Alrighty, Hand3 wins last chapter's super-quick-review award. Sorry if last chapter was short. It was actually average for me, but chapter 8 happened to be a monster. Chapter 16's turning out to be even longer than 8, and chapter length is pretty unpredictable from here on out.

Neko-P, Lil, Ed, and Hippiechick, always glad to see you! GISingerJayne, welcome back, happy to see one of my original reviewers again!

Serius Luva09, welcome to the party J . Thanks for your review on this story and on 'Normal!' Draccy, thank you for your absolutely fabulous review! I'm glad you'll be piping up to voice your opinions on my drivel from here on out! (It can only be a good thing for my ego, which is convinced that one day people are going to realize I'm not really a writer)

So, I'm going to send out the question once more before I make a decision about posting that unfinished story. It's about four-fifths written with an HG/SS in there. The relationship can be changed to HG/RL without much trouble. So, leave it as is, change pairing, or don't post at all? Thanks to all who gave their opinions, your feedback is always valued.

On with the show.

--Aimes

The morning did not assuage Hermione's nerves. Dear Mum and Dad, today I woke up and saved the world. Unfortunately I had to kill a lot of people to do it. She growled as she stumbled to the loo, considering exactly what she, Callah, and Snape would say to the Order. 'Hey guys, we've got a plan, only a few hundred or so of us will be killed, yeah?' Right. How about, 'The plan is complete. Casualties will only number in the hundreds.' Only? Damn. She sighed as she brushed her teeth and washed her face, climbing into the shower with a grunt and standing beneath the hot spray. Maybe if I remain here long enough, I'll melt into liquid and run down the drain. Yeah, that'd be good. All too soon she was finished with her shower and began to get dressed.

Maybe I should look a bit nicer for presenting the plan? Okay…so, skirt and blouse. Black skirt, lavender shirt…the scoop-necked one. Oh, no, wait, that one shows all my scars which seems to creep people out a bit…fuck it. Wear it anyways. I earned those bastards.

In the end she draped a shawl over her shoulders to conceal her back and the ridges of scar tissue revealed by the blouse. Her front had escaped relatively unscarred; the scars she had began on her torso, so she felt no awkwardness revealing her chest. She slipped into loafers and went back to the bathroom. Why am I applying makeup? It doesn't make what we're going to say any better. 'We're almost certainly sending at least three hundred of our friends and family to their deaths but my eyeliner looks good, right?' Hermione sighed. This would be a good moment for a funeral dirge.

She straightened her shoulders, grabbed her notes, and proceeded downstairs.

The entire Order had collected in the grand ballroom. Didn't even realize we had a grand ballroom… They watched her expectantly as she entered and stood beside Callah. Snape stood on her other side when he entered and the room fell silent, waiting.

"We have a plan," Snape said simply. Well that takes care of how we're going to start. Brilliant, sir. Truly inspired.

The entire room nodded collectively. Hermione stepped up and for the next two hours, they explained.

When they were finished there was…silence.

"It's fucking brilliant," said Ron, awed.

"Indeed," agreed Dumbledore.

"I have a question," piped up Ginny Weasley. Oh, she's going to ask that question I really don't want to answer.

"Go ahead," Callah encouraged.

"What are your estimated losses in the incursion?"

Callah glanced at Hermione. Thanks, friend of mine. "Approximately three hundred of our forces will fall. Give or take…probably give. It's the best scenario we've come up with after running multiple simulations. Our next best plan has a body count nearing six hundred."

"Shit, that's over half our forces," noted Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Yeah, no joke," Callah replied.

"There's the rub," Hermione said softly. "If we proceed with this, we are theoretically sending three hundred of our friends to certain death. If we do not…" she didn't finish.

"If we do not, the simulations put accumulated casualties at nearly nine hundred," Snape said quietly, "which is around three quarters of our forces. Not to mention that if we do not take action soon, Voldemort will only grow in power. Taking into consideration that our forces happen to be ourselves and our loved ones, we opted for the incursion route. Is everyone in agreement?"

There were nods throughout the room.

"Then I suggest you prepare yourselves. This will be like nothing you've ever seen," said Callah.

"Kingsley, Moody, McGonagall, Mr. Weasley, Charlie, Fred and George, and Tonks? All of you will be working with Callah. Professor Dumbledore will work with Professor Snape directly, as will Harry and Remus, and I'll handle the rest of you. Go ahead and split up whenever you're ready, I'll be in the courtyard."

Hermione turned and walked outside, seating herself behind the table on the patio. Funny how I come out here every night and never sit at the table. She pulled out her files, with a slight smirk. And to think Snape made fun of me for being so organized.

Ginny, Molly Weasley, Bill, Ron, Hagrid, Fletcher, and the remaining professors gathered before her.

"Okay, everyone has a very specific role to play in this melodrama of ours, and here are yours. Read the file and come to me individually with questions, okay? That's what I'm here for."

For the next thirty minutes or so, everyone read silently while Hermione stared into space ponderously.

Mundungus Fletcher was the first to finish reading and came to her. "So 'm I s'pposed to get this stuff fer ya?"

"Yeah, you are. Can you do it?"

"Yeh, I can do it. Do I give it to you?"

"Yes, I'll take it when you acquire it. These ingredients are needed for a very special potion."

He nodded. "I'll be leavin' immediately then to give meself time to make some, er, contacts."

Hermione smiled. "Good luck, Mundungus," she bade farewell warmly. He tottered off muttering to himself and Hermione looked down to check something off on a list she'd made.

"Um, yeah, 'Mione?"

"Yes, Ron?"

"Are you, erm, sure this is the best idea for me?"

She looked up.

"Well, what makes you uncomfortable?" she encouraged.

"I just don't know if I'm the best candidate to be in charge of student movement. I mean," he hurried on, "I know you wanted to give me an important role to make me feel good and all, but…" he faltered.

"Ron," Hermione said calmly. "I of all people would not give you a job just to make you feel good. I've made a career out of cutting you down to size. A few things you should know: we never planned out the student portion of the incursion in any detail on purpose. We wanted to leave some things loose, in order to deal with unforeseen difficulties and to provide breathing room within the infrastructure of the plan. You were chosen to direct the students for several reasons. First, because you're one of them—they'll respond to you. Second, because you have one of the finest strategic minds in existence, muggle or magical. Third, because you'll get the job done. The problem with choosing who led the students, Ron, is that we were concerned that the leader might…cave under the pressure. We can't afford for someone to be reluctant about making difficult decisions. I was with you when you played that chess game our first year; you can make the tough choices and you will make the right choices. There was no one else we considered for the job." I sound like I'm nominating him for public office.

"Okay." Ron still seemed uncertain.

"I didn't choose you, Ron."

"What?" he asked, startled.

"I didn't choose you. In point of fact, I suggested McGonagall. Snape chose you. Said that no one else had the tactical ability to make it work properly. As it happens, we all agreed. If Snape has that much faith in you, and Merlin help you if you ever mention that to him, then you can do it. It's that simple. Now, you have the numbers and the entry points, as well as a layout of the castle and our best ideas on where everyone else will be. Get to work."

"Right. I'll update you later," Ron said firmly, picking up his folder and striding towards the manor. He's turned into a man. How fast they grow up. She snickered at her own thought and turned her attention to Ginny, who had taken a seat in front of her and was gazing at her placidly.

"This was…unexpected," Ginny stated.

"Yes, well, the entire situation was unexpected, wasn't it?" Hermione replied. "Your gifts lie where they lie," she shrugged.

"I expected…I'm not sure what I expected," she cocked her head thoughtfully. "But let me clarify. You want me to look…hot?"

"Crazy, I know, but remember, Ginny, you're connected to him. Seeing you will throw him off guard for just a split second, and we want to milk that. After that, your job is Peter Pettigrew and Shiv."

"What's a Shiv?"

"A…well, a demon of sorts. Her description is in your folder. She's one of our unknown quantities: powerful enough to feed him without harm to herself yet under his control. Not like Nagini—stronger. She gives him power, not just life. As sketchy as we are on the details of what she is and exactly how powerful she is, we decided to assign one of our own unknown quantities to her."

Ginny's look was shuttered.

"We know you gained powers after the incident in your second year. Believe it or not, the fact that you're the only female child in your family is also significant in determining the strength of your magic. You've got some abilities you've failed to mention to the population at large. You'll need them, I promise." Hermione tried to be as straightforward as possible. She'd known for quite some time that Ginny was more powerful than she seemed, but chose to leave that to Ginny. Not my business that she comes up with instinctive counterhexes to spells she's never encountered before.

Ginny nodded serenely. "My mum'll be furious."

"She was furious when we said you were part of the plan," Hermione shrugged again. "Of course we pointed out that nothing short of a full body-bind would likely keep you away and she saw reason."

"About my powers," Ginny began, stopping as Hermione held up a hand.

"Not my concern, Ginny. I know you have them, but how far they extend is a surprise better kept for the battlefield. You've been secretive and I understand why. Don't tell me out of a misguided sense of obligation. If I never know, it won't bother me."

Ginny nodded gratefully.

"Verse yourself on Shiv. If you have any further questions about her, go ahead and talk to Snape. He'll be more helpful. Good luck." Hermione scribbled a quick note in the margin of her paper as Ginny retreated to the lawn once more.

Ginny's in. Her new magic should be useful, as long as I'm not overestimating it… Ron will be just fine, I think. Fletcher will do as he's told. So will Bill and Molly, based on the nods from that direction. So Hagrid's the only one who hasn't really checked in…where has he gotten to?

"Penny for your thoughts?" interrupted a mild voice. Hermione started slightly and looked up.

"Aren't you assigned to Severus?" she teased as she set her pen down.

"We're all finished up. I came to see how you're doing." Remus took a seat facing her, leaning on the glass surface of the table. He glanced at her pen curiously.

"Callah's. She's not a quill person. And I'm doing just fine, actually. Everyone seems okay with their jobs…of course I haven't spoken to Hagrid, but it should be fine. Are you okay with your role?"

"Yes," he replied slowly. "Though I'm left to wonder why me?"

"You're the only one other than McGonagall and Snape strong enough. Snape has to be in the Hall for obvious reasons and so does McGonagall—we need at least one senior staff member on hand. That leaves you." Hermione stretched and sat back in her chair.

"You're powerful enough."

"Possibly. My strength is only conjecture—I'm a smart chick but that doesn't mean I can do a binding spell of that magnitude—even with the potion to help. I also have to be in the Hall as a moral support thing—if Harry doesn't have both Ron and I there, he's far more likely to crumble, according to our simulations."

"Don't tell him that," Remus warned with a smile. "He may not take well to being a variable in a simulation."

"Are you kidding? The fate of the wizarding world rests on his shoulders. Variable is the least of it." Hermione retorted incredulously.

"He's still a person, Hermione," he pointed out.

"Yes, and if he'd like to remain a breathing person, he'd better deal with his issues quick, fast, and in a hurry," she countered. "Look, I know all this prophecy bullshit sucks since he's still young, but we've all made our sacrifices. He's responsible for the wizarding world? So am I. I'm responsible for everyone who takes part in this attack and I'm doubly responsible for everyone who dies. Ron's responsible for the lives of our entire seventh year class. It sucks that Harry's a kid; so are the rest of us, but this is a war. At least adulthood will be a cakewalk if we make it that far." Oi, I think that was Snape talking.

"Somehow, I think adulthood would be a cakewalk for you in any case, Hermione. I've got to go talk to Callah, I'll see you later," he ended the conversation abruptly as Hagrid ambled over.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him then took a deep breath as Hagrid began to stumble through his concerns. Even my days with the Lestranges didn't last this long.