A/N: I have always wanted to write a darker fic, and this is as dark as I can get. Fair warning... If you enjoy this I urge you to look into Lady of the Lake by Colubrina.

Sins of the Past

'It will all be over soon.' I would tell myself, breathing in the cool fresh air. 'There are only a few left to take care of. Then you can rest.'

I walk down the street with my hands in my pockets. One, clutching my wand, as I take in the familiarity of the grains of wood. The other fiddling with a handkerchief. I had been dealing with a cold the last few days. But the work must continue. No rest for the weary.

It begins to drizzle as I turn the corner. I raise the collar of my peacoat to prevent the droplets from traveling down the back of my neck. I hated that feeling, water running down your sleeve after you wash your hands, snow melting under the back of the collar of your shirt, wet socks. Terrible inconveniences.

It would be a few hours before the body would be discovered. The panic would be immediate. The newspaper would be itching for every detail of the murder. Reporters, they think themselves crime solvers. If they only knew…

This one was harder than the others, more time consuming, more tiring. But necessary. I don't want to do this, I don't like this feeling either. But I have no choice, I must make things right. I don't like to say it's for the greater good, because I have seen where that can lead. But these people made my choice for me.

The world is afraid of me. I don't blame them. I'm afraid of me too.

Bodies were piling up in the most horrific ways and leave it to the Daily Prophet to get the most horrendous details of the crime scene.

Hermione Granger folded the paper and pushed it across her desk in disgust.

This was the twenty-third one this year. While she did not condone the thought of taking a life, this person or persons had the ability to track down suspected and confirmed Death Eaters and make them pay for their crimes in the most brutal ways. Last night Alecto Carrow met her fate not by magic, but by her airway being obstructed by a rope. This one was different from the others, this was the first to be done without magic. Why take so much time and energy into taking a life?

Hermione found herself walking out of her new office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She had recently been promoted after successfully improving the welfare of all non-human life in the wizarding world. So the powers above thought it best she begin to improve life for the rest of the community. Her first step was to work side by side with Kingsley and, believe it or not, Malfoy. They were to pick apart every pro-pureblood law and abolish them. Who better to help than a pureblood that could explain what it meant to his side, and how to adjust and eradicate them efficiently.

It was a rocky start, one of the main reasons Kingsley was involved. Hermione had a hard time looking at him without the urge to curse him into the next month or fighting the tunnel vision of the trauma from the past. She understood why he didn't confirm her identity to his aunt, but she could never get the look of his eyes out of her head as he watched helplessly as she was tortured on his dining room floor. He did nothing, but watch. She took every curse with the strength and knowledge that she would leave that house alive with both of her friends. But that did not mean she didn't do everything she could to escape the pain. She crawled, she dug her nails into the wood floor finish, she screamed, she cried, she pleaded, and she bled. She hoped his mother spent days cleaning that spot, trying to rid it of her blood when they escaped. Yet, eventually, she took the higher road and the academics of law took over. Intelligent disagreements replaced insults, and stubbornness gave way to progress.

There were some that still did not trust him though. A reformed Death Eater was seen as trustworthy as a grizzly bear awake in the winter. Hermione prided herself on logic and on facts, Draco was given a tribunal after the war, and while he was guilty of allowing known Death Eaters into Hogwarts, it was the consensus of the Wizengamot that he was coerced by his family when he was underage. Therefore, he would be placed on probation for the five years and had to pay a hefty fine. His probation was due to expire by the end of the month.

One such person that trusted Malfoy as far as he could throw him, was her best friend. The Chosen One, He-Who-Destroyed-Voldemort, The Golden Boy, or as she liked to call him…

"Harry…" she nagged as she leaned against his door frame. "You need to talk with your guys about how much detail they are releasing to the press. I can't bear to read the paper anymore."

"Mmm." he mumbled as he his eyes skimmed the same copy of the aforementioned article. "They felt if they made the public aware, someone would recognize the means of which they were happening."

"And how is that working out for you so far?" she asked.

Harry sighed as he closed the paper and ran his hands through his dark tresses. In the last five years the stress of being an Auror began to show. Even more so when Harry took the position as the Head of the Auror Department. Wrinkles would appear on the sides of his eyes if he was reading a case file for too long. The occasional gray hair would appear when he pushed his hair back. He looked tired, all the time.

"It isn't. It's like he knows he can't do the same thing for each attack, because we'll catch on to him. We know who he's targeting, we just don't know when or how to find the victims before he does. There's no real pattern. And now, he seems to have switched to muggle forms of homicide. I just don't get it." Harry ranted as he jabbed at the paper.

"You keep saying 'he.' Do you have a suspect?" Hermione asked with a furrowed brow.

"I always have a suspect. You know that. And he has all the access he could need to get to them!" Harry answered.

"Here we go again. How is it we always end up right back here?" she asked the heavens above. "It's not Malfoy, Harry, and before you start that sentence," she added as she held up a finger to cut him off, "you cannot arrest him out of spite."

"I have probable cause…" he started.

"Mmm...but mostly spite." she finished. "He's working on changing laws to better our world, why would he do something his risky when he is days away from having his probation lifted?"

"Some people are calling this maniac a saint. They're happy karma has decided to take vengeance on the Death Eaters. Maybe he wants people to see him as the 'righter of wrongs' type of hero." Harry tried to reason as he quoted portions of the article.

"I would agree with you, Harry, but then we would both be wrong. You of all people know how much I hate that." Hermione smirked.

"Say what you will, but if this continues, I won't have much of a job left."

How do you destroy a monster without becoming one?

Am I supposed to feel remorse? I do, in a way. There is nothing easy about taking a life, but these people don't deserve to be here, especially after all they have done.

Am I supposed to live in fear of being discovered? The last monster tried to remain hidden, but once he was discovered he thrived on the attention. Although, if it gets to the point where I've been discovered, it's because I royally screwed up, which I won't, or my job is complete. And at that point it won't be fear, it'll be relief.

People are calling me a hero of sorts. The vigilante they needed to track down the monsters that hide in the dark. The righter of wrongs. They are giving me a crown for taking action, they were going to regret that. Once they realize, they will call me a traitor. Maybe I am. But I did what I had to do.

The hood on the black sweatshirt I'm wearing does nothing to conceal my face. It doesn't matter though, a simple glamour charm could make me unrecognizable if I thought I could be seen. On these nights, I live in the shadows. No one can see me. I don't need a name.

I'm right where I want to be. In the darkness outside of the streetlight, waiting…

He will be in there until last call. Quietly drinking away the sorrows of his lost sister. Or drinking away the reality of the fact that he knows he is next. They all must know it is only a matter of when, not if.

He will be another long night. The alcohol in his body will drive his adrenaline longer than I want it to. He will pass out after the first two or three curses, but his heart will continue to fight long into the night. Then I will have to move him. This little muggle farm town is far from any known wizard, or anyone of relevance that I need to discover him. The last thing I need is the muggle authorities on my trail. So far the Ministry had kept my attacks in house. No need to worry the non-magic folk, especially when we consider who's being offed.

I check my watch, 1:46 a.m. Just a few more minutes, then we can begin.

When this all started, my nerves would make me shake so bad I could barely walk. Now, it's as though my body can predict choices and direct my adrenaline where I need it most. First, it will be my legs to follow them…

'Ahh, there he is.' I smile as my new friend stumbles out of the pub.

Then it will be my magical core, deciding on the string of wand work, curses, and jinks to render them useless.

'How this bloke is even standing on his own two feet is astounding.' I observe as he rounds the street corner without holding on to the nearby building.

Lastly, it will go to my hands to decide their ultimate fate. Afterwards, I am exhausted, out of breath and unstable. Much like my friend here.

The only difference is, one of us will wake up in the morning in a better world than it was yesterday.

Ron was on call when the summons came in. The body was left right outside the brick wall connecting the Leaky Cauldron to Diagon Alley. A witness had literally tripped over the body on their way to the shops. They complained to Tom about allowing someone to get so far gone, only to pass out right outside the wall! Tom went to investigate the drunkard only to realize he was more far gone than the witness realized.

Ron scratched his head as he observed the body. It was Amycus Carrow, the brother of the deceased Alecto from earlier this week. Over the last year they would have a body appear every two to three weeks, recently it seemed there was one almost every week. Now two in one. Which meant their suspect was now in a hurry to finish.

Ron nodded his head to the two other Aurors that had joined him. They walked forward and laid the body flat on his back. Ron took his wand out to scan the body of the potential curses that caused his death. It was an easy spell to master as it just relied on keeping a straight arm as it was swept from head to toe. Most of the time the scan would show green in the chest or back area where the victim had been hit by an Avada. Today, he was bright red.

Ron swept the wand and watched how every muscle, tendon, and nerve seemed to pulse a bright red light until he reached Carrow's heart. Unlike the rest of his body, his heart remained dim. The only noticeable thing on the organ was a dark spot at the bottom.

Hermione and Harry stood side by side as they examined the scan of Amycus Carrow. Much like a muggle x-ray, the spell Ron had used earlier could be recalled in its entirety for later examinations.

"There." Ron said as he pointed at the heart. "You see it? What kind of curse only leaves a small marking like that?"

Hermione stepped forward to examine the spot. It was almost like a shadow on the bottom of the heart, or a deep bruise. She looked away in thought as her hand swept across her lower ribs.

"He had a heart attack." she explained.

Harry looked over to Hermione for a moment before returning to study the scan.

"Subjected to the Cruciatus Curse, only to have his heart quit." he mumbled as he shook his head.

"Didn't Neville say he performed them on first years when he was the Dark Arts professor?" Ron asked.

"Yes. The curse won't kill anyone, it has permanent side effects, but it wasn't made to kill. However, if a person is of ill health or lifestyle, it doesn't mean their body can sustain it for long." Hermione theorized. "Even I didn't walk away from it unscathed."

Harry and Ron looked over at her. Her non-wand arm was across her stomach and was being held in place by her right arm. On top of being cut into by Bellatrix's knife, Hermione's left arm was left with quite a bit of nerve damage that almost rendered her arm useless.

Hermione's eyes were clouded with memories, but as soon as she left the present, she returned with a clear, sharp look of questioning.

"How many are left?"

Oh how the mighty have fallen…

I don't care for dirt. I don't care for mess. I like things clean, pure, organised. So I had to be creative with this one. Not that the one's in the past haven't been, but this guy was big. He was also an advanced duelist. I had to study him for a while before I knew how to take care of him without getting myself injured.

Humans… we are all vulnerable to something.

Muggles have no idea how quickly their lives could be taken with a mere swish of a wand. Wizards...if they ever knew how to wield a gun...This world is so naive.

But as I said, we are all vulnerable. I, myself, am allergic to pineapple. My lips get puffy, my throat closes up, I am rendered speechless because of it. It seems Thorinn Rowle had a similar issue.

First I had to control him. Not an easy thing to do, even with magic. There are theories that the larger the individual, the more powerful the charm or curse needs to be inflicted. It's like trying to use the same sedative charm on a dragon that was meant for a pixie. It's a great thing I am good at what I do.

There is a particular farm, not far from where I live, that I like to frequent. I take honey with my tea. Especially after battling that cold I had a few weeks ago. So I was in need of restocking. There are just some things that even wizards don't change. Beekeeping and honey extracting was one of them. But to venture out in the daylight with my friend would be impossible and bees are docile at night.

So Mr. Rowle and I venture to this little slice of heaven, I collect a few jars for myself, but accidently manage to kick over the hive. The shield charm I have around me helps to keep me from being inflicted, but after the eighth or fifteenth stings, the Imperius Curse lifts. By then his throat has already begun to close so his screams come out more like small gasps. Eventually even those become silent.

As I leave, I remember to leave a few galleons for the jars.

Hermione ran down the hallway connecting her office to the Auror Department. She didn't know when exactly she had become proficient in running in high heels, but now was not the time to question her ankle strength.

She clutched the paper in her left hand as she rounded the corner and pushed her way through to the door with Harry Potter's name painted in gold. She did not bother to knock.

"What the hell is this?" she demanded as she slammed the paper on his desk.

Harry paused as he was shuffling through a massive amount of paperwork, as he and a few other Aurors were scrambling around the room.

"An arrest docket." he answered as he went back to searching the pile.

Hermione reminded herself to breath before she responded.

"I can see that Harry. I'm questioning why it has Draco's name on it!"

Harry stood from his desk with a paper in hand and gave it to one of his Auror's.

"Tell Julius we are going to need Malfoy's wand for immediate spell extraction. Who knows how long that could bind us." Harry turned back to Hermione with a serious look. "There was another one last night, Rowle. Apparently, he was stung to death by a swarm of bees. But Malfoy left a bunch of coins behind, one of them had his fingerprint on them. We got him Hermione. We go to trial in a week."

"You're an idiot." she responded, no longer caring who was in the room. "All you have is a fingerprint? Money exchanges hands all the time! Yours could have been on one of those coins, are we going to arrest you for mass murder?! And you have Julius Pilliwickle to prosecute? Who is defending Draco?"

Harry glared at her for insinuating that he would ever be behind this, then waved it off.

"Dunno. Last I heard he couldn't find anyone willing to take it on. Most people want to see him go down for his crimes." he answered.

"Well...he has one now." Hermione answered as she turned and walked out of Harry's office, ignoring his calls.

Julius Pilliwickle was the grandson of former Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Justus Pilliwickle. He was a sixth year Hufflepuff when Hermione had started Hogwarts, she did not know much about him back then, but upon her promotion within the department, she took the time to personally evaluate all of her co-workers. Justus was seen as a fair man, one of the best Heads of the department within the last fifty years. His grandson was an apple that did not fall far from the tree, but surprised everyone when he decided to join the prosecuting team for the department.

Hermione sat at the opposing table while Julius rattled and raved about how Draco, a former Death Eater, a student that was responsible for allowing known followers of the Dark Lord into the school, resulting in the death of the Headmaster… all things she had heard when the Malfoys had their War Tribunal. This trial was so pointless she wasn't even taking notes. In fact, she was sitting back in her chair with her arms crossed as she used a quarter of her brain power listening to this prat bumble along.

It was when Pilliwickle suggested that the only reason she was defending Malfoy was due to the mental instability of repeated Cruciatus curses she suffered while in his care that Hermione sat up and objected. The court agreed that Hermione was not the one in question, and that using her past traumas were not relevant. Hermione turned to the arena behind them to find Harry and Ron and gave them the 'look.' It was one they were very familiar with the one that said 'you can't be serious.' Ron at least had the sense to shrug his shoulders in understanding, Harry took that look to know he had severely misjudged this trail.

Once this tool had closed on all his evidence, it was now her turn to shut this all down. Before she stood Draco reached over and squeezed her wrist. She looked at him and returned the action on his shoulder as she walked around the table. She planted herself right in the middle of the floor, she wanted every eye on her, every ear to hear her, she wanted her presence known throughout the room, she wanted Julius to be scared.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wizengamot, I sincerely apologize on behalf of my department for wasting your time today. But as we are all consumed in indicting someone today, I will be informing you that that person is not Draco Malfoy."

Hermione spent the better part of two hours informing the court of Draco's current life, including his probation restrictions. Hermione loved Harry and Ron dearly, but they were never ones to fully research any subject. So the fact that they sent Julius in without nearly a lick of Draco's current background, she wouldn't have to be standing here. She made sure that there were enough copies of her presentation for everyone in attendance behind podium. She made sure to drop Julius' copy right in his lap as he was taking a sip of water, causing him to dribble down his tie.

"If you turn to page forty-three section H, you will find that as a part of Mr. Malfoy's sentencing, he would be placed on a five year probation. As a part of that probation, he would have a Trace that would allow my department to follow his comings and goings. With Mr. Malfoy, however, his Trace had tight restrictions, see section I subsection b, and I quote, 'The accused will be expected to report to his household by no later than six in the evening, where he will remain until eight the following morning. The accused will report to his place of work by nine in the morning and remain there no later than five in the evening.'"

Hermione placed her document down and paused to let that information sink within the court.

"If you turn to the Appendix of your documents you will find the detailed whereabouts of Mr. Malfoy on the dates of every murder. You will see that Mr. Malfoy has a strict pattern of behavior. At 8:03 a.m. Mr. Malfoy leaves his manor, at 8:06 he arrives at Jolene's bakery in Diagon Alley, where he purchases his morning cup of coffee and the occasional buttered croissant. At 8:21 he arrives at the Ministry for his daily wand inspection, and at 8:42 he reports to the head of our department to clock in. He then spends the rest of his time within the Ministry, lunch break included, until five in the afternoon. When he leaves the offices, he reports to the main floor at 5:06, where he floos directly back to his manor, where he can enjoy his three course dinner at precisely 5:30. So unless Mr. Malfoy has found a way to deactivate his trace, apparate through the country, murder his former colleagues, and make it back in time for a fresh pot of coffee at Jolene's, I think it is safe to say we have the wrong man."

Hermione returned to center of the room and scanned the faces of the Wizengamot. It was now time to end this.

"As you can see, ladies and gentlemen of the court, there is no possible way my client could commit these crimes." She paused as she let the members of the Wizengamot confirm these facts. Then she was going to drive this case home.

"But we offer you this…" she started as she regained their attention. "...the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has discovered who is behind these heinous crimes...and they are in this room."

Hermione turned to face her opponents. She stared right into the eyes of her best friend Harry Potter. In the corner of her eye she could see Draco sitting up straighter in his chair, then look over to follow her line of sight. She could hear people in courtroom whisper and look at both Harry, Ron, and Kingsley as they sat stock still on their benches. Harry looked at her in a state of confusion, surely she could not be insinuating that he did it?

Hermione lifted her head slightly with the intake of breath. Her eyes were focused right on Harry, hands folded on her stomach. She raised her right eyebrow slightly and let a smirk spread across her face.

"It was me."

They placed her in a small holding cell in the depths of the Ministry until a specialized team of Aurors could transport her to Azkaban. She sat calmly on the small wooden bench with her head against the cool stone. Her fingers rubbed her lower ribs as she listened to the rhythmic tapping of expensive shoes walking towards the cell hold door.

The tapping stopped outside of her bars. She rolled her head to greet her anticipated guest. He had one hand in his pocket, the other was wiping his chin in thought, all while trying to find answers in the metal etchings of her bars.

"You originally came here with one question, then you walked through that door and one became fifty. You've been hanging around me for far too long Draco." she smirked.

He stared at her incredulously. How could she possibly be joking at a time like this? He shook his head and got to the matter at hand.

"I...I have enough evidence to believe that you committed everyone of these crimes. But every fiber of my being is rebelling against the thought that goody two shoes Granger, defender of the weak, is a mass murderer!" He yelled at her.

"You're smart Draco, almost as smart as me. My recent regret is not wiping the coin you gave me for coffee last week. But other than that why should the innocent that were victimized by these...loathsome, foul beings, live in fear? Why should the guilty roam free of their consequences? It makes perfect sense Draco, I am the defender of the weak, it had to be done. The only reason no one caught on is because they all but forgot, I still have your aunt's wand. My wand get scanned at security just like yours, but I never used it on any of them. If your aunt was still alive she would have been my last, and to have her own wand do her in..." she lectured as she looked away from him and studied the ceiling.

"No, instead that honor went to Umbridge. Merlin's beard, Hermione, you drained the woman of every ounce of blood in her body!" Draco finally took his hand out of his pocket to run it through his hair.

Hermione let out a soft hum as she smiled at the memory. 'I want you to remember, you deserve this' she had whispered in Umbridge's ear that night.

"She was the only one I felt no sympathy for. It was quite poetic when you think about it. All those detentions she mandated, all those lines she made us write. Claiming she was under the Imperius curse throughout the war," she snorted and shook her head. "It was only fitting she be subjected to the same punishment she was so fond of."

Draco shivered as he thought of the crime scene pictures Potter has showed him. Every inch of every wall in Umbridge's flat was subjected to the ramblings of 'I must not tell lies' in her own blood. It was enough to make your stomach turn.

"Potter's shitting a brick upstairs. I think he's still in shock over all this…" he gestured to her and laid his hands on the bars.

"Hmm... poor Harry. His work performance has been suffering lately. I suspect he and Ginny aren't getting on. And now there's me." she gave a small laugh in astonishment.

"He wants me to defend you in court. But with all the evidence, and the fact that I was just tried a few hours ago for the same crimes, I feel it best to let you defend yourself, while I remain on the side as your advisor." he offered.

Hermione's eyes came back into sharp focus. She turned to look at her colleague through the bars. She stood and walked over to the opposite side of the metal cage. He seemed tired, his usually pressed suit was showing signs of crumpling. She placed her warm hands on top of his. He looked down at her and saw the soft smile.

"Yes...because that's what you're good at." she stared. "Standing off to the side and watching."

Her soft gaze became hard. It was then that Draco noticed the bone crushing grip she had on his hands. He tried to pull himself away, but found she was stronger than she looked. Then he watched in horror as the bar under his hands began to twist, turn, and groan as they wrapped themselves around his hands. Successfully shackling him to the wall.

He next attempted to yell for the guard, but just as he opened his mouth, Hermione had reached out with her small hands and cupped his face. He could feel the silencing charm flow from her fingers and into his throat. He looked at her in terror, but her soft features remained.

"Shhh, Draco. It will all be over soon." she soothed as she brought his face towards her. "And I promise, it will hurt like hell."

Her soft lips were on his before he could attempt to pull away. He felt her thumbs graze over his cheekbones and rest directly under his eyes. What was once a comforting warmth, became a searing white hot flame on his face. He could feel the current of magic electrify every nerve in his face. Muscles began to contract so hard he thought they would tear from the bone. Every hair on his head began to rise on their own accord, and his eyelashes began to glow as though they were a newly forged sword.

As soon as the pain began, it ended.

She let go of his face and stepped back. Draco dropped to his knees, his shackles being the only thing to keep him half upright. With no voice, he could no nothing but release silent sobs. He rested his burning head against the bars. He opened his eyes to unimaginable darkness.

He was blind.

"You are alive because of the sins of your father. You were too young to do anything else but obey your parents. But I have rid you of the burden of ever seeing evil again. Including me." her voice startled him as it was so close. She must have knelt down to him to view her handy work. "But I'm not finished yet, Draco." she continued and he heard her move off to his side. "I still have one more house to visit."

Draco looked up in realization in the direction her voice was coming from.

"Oh, did you honestly think these…" he heard a clanking of the metal separating them, "were going to hold me. No, love, in fact I placed a majority of the security charms on the Ministry. If there was anyone in this building that could bypass them, it's me. I am in here because I needed you. But now my time is running out. You see Draco, a few years ago I got into a fight with your father and some of his friends a few floors up. And one of them had the audacity to hit me with a curse. For the longest time, we could not identify what I was hit with because I had silenced my offender. Madame Pomfrey did her best, and slowed its progression. But it seems the curse has made its way to my heart. I have a matter of days, if not hours left. So, I really must pay your family a visit before then."

Draco tried to scream, tried to reason with her, but his voice was barely coming out as a whisper.

"Don't worry. Your mother will be fine. After all, she did save Harry. But your father on the other hand...well, let's just say I have always found his hair obnoxiously long." she laughed.

Draco kneeled there in shock. He listened as the bars next to him rattled and groaned. He could feel the air around her move as she passed through the separated bars. He flinched as he felt her pass a hand through his hair.

"They will eventually forgive you, Draco, and you will become one of the best. I hear there may be an opening for the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement. You might want to look into that."

With that he heard the signature pop of apparation. He leaned his head back against the bars as he cried, knowing that by the time a guard could hear him, it would be too late.

Hermione Jean Granger

Born September 19, 1979

Died July 3, 2003

Hermione Granger was discovered by Aurors in her West London home on the night of July 3, 2003. Miss Granger is well known to be one of the influencing factors in the aid of destroying the tyranny of Lord Voldemort. Miss Granger was an employee of the Ministry of Magic, first through the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, then promoted to the Head of Magical Law Enforcement.

It was recently discovered that Miss Granger was the culprit in the mass killing of former escaped Death Eaters throughout the country. Many believe Miss Granger's action to be for the greater good of the wizarding community.

An anonymous source states that Miss Granger was found dead in the comfort of her bed. Having seemed to succumb to an old injury, with a copy of Hogwarts: A History resting in her lap, and oddly enough, the pages bookmarked with a scalped blonde plait.

A/N: it's scary how easy and how fast this came to me…...who am I kidding I have a panic attack if I don't come to a complete stop at a stop sign. Anyways, let me know what you think...