Note: Hello! Following the logic from last chapter, this one talks about Hermione's Anabasis... which is simply the ascent from hell.

I loved writing this chapter and I hope you like it too!

St. Mungo's

She keeps walking. She's not sure when she started or when she's stopping, however, she keeps going. There's nothing from where she came and nothing in front of her. It's a road made of yellow bricks and she realizes she can't walk outside of it. One step after the other. The sky is red. Odd. And the grass is brown, the trees have no leaves. She might thought it hard to see, but it isn't, it's all clear. And it all looks the same.

Where am I?

Her outfit is also strange, like something out of a book. Ah! The wizard of Oz! Yes, that's it. The yellow brick road, her dress, her hair. She's Dorothy herself. She starts humming a song, one she loves from the old movie and her feet keeping hitting the ground in rhythm. She keeps walking.

Should I be somewhere else? She can't tell. Nothing else seems to exist, only this, only this moment and road, only the place she's getting to. Didn't Dorothy have a dog? She doesn't know why it's relevant, maybe it isn't. Voices echo around her and she recognizes them, "Mum, we love you." "Please wake up." They seem far away. She wants to answer but she can't, she doesn't know how. She keeps walking.

Then, far away in the sky she sees a bird. No, not a bird. It's something else, something special. A huge eagle approaches her but she doesn't stop walking, she keeps going and the eagle flies by her side. The voices are echoing still and she says, "Why can't I answer them?" She knows the eagle will answer, it's absurd but true.

"You're in a coma." The eagle says and she turns her head, watching her. Athena. The name comes unbidden and the fact that I am Athena too.

"How is this possible?" Hermione voices.

"We are inside our heads, so I guess anything is possible."

"Am I really? In a coma?"

"Yes."

She keeps walking. "I feel strange."

"You should."

"What happened?"

"Don't you remember?" Athena says.

Hermione closes her eyes, still moving forward, going nowhere. Harry. She remembers something. He was there and a hooded figure was there. There, where? My house. We were at my house. "Harry was dying. I could feel it and I- I had to save him." She never exaggerated when she said she would die for him. She actually did die. The eagle is nodding by her side. Hermione is now more centered, aware that she's talking to herself, trying to understand what's happening. "The wicked one. He was so strong." She felt sheer panic when she realized nothing they did was capable of hurting that hooded figure. "He played us like we were children learning how to control our magic."

"Why you keep saying the wicked one is a 'he'?" Athena says and Hermione frowns. "How can you be so sure?"

"I'm actually not."

That's a thought that makes her stop. Her feet freeze in place and everything around keeps spinning, helping her realize she was walking in circles. It's like she's trapped inside a hamster's wheel.

"What are you saying?" Hermione asks Athena. "Is the wicked one a woman?"

"Don't you have the answer for that?" Athena's tone is sharp and Hermione feels uncomfortable. They're the same person, the same mind. She knows something she's not understanding.

"I don't know." She says.

Athena resumes her flying and Hermione resumes her walking. "What is this place?" She asks.

"It's whatever you want it to be."

"Why do I keep walking like this? In circles?"

"Why do you?" Athena says back to her.

She shrugs. She doesn't know. Her thoughts go to Harry, to Lily and Laura. They're safe now. They have to. She made a love sacrifice, it's something irreversible, something strong and unique and she'd never felt so powerful in her entire life. When she took - borrowed - Harry's magic she couldn't imagine how it would feel. She was invincible and she knew it would work, she'd just read about it in one of Marga's book. And the prophecy talked about sacrifice. At first she imagined the sacrifice was their separation, the way they gave up on their love, but now she's not so sure… because our love never really faded. It was always there, strong and binding, connecting us, embracing us.

"The distance was foolishness." She says. "It counted for nothing… it just delayed the inevitable. Harry thought putting miles between us could stop the prophecy from happening, but-"

"He was wrong."

Hermione nods and smiles fondly. "Always so protective. When the girls first started trying to walk around, he was so desperate they might hurt themselves he casted all kinds of spells inside the house." Hermione laughs. "If the girls fell, a giant bubble would appear to cushion their fall, or an imaginary fluffy hand would catch them." She shakes her head. "He never cared about learning spells, but these ones he did. However, it was crazy around the house… there isn't much space inside Grimmauld, you know? And bubbles and phantom hands kept appearing out of nowhere. He only stopped because I said the girls would be traumatized by it."

"And it's good to hurt a little, right? To learn not to do it again."

"Yes, it's important to understand what hurts you so you can stop doing or accepting it."

She stops walking again. "Can I ever forgive him?" Her voice is low and Athena observes her.

"Do you want to?"

"I do." She starts walking. "I think I already did… but it scared me. And other things got in the way and-"

"What does it matter, Hermione? You just died for him." That makes her stop again.

"What do you mean?"

"What difference does it make? Why be separated? What does it change?"

"It bought us some time-"

"Bullshit and you know it. Come on, Hermione. You just said you have to know what hurts you so you don't do it again."

Hermione sighs. "I was afraid, okay? Afraid I had everything I've always wanted. Afraid it might be taken from me again, afraid he realized he didn't want to be with me for real."

"Stop fighting your feelings."

Hermione starts crying. "It's just so overwhelming. Being with him it's everything, it means so much it hurts me. I don't want to think about what happened, but sometimes when I look at him I do it involuntarily. I remember the day he left, I remember all I had to go through and it is crazy to feel that pain again and…"

"And?"

"And ignore it. Because what I feel for him it's so much more. And that's frightening, so frightening. It gives me absolute terror to think that someone else has my life on their hands. But he does. Him and the girls."

"I know."

The scene around her changes. The sky is blue again and the sun is shining bright above her. She squints, trying to understand what's happening. Exhaling soundly, she's taken by pure relief. She finally admitted the truth: being with Harry is losing control, is letting her life goes unencumbered, is giving her body, soul and heart to him all over again, and she was afraid. She feared he might break her again and this time she wouldn't be able to take it. But now she realizes it doesn't matter.

Doesn't matter because she's already his. She always has been. She can't control it and she's fine with it.

"I need to tell him everything." She resumes her walk.

"You do."

Ginny watches as Hermione's eyes seem to move under her closed eyelids. Is she dreaming of something? She's been in a coma for two weeks already and things don't look good. Ginny worries about the girls, worries about Harry and is terrified her friend might never wake up. She sighs and brushes away a few lonely tears. In a rare moment she's alone with Hermione, Ron is working, Draco too, Hermione's parents went home some time ago. Her mother is taking care of Aria and Dominic and she couldn't write the article her boss wants even if her life depended on it. Lily and Laura come everyday to see their mother. Minerva allowed them as soon as the classes are done for the day, then they go back, on weekends, however, they take turns with them, they already spent it with Hermione's parents and with Ginny and Draco. Security around them is stronger than ever.

However, Ginny's heart aches for them. They try putting a brave face, but Ginny knows it's just a facade. They greet and kiss Hermione everyday, never letting go of her hand while they tell her everything they can think about. I can't even imagine what they must be feeling… at least Hermione they can visit…

Harry's in Azkaban and that's something she never imagined would be a reality. After he was taken by the Head of the Law Enforcement, articles and proof of Harry's involvement in attacks on both muggle and wizard London started popping out everywhere. Suddenly, several eye witnesses wanted to testify against him, suddenly, traces of his magic were found on each location, suddenly, the wizarding world hates Harry Potter. It's absurd. First, people rejected Hermione as Minister, then Harry himself… is Ron next? Because it feels that way. Draco was the one to bring it up with her… he said it seemed like a conspiracy, like a commotion against those who defeated Voldemort directly.

They always knew Voldemort's followers existed, but Ginny never thought they would be able to do something like this, to make people see Harry and Hermione as their enemies. And who's behind it? Her gut tells her it's Jack. She never liked the man and since Draco told her how most wizards and witches at the Ministry actually respected him… it gave her something to think about, her reporter eye and training yelling at her, warning her. But what is it, exactly?

She sighs again and stands up, unable to tell how many hours she's been sitting there. We wanted Harry and Hermione to be happy, but shit hit the fan since they tried it. Her romantic self can't accept the succession of unfortunate events they've gone through recently. She shakes her head as she thinks about it. They'll find a way out of this, won't they?

She glances at the door. She needs to go, but she'll wait until Ron arrives with the girls. They don't like to leave Hermione alone, maybe she's not aware of them, but they're her friends, her family, and we'll be here for you, always.

And as if hearing her thoughts, they arrive.

She hugs Lily and Laura tightly. "Hey, girls."

"Hi, aunt Ginny." Laura's voice is muffled because she has her face pressed against Ginny's middle. Lily doesn't say a thing and Ginny purses her lips. The girl is crying, copiously. She lets her and looks at Ron, but he's watching Hermione, his eyes red from crying too. Laura releases her and goes to Ron, taking his hand and approaching Hermione's bed. Lily is sobbing in Ginny's arms.

"Oh, sweetie." She says, kissing the top of her head.

"I- I-" Lily tries. "I'm sorry, I just- just miss them, so- so much."

"I know. I do too." Ginny crouches to look up at the girl. Ron and Laura are quiet behind them. "You don't have to be strong all the time, Lily. You can cry and be angry, you can think it's unfair. You're allowed to feel, honey."

Lily is nodding. "I just want them back." Her voice is nothing but a thin whisper.

"Are you feeling this?" Hermione asks and Athena nods. "My girls." She walks faster. She knows she won't get nowhere but she doesn't care, it's a natural reaction, as if walking this way she can solve her daughters problems like she always did. She wants to end their suffering, kiss away their tears and hold them as tightly as she's capable of. "I need to wake up."

She stops walking and closes her eyes, thinking about them and about how much she wants to be with them. She imagines herself in a dream and she pushes away this dream, this world she built inside her mind of endless walking and infinite yellow brick road.

But nothing happens.

"Why it's not working?"

"Maybe it's not time yet." Athena says.

Hermione is silent for a long time, just letting herself hear them, not just their words, but their feelings. Their magic. "I can feel their magic." She says in awe. She smiles proudly. Their magic is solid, consistent, totally untamed but powerful. However, she frowns. "It's our connection, isn't it? So, why can't I feel Harry too?" Panic takes over her. "Is he dead? No, it can't be." She starts running. "HARRY! LILY! LAURA!" She wants them to hear her, maybe even wake her.

"It won't work." Athena says, but Hermione doesn't stop, she doesn't care.

"Lily…"

It's almost unintelligible, but Ginny is sure she just heard Hermione mumbling her daughter's name.

"Hermione!" She exclaims involuntarily. They circle the bed, holding her hands.

"Mum! I'm here, mum, wake up! Please, please."

"Laura…"

"I'm calling the healer." Ron says and Ginny nods, her eyes wide watching Hermione.

"Girls! I'm coming! Don't cry."

She's tired from all her running in circles. She can hear her daughters calling to her, even pulling her with their magic, but it isn't strong enough. She stops, inhaling and exhaling deeply. The gravity of her situation dawning on her. "If I can't hear nor feel Harry, are they all alone?" It breaks her heart to imagine Lily and Laura without both of them. "They must be so scared." She whispers.

Athena is flying in circles above her.

"Where are you, Harry?" Hermione asks to the open space.

For the first time she sits down on the yellow brick road and just cries. She forgets she's trapped inside her own unconscious mind, inside her fears and dreams. Athena lands by her side, her big and menacing talons digging into the grass.

"There's no use crying in here. You need to find a way out of this situation." She opens her wings and Hermione watches the eagle. "Harry isn't coming. I have no idea what happened to him, but you're on your own. Stop whining and deal with it."

"Merlin." She cleans her tears. "I'm very harsh on myself."

"Don't feel bad about it. It's just who you are. You solve things, Hermione. And this is nothing but another puzzle."

"Okay. Okay." Her eyes travel her surroundings and she frowns. "The sky." She says. "It's the only thing that changed since I got here… it changed after I decided telling Harry everything." She cocks her head.

"You mean after you admitted your fears to yourself."

She raises one eyebrow. "I guess… so, what is it? Do I have to keep admitting fears?"

"People say we keep everything inside our unconscious mind."

Hermione gets up in a blink. "The memory."

"The one Jack took from you."

"I need to remember it. It must be important. Why else would he erase it?"

"What if it's lost forever?"

"Since I'm not going anywhere… I have to try finding it."

She nods to herself, relieved she has a new goal. She resumes her walk and forgets about the voices that were calling to her.

"I'm sorry." The healer sighs. "Her condition is the same."

"But she was talking! We all heard it!" Ginny protests.

"Look." The healer glances at Lily and Laura and leads Ginny to the far end of the room. "I understand. It's difficult, I know. Minister Granger has two daughters and they're eager to see their mother waking up, but we, adults," He motions his hand between them and Ron, "shouldn't encourage this kind of behavior-"

"You think I'm lying?" She feels outraged. "You-"

"Mrs Malfoy, please." She stops, surprised to hear the Malfoy. "We can run new tests on her if you'd like to, but her condition," He says lowering his voice, "is extremely delicate… chances are- chances are she's never waking up. I'm sorry."

Ginny scoffs and turns her head to the side, trying to hide her tears. "Well, yes, Hermione was never a big fan of good odds. And she's kicking your ass as soon as she wakes up." She leaves the healer and walks to Hermione's bed, embracing Ron. They hear the healer exiting the room and she says to her brother, "Warn me if anything changes." He nods.

"Was it today?" He asks and she nods in response, her eyes wide to him… Lily and Laura aren't paying attention to them, but Ginny is sure they can hear and she wished she was able to talk inside Ron's head like Harry and Hermione do.

"Come by later?" She whispers and he agrees.

She gives Lily and Laura tight embraces and tells them they'll meet tomorrow. They'll be back to Hogwarts in a few hours and Hermione's parents should arrive soon. Ginny is anxious and already late to meet with Draco. I need at least one good news. For the first time after two weeks Draco was allowed to visit Harry in Azkaban. And he's telling her everything as soon as she gets home.

"This is so frustrating." She's lying on the yellow brick road, her eyes gazing at the infinite blue of the sky. She tried searching for her memory in every way she thought possible. "There's nothing." She gives a little scream, letting out her anger. "I just had to relive moments with that jerk! And for what? Nothing."

"Maybe you did it wrong."

"Yes, well, it's obvious."

"That's not what I meant. What if you're looking at it the wrong way? I mean, let's focus on what happened these last few months with Jack… what do you think?"

She squints at Athena. "What am I missing?" She tries doing what Athena said, going over her last conversations with Jack… "Wait." She sits. "The mission!" She snaps her fingers. "Merlin, how could I've not noticed it earlier?"

"You've been busy with threats and all-"

"Exactly! Exactly! It was a distraction… shit. Daisy. Harry's girlfriend from New York. She was there, at the meeting, she was going to go on the mission. After I dismissed Jack she disappeared and no one thought about going after her. What the bloody hell was she doing there? Doesn't she have a son? Why is she in London, what does she have to do with everything? Why she gave Jack information? Did she really? How she knew Marga's island? We didn't even question her!" She gets up and walks a little, thinking, her mind working fast. "And the mission. I never understood it, at first we thought Jack wanted to keep me away from Harry…" She stops.

"Harry, Draco, Daisy and Cho were going on this mission, right?"

"Yes… to find the ones that took Harry." She folds her arms in front of her. "Doesn't make sense. At all."

"It really doesn't."

Suddenly, her clothes change, the Dorothy dress long gone, now replaced with a medical robe and Hermione sighs. "I was tired of that dress. So, does it mean I figured another thing out, huh?" She bites on one of her nails. "What else am I missing?" She keeps walking.

"What about that family with marks you read about? They were, supposedly, the first ones to manifest magic."

"So?" She doesn't see the connection or why she would think of them. It's strange, but Athena actually shrugs.

"Maybe it's of some importance."

Hermione doesn't respond. She walks.

Malfoy Mansion

"Draco! Are you home?"

"I'm outside!"

Ginny heads to the back of the mansion, her anxiety growing at each step she takes. Harry needs to be okay. The girls need him. She crosses the french window that leads to the backyard. Draco is there, watching the darkening sky, his shoulders hunched. Oh, no. She gently embraces him from behind and he doesn't turn, just lets himself be hugged, his hands covering hers on his front. He exhales and Ginny rests her face against his back, hearing and feeling his heartbeat. His scent calming her, welcoming her.

"How bad?" She asks with dread.

He turns in her arms and she sees a few tears running down his face. It's so rare to see him crying, but she finds it beautiful in a way. He disarms himself and finally lets some kind of emotion show, he opens up to this world that was, many times, unfair to him. Her heart aches for him. And for Harry.

"What happened?"

He shakes his head. "I should have done something, Gin." He touches her forehead with his. "I should have made him run, I should have helped him flee the moment Desmond was there to arrest him." He sobs. "I think I lost my best friend."

Ginny holds him and feels her own world crumbling down. She's afraid to ask him anything now. She's terrified. "What do you mean, love? How is Harry?"

"He lost it, Gin." He's crying copiously now. "Harry is- he's gone mental!" She feels nauseated. "He didn't make any sense and- and his eyes were empty. He didn't recognize me… he didn't react even when I mentioned the girls. They're keeping him in brutal conditions, they never let him out of the inhibiting cuffs. He's been inside a cell too small for him, without day light… it's just darkness and despair." Ginny is shaking, trying to be strong for Draco. "I knew it, I knew Azkaban was going to break him and he didn't listen, that idiot!"

Draco sobs, looking so much like a child in her arms, looking like their son when heartbroken because of something he did wrong and got an angry face from his parents.

"Love, listen to me, this is not your fault."

"It is, it is."

"Draco," She lifts his head with her hands, "You did everything you could've done. And now we have to get him out of there before it's too late."

"How? At least five Aurors are watching him from inside. It took me two weeks to be able to visit him. We know our best chance is Hermione. She needs to wake."

"She spoke." He widens his eyes. "The healer says she didn't, but I heard her, she was calling to Laura and Lily." Draco opens a brief smile. "I'm hopeful," Ginny continues, "but what if the healer is right? What if she stays that way? What about Harry? The girls? We can't just stand and watch… Merlin, this is so fucked up."

"I know, I know." He takes a deep breath. "What about Marga?" Ginny raises one eyebrow.

"You said you didn't trust her."

"I don't, but we're a little desperate here."

"Well… maybe-"

"Oi!" Ron comes from inside, a smile on his face which disappears fast enough as he watches their faces. "Oh, bloodyhell."

Ginny sighs. "Lets head inside, we have a lot to talk about."

St. Mungo's

"It bothers me." Hermione says.

"What?"

"It's always day time." She glances around and stops. "How long have I been here?" She has no idea and the notion gives her a chill. And just as she thinks about it, the yellow brick road disappears beneath her feet. "What?"

"I think it's getting closer." Athena says. "The time for you to wake up. You're more in touch with reality."

"I-" She stops. A sound so foreigner and yet so familiar interrupts her. It's loud and resonating. It's inside and outside her, it shakes her bones and makes her heart beats faster. Tears fall from her eyes. She knows this sound and as recognition her hands go to her belly immediately. "Merlin." She whispers.

"Heartbeats." Athena states.

"I have some news." The healer says.

Ginny, Ron and Hermione's parents are inside the room, waiting. Ginny can barely contain her nerves. She hadn't slept this night, they were up late talking about what to do, and they decided that Draco should try contacting Marga.

"Since Mrs Malfoy asked us to, we made new tests with Minister Granger and we discovered something we weren't looking for, and I imagine it'll be a surprise for everyone." He inhales, preparing to give the news, "She's pregnant. A little more than five-weeks long."

Ginny's mouth hangs open, her eyes wide. Hermione's parents are crying by her side, her mother happy and sad at the same time. Ginny feels a little the same, and then a frightening thought hits her, is it Jack's? She knows Hermione and Harry made up around five weeks ago or so, but at the same time, she can't be sure of what kind of relationship Hermione had with Jack. She glances at Ron and she knows he's thinking the same as her. The healer keeps talking.

"The fetus is fine. Minister Granger condition is stable, so… there's no risk for the child, he'll grow normally."

"He?" Ginny says.

"Yes, it's early to tell, but our magical tests were able to clarify it's a boy."

Ginny closes her eyes. We have to get Harry out of Azkaban. Her heart tells her this child is his, even if her mind wants to argue.

She's been quiet for a long time, her hands resting protectively against her belly, her smile as wide as the universe. She never planned being a mother, always being the weird girl around, she barely dreamed of meeting someone, on the contrary, she was rather sure she would spend her life alone with her books. But Harry changed that, he changed everything for her, their love gave them Laura and Lily and now… She closes her eyes, feeling the sun caressing her face and hearing the fast and constant heartbeats.

The whole experience of carrying your child for nine months and then giving birth is something unexplainable. The sheer love is almost suffocating. People tend to talk about the beauty of it, about the happiness and how a child is a gift, and they're right, it truly is everything, however, what people forget to mention is how totally vulnerable you're the moment you hold your child. Hermione never felt so scared her entire life, just to imagine something happening to Laura or Lily gave her panic attacks, she hurt physically. And you're never the priority anymore, it's all about them, all about making them happy and protecting them from this ruthless world.

"I'll protect my family at all costs." She whispers. She doesn't want this pregnancy to be a worry, she wants it to make them stronger, to bring us closer together.

Back then she and Harry took all the precautions, but she got pregnant nonetheless. And now… it's exactly the same. She has no doubt this new life inside her is Harry's. He'll be thrilled. She smiles wider, hurting her cheeks.

"I'm sure he will. But for that to happen you need to get out of here." Athena says.

Hermione agrees. She doesn't know what happened to Harry, and she never will if she doesn't wake soon. "I heard Lily and Laura earlier… when was it?"

"I don't know. But I think you've been here long enough."

She gets up. The road is gone and she can wander around the clearing. "It's beautiful here."

"I think… didn't Harry say he could help you retrieve your lost memory?"

Hermione turns her head to Athena. "He did." She remembers the day, they were at Ginny and Draco's and because of the mission Harry wouldn't have time to help her, however he almost died later and this idea got lost. "But… I don't think it would help. He couldn't do it with the threats nor the ring after a point. Besides, it's dangerous for him too." She grunts. "I don't even know if it's possible to retrieve this memory."

"We need to try harder… it must be important."

"Did you find her?" Ginny asks Draco.

Yesterday they found out Hermione is pregnant and they immediately set into motion their plan to rescue Harry. Draco sighs.

"Yes. She said she's doing it tonight." He watches as Ginny's expression changes to one of relief. They're watching Hermione, waiting for Ron and Luna to arrive with Laura and Lily. "I hope we're doing the right thing."

Ginny is silent for a while. They talked about this over and over again, if Harry truly escapes he's going to be priority number one at the Ministry and people will see him as guilty, they'll want him in Azkaban, they'll want justice, they'll want him dead. On the other hand, if they sit and wait for Hermione to wake up and get him out, they might wait forever and Harry doesn't have the luxury of time, as each second goes by, another part of him gets lost inside those walls, another bit of his sanity. When Draco remembers Harry's condition he wants to punch someone. The man saved these ungrateful gits from certain death under Voldemort's and that's how they thank him?

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I don't trust Marga, and…" He trails, not wanting to talk about it. "She'll want something in return, she doesn't do things for free, Gin."

Ginny turns to look at him. "What does she want?"

"She didn't say." He shakes his head. "She said she'll tell me when the right time comes."

"Is this… binding in some way?"

"It is. I accepted her terms so I have to do what she wants."

Ginny swears under her breath. "I guess we'll have to worry about it later, right?"

"Ginny! Draco!"

Hermione can hear them. It's maddening they can't hear her. They're talking about…

"Marga." She whispers.

Then, she feels it. Stronger than anything, hitting her and taking her breathe away. Harry. The connection. He's there, really there, but it's so brief she's not sure it happened or she imagined it. She grits her teeth in anger, tired of being trapped here, tired of how powerless she is. She runs, looking for a way out.

Athena is flying near and she shouts from above. "What about Marga?"

Hermione stops. "I don't know, I-" But there's something, she can tell. "Maybe the memory…"

Her surroundings change. She's inside St. Mungo's. I did it!

"Not yet." Athena says and Hermione realizes it's the Hospital, but not exactly, it feels more like a maze.

"A maze I have to get out of."

"You need to remember, Hermione."

She starts walking. Everything is white and warm and she puts her right hand against the wall. "Logic won't work here, this is about emotion, about retrieving something you lost, something that was taken from you." Athena is flying by her side.

"I know. It's about Marga, I'm sure of it now, I just don't see the connection," She takes a left turn and then another left, the hall is long and she walks faster, "Does she know Jack?" A door appears in front of her and she stops. She exchanges glances with Athena and nods, opening the door. There's a stair in front of her. A never ending stair. Her baby's heartbeats are louder and she can hear other voices: Ron, Luna, Lily, Laura.

She takes the first step and runs upstairs, eager to wake and see them, hold them, find out what happened to Harry, tell him about their baby. She climbs and climbs until she can't no more, so she stops, sweat running down her face. "Why?"

"You won't wake until you remember."

She sighs. "Jack and Marga." She climbs one step. "Marga has been involved in everything. She knows me, she knows Harry," another step, "She convinced me to lie to him, to let him stay there," another, "She said she trained him to his fullest, said he's more stronger than ever," another, "however, we were no match for the wicked one." Another and another. "Jack asked me to marry him just after I saw Harry again after so many years," another step, "I know nothing of his family, of his parents, of his upbring," another, "He spied on me, he manipulated my feelings, he's nasty, but played dumb just to be around." Another and another. She's not looking for the end of the stairs, she's just putting together her thoughts, fitting the pieces of the puzzle. "That way, he probably knew Marga's location from the very start," another, "he didn't need a mission for that, he didn't need Daisy Nonie to give him information," another, "he could've gone to Marga if he wanted to." Another and then she stops. "But did he? Want to? No. He wanted Harry to train with her."

She climbs another step and a door appears. She opens it and sees herself inside another hall, except this one has doors. Rooms. The voices are clearer now, the same way the heartbeats. Hermione walks slowly and cries silently, she can feel Lily and Laura, she can tell how strong they're trying to be, she can feel their magic pulling her. Pulling her back to them. Back to life. She opens one door and there's nothing inside.

"Keep going, Hermione."

"He wanted Harry to think he was stronger and ready. Stronger and prepared. It was all a plan." A few doors disappear. There are only two left for her to enter, everything coming clean to her now. The memory is there, she can see and touch it. She opens one door. Nothing again.

She turns and stares at the last door. Athena is gone and she knows she's close to waking up. Each step she takes now is a step closer to her family, to the people she loves. And each step also represents a reality she wished wasn't true.

She opens the door.

Ron, Luna, Draco and Ginny are there, standing around her bed and talking lightly. They look tired and hopeful about something. Hermione walks closer to her bed, passing through them. Laura and Lily are each holding one of her hands, sitting on the bed with her. It's strange to see herself that way, so fragile and vulnerable. She holds her belly, hearing the heartbeats and crying. "A plan his mother came up with."

The memory

OCTOBER 2011

Two months after Harry's kidnap

She's had enough of Jack's bullshit and she doesn't even care if he's threatening her and Harry. He could blow up for all I care. She's calling for him inside the house, but he's nowhere to be seen. She left the Ministry earlier and she needs to vent, to forget about everything that's happening. Transforming into Athena, she flies high, her destiny the only place she wants to be. Close to Harry.

So, she flies to Marga's. Just to watch him from afar, knowing he's fine is enough to bring peace to her heart and mind. She sees the house, but Harry is nowhere near it, so she soars above, searching. Hermione finds him in the middle of the wild forest. He's just sitting there with his legs crossed under him, his eyes closed, his chest bare and his breathing even. She lands on a firm tree and watches him. He's probably staying there for days. If she hadn't a thousand things to do she would be glad to stay there too, near him. Well, unfortunately I can't. She flies away and heads to the house, she wants to ask Marga how he's been and how much more she thinks he needs to stay there.

She doesn't immediately goes back to her human form, so she lands on the rooftop of the house and gazes at the sea, mesmerized by the sun hitting the water, by the golden and beautiful light it reflects. She's so self absorbed it takes her almost a minute to realize Marga is talking to someone inside… someone she recognizes. No.

Hermione tries not moving, not even breathing, she just lets their voices come to her and she listens.

"I'm tired of pretending, it's making me sick!" Jack says.

"You have to deal with it, we're all making sacrifices, don't think you're special."

"I know! It's just…" He sighs and Marga laughs.

"Don't tell me you've actually fallen in love with her?" She scoffs. "You're so weak it's not surprising."

There's a silence for a while. Then Jack says, "I just don't understand why we can't kill him and be off with it. He's here, he trusts you, it would be easy."

"It doesn't work that way, you know that. The prophecy must be fulfilled. The plan is working fine." Marga laughs again and it gives Hermione chills. "I knew their brave and pure hearts would be enough for us to fool them. Harry thinks he's getting stronger and in a way he actually is, but not enough."

"Not enough for what? Will I be able to defeat him when the time comes?"

"You won't lay a finger on him. Or her. I… have other plans."

"What plans?"

"It's not the time for you to know them yet. But remember, Jack, divide and conquer. They're still so much in love is sickening. We need to tear them apart. It takes time and well thought plans."

"You test my patience, mother."

Mother.

Harry. I need to get him out of here. But she stays put for the moment, they're still talking.

"Do you think she suspects the ring?"

"No. She has no idea."

"Good. You know she'll discover it eventually, but the longer it takes, the better."

She can't stay there anymore, the sooner she gets to Harry, more chances they have for escaping. She opens her wings to take flight but stops mid action, frozen in place, an unbelievable strong magic holding her down.

"Well, well. Look who dropped in." Marga says as she exits the house, Jack behind her. Hermione can see them gazing at her. Jack has an apology written all over his face, his eyes sincere. "Hermione, dear. I like your audacity, but I'm sorry, I think you've heard too much."

Against her will she's being dragged down by the magic which lays her with her back on the floor, Marga's face appears directly above her and the woman seems younger and stronger. She lied about that too.

"Surprised to see me looking so young?" A little smile plays on her lips. "You shouldn't be here, Hermione." She touches Athena's head with one finger. "But that's okay, you won't remember it, anyway…" She squints a little and comes closer, her faces inches from her. "I'll have my revenge. You can't stop me."

St. Mungo's

She opens her eyes and squeezes her daughters' hands. Everyone gasp and it takes them a while to understand that she's there, alive and well. And very, very worried.

Where's Harry?