As Hermione entered the Infirmary with Ron in tow, Madame Pomfrey had just finished examining Daphne and Blaise stood off in one corner with his usual bored expression.

As the school nurse saw Ron, she paled and directed Hermione to place him on one of the nearby beds before pulling a curtain about the area and blocking everyone's sight of the bruised and broken body of Ron.

"Where did you find him?" Daphne asked Hermione as she stood there, wringing her hands and waiting for Madame Pomfrey to tell her that he would be all right.

"Bellatrix Lestrange brought him back," Hermione replied not even looking at the blond girl.

Blaise and Daphne looked at each other a bit stunned, but no one said anything until once more the doors to the Infirmary banged open. Harry, Neville, and Susan all entered, dressed in their running clothes, "I just want to check," Susan told the two boys, but stopped as they saw what was going on.

Unfortunately, it was enough to strike Madame Pomfrey's last straw, "That's it! No more visitors! Everyone out now. Mr. Zabini, would you be so kind as to fetch Professor Dumbledore? He has been looking for Mr. Weasley since yesterday."

Blaise nodded, leaving the room as the rest of them were shooed about they nurse. "Please, Madame Pomfrey, will he be alright?" Hermione asked digging in her heels as the older woman herded them all towards the door.

"He will be just fine. Now, if you will all leave me in piece I can actually treat him," she growled at Hermione and then pushed her out the door before closing the door on them all.

Hermione whirled on the other three, "You couldn't just walk in like civilized people, now could you?" she accused looking from Harry, to Susan, and then to Neville. "What are you doing here in the first place?"

"Us?" Harry asked, "That was Ron in there behind the curtain, wasn't it and Daphne in the bandages on the other bed. What is going on Hermione?"

"You first," she snapped looking back towards the door.

"We finished up our run and Susan wanted to check on something in the Infirmary," Harry told her. "Your turn."

"I ran into Blaise on his way to see Daphne this morning when a strange owl with a note from Bellatrix Lestrange asked me to meet her to get Ron's body and then I brought him back here," Hermione shot back.

"You met her alone?" Harry asked, "Did you know it was going to be her? Did she attack you?"

"Yes, yes, and no," Hermione replied. "Look, he's back, with any luck at all he'll be OK and she's gone. There's nothing to worry about."

"Except what has happened since they left," Dumbledore's voice interrupted them. Blaise stood at his side.

"What did happen?" Harry asked the Professor.

"We won't know until Ronald awakes," Dumbledore replied. "Though, from all reports I have gathered thus far. A good number of Daphne and Ron's friends perished last night."

Susan and Neville looked at each other blankly, but Blaise shook his head, "We'll explain later. It isn't for us to share."

"Now, I will have Madame Pomfrey send word when Ron is well enough to receive visitors. Until then, I suggest you all get some breakfast and I'm sure you all have homework," Dumbledore instructed.

Hermione frowned, opening her mouth to argue, but the Professor placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "There is nothing you can do for him now. We'll let you know as soon as he's awake, but never fear. He will be well."

Hermione frowned again but refrained from arguing with him. Mulling over her options, she decided to go back to Gryffindor Tower and wait. While she was there she could go over the last bit of her plan. Her plan, which wouldn't work until she could get access to Ron. Still, she wanted to go over the Runes one more time and since Madam Pomfrey said he was going to be fine she would just have to wait until she could see him.

Dumbledore entered the infirmary leaving the five of them standing in the corridor, and the sound of Harry's voice pulled her attention.

"Blaise, if you aren't doing anything this afternoon, I'd be interested in seeing those maps you were working on. We can check them against mine and see what else we were missing," Harry offered.

The Dark Slytherin nodded and looked to Susan, "We'll meet you in the library after breakfast."

The inclusion of tall Hufflepuff wasn't lost on anyone, "Sure, I'll grab Ginny," Harry agreed with a small grin. "Neville, why don't you and Luna join us. We'll all study and then we won't have to hunt around when we can get access back to the infirmary."

Heading in their separate directions, we all split up, Hermione walked with Harry and Neville back to the Common Room and then down to breakfast once they had showered, loading her satchel with the Invisibility cloak and everything she would need to execute her plan.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, the news had not gotten out in regards to Ron and Daphne being up in the Infirmary and the Daily Prophet proved worthless with no mention of what had happened. Hermione picked at her food, everyone leaving her alone, sensing she was worried about Ron. Instead, she was biding her time until they left so that she could finish.

"Are you coming?" Harry asked as the group of them rose from their seats with Ginny at his side.

"No, I'm going to go back to the Common Room. I didn't get much sleep last night," Hermione answered. "I'll catch up with you all later."

Harry nodded, but the glare Ginny gave her let Hermione know loud and clear that the red head had not forgiven her for the night before.

Still, she wasn't going to let that stop her, the idea was simple enough now that she had used the Cauldron to make the potion, now all she had to do was execute the plan.

Watching her friends walk out of the Hall, Hermione once again wondered if she was making a mistake. Still, as Neville kept Luna from stumbling as she rose to her feet, she missed Ron. She loved him and she wasn't going to lose him if she could do anything about it. Hermione pushed aside her second thoughts and focused on the task at hand. She would do whatever she had to do to save Ron, even from him self. Turning back to her diagrams she pushed all doubt aside and began to write.

"Mr. Weasley can you hear me?"

The voice was too loud and the world somewhat fuzzy, but Ron could recognize it from too many visits to the hospital wing. Ron could have told you what the words would have been before the Healer even spoke them. If Madam Pomphrey was anything, she was predictable. The next voice was anything unpredictable however, "I believe that Mr. Weasley is waking up, Madam Pomphrey. Would you mind leaving him in my care for a few moments?"

The Healer must have nodded, because Ron could barely make out her foot steps as she left the room and then he heard the door to her office close. The fuzz was starting to clear and Ron was starting to be able to make out shapes when Professor Dumbledore's voice came through loud and clear. "I regret to inform you, Mr. Weasley, that all of the knights of your Order have perished in battle."

Ron felt his chest constrict and then asked the question he felt he must, "Including Val?"

"Your partner should make a full recovery under Madam Pomphrey's most able care, as will you. She is across from you if you can see her."

Indeed as Dumbledore pulled open the screen, there sat Val looking at him, covered in bandages herself.

"Hey," Ron told her.

"Hey, you've looked better," she joked looking at him.

"I could say the same about you," Ron agreed.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Most pressing though is what you plan on doing about your Orders most precarious situation. The decimation of your Order is a clear victory for Voldemort and will put even more pressure on the other Orders as the Death Eaters begin to target them."

"I don't understand, Professor, what do you mean what we plan on doing? As far as I can tell the Order has been destroyed," the words brought to mind all the members of the Order he had worked with, Talon most of all. "What is there left to do?"

"Ah, but there is always something to be done. The question is if you will choose to do something."

Ron struggled to sit up and Professor Dumbledore reached out and helped him shift back. Once he had caught his breath, he looked back at the old Professor, "I know the non-fighting part of the Order is still intact, but without knights to fight the battles, what could we do?"

Professor Dumble door gazed at Ron for a moment and pushed his glasses back before responding, "So the knights were the only ones who fought for your Order? Did you become a knight upon joining?"

Then it hit him, the squires, they will all still intact. None of them had come on the assault. They could rebuild from the squires, but they would have to work fast before everything disintegrated. Still it could happen but he would have to convince the council and whoever they elected to the highest post. He looked over to Val once more and saw that she had come to the same conclusion, "I think it could be done, but I will need Val's help and still they might not listen to me." Here Ron paused and looked at the Headmaster, "Can you help Professor?"

"I would be glad to do what I can, Ronald, but the burden must fall on yourself and Miss Greengrass. You can, of course, find others who might wish to help you along the way and I would encourage you to do so, but in the end only the two of you can lead your Order out of the quagmire it has found itself in."

Ron started to reply, but when he opened his mouth a wide yawn split is face. Before he could apologize, Professor Dumbledore stood and smiled at Ron. "I fear I have kept you awake too long and if I do not allow you to get some rest, Madam Pomphrey will take me to task. Get your rest, Ronald, I will return when you are both better prepared to speak of what might be"

Ron nodded and tried to ask the Professor one more question, but by then he felt his eye closing and then he was asleep before the Professor had even left the room.

"You returned the boy to Hogwarts?" the cold voice asked.

"Yes Master, I returned him to the mudblood, Granger," Bellatrix replied.

"Will he live?" Voldemort questioned.

"He will indeed, Master. I made sure he was in no danger before I returned him. The girl is clever, but I did not want to risk him."

"Very clever, Bella. Are you certain that he is the one you wish to choose, my most faithful servant?"

"I am certain, my Lord, his blood is pure despite the Blood Traitor he has for a father. He is strong and is courageous as would befit one of the Gryffindors," Bellatrix replied as she moved to sit at Voldemort's feet.

"What will you do about his tendency to fight foolish battles he cannot win?"

"He is but young, Master, and somewhat foolish. He can be taught and we will have need of those like him when we rebuild the bloodlines. We are too few as things stand now; of course you are the one who has taught us these things. When we have turned enough of the purebloods to repopulate the bloodlines, then we can begin to force the tainted ones to leave."

Voldemort smiled coldly at Bellatrix, "Ah, but Bella, my most loyal servant, we will not force them away, we will simply eliminate them. As long as they exist, they will be a threat to our kind and our way of life. Then we will use the book in Hogwarts to track any child with magic ability and slay those that come from Muggle parentage. It will be a glorious day when that Muggle loving old fool discovers how I am going to use that precious school of his."

Bellatrix said nothing, but waited silently for her master to continue. She did not have to wait long, "Bella, take as many of the others as you need and bring my Seer to me. She is most valuable to me, Bella, and you are the only one I trust in this matter."

"I will see it done at once my Master," Bellatrix bowed and turned to leave when Voldemort's voice stopped her.

"Oh, and Bella, make sure that anyone who attempts to stop you is killed. I cannot afford to have the identity of my Seer revealed."

"It will be my pleasure to do so Master," she replied and turned with a flourish and swept out of the room.

As soon as she had left Voldemort turned to Pettigrew and ordered, "Tell Malfoy and Crabbe to ready the plans to retrieve the other matter and bring it to me."

"What of Dumbledore's allies?"

"What of them? We have destroyed the Lion's Heart and soon we will know the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Once we know that, we will move to crush them swiftly. After they have fallen the Ministry will be quite easy to dispose of."

"We cannot be stopped, Master."

"Perhaps, if all of my servants perform ably, if that were the case though the Potter brat would be dead all ready. I have had my fill of failure,"

Hermione shrugged the Invisibility cloak off and took a deep breath of air. She had been sitting in that corner of the Hospital wing for over four hours and her legs ached with the strain of it. Still she had seen Madam Pomfrey give Ron and Daphne their sleeping potions an hour ago, so she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was asleep and not likely to be woken. Her legs burned as she stood up, but she managed to keep from hissing as the blood rushed back into them. As soon as her legs quit shaking, she gathered her things and walked over to where Ron lay. Pulling the curtain around his bed.

She ran her hand down his chest and then pulled out the potion bottle she had in the side pocket of her robe. Gently she poured the liquid into his mouth and then massaged his throat until he swallowed it all. Then she pulled the blankets down, exposing his body. She stared for a long moment running her eyes down the pale freckled skin and then she reached into her bag and pulled out a small pot and set it on the bed next to Ron's leg. Then she took out a piece of parchment from her bag and spread it out on the table beside Ron's bed. Taking a long look at the parchment, she opened the jar and dipped her fingers in the black liquid it contained. Carefully she began to draw the diagrams from the parchment on Ron's skin. The black showed up sharply on his pale skin even in the dim light of the Hospital wing. It took almost an hour before she had covered him in the complex swirls and runes.

As soon as she had finished, Hermione stood and stretched for a moment and then removed her robes to reveal the short, thin white gown she saw worn in many of the rituals. The same swirling designs that now covered Ron's body were visible on her arms and legs where the gown did not cover. Hermione paused and kissed Ron softly before she put one knee on the side of his torso and raised her body so that she straddled him. Reaching down she pulled her wand from the bag on the table and raised it high about her head. Then with a grimace of pain, she whipped it down and pointed it at Ron's chest.

"Bheith ina cheangal ar," she whispered and then she felt the power surge through her. She felt Ron's inner self struggle against the force of the spell, but the power she had unleashed was too great and she felt the spell bind him to her will. However, instead of feeling closer to him, it felt wrong as his soul resisted the control of he spell. The very violence of the emotions shocked her and she wondered if it hurt Ron to feel this.

Then the power of the spell surged again and it seemed as if all the diagrams written across her came alive and flared with as if made of fire and pain brought tears to her eyes. The burning intensified and she thought she might scream. Ron twisted under her and she feared she might be thrown to the floor. Then it stopped and she felt cooling energy flow through her in waves. She felt strong and powerful, he was hers and hers alone. He would be safe for she would make it so, he could not refuse her.

The power began to pulse within her and she thought it was growing lighter in the room. Then it flared and the light that filled the room blinded her. Dimly she thought she heard a voice in the distance and wondered with the person was angry. Then the light flared again and she felt the power swelled to bursting before she surrendered to it and fell into darkness.

When Ron awoke he knew something was wrong, very wrong. There were several adults standing off to the side and they seemed deeply involved in a discussion. Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomphrey were listening as a dark haired woman told them about "Old magic and spell balcklash." Though he didn't know exactly what they were talking about he was certain that it wasn't good and someone was in big trouble.

"Maybe it's Malfoy."

As much as that thought pleased Ron he was fairly certain that it wasn't Malfoy. This idea was only strengthened when his gaze fell on Hermione's face as she slept beside him. "Hermione how in the hell did you get in here?"

Hermione didn't answer but the adults stopped talking when he spoke and the dark haired woman came over and sat down on his bed. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit tired really." he answered "I know I have been asleep for a long time but it feels like I haven't slept at all,"

The lady nodded and then held out her hand "I'm Hestia Jones and Professor Dumbledore asked me to come here after he discovered the bit of magic that your girl here." She gestured at Hermione "She's a very cleaver girl obviously but she got her self in over her head on this one. I don't even understand how she made the potion without help,"

Ron did not understand what she was saying and the fact that she was covered in all sorts of bits and bobs made it even harder to concentrate. In fact he was fairly sure that she had a chicken bone pinned on her robe. He had to shake him self once of twice before he could focus on her when she began speaking again.

"She was just trying to protect you boy but she's done something a lot more powerful than that. It's old magic she used and it is as binding today as it was a thousand years ago. I know the girl didn't mean to do it or I suspect she didn't but the spell was more powerful than she thought."

"Pardon me but exactly what are you talking about?" Ron asked his confusion growing by leaps and bounds.

"The obedience spell she used is a strong one and it can compel when the strongest minds to comply with the Mistresses wishes. Truth be told boy, she can pretty much tell you to do anything and you'll do it. I hope you trust her a great deal because your life is pretty much in her hands," Hestia sighed.

"It isn't that bad Mr. Weasley, though it is close. Miss Granger had used a very advanced form of magic to protect you. I believe she did not understand how powerful it was and so cast a spell well beyond her reckoning. Currently she will have a huge amount of influence over your course of actions." The Professor paused and wiped his eyes. "Still I have faith that between you, Miss Granger, Hestia and my self we will discover a way to lessen the effects of the spell."

At that moment Hermione began to stir and Hestia looked over at her and then back at the Professor. She stood and walked over to where Hermione was tossing and sat in the chair beside her bed. "She is not going to be happy I would guess, Albus."

"No Hestia she is not, she will however be ready for the challenges in hand," here the Professor paused and looked at Ron "Once Mr. Weasly here has forgiven her,"