Hermione informed Ginny that they had been hunting for horcruxes, the reason Voldemort had not been killed several times over. Hermione told Ginny that they had found the last one. Hermione told Ginny that Harry was almost ready to face Voldemort for the last time.

Ginny combined this knowledge with her awareness of every other Order activity.

The Order underestimated Ginny. They believed she was a 'good little girl' and would obey them. They believed that because they had told her not to signal Draco, she would not signal Draco. There were perhaps a few people who suspected she had submitted a little easily for someone of her fire, but they were also the ones that believed in her. They were Lupin, her brother Bill, and Snape.

At what everyone hoped would be the last meeting of the Order; strategy for the last battle was discussed. Three fourths of the Order would be engaged in diversionary tactics. One fourth of the Order would be supporting Harry. Ginny did not envy Harry the responsibility that rested on his shoulders; no one did. They chose a time for the initial strike of the battle; 12:30 a.m. three days hence.

Snape approached Ginny after the meeting. "You know, it really is a shame they won't trust young Malfoy."

She nodded, still straightening her papers and notes from the meeting.

"I think I would signal him myself regardless of their wishes if I knew how," he said absently before walking away.

She stared at his back. She had once considered the man subtle. Her eyes drifted over to Lupin where he stood talking to Bill. He glanced at Snape's retreating back and then returned his eyes to Ginny. Without breaking eye contact, he nodded slightly. Bill noticed the movement and winked at his sister. Ginny smirked and shook her head.

The next day the Daily Prophet ran a very interesting editorial. It was perhaps most interesting for it irrelevance. It simply stated:

In these dark times I find it helps to look for a way to escape for a few hours. A good book is the surest way for me to ease my mind and rest from the worries and fears that surround me. Just two days ago I stayed up until 12:30 reading Pride and Prejudice. It was an excellent diversion and left me free to concentrate on more serious matters the next day. Merely a suggestion for all the other weary souls out there. And don't let the nay-sayers get you down, things will be all right in the end.

It was unsigned. As Draco read it he almost laughed. Two days ago, eh? That gave him two days to get ready, plenty of time. Speaking of time, he was impressed with the way she had slipped that in as well. She even managed to communicate their primary tactic, diversion. He could work with that. What bothered him was that last comment. He suspected she had sent this without permission. He feared that she would be considered a traitor for doing so. He hoped that his help would exonerate her.

The final battle went off without a hitch. Everyone in the Order had been expecting much more difficulty than they met. The diversions worked almost too well. It was almost too easy to enter Riddle Manner. They weren't complaining at the time, but when the battle was over they began to wonder.

Draco had turned in false information. He reported his connection with the Weasley girl, citing it as something he had set up for just such an occasion. He told them that he had convinced her he was on their side and wanted to help in the final battle. He told them she had given him more than enough information to get at Potter once and for all. Apparently, they were setting up battles designed to look like diversions, making them so obviously empty of meaning that the party sneaking onto Riddle Manner would draw all of the attention. The theory being that Voldemort would see two obvious and open battles and a then, out of the corner of his eye, a hand full of people trying to sneak through the shadows unnoticed and turn all of his attention to that which they were trying to hide. They were going to have someone polyjuiced as Potter, a fool willing to sacrifice his life. Once that imposter was killed, Voldemort would be off his guard. The Order would act disheartened and downtrodden, waiting for the moment to attack with the real Potter at the lead.

It was just ridiculous enough, just convoluted and unbelievably stupid that it was bought completely by those that thought Dumbledore a fool and over analyzed everything looking for treachery and scheming. The Manner was still going to be guarded well, but full attention was to be given to the battle fields in order to strike a crushing blow to Order numbers as well as morale and faith in the tactical abilities of its leadership.

From there, Draco managed to get assigned to guard duty at the Manner where he incapacitated a few of his fellows around 12:25, trusting the Order to show up precisely on schedule. They did not, they were one minute late, and Draco nearly died of anxiety during those sixty seconds.

None of that, however, was terribly visible as the Order walked around the fallen Manner after the battle's end and Voldemort's death.