Wars over, Light side Lost... But Hermione survived and fled to another country.
She spends decades working with another ministry trying to figure a way to either beat Voldemort, or her latest project, send herself back in time.. but the only way she can find to do that, sends her back as a ghost, she will be able to see her 'younger' self, but not merge with it, she will have to find another willing or recently dead body to enhabit. She has also found a VERY long term Polyjuice potion recipe long forgotten back in England, lasts a month/year but it very expensive and takes the WILLING donation of the clonee's blood and other 'special' bodily fluid.
In short order, she makes plans so that she can easily ship the books she needs fromm her new country, and even takes a few items of her own, and buries them in England (to be dug up later)..
Now all she has to do is the ritual, which displaces time, but not space, that done, she floats onto a cruise liner and enjoys the ride home to Britian. She winds up landing, right about 2 year. Now she has to find a body. During the Chamber of secrets ritual, she whispers to Harry to Knock Ron out with a stunner in the back.. Hey its Hermione's voice telling him, so he does it.
Hermione the ghost, then tells Harry how to complete the job that Lockheart started on his own brain, thus rendering him 'brain dead' (about teh same state as kissed), so she can inhabit his body and use the polyjuice. Getting past the medical crew, is not as hard as it looked, he looked Kissed, and no treatment works, so they treat him as a kiss man, and let him die of deyhdration. Harry is instructed on how to dig up the body, and Hermione Ghost takes it over in the open casket, and then they recover the grave and get the hell out of Dodge. They flee Britian (Both Hermiones, and Harry, Remus might evenutally join them, but not before they swing by and convince Sirius to join them (Old Hermione, now has a anmagious form and can sneak in and convince him).
They all flee together, train, gather allies. Get Dumbdoor kicked off the International, and then the International get invovled, sealing Britian up just as soon as Vodeshorts drains Cedric's body dry of blood for his reserection. The internations, keep England bottled up, the Muggle goverment, with the help of local disenfrantized Muggleborn/half bloods. Erect Wards, on most major population centers, that repel wizards (those not keyed at least). And Blocking Floo, and apperation travel across the channel.
At this point, Harry can return Via the Muggle goverment, who will help him, (After a tea with the Queen, how can Harry say no?). Bringing his allies with him.. Thinking a Dwarven Clan or two, a tribe of Native American Indians who wish to relocate (there is plenty of magically hidden lands in Europe, but what little is in the US, is already taken by 'forgein' wizards who settled here long ago.
have the Dwarves and American Indians, take by force, the WIzard held lands in Jolly ol' England, with the Queen's blessing and support. (Heavily fortified manor or castle, drop a few bombs, no more problem. WW2 Nerve gas in the Goblin tunnels, to flush them out, give them the chance to leave the UK or DIE. Dwarves can make those crude tunnels in to works of art, and will be willing to operate a bank yes, but only if the Humans open one too, and maybe let the Swiss Gnomes a try. (this is by order of the Queen, no longer would any one race have total control of the money).
While the Dwarves and Indians take over the land, killing the Deatheaters, and capturing the rest of the magical population (unmarked folk are given the options of 1) Death 2) Prison 3) Deportation and loss of and rights as citizins of the UK) Magical creatures are freed from any control magic and asked to live peacefully. The Indians live in harmeny with nature, and do not have a problem. All is the cycle of life.
Harry and his band of MagiCommands from the Magical United States of America. (where the Indians are kinda fleeing from, but not being chased out). Hunt the Horcuxes, and then Riddle himself. easily combining Magical and Technolgy to build better weapons. (Superconducting polymors as wand 'woods')
Evenutally, the Death Eaters, who were not to prepared to fight Indian style (heck the US Army learned from them too), quickly fall in numbers where whats left is scattered ones and twos, unable to return to their master. THe general population is deported (few took the death/prison options), except for those who fleed to Hogwarts. The Ministry fell on the first day Harry and his MagiCommandos struck.
The last two targets to take, now that over 80 percent of the Magical popluation is gone... Hogwarts and Riddle Manor, which is not a manor anymore but a full walled castle with Layers and layers of Dark Wards, that the non-magical bombs cannot get thru. Course, the Queen's Muggleborn wizards, have layered anti transport all around, and the skys always under radar to catch broom flyers with a couple of attack helicopters, stationed nearby manned by squibs/muggleborns, with IR glasses.
Oh, people might wonder where all the people and families that were deported went, and why they were deported. Well the Queen ordered them deported, and declared the Ministry of Magic dissolved. As the ultimunte athority in the British Ilse, she had the right, and power, and several magical treaties to back her up. Where is another story. Families with childer who were less than 11 were kept together. and Mostly sent to the USA. Familys who had school age children, were generally sent to Canada, but the children went to year round bording school in the US. The parents would only see them at special times, approved by the goverment. (The same happened to the younger children as they grew up).
This ensured that the children were un brainwashed about all that blood purity and Wizards are better than normals crap. And that they could easily survive and not stand out amoung the non magical.
People with/out Families (or couples with no children), were generally sent to various placecs around the globe, to spread them out as much as possible. Given training and jobs. Or if young and healthly enough, sent to one of the Military Units (magical, and sometimes non magical, alot of Squibs went if they were eliglibe, its a better life than what their parents wanted for them).
Well, finally, its down to just Hogwarts and Riddle Palace. (as Riddle is calling it now).
Many plans to take both are considered, Riddle Palace is hardened against everything but Nukes by now, but the outer walls of Hogwarts could easily be taken down with conventional bombs. They do not want to totally flatten Hogwarts, there is if nothing else, a library thats taken an eon to grow in there, not to mention other historical magical artifacts, and even the green houses are consdiered to be some of the best in the world.
Riddle has been hunkered down so long unable to get out, he has no idea his horcurxes are gone, (yea, a small raid into Hogwarts lead by the Marauders Map, and Harry's cloak got the Tiara), so he figures even if all his men die, he can wait it out and come out in a decade, or get another body. SO he plans to sit tight. His men are not so keen on that plan.
Harry comes up with an idea... Dwarves are expert miners... and slightly smaller than a goblin, and can fit in a smaller tunnel, and dig five tiems faster, and much more silently (when they need to), a sapper team is called in, a tunnel is dug, explosives fill the end of the tunnel, right under where Riddle sleeps, a wire is trailed out, and hooked to a button for Harry to push... Now along with the explovies highly toxic gas is released, filling the insides of the wards completely. Not even a cockroach could live after a few days. They plan to keep pumping the gass in for a month... and then tear down the wards (they can get to the Ward anchors now via the tunnel). And see whats left.
In other words, Riddle is toast, by Harry's Hand on a button.
Hogwarts, still holds an estimated 3000 magicals, mostly students, and families. Although a good bit of the deposed goverment rand there as well, so a differant tactic is used... well slightly differant, and much faster.
A number of pericing missles are built, each with a gas delievery system. Gas to be used? Combo of DSO and Draught of Living Death. Fill for a few days and then use underground tunnels into the school(even if the Dwarves have to dig more, or clear one out) and disable the wards from the stones. Other than injuries from the missles themselve. No one should be really hurt. The children and families can be relocated, the goverment officals can face the music, and the school can be saved. Dwarves built the orginal stonework after all, it would be hard for them to fix the minor pentatrations that the missles did. (Oh, btw, a bubble head charm would not work, DSO gets the Draught of Living Death into the body via any skin contact). Specfic persons of note. Fudge, Umbitch, Dumbledore, Snape (if he did not run to his other master when the attack started), Draco (ditto Snape), and any other Marked Death Eaters that took shelter in the castle (any marked death eater's children would be spread to the ends of the earth to be fostered by well mannered folk, until they learn how to live in the real world) the death eaters, and former goverment officals, who allowed the Dark Lord to rise.. well, the Dept of Mysteries still has that veil...
Eventually, some families might even be allowed to come back and reclaim items they were forced to leave behind (art, furiture, cash, heirlooms from the bank, etc). Few will be invited to stay, most will be deported again.
Only problem Harry will have, is with a limited group of Euro Magicals, a huge empty school, how will he set it up to train the natural occuring muggleborns? And train them well enough to fit back into nonmagical society, (as most magicals do worldwide today?) As sending them to that French school is just as bad as most any other Euro school. BTW, Harry is looking to take over Drumstrong next...
I can see Dwarves teaching History, and Runes, Native America Indians teaching Rituals, and maybe (Younger) Hermione Charms, Course Harry Will teach DADA, Maybe he Allows the Weasley Twins to stay, and teach Potions? of course Miss Granger (Older) could easily teach Transfigation. I am sure that an Indian or two can handle teaching CoMC, for a nature loving people,thats should not be hard to find.
Neville could be invited back to take over Herbology, and maybe bring a wife (Luna?) along.
Squibs, could easily handle the lower end of elemerty school system, where the children do not yet have wands, but are taught, the culture, traditons, and rules that magicals (once) lived by. But mostly are taught Math, Science, reading, writing, and goverments (both magical and Royal).
Muggle studies becomes standard, and Squibs(latents), could easily be given the education to teach those courses, Math, Lititure, science, and other non-magical courses, needed for A levels/GCSC(?)
Astronomy, should be a no brainer, find a 1st generation parent (current or former student), to teach it, lots of stay at home moms out there with college degrees, in many things. Heck even a divided school day, goto a regular highschool for the non magical courses, and then back to Hogwarts for evening and weekend classes in magical subjects. (a Knight bus special run perhaps).
Eventually, before Harry dies (in bed, NOT SURROUNDED BY HIS GRANDCHILDREN MIND YOU), with his youthful looking Hermione (the older, polyjuice does not age after all, the younger died a few years ago), engaged in *ahem* interesting activites at age 167. Him and younger Hermione, never had children after the first one was a still birth, and the polyjuice on the elder Hermione did not change the stuff inside to allow her to bring a child to term(recall she is accually in Lockhart's body). So Harry picked one of Neville's sons (his 3rd), to carry on the Potter name, After all of Nev and Luna's kids were done with school, they moved to a magical animal/plant preserve in South America, to research, and live out their retirement, The Potter son, went to the US, got married, and had many children. But did not return for the death of his Godfather, due to family issues. Upon Harry's Death, the remians of the Potter Family money, and Magic was bestowed upon him, by a visiting Dwarf. The older Hermione after Harry's death, finally decides its time to pass over, leaving her former teachers body in the orginal casket he was buried in, and floats to her reward.
All parts of Europe has been brought up to world wide standards, some by direct force (with the cooperation of the Muggle Goverment), some by inside revelution, some by the areas simply dying out completely(due to blockades) and allowing other magicals to simply walk in. The International now has a strike force ready and willing to put down any dark lord or beast that becomes a problem. Course, most goverments have a few Dark Wizards in them (like half of the US Magical Congress), but as they stay within the bounds of law. They are allowed to live. The power of the Purebloods was broken forever, as the EU Purebloods were now scattered world wide, and their next generation would have to marry outsiders, breaking the bloodline. Magical UK became a combanation of Magical game preserve, adn Indian reservation. They both worked and lived to benfit the other and were happy. The Indians even meet with some of the local spirits, and grew to rever them as well as the ones back home.
Changes planned possible:
Swap Lockhart being the Ghost's host, with Ginny, not sure how to 'kill' Ginny without getting in trouble for it tho... However, just claiming to be too late to save her might work.. (this allows older Hermione to have children later, even if they may genitically a Weasley.
Expand to a multi chaptered fic