Hermione found herself feeling overwhelmed by the myriad of emotions that assailed her as she led Harry by the hand through the passage that ran from the Hog's Head to Hogwarts. A blend of triumph, pride, joy, and relief at the success of her potion, mixed in with fear, nervousness and uncertainty over the tasks that still faced them.

She felt Harry give her hand a soft squeeze and, despite her misgivings, she found herself smiling at the memory of the previous night. In particular, the moment she'd realised that her potion had worked; that she could prevent herself from transforming even when the moon was at its fullest, was etched in her memory for ever. She had deliberately transformed into her wolf form before turning herself back. Then she had let out a scream of pure joy, before falling to her knees and sobbing with relief.

It was at that moment that she just knew that she needed to be with Harry. She'd been clear when outlining her plan to him; under no circumstances were either to go near the other until morning regardless of whether or not the potion worked. But at that moment of salvation there was not a herd of wild horses that could have kept her away from the man she loved so much.

So, she had apparated to the coordinates she'd memorised the day before and her breath had caught in her throat as she arrived with a soft pop and saw Harry turn to her, his eyes shining and wet and his smile confirming what she already knew.

It worked.

Their joyous reunion, their emphatic embrace, and subsequent passion for each other would remain etched in her mind forever. She had a new Patronus memory now, one that she believed she'd have forever.

Unless I get an even better memory after I finally do make love with Harry, she thought with a smile.

She squeezed his hand in return at the thought. She was ready. She loved this man with all of her heart and could not conceive of a world where that would not be true. She'd vowed to herself that once all of their current troubles were over, she and Harry would finally give of themselves to the other completely.

Just one more reason to get rid of Greyback!

They finally arrived at the entrance to the Room of Requirement, but before proceeding, she turned to face her boyfriend.

'Are you ready for this?'

She watched him grimace. 'Probably not,' he replied, 'but we don't have much choice. McGonagall won't want either us or Crump in the castle for any longer than necessary,' he added.

'Professor McGonagall, Harry. Headmistress McGonagall. Minerva, even,' she replied with a hint of asperity in her tone.

'Yeah, yeah,' Harry replied. 'Regardless, she'll want us out of here as soon as possible.'

'Then we best get started then,' she replied sweetly, letting go of his hand before turning and walking through the now open doors. 'The sooner we start, the sooner we finish. C'mon; we don't have a lot of time today and we've certainly got a lot to do!' she shouted over her shoulder, leaving a very bemused Harry Potter trailing in her wake.'

oOoOoOoOoOo

'I'll ask you one more time,' said Harry, the frustration evident in his voice. 'What is Greyback up to?'

'And I'll tell you one more time: I. Don't. Know.'

Hermione leaned against the stone wall of her "old" cell and watched her boyfriend's growing frustration at the lack of cooperation being received from Silas Crump. The latter was bound in a chair but did not appear to be discomfited by his current circumstances. She tried not to let her own irritation show. Harry had been at interrogating Crump for nearly an hour, and they were getting nowhere.

They'd approached Minerva as soon as they'd left the Room of Requirement and had found themselves faced with a very stern-faced Headmistress. Her friend and mentor had not been best pleased at events.

'Silas Crump may very well be an unregistered werewolf, but that makes him no different from either of you,' she had stated mater-of-factly. 'While I appreciate that you suspect him of being in league with Greyback, we have no proof of this, and I am not comfortable holding someone against their will without due cause. I didn't mind last night because I didn't want a fully transformed werewolf on the loose, but now he's back to human form I want him out of my school as soon as possible please.'

She'd squeezed Harry's arm very forcefully to prevent him losing his temper with the Headmistress. It was clear that they had placed her in an uncomfortable position. Yes, she supported them and wanted to help them, but she could not compromise the sanctity of the school.

'Don't worry. We just need to speak to him then we'll all be gone from here. I promise, we won't be long. We're really sorry to have put you in this position,' she'd managed to reply, and she'd been gratified to see Minerva's features soften.

'I know, dear. It's not your fault. I'll help in every way I can with this, but the longer he is here, the more exposed we all are. Please take care. Both of you,' she had added, with a compassionate look.

Her musings were brought back to the present at Harry's rising temper.

'Come off it!' he exclaimed. We know you are tight with him. We know you reported our condition to him once you'd learned of it in the Hogs Head. You're one of his key people. So, tell us what he is up to!'

Silas Crump sighed in exasperation. 'Look; I really don't know what he is planning. He keeps very much to himself, and I'm kept at arms-length. I serve a purpose and in return he offers me some protection. That's it.' To Hermione, he sounded quite bitter, and a sudden thought occurred to her.

'You expect me to believe that?' Harry continued.

'I don't care what you believe. It's the truth. Now, let me go. You have no right to hold me against my will.'

'You're an unregistered werewolf.'

'So are you.'

'At least I'm not in league with Greyback!' snapped Harry.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the interaction. This could go on all day. Besides, Crump's poor attitude when Greyback's name was mentioned had triggered an idea for a different approach to the questioning.

'Harry? That's enough. This is getting us nowhere,' she interrupted softly. She ignored the mutinous look on Harry's face as she moved from her position against the wall and approached the bound werewolf. She decided that a softer tone was required.

'Mr Crump? Can I ask if Greyback has shared with you the secret to his recently acquired…talent?' She noticed with satisfaction that Silas Crump flushed angrily at the question.

'No comment.'

'So, he hasn't shared his secret with you. Interesting,' she added, quietly.

'Hermione? What are you…'?

'Be quiet, Harry. Mr Crump and I are having a conversation here. You've already had a chance to speak to him; now it's my turn.' She smiled sweetly at her boyfriend and gave him a look, imploring him to remain quiet. She watched him huff and lean against the wall, his arms folded mutinously. She turned back to Crump.

'Mr Crump, please understand that we mean you no ill will,' she began.

'You could have fooled me.'

'I'm sorry we've had to take the approach we did. We weren't sure if you were as dangerous to us as Greyback is. It would seem from your reaction to my last question that you aren't.'

'What makes you so sure?' sneered Crump, but Hermione wasn't fooled by his bluster.

'Did Greyback give you a reason for not sharing his potion with you?' she asked. For a few moments, silence reigned in the cold cell, and she sensed that their path had reached a decisive turning point. Much depended on what the old, embittered werewolf decided to do next. Finally, after what seemed an age, Silas Crump replied.

'He said he didn't have enough to share. That it was really difficult to brew so he could only use it when absolutely necessary.' He shrugged. 'Load of rubbish if you ask me. As far as I know he's been brewing every spare minute he has. He should have loads of the stuff by now.'

'So, he has to take the potion every time he wants to change?' she asked. 'That's why you think he's always brewing?'

Crump nodded, before continuing. 'Actually, I think he has two separate potions. One to turn into a werewolf and maintain control, and also one that allows him to turn back into his human form.'

This surprised Hermione. Surprised her and setting her mind racing. This little tidbit of information changed things. Changed things a lot.

Greyback's potion isn't permanent or transferable! He never had all of Snape's notes!

She furrowed her brow in concentration, deciding how best to proceed. Finally, she came to a resolution.

'Mr Crump, I am willing to make you a deal if you cooperate.'

'What sort of a deal?' Crump asked, the suspicion evident in his voice.

'How would you like to be cured?'

She would need a heart of stone not to enjoy Crump's reaction. His jaw literally dropped, and his eyes widened like saucers. Hermione found herself amused; she'd heard these descriptions before, but she'd never actually seen someone look like this. Silas Crump now resembled a caricature.

'Impossible,' Crump finally managed.

'No; just highly improbable,' she replied, removing a vial from her pocket as she did so. She turned deadly serious. 'I swear to you that the contents of this vial will change your life.' She paused before continuing. 'I have to be honest with you; what I have created will not remove the actual curse, but it will allow you to remain in full control of your form, even during a full moon. Technically, you will still be a werewolf, but you won't change into your wolf form unless you choose to do so. Even if you do, you will remain in control of the beast and you will be able to change back whenever you want. And the big difference with this potion is that it only takes one dose to work. Period.'

'I don't believe you,' Crump spluttered. 'Greyback says the potion is limited. That it only works for a certain amount of time.'

'Greyback is probably telling the truth for once,' she replied. 'His potion probably is limited. Mine isn't.'

'And what would a young lass like you know about potions?' Crump sneered.

'As it happens, I know plenty about potions,' she replied, her tone hardening. 'But I will admit that I would never have been able to create this without massive help.' She crouched down so that her mouth was mere inches from Crump's left ear. 'But I did have help. I had Horace Slughorn on my side, and I also had full access to Severus Snape's research. In the end, it's not really my creation; it's Professor Snape's.' She paused before continuing. 'I suspect Greyback didn't have these advantages?' she asked, archly.

This quietened Crump so she decided it was time to play her final card. Stepping back from their captive, she closed her eyes and focussed. Then she shifted.

'What the…' began Crump as a fully formed werewolf now stood before him. He watched, incredulous as the beast approached Potter on all fours and the latter started stroking the werewolf as if she were a favoured pet, a broad smile on his face.

'And here was me thinking you were always a cat person,' Harry said with a smirk. Crump was once again left speechless as the werewolf playfully licked his fingers before transforming back into her normal form, that of an attractive young woman. It was at that moment that Potter transformed into his werewolf form, circling the young woman in front of him who was now staring at Crump with a challenge in her eyes as she stroked the beast. After completing a few turns, Potter transformed back into his human form and resumed his place leaning against the wall, acting as if performing the impossible was an everyday occurrence.

'This could be yours, Mr Crump. Tell us what you know about Greyback, and I'll give you a dose. It will change your life if you want it to,' Hermione prompted.

Silas Crump was many things, but he wasn't a fool. He knew a gift when he saw one and he was not going to blow this opportunity.

'OK,' he replied hoarsely. 'I'll tell you everything I know.'

'Everything?' asked Hermione.

'Everything,' repeated Crump. For the chance to get my humanity back? I'll tell you everything.'

And everything is what we got, thought Hermione with no small degree of satisfaction, almost an hour later. Crump had totally unburdened himself to them and she'd been inclined to let him vent his spleen in this manner as she thought that it would make him more likely to cooperate when finally questioned on what really mattered.

He'd started right at the beginning, describing the night he was bitten and the aftermath. It was a depressingly familiar tale, she thought. Cast out by his family, shunned by the wizarding world, Crump had spent his entire life struggling to make ends meet, drifting from one temporary job to the next. Unable to put down any roots, he'd gravitated into petty crime and from there it had been simple for Greyback to recruit him to Voldemort's cause. If she was honest, she really couldn't blame Silas Crump for the decisions that he'd made in his miserable life. With no friends, family, or regular income, it was understandable that he held no loyalty for a society and government that constantly denied him his basic human rights.

Even the invention of the Wolfsbane Potion had not helped Crump or his ilk. What good is a potion if it's too expensive to buy for those who actually need it? No wonder they fought on Voldemort's side. In their eyes, the Ministry was actually worse!

As a result, Crump had become Greyback's lackey – one of many to fill that role. But she could tell that he had no love nor loyalty for his master and that he just wanted the opportunity to live as normal a life as possible. And who can judge him for that? Not me, anyway, she thought to herself.

Her musings abruptly ended when Harry finally managed to steer the conversation round to the present day.

'So, what do you know of his current intentions? Where is he right now.'

'I don't know much,' Crump replied. 'Since the Dark Lord fell, he's been obsessed with achieving equality for werewolves. It's all he bangs on about. Of course, a lot of the younger guys are buying into his crap. Greyback may want equality, but only if it suits Greyback. The thing is though,' Crump continued, 'he has a few contacts at the Ministry that he's been dealing with lately and I know that he intends to be there later today but I've no idea why.'

'These contacts; anyone we know?'

'I don't think so.' Crump looked thoughtful for a minute. 'There's one guy he's been dealing with a lot recently. He covers his face, but I think he's quite an important guy. I think he's quite high up in the Ministry.'

'How would you know that if he covers his face?' asked Harry.

'Because I'm not an idiot,' snarled Crump, displaying more than a hint of anger. 'He's very well dressed; really expensive clothes, you know? Dresses like a politician. And he's been bankrolling Greyback recently. I'm not certain, but I think he's been paying Greyback to carry out the attacks that have been happening lately.'

'But that makes no sense,' said Harry, beating her to the punch with his observation. 'If Greyback wants equality, why the hell is he carrying out random attacks? It just turns people against werewolves. And why would someone in the Ministry be financing him to do so?'

'To topple Kingsley,' Hermione interjected. 'Remember, Harry; just because Voldemort is gone it doesn't mean there aren't bigots at the Ministry.'

'OK,' Harry replied. 'That I can accept. I can agree that there are people in the Ministry who would want to stop the coming reforms. But why would Greyback undermine Kingsley if he wants equality? Kingsley is this country's best chance for reform.'

She nodded her agreement at these words, unable to reconcile the contradiction between what Greyback said and what he did.

'Anything else you think we need to know?' asked Harry. 'It doesn't matter how trivial it may seem to you; any information can be crucial.'

Crump shrugged. 'I don't think so. Greyback did say that he was planning something big for tonight and that he intended to be at the Ministry, but I've already told you that.'

'How is he getting access to the Ministry?' Hermione asked. 'He's the most wanted person in Britain right now. How does he plan to get in?'

'No idea,' replied Crump. He looked thoughtful for a moment. 'He did mention a contact in Magical Maintenance that he's been speaking to a lot recently. It's possible that might be his way in? Those guys know every nook and cranny of the Ministry. If there's a loophole, Magical Maintenance will know about it.'

Hermione nodded, seemingly absentmindedly at these words, but the reality was that she was thinking furiously as she tried to piece together whatever it was Greyback was up to from the scant information received. I'm missing something obvious. It's there right under my nose; I just can't see it yet!

None of this makes any sense!

She must have said this last out loud as both men in the room turned to face her. The silence stretched out for what seemed like an age until it was surprisingly broken by Crump.

'Look; I agree that what he's doing seems to make no sense, but Greyback does seem determined to cause as much trouble as he can. He bangs on and on about equality, but Greyback only cares about Greyback. It's why he talks about being "first among equals" all the time. I also I think he just likes attacking people – he doesn't really cares if what he's doing causes Shacklebolt's downfall.'

Her mind was going at 100 miles an hour at these words. The answer was there, but it was intangible, almost as if she was trying to grasp smoke.

Why would Greyback agree to undermine Kingsley like this? Thicknesse was an imperiused puppet of Voldemort. Scrimgeour was a bloody-minded fool. Fudge somehow managed to be both corrupt and an Idiot, and Bagnold was happy to break the law to suit her to the point of throwing people in Azkaban without a trial. Kingsley is the best chance for political and creature reform in decades! Why would Greyback want to cause his downfall…

And then it clicked.

'Primus inter pares,' she whispered. She could see it now.

'Hermione? What is it? What's the matter?' asked Harry, concern deep in his voice. 'You look like you've seen a ghost.'

She turned to her boyfriend and gripped his arm tightly. 'I think I know what Greyback is up to, Harry.' She looked grim. 'We need to get to the Ministry. We need to stop him before it's too late.'

She saw the look in his eyes; one of concern mixed with deep pride that she had figured it out. She could tell that he didn't doubt her for a second when she said she had worked it out and she found his faith in her to be humbling. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and allowed herself to be smothered by him. There was a million things to do, and they did not have a lot of time, but for a few short moments longer, she'd accept the harbour of Harry's embrace before the madness descended.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Ron Weasley lay on his bed at the Burrow and moped. Over two weeks had passed since he had last seen his friends and he experienced a myriad of emotions every time he thought about them. Unfortunately, Harry and Hermione had been pretty much all he'd been thinking about since they had parted in anger.

Although they aren't angry at me, to be fair. Furious with Ginny, but not angry with me. At least, I don't think they are…

He'd been doing a lot of soul searching since they'd parted, and he'd not really liked the conclusions he'd drawn from such introspection. He finally realised that he'd allowed his pride to get the better of him. Yes, he'd been hurt when Hermione had ended their short-lived relationship. And yes; that hurt was exacerbated when Harry and Hermione realised that they meant more than just friends to each other and had started their own romantic relationship.

But his hurt; his wounded pride was as of nothing when compared to what his two best friends were facing now. Over these past few weeks he'd come to realise that along with his family, his friendship with Harry and Hemione was the most important thing he had in his life and that he was very, very close to losing that. He was still grieving the loss of his beloved brother and the thought of losing his best friends too caused a pain so deep within him that he could feel it in his very soul. He'd vowed to do everything he could to mend the damaged fences, but he had no idea when he was going to get the opportunity to do so.

In the days to come, Ron would look back on this moment and wonder if Fate were reading his thoughts and deciding to give him another chance, for just as he was despairing about his fractured friendship, a soft pop suddenly drew his attention and he turned to find himself facing a rather serious looking house elf. Judging from her attire, it appeared to be one of the many Hogwarts elves.

'The Headmistress asked me to give you this,' the little elf said without preamble, before thrusting an envelope into his hand. Before he'd even had time to utter a simple "thank you," the elf disappeared just as fast as she had arrived and were it not for the fact that he was left holding a letter in his hand, he might easily have decided that he'd imagined the entire exchange.

Shaking himself free of his sudden shock he turned the letter over, wondering why the Headmistress was writing to him. But when he saw the handwriting on the envelope, he froze in shock once again as he recognised that the missive was not from McGonagall. This particular handwriting he recognised as if it were his own because it belonged to the girl who had provided him with so many homework notes and study aids over the years that he could close his eyes and picture every curve, every nuance of her flowing script.

Hermione.

Wasting no time, he ripped open the letter and began to read.

Ron,

We don't have time to go into details at the minute; suffice to say there's another emergency and we need your help. Do you remember that old theatre we hid in just before we broke into the Ministry to get the locket? The one where we stunned those ministry employees we wanted to impersonate? Well, meet us behind the bins in that alley we apparated to that day. Go immediately, if you can, and we'll explain everything once we see you.

Greyback is making his move tonight and we're going to stop him. We work better when it's the three of us, so please come if you can – we need you.

Love

Hermione and Harry

He read her frantic words three times before the message finally sank in. Their urgency – almost desperation – was evident from the brevity of Hermione's letter. He could tell that something huge was afoot, but he felt only a profound sense of relief, mixed with excitement.

They need me. They still need me.

That was good enough for Ronald Weasley. He may not have always acted as he should, but he was still their friend and he'd march into the gates of hell by their side if need be.

He grabbed his wand and his cloak and glanced around his room, deciding if he needed to take anything else.

Then he closed his eyes and concentrated for a few seconds, before disappearing with a crack.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Harry did his best to hide his impatience as he watched his girlfriend dash around Number 12, Grimmauld Place, working furiously to get what they needed to implement their plan.

When she'd outlined what she thought Greyback was up to, he'd at first been sceptical, but as she had explained her reasoning and elaborated on her thought process, he found himself once again in awe of her.

Quite simply, she was the most brilliant person he'd ever encountered, and he resolved once again to make sure not to screw things up with her because he knew with certainty that he'd never find anyone better.

His impatience was only matched by his nerves and as he glanced at his watch, he found himself wondering if Ron had received their message and if he would act upon it. Ron was still his first friend and despite their recent differences, he loved him deeply and wanted to maintain their friendship. So, it was with a feeling of trepidation that he waited on Hermione to finish what she needed to do.

They had asked Minerva to keep Crump locked up for another night. While both were convinced that he would stick to his side of the deal, they simply could not take the risk that he might return to Greyback. They'd given him a dose of the potion and departed, explaining to Minerva that it was vital Crump did not leave. The Headmistress had not liked the request one bit and had expressed her displeasure in the strongest terms, but he was touched by the fact that she had enough faith in them to eventually oblige them, even though she had her reservations. She'd also agreed to ask one of the castle elves to deliver their letter to Ron.

Hermione had then insisted on visiting the Potions Lab and, once there, had swept up a mass of equipment and brewed potion and placed it all in her beaded bag. Then they'd hastily taken the secret passage towards Honeydukes, Apparating to Grimmauld Place as soon as they were beyond the borders of Hogwarts. Once there, Hermione had been a whirlwind of activity as she gathered everything they needed. He'd offered to help, but soon realised the most useful thing he could do was stay out of her way.

'OK; I think I have everything,' Hermione finally exclaimed.

He looked at her warmly, his love and affection written all over his face. 'You sure?'

'As sure as I'll ever be. 'C'mon; we need to go. We're running out of time and Ron will be waiting for us.'

Harry grimaced. 'You hope Ron will be waiting for us,' he corrected.

She shook her head. 'No, He'll be there. I know he will.'

He moved towards her and held her close. 'Whatever happens, I am so proud of you. So proud to be your boyfriend.'

She squeezed him back and buried her face in the crook of his neck. 'We're going to do this, Harry. We're going to win and we're going to get our lives back. Then we're going to show them all just what we're capable of!'

He gripped her one more time before taking a few seconds to compose himself and concentrate. Then he shifted, and immediately found himself in a familiar dingy alley, one they had used to break into the Ministry in what seemed like a lifetime ago.

He turned at a sudden, unexpected noise, his wand already drawn as he pushed Hermione behind him protectively, but he was immediately relived to see a familiar friendly face smiling at the pair of them. He felt a sudden peace in his heart as he looked upon his first friend, knowing that whatever happened, they would still be there for each other. And Hermione.

'Hi, Ron. You have no idea how good it is to see you, mate,' he finally managed.

In lieu of a response, Ron Weasley simply approached his two best friends and crushed them in an embrace.

Things were going to be just fine.