Hey all!

I've FINALLY re-uploaded my cleaner, grammatically correct, beta-ed version of this chapter! HUGE thanks to AmyLouise for her awesome beta skills

For new readers, welcome, and I hope you enjoy this fic!

-DeceptiveFates

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot

Chapter 1 – The Death Phoenix

In the cold darkness of night, a lone figure could be seen atop a hill in the distance. Deep crimson robes billowed out and the woman's rich, dark brown hair was tossed about with every gust of wind. Her face was covered by a mask fit to be worn in a masquerade ball, deep shimmering crimson trimmed with black and silver with phoenix feathers placed strategically to add a mystical look to her ensemble. Yet behind that mask if one dared to look closely enough, dark, mysterious, cold brown eyes could be seen, replacing the usual warm toffee coloured eyes that her friends had come to find so comforting. Suddenly a flash of red was seen, and the image of a flaming red phoenix was shot into the air, disturbingly similar to the Dark Mark, yet signifying everything that the feared Dark Lord was not. Then in an instant she too was gone.

The next day, havoc reigned at the Order's headquarters with Order members chattering away in the sitting room and Ron trying to sneak food out of the kitchens, which only resulted in Mrs. Weasley's shouting, not to mention the constant stream of people coming in and out of the house via the front door and the fireplace. Yet, all in all it was a normal day at Grimmauld Place. The place was always bustling with activity, and now with Hogwarts closed for the year, and the final battle approaching, tensions were running high. However, the main reason for the chaos this day was the content of the front page of the Daily Prophet.

The Death Phoenix Strikes Again

Early this morning the battered, bloody, mutilated body of Augustus Rockwood was found on the outskirts of London. Mr. Rockwood was in fact a Death Eater, and is yet another victim of the feared Death Phoenix (also known as Lady Death). Her mark shone bright in the sky, a shimmering testament to the execution of one of You-Know-Who's inner circle. This latest murder is the 12th in a series of brutal murders committed by Lady Death, as she systematically brings errant Death Eaters to their knees. Her methods are brutal, yet her true identity still eludes the public. All that is known is that her targets are Death Eaters alone, and should they cross her path, they will meet a fate worse than death. The general public has reached a sort of unofficial consensus that next to You-Know-Who himself, she is the most feared person in the Wizarding world.

To read more see page 3.

This particular article sparked chaos in the Order, since the topic of Hermione's 'work' was a constant source of controversy. It was generally agreed that her methods were... effective, though most did not approve of said methods. Yet no one could deny that she had systematically brought down more Death Eaters in the past few years than the rest of the Order combined. However, that was small comfort compared to knowing the reality of what she did and how she had changed from the once simple Gryffindor bookworm to the fierce and terrifying woman who had been dubbed 'Lady Death.'

Her life, which had once been relatively simple, had changed drastically in the course of one summer. Granted it was one horrifying, terrible summer, but a summer nonetheless. It all started that fateful day in the summer of her fifth year. It was the second day into summer and was sweet relief compared to the chaos of her fifth year at Hogwarts. That year was one that she wasn't likely to forget anytime soon, yet little did she know that the events of the past year would be nothing compared to the years to follow.

Although it was commonly believed that Hermione was an only child, this was not the case. In fact, she had an adorable six-year-old younger sister, who was the epitome of happiness. It was her sister Leigh whom she missed the most during her school terms more than anyone. She was the very picture of innocence and was in all ways an indescribable joy. Perhaps Hermione's fondness for her sister stemmed from the fact that they rarely fought and were as close as any two siblings could be. They were not without their fair share of sisterly spats, though they were few and far between. So it was on this second day of blissful freedom that found Hermione curled up in a couch on the front porch with her sister, reading a book. Her mother was out in the front yard working on the garden while her father had gone to the grocery store to get supplies for a 'special' dinner in order to celebrate Hermione's return home for the holidays. It had become a tradition of sorts and she would hardly complain, especially since her sister loved the excitement of it all. To any passerby it was the very picture of domestic bliss.

Suddenly out of nowhere, there was a series of pops shattering the silence of the afternoon. It happened so fast that before Hermione even had the chance to react, it was over. In a matter of seconds, six masked, robed men Apparated into the Grangers' front lawn and snatched Hermione, her sister, and her mother in broad daylight. For Hermione this was the catalyst which changed her life from that of a peaceful existence to one filled with dark destruction and cold indifference.

*In a dungeon somewhere in England*

"Well, don't just stand there, I want them awake...NOW!" yelled a man.

"Of course, my apologies, sir," another man said.

The first thing Hermione noticed upon waking was the pounding of her head, shortly followed by the intense pain in her ribs, probably a result of the blow that was just delivered.

"Ah, look, the filthy Mudblood has chosen to grace us with her consciousness, how excellent!" came the sickly sweet voice of a man. As Hermione's eyes focused in the dim light she realized why the voice was vaguely familiar. It was none other than Lucius Malfoy, father of her arch rival Draco Malfoy.

The next month was filled with brutality and suffering greater than could be imagined by most. They were held captive by 12 men, all of whom she assumed were Voldemort's inner circle. It was these men who came at random intervals during day and night to rape, torture and attempt to destroy the two women and child who were their victims for the time being. They tortured her sister and did unspeakable things to Hermione and her mother as they lay helpless, unable to protect themselves from such vicious attacks. Eventually the Death Eaters tired of her mother and thus raped, tortured and killed her before Hermione's very eyes. By the end of her first week of her imprisonment, she was left with only her baby sister and the lifeless corpse of the mother she had loved so dearly.

She tried so hard to protect her sister; she was just an innocent child, a sweet, vulnerable innocent who had done nothing to deserve the torture she was being subjected to. It was perhaps the torture inflicted upon her baby sister which truly broke her, rather than the horrors they inflicted upon her own body. As the days dragged on, Hermione never lost her strength of will, or her optimistic belief that they would be rescued. In her eyes, she knew she needed to be strong, not only for herself, but for her sister, they needed to get through this. Though it would seem that salvation was not an option for the Granger girls; by the third week of their imprisonment, the Death Eaters decided that they were tired of her sister and that, since she was nearly half-dead already, they would finish the job. However, it was not so simple. They killed her slowly, and in the most painful way possible prolonging her death while Hermione could do nothing but lie helpless and watch as they gleefully stripped the life from her sister's frail body. It was in that moment, the very instant they killed little Leigh that Hermione Granger died and the Death Phoenix was born.

It was two weeks after her sister's death that the Order found her. Ironic that over a month of torture and misery could have been brought to an end in the span of ten minutes, for that was all the time it took for the rescue mission to be completed. It was on August 13th that she was found by Kingsley Shackbolt, Remus Lupin, Tonks, and Bill Weasley. The sight that met them was not one they were likely to forget either, for the cell that she was found in reeked of blood and the decaying bodies of her mother and sister. There was blood splattered all over the walls and floor, and the sight of Hermione's half-dead body was the stuff of nightmares. Unfortunately they were unable to catch the Seath Eaters responsible for Hermione's imprisonment. Instead of taking Hermione back to number twelve, Grimmauld Place, they used Snape Manor as their temporary safe house. Ironic perhaps that a Death Eater's house should be the safe haven for a girl recently rescued from Death Eaters, yet it was the safest place for her. It was here that she spent the rest of the summer recovering and where the story truly begins.

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