Hermione stood in the doorway, looking out across the sea of faces, upturned to her. This was her army, but this was their fight. She felt a renewed sense of placement and if she had believed in spirits, she would have said that Harry was with her, gently pushing her forward to take charge.

She noticed that the people she considered her lieutenants were sitting somehow different from the rest: Ginny sat calmly at one end of a loveseat, Tonks on her other side, Severus stood near the door into the kitchen, in the shadows with his arms crossed. Draco took a chair near Neville, strangely, who leaned against the fireplace mantle with a strange nonchalance. The others chose chairs and sofas, but many sat on the ground.

"I call this session of the Order of the Phoenix to order," said Hermione softly, barely audible over the noise of the quiet chatter.

The Order snapped to attention, their eyes riveted to Hermione as she very slowly paced back and forth in the wide entry to the sitting room.

"Priority number one has been and will always be finishing Tom Riddle," she pronounced. "In that first priority, we have two sub-objectives: first, destroy Ravenclaw's horcrux and secondly, when one of more of us encounters Nagini, our only objective is to destroy that snake. Our second priority is to keep one another alive. We now have a side mission that calls on that promise. Three of our comrades have gone missing."

This was not new to the group, but their terror-stricken eyes were wide as if it were the first time they'd heard. Only Severus managed to look unaffected.

"Bill Weasley, Ronald Weasley and Katie Bell were last seen searching for Ravenclaw's Diadem at the site of her ancestral home, Conwy Castle in Wales," Hermione continued, ceasing her pacing in the dead center of the doorway. "I would like to take volunteers for this mission."

One hand flew up first, that of Molly Weasley. "Those are my children," she pleaded, Arthur putting his arm around her soft shoulders.

Hermione softened her stance to address the Weasley matron. "I understand, Molly," she replied quietly. "But I need people who are as clear-headed as possible- it would be impossible to be that with two of your sons missing. Be strong, here, for your other children."

Molly began to cry softly into her husband's arm, almost muffling Draco's tentative offer to volunteer.

"Thank you, Draco," Hermione said. Most of the rest of the Order put up their hands, but Hermione quickly dismissed her Gryffindor roommate, Parvati, her twin sister (and Ron's girlfriend) Padma and George Weasley.

Hermione was shocked into silence for a moment when she saw that the whole group would be willing to go with her to retrieve their missing brothers-at-arms.

"Right then. I'm going to head up one group, Tonks, I'd like you to head the other," delegated Hermione. She thought she saw a brief scowl cross Severus' face when she named Tonks, but that could have been just her imagination. "Luna, Charlie and Neville, I want you to go with Tonks. Draco, Snape and Ginny, you're with me."

The teams looked at each other appraising, as if to cement their bond. "I request one hour's time to prepare the squadrons," Tonks asked officially, standing to face Hermione, her back straight and her hands at the side. Her Auror training was showing through- Hermione would have much to learn from her- about how soldiers and commanders interacted.

"At ease," Hermione replied, remembering the war movies of her childhood and hoped it was the same in both worlds. Tonks relaxed her stance and Hermione was immediately grateful- even if it wasn't right, Tonks was a damn fine soldier. "Permission granted for one hour's stay. I would like to see you straight away."

Tonks nodded and sat again.

"I need Narcissa, Andromeda and Padma to prepare three emergency resuscitation packs, in case of severe trauma," Hermione said. "You're dismissed."

The three women skittered to the cellar as if called there by a siren.

"Fred, Lee and George, I need to see what you have for me immediately after my conference with Tonks," nodding at the three in the corner, they left as well, looking more sober than she'd ever seen them.

Hermione turned her attention to Ernie: "I need you to get me blueprints on Conwy Castle and possible entrance points as soon as you can. Interrupt me if I'm busy."

"The rest of you lot, I want you to do any preparations you need for the rest of the hour."

Turning on her heel, she walked out of the room, hopefully as authoritatively as she meant. Tonks met her at the door to Hermione's private room only moments later. Hermione gestured her inside and they made themselves comfortable on the chair and bed.

"Blimey, Hermione," gushed Tonks. "You were bloody brilliant!"

Hermione smiled a touch, worrying the hem of her blouse between her fingers. "Thanks. I tried. I need your help, though, later when this mission is over, to figure out what exactly to do as their commander."

"You're doing fine," reassured the pink-haired Auror. "But we'll talk more when we're back here, safe and sound."

As Hermione nodded, a great crash sounded from the kitchen. The two women were up and out of their chairs before anyone else was in the room.

There, on the floor, beside the now broken sliding glass door was Bill Weasley.

On a broom.

"Bill!" Hermione yelled. "Are you all right?"

Tonks was already yelling down the stairs: "Padma, we need you up here pronto!"

He looked vaguely sheepish, but more fierce than she had ever seen the oldest Weasley. "I've been flying for a while. I guess I didn't account for the glass when I got here."

His long hair was badly windswept and his face completely red from the cold and wind. Aside from a shard of glass that sliced open his jacket and his skin underneath and several slivers in his cheeks, Bill looked to be in fine shape.

"Where are they?" Hermione demanded. "Ron and Katie?"

Bill began to get up off the floor, but Padma, who was just bounding into the room pushed him back down. "Last I saw them, they were at Conwy Castle, in the upper levels."

"Tonks, I need both teams, now." Hermione snapped, not even looking over her shoulder.

"We got to Conwy early this morning, and our portkey wasn't scheduled for over seven hours, so we went ahead and set off for the castle," Bill said, wincing as Padma began seamlessly putting the flesh of his arm back together. "We were ambushed in the upper levels of the bailey- Ron and Katie were taken by Dolohov and Rowle, Mulciber took me. I played like I had lost my wand to him for a while, but when we got near to the entrance of the castle, I pulled out my spare and I stunned him and fled."

"Why did you run?" Hermione asked, not unkindly.

Bill glared, but it could have been at the glass being removed from his face. "I got to the top of the hill, disillusioned, so that I could see the lay of the land to plan my rescue attempt. I didn't have a phone, Ron had it, and I didn't know where to get one, let alone your number. When I saw seven more of their guys get there, I knew I was outnumbered. I apparated to the farthest place I could visualize: New York City, then I asked for directions to Cincinnati and this address, which I had stuffed into my pocket. They need help."

"We've already mobilized. Are you up to taking us back to Conwy?" Hermione asked, helping him to stand.

He nodded once. "Get me some pepper-up and let me get warm again and I'm good to go."

"Fleur knew something was wrong all morning," Hermione said, beginning to fret. "No use now. I want you to replace Neville on Tonk's squad."

"I'll tell him," Tonks said, taking the hint and going to find him.

"I need to talk to the twins and Lee," explained Hermione. "You find Ginny and get a uniform."

Bill nodded, putting his large hand on Hermione's shoulder for a moment wordlessly.

"Padma, cancel one of the resuscitation packs," ordered Hermione, turning and heading towards the stairs to find her weapons masters.

She indeed found them in their attic bedroom, sorting out items on the floor.

"Ah, Hermione, glad you could make it," said George, the one without the ear.

Fred continued, "We've been expecting you."

"What do you have?" she replied, kneeling on the carpet to look through their wares.

Lee picked up a large plastic bag: "Peruvian instant darkness powder. Very handy in a jam."

"Freeze Tag ice-balls," George said, pointing to a pile of pale gray spheres. "Thrown one and make a hit and your opponent will be frozen in place for up to ten seconds, or long enough to nab their arse."

Fred pointed to the next item, a bucket of mysterious looking gelatin. "This we lovingly call "Goo". Put it on the floor behind you and your victim is stuck in place until..."

"Well, we're not quite sure," supplied George. "We've only had success taking off their shoes and carrying the victim away under the incarcerus enchantment."

Hermione nodded, good enough.

"We also have these," Lee said, showing Hermione a handful of small glass marbles. "We call them boggart-bombs."

"Inside each is a miniature boggart, which will assume the shape, obviously, of the victim's worst nightmare," Fred explained. "One only need press in the two tiny buttons on each side of the marble with their thumb and forefinger before smashing it on the ground at their victim's feet."

Hermione goggled. "That is amazing."

"With the use of a bubble-head charm, you'll be able to apprehend your enemy- just don't breathe in." George told her.

"Last, but not least: I give you the butterfly of certain pain," Fred opened his hand to show her a small ceramic-looking butterfly.

"Ouch," said Lee, absently protecting his groin. "They take flight when they leave your hand and heat seek to the nearest unfamiliar body and then sting repeatedly."

"In the nads," Fred laughed.

George warned, "You just need to pass the butterflies around within the team going on the rescue so that no one is inadvertently stung."

Lee opened up a large drawstring bag, containing a dozen butterflies. "Just get your hand in there real good, move it around, touch all the butterflies."

Hermione did so, their wings making a pleasantly deep chiming as they hit against one another. "Take those down to the others," she told Lee. "I'll help separate these for each person."

When he had left, Hermione addressed Fred and George. "How much can we give each person."

They glanced at each other, and George spoke for them both. "Enough instant dark for two uses each, a half dozen ice-balls, more or less if someone is a good shot- Ginny should have two dozen, she can hit anything. Oh yeah, two uses worth of "goo", three or four boggart-bombs and two butterflies apiece."

"Sounds great, guys," replied Hermione. "Can you get these into containers that can be strapped to the chest or belt?"

"Yeah, should be able to," Fred said. "Send up Mrs. Malfoy and she can do the cloth-binding charms for us."

Hermione was already at the door by this time. "Thanks, she'll be right up."

Ernie caught Hermione as she came to the second floor landing. "Got the map," he said, ushering her down the stairs and into the dining room.

"Hannah, go replace Narcissa with the brewing," Hermione told the blonde woman as she passed her in the kitchen. "She's needed on the third floor with the twins."

"All right, Hermione," Hannah replied, stopping what she was engaged in to go down into the cellar.

The map was laid out on the table in great detail. Hermione immediately noted the huge rock that Conwy was built upon, seemingly springing forth from it directly. Huge curtain walls and eight round towers protected the inner bailey.

"It's in near ruin," said Bill from over Hermione's shoulder. "But strong still."

"Can we get in by the drawbridge?" Hermione asked, furrowing her brows.

As Lee Jordan passed by, he heard their conundrum. "We've got an item developed," he began, "that allows one to walk up walls, courtesy of special pads that are adhered to the bottoms of your shoes."

"Go get someone who isn't in use and test them," Hermione said. "Make sure they'll go up stone."

Lee left, dragging Parvati Patil, who had just come up from the cellar, with him to the sitting room.

"If they work," Bill remarked, "We can simply go up and over on opposite sides of the fortress."

"That's what I'm thinking," Hermione said. "Or, how many brooms do we have in our stock?"

Bill looked thoughtful. "I'll find Charlie and figure it out."

He left, leaving Hermione to her contemplation of the map, her fingertip tracing lines and patterns through the halls that were indiscernible to the clueless viewer.

"Get Snape, Ernie, please," Hermione asked quietly, her fingers and eyes never straying from the map.

She smelled him before she heard his steps or his breathing behind her, his rich, almost- spicy cloves and balsam scent.

"What do you think of having Tonks breach here, between the north-west tower and the kitchen tower and my team here," she asked, pointing to two weak-looking areas of the outer structure.

He contemplated for several long moments, his face bent near to the table. "Let Tonks enter there where she was, but I think your team should enter here, at the East Barbican and come straight up from the river here, where it looks like there's a flight of stairs down."

Hermione bit at her lip, tracing routes with both hands. "I would imagine that Ron and Katie are being kept in the Prison Tower- it's the best preserved and the best fortified. If Riddle is present, where would he be?"

Severus scoffed lightly, pressing his finger to a spot immediately. "In the inner ward, by the Chapel Tower. It is traditionally the Presence Chamber."

"I want Tonk's squad to concentrate on freeing Ron and Katie. Bill is familiar with the castle and they can get out, fast, with Tonks, Charlie and Luna on offense," Hermione said, pulling her finger down off the guard wall, across the outer ward, through the Great Hall and to the Prison Tower.

Letting out a short noise that implied that Severus was considering what to say, Hermione continued. "We'll enter here, where you said, in the East Barbican, go through the chapel which connects immediately to the Presence Chamber."

"You want the four of us to take the Dark Lord head on?" Severus asked, his tone measured and even.

Hermione nodded sharply. "We'll have portkeys to take us back here immediately if I call retreat."

"The hour is up," he said simply. "I'll retrieve the others and meet you in the kitchen."

"Thank you," Hermione said, long after he'd exited the room.