Here is the nineteenth chapter in Book 3. As usual, there is no excuse for how late this chapter is other than real life and a need for a break from fanfiction. I will use my free time over Christmas to catch up though so expect multiple chapters a week for a few weeks. No questions to answer here so sit back and enjoy the 19th full chapter in the third installment of Avatar: The Tale of Harry. Book 3: Unity.

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing related to these two great works of fiction.

Chapter 19

Hermione woke to the sound of a metallic hammering on her cell door. Groaning, the former Fire Empress got out of her shitty, uncomfortable, concrete bed and walked to the door. There was a food hatch in the door that around waist level that she had not noticed the day before. On the bent down flap was a covered plastic tray.

"Breakfast maggots." Came the harsh voice of a guard. Hermione didn't know where the guard was but he was going away judging by the sound of a cart moving down the hallway.

Hermione groaned, she was the rightful ruler of the Fire Utopia, if not the world, but instead she was in a tiny cell being treated like shit by those who served the oppressors of the world. Alas she was no longer in a position to do anything about that thanks to the fucking Avatar and his illegal actions in removing her from power. It was why she had had to make a deal with the Avatar in order to have a chance at retaining her sanity and get out of prison one day.

Hermione put the thoughts of what she had lost thank to Avatar Harry to the back of her mind and picked up her tray and brought it through the matching slot in the barred door of the cell. She took it to the small metal desk and removed the top of the tray and looked at the gruel she had been served.

On the tray was a small amount of what Hermione assumed was rice porridge, a few pieces of some unidentified and barely cooked meat, a piece of stale bread, an apple and a bottle of juice. She had never gotten used to prison food, or really anything else about prison life over the last 23 years. Still, she had to eat. Picking up the shitty spork that came with the tray, Hermione began her meal.

It turned out that she had about 20 minutes to eat her shit before the guard came back for her tray. After that Hermione was left alone. She had no idea how long she had been in the cell after breakfast before the shower suddenly went on.

If it was anything like the one in her last cell, Hermione knew that she only had at most 20 minutes of lukewarm water before it cut out. She stripped down and hopped in to quickly wash herself with the provided soap so that she was ready for her forced, false confession.

As soon as Hermione was done with her shower she hopped out and used the provided towel that had been on her bed when she been dumped in the cell. She was just finishing drying when a she heard the door begin to slide open.

Startled, Hermione made sure that she was covered by her towel so that she could act quickly should she need too. Hermione wouldn't put it past one of the guards to gang rape her if they found out that Hermione was there.

Instead the door open to reveal a stunning, tall blond girl in her early 20s wearing an air nomad glider suit with an out of place, dark blue, trim. Her hair was tied back in a tight braid with a dark blue Southern Water Tribe ribbon showing off the arrow tattoo of a master on her forehead. At her hip was a small bag.

"Thank you I can take it from here." The airbender said to an unseen guard as the barred door slid opened and she stepped into the cell. "I can handle her if she tries anything funny."

Hermione didn't doubt it given how athletic the women looked and that she was an airbender in an enclosed space. As soon as the blond woman entered the metal door, but not the barred one, closed locking them in the cell together.

"You dry Hermione?" The woman asked her.

"Yes." Hermione said adjusting the towel, confused as to why there was a young airbender in her cell. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Oh sorry where are my manners." The blond said with a light chuckle. "My name is Victoire and I was asked by the Avatar to get you ready for your big press conference in a few hours. So please remove the towel and get dressed so I can get to work. No need to be modest around me, I have seen it all before."

"Fine but no gay shit." Hermione said as she removed her towel and put on the prison issue rags that she had worn for years in the desert, along with the sweatshirt she had been given the day before. "I may support gay rights and making sure their represented and heard at the cost of the previous powers that be, as should be right for equality, but I ain't a fucking dyke. That shit's fucking disgusting"

"Neither am I." Victoire said with a forced smile, she clearly didn't understand equality and Hermione instantly knew that the woman was a staunch supporter of the Avatar. "Now please, sit down."

Hermione did as she was asked and sat on the stool in the cell. The other woman busied around her and pulled Hermione's long, gray, hair so that it was all behind her. Then Victoire removed a pair of scissors from the bag and trimmed it so that it fell a little past Hermione's shoulders.

As she worked, Hermione saw Victoire's sleeves pull up and on the insides of her wrists were a few tattoos. On her right wrist was the symbol of the Southern Water Tribe while on her left wrist was the symbol of the Air Nation. As the woman worked Hermione studied Victoire a little more and noticed tell-tale signs that the girl was related to someone from the Southern Water Tribe.

"Where are you from?" Hermione asked breaking the silence at last. "Cos you ain't pure air nomad. Also how the fuck did you know about met? My location has always been classified."

"Isn't that a microaggression that you banned back when you were a tyrant?" Victoire asked sweetly causing Hermione to growl at the insinuation that she had committed such an egregious offense. "But to answer your question, yes I am not pure air nomad. My father is Southern Water Tribe, mother Air Nation. Currently I work on Air Temple Island."

"I get that but who the fuck are you really?" Hermione said, irritated at her question not being answered. "Judging by the fact that you know where I am, you were likely sent here by the Avatar himself. I'm going to say that you are somehow related to him, he wouldn't trust someone he doesn't know with me. He may be a pureblood, elitist, racist, bigoted, oppressive, rapist but he is careful when it comes down to dealing with someone of my status."

"I wouldn't insult my uncle while I am holding scissors near your throat my dear." Victoire said in the same sweet tone as she finished trimming the rest of Hermione's hair and began to brush it. "For someone who claims to be so wise and intelligent, that isn't smart."

"Ah so your related to his entitled wife." Hermione said ignoring the clearly fake threat, the world needed her right now so Hermione knew that Victoire wouldn't do a thing to her.

"Yes my father is Princess Ginny's eldest brother." Victoire said as she continued to work. "Chief William of the Southern Water Tribe."

"Really?" Hermione asked genuinely confused, that was not the brother that she had been expecting. "Based on your age I would say your his eldest as I remember hearing of his wedding. I didn't expect his eldest to be an airbender though. Surely you can't be the Crown Princess though? Given how backwards, sexist, misogynistic and patriarchal the Southern Water Tribe is, I wouldn't doubt it if you're below every male in the line of succession."

"Again I could so easily kill you right now." Victoire said idly as she cut off a little more hair. "If you had ever bothered to actually learn of other cultures rather than force your own world view on them against their will, you would learn that since my great grandfather was elected chief and his line made the Royal Line it has always passed onto the eldest child, regardless of gender. We are the second nation after the Fire Nation to adopt such a succession model."

"That is oddly progressive, I didn't think a backwater dictatorship like the Southern Water Tribe had it in them." Hermione mused. "Still, no matter how good that policy is, they can't be happy with and airbender as an heir."

"For once, you are right." Victoire said, much to Hermione's consternation that she could be anything but right all the time. "I was born the Crown Princess and heir to the throne but due to my bending I was ultimately, and after many years of debate, deemed ineligible to rule unless I gave it up at 18, joining you as the only other woman to have her bending removed by the Avatar. I chose to keep my bending and abdicate my right and any claims I had to the Chiefdom of the Southern Water Tribe. At that point, my younger sister took over as Crown Princess. I do not regret it one day."

"I see, I am not surprised that they forced such a choice on you." Hermione admitted.

"It was the right call and I made my decision." Victoire responded. "And I would make it again. I was never cut out to lead a nation, to be Chief in a fancy ice palace in the South. That isn't who I am. I have always preferred the simpler, humbler life of an airbender to the politics and procedures of power."

"That still doesn't make you any less privileged." Hermione pointed out. "You were born to royalty, you had money, wealth, power, and privilege. So what if you turned it down, you still have it."

"Privilege is a subjective term." Victoire replied after a moment and Hermione knew that she had gotten to the airbender. "Depending on who you ask. My family made sure I knew that despite our station, I would be treated just the same as everyone else. As Crown Princess I was expected to join the military out of the Academy and prove myself there as if I was any other soldier. The same for any of my family in their pursuits. When I renounced my title, my sister took that burden but I had to live as any in the Air Nation would. I received no special treatment. Unlike some under your rule."

"I was correcting past discrimination and privilege." Hermione snapped. "I was justified in my actions. It is not discrimination or privilege if it is affecting a disenfranchised group."

"Only to those who use it to justify their own actions." Victoire said with a snip of the scissors. "I will not deny that there are problems, individual acts that are bad, and that there are those who are privileged and who abuse it but they seem to be more in line with your thinking then mine."

"Then they recognize and check their privilege and use it for the greater good." Hermione said with a smirk. "That isn't privilege."

"If that is what helps you sleep at night with the crimes you have committed then so be it." Victoire said with an oddly sad tone in her voice. "But before you keep spouting off about all this, pause and think about what is going on right now. I, the former heir to the Southern Throne, who renounced her claim, is here, in a prison cell, calmly cutting the hair of a murderous tyrant who's actions decimated an entire nation to the point that they are still recovering to this day."

Hermione didn't speak to that and just glowered at the mirror. She knew that she was right, regardless of what the privileged cunt had just said to her. This was the treatment she deserved, to be waited on by the former elites, it was what Hermione expected. It changed nothing.

"That's what I thought." Victoire said misunderstanding Hermione's silence as she put the scissors away. "Now what are we going to do about your hair?"

"What about it?" Hermione asked looking at the lank, listless, mess of greasy, dull gray hair that was the result of her incarceration. "All I know that it is now gray and not beautiful, bushy and brown as it was in my prime."

"True." Victoire admitted as she took out a brush and comb and set to work. "I have seen pictures of you in the history books about your bloody reign and in museums and I must say it's not what I was expecting. Back in the day it was bushy, vibrant and a rich brown. With this, you are almost unrecognizable, almost."

"Yeah well 22 years underground with no natural light and shitty shampoo and conditioner will do that to someone's hair." Hermione growled as she looked in the mirror and admitted that eve she could barely recognize herself. "Not the best conditions for hair care."

It wasn't' just the hair that had changed about Hermione however. Her face was gaunt, sunken despite working out the last few months. Her skin was no longer tanned but a sickly, chalky, white. Hermione sighed, she had once been so beautiful but the Avatar had robbed of that just as he had robbed her of everything else, even her firebending.

"What about makeup?" Hermione asked. She normally eschewed it as she didn't believe in false advertising it did and how sexist it was, well that and she didn't need it, but given her appearance she wanted to look her best. "I could do with some. I need to look presentable."

"Don't be silly." Victoire said with an airy chuckle as she put the brush and comb away. "You're a convicted felon so you won't be getting any of that. There are not special privileges for female prisoners just because of their gender."

"Back when I ran the Fire Utopia I made sure that women were treated fairly in prison as they should be, not like the men." Hermione said as Victoire finished with her hair. "Women deserve to be treated well in prison, they shouldn't be there unless they are internalized misogynists who just want to be subjugated by men."

"Yes how very discriminatory you, I expected no less." Victoire said as she backed up her stuff. "But then again, you know about as much about equality as a piece of shit does."

Hermione again growled but didn't say anything as she knew that she couldn't. She just wanted to get this day over so that she could be transferred to a normal prison. Soon it would be over. In a few minutes Victoire was done putting her stuff away and stepped back.

"There, ready for your biggest day since you murdered Firelord Iroh and illegally claimed the throne of the Fire Nation." Victoire said with a smile as she banged on the metal door. "The world has waited too long for this."

"I executed a tyrant but you wouldn't know the difference being the child of one yourself and almost becoming one as well." Hermione snarled as the door slid open. "You are just like the rest, an ungrateful cunt who was too ignorant and brainwashed to see true enlightenment and just wanted to go back to be slaves to the true tyrants."

"Told you Hermione was charming." A familiar voice said as Victoire left the cell to reveal who was there to collect here. "But nothing prepares you for meeting her face to face."

Hermione stood to see Ron, James and a tall, handsome, brown haired man in the olive green fatigues of the United Army. Judging by the rank on his shoulder he was a lieutenant and if he was here he had to have some connection to the elites to be granted access to her. Victoire stepped over to the unknown lieutenant and kissed the man before turning cuddling up to him.

"See Teddy I told you it would be fine." Victoire said to who Hermione assumed was her boyfriend. "She may be a monster but nothing I can't handle, I am trained for a fight just in case. You were right uncle, she is a real piece of work."

"Try her back in the day, now that was an experience." Ron said with a cold look at Hermione as he accepted the restraints from James. "Right Hermione, it sure was a ride back when you were a true threat to the world."

Hermione bit back a retort as Ron stepped forward and into the cell to administer the now familiar restraints to Hermione's body. She sighed as the ritual happened but there wasn't much she could do about it. Either she let this shit happen or she fought and it happened anyway and with more pain.

Hermione didn't mind pain but only when she was inflicting it, preferably to Ron. She had to quell those wayward thoughts. They were of a misguided young girl who was finally seeing a boy her own age in the same light Leach had looked at her. That was a lifetime ago, things were forever different now.

Hermione was snapped back to reality when Ron forced her out of the cell and into the corridor. There was a gasp from the RCPD officer who had been standing behind his Chief when he saw who the special prisoner was. Evidently he hadn't been told who had arrived the night before.

"Chief, Chief, that's, that's the Fire Empress herself, Hermione the Cruel." He said using the epithet that she hated.

"It was Hermione the Savior." Hermione snarled at him. "Use the correct epithet for me. I may be in chains but I was still the savior of the Fire Utopia. I earned that name, use it."

"You earned the epithet 'the Cruel' as well." James whispered to the others behind her.

"Open up the viewing slots on all the cells." Ron ordered silencing all conversation. "They may as well see who is here, it ain't like any of them are going anywhere. Once done you are to stay here with Lieutenant Edward so that you don't ruin the surprise that is Hermione's presence and impending confession."

"Of course Chief." The underling said as he hurried down the corridor sliding open the viewing slots.

"Listen up inmates you are going to get a rare and special privilege today." Ron called out as he began to walk down the corridor. "You sick fucks get to see who we brought in last night before the rest of the world get to know. Seeing as y'all ain't going nowhere you can't ruin the surprise."

Hermione felt a push in her back and she began to shuffle down the corridor. As she walked she heard the voices of the inmates once again shouting at her as she walked past their cells and they recognized her.

"Is that…"

"It can't be …."

"It is …"

"It's Hermione the Cruel!"

"Can't believe she's here, I thought she was long dead."

"I thought they secretly killed her."

"Evidently they didn't."

"Damn she's still not hot."

"I'd fuck her though, just for the power trip."

"Me too, I'd love to make the former Fire Empress lick my wet cunt."

Hermione once again ignored the crude comments and walked with her head held high, her back as straight as possible in the restraints. She was above these people. She was above everyone. She was one of the last Enlightened still alive and the most Enlightened of all of them. The world may believe the Avatar's lie but she would never believe it. She was the rightful ruler of the world, regardless of her situation.

Soon they reached the elevator and she was hurried into it along with Ron, James and Victoire and mercifully the sound of the sick fuckers in solitary were cut off. That was good as they had been getting worse while she had been walking. The elevator then took them up a level and opened into an underground parking deck.

Hermione was quickly bundled into the back of a waiting prison transport truck that had been parked right in front of the elevator just for this purpose. The van had no windows and Ron attached her chains to a metal bar in the back of the truck before he closed and locked the door leaving her alone in it. A moment later Hermione felt the van lurch into gear and drive.

How long they were moving she did not know, she had no way of seeing her surrounds, but after a while she heard earthbending. Then she felt the van begin to slow until it came to a stop. A few minutes later the door was opened and a familiar face looked in.

"Hello Hermione, ready to honor the last part of your deal." Avatar Harry said with a smile.

Harry didn't wait for a reply, he just jumped into the back of the van and unlocked Hermione's chain connecting her to the metal bench and hauled her out of the van. She had to jump down and Ron grabbed her arm to steady here and prevent her from falling as Harry followed her out.

Looking around, Hermione noticed that they were in an underground cavern that Harry had likely created to hold the van and Hermione. As soon as she was steady, Harry walked her over to a spot and put here there.

"Stand here and I will raise you up when it is time." Harry said as Ron moved to flank Harry. "James will make sure that you don't do anything."

Harry nodded to his smiling son as he raised a platform to take himself and Ron out of the cavern and up onto a stone dais that he had probably created for the press conference. Hermione was now left in the cavern with James, evidently Victoire had not joined them, and knew there was nothing to do but wait for her to finally address the world about her enlightened actions as Fire Empress of the Fire Utopia.

On the dais was all the World Leaders sitting calmly and Ron moved to stand with them. Harry walked forward to the lecturn that had been set up there and looked out over the central square of Republic City, right in front of the Presidential Palace. In front of him was a crowd of reporters from all forms of media along with a large portion of the city who had come to see what this sudden press conference was all about. Harry smiled at them.

"Welcome gathered guests, press and inquisitive citizens who have come out on this cold day to see what this is all about." Harry said to the gathered crowd. "I will not take your up your time with my speaking for this is not about me. Y'all are likely wondering why I called this and your waiting will come to an end momentarily."

Harry paused for a moment so that the crowd could mutter about what it might be. He also wanted to bring up the anticipation in the square. Once it was where Harry wanted it to be, he continued.

"As y'all know a few months ago I, along with my team, raided the headquarters of the Enlightened, their island hideout. The raid culminated in the death of the Fire Enlightened, former headmaster of the Royal Fire School System, Leach and the confirmation of ex-monk Myrtle's passing years ago."

At this point Harry paused in his speech. The crowd had begun to cheer at this and he wanted to let them have this moment.

"Alas Cresswell, the Earth Enlightened, escaped." Harry continued once the crowd had died down. "After the raid I said that we were acting on a tip from an informant close to the Enlightened and now that informant will be revealed to the world."

Once again Harry was forced to pause as the crowd began buzzing again at this news. The identity of the informant who had helped finally track down most of the remaining Enlightened had been part of the rumor mill for months. Now they were going to find out who it was.

"Part of the deal I and the other World Leaders made with the informant in exchange for the information we need, was that the informant would make a statement to the world as part of the deal in which she confesses to her many crimes." Harry continued and suddenly the square was quiet as they began to realize who the informant was. "So I give you my informant that helped break one of the last secrets of the Enlightened. Members of the press and citizens of the world, I present, for the first time in over 20 years, the former Fire Empress and the 6th Enlightened, Hermione."

The buzz resumed as Harry stepped aside and slammed his foot on the stone platform. A moment later a hole appeared in the platform and Hermione appeared, fully shackled, at the lectern. As soon as she appeared cameras flashed and a the buzz turned into a cacophony at the first appearance of Hermione in years.

Harry raised a fist and sent out a jet of fire high into the air to quiet down the crowd. Once it was quiet Harry turned to Hermione and nodded. As he did this Harry retracted the metal soles of his shoes so that he could truth see Hermione's words.

Hermione sighed as she approached the microphones, blinking away the flashing lights of the cameras that had begun as soon as she was raised up to the dais. She had been surprised when the Avatar had raised her up but now she was ready. She had prepared for this and it was time to spin her tale so that she could honor her end of the deal while still acknowledging that she was in the right. Hermione took a deep breath before she began to give her first speech in over 20 years.

"I would wave or do something with my hands but as you can see I can't raise them at all." Hermione said indicating her cuffed hands as she tried to raise them in a failed attempt at hummer to lighten the situation. "But enough of that. I am here today to make a confession. To allocate to the many crimes that I have been convicted of and to apologize to all those who see themselves as victims of my reign and who perceived that they were harm by my actions."

At this Hermione paused. This was her first phrasing that appealed to what the Avatar wanted while being true and not admitting to what he actually desired. Hermione knew that her enemies and those who had not embraced her saw themselves as the victims but they weren't. Only who she said were victims could be victims.

"When I became the Fire Empress of the Fire Utopia, after I executed Firelord Iroh during my coup that ended his tyranny, I made many laws, many degrees, many policies." Hermione continued after her pause, the crowd now silent as they listened to her. "I did this in my zeal to show the world that my Fire Utopia was the most enlightened, the most equal, the most perfect nation in the world."

Hermione paused again but this time it was not for the people, this time it was for her. Even after all these years, she was still emotional at the thought of the perfect nation she had created being ended because of the ignorance of the Avatar. When she had composed herself, Hermione continued with her speech.

"I had created a nation run on the tenants of social justice, on ending privilege to those who had experienced it in the past. A nation set on ending sexism, misogyny, on redistributing wealth horded over generations to those who needed it the most. A nation that valued equal rights for all even if those who had benefited in the past had to be put in their place. This is because the oppressor can never be oppressed."

Again Hermione paused to let her powerful words sit in. She wanted to make sure that everyone knew the utopia had been destroyed when she had been illegally removed from power. However, it wasn't having the effect that she had hopped as the people were getting a little irritated. Fuck them, Hermione was going to continue with her speech so that the world knew what it had lost when it decided to label her a criminal and not the savior of the world that she was.

"Unfortunately many in the world did not understand this and instead saw my regime a cruel, brutal and dictatorial." Hermione continued, her imperial tone coming back to her now that she had a platform to preach to the ignorant masses from. "To this day, I do not know why this is the case. True I made all the rules but that was because I am Enlightened and all my views should be law it is as simple as that. I showed that when I made the laws there was none of the problems that we see in the other nations. All inequality was ended in the Fire Utopia, the first time in history a nation has accomplished this feat."

Hermione took this moment to stop and glare at the crowd. She may be in chains, she may be in prison rags, but she was still the Fire Empress and she knew how to speak to a crowd and how to look at one. Now she was glaring at them to show her displeasure at their ungratefulness towards her by removing her from her throne.

"It is true that I silenced hate speech, which I defined as anything that I disagreed with, but I had to in order to provide a truly great society free of hate and bigotry." Hermione continued when she was ready. "I had to be tough, I had to be blunt, I had to be restrictive in order to achieve the goals I had set out for the Fire Utopia. I did what I did for the betterment of the people and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The only way to ensure this is to dictate what people do and think. I can do this because I am enlightened and therefore have the right to do this."

Hermione stopped and glared at the people. Instead of the chasten looks she wanted, she saw anger and hatred directed towards her. They were murmuring and irritated at her. Hermione sighed, she knew it was time to change tact and give them what they wanted. She had hoped that her fiery speech and indignation would rally the crowd but it had failed. She would have to give them what they wanted.

"Alas in my zeal I did not oversee my subordinates as well as I should have and there were clear abuses of power by those who I had trusted with it." Hermione said as her passion waned and she resigned herself to what she had to do. "I wanted loyalty, I wanted my laws followed without question, I wanted my laws enforced and implemented and these people were willing to do all of that. I did not question their methods, I only cared for their results. In hindsight, I should have vetted and overseen them better. That was my mistake and I admit to that. That is why I am here today. I am here to take responsibility for all the actions committed by those who I reigned over just as any leader should."

Hermione could feel the tears in her eyes as she admitted to her mistake. In her years in prison this was one of the few things that she had realized was a mistake. She didn't regret the laws or her actions with dissidents. What she did regret was how they were implemented by monsters who espoused her views to achieve power for themselves. She had not questioned them, she just wanted results. This is what the ignorant masses wanted and she was going to give it to them.

"While I did use forced labor, it that was the labor of criminals who had broken my laws and I needed that labor to aid in the prosperity of my nation." Hermione continued as she addressed one of the issues that people had with her, despite it being legal under her laws. "What I did was legal and necessary. Alas, when you are working there will be accidents and people will die while working but they had assumed the risks when they committed the crimes. If I am responsible for their deaths then so be it, they broke my laws and I sentenced them accordingly. In that vein, I did sentence traitors to my regime to death, but again, as a sovereign leader I had the authority to do so."

At this Hermione paused to compose herself. Her eyes were no longer wet but she was still angry at the world for making her do this, for everything they did to her. She was the rightful ruler of the Fire Utopia, nee the world, but instead she was nothing more than a monster to those whom she had benefitted the most.

"However the world did not see it the same way I did and sent the Avatar to illegally end my enlightened reign." Hermione continued, her anger coming out in her words. "I was defeated, humiliated, stripped of my bending and arrested in violation of Enlightened law. As a result, I was charged with over 100 million felonies, including almost 2 million counts of murder for all the deaths that occurred during my reign. These were deaths I had nothing to do with directly but were the results of those who abused the power entrusted in them or who had died because of their own actions resulting in their convictions. This did not sway the ICTFU did not see it the correct way and subsequently convicted me on all counts."

As Hermione reached her conviction her anger left her and she deflated and stopped talking. There was nothing she could do to change what had happened. The only thing she could do was to give everyone what they wanted and at least give her the chance at freedom down the road. Otherwise, she was going to rot in prison, by herself, for the rest of her life. It was time to do the one thing she had never expected to do, confess to the false charges that had been leveled against her.

"But the past is the past, I am here to do one thing." Hermione said as resignation set in. "I hereby officially plead guilty to every single charge I was convicted of and acknowledge that I am responsible for all of them as the Fire Empress."

This caused the crowd to erupt. Hermione had braced herself for this, but she was still disappointed that it had not been anger but cheers at her plea. The cameras were flashing again and blinding Hermione. Still she had a few more things to say and decided to just plow through it.

"To the families that lost loved ones." Hermione began and the crowd silenced once again to listen to her. "To those who were torn apart either because of the actions of my subordinates or their own actions in breaking my enlightened laws, to you, I apologize for all the pain and harm that has been done unto you under my watch as Empress Hermione the Savior. I was the leader and when the world decides that my actions were crimes, I must take responsibility for them even if I know that my actions were justified. Now I have confessed to the crimes the world believes I am guilty of, I have said how they occurred and I have apologized for them. It may have taken me over 20 years to come to this realization but I have."

Hermione couldn't continue as her emotions overcame her at her last statement. She didn't cry, she just felt drained and sad that she had to do this. The crowd however were mumbling and confused as they tried to understand what she had just said. Taking a deep breath, Hermione composed herself for something else that she had to say, something that would at least get the people somewhat back on her side.

"In making this confession, I have turned on my former associates within the Enlightened. I have betrayed those who raped and brainwashed me from the age of 10. Those who made me into the monster that the world sees me as these days just because I made the Fire Utopia a better place for all. I now speak to those who I exiled when they were threatening to usurp my power. I now denounce you. You are not the true Enlightened, only I am, and you do not deserve the title or honor of being Enlightened."

At that the crowd went silent and just stared at Hermione. It was clearly what they had not been expecting.

"I have one last thing to say." Hermione said as she came to the end of her speech. "And I direct at two people specifically. To Cresswell and the Water Enlightened, the last two Enlightened still alive and free, I urge you to turn yourselves in. It's over, we lost. I have done what I came here to do. Thank you for giving me the time to speak to you today."

Hermione bowed her head, a tear falling down her cheek as her composure at what she had been forced to do finally broke, and took a step back from the lectern. As soon as the media noticed that she was done, they started hollering out questions. Meanwhile, the citizens were screaming insults and other vile things at her as they cheered at her confession. That was when the Avatar opened up the stage and Hermione was lowered into the earth, thankfully ending this ordeal for her.

Once Hermione was gone Harry looked to King Zhan who nodded back. Hermione had been truthful in her statement, even if she hadn't been particularly pleasant or remorseful in it and had deflected blame to her subordinates or victims throughout her confession. She had honored her end of the deal, had pled guilty, and Harry would honor his end and transfer her to Azkaban. First, though, he approached the microphones and deal with the media.

"Thank y'all for coming, there will be no questions at this time." Harry called into the microphones, quieting the crowd once more. "In accordance with her deal, Hermione will be transferred to Azkaban Prison Island at an undisclosed period of time and her sentence will be reduced to a mandatory minimum of 50 years, with credit for current time served since her conviction, before she will be eligible for parole. This is in exchange for her confession and testimony against the Enlightened, both of which have been deemed truthful. Thank you for your time now but I must go about my duties as the Avatar, as must the other World Leaders."

With that Harry bent himself deeper into the earth and back to the cavern as the media continued to ask questions. Hermione was already in the van, James had ensured that she was placed there while Harry had been ending the press conference. Harry then waited for Ron to join him, via a premade passage, and they got into the van and drove away from the cavern at last.

They used the old tunnels that the Equalists had used almost a century ago to navigate the van out of the city and into the countryside and to the north of the city where the Kyoshi Airship awaited them. This was done to avoid any press or attacks on Hermione's life should someone try it and there were many who would want to do so if they could.

Soon they reached the airship and Harry and Ron got out and went to the back of the van. Harry fetched a clearly emotionally drained Hermione out of the back of the van and without a word lead the shackled woman to the airship. While he was doing this, Ron got into the driver's seat and drove the van back, he had his job to do now that the solstice festivities would begin soon.

Hermione didn't say a word the entire time he was taking her to the airship. Harry assumed she was drained from the efforts of the day and all that it had entailed. Regardless, he didn't mind, Hermione was always best when she was silent.

Harry led her up the gangway and to the cell in the center of the hold, guarded by the usual Kyoshi Warrior. She continued to not say a word even as he locked her in her cell and removed her restraints. Once they were gone Harry reached into his vest and pulled out the sealed scroll that he had kept there for after the press conference. Harry then unsealed it and handed it to Hermione along with a pen.

"Your deal." Harry said as she took it. Hermione unrolled it as the airship took off. "It has everything you need to know about the deal, the new sentence you will serve, and how we have honored it. All the World Leaders have signed it, as have I, and now all you need to do is sign it to make it official. You have the journey to read and sign it. Once we reach Azkaban the deal will expire so be quick about it."

"How long will it take to get there." Hermione said as she began to look at the scroll.

"About 12 hours." Harry said. "We have to take a circuitous route to avoid a tail for your own protection and to maintain the secret location of Azkaban prison."

Harry turned and left before Hermione could respond. She could read it on her own time, Harry had to prepare for Azkaban.

Hermione spent the first part of the trip reading the deal, it was all there with the reduced sentence in writing, and signed by all the World Leaders. She was amused to see that Filius had been named the Second Archabbot of the Air Nation, though Myrtle should have always been the leader of that nation the moment she became the Air Enlightened.

Hermione signed the deal after she had read it 5 times and was satisfied that it was the same as the one she had made months ago when she had requested the Avatar's presence in her cell. She then spent the rest of the journey meditating, sleeping and relaxing after the long day. Hermione had hated making that speech but she knew it was necessary. She had worded it well enough to appease the Avatar while acknowledging who was truly at fault. Now she had her deal and the chance of parole one day.

11 hours or so into the journey she felt the airship shift down and Hermione knew that they were almost there and sat up waiting for the inevitable arrival. Soon she would be at her new prison where she would spend the next 27 or so years at least.

Harry looked out of the fore window of the airship as he stood next to the ship's pilot while the airship slowly descended towards the rough stone jetty that served as a docking area for Azkaban Prison Island. The island itself was only accessible from the air, despite being in the northern seas, as the currents were too strong around it to allow any ships to safely dock. That and the prison didn't have a lighthouse.

That was why Harry had raised the island where it was before the imposing fortress prison was built upon it when the need for such a prison arose. As they approached Harry felt an involuntary shudder go through his body at the sight of the impregnable, wind and sea ravaged, prison used to house the worst nonbender criminals in the world.

The prison was a tall triangular structure that rose high into the sky making it one of the tallest structures in the world. Made out of solid stone so thick that would make the great walls of Ba Sing Se blush, it would take several earthbenders to make a dent in it in. The walls and sea weren't the only defenses the prison had, there were also the special guards.

Floating around the prison at random points were the Dementor guards of Azkaban Prison. The creepy and happiness sucking spirits were employed only as a defensive measure and were only used to subdue prisoners in extreme circumstances, though they were very effective at that. The deal with the Dementors was unique and it gave the prison spirit status thus allowing it to remain neutral no matter what, though it had to honor any World Leader regardless of legitimacy. Still, Harry had been against employing them for the job but he had been outvoted on the matter.

10 minutes later the airship touched down at the jetty in front one of the three sides of the prison. Harry groaned as he got up and went to the cell to make sure Hermione had signed the deal and then properly restrain her. Fortunately they were arriving during the day, given how long it had taken them to get here they had flown through the night, and during calm weather so the approach wasn't problematic. Had it been a stormy night, typical at Azkaban, then it would have been too hard to land.

It didn't take long to restrain Hermione and check the deal, all without either of them speaking. She had signed it and was ready to leave his and the Kyoshi Warrior's custody and be placed in the hands of the White Lotus who administered the prison. Harry honestly didn't know which would be worse, Azkaban or the prison he had specially created for Hermione, as both were hellholes reserved for monsters like Hermione but at least Azkaban allowed for interactions with other prisoners.

Hermione shuffled off the ship and down onto the stone jetty with Harry and a few of the Kyoshi Warriors. Waiting for her and Harry were 4 White Lotus guards and the Warden of the prison. Harry knew that the man had to be present when a high profile, maximum security, inmate arrived to personally oversee their intake. The Warden was a small man in a shockingly purple suit and top hat that looked comical at a prison but was negated by his serious expression. An expression that broke as soon as he saw the Avatar.

"Avatar Harry, so good to see you again." The short man said excitedly shaking Harry's hand enthusiastically as the top hat wobbled precariously on his head.

"Dedalus so good to see you again." Harry said with a slightly exacerbated smile, the Warden was always like this around him. "Even if it is at this charming little island you govern for us."

"It's a decent gig." The man called Dedalus said. "Keeps me away from the issues of the world but still allows me to serve it. Here it's just me, my guards and the inmates."

"Well I am here to formally transfer custody of one Hermione into your care." Harry said passing over a copy of the deal Hermione had just signed as well as the official transfer papers. "In accordance with her status, a member of Team Avatar has escorted her to Azkaban for you to personally take charge of her.

"Hmmm" Dedalus muttered as he skimmed over the papers. "Yes I heard of the transfer but wasn't cleared to know until after that conference you had yesterday. I got the call from President Shacklebolt personally to sort it out. As soon as I saw the airship I came out to oversee as I am required to do. Everything seems to be in order. I would offer you to stay for a meal but I know you are busy and hate staying here longer than necessary."

"Yes the dementors freak me out." Harry said shivering as he glanced up at one of the black robed, floating spirits. "Maybe because I am the bridge between the worlds but they have always affected me worse than most so I will leave Hermione in your custody. You know the requirements."

"Of course." Dedalus said with a nod. "We have 4 others in the female side classified as high profile and maximum security. I'll explain it all to her as she is being processed. We have the special uniform ready for her so that this can all go smoothly."

"Thank you Dedalus." Harry said shaking the man's hand again. "Well she's your responsibility now, goodbye."

"Stop by anytime Avatar." The man said as Harry left to return to the ship.

His job here was done and until Hermione's parole he had officially closed the book on her and her involvement in his life. Harry didn't look back at all as he boarded the airship. Soon it would leave this shithole and he would be on his way back to Republic City to continue with his duties as the Avatar and hunt down the last of the Enlightened, and perhaps Pyrites's killer as well.

There is still one more chapter in Hermione's story arc and yes it is a chapter that is set in Azkaban and dealing with what the prison is like. This is both to wrap up Hermione's story for Book 3 and set up Azkaban as there are 4 planned spinoffs, 3 involving characters from the next chapter and one that deals with Ron and Neville going undercover in Azkaban. It is more of a filler chapter but it is necessary and after that the main arcs of Book 3 will continue. That is all for this post chapter note, as always please like, favorite, follow, review, this story and any questions asked in reviews or PMs will be answered at the start of the next chapter. Until next week.

Stringdog