Thanks again to my excellent reviewers! JO89 and Diane Potter deserve a special mention for their delightful reviews which made me almost cry in their kindness and beautiful words. So thank you...

Many have asked me to explain a few things so this chapter will continue on from Hermione's point at the end of the forest. Not much else to say so let the story begin...

I do not own Harry Potter!


"We've been expecting you for a long long time Hermione Granger..."

They entered the clearing one at a time in perfect sync and with an inhuman beauty, their faces focusing in on her all alone in the centre of the grassy clearing, their sacred site that she had invaded. The women of the clan looked just as important as the males, showing their greater evolution, how they were past such petty superiority acts, how they were the greater race.

The stars shone through the only branch free area found in the whole woods, The Seven Sisters staring down upon her, showing how insignificant she actually was, she liked it. She didn't have to be the leader, the one with all the answers, the only one left, it was nice to feel like you were just part of the universe; just another small blip on the cosmos' radar. It was nice.

A gasp escaped her lips, he couldn't be here! Firenze couldn't be a fawn, could he? The centaurs circled around her blocking any escape but Hermione wasn't frightened, she had faced much worse things, more deadly things. He looked so small, so unlike himself standing behind all the adults, being protected for once, it just wasn't in his nature. Firenze was her last evidence of the future, bar the things in her bag which she had forgotten about until now. They would come into use...

"We have waited over a millenia for Time to present itself to us. The energy you show, the powers you could achieve, we have waited so long..." a tall centaur with long dark hair and large facial features said breaking the circle to kneel before her. As soon as he knelt the others started to follow until Firenze was the last one up, about to use his childlike muscles.

"Wait Firenze," the elders of the clan swapped looks at each other, smiling brightly, "you shall never have to bow before me, that includes the rest of you as well." she diplomatically stated, she hated any sort of superiority.

"The stars warned us of your arrival Hermione Granger, warned us for the tasks you shall have to complete!" another elder piped up.

"What tasks?"

"The tasks you have already set yourself and the ones yet to be decided young child."

"Can you help me? Please, I'm so... lost."

"Harry shall guide you."

"What?"

"Harry shall guide you."

"He was real, the ghost Harry was my Harry?"

"Harry shall guide you."

"But- but he's gone! He said he would never return to me. He said goodbye to me."

Silence surrounded the meadow, the stars seemed to dim when those words were said. The elders hustled together and started to mutter so Hermione waited for around 5 minutes for them to continue the discuss but they ignored her presence. Sighing lightly she walked over to the only fawn of the clearing and sat beside him.

"Hello Time."

"Hello Firenze. How old are you now?"

"I am 13 years old in your human time but much older in mine. How did you get here Time?" he shuffled closer rubbing his horse hair against her gleefully, taking the subtle hint she started to stroke his back up to the top of his hips making his almost purr in appreciation.

"It's a very long story and I suspect you already know it young fawn."

"Oh yes, but stories are always better if you can hear them from the origin, and you are the greatest origin there is! You are the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega, you are the greatest force ever known, you have your own story beginning at the start of the universe and continuing even after now."

"Such wise words for one so young, do you know what they are talking about? It worries me."

"Nothing terrible I asure you, in actual fact the opposite, it means the first task is complete Omega."

"Omega?"

"I shall see you at the end."

"The end of what?"

"The end of your-"

A silence fell through the clearing and Firenze was beckoned away by the elders, disembarking back into the forest with what she assumed as his mother, a long blond-haired centaur with the grace of a gazelle. Such beauty in her movements.

"You have done well Omega, if you ever need us please call us even if you are inside the castle we shall get to you, we will protect you with our lives. Now be off Omega, return to safety and be careful of the creatures that inhabit this forest, you shall know if we ever need to meet again."

And with that they strutted back up the animal created path dissolving into the darkness, the owls began to hoot again, the crickets squeal and the bushes rustle. It seemed that the forest had gone unnaturally quiet in the meeting, making no disturbances. The pain in her legs did nothing to distract her, she had built up a certain resistance to pain, so she followed the unmarked path back to the castle which would take a couple of hours to walk. Her eyes drooped slightly, in need of sleep and no thoughts or nightmares which she suspected wouldn't happen.

After the castle came into sight many minutes later Hermione let out a neglected breath. Peace and quiet from the darkness of the wooded area that circled the castle. She would be away from the second 'resting place' of Harry. How had she let him go so easily? How was she going to cover up boggart Snape's blunder of Hermione Granger, how to explain her daughter? The boys? The war?

What did she know of this time... Grindelwald! Thank Merlin she wasn't like the rest of the future Hogwarts and actually listened to Professor Binns' lectures instead of using it as sleeping time. Though she did use this time's instead... Well, it was Dumbledore's fault! Making her morph before she could complete her charm. Speaking of which why hadn't she just morphed and flew to and back from the meeting point? Someone might have seen, it was too much of a risk for someone to know of her escapades into the forest.

Blood covered her from all the falls she had partaken, her arms and legs were smeared in the bloody red stuff and some wounds still oozed out the contents. Hermione dragged herself up the path to encounter Voldemort.

What fun, note the sarcasm.


She sat in the Room of Requirement the next day, recalling all the events that had ever happened in here, DA meetings, hiding, chatting, laughing... partying, sex. Yes lots of memories, none seeming to fade, showing that she would remember them for the rest of her lives. They were safe in her head.

It was 5 to 7 and she was preparing for an almighty battle, deadly for one of them if Riddle didn't turn up.

The door slowly creaked open...

Green.

Green eyes.

Voldemort wasn't there at the moment. Everything would be ok!

"Riddle."

"Hermione." he smiled moving closer until he stood in front of her towering her small form, forcing her to tilt her head up to keep check on his facial expressions and more importantly his eyes. "I didn't mean to scare you yesterday. I was actually worried." he glanced away, hating he had said words that could point to a weakness.

"Yes, he did say. Can you hear when he is there? Feel his emotions?"

"Yes, it's just like I'm watching from inside my own head. I did try... to stop him from hurting you."

"I don't need your protection, especially from yourself."

"I-I'm sorry."

"I know. I forgive you Tom Riddle, just keep him away from me."

"Did he scare you?"

She laughed lightly, "no, I have seen much worse things than an entity. Is that what he is?"

"I can't say, he won't let me."

"Ahh! He's said he was part of you when I questioned if he was a parasite."

"I know, I saw."

"I guess he was lying. You aren't born evil, only made."

"Huh?"

"Never mind old deaf one, let us go to class and forget the incident."

"Yes but can I take you to the Head Dorms after class to discuss something with you?"

"It will be after curfew but I can manage to get myself there." "Finally be able to use the map and the cloak!"

They picked up their school bags and started on the long journey to the Game Keeper's hut which was next to their Care of Magical Creatures lesson today, rushing quickly to get their as they were already behind schedule and hadn't even eaten yet. "I wasn't hungry anyway..."

Professor Kettleburn welcomed them quietly as they took a seat in the open grass and took out a foot of parchment and a quill plus inkpot. They turned to look at each other and begin to chat about what they supposed the lesson could be about but were stopped by the teacher's gruff voice.

"Students, today we will be studying the physical features of the dragons and luckily we have "Oh Merlin, you bastard!" our own Animagus with this perfect and completely fascinating form. So Miss Delacour please could you move over to the clearing next to us and morph straight away."

"Sir? Don't I have a choice? I don't like to do it regularly anymore."

"Get on with it or you shall receive a year-long selection of detentions girl."

"Merlin was it sexist back in the 40's! What am I, a slave?" "Yes sir I just need to perform a charm to make it easier."

"No! Now!"

"But-But." her eyes glanced to Tom's pleading for support.

His clear voice pierced the argument, "Sir, she must perform the charm."

"Nonsense, she's just being weak. Women! Now do as I say!" With a resentful glare at the awful Professor she took a few long steps away from the students and breathed deeply before changing into her wide formed beast. She snarled angrily at the teacher causing his now dwarfed size to back up quickly away from her. This made her snort in laughter making all the students join in because it was so highly amusing.

"Behave Miss Delacour! Sit so I can point to parts of your anatomy, I only have an hour and a half left to teach them now!"

She was going to have to hold it for an hour and a half? Dumbledore only wanted it for 20 minutes at most and she had passed out after and slept for around 5 hours, she was doomed!

"Now class if you look at this area of the hide here-" she droned the idiot out, focusing only on forest and the leaves that twitched and blew quietly in the breeze, the beauty of nature didn't distract her from the pain and exhaustion that was slowly built up over each minute. After 20 minutes she started to shake noiselessly but none of the students noticed apart from Tom who only paid attention to her from the start of the lesson. She clamped her jaws together at 40 minutes as sweat started to slip down her spiked spine.

Tom watched her intentionally throughout the class ignoring the chatter of the students and the droning voice of the pompous professor, he saw her muscles clench under the strain and her eyes close shut in concentration. She would need a nap after class.

"Now I want an orderly line for those who would like a ride upon the dragon, only five minutes or so." she reacted quickly to this morphing back to human in an instant only to be met with his annoying and pompous croak of "Morph back this instant! You WILL give them this once in a lifetime experience!"

"No! I do not fly people on my back anymore, these children do not deserve that honour, do you understand me or do I have to make you?" she stumbled over her feet, fatigue plaguing her vision and a glum hoarse voice emitted from her mouth.

She strode off as quickly as her sluggish legs would carry her, her eyes drooping almost exaggeratively until she stumbled through the entrance doors and up the staircases in pursuit of the seventh floor. She made it to the sixth before her muscles started to sleep causing her to lean heavily against the walls. Hermione was just so tired.

"What about a minute break here? I'll be fine in a minute..." she thought slowly, turning her back flat against the wall so she could slide down into the a foetal crouch, hugging her knees to her chest. "Yes just a minute." Her eyelids dropped and she started to breathe heavily, falling asleep in the middle of the corridor.

Tom followed after her quickly, ignoring the pleas of the stupid Professor that had put her in this dangerous position. The fools they employed! She had dragged herself away, almost sleep-walking. If 20 minutes made her sleep for 5 hours, what would an hour and a bit do if she had to show actions as well causing even more strain.

He followed a corridor behind her slowing his steps as she did to hers due to the exhaustion. She looked it. At the sixth floor he realised where they were heading, safety in the RoR was an excellent plan made up in her strained, tired mind. "Clever even when ill and fatigued."

He was approaching the end of the corridor when he heard her already nearly non-existant footsteps stop. Tom quickened up his strides to peer around the corner into the hall she occupied. She had fallen asleep! In the middle of the corridor! He approached quietly hoping to not startle her and cause an attack like their first ever meeting, he tapped her on the shoulder but had no reply other than a sleep induced whimper. What was left to the seventh floor, half a corridor and a staircase? Tom cautiously picked her up under the bend of the knees and around the shoulders, she wiggled around a bit until her head rested on his shoulder and then sighed contently.

His long legs made the distance to the RoR almost non-existent even though she didn't weigh much at all, abnormally small in stature, she caused discomfort in his body, not his arms... or legs... or any other part that wasn't his male anatomy...

She was an attractive girl, not only in appearance but in personality, her thirst for knowledge only drawing him in more, like to opposite magnets. After the door appeared to look like his Head Boy room he laid her down on his bed and sat in his chair staring at her. She was so interesting even in her sleep, making small noises, turning and twisting. His eyes drooped after observing her for an hour. She would be asleep for a long time, why not be well rested for when that happened?


"NEVILLE! NOOOO! YOU CAN'T, don't please!?" her voice echoed through the battle field over all the other screams, pain caused moans, shrieking... laughing. He ignored her, fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, set on revenge for his parents. He wouldn't stop until the bitch was dead, she knew that but he didn't see the 10 Death Eaters slowly circling him, trapping him to get a good Avada on him. He didn't see them! Only having selective vision on the black-haired lunatic in front of him. "Neville! Please!" Nothing.

She understood why he was oblivious to the outside world at the moment, this was a moment he had been after since his parents had gone insane, in a sense it was worse that them being dead, knowing they weren't your parents anymore, knowing they were there but never coming back. She understood. Running to him, throwing Avadas, dark curses and anything she could think of, Hermione screamed for his attention but he didn't notice over the racket surrounding them.

She couldn't lose him, he was the last one left, her boys and everyone else she had grown up with gone, she couldn't live without him. 30 new Death Eaters disapparated into the field, all surrounding him making her lose her sight of him. She couldn't leave him!

"HERMIONE! GO! RUN NOW! SAVE THE REST!" he screamed in the middle of the circle. But she couldn't do it! Multiple dark curses were hurled at him, all oblivious to her location behind them, she saw they were torturing him. Crucios hit him one after another, blood dripping from his mouth, an eye gouged out, a hand in shreds but he was smiling. He was going home to his Luna, his beloved Luna.

Hermione stood watching for hours as they tortured him until he lost his mind, until he wet himself and forgot how to talk, until he wasn't Neville anymore. Just a lump of bones and flesh on the floor. Tears streamed down her eyes as some of the Death Eaters left turning to look in her direction so she quickly put the Invisibility Cloak on, still watching her only friend left. He deserved it! Only 5 Death Eaters remained discussing what they could do next to his almost lifeless form, so she did what she had to do, what he would of wanted, what her last friend deserved.

She was going to be alone again but that was ok, Neville wouldn't he would have his family back. She was ok...

"Say hello to them all for me my dear dear friend, I'm so sorry..." pointing her wand at the still breathing last Hogwarts child she said the killing curse quickly and for once in her life thought that that certain curse had done something wonderful, something incredible.

It had set her Neville free...

She came back for the body that night still in the cloak, tears and mucus covering her face, it hurt to look at him, just like all the others, he was gone and she was alone to bury him with the rest of her companions, he was her last one to do. The clearing looked majestic, all the gravestones covered in starlight, making them look as divine as they were in real life while she hid in the shadows.

She smiled, he was gone to her but back with the rest of her family...

He was safe...

She wasn't that night. Greyback had found her a few miles away from the graveyard...


Her screaming tortured his already mutilated soul, it was heart retching, soul breaking, the cries of a person who knew that pain couldn't get worse than this. It was so loud and so ferrous he thought blood would stream out of his ears. He had tried everything, magic and potions alike but nothing worked, she kept crying out for someone to save her, for her Neville to come back and save her because she couldn't have left her here to him. Who was him?

He sat on the edge of his bed in the RoR and grabbed both of her flailing arms to stop her from hurting herself. It seemed to calm her, physical contact so he wrapped his arms around her shivering form and kicked off his shoes to lie down under the covers, she seemed to snuggle into him, stopping all movements and began to breathe normally. It was 3 o'clock on Saturday so he didn't have to get up early or anything, instead tucked up with the angel that wept.

Who was Neville? A friend? A brother like the other boys? An... ex lover? His heart clenched painfully, she was his now! She didn't know it but she was! She couldn't belong to someone else!

He stayed hugging her delicate form until around 6 when she awoke for the first time in over 18 hours, instantly clawing at him, telling him that she didn't know where Harry was, that she could have sex again. It hurt to hear those words, she was afraid of him, even as Voldemort she wasn't afraid of him but now with physical contact she begged for mercy, for forgiveness. It hurt...

Almost immediately she realised it was him, and sighed exasperated. She was safe...

"Who is Hermione Jean Granger?"

"Her-Hermione Jean Granger doesn't exist, she was my alias when I fought in the battle front against Grindelwald, she was my safety net and only a select few know me by that name. She is no one, a dead person that never had a chance to live."

"And Neville? Who is he?" she gasped shocked, how did he know that name? He seemed to realise this as though he had read her mind, which he hadn't as her walls were up, and said calmly, "You were begging for him to return in your sleep, was he your bo-boyfriend?"

"No! Neville was the last one left before me, he was a great friend of mine, that's all I shall say about him, he deserves to be left buried."

He inaudiory let out a sigh, he wasn't her boyfriend! She had a chance to be with him!

"Who is Rose?"