Disclaimer: I own nothing, it all belongs to JK. Rowling
A/N: Hello all, this is going to be a dark one shot. I have no plans to expand this at all. I had written a piece of this last month and had forgotten about it until yesterday. I found it last night and finished it an hour ago. The characters are OOC, they are meant to be, such as life as a fanfiction writer. Please don't send me reviews that so and so wouldn't do that, that could never happen and so forth. I know that, this is just what is in my head sometimes and sometimes you get Cassie Zabini, sometimes you get... well... this. If you don't like it, I don't take offense, but if you liked it, please leave me a review :)
Such as most of my one shots, this is not beta'd and probably won't be, that is life.
Peace, Love and Slyther,
Gimi aka Jess
The smell of death lingered around them as they ran looking for their friend. It permeated the air in thick waves, bouncing off the battered stone. Everywhere they turned they could see another familiar face with that look of soulless wonder in the eyes of their teachers and classmates; children who had fought against the dark. Those who had given the ultimate sacrifice to the light with their lives.
"He's not here Hermione," The red haired boy said again, looking around, trying to find his friend without actually looking into the eyes of the dead, "He was here a minute ago and now he's not. You don't think-" He gulped, not finishing the question.
Hermione Granger shook her head; nerves and adrenaline running rampant in her veins now, "No, no Ron, Harry wouldn't…" She shook her head again, tears overflowing her eyes and running black sooty tracks down her face; singed hair tucked behind her ear, "No, he couldn't. He wouldn't run off to his death."
Ron looked at her, the girl he loved, with blue eyes that said; Yes. Yes Harry would do just that, if it meant he would save the rest of them. Hermione began to cry even more fervently; already mourning her best friend. Scared of what was to come as the hall was filled with more and more of their dead. Grabbing his hand, she pulled back over to his family as they were still crying over the bodies of Fred, Remus and Tonks; the latter two with hands laid palm to palm.
Ron immediately engulfed his sister in a hug as she sobbed, legs giving way with the weight of the battle on her young shoulders. The death of their brother, too fresh to bring the numbness, just pain.
Hermione looked around at her beloved Great Hall of Hogwarts; death had visited the school tonight. She saw Colin Creevey, his brother Dennis sitting stoically next to his body. Padma Patil, with arms around her sister, Pavarti, who was prone a top a blonde curly head Hermione had known was Lavender Brown. Dean and Seamus both carrying in the body of a seventh year Hufflepuff that she had known by face, but not name.
Snapping back into her head, she began to help Madame Pomfrey wherever she could, their hour was almost up. The wounded needed to be healed in order to continue the fight, they had no choice. Failure was not in her vocabulary, the battle would continue and they needed all the bodies they could get. One by one, she flitted from body to body; person to person healing what she could giving each an encouraging word.
"Harry Potter is Dead!" A voice boomed into the Great Hall. Gasps could be heard around the room. Shouts of "No!" and "Not possible!" filled the air as bodies ran out of the hall and into the courtyard.
Hermione was swept up in the crowd, her eyes focused on that familiar red haired family as she ran out with the rest of the mob to see the truth for herself. On the steps of the castle she had called home for six long years, the comfort and protection it offered waned slowly as she spied her best friend in the arms of Hagrid, limp and lifeless. Her heart tightened as she looked for signs of breath, signs that this scene was not true. She began to breathe heavy as no such sign met her eyes.
The world unfocused as Voldemort continued his speech, as Neville began to speak. Hermione did not pay attention until she saw the glint of gold in Neville's hands as he swung the sword; as he took off the head of Nagini, pet of Voldemort.
Chaos ensued after that. Death Eaters began to run into the castle shooting killing curses at anyone in their path, fighting for their master. Hermione's last glance outside the castle was of a mane of platinum hair running into the build past her, "Draco!" filled her ears as they ran into the hall.
Hermione fought; she began to stun, hex and jinx anyone dressed in black robes. red, green, yellow, curses shot past her, missing her, as she ran into the hall where the fight was on. She spotted Voldemort in the middle, dueling McGonagall, Kingsley and Slughorn at once. Bellatrix fell and Voldemort screamed in anger; about to curse Molly Weasley; when Harry Potter shielded her and revealed that he was, in fact, alive.
The duel began between the two of them, a sort of ring around the duelers formed. Death Eater and Resistance momentarily paused to watch the epic battle. Good versus evil, circled around as Voldemort taunted Harry, as Harry told him how the horcruxes were gone; how he was going to die, mortal. How he was not the true master of the Elder wand, but how Harry was. The spells were casted, Voldemort fell and the hall erupted with cheers! It was over! Good had triumphed!
Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she lost sight of Harry in the crowd of congratulating persons. The world around her slowed as she contemplated the new world they were entering. A world where she wouldn't have hide, no longer running, no longer…
"Hermione we won!" Ron screamed as he lifted her in the air and spun. Happiness oozing out of every pore as he swung her around. Hermione could see above heads; being in the air, and she saw them, the family of platinum heads. Standing off to the side, not celebrating but not running. Just existing.
Ron set her down and hugged her, she could feel the air being pushed out of her body as he squeezed her tightly. She pushed against him slightly, to get air, just enough air to… looking him in those blue eyes, she smiled brightly at him. As he returned the smile he didn't even hear her utter the words, "Avada Kedavra."
Ron; smile still plastered on his face; fell back as a jet of green light hit him straight into the heart. The light was blinding because of the short distance between the couple, but could be seen around them. The shouts of happiness gave way to a shriek of a mother. A mother who just lost another son; at the hands of a trusted friend.
That was a moment Hermione would always remember, her first unforgivable curse. She closed her eyes and took this second; the power flowing through her body as the flesh on her left arm turned jet black. The magic flowed through her, not stopping at her arm, it ran up her body and changes began to overtake her small frame.
She could feel them all; the changes to her body as the magic broke the spell. The few inches that added to her height, the hair on her head even hurt as it began to change colors; turning her chestnut curls black. Her frame stayed the same but her coloring lightened, no longer olive toned. She was more porcelain as she looked at her hands; her melanin losing the color and watched her fingers elongate.
Three bodies surrounded her as the changes took place, a firm grip on her arms as she groaned as the changes completed. The jacket she wore too tight for her now wider shoulders and longer arms, she took it off. The gasps around the room were all that could be heard as the new tattoo was made visible.
A black skull and snake adorned the pale skin of Hermione Granger. Muggle born, Hermione Granger. She looked up into the adoring grey eyes of Narcissa Malfoy and tears began to fall from her own, now grey.
"You look exactly how I always imagined you my dear," Narcissa whispered, hugging the girl to her chest. "I have dreamt of this day for many years."
"NO!" Harry shouted, wand pointing at the group. Four heads turned to him; three platinum and a raven.
"Expelliarmus!" Hermione said, almost bored; Harry's wand sailed through the air and landed in her hands, "Accio Elder wand." The wand in Voldemort's fingers made it's way over to Hermione as well. As soon as the wand touched her skin, her body thrummed with its magic. A small smile graced her lips as she enjoyed the power behind the death stick.
"HOW COULD YOU HERMIONE!?" could be heard yelled all around her. She placed the hawthorn wand between the fingers of Draco Malfoy and he smirked at her as he pointed it into the crowd. Lucius was doing the same on the other side; he had found a wand off one of the dead and Narcissa behind her.
Turning her now grey eyes to her friend, she shrugged and began to speak in a language only Harry could understand, "It's easy Harry," She enjoyed the way his eyes widened in horror as she spoke the language of snakes. "I could do it because it's in my blood."
"You're muggleborn," Harry yelled, anger evident in his face at this development. Hermione could speak parselmouth. How is this possible? It's not something one picks up in a book.
Hermione laughed, a cold and cruel laugh bounced off the walls of the silent hall. No one moved, McGonagall paled at the sight of her favorite student as if she didn't know her anymore. Hermione smirked, a familiar look, but not for her face. That was the same smirk of Draco Malfoy.
"Oh I am not a muggleborn," Hermione said, this time for everyone to hear, "I am the daughter of Narcissa Black Malfoy"
"You're a Malfoy!" Harry bellowed, his world crashing down around him, literally.
Hermione grinned at her 'friend' and muttered, "Incarcerous!" Think heavy bounds flew out of the Elder wand and wrapped their way around Harry Potter. The room echoed in shrieks as Neville ran out, in front of Harry in a defensive position and for a moment, Hermione laughed at the irony of this stance as she remembered practicing with Neville their fifth year during DA meetings, this exact moved.
Neville might have grown to be a fighter, but he was no match for Hermione, quick as lightning, she whispered Snape's spell. With a minor alteration to it and she was able to pick where the cuts would appear.
Almost as soon as he realised what she had done, Neville began to fade. Two X's bleeding red on the sides of his neck a top his carotid arteries. The blood that had been pumping furiously through his adrenalin filled body began to gush out of his neck on both sides resembling a sort of morbid fountain.
Ginny Weasley screamed, running towards Neville, hands on his neck trying desperately to stem the flow of blood leaving his body.
Hermione ignored the screams and looked around the hall. The scene was almost comical. No one had ever expected muggle born, Hermione Granger, best friend of The Chosen One, to turn traitor.
But she wasn't a traitor, not really. She had never turned away from her true allegiance. There was only one person she was loyal to and that was not Harry fucking Potter.
Ginny sobs continued as Neville laid at her knees, lifeless as the blood no longer poured out. They were so grating that Hermione raised her wand again, "Ginevra Weasley, if you do not quiet your tongue, I will cut it out."
Hermione shook her head no, looking at Harry through her eyelashes, "No, I'm not a Malfoy." She laughed coldly, "I'm the daughter of Narcissa and Tom Riddle." She watched Harry pale as all blood left his face. She had said it so only he would hear her.
"No," he shook his head, "No, you can't be! I would have seen, I would have known."
Hermione laughed again at this boy standing in front of her, still denying her birthright. "I am Hermione Riddle. I had tried to deny it; I mean, why would I want to embrace it?" She said walking closer to Harry, "I had been fighting against him for years, tortured by his followers in the home of my own family. Raised as a muggleborn." A sob erupted behind her as Narcissa held onto her heart; clearly still upset that her sister had done such an evil thing to her daughter. "He would come to be in my dreams after that. As he was, years ago; trying not to frighten me. He knew what we were doing; he wasn't as mental as we thought."
A flash of purple light suddenly lit the room as a hex was sent towards Hermione. She had been expecting it and blocked it easily enough.
"Do you know what happens to a person's magic when they die, Harry?" She said to Harry, not worried about being hexed, "Their magic doesn't just go into the Earth, well it does if they are the last of their line. But in cases where they die near a family member, their magic is combined with their relatives." She turned to all in the hall, "His magic is mine, his followers are mine."
"You think they would follow a mudblood like you?" Harry spat for all the Death Eaters to hear. "Just because you might have his blood running through your veins doesn't make you one of them. You are just a filthy mudblood to them."
Hermione laughed, her voice cold and cruel, bouncing off the crumbling walls. Looking at the red haired girl sobbing over the body on the floor. She whispered, "Levicorpus!" under her breath and Ginny went soaring into the air by her ankle. The young girl shrieked in surprise and stared at Hermione with defiance in her brown eyes. Harry yelled as well and Hermione placed a petrification spell on him. Only his eyes were moving.
"Do what you want to me, you bitch!" She screamed, her Gryffindor courage flowing in her veins, "I will never bend to you."
Hermione smirked, amused at the red head. She could hear the rest of the family running up to Ginny, waving their wands to try and release her, but Hermione's spell was so strong, they could not do it. Hermione waved her wand again and placed a spell cementing all combatants to the ground who had pledged to her or her father. Another wave had all wands landing at her feet before anyone knew what was going on.
"Hermione, let my sister down!" Bill Weasley shouted from behind the crowd, he hadn't been able to run fast enough to her aide.
"Not yet," Hermione said softly, "We are going to see how long before the mighty Weasley family falls to their knees in front of me."
Molly narrowed her eyes and the girl she had known since since she was twelve. "We will never fall in front of evil."
Hermione just smiled, "Oh I know Molly," She agreed, "But that is what will make this all the more fun for me." Using the same spell that she had on Neville, the cuts were made; this time on her wrists, "I have made these cuts on the wrist instead of the neck because I want it to be a bit slower." Blood slowly began to drip from Ginny's wrists and she began to scream, "Though in her position, I'm sure the blood will fall just as fast and she'll be bled dry in a matter of minutes."
Arthur bellowed as he tried to grab at his daughter's hands to stem the flow, but he couldn't touch her. Hermione had placed a barrier around her. "Hermione please! My daughter, my family has been nothing but kind to you."
Hermione looked at the kind man, "I know Arthur," She acknowledged, "Which is why I am giving you a way to save her. Your entire family must pledge fealty to me and mine and I will let Ginny live. The choice is up to you." Molly kept trying to lift Ginny's arms to above her heart, to slow the flow since she couldn't wrap her hands around the wounds.
Hermione began to pace and just waited to see what would happen. The first to fall was George, Ginny screamed out for her brother to stop! They couldn't pledge to HER!
"No Gin," George yelled, "I watched my brothers die today, I will not watch my sister do the same," Catching Hermione's eye he nodded in defeat, "I pledge my fealty to you, Mistress."
Hermione nodded and her magic swirled around her and to George, he screamed in pain as a white mark was imprinted on his left arm. One by one, the Weasley boys dropped to their knees, pledging the same thing. To save their sister, leaving only their parents and Ginny left. Ginny screamed at each of them, her face growing paler. She was still bleeding, if her parents didn't pledge, she would die anyways. Arthur could see his daughter growing faint and dropped to his knees, screaming out his allegiance at the same time as his wife.
With the last of the family pledged to her, Hermione released Ginny and stopped the bleeding. She landed in a heap at her parents feet. Molly grabbed and held her daughter to her chest; rocking back and forth and crying.
One by one, the Order members fell to their knees, defeated as one of the greatest families for the light fell in front of the new Power. Hermione released Harry's binds and he screamed at them all to stand, to fight, to die for the light if that is what is needed!
"This isn't about blood Harry, I don't care if your blood comes out of your veins purple." Hermione laughed at her former friend, "This is about POWER, and those who are willing to do anything to achieve it. Now, you can kneel and pledge to me, or you can die, and I can assure you, this time. You. Will. Die." Hermione lifted the dagger that Bellatrix had used on her. She had found it on her body as she wander the hall. She was not going to use the killing curse on Harry. She would see his blood flow from his body.
Her loyal family began to move her new recruits to the side of the room. The teachers had no choice, they pledged to keep future generations at Hogwarts safe, parents did for the same reason.
There were still those who refused to bend, people who had no family left, those who did not agree with Hermione and even those Death Eaters who refused to fall to the feet of a Muddied Mistress, those who were still in it for the purity of their lines. Those lines would end that day. Kingsley, Aberforth, Dean and over twenty others refused… and Harry… her once loved and bespectacled friend, the chosen one. He chose his side; he sided with the light. He chose to die.
That day was filled with death, it started with death and ended the same, but also with birth. It birthed a new age in the magical world. The age of power, the new Riddle was in charge and she was more powerful than any other. As her new recruits took the life of all those who opposed her, she filled with their vows as their white tattoos turned black, sealing them to her.
The bodies fell all around him and Harry was standing in the middle, staring at the body of Kingsley as hooded Death Eaters began to lift the dead away and pile them off to the side. He looked up at he beloved red headed family, each of them with black marks sans Ginny. His beautiful Ginny had regained consciousness as Madame Pomfrey was allowed to feed her a blood replenishing potion. She was standing next to her family, tears flowing freely as they all knew what was happening next.
Harry Potter was about to die. She had not pledged anything yet, she had been hoping for ancient magic to protect them like it had protected Harry those years long ago, but there was no one left to take the curse for him, no one left that could. He would not die by curse, but by dagger. Ginny began to whimper, she ran over to Harry and hugged him tight. Crying into his jacket, she cried out her sorrow, her love, her apologies that they had lost. Harry lifted her face so he could stare into her brown eyes, he had loved her with every fiber of his being, he would love her til his last breath left his body and he told her as much.
Ginny kissed him one last time and held his hand standing next to him; taking a side, the side of Harry Potter, her only love. Hermione smiled brightly, she knew where the girl's loyalty truly lied. She always had; she had be destined to be a Potter. Maybe if they had lived, they could have been happy, gotten married; had kids, a dog, a nauseating family Christmas card with matching pyjamas. Hermione was almost sad to have to kill them… almost.
Hermione let the couple have their last moment, she wasn't a complete monster… and then, ignoring the sobs from Molly; she had known her daughter was about to die. Hermione walked up and put the blade in Ginny's hand. She looked at her; confusion and anger marring her features.
"I will give you the option of giving him an easy quick death, Ginny." Hermione told her, "If you do not kill Harry I will give him to my Death Eaters and I can assure you, he will not die quickly."
"Why don't you kill him yourself, you MONSTER!" Ginny screamed, tears flowing freely; her hands shaking with anger.
"Oh, I could and I was going to," Hermione told her; the Death Eaters standing there, some grinning at finally seeing Harry Potter die. "But you doing it would be poetic. He lived because of the first woman to ever love him and now he will die at the hands of the only woman he has loved. If you wish me to do it, I can." Hermione walked up to Ginny, stopping right in front of the girl. "If I do it, I will not make it easy, it will not be quick. I will draw it out; possibly days. I will make him suffer, I will make him wish and beg for death. If you want to show him mercy, he will only find it in your hands."
As quick as she could, Ginny went to stab Hermione, but the blade never made contact with her body. Hermione laughed coldly, "Did you really think I would hand you a blade that would do me damage? I'm the smartest witch of the age and with my family's magic running through me, the most powerful as well. No one in this room can hurt me, especially not you Ginevra Weasley. You kill Harry or I will gut you and feed you to Greyback while Harry watches."
Ginny's body went cold, there was no way around it. Her brown eyes filled once more with despair and she shook her head uncontrollably. She looked around, desperately for someone to help her, but there was no one. The only people left in the room were traitors, her family included. They all chose to be on the other side of the line; they sided with HER; choose to watch their fellows die. They stand there with Death Eaters, they were Death Eaters. She dropped the dagger, she refused to do it, but Harry grabbed it and shoved it back into her hands.
"No, Gin!" Harry whispered, holding her hands around the hilt. "No, you have to do it. I can't bare to watch you be hurt again. I can't do it, please just do as she asks," Harry begged his love. He held onto her, feeling her warmth for the last time, "Please Ginny, I love you, I will be okay, it will be okay." He moved closer to his girlfriend as she continued to shake her head. He kept chanting, It will be okay, over and over again, walking closer to her.
"No, no, no Harry," Ginny sobbed, she felt the pressure of his stomach on the dagger, "I can't, I can't do it. I love you Harry Potter, I will always love you."
"I know Gin, I have never stopped loving you." Harry told her, his green eyes filled with sadness and tears. "I will always love you." and he pulled her forward, impaling his gut on the blade fully.
Ginny screamed, her shrieks echoed off the walls as the sun began to set. They had spent the whole of May 2, 1998 in the hall surround by death and emotional upheaval. Ginny fell on top of Harry, much like she had with Neville, but in greater hurt as the life left his body slowly. He stared at her until the last bit of life left his body and into the Earth. Harry Potter had no one to leave his magic; it flowed back into the Earth, this time, The Boy Who Lived, lived no more.
All of Hermione's army had been sent to Malfoy Manor, The whole of the Weasley family stared at the youngest Weasley sobbing over Harry's body. Molly tried to pull her away, Ginny; looking at the black tattoo; pulled away in disgust. Molly sobbed and walked over to her husband, they all disapparated after that, to the Manor; to their new lives as servants of the dark. Ginny was taken by Draco and Lucius to wait for Hermione back at the manor.
Hermione stayed behind after everyone was gone. Looking around the Great Hall, it was once a place where her hopes and dreams came into her life. Now, eight years later, it is a place where her new future begins. She lifted Harry's lifeless body in the air and placed him near Ron. Standing over her former friends, she tried to remember what it was like to be eleven years old and coming to Hogwarts for the first time. Finally feeling like she belonged; her only two friends lying right in front of her. Trying to feel something for her former friends…
Sighing she turned on the spot. She had things to do now, a world to conquer and no one to hold her back. She needed to plan her next step in this new world. This battle was nowhere near the end.