AN: dont forget to review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters
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Hermione sat at the table, looking out the window at the ocean. She rubbed her forearm. Images of Bellatrix's crazed face flashed into her mind. They flashed to images of Draco, how he just stood there watching as she screamed and cried trying to get out of her grasp. A small tear fell from her eye, she couldn't believe that he could simply stand there and watch the scene take place. Hermione rose from the table as Harry entered the home again. She followed him up the stairs and to the room where Ollivander was resting.
The three of them entered the room and Harry sat on the bed. "Mr. Ollivander. Can you identify these wands for me?" Harry held out a wand, it was slightly bent. He examines the wand. "It's worn. Why, this belongs to Miss Bellatrix Lastrange." He hands the wand back to Harry as he hands him another one. "Simple. Unicorn hair. This wand used to belong to Mr. Draco Malfoy." Hermione looked at the man as he spoke Draco's name. Even after all that had happened she would be lying if she said she didn't miss him terribly. Hermione drifted in and out as Harry asked about the Elder Wand. "If he really has found it, you don't stand a chance."
The trio left the room. "We need to go talk to the goblin." Luna stepped aside and they entered. "A professor put a fake sword in Lastrange's vault. Snape. Only a goblin would know it was a fake." Griphook examined the sword. "There are other things in Bellatrix's vault too?" The goblin smiled crookedly. "Perhaps."
"Can you get us in? I have plenty of gold." There was something more that the goblin wanted, something more than gold. "I want that." He pointed to the sword. "I get you in and I get that." Harry swallowed hard. Hermione wasn't sure how she felt about it, the sword was the only thing they had that really seemed to be able to destroy the horcruxes. "Fine."
Hermione holds up a single strand of hair. "Are you sure that's hers?" She nodded. "Yes, I'm positive." She drops it in a cup of polyjuice potion, drinking it and transforming into the mad woman herself. Hermione walked to the top of the hill where Harry and Ron were standing. "Well?" She held her arms out. "Looks good. You can give that to Hermione Griphook. Once you get us in, you'll get it back." Hermione slides the sword into her bag. The trio apparated into Diagon Alley. Griphook jumped onto Harry's back and he threw the invisibility cloak over him making the two vanish.
Hermione walked down the aisle of Gringotts, trying to act as much like Bellatrix as she could. Goblins busy at work sat on either side. "I would like to access my vault." Hermione spoke attempting to mask her voice. The goblin in front of her continued to write. "Identification." Hermione swallowed hard. "I hardly doubt that will be necessary." He finally lifted his head, "Ah Miss Lastrange. I'm sorry but I will need to see your wand. You understand given the times."
"They know" there was a whisper. "They know she's an impostor." Hermione began to get nervous. "Harry do something." she whispered. Harry quietly walked over to the side of the goblin, a green gas coming from his wand. "Ah yes. This way." Hermione had never been in the Gringotts vaults before. They climbed into the cart, speeding off down the track. Twirling and turning as if it were a roller-coaster leading them into the depths of the bank. A waterfall washed over them, dropping them out of the cart and onto a ledge. "Hermione you look like you again."
"The waterfall washes away all forms of magic." The goblin who led them into the vault glanced at them. "Who are you all?" he questioned. Harry waved his wand, the same green gas from before coming from the end. "Okay, this way." Griphook and the trio follow the goblin, coming to a circular platform with a large white dragon changed to it. "Ring this." the goblin hands Ron a dual ended bell. The dragon backed down as long as the bells rang. They finally reached the vault.
Wand illuminated they went in, "Accio horcrux." Ron looked back at Hermione. "Really? You thought that was going to work?" She punched him in the shoulder. They made their way further into the vault. "I found it." Harry quickly moved closer. Hermione knocked into a table knocking down a pot, it clanged as it hit the ground multiplying. "It's a jinx. Anything you touch will duplicate." More pots and metal artifacts began to clang and hit the ground, Harry began to climb as they grew into a mountain. "Harry hurry up!" Hermione yells. "I've almost got it." Hermione was fighting off the objects as they doubled. Harry grabbed the cup, they were buried in metal. She pulled the sword out to give to Harry but it drifted away in a sea of cups and pots.
"I said I would get you in, not out." Griphook grabbed the sword and sprinted for the exit. "Griphook!" Harry shouted, swimming to the front. The trio barely escaped the vault, once out security was waiting for them casting spells and running towards them. Hermione stopped and hide quickly behind a corner. "What do we do?" yelled Ron. "I don't know!" Hermione didn't know everything. "Well you're the smart one!" Hermione glanced around the corner. "I have an idea. But it's absolutely mental. Like completely mental."
She ran around the corner, "Reducto!". The edge of the balcony blasted away, taking a deep breath she ran and leapt off the edge onto the dragon. "Come on!" she shouted back. Once the boys made it to the back of the dragon it took off, breaking through the floor of the bank. Flying higher and higher breaking through the roof before it stopped being pulled back by the chain. Hermione waved her wand, the chain snapping allowing the dragon to reach the sky. The dragon flew for what seemed like hours. "We're dropping." Hermione looked underneath them. "Jump!" The trio jumped off the dragon and into the lake below.
Hermione rose to the surface, taking in a deep breath as she swam to shore. "We have to go back to Hogwarts." Harry spoke as he took his shirt off. Hermione reached into her extended bag, pulling out dry clothes for everyone. "Harry, are you mental?"
"Maybe, but I saw it. There's a horcrux there. Something to do with Ravenclaw." Hermione put on a shirt and a jacket taking a deep breath. "Fine, but how?" Harry pulled the new shirt over his head. "The passage I used to get into Hogsmeade. We will wait till nightfall then go." Hermione was unsure about this plan, she knew that with Snape Headmaster now the entire castle and surrounding areas would be covered with Death Eaters. However, she understood that they needed to get all seven so she would run with this plan.
As night fell the trio apparated into Hogsmeade, sirens blared as soon as their feet touched the snowy ground. They ran to the gate, but it was locked. "In here Potter." A man's voice spoke, however they didn't see the man. Blindly, they followed. "Did you see him?" Hermione shook her head. "Dumbledore." Hermione walked around the home, a painting hung above the fireplace of a young girl. A mirror hung to the side, she could see Harry in it. "Fools. Why did you come back here?"
"You're Dumbledore's brother." He sat down a tray of biscuits and tea on the table. Hermione and Ron grabbed a cookie taking a bite of it. "We need to get into the castle tonight." Aberforth looked up at the painting of the young girl. "You know what to do." Hermione walked over, realizing who the painting was of. Arianna, Dumbledore's sister. They watched the painting as she left and returned. "She's coming back." The painting opened and Neville crouched down. "You look like hell." said Harry. "Seamus is worse. Come on." The trio climbed into the painting and followed Neville down the newly developed path. "Hogwarts have changed."
The painting opened and a large group of students sat on the floor, a good amount of them from the DA. They all stood up and cheered as the group stepped through the threshold. "We need to find something. Not sure where or what. I know not much to go on. Something to do with Ravenclaw." Luna spoke first. "What about Ravenclaw's lost diadem?"
"No one has ever seen it though." said Cho. "It's a tiara of some sort." A door opened, and a familiar redhead girl ran in, Ginny. "So it's true." She glanced at Harry. "Snape knows." she warned. Ron stared at her. "After six months and I get nothing?" Seamus chuckled. "Plenty of brothers mate, only one Potter."
Hermione and Ron followed the Order as they entered the Great Hall after Harry made his appearance. "How dare you stand where he stood." Harry shouted. Snape pulled his wand out, McGonagall stepping in front of Harry wand at the ready. Spells flew between both professors. Snape took a step back with each spell she cast at him before turning into a black mist and flying out the window. The students cheered as McGonagall illuminated the Great Hall as it used to be.
Soon the Hall went dark again, blood curdling screaming coming from a first year girl and one of the Patel sisters as they covered their ears. Voldemort's raspy voice filled the Hall. "Give me Harry Potter. Do this and I will leave Hogwarts untouched. You have one hour." The Hall was lit again as his voice dissipated. The student body glared at him. "Well someone grab him!" Yelled Pansy. Hermione's eyes shot at her, she never liked her. Hermione and Ginny stepped in front of him, the rest of the Order following. Hermione and the others wouldn't dare let anyone touch him.
"Mr. Filch please escort Slytherin House to the dungeons." McGonagall spoke. Hermione followed after Harry. Students scattered and frantically ran through the hallways. "Harry wait." Hermione stood behind Harry. "Ron and I were thinking. It doesn't matter if we find a horcrux if we can't destroy it. Second year you used a basilisk fang, and we think we know where we can get one." Harry nodded, "Okay go." He handed them the Marauders Map and jogged up the stairs. Hermione and Ron ran down the stairs and headed for the girls bathroom where the Chamber of Secrets was located. She had hoped that the skeleton of the basilisk was still down there.
Luckily Ron knew how to navigate the chamber since during this time Hermione was petrified in the hospital wing. Ron spoke in parseltongue at the entrance to the chamber. "Harry talks in his sleep." Ron chuckled as they entered. Walking down the long brick path way, a large snake skeleton lay there. Ron pulled a long tooth out. "You do it." he said handing it to her, placing the cup on the floor. Hermione raised her arm before slamming the fang into the cup. It spun widely, a tidal wave washing over them as it was destroyed.
Draco stood on top of a ledge with his parents, an army of Death Eaters behind them and Voldemort at the head. He could see the shield going up around Hogwarts. "Begin." Voldemort ordered. The army behind him launched spells, they sounded like bombs as they hit the shield surrounding the school. Draco stood and watched, swallowing hard. The shield stood strong as they continued to blast spells. He watched as Voldemort screamed in pain, before blasting a very large spell at the shield. It finally began to crack and crumble.
As Hogwarts defenses fell the Death Eaters began to apparate in black misty clouds. Flames and smoke rose, pieces of stone clashing with other parts of the castle before falling to the ground. Windows broke as they flew in, students panicked and fleeing for their lives. Draco waved his wand causing the gates holding Slytherin house in the dungeon exploded, students began to flew. Draco apparated into the crowd grabbing Blaise and Goyle by the backs of their robes. "Come on." Pushing them through an archway and running behind them. Someone had stolen something from him, and he wanted it back.
Hermione and Ron examined the map. "There he is, wait. He vanished." Ron glanced at her. "The Room of Requirement, it doesn't show up on the map." Hermione stopped. "That's right." Draco, Blaise and Goyle hid behind a wall dodging rubble that was falling from the ceiling. "Come on." He grunted, as he ran around the corner and into the Room of Requirement. Hermione and Ron carefully found their way into the Room as well. Draco moved around the clutter, finding Harry wand raised. "Well, well Potter. What brings you here? I think you have something of mine." Blaise and Goyle taking his flank. "I'd like it back."
"What's wrong with the one you have?" Harry didn't move. "It's my mothers. It's powerful, but not the same." Draco wanted his wand back, the wand that choose him. His mother's wand didn't understand him as well as his own. "Why didn't you tell her? Bellatrix." Draco froze, no way could he tell Harry he didn't rat them out because he loved Hermione. "You knew it was me." Goyle leaned it. "Don't be a prat Draco, do it." Draco looked at Harry, he was tired of people telling him what to do. "Expelliarmus!" Hermione came around the corner casting. Draco's wand flew out of his hand. "Avada Kedavra!" Goyle was going to kill her. "Stupify!" Hermione's spell met Goyle, deflecting it. Draco slinked around the clutter. He was going to get his wand.
Ron ran after Goyle screaming. Hermione stopped, climbing chairs to help Harry. "Got it." They both jumped down, Ron's scream coming back around the same corner he left from. A bright orange light following him. "Goyle set the bloody place on fire!" Ron ran past them, a large blaze of fire in the shape of a snake slinking towards them. Hermione and Harry ran following Ron. The fire snake roaring and blasting through all the objects in the room. Draco, Blaise and Goyle started to climb a large pile of furniture. Halfway up Goyle lost his grip and fell, being engulfed by the flames. Draco looked down, as his friend turned to ash. He didn't want to lose any more people.
Ron threw Hermione and Harry a broomstick, they soared into the air. Hermione watched as Draco stood on the pile of furniture, she didn't want to leave him. She knew he would die in there. The pile slid as it burned, knocking Draco and Blaise to grip to the sides. "We can't leave them." Hermione was surprised Harry made this statement. The trio circled back around, Harry held his hand down. Draco grabbed it and climbed onto the back of the broom, Ron grabbing Blaise. Hermione took the lead and flew them out of the room, a blast of fire knocking Harry and Draco to the floor.
As Harry grabbed the tiara, Draco grabbed what he came for as it flew to the ground as well. His wand. Draco ran off, as Hermione threw Harry the fang. A black smoke coming as he drove it into the tiara, quickly Ron kicked it into the flaming room as the doors shut. Draco hide and watched Hermione. He had wondered if she would have left him there to die. Or if it was her idea to save him. He would prove to her in some way he wasn't a bad person, just seemed to make all the wrong choices. He watched her from a distance before running off.