Hermione followed the pair with long strides that rung down the corridor in perfect concert with Gellert's. She caught up, ready for the instructions that he would inevitably rattle off but none came. They stalked the entire way through the building and to the intelligence room. Hermione managed to ignore Ron although he was beneath her as they waited for him to re-emerge from towering, mazelike shelves.

Surprisingly the red-head seemed content to act meekly and faded into the background. Unfortunately, this change made her actually pay more attention to him and she tried to watch him without making it obvious. Awake, his face seemed older and sterner. His goofy expression had hardened and the playful quirk was missing from his lips. Instead, he surveyed the room calculatingly, his eyes rested on Hermione and he observed her for several seconds. She tried not to shift uncomfortably, suddenly glad that Narcissa had dressed her in her brief visit to the rooms.

She could feel him looking at the way the robes showed off her figure, how the hair products the older witch had supplied had begun to work their magic in taming her hair. The memory from Gellert twinkled at her throat and his bracelet on her wrist was radiant even in the dim room. She could have passed for a high society pureblooded witch with her carefully blank expression of disdain

Gellert returned after far too long with by far the thickest file she'd ever seen in this room. He slammed it down on the small table in the corner and pulled out pages. He flicked past most of them, only pulling out the plans for Hermione to see.

The building was horrifically complex; the floors weren't actually in any order, instead a system similar to a floo magically transported people to departments randomly spaced throughout the castle among the muggle sections. If they wanted to move through the magical building, they'd have to either hijack the floo-door system or use the muggle passages.

'What about Dumbledore?' Ron finally interjected as they discussed this problem. 'Marinette planned to use her mother's ID to get through all the doors, I bet they never deactivated Dumbledore's'

For a moment the two hardened commanders just stared blankly at him, then Gellert disappeared with a crack. Seconds later he reappeared and Hermione could only assume that he had spoken to his old nemesis' portrait because he immediately side-along apparated them all to the Hogwarts gates. He cursed them open, melting the metal and dissolving the wards that had been temporarily erected around the school as it was prepared. Hermione grabbed at his arm, protesting as they hurried up the driveway even as she sent of her patronus to explain to McGonagall.

'We need to hurry. Every minute they're there, the more chance that they might deactivate all the old keys.' Gellert explained, but he did recast the wards as Hermione and Ron levitated the broken slabs off Dumbledore's empty grave. The interior was virtually empty; Voldemort had plundered his wand, then later his body which had eventually been incinerated by Grindelwald. Fortunately, his personal effects were still there which Gellert swept into Hermione's beaded bag before she could see more than an old book and a photograph. He held aside a gold crest on a pendant, the letters emblazoned across it a clear sign that it was the key they were looking for.

They returned to Nurmengard to pick up the map and left a quick message for Harry.

Hermione apparated them both to the ICW headquarters which were as disturbingly quiet as the last time she had visited. The desk was empty this time and they hurried past only to be foiled as to how to activate the gate.

'I didn't see it happen when I visited you.' Hermione admitted, inspecting the walls around the doorway.

'Well, the guard must have done it from his desk, try there.' Gellert instructed and Ron ducked behind the podium. A triumphant cry alerted them to his success and Hermione tossed him the medallion. Nothing changed visually, but then nothing had changed when Hermione first visited, so she led the way, linking hands with her two allies and plunging into the dark space.

They emerged in a massive circular briefing room which had been decimated by battle. Burning furniture, melted stone and a thick blue haze seeping from under one barracks door but there were no obvious survivors. They called out as they checked every room – apart from the ominous blue one, then used the medallion to reappear in the security room. This one also bore signs of the brunt of battle, the delicate runes that sustained the magical transportation system and warding had been protected but the monitors position was frozen over and the snow covered chair was empty.

Then they moved to the courtroom, the heart of the ICW. Light flashed brightly and there was a loud bang as soon as they entered but there was no impact on the shields that Hermione and Gellert constantly wore. Instead, the panel for the medallion was decimated, effectively preventing their escape.

'Well, Well, I did so 'ope you would visit.' The speaker was a small witch, certainly no older than Ginny. She wore a muggle evening dress, cream satin hugging her curves and narrow straps criss-crossing her tanned skin. She pointed to some of her white robed minions and gestured in their direction. Five large figures stepped forwards and Hermione flung a curse in the witch's direction.

Nothing happened.

Her wand was torn from her hand as peals of laughter echoed through the room from the enchantress opposite them. Beside her, Gellert fought as his arms were wrestled behind his back and held there.

'Miss Granger, I expected better, magic cannot be performed in this room. I expected you to know that au moins.' The woman tutted, gliding towards them and dragging one talon like crimson nail across Hermione's face, 'a shame, you could have been so much.'

The witch moved on to Ron and again that laugh tinkled out as dug her fingers into the soft spot behind his jaw, forcing the redhead to look up at her.

'I offered you everything you ever wanted, Ronald. Why did you throw it away for a girl who doesn't even return your feelings?' The girl sulked, pouting her crimson lips. 'Her darkness must have corrupted you. I will have to perform the ritual on you as well now.'

With a wave of her hand, the white robes witches and wizards moved, creating a path from them to the collection of ICW prisoners in the floor of the courtroom. Most of them were sitting vacantly, staring out into space. One man was drooling and an old lady drew pictures in the carpet.

'You see? They are innocent. No longer capable of dark magic.' The witch said as they were marched towards them. 'You will be my ultimate achievement.' The witch raised her wand, beginning a chant that sounded like a hymn. Around her, wands were raised as the white robes witches and wizards joined in, moaning like a zombie hoard as she sang. Hermione took a deep breath, wishing bitterly that they had taken the time to realise this entire thing was a trap.