Accepting Fate
Chapter One
Battling Everything
Go forward into battle and do not shrink away since there is no escape from death. . .
--Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Harithi al-Baghadadi al-Mufid
Many people believe in a thing called fate, but unfortunately, for some, there seems to be a glitch in the system. These may be the people who realize at some point what fate has decided for them and they are disappointed or heartbroken by what they see. But is it truly as disappointing or heartbreaking as they seem to think it is? In some aspects, yes, it probably is, but in others, it isn't anything but the opposite.
For a long time Hermione Granger looked upon her fate this way. She knew, being who she was and who she was friends with, that her life would some day end in tragedy. For years she hid behind her books and cleverness in order to hide her true feelings on the matter but you can really only do that for so long. Things like that catch up with you and attack you when you are most vulnerable. After awhile she realized she could no longer hide. She knew that she must fight—even if she had to die in the process—even if others had to die in the process.
It was during the first term of her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when Hermione's life really uprooted. The events at the end of her fifth year seemed like child's play compared to what was going on now. The entirety of the wizarding world was in the midst of battle. People were losing their lives left and right and there wasn't a place in the world that could be considered safe anymore—not even Hogwarts.
Hermione had learned early on that she should not show emotion for much of anything in case someone where to use it against her. Only once had someone really gotten to her. Lucius Malfoy. He knew at once the most important people in Hermione's life besides her friends were her parents. As soon as Lucius had escaped from Azkaban during her sixth year he made sure the Granger's were the first Muggles he tortured.
Naturally, he wasn't merciful to the couple. In fact, he was anything but. They were treated to off and on spurts of the Cruciatus Curse over a time span of about five hours. Lucius broke them down in every way he knew how. He tortured Hermione's deepest secrets out of them so he could use them later on. And finally, when he had gotten bored with them, he used the Imperious curse on them and made them drown themselves. He wanted them to die slowly. He wanted to deprive them of everything. Even oxygen.
After hearing the news of her parents' horrible deaths, Hermione shut herself off to everyone but those who were closest to her. She was still the same around Harry Potter, the Weasley's, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood, but to everyone else she barely spoke two words to. Oh, she certainly wanted to. She just wouldn't risk it. She didn't want to be the cause of any more deaths.
A year had come and passed since the deaths of Hermione's parents, yet every night at precisely 10:17pm she could still be found in the exact same place she was when she found out. Many said Hermione Granger had gone mad. She would still go to her classes, of course, and she would still maintain the same grades she had always gotten, but the spark that was once in her had left. No longer did she raise her hand in class. No longer did she earn any more points for her house. She had even turned down the Head Girl position when it had been offered to her—a title which Padma Patil now claimed.
It was almost as if Hermione had stopped caring. The truth of the matter was, however, that Hermione cared more than anyone else—except for, perhaps, Harry. Harry was the closest to her these days. They were both orphans now. They were always seen together, but they were rarely seen talking. They didn't need to. They already knew everything.
Although both realized it, neither wanted to admit that as the end of the war drew nearer, they were losing more and more time to say the things they wanted to say—not just to each other, but to everyone.
Hermione would watch the students of Hogwarts everyday, noticing small things here and there that she had taken for granted for the past six and a half years. She noticed how close Parvati and Lavender were to each other. How in the middle of the night she would overhear them talking about the things they would do if they survived the war. Some nights it inspired her and other nights it depressed her even more.
Hermione even noticed Crabbe and Goyle. She realized that although they could both be a bit thick at times (Goyle more so than Crabbe), they were actually somewhat intelligent and quite capable of expressing their thoughts in more than just grunts and finger pointing.
The person Hermione noticed more than anyone else was the person that could break her down with just one glance. As much as she hated to admit it, she was terrified of Draco Malfoy. She knew she oughtn't to be so afraid of him, but her heart always beat a little faster when he was near and the panic would arise within her so fast she would sometimes have to rest her head in her arms and count her breaths until the anxiety ceased.
What was worse, was that Draco knew exactly how much he affected her. At times, he would revel in her distress, but then there were those times when he was confused and conflicted by what he saw in her eyes when she looked at him.
Draco Malfoy was another person who knew exactly what was in store for him. His father was a Death Eater. One of Voldemort's inner circle. It was expected of him to follow in his footsteps. He didn't even want to think about what Lucius would do to him if he were to change sides. Lucius was not a forgiving man and he did not forget. Draco had taken the easy path and did everything his father told him to do and therefore, never got on his bad side. When he became of age, he was inducted into the Death Eaters, training under his father. In time, he learned how to ignore the voice inside his head and shoved all guilt he felt for torturing innocents to the back of his mind.
He knew exactly what his father had done to the Granger's and he watched Hermione as much as she watched him. Every day she walked to and from her classes between her two bodyguards, all three in-step with one another. During meals she sat hunched in her chair barely eating. Always listening. Draco knew she would never stop listening. It was the only thing that kept her from completely losing her mind. He knew that by listening to others, she could stray away from her own thoughts and concentrate on something entirely different. Sometimes it scared him just how much he knew about Hermione Granger. Granted, his father had told him many things the Granger's had said to him about Hermione, but even so, it surprised him just how much he really understood the girl.
Many may wonder why exactly Hermione is acting this way when it has been said that she knows that she needs to fight. It was the morning of February 23, 1998 when she herself asked that very same question. It was a Monday like no other. It was the day Voldemort attacked the school. Everyone had been prepared for the onslaught, but it still came as somewhat a surprise.
That morning, the wards that protected Hogwarts went off, and a loud, piercing siren reverberated throughout the corridors and classrooms. Students bolted upright in their beds, the youngest clinging to one another in trepidation. Heads of houses ran through the empty hallways to the common rooms, knowing there was no way on earth that their students would behave in a quiet and orderly fashion. This wasn't a drill. It was the real thing.
Common rooms began to fill with students within a matter of seconds. Scarcely anyone slept in nightclothes any more. Most went to bed fully attired, and whatever they could not sleep with was within arms-reach in case of emergency. It took Hermione no longer than twenty seconds from the time she heard the alarm to get down to the common room and await orders from Minerva McGonagall.
When the old witch entered the room, everyone went silent. Her usual hardened expression had transformed into one of terror-stricken awareness. Anyone who really knew this witch knew that she was not afraid for her own well-being, but for the well-being of everyone in her charge. Hermione knew the feeling. Glancing between Harry and Ron, she stuck her wand into her pocket and reached out for the boys' hands. The time was coming soon. Faintly, the three could hear the old woman talking in front of them.
". . .Those of you who will be participating in the battle, it is time to say whatever you would like to say to anyone in this room. You must be quick, however. The siren's signal told us that You-know-who's troops will be on the premises within fifteen to twenty minutes. We are already prepared as much as is possible, but every little bit helps. I will leave you now. Everyone participating must be outside the portrait hole in three minutes. Time is passing quickly."
With that, the professor turned and walked out of the room leaving everyone staring at each other, no one wanting to move. Hermione turned Harry and Ron towards her and brought both of their hands up to her heart allowing them to feel the steady beat.
"No matter what happens out there today, we will still be connected here," she said, referring to her heart. "If-if I die I will always know where to find you because I have loved you two more than anything and love doesn't disappear with death. It gets strengthened. I will never leave either of you. Not even death can stop me from being with you two." With those last words, she lowered both boys' foreheads to her mouth, Harry first, Ron second, and gave them both a small kiss.
When the boys had straightened up they pulled her into a swift, tight embrace, wanting to hold on forever, but knowing there just wasn't enough time. Harry's muffled voice sounded near Ron's right shoulder.
"You're my family and I will do whatever I can to protect you out there today."
"Me too," Ron added softly.
Backing away from each other, they turned to their other housemates offering what could quite possibly turn out to be their last words. Soon, almost everyone filed out of the portrait hole—Ron clenching onto Ginny, Harry shuffling silently next to Hermione, Seamus and Dean muttering between each other, Parvati and Lavender crying softly but with their chins held high, Colin and Dennis unusually silent, Neville bringing up the rear, everyone holding their wands tightly.
The four houses met each other in front of the Great Hall. Hermione noticed many Aurors and ministry officials there as well. No one said anything—not even Dumbledore. For once, he could offer them no words of wisdom or humour them with quirky sayings. All he did was give everyone a look, as if to say all he wanted out of them was to do their best. Many nodded as his eyes slid over them. A loud boom shook the doors to the Entrance Hall and Dumbledore finally spoke.
"They're here."
Everything suddenly became a blur. It was Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, and the Aurors all against the Death Eaters. Hexes and spells were speeding through the air from either side. Hermione, Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and Luna fought through the Death Eaters together. They were able to hit many with the Impedimenta curse, while they struck the others with Petrificus Totalus.
Some were not so easy, however. Rodolphus Lestrange shielded everything Harry flung at him. Hermione and Ron began to hex him as well, and almost out of nowhere, a scream of "AVADA KEDAVRA" filled the air. A large green light enveloped itself around Rodolphus and then he was dead. Everyone turned around to find Neville pointing at the corpse with his wand, his face full of fury, hate, and shock.
Bellatrix Lestrange, who had been a few yards away fighting a large Auror, screamed shrilly, and after knocking out the man she was fighting, she ran towards Neville spitting curses, their eyes locked. Neville wasn't fast enough. The moment he pointed his wand toward the woman she screamed out the same words that had just killed her husband. Everyone watched in horror as the green light sprung from her wand and zoomed toward Neville. A moment later, Neville was lying spread-eagle in the grass.
Harry and Ron attacked her at the same time and the combined energies of their hexes hit her hard and she fell to the ground unconscious. Hermione petrified her. Everyone took a moment to glance at Neville's lifeless form but soon moved on. There wasn't any time to dwell. Any one of them could be next.
As they moved nearer to Voldemort, a surprised yelp came from Luna. They turned around and found her flailing as she was shot high into the air, each time getting dangerously close to hitting the ground in the descent. The girl's eyes, large enough on their own accord, seemed as if they were about to pop out her skull at any moment. Hermione and Ginny had their wands in the air trying to Leviosa her out of harm's way, but it was to no avail. Luna shot up fifty feet and was dropped again, but this time, the person who was cursing her didn't catch her. She hit the ground at a break-neck speed and a loud crack sounded as her back connected with the earth.
A piercing laugh echoed towards the group and they all turned to find Voldemort standing over Mad Eye Moody, watching mirthfully as blood flowed out of his victim's body. Next to him, Wormtail was clenching Moody's magical eye in his silver fist and when he let go, only dust was left. Wormtail glanced toward Harry and winked, looking over at Luna's body.
Harry screamed in rage at Wormtail. Seething, he whispered "Crucio". A jet of light sprang from Harry's wand but Wormtail knocked it out of the way with his silver hand. A pained cry of shock from beside Harry had Wormtail giggling maniacally. Harry turned to find Ginny writhing on the ground, her face growing purple with pain. Tears were beginning to leak from her eyes as she screamed. Harry tried to take the curse off of the girl and Wormtail laughed harder.
"Stupid boy! You have killed your best friend's sister! You have killed one of your own. What do you say to that?"
Ginny was still writhing next to Harry.
"She isn't dead, Pettigrew! I can still save her!"
The foul man looked at him in mocking adoration. "Can you? Please keep trying. You will only tire yourself. The curse is unbreakable."
"No, it isn't. It's Crucio. You can always stop it. . .always." But no matter how hard Harry tried, he could not lift the curse. Ginny's cries of pain grew fainter with each passing second and suddenly, everything stopped. She was no longer writhing. She was no longer crying. She was no longer living.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Ron had collapsed on the ground next to his sister, gathering her into his arms. "Ginny? Ginny, come back. Please don't be gone, Ginny. You can't be. . .you just can't. . ."
Wormtail looked at his former owner with glee. "Oh, I assure you. She's gone. Murdered by your best friend."
Ron shot Wormtail a look full of loathing. "Harry didn't kill her! You did! That curse was meant for no one but you."
"Yet, it hit her anyway."
Harry stepped closer to Wormtail. "What happened?" he asked between clenched teeth.
Wormtail looked at him as if he had just said the stupidest thing he had ever heard. "Because of this," he told him, raising the silver hand. "This hand," he continued, "deflects almost any curse, hex, or spell thrown toward me and makes it almost ten times stronger and harder to take off of the oh so unfortunate person who catches the rebound."
Wormtail grinned at him wickedly and snickered.
"You fucking bastard..."
"Language, Potter. Maybe we should teach you a lesson on manners..."
"Get away from him. You know he is mine, Wormtail."
Wormtail looked positively spooked. "Y-yes M-m-master."
"You're not so confident now that Voldemort is here, are you?" Wormtail said nothing to this so Harry instead turned to Voldemort finding himself face to face with two red, catlike slits for eyes.
"We meet again. I am warning you now, Potter. I will have you this time."
Harry raised his wand.
"Your wand is not going to be helpful to you, boy. Do you not remember what happened the last time we tried to duel with one another? As I recall, you forced my wand to regurgitate all its spells. We can't have that happening again, now can we?"
Hermione stepped up next to Harry, Ron following her lead. "His wand may not be of any use, but ours are, and we will fight with him."
Voldemort glared at Hermione and nodded silently backing away a bit to give themselves room, a cruel smile beginning to play upon his thin lips. "If that is your last wish, mudblood, then who am I to say no?"
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "You are no one."
Voldemort's face twisted into a horrible sneer as he pointed his wand at Hermione. "Avada Kedavra." Harry threw Hermione out of the way of the curse, and seized, waiting for it to strike him. It never did though. Harry opened his eyes and looked at Voldemort, who looked almost as shocked as Harry did. Wormtail lay on the ground, his mouth open wide as if he were screaming. He was staring at the silver hand in horror as it smoked and burned a bright green. The flesh of Wormtail's arm above the hand was beginning to turn black. The black traveled up his arm, onto his shoulders and other arm, down his torso, and to his feet.
He was burning from the inside. The silver hand had caught the curse and turned it onto Wormtail, causing his blood to boil and set alight. As Wormtail crumpled to the ground, Voldemort realized what had happened and kicked Wormtail hard in the face. To everyone's great disgust, the head popped off and rolled on the ground, finally coming to a stop near Ron's foot. He kicked it into the brush.
"So, Potter, Wormtail owed you a life-debt did he?"
Harry nodded slightly to Voldemort and glanced at Ron and Hermione quickly. In a flash, he grabbed Ron's wand from his hand and pointed it at Voldemort.
"Avada Kedavra." The light flew out of Ron's wand and hit Voldemort with full-force. The former dark lord fell to the ground dead. Seconds later, a green light hit Harry in the back and he fell to the ground, a shocked expression on his face.
Hermione and Ron turned to where the killing curse had been produced. A masked Death Eater stood still, wand at the ready. Ron bent down to grab his wand out of Harry's lifeless hand and suddenly went hurtling through the air and into one of the walls of Hogwarts, sliding down to the ground unconscious. The masked Death Eater's left hand rose to his face and slowly pulled the mask off.
Hermione was staring into the face of Lucius Malfoy.
"I have you now, Mudblood. I have waited for this ever since I had the pleasure of. . .meeting your parents." Lucius told her icily.
Hermione stood before him paralyzed with fear. She struggled to hold onto her wand as she pointed it at him—she was shaking so badly.
"You do, of course, remember what all I did to your parents, don't you?" When Hermione remained silent, he continued. "Well, I shall have to remind you then, won't I?"
Hermione felt her knees buckle. This was it. Her time had come. She was about to die.
"Crucio."
The jet of light came spiraling toward her chest, but it never quite made it there. Someone had darted in front of her before it hit her. She stood, shocked, staring at the masked figure in front of her thrashing on the ground. The Death Eater's muffled cries from behind the mask tore into Hermione. From behind her, someone bellowed a curse, and Lucius fell to the ground, blood pooling around his head. The Death Eater in front of her had stopped thrashing about and lay panting in front of her.
"Leave him, Miss Granger. I will take care of him." Snape had appeared at her side. It had been he who killed Lucius. The potions professor knelt down next to the figure still fighting to regain his breath, blocking Hermione's view, and pulled the mask off.
Snape stood up and stepped away from the newly unmasked Death Eater and Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she found herself staring into Draco Malfoy's eyes.