-" YAY! NEW CHAPTERS! Okay guys, this starts the final stretch of this story! There are only 6 chapters left! I hope that it doesn't seemed rushed! I really hope you all like how I end this! So here we go with the countdown!"-

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Hermion, Draco and Professor Lupin were in Dumbledore's office finishing the fake Marauder's Map. The sky outside was a typical gloomy, winter's gray while snow gently fell to the ground. A freezing chill kept sneaking in through the window to the dispair of the three. It was the middle of January, about a month after their last encounter with Voldemort.

"All we need to do is put the spell on it so that Dumbledore can control who is where or shall I say where we are telling You-Know-Who they are but aren't really," Lupin said handing the map to Hermione. She studied it to see if anything was missin.

"Yeah, but Professor, you forgot the dungeons," Draco said looking over her shoulder at it.

"What!" Lupin said snatching the map back. He looked it over before muttering a spell and handing it back to Hermione.

Hermione picked up Harry's map and compared the two. She looked at the newly added dungeons on the new map and realized that there were two secret passages leading into them.

"Um, Professor?" she asked.

"Yes?" Lupin said, skeptically.

"You forgot two passages into the dungeons," she said, pointing to Harry's map.

"For Merlin's sake," he said, grabbing the fake map again and adding the two forgotten entrances. He handed it back to Hermione, an annoyed look on his face.

"Thank you," Hermione said, smiling at him.

"Apparently I don't remember this school so well," Lupin said.

"Well, Professor, weren't you here when the founders were still here? That's okay, we know you're old! The mind goes after such a long time," Draco joked. Lupin just glared at him.

"Okay, Professor, it looks good," Hermione said, handing the map back to him. "You can put the spell on it now."

Lupin held his wand over the map and whispered, "Fraudatio!" He then folded it up and gave it back.

"Thank you for all your help, Professor," Hermione said, putting the two maps in her bag, careful not to mix them up. "We're going to bring Harry back his map now."

"You are very welcome, Miss Granger."

"See you in class," Draco called to Lupin as he and Hermione walked out of Dumbledore's office.

"If I manage to survive till then, Mr. Malfoy, seeing how I'm so old!" They heard Lupin call after them. They snickered as they walked down the spiral staircase.

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Hermione walked into the Gryffindor common room alone, Draco had gone to get Velius. She spotted Harry and Ron at a table near the window 'doing homework' when in all actuality, they were talking about Quidditch.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey, Hermione!" Harry said.

"I can't stay long. I just came to return this," she said, pulling out the map.

"Oh, thanks. Are you done?"

"Yeah, now we just wait for Him to call a meeting and we present it."

"Are you sure this will work, Hermione?" Harry asked looking into her eyes. This whole time Ron had been looking back and forth between them.

"Um, what are you guys talking about?" Ron asked confused. Hermione had completely forgotten that she hadn't told Ron about her actually becoming a deatheater yet. She sat down.

"Ron, don't get mad and yell, but you know how Draco and I talked to you two about becoming death eaters?" she said, so quietly that he had to lean in to hear her.

"Yeah?" he asked, skeptically. She looked him in the eyes and lifted up the left sleeve of her robe. Ron jumped a little. "Are you kidding me!"

"Ron, calm down. You knew that it was going to happen," she said, looking around the room to see who was watching. She saw Neville by the fireplace looking at them.

"When did it happen?"

"About a month ago and Harry has already given me his blessing and I just need yours. Just tell me that you'll be here for me and that it's okay," she said, looking him in the eyes.

"Hermione, I love you and I will always support you," he said, grabbing her hand.

"Good. I love you too. Oh and by the way, Neville's a real deatheater," she said, glancing back at Neville to see that he was coming towards them. "Harry, hide that," she said through her teeth and nodding towards Neville. Ron looked confused but Harry slid the map under his book.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Neville asked.

"Nothing. I just came to say 'hi' before going to meet Draco and Velius for dinner," Hermione lied.

"Oh," Neville said. There was a moment of awkward silence. Harry broke it after exchanging looks with everyone.

"Well, I'm going to put my stuff upstairs before we go," he said, gathering his stuff and getting up.

Neville saw Harry's map sticking out between some pages in his text book and thought now would be the time to get it to switch with the fake one later. He was trying to figure out how to get it without Harry noticing.

"Um, I have to grab something from upstairs, so I'll go with you," he said, following Harry up to the dorm. Hermione kicked Ron under the table.

"Ow! What?" he shouted. Several people glanced over to see what had happened.

"Go-with-them!" she said through gritted teeth. Ron glanced at the stairs and then at her.

"Why?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Did you not hear what I told you? Neville is a real death eater! Do not leave them alone together!" she said. A look of realization came over his face.

"Oh, right!" he said, running up the stairs.

Hermione put her head in her hands. As her warm, clammy hands touched her forehead she felt a searing pain in her left arm. She looked at her Mark and saw it glowing bright red. Hermione ran to go find Draco.

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Neville was walking behind Harry trying to figure out how to get the map when Ron came running up the stairs and pushed past Neville.

"Sorry, Neville," he shouted as he joined Harry.

"Don't worry about it," Neville said as they walked into the dorm. At the moment he felt the pain in his arm and cried out in shock. Harry jumped and dropped his books on the floor. Ron turned and stared wide eyed at Neville.

"What the hell is your problem?" Ron spat at him.

"Sorry, stubbed my toe," Neville said, picking up Harry's books from the floor. Now is the time, he thought. He turned around, so they saw his back, and pretended to be looking to see if he had gotten everything off the floor. He slipped the map under his cloak and then turned to face Harry and Ron.

"Here," he said, handing the books back to Harry. "I have to go," Neville said, running from the room.

"Um, okay," Ron said ,staring after him. "I think he may be crazy," Ron added to Harry after Neville had left.

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"Draco!" Hermione shouted as she ran into the Prefect common room.

"I'm right here. Velius is with Terry, not my first choice but he was closest! Let's go find Snape."

"Don't you think it's convenient that there's a meeting almost exactly after we finish the map?" she asked as they left through the portrait. "Do you think we're being watched?"

"What's Neville for?" Draco asked rhetorically, raising an eyebrow.

"How could he know though? Then how could he get the news to Voldemort so soon?"

"I don't know," Draco said as they rounded the corner.

Hermione saw Neville running towards them. He slowed as he came near them and stopped in front of them.

"Are you going to see Snape?" Neville asked.

"Yes," Draco said. "He takes us to all the meetings."

"I was just with him. I'm coming with since my dad was sacked! He has a protkey, but we still have to go to Hogsmeade to use it," he said as he walked with them.

Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and walked down the hallway with Neville. No one spoke another word until they reached Snape's quarters.

"Good evening," Snape said as he opened the door. "Let's go."

The four of them made their way out of the castle silently. They got outside and the cold air soon made their cheeks pink. The softly falling snow left a light dusting on their cloaks.

Okay, how do I do this? How do I switch the maps? Neville thought to himself as they walked down to the village. He looked Hermione up and down trying to figure where she had put the map. He noticed a piece of parchment sticking out of the outside pocket of her cloak, down at her side.

"So, Neville, are you meeting your father there?" Draco asked, trying to make it seem like he didn't want to wrap his fingers around Neville's neck and squeeze very tightly.

"Yes, he's been in hiding. Trying to stay clear of all the ministry members accusations ever since Dumbledore fired him."

"Oh," Draco replied, not really caring.

Neville noticed that with every step they took the map was pushed out of Hermione's pocket a little bit more. He waited till there was about an inch sticking out of her pocket before he made his move. Then as Hermione was asking Draco something, he gently placed his thumb and index finger around the map and pulled it out of her pocket. He glanced up quickly to see if she had noticed anything and seeing that she hadn't, threw that map on the ground.

"Hey, Hermione," he said, grabbing her arm after a few steps. "Did that fall out of your pocket?"

She turned to look and saw the map lying on the ground. "Oh my gosh, yes!"

"I'll get it," Neville said walking back to get it. He picked it up and with his back to them pulled Harry's map out of his breast pocket and put the fake one in to replace it. "Here," he said, handing the fake map back to Hermione. She took it graciously, not having noticed the switch.

"What's the hold up?" Snape called back to them.

"Nothing, Neville said as he started after Snape again.

"Right here is fine," Snape said pulling the portkey out of his pocket. "Grab on."

The four grabbed on to the cracked potions bottle than had been turned into a portkey. The world became a blur as they started to spin. Their stomachs dropped as all of a sudden everything stopped as soon as it had started.

Hermione looked around to find them already in the damp, dark hallway that led to the meeting room. This time she was confident and not scared. They had it all planned out and so far everything had gone according to plan.

Snape put the potions bottle back in his pocket and led them to the door engraved with the Dark Mark. He whispered the password and the door swung open to reveal the circular room filled with deatheaters.

"I'm going to find my father," Neville said, walking away.

"Okay," Hermione and Draco said gratefully.

"Mr. Malfoy, we should go find your father," Snape said.

"Yes, sir," Draco replied dreadfully.

They searched the sea of black for Lucius and as if by fate, found him with Neville and Windmere.

Does God hate me? Hermione asked herself.

As the three approached them, Windmere and Lucius cut their conversation short.

"Good evening, father," Draco said. Lucius didn't say a word and only gave him a look of pure disgust. Snape glanced between them wondering what Windmere could have possible said to Lucius to make him act that way towards his son.

Draco didn't really notice how his father was acting towards him. He cared more about why Lucius was talking to the man his wife had cheated on him with.

Neville stood there with a smirk on his face as if he had just accomplished something very important.

"Is everything alright, Lucius?" Snape asked. Lucius broke his glare at his son and looked at Snape.

"We need to talk," Lucius snapped.

"Alright. I'll stop by the house after I drop them off at school," he said, gesturing towards Hermione, Draco and Neville.

"No, now!"

"The meeting is about to start, Luc-."

"Now, Severus!" Lucius said, leading him away from the rest of the group.

"What is going on?" Snape said, pulling his arm out fo Lucius' hand.

"Did you know?" he asked sternly.

"Know what?" Snape asked confused.

"That my son is a spy, a traitor?"

Snape tried to hide the shock on his face. How could he know?

"No, Lucius, the Dark Lord has not released that information to me and I do not think you should be spreading that rumor around lightly. Let the Dark Lord reveal it."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Severus. You are supposed to be watching over him. How did you not see this?"

"Lucius, I am your best friend. I would not lie to you. Arenyou trusting information given to you by a sixteen year old? Especially information as important as this? Let the Dark Lord reveal that to you. You know he will if it's true because Draco is your son."

Lucius seemed to calm down. His face relaxed and his fist unclenched.

"You're right, Severus. I trust you."

"Good," Severus said, putting a hand on Lucius' shoulder. "Let's get into position, the Dark Lord is coming," he said, pointing toward the door as it opened.

Hermione and Draco walked over to Snape and made to ask a question but he shot them a look of 'Not now!'

"Good evening," Voldemort said as he sat down in his chair. The whole room was extremely silent. "This evening we expect a great tool; a tool that will, literally, allow us access to Harry Potter. If Granger would step forward."

Hermione, who had only just gotten situated into the circle, looked up in alarm, but took a step forward. She walked to the center of the circle facing Voldemor.

"My Lord," she said as she bowed deeply.

"Do you have something for me?" he said, his face filled with excitement.

"Yes, my Lord," she replied pulling the map out of her cloak. "This is the map in which I described to you last meeting. It shows all of the secret passages into the castle and shows where everyone is located at that time. You will be able to see where Harry Potter is at all times."

"Bring it forward," He demanded. She stepped foward and handed it to him. He held it in his hands as if it were a fragile child and might break into a thousand pieces if he dropped it. He slowly unfolded it to reveal the enormous castle. He spent a few minutes looking it over and then raised his head and looked into her eyes. "You have done well, my faithful servant."

Snape didn't especially like the emphasise Voldemort had put on faithful. It was as if he was mocking her. To be quite frank, it frightened him. He knows.

"Thank you, my Lord," Hermione said.

"You may join the circle again," Voldemort said. She did so. "Now we shall be able to start to plan our attack. Potter shall soon come to his end. Let us leave that till next meeting, though. Right now, I would like to talk to you all about loyalty, his voice became very stern now. "I will not tolerate treachery and there will be severe punishments for all who disobey me. Do not give me reason to even think that you are being unfaithful, for I will not even question it. It will be your end. Let this be a reminder to all," He said and as he said these last words he glanced in the general direction of Hermione and Draco. They didn't notice but Snape took careful note of it. "Leave now with these parting words," He added before rising from His chair and leaving the room.

"That's it?" Hermione asked.

"Let's go, now!" Snape said, quietly to Hermione and Draco. They caught the sense of urgency in his voice but couldn't figure out why it was there. "Calais," Snape called across the room. Windmere and Neville looked over and started to walk towards Snape, Hermione and Draco.

"Yes, Severus?" Windmere asked.

"If you don't mind, I think it if time that we get back to the school. We do have classes tomorrow and I don't want suspicions arising," he said.

"Yes, good thought. Neville, I will write to you shortly," Windmere said. "Good night," he addressed to the group and then walked away to converse with some other death eaters.

"Let's go," Snape said, leading the three out of the room and up the hall to where they had come with the portkey. He pulled the cracked potions bottle out of his pocket and told them all to grab on.

It had stopped snowing in the short time they had left and the sun had set. No one said a word as they made their way up to the castle.

Hermione and Draco were both thinking about the little speech Voldemort had made at the end of the meeting. Was that directed towards them? Both had so many questions for Snape and yet could not ask them because Neville was there.

Hermione wanted very much to ask Snape why he was acting distracted and not speaking. Is he wondering the same thing? Something had gone on between him and Lucius as well. But what?

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Okay guys! There you go! A whole new chapter. I hope that you all liked it! I know that it was kind of short but the others will be longer. Thanks to all of my reviewers! I love you all and thank you so much for sticking with me through the revamping. That was a long process!

Thanks to xmisundazt00d, DracozSlytherinPrincess, cheeze, Hotkat144, iluv2dance, Seldom Darlin, and Odi et amo.