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Chapter Text

‘What are you doing?’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Are you staying, or what?’ ‘I …’ She looked anguished. ‘Yes – yes, I’m staying. Ron, we said we’d go with Harry, we said we’d help –’ ‘I get it. You choose him.’ ‘Ron, no – please – come back, come back!’ She was impeded by her own Shield Charm; by the time she had removed it, he had already stormed into the night. Harry stood quite still and silent, listening to her sobbing and calling Ron’s name amongst the trees. After a few minutes she returned, her sopping hair plastered to her face. ‘He’s g – g – gone! Disapparated!’ She threw herself into a chair, curled up and started to cry.

Rowling, J.K.. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

They had visited Godric’s Hollow and almost been caught. They had moved six times in the last two weeks and were currently in one of the more remote parts of Scotland, their tent pitched in the ruins of an ancient castle tucked into a corner of the old tumbledown walls, it had snowed for the last three days and they had little food left. Harry was laid in his bed and Hermione was sat in the chair staring at the small blue flame she had conjured for warmth. He saw her shiver and huddling into herself trying to keep warm, “Hermione? She looked across at him, “are you warm enough?” she looked back at him frowning,  “I’ll manage, you get some sleep.” He flicked the blankets on his bed open, “climb in, we can share some body heat, use me as a hot water bottle if you need to.” Hermione looked at Harry for a moment, a thoughtful expression, “OK, just for warmth. NO funny business.” He raised a hand palm open as if surrendering, “scouts honour, you are freezing, just climb in.” She stepped across and slid in alongside Harry. After a slight hmpff, she enlarged the bed to make more room. Harry had laid on his side with his back to Hermione and She spooned up behind him. Harry felt her arm slip around his waist, and her warm breath on the back of his neck. They drifted off to sleep.

It was morning, a pale wan light illuminated the tent, Harry was laid on his back, Hermione was laid on his side, her head on his chest, his nostrils filled with the scent of her shampoo, citrus and honeysuckle, he looked down, her hair had come out of its clips as they were sleeping, and her mane of curls covered her head. He gently swept it clear of her face and looked at her as she slept. Her eyes were flickering under her eyelids and her right hand gripped the material of his shirt, she murmured something in her sleep that her didn’t catch. He stroked her head, and her back with his hands, hoping she would sleep better. She squirmed into him her leg sliding over his thigh, a sigh and “Harry” spoken as she snuggled into him, “it’s OK, get some sleep, you need it,” he mumbled and kissed her forehead without really thinking what he was doing. Hermione muttered something he couldn’t make out and settled on him. He felt happy knowing she felt safe, he always worried that something would happen to his friend. To his best friend.

Ron had turned against him again, another bout of his jealous temper. He didn’t know how he felt about Ron, he was in equal parts angry and hurt. His anger at the number of times his supposedly best friend turned on him, his hurt at the loss of his first real friend, friends since the first train. His mind wandered back to that day on the train, Ron excited about everything, Hermione, bossy and confrontational. He knew she was nervous, and her non-stop stream of facts and knowledge was her insecurities. He thought back to how cute she had looked back then, telling Ron his spell wasn’t very good, and repairing Harry’s glasses. He smiled as he drifted back off to sleep.

The next time he awoke it was because Hermione was sitting up, using her hand on his chest to push herself upright, she blinked and looked at him in confusion, “Just for warmth,” he said, “we are both fully dressed.” She looked thoughtful for a moment, “I need the loo.” She left the bed and entered the bathroom in the magical tent, Harry laid back and let out a long breath, he had slept really well, no nightmares, no panic attacks. Hermione came out of the bathroom, “cup of tea?” she asked, Harry slid out of bed and took his turn in the bathroom. By the time he returned Hermione was sat in the bed, book on her lap and a steaming mug of tea alongside his glasses on the bedside cabinet. It was absolutely freezing in the tent, so he took the hint and slipped back into bed alongside her. “How did you sleep?” he asked her.

She flipped a page in the book she was reading, “Quite well actually, it was nice to be warm for once. It would be nice to have a full stomach as well, but warm is such an improvement. How did, were you OK sleeping in the same bed?”

 “I was, I think your presence helped, I didn’t have nightmares or any visions from Tom.”

 “Tom?”

“Tom Riddle, You-know-who. Voldypants. I decided not to use his pathetic made-up self-aggrandizing title, so Tom.”

“Makes sense,” she turned another page. “I tried to go outside, the snow is about four feet deep around the castle, I think the tent is under a drift. We can stretch the food for a couple of days, but we are invisible for the moment.” Harry nodded, “what are you looking at, is there anything I can do to help?”

“I am looking through the books I brought from the Black Library, to see if there is anything I can find about Horcruxes. Do you want to help me look?”

“If I can, you know I am not as good at research as you are, but I will do anything I can to help.” Hermione slipped out of her side of the bed and went to her beaded bag, she reached in, right down to her armpit and pulled out a large leather-bound book. Harry looked at his bushy haired friend as she was rummaging in the bag, she had slipped her jeans off and was wearing one of his quidditch tops, has she stood and turned towards him she caught him looking at her, the top was long enough to cover, but showed her slim shapely legs, she was biting her bottom lip and holding the book across her chest. Harry realised she was rather beautiful in the moment.

She stopped and looked down, “I got a little warm in my jeans,” her cheeks were a little pink.

“How long have you had my top?”

She walked back over to the bed and handed Harry the book, “It’s from the third year, I took it from your bedside after the dementor episode, I like the comfort of sleeping in it.”

Harry smiled, “it looks a lot better on you than it ever did on me.”

She climbed back into the bed and picked her book back up from her cabinet. Leaning over to Harry, anything you can find on the creation or better the destruction of a Horcrux, or a soul-container, anything you can turn up.” They sat for the next few hours flipping through the books they had, not finding anything until eventually Harry decided to make something to eat.

Harry heated some canned soup and cut some bread, he placed Hermione’s into a bowl, and onto a tray, before passing it over to her as she sat in the bed. He sorted his tray and joined her eating. When they had finished, he cleaned and tidied the bowls, cutlery and spoons before rejoining Hermione under the blankets, he paused and slipped his own jeans off, “under the pillow” Hermione said, “keeps them warm for when you get out.” After another few hours of fruitless research, the pair put the books down and cuddling up for warmth they both slept.

The snow kept falling, only the magical nature of the tent kept it from collapsing. Days ran into weeks, they had run out of food and were now sleeping as they felt too weak to do much of anything. Harry was laid with Hermione as the little spoon, wrapped in his arms, his mind was recalling all the times she had been there for him, all the hugs he had received and how often they had almost kissed. His mind stopped and backtracked. How many times he had wanted to kiss this remarkable young woman laid in his arms. How many times he had thought he should tell her how he felt and then he had pushed the thoughts aside and told himself that he thought of her like a sister, because he didn’t want to upset Ron. Ron, red faced and jealous, how many times he walked on eggshells so as not to cause an argument.

Had Ron done anything about it? Had he ever told Hermione she was special? had he ever shown her any affection? He had certainly made her cry often enough, Harry hated it. His thoughts drifted back to the TriWizard Tournament. Another Ron toxic outbreak. His pathetic attempt at an apology after the first task, after Hermione had been the only person in the castle supporting Harry. He didn’t really apologise, Harry remembered telling him it had taken long enough, and not being remotely receptive, and then they were best friends and Hermione was running away in tears, and he had not gone after her. Harry could not understand why he had acted the way he had.

He owed Hermione an apology and the truth. They were probably going to die here in this tent, neither of them was strong enough to apparate, they had no food left, and it was still freezing. He slipped off into a restless sleep. The next time he was awake he was painfully aware that he was probably poking Hermione in the back, he climbed out of the bed and went to the bathroom.

Hermione stirred as the cold air touched her back, she had just been enjoying a nice dream where she was in the arms of the man that loved her, they had been kissing, her stomach was flipping, and not just from hunger. Harry walked out of the tent’s bathroom, he had a tee shirt and boxers on, he was so handsome, she watched him walk back and felt him snuggle back up to her, his arms wrapping around her, she snuggled back into his arms and took a hand in hers, holding it to her chest. This felt good, this was nice, she could happily die in these arms, the thought should alarm her, but it felt so safe, so right.

It made her feel complete. She had such a crush on Harry after the troll incident in the toilet in her first year. It had grown after the Hippogriff ride to save Sirius, then it all went so wrong. The tournament, they were so close, and then Ron. Ron, why did she tolerate Ron? For Harry’s sake. He was always rude to her, never grateful, she had sided with Ron in their sixth year against Harry, and it cost them Dumbledore.

She owed Harry an apology and the truth of her feelings for him, they were never going to get out of this tent, she should at least tell Harry her true feelings, even if he didn’t share them. Harry was moving leaning over her to say something, he was also prodding her in one of her buttocks, she was causing him to be aroused? She turned her head to face him.

“Hermione, I need to tell you something.”

“Hmmm. We need to talk. No more secrets”

“Agreed, I don’t know if we are going to survive this, and I want to tell you…. I need you to know about… how I…. What I mean to say is.” He closed his eyes. Be a Gryffindor. “Hermione, I know I always say you are like a sister to me. It’s not really true. You mean much more than that,” he took a breath and closing his eyes sought his courage, “I love you.” Hermione’s heart stopped. Her brain froze, and her stomach flipped. She was very aware of his erection still sticking into the side of her leg.

Her voice was shaky “Harry. Do you really mean that? You are not just trying to get into my knickers?” She bit her lip. “You wouldn’t hurt me that way would you?” her voice trembled a little.

Harry kissed her cheek, “Hermione, I have always adored you, it just took nearly starving to death to make me realise that I actually love you, not like a sister, I love you. I wanted to tell you, even if you tell me not to be stupid and behave myself. I didn’t want to die not telling you how I really felt about you. Sorry, I should have kept quiet.”

 Hermione’s hand grabbed the back of his head and she pulled him into a kiss. Harry could feel the wet tears on her cheeks. When they broke the kiss, she held his forehead against hers. “I have pretty much been in love with you since our first year, but definitely since the Hippogriff ride. I love you Harry. If you break my heart, I will kill you. If you die, I will chase you into the afterlife and kill you again for being stupid.” She choked back a sob, “Now we have something to live for, how are we going to get out of here?” She rolled over to face him and kissed him for what felt like an eternity.

They stopped to breathe, “what are we going to do, I refuse to die of starvation or hypothermia skulking in a tent rather than fighting Riddle. There has to be something we can do.”

Harry thought, “I don’t know it’s not like we can summon Dobby and order food is it?”

“What made you think of Dobby?”

“I don’t know, Dobby is more likely to help than Kreacher?”

“What does the Great Harry Potter need?” both heads snapped around to see Harry’s number one fan in the house elf world standing at the foot of the bed.

“Dobby?”

“Yes Harry Potter Sir, what can Dobby do for you and Miss Herminny.”

Hermione shrieked, “Dobby, you heard us?”

“Dobby will always come to Master Harry Potter if he calls.”

Harry smiled, “Dobby, could you fetch us something warm to eat? we haven’t eaten in days.”

Dobby popped away and a moment later returned with a pot of a wonderful smelling stew and fresh baked bread, with a finger snap he set the table and floated the food onto it. They climbed slowly out of the bed and dragging their jeans on sat to eat. They ate slowly and carefully, not managing a full bowl each. They would need time to rebuild their strength. Dobby cleaned away the plates and bowls, “Is there anything else Dobby can do for the Great Harry Potter and his Grangy?”

“I don’t suppose you know of a house we could use, somewhere warm and comfortable rather than this tent.” Hermione asked tiredly as she curled back into the bed. Dobby popped away again. Harry clambered into the bed and slipped his arms around her waist, and they drifted off to sleep again.

Harry woke a little later, his eyes adapted to the light and he snapped awake and sat upright Hermione’s wand in his hand. He was in a bedroom. Hermione sat up with a start and looked around eyes wild, “Where, where are we Harry?” She clutched at his arm.

“Good morning, Master Harry, Mistress Hermione. Welcome to Potter Manor. Welcome home.” A smartly dressed house elf stood at the foot of their bed. Harry realised the crest on the house elf’s uniform was the Potter Crest.

“Who are you? where are we? how did we get here.? Harry asked confused.

The elf bowed, “I am Toppy, head of the Potter Family House elves. You are at your family’s main residence. Your personal elf, Dobby sought out the property and we brought you and your lady home. You are both of you, malnourished and exhausted, we put you both to bed and let you sleep. Now you are awake I shall ask Cooky to bring you some food, you must get well, Master Harry, Mistress Hermione.

Harry looked down, he was wearing pyjamas, they felt like silk. They were deep ruby red with gold piping and buttons, Hermione’s were pale blue with white piping and buttons, each had Potter crests on the pockets. With a few finger clicks from Toppy their pillows rearranged themselves to allow them to sit upright, and another elf appeared in tiny chef’s whites, floating a pair of bed trays with broth and bread and mugs of tea. They ate more than the previous meal, then after a visit to the ensuite bathroom each curled into each other and drifted back to sleep.

Harry was dreaming, he was laid in bed with his Hermione, they were kissing and caressing and she loved him, he loved her and as they moved together, they were consummating their love for each other, his dream lovemaking was approaching it’s peak as Hermione reached hers and he came to wakefulness as his climax occurred, deep within Hermione. Her hips were grinding away underneath him as their eyes met. “Did we just do that in our sleep?” He asked, he was terrified Hermione would think he had taken advantage.

“You were asleep, I was awake enough to guide you inside of me, I thought it rather romantic, that the woman you want in your dreams is me,” She kissed him tenderly, “but now you are awake, you have no excuse, the second round had better include some foreplay. I have a theory about parseltongue I want to try.” She flushed red as she finished speaking.

Harry was stuck for words, he blinked and kissed her, the kiss made him hard again and her hip movements encouraged him to start a gentle rhythm. He found himself lost in her chocolate brown eyes, “Anything, whatever you want. I am yours.” He whispered, her hands travelled down his back and cupped his buttocks, adjusting his pace and rhythm, “this is nice for now.”

Afterwards they showered together, it did not save any time and Harry’s ideas of which bits needed the most cleaning didn’t help. They eventually returned to the bedroom wearing large fluffy bathrobes, and found clean clothes laid out for each of them. Dressed they opened the bedroom door and followed the corridor to the main staircase, down two levels to the ground floor they started to explore the building. Toppy appeared as they reached to foot of the stairs. “Toppy, could you give us a tour of the building, I have no memories of this place.”

“That is not surprising, Master Harry was only a baby the last time he visited.” The elf turned and walked to the first pair of double doors. The building was huge, just on the ground floor it had ballrooms, dayrooms, studies, drawing rooms, formal and informal dining rooms, an orangery, and the icing for Hermione, the House Potter Library. It was huge. Hermione made a few incoherent noises and almost danced around the room. It was three stories high, with a gallery around the perimeter. Large windows at one end provided plenty of light, and desks and chairs were dotted here and there.

“Oh, Harry. This is amazing. Is it safe for me to touch everything in here? I remember Sirius warning me about books in the Black library, anything with a crest on he had to check first.”

“Mistress Hermione should be wearing her betrothal ring, this would show the family magic that she is the intended of Lord Potter.” Toppy supplied.

Hermione looked at Harry a wry grin on her face, “and does his Lordship intend to make an honest woman of me, should I be expecting a proposal Lord Potter?” she folded her arms and looked at him mock seriously.

Toppy blinked away and back, this time holding a jewellery case that he placed upon the table and opened. There were several rows of rings, he pointed to the second row, “these are betrothal rings, Mistress should pick one of these rings.” The Elf stood blinking and waiting.

Hermione giggled, but still bent over to look at the rings, one in particular called to her, a pale blue gemstone bracketed by diamonds on a silver mounting. She picked it out of the tray, Harry gently took it from her, “Oh Harry, I am sorry, I was just looking. I didn’t mean….” Her words tailed of as he placed it on her ring finger.

“Hermione Jean Granger, will you marry me?” He asked her his voice a raspy whisper.

She threw her arms around his neck and between sobs, “yes, yes I will.” They kissed and held each other. When the kiss ended Hermione wiped her tears and realise that they were surrounded by half a dozen elves, including Dobby and Winky, and they were all glowing a little.

“The Great Harry Potter has married his Grangy. She is Lady Potter.” Dobby announced, the elves all bowed, “Lady Potter,” they said as one. Toppy looked smug, “Welcome to Gryffon Hall, Family seat of the Noble and Ancient House of Potter, Lady Hermione Potter. Magic has recognised your intent and your betrothal has been sealed in magic. You are the Lady of the House, you should be able to feel the Potter family magic and it will guide you. We thank you for bringing life back to our family.” Toppy bowed again.

“Married?” Hermione looked at Harry, “did we just get married?” Dobby was bouncing about like a toddler on full fat cola and m&m’s.

An elf Hermione did not recognise spoke up, “You are in the heart of the house, you both had such a strong wish to be with the other that the family magic has declared not only the betrothal accepted, but that it is a marriage and welcomed you into the house, Lady Potter. This would not occur if it was not in line with both of your true wishes. The magic released when the bond formed has rejuvenated all us elves, we thank you both. You need to pick a Lord and Lady ring from the case.”

Hermione turned back to Harry, “Are you OK with this?” He nodded, afraid to speak, “As long as you are. My head feels clearer the last few days, I have realised just how long I have loved you and I cannot understand why I kept quiet for so long, in some ways we have been together for years, so girlfriend, fiancée, wife, I am just happy to be able to call you mine.”

“I know what you mean, it’s as if we were being potioned, or had some sort of compulsion charms on us, and they have been removed. I love you Harry, I have loved you since you rescued me from a Troll, I should have kissed you after we rescued Sirius, I wanted to and I didn’t have the courage.  We need to decide. Do we try to defeat Riddle, or do we just leave, go live in America, or Australia. Can we ever trust the Ministry in the UK to do the right thing? It’s obvious we have been betrayed by both sides, who are we fighting for?

“I don’t know any more.”

Chapter Text

Hermione had the Potter elves transfer the contents of the Black Library to this one and seal up Grimmauld Place so that no one could enter. It took her a month to find a reference to Horcruxes, or as the reference called them Phylacteries. The reference was in an old journal belonging to Harry’s Great Grandmother who had been at the front of the Tomb Raiders of the turn of the previous century. The technique to create a soul container was described in detail, translated from the engravings on the tablets they had found in the tomb of an ancient Egyptian High Priest of the God Anubis. The act required a human sacrifice to power it, and the person whose soul was to be split would have to be the one to carry out the sacrifice, and then devour the still beating heart of the victim.

Hermione washed over the gruesome details with the rigour of an academic, not really considering this was Riddles intended fate for the baby Harry. The next pages explained how to contain such a shard, and further how to destroy the soul fragment without destroying the artifact, or killing the host. Hermione made notes. Harry read the books and checked what she had done, as far as he could. The words of the rites were written phonetically and the pair practiced the words, alien as they sounded to their ears. As Hermione read more about the abominations she parsed out the arithmancy of a scrying ritual that would allow them to trace any more remnants of the same soul.

The first attempt showed them the locket in the library, the next showed them Harry. They tried again checking carefully that they had done the correct spells and ritual. The Diadem of Ravenclaw popped into view, Harry recognised it. He had seen it in Hogwarts, atop the bust of Phineas Black, next it showed a vault, and the cup of Helga Hufflepuff on a shelf at the back, then it showed Riddle and his snake in a dark and sombre room, sitting on a throne like chair as he nonchalantly tortured an unknown wizard. Standing witnessing the events were Draco Malfoy, his mother, and Luna Lovegood. Luna did not look happy or willing to be a part of the events taking place. The scry jumped back to the library showing Harry, and then the locket.

Hermione sat looking pale faced at her notebook. “They have Luna,” Harry said aloud.

“I saw. We don’t know where she is, we can’t rescue her, if we get captured, he wins. How do people live with this, they will do unspeakable things to her, and she might be the strangest girl I have ever met, but she would not harm a fly deliberately.”

“There must be something we can do, I bet that is Malfoy Manor, Kreacher went there when he betrayed Sirius. Maybe he would be able to get in and out?”

“Can you trust Kreacher not to give us up to them? He is more loyal to Bellatrix than he was to Sirius.”

“Master Harry Potter Sir, Dobby can fetch the loony lovey girl.” The little elf was standing holding a tray with some teacups on it. He placed them on the table.

“Can you do it without being seen or captured?” Dobby nodded.

“That would be amazing Dobby,” With a crack Dobby disappeared. He was back two minutes later with a dirty and tired-looking Luna, and Garrick Olivander, who looked very ill. Harry called for the house elves to take Olivander to a spare room and tend to his injuries. Luna was standing looking at the pair, a tear cutting a clean mark through the grime on her face.

“You found me? You sent your elf for me?”

Harry shrugged, “of course, we are your friends Luna.”  The little blonde stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Harry’s waist.

“Thank you,” she murmured into his jumper, “Thank you both, Draco was planning to use me, he kept taunting me, telling me what he was going to do to me. I would rather have died than live through that.”

Hermione wrapped herself around the back of Luna and the pair held her as she sobbed into Harry’s chest. “Are you hungry Luna, when did you last eat?” she asked.

“Could I have some pudding?” she asked.

“You can have whatever you like, I think a bath or a shower might feel nice as well, what do you think.”

Luna nodded and one of the elves arrived and popped Luna away.

Harry sat back down on his chair, “So we know where Riddle is, and we know where the other two Horcruxes are, Gringotts and Hogwarts. We can send Dobby for the one in the Room, what about Gringotts, how on earth do we get that one?

“Do we know who the vault belongs to?”

“No, one of his most trusted, Malfoy had that Diary. Who else would he trust?”

“Bellatrix? Barty Crouch Junior? Rowle? Yaxley? I don’t know.”

“Harry. I think there is one more we haven’t considered.”

“One more what? Horcrux?”

She nodded. “Your scar Harry. I think he made you a Horcrux by accident.” She looked at him with a weak smile. “I think Dumbledore thought you had to die to get rid of it. I think that was in his mind all along.”

Harry looked at her, “I have to die?”

“No. The ritual will remove it, I suspect it will not be fun. We need five priests for the ritual, so we need some help, If we send Dobby for the Diadem, we could get him to bring someone back from Hogwarts?”

“We could at least ask?”

They stopped for a light lunch and sat with Luna, she was withdrawn and quiet. “Neville is looking after people within Hogwarts, he is a pureblood, heir to an old House, so he is relatively safe. The Carrows, Alecto, and Amecus are torturing anyone for any excuse. It’s pretty bad in the school, Professor Snape is Headmaster so it’s a pretty awful place to be. Some of the pupils are hiding out in the Room of Requirements. Could you bring them here? Wherever this is.

“It depends, as long as we can trust them not to give us up to the Death Eaters. This house is too valuable as a resource to lose.” Hermione commented.

“Talk to Neville. He will know who you can trust, or Ginny.”

“Ginny, might be difficult.”

“Why because you and Hermione are married now. She is with Neville at the moment, they need each other. She will be happy to see you are still alive.”

Hermione smiled, “how did you know?”

“Your magic Hermione. It matches Harry’s now. It was always close. You always loved each other, I worried you would not realise and do something foolish, like go out with Ron. He can be nice, but he needs to grow up first.”

“Telling Ron is going to be a bit explosive.”

“We cannot bring him here, he will just go off on a strop, leave and get himself caught.”

“Agreed.”

They visited Ollivander who was weak and needed to rest, but clean clothes, a comfy bed and decent food had improved his mood. “Thank you, young Mister Potter. I assume this is Potter Manor, have you claimed your House now?”

“I think so, I am still the ‘most wanted’ or whatever they call it, so I can’t go to the bank myself.”

“No, of course not young man. That would be most unwise. Is there any way I can help you?”

“I broke my wand, but I found an old wand in the library that feels OK. Otherwise I was going to ask if you could repair it.”

“Alas Mr Potter, it is not usually possible to repair a wand, it is more usual to simply make a new one.”

“I suspected as much.”

Later that night they dispatched Dobby to retrieve the Diadem, he returned minutes later with it and they added it to the haul. Hermione was sitting at the workbench in the basement workshop with a runic array she had carved into the stone table top in the centre of the room. “Harry look at this.” She placed the locket in the centre of the array and the inner line of the circle lit up around an eighth of it’s circumference. She scooped the locket bag into a nullifiying bag, and replaced it with the diadem, only a fraction of the circumference lit up this time.

“What does that mean, the locket is more powerful then the Diadem?”

“I think Riddle made a fundamental error in understanding his ritual. I think, he believes he removed one seventh of his soul every time, I think he halved it every time.”

Harry sat looking at her for a moment or two, “So the diary, that was a full half, that’s why it could possess Ginny, the locket is what, a quarter? He must have made that one second?”

“I think the ring was the second, I think the locket is only an eighth. The diadem is a lot less, maybe a thirty second, it was probably the fifth. If the cup is bigger we shall know.”

“So my scar was the sixth, and that’s one sixty-fourth of his whole.”

Hermione nodded, and he split it again with the snake. He is less than a hundredth of his original. There is no wonder he is an absolute monster. He literally has almost no soul, well none you would be able to find.”

Harry sat back and ran his hands through his hair. “We should do the locket on it’s own, rather than risk allowing them to combine and become more powerful.”

Hermione nodded, “Yes, I agree. It means that the piece in you is tiny though. That’s why your magic could contain it. It also meant if we can purge the locket, it will be a lot easier to rid you of the taint.”

“Is it worth seeing if we can talk with Neville.”

“Hmm, yes. Shame we don’t have any of those mirrors, they would be ideal.”

Once more Dobby popped into Hogwarts. Moments later, he came back with Neville and Ginny. Harry and Hermione were cuddled up on a sofa. Neville looked battered and tired, he looked around the comfortable room. “Potter Manor?” Harry nodded.

“Dobby brought us here, I didn’t even know it existed.”

“Do you want food? can we patch you up. You are welcome to stay if you don’t want to go back” Hermione added.

Dobby brought them sandwiches and Tea, and the four of them sat, Ginny sat with Neville and then shrugged and curled into his side. “You two are together now?” she asked.

Hermione nodded, “We thought we were going to die, we had run out of everything, we had no energy to apparate, it was no time for keeping secrets from each other, we chose to confess everything to each other, and we discovered we both loved each other. We somehow summoned Dobby and he brought us here.”

Ginny grinned, “About bloody time. You two danced around each other for years. How did Ron take it? In fact where is he?”

“He left us.”

“What?” Ginny shouted, “The useless Pillock! HE LEFT YOU?” she threw her hands in the air. “I don’t believe I am his sister. He must have been swapped with my real brother.” She sat fuming for a few moments. “All his dragon dung about the secret mission, what was wrong with him, cold? Hungry? a little bit tired?”  she glared at the window for a moment. “You are secure here? he has no access does he? is it under a fidelious or anything?”

“It’s under some very old and vicious wards, a lot like Grimmauld, if you aren’t brought in, you cannot find the place.”

“Do you know where the idiot is?”

They shook their heads. “Do you two want to stay?” Hermione asked.

Neville answered, “We can’t, we are all that’s between the Carrows and any half-bloods,”

“How many are there?”

“About twenty?”

“Can we bring them here, are they trustworthy?”

Ginny spoke up. “They will be killed if they are caught. They can be trusted, also the Greengrass girls and Susan Bones would be better out of the castle. They are attracting the wrong attention from some of the sleazier wizards.”

“We have plenty of room here, as long as they can’t be tracked here they can have refuge here until we finish this.”

Neville stood and stretched, “how many can an elf bring at once?”

“Dobby can manage four at a time, the Potter elves can help, we can bring everyone in two trips, if Master Nevvy can tell us who to bring.”

Nev smiled, “Lets go to the room, bring your friends.”

Five minutes later a rag-tag collection of students of all ages were stood in the entrance hall. Harry looked around. He recognised the Creevey brothers, and Daphne stood tall among the other pupils, a large bruise on one cheek and a split lip showed her recent problems”

Harry and the elves set to, and allocated the kids in pairs into rooms, as they were popped away and settled in for the night Hermione quizzed Daphne. “Flint. He decided I would keep his bed warm, I objected. If you think this is bad, you should see him. He will never touch another woman.” Hermione, bit her bottom lip, and carefully cast a heeling charm on Daphne’s injured face. She then handed her a small pot of bruise cream.

“You are safe here, for now. We need to finish off Riddle, but we nearly have all the pieces.”

“Is there anything we can do to help. I will swear an oath of loyalty if you need me to. We are not Death Eaters, and neither is our family.”

Hermione laughed, “We need to get into a Gringotts vault, but we don’t really know which one. Any bright ideas?”

“Talk to the Goblins, offer them a deal that is profitable.”

Astoria spoke from her sister’s side, “What is it you need to retrieve. If it is a dark item, they have a list of proscribed items that would cause you to be fined very heavily if you put them in their vaults. If it’s something to do with you-know-who it will probably be on their banned list, and they will confiscate the contents of the vault.”

Hermione regarded Tori with a look, “Our father has always prepared us both for a life in business, and as such I learned all the rules of Gringotts bank last summer.”

She looked at Harry, he nodded. “It’s a Horcrux, if you know what that is.”

“Merlin!” Daphne exclaimed, “He-who, whatever, he made a Horcrux? They are off the scale banned at Gringotts, send them a message with a list of vaults to check. They will go full beserker on the owners.”

“He made seven as far as we can tell.” Hermione said quietly.

“No wonder he is completely insane.”

“We can send Harry’s account manager a message, Dobby can carry it direct. They can let us know if they find anything.”

The following morning saw the main dining room full of smiling faces and happier children. Daphne walked over to Neville who was heading back in order to make an appearance at the Great Hall for breakfast, Ginny stood with him, they were arguing quietly. “Everything OK with you two?”

“Nev is insisting on going back, we have all the half bloods out, so I think we should stay here, help Harry and Hermione. There is going to be a fight soon, and we need wands. He insists he is going back, but I have to stay safe.”

Daphne snorted. “Very Noble Nev. Now stop being a prize idiot, get some breakfast and abandon that stupid school. Getting yourself killed for nothing is not brave or clever, Hermione filled me in on what they have been doing, and if we get the right response today, We can end this at last.

Neville’s shoulders dropped and he let out a long breath, “OK, I am just worried that someone will get hurt.”

“They would, you would be that someone, you daft lump. Ginny slapped his arm. When this is all over, then you can leave me if you want to, but until then we swore to be there for each other, and I meant it. I know I am not brought up in the pureblood traditions Neville, but I bloody love you, you spectacularly dumb berk. If I lose you now I will break, we have been through too much to give up now.”  She was shaking and Neville wrapped his arms around her

“Sorry Gin, I love you too, I must have caught the saving people bug from Harry.”  She looked up and pulled him into a teary kiss.

Dobby returned from the bank just before lunch, he had a Gringotts bag, which contained the cup of Helga Hufflepuff. He also had a parchment roll, it contained a letter from the manager Ragnok, and laid out what they had found. The bank had closed the Lestrange, Malfoy and Nott vaults, they had confiscated the contents and paid a ten percent reward into the Potter vault. In one move they had stripped Riddle of at least half of his funds.

Hermione checked the cup, it was the weakest of the Horcruxes and they decided it would be the one to try the cleansing ritual on first. Hermione assembled five wixen to perform the rite, she refused to allow Harry in the room until after the ritual, since he had a piece of Riddle stuck in his head. Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Luna and Daphne assembled around the ritual circle Hermione had prepared, Daphne had checked everything that Hermione had done and agreed it should work. They placed the cup in the centre and lighting the candles at each point they intoned the words of the ritual. A thin tendril of smoke rose from the cup and formed a small swirling ball above the circle. Daphne pointed her wand and incanted the spell from the book, a red ball left her wand and consumed the wraith ball before disappearing.

They stopped chanting and exchanged smiles. “How is everyone?” They all shrugged or shook their heads, no one felt any ill effects. Hermione smiled. “We should try it on Harry next, probably best to wait until tomorrow?” Everyone agreed.

The following morning they assembled in the room again after breakfast and Harry climbed onto the slab, sitting cross legged in the centre. He sat facing Hermione. With a nod to the others she lit her candle and began the incantation, one by one the rest joined in and Harry gritted his teeth as the soul shard fought to stay attached to his magic, his neck muscles and tendons corded with the effort, his face turned deep red and he kept his gaze fixed on his wife, anchoring himself with his love for Hermione, his scar split and the smoke trail left him forming a tiny ball. Once more Daphne cast to dispel it. Harry slumped forward into Hermione’s arms. Luna smiled and cast a quiet cleaning spell on his forehead, then healed the wound, the scar being faint and indistinct.

Harry was levitated to his bed, and sleeping soundly, met everyone for breakfast the next morning in the large dining room that was serving as the refectory for their impromptu school. They tackled the Diadem next, this time Harry cast the dispelling charm as Daphne maintained the incantation.

The Locket was the last item they tackled, it fought, and the group held steadfast until it too was banished.

Afterwards sitting enjoying a well-deserved bottle of cold butterbeer, they debated what to do next. Did they attack Malfoy Manor, heavily warded, unknown territory, or try to draw them out. Ginny suggested a way of whittling down their numbers.

The following day, the better flyers in the group, Harry, Ginny and Daphne were elf popped to the Island of Coll, off the West Coast of Scotland, where they flew their brooms two hundred feet up and started to call out ‘Voldemort, Voldemort no reason to be afraid of Voldemort, where are you Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort you fake lord Voldemort.” Four snatchers, and Fenrir Greyback appeared inside the triangle the three of them formed. They stunned the five as they fell to earth to die splattered on the rocks below before they could apparate back away.

They repeated the trap four more times before no one appeared, they flew to nearby Tiree and elf popped home.

“How many did you get?” Luna asked.

“Thirty, including Greyback. No Death Eaters though, all snatchers.” Ginny replied with a grin.

“Is it worth trying again at a different location?” Hermione asked.

“I think so, but we need to go up a notch.” Daphne commented. “Time for plan ‘B’

The following day they flew up over Fingles Cave, on the Island of Staffa. This time they set some imperioused skuas flying in a circle and screeching “Voldemort” into the morning sun, The three of them sat disillusioned five hundred feet above the skuas. Sure enough half a dozen fully robed Death Eaters appeared around the skuas, and promptly fell to their deaths. The skuas continued to call for another ten minutes, but no one else appeared.

Back at the Manor, Harry asked, “I never  asked, can you apparate from mid air?”

Daphne giggled, “No. you have to be stationary,” Harry laughed.

“Good day dear?” Hermione asked.

“Six, fully robed.” Ginny replied.

Daphne crinkled her nose, “doesn’t mean anything. They could have been anyone under those robes.”

“The one nearest the Island was Lucius Malfoy – I saw his hair on the way down.” Harry chipped in.

“Good,” Luna said with some force, “he was disgusting.”

“Dare we try again?” Ginny asked.

“What if we have an elf riding along? If Moldypants himself turns up we can bug out pronto – he can fly.”

The following morning saw them on the Isle of Canna, this time they charmed some of the Cormorant Colony to chant the Dark Lords name and waited. The Death Eaters appeared on brooms, with rapidly fired diffindos Ginny and Harry dived in and among them chopping their brooms in half and in seconds another ten Death Eaters were splashed over the Inner Hebrides.

“How many?”

“Ten I think. They turned up on brooms, so they are working it out. I hope they like the Western Isles, bloody cold out there this time of year.” Harry answered picking up a steaming cup of tea.

“Is that done then?”

Daphne nodded, “They will reverse it on us soon, we have pushed our luck far enough, time for another plan.”

Dobby elf popped a message to the Burrow, and returned with a piece of parchment from Molly, with an address. Shell Cottage, and a time. 2pm Tomorrow.

Daphne decided to stay back and mind the kids, she doubted she would be welcomed by the Weasleys. Ginny, Neville, Harry and Hermione elf popped away using Dobby and Winky for transport. The Elves remained invisible, against a trap.

The popped into place on a beautiful beach, somewhere on the south coast, a curious and obviously magical cottage stood among the dunes. They approached cautiously.

Bill Weasley appeared pointing a wand, as did Fleur. “What did I say to you the first time we met ‘Arry?”

He smiled, and in a mock French accent replied, “Ee is a Leetle boy.” He looked at Bill. “What did I tell your brothers about the prize money?”

“We are going to need something to laugh about.” A pair of voices replied from in the door.

The wands lowered and Ginny ran towards Bill and wrapped him in a hug. “I missed you,” she murmured.

Neville walked slowly up to the door followed by Harry and Hermione. Ron appeared at the door munching on a pastry. The four of them stopped and stared at him.

Ginny exploded. “Where in Merlin’s name do you get the idea that abandoning your friends is acceptable, you are no better than dragon shit Ronald Weasley. We are fighting and hurting and YOU are stuffing your STUPID FACE.” The bat bogey hex hit him even as the last word left her lips. With a squeal Ron disappeared inside.

Hermione pulled Harry by the hand to an outdoor table, it was cold. She cast a warming charm over them. Ginny and Neville joined them and Bill with a shrug at Fleur did the same. After a few minutes Molly bustled out with teacups and a pot, it poured everyone a drink, and Harry, very obviously checked the tea for potions, “Constant Vigilance, as Mad-eye used to say.” The test was blank.

Harry was quietly relieved, Molly was too much for him as a near adult, but he had hoped she was not involved in anything nefarious. The twins joined them, Ron stayed in the cottage.

Hermione started, “The mission that Dumbledore dropped on us, is complete as far as it can be. What is left is Riddle, That is you know who’s real name, Tom Marvolo Riddle, and his familiar a snake, a maledictus called Nagini. It must die before him. Once it is dead, Riddle can be killed, permanently.” She looked around the group who were hanging on her words. “We need to pull the remaining Death Eaters and Riddle into a trap, and end them. No stunners, no bindings, flat out kill shots. I know that the Avada isn’t a curse we can use, but there are some pretty deadly curses we can teach you in readiness. We need somewhere to trap them.”

Harry took over, “Hogwarts is out of the question, too many innocents, and the Ministry is too easy for them to defend. We are open to suggestions.”

“Grimmauld?”  Bill mused,

“Too many muggles.” Hermione replied.

“Where are you guys holed up?” Fred asked

“It’s under a fidelious, and it isn’t a spot we can easily defend.” Ginny replied, “What state is the Burrow in?”

“Pretty much destroyed.” George said, “It is going to need some serious work to rebuild it.”

Harry looked at Hermione and a silent discussion took place. “I will pay for your rebuild after this, but it sounds perfect for what we want to do, is it being watched by Riddle’s people?”

“Certainly.”

“Perfect. Then we can lay our trap. You will need to call in any Order members that you trust, and only ones you trust. We can end it, next new moon, no point in helping the werewolves.”

Molly finally could not keep quiet, “Harry, Ron is very sorry, he wants to talk to both of you. HE wants to apologise.”

Hermione replied. “Molly. Ronald betrayed us. We have nothing to say to him. He left us for dead.” Harry nodded. Molly blinked a few times, her mouth opening and closing.

Ginny spoke up, “Mum, Neville and I were fighting the Death Eaters in the school, Harry and Hermione rescued us, and ALL the half bloods. Where was Ron. They are more like family than him to me now.

Fleur looked at Hermione, “You are wearing a ring Hermione, is that Harry’s ring.”

“We are married.” She said. Molly squeaked but said nothing. “We should be going Harry,” She looked at Bill and the Twins, “do not bring Ron near us.” They stood to leave, “See you later Ginny.” They set off down the beach, Dobby silently following. They heard the huffing and panting, turning Harry disarmed Ron and Hermione put a leg locker on him.

He was red-faced and started to yell. “You two are leaving? What about me, you are my girl ‘Mione. Leaving with Harry again, choosing him again. Do you expect me to just wait.”

Hermione slipped her arm around Harry’s waist and they looked at Ron coldly. Silence fell as Ron saw the gesture, she reached up and she kissed Harry. She spoke quietly to Ron, “I am not your girl Ronald. I never actually was. You abandoned us. We nearly died, just us two, curled up starving to death in each other’s arms. We talked, and for the first time in our lives we were totally honest to one another about our feelings. We love each other, Ronald Weasley. I am married by magic to Harry Potter. He is my husband; I am Lady Hermione Potter. You are nothing to me anymore. You are just some child I used to know. A boy who when the going got tough, ran home to mummy and her cooking.  Goodbye Weasley, do not speak to me ever again, if you value your manhood.”

This was too much for Ron. “Oh great, fantastic,” he shouted, “The Great Harry bloody Potter, not content with fame, and fortune steals my girlfriend, Is he a good shag ‘Mione, Is he….”

The stunner from Ginny hit him in the back and she levitated him away from them, “Sorry guys, I had to just hope that an apology might appear. Really, I wonder if he isn’t a Malfoy sometimes.” She gave them a lopsided grin, “I will drop the trash off and see you back at the house.” Dobby popped them back to the manor.

Almost an hour later Ginny and Neville appeared. “Everything OK Gin?” Harry asked. She shook her head and rolled her eyes,

Neville spoke up, “Molly is OK with it now, took her a ‘minute,’ but when she realised Gin and I are together as well, she was OK. Then she went off at Ron, like only Molly can, He refuses to accept that he is at fault. Bill, Fred and George all told him the same thing. Basically, he is, well, Ron. When Mr Weasley finally appeared, and they told him the full story, he threatened to throw Ron out of the family. They kept his wand from him and he is literally sleeping in the shed. No one is willing to trust him.”

Ginny grimaced, “Fred is going to knock him outcome the night of the action, Jealous prat might actually turn against you, he has some arse-water idea that Dumbledore promised him Hermione as his wife.

Harry shook his head. “I owe you an apology Hermione, for all the times I sided with that oaf when I should have stuck up for you, I really don’t know what I was thinking. I am so sorry”

Hermione gave him a long look, “Apology accepted Potter.” She grinned, “I don’t think it was you thinking. I suspect someone was meddling,” she mimed a long beard as she said the last part. She leaned over and gave him a light kiss, “You can make it up to me later.” Harry grinned.

Ginny guffawed a deep rich laugh, and gave Hermione a huge wink.

Chapter Text

Harry Apparated into the garden of the burrow in the early hours of the morning under the cover of his invisibility cloak. It was a waning moon and the shadows cast by the pale light did little to disguise the burnt skeleton of the eccentric house. Arthur’s shed was a twisted blackened collection of metal and wood. His collection of muggle things had collapsed into a random spiders web of dark shapes and wire.

This was his fourth visit this week. Planting ward stones they had worked to create back at the manor, laying the bones of their traps. He silently cast a revealing spell and looked for his observers, no one was unmasked by the spell. He had silencing charms on him, and scent suppressing charms in case it was the snake again, or Pettigrew keeping watch. He picked his way to their preferred spot and unshrinking the bag containing the last of the stones, he used a switching spell to swap the stone for the earth six inches below ground.

Satisfied he shrank the bag with its earth payload. He silently apparated away from the garden. Sleeping unawares of Harry’s visit a grey rat rolled over in its makeshift nest among the ruins of the house.

The Wizards apparated into the Burrow’s garden a small group were visible, most were under disillusionment spells and took up the carefully prepared positions. In the clear part of the garden, that had once hosted a marquee and a wedding, Remus and Shack stood waiting, Harry whipped off his cloak and the three of them stood as if in a conversation, all the time waiting for the wards to tell them of the approach of their prey.

They felt the apparition into the warded area and counted, six, no eight.

They were all in full regalia, Harry felt the one way wards snap shut and saw the spell fire erupt from where his friends were hiding catching these Death Eaters in a murderous crossfire. He had barely managed to draw his wand before the first round was over. They ran over and checked the identities, Shacklebolt reeled off their names, and dropped portkeys onto their bodies. Harry didn’t recognise any of them. They were cannon fodder.

They resumed their position and Tonks released the wards allowing transportation, the bodies all popped away, and they waited to see what would happen next. Would the big guns arrive, would Riddle make an appearance? Harry made a slow scan of the area looking to see if their lookout for the death eaters was still here.

The rat had disappeared, running back to its master, Harry hoped it was carrying the message of the part of the trap they had allowed it to see. They waited. The first pop of apparition was heard, half a dozen snatchers, led by Draco Malfoy appeared in the garden, where the previous group had arrived. They created a one way apparition ward, trapping the Order members in the garden. The fight started and most people kept their positions as the two small groups exchanged spellfire. The Snatchers went down hard, they were not expecting lethal spellfire. They were not expecting to be hit without warning. Draco was holding up quite well, and Harry felt it was time to properly bait the trap. He stood and fired his signature curse at Malfoy, who dodged it and apparated away.

“Positions everyone. This is it. He ran full pelt into the prepared location. They threw up their own wider area anti apparition and anti portkey ward. No Death Eaters would be leaving once they arrived. They arrived in four groups. One central almost on top of Harry’s previous position, the others spaced out around the clearing. Harry sensed the snake rather than saw it. Thirteen including the Snake. Harry had the numbers on his side, and he needed to take on the main man, the others would sort the rest. A series of loud bangs rippled across the area as the claymores they had planted were fired off, half of Riddles force were down in an eyeblink. Harry hit Voldemort from the side under the cover of the explosions with a spell chain of cutting piercing and blasting hexes. He deflected them, it cost him the two members of his group who were cut down by Harry’s spell fire.

Harry was aware of the fights going on around him, The Death Eaters were being whittled down, only four remained and they were being engaged heavily, on the defensive. He heard the mad cackle of Bellatrix echo across the misty lawn as the sky was lit with green and white and red flashes as people cursed and counter cursed. The Death Eaters were standing, duelling. His side were skirmishing, popping out of cover letting a hail of speels off and taking cover as another took over. The Death Eaters were going down, Voldemort fired his favourite Avada Kedavra at Harry, he threw a conjured ice ball into its path and returned fire with another spell chain of cutting and piercing hexes, he was pacing himself, waiting for the moment the snake was taken out, waiting for the opening in Tom’s armour to appear.

Neville had the damned Sword of Gryffindor from somewhere and beheaded the snake as it tried to sneak up on Hermione and Ginny who where keeping Bellatrix pinned down. Harry felt the shockwave run through the air, it was almost palpable. Bellatrix turned to see what had affected her Lord and Hermione hit her in the head with a Bombardia spraying the contents of her skull across the ground behind her.

Simultaneously, Harry hit Riddle with an overpowered spell chain, he put everything and a bit more into it. As Tom staggered the first spell hit removing his wand arm at the shoulder and two piercing hexes slammed through his chest. As he dropped to his knees Hermione repeated her cast and Lord Voldemort’s brains joined his lovers across the lawn.

“The power he knew not. A seriously angry wife.” Ginny’s voice rand through the night and her laughter followed, a little brittle and shrill. Harry stood and looked around.

“Did we lose anyone?” He asked. He heard a groan and watched as a badly wounded Dolohov tried to stand. Harry ended him with a diffindo that beheaded him in a trice. “Are we all still here?” he asked again. He heard people talking and he heard Neville call to Ginny, Molly grabbed the pair and squeezed the life out of them. Shacklebolt loomed out of the shadows,

“Remus is injured,” he smiled, “he cut his thumb.” He laughed a deep baritone laugh. Harry jogged over to where Hermione and Tonks were standing. He grabbed her into an embrace and filled his lungs with the smell of her.

“I love you Lady Potter. I love you so much.” She held him and he felt her shaking as her adrenaline fell and the  aftermath began. The night was pierced by a high pitched squeal and shriek. Remus walked into view carrying a rat.

“Our dear friend Peter. Do you want to take him in Kingsley, or should we simply do some pest control?” Remus asked.

“Don’t be merciful on my account. I stopped you once before and it led to this shit storm. Do we need his testimony?” He looked at Kingsley, “your call, I don’t care. I am hoping the killing is finally over.”

“We need to free Hogwarts.” Neville announced from where he stood holding Ginny.

“Can we still use the tunnels?”

“There is one, or we could get the elves to deliver us?” Ginny replied.

Hermione spoke up, “We should go at breakfast, they will all be in the Great Hall. We can mop them up in minutes. I have an idea if you are interested?”

Harry’s view travelled around the ruined gardens and the burnt remnants that was once the Weasley family home. Harry looked, Percy and Ron were missing, other than that the whole family was standing in a group, laughter drifted over. He heard a small bang from one side, and Kingsley shrugged. “Killed trying to escape.” He walked away into the night, checking bodies. The occasional white flash of a piercing hex as he made sure there would be no one claiming any imperious alibi’s this time around.

As the first light of a new day spread across the world, He regarded at the scene around him, a thin mist hugged the ground, perhaps waist deep, laid within it were dark shapes. Part of him wanted to check to see if Draco Malfoy was dead, part of him did not really care. Today, tomorrow, it was all the same, Draco Malfoy was dead, he just didn’t know it yet. He summoned the wands from the bodies catching them and dropping them in a pile at his feet, when the ‘Elder’ wand hit his hand a blast of light erupted out of the end of it and enveloped both Hermione and himself where they stood still within each other’s arms.

Twelve of them, All six of the trusted and available Weasleys, Fleur, Harry, Hermione, Neville, Daphne, and Luna were elf popped into the school disillusioned. They killed the Death Eaters without dropping the invisibility spells, Snape, both Carrows and Umbridge died before they knew anyone was there. Neville killed Marcus Flint and Ginny & Daphne took out another two, a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw, that had been particularly fond of pushing themselves on the girls. The younger members of Umbridge’s Inquisitorial Squad were stunned, for questioning later. Daphne had spoken in their defence, some of them were acting out of fear for their families and were coerced into action.

They dropped the disillusionment spells and Minerva stood shakily to her feet. “Mister Potter, it is nice of you to drop in, am I to assume from this visit, that you are no longer a fugitive?”

Hermione answered from where she stood covering the Hufflepuff table. “Harry and I killed Lord Voldmort earlier this morning. I will repeat that name. Voldemort. Real name Tom Marvolo Riddle, the fake Dark Lord, son of a squib and a muggle.” She did the fire writing with a wand. “The much feared name, a teenage boy’s secret identity. The Ministry is being cleared out be the Aurors Kingsley trusts, and any left over Death Eaters are going to be arrested on site, and if they have a Dark Mark executed immediately. Unmarked supporters will be interrogated using veritaserum. I think the fighting is over. The healing and repairs to your society will take longer.”

“Your society, Miss Granger? do you no longer consider yourself a part of this world?”

“It’s Lady Potter these days Professor.” She looked around the room.

Hermione continued, “no, I do not, I never was accepted by this world. I was an upstart muggleborn,” she pointed at Snape’s body, “An infuriating know-it-all. A filthy mudblood. The very few friends I made were almost all either muggleborns. I hate that phrase. Mundane born like myself, or had mundane born parents like Harry, or Seamus. The so called purebloods, sneer at me even now, although I could almost certainly take anyone in this room if I had to. I am not welcomed, I am not staying.” She looked to Harry, and a silent agreement was reached. “We are not staying. The Potters, We, own a number of properties across the world. We shall find time to heal and grow, but not in Britain. The Ministry has turned against us too often to trust you again.”

The room was silent for a moment and as Harry heard Molly draw breath to start a reply, he had no interest in disputing, he wiggled his finger in a signal to Dobby and the Potters popped out of the school. A few seconds later and a succession of missing pupils appeared near the doors as those sheltering at the manor returned to their liberated school. The Hogwarts elves made the bodies disappear and in a few moments the room was tidied, the Weasley family seated itself for breakfast and Bill sent an elf to collect Ron, who still without a wand, sat and filled a plate, muttering the whole time to himself.

Kingsley and Tonks led the team that flushed out the marked Aurors, the fights were short and vicious, both collected a few cuts and bruising. At the Ministerial Residence Pius Thicknesse awoke, free of the imperious, and sitting looking at his face in the mirror became aware of the things done in his name. He went to his home office and wrote a long letter to the people of his country and then took his life as the sun finally rose over the hills near his house. The Daily Prophet ran an early edition special, and the paper ran more details of the story for the next week, selling out every copy they had.

The Camps to which the muggleborns had been sent were raided that morning, the guards had already gone like ghosts, once more in history liberating victors walked into camps full of the dead and dying, those still clinging to life starving and emaciated. The photographs from within the camps would haunt the British for all time.

A month later the two young lovers knocked on a door in a suburb of a small Australian town, and managed to get themselves invited in. Lifting the spell on her parents, Hermione used the elder wand, her mother sat blinking and then threw her arms around her daughter. It took Hermione three days to tell them everything, she started with the phrase, “This is Harry, we have left magical Britain, and we don’t ever want to go back.” Her father sat quietly and listened to his daughter talk of horrors no man wants their daughter to be exposed to. He heard the love in her voice for the young man that sat holding her or her hand throughout. Adding small details when she faltered. His initial reserve was chipped away bit by bit as he heard of Harry’s dedication to Hermione’s safety. Eventually he poured all of them a decent sized brandy.

“I should be angry, Hermione, we are the parents, we are supposed to protect you. I realise that we are defenceless to your kind, and that you acted in our best interests, to keep us safe, but it is still difficult to accept that you can wave your wand and make us believe anything you want. Are our memories real? What have you changed or removed over the years?” He took a pull at his brandy.

“You memories are your own, father, I have only ever done this once, so that you would not be used and tortured to get to me, and through me to Harry. I didn’t choose this, I befriended a little scruffy kid at the school, and he saved my life just after I turned twelve. He pretty much stole my heart that evening, and as a witch from non-magical parents, these followers of Riddle’s would torture me, use me as a plaything, they would use me to control Harry, because he was the beacon of hope for the ordinary people who had no idea how to fight. If they had caught Harry, we would have no further use and would all have been killed, he would have been publicly tortured to death. There is no scenario where you were captured, that we would all survive, and this was the best plan I could come up with. I didn’t ask, because you would have demanded I left with you. I am as much Harry’s support system, as he is mine.” Harry’s hand took hers again, and Hermione’s mother noticed the ring on his hand, and the matching one on Hermione’s free hand.

“Where you wearing those rings when you arrived?” she asked staring at her daughters hand.

“They hide if I want them to, mum. I told you Harry and I spent months on the run together, just the pair of us. We nearly starved to death at one point. We confessed everything to each other. It was pointless having secrets. We have both loved each other for years, and convinced ourselves the other didn’t feel the same way. When we admitted our feelings, the magical house we were in, Harry’s Family House, it concentrated the family magic, the magic of all the generations of Potters, and Blacks, and it married us. We can almost share our thoughts, we do know each other’s love, Harry is my soul mate, my other half, I am his. We will never be separated, not even in death, we shall cross over together when our time comes, and be together for all eternity.”

Emma wrapped Hermione in a hug and the tears flowed. Dan gave Harry a stern look, Harry gave a slight shrug. “Sorry Sir, I didn’t even get to ask Hermione, let alone you for permission. We shared a kiss in my family library, and boom, light show, magic bonding, marriage rings. One of our friends Luna says we are a fated couple and not even the gods would have kept us apart forever. I would have asked if this had been any sort of normal, but I am just so happy we are both alive, and away from the people that have been meddling with our lives for all this time.”

Dan reached over and offered his hand, “Look after my Princess, I know she is grown up now, but to me she is still, and always will be the precocious little girl that like to be read to, especially stories about magic.” Harry shook the hand.

“She will always be your Princess Mister Granger, she hasn’t left, your family just got a little bigger.”

“Not too much bigger? Not for a year or two yet I hope.” Harry blushed,

“No Sir, no kids. Hermione wants to go to University, we both do. We have a missing mundane education to catch up on, we have a few years of studying to do. We have to decide where to live as well. Neither of us want to be in Britain.”

Some years later.

Emma and Hermione sat at the poolside of the Potter’s house on the East Coast of Australia. Harry and Dan were out playing golf, and the ladies were taking a moment to catch up. The Grangers were retired from Dentistry, and Emma lectured part time at the local Dental college, Dan had a hobby business restoring classic cars.

Hermione was due to start her maternity leave at the end of the month, their twins were due then, and she was more than ready to become a mother and stop being a whale. She had eventually been enticed back to the magical world, the Australian version. She worked in research, for what Harry referred to as the Unmentionables. Harry had studied Estate Management and now managed the portfolio of the family estate, one that had grown after the battle as the Malfoy and Lestrange Estates were granted to the Potters as Wergild following the final reckoning with the Death Eaters.

Luna was floating around Australia somewhere, looking for Jackalopes, or some other creature, Some of their friends visited, Bill and Fleur had likewise moved to Australia, wanting to be free of family pressures.

Britain was struggling according to the Australian press, Hogwarts had barely enough students to make it worth while opening. Mundane families that discovered they had a witch or wizard took advantage of the Evans Institutes relocation packages and moved out of Britain in almost every case. The only families rigidly sending their children to Hogwarts were the remnants of the old elite, that year had seen six children start at Hogwarts. Two left at Christmas and transferred to Beauxbatons.

Hermione gave birth two days early, on October 31^st. The twins were both healthy, and Harry survived the wrath of a witch in labour. Rose Emma Lily, and Charles Daniel Sirius Potter were introduced to their proud grandparents and godparents by their delighted parents.

Little Poppy Luna Ginevra appeared just over three years later.

The Evans Institute took over the running of Hogwarts the following year, and closed it for a year to modernise the facilities, the students studying at the Old Malfoy Manor for the year. When it reopened, the new starters faced a completely revised syllabus, including a lot of technology, and no ghost teachers. Potions was taught alongside chemistry, and had similar safety requirements.

Over the next five years the intake size grew, the fifth year saw forty two new starters, including two French students. The Express was pensioned off, and pupils used a bank of ‘doors’ derived from vanishing cabinets to arrive at the school. Pupils had the option to be day pupils, weekly boarders or full term time boarders. Many started as day pupils, slowly becoming boarders as they grew to have friends and most studied for their advanced levels as full boarders.

The Ministry finally capitulated to pressure from the mundane Parliament, and the Wizengamot voted itself into the History books, being replaced by an elected assembly. Slowly the blood bigotry was fading into the background.

Auror Ronald Weasley found himself part of a security detail for some visiting dignitaries, under Head Auror Dora Lupin, when Harry and Hermione appeared in the portkey zone with three kids, two of whom where enrolled at Hogwarts for the new term, he stood and found he didn’t want them to recognise him. He felt ashamed for his actions those many years ago. As his boss enveloped the adults and children in hugs, he felt the loss of the friends they had once been. Once Hermione was being shown around the school by Minerva, Harry turned to him, “How is your family Ron? Everyone OK?” and smiled.

Ron replied, “Yeah, thanks Harry. I wasn’t sure if you would speak to me. I was such an arse back then, I got checked for compulsions and cleared, it was like I was someone else. Sorry, I still should have been a better friend.” The two shook hands.

“Glad to hear you got sorted. How many kids is it now?”

“Lavender is pregnant with twins, that will make five all together, she has told me I need to have a vast ektummy, what ever one of those is.”

“Vasectomy. Stops the swimmers getting out and making more Weasleys.”

“OK, yeah, five is plenty. The house is madcap in a morning,”

“We have four if you include Teddy and Hermione’s folks and Andromeda live in, so I know exactly what you mean. How many girls do you have?”

“One so far, two more on the way.”

“Your life is over mate. Doomed. They will twist you around their fingers.”

“Violet, my eldest already does.” I am the butler in my own home.” The two men were laughing as Hermione walked back towards them.

“The twins have gone off with some other pupils, and don’t want an oldie along to embarrass them.” She said with a resigned air. “How is Lavender? She is due soon isn’t she.”

Ron looked and nodded, “About five weeks,” he paused and regarded Hermione with a puzzled expression.

“We stayed in touch Ronald. Harry and I send the kids presents, who do you think the magic kangaroo plushies were from?” She shook her head and laughed, “Fleur would never buy anything that gauche.”

“Yeah. Sorry. I. I am just embarrassed about how I was. I was a complete prat.”

“Ron, we heard, you were suffering the same as us, the bearded wonder ruined all our lives, and for what, some scheme that failed and he died. I sometimes consider a necromantic rite to resurrect him, just so I can kill him all over again.” She stepped up and gave her old friend a hug. “You should come out to visit in the New Year, it’s mid-summer and hot. Your kids will love the beach. The new portkeys aren’t killers like the old school ones.” She took Harry’s arm. “Shall we find the café. I could murder a really decent cuppa.”