Note: Another new story; how exciting. What you recognize belongs to the formidable JK Rowling, what you don't is mine. Enjoy the story, and leave a review at the end--critiques and suggestions especially are loved.

---frostedteardrops

Chaos. That was the only way to describe the dire scene unfolding precariously. Complete and utter chaos. Spells were being zinged around with abadon, bodies were falling left, right and center. The air reverberated with cries of anger, passion, greif, life, and death.

Hermione squinted through the carnage, trying to make sense of the senseless battle. She tried to find somebody she recognized--anybody from the Order. All around her Hogwards castle lay in near ruins. She could barely make out the turrets from her spot in this secluded clearing in the Forbidden Forest. Maybe they weren't even there anymore. Who would have thought the final battle would come to this? And yet... it made sense, in a way. It would have to end where it started. It was here, that Tom Marvolo Riddle had discovered his true self; it was here that he had become Voldemort, so it was here to it would have to end. Here, tonight, either Voldemort or Harry would face his demise. Needless to say, Hermione hoped that it would be Harry.

She groped through the darkness, the smoke thick in her throat. She had to find him--now. She caught a glance of bright orange hair in her peripheral vision and stumbled towards it. "Ron!" she hollered, and her mouth began to turn up into a smile as she saw him turn towards her.

Suddenly a presence appeared at her side, a dark, greasy presence. Hermione felt her throat constrict. "No," she whimpered. "Please."

The new arrival sneered at the two. "Do it, Hermione," she hissed. "Kill him."

"No, no, no, please," whispered Hermione pleadingly, her heart thumping in her chest painfully, aching for release.

"Kill him!" shrieked Bellatrix Lestrange forcefully. "What are you afraid of?" she taunted. "Don't make the Dark Lord regret his desicion when we win."

Hermione turned towards Bellatrix with her eyes brimming with hatred. "I can't do it," she whispered lightly.

Despite the savage cries erupting all around them, the trio seemed to be enveloped in an air-tight bubble, with time stopping around them. Despite the low volume at which Hermione had spoken, Bellatrix had heard. Roughly, she reached out a claw-like hand and grabbed Hermione's chin. "What did you say?" she hissed, as though daring Hermione to challenge her.

Hermione wrenched her chin out of her grasp defiantly. "I said no," she repeated, a little more firmly this time, although not entirely able to keep the quiver out of her voice.

Ron looked from Hermione to Bellatrix and back again confusedly. "Hermione?" he asked, a little doubtfully. "You--this--what's going--what are you--"

Positively fuming now, Bellatrix shouted angrily, "You can't refuse me, Mudblood! Kill him now!" She pointed her wand threateningly at Hermione. In a soft poisonous tone, she muttered, "You can do this of your own free will, Mudblood, or we can do this the hard way."

Her eyes brimming with tears, Hermione shook her head. "No."

Ron stepped forward his wand raised, but was stupefied before he could cast a spell.

"I've set up your target perfectly now, Hermione. Just think of this as your initiation," she smiled ruthlessly. Finally losing her temper, she cried, "Imperio!"

Hermione felt her mind go thankfully blank. "Kill him," a tempting voice whispered commandingly in her head. She no longer felt greif about all those who had perished so far in the Final Battle. She no longer had to think about right or wrong. "Kill him." Slowly, she raised her wand and pointed it directly at Ron's heart. Fear flickered in Ron's eyes, and something inside her clicked, and she felt her mind recede into clarity.

"Yes...now," clucked Bellatrix encouragingly.

"Avada--" Suddenly, with a flick of her wrist, she turned her wand at Bellatrix. "Kevada!"

Bellatrix barely had time to react before her crumpled form sank lifelessly to the ground.

Hermione barely had time to register the relieved expression on Ron's face between she herself was hit in the back by a stray spell. Gratefully, she slipped away into darkness.

Hermione Granger woke up with a start, shivering in cold sweat. Welcome to her life.