, once from the dwarves and then again from some of the wounded that were brought here from Hogsmeade.”

“Yes I'm alive, which is more than can be said for a lot of other good people,” Hermione snapped.

Harp looked abashed. “Of course, poor Longbottom and so many others.”

“Harry,” a middle aged wizard shouted as he ran up to them. “We just sent some people to one of our southern safe houses and they came back with these.”

Harry and Hermione looked over at a dozen wizards all standing blankly, unmoving, barely breathing.

“Somehow the dementors got to them, but the safe house shows no signs of a fight, they were all just standing around like that.” The wizard continued.

“Harp, you heard the man, get your team down there, sweep the place with patronus charms, then collect everything you can and destroy the place,” Harry instructed. The base had obviously been compromised somehow.

Hermione waved her wand and several silvery birds erupted from it. “I'm telling all the other safe houses to go on high alert and start sweeping with a patronus at regular intervals,” she explained.

“Come on Hermione,” Harry said darkly as he turned away from the empty shells. “We need some answers.”

They separated themselves from the crowd and proceeded deeper into the intimidating structure to where they had been informed that the prisoners from the battle at Hogsmeade were being kept. Harry peered into the first cell at the terrified witch who had been captured by one of the professors. A piece of parchment attached to the door of each cell listed any information already known about the person held within.

“Please, I don't belong here,” she wailed when they entered the room. “I was under the Imperius Curse. I had no choice.”

Harry cast a sideways glance at Hermione as if to ask her what she thought of the witch's claim. It was very difficult to tell who was under the curse and who wasn't unless it was currently active so it could be broken.

“Your mind is very strong,” Hermione said finally. “You could be lying to us.”

“I'm not a pureblood, I'm muggle born, I was a Gryffindor at Hogwarts, my sister was killed by You-Know-Who in the first war, I'd never help him willingly,” she insisted.

“We'll be checking on that,” Hermione said. “Come on Harry, next cell.”

“Are you sure Hermione?” Harry asked. “She might have time sensitive information that she's trying to keep long enough for it to be useless.”

Hermione sent off a messenger charm to Dumbledore with the witch's name and claims. “The Headmaster should be able to verify some or all of that as soon as he gets the message. If anything doesn't check out we'll come back immediately.”

Harry nodded in agreement and they moved on to the next prisoner. This one was a short heavy set wizard who didn't even pretend he wasn't a Death Eater. According to the parchment on his door he was probably some kind of squad leader or something. A skull like the one Voldemort had once been witnessed using during Hermione and Dumbledore's rescue of Harry last year had been found on him. Dumbledore surmised that only a person with a Dark Mark could activate the device, but with Snape away there was no way to test that theory. Activating the skull without knowing the true extent of its purpose would probably have been unwise anyway.

“You're wasting your time,” he spat angrily, “The Dark Lord will come for us.”

“I don't think so,” Harry replied easily. “He can't find this place and even if he could there is no greater fortress in England except for Hogwarts. Voldemort wouldn't dare face me in my own stronghold.”

“You think you're so great with your stolen powers,” the wizard retorted, apparently repeating some kind of Voldemort issued propaganda line. “You're nothing more than a pretender.”

“As long as Voldemort is defeated I don't care where my powers came from,” Harry replied smugly.

“We're not here for banter,” Hermione interrupted. “We're here for answers. Tell us what we want to know about Voldemort's organization, how many followers he has, where he has bases, and what his current plans are.”

The man snorted indignantly, “Do you really think the Dark Lord would entrust his strategies to me?”

“You're a higher ranking Death Eater of some kind,” Hermione replied. “You have to know something and don't even think about lying, we always know.”

“I won't tell you anything,” he replied vehemently. “You prance around in black cloaks, using nightmares against your opponents in battle like cowards playing at being dark wizards.”

Hermione flicked her wand and pinned him against the wall with an invisible force. “Who's playing?” she asked nastily. “Harry, probe his mind while I hold him.”

Harry took his own wand out and walked up to the defiant wizard. “legilimens”

Images began to swirl by at a rapid pace that forced Harry to concentrate in order to slow them down. He reached out for anything that looked remotely like it might concern Voldemort or the man's Death Eater activities, but each time the images would morph and escape his reach. After a few minutes he pulled back out of the man's mind and regarded him anew.

“He's a very good at shielding his thoughts,” Harry informed Hermione.

“We have to know,” Hermione replied simply.

Harry blanched for a second, but then his expression hardened as he remembered Hagrid, Ginny, and Neville. “Stop resisting my probes or I'll be forced to take more drastic measures,” Harry said darkly.

“Do your worst pretender,” the wizard sneered.

“Crucio!” Harry yelled. The spell struck the wizard with an excruciating sensation that would have had him writhing in the floor if not Hermione's magic holding him rigidly in place.

“Are you ready to stop resisting?” Hermione asked once the prisoner's convulsions died down. He shook his head again, still defiantly loyal, or perhaps merely more frightened of Voldemort than of them.

“Crucio!” Harry yelled again. He slowly twisted his wand to draw out the intense pain which was, in this case, designed to cause the subject to lose the mental discipline necessary to resist his probes. As soon as he let the curse end he immediately followed up with another attempt to delve into the wizard's mind.

Again images flooded toward Harry, but this time they were slower and didn't change unexpectedly. Most of the memories were of generic Death Eater activity like attacks or merely the man's daily life. The one image that stood out in importance was a squat blocky muggle office building in London. Harry focused on that image and more memories associated with it.

“Did it work?” Hermione asked once he had pulled back out.

“I think I found his base,” Harry replied. He was breathing slightly hard from the emotional exertion.

“Petrify him,” Hermione said shortly. Harry removed a small vial and dropped a small amount of the liquid carefully onto the Death Eater. Before they left Hermione conjured bands out of the wall to hold him in place where she had kept him suspended with her magic.

The process was repeated over and over again as they went from cell to cell. Some of the people cooperated, others offered evidence that they had been subjected to the Imperius Curse, and the rest were defiant. Toward the end the captives seemed to have figured out that pleading the Imperius Curse kept them from being interrogated because the last three all claimed bewitchment.

“They're lying,” Harry said once they'd left the final cell. “You know there can't be that many under the Imperius, especially not with the necessary mental defenses to keep us from telling whether or not they're lying. Voldemort has been making his people learn Occlumency.”

“So it would seem,” Hermione sighed. “Still, I don't want to do that to someone who might be innocent. We've got the London base, let's deal with that first and then decide what to do with all our alleged Imperius victims.”

“Which means we need to get some sleep,” Harry said firmly.

“Harry, if they know who we captured then they also know what information might be compromised,” Hermione protested.

“That means they also know where to set traps,” Harry argued. “We had enough problems with Voldemort's avatars when we were rested and I don't fancy meeting them in our current state. Not to mention we don't have a team ready to back us up yet. Let's send out messenger charms and have everyone meet here tomorrow morning when we're all rested. Then with any luck we can catch as many people as possible in that base.”

Hermione looked conflicted for a moment as she considered Harry's plan. “All right, I guess so.”

“You have a tendency to bite off more than you can chew,” Harry said with a knowing grin.

“I do not,” Hermione protested with mock indignation.

“Third year,” Harry replied.

“Okay, point, let's get back to Grimmauld Place,” Hermione said.

“Dobby,” Harry called out softly as soon as they exited the multicolor swirl of portkey travel. The tiny elf appeared almost immediately.

“How can Dobby be helping Harry Potter, sir,” he asked.

“Two measures of dreamless sleeping potion Dobby to the living room please,” Harry said. He felt Hermione grip his hand and felt a torrent of tortured emotions flood across their bond that she had been repressing ever since the attack. Now that she no longer had to focus it was all coming out. Harry's own mental state was hardly better between his anger at Voldemort and anguish over the deaths of his friends.

Hermione's parents both looked concerned as they enveloped Hermione in a warm hug as soon as she entered the main room. Harry didn't want to intrude on her family, but he was caught up in the embrace as well after receiving a look from Mrs. Granger that screamed “don't be silly, you're family too.”

“Is Molly here?” Hermione asked softly after the silent hug had ended.

“She was dear,” Sarah Granger replied, “but your friend Ronald came by and then they left. She seemed terribly upset.”

“Ginny was killed,” Hermione whispered, everything flooding back. “I was right there, but I couldn't stop it. I was just so tired.”

“I'm sure you did everything you could,” Sarah said consolingly as she led Hermione and Harry toward their usual chairs next to the grand fireplace at the front of the room.

“Why don't you tell us all about it?” Erwin Granger asked gently once they were seated.

“Sorry,” Hermione said apologetically as Dobby appeared with their potions. Her expression darkened. “We're going after them tomorrow.”

Erwin draped his arm tenderly around his wife's shoulders as he watched their daughter down some magical concoction and fall asleep as if tranquilized. He recognized the grim expressions on their faces and wished that there were something he could do. Neither of the Grangers had ever felt connected to the magical world, but never had that gulf been so acute as it was for them at this moment.

“What is he doing here?” Hermione asked. Morning had come all too soon and with it all the pain of loss that could be avoided in sleep had flooded back. They were sitting at the head of the long dining room table waiting for everyone who had been called to show up. The room had been magically enlarged to accommodate the fifty witches and wizards that were coming. This would be the biggest Light Bearer operation to date with nearly half of their remaining strength, including Harry and Hermione, going on the attack.

“Probably wants to talk us out of this,” Harry replied. Albus Dumbledore, who was supposed to be guarding the vital stronghold of Hogwarts, had padded softly into the room, but hadn't said anything so far.

Two familiar bushy red heads bounded through the door. The Weasley twins were holding several scrolls of paper, but they didn't look very pleased.

“We got the plans you wanted,” Fred said.

“It was a muggle building so there were floor plans on file with the government,” George added.

“But that's about it. The place is warded up, we couldn't get close without tipping them off,” Fred said.

“Floor plans will be fine,” Harry said flatly. The twins grimaced at his poor attitude, but they couldn't really blame him. They were probably angrier than Harry was since it was their little sister after all.

“We want to go on this raid. Ron and Luna too, they're going to join us in a few minutes,” Fred said, putting his hand down on the scrolls that Harry and Hermione had begun to inspect.

“No,” Harry snapped. “This isn't about revenge.”

“Bloody hell it isn't,” George snapped. The other wizards in the room were all looking elsewhere now. “I can see it in your eyes, both of you.”

“Fine,” Hermione said tersely. “Come along if you like. Can you perform the Killing Curse?”

The twins recoiled at this question. “I-I can,” George stammered, “Fred never tried.”

“Our magic levels are the same, if George can do it I can too,” Fred said grimly.

“That goes for everyone here,” Harry said loudly. “We're still going to try to capture as many of the enemy as possible, but if they're going to escape or you can't subdue them without risking injury then use avada kedavra. Anyone who isn't willing to do so should bow out of this mission now.”

The crowd broke out in murmuring, but no one made any move to leave. Once Ron arrived with Luna, Harry and Hermione waited for a few minutes before launching into the details of the mission. They explained the information they had gotten from the Death Eater about the facility Voldemort was using as a base and then passed out conjured copies of the floor plans the twins had obtained.

“Are there any questions?” Hermione asked once they had finished. No one said anything.

“Then prepare yourselves, we'll be leaving in ten minutes,” Harry said. As if on cue Dumbledore glided across the room to where the two teens were still seated.

“Headmaster,” Harry said respectfully.

“Harry, I wondered if we might talk for a moment,” Dumbledore said.

“Why do you think I gave everyone ten minutes?” Harry asked pointedly.

“I thought you should know that I have requested Charlie Weasley return to us to fill the role of gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures Professor,” Dumbledore said.

Harry grimaced that now yet another Weasley would be placed directly in the firing line. “I take it he has accepted?” Harry responded simply.

“He has,” Dumbledore said. “He also brings news from our friends abroad.”

“We already get communications with our allies,” Hermione interrupted.

“Official diplomatic communications,” Dumbledore said evenly. “Young Mr. Weasley gets reports of a less formal nature.”

“If there were a problem they would come to us directly,” Harry said.

“Come to you directly and do what?” Dumbledore asked. “Anger the only witch and wizard willing or able to protect them at this point? Perhaps even bring your wrath down on them in addition to Voldemort's?”

Harry felt a stab of shock radiate across his bond with Hermione even as his own jaw slackened.

“My wrath?” he squeaked.

“The two of you have done a good job instilling fear into the hearts and minds of your foes, but fear has a habit of spreading to unintended places. All purebloods worry about the day you appear on their doorstep to destroy their wealth and heritage. Many sentient creatures dread that you will demand their service like you did of the centaurs and that they will thusly be drawn into the midst of your war, Potter's war.” Dumbledore explained. His voice sounded old and tired as he recounted the various rumors that were spreading throughout the magical world.

“How could they possibly believe such a thing?” Hermione asked. She looked as if she had been completely blindsided by such accusations.

Harry remembered all the rants that he had indulged in from time to time against purebloods along with the relentless hunting down of Lady Malfoy and the destruction of many prominent pureblood estates. He looked up at the three Weasleys and Luna, all of which were regarding him a little warily. Suddenly, Ron seemed to comprehend his stare.

“Harry, you know we don't, I mean we couldn't, you'd never do anything to us because we're purebloods. You know that doesn't mean anything to us,” Ron rambled hastily.

Harry nodded and refocused on Dumbledore's explanation. “The apprehension of Narcissa was the final shock to most of the pureblood community. They all knew that the estates you destroyed were being used to fund and house Death Eaters, but Narcissa has never had any dealings with the dark arts or Voldemort beyond her marriage to Lucius. Well, there are a lot of purebloods that have business dealings and friendships with suspected Death Eaters without actually supporting Voldemort.”

“So they think that just associating with our enemies is enough to bring us down on them,” Hermione finished.

“It might well enough be,” Harry said unhappily. “If they're doing something that helps Voldemort, even if they don't mean to, we'll have no choice.”

“So you can see that perhaps some restraint is in order,” Dumbledore suggested hopefully.

“Impossible,” Harry replied instantly.

“It can't be helped,” Hermione agreed, her tone icy. “And if you're suggesting we go back to doing it like the Order used to you can forget it.”

“I simply want Harry to be aware of all the facts,” Dumbledore replied. “Knowledge is important, even if we don't always like the truth we discover.”

“Well, in the short term I don't see how this is a problem,” Harry said finally. Hermione and Dumbledore both looked expectantly toward him. “If our allies are a little scared of us is still doesn't change anything. They need our protection, we need them to help us or at the least not help Voldemort.”

“Yes, true, but in the long run,” Dumbledore said.

Harry interrupted sharply, “In the long run Voldemort will be defeated. Hermione and I will put away our wands and retire. That will be the end of it and they can then see with their own eyes that we mean no one any harm.”

“I hope it's that simple Harry,” Dumbledore said, resignation apparent in his voice.

“We've got a long way to go before we worry about that,” Hermione said. “And unless I'm mistaken ten minutes are up. Come on, we've got a war to run.”

The Weasley twins exchanged uneasy glances and even Ron gulped as the two irate leaders of the Light Bearers stood determinedly and apparated away. Only Luna seemed unfazed, but then nothing ever seemed to bother the blonde witch.

“It doesn't appear to be remarkable in any way does it?” Harry asked. He looked over at Hermione where she was attempting to peek around the alley corner to get a better view of their target. It was still early in the morning, but there were no muggles to be seen on the streets. Harry considered that there might be some weak anti-muggle wards on the building to prevent any from accidentally wandering into it.

“Other than all the magic hanging around it,” Hermione replied. There were detection wards set up in the immediate area, but nothing too powerful. The Death Eaters probably didn't want to give their location away should a wizard pass nearby, not that they had to worry about that too much. Wizards rarely strayed away from the magical parts of London.

Hermione took out a long thin piece of wood with four thick paper like flanges sticking out in different directions. The combination anti-apparation and portkey inhibition field wasn't ethereal like Voldemort's had been at Hogsmeade, but it would do the job of preventing anyone from leaving or arriving in the area so long as it was still active. Harry concentrated on his Light Bearer emblem and called out for all the people who were participating in the attack to apparate. The telltale cracks instantly filled the air as robed and masked mages appeared, wands drawn for battle.

“Ron,” Harry hissed. “Why aren't you wearing your mask.”

Ron was wearing the four silver bars of his rank, but he no longer bothered to cover his face.

“Come on Harry, you know as well as I do that my identity was compromised too much during Hogsmeade. I directed the whole battle, lots of students, teachers, and the people from Hogsmeade saw me.” Ron replied.

“All right then, Ron, Luna, grab about half of these people and come with me, we're going in on top. Hermione will finish raising the ward and then she'll take everyone else in at the bottom. No one escapes, got it?” Harry said. Heads nodded all around and Hermione grasp his hand briefly before he left with his group to get into position.

An outside observer would have noticed a comical sight had they been paying attention. Two dozen men and women wearing long dark robes with pointy hats were trying to sneak across a street in broad daylight. Harry didn't know if they had been successful at evading notice or not, but either way it couldn't be helped. He stood next to the building and pointed his wand at the ground. Magical energies sent him flying upwards with just enough force to clear the wall and land lightly on the roof. Seconds later the rest of his group followed him.

Part of the instructions in the message that had been sent to the raiders the previous evening also detailed how to use the spell for enhanced physical feats. After the Hogsmeade fiasco where no one except Hermione knew how to use the spell in combination with their armor as an improvised weapon against giants it was obvious that everyone needed to be told as quickly as possible. No wizard ever engaged in physical combat of any sort, it was considered beneath them, so unsurprisingly no one else had improvised effective tactics against warriors virtually impervious to magic.

“We're ready here,” Harry told Hermione across their link.

“Okay, then let's go,” Hermione responded a second later.

“Avada Kedavra,” Harry said, his wand pointed at the roof's access door. The door shattered in a flash of green light and revealed the stairway that led down into the building. Harry heard another crash from below and knew Hermione had just made a similar entrance.

“All right, fan out, but be careful,” Harry instructed as they spilled out onto the top floor. The layout of the building was very simple; each floor was merely a hallway with rooms on each side.

The progress of searching the building went by pretty quickly, though Harry had to remind his group to blow the doors in forcefully instead of simply unlocking them. The debris fragments and concussion of the door getting hit with a killing curse would hopefully stun any ambush on the other side.

Meanwhile, Hermione was having better luck when it came to finding the intelligence sources that they were looking for. They busted into what appeared to be a makeshift healing ward on their second try. Only one pot bellied old wizard, a healer working for Voldemort apparently, was even remotely able to defend himself. He had lasted about ten seconds against Hermione before finding himself wandless and pinned against the wall by a dozen metallic bands.

“How many others are in here?” Hermione asked.

“Not telling you anything,” the old man replied.

“They all say that,” Hermione retorted menacingly. She continued to pepper him with questions. “How many other wards are there like this and where are their locations? How does Voldemort do such a good job of keeping valuable information out of his force's minds? You're a healer, if he's using some kind of new memory charms or something you must surely know.”

“Just because your security is amateurish doesn't mean that the Dark Lord's is,” the man laughed. “I really don't know anything, but if I did I'd tell you because you won't be leaving here. They'll stop you.”

“They, whose they?” Hermione snapped. Her eyes bored into his mind for any useful knowledge.

“The Dark Lord's champions,” he replied, grinning.

“Harry, we've got avatars!” Hermione thought, then yelled out to her team, some of which was already penetrating the second floor. “Everyone get back here now.”

“Too late,” Harry replied. He was already on the third floor when a dozen Death Eaters and an avatar he didn't recognize had burst out of the rooms on the other end of the hallway.

“Linear formation,” Harry yelled. He dropped down to the floor in front and continued to block incoming curses as everyone lined up shoulder to shoulder behind him in a formation akin to the ones used by old muggle armies back when their firearms were hugely inaccurate at range.

The Death Eaters were so shocked they nearly froze up when two dozen green flashes of light filled the hall. Harry's forces continued to fire as rapidly as possible and the effect was devastating. In the past wizards had always dueled individually, even when many of them fought at the same time. For groups of wizards to mass their attacks in such an organized fashion was unheard of. Most of the Death Eaters fell, their faces still twisted in shock.

There was a roar of pure rage from the avatar, which had been strong enough to conjure barriers to take the shots he couldn't dodge. Harry grimaced as a huge torrent of fire came searing down the narrow hallway. The weakness of the linear formation was that it presenting a very fat target with so many people huddled so closely together. Harry's team scrambled to get away, but they need not have bothered. Now that the lesser fighters had been dealt with the battle was Harry's anyway.

Harry let loose a blast of black lightening against the oncoming flame. “Get down to the second floor, there's nothing left to do here for now.”

Harry's black lightening had arrested the advance of the avatar's flame, but it hadn't made much progress of its own. Regular lightening worked by adding energy to whatever it touched, often with explosive results. Black lightening worked the opposite way by taking energy from the things it struck although the result was often just as explosive.

Harry conjured his silver shield and activated his armor, including its shield function so he wouldn't have to worry about having a solid object on hand to block any killing curses that might be cast at him. The avatar summoned up a shield as well before closing the distance between himself and Harry.

Neither combatant made any idle chat before unleashing a variety of spells designed to penetrate shield charms. Harry heavily favored the breaker curse since it focused so much magical energy into a small area, but the avatar seemed to favor the opposite approach. With each blast of pale purple light Harry's shield was drained of some of its power until it began to look transparent.

Harry summoned a cylinder barrier shield and then quickly banished it so he could fill the hallway with the magical shrapnel that it always left behind. The avatar brushed most of the shards aside and hit Harry with an impediment spell. Fortunately, the dragon hide clothes Harry wore under his robes helped ameliorate the spell's effects, but he still chided himself for being hit by such a simple enchantment.

The air shimmered slightly, almost imperceptibly, but Harry knew some kind of air elemental spell was coming for him. That didn't help him see or counter the attack though. He felt his body jerk twice and suddenly his side felt very warm. Harry's robes had been ripped and a dark wet area was quickly expanding around the damage where blood was soaking into his clothing.

The avatar accelerated at Harry, hoping to catch him completely off guard with a killing curse slipped under his physical shield. Harry twisted and caught the green blast on the palm of his armored hand. The avatar tried again, but he was interrupted in the middle of the spell by Harry's metal covered fist burying itself in his stomach. Harry further broke all the traditions of wizard warfare by following up the punch with two more sharp jabs that left the avatar dazed on the floor.

“Avada Kedavra,” Harry yelled, his wand discharging the green flash at point blank range into the avatar's face. Voldemort's most fearsome warriors were too powerful to risk capturing them. Even the petrifaction potion might not be completely effective against such cursed creatures.

Hermione ran up the stairs to the second floor just in time to see two witches collapse into a lifeless heap at the feat of the second avatar. She had already conjured a shield so there was no gap between her recognition of the threat and a flurry of deadly spells. The Light Bearers and supporting Death Eaters became instant sideshows in the battle. Each side knew that their fate would be decided by the outcome of the fight between Hermione and the avatar.

The avatar staggered and everyone else fell to the floor in agony as Hermione unleashed terrible waves of magical energy designed to overwhelm the senses. The Light Bearers breathed easily for a moment, but then their glee turned to dread as the avatar recovered and cast long whisper thin sheets of silk like material toward Hermione. The thin white material wrapped around her quickly and formed a sort of cocoon. The material stretched sharply to accommodate Hermione's struggles, but it didn't tear.

“Avada Kedavra,” the avatar hissed. The wiggling bundle twisted at the last second and avoided the deadly flash of light. A split second later the silky material burst into a massive fireball that seemed to encompass the entire hall. Everyone on both sides except for the avatar shrank back apprehensively. Then, to the astonishment of everyone the avatar was suddenly being drawn toward the flame by some unseen force.

“Avada Kedavra,” the avatar shouted again and again, but the force wouldn't let him go. The fire effectively denied the dark warrior a target for his deadly spells. He began trying to disrupt the spell or even to physically walk backwards, but all the while he continued to be drawn toward the flame until at last he disappeared into it. There was a violent sound of rushing air as the fire extinguished itself in an instant to reveal a slightly charred Hermione using the magical strength of her armor to clamp down on the avatar's throat.

There was a flash of green light followed by the tiny clatter of the avatar's wand slipping from unfeeling fingers onto the floor below. Hermione tossed the body aside angrily and turned to the handful of Death Eaters who were still standing.

“Surrender,” she demanded. Her wand tip glowed as she pointed it toward the dark wizards. Several of them dropped their wands, but one tried to cast a spell.

Hermione whipped her wand forward violently and cast a long thin rope like spell that took on a sickly orange looking hue as it wrapped itself around the Death Eater's wand arm. The man cried out in anguish an instant before his arm seemed to liquefy and slosh to the ground in a disgusting puddle of rotted flesh. The rest of the Death Eaters immediately threw down their wands and several people, including a few Light Bearers, looked as if they were going to be ill. The wizard Hermione had struck down was still screaming as his gazed locked morbidly on the skeletal remains of the still attached arm.

The ceiling glowed brightly for a second in one small circular area. The glowing area disappeared and Harry dropped down lightly through the newly created hole. An instant after he touched down another cloaked form followed him through.

“Do you think there are anymore?” Harry asked. He levitated the avatar that Hermione had killed over next to the body of the one he had brought with him. They always examined the remains of Voldemort's crafted fighters for clues into how they were imbued with their master's magic

“I doubt it, at least if there were then they've escaped,” Hermione replied. Harry saw her eyes glance down at the dark patch where he had been bleeding profusely not too long ago. Fortunately, the wound wasn't cursed so Harry was pretty sure that his own powerful brand of remedial healing magic had fixed the damage permanently. That didn't keep him from feeling weakened from the trauma though, or prevent Hermione from worrying.

“What in the bloody hell did you do to that poor bugger?” Fred asked incredulously, his voice muffled by the wrappings that kept his identity hid from casual observation. Harry looked over at where the Death Eater whose arm Hermione had destroyed was still carrying on.

“Putrefaction curse,” Harry muttered. “They still resisted some, eh?”

“Yeah,” Hermione replied calmly. “Watched me take out an avatar and still decided to try and curse us.”

“That's hardly the point,” Fred blustered.

“Honestly,” Hermione said, clearly annoyed, “the guy had already refused to surrender and I'd seen him shake off a stunner earlier on; anyone that powerful is going to take some permanent damage to incapacitate them. He's lucky I didn't use a worse curse.”

“Here, take these,” Harry said. He handed a fist full of wands to Fred that he had been collecting from the battle. “Standard procedure for captured wands. Check them for previous spells, look for any hidden enchantments, and then distribute them back out to our supply caches.”

Harry could imagine Fred scowling at him from behind his face-masking scarf, but he nodded his head and took the wands none the less. Hermione was already examining the corpses of the avatars, but with little more success than any other time they had the opportunity to make such an examination.

“Their clothing and flesh has already turned to ash,” Hermione said. She prodded at the nearest avatar to prove her point and was rewarded by a chunk of flakes falling off.

“Is the skeleton still solid though?” Harry asked.

“Seems to be,” Hermione replied. She sighed heavily. “I just don't think that this is going to help us at all. I can't imagine why this would happen to them when they die or why it would be relevant for our purposes.”

“Maybe this happens on purpose so any clues we might otherwise find are instantly destroyed,” Harry suggested.

“Or maybe Voldemort does it to throw us off or maybe its just a by product of the process totally unrelated to anything,” Hermione said.

“Maybe I should go ask Dumbledore about it again,” Harry said.

“You know he won't help. Its just like with the stone…all he will say is that some things are meant to be left unknown,” Hermione replied. Dumbledore had come far in his willingness to aid their cause, but he still refused to dabble in certain areas of magic that he considered irredeemable.

All around them the search of the Death Eater base continued on at a rapid pace. Things of interest were either taken for further examination or possibly left for Harry or Hermione to examine if they were too unknown.

“There's nothing more we can learn here,” Hermione said finally. “I'll go start taking down the wards, you destroy what's left of these things.”

Fred and George followed Hermione down the hall toward the stairs so they could act as her backup just in case there were anymore dark forces lurking around. A wide beam of green light flashed out of Harry's wand and engulfed the bodies of the avatars. The ash vaporized only an instant quicker than the bone and then all that was left was a slightly darkened outline on the floor.

Ron approached him carrying a skull on a silver platter. “Someone found this on the first floor. It looks like one of the skulls used to summon help or manipulate wards,” Ron said nervously.

“I'll take that,” Harry said quickly. As he was studying Ron's find another wizard came running up.

“Commander, we've finished the sweep, including a radius around the building,” the man said, addressing Ron. Even though Harry was standing there Ron's control over the day to day movements of the Light Bearers had caused him to become the person everyone reported to first. Harry and Hermione also encouraged Ron to take a prominent role since they were seldom in position to issue overall command decisions in the middle of a battle due to them being the backbone of the Light Bearer's combat strength. Harry was also insistent for a reason he didn't tell Hermione. He wasn't sure either of them would survive the final battle with Voldemort and if they didn't the Light Bearers would need a strong leader to keep from falling apart.

“All right, good job,” Ron said. “I believe the wards will be dropping soon so everyone should prepare to apparate.”

“We're heading back to Middle Yard,” Harry said suddenly. “Hermione and I will interrogate the prisoners. With any luck we'll be using the information they give us to launch new attacks."

The man clapped a fist over his heart in salute and ran off to spread the word. Harry didn't know how long they'd be able to go from one attack to the next seamlessly, but after the carnage at Hogsmeade he knew that if he had anything to say about it they'd keep it up for a long time.

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Chapter 14 - The Iron Triangle

Shortages Multiply, Ministry Advises Restraint

Diagon Alley continues to be virtually shut down in the aftermath of the complete destruction of England's last true wizarding village, Hogsmeade. At this time the official Ministry policy is to upgrade the commercial center's security to the point that a Hogsmeade like incident could never occur. Spokeswizard Weasley, the newest attaché to Minister Fudge, denounced what he called an aura of fear being built up by certain elements of the journalistic community. Weasley went on to say that everyone should be aware that disruptions will continue to occur during the foreseeable future. The Ministry is expected to issue a new improvisation and substitution guide to help citizens identify strategies for coping with supply shortfalls. As always, people are encouraged to pool their talents and resources while the community's most powerful mages are unavailable to supply critical enchantments.

“Do you have a point?” Hermione asked crossly. Raver Harp, the Light Bearers' most prominent auror member, had been waving around newspaper articles for at least a half-hour.

“It's the same bloody point I've had for the last two weeks,” Harp said with a strained voice. “Everyone is short of everything right now, including us, especially us, and you two are the only ones powerful enough to make some of these devices.”

“Professor Dumbledore is doing all he can,” Harry said. “Hermione and I may have the power, but we've never had the training to make most of the things we need. We simply don't have time right now so you'll just have to make do with what we've got.”

Harp blinked a few times and rummaged through his stack of parchments. Harry sighed and cast a sidelong glance at Hermione. It was bad enough that they barely got any sleep these days, but now they had to put up with a steady stream of people coming around to voice “concerns.”

Terror Rules in England: World of Magic Devastated

Diagon Daily resumes operation from an undisclosed location after the widely publicized shutdown of Diagon Alley. During the brief interlude when this paper was unwillingly silenced a veritable tidal wave of reports on the swiftly changing nature of the war has surfaced. As in the last war, the Dark Lord and his followers have maintained an unnerving level of secrecy that even the top Ministry investigators are unable to penetrate. However, in this latest round of conflict the emergence of the so called Bearers of the Light have provided a foil against which the shadowy forces of the Dark Lord are illuminated. Shortly following the massacre at Hogsmeade the Light Bearers, under the command of Harry Potter (Chosen One and Boy-Who-Lived) and Hermione Granger (Muggleborn Arch-Witch and apparent co-commander of the Light Bearers) struck back at seemingly random targets that they clearly believed to be agents of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Potter and Granger have both been witnessed using Dark Magic of the most dangerous variety (For a comprehensive look at the Light Bearers' Dark Side see page 15-28). This blatant and very public display of the dark arts comes on the heels of rumors about a secret prison where suspects are routinely tortured. Some persons have alleged that the Potter-Granger duo are engaging in even more unnatural dark experiments that we can only hope are destined to be used against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named…

“Can't you just say Voldemort?” Hermione interrupted. Harp blanched visibly, but forged ahead.

“I thought the problem was that we're not using our magic to make war supplies, now you're complaining about our image or what?” Harry asked.

“They're related,” Harp said defensively. He pointed at the giant golden goblet seated on the table in front of Harry and Hermione. “You're wasting all your time on that…that…abomination.”

Hermione's face twisted into a scowl. “You don't even know what “it” is.” She said darkly.

“All I know is that I feel cold and empty whenever I get near it, or look at it,” Harp said shakily. “Its bad, the worst kind of evil. Why won't you just tell anyone what it is.”

“We have told people what it is, people who need to know,” Harry replied calmly. “Look, those articles you just read demonstrate that someone with access to Grimmauld Place is leaking reports to the press. If they can leak things to the press then they can leak them to Voldemort and this is too important for him to find out about it.”

“Almost makes me miss Shacklebolt,” Hermione said dryly after Harp had stormed out in frustration. After the attack on White Acres the auror had nearly forsworn all contact with the Light Bearers. He still communicated regularly with Dumbledore and Harry had decided to leave it at that. They still needed his eyes and ears inside the Ministry since Shacklebolt ranked higher up than Harp. Unfortunately, he was an employee of and believer in the Ministry above all else. He might believe that Dumbledore was an asset to the Ministry's fight against Voldemort, but he wasn't willing to do anything he didn't see as expedient to the greater good of Fudge's administration.

“That'll be the day,” Harry replied.

“Is it safe to come back in here dear?” Sarah Granger asked from the doorway.

“You can come back in Mum, but I don't know if I'd call it safe,” Hermione replied. Hermione removed the covering from the large goblet as Petunia Dursley followed in behind Sarah, almost hesitantly, and took a seat on the sofa next to her.

“It still feels so cold in here,” Petunia muttered. “I'm glad I can't see those terrible things you told us about earlier.”

“Keep watching the goblet though,” Hermione reminded. “If you see anything happening to the goblet's structure let us know right away so we can destroy the experiment.”

Harry and Hermione had spent a considerable amount of time chasing after all the groups of Death Eaters scattered across England, but eventually they had run out of places to look. Then had come the dementor attacks, hundreds of them, usually on muggles, but often on wizards too. Even wizards who had mastered the patronus charm had sometimes been overwhelmed so Hermione had decided that a more permanent solution was required.

No one really knew exactly how a dementor was created. There were many theories, some of which almost certainly had to have some truth to them. Dementors seemed to spring from their surroundings much like Red Caps were thought to spring forth from bloodshed. Only for a dementor the surroundings needed to be a convergence of the darkest, most depressing, and despairing emotions. Hermione hoped that if they could create a dementor artificially then the process would give them clues into the creature's makeup and allow them enough insight to design a spell to destroy rather than merely repel them.

“Are you sure you're okay hon?” Sarah asked gently when Hermione sighed and leaned back in her plush chair.

“I'm fine Mum,” Hermione replied reassuringly. “Harry and I are pushing our magic pretty hard here.”

“The thing is acting up too,” Harry muttered.

“It's supposed to do that Harry,” Hermione said distractedly.

“Supposed to do what?” Petunia asked nervously. She was craning her neck awkwardly to try and see down into the golden goblet. Of course, without magic she couldn't hope to see what was inside and Harry knew that if she could see she'd be trying to avoid looking instead. The goblet was nearly full of a black tar like substance that bubbled and churned of its own accord. The surface was continually swelling or indenting in various ghastly shapes. Bones, twisted age withered limbs, and even skeletal looking faces all seemed to be straining against the surface of the black liquid as if attempting to escape.

“A hand just reached out further than I've ever seen it do before,” Harry said nervously. He prodded the substance gently with his wand and then vaporized the bit that stuck to the tip with a searing light spell.

“At least we know it isn't a dementor yet,” Hermione said.

“I guess not,” Harry agreed. He leaned forward to cast another exploratory enchantment over their creation when a gnarled hand broke through the surface violently. Harry scrambled backward as the hand was followed swiftly by an arm and then the rest of the newly spawned dementor.

“Harry,” Hermione yelled, “don't let it get out.”

“Get the lid,” Harry said. He cast his patronus charm between the dementor, Sarah, and Aunt Petunia. Hermione activated her armor to protect herself while she attempted to cram the dementor back down into the specially conjured goblet that they hoped would contain it.

Harry leapt to Hermione's side and added his own weight to the lid. The additional force caused the top to set down on the goblet with a clang and a small flash of light as its sealing charm took effect. Harry only got half way through his breath of relief when the goblet's thick metallic sides distended rapidly in several places all at once.

“It shouldn't be able to do that,” Hermione said worriedly. She cast her own patronus and had it swallow the goblet whole.

“If it's a true dementor that won't stop it,” Harry said.

“It's way stronger than a normal dementor,” Hermione gasped. “Mum, Petunia, you've got to get out of here now.”

“Hermione, you need to go too,” Harry said quickly. “The prophecy will protect me.”

“No Harry,” Hermione snapped. “Dementors can destroy a person without killing them remember? It's too risky.”

“Worthless prophecy, can't even protect me from dementors,” Harry muttered. Hermione grinned, but quickly focused on the matter at hand when her patronus exploded into an unusually large dementor. It ignored the two mages and instead turned on the two ladies who had become nearly incapacitated from the soul wrenching effects of the dementor's aura of fear.

Hermione accelerated so she could put herself physically between her mum and the dementor. With a violent gesture of Hermione's wand a dozen spears of corporeal light skewered the dementor from all sides. It writhed and expelled a few of the beams, but then Harry duplicated the spell. Black mist boiled off of the dementor until it dissipated into a mean looking fog before vanishing entirely.

“So, was that a dementor or what?” Harry asked between deep breaths from exhaustion.

“I don't know,” Hermione replied, “but whatever it was, it left something behind.”

Harry looked at the fallen goblet and saw that the bottom fourth of it was still holding the same black substance they had created to experiment with. He waved his wand and repaired the container, but didn't replenish the dark magic that had fed the creation of the dementor.

“Hopefully there isn't enough of that stuff left to produce another one,” Harry said.

“Goodness gracious what in the world is going on here,” Molly Weasley asked hysterically. Ron was trying to slow her and his father Arthur down from their headlong rush into the room.

“Was that a dementor? Here?” Arthur chimed in.

“Quiet,” Hermione hissed. “What part of “secret project” didn't you get?”

Arthur immediately looked abashed, but Molly's alarm multiplied in front of their very eyes. Even worse, Raver Harp had run back in and heard Arthur's guess as to what was going on.

“I think we deserve to know what you're doing,” Harp said. Harry was surprised at how calm and serious the usually flippant man was being.

“Since they bloody well already know,” Hermione groused.

“Fine,” Harry said resignedly. “But this doesn't leave the room.”

“Let's face it,” Hermione said. “The dementors are some of the most effective minions that Voldemort has. They can't be killed, we're forced to split up our most talented wizards to protect those who can't cast a patronus, they're great at terrorizing muggles or even the general wizard public…”

“So Hermione surmised, and I agree, that if we were to create one in a controlled circumstance we might be able to learn enough about them to find a way to kill them instead of simply repel them,” Harry said. “If we can do this it will severely weaken Voldemort's force, perhaps even enough to recover the gap in manpower that has been swiftly widening between us and the Death Eaters.”

Molly's demeanor instantly changed. “Of course, if it will help kill that man,” she said darkly.

Harry jumped up and put one arm around Molly whilst motioning at Arthur with his other. “We're working as hard as we can, but we can't let…him…find out about this,” Harry said soothingly.

Molly seemed to mellow. “Right, right, you can count on me dear,” she said softly.

Harry passed her off to Arthur who continued gently walking her out of the room.

“Poor Molly,” Hermione said bitterly. After Ginny died the matronly Weasley had been inconsolable. For weeks Molly had oscillated from debilitating depression to stormy rages as she attempted to come to grips with her loss. At one point she had practically begged Harry and Arthur to let her go on raids before Hermione surprisingly convinced her that she was more valuable in her behind the scenes role. Since then Molly had thrown herself into whatever work she could find and only came out of her emotional shell long enough to agree with anything designed to kill Voldemort as quickly as possible.

Harp on the other hand was not so obligingly malleable when it came to getting his agreement for any plan, especially one that involved the bane of all aurors: dark magic. Harry was beginning to think that the primary qualification for a position as a top wizard law enforcer was an irrational paranoia of all magic that fell outside what one would teach a schoolchild.

“I know you two believe that you're doing this for a good reason,” Harp said patiently, “but do you have any idea what you're doing? I mean really? What if that thing got loose? It could have escaped and nullified the enchantments keeping this place hidden. Grimmauld Place exposed would be a disaster beyond all disasters!”

“It wasn't a true dementor,” Hermione replied stiffly.

“You can't be sure of that,” Harp snapped. “It certainly felt like one.”

“Except that we killed it,” Hermione retorted. “A real dementor wouldn't have died.”

“Well, what happens next time when it is a dementor?” Harp asked.

“With any luck next time we'll be able to kill it, even if it is a dementor,” Harry said.

“Raver, please,” Hermione said. “Let us handle this.”

“We can't have anyone just running in and questioning our activities as the fancy strikes them,” Harry added. “I've tried to be as honest and forthcoming as possible because I know what its like to be kept in the dark. However, there comes a point where if you're with us then disagreements have to be shelved.”

Harry got a couple of flashes from Harp's mind using his ambient legimency that mostly consisted of disdain for Hermione and concern for something less precise.

“Very well,” Harp said resignedly. With a short nod he backed his way hastily out of the room leaving them alone with Sarah and Petunia again.

“I keep expecting him to resign,” Harry observed.

“Or worse, turn us in to the Ministry. He knows a lot,” Hermione said sullenly. She had felt Harp's emotional flashes too.

“I'm sure he's just trying to help Hermione,” Sarah said.

Hermione moved her shoulders in a very non-committal gesture. She waved her wand and summoned a large stack of papers that had been strewn around by the commotion so they could be sorted back into a proper order.

“Here, let me do that,” Harry said. Hermione kept a few papers and passed the rest over. Harry started sorting them according to the time and date notation that appeared at the tope of each page. He glanced over at where Hermione was swiftly making new notes based on what they had just experienced. He resisted pulling her close and kissing her scrunched up nose since she needed to concentrate, not to mention that she was a little shy of overt displays of affection in front of her mother.

When Harry had finished putting Hermione's notes back in order he picked up one of Harp's discarded newspapers. The press, with the exception of Mr. Lovegood's Quibbler, had been bouncing all over the place with every kind of crazy theory about what was going on. Of course they also managed to fit in some serious pieces like an inventory of Diagon Alley's businesses post Hogsmeade. Not much besides the goblin bank Gringotts had stayed open, though they had little choice. Gringotts couldn't protect itself any better by closing, it couldn't move the things stored within its vaults because it had nowhere else to put them, and goblins were about the only magical creature able to stand up to wizards on an even footing.

Harry heard someone enter the room, but his attention was suddenly fixed on a disturbing picture buried deep inside the Diagon Daily. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but he knew he had seen it before. It was Hermione, looking very exhausted and enraged, firing off a vast amount of tiny tongues of flame. Every once in a while she would look up and sneer defiantly before resuming her attack. The real puzzling thing is that Harry couldn't imagine how anyone could get a picture of her in the middle of a battle like that.

“Oi, Harry, pay attention,” Ron said. “You too Hermione, this is important.”

“Okay, I'm listening,” Harry said. He tossed the newspaper away absently and waited for his friend to explain.

“Good news and bad news I'm afraid,” Ron said. “Or at least I think it'll be bad news.”

“Ron,” Hermione said expectantly.

“Remus has sent us another communication and apparently the Americans have agreed to send an observer. Some bloke showed up at Hogwarts claiming to represent the wizard government over there in the states.” Ron said.

“I guess we'd better meet with him then,” Harry said.

“What was the bad news?” Hermione asked before Harry could get up.

“The dwarves are demanding to meet with you both,” Ron said. “They seem a little put out, to say the least.”

“I'm surprised they haven't made contact already,” Hermione said sadly. The avatars had still managed to loot one of their cities despite the attempted rescue by Harry and Hermione. In the end they were forced to flee prematurely to fight the battle at Hogsmeade. When a Light Bearer team finally reached their remote location the dwarves had disappeared.

“Where did they want to meet us at?” Harry asked.

“Uh, actually, here,” Ron said sheepishly. Harry opened his mouth to protest when the main doors burst open again and three dwarves in elaborate metal woven clothes strode into the room. Hermione stood up hastily and Harry immediately followed suit.

“Ambassadors, how unexpected,” Hermione said politely. “Please, take a seat.”

Aunt Petunia and Sarah had also stood so they could move off to the side away from the surprise guests. Petunia still flinched at the sight of anything odd, including magical creatures she hadn't encountered before. Fortunately, the dwarfish representatives didn't seem to notice her reaction.

“I'm certainly happy to see you again,” Harry added smoothly. “After the terrible attack by Voldemort's avatars we feared you might recede for the duration of the war.”

“We had little choice but to hide after the sack of our greatest continental city,” the head dwarf replied. Dwarves were oddly reluctant to give outsiders their names. “We have come for the protection guaranteed to us by our treaty as we rebuild our loss.”

“I'm afraid that may not be possible right now Ambassador,” Hermione said slowly. “We are already over extended in responding to direct attacks and it seems unlikely that Voldemort's forces would return to bother your efforts at this time.”

“Just like you were too over extended to protect our city?” the head dwarf retorted.

“By the time we got word of the attack it was too late to come with our main force,” Harry explained. “Only Hermione and myself were able to travel quickly enough…”

“What is the point of this treaty if you are unable to fulfill your end of it?” the dwarf asked haughtily.

“The treaty does not give blanket assurance of immunity from attack,” Hermione replied, agitation creeping into her voice. “Not to mention we made a good faith effort by giving as much help as we could at the time…”

“Oh yes,” the dwarf interrupted. “Now we will hear how the great Hermione Granger, an army unto herself, came and how we should ask for no more.”

Harry felt his jaw slacken and saw that Hermione too had a pole axed expression on her face.

“Yes, two whole points of the “iron triangle” came to defend us, and then promptly left at the first sign of trouble,” the dwarf continued. He seemed to finally register their expressions, but misinterpreted what they were shocked about. “Didn't you know? That's what they call your “Light Bearers” on the continent. Three forces united for their own benefit, the Chosen One and his invincible prophecy, the mightiest witch of the living generations, and an elite band of hit wizards.”

“You can't believe that,” Hermione finally choked out. “You've had access to our records and our people. You know who and what we are.”

“We know what you've shown us,” the dwarf snapped. “Wizards are good at keeping secrets, especially from us “regulation” creatures.”

“Hermione is one of the most outspoken critics of Ministry regulation of sentient magical persons,” Harry replied hotly. “And furthermore, need I remind you that you're people have fallen short of the agreements made in the treaty too. We've received no gold, no wand wood, not even a decent supply of the metals we need for the manufacture of critical equipment like armor.”

The dwarf shifted uncomfortably. “That isn't the point, you abandoned us.”

“Abandonment had nothing to do with it,” Hermione said in a calmer voice. “With Hogsmeade under attack the castle of Hogwarts could have easily been the next target. Voldemort was personally leading the attack, if we didn't return immediately the war might already be over right now.”

That had their attention. The dwarves had apparently been completely out of communication with the rest of the world during their time away and had no idea of what had transpired after the attack on their city.

“You have to understand, we didn't know,” one of the accompanying dwarves said. “But it may not be possible for us to supply the amount of materials that you seem to require.”

Hermione fell back into diplomacy mode. “We accept that and know that you'll do all you can. Just like we hope you will be able to understand that we have to commit our forces to where they'll most benefit the war effort.”

“We'll help whenever we can,” Harry added. “But like the treaty says, we have many protectorates and other war assets to defend. Ultimately, staying to defend your city in light of Hogsmeade would have done more harm than good. Harm that would have eventually been revisited on the dwarfish people.”

“Perhaps you'd like to reconsider our offer to place a full time representative at Hogwarts so that you can be assured of continual contact with our operation,” Hermione suggested. Though they had few allies so united and organized as to be worthy of a continual presence, they were still prepared to coordinate with their allies as closely as possible. Unfortunately, the centuries of mistrust that wizard kind had built up amongst many magical creatures precluded the formation of many such relationships. Indeed, only the imminent threat of Voldemort had allowed Harry to even get an audience with the more secretive groups like the dwarves.

“Uh, no, I'm afraid all our people are very busy,” the head dwarf said evasively. He glanced meaningfully around the disorderly room. “I'm sure that you too are greatly busy at this time…”

“Actually, I'm very interested to hear more about this iron triangle talk,” Hermione interjected.

The dwarf looked down for a moment in an almost shy manner. “Idle talk in the heat of the moment, very unfortunate, think nothing of it.”

“You said something about such talk being common place on the continent,” Hermione pressed.

“Please, we don't have time to keep up with the goings on outside of England,” Harry said encouragingly. “It could be important.”

“Well, there are many stories,” the dwarf said sheepishly. “Some think that the prophecy is a fraud being used as an excuse to gather enough wizards to overthrow the pureblood dominated English Ministry.”

“Why would I want to overthrow the Ministry?” Harry asked peevishly.

“Not you, her,” the dwarf said, pointing at Hermione.

“Me?” Hermione repeated incredulously.

“Some say you're angry at the purebloods because of your muggle born status. Others say you've got, uh, dark tendencies because of your magical prowess,” the dwarf replied delicately. Sarah Granger stiffened when the dwarf mentioned Hermione's muggle born heritage, but she didn't interrupt.

Hermione snorted disdainfully. “You mean they claim I'm power mad like Voldemort.”

The dwarf and his attendants cringed. “Not that we believe such nonsense of course.”

Harry didn't think it would be politic to point out that they apparently had believed such “nonsense” only a few minutes before.

“What about Dumbledore, or even me,” Harry said. “Surely we're not crazed Dark Lords in the making.”

“Dumbledore is getting pretty old and your relationship to Hermione is well known,” the dwarf said simply. “Please, keep in mind, these are not prominent views. They're just rumors or innuendo passed around, probably by people with Death Eater connections.”

Harry lurched forward in his chair at this news. “Are there many Voldemort sympathizers on the continent? Are they helping Voldemort actively or do they just favor his cause? What kind of numbers are we talking about here?"

“We don't know,” the dwarf replied hastily. He looked rather cowed by the aggressive interrogation Harry had launched into. “Some of both maybe, wizards don't talk to us about such things.”

“This is bad Harry,” Hermione said. “We don't have the resources or the numbers to try to fight across channel.”

“The Ministry controls the flow of magical commerce into and out of England. Hopefully they can keep the Death Eaters from getting much aid from abroad. The only other thing we can do is keep up our attacks on Voldemort's infrastructure,” Harry said. They had put a considerable dent in the holdings of the Voldemort's followers, but ultimately they had no idea how much the dark forces had to work with. Considering that they were made up of some of the wealthiest members of the magical community Harry figured it was safe to assume their resources were handily superior to that of their opposition, including the Ministry in all likelihood.

Ron apparently was thinking along the same lines. “I suppose I could send one or two people to investigate, but other than that we can't afford to take away from our spying here in England. We're trying to watch the ports that handle the most foreign wizard traffic though.”

Harry glanced at Hermione as if to ask what she thought. To be honest, they had never even considered the continent as a source of anything except possibly targets for Voldemort once he began to need war material. That concern was what had driven them to form a treaty with the dwarves in the first place.

Harry continued to question the dwarfish ambassador until he and Hermione were both satisfied that there was no more relevant information to be gained. Then they went through more of the customary diplomatic hoop jumping that always accompanied such events. Harry had gotten to where he could tolerate the dwarves' ritual, but Ron got so bored that he begged off in the middle using the presence of the American representative back at Hogwarts as his excuse. It was a considerable time later when the dwarves finally left so that Harry and Hermione could greet their other diplomatic guest.

“So what are you two talking about?” Sarah asked as they walked down the halls toward Dumbledore's office. Hermione's mum had portkeyed in with her daughter so she could spend some time at the far more interesting location of Hogwarts as opposed to the drab Grimmauld Place. Erwin was still busy talking muggle interests with Vernon and Dudley so had decided not to come. Petunia had just barely gotten used to living in a magical house and was in no way ready to visit something as scary as an enchanted castle school.

Hermione's cheeks reddened slightly. “We were trying to think of a strategy to get this American to like us enough to recommend to his government that they send us some help,” she replied.

“Just be yourself dear,” Sarah advised. “If they don't want to help us for who we are and for the threat we face then we probably would be better off without their help.”

“I wish it were that easy Mum,” Hermione replied wistfully. “From what Remus has told us in his reports these Americans are odd, even by wizarding standards.”

When they arrived at the gargoyle entrance to Dumbledore's office they found Luna waiting for them with the password.

“Ron's already up there talking with him,” Luna said knowingly. Her eyes got really big as she remembered something. “He dresses a little strangely though.”

Harry felt himself concentrating to maintain a straight face when he heard those words. He consciously looked anywhere except Luna's oversized radish earrings, butterbeer bottle cap necklace, and the wand stuck haphazardly through her hair.

Luna proved to be correct however, at least in a way. The American wizard was dressed smartly in something close to a muggle business suit, except with some arcane looking symbols around a few of its edges. He didn't wear a hat, but instead had a briefcase sitting next to his chair. The only thing that clearly marked him as a wizard was the presence of a wand strapped to his hip.

“He's just wearing his wand like that since he's in a war zone,” Hermione said when she felt his question. “I read about it in a book on the American government's wizard traditions. Normally, agents like him would wear his wand concealed, except when they're dispatched to an area engaging in open hostilities.”

Ron glanced up from his spot at Dumbledore's desk when the three stepped into the room. “Ah, here they are now. Mr. Roart Lippmann, this is Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and her mother Sarah Granger. Everyone, this is Roart Lippmann from the office of the distinguished Chairman Willis Van Devanter.”

Lippmann quickly rose from his chair and extended a hand. “Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Mrs. Granger, I'm pleased to finally meet your acquaintance,” he said smoothly with a distinct Yankee accent. Roart was a fairly nondescript middle aged wizard with slightly graying hair and a tall thin figure.

“The pleasure is ours to be sure Mr. Lippmann,” Hermione replied gracefully.

“I can't tell you how happy we are that you have agreed to come over here and witness first had what's been going on in our country,” Harry added.

“Well, we have some idea,” Lippmann said shortly, “But I can attest to how shocking some of the things your Mr. Lupin had to say were. We were particularly surprised to discover that the main resistance to Voldemort was coming from yourself and Miss Granger.”

Harry was shocked that Lippmann had actually said Voldemort's name as if it were something of no consequence whatsoever. They had been trying to get people to say his name for years, but to actually hear it threw him off guard. Of course, not being from England probably had something to do with it. Ron seemed non-pulsed so Harry decided that Lippmann must have done it before.

“Undoubtedly you've heard the contents of the prophecy,” Hermione explained.

“Oh yes,” Lippmann interrupted, “But Voldemort is one of England's strongest wizards in several generations after all. It would make little sense to have a prophecy if one party to it had no chance of a favorable outcome. Besides, according to our reports you are an untouchable witch yourself, are you not Miss Granger?”

“Untouchable?” Hermione asked, uncharacteristically confused.

“Sorry,” Lippmann said quickly. “That's regional slang for a mage with unusually strong powers. Generally such persons arise at a ratio of roughly one to a million or so.”

Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione's cheeks turned bright red. “I don't know about that. We all do what we can.”

“Of course,” Lippmann replied gently. “In any event I have been authorized by my government to analyze any information, facilities, or personnel that you might see fit to grant me access too. I can say that the more thorough picture I get of your operation the more inclined I will be to return with a favorable report. I have also been authorized to go on operations with your teams if you are inclined to allow my presence, but I am not able to engage in any combat other than to defend myself.”

“Perhaps you would like to review the memories of the battles we use as training templates in our pensieve?” Hermione asked.

“And we will open all of our records to you within reason,” Harry added. “I'm afraid that on going operations will be subject to our usual security and secrecy protocols, but as soon as they become non-sensitive you'll have full access to those as well. Basically, if you want to see something just ask and we'll tell you where it stands, but it is our intention to be completely transparent.”

“Well, on behalf of the American government I hope that we will be able to establish a mutually beneficial relationship,” Lippmann replied formally.

“As do we,” Ron returned. He handed Lippmann a specially made bracelet that contained an abbreviated amount of destination beads on it. “Now, we have prepared a room for you here at Hogwarts and Grimmauld Place. This bracelet will allow you to portkey back and forth between the two locations.”

More pleasantries were exchanged for the next few hours until it was getting very late. Luna and Sarah had bowed out at some point to go eat, but Ron had no excuse to escape this time so he had to suffer. By the time Lippmann was shaking their hands again and bidding them good night Ron looked as if he wanted nothing more than to ram his head into the stone wall a few times.

“About bloody time,” he sighed once Lippmann had left. “Can you believe that bloke never even watched a game of Quiddich?”

“Honestly, Ron, it isn't popular everywhere and with everyone after all,” Hermione replied tartly. Ron mumbled something that sounded like “it should be.”

“Where is Dumbledore anyway?” Harry asked as they descended the stairs from his office.

“He's still trying to make up lost ground with the potions class,” Ron replied. Snape had disappeared right before the battle of Hogsmeade and hadn't been seen or heard of since.

“Still no replacement?” Harry asked.

“Hard to replace someone that might come back at any time,” Ron said, shrugging unconcernedly. “I've sat in on a few of Dumbledore's classes just for kicks. Its entertainment in and of itself, especially when he gets his beard near an open cauldron.”

Hermione giggled and Harry pictured Dumbledore with his beard on fire or dissolving from someone's failed potion.

“It started sprouting vines one day,” Ron continued, chuckling at the memory.

“I still can't stand this place,” Harry commented as they neared the dungeons. “It's so Snape-ish.”

“Snape-ish?” Hermione said dubiously. “Not a word, but yes, it does make one feel unwelcome.”

When they entered the potions classroom they found Dumbledore speaking with two young students who had probably been whispering in class or melting equipment. As soon as the elderly wizard saw his visitors he started making shooing motions toward his little students. They both jumped up and bolted out of the classroom looking like they'd just been served double desserts at the first day of school feast.

“So, I take it you've met Mr. Lippmann?” Dumbledore asked brightly. “Lighthearted fellow isn't he?”

Harry blinked twice, having become unaccustomed to Dumbledore's humor. Hermione chuckled, but Ron just shook his head.

“Oi, don't even kid Professor. You just met him for fifteen minutes, I had to spend about five bloody hours in a row with him,” he said ruefully.

“But I'm sure you didn't venture all the way down here to discuss personalities,” Dumbledore prodded.

“Actually, and I thought I'd never say this, we're beginning to worry about Snape's extended absence,” Harry said.

“Yes, I suspected as much,” Dumbledore said heavily. He sat down behind his desk and shuffled some papers over to one side so he could rest his hands comfortably. “I'm frankly at a loss other than to say that Professor Snape still has my confidence. I can only speculate that Voldemort has called him into his full service.”

“What would make him end Snape's role of “spy” here in the castle?” Hermione pressed.

“I suspect that you and Harry may have had something to do with that,” Dumbledore replied. “Professor Snape was stationed here to remain close to me and thus gain insight into my activities. Once Voldemort realized that the control of the war against him was in your hands and not mine Severus' usefulness was greatly diminished. Unlike me, you and Harry wouldn't be expected to trust him with anything of significant value. His considerable talents as potion master were probably considered to be of greater value.”

Hermione chewed her lip uneasily. “We really loused this one didn't we,” she said.

Harry didn't respond to her. “How do we know he hasn't been discovered and captured?” he asked Dumbledore.

“I would know if that were the case,” Dumbledore replied.

“How?” Hermione asked sharply.

“Severus and I have a system in place that would alert me were his position to become compromised,” Dumbledore said.

“I guess he's not going to elaborate,” Harry said as the silence stretched into uncomfortable territory.

“I suppose it doesn't matter,” Hermione replied with the mental equivalent of a sigh.

“We're going to go get something to eat down in the kitchens,” Hermione said finally. “Would you like for us to have something sent up?”

“I've already had something,” Dumbledore said rather dismissive tone.

“Me too,” Ron said amiably. “I'm going to go find Luna and your Mum Hermione.”

“Okay, we'll find you later,” Harry said.

“Oh wait,” Ron said as they tuned to go. “I almost forgot, Remus sent a message too. I've already read it, but you guys should give it a look. Pretty routine stuff though.”

“Thanks Ron,” Hermione said as she took the parchment.

Harry wrapped his arm around her tenderly as they walked through the cavernous hallways toward the kitchens. The war had been taxing on everyone, but Harry and Hermione sometimes thought that they felt it worst of all. In addition to the horrific duty that hung over Harry's head like an executioner's blade their time was more often than not consumed by the indispensable roles they played as leaders of the resistance.

Other members of the Light Bearers could take turns going on patrol. Ordinary wizards could rotate their responsibilities with each other when it came to sending relief to embattled comrades. Harry and Hermione had no one to relieve them. If an avatar struck there was no one else to send, especially now that Neville was gone and his team was decimated. If a command decision had to be made they could leave it to Ron, but ultimately they were responsible for everything that happened, for every person that was sent out to fight and perhaps even to die.

In ten minutes they would have to scrutinize Remus' report, but for right now they could just enjoy the soothing sensation of walking along in each other's arms. They both had come to cherish such mundane pleasures in an environment where all too often they were denied even that.

An elf greeted them at the door when they entered the kitchens through the painting. “Heads Potter and Granger, can I be getting you some leftovers?” one of the elves asked timidly.

“Please,” Hermione said. “We're sorry to cause you the extra trouble.”

“Oh no, we are most happy to help,” the elf squeaked. The Hogwart's elves were still rather put off by Hermione.

Harry conjured up a small round table and two chairs situated so that they could examine Remus' latest letter at the same time while they waited for the elves to find them something to eat.

“He's been talking with regional leaders, especially those in New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland. There seems to be some hope of getting “volunteers” to come join us on an individual basis, but apparently they're reluctant to send official government forces of any kind,” Hermione said as she sped read down the first few pages.

“How about money or material?” Harry asked.

“Remus doesn't appear to be paying as much attention to those sorts of offers. We need to tell him to push harder for that kind of support too when we send our reply,” Hermione noted.

Harry thanked the two elves that brought them a platter of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, and other assorted trimmings. Hermione kept trying to read and eat at the same time without getting anything on Remus' letter.

Hermione found something interesting at let out a “Mmmmph” noise as she tried to speak with a full mouth.

“Plenty of time,” Harry said humorously.

“It's about Hogsmeade,” Hermione said finally. Harry sobered up considerably and leaned over to look at the passage she was pointing to.

The Battle at Hogsmeade was a turning point in how well received I was by many of the officials here. There seems to pervade a sense that Voldemort is not a real threat due to the attitude of the Ministry and that even if he is a real threat England is not serious about fighting it. My hosts are unwilling to commit to any action that they perceive as drawing them into a potentially deadly battle between irregular forces on the one side and uncommitted forces on the other. The carnage at Hogsmeade, if nothing else, seemed to dispel the notion that we are uncommitted to the fight against the forces of darkness…

“Tell him to work that angle relentlessly,” Harry decided. “We should have him accentuate just how hard pressed we are at this point. If we can just make them understand then they'll have to help.”

“I hope so Harry,” Hermione said, thinking of their rapidly shrinking force. “I really hope so.”

-->

Chapter 15 - Snape's Rival

Lucius Malfoy stood in the brightly lit parlor of Riddle Manor holding the latest report from the wizard they had sent to the Red Mountain tribe in an attempt to recruit additional giants for their cause. Most people probably imagined the heart of Voldemort's power to be a foreboding place with dark halls, foggy vine filled grounds, and dementors in every cupboard. The expertly maintained grounds and gleaming corridors of Voldemort's mansion were instead the epitome of how wizard royalty should live.

Voldemort himself was also the complete opposite of the way he was portrayed by the lackeys of the Ministry. Lucius had seen an artist's rendition of the Dark Lord in the rubbish rag known as the Quibbler. It was nothing at all like the stately figure of Lord Voldemort, outfitted in the finest dress robes, and considerably more vital looking, especially when he wasn't using his magic. Right now Voldemort was towering over his top expert on potions as they analyzed the latest results of one the countless experiments that had been commissioned to further the understanding of magic.

Lucius scowled unconsciously as he considered the misfits, muggle lovers, and sub-human trash out there trying to foil Voldemort's bright new vision of the future. Voldemort envisaged a world at harmony with magic where real wizards, purebloods, stood as immortals and acted as caretakers everything else. For all of his life he had watched the Malfoy family dwindle down until their heritage hung by a thin drop of blood. He had witnessed other noble families disappear into history without so much as a single tear shed by the larger world.

“Try using a wooden instrument to stir the concoction,” Voldemort said at last. Vitter clucked nervously, like some kind of giant hen, and wiped his hand across his sweaty brow.

“Wood is so temperamental though, not to mention the nature of the potion itself. Wood could make it fatal,” Vitter replied.

“If you make sure it is properly smoothed the contamination should be minimal, even by the standards of the curse,” Voldemort insisted. “It's not like the blood clans we're negotiating with will actually test the potion themselves. Muggles are easily turned and even more easily manipulated.”

“Of course, wood then,” Vitter said brightly. “Wand wood or regular wood?”

Voldemort considered this for a moment. “Regular first. Non-magical wood should lessen the effects of the curse.”

Lucius grinned at the notion of a legion of vampires rallying to their banner. So far the quasi-immortals were afraid to bring down the wrath of the established magical governments or risk angering one faction in the war by siding with the other. If they were too choose the wrong side it would go poorly for them when it came time to live with the winner. However, if Voldemort could supply them with magical cures to their inherent weaknesses, like wooden weapons and blood dependency, then they might be persuaded to join their benefactors.

“Now then, I believe you had something to report Lucius?” Voldemort asked.

“The Red Mountain giants were greatly pleased by the everlasting fire you sent to them as well as the dwarfish metals and fabrics, but they did not send more volunteers. They want you to pay them this time in addition to the freedoms already promised.” Lucius explained.

“Fine, give them whatever it is they want,” Voldemort replied. “Material things are merely a means to an end. I need time, time enough to unlock the final secrets of life and death. I need the time that only Potter and the prophecy can give me.”

“Of course my Lord,” Lucius said humbly. He had his own hated memories of the wretched child.

“Now, if there is nothing else I have a little trip in mind,” Voldemort said. “I think you will want to be there when our favorite spy wakes up Lucius. You too Vance.”

“Oh yes indeed,” Vitter said gleefully.

Lucius placed a finger on the skull Voldemort extended toward him and together the three of them disappeared in the cascading light of portkey travel.

Severus Snape had been through many unpleasant experiences during his lifetime. He didn't even want to think about his childhood or his school years. The time he had spent afterwards in the service of Voldemort and then again in the service of Dumbledore were likewise repugnant. Then, the crowning jewel of slow torture, he had spent years teaching the most besotted and annoying urchins that society could produce while his brilliance languished in obscurity.

All these thoughts flashed through his mind in a split second as he suddenly became aware of a sharp throbbing pain in his forehead which was accompanied by a bright white light from all around. Before he could orient himself he felt the rush of portkey travel and then another sharp pain as he landed bodily on a cold stone floor. He tried to recall how he had come to be in this position, but his brain didn't seem to want to work. The last thing he remembered was apparating into one of the few remaining pureblood estates owned by a Voldemort supporter.

“Time to wake up,” a harsh voice intoned from what seemed like a great distance away. Magical strength and warmth flooded into Snape's body from a recovery charm. That soothing feeling was immediately replaced by a hard soled boot toe digging into his shoulder to kick him into an upright position.

“Severus,” Lucius acknowledged stiffly as Snape's eyes finally tracked upward to the three men standing over him.

“What…happened?” Snape asked. He had a sinking feeling that he already knew what their answer would be.

“I have finally found the time to give you a proper burial,” Voldemort said snidely.

“M-My…Lord,” Snape gasped. It wouldn't do to seem too recovered just in case he found an opening to escape.

“Your usefulness is finally at an end,” Vitter said, tittering with excitement. “Not that it was much to begin with in the first place.”

Snape regarded the short portly man with disgust. “Don't you have things to do Vitter? Like pulling the wings off of flies maybe?” He retorted.

“You were always jealous of me Severus,” Vitter said, but his voice sounded hurt. “I succeeded where you couldn't.”

“He's right Severus,” Voldemort said. “Vance has made many breakthroughs, even one that I myself had been unable to prior to now.”

“I don't understand,” Snape said delicately.

“Of course you don't,” Lucius replied. “Your role was never to understand, but to give us a way to plant damaging information into Dumbledore's plans. Now Potter runs everything and he doesn't care for you or your information very much.”

“I have always been loyal,” Snape began, though he knew it was futile.

“You have never been loyal…to anyone,” Voldemort snapped. Snape's face drained of color and the man looked as if he wanted to break down on the spot. “I was aware of your duplicity all those years ago when you went to Dumbledore for the first time. I told you Severus, I always know. There are other ways than mere legimency to discover a person's true intentions.”

“You'll fail, just like you failed the first time,” Snape said finally. Malfoy and Vitter both scowled, but Voldemort seemed amused. “I have no idea how he did it, but Potter has transformed himself into someone that even you cannot be assured of defeating.”

“Has he really?” Voldemort chuckled. “I'm not sure that your grasp of my power is as complete as you think it is Severus.”

Voldemort snapped his fingers and Lucius drew out his wand to point at the prostrate potions master. Voldemort too pointed his wand at Snape and on cue they both cast the torturing curse. Severus had never experienced the Cruciatus curse from two different sources at the same time before. The effect was definitely multiplied instead of added. He felt as if his skin were being turned inside out and melted off of his bones all at the same time. When at last they stopped his every nerve was on fire and his breathing was labored.

“Poor little Snape, still the outcast I see,” Lucius sneered. The tall thin wizard was obviously upset that Severus had barely uttered a sound despite the extreme pain. “No one to come running to save you is there?”

Snape felt a variety of pain inducing curses lance through his body. Unlike the purely mental torture of the Cruciatus curse many of the spells Malfoy now used also caused physical degradation.

“You can kill me,” Snape wheezed. He realized that his lungs were probably damaged, though hopefully not beyond the ability of magic to heal. “And I'll die smiling Lucius because if Potter doesn't get you Weasley will. I only wish I could be there to see the look on your face when that pureblooded trash ends the mighty line of Malfoy.”

Lucius' face twisted in rage and he spat out another Cruciatus curse at Snape's prone figure. Vitter, who was by no means squeamish, nevertheless began to look a little pale. He was used to excesses in the name of magic, but not excess for the sake of excess.

“Enough,” Voldemort commanded. “Let him rest for now. I have a feeling that our dear friend Severus will be a very entertaining companion for the next few weeks.”

“I look forward to it,” Lucius replied. His eyes were filled with a hungry feral glint.

Vitter tittered nervously, but followed the other two dark wizards out of the cramped dungeons.

“Fools,” Snape muttered as soon as they were gone. He flipped himself into a position on all fours and began to heave as hard as he could. For several minutes he worked himself up until he was finally able to wretch onto the floor. In the middle of the foul puddle was a small silver object shaped like a diamond. Snape sat down heavily onto the floor and watched as tiny, almost invisible legs unfurled from around the silvery object until it had taken on the appearance of a bizarre spider. He smirked with satisfaction as the thing skittered away and disappeared through one of the many great cracks that lined the walls of the dungeon.

“You're really getting good at that,” Harry said warmly as he admired Hermione's penmanship.

“I should be, I write all the time and this is the fifth one we've had to make,” Hermione replied. She appreciated his compliments, but her hand was starting to ache pretty badly and they seemed to be getting no closer to a proper dementor containment vessel or a spell to kill them.

Their latest attempt at containing a dementor was a series of huge iron cauldrons with extensive silver etching that was designed to act as a partial ward combined with an active spell. Hermione, as the better ward maker and magical scholar, was heading up the containment side of their project. Harry on the other hand, as the strongest of the pair in terms of brute force, was trying to apply what they had learned from their first attempt at creating a dementor to create a spell capable of doing one permanent harm. Hermione's attempt was winning, but not by much.

“Why does this feel like the Sorcerer's Stone all over again?” Harry asked dejectedly.

“Because you've been putting in dozens of hours with marginal payoff…” Hermione replied.

“Yeah…that,” Harry said, sighing. At least their work gave them an excuse to stay away from Lippmann. Not that the American wizard ever did much except browse through paper or ask to visit their bases. Surprisingly, he had seemed especially happy after getting back from Middle Yard. Most people found the forbidding black structure to be rather creepy to say the least.

“On the bright side I think that this latest container is about finished,” Hermione said. “Now we just need to find a dementor and try to trap it so we can perform our experiments.”

After their failed attempt at creating a dementor from scratch had resulted in a near dementor like creature of unusual strength Harry and Hermione had decided that it would be safer to just capture a real one. They didn't dare risk creating an even stronger dementor so they'd just have to accept the risky prospect of obtaining a natural one.

“All right,” Harry said with determination. “Let's get to Hogwarts and send out a general summons for the squad leaders to meet with us. We'll organize a dementor hunt.”

“Harry, we can't tell anyone about this, remember?” Hermione said.

“We won't tell them why,” Harry replied.

Hermione just shook her head. “Too risky, if one of them leaks that we're hunting dementors then Voldemort might figure out why. At the very least he might start using dementor sightings as bait to ambush us.”

“How are we supposed to find one then?” Harry asked.

“I thought we'd hang out at a few graveyards to start with,” Hermione smirked as she pulled out a map with several red circles on it indicating graveyards that contained primarily wizard burial sites. Dementors were fond of death and decay, but they especially fed off of areas with greater magical content. “Be a gentleman and apparate that cauldron to the northern most location first.”

Harry shivered. Apparating the intense magical energies that Hermione used to construct a dementor trap always gave him the chills. He also noticed that there weren't many circles on the map and only a couple had symbols next to them indicating that they were prime targets.

“We've got to hurry and get it set up too,” Hermione said, still talking rapidly. “Dementors don't have any aversion to the light, but they prefer the darkness so we can definitely expect them to come out at night.”

“Okay, you let Ron and your parents know what we're doing while I get this thing over there,” Harry replied. He placed a hand on the smooth, cold, metallic surface and concentrated on the destination. Harry's magic latched onto the powerful device and pulled it along with him through the mysterious process of apparation.

The graveyard was full of tall tombstones that were obviously magical due to things like ever burning fire or moving pictures decorating them. It was already late evening and a fog had settled in. Several ghosts could be seen idling about, some of which were taking interest in Harry and his strange cauldron.

Hermione appeared next to him with a short stack of papers and two thick books nestled in her arms. She sat them down on top of the nearest tombstone and began scrutinizing the layout of the cemetery.

“That looks like a good place,” Hermione said, pointing. “Right there where the two paths that lead between the burial plots intersect.”

Harry and Hermione both took out their wands. They were so intent on their work that they didn't notice the gathering attention of the ghosts who floated nearby. Harry pointed his wand at the ground and caused a rather large crater to dig itself into the landscape.

Hermione had started to levitate the cauldron to set it into the crater when a blood-curdling howl went up from around them. Harry and Hermione whirled to see a dozen ghosts advancing on them.

“How dare you,” one shrill ghost lady wailed. “Defilers, desecraters, debauchers!”

“You do ya think ye are?” a burly bearded ghost asked disdainfully. “This be our lands and ye have no right to be tresspassin' with yer iron contraption and hole diggin' ways.”

“We have very important business,” Hermione said earnestly. “We didn't mean any offense, really we didn't.”

“What business could wee kids like you have ere besides bein' lil' vandals?” the burley ghost asked.

“Er, can we tell a ghost?” Harry asked, worried that they might be working for Voldemort.

“It's not like they won't be able to watch us,” Hermione said. Not to mention that ghosts usually didn't care about the affairs of mortals in the same way that they did when they were alive.

“We're trying to capture a dementor,” Harry replied. Rough laughter broke out amongst the pale ranks.

“You don't “catch” a dementor,” a third ghost in fine dress robes told them haughtily. “Best be trotting back to your safe little school before you become one of us.”

“Just leave us alone,” Hermione said briskly. “We're sorry we disturbed you all and we promise we'll fix everything back like it was when we leave.”

“You don't dismiss us lassie, we dismiss you,” the second ghost said indignantly. As if on signal the ghosts closed in on them with malicious intent. Harry wasn't entirely sure what all they could do. He had never paid that much attention to ghosts. However, he had paid attention about how to fight them.

“Auch, what is this?” the second ghost moaned. He, along with all his comrades, suddenly found themselves pinned to the ground beneath very fine mesh silver nets.

“Honestly,” Hermione sniffed. “Did you think we'd come here after a dementor and be helpless against a common ghost?”

“Oi, where's your respect for the dead?” the ghosts started complaining. Some of them began making spooky noises and others just glared at them as sullenly as was possible for a ghost.

“We'll never catch anything with this din going on all night,” Hermione groaned.

“Look, guys, please be quiet,” Harry said.

“We'll banish you from this place if you don't leave us alone!” Hermione exclaimed. Harry glanced at her questioningly since such a process was both time consuming and rather harsh. Most ghosts would go crazy if they were barred from their choice of haunting grounds.

Everything got very quiet, even for a cemetery. “Let us talk this over with each other,” the first ghost said finally.

“Fine,” Hermione said impatiently. The silver webbing disappeared and the ghosts all congregated in one corner of the grounds well out of earshot.

“Let's hurry and get this trap set up,” Hermione said to Harry once they were alone. Together they finished levitating the cauldron into the hole before opening its double hinged lid. The lid was designed like the doors on a storm shelter so that they could be easily closed, but would lay flat on the ground in an unassuming manner when the cauldron needed to be open.

Harry had never heard of anyone even attempting to capture a dementor before so he didn't think that they needed to be overly concerned with camouflage. Of course, dementors didn't have particularly good senses in any event so the likelihood that the creature would figure out the danger was remote. The real problem would be herding a dementor close enough to the cauldron that they could drive it inside without causing it to fly away first.

They had just completed their preparations when the ghost committee returned with its decision. Harry idly wondered why ghosts seemed to always be forming groups for activities, decision making, and other things that one usually associated with the living. It was particularly puzzling since ghosts didn't seem to have any means of coercion over each other except for mere social pressure. Then again maybe they did since, after all, the Bloody Baron always seemed to terrify the other spooks back at Hogwarts.

“We recognize the markings on your robes as belonging to those people. You may stay for one night and attempt this foolish endeavor, but you must restore the grounds to their original condition like you promised,” the third ghost said pompously.

“Thank you,” Hermione said politely, then added questioningly to Harry. “Those people?”

“I don't think they're going to give us a better explanation. The way they said it didn't sound so bad though,” Harry replied.

Harry sat down on the cold ground next to where Hermione had settled herself so she could look at the papers she had brought along. He took out his magical flask and drank one of the warm contents since they didn't want to use magic that dementors might sense.

“Cold?” Harry asked when he saw Hermione shiver. She had put her books away after the darkness had completely fallen. They were both wearing the special red tinted eyepieces that allowed enhanced vision, including the ability to see in the dark.

“Maybe a little,” Hermione replied. She snuggled closer to Harry until they were flush against each other with their noses touching. Harry gingerly leaned in and kissed her pouty lips. They were cold initially, but he really didn't care. He pulled back slightly after a minute and examined Hermione's flushed face.

“We should be watching for dementors,” Hermione said softly as she captured Harry's lips in another deep kiss.

“I'm saving up some good patronus material,” Harry replied cheekily.

“Mmm, good idea,” Hermione said. She shifted slightly so they could continue to cuddle in a more comfortable position, but still watch their surroundings.

The evening had deepened into night when the graveyard began to take on an ominous feeling. Harry and Hermione stayed perfectly still as they used their eyepieces to scan the surroundings for any dementor activity. Harry saw the ice beginning to form on the gravestone they were leaning against a split second before the dementors came into view.

They had swooped down from the worst possible angle in regards to Harry and Hermione being able to spot them ahead of time. There were also considerably more of them than they had ever expected would ever come to such a small graveyard.

“What should we do, we're sitting between them and the trap,” Harry said.

“On the count of three get up and run toward the trap. We'll cast our patronus charms to scare some of them off and hopefully the rest will chase us,” Hermione said.

“Okay then, One…” Harry drew his wand out and began to focus on the happy memory of their kissing only a few moments before.

“Two…” Hermione said, her own wand out and looking rather frosty in the icy aura given off by the dark creatures.

“Three!” They said together as they jumped up and let loose with their patronus charms. Immediately the dementors scattered in all directions, but two of them came straight for Harry and Hermione. The two young mages quickly directed their patronus charms to herd the rest of the dementors away while they fled toward the area of the trap.

Harry felt his chest constricting painfully and terrible memories began to replay in his head. His mother's voice sounded right before a green flash sealed her destiny. Sirius' long graceful fall behind the deadly veil followed quickly by Hermione's prone form laying on the floor after she had been struck down in the Department of Mysteries. Harry summoned his mental strength and threw those horrid memories away.

He looked around wildly and noticed that tears were streaming down Hermione's face, but thankfully she was still in possession of her wits. “Get ready Harry. When he glides over the trap we've got to force him down into it.” She said.

Harry activated his armor, but he was unsure of how useful it would be if it came down to a physical confrontation with the dementors. He certainly had never heard of anyone punching one out before.

Hermione twisted her wand and sent a great puff of super dense air against the dementors as they crossed the space where the cauldron opening lay. The dementors lashed out at the invisible attack and though they doubled over they resisted being pressed into the cauldron.

Harry flicked his wand and executed the only attack they knew of other than the patronus charm that had even the slightest effect on the dark beings. Thin beams of white light impaled the dementors from all directions making them look like gruesome pincushions. Hermione renewed her attempt at forcing them down inside, but they backtracked rapidly from the pain of Harry's spell.

“Don't attack them like that Harry, you'll scare them off,” Hermione chided. “Try to add your force to mine with an elemental spell.”

Harry summoned up a quantity of dense air and tried to work with Hermione to buffet the dementors back into place.

“It's not working and the other dementors are coming back,” Hermione said worriedly. Sure enough, dozens of dark shapes were heading toward them from all directions.

“Get ready to cast a patronus if I get in trouble,” Harry instructed. He sent out a tendril of fire and tugged one of the dementors into a position more or less over the opening to the cauldron. “We've got to hurry this up.”

Hermione nearly bit her lip in two as she watched Harry run toward the dementor and then use his wand to perform an unnatural leap toward it. She gave a silent plea for him to be safe and charged out after him with her own armor activating as she ran. Harry had thrust his armor covered arm elbow deep into the dementor's strange shapeless form and was wresting it toward the cauldron.

Hermione slid to a halt between him and the second dementor to keep it away from him. Immediately she felt an acute coldness radiating out and her darkest memories threatened to overwhelm her for a second time that evening. A thin silvery patronus mist sprayed out from the tip of her wand and caused the dementor to glide backwards slightly. She didn't want to risk driving away the dementor Harry was fighting with by summoning a full patronus.

“Her…my…on…nee,” Harry wheezed, “-elp.”

Hermione spun around and saw Harry attempting to force the dementor down into the cauldron. “Harry!” she yelled as she ran toward him.

Hermione sent out a rapid series of air gusts that succeeded in getting the dementor below the mouth of the cauldron and then she followed up with a thick patronus mist to keep it in place. Harry yanked his arm out and fell backwards onto the ground. Hermione quickly slammed the lid into place and summoned her patronus to defend them from the rest of the dementors.

“Harry, are you okay?” Hermione asked frantically. Harry groaned and cradled his arm whilst rocking slightly in place. His armor had frozen solid and shattered away leaving his arm exposed to the unknown interior of a dementor. It looked to be severely withered and frost bitten.

“I don't know if healing charms will fix this one,” Harry said between gritted teeth. His robes and dragon hide had also been reduced to powder by the dementor.

“Come on Harry, it'll be all right,” Hermione said reassuringly as she probed his arm gingerly with her wand. Harry grasped his wand and produced another patronus to patrol with Hermione's silver otter while they attempted to heal him. Their healing charms succeeded in restoring the proper color to his limb, but it continued to look aged.

“Guess they really do suck the life out of you,” Harry joked wryly as he flexed his arm. It felt about the same, but he doubted it was as strong as it had been before. He quickly repaired his robe and made a mental note to get Charlie to procure more dragon hide clothing.

Hermione gave him a withering glance and Harry immediately sobered when he saw wetness glistening around her eyes.

“What is that noise?” Hermione asked suddenly. Harry held his breath for a second and listened. He looked up toward the source of the sound, which turned out to be a tiny silvery bird shaped messenger charm.

“Of all the bad timing,” Hermione said grouchily. Their dementor project was not finished by a long shot. They still needed to transport the thing back to one of their makeshift laboratories outside of Grimmauld Place, make sure the containment spell was holding, and that there was no chance of it breaking free.

Harry reached up and snatched the charm out of the air. He unrolled the conjured parchment and grimaced visibly.

“What is it Harry?” Hermione asked when she saw his reaction.

“It's from Dumbledore,” Harry replied. “All it says is “Snape captured.” We've got to get back.”

“Right,” Hermione agreed. Snape might not be high on their friend's list, but he was still one of them. If he had been captured then the dementor project would have to wait. “The trap should be able to hold the dementor while we're gone.”

“What about the ghost's time limit?” Harry asked. “They only gave us one night to do this remember?”

“It can't be helped. We'll just have to try and get back before they get impatient, or if worst comes to worst we'll just have to force them,” Hermione said tersely. The cauldron's lids clanged slightly, but it made no other protest as Hermione used magic to cover it up with dirt. They didn't want anything messing with it while they were gone.

Harry and Hermione apparated into the middle of the main room at Grimmauld Place and were surprised to see that Dumbledore was already there. Several other people had arrived too, including Ron and several squad leaders that he had called.

Arthur greeted them with a warm smile. “Ah, Harry, Hermione, good to see you again. The Minister just got through putting me up to guard Madam Bones since she's been trying to return to work. Personally, I think it's just an excuse to get me killed.”

“Anyone want to tell me what this is about?” Ron grumbled. Luna was sitting next to him looking as unconcerned as ever, although Harry thought she looked as impatient as he'd ever seen her.

“You will have plenty of time to spend in the library with Miss Lovegood later,” Arthur replied teasingly. Whereas Molly had become and emotional train wreck Arthur seemed to be trying to deal with his grief by lavishing attention on his remaining children. Ron blushed and Luna tilted her head sideways with a confused expression.

“We weren't in the library,” she said innocently. “We were going to head up to-“

“The common room,” Ron interrupted nervously. “Up to the common room because the library was too noisy…I mean, not noisy enough. You know me, I can't study with all that deafening silence. Now can someone please tell me why we're here and why I had to call in so many people at once?”

“Ah, yes, now that we're all here I'm afraid that I have some very troubling news. Professor Snape's extended absence has in fact been due to his status of spy being discovered by Voldemort.” Dumbledore explained.

“How is that possible?” Harry asked.

“I'm afraid we don't know any of the details around his discovery and capture, only that he needs to be rescued,” Dumbledore replied.

“Hold on just a minute,” Ron said incredulously. “First of all, how do we even know that this isn't some kind of ruse to lead us into a trap? We still haven't heard a good reason about why he's trustworthy.”

Dumbledore looked conflicted. “Voldemort asked Snape to do terrible things to prove his loyalty and devotion. When he came to me…there was no doubt about what his true intentions were.”

“He did tell us about the impending attack on the dwarves too,” Hermione added.

“Yeah, which turned into a disaster because the real target was Hogsmeade,” Ron growled. “He probably did it on purpose.”

“Ron does make some good points,” Harry said finally. Hermione didn't look as if she was entirely convinced but she didn't protest. “I think its time you told us exactly why you trust Snape so implicitly.”

“What happened is private,” Dumbledore replied. “However, I assure you, you can trust his motives. Severus was compelled by his conscious to rejoin our side.”

“Do we dare trust Dumbledore…again?” Harry asked.

“I don't know about Dumbledore, but I think Snape has always been acting in good faith,” Hermione replied. “Even if his information on the attack against the dwarves was less than helpful it may have been because his status as a spy was already compromised.”

“Dobby,” Harry called out. Immediately the little elf appeared and began bubbling over with offers to help in any way he could. “I wondered if I could ask you about your time at Hogwarts?”

“Harry Potter is wanting to know about Dobby's old job?” Dobby asked with surprise.

“I wanted to know how you felt about Professor Snape,” Harry said.

“Harry Potter is wanting my opinion on something?” Dobby asked gleefully. “Dobby is so happy to be helping Harry Potter-“

Dobby broke off his chatter and eyed Dumbledore apprehensively, but the old grandfatherly wizard just nodded at him to continue.

“Dobby wasn't liking him, he was a nasty mean wizard that was cruel to Harry Potter sir,” Dobby said eagerly.

“Dobby,” Harry said patiently. “I know that Professor Snape and I have had our differences, but I want to know how you feel about him, not how you think I feel about him.”

Dobby's ears drooped, but he spoke again in a softer, slower tone. “Professor Snape was harsh to Dobby from time to time, but he didn't hate Dobby like Dobby's old masters did. Sometimes he would be making antidotes for butter beer so Dobby could be helping Winky.”

“Thank you Dobby,” Harry said kindly. Dobby beamed up at him in response to the praise. Everyone gathered in the room except Dumbledore, Luna, and Hermione appeared to be mildly shocked. Ron's mouth was nearly grazing the floor he was so shocked to hear anyone, especially a house elf, speak favorably of Snape.

“I'm glad we finally got that settled…for the moment,” Hermione said dryly. The ever-continuing debate over Snape had begun to tire her some time ago. “Unfortunately, all this may be moot unless we actually know where Snape is. He could have been moved a dozen times by now.”

“Yeah, how exactly did we find out he was captured anyway?” Ron asked. All eyes moved back to Dumbledore.

“We know he was captured because he sent us this,” Dumbledore said. He placed a silver diamond shaped object on the table. “It is a piece of a tracking charm that was devised during the first war by myself and Nicolas Flamel. Professor Snape hid it, uh, on his person so that in the event of capture it could tell us where he was being held.”

Hermione's eyes narrowed. “How does it work?”

“Very simply you just take this string,” Dumbledore said as he took out a long silvery thread, “and let it attach itself to the top of the tracker.”

The long thin thread attached itself effortlessly to the tracker and as it did so all the little spider-like legs melted back into the object's surface. Next, Dumbledore produced a highly detailed map of England and spread it out on the table.

“You're going to dowse for him?” Hermione asked.

“It isn't really dowsing,” Dumbledore replied. “The tracking spell is just enchanted to display where its immaterial half is located whenever it encounters a geographical representation. The string is to allow it to move freely, but it isn't necessary. We could simply push it around the map until it got close enough to Professor Snape's location to gravitate to it on its own.”

Dumbledore let the newly completed pendent swing freely over the map. As it began to move toward a specific location the map magically zoomed in on the location. Each time the map refocused itself Dumbledore would give the pendent another swing so it could find the next place for the map to focus in on until they had finally gotten down to a point where they could make a precise determination of Snape's location.

“Malfoy's mansion?” Harry asked incredulously. “We destroyed it without a trace. There was nothing left but…”

“The dungeons,” Hermione finished. “There may be hidden dungeon passages that go deeper into the ground than the ones we explored.”

“Okay, Ron, why don't you go out and take a look,” Harry said. Ron's animagus wolf form would allow him to get close and if spotted still not raise suspicion hopefully. Also, wards that detected people were usually fooled by animagus wizards due to the completeness of the transformation.

“Be careful Ron,” Hermione added. “Don't try to get too close, just see if there is a visible presence. Voldemort is probably leaving the place completely unguarded and trusting that we'd never suspect it since we've already been there, but there's no point in taking that chance.”

“Maybe I should go too.” Arthur said hurriedly. Ron frowned, but Harry interrupted before the youngest Weasley could say anything.

“We need you and Harp's squad to come with us to help with our special project,” Harry said.

“Special project?” Arthur asked quizzically.

“Yes, the one you guessed earlier…” Hermione said.

“Right, of course,” Arthur replied hurriedly.

“Dobby, could you get brooms for five people?” Harry asked.

“Right away Harry Potter sir,” Dobby replied cheerfully.

“Brooms?” Arthur said.

“You'll see why when we get there,” Hermione explained shortly. She pointed her wand at him and his clothing switched into a Light Bearer uniform complete with face masking scarf.

“We're going in first to make sure its safe, we'll use the emblems to call you in a moment,” Harry said. Ron had already left so he and Hermione didn't hesitate. They needed to wrap up before Ron came back with intelligence on the Malfoy estate.

There was deep fog in place all around the cemetery, but the dementors seemed to have fled for the night after the earlier commotion. Harry sent a jolt of magic through his emblem and a moment later four wizards in the disguising Light Bearer uniforms arrived.

“We forgot that Arthur doesn't have an emblem,” Harry said dryly.

“You forgot dear,” Hermione said laughingly. Arthur appeared next to her a second later holding the map Hermione had given Harry earlier.

“Okay everyone, two people to a pole,” Hermione said. She conjured up two metallic poles and tossed them to the squad. Next, she pointed at Arthur but avoided using his name since the squad they had summoned didn't know him. “You know what we're dealing with so you're in charge. We're taking this cauldron to Special Service Site Seven.”

Site Seven was actually just the cave near Hogsmeade that Sirius had hidden in during his time as a dog on the run from the Ministry. Fred and George had taken the site over after Hermione finished warding it and set up a makeshift laboratory. Now it would make the perfect location to work with a dementor since the newly destroyed village no longer had any human inhabitants.

Hermione unearthed the cauldron by vanishing all the dirt that had been heaped around it until it was fully exposed with enough open space around it for everyone to stand next to it. Hermione pointed out where the rods were supposed to be mounted so the cauldron could be easily carried.

“Okay, good, good,” Harry said. The four carriers had activated their armor so they could make use of its enhanced strength and were steadily lifting the cauldron out of the hole.

“Careful,” Hermione exclaimed when the side nearest Harry began to tip.

“Something's moving inside there,” one of the carriers shouted. “It's trying to knock us over.”

Harry rushed forward and threw his arms up against the cauldron to steady it. He heard the wizards nearest him gasp and realized that without his dragon hide armor on the loose sleeve of his robe had ridden up to reveal his ravaged arm. He quickly finished righting the cauldron and moved back as if nothing had happened, but he could see that Arthur had spotted his infirmity too.

“Don't worry about it,” he whispered to him as he approached to take over what Harry had been doing.

The two teens watched as everyone mounted their brooms and lifted off slowly with the giant metal pot slung between them. Arthur waved once before heading off after the others.

“Let's get back,” Hermione said quietly. She vowed that this would be worth it in the end. Nothing would stop her from finding a way to destroy dementors…and fix Harry's arm.

There was a twirl of robes and a second later the young couple was back where they had started. They'd not been gone too long, but Ron had already returned and was making marks on the map, which had been updated to show the topography of the rubble that had once been Malfoy Manor.

“Did you see any guards?” Dumbledore asked.

“No, but I didn't go down into the actual dungeon passages so there could be a whole army of them hidden for all I know,” Ron replied.

“We should probably create as much disruption as possible,” Harry said. “What targets do we have that we know Voldemort will try to defend?”

“Nothing certain,” Ron replied. “Both sides have gone into very deep cover right now. In fact, the most visible target is actually one of us, Madam Bones, since she started going back to work.”

“What about the remaining purebloods?” Hermione asked. “Some of them should at least be related to Death Eaters.”

“I'm probably related to a Death Eater,” Ron retorted. “All the purebloods are interrelated to some extent. It just won't work.”

“Attacks might only serve to warn Voldemort that we were up to something,” Dumbledore cautioned. “I believe stealth is more important for this mission.”

“Very well,” Hermione said, nodding resignedly. “Harry and I will get Snape.”

“Arrive at this spot,” Ron said as he jabbed at the map. “You can use the rubble to hide your approach.”

The two teens nodded, activated their armor, and then vanished away.

-->

Chapter 16 - Nothing to Fear

Harry looked around the shattered remains of the once proud Malfoy Estate before glancing balefully at Hermione. She seemed to be fairly surprised by the extent of the damage too. It was one thing to see powerful elemental spells hitting something from a distance away right before fleeing the scene, but something entirely else to be sitting in the middle of the destruction some time later. Harry ran his hand over the loose bits of broken masonry that lay scattered about and realized that the smooth edges were the result of intense heat melting the stone.

“Invisibility charms,” Hermione prompted. Harry cast the spell on himself and watched as Hermione's form became washed out. They could see through each other's spells, but just barely.

“We'd still better be careful. There could be avatars here,” Harry cautioned needlessly. Hermione, the consummate planner, had already anticipated such things, but Harry realized that even she could overlook things from time to time.

Hermione motioned with her hand and Harry went running out from behind the rubble they had hidden behind toward a burned out wall that was closer to the stairway that led to the dungeons. Harry looked around carefully before motioning for Hermione to make the run past him and one step closer to the stairs. They leap frogged quickly until they were both just outside the stairway.

“I feel anti-apparation wards,” Harry said. The wet blanket oppression of the spell was unmistakable.

“They'll have bi-directional portkey dispersion wards too,” Hermione said grimly. “We'll have to drag Snape all the way back up here. There's no way we'll have enough time to waste trying to knock the wards down.”

Harry considered the dark hole that the stone stairs descended down into with distaste. He had thought that they were finished with this awful place back when they burned it to the ground.

“I wonder how many other places we thought we destroyed are still operating like this?” Hermione mused. Harry shook his head in marvel of her ability to anticipate his thoughts.

“We'll ask Snape,” Harry said dryly. He ducked down into the opening and felt Hermione follow closely behind him. The initial entrance was narrow but it soon flared outward into a maze of passages, many of which seemed to be newly constructed.

“This is crazy,” Hermione said as they rounded the passage and came to another set of stairs. “Its like they rebuilt the manor below ground.”

“Someone's coming,” Harry said. He pulled Hermione off into one of the side passages and crouched with her in the shadows.

“Quit yer moanin' Rotherly,” the taller of the two wizards was saying. Both of them were wearing black robes and had red tinted eyepieces over their left eyes.

“They're using our equipment,” Hermione sputtered indignantly. The Death Eaters had been notorious about stripping dead Light Bearers for their generally superior equipment. Voldemort, for all his ingenuity, was a very traditional wizard when it came to fighting. He might devise clever strategies and tactics, but he was lax when it came to giving his people a material edge.

“You'd bloody well moan too if you'd had your leg nearly blasted off by that Granger girl,” Rotherly replied sourly. Hermione looked at Harry and shrugged as if to say she didn't remember the incident at all.

“Just be glad you're off the regular rotations. The next time there's a general call I'll be the one she gets a chance to curse,” the tall wizard said. Harry and Hermione waited breathlessly until their voices faded into the distance before emerging from their hiding place.

They walked briskly down the hall, wands glowing green despite their invisibility charms since an unknown number of Death Eaters might all be equipped with Light Bearer eyepieces.

“I think we should go this way,” Hermione said as she examined the hall with her own eyepiece. The stone had been enchanted to repel anything that might try to see through it, but Hermione could still get some sense of where they should try next.

“I see it,” Harry said. They would need to travel down another level and head toward what appeared to be a large group of holding cells. There were several Death Eaters clustered around the general area, but Harry couldn't determine more than that.

Harry and Hermione ran as quickly as they could down the hall. Their silencing charms built into their boots eliminated the heavy footfalls that would have normally accompanied such activity. Harry gestured violently at the thick door that barred their way and grimaced as it folded in on itself instead of opening.

“Crud, Harry, we're going to get it now,” Hermione said tersely. She tried to repair the door, but it melted into a puddle.

“Its bloody tamper proof,” Harry said incredulously.

“Run Harry,” Hermione commanded. “The first patrol that comes through here will sound the alarm.”

Together they raced down the hall, ripped though another door, and then descended a set of stairs. They still hadn't been discovered as they stood panting heavily outside the door to the room that they hoped Snape was being held in.

“Two guards,” Hermione said. Harry forced the door and Hermione leapt into the room. Snape's consciousness registered two flashes of green light as he rolled over slowly and saw the two teens shimmer into view as they dropped their invisibility charms.

Snape coughed sickly, “Y-you came f-for me-e?” he stuttered.

“You should know better than that Professor,” Harry said gently as Hermione ripped the cell apart. “We don't leave our people behind.”

“Can you move?” Hermione asked. She had vanished the filth from off the abused potions master and conjured fresh robes for him.

“Can you use a wand?” Harry asked.

“I don't know,” Snape said, coughing some more. Harry pulled a half dozen potions out of his hat and thrust them at Snape. “Drink,” he commanded.

“You made these?” Snape laughed hollowly. “Thought you were trying to save me, not kill me.”

“Funny man,” Harry said, smiling despite himself. “Hurry, we could be found out at any minute now.”

Snape tried to drink the potions, some of which tasted foul, but he kept coughing every other moment. Harry started performing a healing charm about the time that everything went wrong.

A crystal at the front of the room next to the entrance suddenly lit up a bright red. A second later they heard shouts come from the halls directly above them.

“Our game is up,” Hermione said.

“How strong is this stone?” Harry asked.

“Are you crazy?” Hermione shouted. “This place would fall apart on top of us.”

“So glad Granger is here,” Snape muttered weakly.

“Do you have a better idea?” Harry retorted.

“These guys are mostly ordinary wizards,” Hermione said. “Grab him, we're going.”

Harry used the strength of his armored arm to lift Snape up off the ground and carried him like a sack of potatoes as he chased after Hermione. As they went they blew apart furniture, statues, boxes, and anything else substantial enough to potentially block a killing curse. By the time they met up with a Death Eater squad they had a mass of debris swirling around them in a makeshift shield. Hermione also had her armor's shield extended into its maximum configuration.

“Avada Kedavra,” Hermione shouted at the first Death Eater that rounded the corner toward them. He collapsed into a heap; surprise etched into his features as his comrades hastily backtracked.

“GOLDEN ROBES,” someone yelled with a magically enhanced voice.

“How are you doing down there?” Harry asked. There were more shouts of “golden robes” and he even thought he heard “chosen one” once. However, instead of having wizards converge on them their identification seemed to have the opposite effect. Resistance suddenly melted away from them as they ran back toward the surface.

Snape tried to mumble something in response, but he was just too weak to make himself heard clearly. Harry sent a fireball racing down the corridor to the left as they continued straight ahead just in case it would happen to slow someone down. He also drew up a small ball of black lightening so he would be able to unleash an attack at a moment's notice.

“Avada Kedavra,” Hermione yelled again. A short fat man carrying a huge bundle of papers reeled backwards, but apparently he had dodged her attack because the last Harry saw of him was his backside scrambling into the room he had come out of.

At last they reached the final set of stairs that led back to the surface and to the edge of the portkey dispersion field. Hermione dug into her robes and took out a half dozen tiny stone figures, which she flung onto the floor. Immediately their latent spells took effect and they began growing into huge, snarling, red-eyed demon dogs. The dogs raced back down the hall in the direction Harry and Hermione had just come from to create further disruption.

“Halt!” the wizard Harry recognized as Rotherly commanded when they made it to the surface. They were only a few steps away from the edge of the interdiction field now, but six wizards surrounded them in a semi-circle.

“Just quit, you can't beat us,” Hermione yelled.

“Maybe not,” the man Harry recognized as Rotherly said in a trembling voice. The robes of the six wizards began to fan slightly as they gathered their powers for a final strike. “But we have to try. We won't let a muggle demon like you destroy our families and our heritage. Now men, for Voldemort, last line of Slytherin, greatest wizard of our age, and the noble blood of magic!”

Hermione exploded into a whirlwind of fiery rage that sent the Death Eaters flying back into a charred heap. Harry didn't think that they would survive, but they didn't have time to check on them. The entire area was beginning to ring with the sharp sound of apparation as Harry and Hermione stepped across the boundary of the interdiction field, conjured a special portkey, and escaped away.

“Poppy,” Harry called out earnestly as he gingerly laid Snape's wrecked form onto one of the beds.

“Oh gracious heavens, what has happened to him?” Poppy asked hysterically as she bustled out of her side office.

“He's been tortured by Death Eaters,” Hermione said briskly. “He's got trouble breathing and our potions didn't help him much.”

“That's not good,” Poppy said worriedly. Harry and Hermione might not be trained mediwitches but they were incredibly powerful so their healing spells still worked fairly well, not to mention their potions.

“Will he be okay?” Harry asked.

“Shoo, shoo,” Poppy said as she continued to rush about. “I haven't the faintest idea, now get away so I can work.”

Hermione noticed that Harry's face was looking fairly drawn and her eyes flitted down to his arm. He was still wearing his armor and that wasn't a good sign.

“Come on Harry, let's get back to Grimmauld Place,” Hermione said. Together they activated their portkey bracelets and an instant later they were standing in the entrance hall at the old Black family house.

“I know your arm is hurting,” Hermione said softly as she steered Harry toward the kitchen. “Let's get you something warm to eat and I'll take a look at it.”

“It's like its aged,” Harry said through gritted teeth as he retracted the segmented armor that had been covering his wounded arm. “I think all that running about may have broken the bone.”

Hermione sighed and tried to make her head stop spinning. She had just gone through another horrendous battle, killed who knows how many people, and suddenly she just didn't care anymore.

“I don't even feel anything,” she whispered suddenly. “I killed them like I was swatting flies and I just didn't feel anything.”

Harry twitched, not because of what she had said, but because of what this war was doing to her…what he was doing to her…no, what Voldemort was doing to her.

“I think you did feel something or else you wouldn't be upset now,” Harry said gently.

Hermione nodded sadly as Harry folded her into an awkward embrace. “I'm sorry Harry,” she said as she tried to refocus herself. “Let me look at your arm.”

Harry laid his arm out on the table and rolled up the sleeve. Hermione began performing a healing charm and Harry could feel the bone strengthening itself under her spell's guidance.

“We just can't think about it right now Hermione,” Harry said heavily. “I don't feel it anymore either, the death, the innocent people who are caught up in this mess, but I do see it. I see them in my nightmares dying, begging me to help them, over and over again.”

“Even Snape,” Hermione said sadly. “I never thought I'd feel so much pity for him as I do right now. No one deserves that, even him.”

“No,” Harry agreed. “That's why we have to keep this up, even if it means…swatting flies.”

Hermione gave him a small sad smile. She thought back to all those times that she had told Harry that nothing must keep him from destroying Voldemort. “Don't make me live though this war alone,” she thought silently to herself.

The door to the kitchen opened and Harry felt pain shoot through his arm as he attempted to thrust the sleeve back down over it. Arthur stepped through and slowly took his usual seat at the table across from where the young couple was sitting.

“I delivered that abomination to the cave,” he said idly. “I hope you two can do something useful with it.”

“Uh, yeah, me too,” Harry said nervously.

“It's okay Harry,” Arthur said solemnly. “I saw it earlier.”

“I guess you did,” Harry sighed. He rolled his sleeve back up and set his arm on the table. “Any suggestions?”

“I was just wondering how much more this war is going to take from the both of you,” Arthur said sadly. “I know you both try to hide it, why I can't imagine, but I can tell. Moody was the same way back when his prime started to fade. He didn't move quite as smoothly except in the heat of battle.”

“I'm the bloody “Chosen One” Arthur,” Harry said. “If I start falling apart then people will lose hope and we'll be finished.”

“Let me guess, you're Hermione Granger the greatest witch of this age and so you can't be seen falling apart either?” Arthur said dryly.

“Something like that,” Hermione said evasively. “Are you trying to say something Arthur?”

“Just don't let people forget how much this has cost,” Arthur cautioned. “We made that mistake in the last war. When it ended people were out in the streets celebrating, getting drunk, going crazy. No one stopped to consider all the people who were dead, all the lives that were ruined, or that their victory had just been bought with the blood and destruction of an entire family.”

Harry didn't know what to say to that so he said nothing. Arthur's sudden arrival and strange speech apparently unsettled Hermione too.

“The world of magic didn't earn its last victory,” Arthur continued. “It isn't going to earn this one either, assuming we can even get it. I wish there were something I could do to lift this burden from you Harry.”

“You've already done more than I could have ever asked,” Harry replied sincerely. “You've given more to defeat Voldemort than I have. I never knew my parents, but you…”

Harry trailed off as he had come uncomfortably close to Ginny's death. Arthur gave him a tight smile and nodded sadly. In many ways he had become a changed man after that day. He had requested slots on patrols with more frequency whenever he could get away from his Ministry duties.

Over the next several days Harry and Hermione withdrew to the cave near what was left of Hogsmeade so they could study the dementor more closely. With an actual specimen on hand they seemed to be making more rapid progress toward their goal of finding a way to kill the dark creatures. They also spent a lot of time trying to devise a new way to get a spy into Voldemort's ranks. The problem was that they didn't know of anyone who they could trust to do the job who also had a reputation sufficient to enable them to join the Death Eaters without arousing suspicion. Short of another Snape style turncoat they were simply out of luck.

The fighting had been sporadic as both sides had retreated into their safest hideouts and refused to do anything on a large scale. Harry and Hermione always got nervous around each full moon, but Voldemort seemed content to have his werewolves attack individually. They could only surmise that Voldemort wanted to convert more people so he could recruit them into his forces. Werewolves relied on numbers when fighting against wizards.

Rumors had also begun to fly around the wizarding world and through the ranks of the Light Bearers that Harry had been seriously wounded. He had kept his aged hand hidden for the most part, though the Grangers and Dursleys had eventually been told, but that didn't keep rumor down. Hermione was angry with the squad that had helped Arthur move the cauldron for undoubtedly spreading the rumor, but there was nothing to be done.

Even worse, in Harry's eyes, whenever Hermione taxed herself too much the old curse wounds she received prior to the battle of Hogsmeade would resurface. The first time it happened was when she was practicing a patronus variant spell she had reworked in an attempt to kill the dementor. Harry had turned his back for a second and found her lying in a quivering heap on the ground covered in bleeding cuts. They had gone back to Bill Weasley, but he was at a loss to explain why it was still happening. The only thing he could attribute it to was the power of Voldemort's magic, even through one of his avatars.

Harry adjusted the beam of bluish-white energy coming from his wand so it would stay aligned with Hermione's identical beam. Where their powers intersected a small crystal was slowly forming as each new layer of corporeal magic was applied.

“That should be big enough,” Hermione said finally. “If this is going to work that will do it.”

She reached up and plucked the crystal out of the air so she could examine it more closely. Satisfied by some criteria Harry didn't quite understand Hermione turned and slipped the crystal into a little chamber that was suspended above the cauldron that contained the dementor. This way they could transfer items into the cauldron without risking the dementor getting free.

Harry adjusted his eyepiece so he could watch through the metal as the crystal landed in the cauldron with the dementor. The creature shrieked, but the crystal couldn't dissolve its darkness. The dementor was in pain, but it slowly won the battle against the crystal's bluish glow until the tiny shard was drained of energy and shattered.

“Just as I thought,” Hermione said. “Anything short of an actual spell isn't going to work.”

“I thought you already said charms wouldn't work either?” Harry said.

“No, they won't,” Hermione said. She shuffled through a stack of parchments. Each page was covered in her tiny neat script. “I've got some ideas, but they need more work. We need to check up on Snape too just in case he's well enough to talk.”

They still hadn't been able to get a coherent story from the injured professor and Poppy refused to allow them to withdraw a pensieve memory while he was recovering. Hermione hoped that Snape had been held at Riddle Manor at some point and would be able to lead them to it or at the very least provide enough information to break the secrecy charms protecting Voldemort's stronghold.

Harry felt a tug on his emblem and saw a flash of vibrant crimson colored robes float in a magically induced vision before his eyes. He turned to Hermione and saw that she had received the same summons. They didn't have to say anything before apparating away to one of their besieged safe houses.

The first thing they saw when they arrived was the unconscious form of a middle aged man and several broken crates of potion supplies that Harry recognized as being captured from Voldemort's werewolf army.

Hermione dropped down next to the man and administered an enervation spell. “What has happened here?” she asked once he came around.

Harry had an eyepiece on and was looking around the large building for signs of the attackers. “It was aurors,” the man replied. “They surprised us and destroyed most of our stocks before apparating away again. They killed a couple but I only got stunned.”

Harry felt the tug on his emblem again and sought Hermione's eyes out with his own. “We're under attack somewhere else,” he said.

“I'll be fine, just go get'm,” the man said hurriedly. “They must think we're Death Eaters or something.”

“Not likely,” Hermione said grimly as they apparated away. They appeared in the middle of a firefight between three Light Bearers and a half dozen aurors.

“Its Granger,” one of the aurors yelled to his comrades. “And Potter!”

All six aurors spaced themselves out rapidly and raised their wands in perfect synchronization as they prepared to attack. Harry flicked his wand and summoned a barrier shield around himself, Hermione, and the three remaining Light Bearers. Six beams of purple light impacted against the barrier, but they were unable to penetrate it with only one volley.

“Stop,” Hermione called out frantically. “We're on the same side.”

“If you know who I am then you know we mean you no harm,” Harry added. He watched as a hail of conjured projectiles came at them and was amazed at how feeble they seemed. He waved his wand casually and scattered the attack like flower petals being dispersed by a strong wind. “You also know that you can't defeat me. Leave us alone.”

“I don't want to fight these people,” Harry said as the aurors continued their assault. The spells were disappearing a few feet in front of him as they impacted an invisible barrier. From an observers point of view it appeared as if the spells were being swallowed up like pebbles tossed into a pond leaving only ripples behind.

“I'll grab the wounded and get everyone else to portkey out of here,” Hermione said.

Harry heard the aurors shout out something unintelligible, but when he dodged two flashes of green light he realized what they had said. He raked the aurors with a low powered blast of lightening to get them off balance and hopefully disrupt another round of killing curses.

“Everyone's safe,” Hermione's said a few minutes later. Harry felt her presence disappear a split second before he activated his own portkey back to Hogwarts. Hermione was waiting for him when he materialized outside the medical wing.

A knot of third years that had been standing nearby looked simultaneously terrified and curious at all the strange happenings. Harry was amazed at just how much Hogwarts had been spared from the war despite Hogsmeade. They especially seemed curious about the two Head Students who were rarely around and were always in the newspapers. Harry grinned at them and they ran away with flushed faces.

He shook his head and levitated the two people nearest him so he could take them into the medical wing. Most of the seriously injured people had already been taken into treatment so there was no great need to hurry. Hermione insisted that everyone be inspected though, no matter how slight their injuries seemed, just in case they had been affected by some kind of slow acting spell.

“He's awake,” Hermione said as they walked past the bed where Snape was still resting. The two teens approached their enfeebled school nemesis and just looked down on him for a moment as he tried to pretend to be asleep.

“Professor, we really need to talk to you,” Harry said softly. Seconds ticked by with no response.

“Come to gloat have you, Potter?” Snape asked roughly.

“We need your help,” Hermione said before Harry could respond.

“I think I've “helped” enough, don't you?” Snape bit back.

Hermione chewed her lip anxiously. “Some of the details of your imprisonment that we're aware of doesn't make any sense. You were held for several weeks, yet you were kept unconscious for that entire time. There's no evidence that you were fed or anything. That's simply not possible, you would have starved to death.”

“Clever girl, do you have a point?” Snape asked with a sigh.

“We're hoping you were kept some place other than the dungeons beneath Malfoy's old mansion,” Hermione explained. “If you would give us your memories of everything that happened we hope that an inspection of them could give us clues about what actually happened to you. We were hoping to maybe even find Riddle Manor.”

“We're really appreciative of everything you've done,” Harry said suddenly, feeling his pride lodge in his throat.

“Flattery Mr. Potter,” Snape said derisively. Harry began to berate himself for what Snape must have considered to be an exceptionally transparent ploy until Snape continued. “I'll cooperate all I know how if you'll do one small thing for me.”

“What?” Harry asked suspiciously.

Snape pointed at Harry's armor, “Deactivate your little toy there.”

Snape grinned feebly as he watched Harry's reaction. “So its true then,” Snape said. “What the rumors say, that is. You have been wounded.”

Harry pushed the small triangular piece of metal from which the entire armor originated and was rewarded by a mechanical sliding noise. Each segment of the armor retreated into the previous segment until all that was left was the tiny triangle attached to Harry's shoulder like a decorative medal. He shoved his sleeve up and thrust his aged arm at Snape.

“There, are you happy?” Harry asked sullenly.

“Come now Mr. Potter,” Snape said dryly. “Did you really think I just wanted to revel in your misfortune? Oh, don't look at me like that.”

“Will you help us now?” Hermione asked.

“I would have helped you anyway,” Snape replied. “Surely you realize that I have just as much at stake here as the two of you?”

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other, clearly unconvinced. Snape sighed and looked away, but his normal icy demeanor seemed to lift from him somewhat.

“Lucius laughed at me when he was torturing me,” Snape said distantly. “He mocked me, told me that I had no one who cared to rescue me, that all my efforts over the years were utterly worthless. Even though we haven't been on the…best of terms…you still came for me. You proved him wrong. I appreciate that.”

“You've risked a lot in the fight against Voldemort over the years,” Hermione said diplomatically.

Snape bristled at the use of Voldemort's name, but didn't reprove her for it. “You don't understand why I turned against the Dark Lord or why the Headmaster trusts me.” It wasn't a question.

“Does anyone need a reason to do what's right?” Hermione asked rhetorically.

“Yes, often,” Snape said in a soft, nearly defeated voice. “Not many people know why I left the Dark Lord before his fall. The truth is that I'm ashamed by how pathetic my reason is. I believe Mr. Potter knows part of it.”

Harry pursed his lips together and decided to stay silent since he really didn't have any idea what the professor was talking about.

“I see Mr. Potter is at a loss,” Snape said airily. “However, during one of our many tedious sessions of study Mr. Potter caught a glimpse of one of my childhood memories.”

Harry recalled a scene where a young Snape was being violently reprimanded by a man who was presumably his father.

“Despite my parent's volatile attributes when it came to my discipline they were staunchly against the Dark Lord and everything he stood for,” Snape said. “They believed that the natural superiority of purebloods made it unnecessary for a war against lesser wizards and frankly I believe they recognized that such an endeavor was ultimately futile.”

Snape leaned back on his pillow and took a deep breath as if he were becoming physically exhausted.

“I hated them and I hated anything I thought they believed in,” Snape continued. “I was eager to join the Dark Lord and put an end to upstart mud…muggle born wizards who were over running society. When my parent's loyalties became known I was given the duty of killing them to prove my own conviction and I did so without hesitation.”

“So that's why?” Hermione asked.

“That is not why,” Snape said dangerously. His old annoyance of being interrupted showing itself again. “At least not at first. My parents were traitors and they deserved to die a traitor's death. My friend on the other hand, he did not.”

“Your friend?” Harry prompted when Snape paused.

“You know him,” Snape said heavily before continuing in measured tones. “Or at least you know of him. Regulus Black and I became like brothers through our acquaintance with the Death Eaters. I was not one to…question…things during that time in my youth. Regulus on the other hand began to notice some inconsistencies in the Dark Lord's rhetoric and his actions. When he became skeptical the Dark Lord killed him. He just turned around one day and killed him for speaking out about the wrong thing. Insignificant thing.”

Snape looked away suddenly and Harry felt a great wave of pity wash over him.

“I began to rethink everything when I saw a man as dedicated as Regulus, who came from impeccable pure blood, killed out of hand like that. I realized that the Dark Lord didn't care about people, let alone the noble houses of wizardry.” Snape said. “I loved Regulus like a brother…not long after the Dark Lord's treachery I turned to Dumbledore; you know the rest.”

“I'm sorry,” Harry said softly. Hermione nodded, reverent toward Snape's obvious pain.

“Give me a wand,” Snape said after a few moments. Hermione passed him hers and he used it to draw out a silvery drop of memory from his head. Harry quickly conjured a vial to hold it temporarily until it could be placed into a pensieve.

“I have one more thing,” Snape said as they started to leave. “Go to my dungeon office and look in the third book on the bottom shelf. You'll find inside its hollowed out middle something quite useful. I wasn't able to perfect it, but it should work for your purposes with no accumulation of side effects.”

Harry started to thank him again, but Snape flipped over on his bed so that he was no longer facing them at all in a gesture of clear dismissal.

“I think he used up all seven years worth of kindness he had in him for me all at once,” Harry said dryly as they left the hospital wing on their way to the dungeons.

“Harry,” Hermione said reprovingly.

“I know,” Harry replied, “But honestly, even if he had his reasons and even though I do feel bad for him, he has been less than friendly to us over the years to put it mildly. We might understand him better, but he's still the same person.”

Hermione didn't reply to that, but she recognized the truth in Harry's words. The dungeons had a less foreboding air about them as a result of Dumbledore's extended administration of the potions classes. Snape's office on the other hand had apparently been left relatively untouched and as dank as ever. Hermione easily found the hidden book that Snape had told them about while Harry stood looking on curiously as she scrutinized the papers recovered from the hiding place.

Harry was startled by Hermione's sudden sharp intake of breath. “Oh my gosh, Harry, this is the magical enhancement potion for muggles that we discovered, but Snape has altered it somehow. According to this is acts like a magical supercharge that can give an individual as much as twice their normal amount of power.”

“What?” Harry asked, stunned. “Twice our usual power?”

“Yes, look here,” Hermione said excitedly as she pointed at the parchment. “According to this it won't build up negative affects like the potion I tried to use. Its basically magic in a bottle.”

“Do you think that this is what Voldemort was trying to do? Maybe the notes you found were just a piece of the process and this potion was the ultimate goal,” Harry speculated.

“It would make more sense than just having some nutter wizard experimenting on muggles,” Hermione said. She folded the paper delicately and tucked it into her robes. “Come on, let's get back to the war room and look at Snape's memory.”

They endured the usual amount of gawking as they made the short trip to the Light Bearers' headquarters at Hogwarts. Hermione retrieved her pensieve from where it was stored when it wasn't being used as a training tool. She poured the contents of the little vial into its magical basin that somehow allowed the process to work.

“Okay, now once we're inside be sure to pay attention to his surroundings,” Hermione said briskly. “Every detail could potentially be the clue that tells us where he's being held.”

Harry touched the shimmering surface an instant after Hermione did and immediately found himself arriving at an unknown place. The scene turned to blackness, as Snape was presumably rendered unconscious by a sneak attack. Next, the memory exploded into a blinding white light that lasted for several seconds before Snape was dumped onto the floor. There were voices in the background that even the pensieve couldn't recover and then the sensation of Snape being levitated through a passageway.

Clearly, the professor had been nearly unconscious for the entire trip and doubtlessly without the aid of the pensieve the memories they were now viewing would have been utterly unrecoverable.

“Do you recognize any of the architecture?” Harry asked Hermione as she floated nearby him.

“It's very old,” Hermione observed. “It looks to be pre-Roman wizard construction at the very least. It's possible that Riddle Manor was built on top of such a thing incidentally.”

“This place seems to be very purposeful,” Harry reasoned as he observed the utilitarian structure unfold before them. “Do you think that Voldemort could have constructed it himself based on some kind of past buildings?”

“I suppose its possible,” Hermione said.

“I mean, we did something similar ourselves,” Harry added, referring to Middle Yard. The great fortress was in fact a relic from an ancient past that no one precisely knew about in minute detail.

“You think he constructed his own version of Middle Yard beneath his home?” Hermione asked.

“Well, that would make sense as to why he moved Snape,” Harry said. “He must have suspected the possibility of a tracking charm that even he couldn't detect. One that could be activated by Snape whenever he wanted to.”

“There's still too much that doesn't add up,” Hermione said thoughtfully. “Like how did Voldemort keep Snape unconscious for all that time? How was he not fed?”

“I suspect it has something to do with that bright light,” Harry said. “Maybe it's a new kind of spell Voldemort has invented.”

“It doesn't seem his style though,” Hermione countered. “Voldemort spends his time devising new ways to defeat his enemies, not hold them in suspended animation.”

“Some kind of advanced freezing charm could be useful in combat though,” Harry replied.

“Ugh, this is getting us no where,” Hermione said with frustration.

“Wait, they're nearing the surface,” Harry said quickly. “If he saw anything at all we can use to identify where they're at…”

They slowly emerged onto the surface a few hundred feet away from some very familiar looking stones. Harry felt his jaw drop as he realized what it was.

“That's bloody Stonehenge,” Hermione exclaimed.

“It's also within the area where we think Little Hangleton is located,” Harry exulted. “There's no way to tell how long they were in those passages from Snape's memory. Voldemort probably has an escape tunnel that goes to the edge of his wards as a contingency plan.”

“Which means we can also use it as a point of entry,” Hermione said. She opened her mouth to continue when her image flittered abruptly.

Harry felt himself wrenched back out of the pensieve and found himself looking up at a disturbed Ron. Hermione was breathing rapidly from her own experience after having been forcibly expelled from the memory.

“What is it Ron?” she asked in a slightly agitated tone.

“There's been another attack, a big one, on one of the places we thought was secure,” Ron said. “But that isn't the part you need to hear. They stole something that we had taken from Malfoy's mansion, some kind of trinket that we had labeled as decorative.”

“I still don't see the big deal,” Harry said.

“Wait, what was the item again?” Hermione said worriedly. “We didn't know what half of that stuff was. If they went to all of that effort to steal it then we seriously need to know more about it.”

“No one even bothered to make a sketch,” Ron said. “Fred told me that he remembered looking at it and thinking it was some kind of amulet, or maybe a medal. You know, the kind of self aggrandizing stuff that rich purebloods always have tons of.”

“Voldemort did seem to be using Malfoy's house as some kind of research facility,” Harry said thoughtfully. “Maybe it's some kind of prototype device that they needed to recover in order to keep from having to start over. We did demolish a lot of notes and journals.”

“There was also one other thing,” Ron said nervously. “The man who led the attack…one of our people said that he had a silver hand.”

“Wormtail,” Harry breathed through gritted teeth.

“Now this really doesn't make sense,” Hermione said skeptically. Ron looked at her as if to say “how so.”

Hermione shook her head exasperatedly. “Just think about it. Pettigrew is about the weakest, most inept, incompetent wizard Voldemort has. There's absolutely no way he'd send him on a critical mission to recover something valuable.”

“Right,” Harry said as his brain started to function again as his initial rage at hearing about Pettigrew faded. “So if the recovery of the amulet wasn't the mission then what else could he have been doing there?”

“Maybe he's some kind of decoy?” Ron suggested.

“There's certainly few other Death Eaters out there that we have as big a grudge against as him,” Hermione said.

“This is starting to get murky again,” Harry said darkly. “The last time events started spiraling out of control like this we all nearly ended up dead.”

“Voldemort is trying to play us again,” Hermione concluded finally. “This time we won't fall for it. Ron, recall all the patrols and start setting up wards at all our safe houses to prevent incoming portkeys and apparation.”

“What?” Ron exclaimed. “But what will we do if they fall under attack? What if we need to evacuate people to them?”

“Grimmauld Place will have to do as an evacuation point,” Hermione said. “Overflow can come to Hogwarts if necessary but hopefully it won't come to that. If the safe houses get attacked then use portkeys to abandon them.”

“But without the safe houses we'll lose control over territory,” Ron countered. “We'll be leaving all those muggles undefended, not to mention wizards loyal to our cause.”

“We've just been handed three defeats in the last few days, two of them at the hands of the Ministry,” Harry said. “We're out of people.”

“Fred and George are still trying to recruit,” Ron insisted stubbornly.

“How many people?” Hermione asked.

“We're down to about one fifth strength from our peak not counting members still in school,” Ron admitted. “We're even worse off than that when it comes to people who can actually fight. We've got Harp and about half of Neville's original team, but they can't replace their losses with equivalent wizards at this point.”

“We can't hold territory anymore,” Hermione said sternly. “I'm beginning to think it was almost foolish to try. Nothing has turned out like we anticipated when we started this nearly a year ago. Voldemort is going to win the war of attrition.”

Harry jerked slightly. “Hermione, what are you saying?”

“We can't win like this,” Hermione said bitterly.

“Then what can we do?” Ron sputtered.

Unconsciously, Hermione's hand brushed up against the pocket where she had placed the improved potion that Snape had devised. “We think we know where Riddle Manor is and our anti-dementor spell is nearing completion,” she said grimly. “We'll rally the forces we have left for an all out assault on Voldemort and bring down the final battle. We're going to end it, one way or the other.”

-->

Chapter 17 - Pluses and Minuses

Foul air wafted up from the knee-deep muck of the swamp that Harry and Hermione were slogging through. If not for their magical eyepieces they would have been nearly blind from the fumes, not to mention the starless night sky and the thick fog. Harry adjusted his black robes uncomfortably and tightened his grip on his wand when he felt a chill run through him.

“We're getting close,” Hermione said.

“I hope this works,” Harry said warily.

“If it doesn't we'll just apparate away,” Hermione replied unconcernedly.

“We'll have tipped our hand though,” Harry said, not for the first time.

“At worst they'll know that they can't face us anymore safely. You know its worth the risk or you wouldn't have agreed to try this,” Hermione replied.

“Just keeping you on your toes,” Harry said innocently.

The half-submerged trees that dotted the swamp gave way to a rather expansive clearing. The two teens walked forward cautiously toward the center and knew they were getting close to their target. Sure enough, a dozen ghastly forms in tattered robes erupted from the other side of the clearing and glided toward them with obvious malice.

The preparations for the planned attack on Riddle Manor had escalated to a tempo that could nearly be described as desperate. The twins had been especially busy trying to get supplies from the tight markets. They had needed everything from dragon hide clothing to extra wands, items that were all increasingly scarce. When Harry saw the lists he was amazed at just how high the attrition rate on their equipment had been over the months.

Meanwhile, Hermione had continued to spearhead the research on dementors while Harry tried to make as many potions as he could with the ingredients they had left on hand. They were here now because Hermione had come up with a clever scheme to replace Snape's services as a double agent and because she had also managed to complete the spell to kill dementors…she thought.

“We have come for parlay,” Hermione yelled as the dementors bore down on their position. The swamp was freezing solid as they approached and the bad memories were becoming harder to keep down even with Harry's strong mental control.

“Harry,” Hermione said curtly to signal the attack. They pointed their wands at the oncoming rush of dementors and cast a bright white spell with a tint of bluish haze around its fringe. The two dementors that were caught within the beams erupted into uncontrollable spasms. The creatures howled in pain as they were enveloped and their darkness quickly dissolved into nothingness by the spells. Harry released a breath he didn't know he had been holding in relief at their success.

The remaining dementors froze in place instantly, but when Hermione tried to talk to them they still refused to respond. She was about ready to kill another one out of frustration when two more dementors floated toward them. Harry pointed his wand at them in anticipation of some kind of trick.

“We grant parlay,” one of the newly arrived dementors hissed in an eerily ethereal voice.

“We have developed a spell capable of destroying you,” Hermione said in a commanding tone. “Your kind has been responsible for countless atrocities…”

“We are responsible for nothing,” the dementor interrupted. “We merely do what is natural to us, but we always obey the authority of the stewards. They have always sanctioned our behavior since the beginning of our existence.”

“The Ministry hasn't authorized your attacks on muggles and random feeding on innocent people,” Harry retorted hotly.

“The Ministry is no longer the steward, only the strongest can command us, or if we are the strongest then we command ourselves,” the dementor replied.

“It must be some kind of dementor thing,” Hermione said, her confusion apparent.

“They obey the strongest magical faction? What kind of logic is that?” Harry asked rhetorically.

“Now you will obey us,” Hermione said finally. “Or we will destroy your kind completely.”

“You are not the strongest faction,” the dementor said calmly, “only the most dangerous. We should not allow you to leave this place alive.”

“As if you could kill us,” Harry said haughtily. The dementors, which were clearly unconcerned by Harry's show of confidence, began to move again.

“Killing us would only multiply your danger,” Hermione said quickly. Her wand tip glowed brightly, but before she was forced to use the spell the dementors stopped again.

“Explain,” the lead dementor demanded.

“Right now only we two know the spell to kill your kind, but if we do not return we have ensured that the rest of the wizarding world will be made aware of the technique. You will be hunted down and destroyed.” Hermione warned. For a moment Hermione didn't think it had worked, but then the dementors all dropped down in a graceful kneel.

“We renounce the previous ties as is our custom,” the intoned. “And now stand ready to serve the Masters of Undoing, Lord and Lady Potter.”

Harry's jaw dropped and he started to tell them that they weren't married yet when Hermione's elbow dug into his ribs. “Take a victory when you can get one,” she said. “Besides, with any luck it'll be true soon enough.”

Harry gave her a broad smile, which she returned before addressing the dementors again. “For now you will continue on in Voldemort's service as spies. All his activities will be reported to us, including the locations of his bases. You will do nothing to raise his suspicions about your true loyalties.”

“We hear and obey,” the dementor said. “However, we cannot tell the location of the Dark Lord's bases because of the enchantments he has erected against us or against all sentient beings.”

“I suspected as much,” Hermione replied. “What else can you tell us?”

“The Dark Lord has forged alliances with the Red Mountain giant clan, groups of disaffected werewolves, and is still in negotiation with various other groups of vampires, trolls, and shaman from the eastern empire. We are not permitted to attend such functions.”

“Understandable,” Harry muttered. “One other thing, you will refrain from using the kiss. Is that clear?”

The dementors seemed to grumble a great deal at that, but they nodded that they would do so. Harry and Hermione spent another hour hammering out the fine details of their agreement until they were satisfied that the dementors would do their jobs well.

“Do you think they suspected?” Harry asked as they watched the dementors glide away.

“It doesn't matter if they did,” Hermione said. “They have no choice.”

“They are sentient though. Is it really right to double cross them like this?” Harry asked sheepishly.

“They're dementors,” Hermione huffed. She was one of the biggest supports of sentient rights, but with dementors the line had to be drawn. “Look Harry, you know it's got to end like this. They're a danger to the entire world. As soon as we defeat Voldemort we've got to destroy them all while we still can. Who knows if there may not be some way for them to eventually overcome the spell.”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed, though he still found it somewhat distasteful. “I know you're right. We can't afford to take the risk.”

Moments later they were both back at Grimmauld Place. Harry sometimes marveled at how he managed to get around before he knew how to apparate. Hermione immediately went to check on one of the few potions that she was doing herself.

“I watched it just like you said,” Molly told her. Even though Snape's notes had indicated that it would be okay to leave it alone Hermione had still enlisted the aid of the matronly Weasley.

“Thanks,” Hermione said warmly. “I didn't expect anything to happen, but if this batch fails we'll be seriously set back.”

“How much longer until its finished?” Harry asked.

“It should already be partially finished,” Hermione replied. “According to the notes the finished potion will float to the surface like oil floats on water.”

Harry looked into the nearly full cauldron and noticed that there was a thin layer of clear liquid on top of a thicker layer of greenish goo. Hermione attached a pan to the cauldron brim and prepared to harvest the small amount that had completed.

“Help me tip this over just a little,” she said. “We only want to pour off the clear potion.”

Harry still had his armor activated so it wasn't difficult to steady the ponderous bulk of the cauldron while Hermione focused on the actual pouring. When she was finished she divided the liquid up into the proper dosage.

“Only two?” Harry asked.

“I saved two for myself,” Hermione replied. “It takes a long time to purify like this. We don't have the special materials we need to make a distillery.”

“I guess it will have to be enough. How long will it last?” Harry asked. With all kinds of rare materials in short supply due to the war they were lucky to be able to make the potion at all.

“As near as I can tell the potion should nearly double our natural powers and then begin to drain away slowly. Of course as we cast spells it will drain even more quickly, so the short answer is that the more magic you do the shorter the duration will be.” Hermione explained. Harry again marveled at her uncanny mastery of all things magical. Even though Harry had become more powerful in terms of raw magical ability and he had become wise in his own right about the lore of magic he realized that Hermione's ever increasing knowledge easily dwarfed his.

“Bill told me to tellz you zat everone from `Ogwarts, haz arrived,” a familiar voice came from the door.

“Fluer,” Molly said warmly.

“Dad and Harp aren't coming,” another voice broke in. Fred and George had appeared behind their older brother's fiancé.

“The Ministry is keeping all the aurors at London Headquarters right now and for some reason Dad got caught up in it too,” Fred explained.

“Figures,” Molly muttered. “Keep poor Arthur in that awful department for all those years but at the first sign of trouble the Minister practically chains himself to him.”

“Uh,” Harry said, perplexed. “Okay, tell them we'll be there in just a second.”

“Here Harry, take half of these,” Hermione said as she shoved a long box filled with wands toward him. They wouldn't work as well as their own wands though, but they would be better than nothing. “I expect my wand back in one piece you know.” She added jokingly.

Harry nodded wanly and gave her a small smile. Everyone who was preparing to engage in the coming offensive had been given two additional wands. A favorite tactic of most wizards involved stripping the opponent of their wand whenever possible. With extra wands it was hoped that their forces would not be caught off guard. Beyond that they had instructed the twins to issue all the remaining potions, armor, dragon hide, and other supplies that were left.

As they walked into the meeting Harry quietly observed all their friends and supporters who had gathered in Grimmauld Place's main parlor looking grim, but determined. Nearly all of the Weasley family was present of course along with Luna and her father. There were also several of the remaining wizards who had volunteered due to the twin's recruiting efforts. Despite all of the leaks in their security over the months a few of these were still wrapped in their concealing garb as a testament to the fact that a few Light Bearers had managed to keep their secret identities, even from each other.

Almost the entire staff from Hogwarts and what remained of the old Order lined the senior most positions at the table. Headmaster Dumbledore was standing in a grandfatherly pose with Fawkes sitting on his shoulder. Even Snape had managed to drag himself to the meeting with the aid of an unwieldy looking cane.

“Some of you are aware of what's going on here, but some of you are not so we'll begin at the beginning so to speak,” Hermione said.

“We have managed to secure invaluable intelligence on the location of Riddle Manor at long last thanks to the efforts of Professor Snape and so the time to strike is now,” Harry said with a business like tone.

Hermione conjured a diagram of the region around the tunnel that Snape's memories had revealed and their estimates on where important locations probably were. “As you can see this tunnel acts as an emergency escape route into the heart of Voldemort's operation. Harry and I will use it to gain access to the wards protecting the area so that they can be disabled. We will then call the rest of you in what we hope will be an effective final attack on Voldemort.”

“Won't they feel the wards going down?” Dumbledore asked. Anti-apparation spells usually were accompanied by a heavy wet feeling either lifting or settling as a ward came into play.

“We will set up our own anti-apparation wards to prevent that ahead of time,” Hermione explained. “Then if we need to apparate out we can quickly demolish them.”

“What about guards in the tunnels?” another person asked. “Wouldn't we stand a better chance with an all out attack?”

“There shouldn't be any guards in the tunnel,” Harry said. “There were none in Snape's memory and we believe that the tunnel is for Voldemort's use only. A secret escape in case something goes wrong with no Death Eaters aware of it to compromise its existence should they be captured.”

“Despite that,” Hermione added. “This is still going to be a risky operation, especially with Harry, our only indispensable asset, leading the attack. Headmaster Dumbledore cannot come in the initial stages of the attack because it is possible that Hogwarts is being watched. Even a short absence now, on his part, is risky because without him the school is seriously vulnerable to attack. Once the focus of the Death Eaters is shifted to their base it will enable him to safely leave the school and join the attack, but until then we can't risk having Voldemort leave Riddle Manor to attack Hogwarts and escape our assault.”

“Unfortunately, there is no one else qualified for this other than Harry and Hermione,” Dumbledore said in agreement.

“If that horrible man is so eager to attack Hogwarts then why not just lure him there and ambush him?” Molly asked quietly.

“Another reason that we have to make sure that we can hit Voldemort in his stronghold is that, ironically, he is most vulnerable there. If we were to lure him to Hogwarts then he would undoubtedly come with the bulk of his forces with his guard up to expect a trap.” Hermione said explicitly. “We currently don't stand a chance against him in open combat with all his forces, even at a place like Hogwarts.”

“That's another reason why we're doing this now,” Harry said. “These last few weeks of attacks combined with several people quitting has conspired to weaken us, as I'm sure you're all aware. If Voldemort realizes our weakness he will come for us and then the battle will be on his terms instead of ours.”

“This isn't a trend that can be stopped in the long term,” Hermione added quickly as several people began to swell up with indignation at the characterization of the Light Bearers as weakening. “Already Voldemort is calling together more allies from all across the globe. Shaman warriors from the Far East, various groups of vampires, and who knows what else.”

“It is true,” Dumbledore said to stave off another round of dissent that threatened to break out. “Especially in the case of the vampire houses. Vampires know that they are no match in single combat with even an average wizard. Conjured wooden stakes, enchanted flames, and cutting curses quickly rob them of their prized immortality. Against a wizard such as Harry they would succeed in incurring mass casualties for their kind at best and at worst end up on the losing side of a war to be hunted down by the victors. However, if they believe victory is assured to Voldemort then they would be much easier to entice.”

“Finally,” Harry said anxiously, “We have one final trump card to play. Thanks to Hermione's brilliance and hard work we have managed to recruit one final ally. The dementors have joined us.”

Pandemonium erupted from all corners of the room, as people yelled out questions in disbelief except for the few whom were already aware of what had happened. Hermione made a slight tutting noise at the typical over reaction of wizards who were still too enthralled with their own dogmatic beliefs. Most of them didn't know anything about dementors other than their evil attributes and accordingly didn't believe that they could be controlled despite the Ministry's long history of making deals with them. Of course she had to admit that one could make a reasonable argument against the wisdom of any agreement with them.

“Why would the dementors join you?” one of the masked wizards spat out once the room had more or less regained its civility.

“They joined us because we now have a way to kill them,” Hermione said stiffly. “In exchange for their continued existence they help us against Voldemort.”

“Basically, they surrendered to us,” Harry said helpfully. “I know everyone is suspicious of dementors, and with good cause, but their help could be invaluable. In any event, they represent a formidable and expendable warrior group that even has the potential to destroy Voldemort with their kiss should I fail.”

“Admittedly it isn't a good contingency,” Hermione said before the arguing could start up again at the notion of being saved by dementors.

“All right, if that's all settled we need to hand out the final command structure and small unit organization,” Ron said as he stepped forward. “We're reforming our “champion killer” squad that was so effectively led by Neville until the tragedy at Hogsmeade. Professor Dumbledore will be its new commander, but operational command will remain with the Light Bearer structure, namely myself, Luna, and then Professor Dumbledore.”

Some of the old Order members still looked rather indignant at such an arrangement, but Snape strangely nodded his approval. The best witches and wizards left in the Light Bearers migrated over to Dumbledore to prepare coordination with him. Ron proceeded to hand out the squad level commands and restructure their composition. No longer did they need someone who could perform a patronus on each squad since the dementors were on their side.

“We don't know how long this will take,” Harry said after all the arrangements had more or less been completed. “It could be a matter of several hours or even longer depending on what we run up against.”

“I will be returning to Hogwarts,” Dumbledore announced. “I suggest most of you return with me. Portkeys will be standing by to take us outside the anti-apparation wards when the signal to join the attack comes.”

“Many Hogwarts students are going to be joining us in this effort,” Ron added. “We have been training them as much as possible for over a year, but they have almost no real experience except the ones that survived Hogsmeade. Our regular fighters should be ready to give some last minute tips. It isn't much, but it's the best we can do.”

Harry and Hermione lingered for a moment to gather their power for the ordeal ahead. Dumbledore and most of the gathered wizards portkeyed away to Hogwarts, but the Weasleys and Luna stayed behind to see them off. Their eyes burned brightly with their full powers an instant before they vanished away to what was hopefully a safe location near Voldemort's secret tunnel.

Harry looked through the washed out form of Hermione as their invisibility charms took effect. The location was surprisingly warm, green, and cheery considering that the place supposedly contained an entrance to the lair of the vilest wizard in generations.

“I don't see anything,” Harry said. He scoured the landscape with his red tinted eyepiece for good measure, but it revealed nothing as well.

“I really don't think there will be any guards,” Hermione said reassuringly. They jogged out of the cover they had appeared behind and retraced Snape's memories until they found the entrance to the tunnel network. Harry's eyepiece could see through its conventional camouflage for enough distance to know they weren't walking into a trap. At least not an immediate obvious trap, but he still feared a trap they couldn't see.

Hermione cast a charm that forced the hidden entrance to open and quickly descended. Harry followed closely on her heels into the surprisingly large passageway. It was much more impressive than it had appeared in Snape's memory. The walls were covered with some kind of design he didn't recognize.

They made their way slowly down the hall as they searched for the wards. They had a good idea that they were somewhere close by because most wards created their effect in a circular pattern with the ward at the center of the circle. There were numerous small alcoves and rooms that were mostly bare, though some contained strange looking furniture.

Harry sniffed the ancient earthy scent of the passage. “Is it just me, or does this seem a bit elaborate for an escape tunnel?” Harry asked Hermione as they investigated yet another side room.

“Voldemort probably just wanted to make it as difficult as possible to find anything like wards or even the entrance to the main mansion in the event that someone like us managed to find this place,” Hermione reasoned.

As they went deeper into the tunnel system they stopped creeping along the walls, though they did maintain their invisibility charms. The place seemed to be well and truly deserted after all.

“I wonder where the light is coming from?” Hermione asked suddenly. Harry realized that he had completely overlooked the fact that the entire tunnel was bathed in a dim glow even though there was no visible light source. It was like a moonlit night without the moon.

“I don't know. I've never seen a spell that could do something like this,” Harry said.

“Me either,” Hermione replied. That worried Harry a little. Voldemort might be a brilliant wizard and all, but he didn't seem like the type to invent mundane utilitarian spells. Maybe he discovered it by accident when working on something else or perhaps a Death Eater created it. Harry shoved his pondering to the side and concentrated on the matter at hand. Unimportant mysteries such as that could wait.

“Harry, over here! I think this could be it,” Hermione said.

Harry hurried over to where she was standing in front of a trapezoidal shaped doorway. They gingerly stepped into the room, which was made out of gleaming white surfaces and brightly lit with the same ambient light. There was a narrow band of writing that circumscribed the entire room, which also appeared to be trapezoidal in shape. In the center of the room was a pedestal, while from the ceiling a long thin beam extended down like a giant spiky stalactite.

“There aren't any wards here,” Harry said softly.

“Look at this writing Harry,” Hermione whispered back eagerly. “It's some kind of runic dialect. I think I can read some of it.”

“We should get out of here,” Harry said, suddenly overcome by a sense of dread.

“Fine-“ Hermione cut off with a squeak of terror. “Harry, where's the door?”

Harry felt sick as he turned around looking for the door. He remembered the flash of bright white light they saw in Snape's memory. “Hermione, see if the text says anything, maybe it tells how to open the door.”

“It says, “We are” then I can't read this word, then “to give up,” no, wait,” Hermione stuttered as she tried to translate. Harry began examining the part of the room where he believed they had entered at, but if a door existed it was seamless. He walked slowly around the room searching for any indication of a door or a way to open one, but found nothing.

“Something about defense,” Hermione said. “Conquer…travails…time!”

“Huh?” Harry asked, confused.

“Harry, there's an equation here, it increases geometrically and then there's some key that says one equals seven hundred thousand,” Hermione said, trailing off at the end and paling considerably.

“This room conquers time Harry,” Hermione wailed as she continued to read. “One day is equivalent to over two thousand years in this room. We have to get out of here before its too late.”

“Get over here,” Harry said roughly as the implications hit him. “Avada Kedavra”

Green light impacted against the wall, but instead of blowing a hole in it the light turned to liquid and rippled off across the white surface before being absorbed.

“Together,” Hermione yelled. Like a muggle air lock the time chamber needed to change the passage of time gradually between the inside and outside of the room. “We've only got a few minutes before the spell slows down time in here too much.”

Two beams of green light slammed into the wall, but again the white surface seemed to simply absorb it. Still, Harry though that the wall was having a more difficult time in handling so much destructive energy.

“Try something besides Avada Kedavra,” Hermione suggested frantically. Harry's wand glowed with a black aura as he charged up an immense negative lightening attack. The deadly energies scorched the pure white surface of the wall, but then even the scorch marks sank into the surface. It was like the wall was actually a bottomless pit with unlimited potential to absorb attacks.

“What is this place?” Harry asked again in a hollow voice.

A silvery messenger charm passed through the wall and began circling over their heads. Harry and Hermione both felt desperation rise as a second, then a third joined it. Suddenly a flood of messenger charms poured into the room…

“They've been gone too long!” McGonagall said loudly. She, along with other senior Light Bearers were all in the Hogwarts' headquarters for the group trying to come to terms with what seemed to be the derailment of their attack strategy.

“What do you want me to do about it?” Ron asked her crossly. They had sent a lot of people home or at least to hastily erected cots so they wouldn't wear themselves out waiting for a signal that so far had not been forthcoming. Ron wished, and not for the first time, that the emblems could do more than give vague apparation commands.

“We have to send someone after them,” McGonagall said in a slightly more composed tone.

“Yeah, then we blow their cover, assuming of course we can even find where they went, and we mess the whole thing up.” Ron replied. He glowered slightly at the boisterous transfiguration professor. McGonagall, who was normally very composed, had vacillated between anxiety, anger, and restlessness as the hours of waiting stretched into days. “Look, I don't like this anymore than you, but we sent a messenger charm, which was risky enough, and we know they're both still alive because of the emblems.”

“Alive and captured maybe, for all we know,” McGonagall retorted.

“If they were captured then why is Hermione still alive?” Ron asked. “She's way too dangerous to keep alive and also utterly useless to, uh, Him, so that means they're probably fine. I'm sure it's something else, like difficulty finding the wards or something.”

“For two days?” McGonagall asked, clearly dismayed with her inability to make any headway with someone who should still be her student. She had been very open minded about Harry and Hermione's stealthy ascension to power, but secretly she wasn't sure about all the friends they seemed to have pulled along with them. Still, McGonagall had to admit that Ron had successfully led several operations, including Hogsmeade, and had planned literally dozens more. If only by harsh experience the boy with a natural penchant for strategy had turned into a formidable guerrilla warrior.

“I'm afraid I must concur with Mr. Weasley,” Dumbledore interrupted. He let out a heavy sigh. “Unless you can come up with a better course of action other than compromising their location I can't see how-“

At that moment a wheezing limping Filtch burst through the door, “Headmaster, come quick, there's a dementor at the gates.”

Ron and McGonagall had to run to catch up with the swift graceful pace of Dumbledore as he swished down the hall toward the main entrance to the castle. Ron was continually amazed how someone as frail and elderly as Dumbledore could move like a teenager, regardless of how magical genes lengthened a person's natural vitality.

The heavy gates that guarded Hogwarts' main entrance were covered in ice as a consequence of the proximity of the dementor. Dumbledore merely waved his hand and his connection with the school caused them to swing inward. Ron caught sight of his face as he beheld the dementor and saw fierce disgust radiating from the usually placid Headmaster.

“You serve the Masters of Undoing?” the dementor hissed frighteningly. It had stayed back a sufficient distance so that the dreadful aura put off by its darkness didn't affect the three humans beyond their ability to cope with the bad feelings that threatened to bubble up.

“Harry leads us,” Dumbledore replied simply.

“Very well human,” the dementor hissed back, sneering, if indeed a dementor can sneer. “We honor our bargain with information. The one you know as the Dark Lord Voldemort is calling all his allies to himself and preparing to strike this place as soon as the full moon rises.”

“That's tonight!” Ron exclaimed. “That's bloody well three hours from now!”

“The Dark Lord also sends a portion of his allies to strike at the seat of England's magical government,” the dementor continued, unconcerned with Ron's outburst.

“Can you help us?” Dumbledore asked, though his voice sounded as if the words nearly strangled him.

“We honor our bargain with aid once the battle is joined,” the dementor replied. “It matters not, by this time tomorrow we will serve the strongest faction once more.”

“Do you know where your, uh, masters are?” McGonagall asked hesitantly. Dumbledore's eyes flashed at her, but he didn't say anything. The dementor bristled noticeably.

“Masters do not keep us informed of their greater plan,” it replied shortly. “I have no more relevant information.”

Dumbledore said nothing, but watched carefully as the dementor glided away toward the forest and finally left their view when it melted into the shadows. He waved his hand again and the great doors closed. Additional locks and fortifications began to initiate as the Headmaster secured the school to its maximum ability to defend. A great steel colored gate covered in sharp spikes descended to cover the wooden doors that usually served as barriers by themselves.

“Will that really help?” Ron asked, slightly impressed by the display.

“It will somewhat,” Dumbledore replied. “The castle itself will fight with me and with Professor McGonagall should I be overcome.”

“Let us not talk of such dreadful things Albus,” McGonagall said softly.

“Quite right,” Dumbledore agreed. “Ronald, I believe it is time to summon everyone here. If Hogwarts is to fall let us at least bloody Voldemort's nose in the process. We will never again fight in a more defendable position.”

“I'm not so sure of that,” Ron replied idly.

“Even that thing, Middle Yard, cannot fight as well as Hogwarts,” Dumbledore said proudly. “The Founders were marvelous individuals. Their knowledge of magic was as broad and deep as their power was great. No enemy has ever assailed the defended walls of Hogwarts and succeeded.”

Lightening cracked through the air and in the distance dark storm clouds gathered. The wind began to pick up as well and in the process it began to howl eerily. Ron felt his skin crawl and as they walked back through the castle he noticed that there wasn't a single ghost to be seen. Even Peeves, who normally stirred ruckus at any hour, was strangely absent.

“Albus,” McGonagall said worriedly, “Is…He…doing this?”

“Altering the weather is a power wizards may possess, but only by greatly taxing their powers, never as an ambient effect.” Dumbledore replied slowly, “Even his power is not that great. I'm sure this is…coincidence.”

Ron nodded, but he didn't feel reassured. The wind was definitely screaming now in a very unnatural way. The storm clouds were not moving at all, just growing larger at a slow inexorable pace.

“Ronald!” Luna's voice came from behind him as he rounded the hall. He didn't even get entirely turned around when he found himself engulfed by a mass of blonde hair.

“Luna, what is it?” Ron asked.

“Something's wrong,” Luna said. She looked up at Ron with large, slightly wet blue eyes. “It feels wrong, just like, just like…”

“Like what?” Ron asked gently.

“Like when Mum died,” Luna replied with a sniff. “I felt like this all day. Just a few minutes ago its like it all came rushing back.”

“There was a dementor here,” Ron said soothingly. “Maybe its effects transferred through to you somehow.”

“No,” Luna said vehemently. “I've felt like this once before, at Hogsmeade. I didn't say anything because I thought it was just some kind of horrible reminiscing, but now I don't think so anymore. I'm scared for you Ron.”

Ron began to feel afraid too. He had never seen Luna so serious or worried before. The knowledge that…He…was getting ready to attack seemed to give weight to Luna's concerns in a way that he usual quirky theories were never validated. Luna seemed to sense that Ron knew something more.

“What is it Ron,” she asked shakily. Suddenly she seemed to become aware of something he had just said. “What were you talking about a dementor for?”

“It came to warn us,” Ron said. “You-Know-Who is getting ready to attack us head on. He's gathering his followers and according to the dementor he'll be here in three hours or so.”

Luna gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. “What about Harry and Hermione?” she asked, her resolve instantly stiffening.

“No word yet,” Ron replied.

Luna whipped out her wand and sent a silvery bird fluttering away.

“Luna!” Ron exclaimed. “What did you do?”

“Silly,” Luna said, “I sent them a message to let them know what's going on.”

“But what if Who-Know-Who intercepts it?” Ron sputtered.

“He's already gathering for his attack right?” Luna reasoned. “He's probably already left his base. Anyway we've got to try; they need to know that their attack has already failed. Time to try something else.”

“Now where are you going,” Ron asked as Luna began to move again.

“Professor Dumbledore sealed the castle didn't he?” Luna said.

“Yeah,” Ron replied slowly.

“Well, then we've got to start moving all the young children down into the dungeons,” Luna replied as if it were obvious.

“Because…” Ron said suggestively.

“They can't fight, the dungeons are the safest place in the castle. They're below and to the center. Oh I wish Harry were here, we could put them in the Chamber of Secrets,” Luna said.

“Wait, Luna that's brilliant,” Ron said excitedly.

“You can speak parseltongue?” Luna asked, lapsing back into her normal vacant expression.

“No, but we don't actually have to get them in the chamber,” Ron explained. “There's a whole network of piping down there that leads to the Chamber. It'll be much better than leaving them up here and it is a natural choke point. Easily defendable.”

Ron and Luna stormed through the Castle gathering up the students who were old enough to fight first. They then had those students disperse and gather all the younger children so they could be taken to the entrance to the Chamber.

“I must say, well done,” McGonagall said as she watched the students jumping down one at a time through the shattered remains of the washbasins that had hidden the first entrance to the Chamber. Many of the other professors, especially the ones who were not particularly adept at combat, had already taken shelter there too as a last ditch protection for the children.

“I suggest you pick up the pace,” Snape growled from the doorway. “The moon should be rising any minute now and the storm has gotten worse.”

“Too bad the werewolves don't actually need to see the moon to transform,” Ron said idly.

Snape looked like he wanted to retort badly but instead he settled for a simple nod before limping off. As the last child fell through the opening Ron wrapped an arm protectively around Luna's thin form. Now all they could do was wait for the inevitable.

-->

Chapter 18 - The Crow Caws

Arthur had sat through a lot of boring meetings during his time as a mid-level bureaucrat at the Ministry of Magic, but most of them had the decency to quit after a while. Septimus Artemis, leader of the European Common Defense Treaty Force, a pretentious name if Arthur had ever heard one, barely stopped his droning lecture to take a breath. Even worse, the man refused to stop chewing on his pipe even though the thing had long since gone out.

That ornate seventeenth century goblin wrought pipe that cost more money than Arthur's whole extended family could scrape together. Oh how Arthur loathed watching him sit there idly moving it back and forth from one corner of his mouth to the other. He knew he had been staring at the pipe for at least the last half-hour, but he didn't really care. It wasn't like there was anything else less appalling to look at. Artemis was wearing a black cloak, like all the Treaty Force, with a glittering green outline of a snake on the right shoulder. Arthur couldn't believe that Fudge would let them wear snake robes when they were supposed to be fighting the self proclaimed heir of Slytherin.

Artemis was talking about using one's magical instincts to sense impending attacks now and some of the newer aurors seemed to be in deep concentration as they absorbed his words. Decent aurors like Tonks got sacked and these rubes had been moved up out of regular wizarding law enforcement. Half of them had received their positions out of pure patronage because of their family ties and most of the rest had bought their way into the position for the power that it affords. In Arthur's experience aurors were notorious for selectively obeying the laws, but the kind of rank favoritism that was going on right now was only making the problem that much worse. Of course, since the war started it was always uncertain if aurors would even be sent to enforce the law in the first place.

Then there was the rest of the team that the continent had sent over. Mostly cronies of Artemis who were probably unqualified to be members of an elite squad of “super” hit wizards. The only exception that he noted was Septimus' sister Sense. Arthur knew a powerful witch when he saw one and all of his instincts were screaming out that she was particularly deadly. The Artemis family was renowned for the uncommonly powerful witches that ran in its bloodline.

Arthur also had another reason for his disgust with these supposed allies that had decided to stick their noses into British affairs. Ronald had told him all about their arrival and of course he was well aware of how purebloods in general though of muggles. A jittery looking man made his way into the room and seemed to be beside himself about what he should do. Arthur refrained from laughing, so happy he was at the distraction, as the man tried to wrestle out with himself whether or not he should interrupt Artemis' lecture.

At last the poor miserable lackey was put out of his misery as Artemis noticed him and motioned for him to come over. The pureblood didn't skip a beat in his speech as he read the parchment that the man offered to him. After he had looked at it for a moment he folded the paper neatly and placed it inside his cloak.

Arthur wasn't fooled by that little performance in the slightest. Something was going on or else that man wouldn't have been so jittery. Arthur went back to staring at the pipe as he waited for the other shoe to fall.

Artemis cleared his throat and made a noise as if he were attempting to remember something. “Ah, we've been at this a while haven't we,” he said.

“Here it comes,” Arthur thought to himself.

“We've had a few reports of Death Eater activity here lately-“ Artemis said, as though it were nothing of consequence.

“Bingo,” Arthur thought. “As if we weren't always getting reports of Death Eater activity these days.”

“So I've decided to start sending out more patrols to make sure the surrounding parts of the city remain safe,” Artemis continued. He paused for a while as he considered his options.

“Weasley, why don't you head this one up?” Artemis said.

“Uh, sir, with all due respect, Arthur works for muggle management or some such,” Raver Harp interjected. “Perhaps an auror…”

“Your old man trained you after you got out of school didn't he?” Artemis asked, interrupting Harp as if he had said nothing.

“Of course,” Arthur replied as though that were a given.

“Great, you're overqualified for something this routine then,” Artemis said happily. Sense stifled a giggle and rolled her eyes at her brother. “Just to be safe though why don't you go with him Harp, in case the expert services of an auror are needed. You can draw two additional members for your patrol out of the magical law enforcement pool.”

“Understood,” Arthur said.

He had to hurry to keep up with the overeager pace of Harp as they traveled through the Ministry building up towards the surface. Most people hadn't been able to see the inside of the Ministry to a very great extent since the war had started. Gone were the open corridors and delightful windows with magical weather. Now there were security posts scattered at regular intervals throughout the halls and great barriers that could be dropped to seal off whole portions of the building. Strict anti-apparation and portkey dispersion wards were set up, though there was one narrow gap in the portkey blocking system that would allow for one way exit as an emergency measure.

Of course if the Ministry were compromised to the point where evacuation became necessary it would be likely that magical government in England would have ceased to exist in deed, if not in word. One thing that had been consistent for nearly fifteen hundred years was some form of centralized wizarding authority. In all that time the official seat of government had moved several times, but at no time had it ever been overrun by any foe.

“Harp, slow down,” Arthur said finally. The auror turned around and gave him a nasty look before resuming his pace. Arthur sighed and shook his head. He knew that Harp was exaggerating his obnoxious behavior so no one would suspect that they knew each other as well as they did. At least Arthur hoped it was exaggeration. The man could be pretty annoying under normal circumstances.

“I suppose you'll want to pick?” Harp said when they arrived at the pool or normal magical law enforcement. At least that's what they called it. Agents who weren't on duty were usually required to stay on call at the Ministry's premises so they would be available for quick action.

“Doesn't matter,” Arthur said casually. Of course it mattered. These days magical law enforcement was even more inept than the auror corp. He certainly didn't want to be stuck with someone from the bottom of that barrel.

Arthur's eyes swept the room as he evaluated his options. “Burke, Judy, you're with us.”

The two nodded, took out their wands, and joined them in the hall. Harp took out his wand as well while they walked toward the lobby. They would begin their patrol from the main entrance and take a random path around the perimeter of the special anti-muggle wards that had been erected due to the war.

The sky outside the Ministry was clear and the sunset was actually rather alluring. A full moon, something that had been an ominous sign since the advent of Voldemort's werewolf army, was slowly rising.

Arthur decided to keep off the streets and search all the nearby buildings in case there were enemies hiding within them. Even though this was supposed to be impossible, or at least easily detectable, a strong enough wizard could always manage a surprise and Voldemort was the strongest.

The team made its way through the abandoned structures slowly and carefully. Haste killed more wizards than anything else, even as they went about the ordinary tasks of life. Magic could often be volatile when handled hastily and subtle traps could often be overlooked by carelessness. Accordingly, Arthur saved the tallest structure for last so that they could survey the surroundings as a whole once their ground search was complete.

“I don't feel so good,” Burke said abruptly.

“Me either, I've got a terrible headache and its getting worse,” Judy said, moaning slightly.

Arthur suddenly became aware of a pressure building up right behind his eyes. Harp was rubbing his temple uncomfortably too.

“Look sharp, it's some kind of new ward,” Arthur said tersely.

A ward that was only supposed to work on muggles… Arthur had read accounts of how muggles described the effects of the ward most often used by mages to keep them away. The effects usually manifested themselves as the targeted muggle suddenly remembering forgotten appointments or being unable to look in a certain direction. Only one person would have the skill or the desire to make something like that affect wizards too.

“I can't see anything,” Harp said. “Is this what a muggle feels like?”

The pain kept getting worse and worse as the ward approached. There was a screaming sound going through the air that Arthur couldn't make out, but one that none the less filled him with dread and despair. A fierce gust of wind hit the top of the roof and finally the thing being hidden by the ward was too close to avoid detection any longer.

“That's not possible,” Harp yelled as he staggered under the wind to keep his feet.

A great horn tailed dragon was hovering over the Ministry of Magic. Beneath it was a larger than life cauldron that was putting off some kind of thick green smoke. Arthur didn't know what they were trying to do, but he knew it couldn't be good.

“Hurry, we've got to bring that dragon down,” he yelled.

“How?” Judy asked frantically. Dragons were among the most difficult of all creatures to kill. They were covered in several layers of thick dead scales that resisted all normal magic and could even shrug off repeated hits with the Avada Kedavra curse.

“Concentrate killing curses on where its wing join to its body,” Arthur replied.

Beams of green light began lancing out, but with only four mages casting the spells Arthur never really had any hope of success. The cauldron suspended beneath the dragon tipped over sharply, sending a torrent of green liquid crashing down on the false building that hid and protected the Ministry. A huge burst of flame and fog boiled up the instant the substance connected with the building. The entire scene was quickly obscured, though Arthur did manage to see the dragon lifting itself clear once its job was complete.

“Hey, Harp, you got an extra one of those?” Arthur asked as the annoying auror put on a bluish colored eyepiece. He hoped that the anti-muggle wards could handle the strain of this much interference. The last thing they needed was those flame-engines to show up…

“Of course not,” he said distractedly, “We've got to get back to the Minister.”

“Look out,” Burke exclaimed as the roof around them erupted in shrapnel. Arthur looked up and saw several wizards on brooms including three that could only be avatars. Behind them, in some kind of absurdly powerful levitation charm, were several metallic cylinders with conical tips.

Arthur and his team spread out to make themselves lesser targets, but it quickly became clear that they were not the objective of this new force. The avatars gestured violently with their wands and the torpedo shaped cylinders went flying into the mist that still shrouded the Ministry.

“What's going on?” Arthur asked anxiously. He looked to Harp expectantly, but the auror didn't respond right away.

“I can't see them, they keep disappearing into the hole where the Ministry used to be,” Harp said finally. “That acid potion must have melted down pretty far.”

“What are we going to do now?” Burke asked. Arthur looked over at the two regular law enforcement agents that they'd brought along and saw that they were both very tense.

“I'm not sure, for the moment we should keep watching,” Arthur replied. He was secretly hoping that Harry would show up with Light Bearer reinforcements, but as the seconds continued to tick by that seemed less and less likely. Arthur already suspected that this attack was meant to keep the Ministry from going to Harry's aid, not that it was likely for them to do so at this point, and if the Ministry fell in the process then so much the better.

“No way, we've got to help the Minister,” Harp replied. “They're going to never every able wand down there. Those canister things can't be a good sign.”

“Until we know what we're up against and how to help we'd just be risking getting caught in the crossfire,” Arthur said calmly. “Everyone get ready, when they fire the next cylinder we'll combine our summoning charms and try to knock it off course.”

“Here it comes,” Judy said. The four mages pointed their wands and cast their summoning charms in perfect synchronization, but the effect on the canister was almost undetectable. Arthur knew it had worked though when he heard the screech of metal and the sound of a disorderly impact.

“Get under cover,” Burke yelled. A hail of green beams rained down on their position for a moment as the air borne attackers tried to suppress any interference.

“Oh man, this is really bad,” Harp said after the aerial attack ceased and everyone had returned to the edge of the building. “There's a bunch of werewolves crawling out of that thing.”

“Werewolves?” Judy asked with alarm.

“This is bad,” Arthur intoned. Of course the werewolves couldn't arrive on the spot for a surprise attack in any other way. Portkeys were blocked, werewolves can't perform magic like apparation or even control a broom, and many of these werewolves were probably muggles anyway. Moreover, even armored werewolves were still at a disadvantage against a wizard. This way they were delivered safely to point blank range where they were most lethal and the method of delivery was the most shockingly innovative he had ever seen.

“We've got to go help fight off those werewolves,” Harp said. “We'll all get commendations for this if we bust up the attack.”

“There's nothing we can do about them,” Arthur said. “The real threat is from the avatars and Death Eaters anyway. The werewolves are just fodder to wear our people down.”

Harp wasn't listening though; he was too intent on getting into the middle of the fray. Before Arthur could even shout for him to stop he had thrown himself off the building and disappeared into the thick fog.

“Bloody moron,” Arthur mumbled angrily. “Now we're blind up here.”

“Uh, boss, what do we do now?” Burke asked sheepishly.

“Follow me, we're going down there,” Arthur said with a disgusted voice. They were blind in the middle of an attack that was evolving in ways they couldn't possibly know. For a second Arthur considered just leaving and returning to Grimmauld Place to discover what was going on in the wider war, but then he glanced over at his two followers. He couldn't leave them at this point or they wouldn't stand a chance. They weren't prepared for this kind of fight at all.

“Uh, Arthur, we're not going to jump off the building are we?” Judy asked. Magical genes would protect them from most mundane sorts of injuries, but it wasn't something one wanted to put to the test if it wasn't necessary.

“Of course not, the stairs are right there,” Arthur replied with a smirk.

They made their way through the streets toward the direction of the Ministry, but they couldn't see more than fifteen or twenty meters away from them in any direction. Arthur found himself imagining how he was going to hex Harp's skin off as soon as he caught up with the flashy auror when he heard a growl.

Two snarling werewolves came leaping out of the fog at a frightening pace. Their bronze colored armor and metallic claws already looked disturbingly red. Arthur snapped off a quick stunner, but the spell didn't even make it through the werewolf's armor. He threw himself to one side as claws tore through the space he had just occupied and Arthur found himself wishing he had some Light Bearer armor.

Burke called out an incantation that sent small silver disks whirling out toward the second werewolf. At the last second the creature slashed them out of the air with its metallic claws. Judy repeated the spell, with more power, but was only rewarded by metal on metal sparks as the werewolf had to work a little harder to defeat her assault.

“Use fire,” Arthur yelled as he sent a torrent of hungry flame toward the first werewolf. A smoking hairless beast emerged from the inferno and collapsed with a whimper. The other turned tail and disappeared back into the fog.

“Come on, we've got to keep moving before he returns with help,” Arthur said. These werewolves, all clearly operating with the aid of the Wolf's Bane potion, were far more formidable in battle than he had ever imagined a werewolf could be. It was clear that they were well trained, something that no ordinary werewolf could ever be. Training, in combination with the instincts of a wolf, had proven to be very strong.

“We're almost to the Ministry,” Burke said as they rounded the corner. The man was breathing heavily and Arthur was beginning to feel a little fatigue himself. Too many years of sitting behind a desk had affected him more than he realized.

As they neared the Ministry the fog began to glow in a way that alluded to the presence of a large fire nearby. The air was beginning to flow toward the glow in swirling currents and Arthur had to fight with his cloak to keep it from interfering with his wand. Arthur saw a green flash out of the corner of his eye and felt his stomach twist as he heard a thud next to him.

“Burke!” Judy screamed, terrified, even her limited training seemingly forgotten.

A tall dark figure with long platinum blonde hair seemingly materialized out of no where. The man pointed his wand and sent a flood of feathers toward them in what to an outsider would have seemed to be a comical attack.

“Get back,” Arthur commanded. He gave Judy a shove as he leaped in the opposite direction. The feathers rushed past harmlessly, but their razor sharp edges turned the stone building behind them into a pile of sand.

“Judy, get out of here,” Arthur said calmly.

“But-“ she stuttered.

“Just go, you'll only get in my way,” Arthur said sharply. “I should never have brought you or Burke with me. Get to the edge of the wards and apparate out of here while you still can.”

Judy turned so quickly that she stumbled slightly before catching herself and running away as fast as she could. Arthur narrowed his eyes and looked down the street through the haze of fog mixing with smoke to where his adversary stood waiting.

“Lucius,” Arthur said tersely, his voice filled with barely restrained loathing.

“Arthur,” Malfoy replied in a falsely warm, friendly voice. “I have been so very much awaiting a meeting such as this with you.”

“Just what do you hope to gain by this Lucius?” Arthur asked. Part of him was curious, but mainly he was just concerned with throwing Malfoy off his guard. “You can't possibly hope to defeat the Ministry with a force this small even with these unusual tactics.”

“The Dark Lord will be arriving soon,” Lucius replied suggestively.

“Harry will stop him,” Arthur replied confidently.

Lucius laughed, “Do you really think the Dark Lord would commit to something like this if it were even remotely possible that Potter could interfere? It's over Arthur, resistance from this point onward is meaningless.”

“I-I don't believe you,” Arthur said, wavering slightly.

“It doesn't matter if you believe or not,” Lucius replied with a nastily condescending tone. “The Dark Lord is the greatest wizard of all time, more powerful than Merlin himself. Today everyone will finally comprehend the full measure of his power as he begins his infinite rule over this world.”

“Voldemort will never rule this world as long as I'm in it,” Arthur said, voice shaking. He had not said Voldemort's name aloud since before the first war.

“I was hoping you'd say something like that,” Lucius said, grinning maniacally. “We can finally finish the feud you started.”

“That I started?” Arthur replied incredulously. “That feud between our families ended during the first war, we were both little kids!”

“It didn't end,” Lucius replied petulantly. “My whole family was nearly wiped out and all you lost was what little remained of your ridiculous estate. I'm the wronged party.”

“You tried to kill my daughter!” Arthur snapped back, referring to the diary that Lucius had slipped into her cauldron during her first year.

“Actually, I did kill her,” Lucius said smugly. “Those giants appeared as part of my strategy.”

Arthur wanted to scream out in rage, but instead he replied calmly. “Your road ends here Lucius.”

“I'm afraid not,” Lucius said calmly. He reached into his robes and removed a bright red eyepiece that he then placed over his left eye. “You see, you're my prize, my reward for my long standing faithfulness to the cause.”

The fog magically thickened to further reduce Arthur's visibility until he could no longer see Lucius. A flash of green whipped past Arthur's arm before he could react, but he knew that Lucius had missed on purpose as a taunt to toy with him for a while.

“You always were a disgraceful wizard Arthur,” Lucius' voice seemed to echo from all around. “A dozen dirty little children, a worthless hovel for a home, and worst of all, a muggle handling job.”

“You should know all about disgrace,” Arthur replied through gritted teeth. “You always were a snake; lying, cheating, stealing, murdering anyone who got in your way. I'm actually surprised that you would face me at all even with everything rigged in your favor. A dagger in the back, sure, but you were always too much of a coward for real combat.”

Lucius chuckled, “Ah, Arthur, splendid, full of determination, as always,” he said lightly. “I apologize for thinking that I could throw you off balance with words. Let us leave such childish tactics aside and duel as gentleman wizards for old time's sake.”

“I don't suppose you mean you'll step into the open for a fair fight?” Arthur asked wryly.

“Fair?” Lucius replied quizzically. “What is fair? An equal chance to win? If that's the case then nothing is ever fair because two opponents can never be equally matched. We're both playing by the same rules here Arthur, or should I say lack of rules. It isn't my fault that you didn't have the foresight to plan ahead for a situation such as this.”

Arthur flicked his wand and created a powerful burst of air in an attempt to increase his field of vision. The thick smog rushed back into place as quickly as it was moved aside by his spell.

“Come now Arthur, don't insult me,” Lucius' voice taunted him. “Did you really expect that I would go to all this trouble if such a simple spell would be effective?”

“Well, if it worked and I didn't try it then I'd be the one looking foolish,” Arthur retorted dryly.

“I can only hope that your next attempt is better,” Lucius said, “Or else this'll be no fun at all.”

Arthur ground his teeth and tried to remind himself that Malfoy was just trying to goad him by calling their battle a game. He saw the fog shift erratically out of the corner of his eye and dived to the side just in time to avoid another spell. Arthur conjured a silver shield emblazoned with the outline of a crow and stayed crouching as he waited for another attack.

When it didn't come Arthur decided to take the initiative himself and launched a random flurry of spells in all directions. There was a sharp stab in his side and he felt liquid warmth spreading under his robes.

“How careless,” Lucius drawled. “I saw an opening too big to ignore.”

Arthur muttered a basic healing charm while he crouched again in anticipation of a new attack. With that eyepiece enhancing Lucius' vision he didn't stand a chance so long as he was stuck in the middle of such dense fog. Arthur felt his arm complain under the force of the impact of Lucius' next spell, but he recast the shield charm and rolled away into a new defensive position.

Corporeal spells and metallic projectiles rained down on Arthur from all sides. Again he found himself wishing that he had the arm armor so he could use its built in shield as an extra layer of defense for when his own conjured shield collapsed. As Lucius' attacks worsened in their intensity and frequency Arthur found his shield needing to be recast almost continually. He was a powerful wizard, but defense was less robust than offense at his level of power. Arthur simply couldn't create a shield with the kind of staying power he needed in order to mount a good counter attack.

“Come now Arthur, surely you can do better,” Lucius said tauntingly. “Your old man taught you how to fight didn't he? Where's the fabled Weasley skill that your family has prided itself on for all these centuries?”

Arthur jerked hastily to the left as some kind of blunt force spell narrowly missed him and instead slammed into the building behind him. Arthur didn't wait for all the rubble to stop falling before using one of the larger chunks as a shield.

“No good, I see everything, remember?” Lucius said, his voice ringing with mocking laughter.

Inspiration struck Arthur a split second before Lucius' Cruciatus Curse. He gritted his teeth in anguish and lashed out blindly with a long whip of red searing energy. Dust boiled up as the red rope-like attack tore through the street wherever it touched. Arthur used the momentary respite to launch his counter attack. He thrust his wand into the air, closed his eyes, and cast a blinding light spell. Lucius screamed out in pain as the eyepiece unexpectedly magnified the intense magical light. Arthur forced his aching body to run toward the sound of the scream until he was close enough to see his immobilized foe.

Lucius looked up with his one unaffected eye just in time to see Arthur's crimson colored whip descending on him. He tried to dodge, but the tip of the lash ripped through the eyepiece and also a good portion of the eye beneath it. Before Lucius could respond Arthur disappeared back into the fog that until now had given the elder Malfoy a decisive advantage.

“I'm sorry Lucius,” Arthur said. It was now his turn to mock. “Did I break your little toy?”

“I'll kill you for this!” Lucius screamed as he clutched his ruined eye with one hand, blood pouring down freely from between his fingers. “I'll torture you for an eternity for this. The Dark Lord can conquer death. My vengeance will be unending.”

“Oh?” Arthur replied in a bored flat tone. “I thought this would make the game more fun. A quick victory would be boring right?”

Lucius' only reply was another scream followed by a torrent of greenish colored flames that he let loose indiscriminately on his surroundings. Arthur calmly walked away from the rush of fire until Lucius tired of the attack and began to compose himself again. There was a whooshing noise and suddenly the fog was whisked back from the area so that the street was completely visible. A few dozen feet away a clearly enraged Lucius was beginning to wind up his next round of spells.

“Ah, I see, well done,” Arthur said lightly. “You had this area rigged really well. So much foresight on your part Lucius.”

“You can't even begin to imagine what I'm going to do to you Arthur,” Lucius replied darkly.

“I'm sure your imagination is very creative after spending all those years in a dungeon, not to mention that time in Azkaban,” Arthur replied. “I wonder what you see when you're around dementors?”

“That hole in a ground you call a house,” Lucius retorted. He drug his wand through the air and tore a bright gash into the fabric of the atmosphere. The tear solidified into a crescent sickle and accelerated sharply toward Arthur. The first two were easy for the aging red headed wizard to dodge, but the damage to his body began to tell on him as the attacks gained frequency. Arthur unleashed a burst of magical energy that ground the incoming projectiles into dust.

“It isn't going to be that easy Lucius,” Arthur said, still taunting. The blonde haired aristocrat didn't like being on the losing end of his own game and it showed in his increasing recklessness. At this rate Arthur was confident that Lucius would soon make an irreparable mistake that would end the duel.

“You may be able to see me now, but can you keep up?” Lucius said as he conjured his own unadorned silver shield and pointed his wand defiantly. Arthur fired off a breaker curse as Lucius blurred away under an acceleration charm. Before the evil wizard could close Arthur flicked his wand upward and caused the ground around him to explode in a defensive rain of debris. Lucius shimmered back into view a short distance away looking wary.

“Avada Kedavra,” Arthur yelled unexpectedly. A green beam lanced out of his wand toward Lucius.

A piece of loose street intercepted the spell. “Don't be silly-“ Lucius said, but then was cut off as the beam went around the piece of pavement and covered him in a thick gooey substance.

“Oops, I guess that wasn't the Killing Curse after all, just a strangulation spell,” Arthur said. He cast a stunning spell, intending to end the match, but Lucius somehow managed to dodge it even though he could barely wiggle.

“Dishonorable,” Lucius spat as he continued to struggle. “Calling out a spell and using a silent casting technique to actually use a different one.”

“Eh?” Arthur asked as he continued to fire off stunners. “I seem to recall someone saying that this battle had no rules.”

Arthur grinned as Lucius was now the one whose thin veneer of civility was beginning to wear out. His grin turned to shocked surprise when he felt the air rushing out of his lungs. Arthur doubled over in pain and stumbled backward from where Lucius had suddenly appeared.

“You should have seen the mudblood Granger at Hogsmeade,” Lucius said conversationally. “I'd never seen a mage fight like that before. I assume she got her novel ideas from the muggle world.”

“What…was…that,” Arthur asked. He coughed roughly and was horrified to see giant splashes of blood stain the ground beneath him.

“An advanced acceleration technique,” Lucius said with a dismissive shrug. “I've been practicing it ever since I saw Granger use it against the giants.”

“Wand propulsion?” Arthur asked dizzily. He had heard Hermione talk about it before; how that banishing spells and acceleration charms could be mixed into a hybrid means of moving about quickly in more ways than the linear directions allowed by the acceleration charm alone. Arthur began to covertly cast spells onto the ground all around him as Lucius continued his taunt.

“It was shocking really to see a mudblood fight so well, like an animal actually,” Lucius said.

“I'll let Hermione know you were impressed,” Arthur replied, though he was still gasping for air.

“I think not,” Lucius said conversationally. “Anyway, just because a dangerous animal can instinctively fight well doesn't make it worthy of admiration.”

For the first time it hit Arthur that as far as Lucius was concerned none of this was a pretext. The elder Malfoy actually believed that muggle born individuals were little more than wild animals unfit for magical society. He had known a lot of purebloods in his life. Many of them blamed their muggle born peers for problems that were of their own making such as failure to receive a promotion or get their desired job. Wizards with lengthy pedigrees were upset by the newcomers to the world of magic and saw them as less deserving. They hadn't built anything, yet they took full advantage of what the old families had accomplished.

“All that is very nearly at an end,” Lucius continued. “The Dark Lord will end the centuries of muggle dominance and the mudbloods will finally be put in their place. Wizards will once again use their wisdom to be stewards of the magical and muggle realms like our proudest ancestor Merlin.”

“Merlin only intervened to prevent corrupt mages from using their power to dominate the muggle world,” Arthur retorted. “If he were here right now he'd never support you.”

“Don't presume to speak for Merlin,” Lucius snapped. “He meddled in the affairs of muggles far more than was necessary to check the influences of the sorceress Morgan.”

“Still, it is inescapable that Merlin guided muggle rulers, he did not coerce them,” Arthur said stubbornly.

“Muggle myth makers wouldn't know an Imperius Curse if they saw one,” Lucius said contemptuously. “Merlin ruled through the muggle kings and now we will do so again.”

“You've gotten ahead of yourself Lucius,” Arthur said as he stood and snapped off a powerful series of inhibiting spells.

Lucius blurred away to escape the attack and close in on Arthur with the intention of delivering another blow at point blank range. Off to Arthur's left there was a series of explosions as the jinxes he had cast repelled Lucius' approach with violent effectiveness. Arthur cast more powerful spells into the cloud of dust raised by the explosions to hopefully end the duel in his favor while Lucius was off balance.

There was a sudden gust of air an instant before Arthur felt something sharp stabbing into his neck. He twisted his head around to see Lucius looming over him sinisterly.

“We're done here Arthur,” Lucius said. The elder Malfoy reached up and gingerly touched the long thin wound that had torn vertically though his face. On his middle finger was a ring that protruded a needle like instrument, which was partially covered in blood.

“Wha-wha did y-you d-d-do,” Arthur stammered. He looked down at his body, which now hung limply, held up only by Lucius' grip on him. He tried to will his arm to move or his legs to make him stand again.

“This ring contains a special poison that induces complete paralysis,” Lucius said, indicating the needle weapon. “Did you seriously think that I wouldn't notice you jinxing the ground? I had planned to take much more time with you, but you hastened your fate when you ruined my eye.”

“No…” Arthur whispered.

“Good-bye Arthur.” Lucius said, his voice emotionless.

“I'm sorry…”

“Avada…”

“Molly…”

“Kedavra!”

There was a flash of green light and then a sickening thump as Arthur's lifeless body fell backward onto the ground, his glazed eyes staring sightlessly up into the sky. Lucius straightened up slowly after rifling through his defeated opponent's pockets before walking slowly off into the fog toward the Ministry.

A dozen silver daggers materialized and plunged down into the soft underbelly of a wounded werewolf who had failed to escape back behind the lines as his brethren retreated. His shattered armor deflected some of the spikes, but not nearly enough. The dog like whine of the wounded werewolf ceased abruptly.

“They were so eager to get in here,” Septimus Artemis said lightly. “Have my skills as host become that dull?”

The young woman walking next to him broke out in a fit of giggles. “Perhaps they were bored by your cliché sarcasm brother?” Sense Artemis replied.

A Ministry wizard came running up, “Commander Artemis, Lady Artemis, three exceptionally dangerous foes have been spotted headed toward the Department of Mysteries. Minster Fudge has ordered they be stopped at all costs.”

“Oh my, was this a diversion?” Sense asked, breaking out into a new round of giggles.

“Let's go take a look at these “exceptionally dangerous foes” that worry the Minister so greatly,” Septimus said. The siblings flickered and vanished under the acceleration charm. The corridors of the Ministry flew past at a rapid pace until they brought themselves to a halt in front of three black cloaked figures that seemed to exude a cold dark presence.

“Only avatars dear brother,” Sense said, slightly deflating.

“What are you two doing here?” the lead avatar asked gruffly.

“Haven't you heard?” Septimus said. “We've been called upon to defend the sovereignty of the English Magical Government.”

“As good citizens of the magical community how could we refuse?” Sense added, snickering as if she had told some joke.

“You're insane,” the second avatar said flatly.

Sense's cheerful expression vaporized in an instant and was replaced by a mask of undisguised fury.

“Idiot,” the third avatar said harshly to the second.

Septimus took a step backward as his sister pointed her wand at the second avatar and wiggled her little finger. Giant iron rods, which glowed a dull red like embers in a dying fire, speared the man from all sides. He raised a quivering hand and tried to remove one of the thick pieces of conjured metal, but before he could touch it they flared up brightly. There was a fireball as the heat consumed the avatar from the inside out.

“Avada Kedavra,” the other two avatars yelled at the same time in outrage over losing their comrade. Sense waved her wand and the two beams of green destruction exploded in mid flight. She waved again, anger still marring her delicate features, and was rewarded by the sounds of popping bones.

“That's enough sister,” Septimus said quietly.

Sense shuddered and drew in a deep breath before stepping back. “Of course brother, I don't know what came over me so suddenly,” she said, suddenly happy again.

“Let me handle this from here,” Septimus said. The two avatars, their bodies horribly mangled, still managed to somehow rise from the floor and point their wands threateningly.

“You should have been on our side,” the first avatar said. “These wounds are nothing, the Dark Lord will restore us for our faithful service after he has ground you into dust.”

“Voldemort isn't as charitable as you seem to think he is,” Septimus replied. “But since you have so much faith you won't mind if I kill you now.”

Septimus' first spell bashed through the hastily conjured shield of the lead avatar and literally transfigured him into a pile of fine dust. The final avatar dodged a similar attack but was caught in the sudden appearance of a mass of fine white threads. Like a puppet the avatar's movement was totally under the control of the monstrously strong silky strands.

“I thought I told you to let me handle this Sense?” Septimus said.

“He looks so funny though,” Sense said, giggling again. She pouted at her brother's expression, but caved in anyway. “Fine, finish him off, but I expect you to repay me somehow.”

There was a green flash of light and then the white threads faded from view. The siblings were about to return to the front line when new footsteps were heard coming their way.

“Minister, your Department of Mysteries is secure,” Septimus said with a slight bow.

“Superb work as usual Commander,” Fudge replied. “The battle on the upper floors goes well. We should have a complete victory within the hour.”

“That is good news indeed Minister,” Septimus said politely. “Shall we return to aid in the effort?”

“No, that won't be necessary. My spy here has informed me that the Dark Lord is assaulting the school at Hogwarts even as we speak. I want you two to look the situation over,” Fudge said.

“Shall we lend aid to those resisting the attack?” Septimus asked.

“Not yet,” Fudge replied. “For now just watch and see how the battle goes. We don't want to lend aid to anyone until we're sure that the ultimate victor will be the Ministry of Magic.”

“Of course, Minister, we will leave immediately. The rest of my team should be able to handle what's left of this attack,” Septimus said.

Fudge started to turn away, but was stopped by a cough from the spy at his elbow. “Oh yes, one other thing,” he said as an after thought. “I need the two of you to extract someone if possible. I believe I have a picture here.”

“A boy?” Septimus asked as he received the tiny photo.

Lucius Malfoy peered out from beneath the hasty bandages that were wrapped around his head. “Yes, his name is Draco.”

-->

Chapter 19 - The Riddle is Revealed

“Sorry Headmaster,” Filtch said as they climbed the winding stairs of one of the thin towers that offered the most comprehensive view of the geography around Hogwarts. “I never figured you'd want to be coming up here at a time like this so I locked the place up. I figured you'd want to be in the main hall when the time came.”

“And so I shall,” Dumbledore replied serenely. “That time may yet be a good while in coming though. Even Voldemort will have difficulty penetrating Hogwarts' defenses.”

“This is something that would be more suitable for Hermione,” Luna said idly.

“Yeah, it would,” Ron agreed. He was distracted by the strange silver colored blade attached to Filtch's wrist. The ill tempered caretaker of the castle had armed himself with a wide variety of strange looking gadgets, some of which he had apparently made himself or had custom made for him. Ron supposed that, as a squib, he had gone to greater efforts than most members of the magical community to prepare a means of self defense.

“It is still useful for you to observe today what you may be able to do tomorrow,” Dumbledore said cryptically. “It will also be good for our tactical team to know what we're up against.”

“You expect the Death Eater army to just walk up to the castle and knock?” Ron asked skeptically.

“Something like that,” Dumbledore replied. “If Voldemort is coming then he is very confident. We must be prepared for any surprise he may have after all this time.”

“Over confidence can be self defeating,” Ron said hopefully.

“Confidence can also be the result of true ability,” Luna commented.

“Quite true,” Dumbledore said gravely. “I suspect that Miss Lovegood will prove to be prophetic in this instance.”

“If you won't be needing me anymore Headmaster, I'll be goin' now,” Filtch said, bowing slightly as he turned to go back down the stairs.

The sky around Hogwarts had rapidly darkened and filled with electricity as if to herald the advance of Voldemort's army. Ron and Luna put on their red colored eyepieces so they could see through the magical or natural obstructions that still hid the exact location of their impending attackers.

“Voldemort and his Death Eaters have reached the edge of the expanded anti-apparation field,” Dumbledore said, pointing at an area not far removed from the main entrance. Hasty wards had provided an additional buffer around the ancient protections that Hogwarts itself afforded.

“Werewolves and dementors are approaching from the other three sides,” Ron said. “Can we really expect the dementors to turn on them?”

“No, we can't, but Harry does so we will,” Dumbledore said simply. He waved his wand out toward the grounds next to the walls that the werewolves were approaching. Dozens of black obsidian soldiers standing nearly two meters tall, which were armed with swords and shields, grew out of the ground.

“I'd nearly forgotten about those,” Ron said. Hermione had created disposable, pre-conjured warriors who could fight on their own with limited intelligence similar to the chess pieces McGonagall created to guard the Sorcerer's Stone nearly seven years previously. They wouldn't stop a real wizard, but they might slow them down. Against mere werewolves they might even hold their own.

Luna's hand grasped Ron's tightly, “We should go back below,” she said suddenly.

Ron looked to Dumbledore, but the old wizard didn't say anything. Ron nodded and followed Luna back down the stairs. He decided that they could trust the conjured guardians and the good will of the dementors enough to re-deploy their forces away from those walls to the parts of the castle defending the main entrance. They had just stepped out of the thin tower when a huge ball of fire went racing away over their heads to impact somewhere out of sight beyond the castle walls. The air screamed with repeated castings of deadly elemental spells that lit up the darkness with their ferocity.

“Hurry,” Luna said urgently, like she was under some kind of time constraint that only she was aware of. She broke into a run without letting go of Ron's hand and very nearly caused him to fall over. He stumbled twice before matching her gait, but he still managed to smile.

Ron was beginning to become winded when they finally reached the point they had selected to observe the first part of the battle. Voldemort would have to stop in front of the main gates and bludgeon his way through the castle's defenses before being able to attack the people waiting for him inside. During that time his army would be completely exposed to the defenders and Ron planned to take full advantage of that situation.

The atmosphere in front of the main gates distorted slightly and within the blink of an eye people started to appear. In a roughly rectangular perimeter several avatars arrived, behind them came dozens of regular Death Eaters, and then several more individuals arrived including one figure that could only be Voldemort.

“Luna,” Ron said seriously. He gulped uncomfortably, but he realized that he might never get another chance to tell her what she already knew. “Whatever happens…I love you.”

“I love you too Ron,” Luna replied, wide-eyed and solemnly. “Remember what I told you earlier, don't leave my sight, okay?”

“I promise,” Ron said, not knowing whether Luna's premonition, if true, could be kept from happening merely by her close proximity to him, but if it made her feel better then that was all that mattered. If Harry didn't show up any of them surviving might be pointless anyway.

Ron pointed his wand into the air and fired off a red spark to signal for everyone to attack. The avatars dutifully raised a whirlwind of conjured debris to absorb the incoming hail of killing curses. Hogwarts shuddered and its stone turned black as the building prepared to lash out against the attackers arrayed before it. Voldemort raised his hand and the gathering magical energies being gathered by the structure suddenly vanished.

“What's that?” Luna asked, her characteristically soft voice laced with concern. Voldemort's hand was sparking brightly, like one of the green stars in his Dark Mark was sitting on his finger.

Luna squeaked and Ron felt faint when he realized what was happening. The great gate that Dumbledore had sealed was opening of its own accord. Ron stood there stunned, Luna's hands cutting off the blood to his arm, as Voldemort's wizards poured into the wide open entrance without having suffered a single casualty.

“Ronald!” Luna's yelled. He finally snapped out of it and realized she was shaking his arm. He flicked his wand and sent off a stream of messenger charms to warn the various choke points around the castle. Their internal defenses were going to be tested much quicker than they had ever imagined.

“He's coming,” Ron said. The air felt thick with magical energy like an oppressive humidity multiplied over.

“It's so cold and rough,” Luna said softly.

“I've never felt anything like that before,” Ron said hollowly. Voldemort was dressed with simple robes, though he could tell there was more to the evil wizard than met the eye. His hand was no longer sparkling with green light and other than that he seemed to be wearing only plain black loose fitting robes.

A messenger charm arrived from the first floor indicating that they were already under attack. “Come on Luna, we're already needed,” Ron said grimly. The blonde nodded and gestured with her wand that she was ready to go.

Voldemort strode into Hogwarts like a king returning from glorious battles. He was an emperor with nothing left to do but sit on his throne and declare his empire in word since as far as he was concerned it already existed in deed. Hovering behind him like jackals were his most loyal servants, the Lestranges, the only other family besides the Malfoys who were worthy of such status in his new order.

There was a disturbance from inside the castle and then Dumbledore, the last of some forgotten race of wizards, stepped into view. His faithful phoenix, Fawkes, was riding placidly on his shoulder.

“Welcome back to Hogwarts Tom,” Dumbledore said conversationally. “It's been a long time since you stood inside these grounds on your own two feet.”

“Master, let us handle the muggle lover,” Bellatrix Lestrange said eagerly.

“Yes, he isn't worth your effort anymore,” Rodolphus Lestrange added, echoing his wife. The third Lestrange, Rabastan, said nothing, but stepped forward along with his brother and sister-in-law as they volunteered.

“No, that won't be necessary,” Voldemort said smugly. “My old teacher owes me one last duel, don't you Albus?”

As the three Lestranges backed away to watch Dumbledore began to radiate magical power. His eyes glimmered with a cold blue flame as he pointed his wand purposefully at his former student. Voldemort's eyes widened slightly, but his mouth curled upward in a sinister grin.

“Is that the true extent of your talents Albus?” Voldemort said sarcastically. “How you must agonize over the knowledge that you could have stopped me all those years ago had you realized what I was…”

“No more than you must agonize over how you threw away your victory by failing to kill a child,” Dumbledore replied. Voldemort's eyes narrowed slightly, but he continued on anyway.

“Aren't you going to use Hogwarts' defenses?” Voldemort asked abruptly. “Or at least ask how I overcame them?”

“I'm sure your need for self-congratulation will have you tell me whether I care or not,” Dumbledore replied.

“You never did care about anyone's accomplishments except for your own,” Voldemort said.

Dumbledore waved his wand and the walls of Hogwarts seemed to loom large for a moment, but then the ring on Voldemort's finger glowed brightly again. This time Dumbledore looked around slightly, as if he couldn't figure out what was wrong. First Voldemort had entered Hogwarts unopposed and now the ancient castle didn't seem to be behaving properly at all.

“Surprised?” Voldemort asked lightly. “Surely you have heard of the Ring of Erus?”

“It was destroyed over a thousand years ago after Slytherin left Hogwarts,” Dumbledore replied. “That you posses it…is not possible.”

“Quite right Albus, this is not Salazar's Ring of Erus, but mine,” Voldemort crowed triumphantly. “I created it with my own two hands.”

“Only one of the Founders would have that kind of knowledge,” Dumbledore said, still disbelieving. If myth and rumor were to be believed the creation of the Ring of Erus was one of the reasons for the split between the Founders.

“Of course,” Voldemort said. “How fortunate it was then that I gained access to the Chamber of Secrets while I was still a student here. Slytherin's many books and journals revealed all such lost knowledge to me. Did you know that the ring doesn't even need to be a ring? Originally it was a simple badge like one that any school child might conjure up. A ring is so much handier though, don't you think?”

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, but he didn't rise to the Dark Lord's baiting. He was tempted to feed the man's ego, but he realized that such a feeble technique would never goad Voldemort into revealing a useful secret.

“Cat got your tongue?” Voldemort asked sarcastically. He pretended to ponder for a moment. “That can't be it, I don't see McGonagall around anywhere. Come now, you didn't think that a place called `The Chamber of Secrets' was nothing more than a cage for a pet snake, did you?”

“No matter what you learned, it would have taken years to fashion such a device,” Dumbledore replied finally.

“Fifteen years to be exact,” Voldemort admitted. “I knew I'd have to face the Headmaster of Hogwarts one day. The Ministry may run the day to day affairs of the magical world, but a formidable power has always resided within this castle.”

“You may be able to hold back Hogwarts' body, but not its spirit. This place will be your grave Tom,” Dumbledore said.

“You will soon know what futility is like old man,” Voldemort replied. He raised his wand, a powerful aura of evil wafting off of him. Dumbledore raised his wand as well, his robes stirring violently from the force of his magical energy and his eyes glinted with a deadly blue hue. Voldemort waved his wand in broad slashing strokes that sent waves of destruction ripping through the air toward Dumbledore. The Headmaster took two steps and then disappeared.

Now it was Voldemort's turn to be surprised. “Impossible,” he said roughly, “No one can apparate on these grounds.”

“I did not apparate,” Dumbledore said in clipped tones from directly behind Voldemort. There was a bright blue flash and then a flicker of movement as Voldemort used the acceleration charm to yank himself out of the path of Dumbledore's spell. Voldemort whirled around in mid-dodge to counterattack.

“Avada Kedavra,” he yelled, but before the blast could connect Dumbledore vanished again. He appeared behind Voldemort again and again the evil wizard only barely dodged the powerful attack that Dumbledore unleashed.

“You should not have come here,” Dumbledore said solemnly as he continued to flicker around the entrance area where Voldemort was still managing to narrowly evade his attacks.

Voldemort suddenly blurred in movement at a rate beyond that which he had displayed thus far. Dumbledore's eyes widened perceptibly in shock as the momentum of the battle shifted drastically. Now he was the one barely dodging attacks, even with his ability to move from point to point within the anti-apparation wards.

“Are you still making empty threats?” Voldemort asked as the fighting lulled for a moment. “Your age is beginning to show.”

“I haven't even begun to show my age yet,” Dumbledore retorted. “For all your power you still lack wisdom Tom. The prophecy may spare your life from my hand, but I will rip your spirit from your physical form.”

Voldemort scowled but held his tongue as Dumbledore prepared for his next assault. He wanted the old wizard to use every trick, every tactic, and every shred of his power. Voldemort wanted Dumbledore to know without a doubt how inferior he was when he finally lost. The phoenix, which hitherto had been sitting calmly on its master's shoulder, suddenly took action. It leaned over Dumbledore and cried great teardrops into the Headmaster's mouth. Instantly Voldemort felt an exponential increase in the old man's power, but more importantly he realized something else.

“Very clever,” Voldemort said slowly, “Very clever indeed. You're using the phoenix's vanishing ability to jump from one point to the next. You must have a very strong bond with your familiar.”

“Fawkes is my family,” Dumbledore said in a solemn tone. Voldemort fired another killing curse, but his target was no longer there. A dozen ghostly images of Dumbledore appeared all around Voldemort.

“Is this the best you have?” Voldemort asked angrily. He fired killing curses rapidly at each of the images, but the spells passed through them harmlessly. “Parlor tricks; smoke and mirrors?”

“The objective is victory, did you come here to complain about fairness like a first year?” Dumbledore asked, his voice echoing from no direction in particular.

Voldemort seethed and cast another series of spells toward the ghostly visions of Dumbledore. All of the mirages lifted their wands in synchronization and fired off a burst of dark blue flashes in response. Voldemort snarled as he fended off the blows with a hastily conjured shield.

Before Dumbledore could begin another round of attacks Voldemort's wand sprouted with dozens of thin long icy rods. Each rod had penetrated through the center of the phoenix sitting on the shoulder of every mirage of Dumbledore. The images snapped out of existence abruptly and Fawkes let out a pitiful croaking noise.

Dumbledore tried to cast a counter spell, but the icy spear wrapped itself around Fawkes, whisking him away and depositing him at Voldemort's feet. There was a flash of green light and the bird erupted into fiery ash.

“Fawkes,” Dumbledore called out. He took a halting step forward and paused as Voldemort raised his wand again.

“I wonder,” Voldemort said sinisterly, “Are these creatures truly immortal?”

Voldemort chanted the killing curse and baby Fawkes exploded in another burst of flaming ash. Dumbledore looked on in horror as the deadly spell struck his faithful familiar over and over again. His robes boiled up as Dumbledore called forth even more magical energy and Voldemort looked up from his assault on Fawkes with an excited gleam in his eye.

“There it is,” Voldemort said with a sick, almost gleeful expression. “The power that defeated Grindelwald. Now I will be content when I defeat you that you will know which of us is the better!”

Dumbledore casually pointed with his wand and Voldemort was immolated with a bright liquid fire. Baby Fawkes squawked as the evil wizard extinguished himself in a flash and then cast another killing curse at him. Dumbledore pointed his wand again and now phoenix egg Fawkes was whisked safely into his hand.

“An egg…” Voldemort said dully as he watched Dumbledore's angry expression. “Well, that's hardly useful. Weren't you ever curious about where the first phoenix came from?”

“I have nothing more to say to you,” Dumbledore replied sharply. Voldemort's thin lips twisted into a demented grin as Dumbledore extended his wand.

Ron let out a gurgle of frustration as panicked shouts echoed from the hallway nearby where he had set up a temporary command post. Temporary in the sense that it was just him, Luna, and McGonagall receiving messages and dispatching fresh orders in a desperate attempt to maintain some kind of over arching strategy. The Marauder's Map had proven to be an invaluable tool and Ron was pleased that he had managed to think of keeping it in the Light Bearers' Hogwarts Headquarters before Hermione.

Some kind of spell exploded against the stone directly behind them and a half dozen wizards came tumbling through the entrance to the besieged hall.

“We can't hold them off,” the wizard, some sixth year Ron didn't recognize, said breathlessly.

Luna offered him a handful of vials. “Throw these down the hall to block it off. It's a potion of enchanted mist.”

“Like that disorientation stuff Harry complained about after the Triwizard Tournament?” Ron asked as he skimmed the latest messenger charm.

“Yeah,” Luna said softly. The thick foggy cloud had already expanded sufficiently to choke off the endangered hall. She reached one of the wounded and pressed the portkey on his wrist, but nothing happened. “They've blocked off our easiest method of escape.”

“They're coming around through the main passageway now,” Lavender said tensely as she led her small group into the section of intersecting hallway that Ron had set up in.

“We need to get to a better location,” McGonagall said with a touch of alarm. “We've only got two ways out of here now should they come down the main hall and neither of those would be safe.”

“Okay,” Ron said, mainly because Luna's huge liquid eyes seemed to be pleading with him silently to remember his own safety. He stood up just in time to hear a gruff voice calling out from somewhere behind the ongoing firefight in the main hall.

“Four stripes! Four stripes!”

“Bloody hell,” Ron swore as two avatars seemingly appeared from no where and started blowing through the mainly student defenders who had been holding off regular Death Eaters.

“They're targeting you,” McGonagall exclaimed unnecessarily.

Ron started to prepare a spell when four adult Light Bearers, two of them rather elderly, burst through one of the side halls. Two of them took up flanking positions on either side of the main hall so they could attack the oncoming avatars with relative impunity. The other two grabbed Ron and Luna.

“We've got to get you to safety Commander,” the gray haired lady said sternly.

“We've got to stop those avatars,” Ron countermanded. “We're going to need all the wands we've got concentrated on that hallway.”

“Sir, we just came from a place overlooking the castle's grand entrance. Headmaster Dumbledore is losing.” the lady replied.

“The Lestranges?” McGonagall asked anxiously.

“They aren't doing anything for now, but if we intend to save the Headmaster we need to go now,” she said emphatically.

“We can't lose Dumbledore,” McGonagall said. She swallowed suddenly and looked to Ron.

“Of course not,” Ron agreed. “Everyone, fall back from this position.”

“They'll pursue if we do,” one of the newly arrived wizards said.

“We'll hold them off,” Lavender said determinedly as more wizards poured in to reinforce them against the avatars, “Go get the Headmaster.”

Ron gritted his teeth and nodded his head before syncing up with their rescuers, McGonagall, and Luna for a quick acceleration charm trip back to the main entrance. The scene before them was one of devastation with the entrance grounds all ripped up, huge gouges carved out of the castle walls from stray spells, and Dumbledore himself appearing to be very ragged. Like some sort of harbinger of death the Headmaster made his way around the makeshift battlefield attacking and dodging attacks with a vacant singleness of mind.

“Wait,” McGonagall said sharply. She held Ron back before he could reveal their arrival and pointed to the three Lestranges who were off to the side watching the fight. “We can't match all three of them. Bellatrix is an avatar and the other two may be as well.”

“We've got to do something,” Ron exclaimed as Dumbledore took a fearsome blow to his left arm. His beard was already laced with blood and his robes were beginning to soak through with it. In any other circumstance Ron would probably have been amazed that the seemingly frail old man had so much in him to bleed in the first place.

“Maybe we should concentrate our forces again,” Luna suggested. Originally, they had assumed that Voldemort would have a difficult time getting into the castle. Their forces had been dispersed so that no matter where he tried to make his entry they would have a response available immediately. Instead, the Dark Lord had walked through the front gate and sent his forces out through the school to hunt down its defenders.

“We'd still have the problem of making them vulnerable to direct attack by You-Know-Who over there,” Ron said grimly. More messenger charms fluttered in and Ron went back to scanning them while Luna discussed options with McGonagall. “Right now we're using the castle to help hold off way more people than we could manage in a single position.”

“We have to continue guarding the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets,” McGonagall added. “That's where we should make our final stand.”

“If Harry doesn't come we're going to lose no matter what,” Luna said in her soft voice. “We should destroy the entrance to the Chamber and try to abandon the castle. Maybe they'll be tricked into thinking we've already moved the children.”

A series of bright green flashes brought their attention back to the nearby battle. Dumbledore was now surrounded by a thick mist that would randomly harden into icy projectiles or shields as the situation warranted without any overt direction from him. However, despite he Headmaster's exceptional skill his water-based attacks were still being perfectly countered by earth based assaults from Voldemort.

“We can't concentrate our people because then the Death Eaters would be able to concentrate their forces too,” Ron said. “As things stand we still have the defensive advantage.”

“We need help though,” McGonagall said.

Ron pointed his wand into the air and released a stream of messenger charms. “I've instructed all available forces to converge on our position. I don't know how many we can spare from the choke points though.”

“We were already outnumbered to begin with,” Luna said softly. Hogwarts' internal defense was based around the holding of various strategic points, hallway intersections, and other places where a few wizards could hold off many.

“Albus,” McGonagall cried out suddenly. Ron and Luna whirled to where she was staring to see a series of silver spikes pinning the Headmaster's left leg down to the ground.

Before they could stop her, the enraged transfiguration teacher bolted out of their hiding place and unleashed a torrent of what appeared to be tiny black droplets of water. The spell took Voldemort by surprise, he staggered backward as several of the droplets touched his skin before some kind of invisible barrier began dissipating them.

“Minerva, get back,” Dumbledore wheezed as McGonagall used her wand to extract the bloody spikes from his leg.

“Don't be ridiculous Albus,” McGonagall scolded. “What were you thinking, fighting him like that.”

“Minerva,” Dumbledore repeated sharply as he conjured several silver ropes that then curled uneasily around his left leg.

There was a scream of pain from McGonagall and Dumbledore saw that her arm had suddenly twisted awkwardly. She moved her wand into her other hand and tried to fix the multiple breaks in her arm, but the wound was apparently cursed because it resisted her charms. Voldemort moved to cast another spell, but before he finished the incantation for the killing curse the ground between him and the two stricken teachers erupted in a brilliant flash.

Ron and Luna stepped out of hiding along with a half dozen other resisters who had responded to their summons for reinforcements. They didn't try to attack the opposing wizards directly since, even with Dumbledore, it was obvious that they were vastly overpowered. Instead they started ripping apart the ground and surrounding structure to create as much chaos and dust to cover them as possible.

With McGonagall's help Dumbledore limped back a little ways. He performed a spell on his own leg and the silver ropes that had bound it were absorbed into his robes. McGonagall likewise managed to break the curse on her arm and heal the bones that Voldemort had shattered. Three green flashes flickered through the dust and three students fell over dead. Giving Dumbledore a second wind had come at an exceptionally high price.

“Get back behind the walls,” Dumbledore shouted, gesturing violently at where they had just come from. Even McGonagall, torn though she was, obeyed him, and it was fortunate that they did. Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange swept around the Headmaster and headed directly for the location where Dumbledore's helpers had just retreated.

“Keep running,” McGonagall said sternly to Ron and Luna as the Lestrange brothers approached.

“It's no safer in there than it is out here,” Luna said.

Ron pointed at the three other students who were left. “I want you guys to focus solely on blocking their incoming attacks.”

He didn't want for their nod before he signaled to Luna. Together they both chanted their opening incantation. “Glomero Fulmineus!”

McGonagall gasped with surprise as they began throwing bluish tinted balls of crackling electricity. Everywhere the balls touched a surface they exploded and sent forth a hail of charred shrapnel. The Lestranges conjured up a thick earthen barrier to protect themselves from the young couple. McGonagall joined in, but she still had little hope that this conflict, which had just now escaped any kind of organized control on their part, would end favorably.

Ron glanced around desperately as some kind of spell he has never before encountered ate away at the thick stone wall between him and where Dumbledore was battling. The wall on the other side vanished as well in a similar chain reaction and suddenly the defenders were completely exposed on all sides. They begin falling back toward the demolished main entrance where Dumbledore and Voldemort are exchanging blows once again.

“Albus!” McGonagall screamed as another student fell from a flash of green light.

“You've failed old man,” Voldemort taunted. He struck down another student with ease. “This is the end of all your accomplishments.”

Dumbledore pointed his wand at himself and used an acceleration charm to appear in the midst of the remaining defenders. Green light dripped from his wand as he drew a strange looking seal into the air. Ron, Luna, and McGonagall lifted debris from the ground to counter the killing curses while Dumbledore's odd looking seal acted as a shield of incredible strength.

Voldemort lashed out against it with great slashes of purple flame. Each blow that landed against Dumbledore's invisible barrier caused a bright flash like lightening and kicked up a whirlwind of dust. Ron barely had time to be amazed at the unparalleled depth of the Headmaster's knowledge when Voldemort appeared behind the barrier. He had used an acceleration charm and since the spell Dumbledore was using only blocked magical energy it had been an easy trip. Dumbledore acted as if he expected the move because he immediately shifted his wand and released a bright blue flash into Voldemort's face. Then Voldemort did something no one expected. His left hand shot out and long thin almost reptilian fingers grasped at Dumbledore's throat.

“Albus,” McGonagall cried out again in an anguished voice. The Lestranges stopped their assault and everyone just stared at the bizarre sight before them. Tendrils of magical energy crackled between the two men and Dumbledore dropped down to his knees. The Headmaster began to claw at Voldemort's arm, but his actions quickly became enfeebled.

“Have you figured it out yet Albus?” Voldemort asked as he chuckled darkly. “Do you know what I am now?”

“M-m-monster,” Dumbledore wheezed, too exhausted to say anything else. He went limp a moment later, but Voldemort's iron grasp continued to hold him up.

“What else can we do?” Harry asked between gasps as his lungs tried to suck in enough air to feed his body. They had finished unleashing all the power they could into the strange silvery walls of the time chamber, but to no effect.

“I don't know,” Hermione said as she stumbled over to the wall and began reading the runic inscriptions again. “Most of this is just history or some kind of equations that I don't understand.”

“How much time do you think we have left before we've slowed down too much?” Harry asked anxiously.

“It depends on when that door closed,” Hermione said worriedly. “Probably not more than fifteen minutes though.”

Fifteen minutes! Harry felt his stomach knot itself in a dozen different ways as he contemplated all the people that would be left to Voldemort's mercy if they couldn't escape. Suddenly another thought struck him.

“Voldemort can't die as long as I'm in here,” Harry said woodenly.

Hermione gasped and looked at him with wide fearful eyes. “He planned this all along,” she speculated. “He let us rescue Snape because he wanted you to find this place and get trapped in it. If he couldn't absorb you or whatever he would just make you immortal too and conveniently trapped in an indestructible room.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Harry asked again.

“I wish you had taken runes,” Hermione said absently as she scrutinized a portion of the wall again. “Just keep trying spells, maybe you'll find something that can penetrate these walls.”

Harry wished he had taken runes too. Even though he had shaped up all he could after Sirius' death he was still paying the price for his carefree years before that dreadful event. Now it appeared that everyone else might have to suffer for his lack of foresight too.

Harry slashed his wand dramatically and began throwing out every spell he could think of. Even spells that would seem irrelevant in such a situation, like stunning spells, were attempted. Each time the wall managed to absorb the damage and come out looking like a flawlessly shiny metal mirror.

Harry grimaced as he noticed that the stream of messenger charms had continued to thicken. They were rotating in a lazy figure eight as they attempted to circle over his head and Hermione's at the same time. In frustration Harry cast a hail of obsidian stone projectiles at the wall only to have them disappear into it as if they were being thrown into a lake. He approached the wall curiously and reached out to touch the rippling surface.

“Don't Harry,” Hermione cautioned. “Who knows what reaction it might have to your hand when it's doing that.”

“What about the armor?” Harry asked, indicating his armored left hand.

“Well, I don't see the point, but it can't hurt,” Hermione said finally.

Harry reached out and touched the rippling surface. He was surprised to discover that the ripples were an optical illusion only. The wall was actually solid and unmoving to the touch even as the waves skittered around beneath his metallic fingers. Harry stood back for a moment and looked at the room, specifically the gleaming silver walls. There was something oddly and disturbingly familiar about the whole thing. He stared at his own silver armor and compared it to the surface of the wall.

“Hermione, hold your armor up against the wall,” Harry said casually.

“Harry, what are you talking about?” Hermione asked before she suddenly fell silent as she looked at the contrast, or rather the lack of contrast.

“Is this what I think it is?” Harry asked. He didn't want to prejudice Hermione's response by revealing his own opinion.

“Its alchemy,” Hermione whispered. Her mind flashed back to the silver door that had hidden Voldemort's research facility in Malfoy's mansion. “This whole place is constructed alchemically.”

“But the door and our armor can't withstand the killing curse like this,” Harry pointed out. “If Voldemort had this kind of material at his disposal then why hasn't he used it against us?”

“He can't make it work yet,” Hermione reasoned. “The door at Malfoy's place must have been an experiment. Voldemort must have been trying to discover the process to create the Sorcerer's Stone too.”

“But if Voldemort didn't create this place then who did?” Harry asked.

“Isn't it obvious?” Hermione said reprovingly. “This time chamber functions exactly like the one Dumbledore described. His ancient race of wizards must have built this place for some reason.”

“If this is the same people that Dumbledore described then their grasp of magic seems to be much greater than ours,” Harry said in agreement. He approached the wall and ran his armored hand across the surface again. “Its like a perfect mirror.”

“Harry, get back a minute,” Hermione said as she approached the spot where he had been examining the wall. She squinted for a few seconds and furrowed her brow in concentration. Harry was about to ask her what she was thinking when Hermione slammed her armored hand into the wall.

“What are you doing?” Harry asked worriedly. “I thought you said that it could undergo any sort of potentially dangerous reaction?”

“Harry, this armor is the product of alchemy too,” Hermione said. “What's more, it's indirectly based on this wall. Look at what happened where I hit it.”

There was a faint scruff on the otherwise flawless surface that didn't seem to be vanishing like all the other damage they had previously inflicted. Hermione have it a few more whacks until the surface looked dingy.

“Stand back,” Hermione instructed. As soon as they were clear she targeted the damaged section. “Avada Kedavra!”

The wall cracked and the curse dug out a tiny crater in the surface. “You did it!” Harry exclaimed. Hermione didn't look so happy though.

“It'll take us way more than the few minutes we have left to finish blasting through the rest of the wall at that rate though,” Hermione said. “I was hoping we wouldn't have to do this…”

Harry picked up her meaning as she dug one of the magic enhancing potions Snape had helped them create from out of her hat. Harry pulled one out, fully aware that if they did this they would each only have one more dose left. Of course, if they didn't get out of the room quickly it wouldn't matter how much of the potion they possessed.

“Maybe just one of us could do it alone,” Harry said hopefully.

“Maybe,” Hermione replied hesitantly, “But if it didn't work then we would both have to use the potion again and then we'd only have one dose left for the two of us. It just isn't worth the risk.”

Harry nodded and uncorked the tiny vial. He glanced over at Hermione and on the count of three they both downed the potion in a single movement. For a second Harry didn't feel anything different, but then the room distorted violently and he realized Hermione was already on the floor. A wave of intense pain shot through every fiber of his body and he dropped down to his knees.

“S-Snaaaaape,” Harry choked out in rage, though his mind was barely coherent anymore.

-->

Chapter 20 - Unlikely Succor

Great bolts of lightening leapt from cloud to cloud in the darkness of the night as Voldemort's unusual attack on Dumbledore continued. The Headmaster looked like he was being drained of his strength rapidly, but as near as anyone could tell Voldemort was just touching him. He wasn't using a wand or anything else that the mages assembled could really distinguish as a spell.

“Luna,” Ron said sharply as he nodded toward the stricken Headmaster.

“Ronald,” Luna replied, her eyes pleading with him. Her posture seemed to slacken slightly as she looked at Dumbledore's situation again. “I lead.”

Luna pointed her wand at herself and extended her armored arm straight out in front of her before accelerating away. Voldemort reeled from the unexpected impact of Luna's magically enhanced blow, but his grip on Dumbledore didn't loose enough for the Headmaster to break free.

“Didn't you know it's rude to interrupt your elders, child?” Voldemort asked sinisterly. He tossed Dumbledore aside like a limp doll and turned on Luna. Her eyes widened with fear and her already pale face drained of what little color it had as Voldemort pointed his wand at her.

“Don't touch her,” Ron yelled as he performed the same trick as Luna. Voldemort wasn't about to be struck twice though; he jumped backward just in time to avoid Ron's arrival.

“Crucio,” Voldemort said through gritted teeth. Ron braced himself for the pain, but Luna conjured up some kind of opaque material that defeated the curse.

“No one defies Lord Voldemort,” Voldemort said haughtily as he prepared to cast another spell.

“You-you, you're just a man named Tom Riddle!” Ron shouted emotionally. He flicked his wand and dozens of thin spikes erupted from the ground in all directions that were aimed at impaling Voldemort. The evil wizard motioned with his wand and the earthen assault crumbled into dust.

Dirt reached up to solidify around Ron and Luna's legs. “You can't fight me with my own element,” Voldemort intoned smugly.

Ron looked over at Luna as she squirmed ineffectively and all hope drained out of him. He felt cold, listless, as if he could never be happy again for the rest of his life, which didn't appear to be much longer anyway. Voldemort's grin, which had gotten even bigger, suddenly turned into a mask of confusion and the next thing Ron knew a stream of dark shapes were rushing by him. The dementor onslaught overwhelmed the Lestranges and Voldemort in quick order.

Rabastan tried to cast a patronus charm but he was unable to quickly enough in the face of the surprise attack. His eyes widened as a dementor clamped down over his mouth. Ron averted his eyes from what he knew would probably happen next. Before he could process the images flashing through his mind the earthen restraints on himself and Luna crumbled away, either from McGonagall's counter spell or because Voldemort was too busy fighting dementors. The two teens were flung backward rapidly as they were caught up in a summoning charm.

“Help Albus,” McGonagall snapped. “We're getting inside the castle while we still can.”

Ron draped one of Dumbledore's arms over his shoulder and Luna attempted to help prop him up too. A giant heap of dementors obscured Voldemort and his minions, but who knew how long that would last. Of course, getting into Hogwarts probably wasn't going to help much either. The first two walls around the entrance had been ripped apart and the first flight of stairs that went up into the main stairway network was completely exposed. Once there, in the nexus of Hogwarts' complex maze of hallways, it would simply be a matter of fighting a running battle uphill. The would be faced with the choice of trying to escape from the rooftops or else trying to hold off the dark forces at the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets in hope that Harry would arrive in time to save them.

More lightening sounded and amazingly it started to rain. McGonagall looked back hopefully as if she expected Dumbledore to revive himself in a flash of magic now that his element was falling. Nothing of the sort happened. Dumbledore's half moon spectacles, which had somehow escaped destruction and remained in their place on the bridge of his nose, merely fogged up.

Luna stumbled and Ron felt his muscles strain under the shifting weight of the surprisingly heavy Headmaster. She whimpered slightly as she resumed her burden and Ron tried not to notice the cuts on her hands from where the sharp rubble from the demolished stone wall had penetrated her skin.

“Commander, what's going on?” an elderly witch asked as soon as they stepped into the main stair hall. Above them Ron could hear the enchanting stairs moving back and forth in their incomprehensible pattern.

“The dementors have finally turned on the Death Eaters,” Ron said. “We've got…however long it takes Voldemort to get rid of them before he storms in here and kills us all.”

Ron pointed his wand into the air and sent out a mass of silvery bird shaped messenger charms. He took out the Marauder's Map and hurriedly tried to make out how their forces were faring. Just by looking at where the various battles were taking place Ron couldn't understand how the Death Eaters had managed to arrive at the positions they had. Some of them were completely surrounded in locations deep inside the inner most hallways of the castle while others were only a few turns away from the main stair network that they would have had to entered from.

“Professor, how is he?” Ron asked hurriedly as responses began to arrive from the messages he had just sent.

“I don't know, I've never seen anything like this,” McGonagall replied. “I've sent for Poppy, but who knows if she can reach us here.”

“She's on her way,” Luna replied as she pointed at the map.

“Dementors ran crazy through the halls for a while there,” Ron said as he glanced over the first note that he plucked from overhead. “That's how the sides got so messed up, everyone scrambling all over each other to avoid soul suckers.”

“What about that?” Luna asked as she gestured at the gaping hole that was once the main entrance. The unearthly shrieks of dementors could still be heard coming from outside.

“Let's block it up,” McGonagall said resolutely. Together the three mages began raising thick slabs of stone across the damage to patch it up as best as they could. Unfortunately, they had no idea how much or little good such a fix would do. Voldemort might have to blast through it a little at a time or he might vanish it with a flick of his wand.

“Dementors,” Luna whispered as the ghastly creatures started to pour through a side hall. Ron was startled for a moment, but then realized that the things could come through windows pretty easily.

“First Proxy for the Masters of Undoing…” the lead dementor wheezed.

“Your switch was very timely,” Ron said, unsure of what to say.

“We waited until the last possible moment to best serve,” the dementor replied.

“What are you doing…here,” Ron said hesitantly. He was glad that the dementors seemed to be toning down their happiness draining aura. It was still terribly cold and depressing to have them so close though.

“The Dark Lord will finish repelling us shortly now that he and his minions have used the lifeless emotions against us,” the dementor responded. “Those who remain able to do battle await the First Proxy's commands.”

Ron snatched up the map. “Luna, help me move him,” he said, indicating Dumbledore.

“What are you going to do?” McGonagall asked.

“We're going to fortify the second floor there so we'll have some height advantage,” Ron said. He pointed to the level directly above them that overlooked the area they had just patched up with stone.

McGonagall levitated Dumbledore's prone figure up the stairs as gently as possible while Ron set up the map on a conjured table and began looking over it with Luna's help. Under the most controlled of circumstances it was difficult to keep track of the large number of dots moving around, but now Ron noticed that the dementors seemed to be causing interference with the map's spells. They showed up, but they had no names, just black banners over them. Even worse, they would sometimes freeze in one place for a while, then leap ahead unexpectedly as if the map couldn't track them effectively.

“There are an awful lot of dementors here,” Luna observed. Sure enough, the group that was assembling in front of the barricaded entrance had swiftly become the most dementors Ron had ever seen. There was easily a couple hundred and still they poured in from the wings as they used various windows to penetrate the castle.

“I'm glad they're on our side,” Ron commented. As much as he hated to admit it, they'd all be dead or captured by now if it hadn't been for the timely intervention of the dementors.

“Minerva,” Madam Pomfrey shouted as she skittered up to the group. She was carrying a large black medical bag in one hand and her wand in the other. “What happened to him?”

“Voldemort overpowered him,” Luna said softly. “He grabbed him by the throat and some kind of magical exchange took place.”

“Magical exchange?” McGonagall asked quizzically.

“You could tell by the look in their eyes,” Luna affirmed.

“There was some sort of energy crackling around them,” Ron admitted.

“All right, get back so I can work,” Poppy said, clearly unconvinced.

“Luna,” Ron whispered tersely, “Since when did you say His name and what were you talking about magical transfers?”

“Oh, I always said his name,” Luna replied. “It's just a name. I didn't want to say it around you because you would get uncomfortable.”

Ron felt his heart tighten a little, “Luna…”

“And I saw it, when the dementor killed that Death Eater, his eyes, you could see it in his eyes the instant it happened,” Luna whispered emotionally. “It was the same way when Voldemort was strangling him…”

“Voldemort was sucking his soul out like a dementor?” Ron asked incredulously.

“No, but almost,” Luna replied, her eyes moist. “Don't let him get near you Ronald, stay with me, okay?”

“I promise Luna,” Ron said sincerely. He felt his cheeks heat and quickly looked back down at the map. They didn't have time for such things. The little groups of dots that Ron could make out as students or Light Bearers had rearranged themselves yet again. The dungeons seemed to still be under their control, as was Gryffindor tower, but the common rooms for the other two houses were cut off by Death Eaters. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be anyone trapped between Voldemort's forces and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

“Are we really going to retreat to the children?” Luna asked. She could see that if they continued to retreat in the same pattern as they were currently then the Chamber is where they would all end up. At its narrow choke point they would be able to resist for quite a while, but if Harry didn't arrive soon enough they would lose everything.

“Yeah,” Ron said, “It wasn't really so good of an idea to send them there in retrospect. Voldemort already knows about the Chamber and he seems to have the castle under his control somehow.”

“The Ring of Erus,” Dumbledore gasped. “Hogwarts will not attack someone who bears the mark of the Founder Slytherin.”

“Don't talk,” Poppy admonished him. “Your magical aura is nearly gone and your physical aura is little better.”

Dumbledore clutched her shoulder to steady himself. “Some things are more important than one old man's health Poppy. You already have more patients than you can attend to.”

“And I won't get to attending them until you stay still so I can heal you,” Poppy replied.

“There isn't anymore that you can do for me now, even with your considerable talents,” Dumbledore said sadly. “We need the wand of every person you can heal in time to fight. Poppy, please, go.”

Madam Pomfrey looked around in confusion to McGonagall. The transfiguration professor nodded and inclined her head in acquiescence to Dumbledore's wish. Poppy shook her head in disbelief, but nonetheless she bustled away back towards the hospital wing as quickly as she could move.

Dumbledore raised himself shakily to his feet and ambled over to peer down at the map. He looked over at the patchwork done on the front of the ruined castle entrance and then looked back to the handful of people who had been gathered to ambush Voldemort when he eventually finished with the dementors and broke through. His face creased into a deep scowl when he saw the knot of dementors who were gathered below them, well aware that he had once sworn that no dementor would enter Hogwarts so long as he was Headmaster, but refrained from saying anything about them.

“We don't stand a chance at even slowing down Tom with only this many people,” Dumbledore said finally.

“Surely, with your help, we can do something,” McGonagall said. She offered Dumbledore his wand, which she had apparently picked up at some point during the chaos.

“Curious,” Dumbledore said as he took the long thin piece of polished wood. “I wonder if I can manage a simple light spell now.”

“Now isn't the time for your soft headed jokes Albus,” McGonagall said with a chuckle.

“lumos,” Dumbledore said forcefully. His wand started to light up, but then it failed entirely. “Ah, see, I wouldn't joke about something this serious.”

“S-stop fooling around Albus,” McGonagall stuttered.

“I'm in all earnestness Minerva,” Dumbledore said lightly. “I appear to be quite powerless now.”

“How is that possible?” Ron asked frantically. Dumbledore was stronger than all of the rest of them put together. Without him he didn't know how they were supposed to defend the castle.

“It would seem that Tom has devised a most unnatural ability,” Dumbledore replied in a more serious tone. “I believe that this was something closely related to what he tried to do to Hermione.”

“He tried to destroy your mind?” McGonagall asked, her face bearing a horrified expression.

“The branch of legilimency that Tom seems to be experimenting with may take many forms,” Dumbledore replied cryptically. “However, I am most appreciative that young Mr. Weasley and Miss Lovegood was able to disrupt the process.”

Ron turned his attention back to the map as McGonagall and Dumbledore continued to discuss theories about what Voldemort had done. The number of defending dots had started to thin at a disconcerting rate and Ron realized that they had lost quite a bit more territory to the point that the hospital wing would soon be threatened at the rate things were going. He sent out a messenger charm instructing Madam Pomfrey to evacuate when he noticed something else.

In Gryffindor tower over two dozen new dots had suddenly appeared and one of them read Remus Lupin. “Luna, let me know if things change here, okay?” Ron instructed.

“Right,” Luna replied. She and McGonagall looked at him strangely as he bolted away up the stairs towards the common room.

“It's Remus,” Ron called down as he sprinted away, “He's back with help.”

The trek up to the tower, which had been Ron's home for the last nearly seven years, had never taken so long as it seemed to now. Ron couldn't even begin to remember what the password for the portrait was, but thankfully he didn't have to because a stall sandy haired wizard in weird clothes was already holding the door open.

“Four bars,” he muttered to himself as he saw Ron approaching. “You're that Weasel guy, right?”

“Weasley,” Ron said breathlessly. “Where's Remus? I need to talk to him fast.”

“Ah, he's a bit indisposed as far as talking goes,” the sandy haired wizard replied. “Come on guys, that Weasley guy is here.”

Ron tried to look inside the opening when a big fang filled mass of fur came bounding out. Ron nearly fell over as he scrambled back away from the two werewolves that had exited first followed by a large number of witches and wizards.

“Remus convinced us to help. My name is Mia Valian,” a short dark haired witch said in a thick Yankee accent. “I was elected captain of this expedition.”

Ron scrutinized the two werewolves and noticed that they were wearing makeshift leather armor all over their bodies. The patch on Remus and Tonks' torsos was adorned with a crudely drawn silver torch symbol of the Light Bearers. The rest of the Americans were dressed in long gray overcoat style uniforms held together with a belt that sported several different boxes and pouches. They all carried three wands visibly and probably had more elsewhere.

“How many did you bring?” Ron asked.

“We've got seventy six volunteers, roughly half of which are current or former military,” Valian said. More gray coat clad individuals continued to spill out of the fireplace in the room behind them.

“Okay,” Ron said slowly. That was a lot more help than he had ever expected. “I want about half of you to come with me, the rest stay here and await messenger charms to direct them to where they're most needed.”

Ron continued to stare for a moment until Captain Valian prodded him. “We're going where?”

“Right,” Ron said mechanically, “As you can guess things aren't going good here. Voldemort is right outside fighting dementors and his Death Eaters already control half the castle.”

“Where is Potter?” Valian asked. “Or Headmaster Dumbledore?”

“It's a long story, I'll explain on the way,” Ron said. Now none of them moved as he started to jog back in the direction that he had come from. “Follow me!”

“We don't know where Harry and Hermione are right now, not exactly,” Ron said when the lead warriors caught up to him. “It's difficult to explain, but they went off to infiltrate Voldemort's main base in preparation for an attack and they haven't come back.”

“So they could be dead?” Valian asked.

“No,” Ron replied vehemently. He pulled out his silver necklace. “We would definitely know through these magical symbols if they were dead.”

“Captured then?” Valian asked.

“Possible, but it doesn't make any sense,” Ron replied. “Voldemort would have no reason to keep Hermione alive.”

“So can we hope for them to arrive in time to help us or not?” Valian asked, finally getting to her point.

“Maybe,” Ron said, then shook his head defiantly. “Harry has never let us down. He'll be here, count on it.”

“That's good enough for me,” Valian said with a small smile.

“There,” Ron said as he pointed toward the stone barrier over the main entrance. “That's where Voldemort will be coming through at.”

“Looks like something's already breaking in,” Valian noted as the castle shook and dust rained down from the ceiling high above.

“We need to concentrate as much magic as possible on that opening when they come through,” Ron said. Hopefully this many resisters would slow even Voldemort down.

“Man those stairways, everyone get a clear view of that opening,” Valian shouted to her command. “No more than two people in one location, I don't want any targets for elemental spells presenting themselves in my unit. If you idiots make me look bad I'll curse the ugly off your faces.”

“Ma'am!” the soldiers said as they saluted in response to her orders. Ron decided that Valian must have made sure to only take military personnel with her to this, the most dangerous battle in the castle. He looked over the tiny Captain with new respect as he recognized the admiration that her soldiers had for her.

“Professor McGonagall, Headmaster Dumbledore,” Ron said as they approached the two teachers. “This is Captain Valian.”

“American First Voluntary Expeditionary Force, at your service,” Valian said. She saluted smartly and then shook their hands. “My government gave us full combat gear a month of vacation.”

The castle shook again. Voldemort was clearly trying to break through and by the looks of things it wouldn't be much longer.

“So, anyone want to tell me why there are dementors down there?” Valian asked hesitantly.

“They agreed to fight against Voldemort,” Ron said. “Harry coerced them into it.”

“They're the only reason we've had this much breathing space,” Dumbledore added.

“You approve of this?” Valian asked in a surprised tone.

“I did not say I approved,” Dumbledore replied sharply. “I merely acknowledged the reason that Tom isn't already in here.”

“Pardon me sir,” Valian said softly, “But you don't look well.”

“I have already matched wands with Tom and found myself lacking,” Dumbledore said with a deep sigh. “Do not count on me for any help.”

“So…the Chosen One is missing, the Dark Lord is about to break in here, presumably invincible to the likes of us, portkeys are disabled, the legendary conqueror of Grindelwald is disabled, and but we do have an advantage over the regular Death Eaters now,” Valian said in summary.

“Right,” Ron said heavily as he sat down next to Luna and began studying the map again. Valian came over and watched as he started writing out instructions detailing where the awaiting reinforcements were to go.

“Stop,” Valian said authoritatively. “There's no reason to keep any of this section here open. Have your people fall back into the choke points that intersect the halls at these points.”

Ron watched as she indicated where she was talking about. “No,” he replied as he indicated four other locations. “The point is to keep the Death Eaters as far apart as possible. We've got avatars in these spots and the last thing we need is for them to get a big group of people piled into one spot where a single lucky shot could kill everyone.”

“You'll never win if you don't mass your firepower though,” Valian insisted. “There is plenty of space there to protect from widespread attacks and yet still bring a large number of wands to bear on a single location.”

“We can't win period,” Ron retorted. “Don't you get it? This is a losing battle up until the moment Harry arrives! We've got to buy as much time as possible.”

“Silly child,” Valian muttered.

Luna bristled. “Ronald is a great wizard,” she said hotly. “He led the Battle of Hogsmeade while you were probably sitting around de-gnoming your garden.”

“I see,” Valian said crisply. “And you are?”

“Major Luna Lovegood,” Luna said firmly as she displayed the three silver stripes on her cloak. Valian's face twisted in some indiscernible emotion, but she was clearly pained to give any kind of recognition to the rank of a young girl in a makeshift group that wasn't even associated with a government.

“Please, now isn't the time,” Ron said. “You came to aid the Bearers of the Light, correct?”

“Indeed,” Valian replied.

“Then you've come to help me. Until Harry or Hermione return I am the Light Bearers,” Ron said forcefully. “Understood?”

“Sir!” Valian said, even if a little half hearted. “I hope you know what you're doing.”

Ron watched as she stalked away shouting orders to her people. He hated to anger the people who had come to save them, but if they were to have any chance at this there had to be a proper chain of command. He couldn't afford to have someone who didn't understand the situation disrupting his plans behind his back. “Me too,” he muttered before turning back to Luna. “Thanks.”

“You're welcome…Commander,” Luna replied dreamily.

It felt like hours were passing as Ron scrambled to send off orders to all the various embattled groups, but in reality only a handful of minutes had expired. The quaking of the castle had grown in intensity as everyone settled into position for the inevitable. It came quickly, with a huge explosion of stone fragments and dust as the barrier exploded into the castle from the force of some spell.

Remus and Tonks, who had taken it upon themselves to guard Ron's group, growled uneasily as three dark cloaked figures walked into view. Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange, who looked exceedingly angry about the loss of Rabastan, flanked their master with wands held ready for action.

The dementors surged forward but surprise was no longer on their side. A larger than life silvery basilisk patronus slithered out of Voldemort's wand and coiled around the dementors, trapping them. The dark creatures howled and hissed as the snake rent them apart, not killing them, but disabling them to the point that they lost their physical form. The darkness of each damaged dementor would have to slip away somewhere to reconstitute itself in what was probably a painful process.

“I didn't even know a patronus could do that,” Ron said sheepishly. Their allies hadn't lasted very long after all.

“Avada Kedavra,” Valian yelled. Thirty beams of green light rained down on the three intruders. A huge cloud of dust kicked up as the destructive energy pulverized everything it touched. After a dozen volleys Valian raised her hand in signal for the attack to stop. Dumbledore stood, arms crossed, and looked on silently while McGonagall twirled her wand nervously as if unsure about what she should do. Ron tried to keep one eye on the battle and the other on his map.

“They shouldn't have stopped,” Luna commented idly as a magical gust of air blew the dust away. Voldemort waved his wand in a loose circle over his head and conjured a tight cone of rotating air that slammed into the stairs on his left side. The mages positioned there found themselves blown back bodily from the force of his attack until they landed painfully on the hard stone walls and slumped to the ground.

“Party mix!” Valian yelled. Ron looked up questioningly until he realized that it was some sort of code so that her troops would know what spells to use without warning the enemy. Many multi-colored beams and more than a few elemental spells started sizzling through the air toward Voldemort. Valian obviously hoped that a wide range of attacks would prove more challenging to stop than a single type.

Then, after the first wave of attacks had hit, Ron noticed a smattering of green killing curses mixed in and realized the true brilliance of such a tactic. A normal foe would likely be so intent on repelling the deadly magical assaults that he wouldn't notice the occasional killing curse. Voldemort was hardly a normal foe. He swept the weaker attacks away with a wave of his wandless hand and blocked the stronger ones with some sort of shield that resembled the cylinder barrier shield in appearance. The Lestranges then were left to spot the killing curses and block them with something solid.

“I think we're keep'm busy,” Valian said proudly as she surveyed the fight. Most people were huddling behind stair rails or were else laying flat on the floor, but Valian was pacing back and forth calmly as she shot an occasional killing curse toward Rodolphus.

“Everybody move,” Ron yelled as he pointed to the danger area. The map had finally taken a turn for the worst as their defenders on the second floor left wing had fallen apart. The avatar that had been fighting there must have finally gotten through with a good spell because a half dozen dots had disappeared before Ron's eyes in an instant.

“You heard him,” Valian bellowed. “ Cover those hallways.”

The wizard who had been using the second floor passage as cover didn't manage to get clear before a green flash struck him in the back. Ron pointed his wand at the opening and shot a large ball of fire through it. Liquid flame gushed out and he heard a couple of screams. He might not be able to use fire like Hermione, but if it's unexpected even a weaker spell could still be dangerous.

Ron glanced over at Luna to see if she had watched his spell and was surprised to find her concentrating on an attack of her own. She had cast many small round balls of lightening for a swarm attack. Luna held them back until she decided that there was enough and then loosed them all at once. Several of them got through and scorched black spots on Voldemort's arm and torso. The evil wizard didn't even flinch though; he just cast another cone of rotating air. Ron grabbed Luna and used his armor to clamp down on the railing to keep from being blown off. Despite the ferocity of the attack he couldn't help but feel that Voldemort was just teasing them, making them believe they had a chance, so that he could dash their hopes in the most brutal way possible later on.

Valian looked around as more of her people fell victim to the elemental onslaught and sent back a wave of energy. The stone floor around Voldemort and his two followers was ground down into powder, but none of them were affected in the slightest. She realized that these sorts of attacks, no matter how strong, would never prevail against the Dark Lord. Only one spell had a chance of working against any of them.

“Swarm!” Valian shouted. She leapt up onto the railing with the intent of throwing herself down when she saw the glint of metal and felt something go whistling by. Valian fell backward and let out a scream as she saw the bloody stump of her leg, which had been cut off smoothly right below the knee by a spinning silver disk. Sparks flew as Ron battered away at the incoming projectiles with his armor, but the American wizards were not so well equipped. Some of them were cut cleanly in half; others just lost limbs or received deep gashes.

The ones that didn't suffer death or incapacitation had landed in an uneven circle around Voldemort and his minions. Rodolphus was apparently their first target because they quickly parted him from the group by using some kind of spell to blast him a good distance away from Voldemort. He blocked the first attacks, but being so completely surrounded and surprised allowed a few to start getting through. Before Bellatrix or Voldemort could react one of the wizards managed to shove a wand in his face and complete the killing curse.

In retrospect Ron supposed he shouldn't have been surprised by that or by what happened next. After all, Neville and his team had used similar tactics in the past to overwhelm avatars. Also, Voldemort apparently had some kind of strange soft spot for Lestranges because he promptly came unhinged by Rodolphus' death.

His first spell turned the sandy haired wizard Ron had first seen into a skeleton. There was no taunting, no fancy tactics, just unbelievably deadly spells. The next two wizards were cleanly eviscerated and the fourth was turned inside out. The rest finally managed to run frantically back up the stairs as they tried to put something between themselves and the enraged Dark Lord.

Bellatrix had gone over to Rodolphus and folded his limp form into her arms. Luna watched as her stooped shoulders heaved a few times before she dropped him and stood back up.

“I think they just broke the last of her sanity,” Luna mumbled softly. Ron took his eyes away from Voldemort long enough to see what Luna meant. Bellatrix had a crazed, almost mirthful expression on her face even as she cried freely.

“Time to move,” Dumbledore said suddenly. McGonagall motioned for Luna and Ron to help Valian and together the five of them scrambled up the moving staircase to the next level. Tonks and Remus had disappeared at some point or at least Ron hoped they had. He finally caught sight of them hiding in ambush around one of the compromised hallways that threatened to erupt with Death Eaters at any moment. In their werewolf forms they were only very marginally useful for magical combat anyway.

They had barely gotten off of the place where they had been standing when it was demolished by some kind of spell Ron had never heard of before. It looked like a giant invisible force had simply crushed the first level of stairs flat into the ground. The wounded Americans who had been left behind never stood a chance. The ones that escaped the massacre howled with outrage at their comrade's demise and pelted Voldemort with lethal spells.

“Help me Ronald,” Luna said as she squatted down on the floor.

“What's that?” Ron asked. Luna was tracing something in the floor with her wand.

“You should all move up another level,” Luna said pointedly at McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Valian.

Dumbledore peered over at the strange, half-formed design. “Yes, quite right. We can't hold this place long anyway.”

“What do you want me to do?” Ron asked hopelessly.

“I need more magic,” Luna replied. “Just put your wand on the spell.”

Ron dubiously did as instructed and felt a curious sensation that he realized was magical energy being drained from him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Voldemort waiting for the moving stairs to align with him again.

“Hurry it up Luna,” Ron said anxiously as the dark wizard started approaching them with a murderous expression on his face, yet seemingly wary of them too.

“Get back Ronald,” Luna said crisply. Ron jerked back just as Luna slammed her hand down into the center of the spell. Her eyes widened and turned completely black for an instant as she threw her wand hand forward. Voldemort was thrust back violently as whatever spell Luna used connected with him.

“ What was that?” Ron asked. Clearly Luna has just utilized some form of very dark magic that used a spell form to bypass a wand.

“It's a cheat,” Luna said vaguely as she tugged him up the stairs towards the third floor. “Professor Flitwick taught it to me from one of the few remaining texts that have survived from Ravenclaw's personal library.”

“How is it a cheat?” Ron asked. Somehow he knew he wouldn't like the answer.

Luna pointed down to where the spell was throbbing with a bright crimson hue. Voldemort had reached the top of the stairs, but he threw himself backward to cover Bellatrix when he saw the symbol. Long streams of black energy lashed out repeatedly to leave great gashes in the evil wizard's back. There was a violent burst of energy as the spell pattern disintegrated. Voldemort and Bellatrix were both heaved back down to the ground floor.

“It should have done a lot more than that,” Luna said with a characteristically mellow tone. The spell finished flattening Voldemort, but it clearly didn't do any permanent damage because he was getting back up almost immediately all the while blocking the spells that were still being thrown at him. Luna seemed to remember Ron's earlier question. “It's a cheat because it allows me to access far more magical potential than I possess naturally, but at a cost. Basically, I have to trade some life force for magical force.”

“Life force?” Ron asked, his face paling considerably.

“Life force is one of the most powerful magical forces there is,” Luna said evenly.

“Luna, don't use that spell anymore,” Ron said roughly.

“Ronald, what's a little life force now if the only other option is getting killed?” Luna asked, her eyes swimming again as they conjured up something to hide behind.

“Only Ravenclaw logic could see the wisdom in shortening your life span for another,” Ron replied.

“Only Gryffindor bravery could see the wisdom in sacrificing one's life entirely for another.” Luna countered.

Ron stared at her for an instant. “Bloody smarter than me women,” he finally muttered jokingly.

The handful of defenders who were left approached the edge of the third floor so they could look down on what Voldemort was doing. He was temporarily out of reach since the stairs leading to the second floor had been demolished.

“If I can't come to you, then you can come to me,” Voldemort said laughingly. One of the American wizards was jerked off of the ledge and down to the floor. He survived the fall for a moment, his wizard genes protecting him from mundane injury, but the killing curse finished Voldemort's dark purpose.

“How does it feel Dumbledore?” Voldemort asked smugly as he jerked another person off of the ledge. Everyone had attempted to flee only to find their feet somehow stuck to the ground. “I'm going to kill them all one by one while you watch. Then we're going to go through this school and you're going to watch as I exterminate every last trace of muggle filth that you have allowed to sully this castle.”

Voldemort pointed his wand at the ground and parts of the ruined stairway leapt back into their former location. He began a slow taunting ascent, Bellatrix at his side, as he continued to kill people, slowly, starting with those he deemed would matter least to Dumbledore and working his way up. The Headmaster seemed determined not to give Voldemort the pleasure of seeing him fall apart.

Ron tried to grab another of the American witches as she went sailing past in his own summoning charm, but Voldemort's much more powerful charm overwhelmed Ron's spell.

“Just for that,” Voldemort said nastily as he pointed to Luna, “She's next.”

“No, Rachael! Someone do something,” Mia gasped, referring to one of her comrades, as she struggled to sit up. She had suffered a blow from another unknown spell in addition to having her leg cut off below the knee.

McGonagall looked around wildly and cast a thick burst of air. The young witch, Rachael, was barely rescued from Voldemort's grasp. Her body was sent spinning wildly into the wall on the other side of the room where it impacted with a sickening thud before sliding down nearly two stories to the bottom. Ron didn't know if one's ambient magic could protect against that kind of treatment or not, but it was still better than a killing curse in terms of survivability.

“McGonagall,” Voldemort said with a reproaching tone. “Still a meddlesome old bat I see.”

“You've never seen meddlesome,” McGonagall replied tartly. She transformed into her animagus form and slipped free from her earthen bonds. Ron could have slapped himself for being so distracted as to forget his own transformation as he morphed into his shaggy wolf body. Whatever spell had been holding him wasn't prepared to survive that sort of change and he was free. He followed McGonagall and quickly morphed back as she did just in time to see Voldemort preparing to launch a lethal attack on them both.

The entire castle sounded with a deafening crack of thunder and the darkness of night was torn apart by a strongly shining light. All eyes looked down at the shattered wall that now stood open to the outside and beheld two thin figures, cloaked in black, radiating magical power. Around their heads, like a giant heavenly halo, was a huge circle of silvery messenger charms. Another bolt of white lightening twisted through the air and raked across Voldemort.

“Voldemort!” Harry yelled, lightening still pouring from his wand and twisting around his body. His eyes were wild with excessive magical power. “Your fight is with me now.”

-->

Chapter 21 - Hermione's Pride

“Impossible,” Voldemort spat for the second time that day. “How did they manage to escape from the time chamber?”

“Now you can effect an even more permanent solution Lord,” Bellatrix suggested.

“We'll see,” Voldemort replied evenly. “The child has become more troublesome than I had ever imagined possible.”

“Let me assist you Lord,” Bellatrix said pleadingly. “Let me prove my worth…”

“I will deal with the boy alone,” Voldemort snapped. He looked into Bellatrix's eyes. “I will demonstrate once and for all that he cannot fight me, prophecy or not. Besides, you have another job to do.”

“Of course Master,” Bellatrix said. A maniacal grin had spread across her face as Voldemort used his mental prowess to communicate her assignment.

Moving with unnatural speed Bellatrix closed the distance with the defenders who were still in shock from Harry and Hermione's arrival. She fired some kind of curse at McGonagall as she reached the top of the stairs. Ron felt himself stiffen from a paralysis jinx and the next thing he knew Bellatrix's gaunt face was mere inches from his.

“Where are the children?” Bellatrix asked in a cooing voice as she stared into Ron's eyes. “Ah, the Chamber of Secrets, how lovely.”

“Bel-la-trix,” Ron stammered through gritted teeth.

“I'll be seeing you later Weasley,” Bellatrix said with a laugh as she ran off down the hall toward the Chamber's entrance.

McGonagall staggered back to her feet looking very much the worse for wear, but she was still able to cast a cancellation spell to release Ron. He scrambled back to his feet and ran to the edge of the drop off where Harry was starting to face off with Voldemort. He knew that Bellatrix was an avatar, that he would have no chance of stopping her on his own.

“Bellatrix is headed for the children,” Ron yelled.

“Oh no,” Hermione said, her voice full of dread when she heard Ron's words.

“Go,” Harry said quickly. “This is truly my battle here. Keep everyone safe for me, okay?”

“I'm coming back just as soon as its handled,” Hermione said, then added a silent “I love you.”

“I love you too, be careful,” Harry replied. At least if he failed the prophecy would be ended and Voldemort would no longer be protected by it. Then, theoretically, someone else might be able to kill him. At the least he would die of old age, grim solution though that was.

Hermione pointed her wand at the ground and propelled herself upward effortlessly. Her feet touched down lightly in front of the survivors.

Ron pointed out the direction. “She went that way.”

“I'm so sorry,” Hermione said, her voice cracking. She quickly dispelled the enchantments that were still holding Luna and Dumbledore in place.

“Hermione,” Dumbledore said kindly. “They need you now.”

“Right,” Hermione said thickly. She pointed her wand at herself and flickered away in the direction Bellatrix had gone.

“Ronald, we've got to go after her, she may need our help,” Luna said urgently.

“Yeah,” Ron said distantly, his eyes still on the battle below. “It's up to Harry now.”

McGonagall helped Dumbledore over to the ledge so he could witness the unfolding contest below. His face looked more tired than she had ever seen it. Even his eyes had lost their usual twinkle.

“Will it be okay Albus?” she asked hesitantly.

“I don't know Minerva,” he replied. He tried to never second guess himself, but he couldn't help but wonder if he had done the right thing over all these years. First by abandoning Harry, then by failing to push him, and finally by letting him push himself. Now he was facing Voldemort's unfathomable power with no one to rely on but himself. Dumbledore's own defeat weighed heavily in his mind as he watched Harry prepare to attack. “I really don't know, and at this point, that's a good thing.”

Hermione blinked back tears as she flitted through the halls toward the Chamber of Secrets. The level of death and destruction was overwhelming for her. She couldn't help but feel responsible for this; if only she could have figured a way out of the time chamber more quickly, or not have gone in there at all.

In the end they had been forced to waste two of their precious magical enhancing potions to muster enough force to blow their way through the beautiful work of alchemy that made up the time chamber's walls. After that they had been forced to apparate back to the edge of Hogwarts' anti-apparation field when they discovered that their portkeys no longer functioned. Hermione had never been more thankful for flight than when they were winging their way toward the school in their animagus forms.

She knew that some of the magical enhancing potion was still active in her blood and it was fortunate too. Hermione didn't see the hail of debris headed towards her until she ran headlong into it at an accelerated speed. The impact tossed her aside, but she managed to roll into a crouching position, armor already active.

“How delicious,” Bellatrix said giddily. “How Potter will hate me after this day, not that he will get to live to see another. First I took his precious Sirius and now his mudblood girl.”

“Sirius was a gentle soul, even to his enemies,” Hermione growled. “But I won't let you hurt Harry or anyone else anymore.”

“Is that so?” Bellatrix asked. “Do you think you can stop me?”

“You're just an avatar,” Hermione sneered.

Bellatrix's face twisted in rage. “I am not just an avatar you stupid little girl. I am the greatest of His servants. You've never faced the likes of me before.”

Hermione took two steps forward, her wand glowing with deadly intent, and suddenly her nose was flattened as she ran into an icy wall that had materialized out of no where. On the other side of the foggy obstacle Bellatrix laughed at her.

“How do you propose to stop me if you can't even pay attention to where you're going?” she said tauntingly.

Hermione vaporized the thick ice with a gesture, but Bellatrix had already accelerated away. Light spilled out of her wand as Hermione quickly checked to make sure that no jinxes had been left as traps while she wasn't looking before she ran after Bellatrix. Using the acceleration charm would be too dangerous now that her foe was aware of her pursuit. Hermione conjured a shield as she ran and hoped that she could make it to the Chamber entrance in time.

“Is the big bad Dark Lady all tired?” Bellatrix cooed. Hermione skidded to a stop as she rounded the corner and blocked the incoming curse with her otter adorned silver shield.

Hermione clinched her jaw, but didn't respond. She fired a long thin sickly orange looking spell at Bellatrix and was pleasantly surprised when it coiled around her leg. Her elation turned to disappointment when the spell wilted to the floor and dissipated.

“Potter's mudblood sure has a nasty dark streak of evil in her,” Bellatrix chided mockingly. Her insanity had changed her personality slightly and Hermione found it even more disturbing. “Did the Ministry approve of that little bit of dark magic? You could have taken my leg off with that putrefaction curse.”

“Do you expect to get a rise out of me like that?” Hermione asked finally as they continued to trade curses. “I know the difference between good and evil, and its not measured in what curses you use.”

Bellatrix shot out a half dozen shiny red balls the size of marbles. They bounced around the hallway at a speed almost too quick for the eye to see. Hermione adjusted the red tinted eyepiece that sat on her left eye to help keep track of the bothersome attacks.

“Humph,” Bellatrix said dejectedly, “You're no fun at all. How did you ever manage to hook up with wee baby Potter?”

Hermione jerked back to dodge the evil witch's incoming spell and felt one of the tiny red balls puncture her cloak, barely missing her flesh. She threw out a curse and managed to explode one of the objects, but there were still five left.

“I can't imagine he'd be any fun,” Bellatrix said. Hermione tried valiantly to ignore her as she continued to prattle on in search of something that would rile her opponent. “He's not even good looking, what with those glasses, and he's so thin…”

“Looks aren't everything,” Hermione said smugly. Not that she thought Harry was unattractive, quite the opposite, but arguing with the likes of Bellatrix about it didn't really appeal to her.

“I guess you should know,” Bellatrix retorted. Hermione felt her jaw clench again. Bellatrix had clearly been waiting for that opportunity. “You are the very definition of plain looking aren't you? That hair…you don't even try do you?”

Hermione slashed her wand through the air leaving a bright red ribbon like streak that flew diagonally across the hall toward Bellatrix. Two of the small red balls were caught up in its path of annihilation, but Bellatrix herself easily dodged the attack. Hermione felt her hand sting and saw a thin line of blood welling up where one of the balls had grazed her. Her grip on her wand tightened and the flow of blood died down immediately.

“I guess what you were really after was his fame and money, right?” Bellatrix asked snidely.

“I wouldn't expect you to understand love,” Hermione replied.

“Don't you dare talk to me about love you piece of muddy trash!” Bellatrix screamed. “Avada Kedavra!”

Hermione barely had time to throw her shield in front of her to absorb the killing curses that Bellatrix was suddenly firing in a blind rage. The little red balls dropped to the ground and Hermione realized that they took concentration to use. She snatched them up in a levitation charm and placed them in the line of an incoming killing curse.

“Your kind stole my life with Rodolphus for all those years in Azkaban and then you killed him,” Bellatrix said hysterically. “You won't rest until the noble families all scrape at your feet.”

Then, as quick as it came, Bellatrix had suddenly flipped back into her previous state of calm as if nothing had happened. Hermione looked at the insane woman warily as she attempted to regain her breath. Bellatrix flipping out was a recklessly dangerous Bellatrix.

“I know,” Bellatrix said. She acted like some great puzzle had finally been solved. “You like power don't you?”

“Huh?” Hermione replied, befuddled.

“It all makes sense now,” she continued. “You found out about the prophecy and wanted to be close to the most powerful wizard in the world, but I was already Lord Voldemort's favorite so you had to choose wee little upstart Potter, right? I'm right aren't I?”

Hermione almost lowered her guard when Bellatrix burst into a fit of laughter. “Oh you should see yourself child,” Bellatrix said through fits of giggles. “You're so ambitious to cuddle up to the “Chosen One.” Not that you could do better of course.”

“It's ironic,” Hermione replied. She pointed her wand at the floor and caused the stone to spew forth jagged spikes towards Bellatrix. “Harry has always insisted that of the two of us…I'm the stronger.”

Bellatrix scowled and blocked the spikes with a thick piece of conjured stone, then banished it all to dust. “Of the two of us, Lord Voldemort is by far the strongest,” Bellatrix countered. “So know that when I defeat you…baby Potter doesn't have a chance!”

Bellatrix turned and ran down the hall after a final parting curse. Hermione winced at the deep gouge that had opened up in the stone just inches from her right leg. A loose piece of cloak fluttered to the floor as the bushy haired girl raced off after her opponent.

“Hermione!” a girl Hermione recognized as Lisa Turpin shouted at her.

“Stay back,” Hermione yelled in reply. She lifted her wand and reflected a hasty spell off of a cornea shield.

“We don't know what to do anymore,” Lisa replied. “There are no more messages and we can't stop an avatar.”

Hermione bounced another spell off of her shield and replied with a swarm of tiny flames. “Go back to the moving staircases,” Hermione said. “Ron and Dumbledore should be there, but be careful, Harry is dueling Voldemort.”

Lisa paled considerably, but nodded and motioned for her unit, what was left of it, to move out. The collection of battered students, mostly Ravenclaw, moved away from the scene as rapidly as their condition would allow.

“You can't save them,” Bellatrix raved. She turned and continued to run toward the Chamber entrance. “You can't save anyone.”

Hermione gave chase, aware that the bathroom entrance was almost within sight, and fired off every curse she could think of in an attempt to slow Bellatrix down. As the dark witch disappeared around the corner Hermione decided that there was no choice left. Bellatrix couldn't be allowed to harm the students. With grim determination Hermione pointed her wand at herself and accelerated blindly to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Hermione touched something and the world around her exploded. The force of the magical blast propelled her violently against the hard walls of the bathroom. The Chamber entrance, which had been concealed by a cluster of sinks, was now a gaping hole surrounded by rubble. Hermione picked herself up as the smoke and dust cleared only to see Bellatrix rising from the rubble on the other side of the room.

“Bravo,” Bellatrix said mockingly. “You got here a little quicker than I expected and managed to catch me up in my own jinx.”

Hermione swung her wand, like someone might swing a ball in the muggle game of bowling, and unleashed a vertical line of magical energy that ripped apart everything in its path. Bellatrix disappeared behind a wall of dust that was kicked up in the attack's path. Hermione swung her wand again and again until the other half of the room was too obscured for her attacks to have any hope of success. She crouched behind her shield and waited for Bellatrix to make the next move. As total silence settled on the room Hermione heard sobbing coming from a nearby pile of debris.

“Myrtle?” Hermione whispered tersely. The ghost of the young girl floated out hesitantly, as if she were afraid of getting caught up in the crossfire despite her nature.

“Y-y-you,” Myrtle sniffed unhappily. “My bathroom is all wrecked.”

“Myrtle, get down to the teachers and tell them to try to find some way to get the students out of here,” Hermione ordered sternly.

“It's hopeless,” Myrtle replied. “I've lived here for fifty years you know. There isn't any way out that a person could get through.”

“Tell them to blow the walls down,” Hermione said.

“It wouldn't work,” Myrtle said. “The walls aren't strong enough. That kind of shock would collapse the entire area and kill everyone. There isn't enough room here for me to share with that many people.”

“How is that possible?” Hermione asked. The castle should be much stronger than that.

“The Founders didn't build the Chamber, just Slytherin,” Bellatrix said. Hermione felt her armor absorb a killing curse. She berated herself for carelessness and quickly rolled aside. “Oh, don't look so surprised. You're the bookish one aren't you? I guess you could say I'm just like you.”

“Is that supposed to make me angry?” Hermione asked. Secretly she hated Bellatrix making the suggestion, but if she had learned anything from Harry's fight with Bellatrix nearly two years ago, it was that rising to the woman's taunts would only be counter productive.

“It's just a fact,” Bellatrix said with an exaggerated shrug. “This castle is a marvelous work of art. Did you know that it can repair itself? In a few months, a couple of years at most, all this damage will be gone.”

“Then why is the Chamber falling apart,” Hermione asked.

“Only the combined power of the Founders could create something as magnificent as this,” Bellatrix replied as if it were obvious. “Slytherin's addition was his little secret…”

“And he didn't have the ability to make anything quite so durable,” Hermione finished.

“Or maybe he did and chose not to,” Bellatrix said tauntingly. “Who knows what powers the great Slytherin possessed. Perhaps he could see into the future and knew that one day you would foolishly try to hide a bunch of mudbloods down there.”

“Maybe he'll show up and save you right now,” Hermione said with false sweetness.

“Unnecessary,” Bellatrix retorted tersely, her eyes flashing with indignation on behalf of Slytherin.

“Well, I'll be wishing you well,” Myrtle said awkwardly. “If you die I guess could stay here, but you have to promise not to get between Harry and I.”

“We'll talk later,” Hermione said hurriedly in a completely flabbergasted tone.

A giant milky white half sphere, the battering charm, suddenly materialized from the end of Bellatrix's wand. Hermione cast her strongest shield charm and braced herself for the almost unimaginable impact. She was driven back into the wall, which buckled under the pressure. Hermione felt like she was about to be squeezed in half; her ribs popped and the air was driven forcibly from her lungs before the spell finally dissipated.

Hermione saw lights swimming through her vision as she peered out of the partial crater that her impact had created in the wall. Any normal human would have been killed and as it was her magical genes had only barely preserved her. She saw another milky white half sphere rushing toward her, but this time she managed to respond in time with a battering charm of her own. The two spells collided and released their energy in the form of an ear splitting explosion. Hermione groaned and got back onto unsteady feet, her strength returning as she tightened her grip on her wand again.

“I'll let you rest a while,” Bellatrix said with false sweetness. “Auntie Bella just can't wait to see all those adorable children.”

“Get back here,” Hermione yelled as Bellatrix disappeared down the hole that led to the Chamber of Secrets. “We're not done yet, Bellatrix!”

Hermione shot a stream of fire down the pipe before jumping in after it. Most of the students were back behind the point where the flimsy walls had collapsed around five years previously, so there was no one to witness Hermione's arrival except Bellatrix. The pipe expelled a powerful gout of fire that clung to the floor with magical tenacity in preparation for her arrival. Hermione's tattered cloak billowed in the updraft the intense flame created and more flame continued to pour out of her wand.

Bellatrix dropped all pretenses of subtlety and began exchanging powerful shield breaking curses with Hermione. The dark witch slowly retreated down the tunnel as the exchange continued so that she could get to the students. Hermione winced as sparks erupted from each blow that glanced off of her defenses, but there was little more she could do. Bellatrix was indeed the most powerful avatar she had ever seen. Wearing her down before she reached the students was impossible.

“It's a good thing you didn't try anything,” Bellatrix said as they reached what remained of the collapsed wall. With a flick of her wand great iron pillars rose out of the ground to help prop up the ceiling. Another flick and the loose debris vanished. Hermione felt terror clench her heart as the entire student body of Hogwarts year four and under was instantly exposed.

Bellatrix laughed dementedly and turned her wand on the masses of small forms huddling in the dank passageway just outside the door to the main chamber. The various professors who had come with them as a last line of defense placed themselves between their charges and the invader.

“Leave them alone,” Hermione shrieked. She accelerated in a flash, intent on striking Bellatrix with her armored arm. To her shock the wily dark witch somehow managed to dodge Hermione's rapid movements. Hermione was at point blank range though and in her rage she could only think of swinging again. Bellatrix dodged several more blows before accelerating back out of reach.

“If you wanted to trade positions you should have just said so,” Bellatrix said. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that she was now between the students and harm.

Flitwick, Hooch, Trelawney, Prince, and Sprout were all there, their wands at the ready. “Should we help you Miss Granger?” Flitwick asked. Concern was evident on all their faces as they regarded their best student whom they had seen little of for nearly an entire year.

Hermione, her back still turned to them, dipped her head. “I'm sorry Professor,” she said quietly. “You would just get in my way now. I can't afford any distractions against her. That means I can't worry about the other students either.”

“Miss Granger,” Madam Prince said haltingly.

“Please!” Hermione exclaimed. “Protect the students. Can I entrust them to you?”

“Don't worry about it,” Flitwick said confidently. “Stop her. We'll take care of everything else.”

“Thank you,” Hermione replied softly. The tip of her wand ignited as she raised it toward Bellatrix.

“You know, you're really unlucky to have ended up as my opponent,” Bellatrix said in a consoling tone. “Fire is your specialty element, right?”

“So what if it is?” Hermione asked guardedly.

“My specialty is a subset of your Headmaster's favored element, water,” Bellatrix explained. “In other words, my most powerful elemental spells are ice based.”

“Fire melts ice,” Hermione said with a smirk.

“Not this ice,” Bellatrix promised. Hermione cast a huge plume of bluish green flame toward Bellatrix. There was a flash of white and then a crunching noise as a long bluish green icicle fell to the ground in a thousand shattered pieces.

“You can freeze fire,” Hermione exclaimed with shock.

“Its about time the mudblood beaver got her comeuppance,” a familiar voice in the back shouted.

“Stupefy,” Flitwick bellowed. “Would anyone else like to join Mr. Malfoy?”

“Don't you dare hurt my nephew,” Bellatrix shrieked. A flash of green light slammed into Hermione's armor a few scant inches away from Flitwick's face.

“Sorry Miss Granger,” he said sheepishly. “Thank you for that.”

“She's bloody insane,” Hermione whispered to the nearby teachers. “Try not to say anything, especially about her family, or she's apt to bring this place down and kill us all.”

They nodded solemnly as Hermione walked back toward Bellatrix slowly. The deranged woman seemed to have calmed herself down from her outburst and was all business once more.

“Is there anything more beautiful than a snowflake?” Bellatrix asked randomly. “Each one is so perfect and unique.”

Hermione didn't know what to say to that, but the relevance of Bellatrix's muse was soon revealed as she cast a dense hail of gigantic snowflakes. Hermione couldn't tell if they were beautiful or unique, but she could tell that they were hard razor sharp pieces of ice with four fine points that would cut up anything they touched.

What was worse is that Hermione didn't dare dodge them. Despite her warning that she couldn't be distracted by the helpless lives behind her she couldn't forget them either. Hermione cast a torrent of her hottest flames in as wide a pattern as she could to be sure of catching all of the icy projectiles. A sizzling sound accompanied by a small quantity of steam attested to the effectiveness of her defense.

Hermione had entertained the hope that the duel wouldn't devolve into a brutal battle of elements since they were fighting in an unstable tunnel near a bunch of children, but Bellatrix was just getting started. She swung her wand in an underhanded motion and caused great sickles of ice to skim along the ground toward Hermione. Instead of using fire as a response Hermione conjured up thick iron barriers nearly a meter tall to absorb the blows.

“That won't work,” Bellatrix said shrilly as the first icy blade swept through the barrier as if it weren't even there. Instead of cutting into the metal it simply encased it in a thick sheet of ice. Hermione leapt aside frantically to keep from becoming a block of ice herself. The students and professors also had to dodge a couple of the blows.

Hermione conjured up her most fearsome attack, the Life's Bane elemental fire, and began firing a rapid stream of projectiles at Bellatrix. Some of the shards fell to the ground covered in ice; others pulverized themselves against the icy fragments that Bellatrix defended with. Hermione recast her otter emblem shield charm and was surprised when Bellatrix cast an emblem shield charm of her own. Most avatars had the symbol of a snake on their shields like Voldemort since the bulk of their powers came from him. Bellatrix on the other hand had a penguin decorating the front of her charm.

“Surprised?” Bellatrix asked. “I told you I'm no normal avatar. My own power is still greater than those I acquired from Lord Voldemort.”

Hermione put all her magic into a fire technique she had studied that was known as Baby Dragon's Breath. Like snake's venom, dragon flame is stronger when the creature is very young. For a moment Hermione thought the attack would be successful when Bellatrix threw her shield between herself and the fire. No mere shield charm could block a tightly focused high level elemental attack like that.

“I'm disappointed you think so little of me,” Bellatrix said when she saw the look on Hermione's face. “Didn't you know that someone who has truly mastered an element can incorporate it into their shield charm?”

Bellatrix's shield glinted as the last of the rolled off of it with a hiss as it was extinguished. Hermione didn't even have time to let that piece of information settle in before she was trying to vaporize a new round of frozen attacks. Great stalactites rained down from the ceiling, snowflakes twirling in like buzz saws from all sides, and sharp pointed tridents of ice erupted from the floors in an all out attempt to impale her.

Hermione tried to focus her response at first, but as the attacks became more dense and multidirectional she had no choice but to respond with indiscriminate destruction. An aura of fire blossomed around her wand that sent out waves of heat in every direction. Bellatrix's attacks cracked or melted under the drastic changes in temperature. The sheer volume of water being vaporized caused a thick wet blanket of fog to settle into the tunnels.

“Got you!” Bellatrix screamed in delight as she emerged unexpectedly from one of the cloudbanks. Hermione twisted as quickly as she could, but Bellatrix's attack nicked her armored arm and that was enough to cause it to coat over in heavy ice all the way to her shoulder.

“How do you plan to move now?” Bellatrix asked as Hermione struggled to stand. She got, for the first time, the distinct impression that the older woman was toying wit her.

“Like this,” Hermione replied tartly. She tapped the ice with her wand and it fell off into a dozen chunks.

“What was that, some kind of nullification spell?” Bellatrix asked.

“Actually, it was an air spell,” Hermione replied as she touched the point of origin for her armor. The ruined piece detached and what was left of the silvery metal fell away from her shoulder. “I used harmonics to break the ice, like a singer can break fine crystal with only her voice.”

“You really are the cleverest witch of your age,” Bellatrix said with a touch of genuine admiration. “But clever only gets you so far.”

“You can say that about any quality,” Hermione retorted. She took another small triangular piece of metal out of her belt and affixed it to her left shoulder. It rapidly expanded out into another set of silvery armor.

“Brimming over with nasty little tools aren't you,” Bellatrix said disgustedly.

“I thought you liked cleverness,” Hermione replied. She began conjuring up a ball of corporeal Life's Bane fire. The huge fog bank wasn't getting any better. Instead it had started to condense. Hermione wriggled uncomfortably when her heavy rough robes started to itch as they became waterlogged. Only her armor covered left arm, which had lost its fabric when Hermione had vibrated the ice off of it, remained dry.

“Cleverness is what you can do with a wand,” Bellatrix said sharply. “But you're like a muggle. Always plotting and scheming to create some little tools to help you cheat.”

“I guess we have different definitions of cleverness then,” Hermione said as she unleashed her ball of fire. Tentacle like whips erupted from its roiling surface and lashed out at Bellatrix. One by one they were flash frozen and cast down to the ground before any of them got close to even her shield. The final tendril was frozen all the way back to the source, which also froze, but didn't fall to the ground.

Hermione grumbled as another round of attacks connected with her armored arm again. As the frozen metal crumbled away she didn't bother to take out another since it would only be targeted again. Instead she took the opportunity to use what fire was left inside the ball that Bellatrix had believed she froze solid earlier. In the confusion of shattering ice the tiny fist sized drop of Life's Bane fire managed to hit Bellatrix's shield directly.

Hermione watched as the dark witch realized what had happened to her shield and hurried to throw it away before the fire could connect with her flesh. In that moment when Bellatrix was preoccupied Hermione reached into her hat and took out three long silver rods and threw them into the ground in a rough triangle surrounding the older woman. Black lightening raced from the tip of each rod and combined with each other directly over Bellatrix's head before crashing down on her.

The room shook from the force of the blast of elemental power impacting all at once. Hermione had constructed those sentry wards with the help of Harry for just such an occasion as this. His black lightening spell was far stronger than anything she could do with that element.

“Good show!” Flitwick squeaked excitedly. “I do believe you've done it Miss Granger.”

“I never had any doubts,” Trelawney spoke up shakily. “I remember the first time I saw you Miss Granger, I remember the Sight taking hold of me, and, uh, well done.”

Trelawney trailed off as the other professors sent rather scathing looks her way. Hermione bent over exhaustedly and tried to catch her breath. The fog had started to clear all around and the children had erupted in nervous chatter. She was thankful that none of her cuts were serious enough to start bleeding again as she loosened her grip on her wand for a moment.

Hermione stood back up and arched her back painfully. She pointed her wand at herself in preparation for an acceleration charm. There was no time to attempt any recovery spells at this point; Harry needed her. However, before she could leave Hermione's vision suddenly blacked out and she felt a sharp pain lace through her entire body. She tried to move and realized that she was no longer standing, but instead lying flat on her back. She tried to breathe only to become aware that there was a thick sheet of ice covering her face, indeed her whole body.

“You bloody little wretch,” Bellatrix screamed at her. She tottered out from behind the remains of an earlier ice attack that she had been hiding behind. The right half of her face was horribly burned from Hermione's lightening attack, but somehow she had survived.

“You tried your hardest with your muggle-like abominations,” Bellatrix ranted. “Your `armor' and your potions and your wards. You make me sick. You can't even fight like a real witch.”

Bellatrix leaned down and pushed her hand through the ice covering Hermione like it was nothing more than water. She plucked Hermione's wand the rest of the way out of her hand and tossed it aside.

“Now don't die on me,” Bellatrix said soothingly. She banished the ice from around Hermione's face so she could breathe again. “I don't want you to join my worthless cousin until you comprehend how you were bested, not to mention provide a little restitution for my beautiful face.”

Hermione looked desperately to where her wand had landed just out of reach. She tried to stretch her left arm toward it, but it was no use.

“My final strategy began as soon as our little duel of elements started,” Bellatrix said condescendingly. “As you destroyed my ice it left behind water vapor all over the entire area. The ground, the walls, and ultimately you were all covered in near freezing water. It was only a matter of flash freezing anything to cover this entire area in a sheet of ice.

Hermione looked over and realized that everyone else was also covered in ice. Apparently Bellatrix had fixed their breathing problem too though because they didn't seem to be dying.

“Oh don't worry about them,” Bellatrix cooed. “I want them to watch me work on you first. You know what they say about education, example makes the best instructor.”

Hermione's eyes flickered over to the barely out of reach wand again as she tried to will it to come to her.

“Crucio!” Bellatrix shrieked gleefully.

Horrible socket wrenching, joint popping, nerve-searing pain tore through Hermione's body. It was the most awful Cruciatus Curse that she had ever endured.

“It's bad isn't it,” Bellatrix said softly as she continued to twist the wand. “I told you that I'm no ordinary avatar. Even Lord Voldemort himself acknowledges my superior mastery of the Cruciatus Curse.”

Hermione tried to writhe in agony, but the ice didn't even allow her that much respite.

“Crucio!” Bellatrix called out again as the first curse began to wear off.

“Uhh…gaah,” Hermione choked out, unwilling to scream.

“Crucio!”

Several of the younger children began to cry and the professors looked away from what was happening.

“Crucio!”

Hermione felt blood began to gush out of her nose and eyes as the pain began to translate into real physical damage.

“Crucio!”

With great effort Hermione kept the pain from crossing through her link with Harry. No matter how much it hurt, she could never forgive herself if her ordeal distracted Harry at the wrong time.

“Crucio!”

Hermione saw images flash through her head. No pleasant memories of her life like people always claimed happened when one was about to die, but ghastly images of the war.

“Ginny,” Hermione moaned as she saw her friend's lifeless body impaled on Barg's spiky shield.

“The mind is starting to go so soon?” Bellatrix asked as she continued to chuckle to herself. “Crucio!”

Hermione felt her extremities tingle as her nerves began to overload from the pain. The Cruciatus Curse prevented the victim from becoming unconscious when used properly, but there was only so much someone's physical form could endure. Hermione blinked her blood filled eyes and saw the fuzzy outline of a rat sniffing around her wand.

“Crucio!”

The rat latched onto the wand with its strong mouth and pushed the handle into Hermione's hand. Hermione's eyes came into focus sharply and her brain suddenly registered something shocking through the haze of pain. One of the rat's paws was silver.

With a scream of pure agony as she reached into her magic Hermione blew Bellatrix off of her in a ball of flame. Her rage fueled wave after wave of fire that turned all the ice in the passageway into steam. Hermione waved her wand and banished the steam to completely correct her previous mistake.

“Superb,” Bellatrix said sarcastically as she stood back up from Hermione's attack. “No one has ever escaped me after I started working on them.”

“No one's perfect,” Hermione replied, her voice filled with naked rage.

“What do you expect to do now?” Bellatrix asked. “You're barely standing anymore as it is.”

“You know me,” Hermione said as she dug into her hat. With one quick motion she downed the contents of a tiny vial. “I'm full of cheating muggle tactics.”

Everyone watched in awe as Hermione's power transformed itself before them. Back in the time chamber the shock of using the powerful magic enhancing potion had nearly knocked them out from the overload. Had they been depending on the potion for an advantage in a fight they would have probably been killed. Hermione considered that it was fortunate that they were forced to take the potion then so they would be able to control their reaction to it now. Her cloak and bushy hair billowed out violently from the reaction as her ambient magic levels swelled.

“Well now,” Bellatrix said smoothly. “Considering how I got much of my power…that's not as much of a cheat as you might imagine.”

“What are you talking about?” Hermione asked sharply.

“I'll never tell,” Bellatrix said impishly. Her expression twisted with rage as she sent forth a hail of golden sparks. Hermione had been preparing for another elemental assault and barely had time to accelerate out of the way. Reflexively she looked over her shoulder and saw to her horror that several students had been caught up in the attack.

Flitwick charged forward. “We don't exist,” he yelled as loudly as he could. “Nothing exists except her.”

Hermione swallowed and blinked back tears as she whirled around to face her enemy. Her body was still numb from the torturous effects of the Cruciatus Curse, but with her magic bolstered by the potion she felt much relieved.

“How you must hate me for that,” Bellatrix said tauntingly. “I can see it in your eyes, just like when I killed Potter's godfather. Will you try to return the favor like I just did to you?”

Hermione twisted her wand and a dozen beams of pure white light descended on Bellatrix from all directions. However, instead of piercing her, the beams were caught up in black shadows that emanated from Bellatrix's body. The shadows enveloped the light and then arched out across the distance between them to attack Hermione. Hundreds of tiny flaming darts erupted from Hermione's wand in an attempt to beat back the shadowy attack. Despite months of research into the blackest of the Dark Arts Bellatrix's attack was still unknown to Hermione.

“You look surprised,” Bellatrix said happily. “You should be. The Dark Lord created this spell personally as a counter to your annoying light manipulation tactic.”

“What is this stuff?” Hermione muttered to herself as she used wand propulsion to leap away from the onslaught of dark material.

“I was afraid you would figure out how to counter this spell,” Bellatrix said conversationally. “Its really quite simple.”

“There's nothing simple about dark magic of this level,” Hermione snarled back.

“You are clever,” Bellatrix congratulated.

Hermione choked back her response and tried to concentrate on countering the dark blob before it caught up with her. She had already tried the counter to the soul drainer curse, which was the only spell she knew of that even remotely resembled this nightmarish attack. In desperation Hermione twisted her wand again and summoned more beams of bright light.

“I told you, this won't work,” Bellatrix said as she summoned another group of inky black shadows to counter the light spell. There was a sickening squelching noise punctuated by cracking bones as the metal rods hidden within the light spell drove effortlessly through the incorporeal shadows and skewered her body.

Bellatrix coughed up blood, but she still managed to flick her wand and banish the metal spikes impaling her. “I…never would have guessed,” she said weakly. “You didn't counter my spell though.”

“I countered you,” Hermione replied.

“I guess you did,” Bellatrix said wistfully. Some of her wounds stopped gushing fluid as she clamped down on her wand, but she looked very pale and weak.

Hermione flicked her wand and caused the ground to erupt around Bellatrix. The entire passage quaked from the force of he upheaval so much that Hermione feared for a moment that she might have brought the entire place down on them after all. She didn't have time to ponder on it as Bellatrix started exchanging curses again.

Hermione felt her shield throb slightly with every attack, but decreasingly so. Bellatrix was rapidly tiring in what had become an extended war of attrition between the two witches. Hermione brandished her wand boldly; each sharp breaker curse throwing sparks off of the barrier shield that Bellatrix had erected around herself. The shield cracked and Hermione braced herself for the hail of magical shards that inevitably followed.

Hermione raised a barrier shield of her own just as the tale tell cracks in Bellatrix's defenses gave away what was coming next. With a wave of her hand the shield shattered and the jagged shrapnel it produced was sent flying down the passage. Hermione gasped as she realized that she was not the intended target. Screams erupted from behind her as the students were struck by everything that the professors could not manage to block in time.

“This is between us,” Hermione yelled futilely. “Leave the children out of it.”

Bellatrix was breathing heavily. “I know I can't win anymore,” she said.

“Then surrender,” Hermione said forcefully.

“If I surrender you'll just go help Potter,” Bellatrix replied. “Besides, I was sent here to do a job. Even if I can't win I can still finish the task my Master entrusted to me.”

“But some of those kids are on your side,” Hermione said pleadingly. “Draco is in there.”

“What is it that the muggle armies call it?” Bellatrix asked softly as she swayed drunkenly on her feet. “Collateral damage.”

Bellatrix moved her wand in a circular motion that wedded fire to air in a massive attack that Hermione would not have believed one so injured as her to be capable of. If she succeeded casting a firestorm that big everyone in the passage, except for Hermione and maybe some of the professors, would be reduced to ash. Hermione twisted her wand for a third time and this time the beams of light connected with Bellatrix. Her face twisted in agony, steam poured off of where the light penetrated her, but still she cast her spell.

Hermione wanted to scream as she threw herself between the students and the oncoming inferno. Fire was her element, it was what she knew, if anyone could stop it Hermione knew it must be her. She threw out another series of wards, but there was no time to set them up properly. Though they might hold back some of the flame it was up to Hermione to nullify the rest. She conjured a great watery shield that she knew with her power still probably wouldn't be enough.

The passageway erupted with steam for a second time within the span of a few minutes. Bellatrix staggered in place as she attempted to mount a new series of attacks just in case Hermione had managed to foil her last attack. She grinned ruefully as she saw the mass of vaporized water that she no longer had the power to flash freeze.

A hail of small silver disks erupted from the cloud a split second before Hermione swept the air clean. She had no way of knowing that Bellatrix was unable to repeat her earlier trick. Hermione's left arm was already welling up with great blisters from the scalding she had suffered in order to stop the firestorm. Bellatrix jerked repeatedly as the silver disks tore through her battered form. Still, somehow, impossibly, she lived on.

“I guess I only have one more thing I can do,” Bellatrix said in a raspy voice. She pointed her wand straight up and launched a battering charm. The spell slammed into the unstable ceiling, which caused the Chamber to shake in protest. She started to cast another one as Hermione accelerated to stop her. Even with no armor on Hermione's fist still sent the dying witch sprawling.

Hermione kicked her wand away and intended to stun her when Bellatrix suddenly went rigid. Hermione jerked back from here to avoid breathing in the harmful toxins as green smoke poured out of her mouth.

“Don't worry little one,” she whispered to Hermione as she died. “This is only for the moment.”

Hermione decided that she must have still gotten a whiff of whatever poison Bellatrix had used on herself because when she came to a few seconds later she was already swarmed by the professors.

“Are you all right Miss Granger?” Flitwick squeaked again. His tone suggested that he had previously asked that same question several times.

“Y-yeah,” Hermione said weakly. She reached into her hat and pulled out a full range of restorative potions.

“This place seems unstable,” Professor Sprout said. “Shall we start moving the children out?”

“Move them where?” Hermione asked tersely as she downed potions. “Death Eaters are still running the halls, Voldemort…I have to go now.”

“You're hardly in any condition,” Madam Prince said with a motherly tone.

“I've been far worse than this,” Hermione said as she stood up quickly, her grip tightening on her wand just noticeably. “Harry needs me now.”

No one moved to stop her as she jogged over to the opening and used wand propulsion to make the journey back out. She was almost winded by the time she got to the top despite having her magic do most of the work. As much as Hermione wished to use the acceleration charm she would be in no shape to help Harry if she got ambushed by an avatar along the way. Hermione realized belatedly that her eyepiece had fallen off or been destroyed at some point during her fight with Bellatrix. After looking both ways down the hall outside Myrtle's bathroom the old fashion way she jogged off back toward the third floor enchanted staircases where she had left Dumbledore and McGonagall.

She had not gone very far when she heard the sound of spells being exchanged. A quick look around the corner revealed three Death Eaters who appeared to be on the losing end of a conventional wizard duel. Her first stunner knocked out the tallest wizard, but the other two were more difficult to subdue.

Hermione dodged a beam of green light and responded with two of her own. She stepped over the bodies and levitated the unconscious Death Eater behind her after wrapping him up with some conjured rope. As she walked toward the other side she saw Lisa Turpin's body laying prone, her eyes staring lifelessly into the distance, and felt her heart skip a beat painfully.

“I told her to go this way,” Hermione thought to herself regretfully.

“Hermione,” Ron called out. “We were trying to get to you when we were ambushed by these guys.”

“What about Harry?” Hermione asked.

“Can't you just do your mind thing?” Ron asked.

“We cut our connection off to avoid distracting each other accidentally,” Hermione replied. The last thing either of them needed was traumatic feelings from the other. “Update me as we go, Harry may need me.”

“Right,” Ron said. Luna fell in on the other side along with the other survivors. “I haven't been able to check the Marauder's Map in a while.

“Check it now,” Hermione exclaimed. “Hurry, I need to know if I can use an acceleration charm or not.”

Ron fumbled around as he hurriedly spread the map out on the ground and activated it. Hermione's eyes flittered back and forth with the crisp concentration that she had honed during years of studying. Some of the closest passages had activity in them, but her keen mind found and memorized a more twisting route that had the virtue of being unobstructed.

“Find some way to evacuate the children. If Harry and I don't survive you're on your own,” Hermione said emotionlessly. She flickered away under the effects of the acceleration charm leaving her friends standing there feeling more alone and depressed than they had ever felt before.

-->

Chapter 22 - Fighting Fire With Fire

Harry focused his attention on the serpent featured man before him as Hermione sprang nimbly away to chase after Bellatrix. Voldemort had returned to the ground floor with a look of supreme confidence on his face.

“Tell me, how did you manage to escape from the time chamber?” Voldemort asked politely.

“It was simple really,” Harry replied. Nothing about the searing pain of the magic enhancing potion or the terror filled minutes when they thought they might not escape in time had been simple. “We knocked a hole in the side of it with a killing curse.”

Voldemort chuckled, but his eyes glinted dangerously. “So Severus was right after all,” he said lightly. “Do you know what he said about you Harry? He told me that you had transformed yourself into someone that even I couldn't safely ignore. I guess he was right.”

“What about it,” Harry replied warily.

“I knew you were impressive all those years ago when you retrieved the Sorcerer's Stone,” Voldemort continued conversationally. “You are indeed someone worthy of my respect. Join me and together nothing will be withheld from us. No secret of magic will be too great for us to unravel.”

“How cliché,” Harry replied dryly. “You know I'll never join you. You've tried to kill me, how many times now? You tried to kill me a few seconds after you returned from the dead, or don't you remember?”

“Don't be so hasty,” Voldemort said. “Things have changed since then. Now we know about the prophecy and all that it entails. We've been offered immortality. Don't tell me that doesn't strike your fancy.”

“No, it doesn't,” Harry said coldly.

“I see,” Voldemort said. “You're above that, right? Like a good little soldier of Dumbledore.”

“How could I live forever?” Harry asked hotly. “I have friends and family; living on without them would be nothing but eternal torture!”

“Together we could change all of that,” Voldemort said boldly. “I've watched you and your little girlfriend from afar for some time now. We can unlock the secrets of life and death; everyone who has died in this war can be restored. Sirius Black, even your parents, if only you'll join me…”

“You're lying,” Harry bit out angrily. “And even if you weren't, you can't mess with the natural order like that, no one can.”

“We're wizards Harry,” Voldemort said laughingly. “We create something out of nothing and then banish something back to nothingness. We defy the laws of the universe, as the muggles perceive them, with impunity. Life, death, they're only two more variables in an arithmancy formula.”

Harry thought he was over his parent's death, but being confronted with the possibility of their restoration caused his heart to beat a little faster. He thought of everyone else who had died: Hagrid, Ginny, Neville, and even Moody. Then he remembered what Luna had told him in the Department of Mysteries. They were all waiting for him, just on the other side of the veil. What if their existence was far happier now than it would be if he brought them back? What would Hermione say?

“I refuse,” Harry said stoically.

“Of course, you would never do something for your own selfish gain. It's so difficult for a Slytherin like myself to gauge Gryffindor nobility.” Voldemort said. He changed track seamlessly. “Then do it for the good of the world. Think of all the children who die young, of all the spouses who leave widows, of all the parents who leave orphans…”

“Like my parents?” Harry asked, his voice cold again.

“Perhaps you're right Harry,” Voldemort said in a conciliatory tone as he shifted again, his voice weaving a new line of thought like an elegant tapestry. “Perhaps the natural order shouldn't be overturned so easily. I would leave that to you to decide, of course. Let the old die naturally, but spare the young. Think of it as the ultimate healing. We extend people's lives unnaturally all the time with magic, muggles do it with medicine, so why not perfect this technique.”

“So they could have long healthy lives under your dark rule?” Harry retorted.

Voldemort looked up to where Dumbledore was standing and indicated him with a nod of his head. “Did you ever wonder why your Headmaster placed you where he did as you were growing up?”

“To protect me from you,” Harry said uneasily. He suddenly had the feeling that maybe he shouldn't be listening to what Voldemort had to say. The man had killed his parents and thrown the world of magic into war. What more was there to know?

“Perhaps, partially,” Voldemort conceded. “However, why would he alienate you from the very world that he knew only you could defend? He denied you a great deal of knowledge about how the magical world works, about the very lives of the people whose champion you would become.”

Harry looked up at Dumbledore as if expecting him to shout out his response.

Voldemort continued. “I mean, whoever heard of a world's savior being someone who was completely unattached to that world…unless they were being manipulated into saving a world that they might not want to if left to make their own decisions.”

“That's not true,” Harry retorted fiercely. “I'm not here on anyone's errand but my own!”

“Don't tell me that Dumbledore has always been honest with you my boy. Voldemort always smells the lie,” Voldemort replied in a coarse whispering hiss. Harry's eyes found themselves focused unwillingly on Voldemort's visage. A faint buzzing in the back of his skull went unnoticed.

Harry tried to focus, but images kept popping into his mind unbidden. Hermione begging him to make Dumbledore come clean. Dumbledore telling him about the prophecy that he had kept secret for years. Dumbledore going behind his back to the Ministry with the prophecy and nearly getting him killed.

Voldemort was walking around Harry in slow circles now, like a buzzard circling a dying animal. “The real truth is that the world of magic is rotting from the inside out. I'm not just one crazed individual, I'm the product of a movement, a wave of indignation over the breakdown of our ancient society.” Voldemort whispered rapidly. His slit like eyes opened widely, the crimson red orbs boring into Harry's green gaze.

“You want to oppress the muggle born,” Harry said weakly.

“So you've been told. Curiously convenient then, that for all purposes you yourself are a muggle born,” Voldemort said. “Muggle born out number the rest of the magical world by at least two to one. Of that one only a small fraction is true pureblood, the others are mixed, like you and I, or else descended from the recent muggle born. How can so few oppress so many? It is we who are being repressed.”

Voldemort pointed a finger towards Dumbledore. “You were supposed to stay with your muggle relatives for your own protection right? Why then did he, the great all knowing Dumbledore, always manage to allow you to escape to the Weasley's every summer? Why them, the greatest family of blood traitors in the whole of wizarding England.” Voldemort asked, shouting now, like an advocate hammering down the final nail in his case. Harry gazed into Voldemort's eyes and began to feel a little distant, like he wasn't quite attached to his body anymore.

“That's right,” Harry thought to himself. “Why the Weasleys? If I needed protection from Voldemort then shouldn't Dumbledore have kept me at the Dursleys all summer? The magical protection doesn't work anywhere else except in proximity to them.”

“And then, to secure your loyalty to the muggles forever, he carefully maneuvered a mudblood as your other friend, he made you love her, but it was all a lie!” Voldemort screamed.

Harry's scar erupted in pain and his mind rebelled. His nearly seven years with Hermione came flooding back to him in a rush of emotion. With a snap his perception was fully inside his body once more.

“That's enough!” Harry yelled in rage. He realized his eyes were wet as he refocused on Voldemort. The evil wizard back peddled as Harry fired an unfocused blast of magic toward him.

“Your mind is strong after all,” Voldemort hissed.

“I'll make you pay for that,” Harry promised solemnly.

“You may have resisted my persuasion, but you're hardly in any position to make threats to me,” Voldemort replied condescendingly. “I defeated your teacher without even the slightest effort. What can you hope to do?”

“Dumbledore was your teacher too!” Harry exclaimed as he shot out a beam of purple light. The light blossomed outward into dozens of individual attacks and converged on Voldemort from a multitude of frontal directions. Voldemort flicked his wand in response and conjured up an equal number of tiny yellowish looking birds. The birds swooped down into the path of the oncoming attacks and exploded on impact to nullify Harry's effort.

“Dumbledore was hardly my teacher,” Voldemort retorted. “He teaches you how to scrub the floors and brew up sleeping draughts. A real wizard teaches himself!”

Harry sunk to his hip in quicksand as the floor changed beneath him, then when he tried to pull himself free the quicksand changed back into stone trapping him in place. He punched the stone with his armored hand, but didn't even succeed in cracking the surface.

“You're still pathetic boy!” Voldemort howled as he unleashed a series of curses. “You couldn't defeat me if you had a thousand years to prepare, let alone seven!”

Harry summoned a cornea shield, so named for its transparency and shape, to protect him while he tried to extract himself from the floor. Finally he found a hex that worked on the stone, which was strangely resistant to magic, and pulled free. It was all he could do to huddle behind his armor's shield as killing curses whizzed by him at a quicker pace than he had ever seen anyone cast the difficult spell.

Harry twisted his wand and a dozen spears of bright light appeared to skewer Voldemort. However, before they could hit shadows seemed to erupt from the dark wizard's form. The light attacks were stopped and consumed by the shadows before they could get close to Voldemort. The shadows congealed together and reached out like a giant hand to swallow Harry up. His grip tightened on his wand as he sprang away from the fearsome looking spell.

“Its already over,” Voldemort proclaimed. “I knew you would use that ridiculous spell again so I created a perfect counter to it.”

Harry fired a stream of lightening at the shadow, but the energy passed through it harmlessly.

“There is no counter spell, no time limit,” Voldemort continued. “Once you used the light spell you had no chance.”

Voldemort's words sparked Harry's interest. The use of the light spell was apparently a prerequisite for the activation of this shadow counter. Harry groaned as he leaped away from the shadow, which was gaining on him at a steady rate. If only Hermione were here, she'd think of a way. He wished, and not for the first time, that he had taken arithmancy.

“If I can't stop it, I'll just stop you!” Harry yelled as he charged directly for Voldemort. At the last second he used an acceleration charm, intending to punch him with his armored arm. Instead he simply went whizzing past the grinning snake-like wizard. Voldemort had dodged the acceleration charm!

Harry focused on Voldemort as he ran along, concentrating on him, trying to think of some way to stop him before the shadow caught him and did something Harry was sure he didn't want to know about.

“How do I stop it?” Harry thought desperately.

The black substance split in two and tried to corner him.

“Voldemort has to be the key, the light, something about the light,” Harry thought. His eyes met Voldemort's.

“Wait, he lied,” Harry though as images flooded his mind. Voldemort screamed and Harry felt like his skull was going to split in half as the dark wizard repulsed the accidental intrusion.

Harry's hand seemed to move of its own accord as he rapidly drew a magical seal in flaming green script on the floor in front of him. The shadow touched the seal as it loomed over Harry and was sucked into it.

“You dare try to use legimency on me?” Voldemort raged.

“You tried to…to…hypnotize me or something,” Harry retorted indignantly. “You bloody lied to me about the nature of that enchantment too.”

Voldemort stalked toward Harry with an air of disdain and Harry found himself wondering what kind of demented personality led someone who was trying to kill another person to get upset over something like that.

“I've tried to save you twice now,” Voldemort said sinisterly. “First I tried to allow you to join me, but you refused. Just now I tried to be merciful and kill you, but you refused that as well. The third fate, well, you can't refuse anymore.”

“Oh, is that so?” Harry replied dryly. “Don't you have anymore tales about how you're being oppressed or how I need to join you for the good of the world?”

Voldemort's lips curled in a smile as he delivered his own private joke. “I have nothing more to say to you.”

Harry hastily conjured his shield to absorb the hammer blows of some kind of bright crimson colored spell that he had never seen before. He had only blocked two of the beams when he realized that he was starting to bleed from random wounds. With great effort he dodged the next casting and erected a barrier shield charm. It absorbed the next shots and fortunately no physical damage was transferred to his body.

Before he could retaliate Voldemort had switched to some kind of bluish colored attack that took the form of a misshapen blob. He threw up his armor's shield to protect himself as the spell passed through his barrier shield as if it didn't exist. The blob didn't do any damage to his armor, but instead started to spread over it. Harry thrust off the metallic protection and jumped away from it just before the attack covered the entire surface of the armor. Had he not acted as quickly as he did it would have consumed him too.

Harry crouched on the ground and took out one of his spare pieces of armor. Voldemort was using magic and tactics that he had never before conceived of. Harry wondered idly if he had created these spells himself or merely gained access to a source of knowledge that was incredibly rare.

Voldemort fired off another round of bluish blobs, but Harry was ready for them. Black lightening turned the gelatinous spells into a handful of charred fine powder. Harry poured out more black lightening, but Voldemort countered it with regular lightening. Negative and positive energies cancelled each other out in a spectacular, but harmless, light show.

Shimmering silver projectiles filled the air, but unlike other attacks, which generally came in waves this attack came in a swarm. Voldemort was taking ordinary spells and supercharging them to the point where their very nature was altered in fundamental ways. Harry extended his armor's shield to its maximum coverage and used intense fire to wipe out as many of the twirling blades as he could, but he still felt them tearing into his clothes and even his flesh. Thus he was caught completely off guard when a giant ball of fire engulfed him.

A giant, jet black metallic cage slammed down on him from no where. Voldemort charged it with lightening, which jumped and tried to shock Harry. Unknown to Voldemort, Harry's wand had been treated by Hermione to protect him from lightening and so he was only slightly affected. Still, Harry felt his power draining from the constant barrage of unfamiliar and exceptional powerful attacks.

Far above, out of his line of sight, McGonagall looked like she was ready to leap down to his aid. Only a wizened hand from an elderly Headmaster held her back.

Voldemort approached the cage expecting for Harry to be at least unconscious. He smirked as he contemplated that he would be able to finish the ritual and become immortal after all.

“Foolish boy, you really should have spent your eternity in that time chamber with your mudblood instead of coming this far just to die,” Voldemort said softly. Voldemort stopped his approach abruptly and raised his wand. His eyes widened with surprise as the cage melted violently to reveal Harry standing firmly.

“You're not the only one with tricks,” Harry said coolly. He tossed aside a tiny vial that had contained his second dose of magic enhancement potion.

“For a mudblood Granger really is-“ Voldemort cut off as Harry's armored fist buried itself in his gut. Harry spun around with the momentum of his acceleration charm and slammed Voldemort in the side of the head sending him flying onto his back.

Voldemort scrambled to his feet in time to escape the killing curse that Harry had cast at him. For the first time something approaching fear touched his inhuman features. Harry recast his shield charm and Voldemort followed suit. Instinctually Harry realized that the dark wizard was done playing.

“I take it back,” Voldemort said as he blocked an evisceration curse. “You're nothing like Dumbledore.”

Harry remained silent; instead giving his reply in the form of another acceleration charm based punch. Voldemort barely got out of the way in time, but he failed to block a second blow when Harry reversed directions and doubled back.

Voldemort chuckled, “And if you're not like Dumbledore then that must make you like me,” he said gleefully.

“Quit trying to mess with my mind. That won't work twice.” Harry replied. “Besides, Dumbledore didn't try to kill you because he knew he couldn't.”

Harry concentrated to call forth all of his power, which under the influence of the enhancement potion was considerable. “Avada Kedavra,” he yelled.

Instead of dodging Voldemort lifted his shield, its silver surface becoming dirty brown, and let the curse hit it. There was a flash of green fire, but the shield held. Harry didn't know how Voldemort had enchanted a shield charm to block the killing curse, though he was sure it had something to do with the color change. The room flashed with soundless lightening as Harry flicked his wand to repeatedly cast the breaker curse.

Voldemort tried to put Harry back on the defense by casting a variety of curses, but Harry just let his shield absorb them. The combination of his shield charm with the metallic shield of his armor made him immune to almost every spell type. Now that Harry had seen Voldemort's surprise spells, especially the unnamed bluish blob, he also knew which ones to dodge.

Harry felt fear radiating off Voldemort as he closed the distance between himself and the reptilian wizard. Voldemort's shield, which upon closer inspection appeared to contain a mixture of dirt and stone in addition to the mystical component, was severely degraded and Harry was making sure to give him no opportunity to replenish it. Voldemort twisted as Harry got closer in an effort to keep the battered remains of his shield between himself and the young wizard. Harry saw one of the cracks that ran vertically through the entire shield widen and saw his opportunity.

An altered battering charm slammed down on Voldemort from above like a huge invisible fist. He dropped his shield and went to his knees just in time for Harry's real fist to connect with his jaw. Voldemort's grip loosened on his wand and his mouth opened in a soundless scream as he heard the dreaded words.

“Avada Kedavra!”

A thick beam of green death flashed through the air at point blank range and struck Voldemort square in the chest, just over his heart, as he fell. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he stood there, the weight of what had happened settling onto him along with the magnitude of his victory. It was over. The monster that had taken so much from him, taken so much from so many people, was finally defeated.

Harry closed his eyes as he turned to walk away. He was free of the prophecy, free of the pressing responsibility and duty that had haunted him ever since he learned of his destiny. His eyes flew open as he remembered Hermione. She might need his help.

A low noise reached his ears. A bubbling up of eerie laughter from directly behind him caused his insides to freeze and his heart to catch. He whirled around, his glasses askew, and beheld an impossible sight. Voldemort was sitting up, a look of sheer rapture radiating off of his pale nightmarish face. Three stories up Dumbledore caught McGonagall's limp form and laid her gently down on the floor before turning again to the scene below.

“You should look surprised,” Voldemort said smugly. “Even I wasn't sure that this would work. I certainly never intended to test it against the prophecy.”

Harry recast his shield and backed away slowly as Voldemort began to advance on him. His mind was racing, attempting to think of something, but the only thing he could do was relive the moment when the killing curse slammed ineffectively into Voldemort over and over again.

“Actually, you shouldn't be that surprised,” Voldemort continued. “After all, we both survived Avada Kedavra before, you more than me though.”

Voldemort raised his wand and a tiny purple whirlwind emerged from the tip as he charged up a spell. Harry winced and braced himself for the onslaught, his morale very nearly demolished by Voldemort's seeming invincibility. An immense weight of failure settled down on him.

“Harry!” a shrill voice called out as a thin tendril of fire wrapped around Voldemort's torso and sent him sprawling away.

“H-H-Her-my-onee?” Harry asked dimly. Her slight form touched down lightly right in front of him.

“Snap out of it Harry,” Hermione said, her stern voice reverberating through his head.

“Hermione, you've got to get out of here,” Harry said frantically. “You've got to get everyone out of here. He just took a Killing Curse and got up like it was nothing.”

“I know Harry, I got here in time to see it,” Hermione replied.

“Then you've got to get everyone to safety,” Harry insisted.

“And where is safety?” Hermione asked. She bent down and offered him her hand, all the while keeping an eye on Voldemort. The dark wizard didn't seem to be in any hurry now.

“Look, I don' t know how he stopped Avada Kedavra,” Hermione said, “But I do know that the prophecy says you can beat him. You've got to try again, and again if necessary, but there's no stopping now. I'm here, I'll help you think of something.”

Harry took a deep breath and accepted her hand as he rose to his feet. Voldemort was back standing as well, his tattered cloak fluttering idly from his ambient magic. Harry and Hermione stood side by side, filled with rage and hatred for the monster that had taken the name of Voldemort. Hermione sent a series of images to Harry's mind and with a movement quicker than they eye they took action. Voldemort caught Harry's first blow, but it succeeded in pinning him to one position.

“Avada Kedavra!”

Two beams of viscous green energy slammed into the dark wizard, but he didn't even flinch. Instead he cast some kind of spell that translated its effects through energy pulses. The two teens were pushed backwards as if they had been caught in a maelstrom. As they flew back they pushed off of each other and used wand propulsion to fling themselves in opposite directions. A hail of silver disks and fiery darts intersected on Voldemort's location, but the projectiles passed through his body like a stone passing through water. Not a cut or scorch mark was left from what should have been lethal attacks.

Voldemort wasn't even trying to evade their assault anymore as everything from earthen spikes to eviscerating curses was thrown at him. The place on which he was standing had been reduced to a rubble filled crater in short order by the intensity of his foes' attacks.

“Distract him Harry,” Hermione said suddenly. Harry cast a giant crystal ball with a vibrant blue hue that was in fact a dense form of corporeal lightening. Sweat stood out on his forehead while he directed the blast that should have been enough to take out a small army of wizards and instead directed it onto a single man. Voldemort spread his arms defiantly and let the monstrosity hit unobstructed. As he was momentarily obscured by the energy of the spell Hermione reached into her hat, pulled out a vial of petrifaction potion, and hurled it toward him desperately.

There was an explosion followed by an outward rush of air that nearly blew the two teens down. The light from Harry's spell died out abruptly and Voldemort came back into focus. In mid air only a few inches away from him the vial Hermione had thrown was floating harmlessly.

“I commend you on a tactic that might actually have worked,” Voldemort said, still with a supremely smug tone. “But now those hats have got to go.”

Voldemort's wand sprouted rigid fiery spikes that pierced through Harry and Hermione's hats. There was a bright flare as the magically enhanced objects were burned to fine ash in a flash. Hermione's light bushy hair also started to burn, but she quickly extinguished it before it could get out of hand. Voldemort hadn't intended for the attack to do anything beyond denying them the use of their hats anyway.

“You are not invincible,” Hermione proclaimed coldly, her hair still smoking. “Avada Kedavra!”

Voldemort raised his hand and the flash of green light was rebounded onto her. Hermione was barely able to absorb the shot on the palm of her armored arm in time. Harry accelerated to Hermione's side and regarded Voldemort cautiously. If he could rebound the killing curse then that meant whatever power he had gained might be related to the power that had saved Harry when he was just a baby.

“How is that possible? No one died for Voldemort out of love,” Hermione said, apparently following the same line of thought as Harry had. The disgust and loathing that she had for Voldemort was apparent in her tone.

“A wizard with enough magic can survive the killing curse,” Harry said darkly. “That's it, isn't it Voldemort.”

“Close, but not quite,” Voldemort replied laughingly. “No amount of magical power can survive a killing curse. Huge amounts of magical power can make one's physical body survive through conditions that would normally kill it, but the killing curse requires the life force of its victim each and every time.”

“Then how?” Hermione asked. “How can your body survive these physical attacks and the killing curse over and over again?”

“It's simple really,” Voldemort replied. “I have both the life force and the magical power of over ten thousand wizards coursing through my being!”

Harry felt revulsion and shock course through his mind from across the link. He knew that he must have been sending similar feelings to Hermione as well based on her reaction. Their anger swelled as one as they imaged all the people whose lives had been snuffed out meaninglessly in the service of Voldemort's ambitions.

“Don't look at me that way,” Voldemort said humorously. “It is, after all, your fault Miss Granger that I was forced to go to such lengths. When you saved Harry from my ritual last year and robbed me of the power that the prophecy would have afforded me I had to look elsewhere for the strength I needed.”

“So you absorbed the lives of other wizards?” Hermione said. “But how? A holocaust of that magnitude, even if you went abroad for them, we would have known.”

“Oh yes, I agree, finding enough suitable wizards would have been most impossible.” Voldemort replied. “How fortunate for me it was that one of my faithful followers brought a new potion to my attention.”

“The magic enhancement potion,” Hermione breathed. Suddenly things were beginning to make sense to her. Harry's unnatural increase in raw power following his coming of age…it was all due to Voldemort's power continuing to seep across their mental connection. As Voldemort absorbed more power Harry also got some small fraction of it. “You used muggles!”

“Clever girl, you got it on the first try. There are countless numbers of muggles who live as outcasts in their societies. No one noticed or cared as they vanished.” Voldemort hissed sinisterly. “Although artificial muggle magic is a poor substitute for wizardly magic, you know what they say about desperate times. I was fearful that the prophecy would single out my life force for destruction should Harry manage to land a killing blow, but as we've seen that isn't the case.”

“You still aren't invincible,” Hermione said in an enraged but determined voice. “Ten thousand or ten million, you will eventually die.”

“It's close enough for now,” Voldemort replied. “After I crush the two of you I will absorb Potter and complete my original plan. If he lives that is. If not, well, there are many paths to immortality. I shall just have to seek out another one.”

“Come on Hermione,” Harry said. “Like you said, he isn't invincible. If we don't attack with Avada Kedavra then at least he can't rebound it onto us.”

“Right,” Hermione said optimistically, “Even if it takes ten thousand deaths, we can wear him out. It's our only shot.”

Dumbledore sat down heavily on the edge overlooking the battle below and ran a hand gently over McGonagall's, who was still unconscious. Now that he had heard the full depth of what Voldemort had done he felt something welling up inside him that he had never really felt before…despair. He took out Fawkes' phoenix egg and looked at it sadly.

Below him, through the gloom that was Hogwarts' during the night, he saw the three combatants aglow with the power of their magic. Their spells lit up the castle as far as the eye could see like flashes of multicolored lightening. Even though Voldemort was fighting seriously again Dumbledore could pick out various spells connecting to him. Harry and Hermione were the strongest duo that Dumbledore had ever witnessed battle except possibly for himself…and Abigail…during their youth.

He would trust in them, Dumbledore decided at last. They who had the most to lose had not yet given up. They who would do all that was in their power to prevent its loss. If they, who were most affected, could still hold out hope then it was the least that he, an old man nearing the end of his days, could do to believe in them.

“Harry, follow my lead,” Hermione said as she cast a long thin rope of corporeal fire. She transferred it from her wand to her armored hand and then cast another long strand that she left attached to her wand. The two whips lashed out and sliced through Voldemort in two different locations that would, on any regular person, have left his torso in three segments.

Harry did the same and suddenly there were four fiery lashes reaching out, attempting to drain as much power and life force from Voldemort as possible. Harry scowled as Voldemort caught one of his whips in his hand and did something to nullify it. The fire died and the entire strand crumbled away as it turned to ash. Hermione took the opportunity to run her whips through him again, but then he was dodging once more.

Harry was about to conjure a replacement for the whip Voldemort had destroyed when he felt the thickness of his other whip change unexpectedly. A quick fire spell turned the huge snake to ash, then two more for Hermione, who had been caught off guard by the nasty creatures. Before they could begin to create another attack an invisible force slammed into them, knocking the air from their lungs and causing them to double over in pain.

Hermione licked her lips deviously as Voldemort prepared some kind of yellow spell that Harry didn't recognized. As soon as he cast it Hermione leapt in front of it and pointed her wand, the brother wand to Voldemort's wand, in front of the spell and cast a simple curse. Phoenix song erupted and the dark chamber lit up with golden light as the priori incantatem effect took hold. Voldemort's wand began to slowly leak out phantom versions of the spells he had previously cast. Harry didn't know if having his wand incapacitated would help or not, but now that they had him trapped he would certainly try to take full advantage of it.

Harry unleashed everything he had, every hex, every curse, anything that he thought might stop him. Nothing did. Hermione's feet had left the ground and her wand was vibrating horribly, but she was still trying to hold on. There was a bright orange umbrella unfolding from Voldemort's wand. It began to rotate slowly, interfering with the golden strands, severing them one at a time. The phoenix song abruptly cut out and the effect was nullified.

“Fool me twice,” Voldemort muttered as he slashed at Harry with a long bluish whip that attempted to coil around him. Harry wrapped another conjured rope of fire around it and the two spells cancelled each other out.

Hermione used the distraction to point her wand at the sky as she made a strange motion that Harry had only seen a very few times before. The spell that had been torturing them eased up instantly as Voldemort pointed his wand to the sky. There was a deafening explosion from high above the castle and the entire structure quaked violently as a massive shock wave impacted. The sound of breaking, straining stone could be heard throughout the ancient structure and dust poured down from the ceiling as cracks opened up.

“Enough,” Voldemort roared as he fired a battering charm at Hermione. Harry stepped in front of it, but that only succeeded in having both of them flattened against the wall. Voldemort pointed his wand up again and a second deafening explosion followed by an intense shock wave rocked the school.

“I rather like this castle,” Voldemort said. “I won't let you destroy it.”

“Meteors,” Hermione said weakly. Harry surmised that she must have used the last of her magic to summon such powerful spells.

Voldemort lifted his wand and let loose with a flashy conical shaped purple spell that twisted rapidly like a muggle drill bit. Harry waved his wand weakly and summoned a shield, but it was completely drained by Voldemort's single attack. Again Harry raised a shield and again Voldemort struck it down. Harry felt a tug and the next thing he knew he was skidding painfully across the room. He reached out with his armored hand and stopped his movement in time to see Voldemort standing ominously over Hermione. Harry whipped his wand forward and a breaker curse punctured straight through Voldemort's torso. The dark wizard whirled, Hermione forgotten, and advanced on Harry.

“It's so much fun when they twist on the hook,” Voldemort said as he stepped on Harry's armored arm. Pain shot through it as the metal cracked and broke apart under the magically enhanced pressure.

“Crucio!” Hermione's voice rang out from across the room. Voldemort wailed and staggered away from Harry as the magically induced pain coursed through his body. Harry rolled over and saw Hermione limping toward him, her wand still on Voldemort. He noticed for the first time in all the chaos that her arm was badly burned and she had several other wounds as well, some of which were reopened.

“Crucio!” Hermione yelled again as the effects of her first spell began to wear off. It didn't matter though because Voldemort, who had been surprised by the pain, had already shaken off its effects.

“You do that fairly well mudblood,” Voldemort said. “I'll have to have Bellatrix show you the finer points of the Cruciatus Curse in a while.”

“She already did, before she left us,” Hermione replied with a weak smile.

Voldemort's face twisted in rage as he saw the truth in her eyes. He looked around in bewilderment, as if he was suddenly aware of his lonely surroundings for the first time. “Where are all my followers?” he asked of no one in particular.

“They're gone,” Harry wheezed. He was resisting the urge to go into a coughing fit. “Dead, unconscious, souls drained, who knows, but they're gone. I don't even hear any fighting going on in the rest of the castle anymore.”

“Can't be,” Voldemort said hollowly. He abruptly shook his head and shrugged. “It doesn't matter. I'll find new followers. I won't need followers after this day.”

Harry felt Hermione's hand squeeze tightly around his, her eyes were still smoldering with rage, and together they raised their wands one last time. Hermione's attack was a thick green gas with extreme corrosive effects. Harry's was a strong blast of air that sent it billowing out to encompass Voldemort. The cloud exploded and dispersed outward, dissipating quickly, but not before Harry felt his exposed skin begin to be eaten away.

Harry could feel his senses being overwhelmed by the intense light that unexpectedly began to emanate from Voldemort's wand. A thick clear sheet of crystal spread out from Voldemort's feet and swept over everything in a wide proximity to him, including Harry and Hermione. Harry tried to counter the material with his magic, as did Hermione, but they had finally been exhausted to the point where they were unable to prevent their lower bodies and much of their upper bodies from being covered.

Harry twisted his wand and tried to shatter the material. There was a sharp cracking noise and then a snap, but before he could free himself his wand was wrenched from his grasp. Hermione had drawn some kind of strange symbol in the air in order to attack Voldemort rather than attempt to free herself. A burst of pure white fire unlike any that Harry had ever seen her use before seared through Voldemort. She gritted her teeth and for a moment as she maintained the assault Harry thought that they might be able to break free again. Then Hermione jerked and coughed up blood as Voldemort slammed a super dense burst of air into her.

“Filthy muggle, did you really think that you could trade enough of your life to end mine?” Voldemort growled as he backhanded Hermione across the mouth. As he collected their wands and tossed them aside Harry noticed that his body had healed itself rapidly from the horrific effects of Hermione's assault. “Just for that you get to watch what I'm going to do to Potter.”

Voldemort weaved his wand in a complex patter and the floor glowed brightly around Harry. A great magical seal burned itself into the floor in such a way that Harry standing in the center. Hermione recognized it from the cottage where Voldemort had planned to perform the absorption ritual on Harry nearly a year prior. Her eyes were wet with frustration as she turned her gaze to Harry.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered.

-->

Chapter 23 - The Cursed Scar

Harry locked his gaze on Hermione's tear streaked face, the smell of her burnt hair becoming prominent. He looked up and saw that several people, mostly students, but also some Light Bearers and American wizards, had gathered to watch the fight. Now they were all just standing around in a state of shock, too scared or demoralized to take any action. Some of them had never seen an uninhibited wizard duel, brawl was more like it, and thus their faith in their own ability to affect the outcome was clearly nonexistent.

Harry didn't know how many had heard Voldemort's claims of invincibility, but probably all of them had seen him take Hermione's unorthodox fire spell and survive. Not to mention all the other lethal spells that the Dark Lord had brushed off as if they were mere annoyances.

“Hermione,” Harry said. “I think I'm slightly loose here.”

Voldemort looked up as Harry's crystalline restraints creaked under the strain of his attempted movements. He flashed his wand and a new layer of crystal grew over the busted parts to reinforce them.

A shout of “Avada Kedavra!” echoed throughout the otherwise deathly still chamber. Hermione looked up hopefully expecting to see someone, anyone, coming to their aid. If only they could get free they could continue, they could think of something. Instead the flash of green light ripped through the stone at Harry's feet just narrowly missing him.

“Hurry,” the same voice yelled out. “Kill Potter before the Dark Lord becomes immortal.”

“Wha-a-t?” Hermione said in a high pitched whine, not wanting to believe her ears.

A half dozen deadly curses lanced out from various points all around the dark chamber, but none of them hit. Voldemort levitated huge chunks of broken staircase to absorb the blows and then retaliated against the interlopers with a hail of fine metallic projectiles. The sound of stone chipping and metal ricocheting intensified until Voldemort stopped the attack when he was satisfied that no one else would interfere. He had barely lowered his wand when another round of killing curses and other types of lethal spells jumped out from different locations toward Harry.

“Stop it, Stop it, STOP IT,” Hermione screamed emotionally over the din of yells and enchantments that had filled the still air with a roar of noise. Harry looked at her distraught features with an immense sense of sadness and longing. He could hear Ron shouting threats to anyone else who might try to take a shot at Harry. Despite their efforts it still sounded like their friends and allies were starting to fight amongst each other. Not that Harry could blame them.

“Hermione,” Harry said sadly. “Maybe it would be better if, you know… I don't want Voldemort to live forever.”

“NO,” Hermione said emphatically, “As long as you're alive you have a chance. They're not thinking properly anyway. They can't kill you anymore than they can kill Voldemort. All their spells might accomplish is incapacitating you so that if you do manage to get a chance to finish the prophecy you would be unable to.”

Harry tried to keep from looking up but he could still see the occasional flash of various spells as everyone became more desperate. Instead, he looked at Hermione with a sense of regret and longing. Regret at the life they would never get to have together now, and longing to hold her just one more time before his existence was forever altered by Voldemort. His body felt numb from the cold confining tomb of crystal that he was mostly encased in and his eyes closed wearily.

He felt something warm press up against him and opened his eyes again. “Hermione?” he asked quizzically as bushy hair filled his vision. All around them there was nothing except a blinding white light.

“Harry?” Hermione replied. She also sounded confused. “How did we get here? We're not asleep, or at least I'm not.”

“I don't know, I remember that I wanted to hold you again really badly and then this sorta just happened,” Harry said. They still didn't understand the full extent of their mental bond, which was in many ways still developing.

“I'm glad,” Hermione said softly as she tightened her arms around him in a needy hug. She didn't want to voice her fear that Harry had only been able to accomplish such a feat because he had accepted that his death was inevitable. Or, if not his death, the end of his life as he knew it as Voldemort trapped him in some kind of limbo designed to preserve the prophecy and with it gain his desire of immortality.

The white light faded slowly until a new set of scenery came into focus. It was the lake around Hogwarts, as it looked in the spring, with the grass and trees around its banks breaking out in new green. He put his arm around Hermione as they walked silently, content with each other's presence and unsure of what to say at such a moment. Harry looked at Hermione's troubled countenance and felt the pang of sadness in his chest intensify.

Ever since they first met Hermione had always treated Harry like just another person. No, that wasn't quite true, she had always treated him special, but special for who he was, not for who he was made out to be. Other people, students, teachers, panderers, had all made a big fuss about getting in a picture with him or being able to say they knew him, but the number of people who had actually been there for him, Harry, rather than the Boy Who Lived was very few indeed.

He thought back to all the times that Hermione had chided him for procrastination in his classes, his unwillingness to read beyond that which was assigned, or just for general laziness. His other friends, even Ron, rarely if ever were critical of anything he did or failed to do. Maybe some people liked being surrounded by uncritical company, but upon reflection Harry recognized Hermione's willingness to do the right thing even it upset him as the depth of her character and her friendship toward him.

Hermione looked up at Harry and knew immediately that he was pondering something, probably the sum of his life. She had long ago perfected the art of reading Harry's face, his eyes, and discerning his thoughts from them. It was cute how he always thought he was being clever about hiding some emotion or worry that he didn't want to trouble her with, but she always knew. Right now he was worried about failing her, probably regretting that they would never grow old together or have children.

It was a matter of pride to Hermione that she didn't lie to herself, that she viewed the world from an analytical standpoint, without even the slightest hint of rose colored glasses. She accepted long ago, when the other children at the muggle school she attended shunned her, that her personality was not one that meshed well with general society. Most muggles were obsessed with sports, but Hermione had never cared for them. Wizards were the same way, though admittedly Hermione had managed to enjoy Quiddich, especially when Harry was playing. Still, her fondness for intellectual pursuits had alienated her from the bulk of society in both worlds, muggle and magical.

Harry was the first person in the magical world with which she felt she had a true friend. He didn't make fun of her studious ways, even if he wasn't inclined to join her for an afternoon read, and in his own awkward way he complemented her talents when no one else did. Hermione also knew that she wasn't the most beautiful girl ever to grace the halls of Hogwarts. Her hair was usually unstylish, her teeth had been too big before fourth year, and the best word her immense vocabulary could muster to describe herself was plain. Even her clothing was unassuming, conservative, and, well, plain. It still sometimes amazed her how Harry could stumble around blind to the huge number of flashy prim girls who pined for his attention, but that was part of what she loved about him. Harry cared about people, not appearance.

“Maybe it won't be so bad,” Harry said, breaking the silence. “I'll get to see everyone again; my parents, Sirius, Hagrid…”

Harry didn't say that he would probably get to see Hermione too. In all likelihood Voldemort wasn't about to let her or anyone else who had resisted him survive. He had meant for it to be comforting, but instead Hermione broke into fierce sobbing.

“Harry you great idiot,” she wailed as she clutched him frantically, her small fists making weak impacts on his chest in her frustration. “If this works like He wants it to you won't be dead. You won't get to see anyone ever again, you'll be in some kind of limbo or worse you'll be in endless torture.”

Harry winced and stroked her hair reassuringly. He had never been all that good with expressing emotion and finding the right words to ease her pain when he was about to be overwhelmed by his own seemed impossible. Harry could almost feel the multitude of people who had died in the war looking down on him in accusation that his shortcoming had made their sacrifice be in vain. Something this important to the future of the world should not come down to the success or failure of one person!

“It'll be okay,” Harry stuttered finally, “This is just Voldemort's wild scheme right? It probably won't even work. He might even die in the process! Yeah, this could even be what the prophecy was talking about.”

“Harry,” Hermione interrupted. She sniffed loudly and rubbed her eyes. “You don't have to try to cheer me up. We should be trying to think of a way out of this instead of despairing.”

“I don't know what more I can do,” Harry said dejectedly. “We worked as hard as we could, we mastered as much magic as possible, and I know we fought with all the power we had.”

“We've got to think,” Hermione insisted. “At this rate the prophecy had no chance whatsoever of being fulfilled in your favor. That- that just can't be possible.”

“I know,” Harry sighed. “I want to do more, but I just can't see how. I'm not even sure I can wake back up anymore… It's like the old saying, the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

“I won't accept that Harry, I won't,” Hermione said, agitating and resolve filling her voice. “You've suffered too much, we've suffered to much, everyone…I wanted us to be a normal family, I wanted more time with you.”

Harry took her hand and rubbed his thumb over the ring that he had given her. Its bright red jewel sparkled with the promise that he had made to her and her to him. “Just be thankful for the time we had,” Harry said softly as she buried her face in his chest again. “I'm so thankful that you didn't die last year, that our love managed to save you then, that…”

Hermione's mind tuned out, his voice becoming a pleasant buzz in the back of her as she remember those times when they had both felt so much relief at her recovery. She shuddered and tried not to think about the attack that had nearly taken her from Harry. Voldemort's foul darkness invading her consciousness, eroding that elusive quality that made her who she was, and the fear that Harry's efforts to save her would result in his own death. Hermione looked up into his face dreamily and set about to caress with her gaze each memorized line one last time. To her, he was faultless, even the scar that that beast had inflicted on him.

“Your scar!” Hermione exclaimed giddily.

“My scar?” Harry echoed questioningly.

“Remember the battle at the Ministry when Voldemort tried to possess you?” Hermione asked. “Remember why he failed?”

“Dumbledore said it was because Voldemort couldn't stand to be inside someone who knows what it means to love,” Harry said.

“We've been trying to fight Voldemort the wrong way,” Hermione said. “We've been trying to fight him on his terms with dark deadly magic and unexpected battle strategy.”

Hermione reached up and touched Harry's scar delicately, as if it might swallow her up suddenly.

“Voldemort left you a pathway to his mind, his emotions, to the very essence of his being,” Hermione continued. “A being that cannot stand what you are. Your love and compassion is a poison to him.”

“But I don't know what to do,” Harry said dejectedly. “I don't know how to possess people. I don't know how to use the scar to access Him.”

“I do,” Hermione said with a hopeful smile. “When he tried to destroy my mind I saw what he was doing to me at the time. I think I can remember enough to help you fight him one more time.”

Harry nodded, optimism once again flaring in his chest as they concentrated together to carry out Hermione's final plan. Harry saw through the eye of Hermione's mind as she recounted how Voldemort had assailed her consciousness. The view of the lake and Hogwarts shimmered away as Harry began to recreate the technique that Hermione was demonstrating to him. Once again they were standing in the shattered broken remains of the enchanted staircase chamber. However, much to Harry's surprise, they were standing in some kind of incorporeal form directly behind their bodies, which were still encased in crystal.

“This is it Harry,” Hermione said. She sighed deeply and prepared to concentrate on the next phase. “Remember that everything we do now is a manifestation of our minds. The rules don't work the same as they do in the real world. When Voldemort attacked me I was knocked out pretty quick, but I was still aware of everything that was going on somehow. That's when I followed our link back into your mind.”

The scar on Harry's forehead began to throb as he focused on forging a connection between his mind and Voldemort's. He didn't know how the Dark Lord's mental defenses would come into play, if they would at all, since Hermione couldn't remember if her Occlumency had helped any when she had been attacked. A connection began to form in the guise of a long thin fuzzy looking golden thread between the scar on Harry's physical body and Voldemort.

Hermione glanced worriedly at the scene before her as Harry kept trying to break through with his magical connection to Voldemort. The dark wizard didn't even seem to be aware of their attempt yet, which was a good thing, except that he seemed to be nearing the conclusion of his ritual. The magical seal that he had conjured as a set of black lines had begun to glow green. Only a few more segments of the seal had yet to light up and when they did Hermione was sure something terrible would happen.

Harry glanced over when he caught Hermione chewing on her lip worriedly out of the corner of his eye, but quickly returned to the task at hand. He knew that time was critically short the same way Hermione did. The blazing green seal was a dead give away. His brows furrowed in concentration and he imagined the line that connected him to Voldemort going taunt. Harry didn't understand exactly what he was doing anymore, but the golden thread suddenly came into perfect focus.

“Now Harry!” Hermione shouted. She reached over and grabbed his hand in hopes that she could provide some kind of aid or support to him somehow.

Voldemort suddenly writhed on the seal, which stopped its progression, and roared out in indignant pain.

“This is what you wanted isn't it?” Harry yelled. “You wanted to trap my spirit inside you didn't you?”

“Don't Harry,” Hermione said gently.

Harry looked at from Voldemort's twisting form back to Hermione's radiant face. Her chocolate brown eyes locked with his and she nodded slowly. Harry looked back over the war one last time as he recalled her words. “We've been trying to fight Voldemort the wrong way.” He had been fighting Voldemort out of hatred. Hatred for Voldemort and for what had done to the people Harry loved.

“So you will never hurt anyone again,” Harry said softly as he advanced on Voldemort. He drew on the fond memories of all the people who he had cared for and who had cared for him, both living and dead. His parents, Hermione, Ron, Sirius, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Luna, Ginny, Molly, Arthur, Neville, Moody, and so many others all seemed to reach out from where ever they were to give him strength. He stepped away from Hermione, following the thin golden strand to where Voldemort lay cowering.

“No, stay away, stay back,” Voldemort whimpered. The visage of the Dark Lord fell away in that moment of terror until only Tom Riddle remained. Harry poured himself through the opening that the cursed scar had forged between himself and Voldemort. The very thing that had enabled Voldemort to invade Harry's dreams, possess his body with ease, and torment him with dark emotions now became the instrument of his undoing.

Love for the world, love for friends, love for family, love for one special person, and love for one's self. In the recesses of Voldemort's being the one rare quality of love that he could not abide scattered away the darkness. So engrained into Voldemort's being was the darkness that had accumulated from long decades of evil, evil that he had chosen to do with his own hands, that the light of Harry's love for all those around him was too powerful and primal a magic for him to resist.

Voldemort's dark being desperately looked for a place of refuge, a place to escape the searing light, but it had no place to go, no other vessel that would give it safe harbor. Harry reached out with his mind and touched Voldemort's as surely as he touched him physically that day nearly seven years earlier when he was a part of a man named Quirrell. Now, just as then, Voldemort, his heart filled with greed, ambition, and hatred could not bear the naked touch of someone that had given and received so much love. However, this time, instead of destroying the corrupted flesh it was the corrupted soul that flaked away into nothingness and perished.

Harry's vision was suddenly obscured by a mass of very bushy hair as Hermione threw herself into a hug that nearly knocked him over. He didn't say anything, they didn't have to; instead he just gave her a hug in return as fiercely as the one she had given him. Her lips pressed down onto his as their world faded into brightness.

“Harry!” a voice called from impossibly far away.

“He's alive,” someone else said. “They're both alive.”

“So is You-Know-Who!” a third person exclaimed with a terrified voice.

Harry's eyes flew open and he tried to move, but found he was still restrained. “W-wand,” he gasped.

The crystal that had been restraining him shattered and he fell forward onto the floor before anyone could find his wand. Hermione's prison had likewise fallen apart by the time Harry managed to regain his unsteady feet.

“Here,” Ron said.

“I think this is Hermione's,” Luna said as she fingered the phoenix core wand.

“Let me have that one now,” Harry said.

“What about…Him?” Ron asked nervously, indicating Voldemort.

“He's gone,” Hermione said breathlessly, “Harry killed him.”

“But its still breathing,” one of the wizards in gray argued.

“Ah, the vessel lives on but it no longer carries a consciousness,” Dumbledore said. McGonagall, who had been revived at some point, had helped him down the three story drop.

“Avada Kedavra,” Harry said forcefully. The green light impacted Voldemort's body, but the empty shell didn't stop breathing.

“We've got to dispose of it somehow,” Hermione said.

“We can't just bury it where someone might find it,” McGonagall said emphatically.

“There is one place where no one can reach it,” Harry said, thinking quickly. “The Chamber of Secrets.”

Harry levitated Voldemort's body after he confiscated the Ring of Erus and his wand. Other than that the Dark Lord had surprisingly few items, all of which were mundane, with him.

“Professor,” Harry said respectfully as he offered the wand and ring to Dumbledore.

“Ah, Harry, it might be best if you kept those safe for the time being,” Dumbledore said quietly. “It would be very bad if they fell into the wrong hands and I'm in no shape to protect them right now.”

“Okay Harry, lets get this over with,” Hermione said. She had uncovered one of the rubble buried hallways that led to Myrtle's bathroom. As they walked through the halls Harry observed the bodies that were scattered everywhere. Instead of a victory parade their triumph had culminated in a funeral procession.

“Toss it in,” Hermione said dully when they reached the shattered bathroom.

“Everyone who can should start helping the children get out,” Harry said.

“Don't worry Harry, I'll take care of it,” Ron said. “I want three volunteers to sweep the castle looking for Death Eaters and survivors. If you find survivors then take them to the hospital wing, if Death Eaters then send a message to me immediately. Make sure you don't hurt any werewolves that have Light Bearer insignia on them.”

Harry didn't listen to the rest of Ron's instructions before leaping down the shaft to access the Chamber of Secrets. He used his wand to slow his descent so that he touched down lightly next to Hermione. Harry levitated Voldemort's body and started forward to where Hermione seemed to be searching Bellatrix's body.

“I wanted to get her wand,” Hermione said simply. “I thought we might as well put her in there with her master.”

“Its what she would have wanted,” Harry agreed, not that he really cared. They started forward again, now in plain view of all the children and the professors who had watched over them. Some of them cried at the teens' frightfully battered appearance while a few muttered sentiments of congratulations or disbelief. Most simply stared at them in shock as they slowly moved through the crowd to the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry hissed in parseltongue the command for the Chamber to open and as it did they stepped into its dismal cavernous darkness. Together they walked all the way to the far side of the Chamber, just below the face of Slytherin. Side by side Voldemort and Bellatrix were laid in the exact spot where Harry had discovered an unconscious Ginny six years earlier. Harry lifted up one of the stones that paved the floor with a spell and deposited the two wands in the hole it made along with the Ring of Erus. Hopefully even if someone did manage to break into the Chamber they would never dream to look for anything under the floor.

“I have some wards left,” Hermione said. “We should place our strongest defenses on this place.”

“Yeah,” Harry said. The last thing they needed was for some other wizard to gain access to Voldemort's living body. Who knew what kind of terrible secrets about his dark experiments could be revealed? Voldemort had come within a whisper of making himself immortal. For all practical purposes succeeded in making himself invincible even before he started down his vampire-like scheme of augmenting and then draining muggles' natural ambient magic.

They worked together feverishly with as much haste as their exhausted bodies would allow until they had erected the best defenses that they could on such short notice. Harry felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from him as they walked back toward the Chamber's entrance.

“Its over,” he said happily.

“Its over,” Hermione confirmed. Harry pressed his lips down to hers again in a joyous passionate embrace that translated all the words of endearment that he wanted to say into a blissful physical rendition of his emotions. When they finally broke apart Hermione's eyes were shining brightly and Harry knew he was probably grinning rather foolishly.

The opening that guarded the Chamber of Secrets shut itself with a slight thump after the two teens left. Hermione stooped down and drew on the floor beneath the entrance one final protection in the form of a cursed seal. She added a drop of her own blood and then a drop of Harry's so that they would be able to pass through its protections unchallenged.

“Mr. Potter, Miss Granger,” Professor Flitwick said politely as they approached him. All around them the children were being moved single file toward the access shaft and levitated back up to the people awaiting them on the surface. “We seem to have encountered a problem. Mr. Malfoy is missing.”

“Missing?” Harry echoed. “How did that happen?”

“I don't know,” Flitwick replied. “I stunned him during Miss Granger's duel with the Lestrange woman, but after that I lost track of him and now he's simply…not here.”

“We will investigate,” Harry assured him. Somehow it wasn't overly surprising that a known Death Eater would disappear. Harry suspected that many such people would become scarce in the coming days.

“Harry, that reminds me, when I was fighting Bellatrix something strange happened,” Hermione said suddenly. She focused on the memories and shared them with Harry through their link.

“Pettigrew?!” Harry asked incredulously. “Why would he help you like that?”

“A wizard who owes his life to another will often be compelled to repay it whenever possible,” Hermione said with a shrug.

“And since he couldn't save my life he saved the one life that he knew I would value enough to repay me for his own,” Harry finished.

“It makes sense,” Hermione said. She glanced at Harry uneasily. “Do you think we should go after him?”

“As far as I'm concerned we're even,” Harry said. “I can't really hate him anymore for what he did to my parents. In some ways he was a victim of Voldemort as much as anyone else was.

“That's true,” Hermione said slowly, as if she didn't quite believe him but didn't want to disagree. She was relieved that Harry didn't want to embark on a vendetta against someone who didn't matter anymore. In an ironic indirect sort of way Pettigrew had actually been responsible for the defeat of Voldemort on two separate occasions now. “Voldemort would probably have done all the things that he did with or without Pettigrew's help, but there is no way I would have survived had he not given me my wand when he did.”

“Do you really think its safe to leave that thing in the Chamber?” Flitwick asked. Harry and Hermione startled slightly when his voice jarred them out of their mental conversation. The last of the children were disappearing up through the piping back to the castle where they would hopefully be attended to by the remaining staff.

“There is no safer place that we know of,” Hermione said. “We can search for a better solution later, but for now we need his body secured to make sure no Death Eaters get a hold of it and discover their master's secrets.”

Harry, Hermione, and Flitwick ascended the piping together after they had made one final sweep to make sure no one was left behind. The bathroom was in even worse shape that Harry had realized from the first time that he had seen it.

“You're alive,” Myrtle said as she burst unexpectedly through a wall. She looked around sadly. “My home is ruined…”

“Sorry about that,” Hermione said. She gave the ghost a weak smile. “I'll do my best to fix it.”

“You will?” Myrtle said hopefully. Hermione tried not to look uneasy as Myrtle's transparent faced loomed large in her own. She waved her wand and some of the shattered masonry leapt back into its old position, but a good deal of the bathroom remained destroyed.

“Miss Granger don't be silly!” Flitwick exclaimed. “You're in no shape to be doing that much magic right now.”

“We'll come back and fix it later,” Harry said hurriedly as Hermione clutched his left arm due to the exhaustion that her efforts had intensified. He winced in pain, almost unable to stand himself anymore, let alone support Hermione too, but he didn't say anything as they picked their way through the rubble.

“I guess we'll be heading to the hospital wing then,” Hermione said with forced cheerfulness.

“Sibyll, Irma, please help them,” Flitwick said. “The rest of us will get the uninjured children to the Great Hall and start sending owls. Parents are going to be screaming for answers.”

Harry didn't say so, but he was grateful when Trelawney took Hermione's weight off of him. The cumulative toll on their bodies during the last few hours had been immense. Not only had they nearly exhausted their magic on more than one occasion they had also both used the magic enhancement potion twice. Now that its affects were gone Harry felt like he was going through some kind of withdraw. It was like being desperately thirsty, but for something that he couldn't consume. He didn't know if he could stand it even though Hermione had told him that such side effects were supposed to be temporary.

The hospital wing was very crowded when they arrived and not just with the injured. All along the walls there were bodies draped in white blankets lying side by side. Harry looked away quickly; he didn't know how many were Death Eaters and how many were their friends.

“We'll be fine now,” Harry said once they had entered the large medical facility. Professor Trelawney and Madam Prince nodded quickly at Harry's assurance before beating a hasty retreat. Both of them looked very queasy.

It wasn't hard to understand why. A quick glance around the room revealed the continuing toll of the Battle of Hogwarts. Beds were jammed up one against the other, each containing someone with varying degrees of injury. Some people were so badly damaged by spells that they could barely be distinguished as human, others were missing limbs, and still others were in some degree of magically induced coma. Only silencing spells and sleeping potions prevented the room from being full of painful outcries.

“Mr. Potter, Miss Granger,” Poppy exclaimed when she rushed out. Several American wizards who apparently had healing abilities were running behind her to assist in her treatments. She ran her wand across them quickly to get a diagnosis. “I've never seen such as these. Something is wrong with your magical auras…both of you.”

“We took a potion that artificially enhanced our natural magic,” Hermione said weakly.

Poppy waved her wand a few times while muttering to herself. “Of all the foolhardy things to do…I would have expected this of Mr. Potter, but not you,” she said tartly. Harry had a feeling that she was trying to cover up her own anxiety with her usual scathing banter. “It's like your magical aura is hemorrhaging the energies that your being is trying to replenish.”

“It should only be temporary,” Harry replied.

“Temporary my eye,” Poppy retorted. “You'll both be squibs at this rate and maybe dead too. I don't know if I can stop this or not, but its going to be painful.”

“Okay-,” Harry said. He cut off sharply as Poppy's spell knocked the wind out of him. A wave of pain washed over him and the next thing he knew he was being picked up off the floor.

“You blacked out for a couple of minutes Mr. Potter,” Poppy was saying. “I think you two will be okay though. At the least you're not leaking magic anymore.”

“I feel weaker,” Hermione said. “When I reach out for my magic it feels like I'm wearing mittens that are two sizes too large.”

“I don't want to hear it Miss Granger, not after the kind of stunt you just pulled,” Poppy snapped in a motherly tone. “You've still got the strongest magical aura in the room so I wouldn't worry too much. Magic heals like your body heals. The only difference is that you just can't see it.”

“How long until we can leave?” Harry asked wearily. He didn't intend to let this second war end like the first one had. Remaining Death Eaters needed to be pursued while they were in chaos. “Hermione and I have places we need to be.”

“Soon,” Poppy replied. “Just drink this you two.”

Harry eyed the small wooden cup of liquid. “What is it?”

“Something to help you recover as quickly as possible,” Poppy replied. Harry and Hermione both drank the potion at the same time.

Harry's head buzzed painfully as he awakened to the bright morning sunlight glaring in his face. Somewhere in the background he heard a peeping noise like that which a baby bird might make. As he opened his eyes and the room came into focus he realized that he was in the Headmaster's office.

“Ah, back with the waking I see,” Dumbledore said amicably.

Harry sat up in the conjured bed and looked around until he spotted Hermione in another bed nearby. They were both still dressed in their tattered Light Bearer robes, but they had been magically cleaned. Hermione's bushy hair was flung out all across her pillow and face in the most adorable fashion that Harry had ever seen.

“What happened?” Harry asked needlessly. He already figured out that Poppy had slipped them some kind of sleeping potion.

“You both needed to rest,” Dumbledore said simply. “Two people have never given so much more than should ever have been asked of them.”

Harry smiled wanly but didn't disagree. He walked over to Hermione and stroked her cheek gently until the contact caused her eyes fluttered open. She sighed softly and sat up.

“I should have guessed that Madam Pomfrey would do that,” she said.

“I don't suppose we were really in any shape to go after the remaining Death Eaters anyway,” Harry admitted.

“But…I'm afraid that you may be both needed to do a little more still,” Dumbledore said, interrupting their conversation. He sighed. “The Ministry was attacked at the same time as Hogwarts.”

“How badly?” Hermione asked.

“The building itself was almost a complete loss, except for the most heavily guarded sections, or so I'm told,” Dumbledore replied. “The worst part of it, though, is that…Arthur was in the middle of the attack.”

“No…” Harry whispered.

“I'm afraid so,” Dumbledore said sadly. “He didn't make it. The surrounding area suggested that he fought hard for some time. The people who had gone with him on patrol were found killed in various other locations.”

“Do we know who did it?” Harry asked angrily. Molly would be devastated by the loss of Arthur so soon after Ginny's death.

“No,” Dumbledore replied, “However, the number of people who could defeat Arthur Weasley in single combat is not large.”

“We need to go see Molly,” Hermione said quietly.

“We should visit Remus, Tonks, and our American friends too,” Harry added.

As they rose to leave Dumbledore held out a thin black book. “There is one other thing that you should have Harry. The dementors returned a short while ago and left this as a token of their continuing service to you. It is the location of Riddle Manner, which they can now reveal since the enchantments Voldemort used to protect it were tied to him and as such are now gone. They said that they would guard it until you came to claim it.”

“Riddle Manor,” Harry said hollowly. They had spent a countless amount of time searching for it over the last year. In the end that search had nearly cost them the entire war.

“We'll let the dementors keep it for now,” Hermione said. “Until we recover we should stay away from it. Who knows what might be inside.”

The walk down to the hospital wing was a long one. They shattered hallways from numerous duels was a constant reminder of the horror that had transpired only a few short hours ago. When they arrived Poppy came over and bustled around them authoritatively, without a hint of apology for knocking them out earlier.

“Harry!” a voice sounded from behind them as they picked their way through the crowded room.

“Remus,” Harry said happily when he saw who it was. The two friends embraced each other for a moment before breaking apart.

“I had begun to think we'd never see this day, but you saved us Harry.” Remus said solemnly.

Harry shook his head forcefully. “This is everyone's victory, not mine,” he replied.

“From what we've gathered you're as responsible for Voldemort's defeat as anyone else here,” Hermione said. Harry noticed that she had been caught up in a hug with Tonks while he had been focusing on Remus. The former auror turned werewolf looked more haggard than Remus and her right arm was in a sling.

“If you hadn't shown up when you did with the Americans,” Harry said, trailing off suggestively. “I guess you managed to convince them to be our allies after all.”

“Not exactly,” Remus replied. “Come on, there's someone you should meet.”

Remus led them through the crowded room to one of the hastily created partitions that gave each of the patients a measure of privacy. Inside was the American commander that Harry recognized as the one who had lost the lower part of her leg during the battle at some point. He had seen her being whisked away in the fuzzy moments directly after Voldemort's defeat.

“Mia Valian meet Harry Potter and Hermione Granger,” Remus said proudly as they found themselves face to face with the leader of the American volunteer force.

“Its an honor to finally meet you both,” Valian said.

“Likewise,” Harry said respectfully, “Though I wish it were under better conditions.”

Valian followed his gaze to her bandaged stump. “A leg is a small price to pay for such a victory.” She replied. “Others have given much more.”

“As I was saying earlier Mia and her team volunteered for this mission,” Remus said.

Mia's gaze hardened. “Unfortunately, my government could not be convinced of the gravity of this situation. We didn't fight under the official banner of our nation.”

“Then we are in even greater debt to you,” Hermione said. “I don't even know how we could begin to repay what you and your people have done for us.”

“From what Remus has told us and what I have witnessed in my short time here it is you and your Light Bearers who have done us the great favor,” Valian replied. “The world doesn't realized what kind of monster was nearly released upon it.”

“Hermione,” Remus said after they had moved away from Valian's bed, “Is there nothing you can do for her. Something kind of limb replacement spell like Peter received?”

“We don't know how that spell functioned,” Hermione said. She caught Remus' expression out of the corner of her eye and quickly amended her statement. “That doesn't mean I won't analyze Harry's memory of the graveyard again to see if we can figure it out though.”

“Harry?” a timid voice came from behind them as they made their way back toward Dumbledore's office. The group turned around to discover that it was a rather tired looking Luna. “Ronald says that he removed the portkey blocking wards.”

Harry nodded. “How is he and Molly doing?” he asked.

Luna looked away. “Charlie and Bill have been with her since…it happened. No one has seen the twins and Ron won't talk to me. All he will say is that the Light Bearers need him.”

Harry looked at Hermione meaningfully. “Go on,” Remus said. “Between Dumbledore and us we can handle things here.”

Harry and Hermione nodded sadly before touching their bracelets to portkey away to Grimmauld Place.

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Chapter 24 - The Flame Passes

The period following the dissemination of widespread knowledge of Voldemort's fall had been a chaotic time for everyone. Unlike the end of the first war, where people had practically taken to the streets in celebration shortly after news arrived, this time there was widespread mourning. Harry didn't know if it was because more people had died or the destruction had been more widespread, but it was a bit unsettling for him. Of course, it wasn't that he disapproved of the melancholy attitude and long funeral processions. To the contrary, he believed that it was more than appropriate. Even Minister Fudge's declaration of a week of remembrance had seemed to be the least they could do to pay respects to those who had fallen. No, his discomfort arose from the question of why the reaction at the end of this war was so different from the reaction at the end of the one that claimed the lives of his parents and forever altered his own childhood.

Still, Harry had said nothing and tried to banish the rather selfish indignation over the seemingly double standard from his mind as he attended one memorial after another. The bodies of the fallen Light Bearers that they had managed to preserve were finally laid to rest and respects were paid to those whose remains had been completely destroyed or else lost. The worst of it had been the double funeral of Arthur and Ginny Weasley. Molly had been inconsolable, even by her children, though Bill, Charlie, and Ron all tried their hardest. The twins on the other hand were just as devastated as their mother was when it came to their little sister. Harry hadn't realized just how fond of her the twins had been or how much they had buried their feelings in order to do their duties.

Another thing that didn't happen at the end of the first war was the wave of vengeance taking that had gone on shortly after Voldemort's fall. As witches and wizards began to flood back into England or come out of hiding from among muggles the purebloods had continued to lay low. Even purebloods that had not been involved in anyway with Voldemort, indeed even Neville's gran, the direct relative of a war hero, had been assaulted once in the newly reopened Diagon Alley. Only the Weasley's were well known enough to be mostly immune from popular outrage.

The Ministry hadn't allowed that sort of lawlessness to carry on for very long though. Aurors and regular magical law enforcement had quickly reasserted control over the nation. The Ministry had been rebuilt in record time using some kind of prefabricated spell that Harry and Hermione had never seen before. It was rumored that Fudge had ordered the new structure be fortified with spells to resist acid too. The Ministry had also begun to hand out much of its goblin gold directly from the vaults of Gringotts to relieve people who had incurred property damage and the families of those who had been killed.

The Ministry being back in operation, even if Fudge was trying to gloss over how he almost didn't even attempt to fight the Death Eaters head on, was a good thing as far as Harry was concerned. The government was acting as if its attacks on the Light Bearers had never happened and Harry saw no reason to push the matter anymore. Hermione had ordered the dementors to return to the Ministry's service and as a result Azkaban was back in operation. They hadn't told anyone in the Ministry about the dementor death spell though, just in case they ever needed to retain the services of the dark creatures again. Harry and Hermione both agreed that the Ministry headed up by the untrustworthy Fudge didn't need to know about the dementor's weakness just yet. Eventually Harry hoped the Ministry would secure Azkaban with means other than dementors so that the troublesome things could be wiped out, but for the time being the status quo seemed most expedient.

A fully functioning Azkaban also allowed the Light Bearers to begin the process of emptying Middle Yard and handing over its prisoners to the Ministry for trial, imprisonment, or release. Most of the prisoners went straight to Azkaban still in their petrified forms, but a few, including Narcissa Malfoy, had already been turned out. Even though it was worrisome that Lucius had yet to be captured Draco had reappeared not long after his mother had been sent home. He had spun some tale of being able to escape Hogwarts during Hermione's battle with Bellatrix, but Harry didn't believe it. Hermione reluctantly admitted that there were plenty of moments when she was too preoccupied with fighting to notice him sneaking out and he wasn't suspected of any major crime so they had both decided it was best to just let it go.

Other Death Eaters had been seen fleeing England, no longer willing to take the chance of pleading bewitchment after having already used up their benefit of the doubt at the end of the first war. Some had been found dead, killed by unknown persons usually, and a few had been captured. One of the most notable captures had been the Potions Master Vance Vitter. Vitter, it was revealed, had done much of the theoretical work on Voldemort's muggle magic enhancement potion and several other groundbreaking works. Fudge had, with surprisingly little controversy, granted him a conditional pardon so long as he agreed to work for the Ministry. Filtch had become very hopeful that a “cure” for squibs would soon be perfected.

The Wizengamot had also been reconstituted with Dumbledore resuming his place as the head of that body, but only in a judicial capacity. Minister Fudge continued to insist that remnant Death Eaters compelled him to retain emergency powers to ensure that the mistakes that occurred at the end of the first war were not repeated. Despite lacking executive authority Dumbledore and Madam Bones had begun spearheading the process of integrating the rather sizable number of destitute muggle werewolves into magical society. Since the muggles had been, in most cases, literally scooped off of the streets of European cities they had no money, no job, and no ability to get a job within the magical community. The Ministry had set up a compensation plan to make sure that they were not turned into a fringe element. Werewolves with magical blood, like Remus, were also eligible for assistance at the pushing of Dumbledore. Harry had high hopes that the alienation and prejudice that had built Voldemort's army for him would be undone at long last.

“It's nearly time,” Hermione said gently, her words shaking Harry from his thoughts. He glanced at himself again in the full length mirror that he was currently standing in front of. Harry almost didn't recognize the figure staring back at him. For a long time he had worn nothing but black cloaks and robes or maybe the occasional ill fitting hand-me-down muggle outfit from Dudley. Now he was wearing the most elegant white suit that he had ever seen. It resembled an old style of European formal dress used during the seventeenth century, though it was somewhat modified to wizard culture tastes. Golden highlights ran all along the edges of the bright white fabric. The look was completed by a long flowing white cape that was adorned with the golden outline of a stag on the back.

“Are you nervous?” Harry asked, grinning broadly. Hermione was wearing a similar outfit to his, only accentuated in different places. Her white flowing cape was identical too except that had an outline of an otter instead of a stag. They were also both wearing finely decorated bracers of bluish tinted metal on their left arms that extended down into thin leather gloves. Hermione had insisted on this because she knew that Harry didn't want people staring at the age ravaged hand that he had received from when they captured a dementor to experiment on.

“Of course not,” Hermione replied. “They can't all expect us to stay around after this.”

Two cracking noises alerted them to Ron and Luna's arrival. Ron had been tying down all the loose ends that were left over in terms of the bureaucracy. Continuous orders for supplies had to be terminated, final payments made, recovery of equipment from individuals who were quitting the Light Bearers as peace began to reassert itself, and who knows what else.

“The crowd is all assembled,” Ron said happily. “We're just waiting on you two.”

“What about the report?” Hermione asked.

“Aw, what? That…” Ron said with an air of dismissal. “There's nothing to report, everything's quiet.”

“Ron, honestly, you know you're the most unconvincing liar of all time,” Hermione retorted.

“He's really bad at it,” Luna agreed. “We're no longer getting any sightings of those shaman representatives and the vampires haven't deviated from their normal activity since right before the battle of Hogwarts.”

“So all of Voldemort's prospective allies have scattered?” Harry asked.

“It appears that way,” Ron replied. “Its really nothing either of you should be worrying about today of all days.”

“We just want to make sure everything is in order,” Harry said slowly, “Because we're leaving.”

“Leaving?” Ron asked, “Of course you'd want some time alone…”

“No Ron,” Hermione interrupted. “We're leaving, we don't know exactly when we're going to come back.”

“We're leaving Hedwig and Crookshanks with Hermione's parents so we can travel lightly,” Harry said.

“Even with Voldemort gone there are still a lot of people running around who don't exactly wish us well,” Hermione explained. “Plus, we have a lot we want to do without interruption.”

“But what will happen to Grimmauld Place while you're gone, or the Light Bearers?” Ron asked.

“Dobby and Winky will continue to take care of Grimmauld Place,” Harry said.

“As for the Light Bearers…they'll be fine without us now that the war is over. We've found the perfect replacements for us anyway,” Hermione said slyly.

“Replacements?” Ron said incredulously. “Who?”

Harry and Hermione both reached up around their necks and lifted the golden emblems off them. “Silly, you and Luna of course,” Hermione said with a grin. “If you want them that is.”

Ron stood mutely as Harry handed him the emblem while Hermione did the same to Luna. All the Bearers of the Light felt the magic of the controlling emblems switching for the first time as Ron and Luna put the necklaces on. A year or two previously Ron would probably have gotten all excited over such a thing. He realized that long ago the events he had experienced with Harry had completely eradicated all traces of the jealousy, slight though it might have been, that he once felt. His eyes wandered to the thin bluish metal that covered the back of Harry's hand, hiding his wound.

“Thanks,” Ron said at last. “We'll take good care of them, won't we Luna?”

“Definitely,” Luna affirmed, “The gold doesn't attract Pharos beetles though, does it?”

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head in the negative. The Pharos beetle was supposedly a two-foot long glowing creature that would eat gold and anything else attached to it. No one had ever seen one though.

“But if you ever want them back all you need to do is ask,” Ron continued. He had long since become so accustomed to Luna's fanciful creatures that he barely noticed anymore.

Harry reached down to the ceremonial holster at his side and touched his wand briefly so he could cast a prearranged signal. There was a flash of fire followed by a cascade of feathers as Fawkes appeared in the room.

“Is everyone ready?” Hermione asked.

“Shouldn't we be the one's asking you that?” Ron replied. The four teens reached out and laid a finger on Fawkes. There was a flash and then they were all suddenly standing in the Great Hall on the raised platform at the front of the room where the teachers normally ate. Dumbledore was standing in front of them dressed in his finest stately robes. In the days following his battle with Voldemort the elderly wizard had finished losing the last of his powers. He still carried a wand and very few people were aware of his weakness, but nevertheless Voldemort had demolished his once formidable strength.

Ron and Luna moved to the side as the crowd broke out in applause. Harry and Hermione turned around for a moment to acknowledge all the people who had come to see them off. In the front row was a line of American wizards, all in some kind of gray dress uniforms, including Mia Valian. Harry's powers had become greatly diminished after the death of Voldemort and the fading of his scar. Hermione surmised that his earlier increase had been power bleeding through the connection of the cursed scar as Voldemort absorbed huge amounts of power from altered muggles and with him dead the powers had faded somewhat. Still, he had retained enough power to cast the conjuring spell that created a silver replacement limb for Mia. Hermione could have done it, but she understood why Harry had wanted to do it himself. Her own powers, along with Harry's, had also suffered from unexpected after effects of the magic enhancement potion that Snape had given them.

A few other silver appendages could be seen glittering around the room and Harry wondered curiously how many other magical advances pioneered by Voldemort would ultimately come to serve a good purpose. There was still a treasure of expected discoveries awaiting them at Riddle Manor.

Harry let his eyes continue to wander across the crowd. He realized that all of them had their own stories to be told, but that they probably never would be. History would likely focus on him, as it had thus far, and miss the true depth of what had happened in this world of magic.

The rest of the Weasley's had all turned out of course. Molly was the real reason that they were going ahead with the ceremony so soon after the end of the war. She had insisted that Arthur and Ginny would have wanted them to set an example for everyone else and that now each person had an obligation to make sure their sacrifices were not in vain. Molly said that it was up to the survivors to move forward and be happy. Bill and Fleur had set the date for their own wedding soon after Harry and Hermione's. Fleur joked that if Hermione and Harry could have an uninterrupted ceremony then undoubtedly she and Bill would be safe too. Unfortunately, even with only a few escaped Death Eaters, it had been decided that Hogwarts would be the best place to hold the ceremony as opposed to the Burrow.

Many of their other friends had also attended. Remus and Tonks, now employed by the Ministry, were working with Dumbledore to help muggle werewolves become accustom to the world of magic. Almost all of their professors, even Snape, had crowded into the expansive hall too. Snape had resumed his position as potions master without even grumbling about Bill getting to keep the Dark Arts slot.

The most unusual guest was probably Firenze who was still very grateful to Harry and Hermione for opening the forest to him once more. Unfortunately, with the war over, the centaurs had tried to kick him out again. The herd had split into three or four different factions over the issue and so Firenze was with the one small group that had supported his return. Surprisingly, they had made a deal with Aragog apparently and so were now co-existing safely within the spider domain.

“We are here today,” Dumbledore began solemnly, “to acknowledge with ritual that which already exists in reality. The bond between the witch and wizard you see standing before you is worthy of the title of marriage.”

Unlike muggle ceremonies that revolved around the couple exchanging vows a wizard ceremony was usually based on the testimony of those who knew the couple in question. One by one people came forward and offered their testimony until everyone who had wanted to speak had been able to. Ron, Remus, even McGonagall all recounted their perspectives on the relationship that they had been front row observers to for years. After the last person had finally spoken Dumbledore rose again.

“Before the presence of those whom hold these two hearts dear and whom they in return hold dear…I declare unto you all Harry and Hermione Potter,” Dumbledore said. Harry and Hermione clasped each other's hand and raised them above their heads as they faced the crowd and bowed to complete the ritual.

“Well, then, I guess this is goodbye,” Ron said softly as the last of their friends finished congratulating Harry and Hermione.

“Not for good,” Hermione said. Her eyes were on her parents as she spoke.

“We want to see what its like being “normal” for a while,” Harry said.

“They tell me our house will be finished soon,” Sarah Granger said. “At least come visit soon, won't you?”

“Don't worry Mum, we will eventually,” Hermione said.

“And I wish you'd consider taking that off,” Sarah added with a smirk as she pointed at the sparkling charm bracelet on Hermione's wrist.

“You'll get your grandkids someday,” Hermione replied with a grin and a blush. “Harry and I just want some `us' time first.”

“Ahem,” Dumbledore broke in, “I have one final thing I wanted to give to you both.”

Hermione and Harry followed him a short distance until they were alone. “I know the two of you very well,” he said. “Don't worry about Riddle Manor. It's a relic of an age that has already passed. My last gift to you is this advice…worry about yourselves now, take care of each other, and don't take upon yourselves the role I gave myself.”

“Like Hermione said,” Harry replied. “We just want to be left alone now.”

Dumbledore smiled. “No one deserves it more than the both of you. Since the two of you are leaving I'll make one last announcement early. As you know I am no longer qualified to guard this school so I too will be leaving. If you wish to find me you need only go to Meadow Down, you now know where, and I'll be there.”

“Until we meet again Professor,” Harry said as Dumbledore clasp his hand fondly.

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and looked up into his face as he activated a hidden portkey to take them away. Their destiny had been fulfilled and now Harry's future, like his face, was no longer blemished with Voldemort's scar.

Author's Note:

Well, well, that was a long involved experience and yes there are still obviously many unanswered questions. Work on the sequel is set to start in…twelve days! I will be following my standard operating procedure up until now and finishing the story before posting it a day at a time. The tentative name for the sequel is Harry Potter and the Secret of Sorcery. I will no longer be constrained by JKR's Voldemort plot so who knows what crazy things might happen. In the mean time I have to finish writing 20 pages of research paper for my evil professors. Gasp! I hope everyone enjoyed the story. Deep felt appreciation and thanks to all those who have written a review.

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Now comes the long awaited update on my progress with Harry Potter and the Secret of Sorcery. I could tell you roughly how many pages I've written (over 100) or how many words those pages contain (nearly 50,000), but it wouldn't really inform you at all about when to expect the finished product. The reason for that is the fact that my progress is dictated by events outside my control, namely school, an endeavor to which I dedicate upwards of 80 hours per week right now (as some of you are guessing, it isn't undergraduate school anymore). As a result I can't tell when I might get finished (I've got a ten page draft paper that has to be researched from scratch and turned in six days from now). I get projects like that all the time, not to mention a hefty reading schedule. Enough excuse making, the point is that I haven't quit or disappeared. A finished product will be coming eventually. For all of you waiting for that finished product I'm sorry its taking so long, but I trust you will all understand that real life must come first to our hobbies. For those of you not waiting, hopefully this will bump these two stories back up to the top (I'm posting this update in both my stories because people may not be watching both of them for updates) where new readers can be exposed to them (that isn't too shameless, right?). So, until you see me again, keep shipping for Harry and Hermione, the best couple in the HP universe and enjoy this tiny excerpt from Chapter 4 - Fear and Loathing, though, as usual, everything is open to change.

Septimus and Sense both smirked as they took up inconspicuous positions next to the door. Sense twirled an idle strand of her nearly white blonde hair that had fallen down from the elegant spiral atop her head.

“Please try to be respectful Lucius,” Fudge muttered before approaching a full length mirror that hung unobtrusively on the wall.

“Pretentious scum, calling itself Morbus,” Lucius muttered in such a way that Percy doubted the Minister heard him. “This had better work.”

Fudge touched the ornamental framework that the mirror sat in along several different decorative ridges before stepping back. A moment later a familiar thick darkness began to coalesce inside the reflective area, slowly taking on the roughly human shape of the vampire who called himself Morbus.

A shiny black boot and the attached leg stepped out of the mirror followed by the rest of the vampire liaison. Percy noticed some subtle changes between the Morbus in the memory Fudge had shown him and the Morbus that had just finished walking through the mirror. His skin was less pale, his hair slightly longer, and his fangs no longer protruded past his thin lips.

“A delight, as always Minister,” Morbus said as his eyes darted to the location of the two Artemis siblings. “But was it really necessary for those things to be present?”

Lucius' face, normally placid, hardened noticeably.

“Ah, Lucius, my good friend,” Morbus said jovially. “You were no doubt overjoyed to hear about the success of young Vitter's potion.”

“Ah, there will be plenty of time to reacquaint later,” Fudge interrupted. “I'm afraid we have urgent business to attend to.”

“My followers stand ready to fulfill our part of the bargain,” Morbus said.

“How good to hear,” Lucius said. “Potter is still causing trouble and now it seems as if the Americans are involved too.”

“This had better not interfere with our arrangement Minister,” Morbus said sharply. “If the Americans catch on to what we're doing it'll be troublesome.”

“They won't have a clue until the situation is beyond their ability to interfere with,” Fudge said reassuringly. “What we must do is prevent potential revolutionary factions from igniting the civil war that You-Know-Who's death was supposed to suppress.”

Morbus made a rumbling noise deep in his throat. “I should hope so, for the sake of our bargain,” he said. “But keep in mind that our agreement does not include us fighting your war for you Minister.”

“Of course, of course,” Fudge said, still trying to be reassuring. “Your forces will merely do routine patrol and other mundane policing work. Your job is to free up our forces to intensify their ongoing counterrevolutionary duties.”

“Do you think you can handle that?” Lucius asked brusquely.

“Don't worry,” Morbus said. He grinned in a way that Percy thought almost sinister. “My followers and I shall protect England's magical community like a faithful shepherd watches over his flock.”

“Excellent,” Fudge said before Lucius could bring a full blown scowl to bear against their guest. A feat which was rather intensely frightening as a result of his scarred visage left over from some battle Percy knew had something to do with the defense of the Ministry. “Inform me when your preparations are complete.”

“As you wish,” Morbus' voice said echoing as his form lost its shape and dwindled away as a dissipating cloud of black mist.

“Lucius, don't let your temper get the best of you,” Fudge admonished once their guest had departed.

“Minister, you know what that abomination,” Lucius began, teeth gritted with pent up rage.

“I know and I sympathize,” Fudge interrupted sharply. “Why do you think I'm taking this opportunity to get those bloody monsters out of the country? For now we have to make our move before this nation is ripped apart again by people who want to side with demons like that.”

“Yes, Minister, it's just that,” Lucius said, but let his voice trail off with an uncharacteristic note of pain.

“Lucius, you've been my greatest supporter and one of the few people I can truly name as a friend,” Fudge said sincerely. “Can I count on you again?”

“Of course Cornelius,” Lucius replied.

“Thank you,” Fudge said, jovial again. “Go find Dolores and Vance. This won't be like the end of the first war where the enemy got to linger until he was ready for us. This time we're going to clean them out so fast that they won't know what's going on.”

Lucius nodded and turned away smiling. If Fudge wanted those two then he was finally going to get his wish and this time Dumbledore wouldn't be around to foil him.

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