Autumn leaves
*h*p*
Harry loved Hermione. He had probably loved her since the day he had met her. He tried to cherish his last look when fire engulfed him to burn him into ash. It didn't burn as it engulfed him but he knew Hermione wouldn't want him to suffer. She would burn him at once.
Harry closed his eyes waiting for Death to come.
But it never came.
"I'm sorry, Harry." he heard her repeat.
"Run." he heard Rodolphus yell. Harry opened his eyes.
Everyone were engulfed in fire. It was following Death Eaters who were trying to escape it burning them like dry autumn leaves. Two Death Eaters who had kept him in place were gone as if they had never existed. Harry could see Bellatrix and Rodolphus disapparate before fire could reach them. Hermione was in the middle of the burning inferno burning all that didn't belong there.
The fire filled the horizon reaching miles away burning even those who were far away. Then it dissipated. Vanishing in front of his eyes, taking away the fire Bellatrix had caused.
Hermione was crying hard. Kneeling on the ground.
Harry turned to look at others. They had one emotion in common. Horror.
"That was Fiendfyre." stated Bill unnecessarily.
Lucinda and Sirius were still on the ground.
"Renevrate." Harry cast on Sirius.
Sirius jumped up and looked for his wand.
"Where did they go?" Sirius asked Harry.
Harry didn't answer. Instead he helped Lucinda gain consciousness.
"Where are they?" asked Lucinda echoing Sirius.
"They ran away, didn't they?" Ron said laughing hysterically. His eyes were fixed on where Goyle had stood.
Molly looked at Hermione in utter horror and fear.
"No Ronald. They didn't. They're gone for good." she whispered.
Lucinda and Sirius both understood what had happened. A mass murderer had happened here. Only there were no bodies left to bury.
They Arthur Weasley Arthur Weasley ran to his family.
"Thanks Merlin." Molly said and hugged her husband.
"Where did that fire go." he asked.
"Hermione made it go away." replied Harry.
"Thank you so much for saving our house, Hermione." said Mr. Weasley not aware of the situation.
Hermione wailed loudly. She aimed her wand at her head. Fortunately, Lucinda disarmed her swiftly.
"You idiot girl. What were you going to do? Kill yourself?" she screamed.
"I would totally deserve it." Hermione sobbed.
Harry tried to hug her but she pushed him away.
"Don't hug me! I'm filthy! I'm a murderer!" she screamed the last word.
Harry couldn't say anything. No one could say anything so they watched her silently. Harry didn't know for how long he watched her cry but at some point Mrs. Weasley came and hugged Hermione. She took her into the Burrow and fed her loads of calming tea and chocolate cakes. One by one they went back inside. No one talked that night. Not even Fleur Delacour.
*h*r*
Her mother had taught her fighting. She could take down at least five in three seconds, but she couldn't risk it. One wrong decision and at least one of her friends would die in front of her eyes.
They were badly outnumbered. Hermione knew there was only one way to guarantee everyone's safety.
She knew Harry would never forget this night.
"I'm sorry, Harry." she said and gave her wand a slight twist. Blue fire engulfed Harry.
"I'm sorry, Harry." she said again.
Hermione could see the horror in Mrs. Weasley's eyes. She probably knew what this fire was.
Her mother giggled next to her. Death Eaters watched fire take Harry completely. The fire rose up.
"Run." yelled Rodolphus who had realised what was about to happen. Others didn't get it in time. Fiendfyre spread madly. Molly Weasley screamed in horror. She froze as fire didn't hurt her. The Death Eater behind her crumbled into ashes. Molly looked at his remainings that soon disappeared. She could not believe it.
Hermione was waving her wand around guiding the fire towards those who were trying to escape. Her fire for a moment touched her mother. Hermione could feel her fear for life. In a moment of weakness she allowed the fire to slow down. Bellatrix wanted to stop but Rodolphus pulled her away and as they passed antiaparation border they disapparated.
Hermione called the fire. She looked around. It was as if Death Eaters hadn't been there in the first place.
Suddenly Hermione realised something. She didn't know how many had died tonight. She had killed them all and she didn't even know the numbers. She smiled bitterly and then fell on her knees crying.
She could hear people around her vaguely.
"Hermione made it go away." she heard Harry say.
She had also made it be. There was so much pain in her heart. It was like her existence had been torn into a thousand pieces of glass, piercing her heart.
She aimed her wand at her head to end the misery.
Something forced her wand out of her hand. She desperately reached for it but a frightening scream stopped her.
"You idiot girl. What were you going to do? Kill yourself?" Lucinda had screamed at her.
"I would totally deserve it." was Hermione's simple answer.
She felt guilty as Mrs. Weasley took her inside. She was the one who needed the calming tea. Hermione certainly didn't deserve to be calm.
Soon other came inside as well but no one talked. The next hour was spent in total silence.
*J*M*
Moriarty wouldn't listen to Pernelle.
"You need to go after the stone." she said for the fifth time. "Leave my hand be."
"Perenelle, if you don't shut up now, I will break your other hand as well." Moriarty warned.
"Egbert…" said Nicolas.
"Jim." Moriarty reminded Nicolas.
"James, Perenelle is right. We are going to be fine."
"No you aren't. Now let Aberforth do his job."
"But…"
"Nicolas, I - I can't feel it. I don't know what he's done, but I can't. He couldn't have possibly put it back into his body. I would know."
He masterfully fixed Perenelle's hand. He was almost finished when something in his pocket buzzed.
"Now what?" He took the little skull out of his pocket and looked into its eyes.
"Damn it." He exclaimed. "I have to go. A massive Fiendfyre was spotted in Devon."
He moved toward the door. "I hope Harry's alive." He slammed the door shut.
"Well I guess this Harry is more important than the stone," said Nicolas sourly.
"It's Harry Potter you're talking about." Aberforth said.
"Potter?" Perenelle said. "Aren't they…." she stopped when she saw Nicolas's warning eyes.
"Aren't they what?" asked Aberforth suspiciously.
"Potters are important. That's all you need to know." Nicolas said rudely.
*At Burrow*
Moriarty apparated just outside the antiaparation boundary. He walked in looking at the semi burnt house worriedly. Had he been too late as usual? He sighed happily as he saw everyone was safe inside.
He knocked on the door.
Inside Arthur jumped at the sound and aimed his wand at the door.
"It's Moriarty, Arthur. Open up."
"Uhm … Jim I don't have a security question for you." Arthur said uncomfortably.
"It's alright, let Harry ask me." he responded.
Harry approached the door carefully.
"Professor… That night we talked about the Philosopher's Stone, who did you show me?"
"Emeric the Evil and Egbert the Egregious." Moriarty answered.
Harry immediately opened the door.
Moriarty came in looking at the messed up Burrow.
"Oh dear, fixing this takes some time." he said. "How many casualties, Arthur?"
"None." Mr. Weasley said firmly.
Hermione on the other side of the room let out a soft moan.
"Come on, Arthur. I'm not an idiot. There was a report of Fiendfyre as big as a football field here. Surely you have taken down some of them."
Arthur Weasley kept his silence. Moriarty didn't need him to talk.
"How many Death Eaters did you dispose of, tonight?" he asked Hermione.
That made her burst into tears.
Moriarty came close. He looked into Harry's eyes. Harry showed him everything.
"It's good that these reports come to me first." Moriarty said, shaking visibly. "I can stop it from spreading and causing damage."
He pulled out his little skull and looked into it.
"Shite." He cursed loudly. "There has been an arrest. They are taking him to the ministry."
A sound came out of the skull. "I could arrange for him to be cleaned." Harry recognised the voice as Rattenfanger. "I just need a minute alone with him."
"No, Henry. Don't do anything. It's all a plan. Even if you do that it's going to be leaked somehow. This was obviously pre-planned." Moriarty ordered.
"I disagree. We can make the story less credible." said Rattenfanger.
"Do as you wish then." Moriarty said and put the skull back in his pocket.
Ten minutes later the skull buzzed.
"I failed. Scrimgeor's keeping us out. We don't know where they're keeping him." Rattenfanger continued, "They've used unbreakable vows. We can't use Legilimency."
"There is no way we can keep him silent without making things even worse. He might have already spilled the beans." Moriarty said. "Send Budelier and Chang here. We need some backup in case Auror are sent."
"Professor, you should let them take me." Hermione said weakly.
"To Azkaban? Miss Lestrange, we will fight. I won't let Voldemort have his way. Especially not now."
Harry felt something was up.
"Professor can we talk?" he asked.
"Of course, Harry." Moriarty said eagerly and almost pushed Harry out of the building. He then cast a variety of secrecy spells.
"Oh Harry, we're in big trouble." Moriarty said and then he whispered some words in a language Harry didn't recognise. "You know my father was a fisherman and he used to say 'Never try to catch two fish at once.' Which is what I have to do these days."
Moriarty walked to a chair nearby and leaned over it.
"Harry, I met two old friends today. One of them almost lost her hand today. The clock is ticking. They have lost what keeps them alive."
Harry didn't want to believe what he was hearing.
"Dee came for Nicolas and Perenelle. He had help but he didn't need them. Nicolas and Perenelle have never been good fighters. They have always protected the stone by hiding it. They would have been able to save it this time if Dee himself wasn't there. He knows us too well." Moriarty pressed the chair so hard that it broke.
"Reparo." He fixed the chair swiftly and sat on it.
"So what do we do?" Harry asked.
"I don't know. I don't know what's his plan. He has Regulus Black and Gellert Grindelwald by his side." He scratched his head. "It doesn't make sense. Why does he need him?"
"Regulus Black is alive? Grindelwald, too? But why would Regulus join them. He was working against Voldemort." said Harry.
Moriarty squinted his eyes suspiciously. "Harry can you tell me what he did against Voldemort?"
Harry looked at his shoes. He didn't look up.
"I can't tell you?" Harry said. "It's order stuff."
"Was he working for the order?"
"No, he was alone."
"Then you've found something that proves that. What was it?"
Harry didn't answer.
"What was it, Harry?" Moriarty asked desperately.
"It was a horcrux." Harry said. "Regulus had not managed to destroy it."
Moriarty looked at Harry in shock for a minute.
"I see. He wouldn't know how." Moriarty said to himself. He hadn't recovered from the shock. "So Voldemort made a horcrux. That's how he survived."
"Actually that's not quite accurate. I found the first one in my second year. It was a diary. It possessed Ginny Weasley and tried to wipe out muggle-born students."
"You… You're joking, right?" Moriarty said shaking violently. "And Dumbledore never told anyone?"
"I thought some people knew." Harry said defensively.
"Of course you did. You were twelve. Grown ups are supposed to be responsible." Moriarty sighed. "How did you get rid of the diary."
"Oh, I used a Basilisk fang." Harry said casually.
"Where did you even get it from?"
"Well, I had just killed a Basilisk. I was poisoned, but Fawkes saved me and that fang in my hand was all I had so I stabbed the diary with it."
Moriarty laughed madly. "And how did you kill the Basilisk?"
"Well, Fawkes bright me the sorting hat. I put it on my head and it gave me the sword of Gryffindor."
"People should say Harry Potter instead of Merlin from now on. Harry, I don't think you understand how significant what you've done is. Merlin himself was a lazy bum when he was your age. You have done something that your ancestors haven't even dreamed of."
"So Voldemort made two?" asked Moriarty after a few seconds.
"No there was a ring, too."
Moriarty went pale.
"I think I can see where this is going. Are the ring and the …"
"Locket." Harry helped.
"Are they destroyed?"
"Yes. Hermione destroyed the locket this summer. Dumbledore destroyed the ring before the end of our fifth year."
"We have to find out if Voldemort has made more." Moriarty said, disturbed by the news. "There are things Dee could do with a bunch of them. He would need three plus the main soul."
They heard two distinct pops. Followed by two more.
Harry saw a bunch of lights and sparks. And then things became quiet.
Five figures approached burrow. As their faces became apparent Harry saw that two of them were unfamiliar while the remaining three were very well known to him. Moody and Tonks were walking next to long bearded man.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry exclaimed happily.
"Ah Harry. I'm glad you're fine. I was worried that something terrible might have happened here." Dumbledore said with relief.
"I wouldn't be so sure." Moriarty said. "Your former student has laid a very dangerous plot to discredit Miss Lestrange."
Moriarty explained what had happened. Dumbledore looked Harry sadly.
"Chang, who is it that they have arrested?" asked Moriarty.
"Octavian Bloom, 54 years old, clean history, not even a single civil misdemeanor report. He was arrested in Devon, not far away from here. They brought a healer. He must be injured badly." said a man with short hair.
"They brought House." said Budelier. "He specialises in magical damage and diagnosis. Had the pleasure of meeting him a few months ago." His facial expressions showed his dislike for the healer.
"Is he any good?" Moriarty asked.
"He's very good. Otherwise he would have been fired ages ago. He has a team of five well trained healers working for him."
"Lovely. Then our Death Eater survives and eventually talks." said Moriarty agitatedly.
"Mr. Stiltskin asked us to tell you that he is going to France in an hour. You shouldn't worry about it, sir." said Budelier without any further explanation.
"Good. Now let's think of a place were we can keep Miss Lestrange safe."
"We can use Order's headquarters." Moody suggested. He was still in shock about what Hermione had done to the Death Eaters.
"A very sound suggestion. Have you covered it by Fidelius?" said Moriarty.
"Yes." Dumbledore answered simply.
The door of the burrow opened and Sirius Black came out, followed by Lucinda Malfoy, Bill and Arthur Weasley.
After a few minutes of intense talk, Lucinda was tasked with taking Hermione to the headquarters.
They went inside and told Hermione about their decision.
She had calmed down and now looked much more relaxed.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Hermione said. "I'd have to spend the rest of my life as a fugitive."
"You are correct. However, if you don't do this, you'll most likely spend it in Azkaban." said Sirius with an urgent tone.
"I'd rather risk that." Hermione said firmly. "I'm going to the Ministry."
"I'm afraid we cannot allow that to happen." said Dumbledore cooly. "I'm sure I can stun you before you could reach for your wand."
"Of course you could." Hermione smiled knowingly. "I never said I'd duel you on my way."
Hermione slowly became less tangible and then disappeared like an afterimage.
Everyone looked at where she had been a moment ago. Chaos took over Burrow as they rushed to find Hermione.
"Stay where you are everyone." Moriarty said as he drew his wand. A thick smoke like material oozed out of his wand and began spreading on the ground covering the ground in a few seconds. As far as Harry could see, there were no invisible obstacles in its path. Moriarty called the smoke off as he made sure Hermione wasn't there.
"She's not here. And I have no idea what she just did." he said
"Nymphadora, go to the Ministry. See if you can get to her before she does anything drastic." Dumbledore ordered, "Others should wait here. I will go meet a couple of people."
*H*L*
Hermione appeared next to the vandalised telephone box that brought the awful memory of her time in the Department of Mysteries.
She patiently opened the door and went in. She closed the door and dialed 62442.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business." said the familiar cool voice.
"Hermione Lestrange. I'm here to visit the Auror Office."
A silver badge appeared saying, Hermione Lestrange, Visitor.
"Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wands for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."
Hermione waited for the box to descend. It went down smoothly and stopped at the Atrium. Hermione walked in almost carelessly. There were two watch-wizards there. One sitting behind a table and one standing next to him. Their hands moved to their wands upon seeing her face but the man standing lowered his wand when he saw her badge.
"Miss Lestrange, welcome to the Ministry for Magic." said the watch-wizard. "What brings you here this time of year."
"I wish to report something personally to an Auror." Hermione said as she carefully handed her wand to the sitting wizard.
He simply put it on the scale and then read the strip of parchment that came out of it.
"10¾ inches, vine wood, dragon heartstring, is that correct?"
"Yes." Hermione nodded.
"Here you are." the wizard handed her the wand and kept the parchment.
"Go to the second level, Miss Lestrange. I must warn you though, They're quite busy tonight." The standing watchwizard said.
"Thanks for the advice Mr…?"
"Cattermole, Reg Cattermole." He said kindly.
"Thank you Mr. Cattermole, but this is important." Hermione said with an apologetic smile.
"Of course, Miss Lestrange." he said and waved at her as she left.
Hermione could feel her heart beating faster as she got closer to the label on the other side of the corridor.
DMLE, Auror Office
She knocked and almost immediately a young disturbed man opened the door.
"Ah, you're here. Come in." he said before she could say anything and pushed her toward a fireplace.
Hermione landed in a very dark place. She stood up and noticed that she was standing in a chamber.
"This way." called a man.
When Hermione approached him. He grabbed her.
"We don't have time. He's dying." He said and grabbed her hand.
"What?" Hermione exclaimed but the paid her no attention and dragged her along a hallway to a room where she saw five people waiting for her.
"Hermione, what are you doing here?" asked a familiar voice.
Hermione looked at her right and saw the last person she wanted to see tonight.
Dolores Umbridge was smiling at her brightly.
