Bellatrix meanwhile, sat in a discreet café near the bank, nursing a cup of hot chocolate, her thoughts not pleasant.

Her Lord was dead. In a moment of madness she had betrayed him, and every belief she had held for most of her life was crumbled to dust. Now there was no turning back. She had no doubt that had she done as he asked, the outcome would have been different. The boy would not have had it in him to succeed, had she killed the mudblood. She acknowledged too, that Snape had been right, Hermione would not have survived, had her Lord been victorious. When had the girl become this important? The wards she knew, had still not been breached. How long did it take, after all, to check on your friends?

She paid the bill, knowing that she should cut her losses. That to go back was to risk everything. As long as she did not return to Britain, she could do anything she wanted, there were no international extradition treaties in the magical world. Somehow though, she still found herself at the porter's desk at the bank.

This time she did disillusion herself, and headed to Hermione's last known destination. At the gate, she followed the path up to the castle, a route she had not taken since she was a child. Making short work of the aurors at the door and gaining entry, she heard murmuring in the Great Hall and made her way silently to the doorway.

A feeling of relief, followed by annoyance, washed over her as she saw Hermione at once, and disregarding everyone else in the room, noticed that she was looking both bored and disgruntled. Keeping an ear out for the sound of any movement behind her, she stared at the girl, willing her to turn. Then realised that she'd not be able to see her in any case, and that she'd have to resort to more direct methods if she wanted to get her attention. She thought for a moment, then smirked, discretely raised her wand, and pointed it at her lover.

Hermione had been sitting there for what seemed like hours, seething and unable to do anything about it. She had watched aurors run in and out, the Ministry was secure; the portkey stations were secure; the final contingent of snatchers had been rounded up; the political prisoners had been released from Azkaban… She wondered where Bella was and if she'd been taken by either side… she wondered how her friends were holding up… she shouldn't just be doing nothing. She never just did nothing.

She had been trying to calm herself by going through her 7th year textbooks in her head, and had just finished reciting the ingredients and method for creating an antidote for Venomous Tentacula juice, which complied with Golpalott's Third Law, when she felt a familiar feeling wash over her. She clamped down her jaw to prevent herself from moaning, biting her tongue in the process. The resulting "Oww" brought all eyes towards her.

"This is ridiculous" she said standing up and trying to ignore the burst of pleasure coursing through her body, muted though it undoubtedly was by the pain in her mouth. "No-one has heard anything for hours, who knows what they're doing to Harry and the others while we're just sitting here." She surreptitiously glanced at the door while she said this, but could see nothing out of the ordinary.

"Hermione, we've been through this" Kingsley said wearily. "The aurors are doing their best but there just isn't anything to go on. We don't even know who wrote the letter, let alone where they're likely to be. As they are bargaining your friends lives for their freedom they won't hurt them, and until we hear from them again, there is nothing we can do."

"You don't know they won't hurt them, alive is not the same as unharmed," Hermione argued, "and there is something we can do that we haven't tried yet. We know they're death eaters," she took a breath knowing this could go horribly wrong, "Bellatrix might know who wrote the note, and she'll certainly have a better idea of where to look."

"Miss Granger she's…"

Hermione turned to the Headmistress, "whatever you think of her, she'd never hurt me" she said, with scant regard for the truth, "and she may be their only hope."

"She's already tried to kill Ginny once today" Mrs Weasley piped up angrily, "and she did kill Remus and Tonks, what makes you so…"

"I'm sorry Mrs Weasley" a voice cut in and everyone turned to look at Seamus as he continued nervously, "but she didn't kill Professor Lupin and Auror Tonks, Dolohov did… she killed him and then she looked at me and I thought," he swallowed, "and I thought I was dead too, but she just told me to run!"

Hermione squashed down the smile that threatened to break out on her face, knowing it would only provoke Mrs Weasley further. Molly looked at the boy and opened her mouth, once, twice, then turned back to Hermione, "and Ginny?"

"At the moment I hope she's in one piece" Hermione said honestly, "I'm just trying to keep her that way."

Molly sighed defeatedly then nodded, "I'll never forgive her for what she's done, but I've lost enough of my children today. If you think she will help get Ron and Ginny back alive, then my wand will stay in my pocket, for now".

Hermione turned as Augusta Longbottom added, "Whatever her actions today, that woman is responsible for more harm than you can possibly imagine girly, but if you think she can save my Neville, then I for one, will welcome her help".

Hermione nodded then bit her bottom lip as she turned to look at Kingsley.

The aurors, he knew, had come up with nothing, and the wizarding world would not easily forgive the loss of the boy who lived to defeat Voldemort. Political considerations aside, he had watched Harry, Ron and the girl in front of him grow up and he could not fault their courage, or let them down now, "their safety is my priority" he finally said, "everything else can wait until after that."

Hermione nodded and held out her hand, retrieving her wand from a reluctant Headmistress. "Follow me" she said, then walked out of the Great Hall followed by Kingsley, Minerva, Molly, Augusta and perhaps unsurprisingly, Andromeda Tonks.

Bellatrix, who had been listening out of sight of the doorway, was visibly leaning nonchalantly against the castle wall by the main door, twirling her wand and looking like she didn't have a care in the world, by the time that they reached her. Kingsley looked down at his aurors and scowled.

Ignoring the urge to kiss her, Hermione handed her the note, "Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna have been kidnapped" she explained.

Bellatrix looked at the paper and immediately recognised her brother-in-law's handwriting, "It's Rabastan" she said.

"You're a death eater, where will they have taken them?" Augusta asked bluntly. The death eater in question turned to answer, and looked straight into the face of her sister. Suddenly her mouth wouldn't work.

"Hello Bella" Andromeda said quietly, her eyes never leaving those of her eldest sister.

"Dromeda" Bellatrix replied, unprepared to see her here. She looked away and tried to pull herself together. Then Hermione grabbed her arm and she allowed herself to be pulled out of the doorway, further apart from the others. "Think Bella, you know what it feels like to lose everything you've worked for, where do you go?" Bellatrix looked at her sharply but her expression was open, the girl genuinely thought she was helping.

Ignoring the urge to curse something that had suddenly come across her, she took a deep breath and let it out. If she was to survive in this camp of the enemy, she would have to keep a check on her temper, at least for now. She opened her mouth to say exactly where she had gone, when a thought occurred to her and she stopped. She hadn't seen her brother-in-law, and that was curious in itself. She shut her mouth again and started pacing.

What would prevent Rabastan from leaving the country just the way she had done? Nothing that she could see. Which meant that either whoever the 'we' was, was more important to him and not an account holder. She made a mental note to make Hermione open an account as soon as possible, the Gnomes were, after all, very strict in whom they allowed to use their conveniently country neutral form of travel. Or despite his demand, Rabastan didn't actually want to leave straight away.

She stopped, took the note and read it again, frowning. Why would they contact them again, why not just give them a deadline and the means to reply? What was so important that they would need time before they cut their losses, and hostages as leverage? If they killed the boy and his friends now they'd never get out of Azkaban, assuming they didn't get the kiss. What on earth would Rabastan risk his continued freedom for? The man had spent all those years in prison already, just as she had done, there was no question of his loyalty to the cause. Who was 'we' and what were they doing?

The thought that they could be trying to use the boy to again resurrect their Lord, flashed briefly across the front of her mind, but she shook it off. All that time in Azkaban she had clung to the fact that the dark mark was still there, tangible proof of her Lord's promise of salvation, this time it was gone, and she had helped to destroy it.

She turned and looked at the slight figure watching her with hope in her eyes, then walked over to Kingsley, "lists of the captured and dead" she said, "do you have them yet?" He fished them out of his robe reluctantly. Taking them, she went back towards Hermione again, ignoring the redheaded pureblood traitor, who had obviously opened her mouth to say something, and resumed her pacing as she scanned the pages. There were several notable names missing, but the only one Rabastan would bother risking his freedom over, she already knew was dead, so why did they need time? Why did they need hostages? What purpose would they serve?

Or looked at another way, what could they possibly be doing, that they thought they'd get away with by returning the hostages? She looked out across the grounds, still littered with the remnants of battle, and the thought came to her in a sickening image that blotted out her vision. Her already pale face dropped what little colour it had. Finally she said, "Cissy" under her breath.

Of course, the Ministry wouldn't care about death eaters killing death eaters, as long as they got their precious Potter back. Hermione frowned and put a hand on her arm as she clarified, in a voice that could not be overheard by the others, "Narcissa vouched for Potter being dead while we were still in the Forbidden Forest. She wanted to get here as quickly as possible to find Draco. She lied to the Dark Lord and saved Potter. They have as much of a score to settle with her as they do with me."

"Then we start at Malfoy Manor" Hermione said, both decisively and loud enough for the others to hear.

Kingsley frowned, "The aurors have already checked, there's no-one there," he said.

Bellatrix turned and looked at him, "When?"

"As soon as that arrived" he replied, pointing towards the note.

She wondered how these people reconciled it taking them so long to defeat her Lord, if they really thought all death eaters were that stupid. "They knew it would be the first place you'd try" she said, "it always is. There are caves beneath the manor, they would have stayed there until you were gone." She looked over at Andromeda before saying, "Lucius and Narcissa would have taken Draco home when they left the castle." Then returned her gaze to Kingsley, "you shouldn't have found it empty, and it won't be by now."

"Her. The Malfoy's. How do we know this isn't all just a trap?" Molly said.

Despite her suspicion that Potter and his friends wouldn't be hurt unless they tried to escape, Bellatrix knew she could not say the same for her sister or her family, and she would need help to free them, so she bit back her first response. "You don't" she replied "but are you prepared to risk your children on it?"

When no response was forthcoming Hermione said, "So, Malfoy Manor" again, and started to move further away from the building, towards the path to the gate. Bellatrix caught her arm and dragged her back, turning them both away from the rest of the onlookers.

"You're staying here" she whispered harshly.

"I am not" Hermione whispered fiercely back, "they're my friends and..."

"And they're being held by Rabastan" Bella interrupted. "You are not coming".

"That's ridiculous, since you cursed Vol…" she saw Bella flinch, "the Dark Lord, he's more likely to go after you than me!"

"I can handle myself…"

"Says the woman who's owed me two life debts!" Hermione pointed out.

"Both of which were your fault for distracting me in the first place," Bellatrix countered. "You're not going."

"The second one I'll give you, but the first? You were crucio-ing me at the time, I don't think that counts as me distracting you. In any case, they're my friends and you can't stop me Bellatrix."

"Don't bet on that Muddy, after today you are never leaving my house!" the woman scowled.

"Oh no, we are not living anywhere where the portraits insult me every time I walk passed them. In fact I'm not setting foot in another pureblood mausoleum ever again." Bella looked triumphant, as much from the fact Hermione was planning on living with her, as that she'd just said she wasn't going to the manor. Then Hermione added, "except to rescue my friends."

The headmistress chose that moment to clear her throat and say, "perhaps we should continue this in the privacy of my office?" It was only then they realised their voices had gotten rather loud again, and that there were various expressions of shock and horror on the faces of those around them. Hermione flushed red to the roots of her hair.

"Muddy?" Andromeda hissed, grabbing her arm as they waited to walk up the staircase to McGonagall's office.

Hermione coloured again, and muttered, "um, she means it affectionately," Bellatrix, her face unseen in front of them, smirked, despite her annoyance at the delay.

"Hermione, Bellatrix, so good to see you both!" Dumbledore's portrait said when they finally entered.

"And clothed" Snape's added sarcastically, causing Hermione to blush yet again. She caught Molly's gaze, who clearly couldn't decide whether to look angry, disgusted or nauseous and deliberately went and sat on the opposite side of the room.

McGonagall repeated Bella's theory regarding Rabastan going to Malfoy Manor to the portraits. Dumbledore and Kingsley agreed that since she knew her way around the manor, Bellatrix was the best person to go.

Hermione butted in with her insistence that the death eaters would kill her on sight, and that Kingsley would just prefer to get her killed, to save on a trial.

He argued back, that if the aurors went in wands blazing, the wrong people could get killed, and Molly muttered something under her breath that caused Andromeda, who was sitting next to her, to narrow her eyes and grip her wand more tightly. The discussion degenerated from there and it was all Bellatrix could do not to hex the lot of them.

It was not until a lull in the arguing that Snape's portrait snorted and said, "makes you wonder how three Gryffindor's ever managed to break into both the Ministry and Gringotts."

"Polyjuice" Hermione yelled, then turned and said "of course, thank you Professor… I mean Headmaster", in a more decorous manner.

The portrait, quirked an eyebrow and said, "cats Miss Granger?"

She flushed, then said, "death eaters Headmaster. There must be some that were captured that won't look out of place at Malfoy Manor."

Minerva sighed and looked briefly at the portrait of Severus, still feeling guilty that she had misjudged him. "I know we'll have to eventually, but I did think we'd be spared taking down your wards quite this soon."

"Well unless the Headmaster changed them, I can get through his wards." Hermione said, still smarting from the humiliation that Snape had known about her polyjuice mishap. Bellatrix looked up questioningly from the list of captured that she still had in her hand, as Hermione continued, "he, um, he was teaching me occulmency".

"I thought it was Krum" Bella said, before another thought occurred to her, "he didn't read your thoughts the night Potter moved did he? He already knew about us."

Hermione coloured again, but was spared from answering by Molly saying venomously, "you mean the night you did try to kill Tonks."

"I missed didn't I?" Bella replied, turning to stare at her with the air of someone that always hits what she aims for, then smirked and added "unlike Snape." Molly mumbled something under her breath again and looked away, and Bella did not add she had been too distracted herself, to do more than randomly fire off curses, knowing Hermione would be somewhere nearby.

"Well then" Minerva said decisively, "Hermione, you'd better come with me, the rest of you can decide who's going to Malfoy Manor."

Hermione did not want to leave Bella here and she looked at Kingsley who said "While I doubt Mrs Lestrange…"

"Black" Bellatrix cut in, "My husband is dead, I will be reverting to Black."

"While I doubt Miss Black" Kingsley began again, "needs any help in protecting herself, I will guarantee her safety Miss Granger." Hermione, having no choice but to believe him, nodded and left with the Headmistress.

By the time they got back, there was a noticeable chill in the air. Molly had obviously forgotten her promise, since both she and Bellatrix had their wands drawn, and Kingsley was standing ineffectually between them. He was sideways on, preventing neither of them from actually using their wand should they wish to, but clearly not wishing to turn his back on either of them.