Disclaimer: I own nothing put the paper this is printed on, and since it isn't printed on paper…

All Is Dust

Two years later.

The ring of steel on steel echoes through the dark expanse of the slowly cooling room, our blows are traded so fast that the sound is continuous, for with every returning reverberation from the walls a new one is sent out in its place by our clashing swords.

I bring my blade up before me and barely avert being cloven in two. As I spin away droplets of sweat spray outward in a glistening arch. I reach out with my mind and expand my aura to the limit of my capacity. I can feel the energy all around me; I draw lightly upon it. The temperature drops further as more of the heat in the room is suck into my body, strengthening it and lending it swiftness that cannot be equaled in nature. It is just enough to allow me to intercept his blade with mine and keep from being bifurcated as my opponent slices at me with the speed of a striking serpent; shockwaves from the impact of our colliding weapons spread up my arm and sparks fly.

I leap backwards in a desperate attempt to gain distance from my foe. I land lightly in a crouch, my sword in my right hand and my wand in my left, and immediately cast a blasting curse at my adversary; he merely swats it away like a gnat with the flat of his blade. That's fine; I just needed a little time to concentrate. I draw in even more energy from the air and stone around me; frost begins to form along the ground. I take the energy that I have collected, virtually all that I can hold, touch the rock beneath me, and drive that energy along with my purpose for it into the stone.

The results are instantaneous. Concentric rows or three foot long stone blades explode out of the ground around me and spread outwards in an ever expanding ring of granite razors. Viewed from above, I'm sure it would look like the blossoming of the deadliest flower ever to be envisioned by the human imagination.

My opponent raises his hand and unleashes I blast of concussive force towards me, shattering my stone blades as if they were made of glass and hurling them back towards me like a horizontal hailstorm of whirling razors.

Damn! I wasn't expecting that. I know that no Protago that I can produce is capable of weathering such an assault, so I do the only thing that I possibly can; I pull in as much energy in as I am able and force it into the ground. A ten foot wall of rock erupts out of the floor in front of me. I duck behind my barricade and immediately produce a protago. The storm of stone shards impacts the bastion that I have shaped, and his unstoppable force is introduced to my newly minted immovable object, with spectacular results. My wall breaks in a hundred places with the sound of an earth quake, but the blast of force had been stopped as well, all that is left are a few pieces of stone shrapnel that glance off my protago.

I would feel happy for myself, except for the fact that I know I've played right into his hands. The air around me is arctic. There is virtually no energy left for me to use, there's maybe enough for me to hold him off for a few seconds in hand to hand, but that is all.

Suddenly an idea comes to me, and I smile, it's just insane enough to maybe, and that's a huge maybe, work. Even if my plan fails though it will look spectacular.

Before I have time to act, my adversary smashes through the remnants of my wall, his sword raised ready to slice me in twain. In desperation I suck up every last bit of energy in the room and force it into my legs as I flip backwards, raise my wand, and scream, "Fiendfyre!"

A massive dragon of Coruscating scarlet flames explodes out of my wand and heads straight for my opponent.

The entire room is covered in ice and any regular human that entered would have frostbite in little to no time, still I'm not surprised when my adversary simply touches the ground in front of him and a three foot thick stone ring erupts around the flame wrought reptile, completely seal it away.

"You were foolish to use so much of the energy in this room so soon, all you have left to combat me with is your own strength and you know as well as I that that is not nearly enough to save you."

My opponent continues to walk towards me at a leisurely pace, confident in my defeat. And why shouldn't he be? He knows as well as I do that I am only able to absorbed natural heat and can as well snatch a moonbeam from the sky as draw any energy directly from a magical fire. And he would be right, if he hadn't just incased the mother of all magical fires inside a wall of stone, stone that was quickly being heated by that raging magical inferno at its heart. Just as planned. Now all I need to do is stall a bit.

"Yeah, well I wasn't expecting you to turn my shaping back on me that easily, I will admit that that surge of force was impressive." Just a little more time…. I begin firing off a constant stream of curses, hexes, and jinxes that would do everything from perm his hair to ripping his insides apart. He deflects each one lazily down into the ground with practiced ease. He comes closer and closer to me. I wait a little longer; if this is going to work I need to time it precisely.

Now!

I reach out and rip as much energy from my flaming creation's prison as I can hold. The wall, already compromised by the constant heat, cracks in a thousand places from the sudden thermal energy change and my fiendfyre dragon explodes through its weakened prison in a wave of flame and a shower of stone. My adversary whirls around to face the new threat.

I take the opportunity to strike. I gather all of the energy that I absorbed, forced it into my legs, and spring forward towards his exposed back, my blade posed to strike. I smile to myself; I had him at last…..

I wake up sometime later with a throbbing headache.

"Bloody hell Boruta, I thought I had you dead to rights! What happened?"

"What happened was that I thrashed you yet again my young friend. However, I must admit the trick with the fiendfyre was rather clever."

"Not cleaver enough apparently." I grumble to myself as I regain my feet again. I feel like someone smashed my face into a wall, which now that I think about it, very likely could be what actually happened.

"Now Draco, you have made amazing progress in the two years since you came to us. You can control your emotions now so are not at risk of going berserk and destroying everything in sight." Boruta walked into my view, a smile on his face as he continued, "Besides, there is a reason that I was sealed away here instead of being killed. No one was good enough to slay me five hundred years ago, and I doubt that that has changed now."

"Yeah, my headache bears witness to that."

"Stop complaining, you are late for your lesson with Katrina and you know how she is when you are tardy."

Bloody hell, that's right! I better get going or I'll never hear the end of it.

I walk across the expanse of Boruta's sanctuary to its very center. I come up to the alter in the middle and, kneeling down in front of it; gently grasp the softly glowing bastard sword. I bring the blade before my face and see that reflected in its gleaming steel is not my own visage, but the image of a beautiful woman, her face is a perfect heart shape set with two crystal blue eyes framed by waves of gold red hair. A mischievous smile forms on her lips.

"You're late Draco, as they say punctuality is next to godliness, and you are proving yourself to be the poster child for mortality."

As her lips move in her image in the polished steel, I heard her words take shape in my mind.

"I believe that the expression is that cleanliness is next to godliness, not punctuality, Katrina."

Her smile changes into a sly grin at my word and she shoots back, "Perhaps, you may be right Draco, I'm not up to speed with the colloquialisms of the peasantry. However, I think in that as well you are as shining an example of the human condition as any I have seen."

Suddenly her face fades away, and in its place is left my reflection. Ok so perhaps her jab at my hygiene was warranted. Caked on dust from the stone that was shattered during Boruta's training has covered my face in a gray mask, the only exception is where a trickle of blood from a cut at my hair line has cleared away the dust, but left a red stain in its wake . In short, I look a mess.

"Ok, so maybe I am kind of a mess at the moment." I admit.

Katrina's face reappears in the swords surface and she responds, "A bit of a mess? Draco, in my time I have seen the unwashed masses covered in the most unspeakable of substances, yet still you manage to break into my top ten. Good thing my vessel is made of goblin forged steel and not a mirror or you would have broken it just by looking at me."

Ouch, that was a bit harsh, even for Katrina.

"Thanks a lot, that really helps me feel good about myself Katrina. Anything you would like to say about my smell while we are at it? We may as well get all these thoughts out in the open."

"Oh trust me; you already have more than a high enough opinion of yourself. Besides, men are supposed be disgusting and dirty, it's practically required for you in order to prove your "manliness," or whatever you call it. The main reason for man's existence, in my opinion, is that no matter how ugly or fat a woman may feel on any given day, all she has to do is look at the closes man to realize that it could be infinitely worst, she could look like THAT! You are too pretty by half; you put that rock of reassurance in every woman's life in question!"

I scratch my head. I'm not entirely sure if I was just complemented or insulted, most likely a bit of both knowing her.

"Yeah… so you dissecting my looks is I all very nice and all but can we get started?"

She pouts, and very prettily to I might add.

"Fine, you know what to do."

I close my eyes and concentrate on the sword in my hand and allow my consciousness to drift. I feel my mind being caught like a leaf in a whirlpool, my conscious is drawn closer and closer to the one inside of the sword until I feel my mind touch Katrina's.

I open my eyes and everything has changed. Where once there were solid stone walls encircling me now all I can see is a beautiful forest clearing and the soring snowcapped peaks of distant mountains, all I can smell is the fragrance of the blue and gold wild flowers scattered throughout the meadow, and all I can hear is the soft chirping of songbirds over the distant crash of a waterfall. I have to hand it to her, Katrina's imagination is spectacular. Last time it was a castle that looked to have been made of lavender shaded blown glass gilded in silver and gold.

"I love what you've done with the place. It's much more low-key than yesterday."

"I will defend the gilding of my imaginary lilies till my dying breath Draco. I need to do something feminine every now and then. You try being stuck with Borates for five hundred years straight; it may even make you start feeling masculine."

Damn, she's on a role today. I would offer a verbal repost, but I have learned through painful experience that Katrina is always right, or if she isn't right you had better pretend she is regardless. She claims she's training me for later life.

I turn around and there she is, standing in the middle of the clearing. She is every bit the visage of beauty and grace that she was five hundred years ago when her soul was ripped from her body and chained inside a sword for all time. It's sad really; she had the power to equal Dumbledore, and an intellect that eclipsed Voldemort's, yet she was trapped her at such a young age. She still refuses to speak of how it happened, or how she became trapped here with Borates; I simple assume that she was with him when he was ensnared. I am lucky though, she has been more than willing to teach me the ins and outs of magic. The spotty patchwork of magical lore that I had when I came here two years ago has been replaced by knowledge of the arcane greater than most that draw breathe today. She has also driven more esoteric information into my skull, why I need to be fluent in Romanian or French I have no idea, but she has wedged the information so deeply into my mental processes that I dream in a mix of both sometimes. I can also quite competently field dress a deer by hand.

I simply smile, bow, and respond, "It's good to see you again Katrina, as always you are such a vision of loveliness that the beauty of the crimson rose pales in comparison and the lily weeps in shame."

A pretty blush spreads across her flawless porcelain skin; she pulls her waist length braid over her shoulder, spreads her skirt out around her and sits gracefully on the emerald grass as she pretends to fan herself with her hands.

"Draco, keep speaking sweet nothings like that to me and I will have to change my opinion of pretty boys."

"And what is your opinion of pretty boys dare I ask?" I inquire as I approach and take a seat on the soft grass across from her.

"Oh something along the lines that they are all looks and no substance? Or perhaps that their existence is like that of a butterfly, they may be beautiful to look a, but are fragile and fleeting? I don't know, I've used up all of my witty retorts for today."

I simply smile and ask, "So what are we doing today?"

"I simply wish to speak with you. Are you still planning on leaving on your birthday?"

"Yes, I believe that is still the plan, Dobby has been back in England for the last two weeks preparing the manor for my return."

"So, tomorrow then, Borates will miss you. I know he has enjoyed himself immensely making a man out you."

"I'm sure, I will miss him as well, but he knows that I have a mission to accomplish."

"Ah yes, your much delayed vengeance. I understand that the list has grown?" she cocks her head to one side and arches a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"Yes, it has. I now know who the murderer is, I know his associates and the ones who aided and abetted him, then and now. They will not be held guiltless either." My fists clench and my eyes narrow, if it wasn't for the last two years of rigorous training the field of flowers we sat in would have been transformed into the image of an early spring crushed beneath the icy heel of winter resurgent.

"It is for that reason that I merely wish to speak with you today as opposed to instructing you. I have taught you all that you are capable of learning about magic, however, I could still offer advice and I'm pretty handy in a fight, which I'm sure you'll find plenty of in the outside world." As she mentions the outside world a faint smile comes to her lips.

"And I'm sure you would revel in the opportunity to terrorize, sorry, I mean visit the world of the living again."

"You are such a sweet talker Draco; where you get your wily charms I will never know. Yes, after half a millennium sequestered inside of a deserted ruin I would love to have a bit of a holiday from this hell hole." Her eyes go big and she pull off the consummate puppy dog face as she implores, "Don't make me beg Draco."

I'm tempted to demand that she kneel down in front of me, grovel before my feet, and extol my virtues as the epitome of manliness. The entire scenario weaves an extremely pleasing mental tapestry, one that I would love to bring to life and so be able to pull the memory of it out on dreary days to cheer up my weary heart, but I ultimately reject it. The amount of mental anguish that she would inflict upon me in reprisal tips the scales of my mental risk vs. reward barometer into not a chance in hell territory. Once upon a time I would have jumped on it, I wonder if this is a sign of personal growth? Most likely not, even a Muggle will stop touching a hot caldron once his hand is charred enough times.

"Of course you can come! The more the merrier and all that, but have you talked to Borates about this?"

She nods her head. "It was actually him that suggested it. The entire plan you and he have constructed is very impressive, but will be difficult as well. This new Dark Lord will expect you to join his court and I doubt he will take kindly to you slaughtering his followers. You will need to play the part of pure blood scion in public, but you will also need an alter ego that you can use to fight from the shadows." Her eyes alight as she smiles again, "I have the perfect design for your disguise in mind."

I suppress a shudder at the last part, but what she says makes sense. I nod. "All right then, just you, me, and Dobby to take on the Voldemort's inner circle and bring Barty Crouch to justice." Hum…. A wizard, a house elf and an enchanted sword? Sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale, I just hope it has a happy ending, well for me at least, for Barty it will just have an ending.

~All Is Dust~

The newly minted headmaster Severus Snape was bored. He sat in his office listening to the new "Muggle studies" Professor give an over view of the new "Ministry approved curriculum." It was, as was to be expected, nothing but a load of bullocks.

"…And in conclusion, the new Ministry issued material states very clearly that Muggles resemblance to normal wizards and witches is purely coincidental since they aren't even the same species."

Snape sighed, this was getting tedious. Perhaps it was time to interject a little more information of his own creation into the massive load of lies Ms. Robertson was spurting?

Severus leaned forward, placed his elbows upon his desk, and spoke in as grave a voice as he could muster. "Not only that Ms. Robertson, but my research also suggested that, in the not so distant past, they were sexual cannibals, their women would devoured their mates after the act."

The way the old bat's eyes popped was most gratifying.

"Truly Headmaster? Even I have never thought that even disgusting beasts such as them could sink to such levels!"

Snape simply nodded sagely in response.

Lily's voice filled his mind with crystal clear laughter. "Really Severus? Sexual cannibals? I thought that she would catch on when you informed her that Muggle mating rituals involved excessive chest beating and urinating on everything in the area to mark their territory. I know that is what gorillas do, but what actually EATS its mate?"

"That would be a preying mantis Lily."

"Any other little tidbits of animal life cycles you're going to throw into the official Ministry propaganda?"

"I was thinking about mentioning that Muggles carry their young in a pouch for their first few months of life, but I couldn't decide where to fit it in; maybe I'll tack it on next year with the next teacher after I get this one sacked."

"So why exactly ARE you doing this again?"

"My own little interpretation of Reductio ad absurdum Lily, the Ministry is busy constructing their straw man of Muggle society, I am simply taking their lies and exaggerations to the next level of absurdity where it is apparent that that is exactly what all this is, absurd."

"You know Severus, if you had spent more time exercising that devious mind of yours instead of brooding or hanging out with the wrong crowed you could have given the marauders a run for their money in mind games."

"You forget there was a reason that Black cast me in the role of Alice and sent me down that rabbit hole to meet Lupin whilst he was reprising his monthly role as the Bandersnatch. I may have convinced the blonde Ravenclaw he was after that he was a poof."

"So that's the reason Abigail always looked at him funny after that! That's a little harsh on Remus though, he really is a nice guy, he couldn't help that it was his time of the month. But now that you mention it the similarities to Lewis Carroll's story are rather striking; the hole was under a tree if I recall correctly. Sirius doesn't seem like the type to read a book written for young girls though."

"Abigail didn't think so either, at first. How do you think I managed to convince her he was a fairy in the first place? The pretty blue dress I procured in Black's size that I may or may not have claimed belonged to him only added to my case."

Lily's peals of laughter reverberated inside his head, but Snape simply smiled at Ms. Robinson stated, "Thank you for the briefing on your new teaching material. I'm sure it will be far more accurate than what was taught before and will showcase the Ministry's new, more enlightened approach to Muggle studies, but don't forget to include the extra information that I have told you."

Ms. Robertson smiled, bobbed her head, and shuffled out the door. The dunderhead wouldn't know sarcasm if it impacted her face at extreme velocity. Oddly enough Lily didn't object to his mental diatribe against the bloody woman, although perhaps it wasn't that unusual considering the lady had been stating Lily was subhuman.

Perhaps something that was unusual was that Severus Snape did not think it odd that he was hearing the voice of his estranged, and more importantly, deceased best friend. He had heard Lily's words in his mind since that night two years ago and he knew not the cause of it. Maybe it actually was Lily speaking to him from beyond the grave, but Severus didn't think so, he was fairly certain that he had simply gone insane. He had to say that looking back up at the diving board of sanity that the water was indeed fine at this end of the metaphysical pool. Snape was pretty sure he had discovered the reason for Dumbledore's incessant eye twinkling; lunacy was quite a pleasant experience.

Severus didn't know the truth of it, and he didn't care to. All he knew was that the constant swell of guilt and self-revelation that had threatened to drown him since Lily's death had drained away and left him feeling at peace. He was at peace and had his best friend back with him. As far as Snape was concerned life was good.

"Severus, the Carrows are coming in next, and I don't think you can pull the same thing with them as you did with that Robinson woman."

Snape nodded his head in understanding. Lily was right; the next pair would have to be handled with the utmost care. While Ms. Robinson was about as dangerous as a particularly vicious teddy bear, the Carrows were like a pair of rabid wolves, thirsty for blood and foaming at the mouth, wolves that were now locked in close quarters with hundreds of young witches and wizards, the outcome given enough time was not in doubt. Perhaps a more permanent solution was called for with respect to those two? Now that he thought about it, the Acromantula in the forbidden forest hadn't had any visitors in the last few years; perhaps he should send the Carrows to pay their respects?

Severus didn't know why exactly he was the headmaster of Hogwarts; well it probably had something to do with the fact that he had fed both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore information that lead to their final showdown at the Ministry last year. He had done it because it had to happen eventually, and no matter who died at the end of it, they would have deserved it as far as he was concerned. As a reward for his service he been made headmaster this ancient school. Whether he liked it or not that made him responsible for the welfare of every miserable, snot nosed, bedwetting little brat in the castle. Lily had stated that it didn't matter how it came to pass, all that mattered was that it had and now he had to keep them all safe.

Snape narrowed his eyes as the Carrows filed in. Severus had promised Lily that he would protect the brats from Voldemort's Wrath. He would keep them safe, regardless of who had to die for it to be so.

~All Is Dust~

Everyone knew that Voldemort was back. Everyone knew that he and his death eaters had taken over the country and were waging a war of terror against those of Muggle birth. Everyone even knew that there was a resistance that was actively fighting against them. What many people did not know was that the resistance was highly organized, motivated, and had a plan to kill Voldemort; they had just hit a little snag that was all.

Hermione Granger sat huddled over an old dusty volume about the history of the four founders. Similar books were piled in teetering towers around her, forming a wall between her and the outside world. She knew that the work she was doing was not the as glamorous as the raids that Sirius, Ron and Cedric led on Muggle born concentration camps or death eater meetings, but it had to be done regardless.

Hermione blew a wisp of hair out of her face as she turned another page. They had only found two of his Horcruxes so far and according to what Dumbledore told them before he died there were likely five more. Hermione rubbed her temples as she continued to read. They had found the locket in Sirius's house and the ring in the old shack, but they only knew where one of the others was, and the snake was far too well protected to be able to kill easily. On the plus side Hermione was fairly sure she at least knew what two of the others were. If Riddle kept with his pattern of using heirlooms of the founders then the only option for Ravenclaw was a diadem and the only one for Hufflepuff was a cup with her crest on it. The only problem was that the cup had gone missing years ago and the diadem had been lost almost a thousand years before.

Hermione sighed, closed her book, leaned her chair back, and closed her eyes. They were at a dead end. There were no clues on where he had hidden the two Horcruxes that they knew about, and there wasn't enough information on what else he might have used as one to draw a conclusion about that either. It was times like this that made her wish she had taken Victor up on his offer to live with him in Bulgaria. But Hermione Granger would not run. Although she loved Victor dearly this was her fight and Victor understood that.

"Hard at work I see." Came a gruff, yet kind voice from behind her. Hermione turn around just in time to see both Cedric and Sirius walk into the room and hang up their dark hooded cloaks.

"That's right! It's the council meeting today! I completely forgot."

"Hermione, we really appreciate all of the hard work that you put into finding those cursed abominations, but maybe you should get out every now and then? All of this dust and lack of sunlight can't be good for you." Cedric said kindly as he took the seat beside her.

Hermione nodded. She knew he was right; she did work herself too hard. "When is Ron getting here?

"He isn't going to make it. The Death Eaters are having a…. celebration tonight, and Ron's group is going to crash it." Responded Cedric as he took the seat opposite her at the table and glanced around at her books in bemusement. Hermione just nodded. She should have known, it was her that told Terry to pass on the information about the raid to Ron in the first place.

After Dumbledore's death a year ago the old Order of the Phoenix had dissolved and the resistance had been formed in its place. Instead of being under the control of one man, it was formed into cells, each with a leader. Sirius was in charge of one, Cedric another, and Ron the third, and Hermione was over another, although hers focused more on information gathering and research than actual fighting. Each one of them was gifted in something and each led their organization differently, but they all worked together towards a common goal.

"How is the reading going? Looks like you have been doing too damn much of it if you ask me," asked Sirius as he looked at the mountains of books in disgust.

"Not that well unfortunately. There just isn't enough to go on to draw any conclusions."

"You should try a different angle. Perhaps instead of looking up things that could be turned into Horcruxes you should look for information about the blasted things themselves. Maybe there is a spell or something you can use to detect them? You are more than welcome to try the library at my parent's house. There isn't a library in England that contains more information about the dark arts than that godforsaken place."

Hermione could have hit herself. Of course! That was it! The Black library, if there was any information on Horcruxes it would be there.

"Thanks for the advice Sirius; I'll take you up on the offer next chance I get. But I guess it's time to start the meeting."

"Recruitment is up, it's more than enough to make up for the losses we have suffered these last few months," stated Cedric, not wasting any time. Cedric's group went on raids as well, but he focused more on recruitment and training than anything else. When he felt like a recruit had been trained well enough he would pass them off to which ever cell he thought they would work best in. Cedric was also the face of the resistance, mostly because it was a rather attractive face, thought Hermione with a smile.

"Fred, George, and I have finally managed to circumvent the wards around the flue department in the Ministry. We can bring the whole network down for a few hours anytime we need to." Puts in Sirius with a smug smile plastered on his face.

Hermione nodded her head and shuffled through her stake of papers looking for the report she had received that day, finally she found the elusive document and pulled it out. "Here is something that you may find interesting Sirius, my sources in Diagon Ally have reported that for the last two weeks a house elf has been making all of the purchases that would be necessary to renovate a home of a large size, and every one of the orders were delivered to Malfoy Manor."

Sirius simply scratched his head and, with a quizzical look on his face asked, "Why exactly do you think I would care about that?"

"Because the only people with Malfoy blood or those given permission by someone with it are able to enter the wards, and the only living person with Malfoy blood is your cousin Draco."

Comprehension dawned on Sirius's face, "Oh yes, Narcissa's welp! The boy had his parents killed by a death eater when he was eleven if I recall correctly. He went to live with Tonk's family for a bit before he ran away. Tonks was rather fond of him and she still gets a letter from him occasionally."

"Yes and his vaults are perhaps the biggest in wizarding Briton. We need to see if he is sympathetic to our cause; if he is his financial backing could be invaluable."

Sirius nodded, Tonks and Lupin were in his group, so he would pass the information on to her and allow her to make contact.

"Is there anything else that needs discussing?" Inquired Cedric. No one spoke so all of them quickly said their farewells and departed back to their responsibilities. Hermione stretched and began to make her way to her bed. Tomorrow she would take Sirius up on his offer of using the Black library, if there was any information on Horcruxes it would be there.

As Hermione finally stretched out on her bed for the first time in what seemed like forever a smile came to her lips. Finally, after all this time of fruitlessly searching there was another lead. Maybe she would get to avenge Harry after all.