Months. She worked months to track them down. Hermione had vengeance on her mind. Once Harry had caught wind of the potential hide outs of the still living Death Eaters and Bellatrix, she knew she had to start acting. So against the Head Aurors wishes and her bestfriend's she started staking out the different potential hide outs.
She would spend two to three weeks at each safehouse location. She glamoured herself to look different each day so if she was spotted it wouldn't be as obvious. Suspecting that they did the same she scoured the black market and Knockturn Alley for a sneak-o-scope. Most were outlawed after the War, because people were getting too paranoid. She knew that each of these safehoused did house the remaining loyalist Death Eaters, but none gave way to which one housed the one she was looking for.
Leaving her spot from the coffee shop she was at, she decided it was almost time to put her plans into action. This time it would take her a while to acquire the things she needed without alerting the Muggle authorities or MI6.
Harry had called her plan insane as well did every other Order member that heard it. She didn't care, Hermione was a woman on a mission and no one was going to take her vengeance from her. She would be the one to kill them all, especially Bellatrix. This may ruin her but she did not care at all. To hell with everyone who said that this would land her in Azkaban or even Muggle prison. She would avenge Ron.
Hunched over the table Hermione cast another spell. She had to be delicate about these or they would be set off. No one knew about her plans to "blow up" all the other safe houses that she had found, along with the ones that Harry had given her. She had to be discreet about making the magical bombs or it would most definitely land her in Azkaban if they found out she was making them, war herione or not. She may have been going to the dark side a bit more every single day. At this point she didn't care.
These bombs wouldn't explode and kill everyone nor would it make anything go up in flames. No, these took their magic. Once they were set off they would cast a spell that destroyed a person's magical core, rendering them fully Muggle. Then the she would tip off the other Auror's to the locations and have them arrest the now Muggle Death Eaters.
There was a knock on her office door. Silently she used her magic to open the door. In the doorway stood a tall platinum blond wizard. One she had not seen since she testified at his trial a few years ago. Casting a stasis charm on her bomb she addressed him. "Thank you for coming. I wasn't sure if you were going to show."
Sauntering in Draco Malfoy took a seat in the leather chairs infront of her desk. She stood up and carefully put the small device in her drawer. Then she cast a Muffliato and a notice me not spell. This got an arched eyebrow and a smirk from the Malfoy heir. She just regarded him coolly. "So, Granger. What could have ever so possibly summoned this meeting for?" he drawled casually.
Leaning over her desk she leveled her gaze to look into his slate grey eyes. "Revenge"
She had laid out her plans to him and he was more than willing to help. But it didn't come without a price, so if she were never found out and made it to Minister someday, she would repay him generously. So, she had made him an offer he couldn't refuse.
The offer was being her right hand man when she became Minister and that she would create a division of St. Mungo's and the Ministry dedicated to blood curses. As his wife was currently suffering from a fatal one and would not make it past the next few years. It was the easiest alliance that she could have ever formed.
Here they were now three months into creating the bombs. Malfoy had caught on quickly to the new spell. They now had sixteen bombs in total, each took a week to create. There were twenty one safe houses, and the one that they weren't going to bomb was the one that Bellatrix was in.
The over the past year and a half since their last attack at Hermione's wedding they had gotten sloppy at hiding and covering their tracks. She was smug that she had caught their slip ups at the revelation of Bellatrix's hide out.
Malfoy had agreed to plant them and tip off the Aurors under the guise of that they had tried to recruit him again and that he agreed only to see all the safe houses. Hermione was going to alter his memories to show that incase they were to be examined, and in the case that they didn't buy him wanting to join Bellatrix's cause. She was going to alter her own memories as well.
Two Months Later
They went over the plan once more. It was her anniversary and the anniversary of Ron's death. To her it was perfect timing, but to anyone else they thought she was crazy to want to add another significant thing to this day.
She had her team of Aurors with her to "storm" Bellatrix's safe house. What they didn't know is that this kept the rest of the Aurors safe, especially Harry. She couldn't lose him now that she had lost Ron already. All they had to do now was wait for the signal. The Aurors didn't know there was a secret signal, all they knew that this was a raid.
Over the past few hours she had seen Bellatrix come and go with different Death Eaters. It made Hermione suspscious until she saw them leave with new black marks to their right arms. She's making sure they stay loyal just like Voldemort did.
The thought made her stomach clench in anger. Soon a familiar blonde head popped into view with the witch in question. She heard the murmur of her dueling partner over the fact that they knew Malfoy was still a slimly Death Eater. But in that moment Hermione didn't care. Her eyes were trained directly to the blond. She just needed the signal and she would activate the bombs with a wide range spell and then she would set the rest of her plan into action.
Malfoy and Bellatrix stopped on the stoop of the safe house. Malfoy had grabbed his Aunt's arm and turned her around and acted like he was showing her something off in the distance of the field to their right. Subtly he folded his thumb, ring finger, and pinky in. Shaking his hand twice in a deliberate gesture Hermione cast the spell.
After a couple minutes Hermione set the rest of her plan into motion. With Malfoy's sudden apparition away Bellatrix went into high alert. She tried summoning all of her new followers to her and summoned those who were in the house.
Her team was charging into battle when the sudden pops of apparition sounded. Those who were in the bombed safe houses started appearing. This caused her and her teams steps to falter. Bellatrix's guard took this as an opportunity and killed two members of her team before they could register what was happening.
This fueled her rage even more. Quickly sending a patronus to Harry to get his ass out here, she started battling the nearest person.
She quickly learned that her bombs did work as the person she was attempting battle was furiously trying to shoot off multiple curses and Unforgivables but was unable to. So Hermione quickly stunned and cast the body bind curse on them.
Taking a quick glace she could tell who had magic and who didn't, as did the rest of her team. Those who didn't were trying to make a run for it inside. While those who still had magic were furiously trying their best to hold off the Aurors as more and more were apparating in.
Hermione fought her way to Bellatrix as she cut down another one of Aurors. Spotting her Bellatrix cackled happily. "So, little miss Mudblood came to get revenge did she?"
Hermione saw red. Instead of falling for her taunts she quickly just engaged her in battle. They threw curses at one another at top speed. What most didn't know was the Hermione had joined a dueling club. She was the top dueler in the club and in the Aurors. They had called her their secret weapon and most deadly force jokingly. She had thought they were accurate and didn't know what was coming.
Bellatrix threw Unforgivable after Unforgivable all the while taunting her. Hermione didn't know how she mangage to block them all while firing back the curses she was. All of a sudden Bellatrix threw a powerful stunner at Hermione and knocked her flat on her back. One of her followers that was still standing apparated to her and took them inside quickly.
After being revived, she talked to Harry about what the bloody hell just happened. All he said that he knew and saw was Bellatrix make some sort of signal and her followers that were still standing just stunned their aggressors and ran for the house. Those who weren't stunned tried to stun and arrest as many as they could.
Suddenly Malfoy appeared infront of them. He just nodded at her and tapped his wand. Somehow she understood him. He went behind her back and created another magic sucking bomb and planted it in the house. She felt slightly betrayed but proud. She nodded back and in turn at the confirmation he turned around and casted the spell to detonate the bomb as she threw up a protection and shield charm strong enough to withstand the "blast" that came with that powerful of a spell.
Soon after an angry Bellatrix and her followers stormed out. Hermione could have laughed at how easy it was to draw the insane woman out. No wonder she was so easy to find.
"You bitch! I know it was you, you filthy little Mudblood!" Bellatrix screamed.
Hermione felt a grin split her face. Now was the time to end it all, she could cast the Killing Curse as "self-defense" and be seen as a hero and the one who killed that crazy bitch once and for all. Now all she had to do was provoke the woman to attack her.
"What? The one who figured out how to take down your master?" She taunted. This enraged Bellatrix but not to the point of attacking. "Our magic! You took our magic!" the other screeched.
"What ever could you mean?" Hermione feigned innocence. Now Bellatrix was advancing on them. She heard Harry say to the others to not interfere yet. "Mad that now you'll be nothing but the filthy Muggles you so despise? Or at the fact you'll be the only squib in the Black or LeStrange family? Hmm?"
This got Bellatrix to launch herself at Hermione. But what she didn't expect was the woman to be so fast. Hermione didn't even have time to raise her wand. But she did have time to react to the blade that the other woman had swiped at her with. Casting a deflection charm gave Bellatrix the opportunity to knock Hermione's wand away.
Soon the two women were engaged in hand to hand combat. Well, more like play the game Hermione dodges and tries to disarm the crazy pureblood witch. Hermione could hear Harry yelling at the Aurors to arrest the others as she saw many dart past and that he was going to help Hermione.
Bellatrix was now sitting atop Hermione just like she had in the Manor. Instead of this reminding her of the terror she felt in those moments in the manor and after it filled her with rage. This was the final push she needed. Finding the strength she didn't know she had she wrenched an arm free and punched Bellatrix in the face.
The older witch toppled over in surprise and from the force of the punch. Taking this opportunity Hermione darted after the knife that went flying and summoned her wand. Picking up the knife and turning back she saw Bellatrix getting up. Using her wand she sent a knockback jinx at her.
With a sick thought Hermione cast the spell that ended Ron's life. "Sectumsempra," Hermione delightfully whispered. Bellatrix screamed as deep fatal cuts riddled her body. As her blood seeped through her clothes and started coloring the ground a deep red, Hermione felt the vengeance drain from her along with relief.
Walking over to a dying Bellatrix, Hermione sneered at her, "Now you know what he felt as he died in my arms." All the other could do was cackle as the life faded from her eyes.
Hermione walked away without any time spent in Azkaban and a sense of peace that her now late husband could rest without his killer out there. She felt heroic and victorious as she sat through each trial damning the rest of the Death Eaters to the Kiss.
Sitting in their old room Hermione finally laid the paper she was holding infront of his picture. "I did it Ron. She paid for what she did to you. I know it wouldn't have made you happy I did this, but I had to, for you."
As she left the room for the last time she thought about the paper's headline that she would also read for the last time, that detailed about defeat of Bellatrix. Hermione Granger: The Heroine
A/N: And that's it! I hope you guys enjoyed this story. I apologize for cutting it a few chapters short but to try to keep the quality from going down I decided to end it here. Please let me know if I should do an epilogue. Now below is an excerpt from a story I might publish. So please let me know if I should continue and publish that as well! Thank you for the love over this story ~ Moon
Battles raged on around her. Different colored lights of different spells flew by her. She threw up so many shield charms she lost count. Between the charms she was throwing curses, hexes, jinxes, and some Unforgivables. Heart racing, she realized early on she'd be fighting for her life from others on both sides of the war.
Some from the Light side she knew still held prejudices and saw it as convenient to get "rid" of Muggle-borns. But the Dark side was getting rid of whoever they deemed fit pureblood or not. She found out that there were some Muggle-borns fighting for their side. Somehow that made it comforting that it was not just a fight strictly between good and evil.
Slowly fighting came to a halt as Voldemort's voice rung out over the courtyard and through the castle. He announced that Harry had until dawn to meet him in the Forbidden Forest or else the battle would start again. He also gave them time to collect their wounded and dead to tend to them. How absolutely nice of him to do that.
There wasn't much for her to do. She watched as numerous bodies were brought in, in all different stages of mangulation. It hurt her to see so many of the Order dead. But, she knew deep down that they died for what they believed in. Her heart twisted in a way that had a cruel sense of joy about how this made it so much easier for her to use the Unforgivables.
She knew during her trial, if she lived to have one, that the Unforgivables she already used would damn her to multiple life scentces in Azkaban, and maybe even the Kiss. Honestly, she didn't care where she ended up after this. All that she had known since she entered the magical world was hurt and strife. That hurt and strife had taken the only thing she cared about and she wasa going to make them all pay.
Seemingly hours later she was standing watching the half giant Hagrid carry the lifeless body of Harry Potter. While her heart shattered the sick twisted joy ignited within her. It was going to be all over soon. Just one more Horcrux.
Neville did all the hard work destroying the last one, cutting off the head of the snake was brilliant. Harry had rolled out Hagrids arms alive. That had only made her anger spike, this made her end goal only so much harder. Huffing she jumped into the array of spells and started throwing her own.