Part One

.i.

James Potter was sitting in the hallway outside the Gryffindor common room next to the picture of the Fat Lady. His long legs were sprawled out before him as he plucked out a random note from his acoustic guitar.

"Are you okay?"

James looked up and was surprised to see the new girl, Hermione Granger. She'd arrived only a week and a half prior and had already blown away all the professors with her intellect. James sighed despondently. "Oh, I'm fine. Just all my friends have deserted me and there's no meaning to life."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "At least you're not being dramatic."

James raised a hand to his chest, eyes comically wide. "Me?" He shook his head, messing up his already messy hair. "Never." He grinned when Hermione laughed and he patted the space beside him. She took the invitation and sat down next to him.

"And how have your friends deserted you?"

"Remus is sick, stomach thing." James made a face and waved his hand. Hermione nodded once. If she hadn't had already known Remus was a werewolf, she'd have believed him. James was a well practiced liar. "Peter has detention with McGonagall again and Sirius is off with the girl." He sneered the last part.

Hermione tried not to roll her eyes. Sirius was always off with some girl. "The blonde?"

"Maybe?"

They shrugged.

Hermione sighed and leaned her head back against the stone wall. "Well… at least you've got friends."

James winced. "I tried talking to him. Sirius has got this weird thing with his brother."

"Brother?"

"Yeah. Regulus? He was the Slytherin you were talking to, wasn't it?"

Hermione shook her head, bewildered. "I tripped and he helped me up. Wait - that's Sirius' brother? I hadn't even realized he had one." She looked out down the hall, her mind racing. Why hadn't she ever heard of Regulus? He must not have existed in her world. Or…

"Well, how could you?" James strummed out a few lines on his guitar. "You're new." He transitioned into 'Good Vibrations' by the Beach Boys before turning back to her, fingers still strumming. "Anyways, he should have stopped with the … you know."

"Oh, you mean blatantly calling me a Death Eater and ensuring no one talks to me? That?" James grimaced. She huffed and looked away.

"He's usually not like this. Well… he's usually a bit less unpleasant." Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes. "But he's a Black. And Black's don't get along with other Blacks."

Hermione's heart jumped. She whipped her head around to James. "What?"

"Regulus, obviously." The Beach Boys very suddenly became David Bowie and James missed Hermione's horrified look in the transition. "You've just been caught in the middle of their tif."

"Right." Hermione let out a breath of relief. She looked away before James could see her residual panic. "Obviously." James raised an eyebrow as he looked at her sidelong.

"Have you tried talking to Lily? She could introduce you to some of the girls."

"Honestly, I haven't even been introduced to Lily yet. Amanda's father was attacked and then Natalie - the third year? - her sister was killed. Lily's been helping them and doing everything else. I don't want to bother her." Lily Evans was a whirlwind of business and responsibility. Hermione wondered if that was how everyone in her world often saw herself - at least in her early years.

James sighed. "I'm sorry. I'll introduce you to some people tonight?"

Hermione shook her head and shrugged simply. "It's fine, James."

"James!"

"Well, speak of the devil," James whispered to Hermione. She smiled as none other than Lily Evans came charging down the hallway. "What can I do for you today, Lils?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "I need the new patrol schedule and I need it yesterday."

James nodded. "Already on your desk in our office."

Lily narrowed her eyes, hands on her hips. "Really?" Hermione couldn't help but be slightly awed. Lily Evans was everything the stories had promised and more. She was a force to be reckoned with. A beautiful and intelligent force. It was no wonder James was so lovestruck by her.

James smiled charmingly. "Oh!" He turned to Hermione. "This is Hermione, by the way. She mentioned you haven't been formally introduced yet."

Lily smiled brightly at the younger witch. "Pleasure. Sorry, I've been all over the place the past few weeks."

"Oh, it's no problem. Dorcas showed me around."

"Wonderful! I have to run. But we should chat this weekend. At Hogsmeade?"

Hermione smiled politely. "That's very kind of you, but I won't be going."

James stopped strumming his guitar and looked round at the curly haired witch beside him. "What do you mean you're not going to Hogsmeade?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "I mean I'm not going. I don't have permission."

James smirked. "I'm sure we could find a way around that." Hermione looked quickly to Lily who was smirking as well, arms crossed. She nodded once at Hermione who was a bit bewildered that her best friend's parents were trying to sneak her out of the castle.

"Uhm… thank you. But I… I don't like breaking the rules."

James pouted. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Sorry…"

Lily rolled her eyes at James. "If she doesn't want to she doesn't have to. Not everyone needs to be rule breakers like you and your friends." She raised an eyebrow imperiously.

James leaned towards Hermione and stage whispered, "Said the girl who destroyed the kitchens in fifth year." Hermione's eyes widened.

Lily gasped. "That was one time and it was an accident!" She huffed and stormed off.

James watched her go, a besotted grin on his face. "I'm going to marry that girl one day."

Hermione smiled, also watching the redhead go. She nodded once and turned back to James. "I believe it."

Life progressed slowly for Hermione. The only person she really talked to was James. He reminded her of Harry at his happiest moments. Those precious few minutes when he'd forget he was The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Hermione wished Harry were there with her.

:::

James often invited her to sit or study with him and his friends (minus Sirius). She always declined. James and his friends were not put out by this. Despite Remus' attempts to be friendly, Hermione avoided him like the plague - especially come the full moon. She knew Moony only needed one proper whiff of her to peg her as a Black - as Sirius' daughter - in an instant. That was the last thing she needed. As for Peter, Hermione figured slapping James' only seemingly harmless friend wouldn't win her any brownie points. She was trying to keep her distance but she didn't want them to hate her.

She sat in the window seat on the fourth floor, wrapped in a throw to ward off the chill as she watched the happy students race down to Hogsmeade. If she left the grounds at any time, the magic tethering her to the Door would disappear. The Door. That stupid thing that had both saved her life and sent her into a completely alternate one. She knew her friends would be worried about her in her reality. Nearly two months had gone by and she knew without a doubt her parents would have alerted Dumbledore to her kidnapping by now. Unless they'd been… indisposed. In which case, Hermione was certain Harry would do something. She'd been leaving to go spend the day with him - Dumbledore's orders be damned - and he would know something was wrong when she didn't show up.

There was nothing for it. All Hermione could do was wait. This world's Dumbledore had assured her that the Door would reappear to take her back. They simply needed to be patient. Patience was not a well known Black trait - of course, Dumbledore had no clue Miss. Granger was in fact the heiress Hermione Black from a future alternate reality.

"I'm sorry."

Hermione's head snapped to the right. She blinked owlishly at Regulus. Her uncle, apparently, that she had not talked to since her second day here. "I beg your pardon?"

"About my brother. I apologize for his behaviour towards you."

She tried not to smile at his overly formal way of speaking. It was something she'd noticed a lot of purebloods did and she figured it eventually went by the wayside because of the relentless teasing by halfbloods and muggleborns. "You're not responsible for how your brother acts," Hermione finally responded kindly.

"Well, someone has to be," he replied sardonically. Hermione snorted in amusement. "Regardless, he shouldn't have brought you into the middle of it the way he did."

"No. He shouldn't have. But that's something for me to sort out with him." She paused. "But thank you." He nodded once. He didn't turn to leave which told Hermione more than anything that he had another matter he wished to discuss. She pulled her knees into her chest and gestured to the space she'd made for him. Regulus looked up and down the hallway. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, what's wrong? Scared people will say you're sitting with a Death Eater?"

Regulus raised an eyebrow before he sat down with his back to the window. "You have a very Black sense of humour."

Hermione fought not to smile. "Isn't the phrase normally 'dark'?"

Regulus smirked. Hermione's almost smile died. Her gut twisted. "It's not the only thing I've noticed," he continued as if she hadn't said a word. Hermione held her breath. He looked at her finally. The silver eyes that she did not share with her father or uncle were sharp and intelligent as they bored into her. "You share mannerisms. The way you roll your eyes. How you stick your nose up to others when they're being particularly ridiculous."

"I-" Hermione choked, tears in her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't." He studied her a moment longer. "He's gone, isn't he?" Hermione's hand covered her mouth as she choked back a sob. "And you obviously didn't know me." She looked out the window as the tears fell suddenly.

Regulus stood up. "I have a meeting with Sirius right now…to call a truce. I'll bargain for your freedom from this torment."

Hermione snorted derisively. When she turned her teary gaze back to her uncle, it was full of scorn only a Black could produce. "If you think Sirius' harsh words are the torment of this situation, you clearly don't know as much as you think you do."

The two eyed each other. Hermione's tears continued to fall silently down her cheeks. Regulus bowed his head and wordlessly left. Hermione closed her eyes and sighed.

The Door could appear to take her home in seconds and it would still be too long of a wait. She wanted to go home. Hermione turned her head to the window and thought of Harry.

:::

"You're sleeping with him, aren't you?"

Hermione paused at the stairwell to the dorms. She closed her eyes and debated ignoring him. It was only lunch and she was already emotionally exhausted. A glance over her shoulder at the common room revealed the space to be occupied mostly by the younger years and the Marauders by the fire. She knew the boys had sat this Hogsmeade trip out since the full moon had only been the night before. Everyone else was still out enjoying the day.

Sirius stood a few feet away from Hermione. Massive bags were set under his eyes. She remembered how irritable her father could grow the day after the full moon. An entire night up with a werewolf could turn anyone into a grouch.

Hermione sighed and decided to ignore him. She turned to head up the steps to the girls dorm. Sirius grabbed her arm. "I'm talking to you, witch."

"Padfoot," James snapped as he came up behind his friend.

"Let go of me," Hermione ordered sharply.

Sirius did so with a little sardonic smile. "Well, aren't you?"

He was talking about Regulus, she knew. He had, after all, just had a meeting with his brother today. Regulus was apparently not as observant as he thought - picking the day after the full moon to talk. "Don't be disgusting," Hermione sneered, her lip curling exactly like her father's often had when talking about their family.

"Have your sights set higher than a Black? Well, aren't you ambitious."

"Did you have something to say or are you just looking to bully me more? Because I've got to say, I'm not very keen on either of those options." She crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the side.

James pulled Sirius by his arm but the young Black just shook him off, eyes intent on the witch before him. "I'm just curious as to what the fuck it was you did to get my little brother so hung up about you."

"Padfoot…" James tone was warning.

"And my best friend." James rolled his eyes at Sirius' addition.

"Well for starters, I haven't treated them like shite."

Sirius stepped forward. His steel grey eyes cut like daggers. "Want to say that again, kitten?"

Hermione looked like she'd been slapped. Her face hardened. "Don't you dare call me that. Don't you…" She shook her head and turned to head upstairs. It wasn't worth it.

"Oh, did I touch a soft spot, kitten." He followed her and continued his taunts, perfectly hitting his mark. "Is that daddy's nickname for you? Pretty loving for a sorry old prick who dropped you off here without a care. Did you drive him nuts too? Couldn't wait to get away-"

Hermione's fist connected with Sirius' face.

The common room was silent.

"Don't - don't you fucking talk about my father. He is - was - twice the wizard you could ever hope to be." Sirius stepped back as Hermione advanced, eyes ablaze with raw pain. "He was a hero. He fought to protect me from those Death Eaters you've so kindly allied me with. And then a Black murdered him for his ideals. So, don't you dare mock my father you ignorant arse." Hermione pushed past him and ran out of the common room.

"Hermione!" James ran to the portrait hole. He paused long enough to glare at his best friend. "Nice going, Sirius." He left after the crying witch.

James found Hermione in a side hallway, collapsed on a small set of stairs. She was sobbing. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms. She clung to his Beatles shirt and cried.

Lily came rushing into the hall, obviously looking for both of them. She sat down on the other side of Hermione and slowly rubbed the younger witch's back, offering what little comfort she could.

Hermione cried for hours.

:::

Sirius left her alone.

He didn't talk to her or look at her. She didn't even exist. Somehow, that hurt much more. James and Lily treated her like she was made of glass. Hermione took to hiding from all of them. She'd rather not interact with any of them, it was better than being treated like an invalid or being so blatantly ignored.

Apparently, James and Lily were not okay with that.

Sirius grabbed Hermione's arm and shoved her into the nearest empty classroom. He closed the door behind them.

"What the hell?"

"You need to talk to James and Lily again," he stated without preamble.

Hermione blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

He ran his hands through his curly hair. The same curls on Hermione's own head, except his were black where hers were the rich brown of her muggle mother's hair. "I know I'm an arse, but don't ignore them because of that." He was pacing in front of the door. She recognized the habit, something her father often did when he was nervous or felt guilty about something.

"Yes, you are." She crossed her arms. "And I'm not ignoring James and Lily." Sirius shot her a look as he continued to pace. "I'm not! If anyone is doing the avoiding, it's you."

Sirius stopped pacing to look at her incredulously. "What do you want from me? Talk to you? Don't talk to you?"

Hermione stomped her foot, feeling like she was caught up in simply another argument with her late father. "I want you to stop being an arse!" The incredulity fell from his face. "I don't think that's too much to ask for, honestly."

The room was silent. "I'm sorry."

"Good."

"Will you talk to James and Lily again?"

"If they agree to not treat me like I'm about to break."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Are you looking for another punch?"

Sirius snorted in amusement. "Like it'd do much."

"I'll have you know I've been told I have a mean right hook." She crossed her arms and lifted her chin.

Sirius smirked. "They lied." Hermione glared. He let out a huff and rolled his eyes before pulling off his robes. He nodded at her. "Come on, then."

Hermione eyed him warily. "What are you doing?"

Sirius gave her a look. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to teach you how to throw a proper punch."

Hermione bit her lip to hold back her grin.

:::

It was Halloween. Hermione was sitting on the floor of an unused classroom at lunch, reading as the Marauders laughed and joked. She smiled and it almost felt real.

She was still relatively distant from the group, but that didn't stop any of them from dragging her along on their exploits. She'd taken to wearing a perfume to throw Remus off from identifying her parentage. James was still her closest friend, but the distance between them was great enough to be an ocean. Despite all this, Hermione knew it'd still be difficult to leave - whenever the time came.

Peter and Remus had pillaged the Hogwarts kitchen and put together a mini Halloween lunch feast for the six of them. Hermione felt it was a little unnecessary, given the feast they would have in the Great Hall after classes, but she was the only one.

"Augmenti! Augmenti!" Sirius paused and laughed as two little ducks sprung from the end of his wand. "Bloody hell, I can't believe that spell works!"

James clutched his stomach as he laughed. "Oh, we're so using this on those snakes."

"And those Death Eaters."

"Blimey! Could you imagine?"

Hermione's head shot up from where her and Lily were looking at a charms text, though neither were entirely invested due to the boys antics. "You're going to fight in the war?"

James made a face. "Well, I wouldn't really call it a war." It certainly wasn't as bad here as it had been in Hermione's world in the late 70's.

Lily scowled at James. "People are dying, James. I wouldn't exactly call it a light scuffle."

"Of course not. Just… war. It's not going to get that bad, is it?" He looked around at his friends uneasily. He already knew the answer to his own question. No one responded.

Hermione was the first to speak up. "If you don't think it's that bad. Why're you choosing to fight?"

James' brows came together, as if he thought the answer to that rather obvious. "Because it's wrong. People are in danger and someone has to do something. We can't just wait around for the ministry to get a clue. We can help. We're the ones that need to act. If we don't, who will?"

Hermione smiled. A classic Potter response. Hermione couldn't wait to tell Harry just how similar he was to his father, not just that they looked alike. Harry would be proud of his father, she knew. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

Remus nodded his agreement. "Are you going to fight, then, Hermione?"

"Get revenge for your father?" Sirius quietly put in. He eyed her, everyone in the room thinking about Hermione's revelation that a Black had murdered her father. Sirius had not once mentioned it and Hermione usually sidestepped any questions about her family, past, or self in general really.

The sixth year witch took a deep breath. "I don't… I don't like the idea of revenge. But I will fight in my father's name. I'll make him proud."

Lily smiled kindly. "I'm sure you already do."

The door slammed open. Professor McGonagall came rushing in. She didn't even bat an eye at their impromptu and against the rules feast. "Miss. Granger! It's here. The Door. Quickly."

Hermione's heart jumped. She was on her feet and out the door in a second. She rushed to the Great Hall and ran through the grand double doors at a dead sprint.

"Miss. Granger!" Dumbledore was next to a tall, imposing golden box. It was sheer, but clearly solid and covered the whole of the centre aisle and then some. The house tables had been shifted further out of the way. The hundreds of students watched on with intrigue.

"We're all ready for you. Only you can pass through the forcefield I've erected. We don't need any curious students wandering in." He pointed to the ornate white marble doors within the forcefield near the Great Hall's entrance. "Once you pass through the Door, be sure to close it fully. Once it's been deliberately closed, it won't appear again." Hermione nodded. Dumbledore glanced behind her. "We must hurry, but I do believe you have time for a few short goodbyes."

"Hermione!" She turned to see the Marauders and Lily running into the Great Hall. James gave her an incredulous look, his hands raised as he shook his head in question. "What's going on?"

"I…uh…" She glanced at the Door waiting for her inside the golden barrier. "I'm going home." She turned back to them. "Back to my reality."

Their eyes widened collectively. "Wait - what?"

Hermione smiled sadly. "It was wonderful to get to know you all like this. I wish I'd had the courage to let you get to know me as well."

"Hermione, what're you talking about?" James looked confused and upset. Not the hot rage of being lied to she knew Harry would have instantly had.

Hermione ignored his question and instead turned her attention to her short goodbyes. She smiled at Lily. "You're unbelievably wonderful and I am so honoured to have made the acquaintance of such a… such a kind and loving person. Thank you." Lily's face went as red as her hair. She nodded, not knowing how to respond to such praise.

Hermione stepped in front of Remus next and smirked. She inclined her head and said simply, "Professor." Remus raised an eyebrow and smirked in amusement.

The witch eyed Peter seriously. She stepped closer and whispered, nearly hissed, "Don't you dare hurt them." Peter's face turned ashen. Remus, who'd easily heard her words, sharply turned his head to study Peter.

Hermione paused when she looked at Sirius. Without a word, she hugged him. He widened his eyes but didn't reject it. "Thanks for the punching lesson," she whispered into his chest.

He smirked and patted her back. "Use it well."

"Oh, I will." Her smirk when she looked up at him was nearly identical. Her eyes watered for a moment as she choked out the word, "Goodbye."

Sirius' eyes widened minutely. His fingers squeezed her shoulders. "See you around."

She pulled back and turned to look through the barrier to the students on the other side. Her eyes connected with that of her uncle's. He nodded to her once and Hermione did the same back.

"And me?" Hermione turned to James at his question. He smiled, but it was a sad one.

Hermione threw herself at the Potter, wrapping him up in a tight and classic Hermione hug. He laughed and hugged her back just as tightly. When she pulled back, she grinned and stated, "You're an utterly fantastic friend, James. I'll be sure to tell Harry all about you."

"Harry who?"

Hermione only smiled in response as she slowly stepped backwards through the golden barrier.

"I told you they'd fall for it," a high, chilling voice claimed. Hermione froze. Her eyes widened in horror. She spun around, wand raised and pointed at the witch who had magically revealed herself within the barrier. Bellatrix Lestrange smiled wickedly from beneath her heavy curls. "Did you have fun, little witch?" she crooned in her baby face.

"Stay back!"

"Oh…" Bellatrix laughed mockingly. She looked to her husband, Rodolphus, beside her. "I don't think she wants to play." Bellatrix turned her wicked grey eyes back on her second cousin. She stepped closer in her stumbling, off-centre manner. "Don't you want to play with Auntie Bella?"

"Stupefy!"

Bellatrix turned quickly and the curse flew past her harmlessly. She snapped her head around to Hermione, eyes blazing. Hermione stepped back involuntarily.

"You little shit."

Bellatrix lunged forward as Hermione cast another spell. It was the only spell she got out before Rodolphus grabbed her wand and yanked it from her hand.

"No!" She turned to grab it, but Rodolphus tossed it away. He spun her back around so she was facing her demented cousin once more.

"Oh, come now, little witch," Bellatrix crooned, no longer furious now that Hermione was unarmed and at their mercy. "We're going to have fun."

"Don't you touch me." Hermione's voice shook.

Bellatrix pouted. "Did you have fun playing house with your friends?" She glanced to her left where the Marauders stood on the other side of the barrier, horrified and unable to help. "Pretending they all aren't dead."

"Stop it!"

Bellatrix laughed. "Well, not all, I suppose. Not many of them left," her eyes met Hermione's, "who should we go after next, hmmm, little witch? How about the scarred were-"

Hermione punched Bellatrix before she could finish her sentence. She wouldn't let the deranged woman oust Remus, not in this world or the next.

There was a small moment in which the entire Hall paused collectively, stunned by Hermione's actions. Hermione and Bellatrix included.

Bellatrix whipped her face back around. Rodolphus grabbed Hermione around her waist and effectively pinned her arms to her sides. "No!" she screamed. She kicked out her legs and threw her head back but she missed both Bellatrix and Rodolphus. Bellatrix grabbed Hermione's face and pressed a cold, smooth knife against her cheek.

"Hermione!" The others in the Great Hall were going ballistic. Dumbledore's charms held true - no one was getting in. "Hermione!"

"Oh… do you hear that, Hermione?" Bellatrix pressed her face close as she whispered. The knife bit into the young witch's tanned skin but did not break it. "I think daddy's a little upset."

Hermione jerked again but Rodolphus held her still. "You're psychotic," she hissed.

"I'll show you psychotic."

Screams.

It took Hermione a moment to realize that they were coming from the Great Hall. "Bellatrix," a cool, high voice said. A terrifyingly satisfied smile slid across Bellatrix's face. She obediently stepped back to let Voldemort forward. Voldemort's red eyes pinned Hermione in place. His pale, snake-like face studied her as he stepped closer. "Miss. Black," he greeted formally.

A few gasps sounded in their widespread audience. A small smirk lifted the corner of Voldemort's face. He did love an audience.

Hermione's lips quivered, but she refused to cower. "V - Voldemort," she replied bravely.

He smiled. "You've given us all quite the little chase, haven't you?" He looked around the Hall, his smile widening at the looks of fear in the students' faces. "Running through the Door to an alternate reality? How very clever." His face turned back to her. "Normally such an escape would work. But I charmed the door so that hardly any time would pass on our side of it." Hermione swallowed. That meant all his Death Eaters were probably still on the other side. The Order probably hadn't even been informed about her disappearance yet. "I'm a very busy man, Miss. Black. I don't have time for games."

Voldemort took another step closer and Hermione pressed back into Rodolphus. She'd rather be closer to the pit bull than its master. "We are going back to our world now. You can either continue your futile resistance or you can marry yourself to the young Mr. Malfoy." Hermione's lip curled and she looked away. "Either way," Voldemort went on, "I will be having access to the Black Vaults. Whether you like it or not." He leaned down so their faces were level. "Is that clear, Miss. Black?"

Hermione turned her head so she was looking directly into his eyes. And then she did something her father had taught her to do. She spat in his face.

"Fuck," she heard Sirius curse into the silence that followed.

The spit disappeared from Voldemort's face with a furious wave of his hand. His wand appeared a second later and with a sharp flick and hiss of, "Crucio," Hermione felt like she was being ripped in two. Her head jerked back and she screamed.

It lasted hours - seconds - minutes.

James fist was bloody from banging it against the barrier. "Stop! Hermione! Hermione!" The Hall was in chaos. None of the Professors knew what to do. "You let her go you son of a bitch!" came one of the many war cries of the students. There was nothing they could do. Voldemort smiled as he ignored Dumbledore's call of his name, "Tom! Tom, please!"

Hermione continued to scream.

He was going to kill her.

"EXPULSO!"

Hermione dropped to the ground like a rag-doll. Rodolphus, Bellatrix, and even Voldemort went flying further down the Hall towards the teacher's table.

Harry raced towards Hermione. "Hermione! Hermione, wake up!" He dropped down beside his friend and touched her face. She blinked slowly. "Hermione, I need you to get up." He glanced over at Voldemort. Harry grabbed Hermione's arm and swung it over his shoulder. He pulled her to her feet despite her cry of pain.

"Harry?" she whimpered. She blinked rapidly, hardly able to believe he was there. How had he gotten there?

"Go back through the Door. Quickly."

She shook her head. "I'm not leaving you." He gave her a hard stare. Hermione stuck her chin out.

"Harry Potter!" Both Harry and Hermione turned to the enraged Voldemort standing at the opposite end of the Hall. "I wasn't expecting you." The Dark Lord's eyes gleamed furiously.

Harry glared at the murderer. "You should have! You think you can get away with stealing my best friend and I won't hear about it? I thought you were supposed to be smart?"

Voldemort's lip curled. "I'll be sure to cut both of your tongues out when I'm done with you." He turned his head slightly to address Bellatrix and her husband. "Don't kill the girl, we still need her." Bellatrix pouted. "No one touch, Potter. He's mine."

"I'm flattered," Harry bit out loudly, "but I think it'll be more of a fair fight for you if you let Rodolphus help you out."

Hermione turned sharply to Harry. She hissed his name under her breath. He didn't look at her, eyes intent on Voldemort. He knew how weak a cruciatus curse from Voldemort could leave one. He wasn't going to let Hermione take on both Lestranges alone and he knew Bellatrix would not be swayed from fighting with her cousin.

Voldemort smirked. He knew what Harry was doing. "Oh? Do you? Well, I guess we'll see about that, won't we?"

Harry nodded once. He pointed his wand at Hermione's on the floor and summoned it. Hermione caught it. "Harry," she breathed into his ear, "don't bother using expelliarmus." He nodded once more.

Hermione slid her arm from around Harry's shoulders and tried not to stumble. Her hand tightened around her wand, drawing strength from the soft wood beneath her fingertips. Deep breaths, Hermione thought. Don't you dare let Harry down.

"Crucio." Hermione dodged Bellatrix's curse and suddenly the Hall was alight with spells.

Harry ducked one of Voldemort's wordless curses and fired back with a confringo. The flames died before they even reached Voldemort or Rodolphus. Voldemort smiled cruelly. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be a bit more creative than that, Mr. Potter."

Harry gripped his wand tighter. He tried to focus on the infrequent lessons he'd had with Dumbledore over the summer so far. Harry did not have a talent for the wandless magic that Voldemort and the Headmaster had both displayed so easily in the Ministry, but Dumbledore was convinced otherwise.

Voldemort raised his wand and a powerful wave of dark magic, warping the air like a wave of heat, swarmed towards Harry. The younger wizard raised his wand and attempted to call forth the magic Dumbledore had been teaching him about. Something that came forth from within one's own magical core and not the magical core of a wand.

Nothing.

Harry threw a shield up at the last second. "Protego Maxima!" The wave of dark magic slammed against Harry's defence. He flinched. His eyes squeezed shut as the heat swelled against the barrier and enveloped him. Harry felt his magic sap exponentially from the amount of energy he needed to use to stop Voldemort's spell. Wand magic was nothing against what Voldemort and Dumbledore could do - and what Harry could not.

When he opened his eyes, Rodolphus was running full pelt, closing in on him. Harry jumped back and raised his wand. Lestrange threw a cutting hex at him, which he only barely managed to avoid. Then the dark wizard was upon him. Harry wrestled with Lestrange. Azkaban had withered Rodolphus, but he was still larger than a fifteen year old boy. He'd just managed to get his hand on Harry's wand hand when the younger wizard kneed him in the gut. Lestrange let out a small ooph. Harry used the moment to blast Rodolphus back through the Door.

It happened slowly, as if time itself had decided to stall to taunt Harry. Rodolphus' grip on Harry's hand slipped as he was thrown backwards. His fingers slipped down and grasped Harry's wand. And then he was gone - and so was the wand.

Harry's eyes widened.

He spun around and faced Voldemort wandlessly. The Dark Lord smiled. Harry's eyes flickered to the left where Hermione and Bellatrix had devolved from a duel to a physical fight of their own. Hermione was bloody. Her hair a mess. But she was alive. He quickly turned his attention back to Voldemort.

Voldemort's wand flicked out and a long stream of fire shot out towards Harry. The wandless wizard ducked out of the way. His back slammed against the golden barrier. Voldemort's high cackle filled the air.

Harry cursed under his breath. He closed his eyes and tried to stir up some magic, any sort of magic. Dumbledore said he had to call from the magic within his core but… but Harry couldn't feel any magic in his core. He still didn't really understand what a magical core was.

His eyes opened and he dove out of the way as another curse came sailing towards him. He rolled across the stone. His teeth grit. Voldemort's high cackle filled the air. Harry clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut.

Focus. Focus. Focus.

Feel the magic, he told himself. Feel it.

He couldn't feel anything within himself. All he felt was completely and utterly powerless. The stone of the castle bit into his skin. The heat from Voldemort's fire spell still warmed the air. Harry panted. He felt a wave of magic rush towards him and his eyes opened once more. Another fire spell - erratic and borderline dark, Harry knew from his lessons. They were also Voldemort's speciality.

Harry rolled out of the way.

But he'd felt it, Harry belated realized, now on all fours on the stone floor. He'd felt the magic. Not within himself, but in general. He could still feel the magic, feel magic in itself. It was everywhere. They were in Hogwarts after all. The castle was alive with magic.

Another blast of fire arched out towards him. This one was a wide wave instead of a narrow funnel of fire. It flashed across the width of their small box, flying fast towards the two unsuspecting witches first. Harry's eyes widened. Hermione.

The magic surged up into him. Through the palms of his hands, along the tendons of muscle in his arms and raising the hairs along his neck and back. There, just there as it fired like electricity down his spine - Harry could feel his magical core. In that second, Harry realized what he'd been doing wrong. His magical core wasn't where he drew the magic from, it was how he controlled the magic around him. Magic. Magic like Hogwarts.

Harry's hands pressed into the stone floors and he felt his magical core swell. Magic pushed out of his hands and into the stone. It stalled, not meshing well with the solid stone beneath his fingertips, but Harry persevered. A half a second later, he saw gold lines like veins shoot out beneath the stone and race across the floor to where Hermione was. There was a massive crunch as stone shifted.

Hermione fell back with a yell as the ground shot up before her into a thick wall. A blast of heat and fire exploded over the top and she ducked down. Wide eyed and confused, she spun around to see Harry crouched on all fours near the Door. He was panting, his face set in concentration. Had he…?

Voldemort cackled. "Oh, impressive, Mr. Potter. You're finally catching on." The stone shifted and fell back into place before Hermione. Bellatrix shot off a curse and she dove away, back into her own fight.

Harry rose to his feet. His eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the feel of the stone through his shoes. It was difficult. The magic from Hogwarts was powerful, but the stone wasn't easy to move. It was resisting him.

"Let's see if you can keep up now," Voldemort mocked with a terrifying grin. His hand shot out and Harry tensed. Nothing happened. The Dark Lord smirked. His hand slowly turned palm side up, his unnaturally long fingers spread wide. He slowly raised his hand.

Fire sprang up from the divots between the stones before Voldemort. The fire raced across the cracks and quickly closed in on Harry. The young wizard's eyes widened. He breathed in deeply as he stepped back. His foot met what felt like a step to a stair. His magical core swelled in a way he now recognized and he followed the sudden instinct to step off the steps. The air swelled around him, beneath his arms, and then he was floating - flying. His heart pounded inside his chest. He couldn't see the fine gold lines of electricity like in the stones but he could feel the air levitating him above the fire. His arms rose up at his sides involuntarily as he tried to balance within the new element. It felt simple, almost natural. It felt like flying on a broomstick - something he'd been born to do.

Harry gathered that feeling. He felt for the air in the room. His left hand extended out, not unlike Voldemort's had but his palm faced down. He closed his eyes and a current of wind came up around him. His hair whipped in the wind. He slammed the air downward in one quick motion. The air smothered the flames and he dropped back to the ground.

He landed harshly on his feet and he could feel it in the pain in his ankles. His palms were scratched and bleeding. Harry had been near magical exhaustion before he lost his wand, he knew he wouldn't last much longer. Voldemort knew it too.

The Dark Lord was smirking. Impressed by Harry's flying capabilities. Two elements, Voldemort thought. Probably more too. Most wizards, if they even learned Elemental Magic, could only ever master one element. Harry Potter truly was all the prophecies said and more. It was too bad that the boy would never live to fulfill any of the prophecies told about his magical culpability.

A scream pierced the air. Both wizards were momentarily distracted as Hermione slashed her wand and hit Bellatrix with a second cutting hex. Bellatrix shrieked. Her wand raised, fire in her eyes.

Harry dove forward between the two. He raised his hand and pushed a blast of wind at Bellatrix. The witch's eyes widened and then she was thrown through the Door.

Two down. Harry and Hermione slowly turned to face Voldemort at the opposite end of the Hall near the teacher's table. One to go.

Voldemort smiled grimly. "Such immense power, Mr. Potter. It's wasted on you." Harry glared. Voldemort cocked his head to the side. He sighed. "Keep your witch. I'll find my way into the Black Vaults without her."

Harry quirked a brow. "You're giving up?"

Voldemort's laugh was chilling. "You're done. We both know it. Have you even got enough magic in you to send another wave of wind like that?" Harry said nothing. "I thought not. No. There's nothing you can do to stop me now, Potter. I know that - but you do have a reputation for… surprising me." Voldemort raised his wand, inspecting it idly as he spoke. "But I also think I've found a better solution for the two of you."

"The two of us?" Hermione questioned.

Voldemort's eyes slowly slid to the young, curly haired witch. Hermione swallowed. "You're intelligent, Miss. Black. Not just 'bright.' I would venture to guess your intellect is nearly as high as mine. And Mr. Potter," he turned his attention back to the raven haired teenager, "already far more powerful than I was at your age. I've no doubt at all that within a very short time you'd be able to stop me. I'm quite positive that you are the only one who can.

"And between the two of you." He shook his head. "Well, I can't just leave you both here, can I? With Miss. Black's intellect and your power, I know you will be able to come back to our world." He smiled darkly. "And we can't have that, can we?" Voldemort raised his wand and moved it slowly from one to the other. "So, which of you will it be? Hmmm?" His wand stopped on Harry. "What do you think, Harry? Will Miss. Black go as mad as Sirius did after I killed your father?"

"No!" Hermione raised her wand.

Voldemort waved his hand and her wand flew into it. He tossed it aside. His wand turned on her. "Or perhaps we'll try this differently this time. I wonder how a Potter will react to the loss of the Black instead."

Harry's heart beat frantically. He tried to summon up the magic from around him but it was no use. He was magically exhausted. The only thing still keeping him awake was the adrenaline. Shite. His eyes focused on Hermione and his gut clenched. "No." He couldn't let her die. He closed the distance between them and stepped in front of her.

"Harry, wait." His hands blindly found her wrists and he held on tight. "Let go. Harry!" Hermione struggled but Harry remained firm. He stood tall between her and Voldemort.

Harry couldn't decipher the expression on the Dark Lord's face as he stood between him and Hermione. "So, that's how it's going to be?"

"Harry!" Hermione cried.

"Yes," Harry replied calmly.

"No! Don't you dare." Harry's grip on her wrists was near painful. The skin was already red with her efforts to break free. Harry stared fearlessly into his enemy's eyes. He did not loosen his grip on Hermione's wrists.

"It's almost befitting," Voldemort commented lightly, ignoring the witch's cries, "isn't it?" He shook his head in what Harry almost wanted to call fond exasperation. "So like your father." There was a long moment as they stood there, staring at one another. Hermione's cries fell into the background of the cacophony of noise in the Great Hall. Their voices had fallen into the background during the battle but they rose again in the stillness of the moment. The protests. The pleas. The curses. Hermione cried.

"Avada Kedavra."

She screamed. Harry collapsed and Hermione fell to her knees with him. She pitched forward, rolling him onto his back and clutching his shirt. "Harry! Harry!" Nothing.

Voldemort calmly strode past.

"No! Harry!" She shook his body, tears streaming relentlessly down her face.

The Dark Lord didn't glance back as he passed through the Door.

"Harry!"

The Door closed with a low echo of finality.

Hermione dropped her face onto his chest. "Harry… Harry, please. Please…" Her body shook as she sobbed. "Please…" Gasps sounded throughout the Hall, but Hermione heard nothing. A hand gently touched her curls and she shook her head. She wasn't leaving him. She'd never leave him. "Harry…"

"…'Mione…"

Hermione stilled. She peeked up, her eyes widely peering out from beneath her curls. Harry's bright green eyes stared back. He smiled faintly. Hermione's breath left her. She threw herself at him. Her arms wound around his shoulders and her face pushed into his neck. Hermione's body was wracked with gut wrenching sobs. Harry hugged her back just as tightly.

Alive.

Harry Potter was alive.

His head dropped back against the stone floor. His fingers lost themselves in Hermione's curls and he smiled as he held the sobbing witch in his arms.

Alive.

He was alive.

A hefty 22 pages. I wanted to cut it down but it just didn't divide well. And worry not, my friends, this is not an Avatar the Last Airbender story, Harry is not wielder of all six elements. Yes, you heard me, SIX.

Anyways, I think it's fairly obvious I went with the Harmione story. It won by a landslide! Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments and reviews in my other two stories. You're all amazing.

I hope you all enjoyed this little intro ;) More to come!

HAPPY CANANADA DAY! #wetheNorth (come on Leonard, we need you 3)

(edit: apparently fanfic doesn't like my usual scene breaks, so I switched them out.)

xx