This story takes place the summer before Harry and Co.'s 6th year at Hogwarts. Years 1-5 are taken into consideration, so keep that in mind.
Summer before 6th year – Grimmauld Place
Hermione lay on her back on her bed at Grimmauld Place. While normally she would have gone home for the summer after spending the entire year at Hogwarts, she decided this year, with the war so eminent, that she would stay as far away from her parents as possible; Dumbledore even arranged for them to be "away on business" until matters were taken care of.
When Grimmauld place was willed to Harry with Sirius's death, he talked to Dumbledore and expressed his desire to keep it running as the Order's Headquarters. His rational was that if it was what Sirius had wanted, then he would do so as well. Hermione's train of thought was interrupted by a knocking at her door.
*knock knock*
Looking at the clock, and seeing that it was still very early in the morning, she knew who it was on the other side of her door.
"Come on in, Harry."
His head peaked around the door, flashing a small little smile.
"How'd you know it was me?" He asked.
"Who else is up at the crack of dawn like me?" She replied with a smirk on her face. While she was gently teasing him, she knew that he wasn't waking up this early like she was; he wasn't sleeping at all. She never heard him walking around or anything; she didn't need to. It was on his face and in his eyes that she found her evidence. The circles beneath his eyes looked more like bruises, and his usually vibrant green eyes held a sadness that no 16 year old should possess. Coming back to reality, she realized he was saying something to her.
"I know it's a bit early for deep conversations and all, but I really need to talk with you Hermione." The serious look on his face conveyed that this topic might not be an easy one.
"Of course, Harry, you know I'm always here when you need me."
"That's just it! I want you to always be here!" He said with conviction.
A little confused, Hermione replied. "Ok Harry… and I just said that I would be."
He shook his head and looked down. "Maybe I'm not saying this right. For five years now and even before that really, although I didn't realize it, I've practically sat back and let Voldemort pick off my family and friends one by one. Sirius is the last straw. I'll not sit back any more and let him take what's left of my family!"
Hermione knew the three of them were extremely close, but her eyes threatened to tear anyhow when he said he considered them his family. She nodded her head in agreement with him.
"What do you want to do then, Harry? We're too young to be in the Order, so we'll never truly be in on all the information that Dumbledore has at his fingertips. We'd only make a mess of trying to find Voldemort and getting him on our own. I know the prophecy says that it's going to come down to either you or him, but honestly Harry, you're going to need help along the way!"
A pause hung between them, and Hermione knew they were both thinking of the same thing. The end of last year, and Harry insisting they run off to the Ministry of Magic. Finally, a smile tugged on Harry's lips, and he continued at a much more subdued volume.
"Finally, I realize that Hermione. Even though all along I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without you or Ron, it's never sunk in until this year; especially when you were hit with that curse at the ministry, just how different it would be to try to defeat Voldemort without you by my side. I know now that it's the love I have for my friends that helps me along, even though both you and Dumbledore have been trying to smash that idea into my head for years."
This time Hermione's eyes did tear up, as she realized just how grown up Harry had really become.
"So what I'm really trying to say I guess is that I'm ready to be that person that has to defeat Voldemort. I'll not have another person I love stolen from me without one Hell of a fight."
Harry said this all with such conviction that Hermione couldn't help it as she flung herself into his arms and let a few tears slide down her face. It was in this moment that she realized how deeply she felt for this boy…no, not a boy, a man really.
After embracing each other for a few moments, they pulled apart, both of them discretely wiping at the few stray tears that had fallen from their eyes as they were in each other's arms. With a shaky laugh, Harry turned to Hermione.
"I told you it was too early for deep conversations. What would you say to some nice warm breakfast? If there's one thing the Dursley's helped me get, it's some darn good cooking skills."
"I could definitely go for breakfast." Hermione replied with a laugh and smile of her own. She pulled herself off the bed, then turned around and pulled him off as well. Not letting of her hand once he had his feet on the ground, he led her down to the kitchen to see what he had to work with to whip up a tasty breakfast.
Thirty minutes later, Harry placed a steaming plate of eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and toast in front of Hermione and himself. Hermione raised a forkful to her mouth and tried a bite. After swallowing, she exclaimed, "You weren't kidding Harry! This is fabulous!"
He smiled modestly, and tore into his own plate of food. Ten minutes later a bleary-eyed Remus walked into the kitchen, obviously drawn downstairs by the smell of food.
"Coffee?" He asked, a yawn escaping his mouth. Harry pointed behind him to the counter where a fresh pot was just finishing. Harry had pulled aside Remus shortly after the ministry incident and asked him to continue on living at Grimmauld place. Dumbledore had made it aware to Harry that he would be the new owner, and with it came the right to have anyone stay on there that he wished. Remus had tried to say no, but Harry was very insistent, saying that he would like to have his friends and family close together if they wanted to be. In the end, he had relented and agreed to stay on for as long as he was welcome.
After finishing a cup coffee, Remus joined Harry and Hermione for some breakfast. As they were eating, Harry and Hermione filled in Remus with their plan to become ready for the final showdown with Voldemort. Remus offered his own help in training Harry on some of the finer points of Defense. Suddenly, right in the middle of a sentence, Harry became ridged in his seat. A scream of anguish fell from his mouth, and his eyes squeezed shut. Remus and Hermione jumped out of their seats and rushed to Harry's side just as he convulsed onto the floor. They looked on helplessly as he writhed on the floor, unable to help him in anyway. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the fit of pain ended. Harry lay on the floor panting, his eyes watering and scar furiously red. Then, the red coloring began to fade. Then, something happened that made Hermione's eyes bug out, and then fall backwards into Remus' arms in a dead faint. Harry's scar had disappeared completely.
When Hermione woke later, she recognized being back in her bed. Did I dream it all? It seemed so real! Her questions were answered however, when Harry appeared at her bedside, a huge grin on his face. He looked so much more handsome when he was smiling; it was a shame that he didn't do it more often. It looked like he might start to, however, if Hermione thought what the implications of his missing scar might mean.
"So, what does that mean exactly, Harry? Is he….gone? Really gone this time?"
Harry didn't answer. He just kept grinning at her. She jumped into his arms and began sobbing in earnest.
"I can't believe it! I don't understand? What happened? Why is he gone? I can't BELIEVE he's gone!"
Harry hugged her to him tightly and answered in the same erratic pattern.
"I don't know…I just don't know. All I know is my scar hurt worse that it ever has before in my entire life. I kept getting flashes of something surrounding Voldemort, and then I saw him vanish! When I came to, you had fainted on the ground with Remus hovering over you, and Dumbledore was storming into Grimmauld place looking ready for a battle. When he saw my forehead, I think he was even more confused then we were for a second. Then he broke out in a grin and actually yelled for joy! I don't know how exactly he did it, but he actually felt it when Voldemort died. I think he originally thought it was I who had died, the way he was looking at me when he first stormed in. He doesn't understand it either, but he knows for sure that Voldemort is gone. He said the whole world over could feel it…it was like a huge influx of energy, and then…nothing."
Hermione couldn't believe her ears, but kept hugging Harry anyhow. Who cares about the logistics for once…the world was safe. The world was FREE! Remus ran in, obviously having heard their shouts of joy. Harry pulled him over and included him in their hug. Remus had tears of joy running down his face, obviously thinking that all his dead friends had now been avenged. Pulling apart, Hermione looked at the two of them and said, "Well, what are we doing sitting here! Let's go celebrate!" Grinning in agreement, all three of them practically ran downstairs and out of the house, yelling and whooping for joy the whole time.
Simultaneously, across the ocean in New York….
"Has the primary target been eliminated?"
"Yes sir, he was difficult, but we prevailed in the end. It worked just like you said it would."
"Good work. Now gentlemen, let us pray and thank God for our successful endeavor, and ask for his guidance in our next objective. Evil is easy to conquer; however people who are evil but believe they are doing the work of good is an entirely different thing."
Back in England, five days after Voldemort's death…
Hermione had never been so happy in her entire life. She had tried to think of a happier moment, like perhaps becoming friends with Harry and Ron or receiving her Hogwarts letter, but neither of those things could compete with the feeling of utter contentment as she spent the last five days celebrating with her friends and family the end of an almost 50 year reign of terror. Harry had insisted on going public with the information that he had had nothing to do with the downfall of Voldemort. So far, the information that was coming in was that it had been someone powerful from Voldemort's inner circle, but none of the death eaters had stepped forward yet to claim responsibility which was strange. None the less, the people of the Wizarding world celebrated like they've never celebrated before.
One week later….
Hermione was exhausted. It felt like she had been awake for a year straight. Even though time and time again the entire Order gave the statement that Harry and his friends had had nothing at all to do with Voldemort's demise, the press vultures still followed them around everywhere asking questions. Finally after one followed Ron into the bathroom, Dumbledore exploded with a terrible fury saying under no uncertain terms were they to bother us again, or they would face him personally. It's no small surprise that they backed off after that. She was currently lounging on a couch in the downstairs living room of Grimmauld place. Now that her mind had time to process all that had been happening, she realize how truly unsettling it was that Voldemort has just *poof* disappeared without any one group claiming the action. The ministry hasn't been able to find any of the usual Deatheaters, including the Order's own spy, Severus Snape. Dumbledore claimed that he wasn't worried yet; he had thoughts that Snape was off celebrating his freedom somewhere. Hermione wasn't so sure. No matter how happy he was that he was free, Snape was a very responsible person, and he would have surely checking in with Dumbledore first and gave him a report of what happened before going off to celebrate. Too tired to think much more about it though, Hermione resigned herself to the fact that she was just too happy to give any of it more than just a passing thought right now. Why question this incredible gift that has been given to all of them?
The fact that she, Hermione Granger had just said the phrase "why question…" should have sent off alarms in her head right away. Unfortunately, Butterbeer seems to have an adverse affect on our young heroine when drunk in vast quantities. Dumbledore, however, was in possession of all his mental facilities; Butterbeer or not. He was truly worried about his young friend Severus, no matter what he had told Miss Granger and her friends. He had tried for days now to contact him, without success. His only course of action now was to wait and hope.
Simultaneously, across the ocean in New York….
…add together carefully and bring to a low boil, stirring counter clockwise 12 times…
Severus Snape was in serious pain. To keep his mind sharp during all the torture, he had resorted to reciting ingredients and instructions for the most difficult potions he could think of. He wasn't sure how long he had been in this room; to him it felt like years. He knew however that logically it couldn't have been that long. Looking around, he saw that their numbers were dwindling. Originally, Snape had been taken along with 11 other death eaters. He could see now however, that only he, Lucius Malfoy, Peter Pettigrew, and Bellatrix Lestrange remained. It wasn't from these people's lack of efforts however, whoever they were. Pettigrew would have been dead long before had he not been spared some of the worst of it because they thought he knew the most. The questioning was always the same for Severus. "Who is the leader in your world? Who is the strongest in your world? Who is the spiritual leader of your people?" Never would he give them the satisfaction of getting any information from him, and for that he paid in pain. Lucius had been exceedingly strong as well, although Severus didn't know why he was surprised. Lucius had always been a strong, proud man, deeply rooted in his past and his convictions. The Malfoy boy was being raised the same way, and unfortunately with the same petty arrogance that caused Hogwarts' "golden trio" to dislike him from day one. Severus could see the beginnings of the same cliques that had ruined his life at Hogwarts. He wanted with all that was left of his soul to help them realize how childish it all was, so that these fights wouldn't bleed out into the real world after they graduated. Unfortunately, the circle is vicious, and he couldn't for the life of him be civil enough to James Potter's son to try to fix anything. Irony is bitter.
The door began to open and Severus could see them coming again. He put an indifferent look on his face, and noticed that Lucius did the same. Bellatrix did not, however. She showed her fear openly, and that became her downfall. The man strode over to her and yanked her up by her hair. Her indignant screech bought her a slap in the face so hard that it drew blood where his fingernails hit her face. He strode back to the door, dragging her with him kicking and screaming the whole way. Severus looked to Lucius, and although they both didn't verbalize it, their eyes said everything; was there no hope? We're going to die in here, aren't we. Severus held out hope that one man would be able to find them and save them, eventually. They just had to all keep their mouths shut and they would either die honorably, or be saved eventually. That hope however was torn from Severus' grasp before he could even get a good hold on it. From the down the hall, they could hear Bellatrix's screams of pain:
Noooo! Stop!! Ok ok! AHHHH….DUMBLEDORE!!! His name is DUMBLEDORE! AHHHHHHHH!!!
All hope was lost if these demons got to Dumbledore.