A/N: Hi all, sorry it took so long to update. I knew there would have to be an inevitable battle scene and I find those less interesting to write so lost motivation... but hey, here we are! The final showdown with Bellatrix. Cheers.


"Hermione, we need to get help," Harry urged, pulling at Hermione's elbow. She had remained frozen, silently taking in the scene at Fleur's apartment. Hermione nodded, not looking at Harry.

"Lets go back to the Burrow and get the others," Harry said, and Hermione turned to face him, her mouth twisted into a tight frown. "We'll find out where she is, Hermione."

"Yes," Hermione said finally, pulling her arm from Harry's, "Lets go then."

With a pop Harry apparated. Hermione turned back to the room. She already knew where Bellatrix would have taken Fleur. She exhaled heavily and her eyes fluttered shut, picturing the building that was the site of the worst things she had ever experienced.

Hermione landed heavily in the forestry surrounding Malfoy Manor. Following the end of the war, the Manor had been abandoned as the Malfoy family and Death Eaters alike fled in the wake of Voldemort's defeat. There were no more peacocks roaming the grounds and the lawns were overgrown and heavily peppered with weeds.

Hermione moved cautiously through the trees. The Manor looked abandoned, but Hermione knew better. After being subjected to Bellatrix's twisted flavor of torture, she knew the woman would get a sick satisfaction of bringing Hermione and Fleur back to the site of their original tortures.

Hermione saw moving shadows and froze, retreating further into the wooded area. A cluster of Dementors whooshed by, clearly doing the rounds of the perimeter.

Hermione waited for them to pass and get a safe distance away before carefully tracking her way through the dilapidated grounds. It was now very dark and Hermione was struggling to see, but she was not foolish enough to cast a lumos to guide her way.

The grand front doors of the Manor were kicked in, and looked like they had been for sometime. 'Probably in an auror raid,' Hermione surmised. She picked her way through the loose wood and debris, creeping her way into the building.

In the distance she could see the faint glow of a light, and crept her way towards its source. She reached the dining room of Malfoy Manor. The grand dining table had been toppled over and pushed against a wall. In the centre of the room was Bellatrix, straddling Fleur and pinning her down, a blade glinting in the dim light.

Hermione had scarcely entered the room when Bellatrix snapped her head up with a wild grin, throwing a disarming spell at Hermione. Hermione blocked it with a quick shielding spell.

"More prepared than the last times we have met, I see," Bellatrix sneered, as Hermione stood with her wand pointed at her threateningly. Bellatrix's dirty teeth glimmered hideously in the dim light.

"Did you know that Veelas transform when they experience extreme anger, fear or pain?" Bellatrix said conversationally, her wand still pointed at Hermione. Hermione clenched her jaw in anger.

All of a sudden, Fleur pushed Bellatrix off her roughly, before rolling onto her knees and making to get up. With a snarl Bellatrix grabbed Fleur roughly, her wand sticking hard into her neck.

"Hermione, get out of here," Fleur pleaded with Hermione. Hermione shook her head, rooted to the spot, still holding her wand at Bellatrix.

"What do you suppose happens to one who is only part-Veela?" Bellatrix said in a mocking voice, before plunging her hand with the blade into Fleur's side. Hermione recognized the blade as the same one that had scarred her arm and felt her stomach lurch so violently she almost vomited. Fleur let out a scream of pain, a cold sweat breaking out on her face.

"B-Bellatrix… Stop it," Hermione stuttered, her eyes still fixated on the blade. Bellatrix grinned wider, baring her rotting teeth. The dim light shining on her face flickered as shadowy Dementors began to surge into the Manor.

"Why, Muddy, you look like you've seen a ghost," she sneered, before turning her attention back to Fleur, "Alright girl, show your owner your little trick"

Bellatrix twisted the cursed blade that was deep in Fleur's side and Fleur threw her head back with a scream of pain. Hermione broke out in a cold sweat. The scenes in front of her were splitting with flashbacks of her own torture. Her wand hand began to shake uncontrollably. The rage that had been flowing through her veins was now being replaced by a sick, all-consuming fear.

Fleur's head fell down to hang loosely and Hermione could hear her panting hard.

"H-Hermione…" Fleur whimpered and Hermione felt like she may actually vomit. Her Gryffindor courage had finally forsaken her and her legs were shaking. Bellatrix laughed and twisted the blade some more.

"S-s-stupefy!" Hermione stammered, but Bellatrix flicked the spell away with a lazy wave of her wand hand before quickly disarming her. Hermione sank to her knees. She was powerless, she was going to watch on helplessly as Bellatrix tortured her girlfriend to death. Hermione let out an anguished choke.

She became aware now that the doorway behind her was filling with Dementors, whittling down any scraps of hope she had left and moving closer to her. But she no longer cared. Her eyes blurred with tears as she watched Bellatrix cackle and twist the blade some more into Fleur, blood drenching Fleur's shirt. Fleur's head was bowed and her long silver-blonde hair was falling down over her face, becoming more silver.

Hermione's mouth fell open. Fleur's hair was now entirely silver. Bellatrix looked with interest, grabbing a fistful of Fleur's hair and pulling her head up. Fleur's eyes were shut as she winced in pain. Tears rolled down Hermione's face as she saw the raw pain marring Fleur's beautiful features. Fleur's eyes fluttered before opening. Hermione gasped. Her once blue irises were now blood red.

Bellatrix twisted the blade again, plunging it deeper and Fleur closed her eyes again with a hiss.

"That's as far as you'll go? What a bore," Bellatrix said, releasing the blade. She swept her wand violently and Fleur flew across the room, crashing into a wall heavily and falling to the ground. Bellatrix stood up and started walking lazily towards Hermione.

"Now for the main course: Muddy," Bellatrix sneered, "Time to make up for lost time and congratulate you on your defeat of the Dark Lord."

She threw a spell at Hermione and Hermione fell on her side, convulsing with the familiar searing pain of the cruciatus curse. She had come full circle. She had escaped Malfoy Manor, won the war and found happiness, only to die on the floor in Malfoy Manor by Bellatrix's torture.

Bellatrix cackled heartily as she stood above Hermione, "This is going to be a long and slow death for you, I'm afraid."

Hermione breathed raggedly, her lungs still burning as she lay on her side staring at the crumpled figure of Fleur. If only she had tried harder. If only she had listened to Harry and come with help. If only she was strong enough to defeat Bellatrix.

Before she could process what was happening further, Bellatrix hit her with another cruciatus curse. Hermione scrunched her eyes shut with the pain and she involuntarily let out a strangled scream of pain. As the pain faded, she opened her eyes again to see Bellatrix laughing wildly over her. Hermione turned her gaze to Fleur. But she was gone.

Confused, Hermione looked back at Bellatrix. Bellatrix was still laughing, baring her rotting teeth.

With a sudden whoosh, Bellatrix was tackled to the ground by a blur of silver. Hermione struggled into a sitting position, gasping at the sight. Fleur was pinning Bellatrix to the ground. Her long hair was still completely silver and her irises were still blood red. But now she had giant pair of silver wings and her fingers ended in sharp looking talons. One of these taloned hands was raised above Bellatrix's throat, as if about to rip it out.

Bellatrix was no longer laughing but her mouth was still twisted into a horrible grin, "I knew behind all that beauty you were nothing but an animal."

With that comment, the rage returned to Hermione with a jolt. She looked around and realized the Dementors had fled in the wake of Fleur. Hermione began to scan for her wand as Fleur let out a threatening growl.

"You think your darling Mudblood will still find you beautiful now she knows you're a monster?" Bellatrix sneered, mocking Fleur, as if daring her to rip her throat out.

Fleur growled again and Hermione continued to fumble about for a wand, desperation rising as she feared that Bellatrix would somehow regain her upper hand. Finally her hands found her wand and she shot a stunning spell at Bellatrix, not a stutter in sight now the Dementors were gone.

The smile faded from Bellatrix's face as her head thumped heavily against the wooden floor. Fleur sighed heavily and rose from Bellatrix, getting back to her feet. Hermione approached her cautiously, observing her changed appearance. As she finally reached her she threw her arms around her.

"You are not afraid of me?" Fleur asked nervously in her ear. Hermione pulled back, looking Fleur in her blood red eyes.

"Of course not," she said soothingly, "I love you."

Fleur smiled and blinked, her eyes returning to their cerulean colour. Her hair was already fading back into being its platinum silver-blonde. With a wince, her wings began to retract back into her body.

Almost within minutes of Fleur transforming back to normal, the Dementors began to file back into the Manor. Fleur took Hermione's hand quickly before casting an expecto patronum.

A bright bird burst from her wand, circling the Dementors and chasing them away.

"What is that?" Hermione asked, struck by the similarity to her new patronus.

"A falcon," Fleur answered turning back to Hermione, "It has always been my patronus."

Before Hermione could reply, the heavy sound of footsteps snapped their heads back to the doorway of the vast dining room.

With billowing black robes stood Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, flanked by a handful of other Death Eaters.

For a moment, everyone froze. The Death Eaters taking in the unconscious form of Bellatrix on the floor, Hermione and Fleur clutching wands tightly.

Then all of a sudden, everyone lurched forward at once, spells colouring the air as they ripped towards their targets.

Fleur and Hermione were adept at dueling, casting quick and strong wards to deflect spells, but they were outnumbered. Even as Narcissa ran to kneel beside her unconscious sister on the ground, they were horribly outnumbered.

After a while, they were not deflecting every spell, a silver beam sliced Hermione's arm, drawing blood. This was all it took for Fleur to lose her concentration, allowing her to get hit by a nasty cruciatus.

Hermione clenched her teeth, trying to ignore Fleur's screams of pain while she focused on throwing up wards to protect her and Fleur from further hits. She was panicking, they were so outnumbered. As another volley of spells were deflected by her wards, her stomach twisted as she saw Narcissa helping a now-conscious Bellatrix to her feet. A Bellatrix that looked pissed. Hermione swallowed hard.

All of a sudden, the dining room was peppered by loud pops. The spells halted for a moment as the dining room was suddenly filled with several redheaded figures, accompanied by Harry, Luna and Neville.

Lucius roared with anger at the sight of Harry, further inciting the Death Eaters standing with him.

The beams of spells flew thick and fast, Weasleys darting around the room with Harry, Luna and Neville to duel with Death Eaters. Harry was embroiled in an intense duel with Lucius.

Hermione pulled Fleur back to her feet, now recovered from the cruciatus she had suffered. No sooner had she pulled her up when Fleur yanked them quickly to one side, dodging a green light shot at them. They turned and saw Bellatrix striding towards them, wand raised. But this time they were prepared. Bellatrix may be a skilled dueller, but finally it was two of them armed against her. They began to duel, working seamlessly as a team, deflecting curses Bellatrix lobbed at them and shooting ones back.

Just as the couple began to feel like they were getting the upper hand of Bellatrix, Hermione let out a bloodcurdling scream as she was hit square in the back with a searing curse. Hermione fell to her knees with a whimper as Fleur's eyes flashed red. She let out an inhuman hiss and stepped between Hermione and this new attacker, Narcissa Malfoy.

Narcissa was as good as her sister at dueling, flicking complex spells with seemingly little effort at Fleur. Fleur was still in pain from her injuries so far, and incensed at the woman for attacking Hermione while her back was turned. Her hair was already beginning to shimmer silver as she stepped slowly and deliberately towards Narcissa, deflecting spells. There was a sickening snapping sound as her wings emerged from her back again, and her face contorted with the pain.

In the meantime, a panting Hermione was ignoring the pain in her back as she clambered to her feet again, doing all she could to keep Bellatrix at bay. Every now and again, she had an opening where she could shoot spells back at the wild woman, but Bellatrix was too adept at blocking them.

Now, Fleur was almost an arm's length from Narcissa. Narcissa's pale, proud features were contorted into a hideous proud smirk. The smirk was quickly wiped from her face as with superhuman reflexes, Fleur caught her wand hand in a taloned hand. She squeezed hard until Narcissa dropped her wand with a gasp. Fleur stood on it and it snapped into three pieces.

Fleur was enraged. She wanted nothing more than to tear Narcissa limb from limb. But she took a deep, shaking breath, loosening her grip on Narcissa as she tried to focus on returning to help Hermione. As she released Narcissa, she followed the Malfoy matriarch's gaze to where Hermione was holding Bellatrix at bay.

"There's nothing more repulsive than a Mudblood," Narcissa muttered under her breath. Fleur snapped. She whirled around, slashing Narcissa across the face with her clawed hand. Narcissa let out a scream and fell to the floor, clutching her face.

This was the break in concentration that Hermione needed, as Bellatrix turned her head slightly at the sound of her sister's cry. Hermione slashed a curse through the air which hit Bellatrix in the stomach. The older witch doubled over in pain.

No sooner had Hermione let down her guard when Bellatrix let out a long, wild cackle and leapt up again, throwing a rapid fire of curses at Hermione.

With a flap of wings, Hermione found herself plucked from the ground and flying near the high vaulted ceiling, held tightly in Fleur's arms. There was a flash and Fleur let out a hiss of pain, before they fell heavily to the floor again.

Hermione frantically rolled Fleur onto her back, relieved to see that the blonde was still very much alive, just in pain. But Hermione couldn't find either one of their wands, they must have dropped them in the fall.

"Your problem is you care too much about killing people," Bellatrix cackled, stepping over an unconscious Death Eater as she walked towards them, "Thankfully I don't share that weakness."

She grinned, baring her grimy teeth, starting the motion of the all familiar killing curse with her wand.

Hermione gritted her teeth, taking Fleur's hand tightly and squeezing it. At least if she was going to die, she was going to die holding Fleur.

There was a flash of green light and Hermione flinched. But nothing happened. She kept squeezing Fleur's hand.

Bellatrix's smile faltered as the wild gleam left her eyes. Her wand fell from her hand and she fell heavily to the ground, dead. Hermione's mouth fell open.

Standing behind Bellatrix, wand still raised from the killing curse he had just cast, was George.