A/N: Well, this chapter is bit lengthy. I hope you'll enjoy it.

Education in survival.

To Hermione's amazement, her parents went back to their old selves after the initial shock.

"Well, it went better than I'd expected." Hermione thought as she sat in her father's car. Her father drove but not in a familiar direction.

"Um - Dad, are you sure you're going the right way." she asked her father nervously.

"Oh, we didn't get to tell you, dear." he said as he took a turn, "We had to change our house."

"Why?" asked Hermiome with a concerned tone.

"Professor Dumbledore suggested it." Helena Granger answered, "He said our neighbours might ask questions if they saw a completely different girl in our house. We didn't want to lie to everyone so we decided to sell it and a get a bigger one."

"But you loved that house." Hermione protested sadly.

"We love you more honey." said her father.

"Hermione, you're gonna love it." her mom said. "It has a pool in its backyard. The rooms are spacious, and it has the best lighting a house can have."

Hermione did like the house when she saw it. In fact she liked it better than their old house. It was larger and more comfortable with a very large pool in its beautiful backyard.

"How did you guys afford this?" Hermione asked. Her parents were rich but not this kind of rich.

"It's not that expensive dear. The owner offered a very good deal for our house." her mom said, "Let me show you your room."

Hermione was amazed when she saw it. It was two times bigger than her previous room back in their old residence and it had a personal library.

"Honey, we have to go back to work." Mr. Granger said, "We'll be back in four hours. There's some chicken in the fridge, but if you want something fresh you can order some fish and chips."

"I think I'll order in." said Hermione.

After her parents left, she ordered some food by telephone, sat on the sofa and turned on the Telly. She watched an episode of Doctor Who as she had her fish and chips. When the show was over she took a shower and went to her bedroom. Upon opening the door she screamed. There was an elf on her bed. It had large blue eyes and a very skinny body.

"Sorry Miss, please don't scream!" begged the elf with its scared eyes, "Master won't be pleased with Ella!"

Before Hermione could react the elf snatched her hand and Hermione felt the uncomfortable sensation you feel when you apparate. In a moment she was no longer in their beautiful house. She was in a large room or perhaps somewheres she could consider it a library.

It was large with very tall bookcases that were convering the walls. she looked at the ceiling and that too was covered with books magically held in place.

The elf disappeared and left her alone in the room with chair and numerous books in. Then the chair started to rotate to face her. Hermione found out that she wasn't alone at all as fear paralysed her brain.

A man was sitting on the chair. She didn't know if she could call him a man. He had lost a lot of his resemblance to mankind. Mutely, he aimed his wand at her and whispered, "Crucio".

Hermione dodged the curse narrowly.

"Ah... she dodges, Lucius. It seems that your daughter isn't as hopeless as I thought." He smiled at two new figures that she could now see. One was Lucius Malfoy with a stoic face and the other was Bellatrix Lestrange who seemed even more impassive.

"They are expressing a lot of emotions." Hermione jocked, trying to ignore the reality that Voldemort was in front of her. Her father had nearly killed her on their first reunion and now he had tried to use the second worst unforgivable. They looked at her with surprise.

"I see, well they are practicing Occlumency, Miss Malfoy," said Voldemort, "Or would you rather Lestrange?"

"There is more to Occlumency than just an impassive face, and I'd rather be called Granger actually." she responded assertively. Her Occlumency completely cast all the confusion in her mind aside.

"Miss Granger, then." Voldemort indulged her. It felt weird that he of all people had accepted to call her by her favorite last name, "I think you know why I've brought you here."

"My parents wanted to see me? Perhaps they want to spend some quality time with me." Hermione said as she kept her gaze on her alleged father, Lucius Malfoy. "Perhaps they had the foolish notion that I would join your cause."

Voldemort cast another cruciatus which she dodged swiftly.

"So demeaning toward our cause you are, Hermione." he said as he laid his wand aside on the handle of the chair.

"Not a fan of what you guys do here." she admitted.

Voldemort sighed, "I'd have tortured you to submission but your mother will die if we do so," he said lazily, "literally that is. Lord Voldemort values precious things like you and your mother, so I shall be forgiving... Your parents did want to meet you and they have news for you."

"Our lord has been merciful, daughter," said Lucius with a trembling voice, "We will teach you how to defend yourself from harm."

"Do not anger him." said Bellatrix anxiously, "I will not be able to stop him from killing you silly girl."

Hermione draw her wand and cast a harmless Aguamenti. Voldemort deflected the water, shooting it at her parents.

"Do not test me, girl." he said warningly, "Do not try to humiliate me."

"Just testing to see if I was fast enough." she said calmly.

"Crucio," Voldemort cast blindingly fast.

Hermione felt the pain for a second and then it was gone. Somehow her natural Occlumency was protecting her. Voldemort's face became concerned.

Bellatrix coughed, " Master, please forgive my foolish daughter."

Voldemort looked at Hermione impassively, "Go with your mother. She will teach you for now."

Bellatrix snatched Hermione's hand and pulled her out of the room.

The moment they left Lucius followed them.

"Are you inane girl? You have this silly notion that the Dark Lord won't kill you if you insult him." she whispered angrily as she checked her mouth and body for any harm done by the curse. Her concerned face had a striking contrast with her impassive face back there.

"You don't have much time, Bellatrix. We can do this just three hours per day." Lucius reminded her.

"Do what?" Hermione asked.

"Teaching." said Bellatrix as she held her head high.

"I can't do magic outside school." Hermione responded with a bored tone.

"Is that so?" she said smiling devilishly, "You weren't so concerned about it a minute ago. By the way, did you like my pastries?"

Hermione immediately realised what had happened.

"Those were from you?"

"Yes. I thought it was time you tasted mommy's special pastries." she said sarcastically, "I injected some Trace-breaker into the pastries."

"They were tasty," Hermione thought. "Neville loved them."

"You poisoned us?" she said instead and looked at her indignantly.

"Not really. The only consequence of eating them is getting rid of the Trace. Unless baby Longbottom veally hates sour cveam." She finished with her baby voice.

Hermione looked at her silently.

"Now follow us. We will send you back to those muggles before they come back so they won't suspect a thing." she told her daughter and walked.

Hermione reluctantly followed her. Bellatrix took them to a large room covered by a soft unknown material.

"We'll assess your skills today." she said softly. "No unforgivables allowed. Lucius moderates."

"No maiming either." he said calmly, "Narcissa is out."

Bellatrix cast a stunner without warning. Hermione jumped aside.

"Rule one: In a real duel no one hesitates to attack."

She disappeared and reappeared behind her casting another stunner.

Hermione cast a small yet strong shield to divert it. She tried to focus on her enemy.

"Rule two: enemy might attack from behind."

Hermione felt her body freeze. Bellatrix hadn't moved but someone has hit her with a Petrification spell.

"Rule Three." she said. "Life isn't fair."

She released her.

"There is no such thing as a moderator in a real battle. People are either with you or against you." said Lucius. "I expect you to know this as my sole daughter."

Hermione wasn't sure if Lucius knew she wasn't really his daughter or not. He seemed sincere.

"Never ignore a bystander." Bellatrix instructed her, "Magical knowledge is needed in a duel but magical awareness is much more important. You know Legilimency so use it."

"What's the point? I know you two are good Occlumentes." Hermione asked. Her natural Occlumency was pushing her into embracing the situation rather than kicking it in the nuts.

"Maintaining mental shields when you're dueling is incredibly hard. Unless you're a natural Occlumens like Sirius Black. My beloved cousin has impenetrable shields. You are a natural Legilimens like your aunt and my great grandfather. If it's anything like Lucinda's it will cut our shields like butter."

Lucius cast a stunner lazily. Hermione deflected it with her shield to Bellatrix. She waved her wand divert the spell easily.

"Well done. Your shield must be smaller. You can barely see the Dark Lord's shield if he's deflecting minor jinxes." She reduced their distance. "Your use of nonverbal casting is outstanding. Have you practiced these spells before."

"I have never needed much practice to learn a spell. Nonverbal casting comes to me naturally." Hermione explained.

"Ah you're smarter than Lucius and I." she smiled.

"Keep these in mind. We'll send you home earlier today. You are going to learn so much this summer." she smiled at her.,"Don't tell anyone or I'll send someone to skin little Neville alive. Now take this portkey."

She gave her a very simple but beautiful necklace with a black pearl.

"One. Two. Three." she said and Hermione was back.

Once Hermione was in her room, she put the portkey aside and it vanished immediately. She took her mirror out and called Sirius. He was terrified to hear Voldemort was there.

"Look she threatened me with Neville's life so please tell professor Dumbledore not to make a move." she told him, "They shouldn't find out about orders knowledge of our meetings."

"Meetings?" Sirius exclaimed, "Hermione you're not planning on going back ever again, are you?"

"She said that she'll teach me everyday. They said Voldemort has accepted to train me. I have no idea what that means and I don't intend to participate in any class he teaches in."

"You don't seem to like the fact they call it teaching." Sirius smirked.

"Teaching is a sacred job. It's nurturing people, invoking their potentials not turning them into a killing machine!"

"Okay what did she didn't teach you then?" Sirius asked jokingly.

"She taught me three rules: First, Enemy never waits; Second, Enemy can be dishonest and dishonorable; Third was Malfoy's, Whoever is not with you is against you." She said distastefully.

"I'm afraid they're all right. In a battle that is. Those were my father's golden rules." He to an incredulous Hermione. "Hermione they can't force you to join them, so they're trying to teach you survival techniques."

"Why would Voldemort want to teach me then?" she already knew the answer better than Sirius, but she had to feign ignorance.

"He hopes that you would join them on your own. Dumbledore told us that he can't force you to join him. He must be trying another route to get you. Look, don't refuse his knowledge just try to be avoid being affected by that kind of magic. When you come here it will stop. They won't dare to take you under our watch."

So she had to take it for a month. After a few days Hermione got used to the meetings. Voldemort didn't attend any meetings until the tenth day. On a Sunday morning Hermione was brought to the Malfoy Manor to see not Bellatrix nor Lucius, but Voldemort waiting for her. They were back in the library. It was a bit different than she had first seen it. Now it had a window displaying a jungle. There was a new desk too. Hermione was sure this place was inspired by Dumbledore's office. Voldemort was standing next to the window enjoying the view as the otter on the desk looked at her curiously.

"You won't have the pleasure of meeting your mother today." he said without turning back, "Fortunately, your father is here. You shall have your meal with him. Now we should begin."

He turned around to face her with his hands locked behind, "During our session here you will not mention anything about your friends, silly moralities, Dumbledore or anything that is not related to our practices here."

Hermione nodded reluctantly.

"And I demand spoken answers." He said.

"Very well. What should I call you?" Hermione said calmly.

"You may call me, sir." He responded. "Now what is this, Miss Granger?" He pointed at the otter.

"A mammal which we call an otter." Hermione answered, "It's carnivore and a member of Weasel family."

"That would've been acceptable if I had been a Zoologist which I'm not." he said. "Perhaps I should've asked my question differently. What can you do with an otter?"

"I could transfigure into something else. I don't know what you might want to do with it. You might be planning to use it for practicing the killing curse." Hermione answered.

"Don't be absurd. Why would I kill this otter when there are plenty of spiders and insects for such practice. No... this thing is here for other purposes." He draw his wand and flicked it. Flames jumped out of his wand taking the shape of different animals doing various things. "Being a great magician and being a swift dueler are entirely different. If that wasn't the case your mother would have been the strongest of us all. Magic is about imagination. How you see things and how you reshape them to utilize them."

He walked toward the otter and cast a nonverbal spell on it. It jumped up and moved toward a book. It opened it and laid it on the desk.

"This otter can open the book, but it cannot read it." Hermione said.

"Yes," He smiled at her. "It cannot read but it can distract someone. It can guide a friend to safety or even kill an enemy if proper conditions are provided. You're learning to use this otter today. You know the incantation already."

He released the otter and looked at her expectantly. He was so sure she would do it.

She cast the spell reluctantly expecting it to fail but to her surprise it worked. She could feel the magic binding her will to the otter. Hermione relaxed the bond allowing the animal to act normally as if it wasn't under the spell.

"Try again until you succeed." Voldemort said patiently. The otter suddenly jumped and hid under the desk.

"Foolish animal." he said and waved his wand to bring it back on the desk, but it refused to stay put and darted toward a bookcase and started climbing it.

Voldemort grouched. As he observed Hermione chuckle.

"Not funny little girl. I don't have all the day to teach you a spell." He said.

The otter suddenly jumped down diving toward Voldemort. He stopped it mid air with his wand.

"Impossible! It's acting so naturally." He said, looking at the otter in amazement.

"I've had practice with professor Umbridge." Hermione explained, "Please don't ask me to torture it."

"One unforgivable at a time." Voldemort agreed, "Now let's try something new."

Voldemort taught her how to control different animals. Hermione surprised him by controlling a hundred ants at the same time.

"I can do that without a wand." he said, "Why don't you try."

Hermione cancelled the spell and tried to use her Legilimency. It worked as effortlessly as it had many years ago when she had asked the angry wasps to go away.

"Excellent." Voldemort was smiling with enthusiasm, "I think that's enough for today. Let's join Lucius for dinner."

When they reached the dining room, they saw Lucius, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy waiting for them. Draco flinched slightly upon seeing Voldemort. His fear was replaced by surprise upon seeing Hermione.

"Lestrange?" He asked confused by her presence, "Is she one of our guest mother?"

"No Draco. Your sister is not a guest." Responded Voldemort, "Now where is Augustus?"

"Here my lord." said a familiar voice behind Hermione. She turned around to see the man.

"Hermione Lestrange, It's a pleasure to see you once again." he said with a smirk, "It's really odd to have a family of Death Eaters and not to be one, isn't it?"

Voldemort smiled, "Go take a sit, Augustus, and don't tease the Bella's daughter do much. She has inherited a lot of her mannerisms. Surely you don't want to invoke her wrath, do you?"

"No, my lord." he answered politely as he moved to an empty sit.

The food was good. There wasn't much talking going on. Voldemort would ask occasional questions from Draco that would make him jump.

"So Draco, do you have any plans for the task I've entrusted you?" he asked as Hermione finished her last bite.

"Not yet my lord." he shivered.

"Poor Narcissa is depending on you." Voldemort said softly, "If you fail your task, I don't know what would become of her."

Hermione tried to leave the table but Voldemort stopped her with a gesture. She remained in her seat unwillingly.

"Now that you have the Dark Mark you must take responsibility Draco. Think of a plan soon or else."

Draco seemed to be resisting vomiting right then and there.

"You can go to your room." said Voldemort, dismissing the boy.

He turned to look Hermione in the eyes. The girl was not happy but she was not scared either.

"Any objections?" He asked.

"It's not my business how you handle your henchmen as long as I'm not one of them." she said with indifference.

The other adults drew a quick breath in.

"You're correct Miss Granger. Now if you're finished with the food, let's send you to your precious muggles."

He gave her the portkey.

Hermione told Sirius about what had transpired in the Malfoy Manor.

"So Draco Malfoy has a mission that Narcissa's life depends on. It's something he probably doesn't want to or can't do. You said something else too." he pretended to be thinking for a few seconds. "Ah yes you practiced an unforgivable for three hours straight. Did I miss anything."

"The fact that it was under Voldemort's tutelage." she reminded him.

"Ah yeah." he sighed in frustration, "I think you've spent enough time with muggles. You're coming to Grimmauld Place tomorrow."

"For real?" she smiled enthusiastically. She could see Harry and Ron again.

"Yeah really, little bird." he said, happy to see her enthusiasm, "I'll ask Dumbledore to set everything up."

"I love you, Sirius." she beamed at him and sent him a kiss.

An hour later Sirius called him with a grumpy face.

"I'm gonna kill Dumbledore. Make sure you learn Killing Curse really well so you can teach me." he sniffed angrily.

"He disagreed, didn't he?" said Hermione.

"Of course, he did. He has to be a buffoon when it comes to you. He joked about your lesson with him today." he answered fiercely.

"Sirius, there are things you don't know." she said desperately, "Don't be so angry. I'll be fine."

"Hermione what is it that I don't know? Harry said the same thing, but he wouldn't say a word about it. By the way you and Snape have trained him so well that Lucinda can't get into his head without him noticing. He has threatened explicitly that he will leave if we try to do so." Sirius said unhappily.

"It's not something I can tell you over a mirror call." said Hermione, breathing shallowly and rapidly.

"I'll see you in ten days. That's the time we settled on. Harry can't wait to see you so I'm going to let you guys talk a bit. I've also made a mirror for Ronald so call him tomorrow when he gets it, okay?" he said as he calmed down so suddenly that it concerned Hermione.

"Sirius, are you using Occlumency?" Hermione asked.

"Oh yeah it kicked in. I'll be in control when I've truly calmed down."

He smiled reassuringly, "Goodbye little bird."

"Goodbye Sirius."

He gave the mirror to Harry to whom she talked for at least an hour. She left her room to have supper with her parents but she was surprised to see Narcissa Malfoy with her parents.

"What are you doing here aunt Narcissa?" she asked coldly.

"Hermione, I need to talk to you." Narcissa said pleadingly, "It's about your brother."

"Hermione dear, why don't you take her to your room." Helen Granger told her daughter.

"Okay mum. Don't wait up for me guys. I'll have something later." said Hermione as she took Narcissa to her room.

"Did my mother send you?" Hermione asked her suspiciously. She moved her head to say no. "What about Voldemort?"

"No, the Dark Lord does not know. I have left the castle without telling anyone." she said.

"Oh my! Seems like you don't trust people around you, aunt Narcissa." Hermione responded.

Narcissa flinched.

"Did I offend you?" Hermione asked neutrally.

"Oh no dear you didn't." she said, "It's just that the Dark Lord has said that to me before."

"Sorry to remind you." Hermione said softly. Narcissa wasn't very good at Occlumency apparently. She could see her thoughts coming and going.

"So do you want me help Draco?" She asked.

Narcissa tried to look in the other direction.

"Narcissa, honesty is the best approach." Hermione said. "I don't like liars."

Her poor aunt shivered once more.

"I will help Draco if you tell me the truth." Hermione offered.

"I've already asked Severus for help. He refused to give me his oath." she said sadly, "I've come to ask you to help Draco in his mission. Our Lord has asked for the impossible."

"My is the pronoun you're looking for, Narcissa." said Hermione cooly, "I have no Lord."

"I understand." Narcissa said anxously. Hermione could read her feelings. She felt like she was dealing with the Devil. Hermione could see it in her mind even though they didn't have direct eye contact.

"Come on it's not really like dealing with the Devil." she tried to say kindly but that scared her even more.

"You can see my thoughts?" her trembling voice said, "But we don't have eye contact."

"I don't always need eye contact. I can hear people's thoughts if they're close enough." Hermione explained.

Narcissa sobbed, "I've come to beg you to save your brother. I've come to beg you to kill Dumbledore on his behalf if he fails to do it himself. I didn't trust Severus. He won't kill the old man."

"Narcissa, I can't do that." She said.

"Please! He'll kill us all. Don't you care about your brother and father." she begged.

Hermione could stop herself from smirking nastily. She was the one who had faked her ancestry so she very well knew that Lucius wasn't his father and Draco was only his cousin.

"I don't care what happens to my father or brother." she said and saw tears fill Narcissa's eyes. "But I care for Draco as a friend. I'll help him in his mission if I see he can't handle it. I won't kill Dumbledore thought. I'm not stupid enough to do so after seeing his duel with your master."

"I'm begging you." Narcissa screamed desperately.

"No I'm not killing the sodding headmaster of Hogwarts." Hermione snapped, "I'm not a murderer."

"You're capable of it. I know you can do it. Draco can't. He's not strong like you." Her aunt insisted.

"Go home." Hermione said coldly, "If Draco needs help he can find me himself."

Narcissa left crying like a baby.

Hermione had to move swiftly. She took a pen and concentrated on 12 Grimmauld Place. "Portus." the pen shined with a distinct purple color. She set the timer for a few seconds later.

"One. Two..." She didn't manage to say three as she was no longer in her room.

"Wow this was too quick" She walked around. She must have landed silently because the portrait of Walburga was asleep. Her previous experiences with portkeys had been much less pleasant. It was so different this time that she wondered if she'd done it correctly.

She went into the kitchen where everyone were eating. They initially didn't notice her. George was the first to see her.

"Hermione! I didn't know you were here." he said, surprised at her sudden appearance.

"Hello everyone. I wasn't here a minute ago George. I need to talk to the headmaster." She said as she pointed to Dumbledore. "May I talk to you in private, sir."

"Of course my dad dear." he answered as he left the table.

They both left before anyone could ask anything. Dumbledore took Hermione to the lavatory. "I'm sorry, Miss Lestrange. This is the only place safe from spywares."

Hermione told Dumbledore about the nature of Draco's mission and Narcissa's request.

"Well, I hope you'll give us enough time to leave the lavatory. I daresay I might fall into the toilet if you finished the job here." he said jokingly.

Hermione couldn't stop bursting into laughter, "Alright professor. I wouldn't do that to you. I'd choose some place more respectable." she joked in return.

"Would you be kind enough to do that for me?" he said sadly. Hermione froze.

"There might come a time when I will be better off dead than alive. Please, kill me when that time comes."

"I think we have professor Snape for that." she gulped, "I'm not a murderer."

"I'm merely asking for assisted suicide." he said solemnly, "However, I do not wish to die so early in our fight, and I don't wish for Lucius, Narcissa or Draco to die as well."

"Do you have a plan, sir?" Hermione asked.

"I think I do." Dumbledore said looking at a cockroach on the wall, "Go back home. We will discuss our plan when you come here to stay."

Hermione took out her pen. It shined upon her touch.

"You're truly a genius, Hermione." said Dumbledore as she disappeared without making a sound. Dumbledore opened the door to see a very angry Sirius Black.

"Where's she?" He asked with his arms crossed on his chest.

"Do you always take female students to lavatory, Albus?" said Lupin with a disgusted voice behind him.

"No, I don't Remus." Dumbledore said. "I know you're upset that I won't let her come here earlier than planned…"

"You're not turning her into your frigging spy!" cried Lucinda Malfoy forcefully.

"That's not my intention." he responded.

"But it would so swell if it happened right?" Lucinda argued.

"Lucinda, she won't be our spy. She will be neutral in this battle." Dumbledore finally bellowed as his magic waved around him.

She stepped back waiting for Dumbledore to explain.

"What we talked about is confidential. I cannot tell you." he said.

"I think I'll reconsider inviting you to our wedding Albus." said Lucinda.

"I shall try to gain your forgiveness, Lucinda." Albus promised.

Five days before leaving Granger resident Hermione told Bellatrix that she was spending the rest of the summer with Harry.

"Well, you'll have to delay. We're far from finished here." she said.

"I cannot do that. The order will suspect and if they ask, I'll be in big trouble." Hermione argued.

"Don't you enjoy what we're doing here?" Bellatrix asked playfully.

"I don't." Hermione answered cooly.

"Well I do. I enjoy teaching my daughter." Bellatrix said passionately, "You're a challenging student and you're strong."

Hermione didn't compromise. Bellatrix was forced to accept the time frame.

"We won't be duelling today, then. Follow me." She told her. Bellatrix took her to the Dungeons.

"You're not going to incarcerate me here, are you?" Hermione asked impassively.

"No, this is the place where we can practice without destroying the Manor." She explained softly. She took out her wand and cast a seemingly harmless fire. Hermione however could feel it's dark nature.

"Is that Fiendfyre?" She asked.

"Yes." Bellatrix released the fire allowing it to be spread. "You'll either control it or we die here."

Hermione's magic boiled to the surface of her skin. She moved her wand gently and tried to connect with the wildfire. It responded to her magic and became even hotter and then it became cold emitting no heat.

"What did you do?" Bellatrix asked looking at the fire that was changing its color to blue. It was so fun to guide this harmless fire around. She spread it around herself making a protective circle. Bellatrix held her breath in fear. She tried to get away but Hermione trapped her by expanding the circle. Bellatrix screamed as fire touched her but it wasn't burning her. It was gentle and warm.

"Congratulations you turned Fiendfyre into Bluebell." she said sarcastically, but her shaking voice betrayed her fear.

Hermione moved her wand patiently to direct the fire to some shackles on the wall. They disintegrated the moment fire touched them.

"Impossible! Not even the Dark Lord can do this." Bellatrix exclaimed.

"That's blasphemy mother, isn't it?" Hermione said, laughing with joy. "I read once that Grindelwald did what I'm doing here in Paris. He cast it and his followers could pass it without harm but unfortunately, aurors weren't so lucky." Hermione closed her her eyes and waved her wand wildly. The fire covered everything. The walls started to melt. Then Hermione moved her wand once more and the fire disappeared.

"Don't ever do this again mother. Never throw something at me that I might no be unable to control." Hermione warned.

Bellatrix was shocked, "I have fire affinity, Hermione. I can do things with fire even our lord cannot do. However what you did there was not something I've ever dreamt possible. I almost wet myself there." she explained, "I knew you had this affinity, too. Snape had told me that your arson attempt in your first year."

"I cannot unlearn this, can I?" said Hermione sadly, "This the one thing I'd promised myself to never learn."

"What about the killing curse?" Bellatrix asked.

"How else would I hunt. Use a cutting spell? Killing spell is much more merciful." Hermione explained.

"You want to learn it for hunting?" Bellatrix looked at her like Hermione was insane, "What's wrong with Fiendfyre?"

"It's only destructive and volatile. It has destroyed cities, taken more lives than any Killing Curse has. It takes hundreds of lives in a single moment." Hermione said desperately.

"You're not like me or your father." said Bellatrix as realisation hit her, "You'll never join us."

Hermione nodded. Bellatrix sighed.

"I hope we never have to face each other, Hermione." she said sadly, "Because I doubt I could survive."

Hermione was gone before they could say goodbye.

The next day Voldemort was waiting for her. No one else was in the Manor.

"You'll duel me today." He said. "Let's see if you can last more than three minutes."

Hermione lasted twenty minutes before Voldemort trapped her."

Hermione looked at him defiantly as he released her.

"You can hold your ground against most of my Death Eaters or Order of Phoenix unless your fighting more than four people." He said. "There isn't much time left. It's time you learnt the second unforgivable."

Hermione went rigid. "No, I don't want to do it."

"So there are other things you're not willing to learn." Voldemort said. "Bellatrix said you would be fine with learning Killing Curse. I assumed that Cruciatus would be milder for you."

"I don't enjoy other people's pain." Hermione explained.

"Really." he said, "Even if it's me?"

"What?" Hermione asked thunderstruck.

"I've killed so many people. Don't you want some payback? Maybe your friend Harry could find some solace in my pain. After all I killed her parents as I might kill your muggle parents one …" He couldn't finish as Hermione hit Voldemort with Cruciatus Curse. He barely flinched.

"When I killed poor Lily Potter. You should have seen her eyes…" he continued until Hermione tried for a second time. This time she did bring some pain.

"I wonder how Helen Granger's eyes would compare…"

"Crucio," Hermione screamed at the top of her longs, tears flowing from her cheeks.

Voldemort fell on the ground in agony. Hermione didn't stop the spell until he disarmed her. He stood up panting. "Good. Remember that feeling. Remember how good it felt to inflict pain."

He took her wand and handed it back to Hermione, "Go home. I've taught you enough. You don't need me to learn the Killing Curse."

Hermione spent hours crying in her room before calming down. She had never believed he could force her to do it, but despite all her moral views he had succeeded to corrupt her. Hermione told no one about this. Her mom and dad didn't dare to ask any questions. They simply cared for her as always. Her mum brought some apple juice to cheer her up like she used to when Hermione was sad as a child. Her dad cracked some jokes that weren't really funny but she laughed at them anyway.

Finally, the day of departure arrived. She was very happy to see that Sirius was there to accompany her. Moody and Tonks were with him as well. She invited them in.

"Lestrange. We cannot waste time. We have a very tight schedule." said Moody. "Remember to have constant vigilance."

"Yes, sir." she said as they walked into the house.

"Where are your stuff." Moody asked.

Hermione showed him her luggage and he packed them neatly into a little bag.

"We'll apparate." said Tonks, "Take may hand."

Hermione had the most uncomfortable sensation of being squeezed into a tube. Fortunately, it only lasted for a couple of seconds as thing around here became clear and she could breathe naturally.

"Sorry. I thought you'd done it before." Tonks said apologetically.

To Hermione a little discomfort was worth it. She was back to her friends.