The statute of secrecy was stretched to its limits as Aurors and obliviators worked over time to clean up the mess the death eaters left behind them up and down the country.

Waking her gently with a kiss, he smiled at the wide yawn and stretch Hermione demonstrated before opening her eyes. When she saw him , her look became serious.

"Severus?" The word was a question, and with a nod he answered , not missing the tension that flooded her frame. "It's time"

The meeting was held in the dungeons , and contained every single member of the extended order of the phoenix, along with every one of the defected Death Eaters.

Their eyes and ears in the castle, the forest and beyond. Centaurs, House Elves and even stoic old Argus Filch all stood solemnly, and yet respectfully as Severus spoke.

Severus himself stood at the head of the meeting, outlying their plans to all. Gone was Albus Dumbledore's chess game. They were no longer pawns on a chessboard, given only snippets of information, and following on blind faith, blind being the key word as before most were unaware of what other members were doing for the cause , Dumbledore keeping all the pieces held tightly to his chest to the disadvantage of the players. Instead Severus included everyone. They were all sworn to secrecy, to make sure plans were kept safe but each and everyone was made aware of the plan going forward, everyone knew what everyone else was doing and where they were supposed to be. There would be no mistakes, or missteps due to lack of communication. Severus commanded respect , without being harsh or overbearing. It was clear he was in charge, but he listened and heard to what others had to say. He was ruthless in his plan , without being unnecessarily cruel and she watched with pride at the number of order members old and new, who looked at him with new eyes, like the gruff Alastor Moody, respect showing for the man before them who'd never been able to show his true self , so twisted and smothered was he, in Albus Dumbledore's web of lies.

It was their final plan, Mark I. Because they had discussed in detail many ways in which it might fail, Hermione and Septima using arithmancy and logic to plan contigencies for each possible failure. So not only did every know the original plan, they knew Mark II , Mark III and Mark IV. There would be no blind panic, and no one lost, confused and scattered to the wind if some part went wrong. Everyone knew what to do, everyone knew where to be and everyone knew the failsafe if something went mildly, drastically, or horribly wrong.

There were few actual key players in the plan itself, a small handful really, but many other talents were being utilised and everyone had a role. There was a second for every key player, ready to take up the mantle of the role if the key player was injured or incapacitated in someway. There were also shadows for every key player in the same even they were injured or incapacitated , the shadow would tend to the key player or if, merlin forbid, their injuries were too severe, get them to the hospital wing.

A number of people were designated to the hospital wing, as emergency assistants and In addition to those , there were crowd control to keep anyone who shouldn't be there, away and there were those assigned to provide a safety net to prevent collateral damage if everything went tits up , and then there were those tasked with getting all civilians to safety in that same instance.

There was even a guard put around certain people of interest , in case they became targets. Namely one Harry Potter and associates.

If the plan went as they intended , the majority of players wouldn't be needed at all. It mostly hinged on Hermione and Severus themselves, in an ideal world there would be no need for healers, no need for crowd control and no need to evacuate any civilians. In Hermione's mind, the plan was air tight, however Severus had assured her that it was important for morale for everyone to feel needed, and to feel seen. So every person was allocated a role , even though their fervent hopes were they were not to be utilised.

It started with a note, delivered by house elf as important things often were. Owls could be tampered with , but Elves were loyal to those they were sworn to. Unfortunately for an unhinged Tom Riddle, an elf was an elf and when one such creature passed him the sealed scroll with a courteous bow, he never considered that the possibility that it wasn't one of his own.

The note was simple. They had cared not for theatrics , so got straight to the point.

"I have found something of yours My Lord, Something valuable. I was not the one who took it , but I know who did, and how they managed to take it from you. I will disclose the information only directly to you alone my Lord, there are those in your midst who cannot be trusted and seek to overthrow you and I will not risk the information of the hidden spies in your house, fall into the wrong hands. I will await your orders by house elf my Lord, on where and when to meet, I will come unarmed in true faith of you my lord, but know this... The pureblood manor's are not as safe as they appear, Your Faithful Subject. "

It was perfectly written and an instant success , it played to Voldemort's strengths and weaknesses. Enough submissive 'My Lords' and simpering to pander for his ego, allowing the Dark Lord to set the time and location and enough suggestions of treachery to tip the man's already fragile paranoia into overdrive.

Without hesitation, he took the bait , calling for the house elf that was conveniently within his line of sight, replacing fresh fruit in the basket and demanding that it deliver a note to his faithful subject, who had penned him the letter. With a subservient bow , "Right away my lord" the trap was sprung.

The first part hinged once more on muggle means. Utilising the muggle theatre methods they had done before, Hermione used makeup and a wig to disguise none other than Argus Filch , for the meeting, which Tom had chosen as the old cemetery in which he'd killed Cedric Diggory.

Clean shaven , with a convincing wig , Hermione had used the makeup with the assistance of Narcissa malfoy to contour the mans face, changing it's shape and making him almost unrecognisable. A few azkaban style prison tattoos, only drawn on of course, and a new set of robes , the man was almost unrecognisable to those who knew him. But to Voldemort, who'd scarcely given the squib a second glance , he was just another wizard of no note.

"I am unarmed as promised my lord" he said with a simpering bow. "Check me for a wand, for a glamour , for any magic at all , I am completely unarmed and unprotected in humble deference to you Dark Lord"

His nose almost touched the floor, how low he bowed and Voldemort after casting numerous spells to check for glamours, wards or other spells and hexes, visibly preened at the grovelling man before him.

"Rise, my faithful servant and tell your Lord what you have found"

"Oh, Thank You My Lord!" Argus rose and simpered, in an overly exaggerated way that was reminiscent of wormtail.

"There is an artefact of yours at Hogwarts my Lords, hidden carefully among the dangerous plants in Greenhouse 5, the one students are forbidden to enter. I was unable to see what it was, I was not strong enough to remove the wards. It was hidden by that muggle loving hufflepuff professor. I was trying to obtain some venemous tentacula, they fetch a good price on the black market, The man I saw give it to the witch was one of the Lestrange brothers, I am sure of it. Said it was extremely valuable and that there was more to come, something about family first? "

The seed of doubt was planted and Voldemort bared his teeth in anger.

"Treachery! I will have their heads!" He growled but Argus interrupted him.

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn my Lord, but I know how they have managed to steal from you, and from what my sources tell me it's not the first time."

"Tell me, and you will be rewarded, my loyal servant" The dark wizard was practically frothing at the mouth, and Argus played his part to a fault, dropping to his knees in apparent awe of the man before him.

"You know of the Auror, The Hufflepuff Nymphadora? The one they call Tonks? Daughter of Andromeda Black? "

"Bumbling fool ,what of her?" He asked with a hiss and Argus smiled , as he spoke.

"She's a metamorphagus, can change to whatever person or animal she pleases..."

"I know this, everyone knows this, get to the point" He raised his wand as though to curse him , and Argus looked suitably cowed as he answered.

"Runs in the family that does. Metamorphagi. How easy to get around, how easy to sneak and steal when you can wear the face of another? Her grandmummy was one , and her great aunt too...So many metamorphagi in those black women's family tree"

Eyes widened in comprehension, then and with an angry yell and a blast of magic he broke a number of the tombstones around him.

"Forgive me my Lord, this news of treachery must grieve you. Know this , I can get you into Hogwarts my Lord, oh yes I have found a way, I ..."

Argus stopped when piece of tombstone fell over with a crack and revealed a rat hidden behind that squeaked and made to run. Casting the spell that returned a witch or wizard to their human form, Voldemort yelled out in anger when both a spell hit the stone beside him and caused a burst of stone and a frightened looking Bellatrix Lestrange appeared in the rat's it's place. Before he could cast the killing curse , another spell rocketed into his side from the other direction, missing him just barely.

The second distraction was enough for Bellatrix to get away.

"MY Lord !" Argus gasped, looking around at the spells firing from every direction. " You were followed!, please save yourself my lord, I will await your message" and with that he hastily disappeared as a perturbed looking Voldemort apparated away, when another spell crashed into the stone beside him.

Meanwhile 'Bellatrix' stood up and brushed the dust off herself, "Wotcher Hermione, am I glad to see you , get this bloody wig off me, and I don't know how she walks in these heels. I nearly broke my neck"

With a chuckle Hermione removed the wig from Tonks and used a spell to clear her face of all the makeup that they'd contoured to make her face look paler and gaunt. She scrubbed at her teeth with a finger to remove all the putty and theatre makeup, giving her teeth that rotten post - azkaban look. "This stuff tastes like crap you know, it's like eating clay"

"Unfortunately despite the family resemblance Miss Tonks, it was necessary. The spell would take you back to your own state and the wig and makeup wasn't enough, you're far too healthy and we had to make you look a bit more ...weathered"

Withered more like. Hermione grumbled in his mind and Severus chuckled.

"Do you think he bought it though?" She asked and suddenly there was a strangled and choked gasp from the side as one after the other, both Narcissa and Rabastan clamped a hand to their chest in pain. "Oh yes" Rabastan grunted through the discomfort, as an almost tearful Narcissa was tended to by Lucius.

"Yes, he bought it alright...Rodolphos is dead"

and with a shuddering gasp Narcissa added. "And Bellatrix too"