AN: A note for later-The Fifth Column (taken from Wikipedia) - A fifth column is any group of people who undermine a larger group—such as a nation or a besieged city—from within, usually in favor of an enemy group or nation.
Also, shout out to J, EPaXLeo, nopantsparade- thank you all for editing.
In-particular thank you EPaXLeo for the title recommendation, and summary help.
Hermione wonders if Malfoy would tease her without a wand at the ready. If his father would be anyone to fear without his wand.
She thinks about how wands are tools, something to help focus magic, to further increase the caster's ability.
She starts practicing without a wand, behind the drawn curtains of her bed. She focuses down and breathes out and for the first time since she started weeks ago, she finally feels it. Her hand glows under the dim light of a whispered, wandless lumos.
It occurs to her then, that second summer after missing half of term, that magic itself is a tool too. And that she's not going to be good enough when there are adults like Lucius Malfoy and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
Her parents have a sort of understanding. They know the story of the Other. They are scholars. She signs up for Krav Maga, and doesn't look back.
It's third year when she realizes that the idioms and culture of the Wizarding World go beyond a muttered 'Merlin' rather than 'Jesus' . That greeting others by first name without their permission is bad and yes she had been creating a serious faux pas by trying to get the attention of the Professor with her flailing hand.
Her wandless magic takes less effort now. The martial arts training only gets used once. It was worth it. She continues.
It's fourth year when she realizes that the enemy has access to the same materials she does. She broadens her horizons. Engages Victor in conversation about his so called 'dark' history (his version was not written by the victors). Asks about the library of Durmstrang and oh yes she'll write to him when they're done with school and would it be possible if he could send her books from the library at Durmstrang?
She knows what she knows. She knows she knows part of what the enemy knows. So she figures out what the enemy doesn't know.
She creates and weaves spells behind her reinforced bed sheets, notes written in a muggle code from one of her Father's WW2 books with magical wards to cover it. The war has begun and her grimoire is thickening.
She knows the history, she knows who's behind what, and why the Ministry chose Umbridge instead of another nameless face. She knows that the Malfoys own part of the Prophet. She doesn't tell Harry that his share is larger.
She asks careful questions that year, to McGonagall. About her future, and about Harry's. It would take a revolution for me to get a job past janitor, Hermione thinks. She can't think too loudly; Umbridge is in the room and, by the look on McGonagall's face, she understands.
She sets up the DA (and yes, calling it Dumbledore's Army was the stupidest thing she can ever remember doing.) She knows it'll lay the groundwork of their generation's resistance.
By the end of that year, with her in the hospital bed, she thinks it wasn't enough.
And that damn potions book. She's jealous. Why hadn't she thought of those? And why had Harry found it, and damn it, he shouldn't cheat. She knows now not to trust a potion that Harry makes by memory. (Because what if he overlaps? This and that from one formula but forgetting the essential sprigs?)
Dumbledore is dead and he left her a fairytale book that should have gone to Ron. The pureblood. The one who Dumbledore depended on, leaving.
And then she's screaming and twitching and the horrific beauty of Bellatrix The Strange is over her and Bellatrix is grinning with a glint in her eyes that says she's enjoying this affair a bit too much.
And maybe it takes a bit longer for Dobby to show up. And by now Hermione has lasted just as long as Neville's parents and she's wondering why she hasn't gone insane (perhaps she already was) and Bellatrix isn't quite ready to give her up when Dobby tells them that he hadn't meant to kill, just seriously maim.
But she gets away anyways with an elbow and a foot stomp and Dobby is still hovering there for her and the next thing she knows Fleur is stroking her hair and telling her to hush. The flying dagger had nicked her and gone straight into Dobby. She was to be thanked that it did not impale Ron. (And so another life debt was acquired)
She talks to Fleur in that cottage with the sea as white noise. She talks to Bill too, and makes sure to include Griphook to whom she asks, "What is the official political stance of the Goblins," and when he tells her the unofficial stance instead - she grins and gives him the Sword of Gryffindor. Because they no longer need it. The newlyweds and herself can control fiendfyre.
And when she shows up at Gringotts without the boys, but with the help of Bill and Fleur - who had helped slip dreamless sleep potion into the tea (One by distraction and one by brewing) Hermione is shown the the office where things are tense until she lays out the facts.
She gives back the sword.
She will fight for their equality (because it makes a sort of wizarding sense that humankind is/was jealous that every goblin can do magic.) Riddle will be dead, she tells them, and they could help. She gets the cup without the dragon escape plan - but she gets the dragon's freedom through other diplomatic means.
She tells the goblins that Harry does not know what kind of power he holds and perchance - after the war - could they explain it to him, so he can work in their favor?
And then she burns the cup on the beach, creating a swirling glass sculpture that Fleur banishes.
The boys wake up a few hours later terribly upset with her, but it is no longer a factor when Harry's scar burns.
The race to Hogwarts begins. And her heart is fluttering, for this is the conclusion, the lead up and the end, or rather the beginning of the end and she can't help but think of The After.
McGonagall doesn't tell Harry he's gallant for cursing the Carrow sibling; she tells him that the curse is wrong. No matter who it is applied too.
And Neville is there for the snake, pulling the Sword of Gryffindor out of the hat just like Harry did, and all Hermione can think is that the goblins will not be pleased.
Harry is going out to meet his death and Tonks is barely breathing on the floor of the Great Hall, Pomfrey Pomfrey won't let her see the glazed eyes of her Husband and Hermione's hand are soaked in blood - both Tonks' and Greyback's. Fred is there next to George or is it George next to Fred? One of them is at peace and the other is falling to pieces.
Hermione wonders about the Fifth Column and thinks sending away the entire Slytherin House is sending the wrong message, that McGonagall should have kept those who wanted to stay, and made it clear that those who weren't staying aren't bad, just... a liability. She wonders then, how many will die in the afterwar by vengeful victims who don't stop to realize the difference between Father and Son.
She breathes as the dust settles. She thinks about her actions and those she fought against and wonders when she ever thought things were Black and White. She knows there are battles to be fought, that there is legislation to be overthrown. More than anything, she knows she is definitely not done.
Not yet.