Chapter 49

Harry and Hermione land outside of the safe house in Brentwood, England. She strides up to the door and enters the pass code into the box. When the wards are back up, they both let out a sigh of relief. They take some time to look around the house and settle in. Hermione sends patroni to George and Susan to let them know that they are alright and behind some wards for the night. With that taken care of, she starts to make something to eat.

Harry spreads the maps and their notes on the table so they can work on when they need to go next. "Sis, I think we need to make a list of what we have so far. That way we can just focus on what we need to do."

"If you will stop to eat, I'll do that." She chides him as she sets some bacon and peanut butter sandwiches down between them and takes out her list.

"We have only Nagini and the diadem to look for. Riddle keeps a close eye on his snake. Almost as close as you do on Hedwig. So that one will be difficult.

The diadem on the other hand was last seen with Helena Ravenclaw. Isn't that the real name of the Gray Lady? I bet that Luna would know for sure. It's too bad we didn't get much of a chance to talk at the wedding."

"With the Ministry falling, I would not be surprised to see Riddle taking Hogwarts. The only one he could really trust is Severus in the job. I wonder if we could get word to Luna and Neville to look for the diadem. Or at least try to ask the Gray Lady about it."

Harry stuffs a sandwich into his mouth and bids her a goodnight. Hermione looks at the paper again. It feels too easy. Giving up for the night, she sighs and goes to bed. Hopefully, someone will kill off the bad guys while she is sleeping.

It was an uneasy night around Britain. The fact that the Ministry had fallen and the Minister had been assassinated, was enough, but to then deal with what came next was a catalysis for many to start packing. It didn't matter if you were for or against Voldemort, if you were not at least a half-blood, you were marked overnight as being a magical thief. LATR's safe houses started to fill up. The lucky ones hopped fairies, planes, buses and the Chunnel to the Continent.

Bill had arranged with Gringotts to transfer as many accounts over to the Paris and Berlin branches as possible. First priority was LATR members, then the Order of the Phoenix. Then any muggle-born accounts the goblins came across.

Upon receiving word from Harry, Luna and Neville started to look for the diadem. Hermione's hunch proved correct and Luna was able to convince the house ghost to tell her where it was.

Neville called the sword of Gryffindor to him as he was the other chosen one according to Harry. He brought it down on the crown and Luna banished the vapor before it could materialize into Riddle.

With word of the destruction of the diadem, Harry and Hermione went in search of the massive snake. They started to hop around the country, mainly due to trying to save muggle-borns from the snatchers.

In Godric's Hollow, Harry's hometown, they were visiting the graves of the Potter family when a decrepit old lady shuffles up to them. Hermione couldn't understand her, thinking it was the lowered volume to blame, but Harry could and translated.

The hunched over lady led them to a small home with a crumbling look to it. One look around the place, Hermione knew who this was. The old lady was Mrs. Bagshot, a noted magical historian. It niggled her brain though as she look around.

Then the fact that she couldn't understand her still dawned on Hermione. The woman was trying to get Harry to come upstairs with her.

"HARRY! NO!" Hermione screams as the skin and clothes of the old woman melted away and a large snake is before them.

Hermione drags Harry back in time as the snake struck at him. After getting her bearings, Hermione sends out a severing hex to just below the head and it neatly cleaves through the body and out the other side. Both Harry and Hermione are covered in blood and gore.

They gather their things quickly, as the snake had a psychic connection with Riddle being his familiar, so he is bound to be on his way. When they apperate away, they don't notice that they have a trace placed on them by the person that was placed in charge of Nagini's safety. It may serve to be only a slight deterrent to immediate death, but it could still allow him to live.

Ultimately, the trace will lead nowhere, because of Hermione basically popping around for a bit before it falling off as they cross the wards at their home for the night in Milton Keynes. The four bedroom townhouse is beautiful, but the town gives Hermione the creeps, given being an avid fan of Good Omens.

"Hermione, we did it. Well, I mean you killed her, but they are all gone. Now all we have to do is not get caught for a bit as I doubt they'll be ready for a rout this quickly on either side."

Hermione sighs. "That will be easier said than done." She sends off another pair of patronus to their fiances. "We have killed the last one. Pretty sure had a trace on us for a bit, but shook it coming through the safe house wards. Plan to use poly juice when we leave. Love ya"

The next morning, Hermione has Harry and herself change appearances. She turns into another man, about their age. And Harry into an older man, who Hermione, dressed in scrubs, is helping walk. The whole time, Hermione is speaking French in a loud voice, as if Harry is deaf. Once they get past two men who have to be the older Crabbe and Goyles, she has them go another two blocks and apperate from an alley.

The next safe house they stop at is in Colchester. It was a cozy house that Harry wondered about keeping when this was over. His thoughts are dashed when Hermione speaks. "Well that proved that there was a trace on us." She mutters and marks the safe house as compromised on the map, which transfers the information to the other copies.

From under the invisibility cloak, they scout the area. So far no Death Eaters or snatchers, but as they are roaming the land, it isn't saying much. Hermione is still to skittish to forgo the cloak and for good reason, as Harry knows. It is just starting to wear on both of them. They figure that they have been on the run for a little over three months and will soon have visited all of the safe homes.

That night Hermione tunes the radio in to see if she can find the station with the twins and Lee. After cranking for a bit, she finds it on G5WHH (hope I did it right. It is confusing to me to figure out and I hope I don't offend by trying to do it right and still messing it up if I did. Tried for a full licensed amateur station out of Wales with HH being for Harry and Hermione.)

- "And that was "I Still Haven't Found What I am Looking For" by U2. Remember to tune in on the hour for updates to the nearest LATR house. Please be advised that Milton Keynes is under suspicion."

- " LATR news bulletien: The serpent has been slain. A regular search of Godric's Hollow has produced a slice of good news. It appears that the dreaded Nagini has been beheaded by a slicing hex. In other news, Bathilda Bagshot, late of Godric's Hollow has been found dead in her home. We will all mourn for our beloved author of History of Magic."