IMPORTANT
IMPORTANT, READ IT:
Well, I tried to find some time to write the story, but it seems to be impossible. There are lot of things that need corrections, and there are more than 60 chapters to write. I have neither time nor will to write it. My interest in the HP universe is slowly dying. It's not just me. There aren't many new stories out there, which is… kind of sad. It was a part of my life for many years.
Still it would be unfair to you to abandon the story completely. I hate it myself when stories have no ending. Therefore, I wrote this epilogue with flashbacks/memories/thoughts, which cover some of the important points of the story. Don't expect much of it.
HERMIONE GRANGER AND THE PRINCE OF SERPENTS
EPILOGUE
Hermione walked through a long hallway of the Ministry, lazily eyeing the walls in search for signs of destructions, but there were few. Although it had been only two weeks since the battle for Ministry, the building didn't look as though it had been a battleground. Finally, she reached the door and entered a courtroom. It was the same room where she had been tried years ago. This time she wasn't, however, the accused. On the contrary, she would be sitting amount the members of the Noble Council.
She was the last councilor to appear in the courtroom. The only councilor who had been at her trial was Beatrice Urquart. The war had taken its toll. Cassiopeia Black had died long before the war. Sirius was in her place. Amelia Bones had been one of the first victims of the Death Eaters when the war had begun. Hermione didn't know Susan well enough, but it seemed that she was a worthy replacement for her aunt.
Dumbledore wasn't there. He was long dead, killed by Tom during her fifth year at Hogwarts. Some unfamiliar young man was now the Head of House of Brown, while the House of Crouch had almost perished in the war. There was a five-years-old Crouch alive, but for the next twelve years Daphne would speak for him. Hermione looked at the blond witch and smiled. Despite the rough beginning of their friendship, Daphne had proven herself to be fiercely loyal to her.
Her pale emotionless face was still fresh in Hermione's memory. Daphne had come to her the night Macmillans and Abbots betrayed her family in the wake of the war. Daphne had managed to escape, but Creusa had died a horrible death, while innocent Astoria had been sold to Davis only to be given as a gift to some foreign wizard. Although Daphne was using all her resources to find her, Hermione doubted that they would ever hear anything of her sister. She was most likely alive, but Hermione knew well how good Davis had been at her business.
Instinctively, Hermione reached for the silver chain on her neck and curled her fist clenching the key inside it. The constant reminder that her will was bound to a small silver key. Of course, it was a replica on her neck. She wouldn't endanger herself by wearing an item that would enable anyone to control her. Not that anyone except Daphne and Malfoy knew about the existence of such an item… Even Daphne didn't know that it was a replica on the chain.
Her eyes found Draco Malfoy among the councilors. Hermione wasn't sure if she was grateful to him for playing his part in her escape from Davis' clutches or hated him for taking advantage of her during her short enslavement period even if he hadn't had other way to help her. She would never forget or forgive the fact that a small part of him had actually enjoyed it. Something she knew thanks to Legilimency. Still, he had made it possible for her to escape, to regain freedom and to kill Tracey's mother in the process. It was, however, Bellatrix, who was the mastermind behind Hermione's escape.
Hermione wished she could kill Tracey too, but unfortunately Tracey's death would trigger her own demise. Despite everything, Hermione was Tracey's slave, even though the bitch would never be able to control her. Hermione sealed her inside a trunk in Davis' own Gringotts vault, which only Tracey had an access to. Davis would sleep there undisturbed as long as Gringotts stands.
Longbottom's place was empty. Hermione was still unsure what to think of Neville's death. She hadn't intended to kill him. She hadn't even realized she had done it until the end of the Battle of Hogwarts, when his body was found beside Ballatrix's. He hadn't done anything wrong. He had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Hermione had been running towards the main hall when her momentary lapse of awareness let one of the Death Eaters escape her notice. She had been very tired and it had been a miracle that she hadn't died during the battle or her duel against the Dark Lord. Although she knew now that the Dark Lord hadn't intended to kill her, it had been very intense duel.
When she saw a curse speeding past her, she acted on reflex and threw her own at the attacker. Her only thought was that she was lucky that the Death Eater's aim was off. That was when Hermione heard a thud from behind. It downed on her that there had been another Death Eater behind her and whoever the first attacker was, he or she had most likely saved her. And then Hermione realized who the masked Death Eater was. Everything ceased to exist around her. Nothing except the fallen Death Eater mattered to her at that horrible moment, when she rushed to her savior.
"Bella?" Hermione uttered, taking off her Death Eater mask. "No…"
"It's… all right, Hermione," Bellatrix whispered and coughed up blood.
It wasn't alright and Hermione knew it. She had used a curse that was slowly destroying Bellatrix's innards. Hermione wasn't a healer and she knew no counter for the curse. It was one of the most vicious spells in her arsenal. Without proper help, Bellatrix would die in a matter of a minute at most.
"Somebody, help me!" Hermione shouted out of desperation. "Someone…"
But who would help a Death Eater in the middle of the battle? Not that anyone was there to help.
"I'm so… proud of you," Bellatrix said.
"This isn't happening," Hermione said, casing useless healing spells at Bellatrix's stomach. "This shouldn't have happened."
"You didn't do anything wrong."
"I cursed you!"
"Not your… fault."
"It is my fault!" Hermione protested, ignoring tears, which were streaming down her cheeks. "Tell me the counter. I have to know it."
"You'd need a po…" Bellatrix coughed up more blood and continued, "a potion."
"It can't be true..."
"Be… safe," Bellatrix said very weakly. "I love you, my…"
Bellatrix's body went limp. Hermione had no idea how long she was crying over Bellatrix's dead body. It felt like hours, but in reality much less. Hermione couldn't think straight when someone stumbled upon them.
"Granger? Is it… Lestrange? You killed her!"
She hadn't even recognized his voice back then. It had been just some stranger full of joy and happiness, because Bellatrix had been killed. Hermione had killed four people with the Killing Curse. Neville was one of them because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. After the Azkaban she had distanced herself from her parents, because they couldn't fathom what her life was like. Hermione loved them, but their lives were too different. Over the following two years she and Bellatrix grew so close that Hermione could easily call her a second mother.
Besides, it wasn't very far from truth. Before the first fall of the Dark Lord Bellatrix had been conducting experiments to create an ultimate weapon in form of a human being with unfathomable magical powers. The experiments weren't successful as it turned out that every witch and wizard had the same magical potential. Power was the combination of attitude, willpower and knowledge. Nothing more, nothing less. Hermione was one of the three Bellatrix's subjects, although the woman had never considered the children as mere subjects. Being sterile herself Bellatrix saw them as her own children. At least that was what Hermione had discovered.
Edgar MacDougal was killed by Macmillan, but his brother, who was now the in the courtroom survived the betrayal. The Nott family became extinct and joined the five lost families. Just like the Rosier family. Ariana lost control of her magic when she learned about Creusa's death. She was at the Ministry and as the result twelve innocent wizards and witches had died. If one more noble House would become extinct, the noble council would cease to exist.
Hermione was in the room to vote as Harry's designated regent. Although he could transform into human, he had never really learned how to be a human. She would never forget how helpless he had looked back then during her fourth year at Hogwarts when Daphne and Luna had helped him to regain his human self. Neither would she forget how stupid she had been to get angry at him and girls for hiding it from her. She had refused to talk to him until the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, when the tournament organizers had decided that it was good idea to let three champions solving a puzzle in the arena with three hungry and angry dragons.
Hermione had been one of the three champions along with Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum. She had been dating Krum until his death during the Third Task, when he had been eaten by one of the dragons while trying to win some time for her and Fleur to complete the task. They completed the task only to be portkeyed to the graveyard. Tom in Ginny's body had waited for her there. By winning the tournament she proven herself worthy.
He didn't expect to see Fleur though and it wasn't easy to convince him to spare her and sent her back to Hogwarts. Fortunately, he was in a good mood.
"If you wish so," Ginny said, walking towards a large cauldron and levitating an unconscious witch. It was easy to forget that it wasn't Ginny, but Tom. "But I have a use for her."
"A use?" Hermione asked following Tom.
"Nothing permanent," he answered. "She has rather interesting abilities."
Tom asked her to participate in a curious ritual to change his body and Hermione didn't mind to play along. As long as he wasn't asking her for the answer or trying to kill her she was glad to spend some time in his company. He used her and Fleur's blood and his own father's bones. Hermione had no idea about the theory behind the ritual, but the result was impressive. A very beautiful woman emerged out of cauldron instead of thirteen-years-old girl.
"What? A female body has its advantages," Tom said with a smile. "Take my hand."
"Send Fleur back, please," Hermione asked.
"Ah, yes, almost forgot about the girl," he said and summoned the portkey into her hand. "Satisfied?"
"Yes," Hermione answered and took his hand.
Hermione closed her eyes for a moment as she was slightly disoriented because of the side-along apparition. She found herself in a large room lit by a dozens candles. There were three chairs. Bellatrix was sitting in one of them.
"Take a seat," the Dark Lord… or better said the Dark Lady said.
Hermione took the closest to the window. If they would try to kill her, her chances would be close to zero, but an additional escape route was still of an advantage. Tom sat in the last chair.
"Your boyfriend's fate was rather gruesome," he said. "Such sad."
Hermione glared at him… her? She was trying to avoid thinking about Viktor's death. It wouldn't do her any good in this situation.
"Be nice, Tom," Bellatrix said.
Tom ignored her. "I have to congratulate you. You did really good in the tournament."
"Thank you," she said. "Although I wish you hadn't forced me to participate in it."
"It was a great test of your abilities. How else would I know if you were worthy of my attention?"
"Am I?"
"Yes," he answered.
"What happened to real Ginny?" She had to stall for time even if it was useless. "How did it happen?"
"Is that so important?"
"You killed her, despite you had been telling me that you don't kill children."
"The foolish girl played with things beyond her understanding. Have you ever wondered why nothing can kill me?"
"Not really."
"I split my soul and bound the pieces to various items, which serve as my anchors. Even if you destroy one, I'll have more to keep me in this world. Young Ginevra was given one of my anchors. Blame Malfoys for that."
"The basilisk…"
"Yes, the basilisk. Malfoys disobeyed my orders to keep the anchor safe and gave it to the girl. An anchor is a powerful construct, which can assume control over an individual. And although its purpose is to keep me alive and to restore my soul, it is a very dark object. It's volatile and uncontrollable. The events of your second year are the best evidence. Nevertheless, the anchor fulfilled its purpose by consuming the girl's soul to restore mine."
"Like a dementor?"
"Not really. Dementor destroys a soul completely, uses it as food. An anchor merges souls. She's a part of me. Alas, there won't be a separate afterlife for her. But let's talk about a more important matter. War is coming and you will have to choose a side."
Hermione sighed. "And so you need my answer."
"You know what I'm trying to achieve. My methods may be ruthless, but my cause is just. I will destroy this world to create a new one, a better one. No matter how much people will hate me. Hate is good, it will bring them together to fight a common enemy. Hatred will let them see the illness of our world. Join me and you will fight for the better world, a world without idiotic purebloods with their bigoted views. A world of equality and freedom. For everyone, not the selected few."
"May I think about it?" Hermione asked.
"I gave you three years."
"I mean a few minutes."
"If the just cause isn't enough for you, think about your family and friends. You'll be able to protect them if you join me. Otherwise…"
"Otherwise?"
"Well, it should be obvious. We're either friends or enemies. The choice is yours."
"Join me or die," Hermione said.
"Simple, isn't it?" Tom laughed. "But look at the choice from the different perspective. Without me you wouldn't be able to defend yourself in your first year. Without me you would be a mediocre witch only famous for owning Harry Potter literary. Who taught you? Who made you the witch you are? Without me you wouldn't live through the Azkaban. Without me you wouldn't even be born in first place…"
"What?"
"You owe me and it's time to pay your debts," he said ignoring her. "Let me give you one more reason to join me. Your little snake is my anchor. If you choose to fight me, you'll have to kill him in order to achieve victory."
"No…"
"Is that your answer?"
"How can he be your anchor?"
"An accident at the day I tried to kill him. The Dark Arts tend to backfire in the most unexpected ways."
And then she had given him her answer. Bellatrix had asked for her to change her mind, and, hell, it had been so difficult for Hermione to ignore her pleads. There hadn't been a way to escape, but Bellatrix had given her an opportunity by shielding her from the Dark Lord. Of course, Hermione knew now, that it was just a carefully prepared show…
"Is there anyone in the courtroom, who wants to claim inheritance of Houses of Peverell, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Nott or Rosier?"
Hermione hesitated. There would be no way back.
"I do," she said. "I'm the rightful heir to Peverell, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff families."
"Preposterous!" shouted some elected member of the Wizengamot. "A mud… muggleborn can't be a direct descendant of the noble Houses."
Hermione smiled. They had won the war, and a lot had changed for the better, just like Tom had planned, but bigotry hadn't disappeared. It was time for her to walk towards the greater good. She stood up and walked to the Chief Warlock, handing him a pile of parchments.
"Evidences," she said and waited for him to study the documents.
After a few minutes he said, "The evidences are genuine, but they prove the claim for Tom Marvolo Riddle. He is the only descendant of the House Gaunt, who are direct descendants of Peverell, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff families. All other claimants are deceased. He is the true heir of these Houses…"
"Everyone in this room knows Tom Marvolo Riddle," Hermione interrupted him. "Most of you know him by another name. It's an anagram and those endowed with intellect can easily guess who I am talking about. He was the rightful heir to the five Houses."
"That's…" the Chief Warlock tried to say.
"This is the last will and the testament of Tom Marvolo Riddle, which states that I'm his rightful heir," she said and gave the Chief Warlock two more parchments. "The second document is the recent blood test which proves my direct blood relationship to Tom Marvolo Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort. I am his daughter."