Her Best Years
Prologue: Never Me
It was now or never, she was the only one with the ability to face him. He had obliterated most of the wizarding world in such a short amount of time with very little effort, but that could just be because no one had been expecting it to be him. When news arose of a new Dark Lord everyone had immediately pointed fingers at Draco Malfoy.
They had realized much too late that Malfoy wasn't the culprit after all, it was someone much close to all of their hearts. She could hear him yelling for her outside of her home to come out and face him with the bright witch she was. She could hear the screams of pain coming from the remaining Weasley family at it was unbearable to listen to. Their voices were her undoing, the reason she was going to face her maker.
For all intents and purposes it was all her fault, at least according to him. He claimed that he became this way because of her and he let her know every chance he could. She could still remember the bloody messages he left behind for her, each message was quite clear. Each message was a direct stab at her person, but now was not the time to reminisce. Right now it was time to take action so she walked down the wooden steps of her house and opened the front door with her head held high.
Nothing was stopping her from facing him and she knew that nothing would. One thought kept her sane. 'He didn't want her dead, at least not yet.' He wanted her to suffer as much as he claimed to have suffered. Hermione didn't know if she truly deserved it, but she didn't want to be the cause of any more deaths. Their blood stained her hands and no matter what she did she couldn't wash it away. For weeks she couldn't sleep because she saw all their screaming faces as they blamed her for their deaths.
So many people, faceless people, were crying out for her help and there was nothing she could do to help them. No matter how much she pleaded for him to stop killing he wouldn't budge in his attempt to rid the world of both witches and wizards. No, he wasn't prejudice against a certain blood type like Lord Voldemort and he didn't want totally domination, or to rule the world.
What he wanted was her absolute surrender.
She stopped only a few feet in front of him and waited for him to say something to her. She knew him well enough to know what he was thinking, but maybe she was wrong. She had never believed he was capable of killing people just because he felt the need. After all these years there wasn't much she couldn't tell you about him, but there seemed to be a side of him that even she hadn't been privy too.
"Glad you could join us 'Mione." His voice dragged across her spine like burning ember and it took all her strength not to turn tail and run for the hills. If she had one wish, it would be that she would never have to look at the man before her as an enemy.
Hermione took a calming breath to settle her emotions. "What else could I do? You've been calling me for hours." She let herself take a quick glance atthe Weasleys, she hadn't seen them in weeks. They were one of the first wizarding families to disappear and now she knew why. Thankfully, they all looked to be alive, but Ron looked like he was in the worst pain imaginable.
"What? Not happy to see me?" He glanced back at his bound victims. "Not happy to be reunited with your family?" He asked maliciously.
"You're the one that took them from me." She spat out angrily.
"I wouldn't have taken them if you only did what I asked. All I wanted was you to join me at my throne and all these people would have been saved." He responded flippantly. As if she was to blame for everything.
She couldn't stop the tears that pricked the edge of her eyes. "Why are you doing this to me?" She asked him weakly, she felt so broken, only a shell of the woman she once was.
His eyes glared coldly at her pitiful expression. "I'm not doing anything to you. You brought this upon yourself and everyone else, I didn't ask much of you." He growled. "All I wanted was for you to choose me."
"I don't understand what you mean." He had used that phrase so often and she still didn't know what he meant by that.
"Don't you. You were the only one that ever truly loved me and you were the only one I ever truly loved. For the first time someone loved me for me. You were the only one that loved me for who I was, you loved the man and not the title." His resolve weakened and he took a step forward, but he stopped himself mid step.
"So many people love you for who you are. I know your childhood left much to be desired, but there are so many people who still care about you. You'll only hurting them more." Hermione pleaded.
"No, you're hurting them. I wanted you, but instead you chose Ronald Weasley." His voice had an odd lithe to it. "Crucio!" He pointed his wand viciously at the man in question. "Do you enjoy seeing him in pain?" His eyes glowed merrily. "I do."
"Please stop." She whimpered weakly. Her resolve was steadily breaking as caused her family even more pain. Mrs. Weasley was lying unconscious on the floor and Ginny was staring blankly at everyone around her. If anyone suffered it was her, she had dealt with so much grief at his behalf.
He turned his monstrous gaze to Hermione. "What?" He asked childishly. "Do you not want me to harm your little hubby. I'm just giving him what he deserves after all these years. He took everything from me and he had the nerve to be upset with me!"
"What do you want from me? I'll give you anything."
His gaze trailed down her body lasciviously before they hardened. "Nothing. You had your chance. I asked you to choose me. For the only women I ever loved to choose me, to choose Harry Potter and no one else, but you couldn't even do that. You've made your bed and now you have to sleep in it. All I crave is to see your eyes loose their life as I kill everything you ever cared about. I want you to feel what I felt the moment you chose Ron. He had everything I ever wanted in life; a family. All I had was money and fame and I would have given that up in a heartbeat just to hear you say my name on that alter, but no you said 'I do' to Ronald Bilius Weasley." Harry turned his emerald eyes to her.
All that looked back at her were two empty holes, there was no life in those eyes. He was not the friend she remembered. This man was not Harry James Potter, the man she would have done anything for. With that thought in mind she closed her eyes and apparated to Hogwarts.
She knew Harry was close behind her, but she had the advantage. He didn't know exactly where she was going so hopefully that would buy her some time and he would be searching for a little while. Hermione ran as fast as she could toward her once beloved school, Hogwarts. All that was left was a broken version of what used to be known as the best school in all of London. It was quicker walk then she remembered when she got to the front steps of Hogwarts. She couldn't waste anymore time as she heard the distant rumble of his familiar shouts.
Hermione cast the strongest wards she knew and begged the broken school to protect her for a little while, all she needed was a few minutes. That was all she wanted, just give her a few minutes to speak to Dumbledore. To her relief and shock the castle glowed with promise and she sprinted up the steps to the headmaster's suite.
She skidded to a stop in front of Dumbledore's portrait, she was quite sure that the reason he finally opened his eyes was because her heart was pounding frantically in her chest. That she was sure it would burst from her body.
"Ah, Mrs. Weasley. How can I help you?" Dumbledore asked warmly.
"Now is not the time for pleasantries headmaster. I need to know how to save everyone. No one expected Harry to become the next Dark Lord. We always thought he would be the wizard saving us from any future darkness, but we were sorely mistaken. How did we misjudge so badly?" Hermione stared into Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes.
"Everything happens for a reason Mrs. Weasley. It just so happened that not being loved at such a young age and being treated like a prize had a negative effect on the person Harry became."
"Did you know?"
Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not. I was just as surprised when news broke that Harry was indeed the new Dark Lord. Are you aware of why he became this way?"
Hermione sighed heavily. "He lets me know every chance he has. I'm the reason that he's this way because I chose Ron over him, but I was never choosing either over the other. I was in love with Ron."
"Were you really?"
"I just don't know anymore. Everytime he questions me I get more and more confused. I know that I love Ron, he's one of my best friends." Hermione could no longer hold herself up and she fell weakly to her knees. "Did I make a mistake?"
Dumbledore shook his head and they both heard a blast from below. "It appears that Mr. Potter has finally broken through the castle's last defenses. There isn't much time Mrs. Weasley. Your next words will decide your fate."
Hermione nodded. "Ok."
"Do you love Mr. Potter?"
"Of course I do, with all my heart. He's my best friend."
"Would you do anything to save him?"
"Yes, anything at all."
Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "I will send you back in time to change his fate. Behind that portrait there is a muggle safe. The combination is 9-36-2. Inside is a potion." Hermione did what he asked and took the potion from it's place.
"What does it do?"
"You will be sent back into the body of your eleven year old self. You will retain all your memories and you must use them wisely in your endeavor to save Mr. Potter. You need to show Mr. Potter a different side of life then the one he know and don't let me interfere. I tend to be very meddling when I want to be. Fix what was broken so that things turn out for the better."
There was a crash as Dumbledore's door was hit with a hex.
"I know you're in there Hermione. Let me in, I just want to talk." Harry laughed maliciously.
Hermione's eyes widened. "Hurry Mrs. Weasley. I look forward to seeing you happy and in good health next time we meet. Please fix what I helped cause." Professor Dumbledore looked sad at his proclaimation.
Hermione nodded determinedly and downed the potion in one gulp. The last thing she saw was Harry's face swim in front of her vision before everything went black.