Authors Note: Thank you all for your lovely messages and reviews. Sorry for the delay. We're rapidly wrapping up this tale.
When Hermione got to the road it was obvious why she had been called, the Death Eaters were trying to breach her wards and apparate away. The activated wardstones had been placed by one of the first wolves on the scene and had managed to keep Voldemort's forces contained but without a witch present it would only be a matter of time.
It was a slaughterhouse, more than half of the humans were dead or dying. The dirt road was stained with blood and littered with robed corpses, amongst them was the occasional nude body of a wolf.
A wave of Hermione's wand cast a Bombarda Maxima, aimed at the ground where two wizards were trying to destroy the nearest wardstone. They were blasted backwards, one impacting a tree with a sickening thud - in another world or another time, Hermione might have recognised Lucius Malfoy and felt remorse at causing his death but in this world she was a predator.
The other wizard had a softer landing but his throat was torn out by one of her bodyguards before he even had the chance to sit up. She shifted back into wolf form and darted into cover, heading for the next stone.
It was chaos. Errant spells were lighting up the clearing, smoke was making it hard to see or breathe but despite the intruders having magic they were outmatched by the more numerous wolves. The remaining Death Eaters were trying to organise, struggling to form a defensive perimeter and it could have saved them but the wolves were experts at keeping their prey moving.
The enemy were corralled into smaller and smaller groups, always kept on guard and guessing - it was textbook and almost exactly what they had planned. Many of the less experienced wizards among them were easily spooked and the wolves cold-bloodedly used that to their advantage.
Hermione darted from place to place, well aware that her magical combat skills weren't quite up to open contact with the Death Eaters. She used her natural agility and familiarity with the terrain to dart from place to place, using her wand to try and end the threat to her people.
She did snicker however, when the inhuman and sickeningly pale wizard stepped into one of Minerva's magically strengthened bear traps, letting out an involuntary cry of pain. It seemed like her lover had finally managed to get some amount of compensation for the damage that this wizard had wrought on everything that she had ever cared about.
The distraction of Voldemort's followers, at the injury to a wizard that they had believed invulnerable caused him to lose five more in a matter of seconds. However the almost unilateral charge of the remaining humans to their master's side, led to the exact situation that the wolves had wanted to avoid. The Dark Lord, surrounded by his followers in a defensive position - it would reduce the wolves ability to flank them and force the two groups into open combat.
Hermione assessed this logically and rapidly made an analysis of the best course of action. The only way to counter the wizards long range attacks would be with overwhelming force. She lifted her muzzle towards the sky and howled, calling in the final set of reinforcements would be risky but she wanted to end this now before one of them found a way to circumvent her wards.
Logically, it was too soon for a human to recognise the sound of a specific wolf's call but Minerva knew, deeply and intrinsically in a way that she never could have explained - that the frantic cry for reinforcement had come from her mate. Dimitri also knew, because he threw his pen onto the map and tugged off his clothes, preparing to shift.
"Let me go with you!"
"No." The single word was snarled and left no ambiguity in his response.
"I can help, not only do I know their tactics but I can add my magic to Hermione's."
Naked now, the male wolf frowned. "The Council forbade it."
Frantic, Minerva took several steps closer and touched his arm. Her emerald gaze bored into him, trying to convince him of her sincerity. "There's every possibility that she is carrying my child."
Pale eyes widened. Dimitri hadn't been expecting that. He growled and shot a look at the Elders, obviously torn. What Minerva didn't know, couldn't really know; was that if she fled both he and Hermione would have to face the penalty for it. The male wolf took the risk. "Fine. But don't slow me down."
The witch nodded and transformed into her animagus form, she began to run after the wolves. Like Hermione they were faster than her feline form but she kept up by darting through the undergrowth in a way that the larger animals couldn't. She ignored the annoyed growls from the Elders that followed their exit, already focussed on her goal - needing to see that Hermione was alright with an intensity that surprised her.
Her nimble form found its way between trees and piles of frozen leaves, old half dead brambles snagged at her fur but Minerva was undeterred. The dirt road wasn't that far from the settlement and it wasn't too long before the wolves slowed, hoping to make their entrance onto the battlefield unnoticed.
Careful not to make any noise, the graceful feline made her way where the black wolf was lying on his belly in the snow, observing the scene. Her heart gave a thump when she spotted Hermione with blood running down her naked body from a minor head wound. She was however, holding her own, protecting a small group of injured wolves with a powerful shield charm and throwing a few hexes at their attackers.
Dimitri growled, softly but with clear meaning. Not completely understanding the canine, she could nevertheless interpret that he was getting their group ready to leap forwards and the cat wandlessly conjured a dense smoke screen that would mask their attack. It drifted rapidly towards the battlefield and the group broke cover.
Minerva found herself pressed in by a large furry body on each side of her, as the wolves headed directly for the nearest wizards. The cat found herself splattered with blood as she dove into a small gap, her body morphing into human form as she slid across the gravel and behind enemy lines. Not bothering to regain her feet, she fired off a series of curses - leaving her own defense to Dimitri's wolves.
Hermione's heart could have leapt out of her chest when she spotted her mate. There was no way that Minerva should have been here but the fact that she was with Dimitri was unmistakable - the older wolf had finally seen the value of the witch. The distraction caused by their reinforcements was enough to allow the wolf to shift and she lunged at the wizard she had been fighting, large canines ripped a hole in his leg - severing an artery and she left him to collapse, as she bounded forward.
Retreat was not an option. Not for Voldemort's forces who were caught in the trap that Hermione had laid. Nor for the wolves who fought for their way of life and for the very survival of their species. Or for the long suffering witch who had been struggling for so long and had lost so much - it was time that this war had to end.
Voldemort cried out in impotent rage as a wolf used their teeth to tear the head from his snake, there was no way the animal could have known the importance of Nagini. She had been his last horcrux; the rest destroyed by Dumbledore and Harry Potter before they died.
He was the Heir of Slytherin, he was supposed to be immortal - this shouldn't be happening to him, or at least that's what he thought. Even as a young boy in the orphanage, he had believed that he had a grand destiny but ever since that night in Godric's Hollow, it seemed like nothing had gone right. Without a horcrux he was vulnerable and suddenly afraid.
Voldemort's gaze was drawn across the battlefield, intelligent eyes focussing on the form of a very familiar witch. "McGonagall. You're supposed to be dead, you should be dead!" He was furious, it seemed like this was all her fault. They had been lured to this location by a powerful magical resonance and it had been a trap.
He shot an intensely strong hex in Minerva's direction, ignoring the fact that one of his own followers was in the line of fire. His rage was almost a tangible thing and he lashed out violently. The professor didn't see the spell coming, she was engaged in a duel with a young man that she didn't recognise but who was adept with a wand. In the next moment she was violently thrown backwards, aware of a harrowing pain in her shoulder before her head hit the floor and everything went black.
The nearest wolves howled, throwing themselves between the helpless witch and the danger. She was the mate of one of their leaders and they were willing to die to protect her. It took only moments for Minerva to regain consciousness. She was trapped under the weight of a corpse, one of Voldemort's men who had been hit by whatever had incapacitated her. It hurt to lift her head but she did it nevertheless - expecting to see the nightmarish wizard leering down at her, preparing to cast a killing curse.
Instead her vision was obscured by a wall of fur; black, grey, sable and white - the wolves were protecting her. Guarding her from Voldemort with their very lives. Minerva shoved the body off of her and struggled to her knees, flicked her wrist to cast a strong shield charm around them. She heard a series of relieved and grateful whines as the wolves registered what she had done. Her left shoulder was badly scorched by the near miss of Voldemort's spell and blood was dripping liberally down her arm. The Scottish witch got to her feet and made eye contact with what was left of the man who had once been Tom Riddle.
He stood alone, practically his entire force decimated and the few remaining wizards were fighting for their lives. Dumbledore would have commented on Voldemort's life choices, perhaps asked why the man had squandered his second chances but Minerva said nothing. Her eyes flicked to one side where she spotted Hermione standing in a position that mirrored her own.
The younger witch had her wand drawn and met Minerva's green gaze with an intensity that spoke volumes. "Flank." She whispered the single word to the wolves, knowing that her mate was doing the same and the shapeshifters instantly obeyed, moving to either side of the wizard. Human senses would not be able to detect the stealthy form of Dimitri, making his way through the underbrush. The male wolf was ruthless and aggressive, he would kill Voldemort without hesitation. All they had to do was distract the wizard for a few seconds and it would all be over.
The two witches had very different combat techniques. Minerva's had been learnt by hard repetition and sacrifice, Hermione's was only guesswork and tactics gleaned from books. The older woman moved with grace, almost like she was dancing, her wandwork elegant but forceful. The wolf kept on the move, animal instinct guiding her feet, even as she flicked her wand in a manner that was purposeful and direct. Even working together they weren't a match for Voldemort, under normal circumstances he would have incapacitated them and fled. But Hermione's ward stones still held, keeping him there and forced this confrontation - the final part of Harry Potter's story.
The wizard took a step, his wand clutched uncharacteristically tightly as he tried to press the attack. Time seemed to move in slow motion for Hermione; gravel scratched at her bare feet as she stepped forward and her unruly hair stirred in the breeze. She flicked her wrist, sending a rather nasty hex Voldemort's way.
Minerva's experience was the opposite, the events of the last several minutes had been a blur. Blood and fur intermixed with flashes of light. She was alternating offensive and defensive spells with as much speed as she could muster.
Dimitri's powerful hindquarters bunched and he kept forward. His teeth closed around Voldemort's neck with a sickening sound of tearing flesh and the wolf shook his head viciously, snapping vertebrae before the wizard even had time to raise his wand. The loss of their omniscient leader by something as mundane as the teeth of an animal caused the remaining Death Eaters to pause in shock. The remaining wolves made quick work of them.
And then it was all over.
The silence was startling.
The smoke was thick enough to dim the light of the sun. All Minerva could hear was her own heartbeat and she let her eyes track the naked form of her mate as Hermione walked towards her. The human almost jumped out of her skin when the assembled wolves broke into a long and intense howl of victory. Minerva found herself pulled into a hug, "I'm so glad that you are alright."
The wolf kissed her briefly, "Thank you for coming to my rescue." The two women held each other while wolves moved around them, then further away, checking the battlefield for survivors and comforting each other. It was then that Hermione realised where they were; the battle had taken them closer and closer to the border of their territory. They stood literally only a few steps away from it. The wolf closed her eyes and exhaled shakily against her mate's shoulder.
"Minerva…" Her voice was scarcely a whisper
"Hmmm?"
"We're only yards from the border. The anti-apparation ward ends maybe fifty feet from here. You can go home." Hermione could barely force the last few words out past the lump in her throat.
Minerva's lips parted in shock and she pulled back, her gaze flicking from her mate to the open steppe beyond the road. Hermione took a single step backwards and waited patiently for Minerva to make the decision that had previously been denied her. The witch didn't know, couldn't have known that if Hermione let her flee - her mate would pay the price for it but the wolf was determined that this time the choice would be Minerva's, and hers alone.
Emerald eyes scanned the scene; the desolation of the plain and the contrasting image of the wolves inherent sociability. She was aware of the warmth of Hermione's body and the hand resting gently on her forearm but there was no expectation coming from the wolf. Minerva was very aware however, that time was ticking away and she didn't want to lose her chance. Hermione didn't think that Minerva had taken a single breath since she had spoken. As the seconds passed she felt her chest tighten and she willed her hands to stop shaking.
Finally Minerva turned back to face Hermione. She swallowed hard and then spoke what seemed to be an impossible truth, "I am home."
Tears dripped down Hermione's cheeks silently. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Minerva yelped when Hermione threw both arms around her and squeezed tightly. "I'm so glad."
"I can't thank you enough for giving me the choice Hermione, that's the most thoughtful thing that anyone has ever done for me."
The wolf shook her head, "It was the right thing to do."
"It means a great deal, I'm not sure if you realise how much."
Hermione brushed gentle fingers down Minerva's soft cheek, tracing the wet trail of her tears. "I love you."
The older witch bent her neck, resting her forehead against the wolf's and tangled her left hand in unruly tresses. "You are stuck with me."
A giggle, "That's something I can live with. As long as you don't mind fur on your robes?"
Minerva shook her head with a fond smile but whatever she was going to say was cut off by the snarl from another wolf. The sound was full of a note that she couldn't interpret and even Hermione looked confused as she spun around to face dense undergrowth. She sniffed the air and exchanged a meaningful glance with Dimitri before they both darted away, with the witch in hot pursuit.
Standing in a tiny gap in the thicket was a small child. She was petting the snarling wolf, seemingly without fear and looked up at them with wide brown eyes. Minerva could tell that the girl was human simply by the reactions of the wolves. Hermione's sudden shift into wolf form was unexpected and Minerva spent several seconds uncomprehendingly watching her communicate with the larger black canine.
'Dimitri, what are we going to do?'
'She's just a little kid, who's probably just seen her parents killed. I don't think I can do it.'
'On the side of a human, never saw that coming.'
Dimitri growled, 'What are we supposed to do?'
'You know exactly what we're supposed to do. But an unaccompanied child on our land, that hasn't happened before, however it's not our decision.'
'Call them.'
Hermione took a step back and lifted her muzzle in a desperate howl, one repeated by the grey wolf before it slunk away. She exchanged another look with Dimitri before shifting back into human form. "I've called for the Council of Elders. They have to make this decision."
"What is supposed to happen?"
Hermione shot her mate a bleak look but said nothing. Minerva took a second to catch up and exhaled sharply. "You cannot be serious."
The brunette just shook her head.
Minerva bit her lip and watched Dimitri approach the child, her hand tightened on her wand but she didn't perceive his body language as threatening. The girl happily stroked the huge wolf, completely uncaring that her hands were becoming covered in blood.
"What's your name?" Hermione kept her voice soft and unthreatening.
"Delphi Riddle."
Minerva's eyebrows shot up. At no point in her long history with Voldemort, had the possibility that he had fathered a child ever come up and none of her research had even indicated that he was capable of a romantic relationship. "Who is your mother?"
"Bellatrix Black."
The Headmistress gave another gasp, that was another unexpected development.
The girl looked up with a dark gaze, "My parents are dead aren't they?"
"Yes," answered Hermione when her mate hesitated. The wolves seemed to rarely dissemble or lie and her instinct was to tell the truth to the child.
"People die." Minerva exchanged a look with Hermione at the completely disinterested tone of voice that Delphi had used. This appeared to be a very damaged young child and even she didn't quite know what to do with her. "Who are you?"
"I'm Hermione and this is Minerva. The fluffy one that you are stroking is Dimitri."
"He's soft."
"Maybe his fur." Hermione left the rest of her sentence implied but unspoken. "Come on. Let's take him for a walk." Despite the seriousness of the situation she laughed when Dimitri growled. Adroitly she let the wolf lead the girl back towards the settlement.
A couple of minutes passed in silence and then Hermione spoke softly to Minerva, knowing that only the other wolves would be able to hear them. "What are our options?"
"If your… if the Council let her live, she either has to stay here or leave but without her memories. Maybe an orphanage?"
"What if the memory charm failed with time?"
Minerva shook her head, "I don't know. Could she stay here?"
"Someone could foster her I guess but what happens if she resents us when she gets older, a witch certainly has the opportunity to cause chaos and reveal everything."
"What about Obliviating her and keeping her within the settlement. She could be watched for signs that the charm was wearing off but she would be here for life."
"Is it so bad?"
"No." Minerva grinned, her earlier contentment coming back to her. "It isn't."
Dimitri whined, getting their attention and Hermione eyed his body language. She gave MInerva an apologetic smile and shifted again into her animal form. The two wolves seemed to commune for a long time and the witch concentrated hard, she could sense surprise, consternation along with understanding from her mate but would need to speak to her before she could gain more detail.
"What was that about?"
The newly transformed young woman turned to face the woman she loved, "Dimitri wants to foster her; with or without her memories."
"He hates humans."
"Yes, but he has always wanted another child, his late wife died in childbirth before they could have a larger family. I cannot kill the girl and if the most militant wolf I know also cannot - I'm not sure how many options we have left remaining to us."
"I suppose that keeping her close would reduce the threat that she poses but given her ancestry and upbringing, she cannot be allowed to keep her memories."
Hermione nodded, once again glad of her mate's input. "I agree. Have you cast the spell before?"
"Yes but I recommend that you do it instead, though I am happy to supervise you."
The wolf frowned, "May I ask why?"
"The Council doesn't trust me yet and while I cannot fault them for that fact, it means that this whole course of action is dependent on their faith in you. Besides it is a good way to prove that Obliviation is a valid way of handling muggles without having to resort to violence." The truth in her words was undeniable.
Hermione nodded, "Alright, but don't undersell yourself."
"I am not, just stating a fact my dear. You need to do this." Minerva exhaked when she felt a ripple of anxiety through their bond. "What is it?"
"The Council. Well the least tractable parts of it at least, the rest are hanging back but still within earshot…"
Minerva nodded, straightened up and gave her clothing a tug to straighten it. She was in such a mood that she felt like she could take on anyone or anything and win. Never one to be easily intimidated, she was determined to face this head on and if that meant opposing the Council with her mate, she would do it.
"Sire, hello."
The older Granger nodded, "You succeeded daughter, our sacred land is once again safe." Cold eyes looked at the small child hanging onto Dimitri's fur. "Almost." His meaning was clear.
"I won't kill this child Father."
Paul Granger growled, "Dimitri."
The black wolf snarled and hung his head but did nothing.
"This is not who we are Father. It was always the humans that killed our young. It is wrong, I will not become a child murderer. We can make a choice here to be different."
"The witchling is a threat. To everything we hold dear."
"Sire we are wolves, we should not live in fear, cowering behind our walls like mongrel dogs. Letting our apprehension blind us to what is right. If our society doesn't change, we may as well all be dead. I can take the girl's memories and watch her for the rest of our lives, the threat can be negated."
Hermione felt her inner wolf cringe as her father towered over her. "You will submit to my demand, daughter. This is not a negotiation. I am the head of the Council of Elders, you will obey me."
More wolves appeared, slinking through the trees. The rest of the Council appeared behind Paul but not one of them made a sound. It was so silent that it seemed as though the forest itself was holding its breath, waiting for Hermione to respond.
"No." The naked young woman clenched her muscles in frustration, feeling overwhelming support from Minerva flowing through her bond act to calm her almost instantly. "I will not. You may be the head of the Council and my father but you are also wrong."
Paul took a step towards Delphini Riddle and Hermione matched him, putting her own body between the two of them. "You wanted me to take your place on the Council. Maybe now is the time."
"What?"
"You heard me. If you can't make the difficult decisions, you need to stand aside for someone who can."
"You are unbelievable. First you petition for years to be allowed to manipulate the memories of humans, then you mate with one, then this. You want to tear apart our society for our enemies?"
"No. I have to do what I think is right. In the long term, yes, I wholeheartedly believe that memory manipulation of humans will be the best way to avoid drawing attention to us but I was content to wait. I cannot murder a child when I know that there is another way."
A voice from behind Paul spoke, it was the same woman who had defended Minerva at their previous meeting. "What do you say Minerva?"
"Hermione is right," said the older witch. "The girl's memory needs to be erased, if nothing else she can be a test subject."
"Sire… Dad, I don't want to argue with you but I will. This would be wrong. Our whole society is based upon family, upon protecting the young. This girl may not be one of ours but she is an innocent."
Paul growled again but he seemed to be softening to peer pressure, rather than that of his daughter and her mate. Hermione shifted her feet and focussed instead on the female speaker. "Can't you see that this would be wrong?"
"I can, the killing of a child is a serious matter but your father is the head of this council. If you want to remove him without his consent, you will need to make a challenge. Are you ready for that?"
"I don't want it to come to that." For Hermione the idea of killing her father, or being killed by him to save a child, it was truly terrifying. "Sire please."
Paul turned to face his peers and then with a snarl, "Fine but as you and Dimitri are forcing this issue, the two of you will be responsible for the consequences of it. And daughter?"
"Yes Sire?"
"The next time you defy me, you had better be prepared to face the ramifications of that." The threat was clear in his voice and there was nothing but contempt written on his features.
Hermione held back a growl and felt rather than heard Minerva do the same. The wolf was trembling with repressed rage and when the Elders left, she buried her face in her mate's shoulder. She concentrated on controlling her breathing, nuzzling her nose into soft fabric that smelled like her lover and inhaled deeply. "It's alright, we won and it might just be enough to save more people in the future. But it looks like Christmas dinner is off."
Minerva was touched at the younger woman's words, that even in her own state of distress Hermione took the time to reassure her, even to joke about the situation. That empathy had been one of the things that had first drawn her to the wolf. "I love you," she whispered against chestnut curls. From his position several feet away Dimitri made a gagging sound and Minerva swatted at the massive wolf with her hand, something that would have been unthinkable a few days prior.
Hermione just laughed, the interaction an amusing counterpoint to her emotional state. "Let's get this done and go home, I think I could sleep for a month. Obliviate."