Saturday, mid September

Lestrange Manor

It was with no small amount of trepidation that Severus followed the call of the Mark, again, only to be dumped outside Lestrange Manor. The last raid had been a disaster, especially considering the press coverage the following morning. Several Death Eaters had been captured or killed, including Rookwood whose capture was caught on camera and plastered over the first page of the Prophet the next morning. He knew Hermione was involved but when he started walking down the gravel path to the Manor he found himself grateful for not involving him in the planning, giving him some distance from it and one less thing he had to hide in his mind.

The hedges were overgrown, the lawn unkempt and the fountains were all green with algae. The large oak door creaked open, and an old elf ushered him inside. The same neglect could be seen inside, where some of the furniture was covered in sheets and everything was dusty and scuffed. Dark hex marks marred the floor at several spots and the large chandelier was missing half its crystal pieces. Severus walked down the hallway, heading for the sound of voices and the light spilling out from the half open door. Several junior Death Eaters were there, talking in small groups and trying not to look impatient. Severus wasn't the last to arrive, at least, as several others were shuffling in after him.

Severus eyed the gathered members. None of them were masked and most of them appeared to be from the less senior ranks. None of the Knights were there, but Lucius and Regulus were both present, as was Gereon Avery, Jugson and Dolohov. The Lestranges were there too, with Bellatrix in the middle as if she was planning to speak to them all. To his displeasure he saw Pettigrew standing behind Bellatrix, seemingly trying to hide from the rest of the crowd.

The Dark Lord made a grand entrance from the study next door. He took his place in the middle of the circle, next to Bellatrix who stayed by his side when the rest of them shuffled back a bit to give him space.

To Severus' confusion, the botched raid was apparently not the main focus of the evening. The Dark Lord raised a hand to quiet everyone. He must have used a spell or something to stand on, as he was suddenly towering over everyone.

"Brothers, and dear Bellatrix. You are all important to the Cause and today I need your assistance. There was a prophecy made, a prophecy we must find and stop from coming to fruition."

Severus tried to look as eager as everyone else. He thought he could hear someone whispering to another one, asking what fruition meant.

"My enemies are gathering strength. The prophecy states the only one with the power to defeat me is coming."

A low murmur filled the room, but the Dark Lord held his hand up. "Quiet. This is a good thing, brothers. We take care of this threat, and nothing will stand in my way. I will lead you to glory, to lead the Wizarding world to freedom from the tyranny of Muggles."

"My Lord, what is the prophecy?" someone asked.

The Dark Lord stared at him before gesturing at Pettigrew to step forward. "Peter? Let us know what you heard."

Pettigrew shuffled forward, his eyes darting around the room, doing a double take when he noticed Severus. "Erm… it was something like this. There's a baby coming that is being born in… the seventh month, is that July? It will have the power to win over you, but I don't really understand how, it's a baby alright? Oh, and the parents have tried to defeat you several times."

Severus tried to recall the wording. Pettigrew's recitation was obviously completely wrong, but the main points were more or less — almost — correct. Had the rat seen him there with Hermione? Or smelled him, even?

The Dark Lord nodded at Pettigrew. The Gryffindor slunk back to the shadows, casting another glance around the room. The rest of the Death Eaters shuffled their feet, looking everywhere but at Pettigrew or the Dark Lord.

"Your task is clear. Find this family and destroy them. I will reward anyone who brings me information that helps me eliminate this threat. And now, we celebrate! To the future of Wizardkind!"

He clapped his hands twice, making an array of food and drinks appear on tables around the walls and upbeat music starting to play from behind a partition. The Death Eaters cheered and went as one for the drink trays. Someone let the witches in from somewhere. A few of them appeared to be married to some of the Death Eaters while others were probably enlisted as entertainment for the evening.

Severus took a deep breath. He was about to do something completely insane. "My Lord, could I have a word?"

The Dark Lord nodded at him and gestured at the others to go away. Bellatrix glared at him, as usual. He nodded at Severus to head to an adjoining office, following closely behind.

"I trust everything is well?" The Dark Lord turned to face him once they were alone. He had an otherworldly look about him, as if he'd moved so far beyond what mere mortals could imagine that he was no longer fully one of them. "Your work, how is it progressing?"

Severus bowed his head, hoping he looked suitably deferential. "Yes, my Lord. I wanted to talk to you about something else, though. The prophecy?" Something inside him screamed in panic, asking what he was thinking by approaching the Dark Lord like that. He'd given in to an impulse, hoping to gain an edge by gambling everything. He took another breath and suppressed all the anxious thoughts beneath several layers of Occlumency, reinforcing his mental defences.

The Dark Lord looked interested. "Do go on." He settled in an armchair, leaving Severus standing near the door.

"I think… perhaps Pettigrew didn't tell you the full story, my Lord. I knew him at Hogwarts, as you might recall."

The Dark Lord inclined his head. "Indeed. I have heard of it, from several sources. He has said he renounces the people he associated with then, that he's seen the error of his ways and is devoted to me now. Do you not believe him?"

Severus shrugged. "You are wise, my Lord. If you say he's changed, then that is so. You most certainly have your ways."

The Dark Lord smirked, steepling his hands with his elbows on the armrests. "Indeed, Severus. You are clever, and you don't forget your place. You're thinking he hasn't changed? He is spying on Dumbledore's little group of vigilantes for me."

"I would think he knows more than he lets on, my Lord. Is he protecting some of his friends? The prophecy could easily relate to one of them."

The Dark Lord hummed, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting idea, Severus. I will keep it in mind. Do let me know if you find out anything more, will you?"

"Of course, my Lord. I only wish to serve."

He bowed low again and then left the room, grateful to be away from the Dark Lord. The music had shifted to something loud and contemporary, and some of the younger Death Eaters were dancing with the witches while others were clustered in the corners, drinking.

One of the witches noticed him. She looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite place her. She sidled up to him, handing him a glass of champagne.

"I was right about you at Hogwarts, wasn't I?" she said, making sure no one overheard them. "I thought I'd find you here, and here you are."

"Sorry, who are you?"

"Rhea Macmillan, well it's actually Jugson now."

That explained a bit. The witch must have been at Hogwarts, he wouldn't have interacted with her since she was a few years below him but he had definitely seen her around the Castle.

"Your attempt at blackmail is ridiculous at best. What are you actually trying to say?" He raised an eyebrow at her and took the opportunity to dive into her mind. He hadn't done it a lot recently but needed to know if she was going to be a threat to Hermione or himself. He got glimpses of her at Hogwarts, in Hufflepuff robes, glaring at Hermione from across the dorm room, studying in the library and talking to some of the Slytherins. Following that strand of righteousness he found her at what must be her home, talking to someone who might be her father, who said she was expected to marry someone. From there, her feelings of dread and regret were easy enough to follow to the wedding with Archimedes Jugson and on to their married life. She wasn't treated too bad, the man didn't beat her or seem to mistreat her overly much, but she was clearly unhappy with her life.

Rhea turned her eyes down. "Nothing."

Severus shrugged, not sure what to say. Rhea nodded slightly and went to join a group of witches by the window. He stayed for another half hour, talking to a few of the junior Death Eaters to try to figure out what they were up to.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

It was with profound relief he returned to Spinner's End. Strange how the house had gone from a place of misery and despair to a place filled with hope and warmth, he thought, all thanks to a few strategic spells and her. Hermione. His lips twitched into an almost smile as he entered. He'd already shrunk the Death Eater garb and put it away in a pocket, not wanting to wear it for longer than absolutely necessary.

She waited for him in the sitting room, with a half empty cup of tea in front of her, staring at nothing with her lip between her teeth. She rose when she noticed him but froze, a hand stretched out halfway to his chest.

"Are you hurt? He called you?"

Severus shook his head. "This was a social gathering, although most of the others stayed later for… celebrations. He brought up the prophecy. Do you remember the actual wording? Pettigrew made a hash of it."

Hermione bit her lip, concentrating for a moment. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

It was more or less as he remembered it, and luckily it seemed the rat hadn't heard the whole of it. "I told him." Severus exhaled sharply. Air, he needed air. "I told him Pettigrew knew who it related to."

"It might be a good idea to force a confrontation," Hermione said slowly. "I have to double check the Arithmancy but I think it makes sense. We only have the Cup to go so I'm not sure about the timing but nothing we can do about that now."

Severus froze. His upper chest felt heavy for some reason, making it hard to breathe. "I don't want to put her in danger."

Lily, the bright flame of his childhood. He'd barely thought about her, not since Hermione had nestled herself into his home, his heart. Still, he didn't want to see her hurt.

Hermione stilled. "Her?" Her voice was faint, making it hard to hear.

He shrugged, trying to shake the strangeness. "Them, I mean." No he didn't, he would never include Potter. Perhaps the baby was innocent enough. Coming to think of it, another Potter would hardly be innocent. But Lily… She had been his world, once.

She stared at him without moving, her lower lip again wedged between her teeth, and then shook her head and turned to walk up the stairs. He didn't quite think it felt right to follow.

Some time later he made his way upstairs, first to the bathroom and then to bed. She had already doused the lights and lay facing away from the door. Feeling strangely awkward he pulled off his clothes and fetched a fresh pair of underpants.

"Hermione?"

She hummed quietly.

"It's not… that's not what I meant." He raked a hand through his hair, trying to find a way to phrase it. "She was important to me in the past. I don't want her to die. You know?"

She nodded but still didn't turn to face him. With a sigh he lowered himself into bed and pulled up the blankets. "Night."

Everything felt wrong. The bedsheets were itchy, the blanket too warm, the mattress too hard. He couldn't breathe. He listened to her breathing, not yet evened out into sleep, but that too sounded wrong.

Some time later she turned around, shuffling closer. She threw an arm across his chest. "I'm sorry, you're right. Of course you should care about friends. I trust you."

A tightness he'd barely noticed suddenly released in his chest, with an almost audible pop. Suddenly it felt like he could breathe again, despite her mass of bushy hair which tried to invade all of his personal space.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Mid September

The articles were working. The Death Eaters were getting bolder, but also more reckless. It was like pouring oil on flames, the conflagration quickly getting out of control. Rita sent a message to Hermione on the false Galleon to ask if she could set up another encounter, and Hermione managed to send her off with Regulus once again, this time on a smaller raid to a location near Belfast where a wizard was to be scared into submission for the heinous crime of marrying a Muggleborn.

Muggle papers were starting to pick up on the Death Eater activities, too. They blamed the IRA and other terrorist organisations, having a very hard time to make sense of the rather random acts of violence that were cropping up all over the country.

True to their words, Hestia and Evie turned up at Gringotts early in the evening on the nineteenth which just so happened to fall on a Friday, which Hestia claimed was thoughtful of Hermione. Severus had rather emphatically declined any invitation to go out with her friends, but had brought her breakfast in bed which got derailed by some rather heated morning activities ending in a shower, and had also bought her a very nice used copy of an Arithmancy book she'd been looking for. She then had to hurry off to work, thankful for not having to commute like in the Muggle world.

They went to an Italian restaurant just off Diagon Alley for dinner. To Hermione's surprise they were joined by a few members of the Order, including Kingsley and the Prewetts. Regulus met up with them at the pub and guided them over to a private booth.

"Congratulations, Hermione. I shouldn't ask how old you are so I won't. Is Severus coming?" Regulus pulled out a wrapped rectangular object from his robes and handed it over. "A small token of appreciation. You've meant more than I can say to me this past year."

He raised an eyebrow at her slightly, making his meaning clear. She literally changed his life, making him bypass the event that would have otherwise claimed his life. Hermione shivered at the thought, once again realising that her coming to this time definitely changed the course of history.

The food was good although Hermione suspected the chef had never stepped foot in Italy, followed by opening gifts. She got several books, including one on Curse-breaking from Kingsley and an old tome on Charms for Protection from Regulus which he said he'd procured from the Black family library. Hestia and Evie gave her a new wand holster to wear on her hip, with Anti-Summoning charms imbued in the leather, and the Prewett twins gave her a nice set of quills.

"Sorry to break the mood but we have some news," Fabian or if it was Gideon said once they'd finished eating. "Everyone here is cleared?"

Hermione nodded and cast a Muffliato around the table.

"We were contacted yesterday by our reporter friend," the other twin said. "Rather, she flew in through the window as if a big bird was after her. Apparently they had shown up at her place, saying they knew she wrote the articles and that she'd better stop before someone got hurt. She denied it but they clearly didn't believe her. As soon as they left she came to us, with all her stuff. Do you know how much shelf space she's claimed in the bathroom? It's insane."

"How did she know to go to your place?" Hermione was pretty sure she'd never mentioned the Prewett twins as potential allies, not to Skeeter.

"She knows us from before, Gid and I have been in the news before," Fabian said, draining his pint.

Hermione nodded. "What do you think we should do?"

Gideon shrugged. "She can stay for now and said she wants to keep doing the articles anyway, but it isn't a very good long-term solution."

Hermione was relieved Skeeter had made it, and doubly so over the fact that the annoying beetle hadn't made it to Spinner's End. She was pretty certain Rita would be a lousy roommate.

Regulus left after dinner, saying he needed to get back to his wife, but the rest of them continued to a club in the posh part of Wizarding London where Hestia knew the owner. There was a rather small dance floor with a live band playing popular Wizarding music, and a bar decorated with tiny dragons that belched small multi-coloured flames at irregular intervals. Kingsley bought her a fancy drink which kept changing colour, from electric green to purple to red and back, and Evie and Hestia taught her some steps to the most popular current dance.

At some time during the night they'd been joined by James, Sirius and Marlene McKinnon. Hermione was a bit wary when it came to the two Pure-blood wizards, considering what they'd been up to at Hogwarts, and didn't know Marlene at all. Marlene was hanging off Sirius' arm while James grinned too broadly at Evie and offered to buy everyone another round of drinks.

Hermione yawned, standing next to the bar watching people dance and talk. She wasn't used to being up late at night, and the music made her ears ache. It was only just past one but felt like much later. She wondered what Severus was up to, if he was still awake.

"So what's a bird like yourself doing out here all by your lonesome?" Sirius wagged an eyebrow at her, having sidled up just beside her. "Have you finally come to your senses and ditched Snivellus?"

Glaring at him, she made up her mind on the spot. Time to go home. Back to Severus. "Not interested. I know you're supposedly one of the good guys but I really can't see why. Perhaps you should worry more about your girlfriend than about me?" She gestured at Marlene who was glaring at both of them from across the bar.

After thanking Hestia and Evie for arranging everything, and saying good-bye to the others, Hermione left the bar to head for an Apparition spot. She could hear Marlene berating Sirius on her way out.

Severus was still awake when she made it back, sprawled on the couch with a book. He looked up when she entered, closing the book to put it aside.

"How was it?"

Hermione shrugged. "Nice of them to arrange something but to be honest I'd rather be with you." She had meant to flop down next to him with at least some grace but instead ended half sprawled on top of him, one of his arms trapped between them.

He smiled at her, one of those secret smiles only she got to see, and wrapped an arm around her. "Glad you're back."

The sound of his heartbeat through his chest and the way his thumb stroked her upper arm made her heart swell. Home. This was home, this wizard, this life.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

The following Friday morning Hermione knocked on the door to the rickety house and took a cautious step back, hoping she'd found the right place. The Prewetts had been helpful but even they had had some trouble finding the correct address. She'd taken the Floo to a small village in Wales called Forge where there was a Wizarding pub, and from there she'd hired a Muggle taxi to head into the nearby forest, up to a small lake with an abandoned farmstead. Well, that was what the Muggles saw, to Hermione's eyes it was clear the place was inhabited.

The door opened slightly.

"Whatever it is, I'm not interested. Go away." The voice was scratchy and rough, as if the owner had spent too long at the pub the previous evening.

Remus Lupin stepped outside and stood there dressed in a rather scruffy grey nightshirt and cotton trousers, blinking against the glare of the sun. She had timed the visit carefully, choosing a morning after the last full moon night. Gargnak had only shrugged when she had requested the morning off, saying her time was her own to manage.

"Hermione?"

He scrubbed a hand over his face and took a step back, opening the door fully.

"You were a bit hard to find," Hermione said and stepped inside, into a short hallway with doors off to each side. The one to the left was open, showing a sitting room that also had seen better days. It might have been a nice home at one point but at the moment everything was dirty, neglected and dark, smelling of staleness and male despair. She turned to face him as he closed the door. "I need your help."

"Me? Why?"

He gestured at her to continue into the sitting room, where a well-used couch sat under the window and a single wooden chair stood by the small dining table against the far wall. Hermione took the chair, leaving Remus standing in the middle of the room. Hermione studied him in the light from the window. He looked young, still world-weary and scarred but compared to the disillusioned man who had taught them DADA back in her time this version of Remus still appeared optimistic for whatever the future might hold. She'd timed the visit to the morning after the third night of a full moon, hoping it would make him less aggressive and more compliant.

"Sorry, I didn't exactly expect guests. You want anything? I think I have some tea."

Hermione shook her head. "No thanks, I know I came unannounced. I wanted to speak with you."

He sank down on the couch and nodded at her to let her get on with it. She took a deep breath and dove into it, explaining the situation as far as they knew it with the Horcruxes and the potential finding in Albania. She talked at length about the dangers and potential issues they might encounter, not wanting him to run into something without all the facts.

Remus leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees with his palms together under his chin. "So let me get this straight. You want me to go with your contact, to Albania? To hunt for a potential lead to something that perhaps doesn't exist?"

Hermione nodded. "Sounds about right, yes. Look, Remus. If I'm wrong about this then you and… our other contact will get to traipse through the Albanian forests for a while before getting back home. But if I'm right, and I've done the Arithmancy for it, then we'll never win the war unless you find and destroy whatever the object is. We need to figure out where he went, find the object and destroy it. I think your… natural talents plus your skills with Defence against the Dark Arts will be very useful in tracking it down and destroying it. Fiendfyre is probably your best bet unless you can dig up a Basilisk from somewhere."

Remus stilled, his green eyes trained on hers. Finally he nodded. "Fine. I'll go. Give me a day to pack."

Hermione pulled up another notebook from her bag. She had refrained from linking more of the books with blood magic after Septima's warning but this felt like a situation where it was warranted. She quickly added her blood to Remus' copy and grabbed his hand, making a small cut on the back with her wand to link hers. Remus grumbled but allowed her to do it. After a quick test of the connection she packed up her things, already halfway through the next steps of the plan.

"I'll send word with the details, but please pack and be ready to leave by tomorrow." There were Portkeys to arrange, money to exchange, and people to contact.

Remus nodded, raking a hand through his messy, sandy hair. He followed her out. "Hermione? Thanks. I'm… I think it will be good, to have a mission. Dumbledore hasn't wanted me to get out there and do anything."

She turned to face him again while buttoning her coat. "Be careful, Remus."

He snorted. "I think you're sending me to the safest place out there, compared to here. I'm a werewolf, Hermione. I can take care of myself."

She waved at him and left him standing on the doorstep, twisting away in an Apparition.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Tuesday, end of September

Gringotts

The weekend had passed with Hermione busy planning to send Remus to Albania, but it had only taken them a day to get Portkeys set up for him. Severus was busy working on his potions, but they'd had the opportunity to spend a lazy morning in bed on Sunday.

Hermione yawned and stretched, having spent all morning working on a set of predictions for a small company doing beauty charms. Sometimes her work was less than relevant, but she was still able to appreciate the technical challenge. For some reason she'd always found it the hardest to get up early on Tuesdays. Thinking she needed a change of scenery she decided to head into Diagon Alley for a quick lunch at some café, and perhaps also to nip into Flourish and Blotts to see if they had any new books.

The streets were busy with shoppers and people out for a stroll. The shopkeepers had decorated the street with flowers and vines that clung haphazardly to the buildings and across the street, creating a loosely woven green ceiling over the customers. Some young kids walked hand in hand with their mothers, staring at everything and laughing at the displays. Young couples that looked fresh from Hogwarts were strolling hand in hand eating ice cream from Fortescue's, mingling with Ministry workers out for lunch.

She spent too long in the stacks of Flourish and Blotts, as usual. A few of the new books for the season were ones she'd seen in the library back in her own timeline, in Charms and Spell-Crafting Theory, although the copies she'd read had been well worn by then. When her stomach began grumbling audibly enough for other patrons to take notice she had to admit defeat, and she took a slim volume on theoretical charms to the counter.

Managing a regular and reasonably nutritious diet was another of those things that was much more difficult outside of Hogwarts, but at least she didn't have to resort to foraging or stealing canned food from Muggle supermarkets this time. It was just so hard to remember to eat something when in the middle of something more important, and when she got too hungry she didn't have the energy to cook. Having access to a few decent options for lunch helped a lot whenever she remembered to fetch something.

She stepped outside and was fiddling with her bag to store her purchases when suddenly the peaceful atmosphere shattered. Shrieks rent the air as hexes started flying, breaking windows and store displays with equal impunity. Black-robed people moved swiftly down the street, and the regular customers didn't stand a chance. Those who could were quickly running away, children screaming for their parents and old witches and wizards ducking behind their shopping bags.

Death Eaters were pouring into the streets like a chaotic flood of darkness. Hermione ducked behind a barrel and quickly cast a Disillusionment on herself, hoping it would buy her some time. What were they thinking, attacking the Alley in the middle of the day?

There was a sign on the door to her right. We Can Charm It and We Can Prewett! Shaking her head at the bad pun she quietly pulled on the door handle, relieved to find it was open. She made her way inside and quickly shut the door behind her, wand still out.

"Who's there?" One of the Prewetts showed up, scanning the room with his wand out.

Feeling a bit foolish, Hermione dropped the Disillusionment.

The red-headed wizard smiled at her. "Hi again, why all the stealth?"

"The Death Eaters are here! I just saw Bellatrix. Right out in the open."

"Gid! Get down here!" Fabian — by deduction — hollered up the stairs.

"Is Skeeter here?" Hermione asked.

"No, I think she's at work. Hope we can find some other solution for her soon, she's… not the best roommate."

Gideon made it down the stairs and after a quick explanation both of them quickly put on their cloaks, pulling the hoods up. Once again Disillusioned all three of them made their way outside. The street in front of them was in upheaval. Stands were torn down, shop windows broken, and people were running to get away. There weren't any people behind them, neither Death Eaters nor others.

"They went towards Flourish and Blotts," Hermione whispered. They'd forgotten to discuss how to keep track of each other while Disillusioned, there hadn't been any time. She pushed aside the frantic monologue in her head, that she was already a failure, how could she forget such a simple thing, that she'd be overpowered and caught by Bellatrix again.

"Okay, let's see what they're up to. The Aurors should be here soon."

"Be careful!" Hermione hissed.

They moved carefully towards the fray. Hermione quickly lost track of the two brothers, it really wasn't easy when Disillusioned, and fervently hoped they wouldn't do anything too dangerous. She wasn't about to attempt anything heroic herself, but she couldn't just flee either.

On a hunch Hermione started running towards Ollivander's wand shop, whispering at the twins to follow. If the Death Eaters stole wands it would be very difficult to track them down. Same if they were beginning to look for the Elder Wand which Hermione had last seen in Professor Dumbledore's hands.

A stray hex whizzed by over her head. A bit ahead of her she saw four Death Eaters destroying shop windows, with a black-robed witch egging them on from the sidelines. Bellatrix. She was easily recognisable by her laughter and the sound made Hermione's blood freeze. No Stop I don't have it Please It's a fake… She shook her head to clear her mind, there was no room for flashbacks when facing her again.

They were just in front of Ollivander's, so clearly her hunch had been right. Hermione could make out one of the Lestrange brothers, but the other three aside from Bellatrix were unknown.

Fabian — or was it Gideon — cast a Stunner at the closest Death Eater which barely missed, and soon a duel was in full swing. The other Death Eaters joined in, as did the other twin. Hexes and curses lit up the street in colourful streaks and Hermione sneaked around behind them and took out the Lestrange brother with a Petrificus Totalus. He crashed into a store display when he fell, taking out the window. An array of magical toys and cutlery fell on top of him, causing an even worse ruckus when some of their charms went off. A pink duck bounced on the Death Eater's back while a couple of whisks spun erratically and some kind of citrus press was attempting to squeeze his cloak. Hermione could only hope he'd be out for a while, she had other problems to deal with.

Red light streaked towards her from the side and she managed a non-verbal Protego just in time. Bellatrix had joined the fray. The Prewetts were holding their own against the three remaining Death Eaters, trading hexes back and forth. They fought in a very well coordinated way, seemingly shifting who attacker and defender without any clear signals between them, making it very difficult for the Death Eaters to get any good hits in.

Hermione couldn't look at them any longer, not with Bellatrix shooting curses and very dubious hexes at her. The witch had good aim and was completely reckless. Hermione dodged a Bombarda that took out a nearby window instead, returning fire with Stupefy followed immediately by a slicing hex. Bellatrix batted them away with a laugh, as if she wasn't even trying.

One of the Death Eaters went down in a pool of blood. Hermione had no idea what happened, she was too busy surviving. She even tried distracting Bellatrix with Avis but it didn't work. At least none of them were casting Unforgivables yet, she thought while deflecting another hex. It hit a second-floor window instead, followed by a plume of purple smoke from the window.

Bellatrix lobbed a teal-coloured hex at her, but Hermione dodged and instead it hit the nearest Death Eater, causing his skin to crackle and smoulder. He shrieked, flinging his wand wide in the middle of a spell which hit one of the twins straight in the chest, before falling backwards. The red-headed wizard didn't even scream, blood erupting from his chest as he fell.

The other Prewett yelled in anguish. "Fabian!" He lobbed a Stupefy at the remaining Death Eater, with so much power behind it the Death Eater flew a good distance backwards.

Just as Bellatrix was about to cast something undoubtedly nasty on Gideon Hermione managed to cast a Petrificus Totalis that the other witch couldn't dodge. Bellatrix went down, glaring at Hermione who kept her wand trained on the older witch. She couldn't afford to let the witch loose and hoped Gideon would have the presence of mind to keep the others occupied.

The male Lestrange stirred underneath the window. Hermione spared a glance and another Stunner but missed. She needed to keep Bellatrix restrained, if she could hand over the witch to the Aurors she'd at least have made a real difference to the war effort.

Gradually she became aware of noise further down the Alley. The Aurors had arrived, finally. She risked shooting off some red sparks before returning her attention to Bellatrix. Unfortunately Lestrange took the opportunity to scamper, not even bothering to free his wife or was it sister-in-law before running away. Gideon tried to Stun him from behind but missed.

Hermione didn't recognise either of the two Aurors, a burly wizard and a weary-looking witch. The witch quickly bound and gagged Bellatrix and the remaining Death Eaters while the wizard helped Gideon with Fabian. They quickly put him under some kind of Stasis and slapped an Auror Portkey on him to take him to St Mungo's. Gideon held on tight despite the Auror's urgings to let him go, and soon both of them had disappeared.

"You know who this is?" the female Auror asked Hermione as she finished securing the prisoners.

Hermione nodded. Numbness was setting in, everything felt distant and foreign, as if viewed through a glass under the sea.

"Dangerous, this one. You'd better watch it if she ever gets back out, she's got pretty good connections so if she finds the right solicitor…"

"I'll testify," Hermione offered weakly. Bellatrix getting out of prison was simply not an acceptable option. "A priori incantatem can show what she cast, I didn't recognise most of her hexes. Please, make sure she doesn't get away."

The Auror frowned. "If I can keep her in, I will. Wouldn't hurt to get some assistance though if you have anything on her."

Hermione nodded. She'd contact Skeeter, and Kingsley, Amelia and perhaps even Moody, if he was back at work after losing his eye. Anything to keep her behind bars.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

She never made it back to Gringotts, instead heading back home to wait for Severus, hoping he wasn't in the raid himself. After feeding the animals she ended up on the couch, legs drawn up. Too close. Everything had been too close, too dangerous. She'd been weak, missed half her spells and only made it out by sheer luck. She needed to be stronger, better.

When Severus came home, much later, she was still in the same position on the couch. He settled next to her, pulling her into his arms. She sighed and finally managed to slowly unravel herself, to let herself breathe again. As long as he was there, everything would be fine.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

It was with profound relief Hermione read the papers the following morning and saw Bellatrix scowling at her from behind bars. She was headed to Azkaban and would stay there for a long time. Skeeter had also managed to sneak out during the raid and had written an article challenging the whole Ministry, asking why they weren't doing more to ensure the safety of the public and why more of the Death Eaters hadn't been caught yet. She even went so far as to question whether the Minister himself was a sympathiser, something Hermione suspected he wouldn't like at all.

This was a serious blow to the Death Eaters which Hermione was intent on exploiting as much as she could. Gargnak had mentioned something a few months earlier about bloodlines and Gringotts vaults, and she didn't have any better lead for the final Horcrux. She sent Menace off to Malfoy Manor with a note asking for Narcissa to contact her at the bank, and then headed to work to figure out if her hunch was right.

Narcissa arrived an hour later. A young goblin escorted her to Hermione and then scampered off quickly.

"This is your office?" Narcissa looked around the room, at the boards full of Arithmancy calculations and visualisations and the stacks of books on the desk. The windows were dirty but at least they let some light in. Narcissa took a seat in one of the available chairs after casting a Cushioning charm on it.

Hermione shrugged. "Well, kind of. It was empty and I needed the space. Gargnak didn't seem to mind, the Goblins aren't keen on the higher floors."

Making sure the door was secured, Hermione explained the situation with the Horcruxes and what remained to be done. It was strange to feel she could trust Narcissa Black Malfoy, of all people, but Hermione's opinion of the Pure-blood witch had been changed over the past months ever since the confrontation in Malfoy Manor. "So, apparently Bellatrix hinted at having something extremely valuable but she made it sound like a gift from the Dark Lord. I doubt she trusted her husband with it."

Narcissa nodded. "She has said something to that effect, yes. It should be in her vault, then."

"The goblins won't let me in to check, unfortunately."

Narcissa raised her chin. "Leave that to me."

Apparently it was as simple as that. Gargnak agreed that Narcissa had the right to open the Black vault, considering that the owner was currently incapacitated and Narcissa was next of kin. The old goblin even winked at Hermione when they thanked him. At least she thought it was a wink, she still wasn't sure about some Goblin expressions.

They rode the rickety cart together in silence, Hermione holding on for dear life while Narcissa sat with her hands folded in her lap, looking like she was at a fancy dinner. Hermione had never enjoyed roller coasters, and the Gringotts carts were worse than at any amusement park. The path was impossible to predict, the twists and turns coming at them without warning, and the darkness and creaky noises from the cart didn't help either. The vault was deep in the bowels of the bank, past the Thief's Downfall which left them soaked but otherwise unharmed. Narcissa quickly cast a drying charm on both of them.

Finally the cart stopped in front of a short corridor with wooden vault doors on one side. Hermione climbed out on wobbly legs while Narcissa looked as unperturbed as ever. The older witch walked up to a nondescript door, her presence making shimmering runes appear all over the door. They glimmered faintly, looking oddly menacing.

"This is not the Lestrange vault proper but the Black vault she inherited. If she wanted to put something away safely without her husband interfering, she'd put it here." Narcissa raised her wand, tracing a rune over the door. "Stay back."

Hermione backed up a step as Narcissa continued with the runes on the door. After a while the bolts snapped open and the door started to move on creaky hinges. Hermione could see stacks of gold and shiny objects in the dim light from the tunnel, but couldn't see the cup.

"Stay back," Narcissa said again. "What are we looking for?"

Taking a small rock from the footpath Hermione Transfigured it to a replica of the Hufflepuff cup, as well as she could remember. Narcissa took it and studied it carefully. "There was a Gemini curse on it last time I went to fetch it, but it was in a different vault that time. We were nearly buried in an avalanche of fake gold. Oh, and don't touch it, it might be cursed."

Narcissa snorted. "They never did have style."

Hermione waited, trying to control her impatient worrying, while Narcissa disappeared inside the vault. Some time later, probably not as long as it felt, the older witch returned Levitating a cup.

"I left the one you Transfigured, it's now a perfect replica."

Hermione patted her pockets. In her haste to get the Cup she'd left her beaded bag in her office, along with the reinforced sack they'd used previously to store Horcruxes.

"Hold on," Narcissa said. She pulled out a bag from her purse and stuffed the Horcrux inside. It disappeared with a hissing sound and Narcissa pulled the drawstring closed, smiling with apparent satisfaction. "There. The twins' diaper bag reinforced with extra strong Impervious charms. Fitting, isn't it?" She put it back in her purse which didn't appear to have changed size at all, apparently also benefiting from some Undetectable Extension charms.

Hermione snorted. "Perfect. We need some more people to neutralise it, and Severus' potion."

"We shouldn't be seen together in the public levels, not here," Narcissa said, suddenly serious again. "Let's meet at the Manor tonight, I'll tell Lucius you're coming to discuss the twins' development so he'll leave us alone."

Keen to get back up to ground level Hermione hurried back to the cart and settled in for the ride back up to the surface, Narcissa following suit and somehow making it look effortlessly elegant.

The ride up felt longer than the way down. Perhaps it was the slow climb rather than the precarious balancing on precipices but it seemed to last forever. They parted in the hallway just before the public areas, with a quick nod and a confirmation to meet up later that evening.

"I must go back at once. Be careful, Hermione. I've heard things, they are getting desperate and dangerous, even more so now that my sister is behind bars." The blonde witch marched away without a look back, looking as if she owned the place.

Hermione decided to go find something to eat, having not had the time to pack anything for lunch that morning. There was a café nearby where she could use her Gringotts line of credit so she wouldn't have to go back up to fetch her bag. Blinking in the sharp autumn sunlight she made it through the crowds, blending in with all the others out for lunch or some mid-day shopping.

They caught her on the way back to Gringotts. She only got a second's warning when a red streak whizzed past her from behind. She spun around, whipping out her wand to cast a shield, but the Protego wasn't even half formed before another spell hit her from the side and all went black.