A/N: New story. Couldn't get it out of my head. Hope you like it. And thanks to for the speech listed in the story.
This is a crossover, with two main fandoms, but there will be one or two showing from other fandoms. Nothing too crazy though.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry stood majestically in the late afternoon light on the first of June. Students had left on the Hogwarts Express just the week before, another year over. However, Hogwarts did not stand empty. The Order of the Phoenix were congregating in the Great Hall. Dumbledore had called them together.
Now the Order stood on one side of the Hall, and to their horror, across from them looking cool and remote stood a group of Purebloods. People who they believed to be on the side of Voldemort; The Malfoys, Blaize Zabini, Theo Knott, the Greengrasses, Rabastan LeStrange, and Pansy Parkinson. Snape stood with this group.
Dumbledore approached, standing with a group on each side. He was studying them quietly.
"Ron," Harry whispered. "Where's 'Mione?" They had just finished their fourth year, and now Voldemort was back.
Ron shrugged. "We sent an owl. Don't know why she wouldn't show up."
"So strange," Ginny joined the muted conversation. "She wouldn't miss this."
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "The wind has changed," he announced. He turned his attention to the Order. "The people you see across from you are the newest members of the Order of the Phoenix."
At this announcement voices began muttering, voices raising. Harry didn't want to wait for them to all calm down. He wanted to know what the hell was going on. Slytherins were joining the order? Lucius Malfoy? The blonde man was one of the highest in Riddle's little cult.
"Headmaster," he called out, and it was as if his voice stopped all sound.
"Yes, Harry?" the old man's eyes twinkled at him.
"How do we know we can trust them, Sir?"
"Veritaserum," Dumbledore said simply. "Each individual on that side has been tested with veritaserum. They want to help us."
"Mr. Potter," Lucius began stiffly. "I understand why you would not wish to put faith and trust in us, but we have recently realized that while we treasure our Pureblood heritage, our Lord does not. We could no longer follow a creature willing to throw everything, ourselves included, away simply for more power."
"He was going to sacrifice us, Potter," Draco spoke up after his father. "Oh, not Father, but us," he gestured to the Slytherins that attended classes with Harry and Ron.
"Our children," Donal Greengrass's voice was filled with anger. "He wanted to sacrifice our children for power."
There were gasps on the side of the Light. Children in the wizarding world were a blessing. Especially among the Pureblood's whose birth rates had decreased so much.
Harry was nodding, yes, he could understand that. "And you want to help us? Even though we are made up of what you term Blood Traitors, Half-Bloods, and… no, I will not say that vile name, so Muggle-Borns?"
Before they could respond to him the doors to the Great Hall were thrown open. Hermione Granger strode into the room. Behind her walked a well-built man with dark hair and an eye patch. No smile graced the normally happy girl's face. And she barely paid heed to the people on her right that had always made her life torturous.
Instead she looked gaunt, with dark circles underneath her dulled amber eyes. She didn't even look at Harry or Ron. Hermione simply walked to Dumbledore. The eye patch man caught up, bowing his head slightly to the Headmaster.
Albus Dumbledore felt shock right through his old bones. "Mr. Harris?" Then his eyes moved to Hermione. "Oh no," he murmured. She gave him a sight nod. "I'm so sorry, Ms. Granger. So very sorry. Did anyone…"
Hermione didn't have to wait for him to finish. She knew he was going to ask if anyone died. "My parents."
"Oh, dear girl," he spoke, closing his eyes for a moment. When his eyes reopened, they had lost some of that twinkle. "You will be leaving us."
She nodded once, tears shone in her eyes.
Finally, the man who had entered with her spoke. "You know how it works, Albus. She needs training." He placed his hand on her shoulder.
Minerva McGonagall moved over to Hermione, pulling her into a tight embrace. "We will miss you, Hermione. We hope, I hope, you'll come back to us."
Hermione met the older woman's eyes; the woman who she had idolized. "I will try."
"'Mione?" Harry had stepped forward, and was looking at her in confusion.
She gave him a gentle smile and moved over to him, taking his hands into her own. Ron and Ginny had also moved up. Hermione knew that everyone's attention was on them, but she just couldn't care. These people were part of her family. "I have to go away for a while," she addressed all three of her friends.
"What?!" Ginny's eyes were wide and confused. "Why? Where are, you going? What's happened to your parents?"
"My parents were attacked," she explained as calmly as possible. It was still like a dagger in her heart. She felt cold and didn't know if she'd ever feel warm. "They're dead."
Molly gasped, a small cry coming out of her mouth. She'd loved the Grangers. Everyone looked to be in shock over her words. Even the Purebloods looked disturbed by this news.
Tears had started to run down Harry's cheeks. "It's all my fault. I brought you into this…"
"No," she told him strongly. "No, Harry. This wasn't because of you. Not you, or the wizarding world, or Riddle." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The one eyed man had approached, and put a hand on her shoulder, as if lending her strength. Hermione opened her eyes, a mixture of regret and sorrow in her gaze. "It's all because of me."
"Because you're Muggle-Born?" Ron asked, and threw a glare at the Purebloods.
Hermione decided not to let it upset her that he hadn't listened. To Ron everything was the wizarding world. "No. It's what I've become. I have to go away for awhile." Now tears were falling from her eyes. "My life isn't going to be what we thought it would," her voice cracked slightly. "And if I stayed, it would only put you all into more danger." She gestured to everyone in the room. "You could get hurt, just like my parents. You already have one battle to fight."
"I don't understand," Harry whispered.
"I know. I'm still trying to understand," she pulled him into a hug. "I will be back, Harry. You are my brother in all but blood. I might not be here right now, but in the end, know that I will be there. And I'm always with you in your heart."
"Talk to me Hermione," Harry begged. He knew she wasn't sharing what was the most important part of what was happening to her.
Hermione looked back at Mr. Harris, and gave him a half smile. Then she leaned closer to Harry, and whispered in his ear, "I had a dream. In that dream three women approached. A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead. I could feel the power ebbing from the redhead. She was in the middle. The other two women were…. Strong. Powerful. Predatory. The blonde spoke and she said,
"What if you could have that power?
Now. All of you. In every
generation one Slayer is born because
a bunch of guys that died thousands
of years ago, made up that rule. They
were powerful men."
Then the blonde pointed to the redhead.
"This woman is more powerful than all
of them combined. So, we changed
the rules. I say my power should be
our power. Willow used the essence of
this scythe, that contains the energy and
history of so many Slayers, to change
our destiny. From now on, every girl in
the world who might be a Slayer, will be a
Slayer. Every girl who could have
the power, will have the power. Who
can stand up, will stand up. Every
one of you, and girls we've never
known, and generations to come...
they will have strength they never
dreamed of, and more than that, they
will have each other. Slayers.
Every one of us. Make your choice."
Then she looked at me. I saw her life. The beasts she'd destroyed. The lives she's lived. And I looked to the brunette, and saw the same. And I saw her fall, and earn redemption. When I looked back to the blonde, I heard one more sentence.
"Are you ready to be strong?"
"And I said yes, Harry. I am ready to be strong. My parents were killed because I was weak."
"Your Hermione is a Slayer," the man, whom Dumbledore had called Mr. Harris, spoke. "And there are very bad things that are attracted to Slayers. I'm taking her to be trained."
"But, she's a witch?" Ginny wanted to stop this.
He nodded. "Now she's both."
Hermione pulled her three closest friends into her arms, hugging them tightly, but making sure her new strength didn't hurt them. "I will miss you. The only family I have left. Take care of each other." Then she turned to look at the Purebloods. "I'm not the same girl that was here a few weeks ago," she told them coolly. They all seemed to be watching her with something akin to respect. "Fight hard."
And then everyone in the Great Hall watched as Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age, walked out the door, leaving them all behind.