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Hermione awoke to furious knocking on her bedroom door. She rose wearily, slipped on a soft robe and opened the door. Severus was in a panicked state, eyes circling the room in paranoia. Seeing her, he panted, "The… Dark Lord… is… coming here!" he gasped.
"What happened?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice calm. Severus attempted to calm down.
"Death Eater meeting… I had to go, it would have been suspicious. He saw… you in my mind and every… everything important about you," he managed to get out, looking to her pleadingly.
"What about your skill in Occlumency?" she asked quickly. In her time not even Dumbledore could get past Severus's awesome mind defenses.
Severus looked at her in puzzlement. "What's Occlumency?" asked the Slytherin.
The truth struck Hermione like a ton of bricks. Severus hadn't learned the art in this time and now Voldemort knew everything. "I'll be right back!" she gasped and slammed her door on his face.
She threw on her fighting clothes and opened the door to see Snape still standing in the same position; mouth open in shock. "Move, move!" shouted Hermione. The witch ran to the Headmaster's Office, Severus hot on her heels. She took the winding staircase two at a time and opened the office door with a bang.
"What is it, Hermione?" asked Dumbledore, blue eyes flashing in worry and surprise. He was sitting fully clothed as his desk working on a stack of papers.
"Voldemort knows," she choked out, breathless for reasons other than the fact she just ran up five flights of stairs. Those two words told the Headmaster all he needed to know.
He called Fawkes to him. "Gather the Order!" cried Dumbledore commandingly. The gold and red phoenix disappeared in a puff of smoke and feathers.
"Professor, warn the teachers and students. Keep them inside the building at all costs, especially the Slytherins. I'll get the Marauders and go to meet Voldemort outside. Let's go, Severus. You're with me," Hermione instructed rapidly, a plan already forming in her mind, sliding comfortably in the role of general.
She raced down the familiar halls, not even the sight of the welcoming portraits could ease her panic for her friends. She skidded to a halt in front of the Fat Lady and gasped the password. The Fat Lady looked at her in familiarity. It was obvious she was about to stop Severus from entering but stopped as Hermione hissed, "Warn the other portraits. Voldemort is coming.
The lady swung open the portrait hole and disappeared, racing off down the corridor, picture to picture. Hermione jumped inside, stopping only a split second to make ure Severus made it in behind her. They sped up the boy's staircase, both silent up to the seventh years dormitories.
When she entered, no noise was coming from the room other than James's incessant snoring. "Get up!" bellowed Hermione, voice hoarse with worry. The last time she had had a confrontation with Voldemort, her two best friends had died. No matter what happened, she would protect her new friends from that fate.
Sirius was the first to awaken. Seeing Hermione, he knew something was wrong, especially because a Slytherin was standing inside the Gryffindor Tower. Hermione went over to Remus to wake him while Sirius rushed to James's side. "Up now mate. Hermione's here," breathed Sirius into Prong's ear. The messy haired boy rolled over and mumbled a sentence that began with nice and ended with try.
Hermione shook Remus awake. His eyelids fluttered open and he groaned. "Voldemort?" he said the moment he had rubbed the sleep from his eyes. She nodded swiftly and stormed angrily towards James.
"James Potter!" she screeched, "Get your butt outta that bed and get ready for battle!"
The boy in question leapt up, got tangled in his sheets, fell on the floor and said in a muffled voice, "Yes ma'am!"
"Front gates, pronto. Severus, you fill them in," she instructed before racing away. She took the stairs three at a time, jumping from step to step with agility. The commotion drew some sleepy heads from their dorms, but the boys ducked out of view once they saw the crazed witch racing down the stairs.
Hermione ran outside quickly, boots squeaking loudly on the wooden corners. Once outside, she cried "Lumos!" after tripping over a root in the midnight blackness. A burst of light from her wand shattered the darkness.
She skidded to a halt in front of the Hogwarts gates and waited for the inevitable. Sure enough, within four minutes the sounds of Apparating filled the air and black-cloaked figures stood in front of her. She cast a shield over the school, keeping all foes to the Light from entering or leaving it. The blue glow of the force field shed every person in light.
The Death Eaters watched her warily. "Welcome to Hogwarts," said Hermione before blowing up the front line of Dark wizards.
Clapping sounded from behind the mass of black. "Nice work, Future Girl," sneered a cold, high-pitched voice. The ranks parted to show a tall snakelike man who was slowly bringing his thin pale hands together.
A rustle behind her informed Hermione of her troops arriving. "Marauders reporting for duty," Remus whispered calmly in her ear.
She nodded slightly, gratefully, and pointed her wand at Voldemort. "So this is the slime ball," she taunted, masking the fury that had welled inside of her when she had caught sight of the murderer.
One Death Eater howled and leapt at her, "Stupefy!" it yelled.
"Protego," said Hermione carelessly. The spell bounced off her shield and smacked the Death Eater in the chest. It flew backwards and lay motionless. The other Death Eaters were growing restless, gazing at Voldemort for a signal.
Voldemort gave them one. "Attack… but leave that girl for me!" He fell back as the Dark wizards and witches approached, now numbering almost fifty in number. Voldemort wasn't as supported now as he was in the future.
Remus shot the first spell, "Stupefy!" One fell to the red light, but the others just stepped around the fallen.
Hermione cast a spell that wrapped the ten nearest Death Eater in powerful vines. Curses flew at them from all directions, very few killing curses in fear they would hit Hermione when their Lord had ordered them not to. Sirius began roaring in pain as a well-aimed Crucio hit him. Hermione cursed the offending Death Eater with the same and freed Padfoot from the barriers of pain.
"Thanks," he said, flashing a grin in her direction. He and James then paired up and fought the onslaught of hexes back to back as planned. Several Death Eaters that had slipped around the five students tried to get into the castle but were instantly evaporated once they touched it.
Dumbledore did not come out; Hermione was sure he was comforting what must have been terrified students. Unfortunately, the Marauders and Hermione were greatly outnumbered. In the confusion of battle, Hermione pulled Remus under eyesight. "Be careful," she whispered before slouching off in another direction.
Hermione began tying up group after group of Death Eater. Some were smothered in chains, some in vines or ropes, or others in thorns and roses, whichever fit her mood. She had to deflect several Cruciartus (sp?) curses and had had her voice disappear twice.
Suddenly, all the grass in the front lawn turned into long green snakes, aiming to bite only the Death Eaters. Glancing around, she wondered who cast the spell. She caught sight of someone in a lower window. Hermione wondered who it was until he turned the snakes around her purple… purple grass. She shot a figure of a bat into the air to thank Severus and got back to fighting the frightened Death Eaters.
Confusion rapidly filled the Death Eater ranks. They were being attacked from both side by people just Apparating in. The Order of the Phoenix had been summoned.
With relief, she was most of the Death Eaters were powerless to fight. She knew if she were general of such a poor army she would desert. Her breath caught in her throat and she quickly scanned the crowd. Hermione saw Voldemort slipping into the Forbidden Forest. Gripping her wand tighter, Hermione followed.
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Remus watched in triumph as the last of the defiant Death Eaters were sent away on Portkeys to Azkaban. The sun was close to rising and the battle had gone on for six hours.
Sirius had broke his arm in five places when a crushing curse had hit him and James had lost his voice. Remus had been hit with a Cruciartus Curse and had for a few brief terrifying minutes lost all control of his legs.
The few deaths on the Light side, though scarce, had been very painful. He didn't know how Hermione had coped with it. He looked around to congratulate the beautiful Hermione (who's kiss he had been replaying in his head) but found he could not see her anywhere. Now could he see Voldemort.
Remus gasped like a fish out of water. He swiftly cast a spell on himself, ironically the same Hermione had used to first meet the Marauders. "Senarus Awarenus!" Using his enhanced hearing, he could hear the sound of curses being shot in the Forbidden Forest. "No!" he yelped, then clutched his hands to his ears. His own voice had almost burst his eardrums. He undid the spell in a whisper and jumped to his feet. He ran to the forest where Hermione fought, his only thought was to help her.
He raced irrationally into the Forest, tearing his skin on the sharp thorns and shrubs that lined the dark paths. He brushed past a gray centaur who called, "Where are ye going?" as he flew by. A herd of wild thestrals looked up at him, visible to his war-hardened eyes.
Remus burst into a clearing and saw Hermione kneeling, wand limp in her hands. In front of her was the dead Voldemort, unable top kill anymore. She turned when she heard him. "Remus!" Blood covered her body, some the pure red of her own, some the tainted black of the dark lord.
She stood up and hugged him before breaking down in tears. "I can't believe it's over. He can never hurt anyone else."
Remus gave a smile. "I knew you could do it. I've always known you could."
Hermione grinned back, "Even when I was the crazy witch?"" she asked with tears of joy in her brown eyes.
"Especially when you were crazy witch." Hermione laughed and hugged him tighter. He kissed her lips tenderly and felt her melt into his strong arms. She ran her hands through his hair and kissed him back. Eventually, Remus pulled back. "We chould be getting back, my heroine."
She sighed as though in a dream. "Alright…" she said and staggered away wearily. Hermione stumbled every few steps, obviously in pain.
"What's wrong?" he asked as she fell into him for the third time. "What happened."
"I guess I was right. Voldemort kept the Cruciartus Curse on me the whole time we fought. I guess it is just lingering." She tried to make her voice uncaring, but it shook slightly.
Remus picked her up so she wouldn't have to walk and carried her bride style. Unable or unwilling to struggle, Hermione sighed and leaned into his chest. As they emerged leaf covered from the woods, the sun rose, bathing the school grounds turned battlefield in beautiful, pure light.
Dumbledore approached them. "Where's Voldemort?" he asked, looking around as though expecting him to pop out from behind a tree.
"Dead," Hermione said happily. She looked to Remus. "I think I'm okay now." The Marauder set her gently back on her feet.
"Are you sure you won't mind staying in the past?" asked Remus, smiling broadly.
Hermione looked up at him with loving eyes. "Not too bad," she answered before kissing him joyously. Not to bad at all.
THE END…. Until the epilogue… Did you like it? I did, sorta. Plz review more!