Disclaimer:In a perfect world of my own design, I own the Harry Potter universe. Alas, I can only play within its sandbox in our current reality. Anyway, thank you, JKRowling.

"Time keeps on slipping away and we haven't learned. So in the end now what have we gained?"

- Within Temptation, Our Solemn Hour

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Hermione:

She secretly prided herself to be smart, level headed and logical. And it's not out of vanity that led her to believe such things about herself.

She knew that any goal requires thorough planning to avoid any kind of setbacks. For any scheme to be successful, logical actions and carefully planned strategies are needed to prepared and executed in a calm, precise manner. Much like in mixing potions or practicing wand movements and incantations. Like the second year Polyjuice scheme she had brilliantly come up with (note that 50 school rules had been broken). Minus the cat hair, of course.

True, there were incidents when emotions seem to get the best out of her. Like that time she set those birds on Ron when she was fed up with him and Lavender snogging the living daylights out of each other constantly – and in her presence, of all things! The bird conjuring charm felt oddly satisfying at that time but after a few hours, the stickler for rules part of her brain berated her for such a reckless, juvenile action. So you see, she might be quite emotional at times but oh no sir, it doesn't mean she had to lose her wits about her.

So, she was also surprised when she found herself running across that clearing when she saw Harry curled in the ground, clutching his side. Never mind the fact that Voldemort and his Death Eaters were gathered in a semicircle around her best friend and that the Dark Lord's wand was still emitting faint smoke from its end, which was possibly an after effect of a powerful curse. All of this Hermione noticed quite too late.

Possibly around the time when she was already standing between the said wand and her best friend.

"Bloody hell", was all Hermione Granger managed to say as she met the red slits for eyes of the Dark Lord.

Understandably, Voldermort and his minions were a tad surprise that someone would so willingly and stupidly run head on in the midst of the infamous Dark Lord and his equally sinister Death Eaters. A few of them even took a step back. But that surprise quickly abated as most of them recognize who she was; some grinned maliciously, most sported looks of disgust and some just looked utterly bored – like the Dark Lord.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" this from Voldemort, his voice colored with polite interest and curiosity. He lowered his wand slightly, an action Hermione noted with relief since the Dark Lord didn't seem to find her highly threatening… yet.

"It's the Mudblood, my lord!" exclaimed a Death Eater - Hermione recognized the voice with disgust as Macnair – with his lips twisted in a malicious grin. He was advancing towards her, wand ready. "If it pleases my Lordship, I can… ", he eagerly offered but it was cut short when Voldemort pointed his wand at Macnair and the latter found himself twitching in the ground, mouth screaming silently in pain. Hermione could only watch in horror as she recognized the Cruciatus curse and the underlying Silencing charm non verbally thrown at the Death Eater. She felt frozen in place and cold sweat began forming in her forehead as she realized the situation she impulsively got into. Try as she may, she cannot take her eyes of Macnair, whose bulging eyes were steadily beginning to be bloodshot under the intense torture.

"How many times do I have to tell you Macnair," asked the Dark Lord rather conversationally, shaking his head in mock regret as he twirled his wand to intensify the curse, "that I do not tolerate rudeness towards our guests?" With a sweep of his wand, he lifted off the curse and turned his attention back to Hermione.

"I must apologize for him, Miss Granger", he told Hermione rather apologetically, "He lacks… shall we say, training in the conventions of polite behavior?"

She turned her eyes away from Macnair, who seemed to be unconscious on the ground, and tried to gather her wits about her as she met Voldemort eye to eye. The Dark Lord was staring at her politely, as if asking a silent question over tea. "W-well", she croaked, her throat suddenly dry. What to say to the most powerful dark lord of all time? Give him a reason to let you and Harry go. Possibly try to stroke his ego or pretend to be fascinated with dark magic to -

"L-let Harry go."

Direct to the point. That's good. Yeah, that could work.

Voldermort chuckled at that. Someone cackled loudly among the Death Eaters, which Hermione wildly guessed as Bellatrix Lestrange, her torturer back in the Malfoy Manor. Most of them followed suit, laughing as if their lives depend on it. Which probably was. Being a Gryffindor and gathering enough courage to stand her ground, she narrowed her eyes in anger and was about to Accio her wand from her pocket when the Dark Lord beat her to it.

He looked at her, those red eyes cold and filled with disgust. Her wand held on his other hand. "I'm afraid, I can't do that", came his reply.

Before she can react, the Dark Lord had hit her with a non-verbal full body bind curse causing her to fall in the damp ground. Of course, he's not the Dark Lord for nothing, Hermione told herself as she lie on her back. What chance do you have in a duel? You might be the smartest witch of your age but you're never that fast with the wand.

"We shall discuss matters later, Miss Granger", Voldemort told her lazily, apparently dismissing her. She heard him throw her wand somewhere on her right. "For now, we should wake our little Gryffindor hero!" Hermione heard that mad cackling from Bellatrix again and some snickers from the other Death Eaters. She could see from her peripheral vision that the Dark Lord walked over to where Harry was laying on the ground and heard him cast the Ennervate spell (Probably to torture him again, Hermione thought disgustedly) . She heard Harry struggle for air and moments later, he was coughing up and choking into something she desperately wished other than blood. This is bad, she said to herself, really bad. As she tried to kick start the gears of her mind to work while staring helplessly at the reddened night sky, Hermione Granger regretted her impulsive actions. All that supposed brilliance and sharp wit went down the drain in the face of exhaustion, pain and near death experiences.

She furiously thought back on the things she could have done to prevent this, but then she knew that even the most brilliant plan can go awry with people like Harry... and not until now, her. Too much emotions, too much at stake.. no plan can possibly cover the magnitude of what was happening now. Even Dumbledore...

Had he seen this coming all along?

After his death, the three of them hunted down all of the Dark Lord's horcruxes. All that was remaining was the snake Nagini and once it was destroyed, Voldemort can be killed as a mortal man. She, Harry and Ron had spent more than a year fufilling the insane mission of destroying the Dark Lord's souls nothing to guide them except for Dumbledore's cryptic messages and the trinkets they inherited. From breaking to the Ministry and Gringotts to staying on unnamed locations for months, Hermione believed that they have done their best. But, it wasn't enough apparently.

No, it wasn't, Hermione admitted to herself bitterly, fighting back the lump forming in her throat. Had it been, many lives would have been saved.

Going back to Hogwarts was inevitable. Ravenclaw's diadem, one of the objects Voldemort used as a vessel for his mangled soul, was hidden somewhere in their school and it was unavoidable that they had to go back, no matter how dangerous that might be. Finally locating and destroying it from the Room of Requirement, they allowed themselves to hope that they will live this through. One more horcrux and all the horrors and destruction will be over. If only it were that simple.

Death Eaters had infiltrated the castle (a reminiscent of their sixth year) and had engaged the students, the professors and members of the Order of the Phoenix in a battle, all in the hope of finding Harry Potter and delivering him to the Dark Lord. How they knew where they were was a msytery and one Hermione didn't have the time to dwell on. However, throughout the confusion and destruction caused by the battle, the three of them managed to be reunited with their friends. But the reunion was bittersweet and short; many spells, curses and hexes were thrown and many bodies fell, either gravely injured or dead. As much as she fervently hoped that those empty bodies were all from the enemies, it was undeniably from both – alarmingly, more so from her friends, schoolmates, teachers and everyone fighting against the Dark Lord.

Death.

Death everywhere.

At this point, when it seemed they were fighting a losing battle, Harry spoke to her and Ron, his bright green eyes filled with exhaustion and grief. "This is it Hermione, Ron… Promise me you'll end this, no matter what happens…" he then grabbed each of their hands and squeezed it hard, as if drawing strength, "even if I fail."

Before she and Ron can react, Harry turned away from then and ran towards the Forbidden Forest, his young and exhausted body disappearing among the dark trees. Hermione ran after him, with Ron hard on her heels and begging her to stop and let Harry go, he knows what he is doing. But she couldn't listen.. she had to tell Harry. There is something they can do. Something that can save everyone they loved. Something that doesn't involve his impulsive, stupid Gryffindor courage and self-sacrificing tendencies.

She kept running and running, destination unclear and only the surrounding darkness accompanying her. Harry was nowhere in sight. As she was getting deeper in the forest, she heard rustling from behind her and suddenly, a deafening, rushing sound filled the air. Before she can find its source, a pair of strong arms appeared out of nowhere and wrapped itself around her, knocking her on the ground. She landed hard on her back and after a few moments of disorientation, she struggled under the dead weight pining her down. Hermione blindly shoved it away with all her remaining strength, her heart beating wildly in panic. Once free, she rolled off the ground, wand at hand, and leaned against a nearby tree trunk for support. She warily eyed the body of her attacker, lying a few feet from her. As the moon came behind the clouds, it illuminated the flaming red hair she could recognize anywhere. A cold sensation started to rise from the pits of her stomach as she rushed towards him. Dropping on her knees, Hermione called out his name but no reply came.

Ron was unmoving; his eyes closed and mouth slightly parted as if on sleep.

"Ron", Hermione's voice broke as she repeatedly said his name. She grabbed the front of his shirt and shook him hard, as if that action alone might irritate him enough to wake up and say, Bloody hell, Hermione! Let go of my shirt! A sardonic grin. I'm just joking around, you mad woman!

"Ron! Damnit! Wake the bloody hell up!", she screamed at his face, grief giving way to anger as her brilliant mind tried to process the realization that Ron, her ever insensitive, brave Ronald, might never say that again. "Harry… Harry... he needs us! You can't die! You can't leave us –m-melike this! You can't…" she sobbed as she leaned her forehead against his. Salty water fell on Ron's face.

Silence filled the air, only the ever present cry of the cicadas broke the deafening roar in her ears.

"I'm terribly sorry, dear girl", a raspy voice from somewhere above her said. She looked up, tears still streaking down her cheeks as she recognized the Death Eater she was dueling earlier when Harry took off. His face was half covered with their trademark silver mask and his lips pulled in a sneer. He was holding his wand in one hand and it was slightly shaking, an aftermath of the Killing curse. "He tried to get in the way, you see", he continued in a mock apologetic tone, "Heroic, that one is." Hermione just stared at him, unable to form any response that might justify what sheshouldsay. She eyed his wand with a blank expression. An ordinary looking stick, by no means majestic but had the power to take away a smile, a dream, a future, a friend. Her grip on her wand loosened as an inexplicable resignation washed over her. She suddenly felt sick and terribly tired; of running and hiding, of fighting and losing.

Maybe it's time to stop. Maybe it's time to have somebody else play the hero.

"Don't worry, child", the Death Eater said softly, "you'll join him soon".

Yes, Hermione thought as she closed her eyes. It's not a bad thing, really. To be forever oblivious, to stop caring. Harry is the chosen one, she said to herself, me and Ron were just mere pawns. Nobody would care if we live or die. Most of those who would care are either dead or would soon be dead.

Perhaps she'll see her parents again. Perhaps she'll see everyone - Ginny, Luna, Neville and the others who had fallen. Perhaps, if death is kind, she can see Ron again…

"Filthy, little mudblood".

Hermione's eyes snapped open at that, bringing her mind back in focus. How dare he? A flare of anger. How dare he say the words that represented everything we were fighting against? Remembrance. How dare he say these words? All these deaths.. all these loss? Grief . All of them had died protecting what they believed in. They gave their lives so they can save those they love...

She gripped her wand and pointed it to the man who uttered the insult that summarized all the wrong things in this word. The Death Eater eyes widened in surprise at the sudden movement but recovered quickly. As the latter opened his mouth to utter, without a doubt the Killing curse, Hermione – in all her grief and remembrance to which Ron and everyone she loved had died for – beat him there.

"Avada Kedavra"

A jet of green light - with that same rushing sound she heard earlier - flashed from her wand and viciously hit the man across the chest. Something cold trickled down her spine and for a moment, a dreadful feeling akin to darkness descended down on her and wrapped around her body. Her chest constricted painfully and for a while, she sputtered for air. She found herself on all fours, waiting for the unexpected pain to subside. As it abated, Hermione could only stare in shock at the unnamed Death Eater crumpled in front of her in the ground. Her first murder. What had she done?

The incantation had rolled off easily from her tongue, as smoothly and uncaring as if she had done this all her life. It didn't felt good but it felt right, no matter how twisted it sound. She had only felt the rage, the grief and wanting to see the man hurt for what he's done. Was she a murderer now?

The wand shook in her hands and she let it fall, disgusted and mortified that she did in fact cast a Killing Curse. It just.. felt right and it was potent.

What had she done?

"Ron..." she whispered to her bestfriend lying next to her, "I'm… so sorry". As a fresh batch of tears formed in her eyes, Hermione knew that those were the words she would say many times for a long time to come, if she survived.

"Hermione.." she heard Harry call her name, voice hoarse and weak.

Snapping out of her trance, Hermione tried turning her face towards Harry but her muscles felt like lead. She wanted to scream in desperation and helplessness. She tried to tap the innermost core of her magic but even that seemed to be unyielding as her body.

Think, Granger!

Her chances of dispelling the curse are slim to none, for Voldemort is a powerful wizard and his spells were potent. There has to be other ways to distract the Dark Lord, but what are the ways? She might not be able to –

"How sweet. Potter and his mudblood reunited", the high cold voice of the Dark Lord rang across the clearing.

"You miserable, bastard!" Harry shouted. "Let her go! Let her go or I'll –"

"Or what?" the Dark Lord asked, amusement evident in his tone. "Unleash the power of love on me?" She heard the Death Eaters snickered at that.

"This is getting tedious", Voldemort said. "Let's begin, shall we, Potter? After that, you and your little mud blood can be reunitedforeverin the afterlife." Hermione then heard a deafening whooshing sound, followed by Harry's scream. She felt the air around her grow colder and there was something, something reeking of pure evil, enveloping the little clearing in the forest. She heard the Death Eaters footsteps scurrying further away from them into the forest, getting out of the way on whatever was happening in that clearing. A moment later, she heard a rushing noise followed by shrill cry, almost inhumanly, almost otherworldly.

Harry! No!, she screamed inwardly. Please help! Dumbledore! Help us! Merlin, save us! He's going to die! He can't! HE CAN'T! I promised Ron, I promised Harry! Our of desperation, she tried nonverbally summoning Ron's wand rucked in her pocket, but she could only twitch her thumb…

Wait.

She tried experimenting and sure enough, she could slowly feel some sensation coming from her hands and toes. After a few more tries, she can slowly move her hands and other parts of her body. It was painful, like a thousand needles prickling her skin from the inside. She tried moving her head, and when that worked, she discreetly to face the direction where she heard Harry's scream earlier. As Hermione took in the spectacle before her, she knew it was the time for her and Dumbledore's plan.

She could see Harry suspended threefeet in the air, engulfed in a green, sickly light, his body coming in and out of focus. Voldemort was wand was pointed directly at Harry's chest. Emitting from its end was a black, translucent robe like substance that was slithering across the clearing, which many of the Death Eaters avoided, many of them half hidden in the darkness of the trees. It's making a soft, keening sound that oddly reminded Hermione.. of death. In the Dark Lord's other hand was a silver necklace, an egg sized ruby dangling from its end. The ruby was glowing deep red, its color intensifying as it absorb the white substance coming out in streams from Harry's open mouth. Blood was flowing from Harry's body steadily, creating a pool of dark liquid under him. The Dark Lord eyes were no longer red slits, they were milky white and seemed to be unfocused while his mouth was moving, chanting in an unfamiliar language. Harry's green eyes were completely black, staring at the sky as if in a silent plea.

Horcrux, was what flashed in Hermione's mind as she watched in shock. The Dark Lord is removing his soul from Harry's body, transferring it into another vessel and using Harry to create a much more fail-safe Horcrux. Hermione had read all she can about them, from the restricted section in the library and even from Dumbledore's personal library before they left Hogwarts, to know what it means for her bestfriend: death.

If there'll be a time to use it, Ms. Granger, she recalled Dumbledore's grave voice in her head, it will be now.

Hermione calculated the distance between her and Harry, deliberating whether to cast a disillusionment charm or just grab Harry, green magical barrier be damned. She decided against the charm, for all she knew, the Dark Lord might have put a warding spell around the clearing, preventing any sort of magic, except those from him or the Death Eaters. She discreetly put her other hand inside her pocket, touching the ring Dumbledore so often wore and was given to her night before he died. Hermione slipped it on and for the second time that night, made an impulsive decision. She rolled off the ground and crossed the distance between her and Harry - the Dark Lord, his Death Eaters and whatever magic it was, could go to hell. She met a little resistance from the green barrier as she wrapped her arms around Harry's waist and pulled him down hard. As they both crashed to the ground, the robe like magic surrounding the clearing was sucked back to Voldemort's wand, causing the latter to stagger a few steps back and snap off his trance.

"My lord!" screamed Bellatrix, drawing her wand. "The Mudblood!" Several Death Eaters already had their wands out and sent deadly curses her way. Without a moment's hesitation, Hermione raised her right arm, index finger pointing skywards.

"Protego Maxima!" she cried, her own magic surged upward and created a bluish shield around them. The ring she's wearing glowed red, emitting a reddish light that seemed to mingle with the shielding charm she created, making it stronger. The curses hit the barrier and she felt its impact quite painfully, as if the barrier was part of her body. The shield charm held up.

"Harry", she whispered to the still unconscious boy beside her, his warm blood soaking her own clothes as she held him close. "Hold on, Harry. We'll end this now".

The Death Eaters were still firing curses after curses but none went closer, as the barrier seemed to also repel any physical contact as well. Few had tried but was sent flying backwards. Hermione knew that the barrier as powerful as this won't last long, even with help of Dumbledore's ring. She studied the said ring quickly , which appears to consist of a bezel with a secret compartment. Hermione brought the ring close to her lips and muttered, "Patefacio", just as Dumbledore instructed. There was a small click as the compartment opened and she dumped its contents on her palm, anxious to know what can be the possible magical item that might help them and hating herself for not disobeying Dumbledore beforehand.

As she stared at the sands on her palms, the underlying meaning from the vague instructions their former headmaster had left her suddenly made sense.

"In the time of desperate need, Ms. Granger, remember the words: Patefacio. Transitus viam mortis, tempore et magicae. They are words to be used with great caution. Utter them only when you're ready to stop the darkness at its roots… and when there is no other choice."

He then peered over his half moon glasses, bright blue eyes studying her intently.

"You will know, Hermione. You will know."

The raw sands of the time turner, perhaps the last in the world.

To stop the darkness at its roots…

Hermione turned to face Voldemort, the latter's face contorted in rage, his yellowed teeth clenched together. "Mudblood", he sneered, his red eyes narrowed. "You think you can defy me, don't you? This little magic trick Dumbledore gave you won't last forever". He waved his wand in a series of complicated movements and a blinding red light collided with their magical barrier. She almost fell on her back from the impact and though the barrier was holding up, its vibrant purplish color seemed to be fading. Realizing they have a little time, she reached a decision that would give them time and perhaps, save everyone that has fallen under one man's search for power. Grabbing Harry, she turned to look at Voldemort one last time. You will never underestimate me again, Tom Riddle. I.. we will stop you. The Dark Lord's eyes widened, as if clearly hearing her thoughts and for the first time since she had met him, Hermione recognized an emotion she knew all too well: fear.

"Stop them!" the Dark Lord bellowed in rage. The Death Eaters, who seemed to be rather take their chances against two teenagers than face the wrath of their leader, rushed towards them. Most of them were thrown back, repelled by the shield charm but some were getting closer... and closer...

This is for you, Mom, Dad. Ginny. Luna. Neville. Fred.

Ron.

She threw the sands on herself and Harry; the sand felt like a thin veil - warm, oddly comforting. Something like Hope.

She pointed her wand on the ring in her palm and cried,""Patefacio!" As the ring was tossed upwards, suspended in midair, she chanted, "Transitus viam mortis, tempore et magicae!"

There was silence as if everything had stopped. And then there's a moment of clarity.

The world seemed to erupt around her into multitudes of color - suffocating and pressing unto her head until she cannot distinguish herself and the intense light she was being sucked into. She felt stabbing pains shooting throughout her body and after a fashion, it stopped. She was floating in a void now, voices and faces flashing in and out, like remembrance but without mercy, until she felt herself becoming one with the void. Sadness. But it was not sadness then, it became light and then it was happiness.

If this is dying, a voice – her voice said from somewhere far away – I hope I'll see them again once it's over.

As she surrendered everything in the peaceful darkness, she thought she heard a woman scream.

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This is work is technically unbeta'd so please excuse any grammatical or spelling errors. :) I have edited some parts out so this one may be different than the one published last 2013. Anyhow, your reviews will be greatly appreciated!