Title: ARGONAUT
Author: obalesque
Summary: In one day the war was over. In one day they were victorious. In one day hope and future is promised as they are wed. In one day it is all taken away.

Rating: M or R
Feedback: Please.
Main characters: None.
Notes: Characters may fall out of character, though since the books are seen through the thoughts of Harry ninety-nine percent of the time it is hard to understand what is exactly OOC and what is not.
Disclaimer: I do not own, though like many other's I wish I did. I am earning nothing off of this except a release of creative energies.

A/N This fiction is loosely based off of Ayla Pascal's Mudblood Act which can be read here:

http/ fic so easily grasp the feeling of hoplessness that you just want to cry for Hermione and her fellow muggleborns. For all those out there who enjoy a good angst fig I recomend it.

From the journal of Hermione J. Granger

March 02, 2000

There is an old muggle saying, 'Knowledge is power'. I find it very odd that the wizards in power view muggles as such primitives that they would ignore what the muggles consider powerful when they are bent on cleansing the world of them. I for one have always believed that the best way to eliminate your enemy is to understand everything you can about them, and I by no means am the only one who has ever believed that.

Through magic wizards can get the drop on muggles, but muggles have existed without magic all their lives. In that light nothing is easy for them. They can't just wave a wand to make the mess disappear, they have to physically do it by hand. Living without magic as a crutch they have become dangerously resourceful and resilient. Like roaches surviving a nuclear explosion it would take much more than a few spells to eliminate the muggle population off the face of the planet. Wizard kind could learn a lesson from them.

And muggleborns? If we were to bind together and stand up against the oppression we face everyday we would be a force not to be reckoned with. We have lived part of our lives without magic, and because of that we too are resourceful and resilient. Already having an understanding of the muggle world and being thrown so abruptly into the wizarding world forcing us to adapt made us a lot better off then most wizards. You could say we almost have the best of both worlds, certainly not like the halfbloods, but justly so. After all, how many Purebloods actually take the time to live with muggles and understand their ways?

I was thinking though, if a muggleborn were to become the next dark wizard bent on world domination, racism from the purebloods would cause the Ministry to crack down harder on us then they would a pure or half blood, but they would have to face some nasty situations in doing so. Most, if not all muggleborns, would have protested the Ministry. It's in our nature to fight oppression thanks to our experiences in what muggles refer to as the civilized world. We might not join the dark wizard outright, but we probably would not oppose them either. At least not until we or someone we love are threatened. Just like how many purebloods acted toward Voldemort before they learned he was a halfblood. After they'd become 'enlightened', they started frowning on halfbloods, claiming no pureblood could ever act in such a manner. Seem's they forgot all about Grindelwald.

Back then we muggleborns were angry about the racism we received in our everyday lives, but most of us knew that we could never do anything about it. Equality is something we would have to take by force. That is something many of us simply would not do, not because it wasn't right, but because it would have made us no better then the purebloods who oppressed us in the first place.

Back then I was called a filthy little mudblood at least once a week since my second year in school, though recently that has risen to nearly once an hour. However mudblood doesn't faze me anymore. I began teaching myself to take it as a compliment, and now freely agree with my tormentors out of defiance and pride, though I doubt they would see it that way.

I made an observation the other day that made me think. . . actually it made me sick. 'If I had known my efforts would have been so fruitless I wouldn't have bothered to work so hard in school.' I had said that. Hermione Granger. The hard working and confident know-it-all who always had the gumption to keep going no matter what. I had said that, and I am the one who escaped the repercussions of the war far less unscathed than my peers in the Order.

February, 1998

Three cloaked figures could be seen silhouetted against a silver moon as they jogged up the road that lead to Hogwarts. Being mid February, the cold night breeze easily sliced their uncovered brows; their toes near frozen in the deep snow as the moved toward the front gate. Nearing the witching hour they quickened their pace to reach the safety within as fast as they could.

Four months before now the Golden Trio disappeared from Hogsmead upon arriving for the start of their final year at Hogwarts to seek out and destroy the horcruxes Voldemort made for himself so many years ago.

Now they were returning to Hogwarts victorious in their quest to destroy the last of the horcruxes the Dark Lord had stashed. The final one remaining was Voldemort himself, though he knew his most precious of possessions had been destroyed. He probably wouldn't enter into a battle knowing that. Harry was sure he would have to go after him.

Standing outside the gates they waited for Hagrid to answer, and when he did he drew all three of them up into a deep bear hug that about suffocated them all. He carried the three inside the gates before setting them down and closing the doors, tears falling from his eyes.

"You damn kids. Why you wanna go and make everyone worry like that, huh. We thought something bad happened to you."

"Sorry, Hagrid," Harry smiled up at his gentle friend. "It was something Professor Dumbledore set me on before he. . . anyway, Hermione and Ron refused to let me go it alone. We need to gather the Order for a meeting. We have important information about Voldemort that they need to hear."

"Don't say that name, 'arry. I've got enough to worry about, don't need you jinxing the place up." Hagrid shuttered as he turned and began to lead the three up to Headmistress McGonagall's office.

The three teens noticed almost immediately that Hagrid was limping. Hermione moved up beside him leaving Ron and Harry behind. "What happened to your leg, Hagrid?"

"Oh, that was just the result of a small scrimmage with a few Death Eaters several weeks back, but I'm fine." Hermione didn't believe him. The look was in his eye's, the one a person get's when he's barely hanging onto his life.

Headmistress McGonagall was livid at the three when they were escorted into her office. She was obviously preparing for bed, her hair, usually in a tight bun, was loosely falling down her back. She couldn't believe they had the audacity to return after they disappeared from the train without word. She was real disappointed with Hermione who had been graced with the position of Head Girl.

None the less, Harry interrupted her and asked her to bring in Professor Slughorn and any other member of the Order that were in the area. She complied after a great deal yelling, though they didn't mind much. After all the life threatening ordeals they'd been through in the last four months they all stood blissfully in the direct path of Mrs. Weasley and Professor McGonagall's wrath. It was how they knew they were home, how they knew they were cared for and alive.

With Professor Slughorn's help Harry revealed the task of destroying the horcruxes that Professor Dumbledore had set him on and how his quest had faired. The Order members were all astonished by the story but glad that the terror of Voldemort could be ended at last without the threat of him returning hanging over their tired heads. They were disappointed however that the Trio chose to keep such vital information to themselves.

"I'm sorry, everyone," Harry said. "But we realized that the fewer people who knew about the horcruxes, the less chance it would get back to Voldemort that we learned his secret."

After a quick meal and a once over by Madam Pompfrey they were sent off to their beds while the rest of the Order went about planing their next move.

Voldemort wouldn't dare an all out attack on Hogwarts while Dumbledore resided within, but now that he was dead, and news about his destroyed horcruxes hiking his ire, nothing stood in his way as his entire army gathered. The siege on Hogwarts began at five a.m. Not three hours after the Trio had drifted off to sleep. The magical wards a several century's worth of headmasters had placed on the school held back the attackers while the student's were roused from their dreams and gathered in the Great Hall.

Draco had gathered around him all the Slytherin's loyal to him at their table and was drawing out a plan of attack for them. He switched sides after his actions in his sixth year led to Dumbledore's death, and upon coming to Harry, revealed vital information that led to the eventual discovery of the Horcruxes locations. He was instrumental in swaying most of Slytherin to turn as well by playing on their need to run their own lives while keeping true to the Pureblood philosophies.

Headmistress McGonagall was not in there to organize so Professor Flitwick was barking out orders, though he was a naturally cheery man the look of worry stricken his features. No Order members could be seen, and Hermione pointed out that they'd probably already left the school to go about their business.

After half an hour the headmistress finally showed, only she was injured. She laid a light snack before the them, demanding they calm themselves, then called the professors and Dumbledore's Army to her side. She informed them that she had gone to the Ministry of Magic through her floo and asked for help, but no one was coming. The professors and DA just stared at her, angry and upset that they were left to die by the body of government who was supposed to protect them.

The only good news was that McGonagall managed to reach the Order but the Order before she left the Ministry by yelling at the top of her lungs that Hogwarts was under attack in front of many officials, including Kingsley Shacklebolt. We hoped they were standing right behind the Death Eaters at that very moment.

The younger students were automatically herded into the Headmistress' office to be floo'd out but the network was collapsed. That only meant the Ministry did not want anyone to escape. It, for the Order and the Trio, meant they were in Voldemort's service. With the floo network dead Professor McGonagall illegally portkeyed the younger student's to the safety of Beauxbatons, a last minute emergency procedure courtesy of Madam Olympe. Shortly after Voldemort portkeyed assassins directly into McGonagall's office moments before his lackeys blocked that option for escape.

Professor McGonagall made quick work of them with the help of a few house elves before once again summoning the DA to her side. They were split into groups and paired with a professor then sent to different parts of the castle to keep guard until the castle could begin to defend itself. Harry was told to take his group to the Chamber of Secrets and open it for a last resort fallback point. He and Voldemort being the only two able to open it they could ensure the temporary haven would not be easily breached by the enemy.

After what seemed an eternity, all of the fireplaces and smaller entrances into the castle suddenly disappeared leaving only the main entrance and secret passages open to the outside. The open windows were closed in a manner Ron had never seen before as he stood watch in the great hall, though he was sure Hermione would have told him that he would have known about it if he'd only read Hogwarts: A History. The walls around the open windows closed up leaving arrow slits, while the stained glass melted away like ice on a hot pan leaving a pool of water on the floor and a solid brick wall in it's stead.

With the castle in full defensive mode the remaining students were re-gathered in the Great Hall. Several members of the Order and a group of people from Hogsmead entered through one of the many secret passages and prepared to face off with the invaders once they broke through the castles natural defenses.

Tonks was among them and informed McGonagall that all the members of the Order world wide were gathering in the forest on the other side of Hogsmead, three hundred and thirty seven in total, a hundred in which were goblins from Gringotts. Charlie and his allies managed to bring the seven best trained dragons to their aid.

She also revealed that Rita Skeeter and many other reporters have been granted a safe zone by Voldemort himself. They stood on the outskirts keeping the wizard world informed of the battle so that, while the Order would soon die, the people they were trying to save could sit at home in their comfy chairs and read safely about it or listen to the war report on the WWN. Mere children were dying for the freedom of the ungrateful and cowardly!

It was silent for what seemed as hours as they waited for the Death Eaters first move. The enemy somehow kept itself concealed as several lookouts watched through the slits for any movement or sign. For hours nothing came until a thick magically fabricated fog covered the first three stories of the castle. The people from Hogsmead moved quickly to the Astronomy Tower to force a wind and clear the fog. Then it hit in the silence, a repetitive booming by the grounds gates out near the Forbidden Forest. The sound of giants using hammers and clubs as they attempted to breach walls.

Charlie ordered the Forbidden Forest around Hogwarts burned in a ditch effort to flush out the enemy as well as drive the giants away, but it hadn't worked. Once the flames took a quarter of the forest Dementors swept over the tree line and froze the flames without effort, but not before the flames spread to Hogsmead. The students were trapped and quickly overrun once the main door fell when the invaders accessed the grounds through the passage between the Screaming Shack and the Womping Willow, but they fought on for another week and a half like cornered wolverines.

Hagrid had was irrevocably injured defending Harry against two giants. His loyalty to Harry had been enough to fuel Hagrid to push his limits despite his previous injuries.

When Voldemort swept onto the grounds Flitwick, half dead from loss of blood, came from behind and cast a hex. Voldemort turned to Flitwick when he felt the energy surge, and taunted the Charms Professor at his failed hex. He then pointed his yew wand and cast the killing unforgivable, instantly slaying the small man. When he was killed Flitwick's body disappeared in a flash of light, ensuring those who saw that the charm indeed had worked.

Voldemort dropped down in pain, realizing immediately what Flitwick had done. The old Charms Professor hit him with a degeneration charm fueled by his own life force. With the old mans death Voldemort's skin started to burn and peel off. He called for one of his follower's to help him back to his tent.

With Flitwick and many of the other professorsdead Hermione and Draco, while holed upin the Library, began developing defensive strategies while Ron governed their executions like a game of chess. Seven years of never losing had now showed it's true usefulness.

Once in the field Hermione beat the dementors back with mass patronum spells cast in sequence with Luna and oddly enough Slytherins Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass at her side. Ron ignored the laws and cast the killing curse at any Death Eater unfortunate enough to cross his path, Neville standing bravely at his side with Colin and Dennis Creevey. Ginny led a group of her fellow Quidditch players in a succession of aerial raids, along side Millicent Bulstrode. Charlie and his allies released the dragons on the outside while Bill with the help of Gaknar the Vile led the goblins from behind the Death Eaters siege camp. The twins set ambushes up throughout the halls utilizing the use of the secret passages. Dobby did his share as he spearheaded the house elves champaign against the invaders.

Finally parents and family members arrived to save their children when they received word of the siege, many, including Luna's father, dying in the process.

In the end Harry, covered in blood, burns, and bruises, stood alone against Voldemort, who returned to the battle nearly skinless. He was weakened tremendously by the loss of horcruxes and the spell Flitwick cast, though the degeneration did not kill him. Harry took every advantage during the final standoff and came out victorious.

The siege on Hogwarts had gone on for a week without much help outside the Order. During the final battle many students and allies had died. Out of the three hundred and twelve DA, student's, and Order members who had stayed by Harry's side only ninty eight had survived. It must have been a miracle but all of the Weasley's stood amongst them.

When it was over Gryffindor tower had fallen from the giant's attack. The Great Hall collapsed thanks to Harry and Voldemort. The dungeons were flooded with the water from the lake courtesy of Oliver Wood and Adrian Pucey, both members of the Order. Hogsmead and the Forbidden forest were gone by means of Charlie's dragon fire, as well as the nearest muggle village the Death Eaters used as a Inferius reinforcement camp. But Voldemort was dead, permanently bound to the crypt by the loss of his soul. They should have been happy that it was over but it really didn't seem all that much like a victory with so much death, and a feeling that sat low in their guts warning them it was far from over. Why hadn't the Ministry helped?

A week later, the entire Order and those who had helped Harry were in attendance of Ron and Hermione's wedding that also doubled as an official victory party. The two refused to spend another minute separated after the war.

Butterbeer and wine flowed, a feast of fruits, meats, and sweets was consumed, and when McGonagall, while presiding over the wedding, announced Ron and Hermione as Mr. And Mrs. Ronald Weasley tears of joy and cheers echoed throughout the Burrow garden. But the celebration had not lasted. Aurors appeared and arrested everyone present.

Ron had charges brought up against him the next day. Eye witnesses reported that he used the killing curse to ruthlessly slay Draco Malfoy, who had served on Harry's side knowing full well that Voldemort would lose. They may have hated each other but the Trio knew Draco was their ally, at least against Voldemort. Ron was sentenced to life in Azkaban by Percy himself. That was the start of their real suffering.

The new Wizengamot, who housed upon its council seats such people as Umbridge, Snape, Lestrange, Rookwood, and Avery, proceeded to shred the Order and their allies apart.

Bill was given one hundred years for organizing a goblin riot. Charlie was given one year for each building and tree razed, an estimate of over five thousand years. It was declared that since Mr. Weasley loved muggles so much that he and the rest of the Weasley's should live with them and were expelled from the wizarding world for the involvement with what the Ministry referred to as a vigilante sect. The twins lost their business and any money made from it.

Harry gave every last galleon of his inheritance to keep Hermione out of Azkaban. The Trio were being held responsible for the destruction of Hogwarts. Harry was sentence to life alongside Ron for the murder of Tom Riddle, a bright wizard who had been working to save Hogwarts from the vandals.

Hermione couldn't find a job. No one would hire someone who was remembered as Potter's Aberrant Diva, courtesy of Rita Skeeter and the Daily Prophet, not the brilliant witch people once claimed she was.

The student's who played lesser roles were given probation and house arrest, many of whom were children of Death Eaters. Other's, like Pansy, Neville, and older student's like Oliver and Adrian were all sentenced to Azkaban. Even Viktor Krum, who remained loyal, not to Potter, but to Hermione was forbidden to enter England again right alongside Fluer and her newborn son Arthur.

Only two people escaped the trials. Tonks managed to slip right out the Ministry onto the streets of London never to be found, while Hagrid fought his way out and vanished in a nearby ally. Mad Eye Moody also tried to escape but was hit with the curcatus from behind by Bellatrix.

If Dumbledore had survived there was no doubt things would have been different. But he was now the fading memory of a man the Ministry called a terrorist, though the condemned would always remember him as a hero. The Ministry discredited him. All his and the Trio's deeds and sacrifices meant nothing to those in power. Lucius Malfoy had made sure of that.

To prove his good will to the remaining free wizarding people he put up the money to restore Hogwarts to its original splendor.

Snape was celebrated as a hero because he executed a terrorist and finally gained his Order of Merlin, First Class. He was immediately appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts while McGonagall was forced to retire for her support of the Order and allowing delinquents to destroy Hogwarts.

Harry hadn't even noticed that Snape was not on the battle field. He'd have killed him otherwise. Rumors later arose suggesting that Snape was having a lobster dinner with the new Minister, Percy Weasley, the moment Flitwick had died. The greasy murderer of Professor Dumbledore who'd betrayed the Order had been the brains behind controlling the Ministry after he assassinated Scrimgeour.

But the downward spiral did not stop there. Voldemort may have been dead, but his message was not. Proof of that could be found in the infamous Mudblood Act. Two months after the trials all muggleborns were gathered and placed into communities not unlike the ghetto's the Nazi's first stored Jews. Within the act laws were instilled forbidding muggleborns the right to own a wand, to befriend purebloods, and to earn wages above the dire poverty level. Furthermore, muggleborns could be owned as slaves, bound to their masters in the very same way house elves were.

Hermione was one of the unlucky few and did not receive the luxury of a ghetto. Muggleborns who had gained any form of prominence in the wizarding community were placed in a bordello to serve out the remainder of their existence, and as such was her fate.

In the end the wizarding world left the condemned all behind, broken, and unwanted.

A/N: This is the start of it. I hope it sets the right mood for my fic and that you all enjoyed it enough to continue reading. I intend for it to be dark and ruthless in the fighting parts, but have a bit of love and humor to it as well.

Any reviews are welcome, including those nasty flames that pop up every now and then.