CHAPTER WARNING: This chapter may be a bit gruesome for some.
Severus was looking at her with such pride she thought her heart would burst. "Take them to where we noted yesterday. We will put our forces there. I think we need a more distant place for Voldemort's forces however. I trust your judgement. Remember that they are still human, whatever they may have done. As for the magical creatures, I think a burial mound somewhere in the forbidden forest would be best. Perhaps a clearing on a hilltop?"
Severus nodded in understanding, holding her close. "I'll take care of it. I want you to rest as often as possible. Remember these men are powerful wizards certainly capable enough for what you need to do. Rely on them." He kissed her gently and patted her belly. "Remember, you have a prior obligation."
Hermione smiled, "Of course love. Good luck." She turned and headed for the ravine. Severus was talking to the men for a moment and then they began to follow her.
Severus had made sure she was out of hearing when he addressed the men. He said only. "Keep her safe." The men nodded, dedicated to doing just that, and followed her. "Shaklebolt, I want you to stay close to her. This is a horrible thing to do and she will need support. I wish I could be with her, but she has other plans. Make sure she rests. If it gets too intense make her stop."
Kingsley could see Severus was beside himself with worry. "Are you serious? Make her stop? Do I look like I have a death wish?" Kingsley grinned.
Severus looked in the man's eye. "Kingsley, She's pregnant."
Kingsley's face lit up. "Congratulations old boy! I expect you to name it after me."
Severus' stoic face said it all "No". Kingsley laughed and slapped the new father on the back. "Stop worrying!" and he walked off to catch up with her.
oopOqoo
Severus addressed the men who had stayed. He pointed to the ridge where they would begin work. "Meet me at that dip in the cliff face and we will begin." He apparated and they followed. The point chosen by the sun that day turned out to be ideal. A cliff face with a large flat area in front of it. They would only need to clear a few trees and excavate a hole in the grey granite. He decided to do this site himself. He split the others up into two teams, picking out the site for the Death Eaters on the opposite side of the hill. A simple rectangular stone tomb with an inscription on the side and a single stone bench in front of it.
An open patch in the forbidden forest for the creatures. Little more than a hole in the dirt would be required and appropriate for them. The soil excavated would then be placed over the bones. Despite what Hermione described, dark creatures would not want to be exposed on the top of a hill in the sunlight. If there were any other 'friendly' creatures, he would see to it that they were given to the Centaurs for proper burial.
oopOqoo
Hermione was staring down at the pile on the bottom of the ravine with tears in her eyes. Kingsley came up next to her and put his arm around her. "Courage", was all he said. She looked up at him and nodded. Opening the box she took out the first wand, Minerva. She and the other professors would have a special place of honor at the gravesite. Hermione held the wand which grew warm in her hand and said the incantation to bring her body to the top. The pile below began to roll and tumble and then she appeared. About half way up Hermione stopped and spoke another spell to remove the flesh from bone. When the bones made it to the clifftop she laid it gently in the grass. To her surprise the broach she always wore at her neck had come as well. Hermione fell to her knees and cried. This woman had been a second mother to her, a friend, a protector, a confidant. Kingsley took his handkerchief and conjured a red velvet bag with her name inscribed on it in gold. He put the bones in it and laid it on a table created from a stump.
"Hermione." He had his hands on her shoulders as they shook with grief. "Hermione. We must continue." She nodded and stood holding the box and pulling out the next wand. She didn't know who it belonged to, but did the same spells. The bones floated to the grass and one of the men put them in a now yellow velvet bag. A house elf had come with an armful of napkins that were currently being converted into velvet bags. Kingsley had charmed the bags to turn the house color of the occupant. They may not know who it was, but they could rest with their housemates. Unknown wands with a corresponding body would be kept aside for later identification Tagged with the house color.
The house elf came to Hermione. "It's a brave and wonderful thing you are doing. There are those of us who fought in the battle and are also here below. We have decided, that is, we would very much like, for them to go with the others to the grave as Hogwarts staff, if that's permissible?"
Hermione realized they would be considered 'magical creatures' and be separated from the humans they served. His request was touching. "They shall indeed master elf. You have my word they will rest with the other fallen heroes of the battle. My only concern is that I do not have a way to separate their bones from the others. Is that something you can do for me?"
The elf was overjoyed to be able to help in such a sacred task. "Yes Missus Hermione. I can separate the rest of the bones for each creature."
If it weren't completely unacceptable to the elf she would have kissed him. It was weighing heavily on her how to do the others, and now she had the perfect solution. "What is your name?"
"Pavel, Missus"
She kneeled down to the creature and took his hand. "Pavel, Thank you so very much for helping with this. Will you stay and be ready when it's time?"
The elf was overcome with tears in his large green eyes. "I will be here."
The next hours were difficult. Hermione knew that she could not do all the wands herself. Her magic was already starting to weaken. She looked through the box to try and find any she recognized. These she would do herself, though they would have no more special a place than any other. Sadly, there were quite a few. Seamus, Dean, Professor Flitwick, Hagrid (broken away from the umbrella of course), Nevil, Remus, Molly, Fred. Ginny, George and Arthur, (they would be happy to have it back as she knew they were alive). Hermione would give them to Ginny when she next appeared.
She looked into the bottom of the box with an undetectable extension charm, and nearly lost her breath. It was her wand. She couldn't breathe. Her fingers were numb as she picked it up, it hummed in her hand in greeting. The joy she felt was like none she would feel again until her child was born. The other women's wands must be in here as well. She will send messages to them to tell them to come and get them. She gave the rest of the box to Kingsley warning him that many of the wands were possibly to yet living owners, and to keep a wand with no body separate from the others.
Kingsley passed them out and made sure they all knew the drill. The elf was very quick at getting the bones in the bags, so the aurors kept up the pace for several hours. There were more than a few wands that had no corresponding body, giving hope of survival.
By late afternoon all the dead had been recovered. The elf had also separated the Death Eaters, put in black bags, as their wands were not in the box. Human bones were easily distinguished from the creatures.
If it hadn't been for Kingsley putting a shield charm on them, they never could have handled the stench for so long. The elf had done as he said and separated all the other magical creatures. The elves were put in grey bags and waited with the others. The creatures were laid out on the grass and as some of them, like the trolls, giants, and spiders who had no bones, were clearly too large for a bag. Hermione took it upon herself to pulverize those creatures to fit.
They were almost done, and Hermione and her crew were exhausted. She stood to address them after a short break and some food, though most were not hungry. "I want to thank you all for helping me. We managed to recover everyone and there is only one more task to do. I hesitate to ask as we are all very tired, but I don't want to wait another day. The remains at the bottom of the ravine must be burned away. I intend on using fiend fire. The walls of the ravine are stone and there is a river at the bottom. I don't think there is any chance of it getting out of hand if we are careful. Those of you who are strong enough to help please come with me to the edge."
Most of them came forward to stand in a line at the rim. They pointed their wands and cast the spell. The ravine was ablaze in moments, and they had to stand back from the edge as the flames shot over their heads. The men dropped out one by one as their magic depleted and they pulled their fire back to themselves. Only Hermione and Kingsley were still at the rim. When she stopped, so did he. Both were clearly wiped out. Kingsley looked once to see if the flames were out. He put a protective charm on all the bone bags. They turned and didn't look back.