Chapter 3: The Order of Light
POV switch: Harry's pov
When he saw Hermione summon the Black Mace, he tried to deny that she really did this. But she did. She told him that she did. To say the least, Harry was hurt. No. Not just hurt; heart broken. He had liked Hermione for a year and hoped that he could confess it to her after the war.
Now, he wasn't sure what he could do now, Draco Malfoy and him had become leaders of the new Ministry; now located at Orthanc, a tower in Belfast (a part of the UK next to Ireland). He and Malfoy were renamed Gandalf the Grey and Saruman the White. Located at the top of the tower was a pentagram that would serve as a way to communicate with other wizards and spy on Hermione, otherwise known as the Dark Lord Sauron.
Malfoy and Harry were often known as the White Wizard and the Grey Pilgrim. Though Malfoy did not travel much, he befriended the Elves, who had began to evolve into the fairest creatures on the Earth, and the Ents, often traveling in Fangorn Forest.
Harry on the other hand, traveled world wide and gained more names than any could imagine. The order of the Phoenix's name was changed to the Order of Light; a group of wizards and witches that fought against Mordor.
To the West, Harry was Mithrandir, to the North; Gandalf. He rarely went to the south and the East. Soon, he was never known in the East as it was.
While visiting the Dwarves; he noticed that they were given gifts from Mordor. "Lord Sauron's gift of peace," they told him. "We think that she will come back to the light soon."
The elves were also given similar gifts, but they were less easily persuaded as the dwarves were of Hermione's loyalty.
What were these gifts? Rings. Three rings to the Elves, seven to the Dwarves. Harry learned that nine wizards were already shanghighed into her service with rings of their own.
News soon reached that Young Elves were being taken by the Nine and rebred into Orcs. The horror of this stung Harry's heart and he new that there was now, nothing that he could do.
Christmas Eve approached. Harry left Orthanc and went on a walk through Fangorn in the snow. But he noticed that he wasn't the only one; Hermione and two Orcs were patrolling the area, Crookshanks in her arms.
"Snaga!" One said to the other, "Gandalf the Grey apprpoaches; tell the Dark Lord—"
"No need, Slave. I will converse with the Wizard, stay behind me." She said. Approaching Harry, she stopped five feet away. "Hello Harry," she greeted.
"Hermione."
"Don't address the Dark Lord Sauron as such." The younger Orc shouted, drawing his sword.
"Peace, Grobamath," she said to the Orc, who sheathed the sword, but kept a hateful eye on Harry. "Enjoying a stroll before Christmas, my friend?"
"We aren't friends anymore, Hermione." Harry said. Hermione pouted and took another step closer.
"Can we just forget that for the moment? I wanted to talk to you."
"What do we have to talk about? You kidnapped children and turned them against their families; these Orcs for instance were once Elves. Even Dobby's son was taken by the Nine. I wouldn't be surprised if one of these two was Shaggy."
"Dobby? Oh! I thought Dobby died fighting to keep his son from my warriors. He survived?" Hermione asked, feigning shock and ignorance. Harry clutched his newly aquirred staff tightly and his hands shook. "Elves would do anything to protect their children now adays; they even fled into the forests, sad really, I used to fight for the rights they have now."
"And you want to take it from them now? Just when they have required it?!" Harry shouted. Hermione looked at him in the eyes and Harry fought the urge to back away; her eyes were no longer brown like they were. Two eyes wreathed in flame.
"Don't be so shocked, Gandalf Stormcrow," Hermione said. "This is a gift from the Alvatair Morgoth." Crookshanks purred loudly as Hermione stroked his head. Harry looked at the cat and at Hermione.
"The cat? The cat did this to you!?" Harry yelled, staring at Crookshanks with hate. "That's not an animal!"
"Correct; Crookshanks is an Alvatair. In fact, he's my mentor and adopted father so to speak: Morgoth." Hermione said, but set the cat on the white powder, and looked at Harry again. "I wanted to talk of other matters, Harry. Why don't you visit me? Or Ron for that matter. I'm actually beginning to miss you two. How's Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys? What new creatures have come to life in this Earth? Being the Great and Powerful Gandalf, you could answer this."
"But you ought to be able to answer these yourself, Sauron. Being the all knowing Wicked Witch of the age." Harry snarled. Hermione smirked.
"You made it very clear that you loved me some time ago at school; after the battle against Voldemort. Threatened to commit suicide from the Hospital Wing window. Being that I am the Dark Lord now, I would have thought you'd commit suicide already. Have you decided that as long as I live, you will try to stop me and 'return me to the light,' just so we could be together and if I die, then you will be unable to live on?" She asked, mocking him. She laughed at his bewildered face. "So I thought: you are unable to live without me! How melodramatic: the great Gandalf and the Powerful Sauron, old friends turned enemies! In the end, dying together because of love!" She and the Orcs burst into laughter.
Harry's teeth were grinding, hands shaking, and magical bursts flowing from his anger. "A black heart is what killed Voldemort! That is your end, Hermione!" She laughed.
"No, Harry; physically, you killed Voldemort, but you wouldn't have had the strength. I placed you under a spell that would have meant for me to call upon all your anger and hate towards him. I killed Voldemort. Not a black heart, not even a pure heart could have done it without the control over their anger and hate. The power that Voldemort didn't know was inside of me, not you. A mere pawn in Morgoth's plan."
"Hermione…please. Come back to the light."
"I think not; I'll stick with the Shadow and Darkness. Far more appealing than fighting for the good of others. What is there to gain from that? Goodbye Harry. Come Slaves," Hermione said, picking up the cat and walking away. Harry stared at her retreating back and fell into the snow, sobbing.